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Batbrony

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Blog Entries posted by Batbrony

  1. Batbrony
    Oh nelly, "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000"! This is a fun episode, to say the least, namely because it added a very fun fact to MLP canon: ponies like their liquor! Yes, it appears that the ponies of Equestria have a nigh unquenchable thirst for what appears to be hard cider, to the point that apparently every single pony in all of Ponyville foregoes all of their business for days on end just to partake in Cider Season and get some delicious Sweet Apple Cider. Can't really blame them, seeing as I'm quite the fan of hard cider myself, and if Sweet Apple Cider is as tasty as Angry Orchard's Crisp Apple Cider then I totally understand where they're coming from!
     




    Sweet Celestia these ponies like their cider!!!

    Now I'm not really exaggerating when I say that cider is at the center of what makes most of this episode a blast. To be honest, it kinda really is. Most of the jokes revolve around cider, a shortage of cider, or the making of cider. The entire conflict is due to the Apple Family's inability to keep up with cider demands during Cider Season and their competition with Flim and Flam to be sole cider producers in Ponyville. The episode starts with cider, it ends with cider, cider, cider, cider, cider, CIDER!!! It's all over the place in this episode and it makes for a fun episode without much of a lesson but full of tons of humor, fun times, a compelling conflict, and of course, CIDER!!!
     

    I smell a catchy-as-buck Daniel Ingram musical number!!!

    Of course, there's more to this episode obviously than cider, namely two elements: (1) the Flim Flam Brothers, and (2) the not-lesson learned. Let's start with the former. The Flim Flam Brothers are kind of the first secondary antagonists the show had really had that the Mane 6 faced off against since, I want to say, the Diamond Dogs back in Season 1 (that's not counting Diamond Tiara, seeing as she's an antagonist to the CMC, not the Mane 6). They enter the show with a bang, singing the delightful "Flim Flam Brothers Song" which, up until this point in the show, was probably the most musically impressive song that Daniel Ingram had thrown together. It's a hilarious and fun parody of "Ya Got Trouble" from "The Music Man" (a musical I've actually performed in myself, making the song all the more delightful to listen to), and to this day it remains one of my favorite songs of the entire show, and one of the only reasons I can't ever bring myself to dislike Flim or Flam that much, despite the fact that they prove themselves to be jerky con artists. Actually, despite the obvious play of their name on the con artist term "flimflam", it doesn't feel right calling them con artists, namely because their machine actually works. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, when used properly, seems to make perfectly fine cider, and the episode, rather than being honest workers vs. con artists, is more John Henry vs. the Steam Drill (which the episode is actually an homage to). In the end, it's really their sacrifice of quality that proves to be their downfall, for while they outpace the Apple Family and Mane 6, they end up producing terrible cider as a result, compromising the integrity of their product and leading to their being driven out of town. Besides their less admirable qualities, the brothers, when they're not being arses, are kinda fun to watch, and unlike any other secondary characters the show's ever had before or since. In fact, I kinda hope they even learned a lesson from all of this and are now doing honest work somewhere, simply because they're undeniably charismatic and you certainly wouldn't want guys like that to keep digging their own graves.
     

    SWAG!!!

    Next, the not-lesson of the episode is fantastic as well. It really is true what Applejack says at the end; she didn't learn anything because, really, all she does in this episode is put things she already knew to be true into practice. She's grown up her whole life being taught that there is no substitute for hard work, honesty, and integrity in all activities, and her faith in that credo pays off. In addition, she carries over a lesson that she'd learned in both "Apple Bucking Season" and the previous episode, "The Last Roundup", that being, she could always rely on her friends for help and support when she and her family needed it, and her faith in her friends pays off as well. It's really great seeing the ponies, rather than learning a new lesson, simply putting what they've learned into practice in their lives, because that shows character growth and progression, and it's something we've seen more and more as the show has continued. Finally, the not-lesson is also responsible for what is quite possibly the greatest trolling of Princess Celestia of all time, that being of course, AJ's delightful proclamation "Ah didn't learn anything!!!" I'm sorry, but every time I hear her say that, I absolutely lose it.
    Overall, "Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" is an incredibly fun episode with cider, a great song, cider, lots of laughs, cider, a wonderful not-lesson, cider, a couple of fun secondary antagonists, cider, some touching interactions between the Mane 6, namely, their being there for Applejack and her family when she needs them most at a moment's notice, and of course, cider! In the end, I think we can all agree that this is what we took away from this awesome episode.
     

  2. Batbrony
    "May the Best Pet Win"... *nostalgic sigh* I like this episode... I like this episode A LOT!!! Not just because it's a damn good episode, which it is, but this episode holds a very special place in my heart for nostalgic purposes. But we'll get to that in a little bit. "May the Best Win" is the first of two Rainbow Dash-centered episodes in a row in Season 2, and admittedly, probably the better of the two. It was also the first RD centered episode since "Sonic Rainboom" way back in the middle of Season 1, so it was quite nice seeing RD get the spotlight once again (not that she's not constantly trying to get in the spotlight anyways ). So, let's get going with this review!
    So, the first thing that of course makes this episode work is that it's a great Rainbow Dash episode period. Rainbow Dash is, well, basically Rainbow Dash the whole episode; she's brash, loudmouthed, awesome, uber-confident, and to top it all off, she's looking for a pet with the same exact qualities. Yes, it seems the writers realized that they'd given every one of the Mane 6 a pet except for RD and decided to rectify that, so off Dash goes looking for a pet (after a delightful musical number, but I'll talk more about that later). So of course, the whole idea of holding a contest to get a pet is quite ludicrous, seeing as that's not the purpose of a pet, but the reason it works here and also Rainbow Dash doesn't come out looking extremely shallow and douchey is, quite simply because early on in the episode you know she's going to learn a lesson, that she's going to in the end discover what having a pet is really all about, and furthermore why you should befriend somepony in general to boot. And of course she does, she learns a great lesson that, while it seems like something she should've known by now given everything that had already happened in the show, doesn't make you annoyed at her that much mostly because, like I said, you know pretty much from the beginning that she's going to learn it. How do you know she's going to learn it? Well it's all thanks to a new little addition to the show simply known as... TANK.
     

    Look at him... bask in his glory, because no matter how hard you try you will never be as cool as the tortoise called Tank!!! OK, admittedly I may be exaggerating just a little, but the dude's undeniably awesome! This little-engine-that-could from the moment he first shows up never, ever quits trying to win Rainbow Dash's affection, even when faced with overwhelming odds given the competition in Rainbow's contest with standards he simply can't meet, at least not on the surface that is. In the end, though, despite RD's misgivings and complete lack of confidence in this tortoise's ability, Tank proves himself to be the perfect fit for Rainbow Dash as a pet: absolutely loyal, tenacious, and possessing a winning attitude that fits perfectly with Ms. 20% Cooler. By the time I'd first finished watching this episode, Tank had not only won over RD's affection, but mine as well; I love this little guy, and while he may not be my favorite out of the pets (like the Mane 6, I don't really have a favorite out of the pets... though I do have a least favorite... bucking Owlowiscious), there is no other pet that I could see more perfect for RD, and to his credit he's the only pet out of the bunch who's had an entire episode in which he's been a costar and we got to learn a whole lot about his personality (AND NO, I'M NOT COUNTING "OWL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL" BECAUSE OWLOWISCIOUS DOESN'T HAVE A PERSONALITY, ALL HE SAYS IS "HOO"!!!!!!!!!!). So yeah, all in all Tank was a lovely addition to the show and its character line-up, and me, I'll always love the guy.
     

    Chopper-tortoise is bucking awesome and adorable simultaneously!!!

    Finally, what else makes this episode work. Couple things. Animation is impressive as usual, especially the sequences involving the dozens of animals we usually don't see featured in the show. The comedy is solid, lots of physical humor with the animals along with RD's usual hilarious over-the-top behavior and personality. As I said, the lesson that you shouldn't choose a pet or your friends based on shallow traits like physical prowess, but rather on how winning their attitude is, is a very good one, especially for RD to learn, even if she should've learned it by now anyways, and overall the way it's learned is executed very nicely. And then there's one big thing that I've got to mention: the song. Oh boy, the song!
    "Find a Pet" is not only one of my favorite songs in the second season, but it's also one of my favorite songs in MLP period. It is also not only the first full length song of Season 2, but in addition one of the most important songs in MLP's history for one big reason: it's the first duet of the show! We'd had solos AND ensembles before this episode, but never had Daniel Ingram written a full-length duet of all things for the show, and my oh my it's a winner!!! Everything about it is perfect; the tune is pleasant, the lyrics are awesome, and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's contrasting voices make for a lovely and unique duet.
     




     
    But that's not the only reason this tune is special to me. Way back in early 2012, before I was a brony, while I was interning out in Washington, D.C., I began noticing how ponies were showing up everywhere on the Internet. After seeing quite a few memes I finally gave one video a looksy, a parody vid. This was that vid (WARNING: does not contain foul language but turn your volume down if you watch, especially if wearing headphones!!!):
     




     
    Thanks to Solrac/Yaplap's incredibly hilarious parody, I was eventually drawn to the actual song itself. After some more thought and investigation, I eventually began watching the show, and so began my first steps into bronyhood. So, seeing as "Find a Pet" was in many ways largely responsible for my giving the show a chance in the first place, it will always hold a special place in my heart, as will the episode as a whole. Not much more to say about the episode beyond that; it's awesome and always worth a rewatch, much like its two costars!!!
     




    That's just plain adorable.


  3. Batbrony
    Oh boy, controversial episode ahoy!!! "The Mysterious Mare Do Well"... where do I begin? I suppose I should start by saying that I absolutely adore this episode, but that's not to say that there isn't plenty wrong with it. My adoration largely stems from all of the superhero references: there's (1) at least one Spiderman reference, (2) a very blatant Darkwing Duck reference in the costume design (never watched that show myself but the reference is still awesome), and (3) TONS of Batman: The Animated Series references, from the costume to Mare Do Well posters towards the end of the episode, but most epic of all, Mare Do Well's theme music distinctly resembles the main themes of B:TAS that you would've heard in that gem constantly during the early 90's. So yeah, seeing as I'm, well, me, how can I not love this episode just for that alone???? But that said... where does this episode work and not work?
     

    I feel like I've seen this before.

    Well, I'm going to be a bit different and say that... I think the lesson is just fine. Bronies complain all the time that the Mane 6 are extremely mean-spirited in how they teach the lesson, but I really don't think they are. The lesson is this; there's nothing wrong with being a hero, or just helping others out, as long as you don't brag about it. Humility and the contentment one gets from doing something good for others is its own reward. The superhero identity works great with this, because a major result of the secret identity that all superheroes maintain is that they maintain anonymity, and as a result do not usually allow themselves to revel in glory. They do what they do because it's the right thing, not because they want the public's adoration. The girls teach this to Rainbow just fine, especially in their actions in the first half of the episode; it's not like they went out of their way to create those emergencies on purpose or anything, they were just helping resolve crises that Rainbow herself couldn't, showing Rainbow (1) that there are plenty of ponies better than her at certain things, and (2) that a hero does not need to bask in the spotlight. THAT SAID, I will also admit that I understand why people do say that the Mane 6 are douchey in this episode: there are two completely unnecessary scenes in this episode that ALMOST undermine the girls' lesson, (1) when all the girls are talking about how great Mare Do Well is in Sugarcube Corner (yeah, nopony may know they're talking themselves up except for themselves, but the writers still could've just had other ponies in Ponyville doing it instead rather than have the girls make @$$es of themselves), and (2) the parade held in honor of Mare Do Well (yeah, not really not basking in the glory, are we now girls?). Those two scenes are completely unnecessary and almost undermine the Mane 6's lesson, but again, me, I still think the girls teach a fine lesson and get their point across just fine.
    Now, I will agree with the majority in this regard... RAINBOW DASH IS COMPLETELY OBNOXIOUS IN THIS EPISODE!!!!!!!! Holy crap, she is bucking annoying!!! She goes from being boastful of her feats (when she's been friends for over a year with five others who she defeated two godlike beings with and are just as awesome as her and better at her in a variety of other activities), to being jealous of somepony doing a better job at saving ponies than she is, to being even more jealous of her, anti-social, and trying to unveil the Mysterious Mare Do Well's identity! So basically, she goes from being a douche, to even more of a douche, to finally reaching Queen of the Douchebags levels!!! Yeah... this is not a flattering episode for RD. What I really think the problem of this characterization really comes down to is timing; if this episode had debuted in Season 1, when RD hadn't known the Mane 6 for quite as long or learned as many friendship lessons, then I think people, myself included, would have less of a problem with it. But instead, we get RD being a completely asinine fool so full of herself it hurts to watch in the middle of Season 2? Ughhh, no, that doesn't work, she shouldn't be this stupid or jerky at this point! Like I said, I like the lesson, I think it's executed fine and that it's one that RD especially should learn; I just think she shouldn't have had to learn it at THIS POINT! She should've known it by now, so instead of coming across as a natural progression in character growth for RD, it's more like she took about 50 steps backwards before this episode and then relearned something she should already know. THAT is a major problem with this episode, and one I completely sympathize with at that.
     

