Friendship is Card Games: Missing Out · 11:06am Aug 21st, 2022
As I promised on Thursday, this week we’re beginning a deep dive into the works of fan animator Minty Root, starting with their most recent creation and bouncing around from there.
Mind you, it turns out I’m going to have a three-week block of G5 to look at before the next fan animation card blog, but hey, I’d rather have a backlog than the alternative. Let’s see what I’ve was been Missing Out on for the last few weeks. 
… Oh, that’s unfairly gorgeous. It’s been a while since I’ve watched any of Minty’s work, so seeing those 3D Ponyville cottages… Yeah, incredible stuff from the get-go.
Also, opening on Best Pony and Best Filly. Very strong opening indeed.
Fan voices are always the issue that keeps me from getting too into these kinds of things. There’s an Uncanny Valley effect when the voice actors are trying so hard to emulate the original cast.
Interesting touch to make Spike’s ear frills translucent.
Spike’s voice may be a bit off from my expectations, but the amount of heavy regret in “The old [library]” was outstanding.
Okay, the 3D setting models work really well with Starlight’s efforts to recreate Golden Oaks. I’m not sure how or even if they might have pulled this off in Flash.
Starlight insisting that the library doors should clearly open in a way they never did in the show is honestly hilarious. Pretty sure I’ve raised that exact same objection.
Oof. The glitching magic around Starlight’s horn as Twilight explains the inaccuracies in the model, setting up the collapse… It hurts, but in a good way. Twilight just can’t help herself when it comes to technical accuracy. She only wants to help!
“I’m sure the others will still appreciate it.”
Okay, Twilight, I’m doing my best here, but I can’t spin that one as anything but both insensitive and ungrateful.
That pause and turn… I’m not sure if Twilight had an emotional epiphany or if she realized Starlight might have stolen that photo from Celestia’s chambers. Possibly both.
Starlight feeling left out as the Jenny-come-lately is an interesting angle. The show resolved it by having her find her own social circle, but this seems to take place before “No Second Prances.” Spike certainly doesn’t have his wings yet.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Twilight’s used to sleeping with wings at this point, but I still can’t help but think of the opening bits of the first Equestria Girls movie.
Ooh, the establishing shot on Canterlot is just as good as the sweeps over Ponyville. Gorgeous environments throughout the whole thing.
The Latin added to the Bearers’ stained glass window is a nice touch. As is Starlight considering it. This may well be early enough in her time as Twilight’s student that she’s still processing just how important these mares really are.
Also, going by the guards’ lack of concern, I’m guessing Starlight’s allowed in the castle and isn’t just breaking in as she grapples with her regret. One can never be entirely sure with her.
Okay, a shot of the Star Swirl wing followed by Starlight holding a scroll as she walks into the Cutie Map room raises all kinds of red flags. 
That said, the map room is also breathtaking.
Seeing Golden Oaks and the Mare in the Moon in rapid succession… I’m experiencing a fascinating emotional conflict. This is a terrible idea, but it still seems to be working.
Ah, we’re at Twilight’s Welcome-to-Ponyville party. Oh, this could go so very wrong…
Heh. It’s even odds whether Pinkie doesn’t mind that this random unicorn knows her name or if she already knows Starlight.
“Wait a minute. How… how do I know you?”
Again, this could be taken in multiple ways. Is Pinkie just assuming she should know Starlight because the other mare knew her name, or does she actually know her without understanding how or why? Pinkie is a mystery even unto Pinkie.
Wow. Wow. Twilight is so thoroughly, incredibly done with all of this involuntary social interaction that she doesn’t even drink the hot sauce this time.
Oh no, Starlight’s gone full self-insert OC. She’s spoiling future series knowledge during Nightmare Moon’s return.
… Huh. Well. That worked out. Though I have to wonder how the Elements got distributed with an extra pony in the mix. There’s still about half of the runtime left; I suppose we’ll find out… though given how we have a shot of the stone spheres in the sunrise, it’s not clear if they were even reawakened.
I’m not sure why Celestia looks so surprised by Starlight’s presence in the photo. They should have met at the old castle.
Ohhh dear. Starlight’s accidentally employing speedrun strats. This could be very bad. She’s trying to right the ship with Zecora, but it may already be too late. (Well, it was too late when she introduced herself to Twilight at the party, but still.)
That said, I do love Twilight’s astonished “You’ve never heard of [zebras]? Even in books?”
Ah. Instead of spoiling things, she goes for the “And Starlight was also there” strategy of non-interference. But at that point, why even get involved?
Also, it’s really not clear whether Starlight’s met Trixie at this point, so I can’t really say how hard seeing the wrecked wagon hit her.
Ooh, good payoff on the foreshadowing with Starlight not waiting for Pinkie to introduce herself. Twilight hasn’t mentioned Shining Armor yet, but for all of Starlight’s care… Well, she’s Starlight. If she thought through everything, she wouldn’t be where and when she is right now.
