"Berry Best BerryFest Princess" is an episode of Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures.
Summary
Elections are held for a substitute BerryFest Princess to replace Princess Berrykin, since she gets called away on royal duty elsewhere. During the elections, everyone begins to get stressed out and competitive, and Strawberry begins to wonder if it's worth it.
Episode Review
Everyone counts down to the planting of the first flower of spring, with the honor given to Berrykin Bloom during Princess Berrykin's absense. Suddenly the flower blooms, as Lemon exclaims it's now time for the Berryfest Spring Festival, and Blueberry informs them that they always have a Princess there, so they need a substitute. Strawberry asks how they could choose when Raspberry suggests they draw straws, Lemon believes playing a game like Musical Chairs could be helpful, and Plum "nonchalantly" states, "Find someone whose name rhymes with Drum".
It's then Postmaster Bumblebee suggests they hold an election in order to pick the temporary Princess. To decide who should be picked, Mr. Long Face has the girls and a few others blindfolded to identify flowers, and whoever can will then move on to round two. Everyone gets this right except for Sadiebug (who was disqualified for eating her flower, a honeysuckle) and Raspberry (who was unable to correctly guess her flower, the daffodil, because they weren't in fashion that season and hadn't worked with them well enough to remember what it was).
With that in mind, the next contest is underway. The girls must race up a plant to grab a Strawberry, come back down, and then water it. Lemon already has trouble, un
"I grew a Kadieberry!"
able to decide which stalk to climb up as Blueberry uses her time to refer to a book for help. As the other girls climb, Sadiebug and Kadiebug cheat by using a saw, while Plum struggles to pull the strawberry loose. Katiebug ends falling into the hole Lemon dug, with only Strawberry and Orange staying tied and being the two who finish the round.
Now they need to determine who will win the final round and take off- with Blueberry remaining back, unaware they finished.
With that an election is held. Sadiebug and Lemon are going to support and help Strawberry, while Orange is busy handing out buttons when Kadiebug joins her. She takes it back to reveal a much bigger button instead, one that will give a bigger message. But this idea is reconsidered seeing how hard it makes things for the Berrykin.
Back at Strawberry's, she observes their efforts before suggesting to Sadiebug that she asks Blueberry for her help writing a speech. After they get away from Strawberry, Lemon mentions doubt that only they will be good enough for this, especially since they can't agree on anything.
At Blueberry's book store, she is in the middle of typing when both ladybug twins show up and begin to argue. But she tells them it wouldn't be fair to write a speech since she doesn't know who she wants to vote for. The twins attempt to sway her decision, but to no avail.
For now, Strawberry is left unsure of what to do when Blueberry runs in to explain why she can't help. She wants to vote for both of her friends, and since she can't do that she doesn't want to hurt the other one. As it turns out the others feel the same way, with a stressed out Raspberry joining them with the same issues, as she was requested to design a dress for the both of them. Strawberry assures them that it's okay for them to vote for one or the other and that the dresses don't really matter, since they'll still be friends either way. This seems to work and Raspberry takes off, only for Plum to come in with the same problem. She doesn't want anyone to be hurt, and once again Strawberry tells her the same thing - although Plum is still undecided. Confused and flustered by the ordeal, Strawberry decides she'll go to the nearby pond to relax.
Postmaster Bumblebee comes by to ask if she's having trouble writing her speech and she informs him that it's her resignation speech. It's too much trouble to deal with if it's just causing her friends stress and upsetting them, and forcing them is only making everyone unhappy. It would just be easier to drop out and let Orange win.
In hopes of getting her to understand, Postmaster Bumblebee explains that personal likes and dislikes aren't important when it comes to voting. Instead it's the person's responsibility to pick based on the ideals and choices being offered. This makes Strawberry feel better and by evening she returns home to find Lemon and Sadiebug finally working together to make posters and buttons. This inspires Strawberry to resume working on her speech.
The next day, Orange has just finished her own speech and Strawberry gets up to give hers. While she agrees on some terms with Orange, she also adds that a lot of hard work will be needed and she is ready for anything and everything that comes with this responsible task.
Upon finishing, the voting process then begins to take place. Then, they go over the votes but it ends in a tie, much to everyone's surprise. They go through the numbers once more, and as it turns out, a single person forgot to vote.
It's then Orange remembers it was her, being caught up by all of the excitement. Mr. Long Face allows her to vote since it was an accident and they need someone to determine the outcome - but in a surprise twist, Orange voted for Strawberry. The berry girls share a hug as everyone celebrates and the episode concludes.
Lessons
Strawberry learns that when it comes to elections or choosing between people doesn't mean going by preference- but by who has the better solutions and qualification.
Quotes
Trivia
- Princess Berrykin's age is hinted at in this episode. Blueberry states she has been Princess since the book was written and they vaguely remark on the age of the book.
- This episode shows that politics do exist in the Berry Bitty City.
- Official images of Strawberry and Orange were used on Strawberry's board and Orange's buttons.
- There were 150 total votes before Orange took her turn. Besides the girls, Sadiebug, Kadiebug, Postmaster Bumblebee, Mr. Long Face, and another ladybug, 139 votes were provided by Berrykins.
- This could imply that with the Princess Berrykin and the baby Berrykin, there are 141 Berrykin as of this point in the series.
- Previous airings of the episode had Sadiebug say, "More planning, sounds good" when Strawberry said that she believed in more planning before doing, but more recent airings of the episode now instead have Jadeybug (or some other ladybug) say the line in Sadiebug's voice.
Goofs
- When the girls are laying in a circle, Raspberry's headband is missing.
- Sadiebug votes for Orange, even though she's Strawberry's campaign manager.
- After Strawberry finishes making a portrait of herself for the campaign for the various voters, she says "only 199 more to go". But according to the voice count, there are 151 voters, not 200.
- Usually voting is held in privacy, not in the open the way it was shown here.