First FiMPressions: "It isn't the Mane Thing About You"

BE WARNED, SPOILERS AHEAD

Vanity and being over dramatic has always been a central part of Rarity's character, as well as a primary flaw that she's had to work on throughout the seasons. So when we have an episode that focuses on mane damage, there was the potential for this to become another Filli Vanilli (a fun episode with a positive moral, despite some glaring character flaws).

However I am happy to say that this is an improvement over that particular episode, and there are two central reasons. One is that Pinkie Pie admits that she got carried away and apologizes to Rarity for her error (which wasn't done with any malicious intent), and the other is that there is no "Liar Revealed" plot. Instead of Rarity setting herself up with a wig, only for it to come undone and have everypony gasp in shock at her deception (though there is a related point to this I will get to later), the plot is focused on Rarity either avoiding a display of her mane at all, or trying to find a temporary solution to restore it. This is important because it progresses the conflict before the photoshoot, thus there is no chance of any perceived deception involved, which from my perspective, does a better job of reinforcing the moral towards the end.

One thing I do want to give special mention to is a small fix for a personal gripe I've had with previous episodes; the rules of magic in this universe. In the episode "Inspiration Manifestation", Rarity conjures golden chariots out of thin air, which should be impossible, given how transforming magic has to have something as a basis for it to be morphed. Without limitations, magic becomes an easily exploitable plot device, removing all drama. In this case, however, transmutation magic seems to work closer to equivalent exchange in Fullmetal Alchemist. For something to be replaced, there has to be an object there in similar or equal measure to act as a basis. And since Manes are a cluster of long hair strands all together, it makes sense that there would be difficult to recreate with magic. Thus, this not only adds to the world building, but it also focuses Rarity's challenge to find a more personal solution.

One big red flag that sticks with me in the episode is how the townspeople suddenly are unable to recognize Rarity when she has her mane covered. Granted, she was speaking with far less confidence than before, but in spite of this, she still has a recognizable voice and cutie mark that would make her identity rather easy to confirm. It feels to me like, along with the potion mix up, the contrivance required to make Rarity feel awful about herself is simply overstated.

The morals of MLP always tie up the plot in a neat little bow, and in this case, the aforementioned negatives are not around long enough to have a serious negative impact on the story as a whole. Despite its forcefulness in bringing Rarity down, it still manages to set up Rarity's own resolution coming from the support of her friends. Rarity is the kind of pony who usually only needs a push in the right direction to break out of personal funks, and with her rock star style going with her modified hair, she has not just made lemonade. She has made life take the lemons back, demanded to see life's manager, and use her aesthetic talents to show how one can succeed in spite of setbacks. Kids will always find that, in life, there will be bumps along the way. Sometimes you require help to overcome them, other times you can overcome them yourself. But most often, it can be a combination of both.

Many of us wouldn't be here today without the help of our friends, so I think this will be an episode to look back on when we ourselves are going through some tough times in life.

For my first impressions analysis, I give "It isn't the Mane Thing About You" an A-.

Now I pass the perverbial microphone over to you, my readers. What are your thoughts on the episode, and how do you feel it reflects overcoming life's adversities? Feel free to discuss them in the comments below :).

(Art Credit: https://www.deviantart.com/art/Fastest-Hooves-In-Equestria-704841130)