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Batbrony

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  1. Batbrony
    Hey! Hey! Listen! Hey! Hey! Watch out, watch out, watch out! Listen! Listen! Listen! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! He-




    SHUT UP, NAVI, I'M GETTING TO THE REVIEW, OK!!!


     

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, welcome back everypony to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews"! We had ourselves a nice one today, very nice indeed; Fluttershy's first starring role since the start of the season, and my oh my was it a nice one indeed. "Flutter Brutter" has the distinction of being a very commendable episode despite having an EXTRAORDINARILY annoying character in it. Without further ado, let's begin and take a look, shall we?
     




     
     
     

    Wanna see how assertive I can really be?


     

    So for me, by far the best element of this episode was Fluttershy. This is a fantastic example of how you do continuity in character development correctly. As a firstborn son and older brother myself, I had no trouble at all, whatsoever, believing that she had a history with her brother (obviously that's not to say I have a bad relationship with my little sister, she's amazing, just saying that I totally believed that she was Zephyr Breeze's big sister from personal experience, her interactions with him felt very natural and sibling-like). On top of that, we both learned where Fluttershy got her timid-to-a-fault nature from (and dear me, her parents did not do themselves or her any favors with those personalities of theirs) and also got to see her current, far more assertive personality juxtaposed beside her parents, who were representative of what she used to be like. It was GREAT, and really highlighted the extent that her character has developed since Season 1 (seems like just yesterday she was afraid of her own shadow). At no point did she take Zephyr's crap, at no point did she back down, and at no point did Fluttershy compromise who she was. She just tried to be a good big sister and dole out some much-needed tough love to her little brother, through and through. In earlier seasons, that might've been a Mary Sue performance, but not here, not after six seasons. This was Fluttershy taking six seasons of lessons learned about how to be a stronger mare than she ever thought she could be and applying it to someone who she loved but also knew desperately needed to change their life.
     




     
     
     

    Fluttershy ain't having any of your B.S.


     
     
     



     
     
     

    Oh, I do NOT like the look of this guy!


     

    Now as for Zephyr, I'm actually mixed, but not because he was annoying. Oh no, don't get me wrong, he was, but that worked perfectly fine for what they were doing here. My sole problem is that while this episode worked perfectly fine as a story about his character, I don't think that it's particularly applicable to a real-world scenario. Now obviously there are people out there who struggle with simply trying something, people afraid of failure to the point that they never try at all, people who have trouble seeing things through. But that said, Zephyr took it to a whole other level. He was so insufferable, so annoying, so obnoxious, so narcissistic, so completely incompetent for 90% of the episode that he felt more like a parody of someone who could have these problems than a portrayal of them. Again, that worked here. I delighted in hating him, it was quite fun. And I didn't think his turnaround was too sudden either; he seemed to be taking good baby steps at the end, and he still obviously has to find a job and a place of his own before he can say he's really independent and in control of his life. But like I said, I don't think anyone is going to watch this episode and go, "Wow, that guy's just like me," because I don't think anyone could possibly come close in the slightest to being as annoying as he was. So overall, he worked in the show, but that's it.
     




     
     
     

    Not gonna lie, kinda sad this didn't happen


     
     
     



     
     
     

    Still a better mane-style than his stupid man bun... also, ENJOY GOING BALD IN YOUR 40s, ZEPHYR, IF YOU KEEP UP THAT MANECUT!


     

    Besides that, this episode was very nicely paced and covered quite a few places for a slice of life episode. We went to Cloudsdale, Ponyville, Twilight's Castle, Fluttershy's house, Carousel Boutique, and got to see a ton of faces. Fluttershy's parents did not disappoint and it was easy to see how both of their children grew up with the personal problems that they did as a result of both parents not being very assertive themselves. I actually really liked that the show did not beat around the bush and pretend it wasn't their fault; oftentimes parent characters are Mary Sues or Gary Stus who are just there to cheer their children on in animated TV shows, but it was quite clear that the root of both Fluttershy and Zephyr Breeze's problems was their parents not being assertive at all. Rainbow Dash was also quite delightful as well; this is one of the first times I've ever seen where she actually felt like a wingmare to Fluttershy and she was totally supportive of her from start to finish, but not in a patronizing way. Her running gag with Zephyr hitting on her incessantly in the most obnoxious way he possibly could (by constantly insisting that she was the one infatuated with him) was hilarious and had a gratifying conclusion when we saw that Rainbow had gotten to zap Zephyr more than a few times with lightning, and it was cool too getting to see more confirmation that she grew up as friends with Fluttershy in Cloudsdale, and also that she was as aware as anypony else was that Zephyr was an annoying twat.
     




     
     
     

    Son, she is one step away from slapping you with a sexual-harassment suit and filing for a restraining order... CUT IT OUT!!!


     

    Oh, and there was also a song... that kind of came out of nowhere. It was a perfectly fine song, not amazing, but good. It just really had no set up. One second Rainbow Dash is talking, the next second Fluttershy's singing. So... yeah, that happened.
     




     
     
     

    Dinky, that's not your mom! Go on and find Derpy now, I'm sure she's got some muffins for you


     
     
     



     
     
     

    Next Zephyr Breeze episode: he fails so badly at being a mane therapist that he throws it all away and becomes the Joker... but then he sucks at that too


     

    Overall, this was an episode that could have been awful. They really could have done this lesson and new character wrong, but I'm glad to say that that simply was not the case. Fluttershy was portrayed fantastically, Zephyr was what he needed to be, it was great finally getting to see Fluttershy's family and also learn that, even though her parents were perfectly lovely, that did NOT mean that their family life was all hunky-dory and in tip top shape. I will admit that I just want to chop that stupid looking man-bun (or is it stallion-bun?) off of Zephyr's head... and possibly his head too... but that's beside the point. The point is, this was great, and Fluttershy had a smashing good first episode of the season.
  2. Batbrony
    Good afternoon, everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews." What's that I smell? A controversial, polarizing episode you say? Well now, this should be fun! Yes, Rainbow Dash has finally joined the Wonderbolts, and as I very much expected, this is going to be a polarizing episode that people either love or hate, so without further ado, let's dive into "Newbie Dash"!
     
    First off, let's get the controversial aspects out of the way. I would describe this episode (as I already did earlier in this thread) as the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice of this season so far. It's undoubtedly flawed, there's no getting around that, BUT those flaws do not mean one cannot like or even love this episode. You just need to understand the flaws in order to do so. So what do I personally think is the biggest flaw? Well, it's not the Wonderbolts behavior, nor is it the fact that Rainbow Dash freaked out and made some poor decisions. Both of those can be justified and I will do later in my review. I think the biggest flaw is that Dash's poor choices came across as too impulsive and reactionary. We didn't always get great insight into WHY she was doing what she was doing beyond "she's freaking out and wants to make a good impression," so it left us wondering how exactly some of the things she was doing was supposed to make a good impression on the Wonderbolts (most notably her confusingly impersonating her friends). This made her actions seem stupider and far more cringeworthy than they were, so yes, some of her actions were sloppily executed, there is no getting around that. Really though, that was the biggest problem in the episode, and it wasn't one which, for me, ruined the episode. That out of the way, let's get into the good which saved this episode and made it a worthy start to Rainbow Dash's finally fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a Wonderbolt.
     
    First of all, the beginning was fantastic. This felt like a nice balance of how Dash should learn she becomes a Wonderbolt. Too much fanfare would have felt forced, so it was nice that it was something very much unexpected for her; as far as she was concerned, she was still going to be a Wonderbolt Reservist for the foreseeable future, so to have that suddenly dropped on her made for an elated reaction of surprised shock that was raw and genuine. The fact that both Spitfire and Scootaloo were there, however, also made it meaningful; Scootaloo looks up to Rainbow more than anypony else, so to have her share in this moment for her was wonderful to see, and likewise Spitfire has long been an idol of Rainbow's, so it was great to see her deliver the news that Rainbow was finally to become a Wonderbolt, and on a permanent basis no less. Overall, that was really the best way we could've seen Dash learn she was to become a Wonderbolt; nothing felt forced or too overblown, but at the same time it was an undeniably special moment, so clearly the writers put a lot of thought into that.
     



     

    Oh my gosh, what's wrong with your face?!


     
    The Mane 6 were really strong here as well, I thought, because they gave just the right amount of support without helping too much. All they could really offer was helpful advice, but at the same time they could only influence too much since, obviously, they can't be with Rainbow as she was working with the Wonderbolts. It's a nice sign that the girls continue to get older and won't always be doing everything together as they fulfill their own personal dreams, similar to Rarity opening more dress shops or the CMC pursuing their own personal passions and hobbies away from each other. But they were still there through thick and thin for Rainbow as much as they could be, especially Fluttershy who, having grown up with Dash and being as sensitive as she is, had to especially understand how hard it must have been for Rainbow to once again get the nickname Rainbow Crash.
     
    Rainbow herself behaved pretty much as she should have in this type of episode, some of her SPECIFIC actions aside. Yes she had cringeworthy moments, but again, they were understandable and justifiable. This is THE thing she has dreamed of her whole life. She never dreamed of being a savior of Equestria, she never dreamed of being an Element Bearer or one of the icons of the Magic of Friendship in Equestria, but she has always, always, ALWAYS dreamed of being a Wonderbolt. Therefore, her having butterflies in her stomach that made her an absolute nervous wreck was plenty understandable. She tried to be too confident, cool, and cocky, she tried to stand out too much, she tried to do anything she could to make a positive impression on ponies she'd always called her idols who were suddenly her teammates no matter how irrational it might be. It was her first days at work at what was essentially her dream job, so she can easily be forgiven for doing some stupid things. Lots of people in a similar position would and have freaked out similarly, because suddenly, the one thing you've dreamed about your entire life is a reality, and that can be mentally overwhelming. It did not help her nerves that she made such a bad first impression and kept thinking that she was this close to getting thrown right out. But in the end, Rainbow learned a fantastic lesson because of all of this, one which demands she take what she has learned as a member of the Mane 6 and apply it to her being a Wonderbolt. Being a Wonderbolt is not and was never about her shining more than anypony else; sure she had to have a ridiculous amount of talent to get there, something the Wonderbolts themselves more than recognized, but once you get there, you have to take that talent and what makes you special and channel it into making the entire group special, not just you. Rainbow has been learning this ever since she became an Element Bearer, the strength of a team, a group, how much stronger that is than any one single pony. So it was fantastic to see that she now HAS to apply what she has learned to the thing she has always dreamed of, and that is a lesson worth learning in her first outing as a Wonderbolt.
     



     

    Oh Rainbow, you don't have to try to act like an egghead, you were already one


     



     
    The Wonderbolts themselves, I thought, were very strong here, mostly because of the ending. Some of their hazing of Dash came across as mean-spirited at times, but the end made it abundantly clear that that's just what it was, lighthearted, ritual hazing, nothing more. Dash was the newbie, and they haze every newbie. They all have embarrassing nicknames because, in a group of the most talented fliers in Equestria, being reminded of your most embarrassing moments helps both bring ridiculously talented fliers back down to earth and also builds comradery between them all. They were also very different in their behavior, which nicely reflected their positions. Some of the regular Wonderbolts were more teasing to Rainbow while Spitfire, being the leader, was far more no-nonsense with her, even if she too still hazed her. Wonderbolt's who knew Rainbow more closely, like Soarin and Fleetfoot, were also more supportive and encouraging than some of the other ones were, and that was a nice bit of continuity. The end, where they all explained that they've all been where Dash was, completely justified their actions. They've all had her nerves, they've all been newbies, they've all had their embarrassing moments. This changed their actions throughout the episode from being mean-spirited and singling out Dash to simply being a routine part of her initiation. If they didn't care about her, they wouldn't be singling her out as the newbie but simply ignoring her. But like any rookie on a sports team, Dash is the newbie, so she has to go through the growing pains of being one as any newbie on the Wonderbolts would. The nickname isn't meanspirited like when she was bullied as a filly, it's supposed to be something she can look back on and laugh about. Some day, she'll be doing the same thing to other newbies on the Wonderbolts, and it won't be any more mean-spirited than the Wonderbolts behavior here was.
     
    Beyond that, it was very nice finally getting a sense for how the Wonderbolts work. They take their jobs very seriously because being the best fliers in Equestria doesn't just mean they're show ponies and performers. They're leaders among ponies and the pegasi, so being able to work together as a unit and team as smoothly as possible is supremely important to them, especially their leader Spitfire. They may all be special in their own ways, but when you're a Wonderbolt, you're one of many, not just THE Wonderbolt. Call backs to their history were nice, it was cool getting to see their barracks, training, and performance, and just cool in general getting to see the whole team together, not just one or two of them like we normally do. The fact that they gave Rainbow a pat on the back and told her to keep her chin up at the end was the icing on the cake, since, once again, it highlighted that they've all been where she was. They're only ponies, after all. They've all bucked up as Wonderbolts, they've all been the newbies, so they get it, she's nervous and freaking out. But that's not going to stop them from embracing her as one of their own, which they're more than thrilled to do; after all, they know she is ridiculously talented, even more so than the rest of them. She's going to be great someday with them, she just has to get the hang of it is all.
     



     



     



     

    Did... did the show suddenly become self aware of R34 and just decide to purposely give us R34 material? Cause that's what I'm getting from this episode


     
    Aside from that, there's not too much else to cover. Seeing Scootaloo get in some nice interactions with Rainbow was really nice, as always. The humor was a bit hit and miss. Some of the physical gags (like Pinkie's cotton candy bit) felt a little forced, and some of Dash's freaking out moments could be both cringeworthy but also hilarious (best example being her Mane 6 impressions; the action itself was very confusing, but hearing Dash impersonate all her friends was hilarious and some wonderful voice acting from Ashleigh Ball as well). I actually thought the Wonderbolt's humor was the funniest, weird right? I don't want this to sound mean, but some of their hazing was genuinely funny. Not so much the nickname Rainbow Crash, but the way they started treating it so normally got quite a few giggles from me. That and how annoyed they got at Rainbow at times, mostly because I never got the sense that they were going to kick her out. They were just annoyed at her because she was the newbie of the group doing newbie things, so yeah, I thought that was pretty funny.
     



     

    That's it, isn't it? Be honest writers, I mean, what else could it possibly be?!


