My Little Pony Rainbow Roadtrip/A Friendship is Magic Review Part 2

*Five minutes of ranting later*

*Takes deep breaths* Sorry about that folks, I just needed a moment to compose myself. Anyways, Rainbow Dash is in the midst of coaching Pickle and Barley the basics of flight maneuvers. Which leads us to wonder how their training is coming about.

About as well as we expect.

Though I will say this much about the twins, in a way they remind me of the early years of the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’. The CMC truly wanted to have their cutie marks and went through every activity, some of them even more advanced for their age, hoping to become grown up so fast… And most of the time they fail. Yet while we grow accustomed to have Rainbow Dash thinking she should be in the spotlight; in a way this is where we see her at her best. She sees potential in what these two have to offer, especially if they remind her of herself as a filly, but she also makes it very clear that no pony becomes ‘awesome’ right away.

You can never be the best at anything, till you can learn to be yourself.

Of course, we can’t stick around too long as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy spend some time with… *Sighs* Those Manehattan ponies. Now, don’t get me wrong, I generally don’t like to make a big fuss about city ponies and to be fair my first view of this special I thought they were ‘Canterlot’ ponies. My big beef with Manehattan, if it was anything like past trips to New York, most of the citizens there are rude, some of them think they are better than others, and it’s such a ‘Dog Eat Dog’ city that most people will do things to get their way.

Although, if I can be a little sincere, at least they hoped that moving away from Manehattan (On account of it being crowded and unfriendly) in hopes for a better life in a small town has an admirable quality to it. But if there’s one thing I learned: You can take a New Yorker out of the city, but you can never take the ‘city’ out of a New Yorker… In other words, moving from old home doesn’t mean you aren’t the same people.

Mrs. Hoofington: Like we never heard ‘that’ before.

If we thought seeing Pinkie Pie’s colors fade during ‘Yakity Sax’ was rough (Adding that it was one of the worst Pinkie Pie episodes put together), to see a whole town going through with it… Even Pinkie can tell something is up. Doesn’t help that the Hoofingtons were once passionate bakers, yet for whatever reason none of the ingredients they put together seemed to make the treats they’d bake any good.

Course, how can anyone tell the fruit are ripe if there are no colors?

Now as I said, I know next to nothing about horticulture (I only heard this word from a ‘Winnie the Pooh’ episode and needed to look it up myself). But based on what little information I do know, if a fruit has been sitting on the ground for a while and not managed promptly chances are it’s going to go bad overtime. Course, the only way to have some really ripe apricots for their pies to taste good is to reach out to their neighbor, Moody Root. And who is Moody Root you might ask?

That would be Stuffy McGee to your left.

As revealed in an earlier flashback, there was a time these three used to not only be friendly neighbors… But possibly very good friends. Yet as was pointed out, “Things change” (Though when Mrs. Hoofington says it, there’s a lack of reaction). Although, this to me is where the writing feels ‘weak’ up to this point (If not anywhere else in the special). Here we have a neighbor who has the fruit they need, who comes off as unwelcoming and uninviting, yet only because The Hoofingtons… Don’t say ‘hello’ to him.

Seriously? Even a kindergartner would know to do that.

Which all the more proves my point that you can’t take the City attitude out of any city, it follows you anywhere. And if I’m knowing the Hoofingtons, I wouldn’t be surprised if they used to be the type who lived in a penthouse at the most expensive apartment building in Manehattan and probably don’t greet ‘any’ of their neighbors back home. Which all the more proves that just because Ole Moody is as cranky as a Scotsman losing a golf match, the Hoofingtons aren’t blameless in the deterioration of their friendship. And the only way to be on good terms with a neighbor is to be the one putting the effort to get things started.

Mr. Hoofington: Are we ‘really’ doing this?

Yes… Yes, we are. Thus, it is Fluttershy’s attempt to shine by persuading Ole Moody to share the ‘fruit of his labor’ (No, not THAT labor) while getting the Hoofingtons to interact with him.

