User blog:JKGame/Animeme Rap Battles-My Little Pony vs Pokemon "Review"

Hey there. Just wanted to try something new. Probably a one-off thing.

Now the reason I put "review" in quotations is because I don't want to come off as someone who knows everything on how rap battles should be done and I'm so perfect that I can criticize other battles. If anything, I'm far from being an amazing rap battle creator. I'm capable of writing good battles, but not the best. I only wanted to give my two cents on this particular battle. Yeah, it's been criticized so much already by the community along with other Animeme rap battles. There's a specific reason why I chose to write this.

So far, the only other reviews of this battle are ones done by hyperjacob96 and Hippie Rat. (I recommend both reviews by the way. They're great.) One is a big fan of the Pokemon but not MLP and Hippie Rat seems to be a fan of neither. I'm reviewing this because I want to give my thoughts on this battle based on a brony's perspective. As you might already know, I'm a huge fan of the show. So much so I created an entire series dedicating MLP characters up against other characters. So I won't be talking too much about the Pokemon side since hyperjacob96 pretty much had similar reactions for the Pokemon side of things.

So, from a brony's POV, is this battle good and portrays MLP well?

No, and I'll tell you why.

Matchup, characters and animation
First up, the matchup itself. I guess it's alright. But there are so many better franchises that can go up against MLP: Transformers, Kirby, even Harry Potter and Lego would be better. As for Pokemon, there are also better opponents like Digimon. (I would've suggested Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but this battle came out before that movie, so I'll let it slide.

Secondly, the characters and how they're portrayed. Just to get it out of the way, only Ash Ketchum makes sense on Team Pokemon. Why Nurse Joy, Prof. Oak, and Pimp Meowth? (Even the Fanmade Rap Battle Database is confused by the inclusion of Pimp Meowth.) Now for the MLP side, it's...alright. Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Fluttershy are good choices and at least characters like Big Mac or Derpy weren't just shoved to say like two lines. But here's a problem I personally have: Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity make ZERO appearances. Where were they? I guess I should be glad that they weren't ruined and placed in this battle, but it feels off having only half of the Mane 6. It's like using the TMNT and only having Leonardo and Michelangelo or using the Breakfast Club with only John, Brian, and Claire. So how about this, why not pit the Mane 6 against Ash and his actual friends or other prominent characters like Brock, Misty, or some Pokemon?

Now how the MLP characters are portrayed. The only one I don't really like is Fluttershy. She sounds too...sassy and not shy enough. Even in the show when Fluttershy says some sassy things, she still has that subtle tone that embodies her shy and kind side. Plus, the stuff she says doesn't sound in character for her, mainly when she says "lame". That's Gilda's thing. Twilight is ok and Rainbow is accurate for the most part.

Animation has been critiqued to death when it comes to this battle. It does look good, but the visual choices are horrible. The intro, Ash torturing Pikachu, the weird, 5-hour energy Snorlax, etc.

Lyrics and Beat
Beat's pretty generic. That's all I have to say.

The lyrics...my goodness. They're bad. Really bad.

A lot of them are just either stating facts or downright filler. The pun on ponies with "phonies" is made TWICE, the second time being the worst since it uses the buildup from the last line and spits in its face. (In case you don't know, it's the Ponydex line.) Some lines are just plain wrong as well. Take this as an example:

"I care for all the animals from rhinos to chicks" -Animeme Fluttershy

Chicks? Ok, they exist in the show, I think. Chickens are present. Rhinos? No. Not a single episode in the show ever had Flutters take care of a rhino. And it seems that it was just placed there for no reason. I don't think replacing "rhinos" with "bunnies" or any other animals with a two syllable name that actually appeared on the show would negatively alter the flow.

Now some lines kind of work, such as "You couldn't beat a Gym Leader at 24-Hour Fitness" or "I'll shish-kebab you and turn you all into a carousel ride" but other than that, the lyrics are incredibly basic and some clearly feel like they're just there to have a rhyme such as "Get outta my face, with your tragic blathering". Not to mention that there's little to no actual MLP references. I don't think the writer, or writers, actually watched the show or do any research on it.

Did I mention the awkward pauses? 'Cause there's a huge one after Rainbow's last line in her first verse.

Conclusion
So yeah, MLP isn't portrayed very well in this battle. The battle's awful, and that's all. I'd try doing my own version of this, but I don't feel like it. Hope you enjoyed this small review and see you when I make a new battle!