S04:E08 - Rarity Takes Manehattan

[Radiance64 7,051]

Man oh man, this episode was something special. After last week's 'Bats!' being a total home run, DHX hits another homer with Rarity Takes Manehatten.

This episode is pure win. Besides a few minor things, everything about this episode delivered- the story, new characters, the song, the full range of emotions it went through- it all just blew me away.

I'll admit, the first scene with Rarity and Spike wasn't the greatest... but still, it's not like he doesn't want to do things for her, you know? From there though, we get the start of what will be a chain of generosity throughout the episode, where she has the tickets to Hinny of the Hills for her and her friends, and then off to Manehatten we go! And what a city it is, even if the overall scenery is a bit referential(big 'ol statue of liberty pony anyone? And Bridleway? Really?), it's still pretty great. The whole story is basically Rarity's chain of generosity, showing both what good it does her and what consequences it can have, and ultimately showing how it can rub off on others. Overall, the episode has a fantastic message I'd say.

We got a couple signifigant new characters here as well, first we have the infamous Suri Polomare. She was the one who used Rarity's generosity to her advantage, outright stealing her designs. I think they did exactly what they wanted to do with the character, giving an antagonist who's both lovable in some ways and despicable in others, basically Rarity's Trixie(except way better than Trixie). Then we got Coco Pommel, who despite not being the biggest part of the episode seems to be one of the fandom's newest obsessions. She was the one who Rarity's generosity rubbed off on, giving her the trophy Rarity won in the fashion contest after she ran off to look for her friends, who she saw her apologize to. Overall, I liked her, but don't think she's as memorable as Suri honestly.

And here we have the song, Generosity. It was basically Rarity's 'I am' song, ala Pinkie's 'Smile Song'. Starting off with an ironic self-referential quip from Rainbow Dash, we jump into what's basically a broadway-style musical montage of generosity on display all over Manehatten. The song, despite being a little lyrically forced in places, is just wonderful, Kazumi Evans doesn't go through her full vocal range here exactly but what she does sing is beautiful, simple but beautiful. The rest of the mane 6 sans Twilight also get their own little part which was also pretty good. Overall, while it could have been a bit more exciting and layered, Generosity is a great song. There's even a reprise later after Rarity finds her friends had gone after she hadn't treated them well, the empathy/sadness level the reprise displays is certainly on par with BBBFF's reprise, it's very moving.

Overall though, the best thing the episode has to offer is the range of emotions it puts on display, just as its lead character would be expected to go through. From Rarity being happy with her friends and giving to strangers in Manehatten, to feeling crushed when Suri stole her designs, being harsh to her friends because if it, being sad when she left the show to apologize after not seeing them there, to the song after that, to ultimately making up with them(of course), this episode went through it all. Heck, I couldn't have been the only one who had a look of horror in my eyes when Rarity said that she'd be staying in Manehatten... good thing Coco showed up and Rarity gave her the job instead! Phew... seems this episode tugged the viewer's emotions a bit(well, mine at least) as well, what genius that is!

Also, the ending... not sure what to make of the spools of thread, just that they look like the colors of the Mane 6 plus a rainbow one... all I got really.

Overall, I'd say Rarity Takes Manehatten is one of the best Friendship is Magic episodes of all time, probably my new top favorite actually. Pretty much everything about it was great and executed perfectly, and as a longtime Rarity fanatic I can't tell you how happy I am to have seen an episode this great featuring her after a long, long time of episodes not featuring her at all! Thanks Dave Polsky, really.

10/10

Edited January 5, 2014 by Radiance64

[Emperor Posh 360]

All I have to say about this episode is...... Meh!

I didn't like it.

[Ac3xAssasin 452]

I freakin loved it,  loved the song, loved Rarity's breakdown, but Suri's "...m'kay" at the end of every sentence made me want to throw a brick at my T.V.  overall an amazing Rarity episode (We definitely needed one of those).

 

Also, I would totally hang out around Rarity, I mean she basically gives away free gems.  

[Scootaloo Is Best Filly 576]

I for one loved this. Being from NJ, I have been to New York quite a few times.  And I love seeing episodes in Manehatten. 2 very good songs with a very good lesson. But, is it just me, or is an episode about Rarity's "Generosity" seem, that she was more generous to others than her friends in this? Let's think about this she got them tickets to that play twice. But, it seems like she was mostly thinking about herself through the whole episode.

