Friendship is Card Games: Sunny Side Up · 12:19pm Jul 2nd, 2023
Oh. Right. Sunny Starscout. The mare who reunited the tribes and ascended to holographic alicornhood (which is like normal alicornhood, but only shows up in Collector Boosters.) She should probably get a focus episode at some point this season.
Okay, that’s not entirely fair. She did get a band back together and spearheaded the Canterlogic remodeling. But compared to personalities like Izzy and the royal sisters, Sunny’s generic geniality just isn’t standing out. Let’s see how/if this tries to address that.
… Ah. We begin with Opaline. 
Well, to be fair, that is where the last episode left off.
Also, there are a few steps between “sparks of fire” and “explosions of annhilation,” Evilbutt.
You can tell Opaline’s addiction is getting the better of her. She’s not performing the proper hydration or breathing exercises for sustained evil laughter. Also, is her plan to conquer the remaining ponies or just destroy them? “Total pony takedown” is rather ambiguous there.
Very stylish summoning of Misty’s pilfered photo. Credit where it’s due there.
Yeah, glowing butt tattoos were going to be relevant at some point, to say nothing of one of the most magical phenomena in Equestria still happening (albeit half as much) during a time when magic was inaccessible. This isn’t exactly a startling revelation. Still, I have to be amused by Opaline actually doing what many people though Starlight was up to, i.e. harvesting magic from stolen cutie marks.
Also, good to see her trying to maintain Misty’s loyalty with that “We’re all-powerful.”
Hmm. “Transformation spell” wouldn’t be my first guess for describing something that removes a mark, but it could be seen as transmutation. (My first guess would be necromancy; you’re peeling off an external expression of the pony’s soul.)
“I’ll book a throat detox.”
With whom? Though I suppose Opaline can just put it in her day planner to act on it herself.
And, of course, the abuser acts to make sure their victim is insulated from other influences that could get said victim to recognize the abuse… though it may already be too late.
“I’m still just as bad as I’ve always been!”
Of course, this is a household of Saturday morning cartoon villains, so Misty was also raised evil, in the same way as some D&D cultures. (Though without the usual fallback of slavery, unless we count Misty herself as the slave. And there’s certainly an argument there.)
You know those moments in games where something—a hard hit, a massive explosion, an abrupt shift to something the engine hasn’t loaded—makes it hang for a second, as if it needs a moment to contemplate the severity of what you just did? Misty got to experience that with Opaline’s brain.
“This is a failure worthy of my worst punishment yet.”
If this weren’t a kids’ show, Misty would spend the rest of its runtime with an eyepatch.
Interesting to note that Opaline’s one hit of dragonfire has given her some degree of magic, but only a trickle that she has to save up for big displays. (Are we sure she’s not related to Trixie? Possibly Starlight’s foal?)
Oh! Unexpected backstory. And unexpected Celestia and Luna. And entirely expected contradiction with the comics. There is very much a question of what happened in the intervening years, what with Opaline apparently being off the map for the entirety of Equestria’s history, but one can do a lot with this. Especially because I suspect the objective history happened very much differently than Opaline’s little persecution complex described it.
Still, being from the same mysterious, lost alicorn society as Celestia and Luna definitely tracks with Opaline’s claim of being the last “true” alicorn. I do have to wonder if there even were other foals she could have tried to befriend, or if the three of them were the last of their kind. There’s also the question of what the “elemental duty” of fire even is, and how much of it Opaline made up.
“I’ve been dying to get out of the lair.”
Then why didn’t you? I’d been under the impression that Opaline either couldn’t leave her castle at all or wasn’t willing to for risk of compromising her plan. I suppose at this point, her brain’s sufficiently roasted that she thinks this is a good idea.
Zipp, you’ll be dealing with a lot of grand openings once you take the throne. Best to get used to it sooner rather than later.
And only earth ponies came to the speech about the place for everypony. Nice work, animation team.
Pipp’s very enthusiastic to get her friends trotting on the content treadmill, I see. Meanwhile, the mare who singularly ushered in this age of equinity isn’t comfortable in the spotlight.