     
    Overall, this is an episode very much worth liking, with some stuff to love even. It has a very nice message about what achieving your dream job might actually be like at first and how one shouldn't take ribbing so seriously, while also illustrating how sometimes our nerves can wind up making us our own worst enemy. Is it flawed? Yes, it is, mostly in aspects of its execution. But that doesn't mean I don't like it, nor think this isn't what Rainbow deserved in becoming a Wonderbolt. I think this is a moment that so many people will have hyped up in their heads that, in many ways, it was always going to disappoint in some way. It's been built up too much not to. But for what they did with it, I'm very happy with how Rainbow Dash becoming a Wonderbolt turned out. She had some growing pains to go through, but she made it! SHE MADE IT GUYS!!! She's a Wonderbolt, for good, and she knows it! That's why she was so happy at the end, and we should be to. This isn't just something that happened in the final episode of the show in some two minute epilogue. Rainbow Dash is, for good, a Wonderbolt, and we get to see that for as long as the show continues!!! I don't know about you, but for me, that fact alone is the epitomy of coolness, awesomeness, and radicalness. Rainbow Dash is a Wonderbolt now and forevermore; it's canon, won't be taken away, and we get to see Rainbow for as long as the show goes on get to live her dream, not simply achieve it. That alone makes this episode completely worth it and worthy of Rainbow Dash's dream finally being brought to life. That's all I got everypony; if you still don't like it even after reading my review, no big, to each their own. But this is the best I could do to defend this episode. Until next week everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     



     

    She didn't just achieve the dream; she's living the dream, and we get to see it. I'd say that's the walking, talking definition of 20% cooler, if I do say so myself


  3. Batbrony
    Welcome back everypony to another edition of Batbrony Reviews. OK, third episode of Season 6 with a new team of writers. How did I think this turned out? Well, all in all pretty good, I'd say. This was hardly my favorite third episode of a season ever (and yes, I do categorize those because I think they play an important part in setting a tone for a season), but it wasn't awful, that's for sure. Without further ado, let's take a look at "The Gift of the Maud Pie"!
     



     

    Seems legit


     
    So I suppose the best way to go about covering this episode is looking at its three main characters, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Maud Pie. Starting things off with Pinkie, my feelings on her here are a tad mixed. I think with her it was most apparent that this was a new writing team, because given how over-the-top she was, I never felt like they were completely comfortable writing for her, like they were hitting so many Pinkie-tropes just to prove they know how to write her. It felt somewhat forced, but on the other hand one can justify her behavior here as well. We know that Pinkie Pie absolutely loves her family and totally goes the distance for them even more than she does with most ponies, so sometimes with something like a special day like this with her sister, she can get over-the-top even for her. None of the actions she took felt wrong for her character, just some of the reactions went on just a bit too long at times, is all. But that said, I could totally see the dilemma here being a problem faced by Pinkie Pie, she was fun, a good sister and friend as always, and just plain ol' Pinkie. Plus it was nice that she was the one learning a lesson, and from her older sister no less, which feels very natural; it feels right that if she's going to learn a lesson at this point in the show, it should be from someone older and a bit more mature than her like Maud who gets both her sister's flaws and strengths. Overall, she was just fine; it was hardly my favorite Pinkie episode ever, and I might've liked a little more nuance with her character, but she was good.
     



     

    Pinkie Pie and the Quest for Diabetes!


     



     

    I'm honestly surprised it took Pinkie six seasons to almost get arrested


     



     

    Best... song... EVER!!!


     
    Our supporting Mane 6 character, Rarity, was great here. With her, I actually liked her more dramatic side coming to the fore just because that makes sense when she's with Pinkie. When the Mane 6 are coupled with each other, they tend to bring out different sides of each other; Rarity by her nature is a bit of a drama queen already, so paired with the most over-the-top member of the Mane 6, it makes sense that she'd be more dramatic than usual. Her impression of Pinkie Pie was possibly the best humorous moment of the episode, and it didn't feel like she was unnecessarily going out of her way to help Pinkie either. She's generous by nature in all things, including with her time, and especially to one of her closest friends who she knows cares so deeply about her sister, this makes perfect sense for her. I did like too that we continue to see her business expanding, as it's a nice recognition from the writers that time is not static in this show, but continues to pass; these girls grow older, they have new achievements in their professional lives and are not defined solely by being friends with each other and heroes of Equestria. Hopefully we eventually get to see this shop open up, and maybe even Coco Pommel will get involved in it somehow! Finally, I'd be remiss if I did not mention Rarity dressed up as Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's. I mean, my gosh, it's about time that reference happened! Audrey was simply the walking, living, breathing definition of chic and style, so it's just a perfect fit using Rarity to make such a reference, and my goodness, she looked fabulous with that look! Overall, Rarity had a solid outing here, it was nice seeing her with Pinkie and Maud, and she filled a supporting role very nicely in a not-so-serious episode.
     



     


    Oh my, oh my, oh my, I need more of this look on her!!! SO MUCH MORE OF IT!!! Quickly, give me fan art, now!!!


     



     

    When you've officially spent too much time around Pinkie Pie


     
    Finally, we come to the best character in the episode: Maud. I would just like to reiterate that when Maud was first introduced, I was not a fan, not in the slightest. I didn't like the schtick they were doing with her for a long time, but I think they started winning me over around the time Rainbow Rocks came out. I think what changed was that at first, it felt like they were treating her personality too seriously, but now when they use her they have a nice combination of self-awareness in satirically using her while still treating her like an actual character and not just a walking joke. Case in point, she was hilarious here. Maud, as always, was just Maud; neutral as anyone can be, interested by the last things any pony ever expects (including, yes, cracks in the sidewalk), and just doing her thing with Boulder. But, as always too, she surprised in pleasant ways. Her delivery of the lesson was perfect in its setup and execution; she gave back Pinkie's gift without a second thought and then very soundly explained to her sister what giving a gift is really all about. It's gratifying to see a lesson about selfless love coming from that character because it reinforces that yes, Maud does indeed have a lot of personality and cares about the ponies around her, she just does it in her own way. But when you get down to it, in the end, she does care about the ponies in her life, even if she doesn't show it as most ponies would. Hopefully we get to see some more from the other Pie sisters this season, but for me, this was a great appearance from Maud and she carried herself very nicely; for a new writing team, they struck a wonderful balance with her in having her be both funny as only Maud can without coming across as just a caricature, but still a character whom we can take seriously and care about unironically. Great episode from Maud, and definitely the strongest character here, I thought.
     



     

    Maudjestic: Majestic taken to a whole new level!


     



     

    Too hawt for me to handle


     



     

    When you officially done bucked-up


     
    As for the rest of the episode, it had a lot of highlights. We got to see a lot more of Manehattan this time around than we have in past episodes there, and I loved as always seeing more of that city and its ponies. The couple of references they made were great (it was very nice seeing a return of the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles reference in the Steve Martin and John Candy ponies, and fitting in both a Big and Breakfast at Tiffany's reference in the same episode was pretty awesome too), the settings themselves were very colorful and I look forward to rewatching this episode and trying to spot things I might've missed the first time around. The one thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way with the animation was I felt they were doing a bit too much at certain points with some of the faces Pinkie and Rarity were making, like the expressions were a bit more than what was called for, even for ponies as dramatic as these two. The party cannon gag was almost abused, especially early on, but once you saw how they fit it into the episode it made a bit more sense and was pretty forgivable in that regard.
     



     

    See what I mean about the faces? It's just a bit much, even for Pinkie; not terribly distracting, but noticeable enough


     
    Overall, this was a nice third episode of the season; like I said before, it was hardly the best one we've ever had and certainly less impactful on the rest of the season than third episodes in the past have proven to be, so a little more akin to Too Many Pinkie Pies from Season 3. But it was funny, had some really great sights and animation to take in, and hit just enough high notes to be plenty enjoyable. I look forward to rewatching this one and, like I said, catching bits I might've missed, and all in all, I think the season is going just smashing so far. Until next time everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
  4. Batbrony
    Figured I'd publish a blog about this because why not. This past weekend I uploaded three new chapters for my ongoing fanfic, Batmare Begins. If you like fanfiction, or Batman, or Derpy Hooves, or a combination of all of them, and haven't looked at this yet, I'm always happy to get new readers. Hope everyone has a nice Monday!
     

    Batmare Begins

     



  5. Batbrony
    Well, that wasn't long now was it? I already commented about this, but man, that was a short hiatus by MLP standards! They must've started work on S6 while they were still finishing up S5, cause it's only been about 4 months since we had new pony. Shortest hiatus ever, that's for sure.
     
    Anyways, welcome, welcome, welcome back everypony to another edition of Batbrony Reviews! Today we'll be looking at the Season 6 premiere, and thankfully, while there's plenty to talk about, it's not what I would call a mountain's worth of new stuff. This was something we really haven't had in a season opener since the first half of the season opening in Season 1: a very slice-of-life season opener. But considering what it was setting out to do, it felt very appropriate for that, and was actually a really relaxing experience. There wasn't too much new stuff to digest, and it felt like a very natural continuation from where Season 5 left off. So, let's get it. Without further ado, this is The Crystalling: Parts 1 and 2.
     
    So, expectantly but still very refreshingly enough, Starlight, NOT Twilight, was actually the main character of this episode, and even more surprisingly, technically had the A-plot even though the biggest threat stemmed from the B-plot. I was very, very glad to see that, even though things have clearly improved for her, everything's not hunky-dory. She's still very insecure, very unsure if this new chapter of her life is going to work out, and they did a great job of conveying that. There were moments where she just expressed her insecurity in her body language alone, and I loved that. Her interactions with Sunburst got all the attention and time they needed, and their reconciling did not feel rushed or forced at all. It flowed very nicely and progressed at a very good pace, and it resolved itself just as nicely; they're not on perfect terms, but they got off to a fresh start, and that's the best she could realistically ask for. It's nice the episode chose to resolve this, and I also liked how they seemed to convey that Starlight's the more powerful magic-user of the two while Sunburst is better at studying and explaining magic, so if they pair up with each other in the future, it would actually make a lot of sense. They naturally complement each other and that's why their lives went astray when they both separated; if you noticed in the flashbacks, she always accomplished the more impressive magical feats when he explained everything to her. They're kinda like the Wonder Twins in that regard, and I'd really like to see them pair up more in the future. So yeah, as the newest member of the Mane 7, Starlight's off to a great start and I look forward to seeing what the writers do with her. Aesthetically, her new mane style is very lovely and I think she's going to be a great addition overall to the main cast.
     



     

    Oh wait... Twilight's her teacher. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... pray for Starlight's sanity people. Pray for it


     
    Next up, ol' Spike had himself quite the episode as well. It was really nice seeing him giving advice to someone besides Twilight, and they wrote him really well. He was a nice combination of helpful and not helpful; he didn't have all the answers and sometimes he tried stuff that didn't work out, but it was never in an insultingly stupid way. Everything felt like actions his character should take, and I really liked that. I hope he gets to work with Starlight more like that as well as aid Twilight in becoming a better teacher too, because he also gave her a great pep talk at the end of the opener. Overall, definitely one of Spike's best appearances in a supporting role.
     



     

    Yes it's true, I am this awesome... wait, why are you ignoring me?


     
    I already covered a lot about Sunburst, but for one of the show's few male supporting character's who's actually contributed to resolving a crisis, they handled him very nicely in his debut. It was obvious that he was covering something up, but the revelation as to just what was wrong in his life was very nice all the same and, like I said, complemented Starlight's own past nicely and highlighted just how important their friendship is to bettering each other's lives. His design was pretty cool too (I was really digging that beard, loved that design choice). His voice actor was nothing too special, but he was fine. I do wonder how much we're gonna see him, but hopefully we get to at least one or two more times this season considering he seems very important to Starlight.
     
    Our lost new character, Princess Flurry Heart, is already proving to be controversial to quite a few fans, but I have no complaints about her myself. Her wings are still hilariously gigantic, but really I thought they handled her fine. She had some crazy powers to the point that her scream was able to shatter the Crystal Heart, but they actually explained that nicely. We already know that baby magic users in Equestria have strange power fluctuations as infants, and this wasn't just a baby unicorn, this was an alicorn, which even Celestia and Luna explained they didn't know how to handle or what to expect from. So yeah, it wasn't hard for me to buy that she could buck so much up so easily, this is new territory for even the alicorns over a thousand years old (though that does raise a question as to whether they were born alicorns or received their wings/horns at some point, weird, right?). Besides her power, and tendency to buck things up in spectacular fashion, she was quite adorable. I wasn't crazy about her design at first, but it grew on me, and I thought they had a nice balance of cute baby noises and motions without it being overkill. Plus the power thing shouldn't be a problem after the way they resolved things in the end. She's a happy baby who does adorable things (and we probably won't see her too much), what more could you want?
     



     

    D'awwwwww, you're adorable!!!


     



     


    Oh, and apparently very picky too


     
    Moving onto the original Mane 6, our favorite girls were, pleasantly surprisingly, all supporting characters here, including Twilight, who was basically the deuteragonist. This was unusual to see, but I really liked it, plus the new things they're going to get to do with Twilight. As I pointed out last season, the show itself has already identified that she is now stepping into a role in her own way that Celestia has been to her the whole show, that is, becoming a mentor and teacher to Starlight. This is a whole new responsibility for her personally and as Princess of Friendship, and one in which I imagine we'll see her acting quite a bit this season, so very glad to see I was on the money about that at the end of last season. Of course, she overdid it as only Twilight can by trying to get friendship down to a science, but she realized by the end that wasn't the way to go about things, and Spike did a good job of helping her take a step towards being a better teacher in the future by advising her on giving Starlight some space to grow just as Celestia did for her. Besides that, it was fun seeing her interacting with Cadance and Shining Armor and stepping into her role as an aunt, and she helped resolve their little crisis quite nicely. As for the rest of the Mane 6, they were just supporting characters here helping out however they could, but that's not a problem at this point. The show's always focused on them and they'll get their own episodes for sure this season, but after five seasons, yeah, seeing an opener not completely focus on them is totally fine.
     



     

    Majestic as buck!!!


     



     

    Pinkie, get that out of your face, you have no idea where that's been


     
    As for the rest of our supporting cast, Shining Armor might've very well had his best, or at least funniest, episodes yet. Seeing him panic as a new father was both understandable but also quite funny, but he carried himself well as well when the situation called for it. It's pretty funny that he handled himself better when he was evacuating the city than he did when he was preparing for the Crystalling, but again, understandable. Cadance didn't do a whole lot, but it's always fun seeing her with Twilight, and she too responded nicely to the situations at hand, doing what she could to save her people and take care of her baby. It was very refreshing to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna there for a change and also helping in what way they could, and hopefully we'll get to see more of them, especially Celestia (Luna's still my best princess, but Celestia terribly needs her own episode at some point, and it needs to happen this season) later this season. Not to mention that their crystallized versions were FABULOUS!!!
     



     

    Fatherhood: it does stuff to ya


     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHBPRzWIbx8

     

    Can we just have an entire Luna episode about this


    Besides that, there's just a couple other things to cover. The Crystal Empire was cool as always, and it seems too that apparently the Crystal ponies aren't always crystally; rather, it seems to be something that just happens when an especially large amount of love gets released in the empire, which I guess makes sense. It was nice that the threat wasn't an actual villain but just the terrible weather of the Frozen North itself, especially since the episode didn't have to get distracted covering it that much then (though I couldn't help but wonder if an especially large amount of Windigos are somehow responsible for the terrible weather up there). The themes in the episode were great, it felt very relaxed for a season opener (but in a very nice way), and I adored the pacing, everything felt like it got just the right amount of attention it needed and everything tied up very nicely. Finally, HOLY CRAP, Twilight's and Shining Armor's parents finally talked!!! It only took five seasons after they first appeared.
     
