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spiderbraidsFeaturing one of the more questionable edits of S1...
1x10: Bloom Tested / Magical Reality Check
You may be familiar with the screwed-up chronology of this episode. I'm not saying anything, but draw your own conclusions from these comparisons...
Unedited: At the well, the girls talk about getting to see the simulator -> The Trix take out their crystals (while saying something like, "Hey, Bloom has the same level of power as the dragon, so let's test her") -> The Trix yell at Knut (who bumbles in asking, "Why are we looking for the Dragonfire?"... to the brooms :D) -> Palladium shows the chamber and tests -> Bloom talks with Fake!Brandon about tomorrow's exam -> Riven and Darcy -> Darcy hacks the simulator
Edited: At the well, Bloom talks with the others about being asked out on a date with Fake!Brandon -> Bloom talks with Fake!Brandon about tomorrow's exam -> Riven and Darcy -> Palladium shows the chamber and tests -> The Trix take out their crystals (while explaining the plan to steal Bloom's powers) -> The Trix yell at Knut (who bumbles in talking about dried coriander verbosum... to the brooms :D) -> Darcy hacks the simulator
(NB: Had to stop myself short of accusing 4Kids of screwing up the chronology, but the reference to Bloom's exam being "tomorrow" from her date with Fake!Brandon made perfect sense in the original, but because 4Kids rearranged the scenes, "tomorrow" would be when Palladium is showing them around the simulator, and her exam would be the day afterwards... and Darcy casts her hacking spell the night before Bloom's exam in either version; frank15 noted in his review: "The witches got a lucky break: otherwise, they'd have been a day late to do this." Wasn't a lucky break, Frank, just bad editing ;-))
(NB2: Note how they've also changed what the Trix are trying to do in this episode... and yeah, I know 4Kids doesn't call them that, but it makes it easier to reference them)
(NB3: 4Kids cut the "dreamy" start with Bloom peering down the well down to just her tossing her coin; also, 4Kids changed the image in the Whisperian Triangle from Bloom to the Trix)
Second is a somewhat minor edit. Palladium explains the midterms. Again, no real opinion.
Unedited: Pally's offering two choices. Counter witches' spells (Flora eventually takes this one), and reviving a dead planet (we see Bloom and Stella take this one: Bloom asks for a few parameters, and the chamber picks Domino for her).
Edited: The midterm for everyone will be surviving a dead planet, and everyone gets a random planet.
Third. The Trix go after Kiko to get Bloom to use her Dragonfire.
Unedited: Icy zaps Kiko, and Bloom watches futilely as he drops into the lava. Shocked, Bloom gets even with the Trix and DFs them.
Edited: Icy zaps Kiko, and Bloom tries the spell she just read earlier as he drops into the lava. Shocked, Bloom gets even with the Trix and DFs them.
IMO, not sure if not explaining Kiko surviving the lava fall is a good idea...
Last but not least. The end of the episode. I know the edit is required to tie up loose ends, but still... at least we avoid the copout ending. Read the comparisons:
Unedited: The simulator has crashed, and the exams have been postponed. Everyone throws Bloom in the air over and over. End episode.
Edited: The simulator has crashed, and Bloom's gotten a A grade, while the exams have been postponed. Everyone throws Bloom in the air over and over. Over at CT, the Trix's attempt to use the DF goes kerflooey. End episode.
I was absolutely certain that someone would have something to say about how 4Kids changed the plot, and then had to tack on that copout ending, when it would have been easier, and better for the episode, to just keep the plot the same, especially given that contemporary reviews of the 4Kids episode mark the episode down for that ending alone (and this was before it was widely known that 4Kids was airing an edited version of the show, so it seems they just assumed the original writers screwed up :-\)
frank15's review: Wha? It just... disappears?! Talk about a cop-out ending! (...) OK... what was with that ending? The witches have captured the dragon fire, and then... they don't. OK, how about a bit of explanation as to what just happened? How did the dragon fire just "disappear" like that? Did they ever have it? It was not particularly well thought out.
(He was also particularly bothered by the "irritating error with the days" [his words], adding "Blargh, this is giving me a headache!" He gave the ep a 5/10, which I'm sure that he would have given a more faithful dub that didn't rearrange the scenes nor have that cop-out ending better than just 5/10)
tanz_fanatika's review: I think my biggest problem with this episode is the cop out ending. Um...the dragon fire just disappeared? With no explanation? I think there should have been a few lines on how Knut brought the wrong potion ingredients and that caused the problem. Okay, we know it's not easy to catch the dragon fire, but come on. At least give some sort of excuse.
