My Little Repeats 207: "She's All Yak"

Spike, you're getting very big-headed

S9E07: "She's All Yak"

11 May 2019

My original rating: ★★

IMDb score: 7.0

The one with sprouts

Thoughts: Looking back, people had very mixed reactions to this episode, but I came down on the more negative side and still do. The YonaBar (friend)ship comes out of nowhere, but it's fine in itself, while the American pronunciation of "fete" merely needs getting used to. A bigger problem is that the whole "fitting right in" thing involves a yak being told she needs to be more, well, pony despite the whole point of the renamed Amity Ball being to include other creatures. This is pretty uncomfortable stuff, all the more for this show, and Rarity written as supporting it is deeply disappointing. It's a relief that the moral returns to not trying to be something you aren't. The song is rather dull and uninteresting to the extent I've already forgotten it again. A few amusing moments, such as Spike's DJ act, but very predictable stuff and I can't see a reason to change the two-star rating.

Choice quote: Rarity: "By Celestia, I think she's got it."

New rating: ★★

Next up will be "Frenemies"! This episode was widely seen as a highlight of S9 back in 2019, but will it hold up now that we know how the storyline ends? We'll see!

This is still me

...and "She's All Yak" is still on the list. I hope at some point in the future I can look back at the last few months and think to myself, "Sheesh, Logan, you had a rough patch there!" But unless I literally say "The rewatch reviews won't happen" then they will happen. In fact, I'm making a commitment now. Short of impossible conditions such as significant illness or family emergencies...

...the "She's All Yak" rewatch will be up within one week from this post.

Yes, I wrote it in bold. That means it has to happen! :P 

So, then, how about this G6 malarkey?

I'm not sure what to make of the very limited announcements so far, but that's not surprising really. Until we get a bit more public information – or some leaks – then there's not a lot to say. One big question is whether G6 will do a G5 and be explicitly in the same continuity as Friendship is Magic. I'm one of the people who would prefer a fresh start, with perhaps the odd Easter Egg reference (see the way G1 was used in most of FiM), but Hasbro will be doing what they think will sell toys. I know, shocking, isn't it? But still: new Pony is coming!

Worcester Shires ponymeets, 2026 edition

Just to be crystal (pony) clear here: I'm talking about the Worcester in England! If you live in Massachusetts, you're going to have a long journey to get here...

Who are you?
Officially, we are the Worcester Shires! Yes, it's a horse pun. We like horse puns. Mind you, it took us nearly six years to adopt the name. In fact, we've been running since spring 2013! A lot of the time we still refer to ourselves as simply "the Worcester meets", though. Our meet leader is Pigasus, and while he's in attendance he is the boss. When he isn't, it's actually me. Yes, really – though the vast majority of the time we operate by consensus. An average attendance is maybe 6-10, though we do occasionally go above that.

Where do you meet?
Caffè Bolero, an excellent independent place on the edge of the city centre. (Google Map.) This is five minutes' walk from Worcester Foregate Street station and also a short walk from various city centre car parks. We meet, as any self-respecting bronies should, in the basement – down the stairs to your right as you enter.

What days do you meet?
We try to keep up a reasonably regular schedule of twice-monthly meets, on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. The schedule does occasionally change to fit around holidays and other special events like conventions, or if a number of people are unavailable, but the standard schedule is by far the most common.

What times do you meet?
Our meets currently start at about 12:30 pm and run for three or four hours, though the end time is a little variable. You're absolutely welcome to come for just part of the meet if you like.

What do you do?
We sit around and chat! Unlike some meetups, in Worcester ponies are still a major topic of conversation at pretty much every meet. We do talk about other things sometimes, but talk nearly always drifts back to MLP before long, especially when there's something big to talk about. We also play Chase the Ace (a simple card game) using a pony-themed standard deck. It's very easy to learn and very silly. We even maintain a championship table each year!

We're not really into the CCG or other major card/board games, since we find they do tend to divide meets – not the best idea for a smallish gathering like ours. We do occasionally play smaller, quicker games. We don't go for mass shop walkabouts either, but of course if anyone would like to explore Worcester's (relatively limited) retail options then that's fine and we'll welcome you back when you're done. Oh, and I'm afraid watching episodes isn't something we can offer, partly because we don't have a private space to do that.