 

1. Spike carries her bags, and even has to carry more than he thought. No  Thank you at all.

 

2.The other ponies save Rarity's flank by making the Hotel pony rush all the way to the audition because she forgot her dresses. Once Again no thank You for that either.

 

3. She didn't help or even give a proper Thank You to her friends, when they missed dinner, missed the show, and had to stay up nearly half the night making her dresses.

 

Now, it feels strange to me, that she's bending over backwards giving her scarf and big tips to just any pony, but when her friends do something that deserves a thank you. It just feels like she didn't even fricken care. It's like her personality around her friends kinda contradicted that she is supposed to be so generous to others. But, she changed things around and it was obvious that she really did care. Especially after giving up a job of a life time to that pony who was Suri's secretary or whatever it was to be with her friends and because she had been fired.

 

But, other than that loved the episode.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Scootaloo Is Best Filly

[Guest90210 3,567]

It was okay.

 

A lot of things just didn't make sense. Why did Twilight need tickets to get into that event? I'm sure a princess could get into any "sold out" show with ease. Why was Twilight waiting for a cab and why didn't her or Dash just fly Rarity to her destination? Why was Rarity made out to be heartless and unthoughtful for complaining to her friends for them being worried about the play and not her fashion show? I also didn't like the songs at all.

 

But it wasn't a bad episode. The overall story was pretty good and the pacing was good. I also liked all of the background characters and voice actors. Maybe I'll like it more on a second viewing.

[JonPear 209]

The antagonist, Suri wasn't really what I enjoyed, she seemed like a generic villain and I didn't really care for that

 

Suri did kinda make Diamond Tiara seem as diabolical as Nightmare Moon by relative comparison, didn't she? 

[ghostfacekiller39 23,857]

I for one loved this. Being from NJ, I have been to New York quite a few times.  And I love seeing episodes in Manehatten. 2 very good songs with a very good lesson. But, is it just me, or is an episode about Rarity's "Generosity" seem, that she was more generous to others than her friends in this? Let's think about this she got them tickets to that play twice. But, it seems like she was mostly thinking about herself through the whole episode.

 

1. Spike carries her bags, and even has to carry more than he thought. No  Thank you at all.

 

2.The other ponies save Rarity's flank by making the Hotel pony rush all the way to the audition because she forgot her dresses. Once Again no thank You for that either.

 

3. She didn't help or even give a proper Thank You to her friends, when they missed dinner, missed the show, and had to stay up nearly half the night making her dresses.

 

Now, it feels strange to me, that she's bending over backwards giving her scarf and big tips to just any pony, but when her friends do something that deserves a thank you. It just feels like she didn't even fricken care. It's like her personality around her friends contradicted that she is supposed to be so generous to others. But, other than that loved the episode.

Hey now, just because she didn't say "Thank You" doesn't mean she wasn't generous

 

I mean, think about it.

 

She got them tickets to a show that was sold out for months.

 

After she flipped and made them miss it, she literally went out of her way to get them a private screening, almost staying in Manehattan and giving me a heart attack at the same time

 

If that's not generous, than I don't know what is

[Scootaloo Is Best Filly 576]

Hey now, just because she didn't say "Thank You" doesn't mean she wasn't generous

 

I mean, think about it.

 

She got them tickets to a show that was sold out for months.

 

After she flipped and made them miss it, she literally went out of her way to get them a private screening, almost staying in Manehattan and giving me a heart attack at the same time

 

If that's not generous, than I don't know what is

 

True, it just felt a little weird that the other ponies were working so hard on her dresses and she didn't even offer to help. But, she did buy them dinner and those tickets twice. So, yeah Rarity's generous it just felt a little weird to me, but I loved the episode.

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

Okay, I thought that 'Suited For Success' was an excellent episode, and it remained my favorite Rarity episode until about ten minutes ago.  This one though...  I found it to be all-around fantastic!  The song is definitely my favorite of the season so far, I found the characters to be spot on, and most importantly the message was actually quite deep and I thought that it was handled very well.  I'd actually consider saying that this episode is tied with the premiere as my favorite of the season.

 

All in all, I found it to be a great addition to the season.  No complaints here.

