awkwardreviews

Hey guys! Have you heard?! Rarity is GENEROUS!

The reason I say that, is because this episode decided to truly hammer in that fact. “Hey look, the element of generosity… IS GENEROUS!” Who knew?! I know I did!

This is the main aspect of the episode which I couldn’t help but cringe at, every time it was brought up I told myself “yes… I know… how about some subtlety for a change?” But honestly, apart from that main gripe, the entire episode was filled to the brim with hilariousness.

I can go on and on about how well the writers are portrayed Rainbow Dash. The once cocky, abrasive, and annoying character has truly become a fantastic one. She is, hands down, the best developed character of the show, and every episodes seems to reinforce that. The best part is the fact that she still stays IN character, it’s not like she had some drastic change in her personality or anything. The growth seemed natural.

Now, let’s talk about the bell of the ball, Rarity, whom has been lacking an episode for quite a bit has her season four debut, and succeeds with flying colors. Apart from that one flaw, this episode was generally quite accurate in her depiction. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t absolutely love the voice actress who plays her oh so well… Tabitha St.Germain (her voice actress) has a stunning talent for depicting emotion, and Rarity, being the most…hmm… how do I say? Eccentric, character, fits perfectly with the voice actress.

Rarity’s breakdown this episode was once again, something to marvel at. Each line was delivered with passion and sincerity, and it really did succeed. Even the other characters had a decent amount to do in the episode. “Rarity takes Manehattan” seemed like the first episode where the entire cast was UNDERSTANDABLY there, as I can completely believe that a group of friends visiting a foreign city is something that occurs.

While the background characters were played well, and the guest stars were entertaining… there was a feeling of slight blunt exposition. Which is something that is understandable with this shows demographic, but still felt somewhat out of place. For example, when Suri Polomare, whom was portrayed as the antagonist, lied to Rarity about Rarity’s loss in the talent show… then quite literally told her assistant she lied, was something that was not necessary. It was a waste of space exposition line that garnered to the younger demographic, and as I said, it’s understandable, but the show DID fair well without that device in past episodes.

Dave Polsky, the writer of this episode, really did his job in portrayed the characters well. He has always been a machine for fun character humor, and this episode definitely shows his talent with writing character based jokes. From Rainbow Dashes deliveries, to Pinkies hyper-ness, each character seemed to be acting as if they are just filled to the brim with well-delivered humor.

The twist ending definitely seems like a pattern in this season, and my theory of them leading up to a climactic finale definitely seems like it is heading to fruition… I’m not too sure about this ‘twist’ ending, if I can even call it that, but it was still something else this show included.

This season is definitely different, I will say it is for the better, some say it is for the worse. All we can do is wait, and watch these great episodes as they come!

Grade: A-

NOT THE BEEEE-… BAAAATS!!!

If I’m honest, this episode gets better and better the more I rewatch it. I ADORE this episode, from the fantastic themes to the overwhelmingly hilarious dialogue to the beautiful set-pieces. This was yet another classic springing up from the fourth season, a season I think is majorly positive so far.

Today we get to see BATS! An episode that lives up to its name, as not only do we get to see apple-sucking vampire bats, but we also get to see a beloved character transform into a bat as well. Equipped with fangs and insanely fluffy ears, Fluttershy did not hesitate to once again make this episode stand out. In fact, all the characters got a brilliant amount of screen time for an episode that seemed like it would be revolving around Applejack.

The only visible fault was the characters acting a wee bit out of character in ONE scene, which is forgivable since the rest of this episode was pure joy. The particularly impressive aspect of this episode was the brilliant artistic direction it was taken in. Having a very “Nightmare before Christmas” vibe to it, this episode had beautiful details implanted in it. From the smooth transitions between filters, to the panning of the “camera” this episode definitely stood out as this shows most technologically proficient episode. One that I will definitely say was a “Halloween-episode”.

Just like in a few previous episodes, this one continued this season’s trend of leaving of the episode with a little cliffhanger. I hope there is a valuable payoff to this, as I think it has the opportunity to create one of the best season finales to date.

The designs of the bats in this episode was another fantastic addition, as they weren’t some overly-cute creature, in fact, they were something I’d see from some of the “boy” cartoons out there (ugh, I hate saying things like this, but it’s a comparison I drew nonetheless).

The scenery was also delightfully spooky, as they ditched the rose-colored backgrounds for a darker pallet and filter, making it a true homage. I feel like this episode was more of a concept and execution than Power Ponies, the shows previous installment, as it has a more visible theme to it. It executes it with style and talent, and the voice actresses really seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I’ll say it again, I think this not only is perhaps the best episode of the season, but one of my favorite episodes of this show to date!

Grade: A