How much does it cost?
The meet itself costs nothing. However, as we're sitting in a café for several hours, we do encourage you to buy some food and/or drink. The Bolero's folks have been very good to us for many years now, and they deserve something back in return.

Talking of which...?
There's the usual range of coffee, soft and (a few) alcoholic drinks, cakes and snacks and light meals. Prices are reasonable: a substantial coffee and a muffin will set you back around £8. Ah yes, muffins: Bolero's chocolate muffins are legendary for good reason. Indeed, their cakes are generally great, though the range is fairly small. The café also does hot food, often Italian themed, which is good if a little pricier.

Who can come?
Almost anyone! Well, okay, we do have one significant restriction, which is that if you're under 16 we do ask you to bring a responsible adult with you. The basement is only accessible by stairs, as is the case in many of Worcester's old buildings. Meeting upstairs isn't really an option as there's generally far less space. If this is a problem for you, please let us know and we'll do our best to sort something out.

Obligatory disclaimer: We reserve the right to ban or suspend anyone from the meet if we feel they would make our attendees uncomfortable or give us certain other concerns. Rest assured this is a very rare occurrence. 

Am I committing myself to anything?
No, absolutely not. You can come to every meet, or once and never again, or anywhere in between. We aim to be laid-back and as low on pressure as possible.

Can I bring my plushie/pony shirt/sketchbook?
Yes, certainly, as long as it won't get in the way of other customers, since we're in a public area of the café. As I said above, the staff at Bolero are very good to us and are tolerant of tables with plushies dotted around.

Anything else I should know?
Because of the nature of the venue we use, as well as the wishes of our regulars, we are a fairly strictly SFW meet – this includes asking attendees not to bring NSFW art or clothing, and to avoid bad language. Please don't deliberately push the boundaries to the limit. And though doubtless this is obvious by now, this really isn't the place to bring Cards Against Humanity, even the theoretically "all-ages" versions!

Also, if you're coming by public transport and don't know Worcester very well, feel free to ask one of us to meet you at the bus or rail stations. There's usually someone around earlier who can do that.

Just to prove I really am still very much into MLP!

Yes, I'm off to UK PonyCon again this autumn! As usual, I had to leave buying the ticket a bit later than I'd have liked, and around 75% of them have already sold. Still, I have mine, and this Halloween I shall be heading for Leicester. You will, of course, be subjected to a report when the time comes. :D

My Little Repeats 206: "Common Ground"

"Hay! We need those baskets for our game!"

S9E06: "Common Ground"

4 May 2019

My original rating: ★★★

IMDb score: 7.6

The one with stats galore

Thoughts: Patton Oswalt returns as Quibble Pants, but in a rather surprisingly thoughtful (all the more so given it's a Josh Haber episode) and domestic way. Oswalt's real-life wife and daughter play similar roles here. The chronology is weird: Wind Sprint's dad (whose fate is never revealed) "was a great [buckball] player", yet buckball has only been around for about ten minutes. Clear Sky is the voice of reason here, though less dull than that might make her sound. Everything's a bit predictable, but it's often sweet and generally holds the interest fairly well. Also, it's nice to have a family that isn't quite the kids-cartoon-standard nuclear one. Snips and Snails were amusing. Wind's VA is not a pro, but for once it works. I think this keeps its three.

Choice quote: Quibble Pants: "I'm not even 100% sure what bucking is."

New rating: ★★★

After this will come "She's All Yak", which I cannot say I adored the first time around. I'll try to get that done soon, because the episode after that is a different matter!

Still here, just melting!

We're having a heatwave and I can't concentrate properly for very long. "Common Ground" is coming soon, though. Sunday looks likely at the moment. And then I am going to try to speed up again!

My Little Repeats 205: "The Point of No Return"

"Oh yes, I love giving out our residents' addresses to total strangers!"

