"My Little Pony: Make Your Mark" ...............................(SPOILERS)
- Thread starter Guardian Prime
- Start date
To this special's credit, it didn't involve G4 at all as far as we know.
I'll respond to other points later but
We're doing that thing again.
I'll respond to other points later but
We're doing that thing again.
Watched it!
Not bad, the animation started a little wooden, and the overall story was kinda simple even feeling rushed, but not bad. Still looking forward to whatever comes next.
Not bad, the animation started a little wooden, and the overall story was kinda simple even feeling rushed, but not bad. Still looking forward to whatever comes next.
This was very slow until the GM finally snapped and said "Stop ignoring my campaign! Pegasuses fall, everypony loses magic!" The pacing was downright G3. But I feel like the slow pace plays to G5's strengths. It works because these characters are so likable. I don't mind spending time with them in slow motion like this. Their interactions with each other feel like the work of writers who have already had a few seasons of practice with the characters, but the characters are brand new. There must have been some epic brainstorming session defining these characters at some point in G5's development. They know what they're doing already.
It doesn't seem like it's trying to be another G4 despite what a ludicrous success that was. It seems more like G3, just done better. It's doing the G3 thing of starting with an earth pony town and then adding the other tribes, with G3 pacing, but with a more developed and functional town like in G4. The characters have jobs and such.
But there are some distinct lessons learned from G4. This isn't The Twilight Show like all of G4's two-parters. Sunny's the initial lead, and the one who saves the day with her alicorn powers. Zipp is sometimes the lead, and is the nerd, and the one who's actually supposed to take the throne someday. And Hitch is the one with a dragon pet, making him the true princess by franchise tradition*. They didn't lump it all into one character this time.
*I wrote this in my notes right after I watched it. We're doing that thing again.
It doesn't seem like it's trying to be another G4 despite what a ludicrous success that was. It seems more like G3, just done better. It's doing the G3 thing of starting with an earth pony town and then adding the other tribes, with G3 pacing, but with a more developed and functional town like in G4. The characters have jobs and such.
But there are some distinct lessons learned from G4. This isn't The Twilight Show like all of G4's two-parters. Sunny's the initial lead, and the one who saves the day with her alicorn powers. Zipp is sometimes the lead, and is the nerd, and the one who's actually supposed to take the throne someday. And Hitch is the one with a dragon pet, making him the true princess by franchise tradition*. They didn't lump it all into one character this time.
*I wrote this in my notes right after I watched it. We're doing that thing again.
Finally got around to seeing this.
…I think it’s fair to say that this wasn’t was great as some people were hoping for. I don’t think it was BAD, but it was definitely a little weak in places. More on that after the play-by-play:
The Play-By-Play:
Take note: Zipp WILL steal things…even when she doesn’t need to. She’s just in it for the thrill!
That microphone is a buyable toy, isn’t it? She probably needed to steal it because it was so expensive.
They definitely wanted to show off how detailed the models are right away. And I do think they look pretty good for TV animation. I’m pretty sure they’re not the actual movie models, though.
Okay, is NOTHING going to show how the Crystal Brighthouse was actually created? Part of me kind of assumed it was created by the Crystals, but…I guess we have to assume the Mane 5 built it themselves right before Tell Your Tale? It’s just weird that we didn’t even get a montage of them rebuilding Sunny’s house or anything. We got a episode dedicated to them decorating the place, but not building it. Kind of weird.
Alicorn Izzy Chibi!
Sunny can’t use her Alicorn form on command, so this must take place before the game and comics.
Oh, so, Posey is really just jealous that Earth Ponies don’t have any magic like the other two races. Yeah…kind of fair, really. The Earth Ponies don’t seem to get any benefits to magic being back, yet.
Um…completely changing one of Sunny’s childhood toys could backfire pretty bad. You probably should ask first...and it's too late.
Sunny’s alicorn powers are triggered by micro-transactions (getting paid at her stall) or accessories (the lantern)…yep, that sound like something Hasbro would do, alright. Seriously, her "friends' GIVING her things does seem to be a key factor, here.
Why are only the Pegasi losing their magic? Shouldn't the unicorns be losing their magic at the same time? Are the Pegasi first for some reason...just because they're higher up and get a better "signal"?
Eh, this whole “Zipp doesn’t want to be a princess” plotline could get old fast. Especially when Pipp’s right there, and seems like the perfect fill-in for her. The Queen needs to take a hint.
Izzy’s spoon-wreath actually kind of works.
Odd that everypony just assumes they’re doing this on purpose instead of just getting used to using magic. It hasn’t been THAT long since they all got it back, they’re all still pretty new to it.
Shouldn’t EVERYONE in town notice the giant glowing rainbow going all glitchy? It’s hard to miss.
Um…I for one would NOT be flying when you KNOW that magic is glitching out, for some reason, Zipp.
Completely random dragon egg? They’re…not even going to tease it falling from the sky or anything? Okay…
That complaint box IS pretty insulting. Not even pretending to care.
*Izzy looks for Zipp under her hooves*…cute
Zipp’s been staring at the crystals for 5 hours?! Doesn’t seem like 5 hours would have passed. Also, you have a phone, you could be playing a game or something.
“I can Zipp it”…ugh.
Okay, so Mane Melody is definitely going to be a thing, not just a one-episode thing in Tell Your Tale.
Yeah, okay, this is a problem. The Unity Crystals being SO EASY to disrupt is a big, world-breaking problem. More on this on it's own section.
That lantern looks NOTHING like the original lantern. Izzy...did you break the original lantern and just buy a different one hoping she wouldn't notice? ...Because it worked! Good job!
Okay, wait, why are the Earth Ponies hooves getting stuck? If the magic gets turned off, it’s one thing, but this is actually something that would NEED magic to work. Is the magic getting lost actually being used by someone or something else? And...ONLY the Earth Ponies. I guess that makes sense given their eventual upgrade, but it's still odd that the Death Void would pick and choose who it gobbles up.
Another problem, they’ve kind of made the Earth Ponies the bad guys here. They seem to be the main reason why the magic is glitching. It kind of singles them out. I'd just like a little more equal time showing EVERYONE being terrible, I guess...
And now the crystal is broken.
The Crystals can create huge, gaping voids and trap ponies inside to get sucked into it? Yeah…magic is great…
And now the Crystal..isn’t broken anymore? What happened to the crack?
*Sunny fixes everything with Alicorn magic and Earth Ponies unlock their own magic* Um…what just happened? Nothing was resolved, no one even said they were sorry, they didn’t even really work together Sunny just did everything, what’s going on? I know we need to wrap this up, but, c’mon. I know most of the ponies were trying to help get the Earth ponies unstuck, but...that didn't seem to be what reversed everything. Sunny's alicorn...rainbow...thing fixed the hole and stopped the storm.