    All in all, Season 6 is off to a great start, and things like Starlight's joining the group, the birth of Flurry Heart, Sunburst coming on the scene, and just the fact that characters like Celestia and Luna could still get more attention show that DHX is by no means out of stories to tell for these lovable ponies. I think this is going to be a very relaxed and slice-of-lifeish season, but a very good one all the same, with hopefully some nice new developments for old and new characters. It's off to a great start so far and I can't wait to see where everything goes. Until next time everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     



     

    Hmmmmm... still needs more pony


  6. Batbrony
    Hey everyone, guess what?


     




     



     




     



     



     



     
    That's right! After a Batmare Begins drought that's lasted since I last update (to my shame) in August, Batmare Begins is finally getting an update! And it's not just any update. It's... a Triple-Bat-Decker-Sized Update!!! Next week, in celebration of both Holy Week, Season 6 of MLP, and the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I will be releasing on Fimfiction on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday three new chapters for Batmare Begins totaling over 20,000 words!!! I'm just wrapping up some last minute edits to them right now, but I promise you all, they are coming on those dates, and you won't be disappointed. I want to thank any long time readers of mine for your patience and support as I struggled to get these chapters out, and I hope you enjoy them very much when they finally release. Thank you again, everypony, and have a wonderful day!
  7. Batbrony
    Oh me oh my, how time has flown by. First of all, I want to apologize everypony for taking so long to getting around to my Season 5 Finale and overall season review. Circumstances just wouldn't allow me to get around to it sooner, the season simply ended at a very inconvenient and busy time of the year for me as far as graduate school responsibilities are concerned. However, now that school is pretty much wrapped up for the semester, I have managed to set aside some time to both rewatch the season finale and review it and the whole season. What did I think of the finale? Well, it pleased me very much, was a solid finale all around and I very much enjoyed it. Not the greatest finale MLP's ever had, but it seemed very fitting for Season 5 and just what it needed. But we'll get to that more in a bit. Without further ado, this is my full review of Season 5 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, including my thoughts on "The Cutie Re-Mark: Part 1 and Part 2." Enjoy!
     




     

    The Story
     
    Previous seasons of MLP have either been story-focused or character-focused, with friendship as the central theme tying everything together nicely. Now, friendship is still obviously the theme of this season, BUT this season is very distinct for a big reason: the story revolved around a far more specific theme about how cutie marks relate to friendship as well as magic and harmony in Equestria in general. Now, that's not to say plot developments didn't still occur, oh no, plenty did, but it was fascinating how thematically focused this season was on a world building element. It also thrilled me because a lot of the ideas they came up with, I've actually experimented with conjecturing about myself in the past, namely in my fanfiction, so it was very cool actually seeing elements of some of my own ideas made canon in the show. Not that I'm claiming credit or anything, that'd be silly, I'm just saying it's cool to see fan conjecture realized (since I'm sure many other bronies have had the same ideas before). Aside from the theme of cutie marks, this season largely followed Twilight as she entered the next stage of her life, that being as the bonified Princess of Friendship. She's still trying to figure out what exactly that means, of course, but she was far more focused and upbeat this season as opposed to her lack of direction and sometimes melancholy, confused attitude last season when she still wasn't sure for most of it why she was a princess. That direction actually gave this whole season a more relaxed feel; last season everyone couldn't wait to see what was in the box made by the Tree of Harmony, and that made the tension build up with each passing episode as we drew nearer. This season, though, everyone was just kinda doing their own thing around town and Equestria to make it a better place. I liked that, it actually felt a little like Seasons 1 and 2 tonally. Like the previous odd-numbered seasons of MLP, Season 5 has opened a new chapter of the show, and I for one am quite delighted with how it is going so far. Below are my Top 3 plot developments of Season 5, each wonderful in its own special way!
     
    Top 3 Plot Developments:
     
    (1) Cutie Marks Matter: Believe it or not, it's actually been since around, I want to say, Season 1 or 2 since cutie marks really last mattered in the show. Don't get me wrong, they're mentioned plenty, the CMC have kept trying to get theirs, and we constantly hear about ponies special talents. But they haven't particularly mattered for plot purposes in quite a few seasons. Well this season, as I said earlier, they were at the center of the entire season, and I loved, loved, LOVED that! It's something that's unique to Equestria and makes it stick out from other fictional universes; it's like the Force in Star Wars or wizarding magic in Harry Potter or hobbits and the One Ring in Middle Earth. The writers finally took advantage of how one could expand upon the canon we had about cutie marks and turned it to the show's advantage, introducing new characters, new ideas, explaining how cutie marks really fit into Equestrian society and how important they are to it, it was all great. It reinforced yet again that, unlike other kids shows, MLP has quite the expanded universe to it, and that gives it a depth and complexity that I can very much appreciate for a show of its nature. Overall, seeing cutie marks have an impact on the show again and in new and exciting ways made me very, very happy.
     




     

    (2) The Mane 7: I'll get more into Starlight in my review of the Season Finale below, but I really do love this plot development, even though it happened in the last five minutes of the season (and in and of itself was certainly rushed). So why do I love it so much? Well because it opens great new possibilities for the show, that's why. This was a very appropriate time to add a new member to the main cast, if they were ever going to do it, it really it needed to be now. I like the choice of Starlight in particular because she has a lot to learn as well, and this in turn opens new possibilities for the original Mane 6 to act as mentors to her, especially Twilight, who, like Celestia mentoring her, can now mentor Starlight. I'm very, very interested in seeing where this plot development leads, and so for its impact on the show alone, which cannot be denied given that it's obvious things are going to change with Starlight now around permanently, it's my second favorite plot development of the season.
     
    (3) Cutie Mark Crusaders Mission Accomplished: Alright, some people might be mad I put Starlight joining the Mane 7 ahead of something as momentous as the Cutie Mark Crusaders FINALLY getting their cutie marks on my top plot developments list, but let me explain. I ADORED the CMC getting the cutie marks, it was very emotional to watch as a fan and just a huge moment in the show in general, and executed perfectly and FAR better than Starlight's quickie reform was. BUT it doesn't open up quite as many possibilities for the show as Starlight joining the Mane 7 does, it simply doesn't. I imagine the Crusaders next season much the same of what they did this season, only with a little more purpose and direction in their actions, but they've never gotten as much screen time as the Mane 6 and they never will, that's not going to change. Starlight's going to probably feature FAR more heavily in Season 6 than the CMC, so while I was thrilled beyond belief to see this finally happen, again, it's just not as impactful on the show itself as Starlight joining the main cast is. Great moment in the season, just not quite as important.
     
    Honorable Mentions
     
    Expecting Cadance and Shining Armor: This moment doesn't make the top 3 list since it was only covered in one episode, BUT it still deserves a mention at least. I mean, holy cheese, Cadance is pregnant, she and Shining Armor are gonna be a mother and father, Twilight's gonna be an Aunt, Spike's gonna be an honorary crazy uncle, and they're most likely going to have a filly or colt next season! THAT. IS. HUGE!!! Granted, we're not gonna get to see a lot of their kid; I mean, I don't imagine in any sense of the word that, before the show ends, whenever that is, we'll even get to see their baby reach CMC age. The only scenario I can see seeing an older version of their kid would be in some kind of show epilogue segment when all is said and done (again, whenever that happens). BUT again, it's still big; I mean, come on, how many children's shows actually feature a character get pregnant? That, by extension, is indirect recognition from the writers that, yes, sex and procreation happens in this world. Granted, you could say they already did that with the Cakes, but still, this is pretty darn big considering how much more important of characters Cadance and Shining Armor are to the overall show. Can't wait to see where it goes next season, and hopefully we get to see some of preggy Cadance before the delivery.
     
    Luna Finds Serenity: I chalk this up here mostly because it was probably the finest character moment of the season of any of the princesses (not counting Twilight). Luna's turn as Nightmare Moon has always given her an added layer of depth and complexity, and it was nice to see the writers showing that she was still not completely over the terrible mistakes she'd made in the past. The talk at the end which got her to forgive herself was a bit rushed, yes, but the self-torture itself was very intriguing to see, how Luna's guilt was literally eating away at her and manifesting into something terrible. I hope we get to see more of Luna now after she's finally achieved a true level of inner peace and serenity that she probably hasn't known in over a thousand years, and couldn't have been happier that the writers got to put her old guilt to rest once and for all.
     
    Top 3 Worst Episodes
     
    Full disclosure, here: when I put an episode on this list for this season, it is not like in Season 4 where there were numerous episodes that I just didn't like as a whole. These episodes were ones that just had certain elements I didn't care for, but I don't think any of them were overall bad, and that's to Season 5's credit. But here are the 3 episodes I consider to be the weakest of Season 5.
     
    (1) "What About Discord?": OK, this episode's biggest sin was being unmemorable, but for a Discord episode, that's a REALLY big sin. It seemed like every element of this episode, while sound on the whole, was off just a tad, and that made for a very, very strange episode with a confusing feel to it. It had nothing that I would consider a highlight of the season, nor anything that I would particularly remember either, and for that reason I consider it to be the weakest of Season 5's episodes.
     
    (2) "Party Pooped": This episode, while far more memorable and entertaining than "What About Discord?" (and a better episode because of it) was immensely frustrating for one reason and one reason only: THE YAKS OF YAKYAKISTAN!!! Now, these guys were HILARIOUS, I loved every moment of their over-the-top douchiness and short fuse-reactions. BUT what I hated about them was that, quite simply, NOBODY called them out on their douchiness, and that made it unbearable to watch. Everyone in Ponyville kept acting like, yeah, these guys weren't just being totally unreasonable and it really was the ponies' fault that they weren't enjoying themselves. I'm sorry, but, no, they're just jerks. Really bucking big jerks! But everyone in Ponyville kept blaming themselves, and I hate, hate, HATED THAT!!! It's like a white person studying the antebellum period and the Civil War and blaming themselves personally for slavery in the U.S. That's stupid and doesn't help anyone, and that's exactly what I wanted to keep screaming at every single pony in Ponyville during this episode.
     
    (3) "Brotherhooves Social": Now for the most part, this episode really resonated with me, seeing as I'm a BBBFF myself. That said, it's got issues. Not terrible issues for the most part, but the overarching plot didn't thrill me. Don't get me wrong, I love Peter New and his Big Dragintosh performance was hysterical, but I would've liked it if more of the episode was like the last five phenomenal minutes. It still could've been funny, it just didn't need to be quite as funny as it was trying to be.
     
    The Characters
     
    The Mane 6
     
    Twilight: Interestingly enough, this season was not quite as Twilight heavy as some of the more recent seasons have been, and I think that's because it was in a more stable place where she didn't have to be front and center quite so often. It was very Twilight heavy at the start and finish, but in between she only had a few episodes where she featured, and some others where she was a supporting character. Overall, though, she had a very strong season. It was kind of nice seeing her not quite as stressed as she's been in Season 3 and Season 4; she seemed more mature, more at peace with herself and confident in her abilities as a leader, and I liked that a lot. She's the still the same book-loving goof we've always known who still freaks out about things she shouldn't, but she's also older and more experienced and it really showed this season. She spent the whole season growing into her role of Princess of Friendship, getting used to her new castle, and just letting life go on for her and her friends, and it's been great seeing her lead them in finding their place in the world and also taking a new student in Starlight Glimmer under her wing. Strong season overall, Twilight, I liked you in it very much.
     
    Applejack: When she wasn't serving as the strongest and most mature supporting character of the Mane 6, Applejack had a phenomenal Season 5 in the episodes in which she featured, especially in the second half of the season. None of her starring roles really had the problem of her getting lost in the crowd, as has been the case in the past, and this helped her really, really shine when she was featured, especially in "The Mane Attraction" when she got to reconnect with Rara. When she wasn't one of the main characters of an episode, AJ was busy proving yet again why she's Twilight's right-hand mare of the bunch, because she's so mature, helping, levelheaded, practical, etc. She does what she needs to do for her friends, family, and Equestria, and that's pretty much AJ in a nutshell and what we got to see this season: simple in her wants and needs, certainly not flawless, but a very wonderful character all the same when she owns who she is.
     
    Rarity: Very strangely, there were 3 episodes in the middle of the season, IN A ROW, in which Rarity was THE star of the episode (although AJ did feature a tad more prominently in "Made in Manehattan"). That's just so unusual that I thought it deserved being mentioned. Anyways, Rarity had a fine, fine season. She didn't have quite as many supporting roles as Applejack did (because really, what pony ever has as many as AJ?), but when she starred in an episode, she was on her A-game. Unlike AJ, this season saw quite a few changes for Rarity, the biggest being her opening a new boutique in Canterlot, and it was nice seeing her live out a dream like that. Besides that, while she was still the drama queen we've always loved, she, like many of the main cast, seemed very mature and stable as well. When her friends or Equestria needed helping, she just did it in her own way. Again, she certainly wasn't flawless, but not in a way that made you scratch your head, and more often than not when she did feature, we got to see Rarity's fabulous features and strengths on full display. Solid season for her, and I can't wait for what Season 6 has in store for her now that she's got a new unicorn friend to pal around with and make considerably more stylish.
     
    Fluttershy: Aside from "Scaremaster," which felt more like an older Fluttershy episode, Fluttershy, in her handful of other featured appearances, was interestingly enough taking on a role of quiet teacher, which I really liked. She set Discord straight at the Grand Galloping Gala, and helped open up Twilight's eyes and see and learn what she needed to in order to resolve the conflict between the Hooffields and McColts. It's a side of her we haven't really gotten to see much before, but I really liked it; it shows that she's not just there to be cute and kind, but that in her own unique way she can take charge and lead others down the path they need to take when she has to. She's always had this quiet strength, but maybe it just comes out more easily now now that she's more confident in herself and doing what she has to do when she has to do it. Overall, even though she didn't have very many starring roles this season, Fluttershy had a very good season all the same.
     
    Rainbow Dash: If I had to sum up Rainbow Dash's Season 5 in one word, I'd choose "Acceptance." This season was ALL about, for her, finally showing the fruits of accepting that she's not in control of everything in her life. Life takes unexpected directions, sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst, but either way we can't always do anything about it and need to rely on our friends and their good judgment in those instances. RD's always struggled with accepting things if they're not the way she wants them, but this season she really grew out of that. "Tanks for the Memories" was a good start in which both Tank and her friends helped her accept that her little tortoise buddy wasn't always going to be around for her since he needed to hibernate (though there were obviously more than a few allusions to death in that message), "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" saw Dash accept a friend back into her life she started out not wanting anything to do with, and in "Rarity Investigates," she learned how to trust Rarity, pretty much her polar opposite, with helping her get out of a jam she couldn't get herself out of. This was a very mature Dash we got to see, overall, and I really, really liked what they did with her character this season.
     
    Pinkie Pie: If there's any character who barely seems to change from season to season, it's Pinkie Pie. And trust me, that's a good thing, it really is. She's just one of these characters who really should stay the same, for the most part, it's really for the better. That's not to say she's not mature or anything, oh no, she can definitely help solve problems in her own unique way when she has to. But for the most part, her season was mostly just her loving life as always and helping others do the same, and that's good, because that's Pinkie Pie and just what she does. She's the best cheerleader the Mane 6 have because, if another member of the group comes up with a good idea or action, she's usually the first one to get on board with it, she just tends to have a good sense for these things. All in all, while I wouldn't say this season had a quintessential Pinkie Pie episode like previous seasons have, Pinkie still had a super solid season overall, and I have no complaints with how it went for her.
     