S9E05: "The Point of No Return"

27 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★

IMDb score: 7.7

The one with the G1 Star Swirl figure

Thoughts: The highish IMDb rating for what Wikipedia – and basically nobody else – insists is the 200th episode of FiM does rather baffle me. It's not a total basket case, but I don't see how it can be said to be really good, even if it does open with a Derpy speaking role. Still, I'm sure someone out there loves it! The whole "Overdue!" thing is just a rehash of "Tardy!" from way back in "Lesson Zero", just not as smoothly executed. The episode is pretty much a one-joke affair, and not a particularly diverting one at that. Nice to see Moondancer again. Dusty Pages is probably the most entertaining character in the ep, and Twilight's sudden realisation about imperfection doesn't convince. Going down to two stars, I'm afraid!

Choice quote: Spike: "You realise that [smelling books] might be a you thing?"

New rating: ★★

Next on the list is "Common Ground". This episode has a reasonable reputation with friends who've seen it, and I recall finding it fairly good, although not amazing. We'll see whether I still do.

My Little Repeats 204: "Sparkle's Seven"

Rarity may actually look more concerning than Rainbow here...

S9E04: "Sparkle's Seven"

20 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★★

IMDb score: 8.6

The one with geese

Thoughts: The 200th episode of FiM was a great success at the time. Even Ghost Mike loved it, which is pretty rare for this late in the series. Certainly it's a good deal better than a lot of eps in Seasons 8 and 9, even if it can't match the utter hilarity of the 100th episode. "Sparkle's Seven" does well by the titular group of friends, it's solidly paced and it looks great. I particularly note its good dialogue, too: this isn't always the later show's strongest suit. I still don't much like the meme faces (Dr Ian Malcolm applies) and the Sibling Supreme stuff was a tiny bit forced, even if it did a job. The floor trap was somewhat mean-spirited, but it did give us that lovely (if short) Fluttershy and Spike chat. Zephyr was funny in his appalling way. But this ep was just nice, as well as being one of Spike's best episodes. I'm probably being overly generous here, but I'm just about letting "Sparkle's Seven" keep its four.

Choice quote: Spike: "You've been practising that speech, haven't you?"

New rating: ★★★★

Next up will be "The Point of No Return". Again, I don't care what Wikipedia says on the matter, that is not episode 200, but ep 201. I wasn't particularly impressed by it back in 2019, but I'll go in with the usual open mind.

Nothing's wrong; I've just been on holiday!

A few days in Scotland, where I had a lovely time. I'm now back, and the My Little Repeats for "Sparkle's Seven" will be up by Sunday at the latest. :)

My Little Repeats 203: "Uprooted"

Admittedly Terramar here looks to be growing out of his mum's head – but hay, seaponies, right?

S9E03: "Uprooted"

13 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★ (just)

IMDb score: 6.7

The one with sapling headphones

Thoughts: The students were frequently the highlight of Season 8, but I didn't get that from this episode. After the intro recalling "What Lies Beneath" (oh joy, more cruelty towards Gallus) I felt Nicole Dubuc's ep was often slow and felt stretched to fill its 22 minutes, and some of the conflict felt forced. I'm still not sure how I feel about the "New Tree" being canonically seen in the G5 film! The permission slip montage is overlong and fairly dull, though it was nice to see Terramar again for a few moments. The song was okay but not much more, and the visuals were fairly nice but not amazing. A few good lines, but not enough. All in all, a bit of a re-run of "Castle Sweet Castle" from S5, but not as good. This is being nudged down to a two-star rating.

Choice quote: Silverstream: "It's impressionism!"

New rating: ★★

Next up will be "Sparkle's Seven", which I am going to count as the 200th episode whatever Wikipedia says. It was definitely promoted as such at the time, so calling it 199 out of an arbitrary decision not to count "Best Gift Ever" can get in the sea. I quite liked the ep in 2019.

My Little Repeats 202: "The Beginning of the End, part 2"

Real artists' "bad" drawings are always much too good!

