The concept for "Fake It Til You Make It" and was both fascinated and apprehensive about how it would turn out. It was a very different scenario for Fluttershy, who has come on a lot overtime as a character, and it was interesting to see how she would fare in a situation that is difficult to get your head around. There was also though apprehension as this is one of those stories that is easy to overdo and where there is the potential trap of overdoing character flaws.
While respecting the views of the previous commentators, "Fake It Til You Make It" despite having good things and moments didn't do much for me and is something of an odd episode. It is a shame that a season that started off as promisingly as it did went downhill in quality very quickly. Not only is the execution in "Fake It Til You Make It" overdone, with the writers seeming to forget making Fluttershy likeable on the whole, the premise doesn't suit her and a lot more could have been done with it.
"Fake It Til You Make It" has things that are done well. The animation as usual is great, being vibrant and meticulously detailed. Proof that flash animation can be done well. The music has energy and atmosphere. The voice acting can't be faulted, with Andrea Libman really pulls out all the stops when it came to the comic timing and Fluttershy's guises. She was clearly having fun, especially as Goth Fluttershy, and does so well at making each guise different from each other.
As indicated, there are funny moments here. Namely Pinkie Pie's reaction to Fluttershy calling the racoons rodents (hilariously over the top) and some funny lines from Goth Fluttershy. The setting is made good use of while the rest of the Mane 6 are very likeable and supportive at the end despite the way they are treated. Did root for Fluttershy to begin with, it is not easy taking on such a big responsibility like what she undergoes here. 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' often did great at making characters easy to relate to in difficult scenarios and "Fake It Til You Make It" did do that initially.
It is a shame that it didn't do that consistently, because once Fluttershy starts taking on the three different personas she does become rather unlikeable when the writers start over-emphasising her negative qualities. It is a situation that doesn't suit her or make much sense for her to be in with the characteristics being too at odds with her original personality, it would have made more sense with Pinkie Pie, and as a result she felt out of character. Her rudeness in the latter stages and her mean-spirited overreaction towards her friends for no reason was a primary example of this. While there are other things that are flawed about "Fake It Til You Make It", Fluttershy's character wriitng brought it down significantly for me.
Moreover, "Fake It Til You Make It" could have done with a lot more energy, the momentum not being there to begin with, and while the message is a good one and Fluttershy does look genuinely remorseful it is familiar territory and rehashes it too much with nothing illuminating to say. It was like Fluttershy hadn't really learned anything from that time. While there are funny moments, there were moments too where the whole losing oneself into multiple different personas came over as more awkward than humorous, especially when it got particularly overdone. The story could have taken the concept further as it turned out quite slight and there were times where Fluttershy's louder, more boisterous side comes over as forced and too clear that that is not what she is usually. It further reiterates how the story would have worked a lot better with Pinkie Pie.
Concluding, watchable but odd. 5/10.
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