     

    Spike: It's very, very weird to say that Spike had a really good season when he only had one episode really in which he was the main character, but, well, he really did. Not that there was anything terribly different about him, but the few times Spike showed up (most prominently in the season finale), his best traits as Twilight's loyal baby dragon assistant were on full display. He was loyal, he was helpful in the advice he gave and actions he took, and he was by Twilight's side all the way. There wasn't any making him unnecessarily incompetent for the sake of the plot (and no, his actions in "Princess Spike" are perfectly forgivable given the circumstances), no OOC episodes for him. It wasn't a terribly Spike-heavy season, he usually was there for comedic relief, but when he did feature, he was great.
     




     

    CMC: Oh boy, the CMC. Well, this season, while featuring them about as often as MLP seasons do, will always live on in our hearts and memories for what happened in their last episode. It's wonderful that they got their cutie marks this season, all at once, when the magic of cutie marks was such a prominent theme of the overarching season's storyline. Besides that, it was just a wonderful moment in and of itself and I don't think the writers could've handled it better. It was very unexpected, but when it happened, it just felt right, like this was the right time to happen. Their couple of episodes before that one, closing out their three-episode arc with Luna and showing them help a full-grown stallion discover what his cutie mark meant, set up "Crusaders of the Lost Mark," very nicely, and the closure was only heightened by their reconciling with Diamond Tiara and pointing her in a better direction. Overall, for the CMC, they had a wonderful season, and I can't wait to see what life after getting their cutie marks has in store for the lovable trio.
     




     

    Supporting Characters: As with Season 4, there's way too many new and recurring supporting characters to cover them all, BUT I will do my best to highlight the high points (and low points) of the most important or prominent supporting characters of the season.
     
    First, let's cover where the show REALLY dropped the ball with the supporting characters, because it's quite possibly the biggest flaw of Season 5. Princess Celestia. DEAR BUCKING LORD, did she get the shaft!!! THIS felt wrong in every sense of the word, and for very good reason. Not only is Nicole Oliver a wonderful VA who has a great command of the role, but more importantly, this is just a character who cannot be ignored like this. She is the ruler of Equestria, raises the sun, and Twilight's bucking mentor!!! And yet, her biggest appearance was at the Grand Galloping Gala, THAT'S IT!!! She spoke in maybe two episodes total, and in both cases it was just for laughs or lighthearted moments, not because she was actually guiding anyone! This is just unacceptable, UNACCEPTABLE! It's like if Gandalf never showed up in LOTR after being established as such an important mentor to Frodo, or if Dumbledore got ignored in a Harry Potter book. She's just too important to both the setting and the main characters, and her absence was felt! The show should not be going out of its way to ignore Celestia when it doesn't have to, and the writers need to rectify this next season. She needs to have an episode of her own, it's a long time coming; Luna and Cadance have both featured more than her at this point, and that is just absurd. We need a look at how she rules, heck, even just an idea of what a typical day is like for her or how she helps guide other ponies besides Twilight even. But enough is enough; there have been over 100 episodes of MLP, and we've still never had one starring Princess Celestia. THAT IS JUST WRONG, and needs to be fixed as soon as possible, and in my mind, it is no doubt the biggest flaw and failure of Season 5.
     
    Moving on to the other two princesses, they had very good seasons by comparison. Cadance's one feature really came when her pregnancy was announced, but that was a big bucking deal and the show treated it very nicely. As for Luna, she had a wonderful starring role in "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?" which saw her confronting some buried, deep-seated guilt and overcoming her dark past once and for all. I loved every minute of that, but again, it's somewhat sullied in hindsight by how her sister was completely ignored by comparison (even if Luna is still my Best Princess). Besides that, she gave the CMC some very solid advice in closing out her arc with them, and that was really cool to see as well. Overall, she easily had the best season of all three of the alicorn princesses (besides Twilight, of course).
     
    While Discord didn't have quite the important character-development season he had last season, he still had a solid season overall. "Make New Friends But Keep Discord" was about as good an opening episode as one could possibly have hoped for from him, and I really hope we get to see more of the Smooze. While "What About Discord?" was still my least favorite episode of the season, that doesn't mean that Discord wasn't enjoyable, it was just an odd episode overall. Still, not a whole lot was happening with our favorite draconequus this season, certainly not as much as last season, but that's not a bad thing. One should never be spoiled with too much Discord, it would only cheapen how special his moments are supposed to be.
     
    Like Cadance, Shining Armor really only showed up to announce she was pregnant, but that was a fun bit to see all the same, especially when he got to see Twilight's reproduction of his old room. I'd still like to see more of him, but at least this season he wasn't completely dwarfed by Cadance like he was last season in terms of amount of appearances.
     
    The Apple Family had quite the exceptional season, though they've consistently been a strong element of the show since Season 5. Between AJ being AJ and Apple Bloom getting her cutie mark, we had blatant recognition from Applejack of their parents' deaths short of flat out saying they're dead, Big McIntosh finally getting a starring role in which he got to both learn a lesson but also teach Apple Bloom one and grow closer to her as a big brother in the process, and all of them going on a wild family trip to spend Hearth's Warming with the Pies. It's nice that this family is consistently so much fun to follow, heck, they're probably the most recognizable aspect of Ponyville for all bronies at this point, and I very much enjoyed watching them, as always, this season.
     
    Besides Tank in "Tanks for the Memories" and Gummy having some amazing moments (one in particular in "Slice of Life") the Mane 6 pets, sadly, didn't feature much, like last season. That didn't bum me out too badly, but I would like to see more of them in the future again; I know they're just pets, but they're a pretty fun bunch themselves, and it'd be nice seeing an episode exploring what they mean to their owners.
     
    Some of the recurring supporting characters had solid appearances, more so than last season. The Wonderbolts had a nice turn in "Rarity Investigates," especially from what we got to see of Soarin' and Spitfire (as well as meeting Spitfire's mom), Zecora turned up now and then, and others kinda just chilled in the background. Diamond Tiara probably had the most notable season of any recurring supporting character, given that she's finally taking a path towards becoming a nicer pony who genuinely tries to help others out because it's the right thing to do, and that was very nice to see (maybe we'll even get an episode starring her and Silver Spoon in the future, who knows?!). Cranky marrying Matilda was a pretty big deal as well, though more so because it was in "Slice of Life," which was just amazing in every single which way possible. And Gilda herself had a nice return, and it was a blast getting to see a nicer side out of her, maybe she'll get to turn up more in the future as well.
     
    Like last season, this was quite a season for one-shot supporting characters as well. The ponies in Starlight's village, Troubleshoes, the yaks, Minuette, Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, and Moondancer, Sassy Saddles, the whole Pie Family, the Hooffields and McColts, and a whole ton of other ponies around Ponyville and Equestria were a blast to watch, not to mention many of them have the potential of becoming recurring characters to a certain extent. My favorite would probably have to be Countess Colorartura/Rara, because I'm sorry, but she was a wonderful new character to get to meet. Lena Hall turned in a great performance for her, both in her singing and voice acting, and more importantly the way she fit into Applejack's character worked great for me and I would just love to see more of this character in the future. But all of these characters were a joy to watch and it never ceases to amaze me how many new characters DHX is able to come up with, and I can only hope we get to see more of some of them at least in the future.
     




     
     
     

    Seriously DHX, give Celestia an episode already! Look how sad you're making her!


     

    Background Characters:
     
    The season for our beloved background characters can be summed up in three words: "Slice of Life." I mean, my gosh, what more is there to say besides that? I mean, yeah, they were there, they were all over the place and had some fun bits throughout the season. But the piece de resistance came in Episode 9, the 100th episode of MLP, and gosh dang it, what a joy that was to watch. I've made it no secret that that was my favorite episode of the season, and for entirely fanboyish reasons of which I am not ashamed. I mean, it starred Derpy Hooves for crying out loud and it shipped her with the Doctor, HOW COULD I NOT LOVE THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE THIS SEASON?!?! I ranted plenty enough in my review of that episode of what made that episode in particular so special for the background characters, but suffice it to say that this season, more than any other season, it was apparent that DHX extends affection for the fans of the show through their background characters. Oh sure, they love 'em too, I'm sure, but they know as well as we do that these obscure characters first started getting attention because the fans themselves started noticing them and coming up with art, stories, and personalities of them. These are the characters that we as a fandom have fleshed out, and DHX did well in showing how much they appreciate our love and support of the show by showing them love in return and featuring them in an episode just for us. I'd love to still see more episodes featuring them to different extents in the future, but for now, this was wonderful and good enough. The background characters were just as much a part of Ponyville and Equestria as ever, I love 'em for it, especially my Best Pony, Derpy Hooves, and I love DHX for showing how much they care about us through them. Thank you, DHX, thank you so much for that.
     




     
     
     

    Were we really that good?


     
     
     

    Of course we were! Especially you, my dear, you were absolutely splendid!


     
     
     

    Awwwwwwww geez, you're just saying that


     
     
     

    Absolutely not, you're always wonderful!


     
     
     

    Eep!


     

    Aesthetic Quality
     
    Animation
     
    While it's getting harder and harder for DHX to push the boundaries on what they can do as far as improving their already phenomenal animation for the show, there were a few areas where I thought notable improvements were made, namely with the ponies themselves. Most notably, there seemed to be a very wide variety of characters this season, both among the supporting and background characters, and I think that can be most attributed to some experimentation DHX did with the ponies body sizes and body types as well as their facial expressions. It really helped make the world of Equestria even more rich than it already was and I hope we continue to see changes like that in Season 6. Overall, DHX's animation delivered at the exceptionally high levels we've come to expect from them.
     
    Comedy
     
    Compared to last season, I will say that this season might not have been quite the same laugh riot that that season was. That said, there was still plenty of great humor throughout the season, and some episodes were entirely just silly (heck, "The One Where Pinkie Knows" was 95% just plain goofiness, no lesson really whatsoever, and the other 5% was the revelation that Shining Armor and Cadance are going to have a foal). I will say that, as serious as some of these episodes could get, the writers still managed to seamlessly weave humor into the episodes in healthy doses, there didn't ever seem to be a case where there was too much or too little humor in an episode, the level of humor always seemed to match an episode's tone. And I think that balance itself is probably the greatest quality of the humor and comedy this season and is to be praised; it illustrates what a command DHX's writing crew has at this point over the comedy of this show and just how they good they are at not just writing it but also knowing when to place it in episodes. Overall, there were as many laughs this season as I could have wanted or hoped for, and I appreciate the show for always tickling my funny bone.
     
    Songs
     
    Daniel Ingram had another phenomenal season of music in store for us, what a surprise. I guess that really should go without saying at this point. Compared to last season, there didn't seem to be quite as much variety in the styles of music (which is weird to say since I can't quite put my hoof on why that is), but the music itself always delivered (aside from maybe "Sisterhood," that one didn't have to be played up for yucks at the end I didn't think). Overall, however, the entire season's soundtrack was a wonderful addition to MLP's already extensive overall soundtrack, and I look forward to listening to many of these songs over and over again.
     
    Top 3 Season 5 Songs
     
    (1) "The Magic Inside": Well this one goes without saying, doesn't it? Lena Hall absolutely NAILED it out of the park with this incredible piece, and there's a very good reason that this is the song from this season which Daniel Ingram chose to submit to the Daytime Emmy's. What can't I say about this song and its sequence? It's powerful, emotional, heartwarming, a gigantic shoutout to the fandom and a giant statement from the show of just how meaningful it can be and how serious its writers take this world and its characters. Granted Lena Hall kinda has an unfair advantage considering she's a Tony-award winning Broadway actress, but I don't bucking care because this piece is so lovely and she put her heart into it, it wasn't just a job for her. Ingram came up with the perfect song for her, and she took care of the rest, and we as bronies all profited just getting to experience such a powerful song in this show from a new character in her debut episode, of all things. To think that we have a song like this in the show this season really helps one put into perspective just how much MLP has taken off since Season 1; I can probably count on my hands how many children's animated shows would ever have a song of this quality and emotional power like this in them, and 5 years ago MLP certainly wouldn't have been one of those shows. My, how far this show has come, and I commend Daniel and DHX for just going all out with this one, and of course Lena Hall for the incredible performance.
     





     

    (2) "We'll Make Our Mark": Like "The Magic Inside," "We'll Make Our Mark" (specifically the reprise at the end) was also very emotionally powerful, but for very different reasons. "The Magic Inside" was carried by how great the music was as well as Lena Hall's stellar performance, and for that it beats this one out. However, "We'll Make Our Mark" was terribly powerful too all the same, the biggest reason being that, well, it capped off five seasons worth of stories from the Cutie Mark Crusaders (and it even flashbacked on some of their earlier escapades). It was just one of those moments where the show closed out a long, ongoing storyline in the most perfect way possible, and I have to give credit to all the songs in "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" for doing very much the same, they were very well-placed, great tunes for the episode, and all played their part in marking the end of the CMC's quest for their cutie marks, but this one at the end especially. For that reason, it's definitely the second best song of the season.
     
    (3) "Friends Are Always There For You": Like "We'll Make Our Mark," "Friends Are Always There For You" capped off a storyline as well, that being all of Season 5's overarching storyline. The song itself is actually fairly standard for Mane 6 (or rather, Mane 7) ensemble pieces at this point, but that's not to say it wasn't executed well, and that's really why it makes this list. Yes, the end of the finale was rushed as was Starlight Glimmer's redemption, but this sequence was very, very good all the same, most notably the second half of the song number. When they all gathered in Ponyville with the rest of the townsponies, that's really when the song won me over, especially that closing shot of all of them just staring at the viewers. It just seemed like a very nice way to close the season, with all of Ponyville celebrating, not just the main characters, and it seemed to be DHX's way of silently saying that they understand how much we love all of these characters, not just the stars, but this entire world they've made. So yeah, the sequence itself is really what made this song great, not so much the music alone, but it's still overall a very lovely piece.
     
    Honorable Mentions
     
    "In Our Town": This song did not make it into my top 3 because the music itself is fairly repetitive, by design, of course. That said, it's a phenomenal song, namely, a phenomenal villain song (though it's not a very traditional villain song). What makes it so phenomenal is that it's very unique, namely in the content itself. The Dazzles' songs in Rainbow Rocks were great because the music was great, not so much because the songs themselves were so villainous. This song, however, is downright sinister, and its sinister in a way you rarely ever see in a children's cartoon, with a smile on its face. You've got Starlight Glimmer espousing her twisted utopian vision in song of a world without cutie marks along with the ponies she's roped into her enterprise, and taking cues from nationalist WWII tunes, this song is all about spotting what's wrong beneath the cheery veneer of the surface. Possibly MLP's best villain song to date (though "This Day Aria" is hard to beat, so I'm not entirely sure), it's certainly the show's best villain song since that one, and it's quite spectacular that Daniel Ingram even had the notion to write it.
     
    "The Rules of Rarity": This song gets an honorable mention for just being classic Rarity, right in the same tradition as songs like "The Art of the Dress" and "Becoming Popular." The instrumentals in Rarity songs are almost always few, light and cheery, and that's certainly no different here. It's multiple reprises serve the storytelling in the episode well, and Kazumi Evans singing is as always pure joy to listen to.
     