[Scion of Arcadia 69]

I loved it. My favorite episode of Season 4 so far bar none. Rarity, one of my favorites, gets her season premiere in a fabulous way with something that highlights her element (perhaps a bit much). The song was fantastic, one of the few that I genuinely enjoyed instead of merely enduring. There were some quality humor in there, some of the remarks actually made me openly chuckle. The villain was reasonable and I loved Coco. And one of the best parts? World building. Finally, something showing that the world isn't all Ponyville and Canterlot. We get to see a major city that had previously only been seen in a flashback. I love getting to see more of the world outside those two places. All this adds up to one of my favorite episodes. Period.

[SomariFeyWright 776]

This episode was a HUGE improvement over what I view as less-than-perfect episodes like "Flight to the Finish" and "Bats!", and is a strong contender for my favorite episode of the season.

 

For starters, not only is it a Rarity episode, but it's the first episode of hers to really emphasize her generous side without seeming too overall mean-spirited. She's not just helping friends - she's offering to everypony around her, not outright expecting anything in return. She gives more than she needs, not even asking for change, for the simplest of things, and we even get an explanation and a song to explain the benefits OF being generous.

 

Also, keeping in mind that this takes place in a rural area, densely-populated with ponies, this episode could have EASILY been the most mean-spirited of the show, showing off the stereotypes often expressed through cityfolk and how no one is ever grateful or ever kind no matter how kind a person is, and that it's a Diamond Dog eat Diamond Dog world. But no, everypony she gave to willingly gave back in exchange (excluding Suri, of course), and all of the conflicts this episode could have had were mostly averted, and for the most part, this episode was a very kind-hearted episode, vastly opposed to last week's. And heck, even when the episode WAS mean-spirited, it went out of her way to show remorse. Not just showing her guilt, not just making her feel bad, but she completely abandoned the show in order to give a proper apology to her friends. She could've waited; in many sitcoms or anything where this was an issue, she would've won and THEN felt sorry; but no, she completely jeopardized any chance of success in exchange for keeping her friends. And of course she felt bad when she thought she lost; even the most generous people don't like to lose, I'd say - she pushed all of that past, accepting that at least she hadn't lost the bonds with her friends.

 

And while Suri herself was a rather pathetic villain (in terms of how well she was considered), the way they made use of her sidekick was nice. All throughout the episode, I was worried she'd just be a no-focus side-character, existing for the sole purpose of just showing how despicable the antagonist is without getting proper closure. But no, they actually took the time to express the guilt she felt and the lessons she learned by Rarity's generosity. She was pitiful, and having the understanding that she quit her job and stole the trophy back for Rarity's sake managed to be a very satisfying conclusion.

 

This was definitely Rarity's shining episode, and I earned so so SO much respect watching her here. Once I take the time to analyze my positions of the Mane Six again, she may very well lose her status as least favorite Mane just for how wonderfully portrayed she was this episode.

 

Without any hesitation, I give this episode a generous 9/10. Great job Hasbro!

[Guest]

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Edited December 22, 2016 by plzremoveaccountfdfd

[GreatFluttershy 3]

IT WAS SO AWESOME! I loved everything about this episode

[crazitaco 596]

The over the top "I am so generous look at me" thing at the beginning was out of character and killed the episode for me. The ending was good and the lesson was good, but nuh uh.

 

Oh yeah I did forget that Rarity's generosity in the song felt kind of forced. It still doesn't effect the score I gave it. 

Yeah, the first time i heard the song in the preview, i thought the same thing. At first, it seems like its just a "Look, Rarity is a really generous pony" song. In fact, its actually the complete opposite. It sets up the moral conflict of the story, which is that Rarity is being outwardly generous only because she wants others to be generous to her in return. Manehattan is a huge bustling city full of strangers, and this makes Rarity feel insecure. She resolves her insecurity by behaving generously to the strangers, sort of in an attempt to win them over and so they remember her kindness and return it. Later, Rarity learns that she was being kind for the wrong reasons when she basically manipulates and blackmails her friends in return for her previous "generosity". She is absolutely crushed when she realizes that she was "being generous" for the wrong reasons, and goes out of her way to make it up to her friends in the end. Her moment of great realization is the moment when the thread turns rainbow, just to point out

TL;DR: The song was about Rarity being outwardly generous in a sub-consciously manipulative way, and the episode ends with her realizing that her over-the-top generosity was actually rooted in self interest. But she realizes it and makes everything right in the end.

 

 

Best episode of the season, imo. If Rarity wasn't already my favorite of the mane 6, she would be now.