(NB: *checks Fandom* In the 4Kids episode, Darcy says: "I sent out Knut for the coriandum-verbosum. He should be back soon." When Knut shows up, he says: "Sorry I'm late, traffic was a witch and I couldn't find any fresh coriandum-verbosum anywhere. It's out of season. The kind I found was freeze-dried, think it'll work for the potion? The lady said it was imported. Top-quality." ... And frank15's review didn't even mention this :-\)
(NB2: Besides the obvious issue with the plot, the Trix are wearing different outfits at the start and the end of the tacked-on scene, because the footage is from different episodes [1x16 and 1x06 specifically])
The actual responses I got ended up focusing on other aspects, however:
tanz_fanatika: Flora doesn't take reviving a dead planet? Weird. That seems right up her alley. I'd be wondering why she didn't take it, so points to the edit.
And I'd be asking how Kiko survived if they didn't give Bloom the spell to do. Good change for the edit.
The other stuff I've discussed at length already and I'm far too lazy to rehash it when I have so much to do today.
(NB: I remember her calling the protection spell one of her favorite changes from S1, and I tried to argue that the scene of Bloom supposedly using the spell on Kiko didn't look convincing... and she replied that it was on the animators for not making it convincing, even though she was never doing that in the first place [eyeroll])
(NB2: As far as I remember, she never discussed the tacked-on ending... the fact it wasn't original to the episode that is, but she did discuss with me, by e-mail, the notion that Bloom would not have noticed that her magic was missing until the next time she tried to use it, and I re-posted it in the discussion:)
tanz_fanatika: Not knowing for sure as no one is really magical, but I would imagine you would know if your power was taken from you. It's got to be something you feel all the time, even if you're not using it. Bloom's such a newbie though that she might not have noticed.
Me: She certainly didn't notice her powers for her first 16 years ;)
tanz_fanatika: If you never knew magic existed for real, would you be able to identify the feeling of having magic powers? Of course not. But now that Bloom knows she has them, she's got to feel them. Perhaps she always had a feeling she couldn't identify or maybe they just lay dormant for many years because she didn't need them on Earth.
(NB: Back to episode comparison)
iperione: well, reviving a dead planet looks a little more difficult then counter a witch spell.
It makes sense for Flora, not the most sure of herself of the team, chosing what looks the easier
tanz_fanatika: But wouldn't something that's within her specialty be easier for her? I think she'd find reviving a planet a lot easier than countering spells, so by choosing that test, she'd be picking the easier one. Choosing the other makes zero sense, as she also seems smart enough not to pick the task she's less skilled at just to challenge herself when it's such an important test.
I'm chalking this one up to an illogical writer.
iperione: IIRC, the lack of plant life was the reason she remained at Alfea instead of helping in going to save the Pixies in the beginning of S2
So, I think she needs plants on which use her powers.
And on a dead planet there is nothing she can use her powers on.
IMHO, of course.
tanz_fanatika: And yet she used her powers just fine on Sparx (Domino) and in the UnderRealm at the end of season 2.
She could have easily brought plant life with her for the test. I believe the others did, so why not her?
It just doesn't work.
Funny thing, though, is that when I later became a YouTuber posting about the edits, someone actually tried to lash out at 4Kids for taking out the other option, and at me for trying to defend 4Kids for making the plot a bit more logical:
YTer, commenting on a video about alterations in 1x10, and Flora's exam choice in 1x12: Are you siding with 4kids or what?
Me: No, I'm just taking things at face value. Seriously, could you at least try to be a bit more open-minded?
YTer: 4kids version, gripping? "The Flame will restore the magnificence of a distant past" sounding more gripping than "We will rule everything and everybody". Also, remember how the Winx fought the tree and the monster in the black-mud swamp instead of really looking for the plant they wanted. Flora could easily change her mind to fighting the witches for the test. And in what way is the "problem solved"?
(NB:
1: How exactly is one line more gripping that the other? I think they're both legitimately gripping, and it seems this YTer's preference is down to the former simply being the original dialog :-\
2: In the video, I addressed the issue of Flora's exam choice, and followed up the clip of Flora taking to Pally before the exam with text saying "Problem solved")
Me: The "problem" was that Flora's specialty is growing plants, which would fit the "dead planet" test, yet in the original, she's taking the other one instead. By not having the other one to begin with, Flora has to take this exam, and thus, the problem is solved.
YTer: She took the other one because in the other episode, she fought with the rest of the Winx girls instead of really looking for the plant she wanted, thus it gave her more confidence to take the other one.
Me: But the "dead planet" test plays straight to her strengths. So logically, she should be picking this one, regardless of anything else.
YTer: Fine, whatever you say, still, I think it was stupid of 4kids to take out the other option.
(NB: So you basically give up on arguing but continue to insist that the original was better, even though your explanation for Flora taking the other less-obvious option was more circuitous and also not explicitly explained in the show, while 4Kids was "stupid" for simply leaving only the obvious option for her... There are other changes I'd take issue with, but not this one)
1x10: Bloom Tested / Magical Reality Check
You may be familiar with the screwed-up chronology of this episode. I'm not saying anything, but draw your own conclusions from these comparisons...
