Friendship is Card Games: My Little Pony: The Manga, Ch. 3-5 & 3-6 · 11:23am Apr 25th, 2021
So. Not only have the comics still not come out, issue #97 has been pushed back to May. 
Fine then. We’ll push the next manga chapter up two weeks. (How do I deliver more consistently in my job than these people?)
To review, Discord pulled the Elements out of the timeline for a multiversal scavenger hunt… and he happened to pluck them away just before the girls used them on Nightmare Moon. A desperate chase through time and space has ensued. And now…
Chapter 3-5
… Rainbow Dash managed to implicate herself on the very first page of her chapter. Flawless.
I do love how “Discord” isn’t just all the explanation the local Dash needs for these shenanigans, it’s also her first guess.
And as with the Element of Laughter before it, Loyalty is actually exerting some power in this other world. I’d say Dash influenced it going by the ludicrous speeds involved… but she barely ever wore this one. I suppose anything attuned to Dash can emulate her magic in ten seconds flat.
And wow, the Elements really are jailbroken hitting a comet counts something wearing it. (Interesting that the trophy and mosaic didn’t. I suppose it’s the difference between artificially produced objects and naturally occurring ones. Or it’s a question of initial momentum.)
Ah, we’ve got a timestamp for this one. The local Element of Loyalty’s in the Canterlot vault, so we’re pre-Princess Twilight. (i fully expect to see her with wings anyway.)
So… Fluttershy and Dash are both in Cloudsdale not just to try to deal with the Comet of Loyalty, but also to avoid the Ponyville butterfly invasion. Unexpected echoes of Pony Life.
I quite like the design of the Cloudsdale cafe, especially the cloud cushions.
Yeah, expecting two Dashes to get along without at least one race was definitely too much to ask. No wonder Sunset kept them apart in “Spring Breakdown.”
Using a magically captured gravity well to create a racetrack with a slingshot effect. I have many questions, not least of which is how they captured rather than created the well. Are naturally occurring naked singularities just a thing in this world?
Huh. The Element got here moons before Dash? Well, it does make sense. Other Elements needed time to get incorporated into prizes or artwork, after all. Pinkie ended up getting the fastest turnaround thus far.
Oh. The singularity is actually the key problem here. Black hole + populated planet - gravity-dampening force field = bad time for everyone.
Oh, Celestia. I have to wonder what other potentially catastrophic racing courses she’s commissioned. You just know this Equestria has a Rainbow Road.
Fluttershy being enthusiastic about crash pillows is too darn adorable. And yeah, gravity-assisted turns definitely need some time to get used to them.
In Dash’s defense, the pillows probably should’ve gotten drawn towards the black hole. Still, not a good look in front of the crowd.
Also, interesting to see both in-helmet communication of some kind and that even with the pillows slowing her down, Dash was still in the lead.
Yeah, if sonic booms are the problem, then Dash’s options are limited. Also, with the local Dash pulling off the bandages, this manga got really anime.
… wait.
Shy made the flightsuits. Freaky knowledge of sewing coming in clutch.
Huh. Using one Dash’s slipstream to accelerate the other, taking advantage of the partial vacuum to counteract the atmospheric bunching that precedes a sonic boom…
I’m not sure if that would actually work, but this is Equestria. If a small horse can withstand 1670 gs of acceleration, she can tell the atmosphere to shove off for a bit.
Oh. Or they’re going for some bizarre helical accelerator that’s nine parts pegasus magic and one part bullhonkery. That works too. 
And the comet somehow steered itself out of the atmosphere. Maybe it was alive. It certainly kept looping around Dash’s home town.
That acceptance speech is 100% pure Rainbow Dash. Everypony did their part and should be proud… but she’s still keeping the trophy.
Chapter 3-6
And we return to the truly mangatastic timeline glimpsed in Chapter 1-8. Now with Ultrapony vs. Spikezilla!
“Some general rules woulda been appreciated, Discord.”
Think very carefully about that, AJ.
