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[SigmasonicX]

New toy for the movie. Looks like Tempest works for the Storm King as well.

No surprise there, but I like that toy.

I actually dug the comic a bit. I feel like if they reframed why Rarity was so upset at Trixie (Maybe by having her initially appear incompetent or because she feared Trixie would attempt to upstage Sapphire or something) then the story would have been a lot more effective. Even then I still found it to be pretty fun even with the massive continuity issue detracting from it.

In other news, we might be starting to see some new info on Season 7 in a slightly unexpected place. As some of you might be familiar, Shout Factory releases mlp episode compilations on DVD and they just released info on an upcoming one showcasing Starlight Glimmer. The first 3 episodes on it are the season 6 episodes No Second Prances and To Where and Back Again part 1 and 2. The final 2 are previously unknown titles. They are "Celestial Advice" (IS IT FINALLY HAPPENING?) and "All Bottled Up." (Which I'm guessing is some episode centered around potions) The DVD drops on May 30th so both those episodes are looking to be released pretty early on in the season.

Oh, to be clear, I liked the comic issue just fine.

In the past, episode titles have been leaked by these DVD compilations, and I don't think any of them have ever turned out to be fake. However, it isn't necessarily the case that these episodes will air early on. I believe "Flutter Brutter" was listed on a DVD, but then swapped out for a different one, and the episode aired after that DVD was released. Given the DVD theme, it's likely both are Starlight episodes, but there have been odd mixes in the past. If so, I'd be a bit disappointed if the first Celestia episode involved her giving advice to Starlight.

I've not gotten around to the latest comic yet. The premise wasn't really getting me all that excited, so I might wait for the price drop.

More Movie toys:

Interesting!

I'm really impressed by these toys. I'm glad that the Guardians of Harmony toys seem to have worked out, and they're continuing that style.

Alright, so Stormy isn't a centaur, and he even has knees that bend forward. I suppose he is a monkey thing, like suggested earlier. I like Grubber's design more here. From this view, his hair reminds me of TV's Frank from Mystery Science Theater.

I'm kind of surprised Capper got a toy that good.

Celaeno's sword is interesting. It looks like she doesn't have any wings, and her legs are definitely unusual, so maybe she's a different species than griffon. Some people have suggested that she could be a harpy--Celaeno is the name of a harpy in Roman mythology.

It's kind of clever how they got the seaponies to balance upright. Oh, and seaponies confirmed. It's weird that Skystar is a brushable but Novo isn't.

It doesn't seem right that you can see Songbird's eyes.

On the subject of toys, Robot Twilight coming.

(Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $129.99 /Available: Fall 2017)
Discover the magic of friendship with the interactive MY MAGICAL PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE figure, a pony with Pegasus wings and a unicorn horn that lights up! While interacting with her, she can move her head and hoof, say 90+ phrases, and light up her horn. Fans can press the star button on her hoof to hear her talk about spells, tales of friendship, stories or songs. She has poseable legs so kids can help her sit or stand and has moving wings. Princess Twilight Sparkle also has a beautiful mane and tail and a tiara to complete her look. Requires 4 C batteries, not included. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com.

It's kind of creepy and low-quality-looking, and requiring 4 C batteries which are not included is a real kick in the pants.

Canterlot and Seaquestria Castle toyset. Spike is a pufferfish!

(Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $99.99/Available: Fall 2017)
Hiding far beneath the ocean, QUEEN NOVO rules over the underwater kingdom of Seaquestria in MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE. Fans can recreate adventures from the movie with QUEEN NOVO and SPIKE the Pufferfish figures, and this 2-worlds-in-1, 29-inch playset. Place the figures on the slide or in the bubble-shaped elevator and have them ride from Canterlot down to the kingdom of Seaquestria or on the dance floor and spin the light up tower. The figures can also fit on the spinning octopus ride. Kids can push a button to open the treasure chest and jellyfish chandelier to hide treasure inside. The set includes 30+ accessories for bedtime, beach time, tea time, and more! Requires 3 AAA batteries, not included. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com.