“The show will be called ‘Sunny Side Up,’ featuring Hitch!”
Oof. Sunny doesn’t even get top billing in the show named after her. Though I have to be amused by the show itself forcing her into the spotlight. You’re the alleged main character, filly, now get out there and justify that merchandise.
Ah, the privileges and preconceptions of rank. Pipp has had the idea. The idea will now be realized. She does not require consent from any of the ponies who will realize it.
Hitch may often be in the public eye, Pipp, but rarely in a role that requires him to smile with his eyes.
Okay, so Sunny’s the one who’s going to freeze up when the camera gets rolling. Foreshadowing acknowledged.
Also, nice to see some choreography having fun with Pipp’s mane ornament.
… Or I could be wrong. I know Hitch has a per-episode bumbling quota, but this feels excessive even for him.
Yup. Marks and magic may be linked, but they’re not completely dependent on one another. Which may be important later on in Opaline’s assuredly short-lived reign of terror.
Where is Opaline and how can we see more of it? It’s like someone drained an ocean and left behind the coral and sponges. That or she’s somehow found herself in the Depths of Hyrule. Either way, it looks like part of what kept her in her castle was no sense of direction.
I’d say permanently wiping out pony magic is still Opaline’s problem, given that she is a pony and she wants magic. Though I suppose “If I can’t have it, no. one can” is an acceptable outcome for her. Red characters aren’t exactly big on the long view, and a fire alicorn is assuredly red.
They’re doing it live? No rehearsals? Pipp, not everyony was on camera practically from birth.
The tiniest bit of respect for this stallion. It’s all I ask.
I do love seeing the hybrid fruits. And the order-chaos dynamic between Hitch and Sunny. Yes, it’s been done, but it amuses me. (And I especially appreciate how the conflict between Sunny and Opaline, when they finally get around to it, will be red vs. red. Passion vs. irrationality. Creative love vs. destructive resentment. I’m probably hyping it up too much, but I’m getting what enjoyment I can out of this series.)
Okay, Sunny may be more comfortable in front of the camera, but she does need to take the audience into account. If even her cohost can’t keep up, how can the ponies at home? (Though at least they can pause the stream.)
Huh. Mushroom in a smoothie? I suppose it is an option for extra protein
Ah yes. Nothing gets views quite like schadenfreude and footage that can be taken out of context.
The drum line coming in as shenanigans ensue is always a fun background music trope. And it is nice to see these two be the kind of semi-vitriolic best friends they’ve always been implied to be.
I hope that Hitch arranged a dragonsitter before the studio’s grand opening. I feat that Misty’s logic is correct because the plot needs it to be.
Ah. Or Opaline appleid multiple layers of security. That works too.
Again, where is Opaline? I have many questions. It’s possible that she’s gone all the way to the Dragonlands, where the volcanic climate and crystal growth, left unchecked by absent (probably dormant) dragons, has reshaped it into this surreal landscape.
Also, if that Dragonstone is reactivating now, was it floating before or what?
Ah. They had Sparky on set. This also works.
Of course you’re losing them, Pipp, you’re still filming during cleanup. Streams can and do have breaks.
I’m honestly not even surprised that Pipp has spare regalia lying around. Mane Melody’s attic is probably full of the things.
Sunny instructing Hitch blindly in a round of Just Keep Blending and Nopony Explodes does sound like fun, but again, these are not your subjects, Pipp. They are your friends and they deserve a say in the matter.
… Oh. That is not what I thought she had in mind.
“Follow your passions, not the social media feedback loop” is a good lesson, but feels incredibly artificial when filming began four minutes ago. And that’s counting the Misty and Opaline scenes. Seriously, what is this pacing? Did a rejected Tell Your Tale short get folded into this episode?
Also, Sunny’s movement in this friendship lesson is disconcertingly bipedal. The mare has hominid shoulders.
Ah, a very earth pony sentiment: Work your way out of your rut. In this case, cooking.