    "I'll Fly": "I'll Fly" almost didn't get a mention here since, well, I don't like the reason it's sung. Rainbow Dash is singing all about knowingly bucking up the very seasons themselves for all of Ponyville just out of her desire to not lose spending time with her tortoise for a few months, and to her, that's a good enough excuse. I really enjoyed "Tanks for the Memories," don't get me wrong, I really, really loved that episode's message, but this song itself might have been better served if it was a little more over-the-top goofy villain in its feel, something like "You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch." As is, it's kind of uncomfortable that it has such an upbeat tune when Rainbow Dash is singing about knowingly doing the wrong thing. It's like the song is trying to convince the audience to take RD's side cause she's "AWESOME!" and "RADICAL!" That said, it still gets an honorable mention simply because Ashleigh Ball's RD singing voice is something we don't get to hear enough in the show, and this song is a perfect reminder that we really should hear RD sing more often. Yeah it's not quite as lovely as her AJ singing voice, but she makes the most out of RD's gravelly voice for musical numbers when she has to. For that reason alone, it definitely deserves a shout out.
     
    The Season Finale
     
    Surprisingly enough, there's actually not that much to cover in the season finale. Why? Well, its plot centers around time travel and it doesn't have that many characters, which makes for a very minimalist episode in which not that much actually happens. That's not a bad thing, no, not at all, in fact the episodes were executed very well. In my honest opinion, this was in many ways an ideal time travel episode. Plenty of time is given for the time travel scenario to play out (in this case, a time travel scenario where the past is being altered in order to affect the future), we see the effects of the altered timeline itself (multiple times), and it's resolved at the end so that the present is unaffected. The pacing up until the end was actually great, and the fact that there were so few main characters helped as well. Really the only characters that actually mattered here were Twilight, Spike, and Starlight Glimmer. That said, it's not perfect either, but in ways which I think are forgivable, even if they should be called out.
     
    So let's get the time travel out of the way to start things off. The altered timelines were a whole lot of fun to see, but simultaneously depressing since, well, everything got progressively worse as the episodes went on. Besides the last one shown, I think the most disturbing one for me was actually the first one with King Sombra, simply because we actually SAW him enslave the minds, bodies, and souls of the Crystal Ponies. That was disturbing to the extreme, even more so than the Changeling timeline, though that one did have very disturbing implications considering Changelings imprison and feed on ponies. Perhaps even more bleak than that however was the final timeline, which went places I never honestly thought this show would go. We saw an Equestria that was simply nothing but a bleak, dead wasteland in which there was just no life whatsoever, and the effect of that wasn't just disturbing, but moving as well. Just considering a timeline where such a beautiful land would take such a horrible turn for the worst is something I don't think any viewer liked to see, and really put into perspective just what was at stake in an episode that, really, was fairly low key, considering there were only three major characters involved and all that Starlight kept doing was preventing Rainbow Dash from winning her race in Cloudsdale as a filly. I adored Nightmare Moon's timeline just because she is terribly cheesy and in a weird way kind of adorable in her over-the-top villainous behavior. I mean, don't get me wrong, the idea of her banishing Celestia to the moon is pretty disturbing too, as is the idea of everlasting night, but the ponies actually seemed better off in her timeline than in either Chrysalis's or Sombra's timelines. My biggest critique of the time travel and alternate timelines was that there really should've been maybe one less than there were. I loved the first two because they helped introduce Twilight and Spike to what exactly was going on (Zecora's explanation of time as a stream was particularly awesome), but Nightmare Moon's didn't really serve much purpose other than working Nightmare Moon in there (because, well, she's amazing, but still, it took up at least five minutes). More time ties into my next critique concerning Starlight Glimmer.
     




     
     
     

    That is literally the most bucking adorable nightmare face I've ever seen in my entire life!


     

    Now, Starlight Glimmer had, for the most part, a fantastic return. She showed what a powerful opponent she could be, was very intelligent in her actions and playing a really long game in her plotting, and relentless. That said, two things didn't work with her. First, she didn't believe Twilight when she showed her the worst alternate timeline that this is where her meddling with time would lead Equestria, which tells me two things: (1) she clearly doesn't know jack about Twilight and her friends, which, while not unusual in this universe, is still ridiculous since they're national bucking heroes, and (2) she didn't consider the consequences that her meddling in time could have beyond breaking up Twilight's group of friends, which seems out of character for someone who was so intelligent for the most part in her actions, despite, obviously, her unhinged and reckless behavior. My second critique is with her redemption. I like the idea of the redemption itself, even if what led her to hate cutie marks was a tad weak, and I very much look forward to seeing what they can do with her now that she's joined the Mane 6. But it needed at least 5 more minutes of screen time there for it to be more believable. I like Twilight talking things out at the end with Starlight, but when they get back to the present, she needed to be more conflicted, not just, "OK, I'm ready to be good now." She clearly still has a long ways to go in learning about friendship, and I look forward to seeing that next season, but that really should've been highlighted a bit more.
     
    Twilight and Spike were really great here, honestly, it was probably their best showing together since "The Crystal Empire." They worked off of each other, figured things out, and just made a great team through and through. At the same time, you got to see how all of these alternate timelines personally hurt both of them, and neither was unnecessarily incompetent. Overall, I loved that the final episodes revolved around both of them, the episodes would've felt too cluttered if the entire Mane 6 came along. Twilight assuming the role of mentor for Starlight is also an interesting proposition and something I look forward to watching next season as both of them continue to evolve.
     
    So overall, I think my favorite element in these episodes wasn't so much the episodes themselves, but the new doors they opened for the show going forward. The episodes themselves, while not flawless, worked fine, but it's really exciting thinking about where the show goes from here. All in all, this was a fine way to close the season and set up Season 6. In fact, for the first time in two seasons, I'd say we had a season finale that wouldn't have worked as a show finale, and that was by design. It highlights that MLP is solidly here to stay for at least one more season, and I appreciate that the writers were in a position to make a finale like that. A fitting way to end Season 5, indeed, most fitting.
     




     

    Concluding Remarks
     
    Overall, Season 5 was probably the most thematically and philosophically ambitious of any of the seasons to date. It's not my favorite season of MLP, but it stands apart on its own as a very unique season shaped most by its themes rather than the story or characters, and it was nice seeing such ambition from the writers. At the same time, DHX continued to show their love and appreciation of the brony community now more than ever, most notably in "Slice of Life," which was, by far, my favorite episode of the entire season. Seeing the Mane 6 functioning with more direction in their lives, especially Twilight, made this whole season feel far more calm and stable than the last two, while still showing us plenty of new and important developments to characters and the overarching story. All in all, the entire season was a blast, even if it did get a bit unnecessarily dragged on on account of the hiatus, and I had a great time following it with each and every one of you. Until next season everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic Season 5 exit*
     

    Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everypony!!!


  8. Batbrony
    OK, sorry I'm late everypony, just been a bit of a crazy day so far. Welcome back everypony to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews!" Today we've got the last (presumably) cutie map episode of the season, and it certainly did not disappoint. I'll try to keep this short, but without further ado, this is "The Hooffields and McColts"!
     
    So first of all, I'm usually not one for puns, but this episode's title is delightfully pun-a-licious. A hilarious ponified play on the Hatfields and McCoys, the most famous family feud in American history, if I do say so myself. That aside, let's talk first about the main characters, Fluttershy and Twilight. This is a pair we don't get to see very often in the show, and it was a lot of fun seeing the two of them solving this friendship problem together. I will say that I found it a bit disconcerting at times how Fluttershy especially seemed like a doormat even more than usual since Twilight was (as always) taking her job of taking charge too seriously. Now to be fair, it's understandable that this happened; Fluttershy never likes making herself the center of attention, whereas Twilight is the leader of the Mane 6 and the Princess of Friendship. One naturally goes out of her way not to make a scene at all, and the other naturally goes out of her way to take charge of any situation. So I don't exactly blame either of them, it's just in their natures that this would happen. Normally Twilight's more outspoken friends will more readily offer advice and try to get Twilight to not try to do everything herself, but that's not really Fluttershy's style. Still, she did find what was wrong in the end by using her own special talents for listening to those whom others ignore, and Twilight didn't turn down the advice and help she offered once she did offer it. So in many ways, this was a great pairing for highlighting both characters' strengths and weaknesses, and despite it being a rocky road, they did manage to solve things in the end. All in all, a solid episode for both of them.
     




     

    Heheh, tiny ponies are happy ponies


     
    Also, Fluttershy has an animal book club. This needs to be noted as much as possible because it is an amazing piece of information which anyone's life will be better for knowing.
     
    The Hooffields and McColts themselves were pretty much everything I expected they would be. Redneck, backwoods ponies feuding with one another to the death without an inkling as to why. The set-up itself was pretty predictable if you're familiar with the history of the Hatfields and McCoys, or just the family feud storytelling trope in general, as was the conclusion. In fact, the conclusion itself was a bit weak even if only because it seemed so easy, but then again, I kind of expected that going in considering I figured they'd be depicting a long, ongoing family feud getting resolved in a single episode, so it's not too upsetting even if it was cliched. What was terribly enjoyable, however, were the Hooffields and McColts themselves as well as their feuding. These were just some very fun, enjoyable, energetic redneck characters who owned that character-type through-and-through. There wasn't anything demeaning about their characterization; yeah they were irrational, but hey, anyone can be irrational no matter who they are. These ponies just happened to be irrational rednecks. Their antics were hilarious, the various designs of all of them were very creative, and their matriarch/patriarch especially were enjoyable to watch. All in all, I got pretty much everything I expected and wanted from them; redneck feuding, irrational behavior, a predictable but good lesson learned, and some great laughs along the way.
     




     

    Huh... I guess this means that cannons are now... canon :comeatus: I'm not sorry


     



     

    That tiny pony got some pipes


     
    I was actually most impressed (though it may be partly because I'm in an environmental history class right now) by the fact that they managed to depict how war or conflict of this nature can negatively impact the environment itself. The animals suffering because of these two feuding families, those types of environmental impacts in any war are real. The environment, along with pretty much anything else, suffers when people get into long, ongoing military conflict, and like I said, I was very impressed that the writers managed to depict that in a way central to the plot that also worked for a children's show. Aside from that, the animation as always was lovely (especially in the designs of the ponies in the two feuding families), Twilight and Fluttershy were both adorable in their own ways, and this episode was just fine and dandy all around. Nothing amazing, but a fitting conclusion to the cutie map episodes. We've only got three left on the season folks, and I've no doubt they're all going to be amazing! See you next week everypony, until then, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
  9. Batbrony
    Good morning everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews." Well, honestly, should have a very short review for you all this morning, mostly because I just don't have a lot to say at all about this episode. It wasn't bad or anything, just... OK, in my opinion, and not a particularly memorable episode. Without further ado, let's jump into "What About Discord."
     
    So the best thing I can say about this episode is that it has a really solid message, and I like that aspect of it a lot. The message is essentially that in friendships, you shouldn't worry or get jealous if you don't share every memory ever made with all of your friends, and that's a particularly solid message for today's world, where it's easier to have many, many friends than ever before given how easy it is to stay in touch with people through online social media. You can't be with all of your friends ALL the time, it's simply not possible, so they're going to have some fun times without you, and vice versa. Accepting that fact can not only make your life less stressful, but also help you become a better friend for it. Friends who try to do too much often risk wearing themselves down and possibly risking friendships even by simply trying to do too much and be there for their friends too much, and neither is something that anyone should want. So on the whole, yeah, I really liked this message about avoiding jealousy in friendships and accepting that you can't make every single memory with all your friends. It's a nice message about staying down-to-earth and not trying to do too much of a good thing.
     
    Where this episode kinda lost me, though, was in its execution. Again, it wasn't a bad episode, but it wasn't a particularly memorable episode, and that's particularly odd for one starring Discord. It was strangely low-key in its execution, and most of the humor was very, very awkward, both of which are unusual for any Discord episode. Don't get me wrong, he was entertaining (the Bob Ross references were particularly funny), and his trolling Twilight was pretty funny, but it just didn't ever really feel like a Discord episode overall. Twilight almost lost it, but didn't quite, we never really got a good sense of what their weekend with Discord was like, there was a random subplot about Twilight thinking they're under a spell from Discord, none of it was just memorable in the slightest. And that feels kinda weird and wrong for an episode starring our favorite draconequus. At one point I even thought that Twilight's suspicions about her friends being enchanted might be correct just because even their behavior seemed a tad forced at times. But nope, they were just acting strangely jovial with Discord. Honestly, I would've far preferred if he was the star of the episode and we got to see just what he got up to with the girls on that weekend. I feel like that would've made for a more straightforward episode, and maybe one which worked better for Discord.
     
    As it is, this episode just kind of exists. It wasn't awful or anything, but it wasn't amazing either, and certainly not very memorable. Twilight was fine, the rest of the girls were fine, Spike was fine, Discord was fine, Zecora was fine. Everyone and everything was just fine, and that's neither particularly good or bad. But hey, not every episode of MLP can be a home run, and this is hardly the first time that's been the case. Nothing else really to say about this one other than it was fine, so until next week everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     



  10. Batbrony
    Hello everypony, and welcome to a super special spoooooooookkkkyyyyyy edition of "Batbrony Reviews"! First of all, a Happy Halloween and Nightmare Night to you all (and to any of my fellow Lutherans out there, Happy Reformation Day as well! ). That out of the way, let's dive into Episode 21 of Season 5, "Scaremaster"!
     
    Overall, I don't have a lot to say about this one. Not cause it wasn't fun or didn't have a good message, oh no, I liked it on both of those counts, but I suppose it wasn't quite as... fresh, if you will, as say last week's episode was. This was a wonderful episode, but a somewhat predictable one as well, at least once it was clear what the issue is. Basically, the episode was an extended version of this:
     





     

    You may think that's an exaggeration, but not really. So what was going on here? Well, Fluttershy, as we all know, hates Nightmare Night. Like, a lot. It's really never been her cup of tea, and she generally as a rule of thumb just spends the night literally hiding under her bed. With her animal friends. Including Harry the Bear. So what goes wrong this year? Angel Bunny, that's what. Because of course he would. Yes, poor Flutters has to go out and about on Nightmare Night after Angel Bunny demands she pick him up some carrots, and for the first half of the episode she basically has a panic attack. Even after she finds her friends and tries her best to celebrate the holiday with them, nothing really works out for her. She just seems too uncomfortable with the notion of a holiday dedicated to scary things and ponies scaring each other. Oddly enough, Angel Bunny eventually steps up and helps her find a solution... of sorts. She ends up, with the help of her animal friends, delivering the biggest scare of the night to her friends, but also comes to the conclusion that, really, this holiday just isn't for her, and she's OK with that. She sees that it really is a fun night, but at the same time something she just doesn't want to be a part of. She's happy, her friends are happy, all ends well.
     




