Yes. Yes they are. I have another one next semester, but hey, I'm just glad I got into all of the classes I need. Registration is stressful.

Anyway, I watched One Bad Apple today. I really liked this one, and I can't wait for Babs Seed to return in future episodes!

Babs Seed's situation feels realistic. She's insecure about not having her cutie mark and wants the "cool" ponies to like her. Since Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon look down on and make fun of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Babs feels like she needs to act that way too in order to avoid them picking on her. I've seen similar situations growing up where people become bullies to avoid being bullied themselves.

I think that this was one of the better examples of shows talking about bullying that I've seen. There have been portrayals that have left a really sour taste in my mouth because the writers didn't approach the subject with enough sensitivity or thought. The subject was handled nicely here, though, and the ending was very well done. Sometimes being firm and standing up for yourself and your friends, as well as discussing the problems with family or other trusted adults, can help a lot and it is much more effective than retaliation.

There are definitely different kinds of bullies, I've encountered many people who bully for sport and that kind of intentional cruelty has always baffled me (Babs-types are more understandable, though the behavior is still undeniably wrong). Babs's behavior stemmed from being bullied herself, and really, if ponies/people didn't bully for sport then ponies/people that bully to protect themselves wouldn't be bullies in the first place.

But yeah, I'm glad that this episode did such a good job with this topic. It's another shining example of how being a children's show doesn't bar it from being genuinely good.

OK "Magic Duel" Has aired and I have to say, pretty solid ep, lots of pros, such as.

Pros
- Lots of Continuity nods, seriously a whole lot of references to season 1 in this episode
-Lyra & Bon-Bon chiling out in the background *guess those two are the new Derpy since we haven't seen hide nor hare of her in season 3 so far*
- Best Intro to any episode ever *don't wanna spoil to much, but Ponies have awesome/creppy antique/magical nicknack shops*
- Asian shopkeep pony is best pony
- Fluttershy is adorable in this episode
- Lots of Stephen King & Star Wars refrences
- Trixie's Spells are just as wicked as her deliciously corrupted hate filled heart
- Mouthless Pinkie is best Pinkie
- Lots of 4th Wall breaking
- Zecora is Yoda, no really Zecora is basically Yoda in this episode, which leads me to ask, how can A Zebra do magic? Man I hope we get an ep focusing on her someday.
- As mean as it sounds I enjoyed Trixie's abuse of Snips & Snails, those two little brats are the whole reason she became evil in the first place due to the events in Boast Busters *seriously who brings an Ursa to town for a show-mare to slay, dumb kids*
- Trixie getting redeemed (sorta) at the end and promising to be a more humble pony "Makes me hope we will see this new "Humble" Trixie in action some day, *season 3 finale perhaps?*
-Rule 63 spell is best/funniest spell *Stallion Applejack will now produce much fan-art & disturbing fanfics XD*

Cons
- The end was SUPER-RUSHED, I mean it makes sense, as the bulk of the episode was dedicated to Trixie showing off her dark powers & Twilight trying to find a way to stop her, but the end was so rushed it felt off, Trixie's Apology & promise to become more humble, as well as Twilights acceptance of set apology while expected felt shoe-horned in, they didn't feel as organic as Babs redemption last episode.
- They kept talking about how the Amulet corrupts ponies, but they didn't do as much with it as they could have IMO, I was hoping/expecting Trixie to go Nightmare Moon / King Sombra level evil/crazy in the final bout, but instead we just got something fairly anti-climatic.
-Sad it seems the rumor bout Derpy being taken out of the background cast is true. *Stupid soccer moms scared her off I guess* (Seriously she hasn't popped up all season, I miss our ponified wheres Waldo? *sigh*

Overall though it was an enjoyable episode, I do like how they show writers are finally getting darker content in the show, and how the term "Alicorn" was finally made cannon with the artifact being called the "Alicorn Amulet" And I do hope Trixie's promise to become more humble stays true, she may be much weaker in magic then she wants to be, but you never know, someday down the road she could become a valuable ally to the mane six.

But yeah overall, despite the rushed ending, a solid episode, i'd give it a B+.

There you go - even though these people didn't help to create this series or contribute any art or ideas (not that they could) they feel the need to interfere with the direction of the series. Yes, it's small potatoes, but no Derpy today goes to show who's really calling the shots with these shows - the writers? Artists? True fans? No. Arrogant people that think they can barge into any medium they please and change it to their standards. These people you speak of are the same people that are anti brony and write articles such as this one: http://sdmomfia.com/2011/06/bronies-adult-men-who-like-my-little-pony/

This is why I like anime so much; it has not become popular enough for these idiots to care about messing with it, and even if they did it's out of their hands because it's a cultural difference - then again, it could be just as easy for them to control which animes are picked up by American distributors - after all, that's what they want, everything has to go through their approval even though they did nothing to help build the fan community, nor do they contribute anything to the industry, this is what's happening to the world these days with everything.

Anyways, more positive though:

I got that vibe with this episode, it did remind me a little of Empire Strikes Back at TImes - and another thing she has in common with Yoda - a speech impediement, only she talks in ryhme while Yoda says everything backwards.

Overall the episode was good, but there was room for more - it could've easily and should've been a two parter.