There is the question of why Twilight would want to keep her older brother a secret in Ponyville, but I’ve explored the possibilities there in the past. If she hid her arcane capabilities, she certainly wouldn’t want to brag about her direct connection to the captain of the guard. To say nothing of making her an even higher priority target for anyone thinking of ponynapping or exploiting her for political gain.
“Did Celestia send you to spy on me?”
This is interesting. I could definitely see Twilight think that her mentor had somepony in town to keep an eye on her. (The truth, of course, is that it’s Spike.) That she’d be angry about it… Honestly, it speaks well for this Twilight. She’s embracing her growth and independence and doesn’t appreciate Celestia trying to tighten the apron strings, much less any implications that her achievements in friendship aren’t her own but are just the princess’s machinations bearing fruit.
“I wasn’t there at your corrr… Right, that didn’t happen yet.”
As shown by her trying to keep some episodes’ plots intact, Starlight does have some respect for the integrity of the timeline.
Pinkie’s awareness is spread across many timelines. There’s actually an interesting story to be had there during the time battle. A perfectly average day at Sugarcube Corner, aside from Pinkie’s memories going from Specialist Pie to changeling resistance fighter to anti-Nightmare resistance fighter to…
The fact that Luna isn’t in the shot with Celestia receiving the photo this time around concerns me more than it probably should.
I do appreciate the mirror portal getting included in the montage.
Wonderful message at the end. The new doesn’t have to perfectly replicate the old, so long as it’s special in its own way. Probably carries more weight for those who were late to join the fandom, but it’s still great stuff.
Okay, in broad daylight, some of the buildings do look more like the models you’d see decorating a hobbyist train set, but it’s still leagues better than anything I could do in Toon Boom.
Ooh, nice touch with the School of Friendship in the background of the train station.
And that last shot, post-timeskip, of the two friends and the growing oak… Chef’s kiss.
Outstanding stuff all around. I’m glad I pushed this up the schedule. Let’s see how I can make what’s old new again. (And appropriately enough for something all about history and nostalgia, I’ll be using the mechanics of Dominaria United starting this week.)
Causal Overwrite 1W
Sorcery
Kicker 3U (You may pay an additional 3U as you cast this spell.)
Put target nonland permanent on the bottom of its owner’s library. If this spell wasn’t kicked, that player may draw a card or put a permanent card from their hand that shares a card type with that permanent onto the battlefield.
Sun’s Eye Informant 2W
Creature — Unicorn Rogue
Flash
Whenever an opponent draws their second card each turn, draw a card.
Celestia sees everything the daylight touches. For everything else, there are the Sun’s Eyes.
2/2
Unmentioned Connections 3W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Flash
Whenever enchanted creature is dealt damage, create that many 1/1 white Unicorn Soldier creature tokens.
“You never asked.”
—Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of Magic
Miss Out 1U
Instant
Domain — Exile target creature with X time counters on it, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control. If X is zero, return that card to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step. Otherwise, if it doesn’t have suspend, it gains suspend.
Castle Infiltrator 2U
Creature — Unicorn Rogue
Castle Infiltrator can’t be blocked by creatures the monarch or the player who has the initiative control.
When Castle Infiltrator enters the battlefield, choose any number —
• Target opponent becomes the monarch.
• Target opponent takes the initiative.
2/2
Temporal Dilemma 2UU
Instant
When target spell resolves, end the turn. That spell’s controller may have you counter it. (To end the turn, exile all spells and abilities from the stack. 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.)
Chronotourist 3U
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
When Chronotourist enters the battlefield, draw a card.
When Chronotourist dies, its owner exiles it with three time counters on it.
Suspend 3 — U (Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay U and exile it with three time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
3/2
Midnight Watcher 2B
Creature — Unicorn Soldier
Enlist (As this creature attacks, you may tap a nonattacking creature you control without summoning sickness. When you do, add its power to this creature’s until end of turn.)
Menace
Castle Canterlot is less well-lit at night, but no less well-guarded.
2/3
Soulsteel Fragment 2B
Artifact
T: Add B, then add an additional B for each card in your graveyard named Soulsteel Fragment.
Channel — XBB, Discard Soulsteel Fragment: It deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker and you gain X life.
Nightmarish Cackle 2BB
Sorcery
Replicate — B, Discard a card. (When you cast this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
If target opponent has more cards in hand than you, they discard cards equal to the difference.
Enigmas of the Pink 2RR
Enchantment
Devoid (This card has no color.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top card of your library. If you control three or more colorless nonland permanents, exile the top two cards of your library instead. You may play cards exiled this way this turn.
Stargazing Dragon 3RR
Creature — Dragon Wizard
Constellation — Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, gain control of target creature an opponent controls until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.
