Thanks!

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Probably should've posted this here many moons ago, but here goes anyway...

This is my review for the first two episodes of Season 3, as seen on DeviantArt:

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My thoughts on it?

Worst two-parter MLP:FiM has gotten so far. Not a terrible way to start off the new season, in fact I quite enjoyed it. But it was nowhere near the magnitude of the Royal Wedding two-parter that ended Season 2.

Though things like plot holes and continuity issues, and other similar problems, are common with MLP (and cartoons in general, for that matter), these episodes were riddled with them to a fine likeness of Chrysalis's hooves.


Allow me to list the specific problems I had with these episodes:

-The story felt way too rushed. In fact, this is the kind of concept you'd write for a five-parter, not a two-parter, so as to properly flesh out all of the details.
-The villain was a HUGE disappointment. I can live with the fact he looks like a cheesy OC, but he didn't have nearly enough screen time. He was just... there, looking all evil and menacing. That's it. No depth or personality. Just there, and just evil. Roar. 
-The songs feel lackluster in my opinion. Not that they were "bad", especially not the Crystal Fair song, and it's nice to finally hear Spike sing. But they're inferior to the Royal Wedding songs.
-Rainbow Dash's attitude was pushed way too far. After all she's calmed down after midway through Season 2, she's back to being like... *this*. I especially hate it since she's my favorite pony character out of the Mane Six.
-The Crystal Heart was "hidden" in probably the worst and most obvious hiding place ever. I could list many easy alternatives to finding this thing, let alone actually getting to it, that didn't require everything Twilight and Spike had to go through, all while staying true to the series' canon.
-Cadence is the "Crystal Princess"? Wow. Great to finally know what she's a princess of exactly, but... care to share a little more back-story on that? Especially knowing the foal-sitter history we've been given? Explainations. I need them.


Out of all the negative, there was still a fair amount of awsomness that kept me hooked and joyful:

-References. Oh, I just love references in MLP, especially when they're relevant to my interests. Pinkie (S)Pie as Sam Fisher (note three-lensed night-vision goggles). Pure win when you have Twilight as Snake Pliskin/Solid Snake (Escape movies and Metal Gear Solid games) in an earlier Season 2 episode, AND have Pinkie in this episode as Fisher from the Splinter Cell games, AKA: my most favorite game series ever made. Thanks for that!
-The animation has improved. Only just slightly overall, but a great majority in sequences such as the Failure Success song sequence and the defeat of King Sombra.
-More Luna!
-The background music (NOT the songs already listed) was quite good. Though some pieces were recycled from earlier episodes, the more original ones were very well-done and helped my enjoyment of the episodes. I almost felt chills a few times...
-The humor was there. Especially with Pinkie's and Rarity's scenes. You just can't go wrong with these two. 


Everything else I'd call equal to, if not slightly better than, the rest of what we've seen already in the show.

So this was my review of the Season 3 premiere two-parter, "The Crystal Empire". Hope you enjoyed! If not... go read someone else's then. It's not like I'm the only one with strongly-worded opinions around here... 


Oh, one more thing...

GAK GAK GAK!!