Poor Applejack. The Bearer of Honesty is poorly equipped to handle ninjas.
I especially love Apple Bloom’s trowel kunai. After all, kunai started as gardening tools.
Heh. Of course the experienced elder ninja is wise in the ways of the multiverse. There’s probably a bloodline for that. And of course a ninja would be skilled in field repair. They’d need to be.
Ah, the return of the suspiciously specific prophecies. Don’t complain, you two. Most folks have to go by much vaguer omens of the future.
I quite appreciate Granny Smith’s pragmatism. The ancient scrolls never said the otherworldly Apple had to be the one to retrieve her Element.
The local Applejack’s suspicion has some legs to it. Time travel and bootstrap paradoxes seem right up this world’s alley.
Heh. Applejack did not expect this favor to take several moons. I’m sure there were at least three filler arcs involved.
Also, I’ve already covered this, but I still can’t get over how the Applejacks are literally fighting Dio Brando. (Also, he is an earth pony villain… or possibly a pegasus’s head grafted onto the body of Granny Smith’s grandfather.)
Yeah, this is not a world that operates on friendship speeches.
Huh. I was not expecting a reference to the old “Applejack is made of dark matter” meme. (Never mind that it should be neutronium.) And I have to love how utterly exasperated the visiting AJ is with this world.
And Granny, like any good mentor figure, has been fudging the numbers a bit when it comes to the prophecies. Hey, any good ninja adapts to the circumstances as they present themselves.
Also, I’m sure someone will free Apple Lord in an arc or two… unless Made in Elysium resets the timeline.
Well, this was a delight. I can only hope I’ll have more sequential art to work with next week. For now, let’s see what I can make of this.
Evenly Matched 1WW
Instant
You may cast this spell without paying its mana cost if its targets have the same name as one another.
Two target creatures get +2/+2 until end of turn.
Rainbow Dash’s greatest rival has always been herself.
Heroic Lightshaper 2W
Creature — Pony Soldier
First strike
2W: Transform Heroic Lightshaper. Activate only if an opponent controls a creature with power 4 or greater.
Heroes don’t cower in the shadows of titans.
2/2
Towering Hope
(W) Creature — Elemental Giant
First strike, vigilance, reach
At the beginning of each end step, if no opponent controls a creature with power 4 or greater, transform Towering Hope.
Justice shines in the light of distant nebulae.
5/6
Destined Downfall 3W
Sorcery
Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater.
Foretell 1W (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.)
All tyrannies end in time.
Fluttering Abduction 4WW
Sorcery
Exile target nonland permanent. Create X 1/1 green Insect creature tokens with flying, where X is that permanent’s mana value.
Sweetie Belle was found months later, smelling of pollen and with a newfound hatred of caterpillars.
Mutsu-Clan Seer 2U
Creature — Pony Ninja
Ninjutsu U (U, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Whenever a Ninja you control deals combat damage to a player, scry 1.
1/3
Early Migration 3U
Instant
Domain — Choose target player. For each basic land type among lands you control, that player returns a creature they control to its owner’s hand.
Birds fled the comet-harassed skies around Cloudsdale, eager for anywhere less hazardous.
Jeering Crowd 2B
Creature — Pegasus Citizen
Flying
Whenever Jeering Crowd or another creature you control dies, each opponent loses 1 life.
Rainbow Dash was already unpopular. Knocking out the competition did her no favors.
2/2
Battered Flock 3B
Creature — Pegasus Warrior
Flying
When Battered Flock enters the battlefield, put a -1/-1 counter on target creature you control.
“Having somepony to blame won’t heal a wing, but it helps.”
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
4/3
Mutsu-Clan Saboteur 5B
Creature — Pony Ninja
Ninjustu 2BB
Whenever Mutsu-Clan Saboteur deals combat damage to a player, distribute that many -1/-1 counters among creatures that player controls.
3/3
Magma Maze 2R
Enchantment
As Magma Maze enters the battlefield, choose odd or even. (Zero is even.)