Some hoards are kept in the heavenly vault.
4/3
The Golden Acorn G
Legendary Artifact
When The Golden Acorn enters the battlefield, you may play an additional land this turn.
Domain — At the beginning of your upkeep, put X growth counters on The Golden Acorn, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control. Then if there are twenty or more growth counters on The Golden Acorn, remove them and transform it.
Glimmering Oak Library
Legendary Land
2, T: For each color of mana other lands you control could produce, add one mana of that color.
4, T: Draw a card for each color among permanents you control.
“Starlight taught me patience like nopony else.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
Revisit the Past 1G
Sorcery
Return a card at random from your graveyard to your hand. Clash with an opponent. If you win, return Revisit the Past to its owner’s hand. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of their library, then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if their card had a higher mana value.)
Phantom Library 1GG
Creature — Plant Spirit
Defender, reach
Phantom Library enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters on it.
If damage would be dealt to Phantom Library while it has a +1/+1 counter on it, prevent that damage. Remove a +1/+1 counter from Phantom Library. When you do, draw a card.
0/0
Hall of Heroes 2
Artifact
T: Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.
3, T: Add X mana in any combination of colors, where X is the number of historic cards in your graveyard. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
Each window is another savior’s struggle.
Pawprints of the Ursa (gu)(gu)
Enchantment
Whenever you draw a card, put a star counter on Pawprints of the Ursa.
(gu), Remove one or more star counters from Pawprints of the Ursa: Until end of turn, Pawprints of the Ursa becomes an X/X Bear creature in addition to its other types, where X is twice the number of counters removed this way.
Temporal Disquiet 1UB
Sorcery
For each player, choose up to one target creature that player controls. Those creatures phase out. Then each player sacrifices a creature. (Treat each phased out creature and anything attached to it as though they don’t exist until its controller’s next turn.)
The Elements Restored 2WU
Enchantment — Saga
Read ahead (Choose a chapter and start with that many lore counters. Add one after your draw step. Skipped chapters don’t trigger. Sacrifice after III.)
I, II — Put a rainbow counter on target creature you control. It becomes all colors.
III — Destroy each creature that’s one or fewer colors.
Obsessive Rebuilding 2BG
Enchantment
If you would draw a card, return a card at random from your graveyard to your hand instead.
If a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.
When you have no cards in your graveyard, exile Obsessive Rebuilding.
Parasprite Rampage 2BRG
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant permanent
Enchanted permanent has “At the beginning of your end step, sacrifice this permanent and attach Parasprite Rampage to a permanent you control.”
Parasprites breed so rapidly that a novel mutation quickly becomes a global scourge.
I need to actually go back and watch this thing. I tried, got a few minutes in, was thoroughly put off by the camerawork. Not a big fan of Minty's Sunset short film either, though if I remember right that was (also) for different reasons. I suppose I'll look at this one if I have the time, though I'm a bit busy elsewhere right now.
Savage use of lying by omission is the best way to insult someone.
That's actually not technical accuracy. At my old house, the door to my bedroom was on a slant or something (we never figured it out), so it would always swing closed if you opened it; we got a small rock to hold it open. If I went to a exact recreation of my old house and I didn't need to put the rock down, it'd feel uncanny. It wouldn't be my room.
I noticed that too, as well as the inactive Element spheres. Did Starlight cause the Mane Six to not face the necessary trials to unlock the Elements? If so, how did they defeat Nightmare Moon, and why did that method leave Luna stronger than the canon timeline? It can't have been just Starlight haxmagicing Nightmare Moon in the face, or Twilight wouldn't still be the defacto leader of the group.
They were translucent in the movie and Rainbow Roadtrip.
At 9:28... apparently Minty Root didn't want to guess at what the Golden Oak Library looked like from behind, either.
The models and animation are good, but the writing could have used some collaboration. Starlight is a little too self-hating at the beginning, and the big climactic confrontation gets resolved a little too easily.
"I know how you feel, Starlight. I also joined them late." Where did canon ultimately land on this? It seemed like season one implied that other than Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the other five didn't know each other all that well before Twilight came to town and brought them all together. I know that "Celestial Advice" claimed that the five were already friends beforehand, but it made that claim alongside a scene showing Celestia taking time from being Equestria's sole ruler to be a schoolteacher to seven fillies (implausible), one of whom was a pre–cutie mark Twilight Sparkle (directly contradicting canon), so I'm going to go ahead and ignore that.
I'll echo that this is all more impressive than anything I could put together, but it does show the limitations of fan works. Because one person is animating an entire 15-minute cartoon, the characters all move more stiffly than what you'd see from a team of animators. And some of the fan voice actors aren't able to reach the same acting heights we normally see from these characters. I applaud all of the effort that went into it, but I don't really have any desire to watch it again.