Hitch, you probably can't understand the dragon because he's literally a baby. Don't be that parent, your kid is FINE. Also, apparently the dragon's name is...Sparky Sparkeroni (I guess that means Izzy's the one who names him?)
g5mlp.fandom.com
My Whiny Complaints:
Okay, so there's a bunch of little problems, here and there in this special. Most of the special feels like padding. Zipp deciding to keep her suspicions to herself for too long. It's weird that only SOME of the ponies notice magic going haywire at the beginning, I'm not sure why EVERYONE didn't feel it happening? The Dragon Egg kind of just shows up out of nowhere with no buildup whatsoever. Sunny's alicorn powers solve everything rather than actually addressing the emotional problem at the core of this story. The Unity Crystals causing havoc...doesn't really make any sense at the endgame. The lantern is a little redundant when Sunny can make her own light, but it's a nice metaphor for friendship, so...meh on that.
But, the biggest problem is...they just made magic more of a threat than NOT having magic. The price of having magic is WAY TOO HIGH now. Magic is more of a RISK, than a REWARD at this point. If EVERYONE can lose their magic because someone is feeling pouty or something, then…they actually are better off without magic, because otherwise you'll have pegasi falling from the skies!
The writers have made it so they are actually better off NOT using magic at all. Either they all conform, fake being happy, or their world falls apart…this is not a good metaphor for anything. You’ve made the benefits of being together farily trivial and the problems it causes too huge. They’re better off apart rather than getting sucked into a endless void. Really, what good has magic been to them? Flying and telekinesis is NEAT, but not worth falling into a endless void to your death!
This is WORSE than Orwellian, these Crystals can see into your mind! They watch everything you do! This is Big Brother on steroids...and worse he's wielding the Infinity Gems!
Most of these ponies have lived their whole lives without magic, they can LIVE without magic. They WON'T be living long if they have...seemingly ANY sort of argument! This is too high a cost for too little gain.
And the problem is...Friendship is Still Magic. And friends fight sometimes. But, the Crystals don't like that, so...this is just a bad lesson poorly done!
And I feel like we KNOW where this is going to go. Zipp and her mom are going to have a big fight and it's going to cause chaos again. They've set that up.
(Magic...THREAT OR MENACE!?)
There's also the subject of...everyone has already lost their magic about 3 times now, if this special, the video games, and the comics are all in the same universe. And, yeah, it feels like Hasbro gave EVERYONE the same basic one-sentence plot outline and just let everyone put their own spin on it. Which is interesting...but troubling for world-building purposes. These crystals fail SO EASILY!
Random Thoughts:
1.
I don’t think I was too far off saying that Zipp might take over Daring Do’s role in the story. Seems to be taking a archeology-style role. And she is asking all the right questions. (Where does magic come from, in the first place? Who made the crystals? Why were they separated? Why didn’t Earth Ponies have magic before?...Also, what’s up with Sunny’s disappearing Alicorn magic, and Why can Hitch talk to animals?) Let’s see if any of those questions actually get answers.
www.allspark.com
2.
Okay, Shadowy Alicorn…is just Sprout in a wig. I can’t be the only one who sees it, right? He’s basically James from Pokemon. And since phones are a thing in this world, voice changing apps are ALSO probably a thing (Pay no attention to that phone on the table!). Might have wanted everyone to stabilize magic, just so Earth Ponies would have the power to fight back against the other two races. The real villain is probably the lackey off to the side.
Sprout's mom losing her hair at the salon is a running gag in TYT, so there's your source for the hair...for extra "ew" factor.
Spoilers for the video game below:
Those eyebrows can't be a coincidence!
So, let’s see where everyone is now and how their lives have changed:
Izzy-Still adorable. But, she’s moved and now she seems to have more friends than she used to (maybe). She’s probably the pony that changes the most between different versions of this franchise. Feels like she’s a *little* more spacey than the original movie, but not as out-of-control as the Tell Your Tale version, and almost the same as the comic version, though less accident prone so far. Her crafting/uni-cycling doesn’t have much focus, but it’s a potentially fun hobby/job. I want to see her uni-cycle a actual unicycle.
Hitch-Still the Sheriff, which is probably the best he can do in his career (stupid, dead end job…). He now can fully understand animals. And he’s a single dad! Oh no!
Zipp-She seems to be investigating the mysteries of the pony world. And ducking her princess duties that she’s kind of unsuited for anyway.
Pipp-Still the social media queen AND the biggest pop star. But she’s also running her own salon now. Kind of weird to have Ariana Grande ALSO be the one to give you a perm, but…that’s what’s she’s doing.
Sunny-PHENOMIAL COSMIC POWER…and a itty, bitty smootie cart. Yeah, her life’s probably been changed the LEAST out of the Mane 5, so far. Kind of strange, honestly. I assume she’s not seen as a random loon anymore…now she’s the loon with superpowers!
As far as the timeline goes...this is were things get a little iffy. I think we can go with:
A New Generation movie>Tell Your Tale (episodes 1-11, anyway)>Make Your Mark Special>Maretime Bay Adventures Video Game>IDW Comics
But...there are already little cracks with that, here and there.
…I think it’s fair to say that this wasn’t was great as some people were hoping for. I don’t think it was BAD, but it was definitely a little weak in places. More on that after the play-by-play:
The Play-By-Play:
Take note: Zipp WILL steal things…even when she doesn’t need to. She’s just in it for the thrill!
That microphone is a buyable toy, isn’t it? She probably needed to steal it because it was so expensive.
They definitely wanted to show off how detailed the models are right away. And I do think they look pretty good for TV animation. I’m pretty sure they’re not the actual movie models, though.
Okay, is NOTHING going to show how the Crystal Brighthouse was actually created? Part of me kind of assumed it was created by the Crystals, but…I guess we have to assume the Mane 5 built it themselves right before Tell Your Tale? It’s just weird that we didn’t even get a montage of them rebuilding Sunny’s house or anything. We got a episode dedicated to them decorating the place, but not building it. Kind of weird.
Alicorn Izzy Chibi!
Sunny can’t use her Alicorn form on command, so this must take place before the game and comics.
Oh, so, Posey is really just jealous that Earth Ponies don’t have any magic like the other two races. Yeah…kind of fair, really. The Earth Ponies don’t seem to get any benefits to magic being back, yet.
Um…completely changing one of Sunny’s childhood toys could backfire pretty bad. You probably should ask first...and it's too late.
