This episode did a great job of setting up the stage for Part 2. The town's twisted view on friendship and freedom and individuality is established very well. Got me very excited for Part 2 and it easily, for me at least, is the best season opener of the series. All of the bronies who were speculating whether or not this was an anti-communist episode... I think your speculations are confirmed... even if it wasn't intentional, the episode puts a lot of emphasis on the individuality, personal responsibility-esque values that we should all hold dear to ourselves. This might be my favorite family-oriented show simply because it's not afraid to have a message like this. Love it.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (TV Series)
The Cutie Map - Part 1 (2015)
User Reviews
Review this title3 Reviews
In our town
TheLittleSongbird16 November 2020
Season 5 started off incredibly impressively and there were enough solid to brilliant episodes throughout the season. Like the previous four seasons though, some episodes were better than others and the season was uneven. Enough of it has pretty much everything that makes 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' so great as a show, but not every episode worked (a notable example being "What About Discord", widely considered a show low-point).
It is hard to not expect a lot from "The Cutie Map: Part 1", being a fan of the show and as someone that enjoyed to love all the previous season openers. Was far from disappointed. "The Cutie Map: Part 1" was a great start to Season 5, a great episode in its own way and one of the show's best season openers, the best one up to this point of the show's run. While the episode is not quite perfect it (and Part 2) is among the best of the season.
"The Cutie Map: Part 1" is beautifully animated. Loved the vibrant colours and how rich and varied the detail in the backgrounds was and in terms of settings this is one of the richest ones of the season. Starlight Glimmer's character design also impresses, the town setting has a very vivid atmosphere and there are some typically well animated facial expressions and reactions. The music is dynamic and has groove and atmosphere. "In Our Town" is very big on the memorability factor, both in the catchy melody and the atmosphere created.
On the writing front, "The Cutie Map: Part 1" is a winner. Have always loved writing that is mature without being too complicated for younger audiences and manages to avoid both being dumbed down and over-serious. Loved the exchanges between Twilight and Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer's dialogue is quite fascinating psychologically. The story does so well setting things for what was to come without being too heavy in exposition or taking too long to get going, with some real tension later on in the episode and lots of fun and emotional investment. The portrayal of the town's view of friendship and being free, which is indeed pretty twisted, is beautifully done.
With one exception, the regular characters have distinct personalities and their personality traits are true to characters. "The Cutie Map: Part 1" did incredibly at bringing individuality to each, with Twilight being a standout (her development has come on a long way since the show first started), while Starlight Glimmer is one of my favourite 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' antagonists for her surprising psychological complexity and her manipulation quite chilling already. The voice acting is great from all, Kelly Sheridan pulling out all the stops.
Pinkie Pie disappoints a little though, she doesn't have much to do and doesn't serve an awful lot of point. Likewise with Spike, who is next to useless.
Otherwise, a great start for Season 5 and a great episode on its own. 9/10
It is hard to not expect a lot from "The Cutie Map: Part 1", being a fan of the show and as someone that enjoyed to love all the previous season openers. Was far from disappointed. "The Cutie Map: Part 1" was a great start to Season 5, a great episode in its own way and one of the show's best season openers, the best one up to this point of the show's run. While the episode is not quite perfect it (and Part 2) is among the best of the season.
"The Cutie Map: Part 1" is beautifully animated. Loved the vibrant colours and how rich and varied the detail in the backgrounds was and in terms of settings this is one of the richest ones of the season. Starlight Glimmer's character design also impresses, the town setting has a very vivid atmosphere and there are some typically well animated facial expressions and reactions. The music is dynamic and has groove and atmosphere. "In Our Town" is very big on the memorability factor, both in the catchy melody and the atmosphere created.
On the writing front, "The Cutie Map: Part 1" is a winner. Have always loved writing that is mature without being too complicated for younger audiences and manages to avoid both being dumbed down and over-serious. Loved the exchanges between Twilight and Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer's dialogue is quite fascinating psychologically. The story does so well setting things for what was to come without being too heavy in exposition or taking too long to get going, with some real tension later on in the episode and lots of fun and emotional investment. The portrayal of the town's view of friendship and being free, which is indeed pretty twisted, is beautifully done.
With one exception, the regular characters have distinct personalities and their personality traits are true to characters. "The Cutie Map: Part 1" did incredibly at bringing individuality to each, with Twilight being a standout (her development has come on a long way since the show first started), while Starlight Glimmer is one of my favourite 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' antagonists for her surprising psychological complexity and her manipulation quite chilling already. The voice acting is great from all, Kelly Sheridan pulling out all the stops.
Pinkie Pie disappoints a little though, she doesn't have much to do and doesn't serve an awful lot of point. Likewise with Spike, who is next to useless.
Otherwise, a great start for Season 5 and a great episode on its own. 9/10
This is the best episode of the whole show with the best characters and the best message!
adampkalb17 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Even disregarding the events of A Canterlot Wedding, I wasn't too interested in most episodes of Season 3 or Season 4, but they still had some good ones. But this episode showed me how much more interesting Season 5 was going to be. The show really started to do more with Twilight's new role as a Princess by giving her a new castle at the end of Season 4 with 7 thrones for her, the other 5 ponies, and Spike. It also has a table with a holographic map of Equestria that shows all of the Mane 6's cutie marks getting called to a town at the end of Equestria where every pony has equal cutie marks. You can really tell that the show is recovering from its disaster in A Canterlot Wedding when Twilight Sparkle tells Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy that since they're all together now, it doesn't matter what happened before. And it shows because they are still close friends with Twilight and all 6 of them stay together throughout the whole episode. Just like A Canterlot Wedding, the suspicious villain reveals herself to be evil at the end of Part 1. Unlike A Canterlot Wedding, all 6 of them are together when Starlight Glimmer reveals herself to be evil. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are not in this episode, so you don't have to worry about them being in the episode for nothing, and Spike doesn't appear after the first 4 minutes of the episode. Also, I really wish we could have other episodes like this that aren't 2 parts, just 1 part, where all 6 ponies get called somewhere together, because Season 5 after this episode and Season 6 each have 3 episodes each where only 2 ponies get called somewhere together. It also reunites Martin Mystery cast members Samuel Vincent and Kelly Sheridan with Tabitha St. Germain, who had a more minor recurring role in that show. Even though Starlight Glimmer is the main focus of the new characters, get ready for Party Favor to steal the show in The Cutie Map Part 2. He was so good he got to have a speaking line in The My Little Pony Movie and appear on screen at the same time as Spike for the first time there.
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