The castle!
Spike's fire has several other ancillary uses
Second episode where Spike messes with a magic book this season
Was King Sombra corrupted by dark magic?
Transforming ponies into other ponies?!
Not bad. A bit more interesting than last week, but still kind of disappointing.
80/100
Just a little overthinking My Little Pony Friendship is Magic.
Showing posts with label Season Four. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Season Four. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Retroactive Reviews 2 - Equestria Games
Look how long Scoots was able to hover!
Continuity from that episode where RD acted like a traitor!
"Last time you were here, you..." No. Last time he was here was during the princess summit where Twilight got her crown stolen, and nopony at the Crystal Empire cared one bit that Spike was there.
Multi-coloured dots for the crowd at the stadium? Looks like a lazy move to me. Especially considering all the other little details (and season 4 lighting) that pop up throughout the episode.
"Mr. The Dragon"
Pony bites his hooves and fingernails fly off!
Pretty blue fire
Nopony questioned the fire being BLUE when Spike's fire is GREEN (except Luna, but the possibility of Twi fudging the torch lighting being a major plot point, as Luna hinted, turned out to be a red herring, and I am disappointed)
Did somepony out fly Dash?!
Ice archery sounds like it would never really work
A cloud cannot freeze solid into a huge lump (it would turn into snow or hail)
And it would take hours to melt a solid chunk of ice that size, even if you tried to set fire to it (the US Navy tested using napalm to melt icebergs, and it was an utter failure, so what chance does Spike's fire have?)
And they would never disable Celestia's power, so she should have eliminated the ice threat instantly
Or Luna
Or Cadance
Or Shining Armor
Or ANY of the unicorn guard ponies! You definitely would not want to disable the magic of the security force, so why didn't they do anything? To force an ending where Spike saves the day.
Who wrote this episode? Took a look ... no surprise there. It's the undisputed king of bad episodes.
Extremely underwhelming episode. Let's face it, the Equestria Games could never have lived up to two seasons worth of hype, but I didn't think it would disappoint this much. So the moral is that you have to feel good about yourself or something? It could have been something about teamwork or cooperation or different groups of people putting their differences aside to celebrate athleticism, but it's another self-confidence episode, or something. I don't know. Spike's greatness seemed ridiculously blown out of proportion. Cadance bows to him twice here but at none of the other times they've met? Give me a break. The more I think about it the less I like this episode.
67/100
Continuity from that episode where RD acted like a traitor!
"Last time you were here, you..." No. Last time he was here was during the princess summit where Twilight got her crown stolen, and nopony at the Crystal Empire cared one bit that Spike was there.
Multi-coloured dots for the crowd at the stadium? Looks like a lazy move to me. Especially considering all the other little details (and season 4 lighting) that pop up throughout the episode.
"Mr. The Dragon"
Pony bites his hooves and fingernails fly off!
Pretty blue fire
Nopony questioned the fire being BLUE when Spike's fire is GREEN (except Luna, but the possibility of Twi fudging the torch lighting being a major plot point, as Luna hinted, turned out to be a red herring, and I am disappointed)
Did somepony out fly Dash?!
Ice archery sounds like it would never really work
A cloud cannot freeze solid into a huge lump (it would turn into snow or hail)
And it would take hours to melt a solid chunk of ice that size, even if you tried to set fire to it (the US Navy tested using napalm to melt icebergs, and it was an utter failure, so what chance does Spike's fire have?)
And they would never disable Celestia's power, so she should have eliminated the ice threat instantly
Or Luna
Or Cadance
Or Shining Armor
Or ANY of the unicorn guard ponies! You definitely would not want to disable the magic of the security force, so why didn't they do anything? To force an ending where Spike saves the day.
Who wrote this episode? Took a look ... no surprise there. It's the undisputed king of bad episodes.
Extremely underwhelming episode. Let's face it, the Equestria Games could never have lived up to two seasons worth of hype, but I didn't think it would disappoint this much. So the moral is that you have to feel good about yourself or something? It could have been something about teamwork or cooperation or different groups of people putting their differences aside to celebrate athleticism, but it's another self-confidence episode, or something. I don't know. Spike's greatness seemed ridiculously blown out of proportion. Cadance bows to him twice here but at none of the other times they've met? Give me a break. The more I think about it the less I like this episode.