Sunny’s alicorn powers are triggered by micro-transactions (getting paid at her stall) or accessories (the lantern)…yep, that sound like something Hasbro would do, alright. Seriously, her "friends' GIVING her things does seem to be a key factor, here.
Why are only the Pegasi losing their magic? Shouldn't the unicorns be losing their magic at the same time? Are the Pegasi first for some reason...just because they're higher up and get a better "signal"?
Eh, this whole “Zipp doesn’t want to be a princess” plotline could get old fast. Especially when Pipp’s right there, and seems like the perfect fill-in for her. The Queen needs to take a hint.
Izzy’s spoon-wreath actually kind of works.
Odd that everypony just assumes they’re doing this on purpose instead of just getting used to using magic. It hasn’t been THAT long since they all got it back, they’re all still pretty new to it.
Shouldn’t EVERYONE in town notice the giant glowing rainbow going all glitchy? It’s hard to miss.
Um…I for one would NOT be flying when you KNOW that magic is glitching out, for some reason, Zipp.
Completely random dragon egg? They’re…not even going to tease it falling from the sky or anything? Okay…
That complaint box IS pretty insulting. Not even pretending to care.
*Izzy looks for Zipp under her hooves*…cute
Zipp’s been staring at the crystals for 5 hours?! Doesn’t seem like 5 hours would have passed. Also, you have a phone, you could be playing a game or something.
“I can Zipp it”…ugh.
Okay, so Mane Melody is definitely going to be a thing, not just a one-episode thing in Tell Your Tale.
Yeah, okay, this is a problem. The Unity Crystals being SO EASY to disrupt is a big, world-breaking problem. More on this on it's own section.
That lantern looks NOTHING like the original lantern. Izzy...did you break the original lantern and just buy a different one hoping she wouldn't notice? ...Because it worked! Good job!
Okay, wait, why are the Earth Ponies hooves getting stuck? If the magic gets turned off, it’s one thing, but this is actually something that would NEED magic to work. Is the magic getting lost actually being used by someone or something else? And...ONLY the Earth Ponies. I guess that makes sense given their eventual upgrade, but it's still odd that the Death Void would pick and choose who it gobbles up.
Another problem, they’ve kind of made the Earth Ponies the bad guys here. They seem to be the main reason why the magic is glitching. It kind of singles them out. I'd just like a little more equal time showing EVERYONE being terrible, I guess...
And now the crystal is broken.
The Crystals can create huge, gaping voids and trap ponies inside to get sucked into it? Yeah…magic is great…
And now the Crystal..isn’t broken anymore? What happened to the crack?
*Sunny fixes everything with Alicorn magic and Earth Ponies unlock their own magic* Um…what just happened? Nothing was resolved, no one even said they were sorry, they didn’t even really work together Sunny just did everything, what’s going on? I know we need to wrap this up, but, c’mon. I know most of the ponies were trying to help get the Earth ponies unstuck, but...that didn't seem to be what reversed everything. Sunny's alicorn...rainbow...thing fixed the hole and stopped the storm.
Hitch, you probably can't understand the dragon because he's literally a baby. Don't be that parent, your kid is FINE. Also, apparently the dragon's name is...Sparky Sparkeroni (I guess that means Izzy's the one who names him?)
Sparky Sparkeroni
g5mlp.fandom.com
My Whiny Complaints:
Okay, so there's a bunch of little problems, here and there in this special. Most of the special feels like padding. Zipp deciding to keep her suspicions to herself for too long. It's weird that only SOME of the ponies notice magic going haywire at the beginning, I'm not sure why EVERYONE didn't feel it happening? The Dragon Egg kind of just shows up out of nowhere with no buildup whatsoever. Sunny's alicorn powers solve everything rather than actually addressing the emotional problem at the core of this story. The Unity Crystals causing havoc...doesn't really make any sense at the endgame. The lantern is a little redundant when Sunny can make her own light, but it's a nice metaphor for friendship, so...meh on that.
But, the biggest problem is...they just made magic more of a threat than NOT having magic. The price of having magic is WAY TOO HIGH now. Magic is more of a RISK, than a REWARD at this point. If EVERYONE can lose their magic because someone is feeling pouty or something, then…they actually are better off without magic, because otherwise you'll have pegasi falling from the skies!
The writers have made it so they are actually better off NOT using magic at all. Either they all conform, fake being happy, or their world falls apart…this is not a good metaphor for anything. You’ve made the benefits of being together farily trivial and the problems it causes too huge. They’re better off apart rather than getting sucked into a endless void. Really, what good has magic been to them? Flying and telekinesis is NEAT, but not worth falling into a endless void to your death!
This is WORSE than Orwellian, these Crystals can see into your mind! They watch everything you do! This is Big Brother on steroids...and worse he's wielding the Infinity Gems!
Most of these ponies have lived their whole lives without magic, they can LIVE without magic. They WON'T be living long if they have...seemingly ANY sort of argument! This is too high a cost for too little gain.
And the problem is...Friendship is Still Magic. And friends fight sometimes. But, the Crystals don't like that, so...this is just a bad lesson poorly done!
And I feel like we KNOW where this is going to go. Zipp and her mom are going to have a big fight and it's going to cause chaos again. They've set that up.
(Magic...THREAT OR MENACE!?)
There's also the subject of...everyone has already lost their magic about 3 times now, if this special, the video games, and the comics are all in the same universe. And, yeah, it feels like Hasbro gave EVERYONE the same basic one-sentence plot outline and just let everyone put their own spin on it. Which is interesting...but troubling for world-building purposes. These crystals fail SO EASILY!
Random Thoughts:
1.
I don’t think I was too far off saying that Zipp might take over Daring Do’s role in the story. Seems to be taking a archeology-style role. And she is asking all the right questions. (Where does magic come from, in the first place? Who made the crystals? Why were they separated? Why didn’t Earth Ponies have magic before?...Also, what’s up with Sunny’s disappearing Alicorn magic, and Why can Hitch talk to animals?) Let’s see if any of those questions actually get answers.
Zipp Storm Thread
In this thread we talk about Zipp Storm. She's one of two sisters we were asked to introduce last Siblings Day before the site outage took down my article… She's the older one and heir to the throne. She's the only one in the Mane 5 who doesn't have an accessory yet. And most importantly, she's...
www.allspark.com
So, I WAS RIGHT!
2.
Okay, Shadowy Alicorn…is just Sprout in a wig. I can’t be the only one who sees it, right? He’s basically James from Pokemon. And since phones are a thing in this world, voice changing apps are ALSO probably a thing (Pay no attention to that phone on the table!). Might have wanted everyone to stabilize magic, just so Earth Ponies would have the power to fight back against the other two races. The real villain is probably the lackey off to the side.
