Despite being the second lowest rated episode of Season 8 (after "Non-Compete Clause") and third lowest rated of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' ("Non-Compete Clause" and "What About Discord", both show low points, being first and second), there was potential with "Yakity-Sax". The concept did sound good and potentially relatable and Pinkie Pie often is a very funny and endearing character (though she does have episodes where she is annoying).
"Yakity-Sax" did very little for me on first watch way back in 2018 and my feelings three years on are still the same, even the flaws are more noticeable. While it is not quite one of my least favourite episodes of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' and it is a little better than "Non-Compete Clause", it is not hard at all to see why it was and still is very poorly received in the fandom. A distinction that in my mind is deserved, with the episode being primarily ruined by two significant flaws.
The episode has good points. The animation is extremely good throughout, still love the vibrancy of the colours, the richly detailed backgrounds in both the big and small details, the increasingly polished character designs and inventive character reactions and expressions. The music always synchronises very well, with lively rhythms, a nice atmosphere and clever instrumentation, and the use of the yovidaphone was clever.
Also have no qualms with the voice acting, despite really not caring for Pinkie Pie here Andrea Libman does voice her beautifully and the blame for why Pinkie Pie doesn't work lies in no way at her door. Mostly the rest of the Mane 6 were in character and really admired how their want to restore Pinkie Pie's confidence seemed very genuine.
Sadly, "Yakity-Sax" was let down significantly by two primary things. One was the moral. Didn't mind that it was nothing new and that on paper it had good intentions. Less forgivable was that to me it felt muddled and ham-fisted, and would have worked a lot better if the Mane 6's criticism of Pinkie Pie's playing was a lot more subtle and didn't contradict the set up (there is a big difference being pointing out that it was disruptive and criticising the actual playing so bluntly) and if Pinkie Pie was much more likeable. The out of character character writing for Pinkie Pie is the bigger problem here, her behaviour here comes over as very uncharacteristically childish and selfish and her obsessiveness taken to the wildest of extremes. Have been known myself to overreact negatively to criticism but not in the dominate her life way seen here with Pinkie Pie.
While they are the biggest problems there are others. The episode did feel very bland, other than the heart-warming ending very little made me laugh, very little moved me and that aforementioned part with the Mane 6 was mean-spirited and had the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Other episodes had a much better balance of entertainment value and drama, here there is too little of both and it all feels manufactured. The story never properly engages and feels draggy and too thin, the ending as said is the best part but would have been even better if the moral resonated more.
Concluding, a disappointment despite some moments. 4/10.
