• Screen Time Per Episode, Per pony

    Bronyman has gone through all of season one, and parsed out how much actual time each character recieved overall, and per episode.  It's pretty interesting actually! I always figured Applejack was the least represented, but apparently Rainbow Dash is on the bottom of the heap. 

    You can find all of the interesting little details Here!

    64 comments:

    1. Now we just need one that shows the average.

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    2. PRO
      ALSO, APPLEJACK IS THE BEST PONY

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    3. I could see Rainbow being on the bottom, I always noticed she was the least shown during the run.

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    4. Ironically Applejack appears in more episodes than most (apart from Twilight) With Rainbow Dash being the least represented. Makes you think how cool RD must be to be 3rd favourate with the least time.

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    5. ...This is truly wondrous. Kudos to you, Bronyman, kudos. *plans to spend the rest of the day over-interpreting this data*

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    6. Rainbow Dash. LAST? WAT THE HELL

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    7. I knew that Rainbow wasn't getting represented enough, but that's shocking. I thought that would be Applejack since she has not been given her fair share of memorable moments.

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    8. Pinkie Pie being 2nd to last is very surprising to me as well. I figured she was represented in a ton of the episodes.

      I expected 1. Twilight 2. Pinkie 3. Applejack 4. Rainbow 5. Fluttershy 6. Rarity

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    9. Raw data would be great for playing about with.

      Also, a line graph? *dies a little inside*

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    10. Twilight is the only pony that has appeared in every episode. Interesting...

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    11. Well she was already last in FWF. Another failure was only a matter of time.

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    12. > mfw Suited for Success wasn't Rarity's "most on-screen" episode.

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    13. I'd like to encourage everypony to read the fine print in the "notes" section; the character involvment is calculated pretty roughly and the ending numbers surely are skewed a bit by that

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    14. I figured Rarity would be the least represented, no surprise Twilight looks like she's at the top though.

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    15. The most interesting thing about this imo, is that the amount of screentime a character gets doesn't necessarily translate directly to the amount of depth they have in the plot and development.

      Applejack might have the second highest amount of screen time, but that screen time hasn't been used efficiently for development of her as a character.

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    16. It seems Look Before You Sleep is what is really pushing Rarity and Applejack up. While they did have that episode to give em 90%s they really aren't that prevalent otherwise.

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    17. Interesting! I'd like to see this with side ponies too!

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    18. At first I was sad to see Dash so underrepresented. But then I figured, that time she is getting is getting used so well, she probably has the most quality minutes out of everypony, save for maybe Fluttershy.

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    19. I somehow knew the generals on this before actually going through all the data. It was easy to tell Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie got the least amount of screentime.

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    20. No, no, no... You can't calculate that accurately by just raw data; you have to factor in the fact that Rainbow Dash is about 20% cooler than the others per every ten seconds she's onscreen.

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    21. I don't see how people thought Applejack and Rarity weren't represented much, fact is they are in most episodes, usually have a bit of screen time in each episode they're in, even if some other pony is at the forefront of the episode.

      I think your all thinking popularity = screen time. For instance, while Pinkie is second to last, we remember her most cause she is just random. And we remember the random. Same with rainbow, she is hilarious in all her scenes, but she doesn't get much screen time.

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    22. Interesting facts actually :D

      (also testing Name/URL comment. nevermind that :p)

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    23. Figured as much. Dash is clearly best pony, but she gets the least amount of screen time. Get on this, Hasbro

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    24. Rainbow Dash better get more screentime next season; she is Lauren's favorite poni, how she get so little ;w;

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    25. I think they're trying to balance things out. Dash and Pinkie are louder so they get less time so they don't overwhelm the ensemble.

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    26. This sort of debunks the whole "Rarity and Applejack are unpopular because they have less screen time" crap people always spew.