Sprout's mom losing her hair at the salon is a running gag in TYT, so there's your source for the hair...for extra "ew" factor.
Spoilers for the video game below:
He has a history of dressing up like other-race girls thanks to the video game now. He dresses up as Izzy, Zipp, and Pipp to frame them for crimes. We don't actually get to SEE that in the game, because that would mean 3 new models, but it happened.
Those eyebrows can't be a coincidence!
So, let’s see where everyone is now and how their lives have changed:
Izzy-Still adorable. But, she’s moved and now she seems to have more friends than she used to (maybe). She’s probably the pony that changes the most between different versions of this franchise. Feels like she’s a *little* more spacey than the original movie, but not as out-of-control as the Tell Your Tale version, and almost the same as the comic version, though less accident prone so far. Her crafting/uni-cycling doesn’t have much focus, but it’s a potentially fun hobby/job. I want to see her uni-cycle a actual unicycle.
Hitch-Still the Sheriff, which is probably the best he can do in his career (stupid, dead end job…). He now can fully understand animals. And he’s a single dad! Oh no!
Zipp-She seems to be investigating the mysteries of the pony world. And ducking her princess duties that she’s kind of unsuited for anyway.
Pipp-Still the social media queen AND the biggest pop star. But she’s also running her own salon now. Kind of weird to have Ariana Grande ALSO be the one to give you a perm, but…that’s what’s she’s doing.
Sunny-PHENOMIAL COSMIC POWER…and a itty, bitty smootie cart. Yeah, her life’s probably been changed the LEAST out of the Mane 5, so far. Kind of strange, honestly. I assume she’s not seen as a random loon anymore…now she’s the loon with superpowers!
As far as the timeline goes...this is were things get a little iffy. I think we can go with:
A New Generation movie>Tell Your Tale (episodes 1-11, anyway)>Make Your Mark Special>Maretime Bay Adventures Video Game>IDW Comics
But...there are already little cracks with that, here and there.
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I wanted to give the writers the benefit of the doubt about this "Never have an argument" problem, but then I remembered Zipp's demonstration. We're told that ponies power the crystals and the arguing is making them weaker. She gets the group arguing, and the crystals immediately start glitching.
I find that scene weird. It's a little too easy for Zipp to knock over a line of argument dominoes. Too fast. Maybe it's a writing failure, but it's a potentially useful one.
The writers have an easy way out here. Say the dumb little arguments weakened the crystals, and maybe even say the crystals weakening made arguments worse in a feedback loop (retroactively improving the argument dominoes scene). Either way, the important thing is to make the arguments just half of a push/pull problem. Say the arguments weakened the force that holds the crystals together, against an opposing force that is pushing them apart.
Say the root cause of magic flickering (the push) is that a big chunk of the population was specifically wishing that magic would go away. With that problem solved we can presume that minor everyday arguments don't matter as much.
It's not impossible that the writers are already going in a direction like that. We don't know what that villain is up to.
I find that scene weird. It's a little too easy for Zipp to knock over a line of argument dominoes. Too fast. Maybe it's a writing failure, but it's a potentially useful one.
The writers have an easy way out here. Say the dumb little arguments weakened the crystals, and maybe even say the crystals weakening made arguments worse in a feedback loop (retroactively improving the argument dominoes scene). Either way, the important thing is to make the arguments just half of a push/pull problem. Say the arguments weakened the force that holds the crystals together, against an opposing force that is pushing them apart.
Say the root cause of magic flickering (the push) is that a big chunk of the population was specifically wishing that magic would go away. With that problem solved we can presume that minor everyday arguments don't matter as much.
It's not impossible that the writers are already going in a direction like that. We don't know what that villain is up to.
My take on that:
Sunny and her friends are literally living directly under the crystal, and it was Sunny the crystal(s) connected to the most. Her and her group of friends likely influence it the most as well. Remember when they were having fun in the kitchen and the crystal made those green vine markings?
As for the "never have an argument ever" I have to assume (and I really hope this is it, because yes otherwise it's very silly) that it's not having arguments, it's still being 'against' the other tribes. It wasn't so much that ponies were having arguments, it was because Posey was being hateful toward the other races and was getting other ponies to do the same.
I'm sure that just brings more problems, but well I'll assume again it matters more the closer you are to the crystal.
That of course doesn't explain why it glitched with Sunny and them when they were next to it, but that's why I'm thinking they just have a deeper connection.
Sunny and her friends are literally living directly under the crystal, and it was Sunny the crystal(s) connected to the most. Her and her group of friends likely influence it the most as well. Remember when they were having fun in the kitchen and the crystal made those green vine markings?
As for the "never have an argument ever" I have to assume (and I really hope this is it, because yes otherwise it's very silly) that it's not having arguments, it's still being 'against' the other tribes. It wasn't so much that ponies were having arguments, it was because Posey was being hateful toward the other races and was getting other ponies to do the same.
I'm sure that just brings more problems, but well I'll assume again it matters more the closer you are to the crystal.
That of course doesn't explain why it glitched with Sunny and them when they were next to it, but that's why I'm thinking they just have a deeper connection.
Reading this, turns out I need to see Tell Your Tale? Looking at other thread... why does it look like Centaurworld?
Anyhow, thought special could have been shorter. Or the hole in the ground could have been a bigger threat. Interesting to see a villain, woohoo! Pre changeling Chrysalis? The alicorn before she got her creepy holes?
Hitch as a daddy, whoa! He's too young! I think. Hated that it's a dragon. I want new monster representation! (But I guess cerberuses don't hatch from eggs, haha)
I got trans vibes from Zip. Did anyone else get trans rep vibes from Zip? Forced into a role she doesn't want, give her time to find herself? She's a detective now. Which has a slang.
I love that Hitch has animal speak powers but does that mean he doesn't have flower power? Also, I hope it's not just Poison Ivy Bushroot powers but also Toph earth bending powers.
I kept confusing Sunny, Pipp and Izzy when they switch around themselves. Zip stands out cuz of color and Hitch cuz different face. But I gotta get used to the three other ladies semi blurring to me.
What's next after this?
Anyhow, thought special could have been shorter. Or the hole in the ground could have been a bigger threat. Interesting to see a villain, woohoo! Pre changeling Chrysalis? The alicorn before she got her creepy holes?
Hitch as a daddy, whoa! He's too young! I think. Hated that it's a dragon. I want new monster representation! (But I guess cerberuses don't hatch from eggs, haha)
I got trans vibes from Zip. Did anyone else get trans rep vibes from Zip? Forced into a role she doesn't want, give her time to find herself? She's a detective now. Which has a slang.