Whenever a player casts a spell with mana value of the chosen quality, Magma Maze deals 2 damage to that player.
Dead ends in the Fortress of Oblivion are all too literal.
Caged Singularity 2RR
Artifact
Cumulative upkeep 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
Creatures you control have first strike and get +X/+0, where X is the number of age counters on Caged Singularity.
When you sacrifice Caged Singularity, destroy all creatures you control.
Mythos of Spikezilla 2RR
Instant
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to each of up to two target creatures. If BG was spent to cast this spell, the creature you control gains deathtouch until end of turn before dealing damage.
“He screamed with such fury that the air burned, and all else with it.”
—Tales of the Ozolith
Apple Rustler 3R
Creature — Pony Rogue
When Apple Rustler enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, add R for each card in target opponent’s hand.
Pests and rabbits aren’t the only threats to the Apple Family’s livelihood.
3/1
Oblivion Dracotron 3RRR
Artifact Creature — Dragon
Trample
Triple strike (This creature deals first-strike, regular, and last-strike combat damage.)
2R: Oblivion Dracotron gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Applejack found even the grave threats of the new timeline a little ridiculous.
2/6
Power Unleashed 4G
Sorcery
This spell can’t be countered.
Put four +1/+1 counters on target creature. You may transform that creature. (Only non-modal double-faced cards can be transformed.)
“This isn’t even my final form!”
Dark Matter Delicious 5G
Creature — Plant
Defender, indestructible
1G, T: Put a +1/+1 counter on each other creature you control.
Every apple it bears has the power, mass, and flavor of a collapsed star.
0/5
< Sorcery 2G
Hyperdense Harvest 2G
Sorcery
Proliferate, then proliferate again. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there. Then do it again.)
Only the daring and the reckless dare eat raw dark matter apples.
< Plant 5G
Speedway Announcer RW
Creature — Pegasus Advisor
Flying
At the beginning of combat on your turn, target creature you control gains haste and vigilance until end of turn.
“Alright, folks! Let’s give the rookie a Star Dash Speedway welcome!”
1/2
Streaking Comet 1RW
Artifact
When Streaking Comet enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to any target.
T: Add R or W.
2RW: Exile Streaking Comet, then return it to the battlefield tapped and under its owner’s control.
Some comets’ ill omens foretell the comet itself.
Shuriken Storm 2(ub)
Sorcery
If U was spent to cast this spell, tap up to two target creatures and they don’t untap during their controller’s next untap step. If B was spent to cast this spell, destroy target creature if it’s tapped. (Do both if UB was spent.)
Enveloping Swarm 3GW
Instant
Cast this spell only during combat before blockers are declared.
Create X 1/1 green Insect creature tokens with flying, where X is the total power of creatures attacking you and planeswalkers you control. Those tokens block this combat if able.
DIO, Joestars’ Nemesis 4BR
Legendary Creature — Vampire Warrior
First strike, lifelink
Wither (This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)
Whenever a Warrior you control deals combat damage to an opponent, it deals that much damage to each other opponent.
Immortal. Immaculate. Inhuman.
5/5
< Instant 7UR
Useless! Useless! Useless! 7UR
Instant
Create The World, a legendary 6/6 black and red Avatar Warrior creature token with trample. Tap all creatures you don’t control. End the turn. (Exile all spells and abilities from the stack, including this card. The player whose turn it is discards down to their maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.)
< Warrior 4BR
Star Dash Speedway
Land
T: Add C.
2R, T: Double the power of target creature you control until end of turn. Sacrifice that creature at the beginning of the next end step.
Crash cushions only do so much for singularity-assisted hairpin turns.
You don't have Hasbro breathing down your neck telling you that you can't do something?
I have so many questions.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Deathtouch, lifelink and wither all trigger off of noncombat damage. DIO doesn't innately enable his wither this way, but it can still come up.
Inside Baseball Alert: Hold up. Did Mechaghidorah actually appear, and if so why didn't that warrant a mention in the summary?
