S01:E01+E02 - Friendship is Magic

[Technicolour Dream (Sunny) 38]

personally i like the episodes ver much. the ending could have been better, but the story itself was very well thought out and the moral in the end is very enriching for young children. i can respect that in hopes that some of those kids will actually learn something.

[Athanshadow 14]

At first I was a one of those people that hated mlp ( those stupid social pressures to be a manly!!!) but after a while I slowly came to accept it a bit but I still didnt watch it. Then my friend giddyup (major brony) got me into mlp fim alot!!!!! And now I am obsessed and I still eatch episode one alot because this is my favorite episode because it shows all of the elements greatly. And makes it obvious what the elements are and just makes m happy when I see all the elements in action, performing in perfect unity.

[Adente 1,000]

I honestly didn't like it, but I knew that I must be missing something, that there had to be something good about the show that had all the grown men raving. Since I was in bed sick the weekend I first watched the show, it wasn't like I had anything better to do, so I watched a few more episodes and those made me grow on the show considerably.  I guess the pilot did its job by introducing me to the Mane 6 effectively, if in a somewhat bland manner. But at the end of the day, I still became a fan, so it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of life.

[Scootalove 10,692]

The episode to me, showed that magic and friendship is possible. It taught me that, even when you meet new people those new people that you meet could one day turn out to be the friends that were given to you as a destiny.

Plus, it began the start of Nightmare Moon and a new chapter in friendship for Twilight.

[Davoo 8]

I was really looking forward to seeing the pilot again, given that so many people now look back on it thinking, "aw yeah, the show was better back then; it's weaker now". I dunno. I feel that it's just the result of bent expectations.

 

Watching this episode, all you can compare it to is the previous MLP generations. The newer episodes, well, you can compare to this.

 

I think the way they introduce the characters is fantastic, the music, the pacing, the animation, and the general production value are as good as they always are. But at the same time, the broad strokes of the narrative are pretty haphazard.

 

See what I realized was that I hardly go back and re-watch episodes. So what I'm doing is watching every episode again between today and the season four premiere. Watching one episode every four days will be right on time to next January. So in four days, I'll watch part 2.

[FierceCroc 3]

I liked these episodes but I also did not like them at the same time if that makes any sense? Haha.

The reasons why I liked the first two episodes are: The character design caught my attention and I actually didn’t know that this was even the original air date the day I saw it.

i think it should be edited together with the second half as a roughly 45 minute feature, hell I’d pay for that on dvd.

I agree completely with you on that.

 

I also felt that this show was much more than just a children’s show, I watched it with my 6,8, and 9 year old cousins and their parents and we all liked it.

The reason why I didn't like them: It felt a little too corny for my tastes.

[Pony Of The Month 535]

I really love part 1, because it's a hilarious satirical deconstruction of the show's genre. Twilight is reacting to the ponyville ponies the same way that the average person would react to technicolor ponies.

 

I don't love part 2 as much however....

 

It's not a bad episode. It's just weak imo compared to part 1. I really like Giggle At The Ghosties, and the Nightmare Moon scene, but overall, this episode could've been better.

[Davoo 8]

Indeed, anyone who wants to stake the claim that the show's writing has become weaker in recent times... go back and watch episode 2 again.

 

The way they overcome the challenges is so cheesy.

 

You know that the five of them represent the five elements really early on (if not instantly).

 

Yet the episode has a two minute explanation speech.

 

The Crystal Empire episode had an even more haphazard narrative, but it didn't have nearly this much facepalm-inducing corniness.

 

But this episode still has the characters, animation and underlying personality that I love about the show, so keep in mind I still really like it. It just has a lot of annoyances, and I felt the need to bring them up because I think people are starting to glorify the first season over the third, only because it was the first episodes they saw; and not for the actual content of the program.

 

Anyway, like I said before, I'm on a schedule to go back and re-watch every episode over the course of the year. If I watch one every four days, that should drop me off right around the end of the year, when season four will hopefully begin.

