My Little Pony Tell Your Tale Episode 5 Review 04/17/2022 · 12:35pm Apr 17th, 2022
OMG! It’s time for my favorite part of the blog!
GOOD MORNING, FIMFICTION FANATICS!!! This is the Dramamaster829; Critic, Actor, Writer, Motivational Speaker, and Occasional Singer, keeping you up to date with the latest news for Generation 5 and beyond! Last week, we covered the first four episodes of the new YouTube comedy series, ‘My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale’, and as a first impression perspective I wouldn’t say they were grand episodes, but they weren’t awful either. And as expected, new material would be released on Thursday… except this time we only received ‘one’ new episode for the fans to see.
Until they pulled a dick move and set the video on private.
That was quickly resolved, Loona...
*Clears throat* Anyways, since we’ve only got one new episode from last week to cover, today we will be going over what is quaint essentially a ‘Pipp Petals’ focused story. As we often know with Pipp, she’s not usually the pony with the highest votes when determining the best of the ‘Mane Five’. But in this case, we hope to get another idea into Pipp’s drive and motivations as we see her tackle a huge obstacle in her way.
With no further delay, we take a look at the new episode titled:
Welcome To Mane Melody
And wouldn’t you know it folks? Not only does this serve as the ‘title’ of the episode, but it’s also the same name as the business itself:
Keep your eye on that one pony up front, I’m going to quiz you later!
The following synopsis for the episode goes, and I quote:
Pipp’s new combination mane salon and karaoke bar is threatened by a potential ‘bad’ review.
Gee, and to think I was going to despise this series so much the reviews would be just as worse than for ‘Pony Life’…
Hah! Boy, do those girls really have it rough—
YOU’RE NOT OFF THE HOOK THAT EASILY, BUDDY!!!
Anyways… a Pipp episode such as this one kicks off in the most appropriate way we know how… ‘IN SONG FORM’!
Usually I don’t go about reviewing too many songs when it comes to MLP material, and in which case with the songs for ‘Tell Your Tale’ I wouldn’t call them classics by any means. That being said, this particular number, ‘Let Your Light Out’, was not only featured for the episode but also severed for the series trailer. They would even play the instrumental version during the credits of each of the episodes we’ve gone over, so you could say this song is pretty much the anthem for ‘Tell Your Tale’.
Anyways, this song pretty much sets the stage of Pipp’s new business. Mane Melody… granted we don’t see enough of the ‘karaoke’ portion, but we see part of the business where Pipp can style the manes of every pony in ‘Maretime Bay’. At least it feels nice to have a facility with quality musical entertainment.
All musical requests—
NOT YOU!
ARE ICONIIC-UH!
Does she ‘have’ to do that ‘every’ time?
Prior to this episode, a synonym to the rise of ‘Generation 5’, business is pretty much booming for Pipp’s new employment. I mean after all, how many stylists do we know own a stage set to keep customers entertained while their hair is getting done?
Shit! All my barber has is a T.V. and the audio’s not even in English!
But even more satisfying than the interior layout of the salon itself is the happy expressions of all the customers Pipp puts her stylish vision to good use. Heck, even her best friends are her biggest supporters…
Sunny would approve the ‘Betty Spaghetti’ look…
Now why does this look familiar?
Yeah… I can kind of see it now…
I have no idea what ‘that’ is…
Before…
After!
You get a good review!
You get a good review!
You get a good review!
You get a good review—
BUZZ!!!
*Disc Scratch!*
Oh yeah… remember that ‘one’ pony I said I’d quiz you about earlier? Well, pop quiz: The pony introduced during this episode is called 'Posey Bloom'. Which character is she meant to be a reference to?
For those who didn't get the answer in time, let me tell you. Now she’s not the ‘mane’ character in this story by any means, but for those who don’t know there was this talk about a pony in this show who’d bear a resemblance to a G1 character. In which case, this being Posey Bloom, the unhappy customer not really digging the punk rock manestyle. She’s supposed to be based on Posey, who in turn was the inspiration for Fluttershy…
Oh yeah… I totally see the resemblance.
Needless to say… Posey’s neutral review of the episode does not go over well for Pipp…
If I were you… I’d run…
I WAS JUST BEING HONEST!!!!
All joking aside, we’re often taught in life not to strive too heavily for perfection. But given this is Pipp we’re talking about, she strives for the adoration and approval of her subjects (Even the ponies who are not Pegasi). And she’s so used to receive positive reviews and feedback from her subjects, that anything lower than ‘excellent’ does a number on her nerves. It’s like being that one kid in school who desperately wants a 100% on a ten-question quiz, yet you always miss that ‘one’ question.