 

[ShinySylvee]

The info train for the upcoming movie just keeps on coming. There's a toy fair going on this weekend which is why we're seeing so much info for the movie being released so far. Expect a trailer to drop sometime this weekend as apparently it aired at the event. First up is a couple new promo slides talking about the movie and the brand going forward:

The toy fair is an investor conference so there's a lot of business talk about promoting the film and it's merch as well. They also dropped that there's going to be 7 songs for the movie. (Which I want to say we already knew. Pretty sure that number sounds familiar) There's way too much stuff for me to post here so I would encourage you to check out the EQD post here.

Next up is something that doesn't surprise me entirely although it's odd to hear it so early on. Season 8 has already been confirmed. Sort of expected given how they're releasing a major motion picture to promote the show but cool to hear it nonetheless.

They've also show more teasing for the new supporting characters for the movie. Here's a short blurb that they gave on each of the 8 revealed new characters for the movie:


"Capper - Con Artist Cat, turned hero 
Tempest - A Unicorn Who's broken horn speaks to a troubled past
Songbird Serenade - The Hottest musical act in Equestria
Grubber - Hilarious bumbling side kick to The Storm King
The Storm King - Big Bad Villain of the Movie
Captain Caelano - Dynamic Leader of the Parrot Pirate Crew
Qyeen Novo - Regal Ruler of the Sea Ponies
Skystar - Energetic Daughter of Queen Novo"

Also worth mentioning that Emily (Tempest), Kristin (Skystar), Sia (Songbird Serenade), and Taye (Capper) will be singing in 5 of the 7 songs in the movie. It's already been revealed Sia is already composing 2 songs so she's going to probably be featured in 2 of them so I imagine the other 3 will each get their own song. (BTW called it that Capper would get a musical number)



Lastly, the polish plot synopsis has been officially confirmed as the plot of the movie.

 

[DrForester]

Never a good sign when they try to tell you a character is "hilarious".

 

[Ogodei]

The movie seems to be introducing a lot of new canon at once.

 

[Orcastar]

Never a good sign when they try to tell you a character is "hilarious".

This is exactly what I was thinking.

I was cautiously optimistic about the movie back when we didn't really know anything about it, but all this info we've gotten recenty has pretty much reduced my interest to zero. At this point I'm pretty sure it's just going to end up being a huge mess.

 

[Ogodei]

This is exactly what I was thinking.

I was cautiously optimistic about the movie back when we didn't really know anything about it, but all this info we've gotten recenty has pretty much reduced my interest to zero. At this point I'm pretty sure it's just going to end up being a huge mess.

Meh. The show's handling of "Awkward Comedy Relief" (Spike, Snips and Snails) has been at times frustrating but never actively bad.

 

[ShinySylvee]

Never a good sign when they try to tell you a character is "hilarious".

They're using one sentence to describe a comic relief henchman to a bunch of investors, many of whom won't ever actually see the movie, largely to sell them on the movie and merch made for the character. Pretty sure every animated movie ever used similar words to describe their characters to investors. These blurbs are supposed to help the uninformed imagine how each of these characters will play out in the movie, not tell the audience how the characters are supposed to make you feel.

The movie seems to be introducing a lot of new canon at once.

I feel like they're focusing on a ton of new stuff so they don't have to talk about all the previously established canon the show has. The movie will likely be bringing in a ton of people that have never seen the show before and it's imperative that they feel like they're not missing gigantic chunks of the plot. If everything is new for everyone then fans and newcomers can get a similar experience rather then something like the EQG movies which are an almost entirely different experience for people that don't know anything about the show.

 

[UberTag]

I was about to make another observation on how Starlight Glimmer got hosed again but more egregiously absent is Spike. Where the hell is the little dragon?

 

[SigmasonicX]

Can't look at the link right now, but I'll address some of the concerns here.

At this point, it seems clear that the movie will be almost completely stand-alone. That means it's unlikely that Starlight will have a speaking role, if she even appears. The worries about too many characters and such seem to come from the assumption that we're getting the new characters in addition to the ones we expect from the show. It will likely just be the Mane Six, Spike, Celestia, and maybe Luna that get speaking roles, with cameos from everyone else.

