S06:E18 - Buckball Season

[Luminance 2,186]

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy hiding in the cargo car was so darn cute!

[cider float 2,538]

This suddenly makes me think what if an earth pony wanted to play the blocker or a pegasus wanted to play the catcher? Would that be okay?

[weesh 690]

I've noticed Fluttershy can grab things with her hair and she has control over it, a trait she didn't used to have. I wonder why she could suddenly use her hair like that?

 

The only other times I can remember prehensile pony tails are:

1. Bats!: fluttershy could hang from her tail (and recall that they strongly implied she wasn't fully healed from that)
2. Filli Vanilli: fluttershy again hangs from her tail behind the curtain, potentially implying that some bat power still remains.

I really doubt that the writer of Buckball was taking this into account, but it has a shockingly logical precedent.  

[AmberDust 1,118]

 

 

have to say, this episode seems to lack depth, the moral was maybe a tad too obvious and easily solved...

Season Six has been like that consistently. :/ 

[Truffles 2,033]

This suddenly makes me think what if an earth pony wanted to play the blocker or a pegasus wanted to play the catcher? Would that be okay?

 

I would think they would have to change the rules to not allow the unicorn to raise the basket higher than what the earth pony was capable of jumping. It seems problematic at best, however.

 

I suppose a pegasus could be catcher, however, if they strapped the basket sideways onto their back.

[Sonic5421 423]

This suddenly makes me think what if an earth pony wanted to play the blocker or a pegasus wanted to play the catcher? Would that be okay?

 

Not sure. However, reorganizing the roles of everyone would create some new ideas to try out for Buckball to see if they would work or not before going back to the normal setup if they don't work out.

[Aurora Storm 83]

This episode wasn't epic but it was cute. It catered more towards the younger audience I think, teaching about competition vs fun and how both personality types have their place and respect differences etc, etc. I liked Pinkie and Fluttershy interacting together though. They're both adorable but different and it's not often that they focus on them together like that, evening showing somewhat of a common mindset. I would have loved to watch Andrea and Ashleigh record this episode so it was all about their characters.

[cider float 2,538]

Not sure. However, reorganizing the roles of everyone would create some new ideas to try out for Buckball to see if they would work or not before going back to the normal setup if they don't work out.

Sounds like a possible idea for another episode of Buckball, a bit cliche but MLP does tend to have cliche episodes too.

Since there was a part where Spike and Big Mac were trading Buckball cards, I suppose there's a professional version of this as well?

Edited September 9, 2016 by cider float

[Sonic5421 423]

Sounds like a possible idea for another episode of Buckball, a bit cliche but MLP does tend to have cliche episodes too.

Since there was a part where Spike and Big Mac were trading Buckball cards, I suppose there's a professional version of this as well?

 

That is very much likely after watching this episode.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

I adored Snails! So happy that he was added in, and shown to be skilled, competent, and funny.

Little colt just got a new fan!

And Pinkie was pretty cute and funny through the whole episode, too. All her little rump bumps and kicking styles!

[simba86 1,541]

I thought it was a pretty good episode,

[Sh Pie 65]

This was a decent episode with an awesome Braeburn appearance near the end. I liked the moral that not all ponies can cope under pressure and play to win. Some just want to have fun and don't care about the result. It was strange how many incompetent unicorns there are though. However, few have heard of Buckball before so I guess they shouldn't be expected to understand the game after just one practice session. Twilight and Starlight have great magic so I wonder why they weren't asked to try out. Maybe they declined. Fluttershy shows once more how scary she can be when she loses her composure.

 

The only other times I can remember prehensile pony tails are:

1. Bats!: fluttershy could hang from her tail (and recall that they strongly implied she wasn't fully healed from that)
2. Filli Vanilli: fluttershy again hangs from her tail behind the curtain, potentially implying that some bat power still remains.

I really doubt that the writer of Buckball was taking this into account, but it has a shockingly logical precedent.  

I think your theory is plausible.

[takai 1,060]

I found this one to be incredibly boring. I could hardly pay attention. But at least they utilized a side character in a nice way.