I love that Hitch has animal speak powers but does that mean he doesn't have flower power? Also, I hope it's not just Poison Ivy Bushroot powers but also Toph earth bending powers.
I kept confusing Sunny, Pipp and Izzy when they switch around themselves. Zip stands out cuz of color and Hitch cuz different face. But I gotta get used to the three other ladies semi blurring to me.
What's next after this?
Well, the actual Make Your Mark Netflix cartoon starts in September...so we got some time to kill. Otherwise, I think they're going to keep doing Tell Your Tale shorts (there's supposed to be 70 of these), and we still have the comics.
And, if your comment about Tell Your Tale looking like Centaurworld is about the very first picture in the Tell Your Tale thread, that's actually a gag picture, with everyone's faces replaced by other "bean-mouth" cartoons. Like Star Vs, Family Guy, Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, and...toothpaste. I just thought it was funny.
RANDOM SPECULATION TIME!
Let's talk about the Alicorn's lackey (...she's "mysterious" and potentially "mystical" so let's call her "Misty" for now). We only get a glimpse of her and we don't even get to hear her voice, so we basically have nothing to go off of, other than that she's a unicorn. But, we CAN speculate about what this show needs.
And, despite all the Unicorns in town, I think what we need is some ACTUAL magic. So far, I think we've only really seen Unicorns use telekinesis, the most common kind of magic. Which is understandable, being as everyone's still on training wheels, so far.
But I could see the Misty being "the last student of Twilight Sparkle" in a way. Maybe she found a copy of the old Journal of Friendship from "Fame and Misfortune" and has been able to learn a little bit of some actual spells, here and there. And she's probably going to use these spells to "accidentally" cause some chaos in Maretime Bay. Chances are, we aren't going to see much of the world outside of what we've already seen in this special. CGI sets are expensive to build, so we've probably already seen...60% of the areas they'll have in the show itself? So, we need some threats that come to the Mane 5, instead of threats the Mane 5 can go to.
I'm not sure if she's basically going to be the instigator for some of the plots in the series, or if she's going to stick to being a spy to gather information for whatever season finale they have planned, but it's likely going to be a combination of both. I could see her CONSTANTLY asking the Alicorn to teach her new spells, but the Alicorn insisting that she "prove herself" first (because she doesn't know any actual spells, because...she's probably not a REAL alicorn, one way or another).
I'm actually pretty serious about Sprout being the Alicorn. It kind of lines up. But, I'll admit...there are two pieces of information that contradict that. One is the voice, but like I said, it wouldn't be hard to change. But, the other is the Alicorn's eye color. If you look at some close-up pictures of her, she has blue eyes. And Sprout has green eyes. Maybe it's the weird green lighting, but I doubt they'd go so far as to have him use contacts. Still...I'm actually still leaning towards this. We'll see if this Alicorn actually ever uses her wings, or uses magic that could NOT be vines or other plant-based trickery.
RANDOM OBSERVATION TIME!
About the Earth Ponies not having magic in G4...that's not strictly true, but I could see how everyone could remember it that way. Earth magic wasn't "active" magic like Unicorn spellcasting, or a obvious ability like Pegasus flight. Earth magic was all about passive buffs. They got 50% boost to strength, 25% boost to plant growth speed, and 25% increase in plant size while they're in the area (totally made up percentages I pulled out of nowhere). Mind you, G4 wasn't always the best about showing off these powers consistently. And part of that was because, in retrospect, I feel like G4 was full of hybrid ponies that kind of blurred the lines between the species. The Mane 6 were actually all VERY exceptional for their races. They can probably be split into two groups.
The Super-Charged: Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.
The Hybrid Mutants: Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.
Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow have their powers cranked up to 11 for their species. No one else in the show seems to have the amount of magical power Twilight has, the plant-growing of Applejack, or the speed of Rainbow. They are all top of their class.
And the other 3 all seem to have abilities that SHOULD belong to other races. Fluttershy can talk to animals, and seems much more at home on the ground like a Earth pony. Rarity also has a little bit of Earth pony to her, because of her special ability to find gems in the ground. And then there's Pinkie Pie...calling what she has "Unicorn magic" seems to undersell it, since she can stretch, break the fourth wall, and sometimes manipulate reality around her...but let's just say it's Unicorn magic for now.
And there's other ponies in G4 that fit this, too. Bulk Biceps comes to mind.
I think the time spent apart has kind of "reset" the bloodlines a little. Which is why we don't have such interesting combinations, yet. And why body-types seem much more uniform throughout this show, since we don't have mutations changing body types as much. (Also...so they can reuse models more since this is a CGI show, but we need a in-world explanation).
I don't know, just a random thought that came to mind.
RANDOM FIX-FIC TIME!
(Just for the record, I don't expect this to actually happen, but it'd be a interesting twist if it did.)
Okay, so I complained a lot about the Crystals, but how would I fix it, if I was writing the show? Well, here's a thought...what if the Mane 5 NEVER ACTUALLY brought magic back in the first place?
Stay with me here. These Crystals never existed back in G4. Magic didn't work this way back in G4. What if the magic reserves the planet had built up over millennia got..."eaten" or "destroyed" by some villain, and Twilight had to come up with a way to re-create magic from scratch. So, maybe she used some sort of magic item that still had some magic. Maybe the Alicorn Amulet...I know I keep bringing this up, but it feels like the perfect explanation for why Sunny is a Pseudo-Alicorn, especially NOW since Shadowy Alicorn points to this not being a "art-style change" and "real" alicorns actually having physical Horns and Wings..and maybe explaining all the winged and horned animals, while we're at it. And she used that magic item as a base to bring magic back in some way...but with a catch now. And that magical item's power is now spread throughout the entirety of Equestria instead of being limited to only ONE pony, like before, amplifying it's power in both unexpected positive and negative ways. What if the Crystals were basically supposed to be a temporary solution while they found a way to bring the "real" magic back? What if they were NEVER supposed to be used permanently or constantly, which is why the races originally separated, just for "a little while"? Maybe the Crystals are only "emulating" magic by amplifying emotions.
In any case, I'm halfway expecting the Crystals to ACTUALLY get shattered by season's end, since we already got teased that it can happen here, already. That would "free" the magic from it's restrictions, and they wouldn't have to worry about getting sucked into a Death Void if they insult someone's cooking...but probably also either release or create a new villain for Season 2....or a new tribe, like Seaponies, maybe.
Also, here's another random fanfic idea that I can't get out of my head. "The Return of the Six". Where it LOOKS like the Mane 6 have magically returned to make everything right like King Arthur awakening from his sleep...but it turns out to be the Mean Six that Chrysalis made, and got unsealed from the Tree. I don't know, it just feels right for the new kids to have to prove themselves against twisted versions of the ponies we all love.