     
     
     

    We all probably knew this already, but this episode pretty much confirmed that this bunny is, in fact, the devil incarnate as a tiny, fuzzy mammal with big ears


     

    If there's one critique I have of this episode, it's that the message is a bit confused at times and the entire episode is pretty by-the-books as far as a Fluttershy episode goes. Fluttershy has deep insecurity about something and needs her friends help to overcome it, we have seen this MANY times before, and executed much better. Not that this wasn't an issue, oh no, we've known since Season 2 that Fluttershy has a big problem with Nightmare Night. But there were bits in the first half of the episode that were just ludicrous, namely when Fluttershy kept questioning whether something horrible would happen if she tried to partake in some games with her friends (seriously, that scene was kind of asinine, I've never seen Fluttershy overthink something THAT MUCH! Even Twilight rarely goes to those lengths, and she's far more OCD than Fluttershy ). Also, even though I understood that Fluttershy was content with not partaking in Nightmare Night at the end of the episode, it was a bit confusing just what exactly she thought of the holiday from then on. Like, it seemed like she understood the appeal and thus was less bothered by it, and I know she doesn't want to scare her friends, but if that's the case why doesn't she just celebrate with them from now on in ways that don't involve scaring them? Look, I get that the message is saying you don't have to partake in something that everyone else does, even if it's a good or harmless thing, if it's really not something you like, and that's a good message to be sure, but here it was just a bit odd how it was executed. I don't know, maybe again as I said before my biggest problem was just that we've seen Fluttershy do this song and dance before, it's just this time it involved Nightmare Night specifically.
     




     
     
     

    The most important bit of canon to come out of this episode


     
     
     



     
     
     

    OK, not gonna lie, this was pretty bucked up. I would've been right behind AJ in that situation, I can tell you that much!


     

    Those issues aside, I loved this episode very much. Nightmare Night is a very fun holiday as presented in the show, and Ponyville looked just as great this time as it did in Season 2 during "Luna Eclipsed." All the costumes, the festivities, seeing who's going as what and what everypony was doing, it was a blast. I especially got a kick out of Derpy's "Princess Twilight" costume and Spike dressing as a dragon (again!), this time a two-headed one (so original Spike, so original ), and Rarity's "Mermaid/Sea Pony" costume was pretty funny too, but they all were great. Just like "Luna Eclipsed" as well, this episode was also very, very funny. Between Fluttershy's panicked behavior, Granny Smith scaring the bejeezus out of her, Fluttershy's failed attempts to celebrate with the gang (culminating in the best scene of the episode, the least scary "Scary Tea Party" ever!), and the climax in the Apple's Haunted Corn Maze, there were just laughs after laughs after laughs. We even got to see the "return" of Flutterbat, and that was a pretty entertaining nod to that bizarre episode from last season.
     




     
     
     

    Thanks M.A. Larson!


     
     
     



     
     
     

    This costume is simultaneously awful and amazing


     
     
     



     
     
     

    Rarity: She whips her tail back and forth


     
     
     



     
     
     

    DAT LIP BITE, HNNNGGGGGGGG!!!


     

    Besides all that, Fluttershy and the rest of the Mane 6 were spot on overall. Spike and the Mane 6 tried their best to give Flutters a good time, even if it took away from their own fun at times, and Fluttershy had a solid episode overall, even if it was hardly her most serious appearance ever and the conclusion and message left something to be desired. I was just a tad disappointed that Princess Luna didn't show up in any capacity at any point, but eh, that's a very minor complaint. All in all, while not quite as amazing as "Luna Eclipsed" was and still is, "Scaremaster" is for sure a worthy successor, and a wonderful way to kick off Halloween this year. Hope ya'll enjoyed it as much as I did, and that's all I got for this one. Have a great and Happy Halloween this year everypony, and be sure to stay safe no matter how you may be celebrating it (especially if alcohol is involved in your festivites, drink responsibly ya'll ). This is Batbrony signing off. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
     




     
     
     



  11. Batbrony
    Alright, good morning everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews!" Got a pretty short review for ya'll this morning since, despite the major plot development, there really wasn't a whole lot to say about this episode beyond Pinkie's antics. That said, let's begin, this is "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows."
     
    So let's get the big, elephant-in-the-room plot development out of the way first: Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are having a BABY!!!!! ZOMG GUYS!!!
     




     

    Yup, it's happening, and about dang time, too, if I do say so myself. Honestly, I remember back before Season 3 when it was rumored that Cadance and Shining Armor would have a foal by then. But hey, better late than never, right? Don't know if it'll happen this season, but hey, at least we know a foal's on the way and Twilight will be at some point Aunt Twilight! Also, I kinda hope it doesn't happen this season just because that'll mean it'll happen NEXT season (and yes, I know Season 6 is pretty much confirmed already, but hey, it'd be further confirmation). So yeah, cool plot development, I liked, I liked a lot.
     




     


    I like to think this is how Cadance breaking the news to Shining went


     
    Next, let's talk Pinkie. Pinkie was, well, Pinkie. What else did you honestly expect in this scenario? Her antics were as always entertaining, though I must say I found these particularly enjoyable. There really wasn't much of a lesson to be learned here, not really, it was just for the most part a really fun, really lighthearted Pinkie Pie episode chock-full of Pinkie Pie goodness. Her pain and suffering were at times delicious, but in the end she held out, much to her credit, if I do say so myself. Overall, this was for me the funniest Pinkie Pie episode I've seen in some time; I can't quite put my finger on why I enjoyed it so much, other than I guess I just really enjoyed the execution. Fun times with Pinkie are always a good time, and this episode was no exception.
     



     
    Finally, just got a few more miscellaneous items to cover. The Mane 6 and Spike featured as much as they needed to and all had their own little moments (Twilight's cute reaction to knowing she's gonna be an aunt, Spike failing miserably and burning Shining's mint comic-book, Applejack and her adorable-as-buck baby certificate, to name a few). Derpy and Dinky, much to my gratification, featured in a shot at one point, and I loved, loved, LOVED that! Why? Well, it seemed to be a nod from the show makers to the LONG standing fan theory that Derpy is Dinky's mother, a fan theory that I myself have long adopted as head canon, so yes, that shot pleased me very much. Other than that, the animation as always was lovely, we got to see plenty of Ponyville and its ponies, and this was just for the most part a lovely, funny, lighthearted, slice-of-life episode with one major plot development. Not much else I can really say about this one other than I enjoyed it very much, it's a very cute, funny episode definitely worth the watch. That's all for this week, everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     




     


    Boom. Also, if this shot doesn't convince you that it should be canon...


     




     

    ...this will. :comeatus:


     
    P.S. I bucking called it before this episode started (though I'm pretty sure most of the fandom did )
     




  12. Batbrony
    Good morning everypony, and welcome back to yet another edition of "Batbrony Reviews." Well, I must say this week we had a very... unique episode. This is definitely one of those episodes that's in a category of its own, and in all the right ways, I must say. I don't have a whole lot to say about it since most of it was schtick and comedic gags, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. Without further ado, this is "Brotherhooves Social."
     




     

    So let's start with the, surprisingly enough, star of this episode, Big Macintosh. I've always wanted to learn more about Big Mac and I love any time we see him; for starters, Peter New seems to have a blast in the role, but as for the character himself, Big Mac is pretty straightforward, but that makes it all the more fun to learn more about him. It's nice seeing in an episode like this that there's a little more to him than meets the eye, and I look forward to more supporting roles in the future for him (such as he had in "Filly Vanilli"). It'd be nice too to see some big, permanent changes for him in the future, such as perhaps something starting with him and Miss Cheerilee (who, as evidenced in "Filly Vanilli" seems definitely actually interested in him). It certainly wouldn't surprise me if something like that happened, seeing as the show more and more references events that have happened in the past, showing that there is definitely long-term continuity at this point. But anyways, back to the episode. Speaking as a big brother myself (although I don't have two siblings like Big Mac, just one little sis), I definitely empathized with a lot of what Big Mac was feeling here. There have definitely been times in our lives where I myself and my little sis were more distant than we should've been, but thankfully they didn't last. The lengths he was willing to go in order to make Apple Bloom happy were obviously not just hilarious, but also rather sweet, and very creative if I do say so myself, I swear, I think Big Mac's got a far wilder imagination than we might think. He got a bit carried away at the end there, but his real shining moment came in the final scene when he delivered a lengthy monologue that was actually perfectly executed, which is saying something considering it could've come across quite easily as forced. Not much else to say about him besides that, but all in all, Big Mac had a bang up episode in his first ever true starring role, and I for one really hope we get to see more and more of him in the future. Good job Big Mac, you're a good big brother, from one BBBFF to another.
     




     
     
     

    I won't lie, I cracked up when he did this too


     
     
     



     
     
     

    Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, touchdown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


     

    I have far less to say about Apple Bloom, mostly because she was playing the same tune for most of this episode. She started out blissfully ignorant of Big Mac's discomfort, and then spent most of the episode worrying about him being discovered and her being embarrassed. It wasn't bad or anything, there just wasn't a whole lot of variation to it. She learned a good lesson at the end and was much closer to her brother for it, but really the one thing that stuck out most about AB here to me was just that Michelle Creber's voice is really starting to go through puberty (though not quite as much as Claire Corlett's, which actually has left Scootaloo sounding the similar to her Season 1 self of the three CMC, weird, right? ). Speaking of the other two CMC, they were fine as well, though Sweetie Belle just kinda suddenly disappeared from the episode. Scootaloo on the other hand was pretty cute tagging along with Rainbow Dash, and while we're on the subject, RD was pretty cool too going along with Big Mac's plan, yet another example of how she's not nearly as competitive as she used to be. Granny Smith was her funny, kooky old self, and AJ was fine for the bit she was in it. All in all, the supporting cast was just fine, if somewhat predictable in what they did.
     




     
     
     

    No, stahp it Twily, that's a bad, bad Princess of Friendship! *smacks with newspaper* You'll get another episode soon enough.


     

    Finally, since most of the episode was really just comedy (besides the more serious beginning and ending), guess I should mention that. Most the humor centered around Big Mac in drag, and while it was fairly predictable in that regard, it was also executed really well and quite funny for it. My favorite running gag in the whole episode was actually that stallion-judge who apparently didn't realize he was a stallion and kept eyeballing "Orchard Blossom," that was bucking funny. The reveal of "Orchard Blossom" was also one of those moments that had me nearly falling out of my seat, mostly because I had no bucking idea it was coming. And honestly, the whole concept itself could've been far more cringeworthy than it really was, but in execution it really just came off as silly, lighthearted fun and a sweet but very weird brotherly gesture from Big Mac. Animation was top notch as usual, the song was fairly nice but could've been a little sweeter if it wasn't being played for laughs, what with Big Mac's falsetto voice and all, and Big Mac's "Orchard Blossom" voice was to die for. Like I said before, this was a very one-of-a-kind episode that I doubt any other will resemble any time soon, and for what it was, it did pretty much everything it wanted to. It was funny when it needed to be, it was sweet when it needed to be, and it was a nice shout-out to all the big brothers of the world who might not be as close to their little sisters as they'd like to be. Fellow big bros, hold on tight to your little sises, always be there for them ready to be the best big bro you can be and having their back always, and if you haven't seen them in awhile, give them the biggest hugs you can the next time you do. That's all I got for this one, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     




  13. Batbrony
    OK, good morning everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews." Quite a lovely episode this morning if I do say so myself, though not a terribly mind blowing one, but hey, that's just fine. Aside from it's somewhat fast pace, this felt like a somewhat more contained episode, if only because it was limited to a particular neighborhood in Manehattan. I don't have a whole lot to say about this one, but let's dive in, shall we?
     




     


    Oh come on, it can't possibly be that bad-


     




     

    Oh. Ohhhhhh. Uh, Rarity, I don't like where this face is going. Like, at all.


     




     


    Not feeling the Rarijack, darling?


     

    No, not really.


     
    First of all, it's always nice to see a RariJack episode. I've been on record many times saying that they're my favorite pair of friends among the Mane 6, namely because not only do they get along so well despite having wildly different tastes, but also have progressed very much in their friendship since the show began. That was very evident here, especially in how they complemented each other so well during their time in Manehattan. Rarity was very supportive of Applejack the whole time and also patient with her uncomfortableness with the big city, and Applejack did a nice job of keeping Rarity focused on the task at hand. They didn't really bicker once (though that partly could have had to do with the fact that there was a lot going on in this episode), and they did a wonderful job of tackling their problem together (though the focus of the episode was quite clearly Applejack given that she had a little more to learn about both herself and that she could actually do some good in a city like Manehattan). All in all, the most horrible thing to happen to either of them was the loss of *gasp* APPLEJACK'S STETSON, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! R.I.P. AJ'S hat: you will always be remembered fondly.
     




     


    You're in the armmmmmmssssssss offfffffff an angel!


     
    Next, we saw the return of the lovely Coco Pommel, who is simply one of the most adorable supporting characters this show has seen to date. To be honest, she had a very strong return; we saw that she's been trying to make a positive impact in her community since Rarity first met her (albeit also getting a bit in over her head in the process), and not just trying to further her own career, but still needed some help doing so just cause, well, she's only one pony, and a pony who quite clearly couldn't refurbish an entire stage and park on her own, at that. It was very cool getting to visually learn some about her childhood and background, and interesting to learn that she was a local Manehattanite. I'd always been under the impression since her first appearance that she was on out-of-towner who wasn't used to life in the big city and got taken advantage of by Suri Polomare just like Rarity did, but apparently that's not the case, so that's interesting to know. Not a whole lot else to say about her other than that; her heart's clearly still in the right place, the revival was successful and I imagine she'll do a bang up job heading that up from now on, and she was quite delightful to see again. Nice continuity from DHX, very appreciative always to see continuity in the show.
     




     

    Oh Coco, why you so cute?!?!


     
    Finally, Manehattan itself was very fun to see again, and this time the city itself was much more the focus of the episode than it was in "Rarity Takes Manehattan," particularly Coco's old neighborhood. We got to hear multiple accents that are all unique to New York (the Brooklyn accent is standard enough for a kids show, but it was VERY impressive to hear a Latino Bronx accent, I did not expect that in the slightest!), there were all kinds of references to New York-centric media and popular culture, including Newsies and Seinfeld (and even though this isn't New York-centric in the slightest, they also worked in an AMAZING Peanuts and Charlie Brown reference which I simply adored ), and the city itself just got really nicely fleshed out. It had a character here, a distinct look and feel to it, and we got to see it very much for the diverse metropolis that it really is in a more standard neighborhood than we saw in, again, "Rarity Takes Manehattan," which was set in a far more fashion-and-business-centric district than this episode was.
     