    In the words of YouTube's Sassy Gay Friend *ahem* "WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING??????"

     
    As for the rest of the episode, the comedy is great (between the amazing superhero references, RD's increasingly erratic behavior, and some of the emergency scenes, there's a whole lot of fun in this episode to be had), the animation is very, very impressive, especially during some of the big crisis scenes (plus I love Mare Do Well's suit), and the music is solid and, for people more around my age, extremely nostalgic. While there may be some things wrong with both the execution of the episode's theme and its characterization of RD (surely subpar to her characterization in her own previous episode, "May the Best Pet Win"), overall I will never be able to not love this episode simply because the superhero references make it for me, and to any other superhero lovers out there like myself, I cannot recommend this episode enough!
     

    That's bucking awesome!!!

  4. Batbrony
    Alrighty, this should be a fairly short review seeing as "The Cutie Pox" is hardly what I'd call one of the greatest episodes of MLP. Don't get me wrong, this is a fine, run-of-the-mill, normal episode, but it's definitely the first of Season 2 that did not overtly impress me in some way, shape, or form. It plays a fine role as a comedy episode with a good CMC lesson to boot, but other than that, there's not too much to say about it, and the fact that it's somewhat of a chore to rewatch definitely proves it to be just an average episode at best. So let's focus on the few highlights to be found in the pretty average episode, "The Cutie Pox".
     
    Now to be sure, the laughs are pretty good, but not really great, in this episode. Most of the episode is pretty standard fare as far as comedy goes for a CMC episode. It is pretty funny seeing all of the different talents Apple Bloom starts getting once the cutie pox get out of control (my personal favorite being her French cutie mark; Michelle Creber speaking in French is too funny!!!). Applejack and Zecora are pretty funny in their one scene together (I always get a kick out of AJ going, "Was your zebra sense a-tingling?"). But by far the most epic laugh in the whole episode comes at the very beginning, in a reference designed specifically for adult viewers of the show that only they would get. Ya'll know what I'm talking about of course; that's right, I'm talking about the Big Lebowski references in the bowling alley!!!
     
     

    For best experience, read while playing the following:


     
     




     
    Let's see, we've got...
     

    Pony Jesus "The Jesus" Quintana


     



     

    Pony Walter Sobchak


     



     

    Pony Theodore Donald "Donny" Kerabatsos


     



     

    And of course, Pony Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski


     



     
    I can't speak for the rest of you of course, seeing as I don't know who has and who hasn't seen "The Big Lebowski" on here, but for me, seeing as "The Big Lebowski" is my all time favorite comedy, this reference is SIMPLY EPIC!!!!!!!!!!! Lauren Faust, I cannot thank you enough for throwing this gem of a pop culture reference into this episode! The Batbrony abides!!!
     



     
    Alright, that's pretty much the comedy covered for this episode. So what else works? Well, I like seeing the other two CMC, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, at the beginning just having fun with their entire endeavor. The fact that those two still had fun at the bowling alley despite failing entirely to get their cutie marks at all shows that the CMC as a group of friends are growing closer and closer, that most of them just enjoy each others company even if their cutie mark endeavors fail, and I like to see that growth being displayed pretty naturally and subtly. Michelle Creber once again brings a lot of personality to Apple Bloom in another starring role for the young filly, and the only reason it gets boring at all is just because this episode is pretty much retread ground (AB wants her cutie mark NOWWWWWW and is going to do anything to get it, yeah, yeah, yeah, we've seen this episode before). Zecora is fun as usual, even if her rhymes get a little annoying or are a bit of a stretch at times (seriously, who doesn't groan when they hear her say "What has happened to you youth? Ahhhh, you've gone and chipped your tooth!" Seriously, somepony please slap whoever wrote that line!!!). Other than that, most of the episode is filler leading up to AB learning (once again) that she just has to be patient and let things work out as they will before she gets her cutie mark.
     
    The only other notable thing in this episode for me are the cutie pox themselves. I find this disease to be pretty interesting, seeing as, depending on the level of seriousness, if you think about it, an outbreak could have pretty catastrophic results for ponies. I won't say much more beyond that I'm trying to work it into a fan fiction I'm working on in a way that I think is fairly interesting, but suffice to say I think it's an interesting addition to MLP canon that gets overlooked by too many in our fanbase. Other than that, this is a solid average episode; nothing spectacular aside from one amazing reference, but not lacking at all either or falling short in any way. Hardly what I'd recommend as a must-see, and there are plenty of episodes I'd recommend you watch before this one, but it's also a perfectly harmless episode as well that makes for some good entertainment.
     

    So... yeah, that's all I really have to say about that episode. Here, have some ROFLPWNY!


     




  5. Batbrony
    Welcome back everypony for another Batbrony review of "My Little Pony: OCD is Magic"!!! Oh wait... that's not the name of the show. Well, given how this episode plays out, it might as well be.
     
    Alrighty, "Lesson Zero", the first standard, one-shot episode of Season 2! So, just how does this episode hold up? Well, I'll start by saying something I meant to say in the last review; Season 2 got off to about the most fantastic start it possibly could have. Similar to how I said at the end of my Season 1 reviews that 3 of the last 4 episodes in Season 1 were some of the finest in all of MLP, the same holds for the first five episodes of Season 2. They are all fantastic in their own way, and really proved that not only had Lauren Faust and the folks at Studio B maintained their stride from last season, but that they had also begun improving on it. So, what place in these five gems does "Lesson Zero" hold? Honestly... for me, this is hands down the funniest one-shot episode in all of MLP!!! Now, before I get into my review, I'll explain why it's funnier than probably the two closest contenders: "A Dog and Pony Show" and "Party of One". Both of those episodes are flat out hilarious, but the reason that "Lesson Zero", for me at least, surpasses them in the laughs is quite simple: the humor in the latter is simply so much more unexpected. Yes, there are some insane shenanigans in "A Dog and Pony Show" and "Party of One", but when you think about it, the behavior exhibited by both Rarity and Pinkie Pie in those episodes really isn't all that surprising. I mean, yeah, Pinkie had certainly never lost it that hard before, but she was so random and kooky all the time throughout Season 1 that her losing it like that wasn't all that surprising. Point is, "Lesson Zero"... it's just in a league of its own in how simply unexpected it was. So, without further ado, let's begin.
     
    The laughs are obviously what really make this episode stand out. Heck, even BOTH of the episodes of "The Return of Harmony" combined are at the very least rivalled in the jokes department by this single episode. If I were to sum up the center of all the comedy in "Lesson Zero" in one word, it'd be this: Twilight. Plain and simple, she pretty much steals the show with one of the most insane, out-of-left-field breakdowns I've ever seen any character have! Since there's simply too many laughs to cover in this episode, I'm just going to post some images from it to give you an idea of how completely insane of an episode "Lesson Zero" really is (not that I have to tell most of you seeing as I'm sure you've all seen it at least 10 times).
     
     
     




     




     




     




     










     
    TELL ME WITH A STRAIGHT FACE THAT THAT DOESN'T LOOK BAT S*** INSANE?!?! Oh, that's right, YOU CAN'T!!! This episode from the very first minute after the opening credits spirals out of control into a frenzied hysteria (as does its lead, Twilight Sparkle). In hindsight, yes, we'd had evidence in Season 1 that pointed to the potential for something like this to happen. There were a few moments where Twilight's OCD almost got the better of her. However, that said, unlike Pinkie Pie, who has always been random, zany, and completely over-the-top, Twilight still for the most part had always kept this pretty much under control. AND THAT is what makes this such a brilliant, terrifyingly hilarious episode; nobody, I mean NOBODY could've seen this coming. Start to finish, it is simply laugh, after laugh, after laugh, after laugh, each one bigger and better than the next. Simply put, the comedy is just on in this episode, reaching a level of perfection and consistency that I have yet to see repeated so wonderfully as in "Lesson Zero". That is why, for me, it is at the moment the funniest episode of MLP.
     
    But what else makes this episode stand out? Well, for one, the story itself, and the theme/lesson contained in it. Two lessons are learned actually, both very important: (1) don't make a mountain out of a mole hill, and (2) don't ignore your friend's troubles even if they seem insignificant. Very good lessons, very good indeed, and the Mane 6 are nicely invested in this episode even though Twilight pretty much steals the show. But it's the events that had a really lasting impact, particularly the end. Princess Celestia in the end, in the FIRST normal episode of Season 2, ordains that from this point on any pony may write her letters about lessons learned about friendship, and only when they learn it. That right there changed the format of the show majorly, and showed in a big way that Faust and Studio B were looking to progress the overall story of the show at a good, steady pace. It was the exact type of evolution the overall plot needed and couldn't have come at a better time, and so I have to give "Lesson Zero" major kudos for this awesome plot development.
     
    Finally, the animation is spot on as usual. The many crazed faces of Twilight Sparkle are particularly delightful, but sequences such as the Atomic Rainboom, Fluttershy vs. Harry the bear, or Ponyville going crazy over Smarty Pants were all rather impressive sequences. Overall, "Lesson Zero" is one of the finest episodes of MLP of all time: easily in my top 5, hands down the funniest episode in my book, and containing a very, very important plot development that has stuck with the show to this day. If there were more episodes that got as many things right as "Lesson Zero", well, that'd be just fine with me.
  6. Batbrony
    This episode stands out for a couple of reasons: (1) it's the first episode where Apple Bloom both makes a prominent appearance and plays a very big role, and (2) Flutterguy. Oh how I do love Flutterguy!!!
     




     
     
     

    Now I would be remiss if I didn't talk about Zecora as well. She's one of the first supporting characters introduced to the show in a fairly large role, and pretty cool to boot. I'm not always a fan of her rhyming, especially when she really has to reach for a rhyme that ends up feeling forced, most because I really just don't like rhyming usually. But it's not that bad, and it makes for a unique character trait, so usually I'm cool with it; plus it helps that Zecora's one of the most mature and sage characters on the show, so that's a big plus going for her.


     
     
     

    All in all, this is a fun episode with a good lesson about not judging people solely on appearances before you get to actually know them. It's got lots of laughs, a solid new character, and is just a pretty fun episode all around.


     
     




    I may have had too much sugar today... and the day before that... AND the day before that. Girls, call an ambulance, cause I think I'm having two heart attacks at once.


  7. Batbrony
    Ah "Dragonshy"! This episode is still most definitely in my top 10 favorite episodes list, and might be my favorite Fluttershy episode (although it's a close contest between this one and "Hurricane Fluttershy"). Fluttershy completely owning that dragon is possibly her greatest moment in the show's history, and most definitely her shining moment in Season 1!!!! But I'll say this right off the bat, until Fluttershy schooled that dragon, I was getting really ticked off at her. I'm serious, she was cowardly to a fault up until that point, at least I thought so. I did appreciate how her fear did give her friends the chance to show themselves being so supportive of her (well, most of them... I'm looking at you RD, but it's OK, because you've since become more patient as a friend, as "Hurricane Fluttershy" excellently highlights ). Applejack going out of her way to go completely around the mountain with Fluttershy was particularly touching, and has really stuck with me especially as one of AJ's best moments as a friend period.
     
     




    Wait... what?


     
    Overall though, whatever fear she displayed for most of the episode, Fluttershy completely made up for it and then some with her amazing lecture to that dragon at the end! That, along with the facts that this is a very funny and epic episode, make this one of my top 10 episodes of the show so far! Solid lesson, great story, and wonderful character interactions and development: what more could you ask for?
     
