tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post7171678856157302958..comments2023-11-10T00:18:38.053+00:00Comments on A.T.D.I.: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic "The Crystal Empire" ReviewJames Corckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994731268585922124noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-36670573274761492012012-12-29T01:11:43.305+00:002012-12-29T01:11:43.305+00:00Tht was great to be back.Tht was great to be back.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-86348113276568627762012-12-02T04:24:55.431+00:002012-12-02T04:24:55.431+00:00There's no H in Crystal Empire, and no U in Sh...There's no H in Crystal Empire, and no U in Shining Armor. Nulonohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00696072610155482618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-33323537611526490602012-11-17T01:06:24.460+00:002012-11-17T01:06:24.460+00:00After a long drought of Pony episodes, is good to ...After a long drought of Pony episodes, is good to be back here. For that long drought, is kinda obvious the fandom are going to be more nitpicky than usual, me included. Let's start: the failure success song after watching it on summer i didn't think it was very memorable, yes, the song is very catchy and Spike have a part on it and it was awesome; I'm not telling this because I'm a Spike fan, he just sang and dance beautifully, a big kudos to the animators and overall to Cathy Waseluck. (I watch on Twitter that she is being flooded with words of appreciation and gratitude, something that she thanked for. Broclaw!!) Back on track,the failure song didn't add up anything to the episode, it only assess Twilight's insecurities. You can say that song give us a shot of Twilight state of mind, but the point i want to reach is that this two parter is only of 41 minutes as Canterlot Wedding, and I just simply hate that the first part of both two parters is only build up and the second part is rushed up action.<br />About King Sombra, I agree with most of us that he was one of the weakest villain in MLP FIM and I could said from all the MLP generations and that's just sad because also he was with the most potential and the creators didn't let him display it, from all the clues I could get from him, he was so terrible and cruel and I could say cunning; maybe like Twilight. Maybe they could bring a reference from Star Wars that if Twilight is not careful, she could convert into someone like him, not probable but possible considering the fear of failure she has displayed, highlighted strongly in this episode.<br />(As a sidenote I also noted a slight similitude between the plot of the crystal empire and Pokemon 2000 as Ash was trying beyond his own capabilities to obtain all of the crystal to defeat an intangible menace, (climate change). Now let me laugh like King Sombra and display my Sweetiebot face.) <br />schris3https://www.blogger.com/profile/12876130265207244869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-3433536630767754052012-11-13T14:44:03.080+00:002012-11-13T14:44:03.080+00:00What exactly did the others do to Twilight at the ...What exactly did the others do to Twilight at the end of the first episode, then? How is walking out on a bully to comfort the victim "spiteful and downright malicious"? I know I wouldn't want to stay behind and hang out with someone who just tried to ruin someone's wedding after having been overly negative the whole time. There is trusting Twilight, and then there is blindly trusting her. She had nothing to back her up, only her own word, and she didn't even point out her best point, which was Cadence having been her foalsitter. The others had seen how Cadence acted themselves and had decided it was not in fact bad, but that she was just stressed out and Twi was overreacting. Honestly, I don't think they've ever blindly trusted her, so them not trusting her here is not contrary to their previous characterizations at all.<br /><br />And of course, I'm not defending ACW as a whole. It had issues and it created some problems, but this wasn't one of them. If I had to try and explain why TCE has had such a negative reception the biggest thing probably is it being the first new poni in a while. This episode had been hyped a lot, saying it was going to be "their biggest adventure yet" and all that stuff. It just didn't live up to those expectations. It also had issues with the villain, who was probably one thing a lot of people were excited to see, considering how well-liked villains seem to be in our fandom. So yes, people probably put it on a pedestal of some sort during the summer.<br /><br />As for complaining, I point out things I don't like because I like this show. Not everyone cares about how Fluttershy was characterized or if Rarity looked like a bitch, they only care if it's funny and makes them laugh. And even though I disagree with them, they have the right to their opinion. Why shouln't I, then, be allowed to speak my mind when there are issues with things I care about? And of course, bronies are people too. Thinking we are different or better because we like ponies is naive, and tooting our own horn is the one thing that annoys me the most. Yes, I do try to be better, but bronies are people too.