Still, there's no denying that the Mane Six won't get equal focus. Even if they didn't add characters, I think that would have been very hard in an adventure story aimed at people not already familiar with the characters. Given that, the ones the story is likely to place focus on are Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy. The other three are pretty easy to get right away and will likely appear in action scenes a lot. Twilight will drive the action on the heroes' part, of course, and will likely connect with Skystar. Rarity and Fluttershy will naturally get more focus because you have to justify their presence in the team. Spike will probably just play a support role.

Also remember, this is information being presented to investors, so they'll focus on things they care about. They need to be told which characters are comic relief, and they focus on the Mane Six over Spike since they are the ones toys will focus on.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Never a good sign when they try to tell you a character is "hilarious".

This is exactly what I was thinking.

"When you've gotta find something to complain about in a press event for investors."

 

[ShinySylvee]

"When you've gotta find something to complain about in a press event for investors."

Pretty much lol.

 

[DrForester]

"When you've gotta find something to complain about in a press event for investors."

Want me to complain about the Storm King photo with the destroyed Canterlot in the background, showing that once again, Meghan McCarthy wrote a shitty story where Celestia and Luna can't do anything?

They have powers over the heavens, but oh no, here comes a dude with a lightning rod!

 

[SigmasonicX]

Want me to complain about the Storm King photo with the destroyed Canterlot in the background, showing that once again, Meghan McCarthy wrote a shitty story where Celestia and Luna can't do anything?

They have powers over the heavens, but oh no, here comes a dude with a lightning rod!

The what? I haven't seen that.

Anyway, actually looking at the link posted earlier, I noticed something interesting that not many people are talking about. There's going to be a Hanazuki short before the movie. I wonder if that got a higher budget too, or if it's the same as the web shorts.

 

[DrForester]

The what? I haven't seen that.

Anyway, actually looking at the link posted earlier, I noticed something interesting that not many people are talking about. There's going to be a Hanazuki short before the movie. I wonder if that got a higher budget too, or if it's the same as the web shorts.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Oh, the background of the toy promo. I thought there was a shot of a destroyed Canterlot Castle or something.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Want me to complain about the Storm King photo with the destroyed Canterlot in the background, showing that once again, Meghan McCarthy wrote a shitty story where Celestia and Luna can't do anything?

They have powers over the heavens, but oh no, here comes a dude with a lightning rod!

Yes Doc, I want you to complain about Celestia and Luna. That'd be a nice change of pace

 

[SigmasonicX]

More toys, including everyone as seaponies (and Spike as a pufferfish).

(full size)

==

If the trailer really drops this weekend, then I have an OP ready. I've already alerted mods I know to the fact that a trailer might be coming soon, due to how badly the first movie thread went.

<INSERT LINK>

Release date: October 6, 2017
Director: Jayson Thiessen (show director of Friendship is Magic)
Writers: Meghan McCarthy (former head writer of Friendship is Magic), Rita Hsiao (assistant writer for multiple Disney movies)
Produced by: Hasbro Studios, Allspark Pictures, DHX Media/Vancouver
Distributed by: Lionsgate

In order to stop a threat to the town of Ponyville, the "Mane Six" – Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity – must leave their home kingdom of Equestria, meeting new friends and overcoming challenges in the process.

This movie is based on the Friendship is Magic TV series, and every character from there will have the same voice actor as in the show. It is in continuity with the show, but is intended to be standalone, and thus you don't need to have seen the show to understand the movie.

To be clear, there have been four direct to video movies that tie into Friendship is Magic, the Equestria Girls series, which had limited runs in theaters, but this is the first wide release My Little Pony film since the one in the 80s.

Movie announcement thread. Note that several things have changed since then, including different writers (no Ice Age 4 writer) and a different distributor.

 

[Orcastar]

"When you've gotta find something to complain about in a press event for investors."

Oh there's plenty more to complain about. Just about everything we've seen and learned about the movie so far points to it being a complete mess. I'd be happy to be proven wrong though.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Oh there's plenty more to complain about. Just about everything we've seen and learned about the movie so far points to it being a complete mess...

Guess it's time to update the ol' bingo card...

...I'd be happy to be proven wrong though.

Oh, well this is nice at least. For all of our sakes, I hope you are.

