Pointless in Sleepyville [episode spoilers!] · 4:10pm Aug 26th, 2017
This week, we learn that the show runners are completely out of ideas. Also, another EQG short review, because yes.
Canterlot Movie Club
I was gonna make a joke about "Hey, the Cutie People Crusaders get to do a thing," but the title of this short is literally what "CMC" stands for in Equestria Girls. :B I'm kind of upset about this. (Though it means they all live in Canterlot...)
OH MY GOD DO THEY LOOK FUCKING WEIRD D: Their mouths… this new animation studio is balls! D:
But yeah, despite the fact that it was mildly neat to get to see the movie theater where Juniper (was fired from, I guess?) again, I couldn't get the weird animation out of my head long enough to figure out if anything going on was worthwhile. It very well might not have been. Also, I'm pretty sure no one ever won what they wanted from a claw machine.
At least Pinkie wins for "I went to buy some candy, and some more candy."
Anyway, episode. CMC theme this week. <.<
So like, can someone tell me what the point of this was? There's some neat set pieces, sure, but it ends up being like Celestial Advice: ponies telling stories with no ultimate purpose. This one really strikes me as the epitome of "entertainment value", and I am rather disappointed. Was there like a Guardians of Harmony tie-in or something that I'm unaware of because Yayponies apparently doesn't care about doing the thing they started out doing anymore? >:|
Anyway. A few notes.
PSA: IF YOU ARE EVER TRAPPED IN A CAVE, DO NOT FUCKING LIGHT A FIRE, YOU WILL DIE FASTER D: Granted, I was surprised by there being "more cave" near the end, so it's possible they weren't in any danger, but it's also possible there just was not a back to that cave until there needed to be one, and Applejack killed them all after the rockslide, meaning the paradise they emerged through the waterfall into is actually Pony Heaven. :B I mean seriously, dark cave that wasn't there in the world of the living, leading to a river (Styx?), and then a peaceful plain of trees, flowers and rainbows? The CMCs and their various sisters are dead from smoke inhalation, guys. I'm sorry, it's just canon. :B
I once wrote a story about me going to Equestria and not being too happy about it, because I've never really gotten into the wish-fulfillment aspect of this fandom. Now I really don't want to go to Equestria. D: THEY HAVE FLYING GODDAMN SPIDERS! If I ever end up in Equestria, I will burn down all their goddamn forests just to make sure every last one of those wretched little abominations is dead. ;_;
Out of the various stories, Viking ponies had the best designs, but the story was stupid. Magic shovel, I guess? I literally don't know what was supposed to happen there. I lost the stream I was watching at the start of Rarity's story, so I might have missed something important, but I guess Asian ponies have curved horns? And are all unicorns? Is that racist? And then there's Roman pegasi, which is neat and all, but kind of less interesting than the other two, somehow. I like to think Flash Magnus is Flash Sentry's ancestor. Also, did anyone else notice that one of the dragons is a young, likely pre-Dragon Lord, Torch?
And that's it. That's literally all there is to this episode. It just feels like retreading an episode that was actually really good in the hope of mining it for ideas, and instead coming out with something that's, well, not uninteresting, but certainly not really memorable, either.
Also, Scootaloo was just a pain in the ass.
The Perfect Pear
A Royal Problem
Parental Glideance
Fame and Misfortune
Honest Apple
All Bottled Up
Rock Solid Friendship
Forever Filly
A Flurry of Emotion
Triple Threat
Discordant Harmony
Campfire Tales
Celestial Advice
Not Asking for Trouble
Hard to Say Anything
Fluttershy Leans In
You're in My Head Like a Catchy Song
Best Friends Until the End of Time
We're Not Flawless
Battle for Sugar Belle
Sorry, PP, I can't hear you over all the ideas this is giving me.
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I mean, yeah, but like... I come out of this episode with a feeling of "these could have all just been fanfics, I would have rather had something focused on characters." :B
I agree that this episode wasn't the most "eventful", given that it's mostly just the big sisters telling stories. However, I enjoyed it because I felt the stories the ponies told each gave an interesting perspective on the big sisters. Applejack enjoys Rockhoof because his determination allowed him overcome his own personal failings (yeah, I didn't get why he suddenly got bigger either, but oh well), Rarity like Mist Mane because she was wanted to bring beauty to her surroundings, and Dash liked Flash because he fought dragons with his wits instead of just brute strength. All of the stories reflected the ponies telling them to some extent, and I liked how it was done fairly low-key.