“How to Be Neighborly Without Really Trying”

And so Fluttershy proceeds to convince Moody to share his crops by ‘planting a seed’ in getting him to be ‘productive’ by aiding the lovely couple with the baking. Digging into his subconscious, accepting the apricots as his own and how to make a pie stick with him, convincing him to make the pie with proper introductions, and reinforce that idea ever so subtly. And all it all, it just takes one simple push to make the effort.

Now really, I can’t honestly say it’s as easy as…

When do we start neighbor?

You know with all the comments we get about how we should ‘never’ question Pinkie about her methods, here’s some food for thought: ‘Never’ question Fluttershy when she knows how to convince folks to be open to reaching out, and this is just without ‘the stare’. Least she’s having it easier than Twilight Sparkle at the moment.

When you’ve studied your script for weeks and still don’t know your character.

As it stands, while her friends are socializing with the towns-ponies and preparing for this festival, Twilight Sparkle can’t seem to uncover the source behind the missing color. It is only when Twilight is at a loss when she finds something rather ‘interesting’.

Oh, not the Mayor, I’m actually invested in that stained-glass window’s story.

Okay, okay, it does have something to do with the Mayor (Sort of). We see that Sunny Skies is preparing a speech in a secret room, which by this point we assume it’s for the festival. It is also here we note an interesting touch of detail within the confines of this room.

Note how nearly each aspect of the building lost its color, except the pictures.

While it recaps on not only all the major citizens of Hope Hollow, as well as some cute scenes of Sunny Daze as a child, I will admit the special makes an effort to offer some symbolism with this touch of detail. All the color that remains from these pictures represent the memories of a prosperous time in this town’s history, when there was beauty and goodwill with the promise of another tomorrow… Whoa, got a little deep there for a second. Anyways, turns out Twilight isn’t the first pony to know of this secret room as Petunia Petals comes in offering to help.

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time he’s ever acted this way.

*Insert “Kiss the Girl” reference, here*

With Sunny Daze flustered and leaving in a huff (Not angrily, but still I’m getting some ideas), Petunia Petals doesn’t just lead us in that she always knew about this room. It is here that she reveals Twilight some photos that occurred during the last Rainbow Festival.

Apparently, Polaroids are still big in Equestria (Many references ago).

While I would beg the question as to whom was covering this story (Whether it was a local or visiting journalist), it’s important to note that these very pictures captured how the town lost it’s color upon the Rainbow Generator’s activation.

Pay attention to the order, fellow readers. There’ll be a quiz coming up.

Now normally when I look at these pictures, there’s always that one ‘Waldo’ in the picture to keep track of. Under those same formalities, whenever there’s that one ‘Grumps McGee’ in a photo, it usually means one of two things: Either he’s that one bad boy in all the band group photos or he’s secretly the villain watching everything go wrong (Even though the ponies didn’t meet ‘this’ pony). At this point, the pictures show the prospect of a promising festival with a new-and-improved generator, then after everything goes wrong the color goes away. But leave it to Petunia Petals to be the pony who believes it wasn’t the Mayor’s fault, rather an accident.

When you know something when everyone else is completely oblivious.

It’s also during this moment Petunia presents the Princess with the Rainbow Generator itself… Or at least what remains of it. Knowing Sunny Daze, since he blames himself for the town’s predicament, he probably had it thrown away considering any pony who ‘could’ fix it was still angry. Got to love Petunia though: She always wants to help Sunny, hoping that things would work better if she was brought into his life. Yet with each time he quickly walks out without so much a word, it makes you wonder if she feels he’s trying to avoid her. Almost makes us forget that we consider either of those two the villains, at least given my initial thought going into this special.

It is then that the discovery of this generator stems a plan in Twilight’s mind, a ‘possible’ solution to the town’s problems.

Get to the bunkers, a plan’s about to launch.