67/100
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Filli Vanilli
That rabbit has some sort of weird growth. How does it get in and out of its warren?
I really like Toe-Tapper's eighth note star cutie mark.
Leave it to a real chatterbox like Big Mac to lose his voice.
Pinkie Pie took a level in JERK this episode. To whom was she nice? Nopony.
Zipporwhill is new cutest pony. It doesn't matter if Scootaloo is a sad, disabled orphan, she has lost the title of cutest pony that she has defended so vigorously since season one.
Fluttershy looks really cute in her green sweater, though I'm not sure how easy it would be to squeeze her wings through the holes.
This episode had one of the best songs of the season. At the very least a real Ponytones EP should be released. I'd buy it.
This was a very simple episode with a lot of callbacks to earlier episodes, which I really like. Everything (except Pinkie) was really sweet. I didn't even mind the season four lighting when Flutters was singing to the animals, and I'm not sure, but I don't think Derpy was their either, or at least she didn't appear right in front of the main action that I was trying to pay attention to! For its one flaw this falls just short of best episode of the season.
94/100.
I really like Toe-Tapper's eighth note star cutie mark.
Leave it to a real chatterbox like Big Mac to lose his voice.
Pinkie Pie took a level in JERK this episode. To whom was she nice? Nopony.
Zipporwhill is new cutest pony. It doesn't matter if Scootaloo is a sad, disabled orphan, she has lost the title of cutest pony that she has defended so vigorously since season one.
Fluttershy looks really cute in her green sweater, though I'm not sure how easy it would be to squeeze her wings through the holes.
This episode had one of the best songs of the season. At the very least a real Ponytones EP should be released. I'd buy it.
This was a very simple episode with a lot of callbacks to earlier episodes, which I really like. Everything (except Pinkie) was really sweet. I didn't even mind the season four lighting when Flutters was singing to the animals, and I'm not sure, but I don't think Derpy was their either, or at least she didn't appear right in front of the main action that I was trying to pay attention to! For its one flaw this falls just short of best episode of the season.
94/100.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Season Four Retrospective (Take One)
Season 4 is "different". It has deviated from character interaction to random silly gags and pop culture references, Twilight has gained nothing from being a princess, and, I'm just going to come out and say it, this season sucks.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Powerless Ponies
Headcanon established: this is EXACTLY what happened in "Daring Don't". They were sucked into a book (with emphasis on the sucked part) and Daring Do is still fictional. Perfect.
Rarity and Pinkie Pie were nice, Spike learnes the same crap for the millionth time (really, how insecure can he be after all these episodes that focus on how important he is?), there were a few funny throwaway jokes, and the rest was just boring.
Flutter Hulk is a huge letdown after all the hype with that contrived bit at the end. It was like a bad parody of "Dragonshy" really, only there she got angry when her friends were beat up, now she didn't give a shit about her friends and a stupid bug was randomly thrown in for no reason other than to save her transformation for the end. All it really does is make her look like a bigger jerk than in "Putting Your Hoof Down".
There really is nothing memorable about this episode at all. It could vanish from reality and it would have no effect ("Daring Don't" vanishing from reality would cause real unicorns to be born and world peace to be established forever as it is still the worst episode ever, now and forever into the future, no matter how many seasons the show gets). The whole episode screams "laziness!"
This is the first time a season has disapointed me. I actually feel bad for disliking so many episodes, like I've become a jaded cynic or something. The first episode introduces what appears to be a major theme - that key box - just like the major theme of the first season was getting to the Grand Galoping Gala, and there were references to it in every other episode, but in this season the key box is just dropped totally for a string of bullshit episodes that are like bad fanfic. I can't help feeling like the writers will do an asspull at the end and solve everything in a super rushed manner like they tend to do, only worse because if they don't mention the keys soon NOTHING they could possibly do could fit into a good single or even double episode finale. It will be doomed to suck.
For the first time since I started watching almost three years ago I am not looking forward to next week's episode.
40/100 for "Power Ponies"
Rarity and Pinkie Pie were nice, Spike learnes the same crap for the millionth time (really, how insecure can he be after all these episodes that focus on how important he is?), there were a few funny throwaway jokes, and the rest was just boring.