     




    You will believe that a butter-colored pegasus pony is more bad @$$ than a fire-breathing dragon.


  8. Batbrony
    Ah, Gilda, where to start? Ya know, I tried to love and tolerate her for part of the episode, I really did, much like Pinkie tried. Then this happened:
     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sHlZl9X6aM

     
    After that, and trust me, I try to be a calm and reasonable person, but I'm sorry, this is all I could think about Gilda for the rest of the episode:
     
     



     
     

    Thankfully, Gilda got what was coming to her, Pinkie Pie style!!!


     
     
    Also, this was the first episode where I started to notice that, well, the laws of physics don't exactly apply to Pinkie Pie. Understatement of the century!!!!!
     
     



     
    Overall, this is a lovely early episode. It's got an unlikable antagonist, establishes character traits for a number of the Mane 6, and has some fun Pinkie Pie-Rainbow Dash shenanigans. All in all, a solid, classic episode, especially if you're a fan of all things Pinkie Pie.
     




    Pinkie Pie: so committed to friendship she invented a flying machine just to spend time with Rainbow Dash. Not sure if incredible or stalkerish... or both.


  9. Batbrony
    Well hello there everypony! I've just finished reviewing every episode of MLP: FiM, so now I've decided that for your viewing pleasure (and my own convenience) I'm going to publish each review into a neat, organized blog. Some reviews are long, some are short (especially some of the early Season 1 reviews), but each one accurately reflects my views on each and every episode of MLP. To those of you who choose to read these blogs and follow along, I hope you enjoy and have a good time! Feel free to share your own thoughts on each episode, or my reviews of each one, in the comments below. Without further ado, let's begin!
     
    I'll say this right now, these are still not my favorite episodes in the series, and probably don't even break into my top 10, or even top 20. But, I will also say, I watched both episodes again at the beginning of fall (this was back in 2012), and this last time around, I actually enjoyed them more. I think it's because I've become so acquainted with the characters that at this point, I'm able to notice all these little things in the first two episodes that foreshadowed things to come, either with the characters or in the story itself (Pinkie Pie was especially far funnier in those first two than I remembered her being! And seeing the way she first, uh, "greets" Twilight, I can't help but sigh when I see that now and simply say, "Yeah, she would." ). I think my last time around watching them I also appreciated more just how well the writers established key character traits that have been fundamental to the Mane 6 throughout the entire series. Just made me appreciate all the more the fantastic writing in the show. Overall, "Friendship is Magic: Part 1 and Part 2" shall always hold a special place in my heart, because, well, this is where the magic all started, so how can it not?
     




    And thus, nothing would ever be the same again.


  10. Batbrony
    Hello everypony, Batbrony here with some exciting news! Well, after a productive day as it was, in which I sent out some reference letter forms to some past professors, made headway on some grad school appliactions, helped stack 70 bales of hay in a barn's attic for some good church friends, and had a lovely dinner at Wendy's with my mom followed by new episodes of "The Middle" and "Modern Family", I decided what better way to end the day than by finally baking some muffins! So, in the spirit of the season, I dug up a pumpkin-and-chocolate chip muffin recipe I'd found online and got to it! About an hour and a half later and, wallah, my first batch of muffins, or any baked goods for that matter, ever baked entirely by myself was all done! And boy oh boy did they turn out swell!!!
     



     



     
    Teehee, they're quite yummy if I do say so myself! It was really a lot of fun baking 'em as well; had my Ipod playing while I was mixing everything in, just singing along, real blast really. Well, anyways, there you have it; the circle in my always growing love for Derpy and muffins is now complete! I done baked me some muffins of my own, and they are delicious!!! Not to mention festive!
     



     

    Yes Derpy, that's right, I done you proud.


     



     

    Oh wait... do you want one?
    Well sure, here you go!!!

     



     

    Enjoy!!!


  11. Batbrony
    So not too much of a blog entry tonight, but I thought it was high time I introduced ya'll to my crime-fighting compadres!!! OK, they don't really fight crime, but that's beside the point! Introducing, the bat-cats themselves, Tony and Emilie!!! Bask in their glorious adorableness and undeniable and ridiculous levels of cuteness!!!!!!!
     

    Tony


     



     

    Please good sir, rub my belly some more


     



     

    What on earth are you staring at strange person?


     



     


    You're still staring at me... STOP IT!!! I demand you stop at once! So help me, I'll cough up a hairball in your bed if you don't stop right now!

     



     

    You know what, screw it, I'm going to stare contemplatively into the distance... or maybe just watch some birds, who knows?


     

    Emilie


     



     

    You cannot see me, I am an invisible ball of fur and cute!!!


     



     

    Oh crap, you can see me, I forgot, I'm on a white blanket! Well, we'll just have to fix that. Activating ninja mode!


     



     

    NINJA! Well... that didn't exactly work as planned.
    Eh, screw it, this dresser's comfy.

     



     

    OH, SO COMFY!!!


     



     

    Yeah, that's the spot, right there!


     



     

    It sure is nice being able to fit in tiny drawers! Can you fit in tiny drawers? Yeah, didn't think so!!!


     

    https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/11158_10201174220470018_1990311723_n.jpg

     

    What are you staring at? Have you been taking pictures this whole time?!?!


     

    https://sphotos-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/13593_10201174221190036_704298759_n.jpg

     

    Eh, buck it, I don't care! I can still fit in a drawer and you can't!!! HA!!!!!!


     

    https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/995767_10201174210709774_229801995_n.jpg

     

    Hey look, I can lick my toes! Can you lick your toes?!?!?! NOPE!!!!!!!!!


  12. Batbrony
    Well, now that I've got your attention, HELLO EVERYPONY, I'M BACK!!! Wow, been awhile hasn't it? So as you can see, no, I am not dead thankfully. The truth is, well, I said some not so nice things about Thereisnospoon's Bane cosplay, and, well... he didn't take it too kindly. Things happened...
     



     
    Yeah, I'd rather not talk about i- wait, what am I saying, that's just the bad dream I had the other night after eating all those tacos. Anyways, where was I? Oh right, sorry, that's not what happened. I have two things for all you guys and gals today: a thank you and an apology.
     
    First, to each and every one of you on the forums, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the company, laughs, and fellowship you gave me this summer. I'm not gonna lie, this was a long and oftentimes trying summer; for those who don't know, I was interning up in Northern Michigan with a small nonprofit group, and working part time with a grocery store to get some money since I only got a limited stipend from the nonprofit. I had long hours and was in a very isolated location, away from friends, family, and even home wi-fi or reliable phone service. Basically, for almost 3 months, my most reliable means of communication with anyone has been through these forums. I couldn't go on Xbox Live, and it was even difficult to get in touch at times with my family given the poor phone reception and our busy schedules. On top of these difficulties, I had a pretty lousy supervisor at my internship; she was nice enough, but she was a poor motivator, not very organized, and despite having a lot of good ideas, she was not very good at getting volunteers to help out with our group. What that meant was that I got loaded with a crap ton of busy-work and didn't get much appreciation for it; it was kinda like working for a cross of OCD Twilight and stubborn, "A'hm not gonna take no help from nopony" Applejack, if that helps any of you picture what I was dealing with. So basically, I had to deal with a lot of stress from my supervisor, the cabin fever given the isolated nature of where I was at, how busy my two jobs kept me, and also a feeling of helplessness concerning some struggles my family's going through back home that I just haven't been in a position to help with this summer.
     
    That said, it's not like this was an entirely bad experience. I actually loved my second job at the grocery store; the coworkers and managers were great and actually appreciated my work, it was air conditioned, and I made some great friends. Heck, they even gave me a raise halfway through my stint! I also got a lot of great experience out of this whole thing, despite its difficulties. I think maybe another reason it was difficult was because I was coming down from my college graduation "the world's at my fingertips" high, but hey, that's life for ya.
     
    Still, in spite of these admitted positives I have no doubt that one of the most important blessings God's kept in my life to get me through this whole experience has been you guys. Whenever I needed cheering up, a good laugh, and some virtual shoulders to lean on for support, you guys have always been here this summer. I cannot begin to express just how very much everything you guys have done for me this summer has meant nor how it's helped me get through any stress or hard times I've had to deal with. From the bottom of my heart, just, thank you guys for always being there and for being such great friends. I couldn't have gotten through this without the magic of your friendship!
     

    Come here you guys!!!


     



     
     




     


    Huh, where did they come from? Darn kids, gotta stop leaving the door open...

     

    Anyways, now that that's said, on to the second part of this blog post: the apology.


     
    "But Batbrony, what could you possibly be apologizing for?" you may ask. Good question random citizen, allow me to explain from the beginning. But in order to do so properly, I'm gonna need some help from the only man, or rather, anchorman more capable of doing so than me: Ron Burgundy.
     



     


    What? We dabble in jazz flute together.

     
    Anywho, let's start from the beginning. Basically, I made a mistake last week. A BIG mistake. Like, ginormous, "Holy-cow-why-did-you-just-do-that?" mistake. It took two seconds stupidity to make, but hey, that's all that was needed for the damage to be done. Basically, it was tantamount to this:
     




     
    And at the time, I was just as unaware I'd done anything wrong as Ron was. But what I did was wrong. It was stupid, inexcusable, crass, unchristian, and blatantly against the forum's rules, and I am truly ashamed for what I did. When I did finally learn just what a mistake I'd made, I was this shocked:
     




     
    Despite the fact that this was a completely unintentional mistake, it was hardly innocent, and for any mistake there must be consequences. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, so I'll just come out and say it; I was suspended. I won't say who suspended me, nor what for specifically, but it did definitely hurt. For about the first couple hours I fell pretty hard (brace yourselves people, we're going to some dark places ):
     




     

    Then after I got over the initial shock, I fell a little harder:


     




     
    That was about... the first 12 hours or so. I couldn't get in touch with anyone, not even on FimFic, and I was just petrified that a few friendships had been jeopardized by all this. But, this is where the story takes a turn for the better. After going to God in prayer, and finally getting in touch with one of my best buddy's from the forums, I was able to considerably calm down and figure out the best course of action. I realized that there was no point in bitching and moaning about this; I made a mistake, and just because I've been around for awhile that does not put me above the rules. The forums have rules, I broke one, and for that I needed to suffer the consequences. I'm thankful to the moderators for cracking down on this, because it truly goes to show that nobody is above the rules in the slightest. More importantly for me personally, it humbled me in a good way; I think things had been going so well on the forums for awhile, that I actually may have developed a bit of a pride problem even. Not much, but I certainly didn't see something like this coming and should've known it would after the boneheaded mistake I made.
     
    Anyways, once I realized just what a poor judgment I'd made and that this suspension was the right response to my poor decision, I concluded that the best thing to do would be, not come back angry, hotheaded, and full of bitterness, but rather, FIX IT, starting now.
     
    And so, to Feld0, the staff, my friends and brony and pegasister companions, and the whole MLP Forums community, I say this: I'm sorry. I'm sorry for letting you all down, I'm sorry for breaking the rules and doing what I did, and overall I'm just sorry for doing something I shouldn't have done in the first place. It was wrong, and I am going to do my best to ensure that it never happens again. I pledge to more than ever be the best forum member I can possibly be, to spread friendship and fellowship to as many of you as I can, and to do my best to uphold and promote the principles and virtues that both MLP and the forums strive to embody and promote themselves, namely, pure, sincere friendship. I'm going to try my best to tone down however crass my humor may have gotten, given the younger ages of some forum goers; after all, the last thing I'd ever want to do is reflect badly on these forums, especially as such an old, longtime member.
     
    All I can ask of you is that you might accept this apology and have me back. The best thing I can do at this point is put this all behind me, move on and learn from my mistake, and get back to the way things were before, but only better.
     
    Before I sign off, I'd like to thank a few notable names. I'd like to thank Feld0 and the staff for always upholding and enforcing the rules of the forums; these guys rock and we should all appreciate the fine job they do to maintain this site. I'd like to thank anyone, particularly in the Christian Brony Group, who kept me in your thoughts and prayers. Your support was much appreciated. And finally I'd like to thank DashForever for being about the best friend a guy could be through all this. Dude helped me get over my initial shock and determine to come back ready to be the best brony I can be, and also gave me some much needed company online during the past week. Also, as a thank you to the forums for all your support this summer, I'm going to dedicate the next chapter of my fanfic, "Batmare Begins" to all you guys! My friends, the moderators, anyone on the forums, Chapter 3 (which is currently being edited) will be dedicated to you and anyone else who helped get me through the summer!
     
