Sunday, Pony Sunday: Castle Mane-ia

I don't know how long I'll keep doing these (Sundays are bad for me in terms of free time to write) but hopefully it won't be too hard to toss off some observations about a 30-minute show.

So, let's begin!

• Apparently the title is a Castlevania reference?  I dunno, I'm not the computer gamer that Salem is.
  
• Continuity with the story arc! Whoohoo!
  
• Twilight has a nerdgasm every time she finds a library, doesn't she? And she is getting pretty good with those wings.
  
• Those books are looking pretty good despite being in a ruined castle for a thousand years, exposed to vermin and the elements. Since this is a show about magical cartoon ponies, though, it's easy to just assume that the books were enchanted not to decay.
  
• Anyone else find it odd that there's a statue of an alicorn that is 1) male (we haven't seen male alicorns yet) and 2) pretty obviously horse-faced?

• I'm glad to see AJ and Dashie still have their rivalry. Nice callback to "Fall Weather Friends" in season 1. In fact, this episode is full of references to previous episodes.
  
• Nitpick: When they're covered in bees (cue Eddie Izzard) their eyes are normal, but once they're revealed to be in bee suits their eyes look shaded from the mesh. Bad continuity, animators!
  
• I am really disappointed that the writers didn't further expand on it being "star spider season".
  
• It's nice to see Rarity, the embodiment of Generosity, actually doing something, y'know, generous.
  
• I'm calling it now:  at some point in time, Twilight is going to make this castle her home. I mean, a princess needs a castle, am I right? Plus this one has a library. I say this mainly because, having seen it in back-to-back episodes, we're likely to see it again.
  
• Pony of Shadows + strange shadowy figure + how I mentioned Luna's look of surprise at her transformation into Nightmare Moon + we keep seeing that castle = promising indications of a long-term villain that may tie into comic continuity.  

• ZOMG this is a dungeon crawl! With traps and everything! PS: you're a dick, Angel Bunny.
  
• Is it just me, or is there a definite Scooby-Doo vibe to this episode?
  
• Well, you've gone and done it now:  you've mussed Rarity's hair.  Cue the ass-kicking.
  
• [Hijinks Ensue]
  
• Huh. Apparently Twilight knows Mass Hold Person. . Er, Pony.  As this is a 7th level spell, this makes her at least a 13th level wizard according to the Pathfinder RPG.
  
• I'm not certain, but I think Twilight's horn is slightly longer and pointier than Rarity's in the episode, and I don't think that was always true. Perhaps Twi is beginning to take on the longer, leaner look of royalty?
  
• More proof Pinkie is a Bard: she can play a musical instrument she's never seen before and work its non-musical functions. Clearly, this is the Use Magic Device skill in effect.
  
• And so we have the diary entries replacing the letters. It makes sense, what with Twi no longer being a student, but let's have a moment of silence for the passing of the beloved phrase "Dear Princess Celestia..."

A fun episode, with the promise of more to come. Keep it up, writers!