Flutter Hulk is a huge letdown after all the hype with that contrived bit at the end. It was like a bad parody of "Dragonshy" really, only there she got angry when her friends were beat up, now she didn't give a shit about her friends and a stupid bug was randomly thrown in for no reason other than to save her transformation for the end. All it really does is make her look like a bigger jerk than in "Putting Your Hoof Down".
There really is nothing memorable about this episode at all. It could vanish from reality and it would have no effect ("Daring Don't" vanishing from reality would cause real unicorns to be born and world peace to be established forever as it is still the worst episode ever, now and forever into the future, no matter how many seasons the show gets). The whole episode screams "laziness!"
This is the first time a season has disapointed me. I actually feel bad for disliking so many episodes, like I've become a jaded cynic or something. The first episode introduces what appears to be a major theme - that key box - just like the major theme of the first season was getting to the Grand Galoping Gala, and there were references to it in every other episode, but in this season the key box is just dropped totally for a string of bullshit episodes that are like bad fanfic. I can't help feeling like the writers will do an asspull at the end and solve everything in a super rushed manner like they tend to do, only worse because if they don't mention the keys soon NOTHING they could possibly do could fit into a good single or even double episode finale. It will be doomed to suck.
For the first time since I started watching almost three years ago I am not looking forward to next week's episode.
40/100 for "Power Ponies"
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Princess Twilight Sparkle
A Spoileriffic Reivew
Season four began today with probably the best opener yet, but for all its awesomeness I am also filled with sadness. I am concerned that this may be the final season.
The two parter begins with now Princess Twilight practicing, and sucking at, flying lessons for a "big finish" she is going to be performing at the Summer Sun Celebration. To put Bronies' hearts at ease Twi tells her friends she is uncomfortable with flying and with her new title.
The theme song is different. Twi now has wings, the CMC and some others are there posing for a picture by Photo Finish, and Lulu is with Tia when they see the new picture in Canterlot.
Tia tells Twi that this is the first Summer Sun Celebration where she's not sad because it reminded her of when she had to banish her sister cause now they're back together. If this event happens only once a year then that means it is exactly one year since Lulu returned on the very first episode. Talk about one busy year!*
The beginning of part one is really sad and sweet with sad Twi being comforted by her friends. Twi is making a list and checking it thrice, and Pinkie Pie is being Pinkie Pie. There's a cute scene where Twilight bumps her head on the ceiling when she's worried about forgetting something, and another sad sweet moment where Princess Celestia tells her that she's not her student anymore, but is instead her equal. They grow up so fast.
Unfortunately Tia and Lulu disappear (with a rather worrisome shriek from Tia as she's captured), the sun and the moon are in the sky at the same time (not a big deal on Earth, as it happens all the time, but in pony world (Hippotopia - literally "place of horses" - if you will), when the sun and moon are together half the sky is day and the other half is night (which looked really cool how they blended together). The Royal Guard, with no other royalty to guard, come to Princess Twilight for direction, and she promptly directs them to get lost for the rest of the episode (pretty much).
Back in Ponyville, black weeds (that look poorly animated at times) start strangling everything and spiny thunder clouds are trying to shoot Rainbow Dash out of the sky. Rarity and Sweetie Belle are having trouble controlling their magic (and Sweetie Belle's magic is blue, just like her sister's, not green like it was in "One Bad Apple").
Twi gives everypony the Elements of Harmony and they summon Discord (who is singing "Winter Wrap Up" in the shower) who affirms that he is not behind these disasters, asking "would I lie to you?" To which almost everypony replies "yes," and Fluttershy giving a less sure "um, maybe?" Discord is kinda-sorta grateful that his good friend "Shutterfly" is giving him the benefit of the doubt. He points them to Zecora, who is having to flee her home now that the Everfree Forest is overrun by killer weeds. She gives Twilight a magic colour-changing potion, Twi drinks it, and all of a sudden she can see into the past. Part one ends with Twi witnessing Luna transforming into Nightmare Moon.
Part two begins with a very intense battle between Nightmare Moon and Celestia that was very reminiscent of this Lullaby for a Princess video. The similarities are spooky, really. The battle destroys the old castle and seems to injure Celestia at one point (very intense for MLP). Tia gets the Elements of Harmony and goes god mode to banish Nightmare Moon.
