A Review: Under the Sparkling Sea

What do I remember about the G1 seaponies?

Shoo be doo shoo shoo be doo

That's it, really. I can't recall them ever having names or personalities; though I was too invested in seeing Optimus Prime and Megatron duke it out to pay much mind. With the release of Under the Sparkling Sea, I wondered if the ponies' aquatic cousins would enjoy a similar reimagining that has made Friendship is Magic such a surprise hit.

What lay waiting under the sea? Let's found out.

Artwork
When I reviewed Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell over on DeviantArt, one of the chief concerns was that book couldn't rely on the same visual appeal that contributed to the show's popularity. By contrast, Under the Sparkling Sea is an illustrated book and enjoys more help in painting the world (pun intended).

The artwork is the book's mane appeal, and rightly so. Mary Jane Begin did a fantastic job. The visuals and the details are stunning and there's a huge amount of creativity.

Many fans are upset that our heroines are looking more like their G1 predecessors. Apparently, Ms. Begin relied on the toys as reference models instead of the show art. While the different look can be jarring, I quickly got over it. Let's face it, our vector-heavy heroines look great when in motion, but this is a picture book and their two-dimensional style wouldn't work so well.

From the start, I was blown away. The first image of Twilight Sparkle and Spike and blends the texture of Twilight's coat, the highlights of her mane, and the scales on Spike's back into amazing piece that at first appeared very basic. As our heroines and accompanying dragon enter the underwater realm, the images grow more vivid and impressive. I found myself wishing they could have something like this in the actual show.

I urge everyone to look past the character designs and allow themselves to be swept up in Aquastria's imagery.

Wait… Aquastria? Seriously? Okay, point off for bad naming.

Aquastria
There aren't a lot of puns to be had in this tale, which is a disappointment for a puned-it such as myself. The strangest thing about the undersea world is that most of its denizens are hybrids of land and sea animals.

The Mane Six are ferried on the back of a Manta Hawk, a giant cross between a manta ray and a… well… hawk. There are also Crabbits, Fox-Fins, and Star Mice.

And a narwhal. Don't overlook the talking narwhal.

I scratched my head as to why the author needed to invent so many hybrids when undersea life is pretty diverse on its own. I think it's a desire to touch on the fantastic the way the show integrates Phoenixes, Minotaurs, Dragons, and other mythical beasts. Better to invent some underwater friends than try to have a bunch of krakens and sirens floating about. Most mythological creatures of the sea do one of two things: eat sailors, or eat ships. Spoiler warning: carnivores are a non-issue in this tale.

The strangest thing was that the visuals introduced at least two other species that are never addressed or named. One is a turtle-based breed, the other some kind of giant fish. They are clearly sentient and serve the same role as Earth Ponies, but we never get to know them. I don't understand why they'd introduce two sentient breeds and never do anything with them.

Then again, this story goes faster than the tide.

Story
The visuals are the driving force here, and that's good because the plot is pretty basic. Twilight Sparkle receives an invitation from King Leo to attend the Annual Aquastrian Race. With a little persuasion, she manages to gather all the Mane 6 and Spike to visit the undersea kingdom and witness all its creatures and locales.

The tripping point lies in a lack of conflict. Unlike other adventures to faraway places, there are no threats beyond random disasters. There is no villain to defeat, no Mcguffin to find. The story is a vessel to allow for the visuals. Rarely do any of the Mane characters or Spike enjoy a moment to shine. I think Rarity and Applejack enjoy less than five lines of dialog between themselves.

We're introduced to a wealth of characters from Aquarstria. The group enjoys a tour from Coral and Arrow, a pair of seapony siblings. King Leo, despite a very a-typical design, is barely featured in the story and relies on his appearance to gain any sort of notoriety. Since he was initially advertised as being on the Celestial Counsel with Princess Celestia, I was expecting a little magic. No such luck.

The closest we get to an antagonist is Electra, a mermare. What's the difference between a seapony and a mermare? As best I can describe, it's the same thing that sets Celestia apart visually from your everyday pony. Electra is the swiftest swimmer in Aquastria and that instantly sets her up as a rival for Rainbow Dash. She is described as shy, but her attitude hints that she's disdainful of outsiders.

The standout character is not a seapony at all. Nar Wally the narwhal has the most personality and enjoys the largest character arc. He also has the silliest name. Self-conscious of his appearance, he's hesitant to interact with the "beautiful mermares." Yet towards the start of the annual race, he's given the chance to be a hero and enjoys the most satisfying resolution.

The only other standout is Rainbow Dash herself. Let's be honest, there's a race on and Rainbow Dash is within three miles. Do you really think she's not going to get into the middle of it? Though she doesn't steal the spotlight, her role is more significant than any other pony's.

My only frustration with the story was the race's ending. Without too much of a spoiler, it tasted of MMMystery on the Friendship Express' resolution. I don't get why children's tales seem to favor this approach, but it's not a healthy message in my eyes.

Final Verdict
Though short on story or memorable characters, the visuals themselves are an impressive treat. This is a well-imagined world with a lot of potential and something to stoke the fandom's mind in the lull between seasons. If one can get around the different appearance of familiar characters, I think you'll get swept up in the new setting and the beautiful world.

Do I take this story as canon? No.

It's fun, and I recommend a reading, but if the show ever chooses to give the seaponies a television appearance, I'll consider it a blank slate. This is a visual treat, but nothing to define the larger series as a whole.