Unedited: At the well, the girls talk about getting to see the simulator -> The Trix take out their crystals (while saying something like, "Hey, Bloom has the same level of power as the dragon, so let's test her") -> The Trix yell at Knut (who bumbles in asking, "Why are we looking for the Dragonfire?"... to the brooms :D) -> Palladium shows the chamber and tests -> Bloom talks with Fake!Brandon about tomorrow's exam -> Riven and Darcy -> Darcy hacks the simulator
Edited: At the well, Bloom talks with the others about being asked out on a date with Fake!Brandon -> Bloom talks with Fake!Brandon about tomorrow's exam -> Riven and Darcy -> Palladium shows the chamber and tests -> The Trix take out their crystals (while explaining the plan to steal Bloom's powers) -> The Trix yell at Knut (who bumbles in talking about dried coriander verbosum... to the brooms :D) -> Darcy hacks the simulator
(NB: Had to stop myself short of accusing 4Kids of screwing up the chronology, but the reference to Bloom's exam being "tomorrow" from her date with Fake!Brandon made perfect sense in the original, but because 4Kids rearranged the scenes, "tomorrow" would be when Palladium is showing them around the simulator, and her exam would be the day afterwards... and Darcy casts her hacking spell the night before Bloom's exam in either version; frank15 noted in his review: "The witches got a lucky break: otherwise, they'd have been a day late to do this." Wasn't a lucky break, Frank, just bad editing ;-))
(NB2: Note how they've also changed what the Trix are trying to do in this episode... and yeah, I know 4Kids doesn't call them that, but it makes it easier to reference them)
(NB3: 4Kids cut the "dreamy" start with Bloom peering down the well down to just her tossing her coin; also, 4Kids changed the image in the Whisperian Triangle from Bloom to the Trix)
Second is a somewhat minor edit. Palladium explains the midterms. Again, no real opinion.
Unedited: Pally's offering two choices. Counter witches' spells (Flora eventually takes this one), and reviving a dead planet (we see Bloom and Stella take this one: Bloom asks for a few parameters, and the chamber picks Domino for her).
Edited: The midterm for everyone will be surviving a dead planet, and everyone gets a random planet.
Third. The Trix go after Kiko to get Bloom to use her Dragonfire.
Unedited: Icy zaps Kiko, and Bloom watches futilely as he drops into the lava. Shocked, Bloom gets even with the Trix and DFs them.
Edited: Icy zaps Kiko, and Bloom tries the spell she just read earlier as he drops into the lava. Shocked, Bloom gets even with the Trix and DFs them.
IMO, not sure if not explaining Kiko surviving the lava fall is a good idea...
Last but not least. The end of the episode. I know the edit is required to tie up loose ends, but still... at least we avoid the copout ending. Read the comparisons:
Unedited: The simulator has crashed, and the exams have been postponed. Everyone throws Bloom in the air over and over. End episode.
Edited: The simulator has crashed, and Bloom's gotten a A grade, while the exams have been postponed. Everyone throws Bloom in the air over and over. Over at CT, the Trix's attempt to use the DF goes kerflooey. End episode.
I was absolutely certain that someone would have something to say about how 4Kids changed the plot, and then had to tack on that copout ending, when it would have been easier, and better for the episode, to just keep the plot the same, especially given that contemporary reviews of the 4Kids episode mark the episode down for that ending alone (and this was before it was widely known that 4Kids was airing an edited version of the show, so it seems they just assumed the original writers screwed up :-\)
frank15's review: Wha? It just... disappears?! Talk about a cop-out ending! (...) OK... what was with that ending? The witches have captured the dragon fire, and then... they don't. OK, how about a bit of explanation as to what just happened? How did the dragon fire just "disappear" like that? Did they ever have it? It was not particularly well thought out.
(He was also particularly bothered by the "irritating error with the days" [his words], adding "Blargh, this is giving me a headache!" He gave the ep a 5/10, which I'm sure that he would have given a more faithful dub that didn't rearrange the scenes nor have that cop-out ending better than just 5/10)
tanz_fanatika's review: I think my biggest problem with this episode is the cop out ending. Um...the dragon fire just disappeared? With no explanation? I think there should have been a few lines on how Knut brought the wrong potion ingredients and that caused the problem. Okay, we know it's not easy to catch the dragon fire, but come on. At least give some sort of excuse.
