"Hearth's Warming Eve" sounded great, the concept was not a novel one as such but it interested me at least. Besides, 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' was more often than not great at making not so novel ideas and such fresh and relevant and at its best turning cliches on their heads. Had heard mixed reactions for the episode, mostly leaning towards quite good though with very few considering it one of the best.
Although Pinkie Pie was a bit of a mixed bag character-wise in Season 2, the character writing for Rarity shone in more than one episode, "Sisterhooves Social" and "Sweet and Elite". In "Hearth's Warming Eve", Rarity shone again while Pinkie Pie didn't quite work for me. As for the episode itself, it is decent if nothing special, not one of the season's best but not one of its worst either. One of the in between episodes, where nothing is done awfully and there are a good number of things worthy of admiration but not enough is wow-worthy.
Will start with the bad things. Everything with the play didn't always feel like much of a re-enactment and too much of the real thing, the jeopardy very nearly going too far. Pinkie Pie came over as annoying here at times, the randomness too exaggerated for instance, even when meant to be portraying a dignified character she never convinces as that.
Did find the ending too much of a too easy anti-climax.
The animation is great though, really loved the production values during the pageant, as is the moral which makes its point without talking down and one that is always worth educating people of all ages with. The music fits very well and puts a smile on the face, the incidental scoring more so than the song though (which is still lovely, although there are better songs in the show).
With only reservations at times with Pinkie Pie, the characterisation is a treat. Rarity is enormous fun and Fluttershy is just as well cast as the episode's other particularly big-in-personality character. Loved the strong friendship between the characters and the interaction is tense, hilarious and affecting. A highlight of "Hearth's Warming Eve" is Spike's string of adjectives, which was hugely entertaining while appropriately feeling everybody's frustration. Can't fault the voice work, Tabitha St Germain portraying Rarity to the absolute hilt.
Not a bad epospde at all and with a lot of enjoyable things, just wasn't wowed by it. 6/10
Although Pinkie Pie was a bit of a mixed bag character-wise in Season 2, the character writing for Rarity shone in more than one episode, "Sisterhooves Social" and "Sweet and Elite". In "Hearth's Warming Eve", Rarity shone again while Pinkie Pie didn't quite work for me. As for the episode itself, it is decent if nothing special, not one of the season's best but not one of its worst either. One of the in between episodes, where nothing is done awfully and there are a good number of things worthy of admiration but not enough is wow-worthy.
Will start with the bad things. Everything with the play didn't always feel like much of a re-enactment and too much of the real thing, the jeopardy very nearly going too far. Pinkie Pie came over as annoying here at times, the randomness too exaggerated for instance, even when meant to be portraying a dignified character she never convinces as that.
Did find the ending too much of a too easy anti-climax.
The animation is great though, really loved the production values during the pageant, as is the moral which makes its point without talking down and one that is always worth educating people of all ages with. The music fits very well and puts a smile on the face, the incidental scoring more so than the song though (which is still lovely, although there are better songs in the show).
With only reservations at times with Pinkie Pie, the characterisation is a treat. Rarity is enormous fun and Fluttershy is just as well cast as the episode's other particularly big-in-personality character. Loved the strong friendship between the characters and the interaction is tense, hilarious and affecting. A highlight of "Hearth's Warming Eve" is Spike's string of adjectives, which was hugely entertaining while appropriately feeling everybody's frustration. Can't fault the voice work, Tabitha St Germain portraying Rarity to the absolute hilt.
Not a bad epospde at all and with a lot of enjoyable things, just wasn't wowed by it. 6/10