Cue more flashbacks. Twi sees when Tia and Lulu first beat Discord. We get to see which three elements each sister wielded. Judging by the colours:
Tia
Magic
Kindness
Generosity
Lulu
Laughter
Honesty (AJ - "Dependability")
Loyalty (RD - "Authenticity")
This is interesting because, after BronyCon when I outlined my own story about Discord and the EoH, I gave Tia and Lulu practically the same list of elements, with the only difference being Tia obviously had laughter, as she's always joking around, and giving Lulu Generosity because somepony had to get it and the other five were taken. I'm not going to change my story in light of the canon list, or any of the other events that happened in these two episodes.
When Tia and Lulu blast discord with the EoH he seems not to know what they are. However, at the same time, he throws "plunder seeds" on the ground in a plot to steal the elements and trap the sisters! Unless, he knew about the Elements but never thought Tia and Lulu would figure out how to use them. It takes a long time for those seeds to sprout because a great and powerful force is keeping them at bay.
The Elements of Harmony, it is revealed, come from a crystalline entity called the Tree of Harmony, located within the Everfree Forest. Just as I predicted in The Window, the EoH started out together as part of a single being of unimaginable power (though, in the story, I never specified what that being was). That it was a tree is very interesting. Just as the battle with Discord represents the Chaoskampf, where the demiurge or creator god brings about the world from the primordial chaos, the idea of a tree of unlimited power, uniting heaven and earth is a very common theme. The world tree, axis mundi, or kalpataru (a wish-fulfilling tree which is identified with the supreme God) appears in cultures all over the world (and is the supreme entity in the universe of pretty much all my stories, at least since 2006).
Unfortunately, the Tree of Harmony's power is almost gone, and the plunder seeds have begun to grow out of control. They have captured the princesses and are close to fulfilling their purpose of killing the Tree. The Mane Six go looking for it. They have to put the EoH back inside the Tree to recharge its power and restore the balance of the universe.
There's a fight, Twi is convinced to leave, but Discord says some sly remarks and Twi goes back to her friends. Twi almost dies, her friends save her (in a most awesome scene), she puts the Elements back in the Tree, the weeds vanish, and Tia and Lulu are saved. The Tree produces a box that cannot be opened without six keys that are going to be the focus of next week's episode.
Book ends! That great big thing Twilight was going to do at the Summer Sun Celebration? She flies up and makes her cutie mark appear in the sky, sonic rainboom style. Why couldn't she just use her magic? Why did she need to fly at all? Still, it is a very cute ending.
Overall, I would rate this two parter 98/100.
*On the other hand, if Apple Family reunions happen "every hundred moons" and there's been two so far, then eight years have passed already and Tia has just had a memory lapse or something.
OR the writers just make stuff up as they go along.
Season four began today with probably the best opener yet, but for all its awesomeness I am also filled with sadness. I am concerned that this may be the final season.
The two parter begins with now Princess Twilight practicing, and sucking at, flying lessons for a "big finish" she is going to be performing at the Summer Sun Celebration. To put Bronies' hearts at ease Twi tells her friends she is uncomfortable with flying and with her new title.
The theme song is different. Twi now has wings, the CMC and some others are there posing for a picture by Photo Finish, and Lulu is with Tia when they see the new picture in Canterlot.
Tia tells Twi that this is the first Summer Sun Celebration where she's not sad because it reminded her of when she had to banish her sister cause now they're back together. If this event happens only once a year then that means it is exactly one year since Lulu returned on the very first episode. Talk about one busy year!*
The beginning of part one is really sad and sweet with sad Twi being comforted by her friends. Twi is making a list and checking it thrice, and Pinkie Pie is being Pinkie Pie. There's a cute scene where Twilight bumps her head on the ceiling when she's worried about forgetting something, and another sad sweet moment where Princess Celestia tells her that she's not her student anymore, but is instead her equal. They grow up so fast.
Unfortunately Tia and Lulu disappear (with a rather worrisome shriek from Tia as she's captured), the sun and the moon are in the sky at the same time (not a big deal on Earth, as it happens all the time, but in pony world (Hippotopia - literally "place of horses" - if you will), when the sun and moon are together half the sky is day and the other half is night (which looked really cool how they blended together). The Royal Guard, with no other royalty to guard, come to Princess Twilight for direction, and she promptly directs them to get lost for the rest of the episode (pretty much).
