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| Call me a fashion philistine, but I rather like some of these designs |
Written by Charlotte Fullerton
4 Feb 2011
My original rating: N/A
IMDB score: 8.6
The one with Fluttershy's freaky knowledge of sewing
Thoughts: A bunch of magical talking ponies have dresses made for a formal ball at a magical princess's castle. They sing about it and have fashion shows. Is that clichéd "girls' show" stuff or what? In this case, it's "what". A lovely episode, easily Rarity's finest hour to this point and still right up there almost nine years on. The other Manes learn something important, too. The Broadway-inspired song is superb both times, barring the odd "make sure that it stays within our budget" line. Fluttershy adds a new string to her bow, and it's a shame her sewing knowledge was so rarely referred to hereafter. DJ Pon-3 becomes a fandom favourite with five seconds of head-nodding. And of course there's "20 percent cooler" – a phrase devalued by overuse in recent years, but here absolutely fresh and perfect. Actually, the dialogue frequently zings: the scene with Rarity locked in her room is wonderful, and Pinkie's "Give her time..." may be one of the best-judged and best-timed lines in the entire series. Hoity Toity isn't the most three-dimensional character ["No; he's a 2D cartoon!" —Ed.], but he does a job. Not quite a flawless FiM episode, but fairly comfortably a classic and an ep that was pleasure itself to rewatch. A high four.
Choice quote: Rainbow Dash: "It needs to be about 20 percent cooler."
New rating: ★★★★
Next up is "Feeling Pinkie Keen", the source of perhaps the first real brony fandom controversy. I have mixed feelings about it. Let's see how it does this time.
Using a data set of "my Swiss cheese memory", I'd say this is the S1 episode I most turned around on in time. Absolutely zero interest in it the first time I saw it (well, aside from the song, which was my number one fav for a long time), it took me until at least gaining appreciation for Rarity in Dog and Pony Show before I could come back and appreciate this one, too. And then I went on to enjoy future episodes mocking the fahsion industry quite a lot. :D
ReplyDeleteInteresting; "A Dog and Pony Show" is one Rarity episode I've never quite hit it off with. Possibly the one-off-ness of the Diamond Dogs doesn't help. I'm wondering whether my feelings will change this time around.
DeleteRarity's always been one of my favourites, and to be fair I did a marathon of the whole first season in two days, but looking back it's kind of astonishing how long it took before Rarity had fully dedicated episodes. Ignoring "All Main Six" entries where she's pointedly sharing with at least five other characters, she's only really had "Look Before You Sleep", and that was shared with Applejack. Then the second half of the season comes along, and BOOM! She suddenly has one of the best episodes almost all to herself.
ReplyDeleteI love the little touches in this episode. Opal's mirroring of Rarity's satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the work, the musical touches of the final fashion show (2001: A Space Oddysee in Twilight's section is nigh perfect), and how the Main Six specifically ruin the dresses in characteristic ways (Twilight's astronomical pedantry, Applejack's practicality, Pinkie just throwing on everything she likes).
I'm with you: I really wish Fluttershy's "freaky sewing knowledge" had been consistently held up. Between that and her regular spa visits with Rarity, I got the impression the two were pretty close, and it's just so pleasant. But we'll come to that when "Green Isn't Your Color" arrives.
What impressed me the most about the episode was that it made the case for dressmaking as a legitimate art form. Seriously, the ways the dress designs complement the Main Six while still being classy (personal favourite is the Ancient Greek-inspired design of Rainbow Dash's outfit, complete with wreath and grapes), is so delightfully apt. It's genuinely the first time I appreciated Rarity's fashionista side, and I say that as someone who doesn't really care for fashion. It's almost revelatory, in a way (really, I'm closer to the Applejack ideal of "If it's practical", but still).
Lastly, the song is exemplary of MLP:FiM music at it's finest, both as low-key television show spectacle and as a way of furthering and enhancing the story (obvious example is the reprise having a different tone). Just a surprising, classically great episode.
the musical touches of the final fashion show
DeleteOh, absolutely. One of William Anderson's best moments from S1, and I really should have given him a nod in the Thoughts section.
Between that and her regular spa visits with Rarity, I got the impression the two were pretty close, and it's just so pleasant.
I've always thought so too. Not that I've ever got around to actually writing it, but the fic I've vaguely had in my mind for years in which Fluttershy talks about the darker side of her calling* has always had Rarity as the pony she talks about it to.
* I have read Estee's Five Hundred Little Murders, a long time ago. I still want to write my own take on the general idea eventually, though.
I love that "give her time" line from Pinkie. I have used it with my offline friends, most of which are not even aware of the show, quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteIt's brilliant, isn't it? I do go back and forth in my mind a bit about whether it's really a Pinkie line -- but it's just so good that I tend not to worry about that!
DeleteWhat a great episode. As everyone has mentioned, it successfully circumvented a plot about seemingly girly things to make it a funny character piece, and gave us our first Rarity song, and those would become a genre of the show's songs all by themselves with time. Both versions of the song hit, though I think I'm not alone in preferring the reprise. And as is often the case with these early episodes, mild ignorance on the part of the others regarding Rarity's effort and knowledge in the subject of fashion is forgivable and fine in a way it wouldn't be even a season later.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I'm with Perfect Present on "A Dog and Pony Show", though: that episode is hilariously dope, not least for how Rarity plays the Diamond Dogs like a fiddle despite being captured. Perhaps them never appearing again makes them feel odd, but to me, it's no weirder then the various other S1 creatures that barely appeared thereafter, if at all, and there's quite a few of those.
Including one in the very next episode! I reckon that MLR should be up on Christmas Eve. No promises, though. I need to go and catch up with your own S1 posts, too. :)
DeleteAnother of my all-time favorites due to great characterization of best mini-horse, and my second-favorite of the songs. This is another one where the song is not only catchy but does its share of the heavy lifting in moving the plot along instead of being merely incidental to it. Throw in so may wonderful character moments from pretty much everyone (including Opal!), and this is an easy classic for me.
ReplyDeleteIf by going over the brief summary of this episode alone back then, I'd swear this was their attempt to do an episode as similar as the Generations of old and thus signifying that this 'is' a show for lassies. But having said that, this episode was meant to give Rarity her shining moment since initially fans weren't too crazy about her snooty persona at the start of the season (Who wouldn't?). But here this is where we get to see Rarity at her best, showing her generosity at work designing all these dresses for her friends, initially to design for the upcoming Gala only to make a fashion show out of it, and she even gets her own song (Showing a part of Rarity we'd admire for many seasons to come). In a way, this episode wasn't so much for Rarity to learn a lesson, about putting in too much work just to please everybody (Though that is an important moral), but a lesson her friends had to learn about being more appreciative when one friend takes all the time and effort to put something together for you. After all, when we see the first designs made just for their specifications... Boy that was a disaster (But to be fair, Rainbow's outfit looks better suited for a fight scene in a finale).
ReplyDeleteTrue, this episode was far from perfect. Fluttershy's expertise on sewing and fashion knowledge felt like it was added just for laughs (We barely see it in other episodes after this), Hoity Toity seemed merely inserted to serve as an 'obstacle' in this episode (He's lucky to get a few extra appearances) and if you're not a fan of seeing Rarity break down and crying in tears... Suffice to say, this isn't the last time you'll see her doing this. But overall, this episode was still fun, not really something to take seriously or to get too engaged with, but certain elements of the episode would be considered memorable for much time to come. Too bad they go through all that work to prepare for the Gala, only for... Well, I'll reserve the next sentence for 'that' post.