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    27. Clearly we need about 20% more Rainbow Dash in Season 2

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    28. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are memorable, AppleJack and Rarity are easy forgettable

      Less Time but more Quality is actually better than having tons of time and dull moments.
      And that's why Double P and RD's quality got their popularity

      {Let's not forget}: cupcakes, Pinkamena, Her songs The MeMes from RD, how everyone wants her to sing a solo, Sonic Rainbooms, How her mane is a rainbow and how you can compare her to sonic the hedgehog etc.

      Once again popularity =/=(is not) screen time

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    29. @BagOfChips
      I'm more of the opinion that their comparative lack of popularity comes not from lack of screentime, but from lack of GOOD screentime. Rainbow is so popular because of every second she has is so well utilized. Applejack, on the other hoof, has less good screntime.

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    30. I`d really like to see this updated with counting Spike for "owl's well" and the CMC as charachters in this, to see how much it is affected.

      One thing's for sure, We need more episodes DEFINITELY for Rainbow Dash, and also Applejack.

      It's interesting though, for all the screen time Twilight has, I don`t get the feeling that the episodes really focus on her charachter as much as other episodes do for the others.

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    31. I don't think Dash and Pinkie need a whole lot more screen time. If anypony is going to get more screen time, it is going to be everypony at once. I enjoy the episodes where everypony are involved, because writing for 6 individual characters and DOING IT WELL is a feat not often performed in today's media - both in children's and adult entertainment industries.

      I agree with the 'balancing it out' theory. If the loud characters are given even equal screentime as quieter characters, then it rapidly begins to feel like the loud characters are drowning out the entire group. If an episode is involving everypony, then the individual screentime is dramatically reduced, making things appear even more balanced. "At The Gala" is a good example, the raw data shows that everpony got round about the same amount of screentime, but because of the segments focusing on each character being so short, it didn't allow either character from taking more attention from the audience than another character.

      As I said before, GOOD WRITING.

      I'd quite like to see more everypony episodes of the same caliber as "Dragonshy" and "At The Gala", those involve all of the characters and have them each participate in the plot of the episode, rather than simply be in the scene not doing anything like in "Over A Barrel" or "Sonic Rainboom". I'm not saying those episodes suffered or were bad, "Sonic Rainboom" is one of my top 5 favourite episodes, my wish is to see more episodes featuring everypony.

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    32. Lets face it guys. The popularity has nothing to do with screentime or character development. The reason AJ and Rarity are less popular is because a majority you like the moe character and the "cool" character more than the practical voice of reason and the fashionista.

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    33. Rarity is one of my favorites, and AJ is cool too. IMO, AJ feels neglected because both of her big episodes were near the beginning of the season.

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    34. Plus, the sleepover episode wasn't exactly the most memorable episode, and I`m sure that's factoring in to a lot of our own memories having some discrepancy here.

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    35. @LoLZorzs

      And also that Luna character which just appears in 1 episode as Nightmare Moon and once again mostly in a purple sparkle smoke.

      And Luna gets like just 30 seconds of screen time so why do people love her soo much?
      Well might be cause of her blue addictive sparkly hair plus she's the first antagonist she has a second form being NM, has been stucked on the moon for an exaggerate amount of time, is a freaking alicorn, is related to Celestia directly

      And thus people can use her for Fan Fics to create their own Luna that's why it's good that she's soo mysterious(no personality made yet). So yeah Luna is the best sandbox character available for Fan Fics, due to also She's A Mothafucking Important God Complex Character controlling the Moon!(aka everything what i've said up there)

      That about sums it up why she's more popular even than Derpy Hooves(Mascot of the bronies) which is pretty much an easter egg like Waldo

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    36. Pinkie-Pie and Rainbow Dash last? Wow. I guess the staff just figured that too much of those two could be potentially harmful to viewers. Probably a good call. They sure don't seem like they're in the shadows.

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    37. "Feeling Pinkie Keen" shows more Twilight than Pinkie! °o°

      Was expectable, though. A documentation movie about wolves shows more camera guys than wolves, after all. :p

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    38. NEED MORE APPLEJACK!!!!

