MLP:FiM 3x01/2 "The Crystal Empire" Parts 1 and 2 Grading

Interesting. That's the first I've heard of this. Was it via Twitter (which I essentially don't follow)?

 

Someone got a better look at the book Luna summons, it's covered in stars and swirls

 

"Big Jim" Miller, the storyboard head, just dropped on Twitter that he voiced King Sombra. I could have sworn it sounded like Frank Welker, so kudos t o him for evoking one of the most prolific VAs of all time.

 

That "throwing Cadance" moment is never going to be lived down, we've seen some silly things these past couple of years but, no.

 

Cadance Cannon is now canon.

I love the episode (gave it an A). Yeah, there were some overreaching moments, but I loved the characterizations, loved the animation (gorgeous!), and loved that I got to see more Luna!

 

Just rewatched that bit - nope, RD and 'Shy still have their wings, and Rarity, Twi and Shining still have horns.

 

Obviously the quality wasn't too good for them either.

 

There was a similar bit near the end of the wedding two-parter where she gets thrown from the mine cart. It's like the animators want to justify giving her wings so they keep throwing her off of stuff.

 

Yeah the idea seems to be she's a mortal Alicorn so she can damn well walk/fly everywhere instead.

 

That scene was awesome.

 

Wow, that was a lot better upon rewatching. The first time through I kept wondering why elements central to Twilight's story, like the Door of Fear, got introduced and then promptly abandoned. Going back with the ending in mind reveled the story's secret: it's actually a Spike episode. (!) Bearing that mind, everything clicks. It only looked like a Twilight episode because she thought it was about her, but it was really about her having to cede control to somebody else.

Nicely played, Ms. McCarthy.

 

It does play out that way on reflection. Everyone else had their little parts in it though.

Xyro popped the 1080 video up on Youtube, links are at EqD as usual, but already rewatched the 480 in Sabersparks livestream with another chat going, was kind of fun apart from him going off on tangents all the time.

 

I got what I wanted, more Luna and this:

http://derpibooru.org/147799

 

The songs were good. They were a bit workmanlike, but they were good, yes.

Oh, the little sheeps were so adorable! I thought Fluttershy was going to melt!

Yes. This!

 

Yes!

 

This is the first season of FiM where I have the Hub in HD. I must say the show looks spectacular in high-definition—amazing colors, and you notice little touches you may not have seen before.


The episode really kicked off with a bang, with a short, dramatic teaser that hooked me. (Interestingly, no new intro for S3.)


Seeing Luna and Celestia together was really cool, including their implied team-up in the flashbacks to the origin of the disappearance of the Crystal Empire. I also though the brief bit with their cutie marks behind them was a nice visual touch. Speaking of Celestia, with her use of holograms, dark magic and quickly putting the books together—she really showed some of her power here.


The songs in this episode actually left a better first impression on me than the ones in “Canterlot Wedding.” Having two ensemble songs was a nice change, and I particularly liked the second song—it was quite catchy and different than most of the other songs in the show. (Still, neither beat “The Smile Song” or “Becoming Popular”) And, of course, William Anderson provided some awesome, epic at times, background scoring.


I liked that there was lots of continuity here—seeing not only Luna, but Cadence and Shining Armor. By the way, did anyone get a “Empire Strikes Back” vibe from Shining Armor's first appearance, especially with the word Empire right in the dialogue?


As far as funny moments go, Rarity truly stole the show here. She had so many great moments that perfectly fit her character: the scarves, the reaction to the Crystal empire, her hilarious reaction to Crystal ponies, her daydream, and her comment that she had to make a hat out of three pieces of hay and a drinking straw (“I made it work!”)


Twilight had some great funny moments too—from her initial test freak-out, her reaction to the library and the like. And, as someone who preferred research papers over multiple choice in college, I especially loved that bit too. Pinkie screaming she wanted a horn was funny, and the jousting scene between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy was also great (poor Fluttershy!).


The plot was interesting, and I originally thought the door that Twilight “went through” led to an alternate universe. I also thought that the ensemble contributed more as a whole than the wedding episode, with some entertaining, some helping with the search, and so on.


I had no problems at all with King Sombre. Unlike Discord, I feel he was more of an imposing force of nature (kind of like Sauron from Lord of the Rings) and wasn't so much a dialogue-based villain as one that's always ready to sweep in when good fails.


I have to admit, I wasn't expecting Spike and Cadence to play such a big role in the end victory, but it worked for me.

Finally, the tease with Luna's book...verrrry interesting!

It's not my favorite two-parter (that still goes to “Return of Harmony”), but it's quite good, very enjoyable and a great way to start the season.


On a strict letter scale of A to F with no pluses or minuses, I give it an A.

(Also, I'm apparently glad I had to DVR it and watch it later--I didn't see the spoliery commercials nor the Gak-A-Thon.)

 

Luna's book is covered with Stars and Swirls, it was a much more obvious nod in HD, most of us watched it in SD and missed that, apparently Starswirl left behind works that could be used in instructing successors? could be cool to see Luna teach Twi for a while.

Although the Gak meme needs to die, now.

 

Khan goggles in an Empire Strikes back homage to get to a city that's part Atlantis with it's shield up, part Emerald City, based off of a Lord of the Rings city. Shout outs, shout outs everywhere.