On the Road to Friendship

Friendship is Magic review by Obake

(SPOILERS!)

On the Road to Friendship is overall okay. For an episode revolving around Starlight and Trixie on a road trip, it was not a total wash like I thought it might turn out to be.

Trixie is invited by a Saddle Arabian named Hoo'far to do a magic show in his home country, which she accepts. (Though she turns down an offer to trade her small caravan for his spacious one.) She invites Starlight along as her assistant. The two hit it off well initially, but as the trip progresses grow more frustrated with one another.

Things boil over when they reach Saddle Arabia, with Trixie angry that Starlight carelessly spends money on a felafel, and Starlight hating long waits in lines. It gets all the worse when every inn is filled to capacity, leaving them to have to spend the night in Trixie's compact caravan.

The two start out reasonable, even after the first few arguments. But things get weird during their magic show, with both giving their grievances out loud to the audience. Normally the scene would start with them (begrudgingly) doing the magic act, only for one to make a small mistake, and that be the tipping point. As is, the constant bickering during and after the act grows tiring.

One thing Road establishes is that Trixie has a bond with her caravan. I assumed we would learn that Trixie has special memories with it, perhaps that she has had it since childhood, or it was a special gift from her parents. But this bond, which is strong enough that she even calls the caravan a 'friend', is never actually explained, which is frustrating.

Besides that, the episode has no real issues other than the premise feeling drawn out. It is average.

Extras:

• Trixie has a line near the beginning that I believe is “The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't chant.” Perhaps it was just the poor quality of the transfer, but the first few times I heard it, it sounded like she was swearing.
• The song “Friendship Bound” is probably the second best of the season. It is cheerful and upbeat, as well as a little humorous, too.
• One of the lines in the song may be meta: “Untold seasons yet to come, our friendship will be here.”
• Some of the antics of Trixie and Starlight trying to sleep in the overcrowded caravan are fun. I was also not expecting the gag of the old assistant pony appearing at the end.