<br /><br />Anyways, TCE. I'm not sure if you read that review or not, since one of the more important points regarding characters was Twilight's hesitation to save the crystal ponies and her friends by failing her "test". That might not be character derailment per se, but that doesn't make me feel good about Twilight, at all. My definition for out of character behaviour is "acting in a way that directly contradicts previously established characterization". I can't say anyone in TCE was OOC by this definition, with the exception of RD making Flutters feel bad, mayhaps. Maybe even Rarity being that selfish. Doesn't mean they didn't feel bad to me, though. And that's pretty much all I've been saying.JiiKoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-15931585465725499052012-11-13T14:34:36.560+00:002012-11-13T14:34:36.560+00:00Excellent review as always. For anyone interested,...Excellent review as always. For anyone interested, you can find my thoughts on the season premiere here: http://bit.ly/XBnewHIce Dragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07750136441756246074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-10067099113839287002012-11-13T05:55:22.742+00:002012-11-13T05:55:22.742+00:00I mean that they didn't trust the goddamn Elem...I mean that they didn't trust the goddamn Element of Magic, the canonically most intelligent pony in Equestria apart from the princesses, to know better than they do what her freaking babysitter (whom they had never met before) was like and how she would behave under pressure. The way they snubbed her at the end of the episode in particular was spiteful and downright malicious, in no way an appropriately scaled response to Twilight's admittedly atrocious behaviour. If that's what you regard as in-character, no wonder we don't see eye to eye on characterization - our standards in that regard are obviously so far apart as to reside in different solar systems. Simplification (as admittedly happened in "The Crystal Empire") is one thing; complete derailment is another. (Don't even get me started on Celestia, who damn well should have known better.)<br /><br />Sorry if I sound a little aggressive here, but almost all the reactions to "The Crystal Empire" I've seen online have been relentlessly negative, and I'm beginning to wonder whether I've seen an entirely different episode, because my opinion is pretty much the same as James's. The bronies as a whole have become an entitled little bunch, and it just made me sad to see that yes, the whole complaining thing is happening in this fandom just as it does in every other. I was naive to think we'd be better than that. The episode might not have been perfect, but perhaps the pedestal we put this series on became a little high over the summer? "A Canterlot Wedding" introduced "old friends" we'd never heard of before, and solved its central conflict with a deus ex machina of biblical proportions, and still it wasn't as negatively received as "The Crystal Empire" seems to be.Osperonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-18727724100549300882012-11-13T05:20:45.840+00:002012-11-13T05:20:45.840+00:00Sure, but Spike's victory moment seems to be b...Sure, but Spike's victory moment seems to be brushed aside by Twilight and Celestia only talking about the outcome of the situation. Also, we never get a big "thank you, Spike" momentArturohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07660813614072812727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-63839475205705976862012-11-12T23:43:11.083+00:002012-11-12T23:43:11.083+00:00I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I'...I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I'd say they had a good reason for leaving Twi alone at the end of part 1 of ACW. From the very beginning, in basically every scene with her friends, Twi was negative. She was unhappy Shiny didn't tell her in person about the wedding, one could even say angry. When checking on AJ she just sat there with a sour look on her face, with Rarity she mocked Cadence. Then when they were sitting together, having drinks, she just complained how she was a mean pony, which her friends actually addressed and didn't just ignore, unlike in Lesson Zero. And then Twi stormed off, because she believed she was right. And after that we have that moment you mentioned, with Twi driving the bride-to-be away in tears the day before her wedding. <br /><br />It doesn't matter if Twi was right or not, all her friends saw was a jealous(?) pony who didn't want to give up her BBBFF and who tried to ruin the bride's big day. If they hadn't tried to talk Twi out of it I might agree with you, but they did explain why Cadence might have acted the way she did. They were wrong, obviously, but they thought they were right. Twi was acting like a bitch and they couldn't have known why that was.<br /><br />Considering all this, I don't see how them walking out on Twi was wrong in any way or how it means they've regressed, especially since they reacted differently from LZ. Were there any real issues with their characterization in that episode?<br /><br />As for me and The Crystal Empire, I'd suggest reading the "review" I linked in my earlier post, especially the part where I talk about the characters. I admit the complaints can be subjective, thought RD was acting in a way that showed she apparently hadn't learned anything last season, being overly aggressive as she was and guilt tripping Fluttershy of all ponies. Basically the characters were simplified versions of themselves, and in some cases those "simplifications" don't even work that well, like the Element of Generosity not giving a crap about the crystal ponies, instead being obsessed with crystals.JiiKoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-89376473533975811892012-11-12T19:48:21.972+00:002012-11-12T19:48:21.972+00:00Definitely agree regarding Rainbow. In particular,...Definitely agree regarding Rainbow. In particular, I really didn't like the way she behaved towards Fluttershy in the jousting: hasn't Dash learnt anything from "Hurricane Fluttershy"? Rainbow *was* redeemed for me somewhat by a tiny moment late on: just as Rarity walks off screen in the song reprise, the two pegasi share a smiling glance. Blink and you'll miss it, but I'm glad it was there. I just hope we're not going to see "Annoying Dash" as the default this