[Jangocoolguy 433]

It started out fun and interesting...then we got a predictable moral about "pressure vs. fun" that's been done in many, many other cartoons & kids' shows that destracted from it.

 

Still, at least we got this...

 

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

This felt like a Season 1 episode. I think it worked well with AJ and RD (eventually) realizing that FS and PP don't have the same perspective as they might on the game of Buckball. It once again sends the message that there's all kind of folks, and what one might see in one way, someone else could see in an entirely different light, and neither viewpoint would be entirely wrong or entirely right. The moral of this episode was both that and a kind of a comment on the concept of the Centipede's Dilemma... sometimes, just relaxing and having fun with something gets better results than focusing on and stressing about it. Follow the funky flow!

 

I also liked that they incorporated Snails into the story, and gave him something other than being one half of the "screw-up twins". He had a moment to shine, in which something which is usually a disadvantage was being used to good effect, showing that even a weakness can become a strength. Plus his skill with unicorn magic has come a long way from when he needed 5 or 10 seconds to generate a simple light spell as in Boast Busters.

 

It's also good that AJ and RD came to their own conclusion about what the problem was, and how best to solve it, without their part in making the problem being hammered in to them by some kind of disaster. Compared to something like AJ's obliviousness in Somepony to Watch over Me, or Applejack's "Day" Off, this is far more satisfying and natural.

 

All in all, Buckball Season gets a comfortable 4/5 rating from me.

[EmeraldStar04 250]

I had no idea how much I needed Buckball Master Pinkie in my life until now.

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

They actually did a good job with Snails. Heck, in my opinion he's surpassed their development of Sweetie Belle or Bucket of Chicken (Scootaloo?).

[BlinkZ 1,151]

Yeah still can't like this episode. It just feel really really forced...game invented for the soul purpose of conflict, Applejack pride over something so...so meaningless...Snails is the highlight(that just..what that say about the episodes if snails is the best part!?)

 

Ugh this season was not kind of the apple mare at all.

[Widdershins 9,959]

 THEY CHANGED BRAEBURN'S CUTE VOICE! AUTOMATIC DOWNER! WORST EPISODE! Hah, I kid!

  Don't need to be as angry as that one bushy-browed brown stallion in the stands towards the end scenes! There's always one sports fan who's going out to the parking lot afterwards to pick a fight!

   Man, what an awesome episode! It's one of those that reminds me why I love this show! It's got those moments where its clearly bragging about how much room they give the animators. They don't neeed to have the faces that exaggerated or that much bouncing around, yet its done just subtle enough to where its not drawing so much attention to it to be obnoxious. Often I didn't want to so much as blink lest I miss some cute little funny second of animation! A rather good moral I should say too! Maybe... sure, a tad forced, but considering the set up & players its believable enough. There's that moment Rainbow makes some comment about how they're just suddenly worse for some reason and Applejack makes a quick motion like "Ah, shut it Dash... Clearly we just need to train them harder!"  If there's any ponies that might make the misstep of forgetting the little fact that other ponies are other ponies, it'd be these two, and its not blatant enough to me to make them seem stupid. Though... really, you didn't think being competitive was something against Fluttershy's character? ...you are lifelong friends with her aren't you, Dashie?

    It's a lesson I think even more mature audiences like teens or adults could learn. Especially those of us more anxiety prone... When Fluttershy (...I think it was her, honestly, she's kind of a forgetable character to me) says something to the effect of "but how can we have fun when we know others are counting on us?" my mind immediately draws a blank, then sits up to pay attention. It's not often a show can blindsight me with stuff I can't see coming & when you can do that to teach me a life lesson, its more then welcome!

  Pinkie & Rainbow were a bright spot this episode! Maybe its because her lil' pom-pom pigtails are so darn adorable, but it feels like ages since we've had Pinkie just rolling along & being her genuine bubbly self! I mean, just her giggling at her own jokes or in the middle of her conversations seems a bit like heavy-handed character delivery. Letting her just play like what she does with the ball, that just warms my heart. Not to mention Dash though, competition is her lifeblood and her just totally Rocky-ing her way through that obstacle course like a total Alpha Mare is just... Mmnnn! Gal's in her element, I tell ya what!

