#especially because they have no chemistry. spike doesn’t have a reason for liking rarity other than “hot woman in her mid-20s’

[bixels]

Bit of a weird question, but what is your overall least favorite thing about MLP? 

Sparity.

[taiblogcomics]

There Mayor May Not Be a Celebration

Hey there, meat on a conveyor belt. BronyCon is over, but ponies still continue. The story arc is also over, so let's have a couple one-shot stories until the next one kicks in.

Here's the cover:

Applebloom, stop! You've mistaken the wrong grey-haired mare for your relative. Other than that... not a super remarkable cover. I mean, it's nice! It looks really cute! But unless you're a big Applebloom or Mayor Mare fan (are there many of those?), this cover's probably not going to sell you on the comic all that much. Ah, well. I guess that's the peril of slice-of-life episodes~

We open at the Ponyville town hall, where Mayor Mare is working on some comically large stacks of documents. She's glad for the interruption when Applebloom comes in, claiming to be there for a school project. See, Applebloom has a project about role models, and Mayor Mare is flattered to hear the young filly sees her as one. Mayor Mare puts her calls on hold and sets out with Applebloom. As they leave, the Mane Six pops out from behind the wall, glad to see the pair go. Yep, the whole thing is merely a ruse so that the rest of the town can set up a stage for a Mayor Appreciation Day~

So, as part of this celebration, they're looking for a talent act to be the main show for the celebration. Twilight Sparkle and Cranky Doodle Donkey are here to judge the acts, which Fluttershy is in charge of overseeing. First is Bulk Biceps (YEAH!), who shows off some weight-lifing. Also, props to the artist for this issue (one Toni Kuusisto by name), who manages to make Bulk Biceps look actually pretty cute. Rejected by Cranky, Bulk slinks off. Applejack now shows up to display some rope tricks. Twilight is more receptive of this, though this might just be because Applejack is her friend. Cranky still hates it. Meanwhile, a mysterious cloaked figure watches over the proceedings from atop a hill...

Back with Applebloom and the mayor, Mayor Mare shows Applebloom her favourite place (as per the assignment): the Ponyville Schoolhouse. You know, where Applebloom goes to school every day. Naturally, Applebloom is not impressed. Mayor Mare explains that in addition to being important historically significant, the schoolhouse also shapes the futures of all the ponies who pass through it. Applebloom admits that is pretty cool. Mayor Mare is glad, and if there's no more, she's got to get back to work. Applebloom glances at the clock, and hurriedly decides to keep Mayor Mare busy for longer, insisting she come inside the school and also show off her favourite subject.

A montage of more stage acts ensues. Rarity plays a guitar, which is not her strong suit. Rainbow Dash races past view, which is her strong suit, but she's so good at it that she isn't visible to the audience. Spike doesn't so much have an "act" as he does a rack of sunglasses he tries on. Twilight calls out Cranky on rejecting all the items, and he protests than none of the acts have been all that good is hardly his fault. And he's not wrong, honestly. Still, Twilight asks for openmindedness for the next act. Big Macintosh comes onstage and begins a live demonstration of woodcarving. As Twlight facepalms, the mysterious cloaked figure gets word from their cohorts that the event is scheduled to begin in an hour.

At the schoolhouse, Applebloom is demonstrating that talent for potions and chemistry that somehow didn't earn her a cutie mark. The mayor is finally getting suspicious of Applebloom. She says she's happy to help, but now she feels the filly is taking advantage of her kindness--especially on a day she should be planning Ponyville's anniversary celebration. Applebloom uses a preset spell to alert Twilight that the mayor is on her way. And on the way she is! Upon returning to her office, she finds the town hall strangely deserted. And as she exits again again and rounds the corner, what she finds is shocking!

It's all of Ponyville, gathered to celebrate something for the mayor. She does so much for them, they wanted to do something for her instead. But alas, they didn't manage to find a satisfactory act for the entertainment. And that's when suddenly the stage lights up and a band begins playing. And the lead guitarist? Sunset freakin' Shimmer. Like, completely inexplicably. She was the hooded figure from the other panels, and her cohorts are these bandmates, who don't look like any Equestria Girls characters I recognise. Anyway, Sunset plays a song, and then vanishes as quickly as she appeared. With that, the mayor gets onstage and thanks everypony for how wonderful they are, and calls for more celebrating~

It’s a cute and simple story, a good way to wind down the action after the big Cosmos arc and take a breather. In fact, it almost manages to trick you that the Mayor Mare/Applebloom plot are actually the story’s focus. I only have two criticisms, and they’re very minor. One, which we’ll also bring up next time, is that since this issue focuses on a celebration, it might’ve been better suited for issue 80. Just for thematic reasons, since I think reaching big round numbers is something of a minor milestone. The other issue is, of course, what the heck is Sunset Shimmer doing there?? Like... that also feels like it could’ve been a story worth focusing on. That ties into the previous complaint, too: Sunset Shimmer appears in the main series, and it’s issue 79? I just feel like that sort of thing should have more fanfare~

Anyway, next issue, rather than any of those cool things, we’ll play D&D like a bunch of nerds~