Okay, the parallels between Pipp’s content mill and Opaline’s scheming made me actually laugh. This may be the most openly anti-monarchist piece of My Little Pony media ever made.
The state of the studio was bad enough, but the garnish-and-lid sequence makes it abundantly clear how the smoothies, stain or contained, are just textured 3D objects with zero fluid dynamics involved. I know, I know, fluid dynamics is hard to simulate, but this is flagrant about it. And it still looks like Sunny and Hitch are wearing pink shellac.
There! Like that! It’s the fluid-dynamic equivalent of objects Hanna-Barbera characters are going to interact with being a different color than the background. (Heck, the actually flowing smoothie is a different color than the shellac.)
Also, Sunny, not sure whether you want to imply your audience is delicious.
I do love a good bit of self-reflection. I just hope Opaline isn’t in the hallway, hearing Misty’s every word.
Ah! Good, still in the mystery biome that’s more interesting than every other G5 location put together. All five of them. (Okay, a few more than that, especially if we count the comics, but still.)
Well! Looks like Opaline’s magic recharged faster than expected.
“Why does every magical thing have to be precariously perched on a hill with stuff in the way?”
I see Opaline’s also been playing Tears of the Kingdom. (Though there, some of the magical things are actually in caves.)
Silly Wickedbutt. The magic items stored within hoof’s reach were claimed long ago. The problem with low-hanging fruit is that you aren’t the only one plucking it.
“I knew something was off when I discovered earth ponies didn’t have laser eyes!”
Hmm. I wonder if Opaline’s responsible for any of the beliefs the tribes had about one another. Again, the comics imply as much, but this would explain a lot.
Good for Misty… though with three episodes left in this season, I’m sure it won’t be as simple as just leaving the castle and never looking back.
Sunny, Hitch is a grown stallion. Yes, supporting your friends is important, but Pipp was steamrolling over both of you. You’re not the responsible party for roping him into this mess.
Ah. Of course, if he actually had fun, then there’s nothing to apologize for. Well, less, anyway. Pipp still needs to learn to listen to her playthings.
Ah. That explains the premature friendship monologue; there’s more to this lesson.
Opaline is also self-aware. Enough to recognize that she is a monster and enjoys every minute of her monstrosity. (Or she just sees the philosophy of Harmony and respecting other living beings as hilarious in its apparent absurdity.)
Also, the Dragonstone definitely resembles one of Sparky’s horns. Interesting.
“Magic! Seize it!”
Yup, definitely influenced by Trixie. Or influenced her; the cause and effect is shaky here.
Ah. Misty might be so high on her own self-actualization that she’ll still be spouting sedition when Opaline gets back.
Izzy holding the clapboard upside-down may be an obvious gag, but it still made me smile.
I never noticed how Izzy personalized her phone’s hoofgrip into a self-portrait. Lovely touch.
The six-month studio booking is absurd, but I do like the idea that Sunny’s ability to cause massive ripples in society is inversely proportionate to how hard she’s trying to cause them.
Ah, thank goodness for the coughing fit… that never came up during Opaline’s day out. Maybe the castle just needs some new air filters.
“You don’t have to spit on me while you grovel.”
Got to make sure to grind her down every chance you get, eh, Opaline? And a bit of build-up afterwards, just to be sure. But hey, you train a mare to put on a facade as she plots to betray those who think she’s their ally, you get what’s coming.
Ah. Right. The physical evidence of Misty having an unpermitted degree of mobility while Opaline was out. That’s going to complicate things.
Well, this is certainly one of the more Sunny-centric episodes of this season, but it says something when, in an episode with her name on it, Sunny’s part of the B-plot. I’m happy to see the overarching narrative progress, but it’s clear that the writers only figured out where they were going with all of this as they were writing out Chapter 4, and now they’re making up for lost time. There’s some good elements here, but the villains’ plot progression blends very poorly with the heroes’ filler. I don’t think I’ll be drinking this one again any time soon.
Still, tasty enough to inspire some recipes of my own. Let’s get to plating:
The Fall of Skyros 2WW
Enchantment — Saga
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.)