And, if your comment about Tell Your Tale looking like Centaurworld is about the very first picture in the Tell Your Tale thread, that's actually a gag picture, with everyone's faces replaced by other "bean-mouth" cartoons. Like Star Vs, Family Guy, Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, and...toothpaste. I just thought it was funny.
RANDOM SPECULATION TIME!
Let's talk about the Alicorn's lackey (...she's "mysterious" and potentially "mystical" so let's call her "Misty" for now). We only get a glimpse of her and we don't even get to hear her voice, so we basically have nothing to go off of, other than that she's a unicorn. But, we CAN speculate about what this show needs.
And, despite all the Unicorns in town, I think what we need is some ACTUAL magic. So far, I think we've only really seen Unicorns use telekinesis, the most common kind of magic. Which is understandable, being as everyone's still on training wheels, so far.
But I could see the Misty being "the last student of Twilight Sparkle" in a way. Maybe she found a copy of the old Journal of Friendship from "Fame and Misfortune" and has been able to learn a little bit of some actual spells, here and there. And she's probably going to use these spells to "accidentally" cause some chaos in Maretime Bay. Chances are, we aren't going to see much of the world outside of what we've already seen in this special. CGI sets are expensive to build, so we've probably already seen...60% of the areas they'll have in the show itself? So, we need some threats that come to the Mane 5, instead of threats the Mane 5 can go to.
I'm not sure if she's basically going to be the instigator for some of the plots in the series, or if she's going to stick to being a spy to gather information for whatever season finale they have planned, but it's likely going to be a combination of both. I could see her CONSTANTLY asking the Alicorn to teach her new spells, but the Alicorn insisting that she "prove herself" first (because she doesn't know any actual spells, because...she's probably not a REAL alicorn, one way or another).
I'm actually pretty serious about Sprout being the Alicorn. It kind of lines up. But, I'll admit...there are two pieces of information that contradict that. One is the voice, but like I said, it wouldn't be hard to change. But, the other is the Alicorn's eye color. If you look at some close-up pictures of her, she has blue eyes. And Sprout has green eyes. Maybe it's the weird green lighting, but I doubt they'd go so far as to have him use contacts. Still...I'm actually still leaning towards this. We'll see if this Alicorn actually ever uses her wings, or uses magic that could NOT be vines or other plant-based trickery.
RANDOM OBSERVATION TIME!
About the Earth Ponies not having magic in G4...that's not strictly true, but I could see how everyone could remember it that way. Earth magic wasn't "active" magic like Unicorn spellcasting, or a obvious ability like Pegasus flight. Earth magic was all about passive buffs. They got 50% boost to strength, 25% boost to plant growth speed, and 25% increase in plant size while they're in the area (totally made up percentages I pulled out of nowhere). Mind you, G4 wasn't always the best about showing off these powers consistently. And part of that was because, in retrospect, I feel like G4 was full of hybrid ponies that kind of blurred the lines between the species. The Mane 6 were actually all VERY exceptional for their races. They can probably be split into two groups.
The Super-Charged: Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.
The Hybrid Mutants: Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.
Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow have their powers cranked up to 11 for their species. No one else in the show seems to have the amount of magical power Twilight has, the plant-growing of Applejack, or the speed of Rainbow. They are all top of their class.
And the other 3 all seem to have abilities that SHOULD belong to other races. Fluttershy can talk to animals, and seems much more at home on the ground like a Earth pony. Rarity also has a little bit of Earth pony to her, because of her special ability to find gems in the ground. And then there's Pinkie Pie...calling what she has "Unicorn magic" seems to undersell it, since she can stretch, break the fourth wall, and sometimes manipulate reality around her...but let's just say it's Unicorn magic for now.
And there's other ponies in G4 that fit this, too. Bulk Biceps comes to mind.
I think the time spent apart has kind of "reset" the bloodlines a little. Which is why we don't have such interesting combinations, yet. And why body-types seem much more uniform throughout this show, since we don't have mutations changing body types as much. (Also...so they can reuse models more since this is a CGI show, but we need a in-world explanation).
I don't know, just a random thought that came to mind.
RANDOM FIX-FIC TIME!
(Just for the record, I don't expect this to actually happen, but it'd be a interesting twist if it did.)
Okay, so I complained a lot about the Crystals, but how would I fix it, if I was writing the show? Well, here's a thought...what if the Mane 5 NEVER ACTUALLY brought magic back in the first place?
Stay with me here. These Crystals never existed back in G4. Magic didn't work this way back in G4. What if the magic reserves the planet had built up over millennia got..."eaten" or "destroyed" by some villain, and Twilight had to come up with a way to re-create magic from scratch. So, maybe she used some sort of magic item that still had some magic. Maybe the Alicorn Amulet...I know I keep bringing this up, but it feels like the perfect explanation for why Sunny is a Pseudo-Alicorn, especially NOW since Shadowy Alicorn points to this not being a "art-style change" and "real" alicorns actually having physical Horns and Wings..and maybe explaining all the winged and horned animals, while we're at it. And she used that magic item as a base to bring magic back in some way...but with a catch now. And that magical item's power is now spread throughout the entirety of Equestria instead of being limited to only ONE pony, like before, amplifying it's power in both unexpected positive and negative ways. What if the Crystals were basically supposed to be a temporary solution while they found a way to bring the "real" magic back? What if they were NEVER supposed to be used permanently or constantly, which is why the races originally separated, just for "a little while"? Maybe the Crystals are only "emulating" magic by amplifying emotions.
In any case, I'm halfway expecting the Crystals to ACTUALLY get shattered by season's end, since we already got teased that it can happen here, already. That would "free" the magic from it's restrictions, and they wouldn't have to worry about getting sucked into a Death Void if they insult someone's cooking...but probably also either release or create a new villain for Season 2....or a new tribe, like Seaponies, maybe.
Also, here's another random fanfic idea that I can't get out of my head. "The Return of the Six". Where it LOOKS like the Mane 6 have magically returned to make everything right like King Arthur awakening from his sleep...but it turns out to be the Mean Six that Chrysalis made, and got unsealed from the Tree. I don't know, it just feels right for the new kids to have to prove themselves against twisted versions of the ponies we all love.
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Since G5 has gone out of its way to push my Spyro buttons, she's obviously going to be the Bianca.
Also I've seen enough G1 to know she's going to flip to the heroes. The lackey always flips to the heroes. Except that one time the lackeys were the real manipulators. G1 is a lot more interesting than you'd expect.
She's going to be the sixth member of the team if Sprout doesn't get there first, and since he disappeared I've lost any confidence that he will.
