After the home run that was the Season 4 premiere, "Castle Mane-ia" was the perfect episode to get the season proper underway. After watching it twice I can honestly say that, in my opinion, this is one of the funniest episodes of MLP to date, and a very clever one too, even if it does utilize the "group of friends unknowingly all in the same creepy location" trope (which I actually thought was a sweet homage to shows such as the original "Scooby Doo" that frequently utilized that same trope, definitely was reminded of that while I was watching it). Seeing as this episode pretty much had four subplots total, I'll deviate a little from my usual review format and split this review up into reviews of each one of the subplots. Let's get to it everypony!

I figure we'll go in chronological order here, so let's start with Twilight and Spike. Their's was probably the least entertaining of the four subplots just because nothing much was going on with those two besides Twilight reading some books, but that's not to say that both characters didn't have their bright spots. I always find it hilarious how Twilight so easily ignores Spike's concerns when she has her mind set on something, in this case, books (of course ). Spike and Angel Bunny had a few funny interactions, and Angel's enjoyment of Spike's freaking out was especially amusing. Twilight was adorable as usual when she plunged into the cornucopia of books at Celestia and Luna's old castle, particularly at the very beginning, and even if it wasn't very entertaining, it made sense that she kept a level head whilst conducting her research. Her freeze spell towards the very end of the episode was quite cool, and the lesson she delivered, even if it was a little confusing to me at first, was a good one (that being that you shouldn't allow your imagination to run wild at your own expense, but get the facts straight before you jump to irrational conclusions... ya know, I feel like we've had variations of this lesson before in the show, weird, right? I guess this lesson was different in that it specifically related to the castle itself, something old, foreboding, and mysterious that isn't so much so once you learn more about it and its history.). Finally, I liked the new lesson format that Twilight introduced in the journal/diary that they're all going to keep; I know it came a bit suddenly, but given that Twilight, being a princess and all, is no longer technically Celestia's student, it makes sense that they wouldn't be writing letters to the princesses anymore. RIP letters, we'll miss you! Overall, while Twilight and Spike weren't especially entertaining in this episode, they were still solid and contributed well enough to the plot, even if they didn't discover anything about the mysterious chest.

Next, let's cover Applejack and Rainbow Dash. These two were a whole lot of fun to watch; I never tire of the tomcolt shenanigans they get up to when they're in competing mode with one another, and man oh man we had lot of that in this episode, probably the most we've had since "Fall Weather Friends" back in Season 1. The bee-stare off at the beginning was pretty hilarious, and their increasing paranoia as they continued further and further into the castle was very fun to watch as well. I guess the only negative thing I'll say about those two is that, aside from their getting more and more freaked out, their scenes just didn't change that much as the episode progressed: they rib each other, something freaky happens that freaks them out, they get outta there, wash, rinse, repeat. It didn't get old or anything considering their reactions were always priceless to watch, plus they went to some interesting parts of the castle (that Hall of Hooves was seriously freaky, I mean, why the buck would Celestia and Luna even have that?!?! ) so it was notable to an extent. Aside from their tomfoolery not much else to cover with those two; they were a blast to watch, and I hope we get more good-natured AppleDash competition as the season continues.

Now we come to my favorite subplot. Of all the ponies in the episode, I have to say that I honestly thought that Rarity and Fluttershy stole the show!!! I absolutely love those two together because they have a very fun relationship, and we don't get to see those two exclusively nearly enough in the show; I mean, the last time I can recall those two specifically being paired almost entirely by themselves in an episode was way back in Season 1 in "Green Isn't Your Color", and I loved it then just as much as I do now! So what made them so great here? Well, really, I thought that Rarity and Fluttershy were the funniest characters of the episode. Fluttershy's reluctant assistance to Rarity and increasingly frantic searches for Angel we're both funny and adorable, and only grew in their insanity as the episode continued, with the poor butter pony eventually being mistakenly convinced that her beloved bunny had been crushed by a column of all things! I probably wouldn't have laughed at that scene if I hadn't known Angel was OK, but since I did, I laughed my plot off. As for Rarity, oh my gosh, she was quite frankly the funniest character of the episode from start to finish (I really believe that this may have been her funniest role since "A Dog and Pony Show", no joke)! Her penchant for the melodramatic was very much on display here, her obsession with refurbishing and restoring the castle's tapestries was both unsurprising but also hilarious, and just when I thought she couldn't get any funnier, what does she do? She starts yelling at the castle itself!!! I couldn't believe it, but she kept ranting about how ungrateful and unappreciative the castle was, and my gosh did I lose it at that! Whether by themselves or together, Fluttershy and Rarity brought their A-game to this episode from start to finish (especially Rarity: hats off to Tabitha St. Germain on one of her funnier vocal performances in awhile), and I for one especially got a kick out of them and the trouble they got up to in that old castle. Way to go you two!

Finally, Pinkie Pie's hilarious twist subplot/surprise appearance. Since she wasn't in the episode that much, I can't really say that Pinkie Pie was the funniest character in this episode (that honor still goes to Rarity as far as I'm concerned), but she definitely was one of its highlights. Her first scene at the start was suitably random (helped by Gummy's accompanying her; I swear, I don't think that gator could possibly give any less of a buck about everything than he does), and that randomness only increased tenfold when she reappeared at the end. While she wasn't the funniest character in this episode, she definitely had the funniest line with her "Hey you guys! Did you know that I can totally play the organ??? Because I didn't!!!", and her explanation for what she was doing there made just about as much sense as you would expect it to for Pinkie Pie. Not much else to say about her since she didn't contribute a whole lot to the plot, but nonetheless, Pinkie was still a very enjoyable element of this episode, and I hope that her other supporting appearances this season are just as whacky and random as she was here.

OK, subplots out of the way, let's wrap this review up. The animation was once again gorgeous, and it was especially a whole lot of fun getting to see Princess Celestia and Luna's old castle in great detail. I'm gonna go out on a limb right now and say that, given how much attention this location will obviously receive this season (seeing as the mysterious chest is located right beneath its foundations beside the Tree of Harmony), I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it eventually got restored and given to Twilight as her very own castle, seeing as it is pretty close to Ponyville. Don't know when that might happen (probably not for awhile), or if it even will, but hey, I think it's a plausible theory, and certainly one I wouldn't be opposed to. Not much to say for the music once again besides the instrumentals; I will say that I really liked the organ music we got here, especially towards the end, just because for me personally the organ is my favorite instrument, so it was a lot of fun getting to hear some of the arrangements they had here. Finally, I'm very, very, very intrigued by the little set-up we got at the end (and in the middle as well; don't forget that there was an eye in a portrait watching Applejack and Rainbow Dash earlier on) of the episode suggesting that there may indeed be a Pony of the Shadows, or at the very least some mysterious figure lurking in the shadows who may not be that friendly, mostly because it just might be the first glimpse we get of a villain who may very well prove to be the first season-long villain of the show, remaining in the shadows until the time is right to reveal himself or herself. I'm totally down with a development like that, and it was a delightful bit of foreshadowing that I did not see coming in the slightest given how late it came. Overall, "Castle Mane-ia", although not doing much to advance the overall plot of this season's main story arc and also having a somewhat confusing lesson, was a blast, and in my opinion one of the silliest and most fun episodes we've had in awhile, and all in all one of the funniest episodes of the entire show in general! Kudos DHX, kudos, Season 4 is off to a very solid start indeed!!!