Okay… I know exactly how to handle this… RUUUN! – Sweetie Belle
The Cutie Mark Crusaders have been taken under the wing of the new Princess, and she is helping them learn new skills, in an attempt to help them find their special talents. Sweetie Belle is practicing her levitation magic on a broom, Scootaloo is trying to put a unicycle together, and Apple Bloom is trying to make a plant-growth potion. Things are not going very well, but the fillies are really enjoying their Twilight Time.
“When / you / find / you’ve / got the music / got the music in you…” – The Ponytones
In the opening, Fluttershy is busy feeding her menagerie, and unabashedly singing out of simple joy. That joy turns to horror when she realizes that her friends have been watching her the entire time, and her natural reticence reasserts itself. However, her friends admit that they entranced by her beautiful voice, especially Rarity, who urges Fluttershy to join her a capella singing group, The Ponytones.
Now, if y’all will excuse me, I have a hootenanny of a time to prepa-ah. – Rarity
It’s nearly Ponyville Day anniversary time, and the Pony of Ceremonies is announced: Rarity! She has a plan for an elegant celebration, with a cider tasting and silent auction, a dance, and a fashion show. The Mane Six are admiring of her plan, but Rarity has a bit of an ulterior motive. She wants to impress Trenderhoof, the travel writer who will be covering the event, on whom she has a huge crush, and to wh
As a Rarity fan, I often cite her complexity as one of the reasons to like her. That complexity comes about because there are some flaws which Rarity has and that need to be acknowledged. Fans like myself, and anyone who uses her complexity as a reason why she is a good character, can’t have our Fire Ruby and eat it too. We simply cannot try to explain away all her flaws, because then we’re implying she is perfect, and that isn’t what makes a character interesting and likeable.
That being t
Exile! I guess technically I’d have to move away to live in exile. Where would I go? And what would I pack? Oh, it’s going to take me forever to do all of that packing. What are you supposed to pack when you go into exile? Are you supposed to pack warm? – Rarity
This is the episode that made me a Rarity fan. Before I watched it, Applejack was top in my book. So, with that, let’s jump in headfirst, and see why it happened.
Rarity is busy with her dress for the Grand Galloping Gala, whil
A super-duper party pony: that pony is meeeee! - Cheese Sandwich
Following on in the same vein as Rarity Takes Manehatten and Rainbow Falls, this episode continues the Mystery Box and Key arc, and as the title indicates, this time it’s Pinkie Pie’s turn to learn that her friends are more important than being known as the best party planner. Again, I don’t see it as “relearning” their Element, but as realizing that their friendship should be the most important thing in their life.
The o
Oh, just before you go... just a little, small request... - Discord
Princess Cadance is coming to visit, and Twilight couldn’t be happier. Fluttershy has been given the go ahead to research one of Equestria’s most elusive critters, the Breezies, and she couldn’t be happier. Pinkie Pie just got a flyer about Used Patio Furniture and she couldn’t be wackier. And that’s the opening to Three’s A Crowd.
After the credits, the Mane Six see Fluttershy off on her research trip, Pinkie displayi
Forgive me, girls. I know I’m not an athlete, but shouldn’t the Running of the Leaves involve actual running? – Twilight Sparkle to Applejack and Rainbow Dash
Applejack and Rainbow Dash are engaging in a friendly match of horseshoe tossing as the episode begins. Their good natured banter is marred a bit when Applejack ends up the winner, and is just a little bit too smug about it for the somewhat-of-a-poor-loser Rainbow to overlook. Rainbow suggests an Iron Pony Competition to settle once a
Let’s just jump right in.
Talented
Her talent is recognized by ponies such as: Hoity Toity, a fashion bigwig (literally) from Canterlot (Suited for Success – review coming soon ); Sapphire Shores, the Pony of Pop, who also mentions that Rarity has been given at least one rave review as an up-and-comer in Clothes Horse Magazine (A Dog and Pony Show); the ruler of the land, Princess Celestia (A Canterlot Wedding); and in her latest focus episode, Prim Hemline, the fashion community of Ma
It's not easy, practicing with two teams, is it? - Twilight Sparkle
Rainbow Falls is set in the titular (and well-named) town where the qualifying rounds for the Equestria Games are being held. Rainbow Dash has joined Fluttershy and Roid Rage Snowflake Bulk Biceps in the Ponyville Relay Team, trusting that her superior speed will make up for the other two’s poor flying ability and allow them to qualify. According to Thunderlane and Blossomforth, who are part of other teams, each pony is onl
*Deep breath* There’s a cuteceneara this afternoon and every pony in my class will be there and they’ll all have their cutie marks, and I wanna get my cutie mark, but I'm no good at selling apples, but I really want to go to the party but how can I go to the party if I don't have my cutie mark which my big sister says I’m gonna get eventually, but... I want it now! – Apple Bloom
This episode introduces not only the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but also the Bully Duo of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spo
Well, I guess that was the most terrifying cave in all of Equestria. – Granny Smith
Twilight and Spike are busy being plot convenient when Pinkie decides to crash their study session on genealogy. Spike manages to explain to the mystified Pinkie what genealogy entails... he's come such a long way from not knowing what the words "precipice", "threshold" and "brink" are. (See Season 1, Episode 1) After using her Pinkie weirdness to cheat Jenga physics, and grab a scroll, she makes a startling
Oh, why, look, there’s our friend Rarity, going down in FLAMES! Isn't Friendship MAGIC?! – Rarity
After waiting over two years, we finally have another Rarity focus episode. The summary is going to pretty brief, since the nitty-gritty of this bloggy ditty will be what is revealed about the characters.
