'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' when first hearing about it didn't sound like it would be my thing. Giving it a chance, it turned out to be one of the best, most addictive and most refreshing animated shows in recent years that has a big (and unfairly criticised at times) fanbase and can personally see why. Not all the episodes are great and each season had disappointments, but when the show was good and at its best it was fantastic.
Season 1 had brilliant episodes, especially as far as the previous episodes go "Sonic Rainboom", but some disappointed. "The Show Stoppers" is one of the disappointments, and even, as far as the previous episodes go, like it less than "Boast Busters" (boasting some of the worst and most inconsistent characterisation), "Feeling Pinkie Keen" (despite that episode's senseless message being worse) and "Stare Master" (somewhat bland and didn't like the treatment of Twilight).
"The Show Stoppers" is not an unwatchable episode, or at least not to me, despite being one of Season 1's lower rated episodes. It is though disappointing by 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' standards, and a let down compared to "Dragonshy", "Winter Wrap Up", "Suited for Success", "Fall Weather Friends" and especially "Sonic Rainboom".
Despite the disappointment, there are good things. The animation is vibrantly coloured and it's not hard to see that much care went into putting detail and finesse to the backgrounds and drawing. The music avoids repetition, isn't too loud and the placement isn't random. Not everybody will like the theme song, have never had any problem with it myself. The Cutie Mark Crusadors theme is very catchy.
Love the different Cutie Mark Crusaders' talents, they are amusing, inventive and are plausible. Scootaloo's especially. The voice acting is very good as always, particularly Michelle Creber (though hers is a singing role).
However, there is too much focus on the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It is admirable that the episode tried to make them more interesting, but those for the Mane 6 are far more compelling and individual and some of the episode got rather too sugary sweet as a result. Somehow it didn't feel right having an episode focus too dominantly on characters that were not interesting enough yet. While the talents themselves were fun, didn't find myself as impressed with their consequences and how they went wrong which didn't come over as very funny and could be at times mean-spirited.
Writing has been much better in a vast majority of episodes before and since, there is a lack of maturity and wit here and the character interaction doesn't shine anywhere near as much as it does with the Mane 6. Which has much more range, chemistry and complexity thus feeling more real. The story could have done much more with its concept because it did feel pretty bland and predictable here. An example of how to make a pretty imaginative concept and execute it rather ordinarily. Was mixed on the message too, it is a good one but felt under-explored and the ambiguous ending may frustrate.
Overall, not unwatchable but should have been much more. 5/10
Season 1 had brilliant episodes, especially as far as the previous episodes go "Sonic Rainboom", but some disappointed. "The Show Stoppers" is one of the disappointments, and even, as far as the previous episodes go, like it less than "Boast Busters" (boasting some of the worst and most inconsistent characterisation), "Feeling Pinkie Keen" (despite that episode's senseless message being worse) and "Stare Master" (somewhat bland and didn't like the treatment of Twilight).
"The Show Stoppers" is not an unwatchable episode, or at least not to me, despite being one of Season 1's lower rated episodes. It is though disappointing by 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' standards, and a let down compared to "Dragonshy", "Winter Wrap Up", "Suited for Success", "Fall Weather Friends" and especially "Sonic Rainboom".
Despite the disappointment, there are good things. The animation is vibrantly coloured and it's not hard to see that much care went into putting detail and finesse to the backgrounds and drawing. The music avoids repetition, isn't too loud and the placement isn't random. Not everybody will like the theme song, have never had any problem with it myself. The Cutie Mark Crusadors theme is very catchy.
Love the different Cutie Mark Crusaders' talents, they are amusing, inventive and are plausible. Scootaloo's especially. The voice acting is very good as always, particularly Michelle Creber (though hers is a singing role).
However, there is too much focus on the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It is admirable that the episode tried to make them more interesting, but those for the Mane 6 are far more compelling and individual and some of the episode got rather too sugary sweet as a result. Somehow it didn't feel right having an episode focus too dominantly on characters that were not interesting enough yet. While the talents themselves were fun, didn't find myself as impressed with their consequences and how they went wrong which didn't come over as very funny and could be at times mean-spirited.
Writing has been much better in a vast majority of episodes before and since, there is a lack of maturity and wit here and the character interaction doesn't shine anywhere near as much as it does with the Mane 6. Which has much more range, chemistry and complexity thus feeling more real. The story could have done much more with its concept because it did feel pretty bland and predictable here. An example of how to make a pretty imaginative concept and execute it rather ordinarily. Was mixed on the message too, it is a good one but felt under-explored and the ambiguous ending may frustrate.
Overall, not unwatchable but should have been much more. 5/10