 Oh, and...MIGHT I ADD. We got... character devolopment... for SNAILS!  SNAAAIILS! Gol'dang, writers! Of all the ponies the fandom clamors for, and you pick him? And then do the absolute, most respectful, genuine & good job of it? Man. We need to stop complaining! You see, I do love a good oaf. He pretty much hand delivered the moral, while still being mostly inconsequential towards the story so that he doesn't really need to come back for more episodes. Sure, he knows stuffs on the line, but he just doesn't care. He's just happy to be involved! He's normal, laid-back & dumb. Who ever said being stupid was a bad thing? Just all the way through, he has that zen look on his face of "Cool, this'll be fun." No doubt he does get afraid, say, something like Tirek comes stomping through, but this? Eh, its a game, Snails does what Snails can. It's cool. Yeah, sure, tomorrow he'll still be throwing rocks at a wasp hive with Snips, but today sure was fun! Sometimes we need a completely ineffectual character!  "I don't think. Like...eeeever."

 

   Heheh... Fun little game for our... more "mature" demographic. You know that "word" we older bronies replace with Buck? YOu know, by changing that one letter? Well, switch it back around whenever you hear it in this episode and giggle your hindquarters off! There is just so much comedy gold in this episode for Out Of Context Humor.

  "It's all about Ball Control" -Rainbow Dash, 2016

 

   That gorgeous blond unicorn mare with the wavy mane & cookie cutie mark is back again. Huh, its weird how everytime she's on screen she immediately catches my eye.There has got to be a story behind her. That design is just too good to be some throwaway background character!

On 1/4/2017 at 10:47 PM, BlinkZ said:

It just feel really really forced...game invented for the soul purpose of conflict, Applejack pride over something so...so meaningless...

   Yeah, kind of is after all. But this is a partial slice of life show after all. Some minor town rivalry is suitable enough low-stakes. If the show was always about some monster attacking the little town of Ponyville, that could get real old real quick. But Pride is something pretty integral to Applejack, she's a farm-grown mare steeped in tradition & family values, shutting down her cousins smack-talk is what's crucial in the moment and little flaws like that can go a long way towards making a strong, lovable character. Uhh... though if anything, Rainbow getting so invested in this is even more petty on her front... "I heard there was competition here! INVOLVE ME!!"

 

[Pastel 7,630]

I really liked this one, maybe my favorite since season 5. For once Fluttershy wasn't a complete doormat, and I just enjoyed the 4 mane 6 throughout the episode.

Snails was an original touch too, loved how he did his yoga thing during the practice.

 

Also I felt like this episode was animated a bit differently than the others (especially the face of the characters), and there were some 3D effects in the train.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Blobulle

[Moony the Cat 3,702]

I loved this Episode, it was very funny and i found Pinkie Pie to be really cute in this one. I mean first i hated her, now i really like her. I never thought that my Opinion could change that much. I found it a bit weird, that after all this Friendship Lessons, Applejack and Rainbowdash still acted a bit to aggressive to two more light hearted Ponys in the group, they should have known better, but this Episode was overall way to entertaining for me to not love it.

[Nye 1,652]

This episode didn’t really have a lot going on, but I thought it was pretty cool to see  Applejack and Rainbow Dash accept that they can’t be the best at every athletic task.

[Ruddboy Olaf 10,628]

I found this episode to be excellent. Pinkie and Fluttershy we're more adorable than ever and Snails was finally shown not to be useless.

[bigbertha 414]

I like this episode. It's simple, but there's enough entertaining moments to keep me interested. 

Score: 7/10

[NathanW200 306]

I think Fluttershy was the most enjoyable I love her spinning tail moves and how she uses only her tail to play buckball it's adorable Fluttershy was my favorite in this episode

Edited August 11, 2018 by NathanW200