    Finally, I'd like to ask that none of you delve further into this warning matter, because there's nothing more that need be said and publicly discussing warnings is strictly against forum rules. I made a mistake, I recognize that I made a mistake, and I rightfully suffered a consequence for that mistake; there is no controversy or complaint to be made here. All I intend to do as a result of this episode is learn from my mistake and correct my behavior in whatever ways I must. The rest of you should learn from this as well and just always strive to do your best to follow the rules in turn. After all, the rules are only there to help us build and maintain the absolutely best and most harmonious forum we possibly can have; they're there for our benefit and nothing else, and so just go and follow them guys, or at least do your best to.
     
    So, all that said, let's do what we do best and get back to some fun, friendly, forum shenanigans!
     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx5iuQt81dQ

     
    Thank you everypony for your friendship, and by my muffiny fists of justice I swear that I will do my best not to let any of you down like this ever again. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit... to the forums... so really it's more like a return to the forums if you think about it, but, oh buck, you know what, buck it, I'm just off*
     



     

    Here's to more pony fun and shenanigans with all my friends on MLP Forums. Cheers!!!


  13. Batbrony
    This blog entry should be considerably shorter than my last, but I just had to tell ya'll this great little story! So all week I've been preparing with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear (the nonprofit I'm interning at this summer) for our last big event of the summer, the Port Oneida Fair, this Friday and Saturday. Today my boss had me driving all over Traverse City picking up various items and donations all over the city that we needed for the fair. One of my last stops was back in Glen Arbor, the city near PHSB, at Cherry Republic (a place whose business is pretty much cherries and that's about it, but hey, the whole area's famous for cherries so what do ya expect? ), where I went on my way back to the office to get some donated tubs of ice cream. At this point, it's just after 6:00, I've been driving around for about 3 hours, am dog tired, and just wanna get done as soon as I can.
     
    So when I come into Cherry Republic's cafe, I'm greeted by a friendly waiter who was extremely polite the whole time, but this is where things get cool. The guy not only was extremely friendly, courteous, and fun to talk to, but while I was waiting for him to bring up our donations, he offered and gave me a couple free cherry sodas and a delicious cherry and white chocolate oatmeal cookie!
     



     

    Batbrony Loves Cookies


     
    This little act of charity was very kind, generous, and certainly the last thing I expected, and it was the exact kind of pick-me-up I needed at the end of a long, tiring day. I thank God that there are people out there like Cassidy, the gentleman who was so kind to me at Cherry Republic, and I'll continue to try and do my best to treat people with the same courtesy and friendliness that was shown to me there. I think we should all aspire to spread what little acts of friendship we can to whoever we can; sure, we'll fall short some of the time, but if there's one thing MLP's taught us, it's that we should spread the magic of friendship to whoever we can whenever we can. Hope ya'll enjoyed reading this little story as much as I enjoyed experiencing it. It certainly made my day!
     
    A big shoutout to Cassidy and the rest of the staff at Cherry Republic; you guys run a wonderful establishment in a friendly and courteous manner!
     

    Later ya'll! This is Batbrony signing out. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*


  14. Batbrony
    We have questions for you, darlings!  Lots and lots of questions. 
    Good morning, everypony, how's everyone doing?  I apologize I haven't been as active on the forums as I have been in the past, but let me assure you all that I'm still around and love this place as much as ever.  If it's not too much trouble, however, I have a quick question for you all that relates to some of my own real life affairs.  You see, my girlfriend has recently decided that she'd like to look into starting her own wedding business.  It'd start as a "business from home" kinda deal, but Lord willing if it was successful enough expand from there.  The idea is that, although she'd eventually like to work up to selling actual outfits for weddings, the business will initially start as a wedding accessory business.  Specifically, she'd like to make and sell customized wedding accessories, both locally and online through outlets such as Etsy, DeviantART, Pinterest, etc.
    This is very new for both of us, and as such, Juli has a lot to learn before she goes any further in getting this all set up.  As such, she specifically asked me to survey folks around here with one question in particular: whether you're married, planning on getting married, or not married at all, what kind of wedding accessories (for the entire wedding party mind you, bride, groom, maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc.) would you most want to get customized with personal customization that gives it extra meaning?  Hypothetically speaking, which items would you be most willing to pay money for having made customized for weddings (or special events in general, though primarily weddings)?
    There is no wrong answer here.  My girlfriend and I simply want to get an accurate idea in our heads of what customized wedding clothing/accessories are most in-demand among potential customers.  The only wrong answer is no answer at all, so please, give us as many answers as you can and feel free to share this with anyone you can think of.  We will both be very grateful for it, and will be sure to keep you up to date on what happens with everything going forward.  Thanks for your help, everypony, and I hope you all have a splendid day today! 

  15. Batbrony
    Good evening everypony! I apologize for being so late on my season finale review; my original plan was to post it together with my full Season 6 review, but it turned out that both reviews together were simply to long to post in the same blog, so without further ado, here is my Season 6 finale review of "To Where and Back Again"!
     
    The Season Finale
     
    After seeing the season finale, I find myself in a very strange position. 95% of this finale was an A+ effort in pretty much every single way, but that 5% that wasn't brought it down quite a bit. In fact, while I overall very much enjoyed the product as a whole, I have to say that this is my least favorite season finale of all of MLP:FiM. How can this be, you might ask? Well, let's take a look, at both the good which was the majority of both episodes, and the little but very significant bad that brought it down quite a bit in my eyes.
     
    In many respects, this finale in execution paralleled last season's finale. There was a lot of set-up and A LOT of slow, steady pacing for the majority of both episodes, sometimes to the detriment of the final product. The reason it worked for so much of the episode, however, is that this finale was focused almost entirely on Starlight Glimmer. This worked for quite a few reasons. First, most season finales since Season 2 have been focused on Twilight as the main character; this finale, like the season opener, kept the focus on Starlight, who had probably the most important character developments of the season, and capped a splendid first season featuring her as a reformed character and pupil of the Princess of Friendship. It gave us a great chance to see how she's grown and developed over the season and had some very nice payoffs, like getting to see Starlight and Trixie working together to save the day (for the record, they are quite adorable as BFFs and I really hope we get to see more of them next season). This time also, she was the undisputed sole hero of the day, in that unlike in the season opener, where Twilight and the Mane 6 played a role along with her in saving the day, Starlight (aside from having some friends along, only one of whom she was really well acquainted with) was the primary mover here and focus of most of the episode.
     
    And for the most part, I have to say that Starlight had a great episode. In fact, I have no complaints whatsoever about her role in the episode or the lesson that she both taught and learned. This was a fantastic place for her to end up at the end of Season 6; in most of Season 6, she's been perfectly content playing the role of student, of supporter, of learner. In other words, she hasn't taken the lead on many things for the most part because the last time she was in a leadership role, she was an out of control megalomaniac and was terrified that she simply wasn't cut out for such responsibilities. Being a good friend and good pony was one thing, she was comfortable with that for the most part by now even if she still had some anxieties, but being a leader? She simply didn't believe she was ready for that, and couldn't ever be again, and it showed when she returned home and freaked out when all the ponies she'd formerly enslaved wanted her to help take charge with something as simple as festivity responsibilities. But at the end of the day, Starlight realized that she already knew what it meant to be a good leader, could put it into practice, and teach others what it meant. She kept the dysfunctional group she was in united and focused on their task of saving her friends and Equestria, she led them through many perilous situations and stayed at the center of coming up with their next move and bringing the best out of all of them, and she taught what she'd learned about what it means to be a true leader to Chrysalis and the Changelings to save the day. In summary, Starlight, as I said, had a great season finale, and it will be fascinating to see where she goes from here next season. I hope she stays in Ponyville because I've really gotten used to her presence this season and it's nice having a major character that's around as much as she has been this season who wasn't one of the Mane 6, helps mix things up a little. All in all, it was a great close of the season for her and really did justice to her entire character arc this season.
     
    The supporting characters were great as well. The Mane 6 and Spike only showed up briefly (mostly at the beginning), but did give Starlight some great advice, and Princess Luna had a pretty great appearance as well in Starlight's first and second dream, first giving her some wonderful advice and then warning her of the renewed Changeling threat (sadly, Celestia did not get a similar appearance, but then again she had a pretty poor amount of screen time this whole season). Chrysalis and the Changelings were as intimidating as ever and, after waiting four seasons for them to come back in force, they made a great showing as the finale's villains, and had a really good plan to boot. Last time they showed up, aside from infiltrating a royal wedding, they tried for the most part to take Canterlot by brute force, which almost worked but in the end proved a futile effort. This time, they definitely upped the stealth and deviousness quite a bit, abducting pretty much every major ruler and protector of Equestria, which could have had disastrous consequences for all of Equestria. It wasn't made clear entirely in the second part if they just wanted to feed off of the rulers or take over the whole country, but I have to think that conquering Equestria was the end game here. Either way, it was a great plan and very dastardly in its execution and intent.
     
    But really, the true supporting characters of both episodes were Starlight's motley crew of Trixie Lulamoon, Thorax, and Discord, and this was a fun bunch. When Starlight thought of bringing Trixie along rather than Twilight, it was both adorable and hilarious (mostly because of how peeved and passive aggressive Twilight was about being passed up for Trixie and how smug Trixie was about it), and they were wonderful throughout both episodes. Trixie's still Trixie, and I wouldn't want that to change one bit, but she's also a true friend, even BFF, to Starlight in her own way. They probably shouldn't have turned tail and fled Starlight's town when Starlight had basically a panic attack, but then again, this wasn't one of the Mane 6 who would encourage Starlight to stay, this was Trixie. She's still new to the whole friendship thing herself, and her #1 concern was probably Starlight's comfortableness, not her reconnecting with ponies who Trixie had never even met. Besides, it paid off considering they were able to get back in time to figure out what the Changelings were up to. Her interactions with Discord were also a hoot and pretty much what you'd expect from two reformed villains (Tier 1 and Tier 2 respectively) in the show being around one another for a long period of time, although some of the times when they bickered were a bit much just because it was clearly not the time or place (then again, these are two VERY stubborn characters so it's believable enough out of the two of them). Thorax had a very nice return as well, though I felt a bit bad for him. Don't get me wrong, he was smart, intelligent, very helpful considering he had tons of insider information on the Changelings, and kind of a steadying and calming voice along with Starlight, but he sometimes felt like a fourth wheel. I know that he's kind of a shy and quiet character by his nature, but sometimes, especially in the second episode, Trixie and Discord went at it so much that you forgot he was there (Starlight was usually the one playing peacemaker between the two). Overall, however, he still turned in a really good return, and even though he was hardly as old of a character as Trixie, Discord, or even Starlight, fit right into their motley crew. Finally, Discord was, well, what else, Discord. The strangest part of his appearance was seeing him not being able to use his chaos magic for most of it, but it was great getting to see Discord in a major role in a season finale once again, and this time actually helping for most of it. He was also even more obnoxious than usual considering he barely knew or cared about any of the ponies he was working with and was unabashedly only there to help Fluttershy, but that just made him even funnier (his stand-up routine in front of the Changeling guards was particularly hilarious). Overall, aside from (and we'll get to that in a minute) one little bit at the end, this season finale had a great bunch of supporting characters, even if it was a bit odd seeing the main group of the episode limited to four characters when we're so used to the group of six (seven if you count Spike) we're so used to seeing in major show events in the Mane 6.
     
    So... what didn't work? What was the little, tiny bit of this finale that brought it down in my eyes as my least favorite season finale of MLP:FiM to date? Well, it wasn't the obvious plot device in Part 2. You all know the one, the "Changeling magic rock/Chrysalis throne" that sucks out all non-Changeling magic in the vicinity preventing the rescue team from using any magic besides Thorax. Yeah, that didn't actually bother me. I mean, it was obviously a plot device for the sake of convenience to prevent Discord from just using his chaos magic to save the day in two seconds (the show itself admitted as much), but I didn't mind that because it made for a pretty unique situation. We had two unicorns and a draconequus incapable of using any magic to save the day, and a Changeling who could really only use his to transform his appearance. It required a lot of hard and clever thinking from Starlight and company, and even then they only barely succeeded. That, however, is where the problems come in.
     