     

    You're a good stallion, Charlie Brown


     
    The moral too, about teaching others how even the smallest acts of charity can make a big difference, as well as how to slow down for the things that really matter in a community, was very nice, although, as Jeric and I both agreed, it would have been a bit better if they just showed it in the final play scene rather than reiterate in the dialogue afterwards as well as like they did, that made it just a tad forced. But hey, I get why they did that, not all the kids who watch the show might have gotten the moral otherwise, so it's forgivable enough. Twilight was quite adorable in her boredom for the few minutes she showed up, the continuity in this episode was again very much appreciated, just like in last week's episode, the humor was spot on, the animation was colorful, clean, polished, and just gorgeous looking as has become standard fare for this show for a while now. All in all, a very, very solid episode; nothing in particular that makes it first tier for this show, but nothing really wrong with it either. It's an episode that's comfortable being what it is, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Looking forward to next week's episode very much, until then everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     



     

    Oh shush, Twilight, you'll get your moment in the spotlight soon enough. -_-


  14. Batbrony
    Good morning everypony, welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews." My my, looky here, we've got ourselves another Rarity episode this morning (and another one after that! Dear Lord, this is simply the season of Rarity, isn't it?! ). And what an episode it was. I have made it no secret in the past that "MMMystery on the Friendship Express" is my all time LEAST FAVORITE episode of MLP; it's incredibly stupid, boring, convoluted, and relies on many main characters acting incredibly stupid and out of character. I hate, hate, HATE IT, and all the more since it came at the tail end of my still favorite season of MLP, Season 2! :okiedokielokie: This episode, "Rarity Investigates," has officially made up for that, by giving us an actual mystery episode that was executed extraordinarily well. Without further ado, let's dive right in and take a look at "Rarity Investigates."
     




     
     
     

    You've been hit by, you've been struck by... A SMOOTH CRIMINAL!


     

    First of all, as with last week's episode, Rarity was spot-on yet again (maybe even more so). This week we really got to see her in her element the entire episode, being simultaneously fabulous but also extremely competent in her own way (which we all know she is). Not only was her changing wardrobe throughout the episode both fabulous and entertaining to watch, but Rarity really tackled this challenge from the start all on her own. It was actually a wonderful display of her generous spirit; she just completely gave of her own time for the sake of her dear friend Rainbow Dash without asking for anything in return, and it's always nice to see her Element being highlighted like that. Not to mention that, unlike in "MMMystery on the Friendship Express," where Pinkie Pie is practically too dumb to breathe and needs Twilight to hold her hoof on everything, Rarity figured everything out all on her own. And she did it because Rarity paying attention to little details in general makes perfect sense for her, it fits right into her fashionista persona and professional life. Heck, it was even highlighted at the beginning of the episode before the investigation even began when she not only took care to make sure her display was arranged perfectly, but also noticed that the rhinestones she got were the wrong kind. Lots of little subtle details like that throughout the episode in highlighting what makes Rarity such a strong character, and I really loved that about it.
     




     
     
     

    Fabulous Gem-Butt Pony: She can make even sunscreen adorable and fabulous


     
     
     



     
     
     

    So she was just lugging all her new outfits AND the couch around the entire time? If not for her unicorn magic, I'd call BS


     
     
     



     
     
     

    Miss Rarity, I believe you're trying to seduce me


     

    Next, let's look at our deuteragonist here, Rainbow Dash! She was... basically what a deuteragonist in this role had to be. She didn't do a whole lot besides geek out over the Wonderbolts and get impatient with Rarity, but neither of those things were really all that bad. She was cute when she was geeking out and funny when she was getting impatient, and if anything it was kinda nice seeing her not trying to hog the spotlight, both in the episode as a whole, as well as when she selflessly retrieved Spitfire and risked her own shot at performing with the Wonderbolts. Not a whole lot else to say about her besides that, but she had a fine episode, and it's fun seeing her interact with Rarity, albeit probably less whacky than it would've been in, say, Season 1 or 2. But that's a nice quality of Season 5, it goes to show how much these friends trust each other even if they have very different personalities (another good instance of that was when Rarity didn't lose her cool over RD staining her dress, something she most certainly would have done in Season 1).
     




     
     
     

    Rainbow Dash always dances with style! Ha! See what I did there?


     
     
     



     
     
     

    Come here!!! I'm gonna eat you!!! GET IN MAH BELLY!!!!!


     

    The other characters here were just fine. Wind Rider was kind of obviously trying to set RD up (even though at one point I thought Spitfire herself might've just run off), but he didn't really leave much of an impact overall. It was pretty obvious it'd be him, but we just didn't learn enough about him besides his backstory to really care. So he was just kinda there, not a very memorable antagonist really. The Wonderbolts were just fine, I always like seeing 'em myself; Spitfire and Soarin' are always fun to see, and I didn't think their suspicions of RD were unwarranted or unfair, given that they gave her a chance to prove her innocence after all (and RD certainly wasn't doing herself any favors in her defense). It was very cool getting to meet Spitfire's mom, Solar Flare, I really liked her design and certainly wasn't expecting to meet a character like that. Very nice getting to see Sassy Saddles two weeks in a row as well, as well as the fact that she and Rarity are getting along just fine now (and on top of that the Canterlot Carousel Boutique seems to be doing quite well as well). Finally that trio of Royal Guards was pretty hilarious during that interrogation scene, especially that one guard with his line about counting the bolts in the ceiling.
     




     
     
     

    Ooooo, hello Raindrops, long time no see! Love the dress!


     
     
     



     
     
     

    Rarilicious: Making even detective work SUGGESTIVE AS BUCK! Seriously, I'm guessing all three of those guards are glad she can't see under the table


     

    Lastly, I have to of course mention the episode's art-direction and style. Obviously I always love seeing episodes set in Canterlot, it's a great setting and I love getting to see more of that city, just like we did last week. The fact that we also got to see two of the Mane 6 there at an event that Celestia herself was attending, and neither of them were Twilight, is also quite noteworthy I think. It shows that these characters are continuing to grow as adults and, while they're not growing distant from each other, their own real-life responsibilities are taking them further from home, and that's something they're more comfortable with at this point. Finally, the noir style. Oh my, the film noir style. That was simply too fabulous! It just screams Rarity in every sense of the word and fit her character to a T, from the inner monologuing/thinking out loud to herself (even when she didn't realize it ), to the black-and-white cinematic look, to the jazzy music in the background. Loved, loved, LOVED everything about this style, and it's the final element of this episode that really makes it not just perfection as far as a Rarity episode goes, but also solidifies its blowing that wretched "MMMystery on the Friendship Express" out of the water. All in all, yet another lovely Rarity and Season 5 episode, and it looks like we're in store for what could be the best Rarity episode of this season to date next week (helped by the fact that it will include my favorite pair of best friends in the Mane 6, Rarity and Applejack, helping each other! ). See you all next week everypony, when the Rarity shall be tripled!!! I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
  15. Batbrony
    Afternoon everypony! As promised yesterday, the second of two new chapters for Batmare Begins has been uploaded to Fimfiction. If you're a first time reader and end up enjoying it, likes, favorites, follows, and comments/feedback are always appreciated (as of this point, I'm only 1 like away from 100, let's do this ya'll!!! ). Whether you're a first-time reader or a longtime one of mine, I'd love for any of you to take a look at my fic; I'll take any and all the support I can get, after all, the whole reason I'm writing this thing in the first place is to give my fellow bronies the best story I can. Have a good day ya'll, and if you take a look at my fic, please let me know what you think; you can find it by clicking on the link below, which will take you to it on Fimfiction! Cheers everypony, I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     

    Batmare Begins

     
    Oh, also, a big thank you to my BFF DashForever for pre-reading and editing this and the previous chapter, as always. You're awesome, man!
     




  16. Batbrony
    Good afternoon, citizens of MLP Forums! Do you know what it's time for? It's time... for some shameless self-promotion!!!
     




     

    That's right Kermit, yay indeed. But first, I've got some exciting, super-duper, awesome, stupendous, fabulous, muffinlicious news (for me ). I... finally got featured on Fimfiction!!!
     




     

    Yup, there it is, second to last on the feature page! And let me tell you, it was the most anti-climactic thing ever! No, really, I have no idea how it happened, it was up there about 2 minutes after I uploaded the new chapter. But ya know what, I will take it! This has been something I've been working towards since I first joined Fimfiction in 2013, and even though it was probably the result of long-term statistics on my fic, it's still oh-so-sweet. So to any of my readers from MLP Forums, thank you so much for the support you've given to me that's kept me writing and managed to finally get me a Fimfic feature (special shoutout to my BFF DashForever, my long time editor and pre-reader who continues to give me a ton of help and advice with my fic)!
     
    That brings me to my second bit of news. I've just uploaded the first of two new chapters for Batmare Begins! Took me quite awhile to get them written up, but considering I finally managed to get my first feature on Fimfic, totally worth it! To all my old fans and longtime readers, I hope you very much enjoy this chapter and the next one, which will be uploaded tomorrow. To anyone's who's not a reader yet, I'm always happy to have new readers and would very much love it if you gave it a shot. It's been quite well-received so far, so there's a very good chance you'd enjoy it.
     
    Anyways, that's all for now. To new and old readers alike, I hope you enjoy the new chapters, and please, comments, feedback, suggestions, and questions are always welcomed (as are likes, favorites, and follows from any new readers). Have a great day ya'll, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic celebratory hot dog eating*
     





  17. Batbrony
    OK, welcome back everypony to another addition of "Batbrony Reviews." Today's episode is a... perplexing one. Not so much because of the shenanigans, that's to be expected with almost any Pinkie Pie-centered episode, but largely because of the pacing and the execution of the "moral," if you want to call it that. That's not to say it was a bad episode, just kind of puzzling. Without further ado, let's take a look at "Party Pooped."
     



     

    Beaver-yak is best yak.


     
    So to start, let's address the elephant in the room, and possibly the best example of just how bizarre this episode was: the Yaks of Yakyakistan. I both loved and hated things about these guys at the same time. On the one hand, their designs were great, they're basically, as I saw one brony describe them, an entire nation of Hulks (in both size and mannerisms), and dear Lord is their pickiness legendary!!! I mean, my gosh, these guys overreacted at everything, and every time they went on an epic smash rampage, even though I knew they were being gigantic douches, I couldn't help but laugh. What infuriated me, however, wasn't their behavior so much as it was the ponies' reaction to it. Let's be clear: the yaks were being gigantic douches from start to almost the finish, there is no denying that, anyone would say. Anyone EXCEPT apparently the ponies of Equestria. Because my gosh, from start to finish they kept blaming themselves for the yaks' terribly undiplomatic behavior, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why! The ponies are smart, and they've stood up to jerks before, so why all of a sudden were they chalking up the yaks being colossal douches to their failure to exactly reproduce the culture, mannerisms, and aesthetic of a country completely foreign to them as a country could be? It was terribly infuriating and really took away from the effectiveness of any message that was here (because trust me, there was a message here, it was the message I expected, it's just it wasn't executed like it should have been), especially when the yaks threatened war over... actually, I still don't know what they were threatening war over, that's just not how diplomacy works, DHX. So yeah, I have no idea why the ponies not only put up with the yaks' crap but also blamed themselves for it; it's incredibly silly and it took away a lot from the effectiveness of the message. But that said, the yaks were still incredibly entertaining to watch, and for that I mostly forgive this episode.
     



     

    BUCK YOUR TABLE!!!!!!!!!!!


     



     

    PARTY HARD!!!!!!!!!!!


     
    Next, let's cover the main character of the episode, Pinkie Pie. Like the rest of the Mane 6, she never really blamed the yaks for any of the ponies' troubles, and like I said, that was frustrating to watch. But besides that, she was perfectly fine. She was incredibly, furiously productive in her efforts to put together the perfect party for the yaks, and of course she went on a zany journey across all of Equestria and foreign lands even in a single afternoon (while running into Cherry Jubilee on the way, falling down a ravine, forming the Beatles, going through an entire career with them, and breaking up in the Crystal Empire because of creative differences, and then proceeding to Yakyakistan only to be flung by the craziest breaking of the laws of inertia ever all the way back to Ponyville, again, in a single afternoon, as you do when you're Pinkie -_-). The revelation that she has a Secret Party Cave was too funny, her mannerisms were spot on (even if at a few points they felt just a tad forced), and she saved the day as only Pinkie can. All in all, a solid episode for Pinkie, even if again I wasn't buying how the moral was executed.
     



     

    Sergeant Pinkie's Lonely Hearts Club Band!!!


     
    Finally, the Mane 6. Besides the already aforementioned idiocy with how they kept blaming themselves for the yaks being the biggest douches ever, the Mane 6 were fine too. Panicky Twilight is always fun to watch (though we are seeing a lot of her this season, it seems), they all maintained unwavering faith in Pinkie to do what needed to be done, which was fun to watch, and their interactions with the yaks and each other were too funny. Fluttershy had the single best line of the episode with her deadpan delivery when she asked how the buck they were supposed to get out of Pinkie's Party Cave, we learned that Twilight apparently has a fear of quesadillas, and Applejack took fiscal conservatism and the phrase "waste not, want not" to a whole new level when she said she'd rediscovered a set of Granny Smith's dentures under the Apple family's farmhouse. Also, Spike got body slammed by a yak, that pleased me very much. Overall, they were fine, besides, again, the problems with the moral itself. The other supporting ponies were cool as well. We've now seen both Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance three episodes in a row, which is some kind of record, it was cool to see Cherry Jubilee return, the Beatle ponies were absolutely epic, and the little yak calf at Yakyakistan was absolutely adorable!
     



     

    Quesadilla: Not even once


     
    Overall, like I've said throughout this review, this wasn't a bad episode, it was incredibly entertaining, more so than other episodes this season. But that said, I really didn't buy its message, because the writers had the characters behave extremely uncharacteristically and, at times, stupidly in reaching this moral. Diplomacy simply doesn't work that way, and the yaks should've been called out on their crap at least at some point. It was like if the United States blamed itself every time North Korea did something irrational or refused to come to the table to discuss diplomatic matters, and it made just as little sense as that would. So yeah, that's a big complaint, and it makes for an episode that's more entertaining than smart or thought-provoking, but all the same it was still so entertaining that I can for the most part forgive its shortcomings. That's all I got for ya, everypony, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*
     



     

    Yakity Yak, don't talk- on second thought, I'll just stop.


  18. Batbrony
    OK, welcome back everypony to another addition of "Batbrony Reviews." So after last week's bit of amazing that was the 100th episode, unsurprisingly I don't have quite as much to say about this new episode as I did last week. That's not to say I didn't enjoy, there were quite a few elements that I liked about it, it just didn't come anywhere close to the levels of awesome that "Slice of Life" did. Without further ado, let's take a look at "Princess Spike."
     
