TheBrianJ Presents: Do Princesses Dream Of Magic Sheep? (And two notes regarding the future) · 4:13am Jul 19th, 2015
Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna Luna.
As you may have inferred from previous blog entries, Luna is one of my favorite characters on the show, because she is one of the most in-depth and fascinating ones. Even in her few appearances, she has developed this mystique about her that sets her apart from any other character on the show. So obviously, I was pumped for a whole episode dedicated to the Night Horse and her amazing dream-walking abilities.
So go below the LyraBon to get my thoughts on this fun little trip of an episode.
OH MY GOD JUST MAKE OUT ALREADY YOU CAN’T IMPLY THINGS ANY HARDER.
After last week’s incredibly emotional punch to the gut, I was fully expecting this week to be a much more absurd, lighthearted romp. And in many ways it was, until the ending at least.
It felt like most of this episode was designed for two reasons: to have fun with the dreams of the main characters, and to give Luna the screen time she oh so desperately deserves. And those two plotlines were intertwined quite well. While we could watch the ridiculous dreams, we also got to see Luna being Luna. Seeing her resolve in stopping the Tantabus, the guilt weighing heavily on her mind for letting it get out of control.
Let’s start with the dreams themselves; they weren’t exactly unexpected or earth-shattering, but they were fun in their own way. Rarity dreaming of dresses, Applejack of Apples, Twilight of Books etc etc, that was completely expected. But at the same time, I loved seeing how the dreams were corrupted, because the show didn’t hold back nearly as much as I expected it to. Some of the nightmares that they had were rather… how to put this… Lovecraftesque.
This does not happen in other kids shows.
The big shared dream was predictably wacky and fun, because it gave the show a chance to just have fun with itself, as in a dream, they can do whatever the hell they want. And they did, of course. Giant Derpy, Hyper Princess Big Macintosh, Money Magic Filthy Rich, they just went for it. AND it was a lot of fun! If there was one thing that MLP does well, it’s fun, and the dream sequence and subsequent final battle with the Tantabus was just that.
But enough of that, let’s talk about The Wonderful Horse Of The Darkness.
LUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAA
What a wonderful, wonderful character Princess Luna is. A relic of a bygone era, but through no fault of her own because she has been gone for a thousand ears. Elegant and graceful, but forceful enough to retain a level of intimidation that a lot of characters on the show simply do not have. While Celestia has felt very hands-off at times, Luna directly consults with characters regarding the path they are on in life: I’ve found her three episodes with the CMC to be three of the better episodes of the series. Luna is such a great character.
And this episode? Yeah, that pretty much confirmed what I already knew about her.
She was fun in this episode, but as usual had that wonderful aura of seriousness and regality that I honestly think Celestia is oftentimes missing. While Celestia is far more the standard princess-y type and Cadence more Action Girl than princess, Luna is the perfect mix of the two, and it’s why she’s so fun.
Watching her go from dream to dream, fighting the Tantabus and interacting with the characters, was just a joy to watch. Seeing how serious she took everything, even in the most absurd of scenes, it was just what I expect from Luna. And it made for a very enjoyable episode.
But much like last week, it was the ending that stuck with me.
Jesus MLP can we get a break from the feels for like five minutes?
Yes, the scene was a bit cheesy, but I think it fit with Luna’s character so well. She was punishing herself because that’s what a pony like her would do. We’ve never seen much vulnerability from Princess Celestia, apart from the one time that Queen Chrysalis blasted her. But this? This was the most humanized I’ve ever seen one of the two main princesses, and it felt long overdue.
The two royal princesses (I don’t include Cadence in this) have always been these larger than life figures, towering above all the characters without flaw. But of the two, Luna is far, far more human, and thus, far more relatable. The ending of this episode showed just how deep her mental scarring from the whole Nightmare Moon ordeal go, and gave us a satisfying conclusion that, while certainly not a complete fix, at least gave us hope that for the first time, she’s on the right track.
As a way to end the first half of the season, you couldn't really ask for better. It had all the laughs and over the top humor that we have come to expect from the show, but a really powerful ending. Major props to the team for this episode, and I cannot wait to see what happens when we return later this year.
Behold, one of the most satisfying moments of the show.
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So it looks like MLP is going on one of it’s usual mid-season hiatuses. But that doesn’t mean I’m going on hiatus from reviewing. During this off time, I’m gonna keep reviewing, but it just won’t be Season 5 episodes. Heck, it won’t even be exclusively pony! I may go back and review some old episodes (and probably finally get around to watching Rainbow Rocks and reviewing that), but I want to do non-pony stuff too. And next week, I’m gonna be reviewing something very near and dear to my heart, a movie that if it didn’t exist, I guarantee a great many of you would not be reading these words right now.
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Boy, all this talk about Luna has me excited… oh to heck with it. Coming Soon…
Indeed, 'twas a great episode. Celestia is actually my favorite princess (mostly because I love the juxtaposition between the elegant, seemingly untouchable princess/teacher figure, the wounded, regretful sister, and the playful prankster/goofball we far too rarely get to see). But Luna is undoubtedly a fascinating character, and this episode gave her some great development.
Also, you haven't seen Rainbow Rocks yet? Dude! Get on that, because it's surprisingly good.
Not to disagree with the substance of your review here, but kids' shows aren't really holding back these days. Kids can forgive a lot of weirdness as long as it goes away.
Like this cautionary tale about shapeshifting.
Or this remnant of corporate culture that survives in the post-apocalypse.
Not a dream! Not an imaginary story! Well, no more so than usual, anyway.
... the fic you teased there? Yes. Fucking. Please!