But it’s going to be fine for Pipp, as long as she shakes off those nerves and—
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
*Gulps* Sweet mother of Bananas…
*Clears throat* It was going to be a matter of time before another member of the cast previously from the movie would arrive onto the ‘Tell Your Tale’ scene. In which case, it is fortunate (Or rather ‘unfortunate’) that we happen to welcome the biggest ‘Karen’ in the entire MLP universe (Or at least in this generation anyway). That being none other than the founder of ‘Canterlogic’ herself, Phyllis Cloverleaf.
If looks could kill, Pipp would be ‘dead’ now…
And for those who are wondering where Sprout is… well…
Legend says he’s ‘still’ running…
Anyways… it’s no secret that Phyllis (Now voiced by Rush Marshall) is not among my favorite characters in this new generation. It’s one thing for running a factory to create defense tools against the Unicorn and Pegasi, due to the prejudice and stigmatism she had toward them (All of which she encouraged her son to think). Now in this episode, she’s suddenly notorious for shutting down a business with a single ‘bad’ review. And apparently, ‘Mane Melody’ used to be everything: A fashion boutique, a pottery café, another salon… she even shut this place down as a restaurant that served all-you-can-eat pizza!
I, on the other hand, take cooking seriously, and no, I don’t think anyone can do it.
*Frowns* Ouch…
*Straightens up*
And we see that poor Pipp is so terrified over the thought of receiving another imperfect review, she doesn’t even see she’s about to…
*BUZZ!!!*
Realizing this could put her out of work, Pipp finds herself unable to take the pressure and hightails it off. And until Pipp’s internal struggle is resolved, that leaves Sunny to tend to Phyllis as best she can.
This looked ‘easier’ in the montage…
Luckily, Pipp manages to have a savior in the form of the one pony closest to her…
What’s that? Oh right…
So yeah, big shocker, this episode is more than just another chance for Pipp to prove herself to a skeptic group of fans over her place on the team. Again, this puts a positive push on well these two ponies make as both princesses and more importantly as sisters. Even though Zipp may not be into the style and flare that Pipp provides for her customers, she knows how to reignite a pony’s spirit when they are in despair. And again, showing us an important lesson as explained in several projects that have come before:
You can dwell on failing to win someone’s approval…
Or you can remember the ones you’ve made happy…
And how confident they are because of your contributions.
Oh ‘now’ she likes it…
Now suddenly believing in herself once again, Pipp returns fully renewed to give Phyllis the best mane style she can offer:
You’re the best around…
Nothing’s ever gonna keep you down…
You’re the best around…
Nothing’s ever gonna keep you down…
You’re the best around…
Nothing’s ever gonna keep you down!!!!
And after all the anxiety… after all the drama… all the blood, sweat, and tears poured into this project… the results of Phyllis’ surprise mane cut is…
IT’S EXACTLY THE SAME?!?!
Honey, that’s the secret!
Yeah… this is almost exactly how I feel after almost ‘every’ trip to the barber (Mostly because I always ask for the ‘blend’ look). And now as we sit with anticipation, the fate of where Mane Melody stands rests on Phyllis’ hooves…
I like it…
PIPP PIPP HOORAY! PIPP PIPP HOORAY! PIPP PIPP HOORAY!
Well… it almost went perfectly. But to be fair, that’s just how it is when it comes to episodes like this. While episodes like this may not offer ‘everything’ we as a fanbase are often hoping for, to perform well enough for even a ‘slightly’ positive review is rewarding enough. At the very least, Phyllis is rather pleased, Pipp stays in business, and she even gets a special bonus…
And that my faithful viewers is Zipp in a nutshell. She may not always be into all the things that Pipp strives for or may find her antics a slight over the top. But that’s what being a big sister means to Zipp as opposed to just being a fellow Princess. When she sees a friend in need, especially her younger sibling, she’s always there to lift her off her hooves and encourage her to move forward. And she does ‘owe’ Pipp big time for stepping up to the plate. At least we know how reliable Pipp’s mane work is.
I mean how bad can Pipp make her sister look?
Eh… too eighties…
The style’s fine… but I don’t know about the color change…
Oh nooooo….
Overall, alone this episode is pretty much what it is: Innocent fun yet goes to straight to the point of how one negative review can really bring out the anxiety in us all and how we can work through it. The song featured in this episode has a really catchy beat, yet it does scream for an extended version for parties. Each pony gets to have their share in the spotlight, even the few background ponies and a return of another film character. Plus, this episode strengthens the bond between two sisters especially when one feels at their lowest point. It’s nothing spectacular in a good or bad sense, but it’s still a pretty fun episode to sit down and watch.
But the bigger question remains: What do you think? Be sure to leave a comment below at your earliest convenience.
Until then faithful readers, this is the Dramamaster829… and I could really use a spa trip. Excuse me. *Walks off*
<>
Why do I need the cucumbers again?