I — Each player chooses up to two creatures they control and sacrifices the rest.
II — Each player chooses up to two nonland, noncreature permanents they control and sacrifices the rest.
III — Return target permanent card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Glaring Watchpony 3W
Creature — Pony Soldier Cleric
Vigilance
Glaring Watchpony can’t have or gain deathtouch.
Whenever a creature attacks, if you’re the defending player, Glaring Watchpony deals 1 damage to that creature.
The lighthouse inspired other guardians.
2/4
Layered Security 3W
Enchantment
Layered Security enters the battlefield with a shield counter on it. (If it would be destroyed, remove a shield counter from it instead.)
When Layered Security enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Layered Security leaves the battlefield.
Overwhelming Lesson 1U
Enchantment
Whenever you cast a wordy spell, target player mills a card for each of that spell’s lines of rules text. (A spell is wordy if it has four or more lines of rules text.)
“Reading the recipe explains the recipe,” Hitch insisted.
Sunny scoffed. “Who reads in a kitchen?”
Vent Sponge 1U
Creature — Sponge
Defender, ward 2
Whenever an opponent casts a red spell, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
Without dragons, even stranger life flourished among the volcanoes.
1/4
Incriminating Impetus 2U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and is goaded. (It attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, investigate. (Create a Clue token. It’s an artifact with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.)
Immediate Regret 1B
Instant
Target creature or enchantment spell gains “When this permanent enters the battlefield, sacrifice it.”
The moment the camera started rolling, Hitch knew he’d made a terrible mistake.
Curse of Waning Interest 3B
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player’s end step, that player sacrifices a creature unless they cast a historic spell this turn. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
“When in doubt, post an unboxing video.”
—Princess Pipp Petals
Equalist Soul-Thief 3B
Creature — Unicorn Warlock
Kicker 1U (You may pay an additional 1U as you cast this spell.)
When Equalist Soul-Thief enters the battlefield, target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Turn that creature face down if it’s not a token and Equalist Soul-Thief was kicked. (It’s a 2/2 creature.)
3/2
Delayed Impact R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature you control
Enchanted creature has flying and haste.
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice enchanted creature and draw a card.
“Anypony can fly at least once.”
—Princess Zipp Storm
Counterrevolutionary 3R
Creature — Pony Warrior
Haste
When Counterrevolutionary enters the battlefield, gain control of target red creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.
“You’re fighting for a cause, but are you sure it’s the right one?”
3/2
Annihilating Explosion 4RR
Instant
This spell can’t be countered.
Annihilating Explosion deals 5 damage to any target. This damage can’t be prevented. If a permanent dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.
Opaline considers anything less than total obliteration a waste of magic.
Into the Depths 1G
Sorcery
Reveal cards from the bottom of your library until you reveal a land card. Put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
The Diamond Dogs have been far from idle during the surface-dwellers’ squabbles.
Fated Fumble 2G
Instant
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. You gain 2 life.
Foretell G (During your turn, you may pay 2 and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.)
The first mishap warns of more to come.
Kitchen Patroller 2GG
Creature — Pony Soldier
When Kitchen Patroller enters the battlefield, it gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of Foods you control. Then it fights up to one target creature you don’t control.
What most armies consider punishment duty, earth ponies treat with great respect.
3/2
Spare Regalia 4
Artifact
When Spare Regalia enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.
T: Add CC.
“You don’t have any? What do you do in case of scepter emergencies?”
—Princess Pipp Petals
Instinctive Nullmage 1(gu)(gu)
Creature — Unicorn Shaman
Flash
When Instinctive Nullmage enters the battlefield, counter target activated or triggered ability you don’t control.
On Ungula, the magical arms race began before the emergence of sapient thought.
2/1
Dedicated Cameramare 2WU
Creature — Pegasus Citizen
Flying
At the beginning of each end step, if two or more spells were cast this turn, draw a card.
“This is outstanding footage. Keep it coming.”
2/3
Celestia and Luna 3W(wb)B
Legendary Creature — Noble
Alicorn (This card is also a Pony Pegasus Unicorn.)