Sprout's the guy whose first idea as sheriff was to build a mech. I don't think he's capable of shadowy villainy. He's a hammer.
Maybe the lines were never all that serious to begin with.
Tabletop character building is an easy comparison. The three types start with a few freebie points for certain things, but they can spend the rest of their points wherever. Most ponies stick to a theme, but some get a bit more varied with it.
One thing about my fix idea is it doesn't require any explanation of where the crystals came from and why magic didn't seem to work this way in G4. When the tribes didn't get along in G4 magic didn't go away because there wasn't a tribe actively wishing it would. That was a new thing that happened here, and can be its own explanation for the new results.
I'm with you on this one. Those crystals are going to get shattered like a plane of glass two guys are carrying across the street during rush hour for some reason. There is no force that can stop it. And it probably will be used so the writers can get rid of any rules they decide they don't like. I won't blame them. The obvious opportunity will be there.
There's no way the Seaponies need to be released from anywhere. They're survivors. They're just hiding somewhere. But they're watching, and they will find you.
The show won't do that, but I'm sure you just gave IDW ideas.
And now I have visions of Pipp freaking out while walking down a dark corridor with failing red emergency lights strobing with the latest pop-song redone in a creepy way.
"Guys? Guys?" Her voice quivering, on the verge of sobbing. From the shadows behind emerge a seapony with rows of teeth upon teeth. A deep, gravely voice growls out "shoo be do!"
Did you just volunteer to write us a fanfic?
Gonna be honest here caldwin... kinda looks like you did...
I'll actually agree with that. It would be out of character for the movie version of Sprout to do that. But...I'm not sure if Hasbro agrees about "TV show" Sprout. Look at Izzy, and how different she can be from medium to medium. Hasbro seems to have a....loose definition of characterization, so far, this generation. And, to be fair, it's pretty early in this generation's life, people are still figuring things out.
I'll even go so far as to say, if I turn out to be right about this, I think Hasbro will be making a big mistake. There's no way something like this happens and the entire internet doesn't go "What were you thinking, Hasbro?!". But...that actually makes me think it's MORE likely, frankly.
Also....*gestures meaningfully at the Maretime Bay Adventures video game*
That actually is a far simpler explanation. But, to me, it just lacks...flair, I guess. This is fiction. SOMETHING exciting has to be the cause behind all this. A villain, some lore, a secret society...something that "changes things forever" so that "nothing can ever be the same".
If we never get any further explanation about what's going on with the Crystals, then your explanation would probably be the best one. But, Zipp's entire future plotline seems to revolve around the secrets of these Crystals. Something more is up. It's just a matter of what...and if the writers agree that there's actually a problem with the rules they've made.
...Why did my mind immediately go to "The Shape of Water" instead of "The Abyss"?
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I'm gonna be lazy and just copy and paste what I wrote on my pony blog, here we goooo!
1. Animation - Kind of janky. There are parts that look fine and parts where ponies will suddenly move WAY too fast or their physics will be off. Hopefully this is just due to growing pains. (The CGI models were created by Boulder Studios, but MYM is being animated by Atomic Cartoons--using Boulder’s CGI models-- so maybe they’re still learning how best to utilize them.)
Zipp looks the best out of the ponies. Sunny looks odd in some scenes . . . I think because they darkened her coat color without darkening her lip color.
2. Characters - Zipp is the standout and definitely the main protagonist. They made her shoulder the burden alone a bit too much. But I did find her very relatable. The way she felt directionless, yet unable to bear returning about her royal duties, was compelling. (One thing I would’ve changed: I would’ve had Queen Haven call her Zephyrina the whole way through until the very end where she asks to be called Zipp. As it was the Queen had already called her Zipp at least twice.)
I thought Hitch was handled very strangely. The two moments that really didn’t strike true were Hitch leaving the beach without resolving the parasol conflict, which seemed out-of-character (if anything Hitch takes his job TOO seriously) and Hitch not telling his friends about the egg. Like, I don’t think anything would’ve changed narratively if he’d said, “Whoa guys, has anyone ever seen an egg like this? No? Well, I’m going to take care of it.”
Posey was a really fun character, I enjoyed seeing a G1 pony reinvented. I thought it was funny how everyone (including myself) expected her to be soft-spoken and then she turned out to be SUPER AGGRO. Posey is ready to gaslight, gatekeep, and girlboss.
IMO they could’ve been more specific about her motivations; they gave her like seven different reasons to dislike magic. So does she actually think it’s dangerous or does she think it’s annoying? It’s important because the script has to answer Posey’s objections and show why she’s wrong.
The dragon character, Sparky, is a baby gargoyle from Gargoyles and no one can convince me differently.
I thought they should’ve had the egg hatch way earlier and had Sparky be the catalyst for the dislike of magic. Like maybe Sparky keeps toddling away and, idk, setting things ablaze with his / her fire breath.
3. The Plot - I felt like most the parts of the plot worked well individually, but they didn’t synchronize well. Kind of like a puzzle box that’s been shaken. It can make a harmonious picture, but you have to arrange the pieces properly.
For example: What if Hitch found the dragon egg first and then the squabble broke out at the beach? Then he has a concrete reason to leave the beach (he needs to put the egg under a heat lamp right away) and it’s not just a weird, unmotivated thing he does.
Basically, I think the script needed another pass to tighten it up.
About the crystals, I wish the problem had been that disharmony made magic go crazy and become super-charged instead of making magic disappear. IMO this makes more sense with the Earth pony “hooves stuck to the ground” problem. (They were trotting around just fine without magic before the crystals were reunited, sooo . . .) Also it just seems silly that magic can be disrupted by five ponies having a mild argument. Kind of seems like magic is doomed if that’s the case. I dunno, it just felt kind of lazy as a source of conflict.
4. Songs?? - It’s really weird to me that there’s only one (very short) song in this special. We don’t even hear Pipp’s Maretime Bay Day song. Makes me wonder if the script was originally intended to be longer and was pared down.
5. Random Notes - I’m FLOORED that Sprout wasn’t in the special. I figured they were either going to set him up as a recurring town antagonist or have a redemption arc for him. Never did I expect him to just be absent without explanation. I know he shows up in the video game, but you can’t count on your entire audience having played that. (Weirdly, I think the video game is set on the same day as the MYM special. Or maybe it’s a year in the future or something? But I’m pretty sure it involves Maretime Bay Day.)
They could’ve at least said, “Wow, I can’t believe Sprout missed Maretime Bay Day, but I guess he’s having fun on vacation” and then cut to him and Phyllis comically lost in a tropical jungle or something.