    As I said before, the pacing was very similar to Season 5's season finale. A lot of set-up and a lot of action in the middle of the episode, executed very slowly and very steadily. While this makes for some great scenes at the beginning and in the middle, the problem is the pacing was just a touch too slow. Hence, the conclusion was a bit rushed like last season's. However, that's only the beginning of the problems of this conclusion. Last season, the biggest problem with the conclusion was that it was rushed; however, it still was a very solid conclusion because it was squarely focused on the reformation of one character, Starlight Glimmer. Season 6 only made that conclusion even better because it was clear that, while she was reformed, Starlight still had a lot to learn this season. THIS conclusion, however, was rushed in a bad, noticeable way that caused a lot of problems because it was not about the reformation of one character. THE ENTIRE CHANGELING SPECIES (aside from Chrysalis) WAS REFORMED! That is what we call a rushed ending in the worst sense. All it took, literally ALL IT TOOK to reform the Changelings was one speech from Starlight Glimmer, a pony they'd never met, and a display of magic from Thorax which they'd never heard of. While Thorax sharing the magic of his love for others wasn't problematic (I can totally buy that he'd be able to unleash that at this point), the rest of the Changelings proceeding to do it was downright damn confusing! How did they unlock such magic??? These Changelings had never loved anything before like Thorax had (unless you count their adoration and loyalty to Chrysalis, but I don't think that's love, that's fanatic devotion), and all of a sudden we're supposed to believe that they're unlocking a magic that Thorax himself hadn't known he could unlock in his current condition until two seconds ago? That's just downright ridiculous.
     
    The follow-up to that, however, might prove more controversial to fans. After the Changelings ridiculously unleashed a power they shouldn't have yet in a completely random and unjustified act of reformation (talk about your bad deus ex machinas), they, well, for lack of a better term, went through a metamorphosis. And what emerged? Well... this.
     




     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    What the...


     
     
     
     
     
     
     



     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    It's a... a majestic deer-moose-bug-king-thing... I think... what???


     

    Yes. All Changelings (except for Chrysalis and any she is able to produce from this point on, I assume) have been turned from their intimidating appearance into beautiful, majestic looking creatures. Which... kind of defeats the purpose of Thorax's first episode. And therein lies the problem. Thorax's debut was probably the most beautiful episode of the season in its heart and message. And at the center of the end of that episode were the ponies of Equestria and the Crystal Empire overcoming their prejudices against Changelings and placing their trust in a member of a species they had only ever feared, and for good reason, even though he still looked like something out of a nightmare. Now, that's just all gone. It's not hard in the slightest to ask ponies to trust Changelings when they look so damn wondrous, majestic, and beautiful now. The designs themselves were fine, I have no problem with them from an aesthetic POV, but my problem is with the principle of changing their look in the first place. For a show that has always promoted fellowship and goodwill between all no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you look like, it feels wrong on some level that such a shallow change in character appearance would be made just to signify that all Changelings are "good" now. Thorax was good when he looked like a regular ol' Changeling, and I have no idea why that had to change now. In fact, the sad thing is I think I know what drove them to change the appearance. With all of the Changelings reformed, I think the animators were afraid that we wouldn't be able to distinguish Thorax from the rest of the Changelings (or any individual Changeling characters for that matter). If this was their driving incentive, there were surely better alternatives out there; they could've either solely changed Thorax's appearance while keeping the other Changelings the same, or even retained the Changeling body designs but just changed the individual color designs of each one. But now, they're just this beautiful looking species which no pony in their right mind should have any trouble trusting, and something about that just doesn't feel right for this show. It's lazy, it's somewhat questionable from a principled POV, and it wasn't executed very well either. I was happy that Chrysalis is still villainous as ever, and now has a bone in particular to pick with Starlight Glimmer to boot (new nemesis, anypony?), but the end overall was rushed, lazy, underwhelming, and anti-climactic. Even afterwards it was! Did we get a song to end out the season, or even a satisfying closing scene? NOPE!!! While it was nice seeing Starlight return to her town with all of her friends, all we got was this lame bit from RD about how somepony needed to catch them up on everything they missed and... that was it! Seriously, that was it. WHAT A LOAD!!!
     
    Bronies, take notes. If you're putting together an essay, or a video, or writing a story, whatever, this finale right here is perfect proof of why a strong conclusion is so important, because your entire body could be perfectly good of whatever you've worked on, and it would still be noticeably sullied by a weak conclusion like what we had here! Overall, I'm not disappointed with the whole of the season finale, really, I'm not. It achieved exactly what it wanted to in strongly closing out the most important story and character arc of Season 6, Starlight Glimmer's. But for a season that was so strong, it is just a tad disappointing that things ended on such a weak, unmemorable note in those last five minutes, as though the end of an entire season of MLP were nothing but an afterthought. Overall, however, "To Where and Back Again" is on the whole a strong season finale to another splendid season of MLP. That's all I got for ya tonight, everypony, until next time this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
  16. Batbrony
    Good morning everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews," the penultimate edition of Season 6!!! Just like last week, we were once again treated to an absolutely delightful episode, albeit far less surprising than last week's was. It was a high flying adventure this morning set at the Wonderbolt Academy, so without further ado let's dive in, this is "Top Bolt"!!!
     
    So let's get this out of the way to start things off: I didn't like Sky Stinger. I know some people are shipping him like crazy already with Vapor Trail, and not for entirely bad reasons, but frankly I found him insufferable. This is purely a personal opinion, mind you, I'm not saying you're wrong if you liked him. Really I think it comes down to two things: (1) I found his voice to be grating and annoying in its natural-cocky mode he seemed to slip into every time he spoke, and (2) I've played sports and have known some people like him in real life, which made him all the more insufferable. I think the final factor that made me not come around to him is that less time was devoted to him fixing things than it was to Vapor Trail. Vapor Trail started improving what she needed to fix in her own life for at least half of the episode, if not more, whereas Sky had at best the last third, probably more like the last fourth, to get better. Is that entirely fair of me since it was just a matter of episode pacing? No, not entirely, but the fact remains that we spent far less time seeing Sky in a better light than we did Vapor, and in the end I just didn't really come around to him that much. He's not as bad as Zephyr Breeze was, no way, but he was still plenty annoying all in all.
     



     

    *cough* DOUCHEBAG *cough*


     



     

    You're not a very smart pony, are ya Sky?


     
    Besides Sky, however, I really loved everything else about this episode. I love pegasi, I love the Wonderbolt Academy, and I love the pairing of Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Those two, when they're really on their A-game, make for a very fun and entertaining pair, and I love seeing them work together because they have very different ways of approaching problems, as was nicely highlighted in this episode. Twilight's very methodical and much more bookish, whereas Rainbow Dash acts much more based on her instincts, which we saw very much in this episode given the setting where she was very much in her element. As with Fluttershy and Applejack as well as Pinkie Pie and Rarity earlier this season, while these two had their disagreements in the course of solving this friendship problem, they ultimately overcame them and utilized their strengths to the best of their ability in helping out both Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger. Good pep talks, good learning experiences, very mature behavior from both of them all around, which is especially commendable for Rainbow Dash considering what she was like when the show started (Sky was definitely a call back to that, no doubt, very similarly to how Lightning Dust was in Season 3). Overall, I thought that they both had a very solid episode and were just the right amount of wise, entertaining, and adorable.
     



     

    Excited book horse is excited


     



     

    Behold everypony, through the power of science we have made... A RAINBOW DASH!!!


     
    The stand out character of this episode was without a doubt Vapor Trail. Oh goodness, I liked this character A LOT. She was adorable (both in her behavior, design, and even voice), she had a very compelling character arc, and all around was just very likable. Like I said before, she definitely had more time devoted to her character arc and development than Sky did, and it definitely paid off for the better in her case. They both certainly had sympathetic backgrounds, heck, Sky's might have been even sadder (although I thought their depiction of the dysfunctionality of a multiple-sibling family was a bit simplistic and exaggerated, it seemed to me more so like maybe their problem was their economic situation more than anything else), but Vapor got the lion's share of time to change and ultimately it made for the more compelling character arc of the two. Her problem was one of self-value, heck, there's even lessons there for victims of domestic abuse who give too much care to their partners (I'm not saying Sky was abusive, he clearly cared about her, just that the parallels were there). She definitely didn't care enough about her own needs, and in the process she actually hurt both herself and Sky as well as a result. So before she could really be there for him, she had to learn how to care about what she wanted for herself as well, besides being around Sky. Given her devotion to him, I can certainly see why people are already shipping those two in earnest, but like I said, this devotion is far more complicated than it appears at first glance since it was at the center of what she needed to fix about herself. If fanfics subsequently come out starring these two, I hope that writers identify this and are able to handle their relationship with the care that it deserves, because it's far more nuanced than people might think at first glance. It was a pleasure getting to see her grow and learn to care about her own needs and wants as the episode went on, in fact, it was my favorite part of the episode, and like I said before I found THAT conflict to be far more compelling in its execution than Sky's own growth and development was. So all in all she was a delightful character to get to know and I would love to see more of her in the future (even if it means we'd see more of Sky as well).
     



     

    Oh my goodness she is too cute


     



     

    I like this pony, she knows her stuff.
    Also, I seriously can't get enough of that Twilight face

     




     

    Oh no, my heart! THAT IS JUST TOO SWEET!!! I thought that might be a fan playing her, but I had no idea those were the circumstances of her getting that role! ALL THE FEELS!!!


     
    As far as laughs go, this episode wasn't nearly as fun as least week's was, but it was still very funny. The classroom scene was a riot, but honestly my favorite source of humor in this episode was Spitfire. It was a blast getting to see her shooting the breeze with RD as a fellow Wonderbolt, not just a superior, throughout the episode, and the running gag about her loving her job as the Academy instructor was hilarious. Some of the Wonderbolt recruits were pretty funny as well, especially that fan-girl pegasus, and Twilight and RD definitely had their moments throughout. But I think it wasn't quite as funny as last week's episode because there was something undeniably sad about Vapor holding herself back to boost Sky's own ego and Sky being so unaware for so much of the episode that he wasn't the hot-stuff he thought he was. Definitely made for an interesting friendship problem, just not as funny of an episode.
     



     



     

    Man there was a lot of blowing in this episode... wait... BLOWING HORNS AND WHISTLES, BLOWING HORNS AND WHISTLES, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!!!


     
    Overall, this was a solid penultimate episode for the season, and that is not to be taken for granted. My least favorite episode to this day is "MMMMystery on the Friendship Express," and that sullied the otherwise amazing season that was Season 2, coming right at the end right before the season finale. So really, even though this was hardly the best episode we've had this season, I'm just glad that it was good. It's been a great season of MLP everypony, but as with every season, it must come to an end, and next week we close out Season 6. I'm glad to say I have NOT watched the finale despite the early leak, so I'll be going into it fresh next week and cannot wait to do so! Until next time everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
  17. Batbrony
    Awwwwww yeah, this older brother LOVES him some good ol' fashioned sibling rivalry!


     
    Good morning everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews." I'm very happy to say that this morning's episode was surprisingly delightful! Not that I thought, going into "Where the Apple Lies," that it would be bad or anything, just that I didn't really have any expectations for this episode and so wasn't sure what to expect. What we got was something very new, which is quite surprising for a Mane 6 character at this point in the show, ESPECIALLY one as consistent in her characterization as Applejack usually is. Going forward, I would love to see more episodes like this one (more on that later), but for now let's delve into today's episode: this is "Where the Apple Lies."
     
    So as I said before, this was an episode unlike most we've ever gotten for the Mane 6, with only a few parallels to it: a backstory episode. I can easily count on one hand the number of similar episodes we've had to this one, episodes like "The Cutie Mark Chronicles," but that episode was an ensemble episode that only gave us short flashbacks for each of the Mane 6. Likewise, we've had flashbacks in other episodes before back to when certain Mane 6 characters were younger, but again, they've never consisted of virtually the entire episode. So really, this was a first for the show: an episode largely devoted to a chapter from a single Mane 6 character's past. In that respect, it was very experimental for the show, and again, for a Mane 6 character that is very surprising at this point. After almost six full seasons of the show, it's obviously getting increasingly hard to find new things or stories to tell with the main characters just because they've learned so many lessons at this point.
     