Back in Ponyville, black weeds (that look poorly animated at times) start strangling everything and spiny thunder clouds are trying to shoot Rainbow Dash out of the sky. Rarity and Sweetie Belle are having trouble controlling their magic (and Sweetie Belle's magic is blue, just like her sister's, not green like it was in "One Bad Apple").
Twi gives everypony the Elements of Harmony and they summon Discord (who is singing "Winter Wrap Up" in the shower) who affirms that he is not behind these disasters, asking "would I lie to you?" To which almost everypony replies "yes," and Fluttershy giving a less sure "um, maybe?" Discord is kinda-sorta grateful that his good friend "Shutterfly" is giving him the benefit of the doubt. He points them to Zecora, who is having to flee her home now that the Everfree Forest is overrun by killer weeds. She gives Twilight a magic colour-changing potion, Twi drinks it, and all of a sudden she can see into the past. Part one ends with Twi witnessing Luna transforming into Nightmare Moon.
Part two begins with a very intense battle between Nightmare Moon and Celestia that was very reminiscent of this Lullaby for a Princess video. The similarities are spooky, really. The battle destroys the old castle and seems to injure Celestia at one point (very intense for MLP). Tia gets the Elements of Harmony and goes god mode to banish Nightmare Moon.
Cue more flashbacks. Twi sees when Tia and Lulu first beat Discord. We get to see which three elements each sister wielded. Judging by the colours:
Tia
Magic
Kindness
Generosity
Lulu
Laughter
Honesty (AJ - "Dependability")
Loyalty (RD - "Authenticity")
This is interesting because, after BronyCon when I outlined my own story about Discord and the EoH, I gave Tia and Lulu practically the same list of elements, with the only difference being Tia obviously had laughter, as she's always joking around, and giving Lulu Generosity because somepony had to get it and the other five were taken. I'm not going to change my story in light of the canon list, or any of the other events that happened in these two episodes.
When Tia and Lulu blast discord with the EoH he seems not to know what they are. However, at the same time, he throws "plunder seeds" on the ground in a plot to steal the elements and trap the sisters! Unless, he knew about the Elements but never thought Tia and Lulu would figure out how to use them. It takes a long time for those seeds to sprout because a great and powerful force is keeping them at bay.
The Elements of Harmony, it is revealed, come from a crystalline entity called the Tree of Harmony, located within the Everfree Forest. Just as I predicted in The Window, the EoH started out together as part of a single being of unimaginable power (though, in the story, I never specified what that being was). That it was a tree is very interesting. Just as the battle with Discord represents the Chaoskampf, where the demiurge or creator god brings about the world from the primordial chaos, the idea of a tree of unlimited power, uniting heaven and earth is a very common theme. The world tree, axis mundi, or kalpataru (a wish-fulfilling tree which is identified with the supreme God) appears in cultures all over the world (and is the supreme entity in the universe of pretty much all my stories, at least since 2006).
Unfortunately, the Tree of Harmony's power is almost gone, and the plunder seeds have begun to grow out of control. They have captured the princesses and are close to fulfilling their purpose of killing the Tree. The Mane Six go looking for it. They have to put the EoH back inside the Tree to recharge its power and restore the balance of the universe.
There's a fight, Twi is convinced to leave, but Discord says some sly remarks and Twi goes back to her friends. Twi almost dies, her friends save her (in a most awesome scene), she puts the Elements back in the Tree, the weeds vanish, and Tia and Lulu are saved. The Tree produces a box that cannot be opened without six keys that are going to be the focus of next week's episode.
Book ends! That great big thing Twilight was going to do at the Summer Sun Celebration? She flies up and makes her cutie mark appear in the sky, sonic rainboom style. Why couldn't she just use her magic? Why did she need to fly at all? Still, it is a very cute ending.
Overall, I would rate this two parter 98/100.
*On the other hand, if Apple Family reunions happen "every hundred moons" and there's been two so far, then eight years have passed already and Tia has just had a memory lapse or something.
OR the writers just make stuff up as they go along.
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