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    39. @Anonymous

      Uh, most of Rainbow Dash's screen time isn't that great (see Over a Barrel)

      If it's not worse, it's equal to that of Rarity and Applejack's

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    40. Poor, poor Applejack.

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    41. BagofChips, it just seems that there are a few key episodes such as Owl's Well and LBYS that aren't particualrly memorable. Unfortunately AJ features in LBYS and the almost as meh "Over a Barrel", so IMO, she feels the most neglected of all the cahrachters. Rarity had three really good episodes, but LBYS makes hers overall seem less memorable.

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    42. I don't agree with the "Rainbow Dash needs more screentime." As said earlier, every second she is onscreen she's freakin' awesome. And she is also a very loud character. If you give her more screentime she may become an annoyance to those who don't think she's that big of a deal and many people will probably hook off because of that.

      Let's also not forget that this IS a childrens show and it needs quiet characters. We don't want our children to be all crazy and hyper after watching a MLP episode :p

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    43. I Shall tell you all once and for all why AppleJack and Rarity are the least loved chars

      AppleJack's Tips for Apple Bloom in Call of the Cutie are your ordinary BS propaganda advice

      Rarity is a fashionista aka girly stuff

      +They don't have their moments(they're too dull)

      That's exactly what Friendship Is Magic is trying to get rid of from generation 1-3.5
      which made the My Little Pony suck soo much

      And for gods sake Pinkie Pie is memorable for being able to break the fourth wall

      Fluttershy is just that it reminds a lot of people how they where in their childhood,
      +The FlutterGuy moment
      And how she frequently forgets that she's suppose to be the shy character
      and apparently the overloading ''cuteness'' which most people call it is why she got voted soo much

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    44. Really? Rarity is in 90% of the Look Before You Sleep shots? This calls for a rewatch :)

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    45. @Anonymous

      The brony who put this chart together didn't measure shot-by-shot. She is present and active for nearly the entire duration of the episode, but not necessarily in the shot.

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    46. @A Random Guy

      Rarity isn't the fashionista in the "I only shop and only know how to shop" kind of way. She's a hard working fashion designer who does everything by herself. Not your typical girly stuff imo.

      Same for Applejack actually, she proves that girls are also fit for hard labour and can stand their own man.

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    47. @Matva

      It's LBYS, man, it's LBYS. They're both great charachters who needed a better episode than that.

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    48. As it has been said, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are very 'loud' characters. They're fun to have around, but I don't think anypony would want to have them around ALL the time. It would get on your nerves. Applejack and Rarity are good 'base' characters. They have the most stable personalities and are generally the most reasonable, save for when their quirks get in the way. This does not make them BAD or BORING, they have very defined characters and both of them have quite a large fanbase.

      And, honestly, all of the mane cast, save for Twilight, ended up between 25% and 30% anyway. I would have to say that's very, very close.

      Twilight is also probably the mane character, if you could give her that role, as most of the episodes revolve around what she learned and is reporting to Princess Celestia. It's also there to show how she's blossoming and growing as a pony, compared to the others who already have very defined personalities (even if they all do grow a little).

      Still, her role isn't as defined and she's more of the everypony of the show than anything else. Again, this doesn't make her BAD or BORING. This makes her easier to relate to and helps the writing.

      I think most of the backlash, honestly, is that each pony's favorite character isn't getting as much screen time as they'd like. But as you can see, the writers have taken pains to make it more or less even and to keep it memorable.

      (And no I didn't mention Fluttershy, because we all love Fluttershy. :3 *hugs her* And I would have been mostly repeating myself. She's somewhere in between Rarity/AJ's situation and PP/R.Dash's situation.)

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    49. Sorry for the wall of text! o.o;

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    50. @ A random guy:

      Rarity doesn't have her moments?