News of the Rainbow Festival’s opening eventually spreads all over town, as more and more color returns around the oblivious townsponies (Even the Mane Six don’t notice at this point). And if Hope Hollow’s residents are the type to just take anyone’s word for it, the proof is in the pudding… Or in this case, a sign from above.

Sunny Daze: Ladies, how can I ever thank you for this?
Torque Wench: Just buy us dinner.

Yet Sunny Daze’s cheerful, excited demeanor quickly takes a quick left turn toward concern and fear when Twilight steps in with something ‘familiar’.

This must be how Lewis felt after his initial science project went wrong (Props to those who get the reference)

It takes this one brief scene to confirm that Sunny Daze ‘did’ try to get rid of the device and it clearly failed. Maybe if he threw it in the ‘Fires of Mount Mordor’ then it will never come back. But nevertheless, Twilight Sparkle has this theory that by rebuilding the generator and combining a reversal spell she happened to find in the library, it should be able to restore the town to it’s former glory. Or… As a preschool student would describe it:

Lucky this story was written for the younger demographic.

Since the generator is in need of repairs for the plan to get underway and a certain work-horse is in such a good mood, Applejack recommends Torque Wrench to undergo the task of rebuilding the generator and sure enough… She actually is willing to do it.

As happy as a French chef about to prepare ‘Les Poissons’.

While Torque Wrench is working on rebuilding the generator, the Mane Six have been busy on their own parts. Fluttershy and Pinkie’s efforts to bring bickering neighbors together has a rather satisfying conclusion, which makes it easier than Flutters time stopping a feud between the ‘Hooffields’ and the ‘McColts’ (That was a train-wreck).

Moody Root: I’m just here for the free food.

All joking aside, this is the proudest I’ve seen the two since the flashback.

Eventually, repairs on the Rainbow Generator are complete and Torque Wrench is certainly proud of her handywork.

Torque Wrench: Few more tweaks and I can make Equestria’s most powerful bomb.

Uh… No. But in a matter of seriousness, it’s the little details surrounding the new characters and how they develop throughout the special I can appreciate (Even given the amount of time). When we are initially introduced to Torque Wrench, she was not only as grouchy as the rest of the town but rather she felt ‘used’ to get things done. All she truly needed is some pony to acknowledge all the work she’s done to give her this feeling she has a sense of purpose. So even if the generator doesn’t function as well as they hoped, it’s good to know that each member of the town is gaining a new outlook on life…

Dramamaster, I don’t mean to interrupt but…

What? *Looks down*

Oh yeah, don’t think I haven’t been noticing the details throughout the whole special.

Remember early in my review when the colors popping about would come into play… This is definitely foreshadowing something to come as we near the climax of this special. But Twilight Sparkle, being how she is, is oblivious to what’s right in front of her putting all of her focus on the generator (At this point, I half-expect her to be this way nowadays). Although, to be fair…

For all the nitpicks I have with this special, this is quite a sight.

Now some viewers have been scratching their heads trying to figure out what’s the whole point with this generator. The special tries to have us think that this device was responsible for the color disappearing, some would even say that the initial enhancements made it a magnet that absorbed all the color and after it was destroyed it was trapped. Though when we look at it, it does seem more like a projector that replicates the effects of making a rainbow (My guess projecting light from the moisture in the air to do it, I don’t know).

Overall, the generator appears to work, and Twilight gets set to cast her reversal spell…

[img] https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DMCCJRAFbL0/XSAOaCrLxvI/AAAAAAAADlk/SVt2VriDMPAtMUVk8sf0uLuta3inCZN8QCLcBGAs/s1600/Rainbow%2Broadtrip.jpg[/img]
Could she “try” to not make it look like she has evil intentions?

And how does this all pay off in the end?

Well, all that hype for naught.