*Sighs* To remove the puffiness around one’s eyes, Dramamaster…
Nice review! Also, it may just be because we recently discussed her in AP US History (APUSH) but Phyllis reminds me of another "namesake" of hers...look up Phyllis Schlafly when you get the chance, if you don't know her already. Anywayyy...Pipp does need to learn, however, that she can get bad reviews, because that will help her to improve her work to give everyone something they can enjoy
Also, Sunny...why did you take over when there were actual ponies who worked there standing right behind you?
First of all.
Props to Aj Bridel . She has a great singing voice, I might like it more than the movie. The song is a bang.
I really like that they giving Pipp a characteristic here. The movie didn't really give her some screentime,but now the youTube series are slowly fixing that problem.
So far is Zipp how has the most in Sisters take flight. It show a long way separate Zipp with Rainbow Dash. Dash would just eat all of the attention while Zipp tries to avoid it. We also learn that Zipp is also into science which I hope the series show more about that.
Anyways good episode. I'm slowly liking Pipp now.
I loved the song in this, and Phyllis returns, another character returning from the movie. Now all we need is to see Alphabittle and then it'll be a party.
5651302
Hmm... that name does not ring any bells, but I will definitely have to look up this Schlafly lady. Maybe I can use that the next time Phyllis appears for an episode.
And yes, Pipp needs to learn that while having positive reviews is great... we can't get them all the time. Every so often, there will always be that 'one' (Maybe two or more) you find very difficult to please and despite all your hard work they spend the whole time commenting all the faults and what went wrong. But still, even a 'negative' review is utterly necessary and not always a bad thing. We can learn from those reviews just the same and even if those people never change their minds, the fact we 'are' learning is something they can never take away.
And yeah... Pipp 'does' have actually employees who could've done the job. But leave it to Sunny to merely jump in just because Pipp is one of her new besties. If she wants a job at the Melody so bad, all she had to do was apply.
5651312
Ms. Bridel is a lovely singer, is she not? I may grow to like this actress. But most importantly, this is the most character development we've seen from Pipp ever since the movie (Which... wasn't much to work off). She's learning to confront the fact that she's not always going to receive positive reviews even if she's the best at something. And if this is just facing criticism for fixing manes, imagine getting haters on social media talking about her singing.
And Zipp does offer the most character and despite the comparisons to Rainbow Dash, she's proven to be her own pony. She's not a pony intentionally seeking attention, she's actually very humble with both her position and her hobbies. And as a pony of science, we would assume she'd have thought 'Why should I need magic to fly if there's always an aerodynamic formula the way all the known flying creatures are able to accomplish?'.
And even if this show doesn't help Pipp rise higher on 'Popular of the Mane 5' polls, at least she is slightly improving as a character.
5651316
It is a rather catchy song, is it not? Not a big fan of Phyllis, but I will admit as long as she gets a few appearances it's all well and good. Alphabittle is going to be interesting because his actor 'does' television and voiceover work. But if he's 'not' going to be Alphabittle, who else could fill in for the part? Maybe someone who initially auditioned for the part but at the time they turned it over for someone else.
Nice blog Drama, love the humor and effort put into these, always brings a smile to my face, all the episodes so far show great promise, im a little behind with just this episode but oh well....I need to catch up lol, anyway stay cool, stay classy Drama, your awesome XD
5651339
With me, it is never enough for me to leave 'walls of text' explaining how I feel especially with episodes. For me, that's kind of boring. So, I try to be creative with expressing my opinions and when words fail, I use any images I find to help me out. It's all in the presentation as far as how I do my work. Good thing this episode is now available to watch. I do believe you'd enjoy it.
5651332
Definitely look up Schlafly, yeah. And agreed! Just like Janine had to learn in that Abbott Elementary episode! Sunny...definitely needs more practice before she tries to apply
5651355
According to my research and I quote:
Phyllis Stewart Schlafly (/ˈʃlæfli/; born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart; August 15, 1924 – September 5, 2016) was an American attorney, activist, and author. She held paleoconservative social and political views, opposed liberal feminism, gay rights and abortion, and successfully campaigned against ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She was opposed in turn by moderates and liberals for her attitudes on sex, gender roles, homosexuality, and a number of other issues.
More than three million copies of her self-published book, A Choice Not an Echo (1964), a polemic against Republican leader Nelson Rockefeller, were sold or distributed for free. Schlafly co-authored books on national defense and was critical of arms control agreements with the Soviet Union.[2] In 1972, Schlafly founded the Eagle Forum, a conservative political interest group, and remained its chairwoman and CEO until her death in 2016 while staying active in conservative causes.
Yeesh... sounds like 'one' piece of work.
5651357
Indeed. I do not like her one bit
makes sense that phyllis now reviews stuff since her company probably went bankrupt after unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi became united and friends again
5652391
I'm not actually 'sure' if the company went entirely bankrupt. Maybe this is something she just does on the side while the factory is in business. Just because the ponies no longer despise each other doesn't mean there aren't 'other' creatures that could put their safety at risk. Besides, it's not like she spends her 'whole' time at the factory. The mechanisms in the facility do all the work, she has a team that designs the concepts, and all she really does is serve as the front pony to make the big announcements.
