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Deceius [2012-09-03 22:00:06 +0000 UTC]

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I'm not exactly the best person to critique something art wise but I really want to get my two cents in on this piece. Your color choice was spot on. It really completes the image in every way. From what I know, Dash was never really interested in school so the average grade wouldn't bring her this low. This was something important to her. Something that matters. Everyone should have to feel something like this once in their lives. This might have been the straw that broke the camels back. The grade could be the thing that made Dash realize that she has to work for her dreams. This is a huge, life-changing realization for most people. With her personality, this would be twice as hard to take. Lots of feel for a spectacular piece. Well done.

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TopNotchBrony [2012-07-14 05:31:28 +0000 UTC]

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You know, I've never really compared Rainbow Dash to Bart Simpson because the thought's never crossed my mind, this bit of art changed that immediately. Their personalities are really similar, especially in the episode I think you were referencing. Bart's consequence for failing the test was the humiliation of being held back, Rainbow Dash's however was missing the chance to see her heroes in action. There's a lot of RD fan art where she's at her weakest but this is one of the few that really works. Two of the things that hit hardest for me were this: Derpy walks off with an A+ in check and a smile on her face. I can bet that in this piece, she doesn't know half of the amount of Wonderbolts info Dash knows. Regardless of what Derpy is like in other fan pieces, in this piece she seems to represent the kid who doesn't seem to work for his/her success and without any effort she passed with flying colours. How's that fair? Dash works her flank off to see her idols and fails while little miss perfect gets to see a group she doesn't care about (No Derpy hate, just seems like that's the kind of person she's representing). Second, the clouds outside are all coloured very depressingly, showing what the world outside seems to Dash when she's lost the ultimate chance to meet her heroes. This is a brilliant piece of art and one of the one of the best representations of the saying 'A picture is worth a thousand words'. Perfect colouring, perfect setup and perfect impact. God I love filly Dash stories.

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Abstract-Spectrum [2012-07-13 15:06:18 +0000 UTC]

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Immediately I thought of that one episode from the Simpsons with a similar theme. Bart fails a test, and unless he gets a passing grade on it, he'll have to repeat the 4th grade. Studying hard, even stooping to the point of beating himself up over it, he still can't seem to persevere. The same kind of sorrow I felt for Bart in that episode is the same that I feel here for Rainbow Dash. Now, something that I noticed that actually had quite an impact was The Wonderbolt posters next to that entrance, pretty much reminding someone who looks deep into this that the wonderbolts is what she was going for, it's what she's always been going for. But unfortunately for her, and the early failures in her life, she can't reach her dreams. In a nutshell, I love the style in this. I love the hidden meanings and the story it can tell from just looking at it.

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lordzid [2012-07-13 12:35:34 +0000 UTC]

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Once again English is not my first language so please be patient everypony.

Wow its been a long time since my first critique and it was one of your pieces of art ''Going Nowhere'' and ever since that day I started to do critiques all over the pony world. so first of all thank you.

Now the first time I saw ''Going Nowhere'' i knew you had the potential to get to someones heart and once again you did it again. Your vision of what we feel or felt on a point on life make for great art.

''But. I really tried this time...'' is a great piece and reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons from 1990 called ''Bart gets and F'' a very sad and very interesting episode that shows that even when you put YOUR HEART, YOUR BODY AND YOUR SOUL there is always the possibility of failure.

I can relate to this piece since I was never a good student and i know the emptiness that you feel after you tried your hardest and yet you fail.

Your art stile is only yours and that's what i like about you (even thought you take your time to give us something e.deviantart.net/emoticons/let… " width="15" height="15" alt="" title=" (Lick)"/>)BUT HEY...I rather want something that is worth looking that having something rush without soul.

Once again thank you for this, you made my soul cry and reach into the most deep of my being... so thanks

Lordzid

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equilibrik [2012-07-13 11:53:02 +0000 UTC]

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A really sad and emotional scene, brought out more by your particular art style. You get a real feel for the weight of Dash's sadness by Fluttershy's expression, her eyes so sad and almost fearful at seeing Rainbow Dash so broken up and upset. Fluttershy looks like she wants to say something, reach out to Dash, but again she is fearful, standing almost stiff and paralysed.

As if to rub salt in Rainbow Dash's wounds, we see Derpy leaving the building, a cheerful and oblivious smile on her face as she carries off her own test results with the highest marks on them. Now of course we don't know how smart Derpy really is, but we can gather that most ponies think she's a bit of a ditz. So seeing her leave with top marks almost seems to say to Dash that even a wall-eyed filly with a goofy grin is smarter than you.

The posters on the wall hint that Rainbow Dash lost out on the chance to see the Wonderbolts, given that they are one of her primary obsessions in life. What initially looks like being upset over a test result is now given more depth by implying that Dash lost her chance to see the Wonderbolts perform due to her low score. Which would be very devestating for a young Pegasi who idolizes the Wonderbolts as much as Rainbow does.

I also can't help but draw a parallel to a Simpsons episode, Bart gets an F where he puts in all his effort and still fails. A scenario that seems near-identical to what happened to Rainbow Dash. It's also something that doesn't crop up in media nearly as much as trying your hardest and succeeding, trying your hardest you can still fail and that's a pretty solid lesson/moral. Ironically enough, the grade Bart got that let him pass is the same one on Rainbow Dash's test, which is either a clever homage to the episode or an accidental fluke.

If there is one critique I would give, it's that the message of this image comes off as a little too strong i.e, it feels like it's trying too hard, but if anything were removed, the image would lose some of its impact.

