Friendship is Magic Season 1 Impressions

Hey, I did say I'd get this out before the end of the month, didn't I? I didn't start watching Friendship is Magic until around the beginning of Season 5, and due to me not being an active viewer of shows in general and shifting interests constantly, I haven't seen every episode. Because of this, I'm currently doing a relatively slow-paced marathon of the show, and I've decided to give my impressions while I'm doing so. Keep in mind, however, that these are just impressions, not reviews. I don't feel comfortable giving a definitive review of an episode until I've seen it three times, and I will hold off giving episodes ratings until I review them. As a result, anything stated here is subject to change after further viewings, which is fine by me, as I want to keep track of potential changes in my opinions. I have also done my best to keep track of how many times I've seen an episode at the time of making this to give you an idea on how accurate my impressions of it may be. The only other thing to mention is that I, like many fans, rate these episodes within the context of the show. Just because I say I don't like an episode doesn't mean I think it's bad by all standards. It's most likely just bad by my standards for this show, and there are very few episodes of the show that I find to be bad by all standards. With that being said, let's begin!

(Full reviews of episodes will be linked once they're made.)

Friendship is Magic, part 1/Mare in the Moon (1 viewing)
Friendship is Magic, part 2/Elements of Harmony (1 viewing)

The first part did a good enough job setting up the series and the characters, but the second half suffered from several issues due to needing to show off each character's element. Nightmare Moon, while a somewhat threatening villain, wasn't a very memorable one personality-wise.

The Ticket Master (1 viewing)

This episode is alright. It had an okay, but avoidable, plot and plenty of decent gags. Putting this episode so early in the show was a good choice, as if it came later, I would've taken issue with the way Twilight's friends acted.

Applebuck Season (1 viewing)

This is an episode that had plenty of enjoyable moments and a good message, but it's held back by being too repetitive. Applejack does something that causes problems for other ponies, Twilight confronts her and tries to help, and Applejack doesn't listen. Rinse and repeat.

Griffon the Brush Off (1-2 viewings)

This episode gets a lot of hate from fans that I don't think it deserves. They generally hate it because of Gilda, but due to how the episode treats her actions, she doesn't bother me. Other than that, this was an episode with a good story and a fair amount of funny gags, and is the first episode of the season I wholeheartedly liked.

Boast Busters (1 viewing)

I didn't enjoy this episode for the same reasons many others didn't. Snips and Snails are annoying, The Mane Six are hypocritical and unlikable, Trixie isn't very interesting, and the moral is played out and poorly executed.

Dragonshy (1 viewing)

Despite a few flaws, Dragonshy is a great adventure story with a crowning moment of awesome for Fluttershy.

Look Before You Sleep (1-2 viewings)

Rarity and Applejack's bickering was too childish and annoying, and permeated throughout the entire episode. Any good points weren't enough to save this one.

Bridle Gossip (1 viewing)

The characters were kind of unlikable in this episode, and I have some issues with the moral, but nothing else about this episode bothers me too much.

Swarm of the Century (1 viewing)

Despite some flaws (mainly, the "failure to communicate" thing), this episode was very funny. It also had good visuals, with the parasprites eating everything, destroying Ponyville in the process.

Winter Wrap Up (1 viewing)

This episode is simple, but effective. It has several funny moments, a good story, and of course, a catchy song.

Call of the Cutie (1-2 viewings)

The "child impatient to grow up" character type generally annoys me, so I'm admittedly biased against this episode. That being said, I don't take issue with much else in this episode, so it could've been much worse, even if I'm not a huge fan of it.

Fall Weather Friends (1 viewing)

This is an episode that I don't hear about much when it comes to great Season 1 episodes, which is disappointing because it's actually one of my favorite episodes of the season. Applejack and Rainbow Dash's rivalry carried this episode, and it's also one of the funnier episodes of the season. Pinkie Pie and Spike announcing for the Running of the Leaves certainly helped in that regard.

Suited for Success (2 viewings)

This episode is great for the same reasons everyone else says it's great. It has one of the show's best portrayals of Rarity, a solid story, and a great moral. It also has some classic jokes. You know the ones I'm talking about.

Feeling Pinkie Keen (1 viewing)

Right off the bat: one viewing is not enough to talk about how I feel about the moral. So I'll just say that the story and Twilight's characterization have issues, but this episode makes up for it by being one of the funniest of the season. It's kind of a guilty pleasure to me.

Sonic Rainboom (1 viewing)

This is probably the best episode of the season when it comes to visuals. Cloudsdale is a great place to look at and explore, and of course, the sonic rainboom itself is impressive. The characters all play off each other really well, making for great dialogue and humor. Rainbow Dash's conflict was very well done, and Rarity's was pretty good too. The only real issue I had was the story going too slowly when Cloudsdale was being shown off.

Stare Master (1 viewing)

I liked this episode due to it having a solid story and decent characterization. It was also generally fun. However, the climax lost points due to being too similar to that of Dragonshy.

The Show Stoppers (1 viewing)

The first half of this episode drags, as there's too much padding. In addition to that, the CMC are oblivious to their skills throughout the entire episode. They never realize their screw-up, and as a result, I'm less sympathetic and more frustrated when watching this episode.

A Dog and Pony Show (2 viewings)

When this episode actually gets going, it's really good. Everything involving Rarity and the Diamond Dogs is great, but not much else is accomplished story-wise when we're focusing on the rest of the characters.

Green Isn't Your Color (2 viewings)

This is a surprisingly good jealousy story, and Pinkie Pie is notably funny in this one. Twilight's inclusion felt awkward, though.

Over a Barrel (1 viewing)

This episode had a great story and message, and good humor, but wasn't as good as it could've been due to some character issues (mainly with Pinkie Pie).

A Bird in the Hoof (1 viewing)

From an objective viewpoint, this episode isn't so bad. It has a few good jokes here and there, though it has some story issues. However, from a visual and especially audio standpoint, I didn't like this one at all. Being stuck with a dying bird throughout an episode that's constantly coughing made this episode a thoroughly unpleasant experience. While this is only my personal preference, I still don't ever want to watch this episode again.

The Cutie Mark Chronicles (2 viewings)

This episode is probably the hardest to describe why I like it so much. It's just a really good episode about the Mane Six's past.

Owl's Well That Ends Well (1 viewing)

This episode isn't nearly as bad as everyone says it is, although I still don't necessarily like it. For all of it's faults with the story and Spike's characterization, it does have things I like, such as a great bond between Twilight and Spike, and the story still does have some merit.

Party of One (2-3 viewings)

This episode is really fun. Between the clever plot done from Pinkie's perspective, her character getting a lot more depth, many good jokes, and of course, the (in)famous mental break down, this episode has earned a spot as one of the crowning episodes of the series.

The Best Night Ever! (1 viewing)

While the idea of subverting Fairy Tale tropes is nothing new, this episode did it in a notable fun way. Spoiler alert: this wasn't the best night ever for the Mane Six.

Season 1

This season is definitely a season worth watching and rewatching, and it would've easily gotten me into the show if I started here and stuck around until Dragonshy. However, due to still introducing the characters and world, this season suffered, in that the characters aren't as well-rounded and good as they would be later. Twilight's forced inclusion for learning the moral could also cause issues, such as in The Show Stoppers and most notably, Green Isn't Your Color. As a result, this season isn't as good as some of the seasons to follow. I don't agree with people who say this was when the show was at its best, and "Friendship is Magic in its purest form." However, I don't agree with people who say that this season is weak and that the later seasons were much better. It's still a great season in its own right. It just has a few consistent problems.