 

[ShinySylvee]

Want me to complain about the Storm King photo with the destroyed Canterlot in the background, showing that once again, Meghan McCarthy wrote a shitty story where Celestia and Luna can't do anything?

They have powers over the heavens, but oh no, here comes a dude with a lightning rod!

So you think one promotional image that implies one plot point (That will likely not have any particularly large impact on the story overall unless you're personally very attached to the characters being affected) is enough to completely damn the script to shittiness? I feel like that is a very reductionist way of looking at things. It also really doesn't help your argument that the way you frame your statement makes me imagine Quibble Pants bitching about how "It wouldn't be a shitty Meghan McCarthy story if it didn't have Celestia and Luna being useless."

 

[Lupin the Third]

I went ahead and updated the Movie announcement thread OP (by quoting ShinySilvee's post whole-hog), though I am hesitant to bump it since discussion is happening here already.

 

[PaulloDEC]

So you think one promotional image that implies one plot point (That will likely not have any particularly large impact on the story overall unless you're personally very attached to the characters being affected) is enough to completely damn the script to shittiness? I feel like that is a very reductionist way of looking at things. It also really doesn't help your argument that the way you frame your statement makes me imagine Quibble Pants bitching about how "It wouldn't be a shitty Meghan McCarthy story if it didn't have Celestia and Luna being useless."

I wouldn't bother, Shiny. There's things that would need to happen/not happen for the Doc to be satisfied that likely aren't going to come to pass, and no amount of us discussing them would change how he feels.

I went ahead and updated the Movie announcement thread OP (by quoting ShinySilvee's post whole-hog), though I am hesitant to bump it since discussion is happening here already.

I'd probably hold off for a bit. Sigma has a nice new OP ready to go if a trailer drops this weekend, and we won't need two threads going at the same time.

 

[DrForester]

So you think one promotional image that implies one plot point (That will likely not have any particularly large impact on the story overall unless you're personally very attached to the characters being affected) is enough to completely damn the script to shittiness? I feel like that is a very reductionist way of looking at things. It also really doesn't help your argument that the way you frame your statement makes me imagine Quibble Pants bitching about how "It wouldn't be a shitty Meghan McCarthy story if it didn't have Celestia and Luna being useless."

I'm making an educated guess based on her history. She is not a creative writer, and in nearly every 2-parter she's written the tension is built by going to the old "have them get captured" standby.

I have little doubt that Canterlot getting wrecked will be the event that starts this quest.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I went ahead and updated the Movie announcement thread OP (by quoting ShinySilvee's post whole-hog), though I am hesitant to bump it since discussion is happening here already.

New news new thread, especially over 2 years later. Besides, it'd be better to have a fresh start, and the thread title is outdated now.

Also, better look at the Mane Six as seaponies.

(large)

 

[SigmasonicX]

Equestria Girls mini figures reveal more characters - Daring Do and Starlight Glimmer. Plus some new character whose pony looks neat (but won't actually appear as a pony).

Given the movie theme, I'm guessing Daring Do will be a movie character. I'm surprised Starlight is appearing in EG after all.

Another movie character, a hippogriff guard.

I guess other kingdoms are being visited after all.

And MAJOR SEASON 7 SPOILERS! (Only in the first part of the post)

Spoiler

We see Rainbow Dash's parents: Windy Whistles and Bow Hot Hoof.
Applejack's parents have a flashback maybe-musical episode about them, episode 13! They are Bright Mac and Pear Butter. They have a Romeo and Juliet style love story, and Applejack's mother sings a song.

This is great to see, and the Apples and Pears having a family rivalry is amazing.

 

[ShinySylvee]

Equestria Girls mini figures reveal more characters - Daring Do and Starlight Glimmer. Plus some new character whose pony looks neat (but won't actually appear as a pony).

Given the movie theme, I'm guessing Daring Do will be a movie character. I'm surprised Starlight is appearing in EG after all.

Another movie character, a hippogriff guard.

I guess other kingdoms are being visited after all.

And MAJOR SEASON 7 SPOILERS! (Only in the first part of the post)

Spoiler

We see Rainbow Dash's parents: Windy Whistles and Bow Hot Hoof.
Applejack's parents have a flashback maybe-musical episode about them, episode 13! They are Bright Mac and Pear Butter. They have a Romeo and Juliet style love story, and Applejack's mother sings a song.