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: You can target an untapped creature with the second half of Shuriken Storm, which is necessary because you choose targets before any part of the spell resolves and the first half can then tap it down after you do so.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Streaking Comet's last ability really only costs 2(R/W) because you can use its own mana ability to help pay the cost and have no reason to do otherwise. Not even summoning sickness, because that's exclusively a creature thing.
Inside Baseball Alert: "Muda" is Japanese for "useless", and if you don't know why that's relevant then you live under a rock. Also, The World shows up alongside a Time Stop effect because of course it does, and DIO has rejected his humanity (that's actually the standard for the Human creature type, but I couldn't resist).
I don't know what exactly prompted all these glorious references, but I'm very glad.
Meh, I was doing pony ninjas before it was cool, and I've referenced ninja deer as well.
Seriously, though, here's hoping the manga makes its way to this corner of the world for some good colourful horse content. Lords know, Season 9 isn't doing it for me. Up to episode 10 already and for the most part it's really hard to watch... which it shouldn't be.
But yeah, mangapone for Euro-trash please.
im mad because they took away the synopsis for the comics from the wiki page for the mainline comics, that was the only way I had to keep track of all the details of season 10
5506236
Manga is traditionally in grayscale, and these follow that tradition. I know what you meant, it just amuses me.
5506308
I honestly debated adding a note to my original post about that, but decided against it. Couldn't think of a good enough joke about colour and grayscales.
Ah well, live and learn.
Ninjapples?
I explained the last time this came up that they specifically started as trowels, and so that a ninja could disguise themselves as the sort of person who would be carrying a trowel and then kill you with the trowel they were carrying.
5506117
Fair, but I don't think these issues are still in the script approval stage.
What, you've never heard of the Village Hidden in the Apples?
5506132
We don't see the whole dragon, only one of the heads Big Mac brought back with him as a trophy.
And yes, MDFCs provide the solution to the Stand User problem that has plagued me since I tried to make Funny Valentine work on cardboard.
5506218
Blame/thank Applejack returning to the ninjatastic timeline we glimpsed in the first volume. In addition to the Jojo reference I linked in the review, there's also a brief glimpse of Ultrapony vs. Spikezilla in the opening that gave me an excuse for Heroic Lightshaper//Towering Hope. (It does amuse me that Ultraman can beat DIO in a fight, but barely, at great cost, and only if he doesn't use The World.)
5506236
Here's hoping the manga becomes available in your area soon! (As for Season 9, some of the best is yet to come... but do yourself a favor and skip the one where Rainbow Dash tries to assemble a cheerleading team.)
5506301
Oh no! The good news is that each individual comic's wiki page still has a synopsis. You can find all of them via this index page.
5506865
Ninjapples. If you were expecting them to be ninjas, they wouldn't be very good ninjas, now would they?
5506915
yeah I can’t actually get to any of the pages from there (at least on mobile), the good news is that I managed to find the latest comics page in the random links section that shows up at the bottom on mobile, so technically you did manage to link me to it, good luck all around
5506915
That page of the Village... by all the Gods of the Gauls, they even got the exclamation marks in the title right. I'm not sure if I should feel proud, flattered, or under-appreciated because no one cared when I did it, lol.
As for 'the best is yet to come,' I'm not holding out much hope. It's bad enough that I already know this Season chose to confirm a pet peeve of mine that's been affecting my stories since the beginning (Scootaloo never flying, despite all the reasons this mucks up the worldbuilding) but even in terms of form, it's been tough to watch. So many XD off-model faces, it gets downright weird. And the morals so far have reminded me more of Captain Planet than the ponies I signed up for. "Be yourself!" Yeah, great idea, Ember, it was dragons being their usual careless callous selves that created the mess in the first place.
I do hope some gems are coming
But I am keeping my own mine open and readying the pickaxe.
Incidentally, one of the episodes I did catch recently involved one 'Great Seedling'. This will have absolutely no effect on cover art or establishing post-tranformation scenes, nope