ThomasNATION Reviews - Ashima's Amazing Arrival
April 12, 2025
Ashima is coming to visit Sodor, so Thomas and the Biggest Adventure Club need to plan the perfect surprise for her arrival, before realising that doesn't matter. All that matters is that they're all there to...you see where this is going.
One thing I like about this episode is its simplicityā¦in concept, at least. Its idea of the gang putting together a welcome party for Ashima is pretty wholesome, and it culminates in a very charming song. Going in, I was a bit worried it would feel like a retread of āThe Tiger Trainā, with Thomas welcoming his friend from another corner of the world to Sodor, but thereās enough different plot beats to help it stand on its own. However, I said āin conceptā. Where itās simple in idea, itās a little more complex in execution. The biggest problem is that the majority of it is full of several plotlines. So many, in fact, that it becomes a little hard to focus on the overarching plot, and the way itās paced makes the message a little predictable. But again, this does get back on track by the end when Ashima does arrive on Sodorā¦which reminds me.
Then you have Ashima herself. How is she adapted into All Engines Go!? Well, in this episode, sheāsā¦a little more of the same she was in the CG era. She doesnāt have a lot of screentime, which is expected since the whole episode is building up her appearance, but as is, sheās still likeable, and thereās another episode down the line that expands on her great, so Iāll give her a leeway. Also, Iāve really been pronouncing Ashima wrong this whole time. Huh.
Overall, did Ashima get an amazing arrival into All Engines Go!? No, but she did getā¦an adequate one. Itās pretty clunky and predictable, but its wholesomeness is what elevates it into the okay category for me. If youāre an Ashima fan, this isnāt a high priority, especially since there is a better episode with this character down the line, but itās a good watch, so I canāt stop you if you wanna watch it. In a way, itās ironically a bit like The Great Race - a little jumbled, but still a decent watch, so Iām gonna give this the same rating I gave that film - a 3/5. Now, I've been going on about how Ashima got another episode in this review, but what of that episode? Well, see me again next month.
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