(NB: *checks Fandom* In the 4Kids episode, Darcy says: "I sent out Knut for the coriandum-verbosum. He should be back soon." When Knut shows up, he says: "Sorry I'm late, traffic was a witch and I couldn't find any fresh coriandum-verbosum anywhere. It's out of season. The kind I found was freeze-dried, think it'll work for the potion? The lady said it was imported. Top-quality." ... And frank15's review didn't even mention this :-\)
(NB2: Besides the obvious issue with the plot, the Trix are wearing different outfits at the start and the end of the tacked-on scene, because the footage is from different episodes [1x16 and 1x06 specifically])
The actual responses I got ended up focusing on other aspects, however:
tanz_fanatika: Flora doesn't take reviving a dead planet? Weird. That seems right up her alley. I'd be wondering why she didn't take it, so points to the edit.
And I'd be asking how Kiko survived if they didn't give Bloom the spell to do. Good change for the edit.
The other stuff I've discussed at length already and I'm far too lazy to rehash it when I have so much to do today.
(NB: I remember her calling the protection spell one of her favorite changes from S1, and I tried to argue that the scene of Bloom supposedly using the spell on Kiko didn't look convincing... and she replied that it was on the animators for not making it convincing, even though she was never doing that in the first place [eyeroll])
(NB2: As far as I remember, she never discussed the tacked-on ending... the fact it wasn't original to the episode that is, but she did discuss with me, by e-mail, the notion that Bloom would not have noticed that her magic was missing until the next time she tried to use it, and I re-posted it in the discussion:)
tanz_fanatika: Not knowing for sure as no one is really magical, but I would imagine you would know if your power was taken from you. It's got to be something you feel all the time, even if you're not using it. Bloom's such a newbie though that she might not have noticed.
Me: She certainly didn't notice her powers for her first 16 years ;)
tanz_fanatika: If you never knew magic existed for real, would you be able to identify the feeling of having magic powers? Of course not. But now that Bloom knows she has them, she's got to feel them. Perhaps she always had a feeling she couldn't identify or maybe they just lay dormant for many years because she didn't need them on Earth.
(NB: Back to episode comparison)
iperione: well, reviving a dead planet looks a little more difficult then counter a witch spell.
It makes sense for Flora, not the most sure of herself of the team, chosing what looks the easier
tanz_fanatika: But wouldn't something that's within her specialty be easier for her? I think she'd find reviving a planet a lot easier than countering spells, so by choosing that test, she'd be picking the easier one. Choosing the other makes zero sense, as she also seems smart enough not to pick the task she's less skilled at just to challenge herself when it's such an important test.
I'm chalking this one up to an illogical writer.
iperione: IIRC, the lack of plant life was the reason she remained at Alfea instead of helping in going to save the Pixies in the beginning of S2
So, I think she needs plants on which use her powers.
And on a dead planet there is nothing she can use her powers on.
IMHO, of course.
tanz_fanatika: And yet she used her powers just fine on Sparx (Domino) and in the UnderRealm at the end of season 2.
She could have easily brought plant life with her for the test. I believe the others did, so why not her?
It just doesn't work.
Funny thing, though, is that when I later became a YouTuber posting about the edits, someone actually tried to lash out at 4Kids for taking out the other option, and at me for trying to defend 4Kids for making the plot a bit more logical:
YTer, commenting on a video about alterations in 1x10, and Flora's exam choice in 1x12: Are you siding with 4kids or what?
Me: No, I'm just taking things at face value. Seriously, could you at least try to be a bit more open-minded?
YTer: 4kids version, gripping? "The Flame will restore the magnificence of a distant past" sounding more gripping than "We will rule everything and everybody". Also, remember how the Winx fought the tree and the monster in the black-mud swamp instead of really looking for the plant they wanted. Flora could easily change her mind to fighting the witches for the test. And in what way is the "problem solved"?
(NB:
1: How exactly is one line more gripping that the other? I think they're both legitimately gripping, and it seems this YTer's preference is down to the former simply being the original dialog :-\
2: In the video, I addressed the issue of Flora's exam choice, and followed up the clip of Flora taking to Pally before the exam with text saying "Problem solved")
Me: The "problem" was that Flora's specialty is growing plants, which would fit the "dead planet" test, yet in the original, she's taking the other one instead. By not having the other one to begin with, Flora has to take this exam, and thus, the problem is solved.
YTer: She took the other one because in the other episode, she fought with the rest of the Winx girls instead of really looking for the plant she wanted, thus it gave her more confidence to take the other one.
Me: But the "dead planet" test plays straight to her strengths. So logically, she should be picking this one, regardless of anything else.
YTer: Fine, whatever you say, still, I think it was stupid of 4kids to take out the other option.
(NB: So you basically give up on arguing but continue to insist that the original was better, even though your explanation for Flora taking the other less-obvious option was more circuitous and also not explicitly explained in the show, while 4Kids was "stupid" for simply leaving only the obvious option for her... There are other changes I'd take issue with, but not this one)