S9E02: "The Beginning of the End, part 2"

6 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★★ (for both parts)

IMDb score: 8.7

The one with extreme forestry

Thoughts: The IMDb scores for this are quite something. Yes, I know they're not exactly reliable, but they're not nothing either. Plenty of people genuinely loved this episode, and I really liked it at the time. Rainbow is upset by the idea of Spike and Starlight being under Sombra's spell, but omits a certain other orange character beginning with S. Starswirl (hay, another one!) produces lore about Everfree out of nowhere; handy. Discord turns up from nowhere – well, maybe – and throws himself in front of Fluttershy as Sombra fires at her. At the time it was quite an affecting moment when it appeared Discord had no magic, though it didn't make much sense even before he admitted the truth that he'd lose to a straightforward OP unicorn. Sombra just standing around while Discord monologues is a bit eye-rolling too. The final Legion of Doom scene is quite fun, but again lessened by what we now know about Grogar. This one's also being bumped down to a three, but a lesser three than the first part.

Choice quote: Rarity: "Show me the muddy!"

New rating: ★★★

Next up will be "Uprooted", which I found underwhelming in 2019 despite its Student Six focus. It scraped a three. Will it maintain that in 2026? Only one way to find out...

My Little Repeats 201: "The Beginning of the End, part 1"

"It was North Star, you fools, not Gusty!"

S9E01: "The Beginning of the End, part 1"

6 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★★ (for both parts)

IMDb score: 8.6

The one with Protectors of Equestria!

Thoughts: And we're back! As, indeed are the Lady Writers, in a very welcome reprise. Celestia and Luna spring their retirement on the Manes. Rainbow rather bluntly reminds Twilight that the Princesses "almost never help". The Legion of Doom takes shape, though knowing now that Grogar is, well, not Grogar can't help but be disappointing. (His eyebrows may be the giveaway...) Sombra conquering the Crystal Empire is dark stuff, though. I loved seeing the Elements of Harmony again, and glad they got to have one last Rainbow of Light before being destroyed. I can't help but bump this down to a high three now I know Grogar was a fake-out, but it was still a solid start to the show's final season.

Choice quote: Twilight: "Twilighting? You... you made me a verb?"

New rating: ★★★

Next up, shockingly enough, will be "The Beginning of the End, part 2". I hope that news doesn't disappoint you too much. :P

Another little update: MLP material restarts tomorrow!

And not just any MLP material, either – because I'll finally be getting going with the final season of Friendship is Magic, and giving you my potted thoughts on "The Beginning of the End, part 1". It has been much too long. The ponyfic review has still not been forgotten, but that requires me to be able to concentrate properly for longer. It will arrive, though!

Little update

I'm feeling better than I was a week ago, and I expect to be posting something actually Pony related here within the next week. Thank you for your patience, everyone!

And again

This time it was a sudden dental emergency, fortunately not with pain but with a "this needs fixing" and I'm now exhausted. The Ponyfic Roundup Spotlight will happen, but this time I'm not promising a date. In the next few days, I hope.

As for Ponyfic Roundup itself? It may go on hold for a little bit. I've been fighting against that idea for a while, but I think it's time to admit reality. I'm well aware that plenty of people say "for a little bit" about something and then it never comes back. That really, truly isn't my intention. But I can't promise.

I will at least try to post about S9 of FiM, though. Since that's not on a weekly schedule, it's easier for me. And unlike Ponyfic Roundup, it has a defined finish line. But again, no promises. The world has ground me down recently, and not only the stuff you see on TV.

Ponyfic Roundup 574

Read it Later story count: 89 (nc)

Words read this week: 14,693

Time for another Ponyfic Roundup, which brings us to the magical land of Equestria, a place which increasingly looks like a nicer option, given... let's just say, given everything. So yes, a better spot for one to live in. Except for the monsters, I suppose. And the corrupting. And the thousand-year exiles. And the cult leaders. And... oh, you get the idea. Anyway, here are today's five stories:

The Lizard of Ot by Baal Bunny
The One Who Wasn't Meant to Die by Sir Hat
Catching Fluttershy by Jubilancy
What Could've Been by Boltstrike58
Shadow Pasts and Shining Futures by TheAspiringWriter93

★: 0 | ★★: 3 | ★★★: 1 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.

Yes, another delay, hey ho

I had a huge train delay earlier, and something else has come up this evening (not at all terrible, but fairly urgent and time-consuming) and so I will be again delaying Ponyfic Roundup. It will be up on Friday, since I'll be out tomorrow. Thank you for indulging my repeated failures to keep to schedule!

