Oh yeah, there's a cartoon, isn't there? · 2:52am Feb 19th, 2018
I mean, the last time we had NEW PONY was back in October, between the movie and the season finale and all.
BUT. I guess with Hasbro Toyfair and/or PresentPerfect's enthusiastic endorsement, I've been watching more of this silly little pony show lately. Catching up on old eps I missed the first time around, for one.
Oh, and I also watched the S8 Trailer, and ... y'know, it looks pretty fun? I mean, there's entirely a chance for all the new little kid characters to be unforgivably obnoxious, but I still have confidence in the people behind the show, so there's that. And, because I am a pretentious ass, I kind of want to see what Twilight's School for Gifted Youngsters is like ... mostly so I can theoretically write a story in which Flash Sentry (HERO OF EQUESTRIA) gets called in to give a guest lecture, and ... well, I don't know what'll happen after that, but it won't end well.
But I digress.
'cause there's a new Equestria Girls thing! EQG is an odd little spinoff, in that ... it's not quite a show? Like, there's the shorts, and the "movies" and ... it's just kind of weird to see stuff get doled out so piecemeal. Hell, apparently Hasbro's animation is as leaky as a colander-- did anybody know this was coming?
Not that I'm complaining, mind you! As this was rather fun! I'm not gonna give you a play by play commentary, but more pony stuff is always fun. Even still, a couple thoughts-- that may verge on the spoilery, so go watch the damn cartoon first if you care about that sort of thing.
1) Okay, so the EQG timeline is still something of a mess. A couple of references were made to "Ninth Grade" and/or Freshman year, which means Sunset and crew are ... sophomores? Maybe older? It's frustratingly vague (and I expect it will remain so until they eventually graduate in the series finale).
2) I couldn't help but notice Sunset most anguishing over Twilight (or Sci-Twi-- you get the idea). Which makes sense, as Twilight Sparkle (whatever incarnation) is the main character. Still, if one's wearing shipping goggles (as I'm wont to do), it's SUPER GAY.
3) I will also take the business at the beginning with Rarity embroidering Applejack's hat as my token Rarijack nod, but I digress.
4) In non-shipping stuff, apparently Wallflower picked up one of those funny looking rocks from Zelda.
5) The "Restricted" section of the library is honestly obvious and inevitable-- but I still can't help but find some sort of ridiculous satisfaction in it kinda/sorta matching up to my own headcanon in Princess Twilight Sparkle the Bearded. Again, I am a pretentious ass. I'm kind of curious about "Canterlot Cannibals Volume 31" or whatever it was, however. HMMM.
6) BUT HEY BACK TO SHIPPING. Namely I'm headcanoning that Fluttershy purposefully put their picture opposite Bulk Bicep's after hearing Rainbow Dash's book-kissing rant. Fluttershy totally wants to touch Bulk Bicep in the muscles.
7) Wallflower's song still isn't as good as Gloriosa Daisy's, however. FIGHT ME.
But yeah. That's most of what I can think of off the top of my head. Oh, and we also got to see Sunset's return to Equestria & reconciliation with Celestia, so that's neat. There's honestly a shitload of character/continuity to be mined from this, so that's super fun. Of course, with this in mind, I'm ... probably not going to use any of it. At least, not right off the bat. I have some vague plans for an EQG story ... but that will probably have to wait until I write the next installment of The Flash Sentry Papers, which in turn will have to wait until I work on some other stuff, including that Games Workshop open submissions thing. Though at least on that last one, all they want (at least at the start) is 500 words and a paragraph of a pitch, so at least that's easy. And heck, in the (highly unlikely) event I make the cut, maybe they'll let me write about Ciaphas Cain! Which is what I've kind of been doing already, but I digress. Again.
So yeah. "Forgotten Friendship" is rad. Go watch it.
Agreed on the songs. One is a good but kind of generically poppy motive song. The other is the closest My Little Pony can get to the war march of nature red in tooth and claw. Or Poison Ivy's theme. Same difference, really.
And yes, I will take whatever Sunlight I can get. And also yes, the MLP timeline is a frustrating mess whether we're talking horses or apes.
Best of luck on the Black Library submission!
Best bit of cannon to come out of this one is that Pedestria is Equestria's dumping ground for dangerous magic. First the sirens, now this thing!
It's not. In fact, it's been done before. And better. It's called Mr Cellophane from Chicago.
Don't think I didn't notice that Rarijack moment. :3
Me, I have zero confidence in the people who run the show, even after S7 bought back my good graces. Whether or not the new kids are obnoxious, they are unwanted (especially the yak), as far as I'm concerned.
Agree with you on almost all points. Also I feel obligated to point out that the evil sorceress in the illustration appears to be an earth pony. Like Maud said, with the right stone, a pony could rule Equestria. Or at least a high school.