    So first of all, let's talk about Spike himself, starting by getting something off my chest. As with most Spike episodes since I wanna say Season 3, we yet again have a lot of bronies complaining about so-called "Spike abuse," the notion that Spike is a special sort of punching bag for the writers in any episode that he stars in. Let me just come out and say that while I understand some bits of this notion, overall I think it's overblown. The writers have shown plenty of times in the past and this season that Spike can be and is written well plenty of times. If he ever does come across as an idiot in starring roles, let's keep two things in mind: (1) he's still a baby dragon, and we have no idea how quickly or slowly dragons normally age, much less one being raised among ponies like Spike, and (2) the main characters of episodes are almost always at the root of the problems caused in those episodes! I don't ever hear anybody complain about Applejack being written like an idiot in "Applebuck Season," people just accept that that's an extension of her stubborn personality getting the best of her, and that's fair because it's true. But for some reason some people seem to want Spike to be Mary Sued anytime he's in a starring role, and I don't get it. I think it goes back to "Spike At Your Service" and how mad people were and remain that Spike was so incompetent at basic tasks (a point that I get, "Spike At Your Service" is a pretty problematic episode), but the fair points that people raise about that episode have warped into this twisted notion that Spike is always going to get this treatment now. That's just not true, and certainly not here. Spike got in over his head quite reasonably so because he prioritized one task ahead of the others (a task involving his mother/sister figure Twilight, the closest pony in his life, mind you), got a little power-crazy as well because he was feeling inadequate alongside four pony princesses (understandable given that he's still very much an outsider for most of pony society), and didn't think through the long term consequences of some of the things that he did (understandable given that he's both an adolescent and not used to organizing or running an event as large as a nationwide gathering of ponies in one of Equestria's largest cities). Yeah, he bucked up, he bucked up hard, but the fact that he bucked up should hardly be surprising, and not because Spike's stupid or unfairly written as being stupid, but because that makes sense for his character in this particular situation. So there, that's that. As far as I'm concerned, Spike is not written nearly as badly as some of the fandom remains convinced that he is, and I thought he was fine here, aside from how maddening some of his decisions got, but I would've had the same reaction to those if any of the Mane 6 were doing what he did as well.
     



     

    What fell, new sorcery is this?


     
    Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about what else I liked. Twilight was super adorable (Sleepy Twilight is officially most adorable Twilight for me now ), and Cadance had a surprisingly very good showing here. Definitely her best appearance in a slice of life episode, even more so than "Three's a Crowd" just because she didn't really do much in that one besides tag along with Twilight. But here, we got to see some of her own brand of wisdom and how Cadance works as a princess, I liked that. Seeing Luna and Celestia two weeks in a row was super surprising as well (not to mention hearing from Luna too), though I would've liked to see just a bit more of them besides the opening scene, mostly because their absence raised many questions, namely, where the buck did they get off to after the opening scene? Ah well, probably were playing video games or something.
     



     

    I've got my eye on you, Mime Pony.
    #don'ttrustmimes

     
    But my favorite aspect by far of this episode was its setting and supporting cast. I love slice of life episodes that take place in Canterlot and give us the chance to see more of that city, it's definitely one of my favorite settings in the show to this day. Not to mention we got to see a lot of very cool ponies from all over Equestria. Fancy Pants, a pony with a chainsaw that may have been Canadian but I prefer to think of him as a Wisconsin cheesehead (since I love Wisconsin ), the Manehattan delegate that was very much the New Yorker, the Winnyapolis (or Winneapolis) delegate who was the most obvious Minnesota/Fargo reference ever (and stop saying she was Canadian, people who are saying that, she wasn't ), that adorable nerdy pony that Spike met with, the return of Fluffy Clouds, polo-playing ponies, a mime-pony, what I can only describe as Richard Simmons-pony, an awesome griffin with the cat portion of its body being a tiger's (SERIOUSLY, THAT IS SO COOL!!!!!!!! ), plenty of Canterlot ponies, and many, many more. Sure not a lot happened in this episode, and the lesson Spike was gonna learn was fairly obvious from the start, but it was a pure Equestria episode that was completely comfortable in its setting even though it was introducing a very much new event to both the show and the audience. I love any slice of life episode like that, so yeah, for what it was, this episode was solid in my book. Nothing more, nothing less, just as good as it needed to be. See ya'll next week everypony!
     



     

    Yah, sure ya bet'cha, us Midwestern ponies are pretty friendly around these parts, don'cha know?


  19. Batbrony
    OK, welcome back everypony to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews". This week, we're looking at "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone". My apologies for the late review, the weekend's just been a bit wonky is all. So to start, I really liked this episode. It was our second "Cutie Mark Map" episode of the season (and the first to feature simply a pair of the Mane 6 rather than the whole bunch, a pattern that I imagine we will see repeated this season a few more times), and just like the first two episodes, it introduced us to a really cool new setting, Griffonstone. On top of that, we got some great bits of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash bouncing off of each other and working together quite swimmingly (at least in the end) as well as the return of none other than Gilda the Griffon!
     
    So let's start by talking about the new setting. I really like Griffonstone for a couple of reasons. We've never really seen a community in the show that's struggling economically, and by extension has many very apparent social difficulties as well. It was kind of jarring to see that in MLP, but kudos to the writers for not shying away from showing such an imperfect place. The history of the city-state (let's call it that, it wasn't exactly defined what kind of kingdom it was, but the griffons we saw at the Equestrian games behaved as Equestrian citizens, and it showed up on the Equestria map as well, so I'm assuming it's a part of Equestria) was very cool as well, and actually didn't do much to threaten previous head-fanon in the brony community, something I as a fanfiction writer very much appreciate. As I said, the kingdom/city-state seems to be in a very remote part of Equestria, so it's not very hard for fanfiction writers like myself to simply say that this was a splinter group of griffons that simply emigrated to Equestria, while most griffons live elsewhere. A random tangent, I know, and it probably wasn't intentional on the writers' part, but still, I appreciate it nonetheless.
     



     

    Look at that fly charmer of a griffon king!


     
    The aforementioned difficulties facing the community made for an interesting lesson to be learned. I understand that some bronies are upset with the fact that the episode didn't really address the economic difficulties facing Griffonstone even though it quite clearly showed they exist, but to that I say that the minimal effects of what Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash accomplished clear that up. The episode did not say that friendship alone is going to solve Griffonstone's problems, and it didn't even show them resolved. Gilda alone is right now the only griffon there committed to spreading friendship in her community, with the possibility that Greta might join her. So Griffonstone's salvation is hardly ensured at this point. What I think the episode was saying was that you cannot let material idols be the foundation, the basis of all unity and harmony in your community. One can never always rely on material things, they will wither away at some point. The foundation of a healthy community is that it must be one where the citizens inherently care for one another because it's the right thing to do, not because there's something to get out of helping one another. Such a community can carry its citizens through the good times and bad. Is the road ahead of Griffonstone going to be a long and hard one? Most certainly, and the episode doesn't deny that, or provide all the answers even. But a good place to start for a community as devastated as that place is is for griffons like Gilda to reteach its citizens what it means to care about something that truly matters, like each other. Once there's some unity in the community, then it might be able to better start meeting its pressing material needs and once more become a prosperous community as it was before when the Idol of Boreas previously brought its people together.
     



     

    Look at all the bronies, Dashie!


     
    Anyways, onto the characters themselves. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash are always a hoot together; it was very bizarre, more than anything else, to see Pinkie Pie of all characters thinking things through more than Rainbow Dash (though that might've been Rainbow trying to get out of Griffonstone as fast as possible so she didn't have to be around Gilda), but I liked that, it showed Pinkie using her noggin in her own strange way. Both of them were wildly entertaining, no surprised there, and had great episodes in their own ways, neither really felt OOC at any point for any reason. It made perfect sense that Rainbow wouldn't want to help griffons or stick around Gilda given her previous experiences with Gilda, but thankfully she came around to seeing they were worth helping fairly quickly as well, and also made up with Gilda quite easily. Gilda, herself, though probably shined more than any other character in the episode. Not only did she take the first steps toward becoming possibly a social leader in her community, but we also got to learn about her past of all things (in an adorable flashback no less!). To put into perspective just how great an episode she had, this was a character who up until this episode I never thought I'd stop loathing, mostly because she made Fluttershy cry in Season One and was just an all around douche in her first episode. But miraculously, not only was she reintroduced, but the writers also managed to redeem her without it feeling forced in the slightest. Pinkie Pie taught Gilda about friendship by example, and really, that's the best way for Pinkie Pie to teach things. She's not so much a words-pony, at least when it comes to delivering lessons, she's a doer, and I'm certain that her treating Gilda just as friendly as she did when she first met her must have left an impression eventually on the stubborn, hotheaded griffon. Overall, Gilda's redemption impressed me more than any other aspect of this episode's writing and execution, and I'm actually really glad to have seen it happen.
     



     

    Buck, these two are gonna get shipped like there's no tomorrow, aren't they?
    Ah well, 'tis but the nature of the fandom, I suppose

     
    Not much else to say about this one. The comedy was great, be it from Gummy, Pinkie, Rainbow, the side characters, whoever. The animation as always was gorgeous (including those very cool history segments, I liked those a lot). Overall, another Season 5 episode that hit it out of the park, what else can ya really say but that it was awesome to watch! We've got a bit of a break now in the season; the next new episode won't be until June 13. But... what an episode it will be. Prepare yourselves, everypony, because the next episode... is the 100th episode of MLP. Oh yeah, 'dis gonna be good.
     




  20. Batbrony
    OK, welcome back everypony to another "Batbrony Reviews". This week's review should be pretty darn short, actually, just cause there's not a whole lot to say about this episode. That's not to say that "Appleoosa's Most Wanted" was a disappointing episode or anything, it was just a... an average Slice of Life episode, that's all. That's not a bad thing, no sir, every season's had its average episodes to be sure. I guess I was personally hoping for some more references to Western movies given the setting and the fact that I love that genre of film, but ah well, it was still entertaining enough and had a nice message to boot. So let's talk about the few things that stood out here.
     
    First of all, the CMC were fine on the whole. This wasn't a particularly great showing for them, there wasn't anything really notable that they did here, but they were characterized fine and entertaining as usual. Scootaloo's cactus sombrero was undeniably, epically awesome and hilarious all at once, but other than that nothing really stood out about the trio this time around. Their hearts were in the right places the whole episode for the most part, in fact everypony's hearts were; the whole conflict revolved around misunderstanding more than anything else. It's always fun seeing Applejack in the role of protective big sister (not to mention I find it incredibly amusing how she doesn't trust the CMC further than she can throw them; even if she knows their hearts are in the right place, it seems she's more aware than anypony else, with the possible exception of Rarity, just how much trouble that trio is liable to get themselves into if nopony's watching them ), and it was also good fun seeing other characters like Braeburn and Sheriff Silverstar return (I especially enjoyed the gag at the end where Braeburn kept getting hit in the noggin' by items accidentally sent flying by Troubleshoes into the crowd).
     



     

    Ah, that's what the CMC needed to make this episode amazing: mustaches!


     
    Speaking of Troubleshoes, let's talk about the new character. I liked Troubleshoes Clyde, I liked him a lot. Poor guy seemed incredibly depressed (I was getting a real Eeyore vibe from him, ya know, the donkey from Winnie the Pooh?), and for good reason too; after all, he seemed to think he was just a troublemaking clutz and nothing else, and all thanks to his cutie mark to boot. I've actually explored the very same thing with Derpy in my one fanfiction, so believe me, I can understand how a pony in his position would get depressed like that, and I think the writers did a good job explaining just why he's so down-in-the-dumps. Dude didn't even seem cynical, just really, really bummed, and I can't really blame him; his heart was in the right place, and he was certainly passionate about something, but he thought for most of his life that he simply couldn't be a part of what he was passionate about. So once again we got a character and the message of an episode revolving around cutie marks, and I thought that once again it worked effectively here as it has throughout Season 5. We probably won't see him again this season, or at least not before the finale, but for a one-off character, he worked really well. Also, I have to admit that I was just a little shocked to see a stallion bigger than Big Macintosh; gotta admit, I never thought I'd see the day.
     




    See what I mean, don't ya just see pony-Eeyore when you see this guy?


     
    All in all, there's not much else to say about this one. I did like getting to see Appleoosa and its townsfolk again; I think both the town and the ponies living in it have very unique designs, and that's always a pleasure to see in the show. It was also kinda funny how at home Applejack felt around all the mostly-earth ponies garbed in Western attire. But other than those final thoughts, I don't have too much to say about this one. It was an average episode, but in a good way; it had a nice message, was just as entertaining as it needed to be, and I can't really think of anything bad to say about it. I liked this one, I liked it just fine.
  21. Batbrony
    As promised last week, a brand spanking new chapter of Batmare Begins has just been uploaded, which you can find here. I want to thank all of my followers for their patience and continued support, and to anyone who hasn't yet checked out my story, I'd really love it if you gave it a chance! If any new readers like it enough, likes, favorites, and follows are always appreciated, as are comments and feedback on what I might do to improve the story. Hope those of you who read the chapter like it, and have a nice day everypony! I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*
     



  22. Batbrony
    Evening everypony, I hope you've all had a Happy and Blessed Easter Sunday! I just wanted to let you all know that I've just uploaded a new chapter of my first and, to date, only fanfiction, Batmare Begins, which you can find here. I want to thank all of my friends and fic followers for their patience and continued support, and to anyone who hasn't yet checked out my story, I'd really love it if you gave it a chance! The story stars everypony's favorite mailmare, Derpy Hooves, as she embarks on a journey to discover who she is and what she's meant to do, leading her towards her destiny with a certain cape and cowl. If any new readers like it enough, likes, favorites, and follows are always very much appreciated, as are comments and feedback on what I might do to improve the story. Happy Easter everypony, and I hope you enjoy this small holiday present of mine.
     
    P.S. A big shoutout to my BFF DashForever for previewing and helping me edit the new chapter, as always! You're the best, buddy!
     



  23. Batbrony
    Hey ya'll, just wanted to give ya an update on my ongoing fanfic, Batmare Begins. It's been awhile since I updated it, but I just wanted to reassure any longtime readers of mine that yes, I am still writing it with every intention of finishing it. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a new chapter posted before the New Year; I'll definitely have a lot more time to write once the semester ends this week.
     
    To anyone who has yet to read Batmare Begins, I am always happy to have new readers, and would love if any of you decided to take a look at it! The fic's very much a passion project, I won't deny that; after all, I'm crossing over my favorite superhero, Batman, with my favorite pony, Derpy. BUT that's not to say that I'm not trying to inject as much quality into this fic as I can; heck, that's half the reason writing chapters takes so long. Anyways, if any of you are looking for something to read, you just might enjoy what I've got written so far (which is most of the fic's first act), and again, I'd appreciate any support I can get. Cheers!
     
    If you'd like to take a look at Batmare Begins, click here.
     



     

    Batmare Begins cover art by
    Midnight Scribbler

  24. Batbrony
    Hey, hey, hey ya'll, guess what? I just released a new chapter of Batmare Begins, that's what! This latest chapter is fairly short, but has a lot of important developments all the same. If you'd like, head on over and give it a look. If you're a first time reader of my fic, any likes, favorites, follows, comments or critiques are always appreciated. Just click on the link below to get redirected to my fic on Fimfiction. Enjoy everypony!
     

    Batmare Begins, Chapter 8: The Potter's Bounds

     



     

    Gosh I love that. I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*


  25. Batbrony
    Hey guys! Just wanted to let ya'll know that I've got a new chapter up of my ongoing first fanfiction, Batmare Begins, a crossover fanfiction in which Derpy (yes, you read that right ) gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that sets her on a path which will eventually result in her donning a certain cape and cowl. If you'd like to check it out, maybe the fic in general for the first time, I'd very much appreciate it along with any feedback you might be able to give. Just click on the link below to get to the fic. Thanks for reading, and have a nice day everypony!
     

    Batmare Begins

     
    Oh, and if that didn't sell ya on it, perhaps the bad@$$ cover art that Midnight Scribbler made for it will.
     



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