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portaljumper339 [2012-07-13 05:59:09 +0000 UTC]

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Vision: Good God, has this happened to me. Just at a first glance I can tell that something serious just went down, and it really makes me want to explore the story in it further.

Originality: Rainbow isn't really my favorite pony, mainly because her brash, abrasive attitude reminds me of my childhood bullies. Seeing her in a state of submission and of failure really helps give her some more depth as a character, and depth is necessary if you want your character to be universally loved. Just seeing the tears falling down this sad little filly's face nearly brings tears to my own eyes. The one thing I could say is that you REALLY did not need to put Derpy in here. I understand that it is supposed to be a counterpoint to the pain that Rainbow is feeling, but this obvious bit of fan service detracts from the whole experience. If you were to redo this, I suggest that you change Derpy to a anonymous pegasus, just so that the original counterpoint is there, but people won't be distracted from the main message of the story. Besides, Derpy getting an A+ while Rainbow gets a D-? C'mon dude, give our cyan friend some credit.

Technique: Very good drawing here, and I especially liked how you gave everything an orange filter so that it would seem more like it was evening. However, some of the lines seem a little slap dash, particularly on the lockers. Fluttershy's mouth also seems a little awkward looking, and her wings aren't as polished up as the rest of the drawing. Good work, but keep those
little things in mind.

Impact: This picture hit me like a ton of bricks wrapped around a Halo 3 Gravity Hammer, and it was for all the right reasons. The pain and sadness, the true crushing dread of knowing that you've failed at something you've tried so hard to succeed at, that is what makes a picture stick out. It doesn't all have to be flashy visuals and bright colors, sometimes all it has to be is a sad little filly after a bad day at school.

Overall: A remarkable picture that will definitely be going on my iPad and in my favorites. You sir, are a master at telling a story without words, and if you just fix up the few little technique niggles and your desire to Appel to the fans so much, and you will have something truly deserving of calling a masterpiece. Feel free to comment if you disagree, and I hope to see more of your art in future!

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Kobrakin [2012-07-13 05:00:31 +0000 UTC]

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Poor, poor Rainbow Dash. e.deviantart.net/emoticons/f/f… " width="15" height="15" alt="" title=" (Sad)"/>

Failure, especially at something you truly tried your best at, is a devastating blow to one's self-confidence, especially for someone like Rainbow Dash. She was doubtlessly convinced that if she had simply wanted to do well academically, she could do so easily. Her grades were bad because she had other things to worry about, and nothing more.

Unfortunately, she learned that she is not infallible, and that she can fail. We see the consequences of this crushing defeat reverberate well into adulthood. Her arrogance and her ego are both emotional shields; when they are stripped away by the possibility of another humiliating failure (the Best Young Flyers competition), we see that deep inside, she never fully recovered.

This is a poignant and heart wrenching scene, a captured trauma that will define Rainbow Dash, and leave her forever running away from herself. She dropped out of Flight School because she could not handle the risk of another failure. Despite her incredible natural talent, she is content to remain a small town weather pegasus; by being a big fish in a small pond, she can avoid situations that would fall out of her comfort zone.

This also drives her to constantly push herself to improve herself in areas where she is already talented: flying and athletics. She has to be the fastest, the strongest, the best, at everything she does, to prove to herself that she is worthy. This drives her to be unshakably loyal as well: not coming through for her friends or her town is a failure in Rainbow Dash's eyes, and that is the one thing she dreads more than anything else. Is it any surprise that Discord used visions of failure (in this case, failing to save Cloudsdale) to corrupt Dash?

The fact that I am able to read so much into this piece is a testament to its quality. It is also beautifully drawn, and lovely to look at. Wonderful work as always, NaterRang! e.deviantart.net/emoticons/s/s… " width="15" height="15" alt="" title=" (Smile)"/>

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teeneetinee [2020-04-29 21:22:56 +0000 UTC]

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Anonheron [2020-04-02 03:19:38 +0000 UTC]

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Stitch09 [2020-03-22 15:12:01 +0000 UTC]

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HandsomeKiiro [2017-10-06 17:40:11 +0000 UTC]

Derpy won omg xDDDDDD

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FlareEmerald77 [2017-09-11 15:53:16 +0000 UTC]

Pretty sure they got mixed up on the tests  

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PeanutSmurf [2017-09-08 15:53:41 +0000 UTC]

Maybe Rainbow Dash could be like Peppermint Patty, and Derpy like Marcie.

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rayray200 [2017-03-02 23:36:21 +0000 UTC]

Poor dashy

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rubiks1994 [2017-01-20 03:43:34 +0000 UTC]

Fuck you derpy...

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2wingo [2016-08-20 06:07:35 +0000 UTC]

Easy: I try again and again until I succeed.

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RainbowDash25525 [2016-08-08 17:34:38 +0000 UTC]

I Not Be A Wonderbolt

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Phantomlord01 [2016-06-15 02:05:50 +0000 UTC]

This sort of reminds me of the Simpsons episode "Bart gets an F"

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MarioMario9090 [2015-06-25 05:42:52 +0000 UTC]

Fluttershy:dash what's the matter

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Sleuth92 [2015-05-27 17:51:56 +0000 UTC]

Derpy stole the show...again. T-T

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segamarvel [2015-01-02 10:15:55 +0000 UTC]

Please tell me there's a fanfic of this I can read?

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gxfan537 [2014-12-14 01:14:18 +0000 UTC]

Young Rainbow Blitz: You ok, rainbow dash?

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