UK PonyCon 2026 prices announced!

There isn't a formal post about this on the UK PonyCon website, but the Tickets page has now been updated with 2026 ticket tiers and prices! As I usually do on these occasions, I'm going to go through each tier and see how it compares to last year. In fact, there isn't a lot of change – but there is some, so keep reading.

First, the tickets go on sale at 18:00 on Saturday 18th April. That time is BST. Unlike last year, we get plenty of notice! It's very nice to have time to think once more. 

As for those all-important prices, for 2026 we have:

Standard: £75 (held at 2025 price) – entrance to all days of the convention (including the Friday night music), con book, basic blue lanyard. You can have a personalised con badge if you book by 1st August.

Bronze: £99 (held at 2025 price) – nicer lanyard, Bronze sponsor badge, name in con book (if you want it), Bronze button badge, sponsor-exclusive magnet, £5 donation to UKPC's long-standing charity, the RDA. As with last year, you get the option to purchase (for £60) the sponsor hoodie. As far as I can see at a glance, the one change is the replacement of the sticker sheet with the magnet.

Silver: £220 (+5%) – priority queue, silver sponsor badge, messenger bag, Silver/Gold sponsor-exclusive T-shirt or long-sleeve shirt, beanie, sticker collecting book, vinyl stickers, enamel pin, two autograph/photo tokens, one photo print if relevant, £10 RDA donation. Several changes here, for example the art print and water bottle have gone but the beanie and sticker book are new. We're also back to messenger bags after last year's drawstring variety. There will be 75 Silver tickets.

Gold: £525 (held at 2025 price) – all the Silver perks and sponsor hoodie, Britannia plushie, top-table seating at Afternoon Tea, personalised welcome letter, four autograph/photo tokens, £20 RDA donation. That hand-made Britannia plushie with themed accessory, which this year will come from Noxi Plushies, is probably the stand-out among the various exclusive merch. There will be five Gold tickets.

Platinum: £950 (new!) – this is a brand new tier which consists largely of the UKPC folks throwing¹ everything they can think of at you. As well as the Gold perks, some of what you get here is admission for a plus one, being the very first person through the doors, £50 RDA donation, eight autograph/photo credits, a 3D printed figure of Britannia and your OC, five mass-produced Britannia plushies, a blanket, and one of all the other new pieces of merch not already mentioned. You also have a chance to go up on stage at the opening and closing ceremonies, and to participate in a UKPC-hosted² event. Phew! There will be one Platinum ticket. Yes, one.
¹ Not literally! Health & Safety is a thing at cons, you know...
² One hosted by the con itself, not by an attendee submitting an event.

So, thoughts? Well, most of the prices being held at 2025 levels is a nice touch and very welcome. I'm pleased the UKPC folks have managed to do that, especially keeping Bronze below that psychologically important £100 barrier!

Mind you, putting only the Silver of the main four tiers up, and then by only a tenner, seems a little on the bizarre side. It would have been fantastic PR to keep them all at last year's cost, and the maximum the increase can additionally raise is £750 – a fraction of the running costs of a convention UKPC's size. So this one stumps me a bit.

As for the Platinum ticket? I don't know, really, as it's entirely irrelevant to most of us! In any case, it's only the same few people each year who tended to get Gold, so presumably one of them will get Platinum. As such, I'm going to largely ignore it now I've mentioned it for completeness here.

Will I be attending this year? Same answer as every year! I hope so, but I can't yet be certain. Let's hope for a great attendance for this perennially great convention, though!

Ponyfic Roundup 573

Read it Later story count: 89 (-2)

Words read this week: 17,052

All right, off we go again! I hope you all appreciated my last post being something other than a Ponyfic Roundup. You see, I can still do it! In a couple of weeks' time I shall say goodbye for a bit for Easter, but I'm here for now. Anyway, without further adieu [sic] I shall provide you with the slate for today:

Luck of the Lyrish by Timaeus
A Lesson Never Learned by Workard
Just Look at This Baby by FrontSevens
My Lil Scoots by Hawaiian Summer Splash
There's Something in the Woods by HoofBitingActionOverload

★: 0 | ★★: 3 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.