Overall

Vision Vision

Originality Originality

Technique Technique

Impact Impact

Ever since the Elements of Harmony were introduced back in Season 1 Episode 1 of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Cartoon series, there has been a lot of renditions as to how they originated, how they are used, and more often than not, who these Elements are, or who they will be, come the proper time.Of all the ideas surrounding the elements however, I could safely say that Ancient Elements of Harmony by Ziom05 served as the one if not the most outstanding that I have ever seen.For those who are not familiar with the Elements of Harmony, these are six magical artifacts, that when used together, can defeat any being of chaotic origin. One must obtain all six if they are to defeat Season 1 villain Nightmare Moon, a dark queen who wants to shroud the land in eternal night.The twist is that the Elements of Harmony are not just artifacts that can be used by anyone, but are inherent inside very special beings. Twilight Sparkle, the show's protagonist, realized that the Elements are within her and her friends. Knowing this, they enveloped Nightmare Moon in a rainbow field thus destroying her in the process. This rainbow super attack is a throwback to the My Little Pony: Rescue at Midnight Castle television special.It was also said that Celestia and Luna (pictured at right) were once wielders of all six elements. The concept of 6 beings getting together with sacred items and the idea of an inheritance to these artifacts pushed the beginning of origin stories and stories of alternate universes involving the Elements, both in fanfiction and fanart.Like I said, there are a lot of fanart involving the Elements of Harmony. All I can see here at first glance are nothing but the strong points though. Starting with the obvious, the art is amazing! I can see that a lot of work has been put into the details of this art. Fenix the Dragonslayer's armor looks straight out of the pages of a League of Legends character! Having a flaming mane only piques the masses' curiosity of what wonder that mail has hidden inside. The hair of each character drawn here are something everyone can learn from, especially Ban Dragonheart's braids! All of them blend into the gritty and grim background pretty well, despite being candy colored.Speaking of background, there is a lot to see, surprisingly. Like how one does not simply walk into Mordor, one does not simply unsee that there are a bunch of dragons in Discord's Rampart of Cha-O's. Speaking of Discord's castle, what I can see here is Mordor plus Pride Rcok combined. (I wish I can unsee that). I love the touch of ominous in those blood colored clouds hovering over the fort. The sky as well as the terrain looks really stunniing, and gives off that otherworldly yet familar feeling. Overall, the background works really well. Everything is really beautiful.On to the story. this looks like a final meeting between heroes, a calm before the storm, I say. There may be no action here, but rather, tension. The chemistry between all the "ancient elements" really works here. The same vibe can be felt at the last hours of Final Fantasy and Elder Scrolls games, where the greatest boss fights anxiously awaits at the last dungeon. Going back to chemistry, there is a well-rounded RPG team-up here. You got the tank, the healer, the nuker, the sniper and the initiator. All these characters do feel like they belong in DotA 2 or any sort of epic RPG. Heck, I think they deserve their own!There is just so much imagination put in this if you read between the lines. Surprise seems to be the element of laughter because he's got a funny bone. I don't really know about the others but I'm certain the artist has a reason for each designation of the elements.From here, anyone can carve out a story on how they met each other and how this will all end. A great backstory can be conceived for each.I'm sure there's a negative somewhere around here, but don't let that ruin the experience for you!Overall, from Idea to Implementation, The Ancients Elements of Harmony is a picture that does not just say a thousand words, but a book any fantasy buff can treasure. I am completely blown away by this.This isn't anything better that what Ziom05 already does, but it's really breathtaking nonetheless, especially if you work up those imagination cogs. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the picture!