[Azure Flames 303]

so i was watching the japanese one and i just noticed something nightmare moon was in the hour glass so i checked in the English one too i never noticed this b4

here a youtube vid of the episode watch from 4:42 to 4:45 and look at the hourglass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMh3uxgFGZM

[Thunderchild 875]

I liked it, having already seen a bunch of other episodes while discovering the show. It was good to see the origin of the characters, and the personality development from then to now.

As far as the storyline goes, well-you've kind of got to leave your brain at the door on the way in-it being a show geared towards little kids, but I enjoyed it, and will probably re-watch it sometime in the future.

[ToxicNinja78 148]

I love both of those episodes. They're my second- and third-favorite episodes. ("Luna Eclipsed" is first. Luna's so awesome. )

[RollPlay 19]

I loved the first two episodes .. honestly i hadnt even thought about watching MLP until my friends made me watch these on halloween

[thebobmaster 31]

I enjoy writing reviews, and this seems a good place to exercise that enjoyment, especially since I know I'm surrounded by the target audience! Also, since I know it might be a bit confusing, my "grading scale" has 5/10 as the average, not 7/10 like many reviewers/review sites. Therefore, while a 6/10 may seem low, I'm actually saying it is above average. Think 7.5/10 on a scale with 7/10 as the average.

 

The basic plot of this two-parter follows our main character, Twilight Sparkle (voiced by Tara Strong, an extremely accomplished voice actress). Convinced that the evil Nightmare Moon is about to awaken from her thousand-year slumber, bringing an endless night in the process, Twilight voices her concerns to her teacher, Princess Celestia (voiced by Nicole Oliver, who has done quite a few anime dubs, as well as voicing Betty Ross for "Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow). However, Princess Celestia (seriously, why is it always "Princess"? Don't queens ever do any ruling?) seems to brush off Twilight, sending her and her assistant young dragon Spike (voiced by Cathy Weseluck, who did the English dub of Near in "Death Note") to the town of Ponyville to make some friends.

 

Once there, she eventually comes across the down-home pony Applejack (voiced by Ashleigh Ball, lead singer for the band Hey Ocean), tompony Rainbow Dash (Ashleigh Ball again), fashionista Rarity (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, who did the English dub for Naomi Misora in "Death Note") , hyperactive Pinkie Pie (voiced by Andrea Libman, who did the voice of Madeline for the TV series way back in the 90's), and shy, well, Fluttershy (Andrea Libman again). Needless to say, however, Twilight discovers her fears are true at the end of part one, when Nightmare Moon (Tabitha St. Germain again) reveals that she has kidnapped Princess Celestia, and plans to make the night last forever! Cue evil laugh, and our heroines rushing to save the day in part 2.

 

 

It may seem like I've revealed a lot of the plot but, to be honest, it isn't exactly original. Villain reveals themselves after being locked away for [insert number here] years, group of heroes goes to save the day. That said, the second part is surprisingly well done. While part one was mostly spent on introducing the characters, part two returns to the quest, which honestly is depicted kind of epically. On top of that, each character gets a chance to shine, showing not only who they are, but proving there is no Ma-Ti in this group. You know, that one person who gets stuck with the sucky power and can't contribute? But hey, shows live and die off of their actors. If the acting sucks, even the most elaborate plot will fall apart.

 

Luckily, the voice acting is one of the strongest parts of the show. As you may have noticed from the voice actors, there are quite a few repeats. The thing is, they do a good job of sounding like different characters. For example, while Applejack has a fairly strong southern accent, and a higher-pitched voice, Rainbow Dash's voice is more scratchy and low-pitched. While Pinkie Pie, as befitting her hyperactive nature, has a very high pitched, quick talking type of voice, Fluttershy has a more mellow, softer voice (though still somewhat high-pitched). The biggest star, at least at this point, is Tara Strong as Twilight Sparkle, however. She conveys her various emotions throughout the show very effectively. Scared, annoyed, prideful, depressed, she covers all the bases. So, the voice acting is quite solid. But how are the characters? I mean, we have had all of 40 minutes. How much development could these characters get?

