Attention bronies and pegasisters: on the off chance that you haven’t already circled it on your calendar, today marks the release of the latest My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic DVD from Hasbro and Shout Factory. Like its predecessor, The Friendship Express, this latest volume collects five fan-favorite episodes from the series’ first two seasons.
Season one closer “The Best Night Ever” and the Rarity-centered “Sweet and Elite” focus on the ponies’ exploits in Canterlot, while Valentine’s Day episode “Hearts and Hooves Day” sees the young Cutie Mark Crusaders go to the greatest of lengths to make schoolteacher Cheerilee and hayseed horsey heartthrob Big Macintosh fall in love. These play perfectly off the title episodes, “A Canterlot Wedding” parts 1 and 2, which combine both themes or romance and high society.
Originally aired as the epic finale of season two, they introduce Twilight Sparkle’s older brother Shining Armor and his fiancé Cadance, who is, in classic cartoon fashion, not exactly what she seems. Boasting quality voice acting, brilliant animation and subtlety skillful plotting, all five episodes combine to make Royal Pony Wedding two solid hours of cartoon magic that will satisfy kids without alienating parent.
Oh, and there are also Changelings. Everypony loves Changelings!
With the recent confirmation of a third season diehard fans are no doubt still breathlessly awaiting full season home video collections, but in the absence of a more comprehensive release this single-disc certainly gives them something to bray about. This bite-sized portion also makes it perfect for the all-important but often overlooked younger fans who are just as passionate as their older counterparts though less likely to be such avid completionists.
Pony-loving geeklings will surely revel in its slim but satisfying bonus features. Karaoke-style sing-alongs for tracks “Love is in Bloom” and “Valentine’s Day Song” should appeal to fans a bit more than the bonus Pound Puppies episode featured in the previous release, and the printables (two coloring pages containing matching/maze exercises) are at least more than The Friendship Express‘s single bundled coloring sheet.
Whether you’re a fan yourself or are just interested in the series for the joy it brings your little ones, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – Royal Pony Wedding is a worthy addition to your DVD collection. The $14.97 MSRP is good deal on its own, but Amazon‘s discounted $11.99 price point makes it a veritable must-buy.
Additional info concerning this release and all other Pony-related goings-on are available at the official MLP site. And fans can celebrate the DVD’s blessed equestrian union with a personalized photo from Cadance and Shining Armor by visiting PonyWedding.com, or by texting ROYAL to 95323.
Because everypony also loves a wedding.
Review materials provided by: Shout Factory