     

    Frankly Granny Smith's lucky she didn't end up in the hospital for other reasons this ep


     
    One obvious solution then to this dilemma? Make more episodes like this one, episodes which delve into the pasts and history of the Mane 6 and also give the writers and animators a chance to show us Ponyville and Equestria in a very different light. In today's episode alone, we got to see a preteen/early teenager Applejack, a teenage and VERY talkative Big Mac (which was both hilarious and bizarre to watch), Granny Smith when she was pretty much raising those two at a much younger age (I assume that either Apple Bloom was an infant OR their parents were out of town at the time and she hadn't been born yet, though the episode did not address that question), a much younger Filthy Rich WITH his fiance of the time, Spoiled Milk (BTW that name is too perfect for her), and many more fun little bits of Ponyville at a different time. A personal favorite cameo of mine was when we caught a glimpse of a presumably teenage Derpy (she had a similar body build it seemed to AJ's) at the hospital speaking with a doctor or nurse with bandages covering her eyes, implying that some type of corrective eye surgery had recently occurred at the time of this incident (a very interesting implication for backstory for a character who obviously hasn't gotten much, being a background pony and all). So obviously, with the rich abundance of new things this episode offered to viewers (and the makers of this episode in getting to put it together), it's clear that we should want (and possibly expect) more episodes like this in the future. They will give us a chance to see old characters who we've become so familiar with at this point in a new light, as well as characters around them, including family members we maybe haven't gotten to see as much from before. Who wouldn't love to see a young Twilight with her parents, Shining Armor, or Princess Celestia in her youth? How about more of a young Pinkie Pie on the rock farm OR better yet, when she first met the Cakes (we saw a young Mrs. Cake (though it was unknown if she was married yet at the time) in this episode after all)? A young Rarity and young Applejack in their youth, Fluttershy when she first moved to Ponyville, young Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash growing up in Cloudsdale, there are simply a TON of opportunities presented by this format, so the fact that this episode was made should be very encouraging to all of us as viewers and imply that more episodes like this one may be coming in Season 7 (which we now know as of this week will for sure be made). I don't know about the rest of you, but after how delightful this episode turned out, I for one cannot wait to see more episodes like it next season and hope that the creators seriously consider making more like it!
     



     

    Huh, that... could actually explain how Spoiled Rich, dare I say it, actually looked *gulp* better in her youth


     



     

    I didn't even catch this one, but 80s Cheerilee? That's an AWESOME callback to Season 1!!!


     



     

    Awwwwwwwww, Derpy looks so cute and upbeat despite probably having just gone through a very scary procedure! That's my girl, that's how best background pony (and best pony in general) rolls!


     
    So how exactly did this episode unfold? Well, besides some of the delightful bits I mentioned already, we got to see both a hilarious and very entertaining episode which also managed to feel rather important since it highlighted a very important and formative part of Applejack's youth. Since the show has started, we've all known Applejack to be the most honest pony around; I mean, it is her Element of Harmony after all. Only on rare occasions have we seen her lie, and usually when she's been induced to in a magical sense by someone like Discord. This time, however, we got to see not only Applejack lying of her own volition, but also how said lying led her to value honesty so importantly. This episode-type is not new; cartoons which highlight the importance of honesty by showing white lies and fibs getting out of control have been done a whole lot before. It's not always easy to execute them well since they can get redundant, but it worked very well here for a couple of reasons; (1) it was Applejack doing the lying, so it felt very out of character for her, but since it was in her youth it made sense since, at the time, she didn't value honesty in the same way as she does now, and (2) it did the escalation aspect of this episode VERY well indeed. She found new ways to lie and fib, the lies and fibs got increasingly far-fetched and resulted in more and more extreme outcomes, which in turn meant that the episode only got more and more entertaining as it went on. This in turn also meant that, besides seeing Applejack lie, we also got to see a side of her we rarely do: panic-mode Applejack, and as a filly no less. With Big Mac and her constantly bickering as things got more and more out of control as well, as well as poor Granny Smith having no idea what was going on but remaining her usual ornery, cantankerous but also lovable self, as well as Filthy Rich and Spoiled Milk only causing more grief for Applejack as they kept forcing her into going to greater extremes to maintain her lies, this all made for a very fun, entertaining, and consequential episode. It really felt by the end like, yeah, this is something that would lead Applejack to truly value honesty as a core of who she is and what she does, after everything that happened here. I mean, her brother almost got amputated for crying out loud because of her lies! And what's more, it made sense in a way that she let it get out of hoof; for one, she was a teenager at the time, and they tend to buck up at life choices in certain respects, and she also thought that telling the truth would jeopardize her family's business and future well-being because she wasn't confident she could tell Filthy Rich the hard truth in the first place in a way that would maintain their business relations. For all we know, she and Big Mac were bickering so much about who was going to eventually run the Apple family business because their parents may have recently, at that time, passed away and now it was up to one of the Apple siblings to get ready to run Sweet Apple Acres.
     



     

    Behold, Applejack's "cat-coughing-up-a-hairball" impression! It's... well, it's accurate, I'll give it that


     
    So all in all, like I said, the mere fact that this episode was largely set in the past is what allowed it to be so balanced in terms of both having a valuable and consequential lesson taught as well as being so highly entertaining. Apple Bloom got to learn both the value of honesty as well as why it means so much to her older sister from AJ herself, we got to see a side of many characters we hadn't before and a conflict in a uniquely presented fashion, and most excitingly of all we now have a new type of episode for the show which I hope we will see more of in the coming season for other members of the Mane 6. Overall, "Where the Apple Lies" was a delightfully enjoyable surprise, one of the best of Season 6 in terms of how it so exceeded the few expectations I had for it in the first place, and I cannot wait to hopefully see more like it in the coming season (or seasons) of this show. That's all I have for you today everypony, until next time this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
  18. Batbrony
    Good evening everypony! I'm just here to let you all know about the latest updates to my fic, "Batmare Begins"! After a very long hiatus, I've brought back updates to it in a big way; in the last two weeks, I've posted 5 new chapters totaling over 40,000 words!!! I'm always looking for and happy to get new readers, so if you'd like to delve into a crossover that's earnestly trying to make crossing over the MLP universe with the Batman universe (and with Derpy in the titular role of Batmare, no less) work, then please click on the link below where you will find my story! Likes, favorites, and follows are always appreciated, and feel free to leave any comments and questions you may have in the comments section for the fic itself! Thanks for your time everypony, and have a nice evening.
     
    Batmare Begins by Batbrony
     



  19. Batbrony
    So...


     
     
     



     
     
     

    ...how was the trip???


     

    Alright, good morning everypony and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews"! This week we've got a pretty standard episode, quality-wise at least, with a pretty unique approach to its execution. "P.P.O.V. (Pony Point Of View)" is actually a send-up to Akira Kurosawa's film "Rashomon" (a film I've never seen but read enough up on to know that this is definitely a send up to it), and in that regard it's a pretty clever episode. That said, it's not exactly mindblowing, but it didn't commit any unforgivable errors either, so it was a decent episode all around. Without further ado, let's begin, this is "P.P.O.V. (Pony Point Of View)".
     




     
     
     



     
     
     

    Oh sweet, it's the return of the Rarity drama-couch AND Rarity's drama-ice cream, ALL IN ONE EPISODE!!!


     

    So the basic idea of this episode, same as with "Rashomon," is that we receive multiple points of view from the main characters, each one of them self-serving and putting themselves in the best light, and obviously not showing the whole picture either/retelling events that happened in a completely accurate light. The idea is that eventually all the different retellings will be cleared up and tied together, and what really happened will come through. Overall the episode does this quite well, although I will admit that, given that they have three different POVs to get through, the episode doesn't have much time to dwell on anything else besides the main events. Don't get me wrong, overall the pacing is fine, but it still felt at times like they were trying very hard to fit a lot into one episode, and I almost would have preferred if they'd limited it to two points of view. But all in all this story device worked, especially since it wasn't a terribly serious episode.
     




     
     
     

    Hmmm... not sure if "to sandwich" or "not to sandwich"... hmmmmmmmm...


     

    The funnest part of the episode, obviously, was seeing what all the different points of view were, as well as Twilight figuring out what really happened at the end. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's distorted recollections were quite entertaining (though it was bizarre in Pinkie's to see herself thinking of herself as the "normal" one of the bunch) and had some very funny references as well (Applejack in Rarity's POV was DEFINITELY a reference to Quint from "Jaws" and I'm pretty sure that Rarity's dress in Applejack's POV was a direct reference to Rose Dewitt-Bukater's dress in her introduction scene in "Titanic"). It was also lots of fun trying to figure out as a viewer what really did happen (there were definitely some things the characters told which seemed like they probably did happen, like Applejack accidentally knocking the cucumber sandwiches into the ocean), and what definitely didn't. That said, besides some of the pacing, the one other issue with this episode was the believability of the conflict. The episode itself tried to confront this by admitting at the end that "even long-time friends can have problems," but that's not the issue. The issue is that this conflict apparently, if this episode is to be believed, almost ENDED Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's friendship! Now, I know that long-time friendships can deteriorate. However, I have a hard time believing that this particular conflict could have done such a thing! It was just a bad boat trip, nothing more, so yeah, the conflict felt a tad forced. Their reconciliation at the end was nice and all, seeing them all realizing that they all had just wanted to help their friends try something new together, but still, I found myself hard-pressed to buy that this could have actually ended their friendships this far into the show.
     




     
     
     

    "Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him."


     
     
     



     
     
     

    "Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so never more shall we see you again."


     
     
     



     
     
     

    "Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was."


     

    Still, despite pacing and conflict issues, this was an enjoyable enough of an episode. Like I said, it was very entertaining, and the resolution at the end was very nice. It was fun getting to see Twilight exercising her intellect in order to help resolve things (and I don't just mean looking into some books for research, I mean she had to have Spike take notes and then review said notes, and THEN work out how all three POVs fit together), and that sea creature that showed up at the end was ADORABLE!!! The episode was certainly colorful, and it was cool getting to see most of the episode primarily set on the ocean (surprisingly, sea/ocean environments are quite rare to see in this show). Hopefully we'll get the chance to see such a setting even more later on in the show, either this season or, more likely, next season (if the show is renewed for a new season, of course). Overall, this was a good episode. It was not perfect, but it was perfectly likable and didn't have anything really horrible about it, plus it was cool how many movie references and send-ups it made in so many different ways. That's all I've got for ya'll this week everypony, until next time this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
     




     
     
     

    D'awwwwwwwww, who's a cute sea monster?
    YOU ARE! YES, YOU ARE!!!

  20. Batbrony
    OK, good morning everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews." This week's episode was some classic MLP, a delightful combination of entertainment with a well-written story and a excellently executed lesson. It was also a nice return to form for Starlight Glimmer, as well as probably the most she's interacted with the entire group of Mane 6 this season. Without further ado, this is "Every Little Thing She Does."
     
    So oddly enough, this episode was kind of a spiritual successor to "Lesson Zero" back in Season 2, albeit not quite as hilarious as that episode. Starlight, as we saw, still has a bit of a problem with how she understands the concept of friendship, namely in that she's quantifying it. She thought, going into this episode, that being good at friendship literally means you're skilled at whatever you do with your friends, and if you're not, then you're being a bad friend. Given that so much of her self-worth her whole life (in her mind) has been measured by how good she is at magic (something that's very much still apparent in this episode as well), this is understandable; even after her reform, her initial friend of the group was Twilight, and one of the things that Twilight was most impressed about Starlight early on was how powerful she was at magic. I won't say that Twilight was a part of this problem, then, because frankly this is on Starlight and her inability to properly convey her anxiety to Twilight, but it's perfectly logical that given that she's now living with Twilight and was trying to distract her with how her magical skills continue to improve, she would in turn think that Twilight similarly would "grade" her when it comes to magic (it does not help that Twilight tends to keep lists and records about EVERYTHING). So the problem that Starlight had was actually really good because it felt believable; some episodes this season have struggled because the problems they dealt with felt like they belonged in earlier seasons of MLP, but here, it did not feel like this lesson learned was inappropriate or the problem forced. Starlight wasn't unnecessarily incompetent, Twilight correctly identified and addressed the problem as soon as she knew it was happening and understood it, and the pacing was just right, with just enough attention given to setting up the problem, seeing it unfold, and having it addressed. In the end, Starlight learned a valuable lesson about what it means to be a good friend, and I imagine that going forward she'll be more comfortable with all of the Mane 6 now, not just Twilight. The only problem I will raise with how this episode unfolded is that I feel like we saw Starlight engaging in many of the same activities she was so nervous about today at the end of last season when she first befriended the Mane 6, but I can forgive that considering it was so quick and took place in song. Overall, this was yet another really, really solid episode for Starlight, and she continues to delight as a member of the main cast.
     