season, though.Loganberryhttp://www.youtube.com/user/Loganberrybunnynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-68352985851701758672012-11-12T19:44:19.694+00:002012-11-12T19:44:19.694+00:00Hooray, I've found your reviews again! This is...Hooray, I've found your reviews again! This is the first season I'm watching with everyone else, so I'll definitely keep an eye on these as I think they're absolutely wonderful. As for the episode itself: for me, this was an 8/10 episode: good, even very good, but let down by the lack of development for King Sombra. That was frustrating: he's *potentially* a great villain, and who knows? Maybe we'll see him again. But in *this* tale, he just didn't do enough for my liking. As such, Discord still wins the "best season-opening villain" competition fairly handily in my book.Loganberryhttp://www.youtube.com/user/Loganberrybunnynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-22701458902234122422012-11-12T01:15:30.406+00:002012-11-12T01:15:30.406+00:00I hope you bookmarked it now C: I will keep postin...I hope you bookmarked it now C: I will keep posting in the write ups/follow ups, so keep an eye out for my material.James Corckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16994731268585922124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-61261077239538278102012-11-12T01:14:50.474+00:002012-11-12T01:14:50.474+00:00Oh I will forever write these reviews, for as long...Oh I will forever write these reviews, for as long as Friendship is Magic lastsJames Corckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16994731268585922124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-32945817835113242612012-11-12T01:14:18.943+00:002012-11-12T01:14:18.943+00:00Thanks a bunch sir :DThanks a bunch sir :DJames Corckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16994731268585922124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-76253257261723557912012-11-12T01:14:07.005+00:002012-11-12T01:14:07.005+00:00Nadie se esperaba que Spike fuese a ser el heroe, ...Nadie se esperaba que Spike fuese a ser el heroe, y es por lo cual estos dos episodios me han gustado tanto.James Corckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16994731268585922124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-4075550005973568002012-11-12T00:58:01.834+00:002012-11-12T00:58:01.834+00:00Okay, I get most of your cons (even though I thoug...Okay, I get most of your cons (even though I thought Shining Armour and Cadence were put to far better use here than in their out-of-frakking-nowhere debut), but Spike not appreciated? You did see the giant stained-glass window he got almost to himself? If that isn't appreciation, I don't know what is.Osperonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-17150050002477659232012-11-12T00:55:26.216+00:002012-11-12T00:55:26.216+00:00The entire mane cast in "A Canterlot Wedding&...The entire mane cast in "A Canterlot Wedding" felt as though they'd been regressed to just after the pilot. They should know better than to do what they did to Twilight at the end of part 1. Compared to that, characterization here was spot-on, and in fact I have to ask where you thought it was off.Osperonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-16778467658207327432012-11-11T22:21:45.268+00:002012-11-11T22:21:45.268+00:00oh good, i found this! i enjoyed reading your revi...oh good, i found this! i enjoyed reading your reviews all last season, always got the link from the eqd comments. don't know why i didn't bookmark, but i was worried i wouldn't find it again, come this season. Ashfirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01081996509408108466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-87972784303490643732012-11-11T21:27:50.071+00:002012-11-11T21:27:50.071+00:00Though I rarely agree with you, I always enjoy you...Though I rarely agree with you, I always enjoy your well thought out reviews. This was no exception.<br />Looking back on it, you were right. There simply was too much they wanted to fit into the episode and not enough time to make it happen. The two-parters always seem to have this problem. However, the team knows that they only had so much time to get things across and having done three two-parters before this, they should be used to it, so I'm not going to give them a free pass on that.<br />In brief, I think the episode should have been without a villain, the environments (which were almost copy-pasted from Canterlot several times) could have been more imaginative, some of the characters were played up too much (RBD was WAY too agressive, Pinkie Pie was strangely stupid), and to stop relying on plot devices (Elements of Harmony, Crystal Heart, etc.)<br />I will praise that they seem to be working on an overarching plot for this season and the nods they gave to it made me very happy. It was also a very funny episode, my favorite moment being the Fluttershy costume bit. I'll also commend them for doing a good job with the moral and letting Spike have a chance to do something, even if they pretty much forget about it shortly afterwards.<br />It wasn't their strongest episode, but that wasn't because of an inaction on their part, it was because they were too ambitious with the restraints they have to stick to. I won't fault them for ambition, but I hope that the rest of the season gives the elements they are foreshadowing the time they need to fully develop.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-27170267021181780722012-11-11T21:23:14.298+00:002012-11-11T21:23:14.298+00:00Well well well, I'm glad you're still writ...Well well well, I'm glad you're still writing these review, I always look forward to read them! They are a delight, even if I don't always agree with you (here, though, I agree, except for Sombra that I did like). Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-27803945424973624792012-11-11T20:58:21.736+00:002012-11-11T20:58:21.736+00:00I agree ^_^;I agree ^_^;James Corckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16994731268585922124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-81324877491063140402012-11-11T20:45:12.751+00:002012-11-11T20:45:12.751+00:00I thought this episode was just OK. Not exceptiona...I thought this episode was just OK. Not exceptional, not offensive, just solid.<br />Pros:<br />-After having nothing to do in previous two-part episodes, Spike finally gets a chance to shine<br />-The design of the Chrystal Empire, and the Chrystal Ponies, is all really good, particularly the animation behind their chrystal coats.<br />-Characters were consistently funny, particularly Rarity and Twilight<br />-AJ gets to be very involved as a supporting character<br />-Anyone else notice the reference to George Orwell's 1984?<br />Cons:<br />-I still don't really care for Shining Armor or Cadence; they haven't had enough development to carry such a large portion of a given plot<br />-Pinkie Pie, while consistently funny, had a couple of jokes that feel forced<br />-King Sombra is a missed opportunity<br />-It feels like Spike isn't fully appreciated for what he did at the end; instead every charcter is only thinking about whether Twilight passes her test or not.Arturohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07660813614072812727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-16120074226280806722012-11-11T20:39:51.057+00:002012-11-11T20:39:51.057+00:00It's weird how much I always seem to agree wit...It's weird how much I always seem to agree with you. At the time when everyone loved A Canterlot Wedding, I came here and got to read a review which shared my own opinion: There were a lot of good parts, but it kinda fell flat overall.<br />Now, with a lot of people saying that these episodes were probably the worst of the two-parters, I come here to see you claim it was one of the best. You even say that you thought the Success Song was the best song in the episode, an opinion I thought only I had.<br /><br />Thanks for your great reviews. Though maybe you should try disagreeing with me more often.Unknownlighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09278487323218605513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-62786554255184894062012-11-11T19:06:22.272+00:002012-11-11T19:06:22.272+00:00I have to say I haven't really paid attention ...I have to say I haven't really paid attention to the mane cast being OOC in ACW, I don't I saw any glaring problems in their characterization. Could you give me some examples of those? I admit I might have been focusing on other issues at the time (brother and alicorn babysitter come to mind...) and could have missed that.<br /><br />As for Sombra, well, as I've said, I'd rather he had stayed as a cloud of black, would have been scarier. I think untapped potential is the right word to use here. But yeah, him being a unicorn could work that way. We don't really know how he got those powers and why he is so different and those are actually some things I would have liked to see. I do hope they'll explore Twi using dark magicks at some point, maybe we'll have some answers then.JiiKoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-83838986613199271592012-11-11T17:12:35.540+00:002012-11-11T17:12:35.540+00:00Wait, you think THIS is the two-parter in which th...Wait, you think THIS is the two-parter in which the characters didn't feel right, and not "A Canterlot Wedding", which ripped the entire cast (minus Twilight) out of character (plus made them all retards) in order for its plot to work? O.o I mean, if that's your opinion, no problem. I just don't really get how you could reach that conclusion. Maybe it's just me.<br /><br />I didn't mind Sombra's design, I think he was a fantastic villain, just oozing with charisma and untapped potential, while invoking images of Sauron in my mind. The scariest part about him is how he can kind of serve as a mirror image for Twilight if she isn't careful. That's what makes Sombra so unique amongst the MLP villains: he wasn't a fallen alicorn, a cockroach queen or a spirit of chaos, he was a unicorn. A mortal, normal unicorn, to whom something happened that changed him into or made him decide to become a total monster, with a truly frightening amount of power to boot. Given that Twilight already had to use dark magic to solve Sombra's traps, she has to be careful, or she could very much end up becoming just like him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1106648781852702786.post-8357445858461839182012-11-11T14:51:32.382+00:002012-11-11T14:51:32.382+00:00I was wondering if you were going to resume these ...I was wondering if you were going to resume these with the new season. Glad to see you did. However, I have to say I disagree with you on this episode, a lot. I'd say it was the worst of the two-parters, mostly because the characters didn't feel right at all and Twilight obsessing over the test felt just wrong to me, considering the circumstances.<br /><br />>a lot happened in this episode, actually, way too much.<br />This I agree with. They tried to do too much in such a short time and sort of failed because of that. I also agree with you about Sombra, him looking like an OC someone just made. Those teeth, that special horn, those colours... Yeah.<br /><br />Anyways, I'd say this was a good review, even though I disagree with it. People like different things and view things differently. Not much I can comment on, since I'd be just repeating what I wrote myself. I'll just drop that here. Had to split it to keep it at least somewhat readable. <a href="http://oi47.tinypic.com/2hekcwx.jpg" rel="nofollow">Part 1</a> <a href="http://oi50.tinypic.com/2e515yr.jpg" rel="nofollow">Part 2</a><br /><br />Looking forward to your future reviews!JiiKoonoreply@blogger.com