It's Fashion Week, a fashion designer competition to be held in Manehatten. Rarity is off to the big city to show off her new design of clothes, using her very own patented cloth. The Ma
The time has come to welcome spring, and all things new and green.
But it’s also time to say goodbye, it’s winter they must clean.
Twilight Sparkle, you may not sing; this kind of rhyming is my thing!
This episode gives us the first proper song of the series. By “proper”, I mean not a Pinkie Pie “random song out of nowhere”, but an actual musical number featuring multiple characters. And it is glorious. But let’s start at the very beginning; a very good place to start.
Twiligh
It comes down / to just one simple fact. / They’ve crossed the line, / it’s time that we attack! – Applejack
Once again, it's Applebuck Season, and Applejack is eager to get kicking as the sun rises over her orchards. So she trots around, looking at the apples in the trees, dreaming all her pony dreams, licking lips so greedily... you get the idea.
These apples are the apples of this Apple's eyes... apparently.
To her dismay, she find only ruined apples, thanks to the Vampire Fru
Holy new personas, ponies! You’re the Power Ponies! – Spike / Humdrum
Spike takes the centre stage in this episode. Late at night, he is reading a comic book instead of sleeping. Twilight tells him they need to get a good night's sleep, because the Mane Six and Spike are restoring the Castle of The Royal Pony Sisters in the morning. Of course, she relents a bit after he excitedly describes the plot - the heroic Power Ponies are facing their arch-nemesis, Maneiac, but their bumbling sidekick
Professionalism, Miss Harshwhinny! – Rainbow Dash
Although this episode focuses on the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it’s basically another Rainbow Dash episode. At least this one is a little bit better than the previous one. This is much more like the Dashie I know and somewhat like on a good day than the quivering fangirl mess we had before. If you’ll permit me to go off on a tangent:
In the previous episode, Rainbow did not act like herself. Many of the reviewers who had a favorable reactio
It's been a while since I posted anything other than an episode review, isn't it?
On hearing that Daniel Ingram's fantastic work from Season 1 and 2 had finally been released on an album, I went directly to iTunes and snapped it up. Here's the track list:
However, I confess that I am a little disappointed in it. It's great that we finally have an official and high quality release of the songs, but I would also have liked to have some of the background music. How cool would it be
You’ve got a problem, all right! And a banjo is the only solution! – Pinkie Pie
Princess Celestia is on her way to visit Ponyville, and preparations are well underway. While the town goes to town on the decorations, Fluttershy is searching the fringe of the Everfree Forest for flowers in honor of the Royal Visit. She comes across one of the cutest little critters you’re ever going to see. Despite seeing it devour an entire bucket of apples, she decides to take it home to show off to the oth
It is unwise to venture down this road. Your actions will make my anger explode! – Zecora
This episode introduces the very convenient Zecora to the show. This magical Zebra eventually became a kind of second mentor to Twilight, a role she was supposed to play more frequently, according to Faust. However, in her first appearance, she is feared as an evil enchantress by the Mane 6, with the notable exception of Twilight.
We start with Twilight and Spike wandering through Ponyville, whic
Now, Ahuizotle, you know I love you. But I can’t give you the ring 'til I’ve properly proposed. – Daring Do
Rainbow Dash is getting impatient waiting for the next Daring Do book to come out. When Twilight tells her the release has been delayed even further, she gets the idea that mundane concerns might be causing the delay, and ropes the Mane Six into going for a journey to help her. So they head out, in a shout-out to Indiana Jones, with a red line on the map representing their travels. A
Y’all wouldn’t know “practical” if it came up and bit ya! – Applejack to Rarity
This has always been one of my favorite episodes in Season 1, featuring as it does both Rarity and Applejack (my first and second favorite ponies). It’s one of those slice of life episodes that puts two ponies in a situation and just lets their personalities drive the story forward.
All of Ponyville is tidying up the trees in preparation for a big storm that the pegasus ponies are due to create, to make up
Listen here, Mister! Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you get to be a bully. You may have sharp scales, snort smoke and breathe fire, but you do not, I repeat, you do not hurt. My. Friends! – Fluttershy
This episode is the first in the series to focus mainly on Fluttershy. After being made aware of a thick cloud of smoke covering Equestria, her attempts to inform other ponies in town are hampered by her soft voice and shy demeanor. The louder and more boisterous Rainbow and Pinkie keep
I just wanted to restore ancient aaa-aaa-arrr-rrttttt! Waahhh! – Rarity
Season 4 continues to show its quality with this episode. When watching it, I felt very much as if I were watching a Season 1 episode instead. Perhaps a lot of it has to do with the interactions between Rainbow and AJ, which hailed back to their friendly rivalry as shown in "Ticket Master" and "Fall Weather Friends". The second partnership in this episode is the one between Fluttershy and Rarity, again reminding us of
This might be a good juncture to say, "I told you so". Yes, it's immature of me, but I so seldom get this much vindication, I'm taking the opportunity to gloat.
The first part of the second episode shows us the confrontation between Princess Celestia, and the newly minted Nightmare Moon, who is seeking to destroy her. This is probably the most intense action scene in the series so far, and seriously would not look out of place in most animés... except maybe for this shot...
Beware the