     

    Well now, that certainly doesn't look healthy


     



     

    Not gonna lie, I REALLY want to know the whole story behind this!


     
    As I said earlier, as far as the humor and entertainment factor of the episode goes, it (like the lesson) very much resembled and felt like a spiritual successor to "Lesson Zero." Like in that episode, things escalated out of hand FAR more than one could have anticipated going into this episode to the point of insanity, yet it felt like an insanity that could actually happen in this setting. Just like how Twilight melting down and freaking out was completely believable in "Lesson Zero," things going crazy after Starlight cast a number of mind control spells on the Mane 6 made, well, perfect sense. The fact that the insanity "made sense" only made the humor all the more enjoyable to see as it unfolded, and the Mane 6 under Starlight's mind control spell were a delightful combination of hilarious, creepy, and utterly useless. I myself particularly enjoyed Applejack, and give major props to both the writers and Ashleigh Ball on a hilarious turn as our favorite country mare. The 'chillaxing' running gag was pretty hilarious as well, more so when they were joking about understanding the concept as opposed to just saying the word a bunch. And it was also hilarious to see Pinkie Pie as the most pissed off of all of the Mane 6 about the mind control spell, and what's more because she burned cakes while under Starlight's influence. Finally, in a turn for a joke I never thought I'd see even on this show, I'm pretty sure that the Mane 6, after being freed from Starlight's powerful mind control spell, were intentionally depicted the next day in a state that resembled having a hangover. Some of the gags they pulled at the start of that scene were hilarious, particularly Rarity's insisting that the Mane 6 make as little noise as possible, and it's a great use of adult humor in a kid's show because obviously most kids would never understand that that was being referenced.
     



     

    D'awww, the poor, adorable dear... she has no idea how much she just bucked up


     



     

    That's it Twilight, you let her know! So, you got it now Starlight?


     



     

    Damn it :ninja:


     
    Animation-wise, everything was top notch as usual, particularly the facial expressions, which really felt spot on here. It was nice getting to see an episode that wasn't just set in Twilight's castle but actually explored it a ton as well; we got to see the kitchen, the library, the foyer, the basement, Starlight's room (which we'd never seen before), and even the roof at the end! It really felt like we got to explore the castle more than ever before, and that's always nice when we get to see not just a new setting, but more of a setting we've seen plenty before, but haven't necessarily explored in-depth. Finally, I thought the final shot of this episode was just really nice; it feels like it's been awhile since we got to see all the girls just relaxing with each other to end an episode, and seeing that (with the addition of Starlight awkwardly trying to relax with them) was really nice to see yet again, especially all the different ways they were unwinding, or rather, chillaxing at the end. Overall, this was just a really, really solid episode and I can't really find a fault with it. It wasn't quite the level of amazing that "Lesson Zero" is, but it was very exceptional all the same, and a solid addition into Starlight's existing canon and ongoing character arc. That's all I've got for ya'll today everypony, until next time this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
  21. Batbrony
    Hello everypony, I see you!


     
    OK, good morning everypony and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews"! This should be a fairly short review today, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a lot to like here. Without further ado, let's get going, this is "Viva Las Pegasus"!!!
     
    First and foremost, I would describe this episode as an exceptional experience episode. It didn't have a particularly deep message, if any at all, BUT it was just a whole lot of fun, and in that regard it excelled. I've been wanting to see Las Pegasus in the show for a long time (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) and boy oh boy the animators did not disappoint here. The sights were a blast and exactly what a Las Vegas-ponified locale should look like, and there was a lot of fun to be had this whole episode. I adored the side characters we got, from the adorable acrobat pony and her director to the hilariously obvious Siegried and Roy parody! The backgrounds looked great the whole episode and the LOADS of background ponies were a lot of fun as well.
     



     

    Smugshy is so, so smug


     
    Flim and Flam also had exactly the type of episode you'd want them to have. It was nice getting to see them in the role of hesitant heroes (for once), but at the same time I very much appreciated that they did not get reformed. It just wouldn't seem true to their natures to do so, and besides, they're not really evil anyway; I'm pretty sure this episode solidified their status as true neutral characters. They're always out to improve their own fortunes, and that's exactly what they were doing here, it just so happened that this time they actually helped other ponies for a change as well. Besides, at least now they're just ripping ponies off at a tourist destination, it's not like they're claiming to cure diseases or trying to run the Apples out of business now. So yeah, fun episode for them, and I'm happy they didn't get reformed; Equestria's not a perfect place, after all, and it's nice to see that some "scoundrels," especially hilariously over-the-top ones like those two, never change. Plus their revenge on Gladmane was actually quite satisfying to see unfold.
     
    Applejack and Fluttershy also got the combo episode those two always deserved. When "Bats!" first aired, I was EXTREMELY disappointed in the results because the entire time, Fluttershy was portrayed as always being in the right, and AJ always being in the wrong. It just wasn't very well executed and didn't live up to what those two as a pair could be. THIS episode, on the other hand, completely did! From the start they complemented each other nicely, and they continued to do so even after they had disagreements. They both weren't comfortable in a locale like Las Pegasus, they both helped solve the problem when they went their separate ways, and they supported each other with their own strengths from start to finish in identifying the friendship problem and solving it. Suffice to say, this episode has more than made up for the disappointment that "Bats!" was.
     



     

    Applejack: she just found your magazines, you know, THOSE ones


     
    Overall, like I said before, the episode was an experience first and foremost (a fun one at that), and in that capacity it excelled. It felt actually very much like a Scooby Doo episode; solving the problem was more important than any lesson learned, and even the resolution wasn't that important compared to the viewing experience itself. The episode was about giving the viewer a fun time above all else, and with that being the case I must say it passed with flying colors. That's all I've got for this week everypony, until next time this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
     



     

    You may be happy, but you will never be as happy as a pegasus covered in pink prairie dogs


  22. Batbrony
    Good evening everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews." First of all, I need to apologize for being so late on this one; I was busy last week travelling for a job interview, and this week just got away from me. That said, I'm very happy to be getting this written up now, because me oh my this was a DELIGHTFUL episode! Without further ado, let's begin.
     
    So first things first, I don't think this was so much a Cutie Mark Crusaders episode as it was a Scootaloo episode. Don't get me wrong, they were all involved from start to finish, but there was a clear focus on Scootaloo as the primary actor pushing them throughout the episode, mostly because she drew many parallels with the episode's new character. That said, it was still a phenomenal CMC episode overall, because at no point did any of them come off as needlessly stupid or malevolent. The writing was phenomenal namely because everyone behaved realistically; they were presented with someone they really wanted to help, but an awkward situation because they really didn't know how. This will lead into a bigger point I have to make later on, but a resonating theme with the group in this episode was optimism and hope, how far those can take you, and what their limitations are. The episode tries to answer how does one balance boundless optimism with logic and realism, especially in a crummy situation, and it answers it spectacularly I thought. For the Crusaders, it gave us a chance to see that they continue to mature and grow; they're no longer trying ideas they know are probably bad, they think things through carefully and have a system, and I love seeing that. This was exactly what the successor to their first Season 6 ep needed to be, and I couldn't be happier for it.
     



     
    So now we come to our new character. Gabriella. Oh my. Gabby, Gabby, Gabby. I don't think words can do justice to how cute this little ball of fluff and feathers was, so I'll just leave this instead...
     




     
    Yeah, seriously. New best griffon? Oh buck yes, new best griffon!!! And you know what the funny thing is? I bet this was a hard character to write. No, I'm not even joking. It would have been SO easy to make her a Mary Sue, because of how bubbly, and optimistic, and cheerful, and just plain adorable she is, but somehow they avoided that trap and color me impressed that they did! As with Scootaloo not being able to fly (which the episode phenomenally wove into the story), there was an unspoken pain lying beneath the surface with her. We either are this person or we know a person like this, someone who tries going through life as cheerful as possible, not for their own sake, but just to try to make other people happy. That's Gabriella in a nutshell. You think at first that it's some sort of mask to help her cope with how crummy Griffonstone is, but no, it wasn't! As the episode plays out (especially once we reach the end), we learn she's as genuine as could be in her constant cheerfulness and optimism. Yet at the same time, one can still tell that there was a hidden pain to this character for multiple reasons. For starters, she's gone her whole life, naturally cheerful and upbeat, dedicated to making other griffons happy, but unfortunately for her that is not a natural inclination for her kind. So basically, she's been surrounded by distrustful curmudgeons her whole life. On top of that, she's never felt like she belongs nor knowing what her purpose is. So basically, she has no rewarding outlet for all her cheerfulness up until she went to Ponyville. Not that we should expect something for doing good things, but Gabby's situation was extreme; she had nothing, NOBODY in her life giving her so much as a smile or a thank you for her efforts. To say her situation was depressing is an understatement.
     



     
    This leads me finally to the themes of the episode. While some may say the episode was just about finding your purpose, I'd say it was more than that. Finding your purpose is a theme that has gotten recycled for multiple CMC episodes at this point and will continue to do so, after all, it's what they do. No, I would say that boundless optimism was at the center of this episode, very much akin to, believe it or not, "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Forrest Gump." These are movies that, while simple in certain respects, are effective mostly because, at the heart of them, is a simple but powerful theme that resonates with many people: the power of just being a genuinely decent person. That was very evident in this whole episode. You felt for Gabby, even if you weren't sure just like the CMC weren't what the answer to her dilemma was, because she was just so genuine and decent and good, and to make matters worse she lived in a country that didn't appreciate or encourage those qualities of hers. She didn't just want to find her purpose, she wanted to find her place, although surprisingly she never attempted to or thought of living in Equestria (though I guess I couldn't see her abandoning her home). But you could tell, in many respects, that this was someone who on the inside was probably running on fumes of hope at this point, and she oftentimes came off as almost desperate to find the answer she was looking for. You can't help but feel for such optimism and hope, and it just sucked me in from the second she showed up. I didn't think she was gonna get her cutie mark, but I wanted her to find her purpose, and more importantly, just find pride in who she was. She didn't just find purpose in learning that her purpose is to simply help others however she can, she found self-worth and a reason to just keep going for herself, because such a good person shouldn't be asked to just keep going for others, even if it comes naturally to them. She could probably spend the rest of her life impoverished and destitute and she'd still be totally satisfied knowing that alone, and that's what made the episode so powerful. A genuinely decent character found the one thing she was looking for that was missing from her life, and there was something really powerful about getting to see that because I think it's easy to forget that it's not always hard to be a good person in life, much less like Gabby, especially growing up where she did. So like I said, for an episode that didn't exactly have many tears, this was a powerful one, and I loved it for that, especially because I think it handled its themes with nuance, grace, and poise.
     



     
    Besides that, this wasn't exactly a laugh-heavy episode, but that's fine; there were some good ones here and there, particularly getting to see Twilight nerdgasm, but that's about it. There was a good song in the middle but nothing mindblowing for this show. It was nice getting a simple slice-of-life Ponyville episode again, and I was super happy to spot Derpy with Dinky again (further confirmation of her being Dinky's canon mom this season!!!). But like I said, when I think back on this episode and return to it, I'll always think first and foremost about it's wonderful writing, handling of its themes, and of course, the wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL new character that is Gabriella the Griffon! That's all I've got this week everypony, until, well, tomorrow, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
     



     

    Cutest griffon? BUCK YES CUTEST GRIFFON!!!


