MLP Episode 719: It Isn't the Mane Thing About You

I feel like I'm running out of intros for my reviews, but here's my thoughts on It Isn't the Mane Thing About You - that's a mouthful of a title!

Was anyone expecting Josh Haber to return to MLP after season six? Personally, before this episode, I wouldn't have been bothered if he didn't return as a lot of the writing decisions in that season were on him. And then this episode came around.

I'm gonna say it now; this is Haber's best solo episode since Simple Ways from season four. (I exclude Stranger Than Fan Fiction since it was a co-write with Mike Vogel, for the record.) I guess it's possible that because it's a Rarity episode and that you can rarely go wrong with her that this episode was great.

Sure, the plot isn't the most original by MLP standards (Lesson Zero and Discordant Harmony, for example, have similar themes), but there's enough in this episode to make it stand up on its own merits that I can forgive the reused plot. The fact that there's humor abound makes it better.

I really like how the scenes with the flower ponies, Mr. Breezy, and Davenport (that pony selling couches) play out in the story. First time round, Rarity gives them suggestions for improvement. Second time round, she sees the impact they've made but nopony recognizes her (though wouldn't they have done so by her voice?) Third time round, she works with the situation she's in and makes tweaks to her previous suggestions.

On the whole, I can relate to the frustration Rarity went through, though in my case, it was the uploading of my Journey Beyond Sodor video review on YouTube. I re-uploaded it three times due to a copyright minefield with Mattel, editing the footage to skim past the censors (where is the Fair Use, damn it?!), but I got it up in the end!

Really, this quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail sums up my situation nicely:

"I built [a castle on the swamp] all the same, just to show [the other kings]. It sank into the swamp, so... I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third one. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp, but the fourth one... stayed up!"

Okay, maybe the third one is a slight exaggeration, but I think you get my point.

Though, there are a couple of nitpicks I have with the episode. One; who has a sneeze-iversary? Two; I feel there was a missed opportunity to have Rarity's punk haircut carry over onto a couple more episodes. Yes, the narrative said her hair grew back, but it still would've been nice to see more of her punk look in a few unrelated episodes, especially when this one featured Grand Pear working with Granny Smith and Big Macintosh hanging out with Sugar Belle.

Final Thoughts

Josh Haber might be inconsistent as far as writing is concerned, but this was a brilliant comeback for him, and the best part was that it was a Rarity episode. The theme was one of the best of the show (even if it is a bit overused) and it suited Rarity's character brilliantly. There's not a whole lot I can complain about, really. Fingers crossed this carries over onto season eight...!

Rating: 10 out of 10