Even with such a massive magical explosion, the town is still without its color and it seems all that work was for nothing. A ‘Crash and Burn’ circumstance once Twilight and her new friends reach the ill-fated conclusion that the color is truly lost. Now I won’t say this scene is as emotionally devastating as Willy Wonka putting down Charlie and his grandfather just for ‘stealing fizzy-lifting drinks’ (Even though that was a ‘test’), but to see the cast build up all that hope only for it to smash into pieces… It’s no wonder why they’d fall into despair. Course, I think this scene would’ve been more effective had it backfired and caused the Mane Six to lose color… But I’ll get into that later.

Applejack: Ya know Twilight, there's something I reckon you should…

Twilight Sparkle: A.J., I'm having an emotional moment. Wait your turn.

This is how ‘all’ our background friends feel, do they?

Needless to say, most of Twilight’s friends have already managed to convince the town that the festival is taking place and getting them to feel passionate about their hobbies once more. And even though Twilight eventually breaks the news, it’s nice to see the group have their little moment of triumph.

Who better to cook a Pie than a ‘Pie’? How about this lot?

The landing still needs “work”, but they are improving… I promise.

Such a divine work of art… Oh hi, Rarity.

Rude…

I’m kidding, I’m kidding… So serious. Anyway, Rarity’s not the only pony of the Mane Six who gets to model some of Kerfuffle’s work.

If ‘Socks on Ponies’ wasn’t already canon by now, it’s a big honor for Flutters.

Hey, ‘Wing Bling’… You know, that’s actually catchy.

Samuel Thomas Wilson, eat your heart out.

Still, as much as it pleases Twilight to see the smiling faces, she can’t help but express guilt over the failure of bringing the color back to Hope Hollow. That indeed this whole trip was doomed to be a failure since the first thirty minutes.

This would be more effective if Twilight Sparkle’s colors were ‘fading’.

Now I admit I’ve been throwing a ton of jokes than usual, but I’m actually serious with this last note. I get that being the special was only an hour long (Forty something minutes without commercials), I feel if there had been some extra time and if the writing were stronger we’d see what happens to the Mane Six as far as how the magic corrupting this town effects the team too. For me, I felt it was kind of a wasted opportunity not having the stakes on the line for the ponies as much as it would be for the town. For me, the longer the girls stayed in that town the more of their color they’d use and the details about it would be relatively small. But… We’d end with a ‘completely’ different movie and let’s face it Twilight is the main member who would be on the verge of…

Applejack: THAT’S IT! I’VE HAD IT WITH YOUR EMOTIONAL CONSTIPATION! YOU’VE BEEN IGNORIN’ ME FOR YEARS AND IT’S HIGH TIME…

Rarity: Twilight Darling! Something wonderful is happening!

Twilight Sparkle: You’re right, Rarity! The color ‘is’ returning, but how?

It’s in this moment after nine years and a dozen specials… A.J. plotted to kill the princess.

You know you’ve got to wonder if there ‘are’ fans who feel bad that Applejack is typically treated like a neglected background star. She’s typically the one ‘straight pony’ who’s quick on the uptake, who can figure out the problem in a hurry (Plus she gets her moments to shine like the others in this special). But every time her friends are in the zone, usually Twilight, no pony ‘ever’ listens to the Country Pony and thus we fall into that common trap the series leads us in. But there’s still a mystery to solve now that color is returning faster than a ‘Coca-Cola’ commercial and indeed we ask… How?

Twilight Sparkle: Ah-ha! Just as I suspected!

Petunia Petals: *GASPS* AN EVIL PONY SUCKED ALL THE COLOR AND FRAMED THE MAYOR?!
Twilight Sparkle: What?! No, there’s no time for that. But we ‘do’ need to talk to the Mayor.

Wait, what?

As Twilight Sparkle prepares to reveal a slight discrepancy with the photos, not only do we see color returning thanks to all the baked goods and new accessories, but the townsponies are feeling the effects as well.

Ah, yes, the most delectable pieces of art we’ve seen… The bakers behind them are okay.

Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh. Don’t you know everypony wants to laugh?

You should see what she does with kitchen plates.

Wait, why does the Trout suddenly look familiar…

Hi-Ho! Bufogren here!

*Gasps*… Nope, not going to do it. *Walks away*

What just happened?

As Twilight and Petunia explain, the Mayor himself was ‘never’ to blame for the town’s loss of color. Turns out it was all a big misjudgment on the photos, as it turns out the town had been losing its color “BEFORE” Sunny turned on the Rainbow Generator. Sorry to all the fans who thought there was a villain in this town’s tragedy, but this isn’t ‘that’ kind of special.

Sunny Daze: Huh… How did I not see this before?

Petunia Petals: Because you don’t let me help you, ya big doofus!

Language lassie, there are kids watching this… No surprise, given the writing of this special. Anyways, the surprise motivation as to how the town has been losing its color comes from… Hopeless Magic? Wait, is that really a thing?

And WHY is Twilight so happy about explaining this phenomenon?!

Okay, I am pleased Twilight is excited to see the town come back to life (Anyone would). Yet while I would question the cause behind the town’s decline in community lazy writing… When we really pause and take a moment to think about it, this is actually a common issue that happens in real life. With or without magic, with all the drama happening in the media, especially the addiction to social media, eventually even a tightknit community comes undone at a gradual pace. It’s what put small town businesses out of work, why folks don’t show up at places that were once popular, or even when folks are on cruise lines they are so obsessed with writing Tweets and posting on Instagram they miss out (Don’t deny it, you know what I’m talking about).

While I personally would’ve actually preferred for something greater at stake, how the magic isn’t just a ‘threat’ to Hope Hollow or having the Mane Six something to lose themselves, in the end this special once again is just to prove the show’s concept of friendship being the ‘strongest’ magic. If ‘Return of Harmony’ can do that, this special is no exception.

*Insert ‘Pleasantville’ reference here*

Once the truth is revealed, The Mayor delivers his public address to the town giving thanks to Twilight and her friends not just for bringing back the festival but putting back the ‘Hope’ in “Hope Hollow”. It is in this moment, the Mayor finds his courage to activate the Rainbow Generator, which he has dreaded since the last event.

Okay, I won’t deny, I’d really love to have this in my backyard.

After getting so used to seeing a ‘gray’ town for at least forty minutes, I won’t deny seeing all that color wash over it is probably one of the most beautiful segments in the special. In a way, it’s almost like when Sillyville got together when Sillywhim sprained her ankle and the fabrics they wrapped around her restored her colors (Yes, I did use to watch ‘Wee Sing’). Even though I’m not used to having big specials without that ‘one’ antagonist character, the resolution itself is satisfying enough that I almost forgive how it turned out. If anything, it’s a great excuse to see some of our favorite new characters ‘In Living Color’.

I was right. Torque would make a great ‘We Can Do It’ poster design.

If I wasn’t feeling the Zoey Deschanel reference before, I see it in Kerfuffle now… Hence why she’s my favorite.

Twilight’s new wings wasn’t ‘temporary’ magic, but it does brighten up the accessory.

But as it turns out: The speech Sunny Daze delivered was ‘never’ the one he had prepared. Instead, he had spent the entire day making a speech for Petunia… As a ‘wedding proposal’.

Sunny Daze: Petunia Maria Solanaceae Justina Pedals…

Sunny Daze: Will you do me the honor of becoming… My bride?

Okay, that ‘wasn’t’ written in the script, but it is a cute proposal.

Now most fans would more likely look forward to a Big Mac and Sugar Belle wedding (Since that’s the most talked about lately) and maybe not as big as ‘A Canterlot Wedding’, but this moment only goes to prove the strong connection between these two ponies. While some fans were able to quickly put together Sunny’s intentions, they do make for a cute couple. Plus, the effect of how their color comes back proves the special’s strong highlight in special effects. But, not one to let these ponies keep the spotlight, leave it to Rainbow Dash and her new protegees to burst onto the scene.

