So, we have a new episode tomorrow!

It's called "She's All Yak", and its by... um, I don't know who it's by, actually. It's pretty obvious what it's about, tho'!

I think I saw a couple minute clip of this with singing, actually, but it's kinda scrambled up in my brain. Yona wanted to look pretty, and Rarity called her a furry, then decided the best way to make her look better was to turn her into a pony? I'm probably remembering that wrong. I'd be surprised if she didn't decide at the end of all this that being a yak is best, though.

This one promises to be fun, though, and you can speculate about it and discuss it here all you want!

Time to go listen to Billy Joel's "She's Always A Yak To Me"...

--Sweetie Belle

I did see some snippets of the official music video, but it was through YouTube's recommended page where focusing on it makes it play without sound. The subtitles were also auto-generated, so I didn't quite trust what they were saying. So I believe I know little more than the bare minimum: the synopsis, and that there's a song.

Judging from the synopsis alone, I have the feeling that this will be a new take on what Simple Ways talked about: don't change yourselves so much just to impress another. What would make this episode more than just a Simple Ways rehash is if it at least explores a nuance in that moral, especially given that there may be an implied romance between Yona and Sandbar (which is quite likely if this Facebook promo picture is to be believed).

All things considered, I'm going to root for this Yona-centered episode to be a home run!

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then decided the best way to make her look better was to turn her into a pony?

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I'm hoping!

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Well, I'm not Rarity.

Actually, I think Yona's pretty cute. I created this group, in fact:

Yona

SweetAI Belle

77Stories136Members2018August

--Sweetie Belle

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I was talking about Rarity fam not you

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Just sayin'. Yona's kinda my favorite of the student six...

--Sweetie Belle

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Well to be fair, 1. Anyone would look better as a pony.

But 2. Isn't Rarity also a furry if Yona is?

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I actually tend to think Yona looks better as a yak.

Yona is furrier than a pony is, I think. Pretty boopable, too.

--Sweetie Belle

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I have seen pony Yona and it is better IMHO. But then I've never seen a character that doesn't look better as a pony and I've never seen a pony that doesn't look better as a bat pony. So maybe the next stage is bat pony Yona?

I don't have a problem and can stop any time I want, BTW.

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I think bat yak Yona would be more likely.

Bat yak Yona would be pretty neat, too. Somepony should make that happen.

--Sweetie Belle

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I don't know... how I feel about bat yaks.

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Just imagine that cupcake earlier in the thread was a mango, and she had lil' fangs!

--Sweetie Belle

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Me too.

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Time to go listen to Billy Joel's "She's Always A Yak To Me"...

Filly Joel / Billy Foal

The episode was okay. Though the ending was pretty bad.

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Yona is best Yak. No contest. Also, my favorite bit was: *Yona ties herself to a pillar* "Can Sandbar bring Yona food and water?" *Sad face*

So, a few things I felt like tossing out there. One: Yona's outfit was... not Rarity's best. I feel like it was unlike Rarity to make something so garish; the purple clashed with the green and made Yona look awkward. It just didn't seem like something Rarity would normally do... And on the topic of Rarity; none of the other teachers needed to apologize. None of them did anything wrong. Rarity was entirely at fault in this one.

Consider this: the other teachers taught, while Rarity focused on changing Yona. With Flutters and Dashie, Yona learned traditional dances. This went over pretty well with Sandbar, who was having a blast, until Rarity's alterations got in the way -- the dress and wig respectfully. Though this did lead to head punch pouring which was adorable, so I guess I don't mind. Even with Pinkie and Applejack, Yona learned to bake and make applesauce without scraping it off the walls, so she learned some life skills. Honestly? Rarity was the only one who needed to apologize at the end.

Also, on a side note, Ocellus' pony form had a ladybug for a cutie mark. This is not only hilarious, but considering that it's Twilight's one great fear, it's kinda incredibly insensitive.

Lastly, Yona is my favorite Young Six, right next to Silverstream. Sandbar is actually my least favorite, because he's normally so generic. By putting the underwhelming character beside the overwhelming one, it made Sandbar actually shine this episode. And come on, even I need to admit that those two are adorable together... Next up, we ship Silverstream! Gallus, get over here!

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I'll repost what I said from /r/mylittlepony's episode discussion thread.

In which Smolder wears a top hat and a bowtie.

The song is quite spot-on, and it's fun to listen to Rarity and Yona sing, but the video part of the music video lost me toward the end. The egregious offense is when they re-use the ending scene from the Season 5 finale—no, a still from said scene with only a puzzle overlay on it. It feels quite lazy to me. It's not helped by the rows of the exact same stallions and exact the same mares in sync with each other copy-paste style. This also means that this episode is the first time in Season 9 that I felt uncomfortable, and not in a good way. A shame, considering the song is so good and the rest of the episode shines a lot.

Another turn-off for me is Yona's eventual "pony" appearance at the climax, though maybe that's the point of it. Either way, her dress is extremely gaudy, the wig feels super tacked-on, and the ribbons on her horns... really, Rarity? I get that Rarity is a pony fashion designer so she may not have so much experience in designing for other species (except for dragons with Spike), but still, it's an eyesore. Then again, maybe that's the point—in trying to fit in and be someone she's not, Yona will end up looking the worse for it.

And I just don't like the face they pulled on Silverstream when she says "You look so... weird!" at Yona's new appearance. It feels like a forced meme-face you might find in a run-of-the-mill Nickelodeon show, also kind of like the "pudding face" Twilight pulled in the Best Gift Ever—and I felt that was a forced meme-face too.

... OK, now with all the bad out of the way, let's talk about the good, shall we?