Flying, indestructible
Parley — Whenever Celestia and Luna enters the battlefield or attacks, each player reveals the top card of their library. For each nonland card revealed this way, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. Then each player draw a card.
4/4
Always Chaotic Evil 4BR
Sorcery
Choose one —
• Amass Orcs 3, then destroy each creature with power less than the amassed Army’s power.
• Amass Orcs 3, then Always Chaotic Evil deals X damage to each creature other than the amassed Army, where X is that Army’s power.
Crystalclutch Peak
Land
Hideaway 4 (When this land enters the battlefield, look at the top four cards of your library, exile one face down, then put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Crystalclutch Peak enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add B or R.
BR, T: You may play the exiled card without paying its mana cost if a player has 10 or less life.
I Do Not Tolerate Failure
Ongoing Scheme
(An ongoing scheme remains face up until it’s abandoned.)
Sacrifice a creature: Draw two cards.
When you draw your fifth card in a turn, abandon this scheme.
“My tools are always useful. Some are most useful when broken.”
There was a benefit of doubt that could be ascribed to the Misty/Opaline scenes the last two episodes, being brief enough that they couldn't yet get tiring. Now occupying half the episode, and being presented as the A-plot, it's back to the same wheel-spinning so present last year. Hell, we have Misty regressing on the dragon-napping she decided just last episode not to do when she sees a chance, and then changing her mind on that again just a moment later.
Now more than ever, they are going for Opaline being lame in a Saturday morning cartoon manner, down to the bit of coughing from a throat tickle in her evil laughs. Like she's a pantomime villain. But we all know the balance and delivery mucks any chance of her being taken seriously or being funny.
And the "main" plot of this one really just… isn't. You can feel the writers being unable to muster any enthusiasm about it, and it really does feel like just a quota Sunny/Hitch one, no matter how much it does "show" a more mature dynamic after the cutie mark mix up last year. Down to being a reheated TYT conflict, barely any less frenzied in its swift jumps between the story's "character" beats, which takes a very weird form when paired with animation that is sluggish.
The crosscutting only emphasises how much this one is just killing time on both plot lines, especially with next episode having Opaline finish her sourcing of the dragonfire MacGuffin entirely offscreen. There's plenty worse episodes in the show (this has very little on the worst level of annoying bits, though Pipp being back in toxic influencer mode is nasty), but I don't know I can think of any as instantly forgettable as this – it's a time waster even when you're watching it.
Oh, one other thing: the filly models for Celestia and Luna are barely above SFM quality. The base pony model redesign was not kind to G4 characters.
You noted Hana Barbera... showing you age.
*coughs*
I remember going to Hana Barbera land loooooong ago.
*flees*
I can barely even call Glaring Watchpony a Stupid Complicated Game Alert; that's the most painfully Obvious Rule Patch I've ever seen.
Hitch being the butt of a joke and tormented by abuse? No, never.
It says a lot about this show that you, who read so much and have positive things to say about virtually all of it, are visibly struggling to find positives in this episode.
I'm starting to think the show should, after the initial movie, have focused on Misty as the protagonist, struggling with her loyalty to Opaline in the face of emotional abuse and manipulation, and learning independence and proper morals from the Maretime Bay gang.
Looks fine to me. Heck, it took me weeks to figure out how to rig and pose an ungulate like that without it looking too freaky.
Not saying it was successful (yet; still need to try moving the IK bone up one in the chain), but still... maybe it's because I'm only seeing stills and not the whole movement.
I was just grateful that the word "month" managed to make it into the script.
I liked the touch of Pipp's laptop not only being equipped with a ring light, but that the light was always on. You never know when you might have to drop everything and start streaming.
Do you think that anyone on the staff realized that the function of a clapboard is to 1) label scenes and take numbers and 2) provide a reference point for audio and video to be synced, both functions that facilitate post-production and neither of which serve any purpose for a live stream? One could try to wave it off as Izzy being Izzy, but I'm not ready to give the staff that much credit.