Watch me kids; this is how you end a special!

And thus, the Legend truly spread through ‘all’ of Equestria.

With their mission a big success and all the color restored to the ponies, the Mane Six say their goodbyes to all their new friends before departing in their repaired hot-air balloon to conclude their ‘non’ ‘Roadtrip’ adventure.

Sunny Daze: Say Twilight, you think Hasbro can give us some cameos for the rest of the season.
Twilight Sparkle: I’d start with fimfiction first then we can talk.

The Characters:

Pros:

C’mon Dash, this isn’t just about you.

Fine…

Although this special is not going to be one I’d watch over and over again, what I can appreciate about it is how each of the Mane Six got the chance to shine (Heck, more than they did in the ‘Movie’). The show could’ve easily been about Twilight trying to save the town while her friends just followed her, or it could’ve been a true ‘Rainbow Dash’ episode putting her in the lead. While some moments in the special made it appear so and while we didn’t see a ton of conflicts among the friends as we grow used to, for me they are portrayed as a ‘G3’ team done right (I stress on ‘G3’ based on the writing). Seeing each of the team interact with the notable members of the town is also fun to watch. Speaking of which…

This way I don’t have to choose.

While individually they have very different personalities and stand out on their own, as a whole the citizens of ‘Hope Hollow’ are the essential highlight that adds strength to the special (Like seeing the cast of a potential sitcom). Sure the Barley Twins were typically just cute, Torque and Moody were generally grumpy, a preferred substance in Kerfuffle’s (Best ‘Hope Hollow’ Pony) leg would’ve been nice, Sunny Daze seems like ‘another’ clueless guy when the answer is in front of him, and while I’m not crazy about the Manehattan attitude from the Hoofingtons, the moments they do have whether it’s comical or heartfelt is all the more forgiving. It’s no wonder why the fans have initially found a new favorite (Mostly with Torque Wrench and Kerfuffle) when it comes to discussing what they enjoy about the special. Sure there’s a chance we won’t see ‘any’ of these ponies, as they seem to be written ‘just’ for the special, but give the fans time and perhaps Fanfics will prove this won’t be the last we see of them (I only wish they popped up sooner during the show).

Cons:

Well, at least I got some attention.

To be fair, nothing Spike did or how he acted made him out to be as bad as he was during the ‘Pet Sitting’ episode. But honestly I did feel it was a wasted opportunity to have him written out ‘just’ to stay behind and keep an eye on things (Least it’s not like that Equestria Girls Spring Break special where he was COMPLETELY left out, except one short). Sure the special needed a ‘reason’ to have someone to watch over the school or the castle, but you’d think Starlight being the vice mare could be more than enough to do so (Although if that Student Counsel episode taught me something… Maybe not). If there is ONE strong part with his character… Once again he gets more screen-time than Starlight in this special (Why is it every time there’s a MLP product with this animation she only gets a few seconds?)

The Music:

And now we come to that rare occasion that happens every other episode. *Shouts* Mood music, Mr. Trout.

Plays harmonica intro to ‘Piano Man’.

And that’s how you avoid getting on the ‘Cons’ list.

Rainbow Dash is too ‘cool’ for a group shot.

Besides sharing the title of the special, “Rainbow Roadtrip” is a rather interesting start for an hour special given it’s run time. I wouldn’t say it’s an absolutely spectacular musical number but it does help to set the scene not just with the snippets of our favorite characters preparing for a new adventure but also foreshadowing where they are going. Plus, as a way to introduce the animation much like the movie, the song makes up for its short run time with welcoming visuals that audiences will enjoy. If I do have to make “one” nitpick, for me it feels more like a song I’d expect to see in an ‘Equestria Girls’ special. By itself… It’s just okay.

The sight of an empty town in this state is still rather depressing.