This is great to see, and the Apples and Pears having a family rivalry is amazing.

They are having 3 different EQG specials. It's possible that Daring Do or Starlight might make an appearance in one of them. That beig said it would be surprising to see Starlight make a prominent appearance in EQG for a couple reasons. (I can't imagine Starlight is super popular in the spinoff's target demo, pushing her as a main character in either series will likely have to wait until after the movie because she won't be in it, they already have a main character that fills the redeemed villain role in the group) Due to the massive focus on the movie, there's been very little attention to the show or EQG at the conference. I'm interested to see what direction they end up taking the EQG series since I believe they're more or less an entirely different team at this point.

Spoiler

]The show in general seems to have had aversion to showing the Mane 6's parents but with AJ and Rainbow getting theirs shown that will have been all of them being featured at one point or another. So that's cool I guess. Everyone in the fandom always had theories as to AJ's parents being dead but I never really indulged in that kind of stuff. I always figured that they just never felt like showing them off.

By the way there's a TON more merch being showed off at EQD for both the movie and EQG so if you're interested I'd recommend checking it out because there is far too much to be entirely linked here. Here's one I found to be pretty interesting:

(On phone sorry for the size in advance. I'll fix it when I get the opportunity to)

If this picture is any indication the Storm King's team seems to be working with some futuristic tech which is nothing like we've seen before. The design looks really badass and I'm excited to see what other kind of stuff they're working with done up in a similar color scheme.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Scandal: Princesses spends millions of bits on lavish Canterlot remodelling:

If this picture is any indication the Storm King's team seems to be working with some futuristic tech which is nothing like we've seen before. The design looks really badass and I'm excited to see what other kind of stuff they're working with done up in a similar color scheme.

It could be that the Storm-jet is one of those Guardians-exclusive accessories that don't actually appear in the film, I guess. We'll see.

 

[Sciz]

Another movie character, a hippogriff guard.

Oooooh. I didn't think the series would ever get around to hippogriffs. Fascinating.

 

[Rhomega Beta]

Scandal: Princesses spends millions of bits on lavish Canterlot remodelling:

I like this. The keep design is simpler, it shows where the town is, and it looks like the Royal Observatory is now rotatable.

 

[PaulloDEC]

I like this. The keep design is simpler, it shows where the town is, and it looks like the Royal Observatory is now rotatable.

Agreed. I like the three-tiered structure too, it makes Canterlot seem a lot larger and more like a city than it does in the show (where it often looks from the outside to be not much more than the palace).

 

[Deleted member 10571]

Also, better look at the Mane Six as seaponies.

(large)

I haven't been in here for a bit and when the fuck did this happen lol

 

[PaulloDEC]

I haven't been in here for a bit and when the fuck did this happen lol

The bit about seaponies or the bit where their picture is on a karaoke machine?

 

[SigmasonicX]

The characters turn into seaponies in the upcoming movie.

Video of the Toy Fair tour. They give some story details, but the only thing we can really trust is that at the start of the movie, they're going to a Friendship Festival in Canterlot. We get a bit of a song that's in the movie from a singing Twilight toy, but it's clearly not the show voices, so it's not the exact movie version. Still, it does seem like Twilight and Spike get a song about working together. The big Twilight robot is still creepy.

And the Movie toy line includes a Starlight Glimmer toy. This doesn't necessarily mean anything for her role in the movie, but I suspect she'll make a cameo appearance.

 

[Village]

I just saw the designs for the movie. I like em

Why do those equestrian girl figures have better proportions than the actual show? They look less elongated and their heads are more squat , they actually look kind of cool. I'm now upset the show doesn't look like that.

 

[PaulloDEC]

The characters turn into seaponies in the upcoming movie.

Video of the Toy Fair tour. They give some story details, but the only thing we can really trust is that at the start of the movie, they're going to a Friendship Festival in Canterlot. We get a bit of a song that's in the movie from a singing Twilight toy, but it's clearly not the show voices, so it's not the exact movie version. Still, it does seem like Twilight and Spike get a song about working together. The big Twilight robot is still creepy.