Edited January 6, 2014 by crazitaco

[Shanks 10,811]

 Later, Rarity learns that she was being kind for the wrong reasons when she basically manipulates and blackmails her friends in return for her previous "generosity". She is absolutely crushed when she realizes that she was "being generous" for the wrong

I suppose that actually makes sense, Rarity has shown some significant insecurities throrghout the series and her being so over the top would of course be consistent with that and make the episodes lesson and that song seem a lot less contradictory. I have watched the episode twice, maybe a third time is in order it sure wouldn't be the first time it took me forever to see something about Rarity.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,857]

I'm glad to see Rarity finally getting the respect she deserves

 

And by that, I mean her critics are being fair and not "She's a bitch because blah blah blah minor nitpick blown way out of proportion"

 

Seriously, this topic has made my day, and each response it gives, even the negative ones, are bringing a smile to my face; simply because it shows the growth we're experiencing. We watched the episode with an open mind, and the criticism was fair.

 

Jesus, man. This is a great day for me

 

I'm glad to see the impact this episode has had on people's impressions of Rarity's character. 

 

Polsky, I can't believe he did it...

 

...but he struck gold

 

Best episode EVER!!!!

[Guest]

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Edited December 22, 2016 by plzremoveaccountfdfd

[crazitaco 596]

 

I really hope not. It's bad enough that the writers can't even get Twilight-being-a-Princess right. It already looks stupid to people that cab-drivers in Manehattan are being indifferent to Twilight in spite of her being an Alicorn-Princess. Oversights like that are gonna really look stupid with all of them being Alicorn-Princesses.

 

Fine, but Rarity will be BEST and most fabulous alicorn princess <3

[JonPear 209]

Fine, but Rarity will be BEST and most fabulous alicorn princess <3

 

Don't frighten me   Rarity is so obsessed with having a crown and a title . . .

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvM3XSeGdcQ

 

Clearly she wants to be a Princess for all the wrong reasons. I shudder to think what kind of dictator she'd become if she ever became a Princess.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,857]

Don't frighten me   Rarity is so obsessed with having a crown and a title . . .

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvM3XSeGdcQ

 

Clearly she wants to be a Princess for all the wrong reasons. I shudder to think what kind of dictator she'd become if she ever became a Princess.

Eh?

 

She'd become a dictator?

 

I don't really get that line of reasoning.

[dash3835 20]

i loved this episode 9.5/10 and i normally don't like rarity episodes 

[Vertigo_95 572]

Here is my initial response about the episode where I made on another site after having half-a-mind while watching:

 

This episode was eh. I liked how they had went to Manehattan and explored more of it from the first episode when it was mentioned. They got some of the important landmarks and buildings right, with the Statue of Liberty, what looked like the Chrysler Building, and the theater that would be The Apollo. They had gotten the attitude of New Yorkers in the city right (well some of them). Some things in the episode seemed misplaced, but it was still an alright episode. For a rating, I would give it 6/10. And I happen to live outside "The Heart of the City"

 

After watching it a second time earlier today, my rating for the episode went up from a 6 to a 9. Rarity really showed off her, once element of harmony, generosity and it backfired like it usually does. I will say it makes up for the whole No Rarity Episodes in season 3.

[JonPear 209]

Eh?

 

She'd become a dictator?

 

I don't really get that line of reasoning.

 

Maybe it's just a vibe that I get from her. We've seen how she has a habit of treating other characters like her own servants, right?:

 

 

 

 

. . . and that's without a crown and a title to throw around

Edited January 6, 2014 by JonPear

[ghostfacekiller39 23,857]

Maybe it's just a vibe that I get from her. We've seen how she has a habit of treating other characters like her own servants, right?:

 

 

 

 

. . . and that's without a crown and a title to throw around

-_(

 

Sweetie Belle and Spike pretty much volunteered themselves.

 

And Opal is a dick cat. 

 

Really, Rarity isn't evil enough to be a dictator. She might get a little power trippy every now and again, but she's a genuinely good-hearted mare who, the new episode greatly proves this, care a lot about the well-being of others and goes out of her way to make things better for people.

 

Is she suited to be a ruler? Nahh. Not yet.

 

Would she be a dictator? No, not at all  

[hawkflame 3,308]

*Cue the 2001: A Space Odyssey music*

 

Dun... dun... DUUUUN... DUN DUN!!!