 

Well...not that much, to be honest. Don't get me wrong. You definitely get a sense of what every character's traits are, and when everypony is given their powers as befitting their main trait (Generosity, Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, and Kindness), you really get the sense that the characters show that element, rather than just "Yeah, they totally deserve that. Not". However, there just isn't much time spent on developing the characters beyond those basic traits.

 

Overall, these episodes, when combined...aren't all that impressive. Don't get me wrong. Even at the beginning, it is better than many kid's shows today. The stakes are effectively set, the plot feels surprisingly epic, and the voice acting is amazingly good. However, the characters just aren't all that developed, and the villain doesn't really have much going for her outside of her scheme and being a reference to Maleficent. You do get some glimmers of what makes the show stand out, however. There are references to things kids will not get (Spike getting called "Casanova", a plot reference to Androcle's Lion), along with a few jokes that are a bit...adult (Twilight's reaction to Pinkie Pie's chattering being pouring herself a drink), with the show avoiding feeling like it pulled a solution from its rear at the last second.

 

Final Score: 6/10

Edited April 17, 2013 by thebobmaster

[Zerobot 179]

I enjoy writing reviews, and this seems a good place to exercise that enjoyment, especially since I know I'm surrounded by the target audience! Also, since I know it might be a bit confusing, my "grading scale" has 5/10 as the average, not 7/10 like many reviewers/review sites. Therefore, while a 6/10 may seem low, I'm actually saying it is above average. Think 7.5/10 on a scale with 7/10 as the average.

 

I think this'd go in the Show Discussion section, or even more accurately the S01:E01+E02 thread

 

Good review, I agree that the first two episodes are ...eh, good enough, but there's plenty of room for improvement. Which is probably a good thing, in a way. It helped walk the first bronies towards the conclusion that it's a good show. It started mediocre, and just went up from there. It's new characters that need to develop, and thankfully they sure did. I think that's also good, in a way. The characters started out somewhat one dimensional, seeming like cookie cutter characters. Then as season 1 progressed, their lovable qualities shined through and all was right with the world.

 

Edit: Typed this reply to your post and was notified of my lack of permission to respond. Had to hunt ya down again 

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

Snip

Hello. I found your post extremely insightful and I always enjoy reading episode reviews. I look forward to future ones from you. However, we generally discourage people form making new threads to share these, mainly because they have potential to crowd out other topics. This is why I've merged your review with the thread for discussing the episodes in question, and when you make more reviews I encourage you to post them in the topics for the episodes you are reviewing .

 

Good luck and thank you!

[thebobmaster 31]

 

Hello. I found your post extremely insightful and I always enjoy reading episode reviews. I look forward to future ones from you. However, we generally discourage people form making new threads to share these, mainly because they have potential to crowd out other topics. This is why I've merged your review with the thread for discussing the episodes in question, and when you make more reviews I encourage you to post them in the topics for the episodes you are reviewing .

 

Good luck and thank you!

 

 

All right, no problem. Don't worry, I have other reviews. On another website, I have up to and including "Swarm of the Century" reviewed, so you'll get more insight. And I'll make sure to put them in the proper topics. Thanks for moving it.

[True Rarity 1,240]

Actually, I JUST WATCHED these episodes for the very first time! They were my first MLP Friendship Is Magic episodes I watched, and I LOVE IT SO MUCH! Rarity fits me completely (except her accent).

BUT... there is one part that I don't really like. It's the sea serpent. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Rarity's act of generosity, it's just the sea serpent himself. His voice and appearance, mostly, and especially because my dad walked in right at that moment and cast a confused and overall strange look at the TV. And I REALLY want to keep watching this series.

 

But, for a first episode, I was so amazed and hypnotized that I am entirely certain I will continue to watch the series, even if I have to reduce it to when my parents aren't there.

 

And judging by what you all say, it's probably going to get even BETTER!!!!

