Zero Blogs: Cutie Markless and Rainbow Rocks promos · 12:23pm Apr 5th, 2015
Hello everyone. I think we should take a break from all the recent Shimmer to a Shine chaos and turn towards something else. The season 5 hiatus is finally over. So, how did we do?
Well, it would seem the writers are trying something new once again. I guess they knew that trying to top Twilight's Kingdom in epicness would be an exercise in futility, so they ran the other way instead. Instead of a threat to all of Equestria, the action is merely confined to a single town. And the villain too is just a mere unicorn rather than a god of chaos, changeling queen, or demon centaur. In an interesting twist, the threat Starlight Glimmer represents is more mental than physical. Using the same sort of brainwashing techniques contained in real-life cults.
Speaking of cults, the whole episode is really creepy. Everyone's already made parallels to communism, so I'll spare you. Another surprise was that the Mane 6 weren't the one to save the day. Sure, they got the ball rolling, but it was Starlight's own ex-followers that caused her downfall. This really helps with the aesop of spreading the magic of friendship too. The Mane 6 are there to teach others, not do everything themselves.
I admit that unlike Silver Quill, I didn't have a problem with the Alicorns getting sidelined against Tirek. After all, this was Twilight's story. But I was worried that this opener would put all the focus on Twilight again. Thankfully, it didn't, and a potential formulaic rehash is averted.
As for Starlight herself, I'm reminded of Amon from Legend of Korra. She's played off as another evil Twilight but here, the parallels aren't focused on very much like with Sunset. And anyone with the...guts to cut off Twilight's friendship speech is okay in my book. Another avoidance was that she didn't get a blast of Rainbow Power at the end, instead just outright escaping into the mountain. Part of me wonders if she'll be back for the finale.
Anyway, Cutie Markless does an excellent job setting up the new status quo and shows that the writers are continuing to broaden their horizons.
And that wasn't the only thing we got either. At the end of March, we were given three new Rainbow Rocks music videos. One featured Rarity. Another the Humane 7. The third and most popular one featured Sunset Shimmer. Now, these were obviously made to advertise the doll designs, but I don't care. The songs are great and the designs look gorgeous animated.
And Sunset. Once again we see her conflicted, tormented by a vision of Searing. In doing so, she reflects on the actions of her past self before rejecting it and her evil past, angrily dispelling the vision.
And her resolve is rewarded with both a new outfit and a brand new transformation. Giving her beautiful wings of fire to go with her song about the Phoenix. Rising from the ash of her old life into a much better new one.
What does this mean? Will we see this new form in EQG3 along with Midnight Sparkle? Is Infernity Zero going to write even more about her in the future?
You know the answer to that last one.
Whether that means a sequel to Shimmer to Shine or another original work, I don't know. But I'm pumped for a new season of ponies.
How about you my friends? What did you think of the shorts/premiere?
I was pleased with the premiere and the shorts, though I'm taking Sunset's phoenix wings to be metaphorical rather than literal.