 

Rarity episode was finally here!

 

 

Two years, two FULL YEARS between Rarity episodes!  I mean, I wasn't even a fan when Sweet and Elite aired!  This had better be worth it. Polsky, I hoped he pulled through. 

 

Did he do it?  Do I like it?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrCpumGIoe4

 

Sorry "Too Many Pinkie Pies," we have a new Best Polsky episode.  Better let go of that Season 4 episode crown, Power Ponies.  Hell, I think that Suited For Success has some competition for Best Rarity episode, and that's my favorite from the entire first season. 

 

Where do I begin here?  This episode was just firing on all cylinders.  From a storytelling standpoint, it was great.  This episode really had a lot to accomplish.  It had to introduce us to a new location, brought in several new characters, two songs (or one song and a reprise) and a really huge character arc for Rarity in less than half an hour.  And yet it never felt rushed, like we complain of some other episodes.  Every scene here has a purpose and really hits its mark.  In a weird way, it felt like it was longer than just the 22 minutes it was, and I don't mean that in a bad way or that it dragged or anything.  By that I mean it felt very fulfilling and that it accomplished a lot in a short time.  Really a good example of economic storytelling.

 

Song was solid.  Lyrics weren't super catchy, but the music itself was very much in the Broadway spirit of the episode.  I actually prefer the sadder reprise towards the end.  The song really suited Kazumi Evans' voice, and she just knocked it out of the park. 

 

The supporting cast for the episode was pretty good.  Most of the Mane Six didn't have a whole lot to do, with the exception of Rainbow Dash.  They were mainly there as characters that Rarity could reflect off of, and in that function they were largely successful.  Dash probably had the best non-Rarity character moments in the episode.  And I have issues with Twilight in this episode, but I think they have less to do with this episode and more to do with the hole the writers dug themselves into with Magical Mystery Cure.

 

(Oh, and I bet someone is going to make fan art of Applejack as an actual car jack.  If not, someone make it happen!)

 

I liked the Suri Polomare as the villain.  Not as interesting as Lightning Dust or Trixie, but I think she has room for fanon development.  Was she always a backstabbing cheat who takes advantage of others, or did she only get this way after leaving Ponyville?  Either way, looks like Diamond Tiara has some competition for snootiest, bossiest bitch in Equestria. 

 

Of course we can't forget the star of the show.  This is the best I've seen Rarity since season 1, maybe best ever.  And I don't think this is just me fanboying here, though there's some of that.  By her best I don't just mean her showing very large and conspicuous displays of generosity.  I liked that just fine, but I think I liked it more for the fact that maybe now some of her critics could finally shut up.  What I mean is that it showed Rarity in all her colors.  Her strengths, her weaknesses, her big dramatic moments, and her small, quiet ones.  I still did enjoy that they showed her generosity much more clearly.  Her concern for others really took center stage in this episode. 

 

She takes her passions very seriously, but at the same time lets her emotions get the best of her.  Her generosity and kindness is obviously highlighted, but so is her tendency to get a little self absorbed.  And I think that's very understandable, particularly in this case.  It's very easy to get wrapped up in your emotions, particularly when you've been wronged like she was.  She felt her chance at the big time was ruined when Suri stole her designs.  That doesn't excuse running her friends through the wringer when they were supposed to be out enjoying themselves, but it does make it understandable.  She wasn't doing it because she was a jerk who wanted to boss her friends around, she was doing it because she was angry and bitter and dealing with the cynical dose of "reality" that Suri dealt her. 

 

And to her credit, Rarity realized this herself.  One of the things I've noticed about Rarity was her ability to recognize her own faults.  She realizes she wronged her friends, she's the one who ditches the rest of the competition to find her friends.  And to *their* credit, they knew that Rarity only acted that way because of stress. 

 

One final thing, and I swear this is it.  I feel like the pervading theme of this episode was less Rarity's generosity in particular, and more about the idea of generosity in general, with Rarity at the center.  I feel like the spirit of generosity is contagious;people enjoy it when you do something nice for them, and they're more likely to do something nice for you in return.  There are definitely going to be people who take advantage of it, but just because these people exist that doesn't mean the spirit should die.  You can learn to be careful and wary of who you're generous to, but that doesn't mean you should stop being charitable period.  That was such a big, important theme in this episode, and I loved it.