  23. Batbrony
    Tired Apple pony is tired after sporting hard!


     
    Good afternoon everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews"! First of all, apologies for being a bit late, but I have a good excuse this time; as many of you know, I'm sure, it's the first weekend of college football being in full swing across the country, and I was busy watching my Michigan Wolverines stomp the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (apologies to any fans of Hawaii, though I promise you I am not making up that mascot of theirs). Without further ado, let's begin, this is "Buckball Season"!!!
     
    So first of all, I should say that I adore that by what may or may not have been a coincidence, we had a sports episode premiering on the opening weekend of college football this year. Granted, that might have just been coincidence since sports are almost always happening, and Buckball didn't really bear any resemblance to football, but still I thought it was amusing. As for the episode itself? I thought it was good, but not flawless. My primary gripe was in how the message was delivered. It's clear that they were going for another pretty standard, kids show message; sports are about having fun, at least for some people, and you shouldn't ruin why someone else enjoys a sport. The message itself isn't bad, by no means, BUT coming from a guy who has played his fair share of sports, I thought the execution left something to be desired. I could tell they were trying to focus on the pressure which Rainbow Dash and Applejack were putting on Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, and that was a good route to take. My problem was it felt like there was a little too much focus on the practice segment itself. The inadvertent result was that I believe it came across as though practicing intensely for a sport was being criticized in the episode's message. I don't think that was intentional, because the writers did appear to try to promote sports competition as being healthy in the right doses, as well as playing for your community, but that's what it felt like at times. I found myself wondering if any of these writers who worked on this episode had ever played sports before. I don't say that to be insulting, but given that we are talking about members of the entertainment industry, I felt it was a fair enough question to ask because they didn't seem to have a strong handle of how to convey practicing for a sport (and we have seen that done well in the show before, Hurricane Fluttershy has a great, even if it's deliberately cheesy, training montage for Fluttershy). I might be over-analyzing this because of my sports experiences, but there are better ways I think of conveying that pressure to succeed in sports can be too much sometimes than what they did here, and the hours I put into practicing for sports with my teammates were usually where the bulk of the best experiences were to be had and where some of my real love and appreciation of these sports was most developed. Can't get to game day without plenty of good practice with your friends and teammates. In conclusion, I get the message they were going for, it worked for the most part, but I think it was somewhat roughly executed in the middle of the episode.
     
    Other than that I really don't have any complaints. It was a lot of fun seeing an ep featuring four members of the Mane 6, that's an unusual amount but it never felt like any of them got too little screen time. It was also lots of fun seeing all four of the Mane 6 split into pairs for the episode between Rainbow Dash/Applejack and Fluttershy/Pinkie Pie. Both pairs bounced off of each other nicely and were very natural pairs since they have similar personalities, especially for the purpose of the episode; we all know that AJ and RD love their sports activities and competition while Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie are both very easy-going, and it makes sense that they would have similar attitudes concerning sports. I should also add that Fluttershy's ADORABLE handling of the buckball with her tail was seriously too cute, further proof yet again that she can make anything adorable, including sports.
     



     



     

    Seriously, look at this, it's bucking ADORABLE!!!


     
    The real surprise of the episode was the inclusion of Snails as a third wheel, especially separate from his normal partner-in-crime, Snips, and I have to say his inclusion delighted me to say the least! I've always maintained that those two are terribly underrated characters and I have no idea why more people don't like them, especially considering they have two excellent voice actors who seem to have a lot of fun in these roles. But maybe just giving one of them the spotlight is exactly what they needed. I think what made Snails work here was that he felt ludicrously out of place to the point that it actually worked in favor of the episode's humor. He came out of nowhere, it turned out he was freakishly good at Buckball just like Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy; in many ways, it actually felt like a possible shout out to Adam Sandler's Waterboy, I'm not even joking. But he didn't just provide laughs but actually contributed to the lesson in the end as well, a little. Overall, I'd say this was his best appearance yet and was very surprised but happy to see him get so much screen time.
     



     

    Yeah, that sounds about right


     



     

    Much as I loved seeing Snails, they seriously need to rectify this ASAP. GIVE CELLY HER EPISODE!!!


     
    Besides, however, some nice character appearances and interactions, I wouldn't say this episode left all that much of an impression, to be honest, for good or ill. The message was a bit muddled, sure, but I understood well enough what point they were getting at and thought they handled it pretty well for the most part. Buckball as a sport was surprisingly underwhelming; I think as a sport I had envisioned it being a bit of a bigger team sport than it ended up being, and if it's an Apple family tradition, I have a hard time understanding how it's supposed to by design involve a pony from each race, especially since AJ was acting as though most pegasi and unicorns in Ponyville are unfamiliar with the sport. There were some fun background pony appearances, both in the tryout scene and when we got to see Ponyville cheering on its buckball team (Derpy in particular was adorable looking in her fan-garb!). And once again, I have to emphasize that the performances of the Mane 6 characters were great here, especially Andrea as both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, she did great as both of them in this episode (special props to that great Fluttershy freakout near the end of the episode, that was great). All in all, this episode was good. Not mindblowing, but very good all the same, even if it had some flaws or didn't leave a major impression. I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed it well enough, and that's just fine by me. That's all I've got for ya everypony, until next time, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     



     

    Sometimes you just need a good freakout


     



     

    NOW GO OUT THERE AND SPORTS, SPORTS REAL HARD!!!


  24. Batbrony
    We seriously need a sequel to this episode in which Celestia and Luna join the fun, that's the only way they could possibly top this one!


     
    Alrighty, alrighty, alrighty, good afternoon everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews"! Sorry about being late to getting to this review, just been busy with some things since the episode. Thankfully, this morning's episode is not one which requires a massive review, namely because (1) it was so good, and (2) one need not thoroughly detail every which way in which it was good. Without further ado, let's begin, this is "Dungeons and Discord."
     

    Me after this episode:


     



     

    "Was it good for you too?"


     
    So before this episode debuted, if you had asked me what I thought was the funniest episode of the season so far, I would have said without a doubt "Saddle Row Review." That has since changed. Oh my goodness, has it ever. "Dungeons and Discord" is easily not just the funniest episode of Season 6 so far, but also one of the funniest episodes of the show ever, made all the more impressive by the fact that it was carried entirely by secondary characters, the closest to a main character being Spike. Honestly, I can't possibly cover every which way in which it was funny, simply because that would be an impossible task. It's a fantastic example of what can be done when (1) the writers are on their A-game, (2) you have a great combination of characters for an episode's purposes, and (3) you have some phenomenal voice actors who simply OWN their roles at this point. The writing, oh goodness, from a comedic stand point it was top notch in every single way. "Saddle Row Review" might be more impressive in its structure, but "Dungeons and Discord" is more impressive in the stunning variety of ways in which it was funny. You had Discord bits, you had Spike bits, you had D&D bits (or should I say, O&O bits), you had Big Mac bits, you had Mane 6 bits, and best of all, tons and tons and TONS of humor referring to the wider world of Equestria, something we're seeing more and more in Discord episodes. From the opening scene, I could tell this was going to be a treat for a couple of reasons. First, John de Lancie was clearly on his A-game here, even in the opener. It's easy to forget that this guy is a world class actor in general, not just a great voice actor, but performances like this remind you of just that. He was given some great material to work with and he owned it every single step of the way. On top of that, the fact that they were willing to go with a joke as crazy as the Opposite Equestria one told me that this was going to be a visually stunning episode, and it most certainly was, there were a RIDICULOUS number of different settings for a 22 minute episode which only helped to enhance the insanity of everything going on.
     



     

    Between this and Celestia-mane cat, I'm not sure which is more terrifying, though I have no doubt they'll both be showing up in my nightmares soon enough...


     



     

    I must say, however, that I simply cannot get enough of sassy Fluttershy and her no-nonsense attitude with Discord


     



     

    I have a theory that AJ is intentionally going out of her way to look as basic as possible because if she didn't, she knows she'd actually be the most attractive pony of the Mane 6! I mean, look at what happened to Trender Hooves, and she wasn't even trying to look good then!


     
    Besides that, it was just fun. The lesson was nice enough, and it was nice to see that Discord still has plenty of problems (namely his ego and unwillingness to reach out to others besides Fluttershy and some of her friends), but really, this episode just wanted to cut loose and have a TON of fun. When it comes to Discord, you have to strike a fine balance between his penchant for doing whatever he wants and whatever lesson he's supposed to learn. This episode struck the balance perfectly. It was amusing seeing a game of all things confounding the Lord of Chaos, both its rules and the nature of using one's imagination to bring it to life, not to mention the fact that we learned that Discord has a very limited idea of what it means to spend a night on the town or having fun with the guys (which made for some excellent adult humor as well, such as his list of the rowdiest establishments in Ponyville). It's easy to forget that not only is friendship new for Discord, but his very perspective of the world is different from any other character's considering he can do things that no one else can. Living your whole life like that, it's not surprising he's developed such an ego about himself.
     



     

    Two things I need more of right away: (1) Zoot suit Discord, and (2) 1920s swinger ponies!!!


     



     

    Come on, ya'll know you want to see this quest as much as I do


     
    But like I said, overall, this episode was a love letter to two things, (1) D&D, and (2) the idea that the show can sometimes just sit back, relax, and have a downright fun episode without a very serious lesson. In fact, I have literally only one complaint, and it is a super, super tiny one. RD and Pinkie's joining the fun at the end, while harmless enough (and their costumes were pretty awesome) seemed a bit forced, just a tad. I hate to say this, but it almost felt like the writers were VERY quickly trying to hammer in the idea that just because it was a "guy's night" doesn't mean the girls couldn't participate. Look, I know the nature of the show (or at least a big part of it) is to show that there is no single way to define what girls do, but when the show is at its best at doing that, it's when it's not being clumsy about it. Rarity is just great at fashion because that's what she loves, just like RD is great at sports because that's what she loves. This though, it actually felt in a very minor way like the writers were afraid that if they didn't let the girls (or at least some of them) participate in the O&O fun, then they'd be telling people that D&D is just for guys. Again, it's a super minor complaint because it happened for about 2 seconds, but all the same, I just have to say that they never should have worried about that in the first place. Firstly, it was nice actually seeing a guy-centric episode, especially centered around secondary characters, for a change, and definitely helped the episode stand out. Secondly, it just felt unnecessary. Guys have guy nights sometimes no different than girls have girl nights sometimes; you're not sexist if you enjoy doing something like that, that's just the nature of some get-togethers. So like I said, minor complaint, but most of all I just don't think the writers should have worried about it at all; they saw a problem where none existed and through in something really quick to fix a non-existent problem. It would have been neat to see Pinkie and RD in the whole episode, sure, but when they showed up at the last second like that just for what essentially was a promo-shot, it came off as forced.
     



     

    Like I said, THIS EPISODE NEEDS A SEQUEL WITH CELESTIA AND LUNA PRONTO!!!


     



     
    All in all, however, as a comedic episode, this episode was perfection. Great writing, great voice acting, and stunning animation all came together for one of the greatest comedic episodes the show has ever had. I for one can't wait to rewatch it and laugh twice as hard the second time. That's all I've got for you, everypony, this week, until next time this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     



     

    Can we seriously get more of this trio? Please? Also, that's THREE great episodes for Spike this season, HOLY CHEESE!!!


  25. Batbrony
    Good morning everypony! This blog post isn't very much show related, but every once in awhile I like to fill people in on real life stuff going on with me. Certainly got a big one for ya'll this morning. About a week and a half ago, I had the distinct pleasure of graduating from Western Michigan University's graduate school after two years of studying there with a Master's in Public History secured!
     



     
    Technically don't have the ACTUAL degree yet since no one gives real degrees at graduation ceremonies anymore, but should have it in hand soon enough hopefully. 'Twas a hard but rewarding experience and journey all the same, and having a supportive community like you guys to lean on at times made it considerably easier to get through. Thanks for all your friendliness and support everypony, I couldn't have done it without you!
     
    Second of all, I'm taking off for Baltimore this evening for not just my first ever BronyCon, but my first ever convention of any kind in general! There's going to be quite a few other Poniverse staff there, so feel free to look out for us or hit us up at the convention if you're there. I cannot wait and am sure this is going to be a blast and an unforgettable experience. Safe travels to anypony traveling, and God bless, ya'll! Look out Baltimore, here comes Batbrony!!!
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