I've honestly had some misgivings about this episode beforehand because the synopsis sounds like a rehash of Simple Ways and its moral, only this time a non-pony is involved significantly. While I was rooting for this episode to be a home run, I also realized that it could just as well be a by-the-numbers retread of the episode but adjusted for a yak.

Well, after watching it, this episode is a home run! In fact, I dare say it might even be a slight improvement on Simple Ways. While the basic moral is the same (Don't try to be someone who you aren't to impress someone else.), how it handles the moral and its premise makes it different enough from Simple Ways:

• Ways is complex and relationship-inducing fun thanks to its love triangle. All Yak keeps it plain and simple by having it be a simple friendship (with implied romance on the side) between two creatures.
• By keeping it between only ponies, Ways ironically takes a more simple and basic form of the moral: Don't be someone you're not just to impress someone else. All Yak, because of it involving two different creatures in its relationship and therefore two different cultures (with the Fetlock Fete/Amity Ball contributing to this), the moral now involves realizing the value of what and who you already are, so why change into someone you're not? If they don't like you because of what and who you are and would rather instead force you into another culture or something like that and won't even appreciate that... well, that's a bad sign, to say the least. (This also means that it takes some cues from Discordant Harmony's lesson in which Fluttershy likes Discord because of who he is and his differences, not in spite of them.)
• Rarity in Ways is pressured only by her love for Trenderhoof, nothing more and nothing less (and likewise, Trenderhoof is pressured only by his love for Applejack). Yona in All Yak is pressured not just by her friendship/love for Sandbar, but also all the ponish stuff associated with the upcoming ball and, well, with Sandbar being a pony.

And before I move on: This may be the first time Yona's clumsiness goes from something that's just slapstick humor to something serious with the potential to turn heart-wrenching. It also helps that it's been such a long time since this was really brought up, so Yona's clumsiness comes back to the stage in full frightful force out of nowhere at the worst possible time.

It's genius how the main conflict is foreshadowed or signaled in the very first scene in two ways: Ocellus shapeshifting into a pony and Twilight saying that she doesn't have to do that, and Sandbar being the first to move in asking Yona to be his pony pal even though he obviously knows Yona is not a pony... and with him saying, "That's just a poster. Come on! It'll be tons of fun together," it's implied that he isn't looking for any pony qualities and culture from Yona—he likes/loves her because she's the best Yona there is.

It's honestly a moral that's quite timeless, and in an age where globalization is a thing and people from any- and everywhere can be hit up for a chat (and even a date), there's always the lurking pressure to fit right in and carelessly throw away parts of their culture and who they are, to be assimilated by the lover's likes and dislikes to be just like them... but that's not why you should love or like someone. It should be because you love them—nothing more, nothing less. And all those differences between the both of you will end up being wonderful surprises.

Onto the entertainment side of things: aside from the song's visuals, I was having a ball the whole time! From Yona effecting a "normal" voice through Brussel sprouts through Sandbar most probably being awkwardly in love (and, remember, he's voice by Vincent Tong, the same guy who voiced Feather Bangs!) and acting that way, all the way to Spike harking to deadmau5 but never actually playing electronic music... it's all just good-natured fun!

Finally, it's interesting that the first time the Treehouse of Harmony gets used after its introduction doesn't involve the Student Six lounging inside and having good times inside. Instead, it's a sorrowful Yona moping about what just happened, and Sandbar helping her realize the truth. Honestly, I think this is a good way to start the Treehouse off: not with flashy "Oh, look at this!" sort of stuff, but with something that really fits the theme of harmony and friendship.

Overall, it's a great Yona-centered episode!

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And on the topic of Rarity; none of the other teachers needed to apologize. None of them did anything wrong. Rarity was entirely at fault in this one.

Consider this: the other teachers taught, while Rarity focused on changing Yona.

I mostly agree with you. The only thing I have in contention is that while Rarity is the worst offender here, the others were complicit and didn't catch on exactly why Yona is so desperate to be so pony-like despite most likely remembering Twilight's words about the Fete being all-inclusive now. This does put them in the side of ignorance, but they probably didn't help Yona in the right direction.

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But wouldn't that also fall on Rarity's shoulders? Yona didn't go to them to ask for help; Rarity did. Meaning, as far as the others knew, Rarity knew exactly what she was doing. I'm not rabidly defending the others, but it's the difference between being asked to help by someone and asked to help someone by someone else.

Typically, in the former case, more questions are asked because the teacher wants to know how much one needs help with in as many areas as possible. However, in the latter case, many people ask fewer questions because they assume that the first person the student asked has things under control. Normally, I would think Rarity would have things under control, but her brain was the one in the "off" position for the episode.

Ultimately, the others were focusing on teaching Yona traditional things rather than about her reasoning because that's what they were asked to do -- in Fluttershy and RD's case, it was dances that were always played at the dance. In their case, I don't think questions needed to be asked. The same goes for Pinkie and Applejack, though they have some blame. From their perspective, consider this: a character who clearly has issues with cooking food that ponies enjoy came to them and asked for help to bake traditional food for the dance; a meal that will most likely be given to a random pony to eat. It makes sense to help her make food that ponies enjoy, so I don't know if you can fault Pinkie and AJ that much.

6853815 Yeah, that ending dragged down what had previously been a pretty decent episode. About the only good thing I liked about it was Yona teaching others how to dance like she did. Everything else was just unnecessary and cheapened Yona's "achievement". Plus, if the rest of the mane six were so worried about Yona, how come none of them bothered to look for her and only apologized after the fact? That's a clear case of "Show, don't tell".