Scaring Is Caring [episode spoilers!] · 3:28pm Oct 31st, 2015
Stupid fuckin’ Discovery Family not showing last week’s episode. Again. :| We should petition them to stop being such fuckups with this show, except I’m pretty sure it would accomplish nothing. So what the hell is a “windigo-frosted snow cone”? Are they still around? Are they helping the ponies now, or just held in bondage? Anyway, if there’s anything I don’t like about Hearthbreakers, it’s the stuff before they get to the rock farm. Unnecessary HWE recap aside, Applejack’s just so transparently setting up the conflict, she almost feels out of character. The best part is probably Pinkie redoing and one-upping the “two and two and two” hoof gag. SO MANY HOOVES. The best part of the rock farm is probably the flag hunt, all those bonding scenes were great. :D (No, but Limestone is still the absolute best part of this episode, I don’t care what anyone says. :V) Rewatching this episode in the light of GaPJaxie’s journal really gives me more appreciation for it, though!
As for today’s episode, this review is one I prepared earlier and I’m leaving so I’m posting it a little early. :V No one’s likely to see before they’ve watched it, anyway. I was overall nonplussed by it.
Rating: Meh
“This is an episode about what a pain in the ass it is to be around your hypersensitive Tumblr friends.”
That was my friend’s observation about halfway through the episode. I shall leave it to stand without further commentary.
So hey, how about that continuity? The Filli Vanilli shoutout was unexpected and pleasant, giving that crapshoot a reason to exist. Less exciting was Flutterbat. I mean, that’s what, three episodes now they’ve milked that? Can we please move on to something else? D: (I would be less put off if the first episode to feature it hadn’t been the worst in the series’ run.)
Overall, I’m kind of nonplussed by this episode. Luna Eclipsed was just straight-up superior. I was irritated that a number of background ponies are wearing the same costumes as last year. (Even if I adore Rarity’s mermaid outfit. Also dat Sailor Moon and Jem.) Fluttershy actively trying to overcome her fears was nice, but made for a fairly dull episode until that final setpiece. The tea party in particular was about as uncomfortable as the crying scene in Tanks for the Memories, although I couldn’t help but squeal at Fluttershy’s expressions through the whole thing. She was just trying so hard and failing, and it was adorable, and she’s best pony again.
I want to take a second to compare this with A Bird in the Hoof. Both stand out because they involve Fluttershy causing problems, something she rarely gets to do. (The same could be argued for Bats!, but really it was her friends being in the wrong that made her problematic for them.) Granted, the problems this time around aren’t as dire, nor as amusing, but… That’s something, I guess?
But yeah, other than “Rainbow Dash was Buzz Lightyear” and identifying all those anime ponies (which I could not do!), I can see myself forgetting this even existed in a year. (I’ll think of Luna Eclipsed instead.) It’s not bad, but it’s not great, and it had every right to be great. Between this and Canterlot Boutique, I fear that the next two seasons will involve more and more pointless rehashing for the sake of pleasing fans.
Amending Fences
Crusaders of the Lost Mark
Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
The Cutie Map
Rarity Investigates!
Brotherhooves Social
Make New Friends but Keep Discord
Hearthbreakers
The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows
Castle Sweet Castle
Canterlot Boutique
Appleloosa's Most Wanted
Scare Master
Tanks for the Memories
Slice of Life
The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
Made in Manehattan
Bloom & Gloom
Princess Spike
Party Pooped
Our Town
The Pony I Want to Be
We'll Make Our Mark
I'll Fly
The Vote
The Rules of Rarity
Sisterhood
Hush Little Sister
Make This Castle a Home
Light of Your Cutie Mark
Dream Flower Song
Before they flip their shit and show you how scary they can be.
Still kinda wish someone would have leaked an episode with the CMC having their marks. Freaking troll leaker. xD
Let's see if I can beat others to the punch here...
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So, from left to right:
Usagi Tsukino, a.k.a. Sailor Moon, whose fictional existence in Equestria implies a much more complicated solar system than we may have thought.
Rei Ayanami of Neon Genesis Evangelion, whose fictional existence in Equestria implies that some stallion really went off of his meds.
Utena Tenjou of Revolutionary Girl Utena, whose fictional existence in Equestria implies quite a few things about philosophy and gender dynamics.
Bulma Briefs of Dragonball, whose fictional existence in Equestria implies that Journey to the West is a thing there.
Ranma Saotome of Ranma 1/2, whose fictional existence in Equestria implies more things about gender dynamics.
As for the episode itself... well, this is me we're talking about. It takes a lot for me to dislike anything, and this didn't dip below that threshold.
I was a little disappointed at the lack of costumes overall, since "Luna Eclipsed" was absolutely filled with them, though I can see how that might become a real drag to design and animate. We saw the Mane 6 and former CMCs, of course, but not much else.
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Ah, I was sure I was missing something there. I was so fixated on feeling like I should recognize the center one that I only looked at her. But I never would have gotten it anyway. I'm well acquainted with Sailor Moon and Neon Genesis, and might have picked those out. I've watched some Dragonball, but never would have recognized that one. I've only heard of Ranma 1/2 and wouldn't know any characters from it, and I've never heard of Utena.
The episode was certainly cute in its ways, but yeah, it was kind of meh overall. Though the crying scene in Tanks for the Memories is great. And the tea party here did a good job of making me cringe. Ah, cringe comedy.
During the tea party scene I kept thinking about Fluttershy's empathy for her friends. It made me think back to her assertiveness training with Iron Will: if she ever turns to the dark side, her friend's feelings are doomed.
Also, this comic
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Bulma. I'm not a big DBZ fan, no wonder I didn't get that. (Of course, I've never seen Utena either, but...)
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I assert that the best costumes are from the quartet of ponies in the first scene.
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I'll second that, but Derpy dressed as Princess Twilight was also a hoot.
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Oh yes, I forgot about that.
3509924 Actually there being more planets is sort of a neither here nor there thing. The really fun implication is that Luna might have a lawsuit agaisnt the sailor moon creators since it turns out there is a princess of the moon for real after all.
And of course the really fun implication is that not only does anime clearly exist, but Fluttershy is a fan and not just less violent stuff like Sailor Moon, but Eva of all things. It is probably in spite of the violence, but then again it's fun to think maybe it's because of it becasue escapism can take many forms.