I'm also surprised they didn't explain the origin of the Mane Melody salon and the new lighthouse. I kind of expected this to take place before the first Tell Your Tale episode, chronologically speaking.
6. Things I Liked - I liked how much was left unsolved at the end of the special. I like this “Detective Zipp” thing. Zipp and Pipp continue to be the powerhouses of the show in terms of their relationship and their voice actors. Loved the last scene with the mysterious evil alicorn (I just really REALLY hope she’s a new character and not “Flurry Heart grew up and became eeeevil” or "Luna and Celestia merged into one being!” or something stupid like that.)
Oh! We finally got confirmation that magic has been missing from Equestria for generations (as no one has seen a dragon in that long.) Which is fun to think about.
It had never occurred to me that the crystals might have been purposely separated, but I found that quite the intriguing idea. If the three pony tribes were at war then, yeah, that would actually be an amazing (if stone-cold) strategy: separate the crystals and suddenly your foes don’t have magic. It would especially make sense if Earth ponies did it.
6. Overall Thoughts - Overall it felt far less nuanced than the G5 movie (both in animation and writing). I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it . . . It was fine, and that was kind of it. But it did give me a lot to muse on and generated some ideas of how I would’ve scripted it, and I appreciate that.
Also, still a hundred times better than “War for Cybertron”, lol.
1. Animation - Kind of janky. There are parts that look fine and parts where ponies will suddenly move WAY too fast or their physics will be off. Hopefully this is just due to growing pains. (The CGI models were created by Boulder Studios, but MYM is being animated by Atomic Cartoons--using Boulder’s CGI models-- so maybe they’re still learning how best to utilize them.)
Zipp looks the best out of the ponies. Sunny looks odd in some scenes . . . I think because they darkened her coat color without darkening her lip color.
2. Characters - Zipp is the standout and definitely the main protagonist. They made her shoulder the burden alone a bit too much. But I did find her very relatable. The way she felt directionless, yet unable to bear returning about her royal duties, was compelling. (One thing I would’ve changed: I would’ve had Queen Haven call her Zephyrina the whole way through until the very end where she asks to be called Zipp. As it was the Queen had already called her Zipp at least twice.)
I thought Hitch was handled very strangely. The two moments that really didn’t strike true were Hitch leaving the beach without resolving the parasol conflict, which seemed out-of-character (if anything Hitch takes his job TOO seriously) and Hitch not telling his friends about the egg. Like, I don’t think anything would’ve changed narratively if he’d said, “Whoa guys, has anyone ever seen an egg like this? No? Well, I’m going to take care of it.”
Posey was a really fun character, I enjoyed seeing a G1 pony reinvented. I thought it was funny how everyone (including myself) expected her to be soft-spoken and then she turned out to be SUPER AGGRO. Posey is ready to gaslight, gatekeep, and girlboss.
IMO they could’ve been more specific about her motivations; they gave her like seven different reasons to dislike magic. So does she actually think it’s dangerous or does she think it’s annoying? It’s important because the script has to answer Posey’s objections and show why she’s wrong.
The dragon character, Sparky, is a baby gargoyle from Gargoyles and no one can convince me differently.
I thought they should’ve had the egg hatch way earlier and had Sparky be the catalyst for the dislike of magic. Like maybe Sparky keeps toddling away and, idk, setting things ablaze with his / her fire breath.3. The Plot - I felt like most the parts of the plot worked well individually, but they didn’t synchronize well. Kind of like a puzzle box that’s been shaken. It can make a harmonious picture, but you have to arrange the pieces properly.
For example: What if Hitch found the dragon egg first and then the squabble broke out at the beach? Then he has a concrete reason to leave the beach (he needs to put the egg under a heat lamp right away) and it’s not just a weird, unmotivated thing he does.
Basically, I think the script needed another pass to tighten it up.
About the crystals, I wish the problem had been that disharmony made magic go crazy and become super-charged instead of making magic disappear. IMO this makes more sense with the Earth pony “hooves stuck to the ground” problem. (They were trotting around just fine without magic before the crystals were reunited, sooo . . .) Also it just seems silly that magic can be disrupted by five ponies having a mild argument. Kind of seems like magic is doomed if that’s the case. I dunno, it just felt kind of lazy as a source of conflict.
4. Songs?? - It’s really weird to me that there’s only one (very short) song in this special. We don’t even hear Pipp’s Maretime Bay Day song. Makes me wonder if the script was originally intended to be longer and was pared down.
5. Random Notes - I’m FLOORED that Sprout wasn’t in the special. I figured they were either going to set him up as a recurring town antagonist or have a redemption arc for him. Never did I expect him to just be absent without explanation. I know he shows up in the video game, but you can’t count on your entire audience having played that. (Weirdly, I think the video game is set on the same day as the MYM special. Or maybe it’s a year in the future or something? But I’m pretty sure it involves Maretime Bay Day.)
They could’ve at least said, “Wow, I can’t believe Sprout missed Maretime Bay Day, but I guess he’s having fun on vacation” and then cut to him and Phyllis comically lost in a tropical jungle or something.
I'm also surprised they didn't explain the origin of the Mane Melody salon and the new lighthouse. I kind of expected this to take place before the first Tell Your Tale episode, chronologically speaking.
6. Things I Liked - I liked how much was left unsolved at the end of the special. I like this “Detective Zipp” thing. Zipp and Pipp continue to be the powerhouses of the show in terms of their relationship and their voice actors. Loved the last scene with the mysterious evil alicorn (I just really REALLY hope she’s a new character and not “Flurry Heart grew up and became eeeevil” or "Luna and Celestia merged into one being!” or something stupid like that.)
Oh! We finally got confirmation that magic has been missing from Equestria for generations (as no one has seen a dragon in that long.) Which is fun to think about.
It had never occurred to me that the crystals might have been purposely separated, but I found that quite the intriguing idea. If the three pony tribes were at war then, yeah, that would actually be an amazing (if stone-cold) strategy: separate the crystals and suddenly your foes don’t have magic. It would especially make sense if Earth ponies did it.
6. Overall Thoughts - Overall it felt far less nuanced than the G5 movie (both in animation and writing). I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it . . . It was fine, and that was kind of it. But it did give me a lot to muse on and generated some ideas of how I would’ve scripted it, and I appreciate that.
Also, still a hundred times better than “War for Cybertron”, lol.
I think I'm just going to agree with many of the general sentiments presented in this thread - decent story but nothing special, nice character beats, animation's a little off but not terrible, and there's signs of interesting things on the horizon.
I just feel a little bad that it took me this long to watch it. Stupid real life getting in the way.
I just feel a little bad that it took me this long to watch it. Stupid real life getting in the way.