Well. Nice to see a little progression on Misty's inevitable liberation from Opaline, but the emphasis here is on little. At least now she's realized that leaving Opaline is an option. Whether Opaline will make it easy for her to do so is a different question. I'm trying very hard not to get my hopes up about the cliffhanger ending of Opaline noticing that Misty drew her fake cutie mark back on -- that theoretically could result in an obstacle that Misty will have to overcome in an emotionally satisfying manner. But given this show's track record...
This makes two episodes in a row in which Misty views a piece of media featuring a pony giving a speech that turns out to have a double meaning that applies to Misty's circumstances. And both times, the writers swung so far toward "make it relevant to Misty" that the speech didn't completely make sense in its primary context. (Unless Sunny was trying to tell the home audience that Pipp was keeping her there against her will, even as Pipp was sitting right offstage.) Again, the potential for meaningful emotional moments is there, but no one on the show was given an opportunity to refine those moments to effectiveness.
There is one thing you noted this episode that will be relevant again later on. Also, Opaline directly references Skyros, I do believe they're basing her and the sisters' backstory on The Journal. Also also, on the topic of Opaline being a "fire alicorn", I do believe this makes it clear that she is, as the kids would say, "huffing copium". She's the alicorn of fire in the way Celestia is the Sun's alicorn, as in that's her talent and she's an alicorn, but because elemental control is infinitely lamer than moving the Heavens she has to go out of her way to talk herself up. Also also also: It's most definitely Opaline being an unreliable narrator, but I actually wouldn't mind if Celestia and Luna really were like that as fillies. In fact I'd even like it.
Hmm I think that takes the lead for longest single word card name
She's either lying or disguised herself as a unicorn to cause trouble.
I mean, you can even see the shadows of her hair curls around her ears. That level of detail makes me it difficult to believe the comic crew didn't notice the wings.
But not all that hard to fake. You can even get okay results from fabric systems! What this tells me is that the studio is using mainly fixed assets, and don't have the staff for substantial adaptations. They've got what they've got and have to deal with it. Limited budgets make for very harsh quality choices, unfortunately.
Similar to the, "Why is it always in the last box I look in?" phenomenon. It's in the last box you look in because, when you find it, you stop looking!
I forgot this bit. Was it at the end of a shot? Because that's how you do 'tail' slates. Of course, you don't do slates at all for a live show. Hmm—it would have been a great gag to do the five-second count down with no fingers!
Maybe the over-all season arc chunks settled to the bottom of the blender?
5735957
Well, at least it has a couple plot points that are applicable to the overall season arc. That's more than the majority of the other episodes, I think.
5736050
I'll concede the pack of lies flashback of Opaline's with the Celestia/Luna filly cameos, though until we get later payoff of this (if we do: knowing this show, that might be all we ever hear of this "Skyros"), it's not really gonna stick. Otherwise, there isn't a point here that isn't receded or reiterated in a later episode; next one has Opaline head out to get the dragon stone macguffin on her own offscreen, after all.
I more meant the actual meat of the scenes, the points made, the dialogue, the flow. With how much this one is straining to pad its incident while also truncating all plot lines because it can't think of anything else to do with them, it's one of those episodes that feels at once overstuffed and totally empty.
Either way, we're talking about Make Your Mark: deciding what episode is the most forgettable is a bit like jostling for last place. No Applejack/Rainbow Dash brawl-tie here to spice things up either.
I'm happy I'm not the only one running with this gag long-term.
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I am mistaken; I was conflating this with a later episode, I think. You are quite correct. Other than this single little bit of lore/retconning that is second on my list of things I hate most about G5 (so far), there's nothing but idiocy to be found here.
5736007
That would require daring and originality, we can't be having that now, can we?
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Originality Doo, Daring's literature critic cousin!
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Opaline's theme and everything related to it is one of the best things to come out of G5 honestly. Including (actually minor TYT spoilers FoME don't look) the reprise of it during that absolutely delightful mirror scene.
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Opaline's banger song and her solo episode is roughly the one part of all post-movie G5 I unironically adore.