And I'm sure she's the pony who actually keeps tracks of the finances and how much is owed for supplies and demands.
5652393
though i'm sure it's gotten a bad name after what sprout did
5652406
Well, it's no wonder why Sprout would be on the run if that 'wanted poster' is any indication. I doubt it would be out of shame, but rather he doesn't want to take the responsibility due to his childish nature (Even though he is a mama's boy). But if that were the case and his mom's business is struggling because of her part in making a Dictator out of her own son... well she's doing a better job of not showing that everything's weighing on her. Then again... this is 'Tell Your Tale', they rarely cover anything serious.
5652417
true. you know what i'm hoping for is for sunny and her friends to one day meet the mane six in a way ya know? spiritually or physically. since when twilight first became an alicorn, one of the people working on the show said that she won't outlive her friends. not sure what it means though
5652422
That would be nice for Sunny and her friends to meet Twilight and her own friends in some form. But there really are a few ways that could go: Either they could meet their spirits who have appeared to see that Equestria is in good hooves... or 'physically', but for that to work they either are transported to the 'past' to find out 'why' Equestria fell apart in the first place... 'or' turns out that they 'are' alive. How?
Well, as you said, one of the folks behind the show's production said she 'won't' outlive her friends. When we take that as a double narrative of sorts... what if Twilight never 'had' to outlive her friends? Just because she's an Alicorn, and Alicorns tend to live for thousands of years due to the magic inside them that's preserving their longevity, suppose her friends were given the same treatment. Suppose that also probably wasn't a 'good' thing? By giving them gifts of the Alicorns, they had to watch all their friends and family grow old and pass on without them. Applejack would especially be pissed because her family were her entire world and even if one generation came after another it would barely be the same.
Just a theory anyway.
5652427
yea that's kind of a double edge sword. and think how cadence and flurry would feel since shining armor isn't an alicorn like them
5652431
Yeah, that's true. Shining Armor is only a unicorn meanwhile his wife is an Alicorn, and their child was 'born' an Alicorn. While they are lucky to probably be around for thousands upon thousands of years, unless Shining Armor performs a feat so great that he'd get the same benefits... he doesn't really have that luxury.
5652433
heck. i have a couple of ocs my own who would feel about certain situations. like astara, twilight's own daughter, would have been sad that she had to move away from her friends because of her mother's new job as ruler of equestria. i mean i know it's kinda irrelevant but what kid wouldn't be upset that they had to move away from the place they were born and the friends they made?
5652436
I'm just going to throw this out of the way and say that's 'hardly' relevant to 'this' review. The moving away bit would've fit more with my 'other' review where I covered the sisters leaving Zephyr Heights to live in that lighthouse.
But in regard to that question: Most kids would be upset to suddenly move away from the home they were born into. I've been living in the same place for thirty years and the thought of moving away... it just never occurred to me because we've never moved so long as I've been around.
5652439
sorry about that, man. ^^;
i suppose the biggest threats to modern equestria are still in stone. unless somepony would be stupid enough to free them
5652440
Yeah... Faust forbid. Even the ponies of G5 would have to be 'pretty' stupid to free the Legion of Doom of their eternal imprisonment.
5652441
and if sprout wasn't in hot water before, imagine how much trouble he would be in if he accidentally freed tirek, chrysalis and cozy?
5652443
Yeah... he 'would' be in very hot water. 'Boiling' even...
Probably why fans are not so anxious to see Sprout make a big comeback.
5652447
though i do hope that argyle would make a comeback somehow. so he could be proud of his daughter's accomplishment of uniting the ponies
5652448
We 'did' have an appearance from him during the first episode... but it was just his image in a frame.
The chances of Argyle making a comeback are either if the show goes the 'This Is Us' route and shows us snippets of him and Sunny in the past... or if they decide to show his spirit in some way. Or maybe as a metaphor to determine what would 'he' suggest when Sunny is feeling more doubtful than usual. Or maybe a pony who just happens to remind Sunny of her dad.
5652449
well i would imagine his spirit would still be around. as according to certain ghostologists, a spirit only wanders the earth if it has unfinished business
5652451
The question is: Does Argyle 'have' any unfinished business at all? And if that were the case, would he want it to be done? Because that would mean he wouldn't be able to be around his daughter again. It would be like the spirits in that 'Ghosts' series on CBS. Once they've settled their business, they either spend the rest of eternity by the gates of Heaven... or in the pits of Hell. That all depends on the nature of the spirit itself.
5652452
to me, argyle would probably belong in heaven whereas ponies like spoiled rich belong in heck. i know the actual word but i don't curse