 

"I'm excited, are you excited? I've never been so excited in my life! Well, except when I met you on the road and I was all like (gasps)..."

~Pinkie Pie

Edited April 19, 2013 by True Rarity

[thebobmaster 31]

 

Actually, I JUST WATCHED these episodes for the very first time! They were my first MLP Friendship Is Magic episodes I watched, and I LOVE IT SO MUCH! Rarity fits me completely (except her accent).

BUT... there is one part that I don't really like. It's the sea serpent. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Rarity's act of generosity, it's just the sea serpent himself. His voice and appearance, mostly, and especially because my dad walked in right at that moment and cast a confused and overall strange look at the TV. And I REALLY want to keep watching this series.

 

But, for a first episode, I was so amazed and hypnotized that I am entirely certain I will continue to watch the series, even if I have to reduce it to when my parents aren't there.

 

And judging by what you all say, it's probably going to get even BETTER!!!!

 

"I'm excited, are you excited? I've never been so excited in my life! Well, except when I met you on the road and I was all like (gasps)..."

~Pinkie Pie

 

 

Trust me, compared to what comes later, this episode is nowhere near as good. Not saying it's bad, but the later episodes get much better.

[True Rarity 1,240]

   

 

Trust me, compared to what comes later, this episode is nowhere near as good. Not saying it's bad, but the later episodes get much better.

O.o Really?!?!? This is amazing! I am SO glad I decided to start watching the show!!! I'd better get on it if I'm going to reach the better episodes! 

Edited April 19, 2013 by True Rarity

[Starlight Song 44]

You can try and ask me who did I thought Maredo Well was, if  I knew Celestia's bird was phoenix, or who did done it on the Friendship Express.

I wouldn't be able to remember if a gun was pointed to my head. It's been about 2 years since first becoming a bronie, and I can barely remember my first reactions. The only one I can think of was this very first episode, laughing at it with my friends, telling them how stupid it was. Little did they know, later on whenever I would see a pony shirt I would start hyperventaling.

O.o Really?!?!? This is amazing! I am SO glad I decided to start watching the show!!! I'd better get on it if I'm going to reach the better episodes! 

That's awesome that you just started becoming a bronie and you made it to these forum websites already!! Welcome to the herd!

Edited April 20, 2013 by Starlight Song

[True Rarity 1,240]

You can try and ask me who did I thought Maredo Well was, if  I knew Celestia's bird was phoenix, or who did done it on the Friendship Express.

I wouldn't be able to remember if a gun was pointed to my head. It's been about 2 years since first becoming a bronie, and I can barely remember my first reactions. The only one I can think of was this very first episode, laughing at it with my friends, telling them how stupid it was. Little did they know, later on whenever I would see a pony shirt I would start hyperventaling.

 

That's awesome that you just started becoming a bronie and you made it to these forum websites already!! Welcome to the herd!

Oh! Thank you! Yes, I am a fan of MLP! I thought a brony was a fan of MLP who's a boy, though... But it doesn't matter. If it refers to both genders, I'M IN! BROHOOF!!!

[Starlight Song 44]

Oh! Thank you! Yes, I am a fan of MLP! I thought a brony was a fan of MLP who's a boy, though... But it doesn't matter. If it refers to both genders, I'M IN! BROHOOF!!!

Actually brony does mean bro + pony, but some people use it for both girl and boy. There's been some debates swirling around on what to call the girls, the same name for the boys or not. The main term for girls is Pegasister.

I'm a pegasister also.

[True Rarity 1,240]

Ooh, Pegasister! Well, that's awesome!

I guess you could call me a Pegasister, then!

That's such an awesome term. WOW, I am loving this website!

[pawz9 7]

I think the reason these two episodes were slow is because they had to set the stage for what was to come later in the show with them introducing the mane 6 as well as twilight's reason for staying in ponyville so all in all I enjoyed these episodes

[drawingpandapony 84]

This was the first ever episode I saw!