      Rarity:
      Wahahah!
      But I thought you wanted whining...
      What am I supposed to wallow in?
      What does one pack when going into exile?
      And the scene where she stomps on Spike's tail

      Applejack:
      Bloomberg is a big strongy wongy tree, oh yes he is.
      Hmm... nah
      Um, yeah. That ain't gonna happen

      Okay, applejack doesn't have that many memorable scenes. I still think she's funny.

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    51. Wow, this is abuse of line charts.

      I am disappoint.

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    52. Thanks for the response. Raw data added and some additions made per some comments.

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    53. WE NEED MOAR PINKIE. LOTS MOAR PINKIE.

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    54. Rainbow Dash, Figures. My Favorite Characters (That aren't the Main.), Always seem to be a "Rarity." ;P

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    55. The Rainbow Dash specific chart has the "Linear Rainbow" and I'll be damned if that's not a great band name.

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    56. Proves that Dash suffers from a touch of Boba Fett syndrome; little screen time, memorable character.

      Luna's kind of a full-on Boba Fett, tho.

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    57. Excuse me, am I reading this wrong or does it erroneously say that Rainbow has no time in the episode Show Stoppers?

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    58. It seems like people are getting strange impressions from this, like more/less screen time = better/cooler/more favorited pony. That seems a bit silly, no?

      Personally it's just kind of a fun fact, not so much a comparison of how amazing they all are.

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    59. @Anonymous

      "Excuse me, am I reading this wrong or does it erroneously say that Rainbow has no time in the episode Show Stoppers?"

      Her two seconds of screen time are included. And are on the chart (0.2%). Gotta squint a bit.

      Unless you're mixing it up with Call of the Cutie.

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    60. Does this count the intro to the show?

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    61. I'm not sure why everyone's hating on Rarity and Applejack. Sure, they aren't my favorite characters, but they are still pretty well characterized, not that they couldn't be fleshed out more, but so could the rest of the cast (remember, we've only watched for one season).

      Rarity was my least favorite until a friend pointed out that the episode "Suited for Success" should've been terrible because of our age ranges, but it was actually a good episode. Also, it is shown that while Rarity is obsessed with fashion, it isn't all she is about. In Dog and a Pony show, she shows that she uses her apparent weakness to her advantage to make the dogs work for her. So, while Rarity still isn't my favorite by a long shot, the reason I don't like her is because of me and my interests, not because she's written terribly.

      As for Applejack, she's a little harder to explain. She certainly needs more fleshing out (even more than Rarity), but I still assert she's a fine character. We see she's a hardworking, stubborn pony who is willing to help her friends, even if it's too much work for her. We see she is serious about apples (even giving one it's own room in Over a Barrel) When she was young, she decided to have a different life, but she decided to go back to the farm (which I find to be an interesting decision, as I grew up in the city). She's certainly a strong role model for girls.

      Perhaps that's the problem, both of these apply more to girls than bronies, the show was written for girls afterall. I'm not saying that there are females who are bronies, or that there aren't male bronies who like these characters, but it is certainly something to consider. Also, as it has been suggested, it could be the episode Look Before You Sleep, which isn't my favorite. Also, has been also suggested, they just the stable characters, so they aren't prone to the more funny moments of the show. Just give it some consideration.

      Sorry it's so long, just thought I would give my opinion on this.

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    62. @RobotPony

      In general I don't understand why there's any hatred for certain mane-6 cast at all. I have found every single character likable over others in different episodes and in diferest situations.

      For example in Suited for Success Rarity clearly takes the episode. And not just because the episode was written for her. Had she been truly unlikable, that episode would have been unwatchable, and it's not. In fact that episode is on the stronger side. In my mind that episode works extremely well and makes me want to see that character more in episodes not centered around her. The same goes to Applebuck Season for AJ, A Bird In The Hoof for Fluttershy and Sonic Rainboom for Dash. All creates real likable characters who can carry that momentum over all other episodes.

      So when a poll comes up asking my favorite pony, I have hard time deciding because I like them all almost equally. At no point I can go "well at least this one isn't my favorite".

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