I will admit “The End of the Rainbow” is not my favorite forlorn style song in the series, but it’s not because of the message itself. As a way to reveal a backstory of how colorful Hope Hollow used to be, how the Rainbow Festival ‘used’ to be a big deal, and it’s eventual decline, it does offer the Mane Six the exposition needed to get to the bottom of the disappearing color phenom. Although honestly, while the performer did a decent job with what he was given, something about the lyrics just felt weak for me. Maybe it’s because we’ve seen this kind of story before and it feels more like a Sunburst song (Which is ironic given who portrays Sunny Daze). While there are snippets of foreshadowing that occurs before the actual disaster is clever, it’s inevitably a ‘blink-and-miss-it’ moment and those who do catch in automatically know how it ends. Visualize… It is ‘sad’ to watch a small town go from bright and vibrant to decayed and nearly abandoned.

If it weren’t for the logo, this would make for an ‘awesome’ screensaver.

If there is an appropriate song to symbolize how a colorful world is more beautiful than the ‘black-and-white’ viewpoint of modern society, “Living in Color” would be the song to celebrate the return of community. Admittingly the lyrics do get rather repetitive, though the energy that the song attempts to deliver makes it a more upbeat rendition of ‘Let Us Sing Together’ from ‘Wee Sing in Sillyville’ (Without the subtle racism thing). Of all the songs that feels more like it fits an ‘Equestria Girls’ special and not so much an FIM special, ‘Living in Color’ at least feels like a song convention visitors can dance to at ‘Brony Dance Parties’. Course it’s also the added visuals within the melody that more than makes up for having the same line repeated over and over (As if wanting to press the message of the song deep in our subconscious).

They really put the heavy emphasis on ‘colors’ in this special.

And Fluttershy ‘did’ get that Butterfly Garden, definitely worth the trip.

Definitely a callback to a previous episode.

Overall, while ‘Rainbow Roadtrip’ may come off as the weakest special compared to either ‘Best Gift Ever’ or even the movie itself (Given the same animation) instead focusing more on a ‘slice-of-life’ plot device that we are accustomed to, it’s easy to see why fans call this a ‘G3’ two part episode done right. Hardly at any point (Apart from the Balloon incident) were the Mane Six in any real danger, serving only to teach the ponies of ‘Hope Hollow’ to never lose hope in one another even when life gets drastic and scary. The fact that the promotion for this special wasn’t the strongest, that we’ve grown used to them facing a major conflict like an antagonist, it’s easy to see why this special would either be overlooked or not something to watch again even though the message of the story takes a realistic approach. Yet where it’s weak in the writing (Particularly given who wrote the special), ‘Rainbow Roadtrip’ makes up for it with stunning visual effects, the introduction of new characters who become instant favorites, and each of the Mane Six were given a spotlight moment so no pony feels underused or overlooked. With rumors of G5 slowly becoming a reality and with Boulder Media having some involvement according to sources, we can also look at this special as a first impression on what’s to come and for the most part it’s at least getting a ‘pass’.

While it’s not my favorite special and I feel it was ‘slightly’ lackluster in what I was expecting, I respect there are fans who probably ‘enjoyed’ this more than me. Perhaps they saw something I don’t or maybe they already knew the story we were receiving, but for me had there been more time to fully develop certain plot holes and maybe add a more ‘High at Stakes’ element it would be a more epic special. On its own, it’s not the ‘worst’ special I’ve ever seen in MLP overall… But to say it’s the ‘best’ the team ever put together, that’s a bit of a stretch to me. But the big question remains:

What did YOU think? Be sure to leave a comment below at your earliest convenience.

Until next week’s return to ‘Friendship is Magic’ faithful readers, this is the Dramamaster829…

And I’m going to enjoy this brief break from reviews. Just needs mood music… *Pushes a button*

99 barrels of oats on the wall, 99 barrels of oats…

*Eyes widen* Mmmmm…… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Trombone music* Wah-Wah-Wahhhhhhhhhh.