Also, I didn't find Scoots that annoying. Having just been in a cave, I can confirm they're pretty spooky.
Once againn, I just ain't seeing what you see, dude. The whole "camping trip" was just an plot device to get them to tell the stories, and I thought the stories were really interesting. They moved like the legends of the cultures they were mimicking. Rockhoof was obviously a Beowulf stand-in, and him just suddenly getting strong is a typical tool in many legends. You're just supposed to roll with it. No one asks how Pecos Bill could wrangle a tornado, or how John Henry could beat a steam-powered hammer.
I can't judge Mist Mane, because I am unfamiliar with Japanese folklore. Flash Magnus felt like Odysseus, using his brains to outwit an impossible foe.. I felt this episode gave us a good insight into pony culture, and what the three races each value, which was reflected in all their stories: Earth Ponies value strength and determination, unicorns magical talent and beauty, and Pegasi wit and bravery.
Sure, the window dressing was a retread of SIP, but how else would it seem reasonable that they would tell tall tales? It wasn't a great episode, but it was entertaining.
Hey, on the plus side if you keep these blogs about the episodes you might have an OC pony appear in a future episode being lampshaded for not blindly loving all that gets thrown your way.
I agree. Frankly I am incredibly disappointed with Scootaloo in this ep. Has she been steadily turning into a coward in other eps or is this something new? Still haven't watched much of the new season
These are the characters from the Legends of Magic comics. Which means there's going to be another one of these episodes later on, where the other three of the mane six tell their favorite legends. And every indication is that Twilight's is going to be Star Swirl the Bearded. So... I'm watching this development with rapt attention. And some concern
Applejack was willing to judge a fashion show because of her love for Rarity, Rarity returns the affection by going camping. And then at the end they take off running whilst gazing at each other... so beautiful.
While Comic-Plug Tales was pretty forgettable, innocent slice-of-life with mild throwbacks to Sleepless is a decent time for me. Two of the stories were meh, but I did like the unicorn one for the element of sacrifice MLP never touched before this day.
It ain't the Apple Parents, but it was a fun 22 minutes.
Except flying spider swarms.
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I mean, I absolutely get what they were going for, but I should have come out of this episode with a review along the lines of, "It's plain to see they were milking SiP for all it's worth, but I don't care, because awesome setpieces." Instead, I just gave it a big shrug. I should not have given this episode a big shrug, I should have enjoyed the hell out of it. That I didn't suggests something is wrong. (Though I won't insist it's wrong with the episode...)
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Her sole purpose was to go "HEY GUYS REMEMBER SLEEPLESS IN PONYVILLE THAT WAS A GOOD EPISODE RIGHT THIS EPISODE WILL BE GOOD TOO BECAUSE WE ARE REMINDING YOU OF A GOOD EPISODE"
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...Oh yeah, because sphinx pony! :O Well shit, now I have something to not look forward to. :| This is brand marketing at its worst.
But we got Wet Mane Rarity
That has to count for something...right?
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Nah, we already had that. :B
I'm just glad I'm not the only one who was cringing over the lack of cave safety.
"Hey, lets cause a cave-in!"
"Hey, lets light a fire! In a space with unknown air volume and questionable ventilation!"
Also, and this is personal experience here, caves do not magically prevent insects from entering. Swarms will chase you wherever you go... unless they happen to be some kind of vampire-insects that require you to invite them in...
And Sweetie Belle wins over Rarity for proper use of magic; she was the one trying to use a forcefield to keep the bugs away, as opposed to a flyswatter.
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Causing a cave-in is properly boneheaded for Rainbow Dash. It's Applejack I am ultimately disappointed in. :B
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Yeah, she should know better.
It's too bad your stream cut for the Rarity story; I thought it was the best, and frankly the one that was the most Pony too. First was 100% "make-bad-decision -> deus ex machina", last was "do the obvious thing, it works". :P
Also: use of magic in a battle that isn't just lasers! It feels like forever since that's happened!