Agreed on Robo-Twilight, mega creepy.

Also, "Seaquestria". If that's actually the name they use in the film, there better be either a joke or a good explanation.

Why do those equestrian girl figures have better proportions than the actual show? They look less elongated and their heads are more squat , they actually look kind of cool. I'm now upset the show doesn't look like that.

I think it tends to be the case that the show side and the merch side don't really talk much.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I just saw the designs for the movie. I like em

Why do those equestrian girl figures have better proportions than the actual show? They look less elongated and their heads are more squat , they actually look kind of cool. I'm now upset the show doesn't look like that.

Technically, those aren't the normal Equestria Girls toys. The normal ones are more Barbie-like (or more accurately, more Monster High like).

What you're seeing are the Mini series, designed by a former IDW comic artist, which are done in a chibi style. She's a fan of the show and has certainly seen EQG, so this is a deliberate art choice, and not due to the show and merch side not talking. Incidentally, there is actually a web short series based on them that's decently cute, but each video is super short.

Considering it appears that the normal dolls weren't showcased at all in the toy fair, it seems like they may be dropping them altogether. No complaints here, the Mini figures are adorable while the dolls are adequate at best.

 

[Village]

I'm looking at the web miniseries i didn't know this existed.

Also yeah these portions are... much much better.

It reminds me of the power puff girls.. another reason why I never liked equestria girls. The art style never seemed... faust-ey enough. Or Cr McCracken-ey dependning on how you talk to.

 

[DemWalls]

Scandal: Princesses spends millions of bits on lavish Canterlot remodelling:

Agreed. I like the three-tiered structure too, it makes Canterlot seem a lot larger and more like a city than it does in the show (where it often looks from the outside to be not much more than the palace).

Was going to write exactly this. Finally a Canterlot that, from afar, actually looks like a city.

 

[SigmasonicX]

May comic solicitations.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #54
Rob Anderson(w) &#8226; Jay Fosgitt (a & mc) &#8226; Heather Breckel (c) &#8226; Sara Richard (sc) &#8226; Jennifer L. Meyer (ric)

When Fluttershy is summoned away, it's up to Angel bunny to keep the animal sanctuary running. Will his bossy management style backfire when the other animals refuse to cooperate?

My Little Pony: Legends of Magic #2
Jeremy Whitley (w) &#8226; Brenda Hickey (a & mc) &#8226; Heather Breckel (c) &#8226; Zachery Sterling (sc) &#8226; Caytlin "Pixel-Prism" Vilbrandt (ric)

The legendary Rockhoof is the strongest pony in the realm! But is he strong enough to stop the mighty magma creatures that live inside a volcano?

The main comic issue looks fun, and a story where Fosgitt will actually fit very well. With Legends of Magic, I'm surprised we're getting a story about a character we've never heard about. I wonder what's with the second cover?

 

[PaulloDEC]

May comic solicitations.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #54
Rob Anderson(w) • Jay Fosgitt (a & mc) • Heather Breckel (c) • Sara Richard (sc) • Jennifer L. Meyer (ric)

When Fluttershy is summoned away, it's up to Angel bunny to keep the animal sanctuary running. Will his bossy management style backfire when the other animals refuse to cooperate?

My Little Pony: Legends of Magic #2
Jeremy Whitley (w) • Brenda Hickey (a & mc) • Heather Breckel (c) • Zachery Sterling (sc) • Caytlin "Pixel-Prism" Vilbrandt (ric)

The legendary Rockhoof is the strongest pony in the realm! But is he strong enough to stop the mighty magma creatures that live inside a volcano?

The main comic issue looks fun, and a story where Fosgitt will actually fit very well. With Legends of Magic, I'm surprised we're getting a story about a character we've never heard about. I wonder what's with the second cover?

Those both seem fun. As you say, I think that first premise is a good fit for Fosgitt, and I'm way into the all of this lore-heavy Legends of Magic stuff.

Interesting to note that we may have seen that older mare on the second LoM cover before; she looks a lot like a much older version of one of the characters on the cover of the first issue:

Rockhoof appears there too, actually.

 

[Strider_Blaze]

Pretty excited with the MLP movie, thanks to the amount of new characters showcased; the toyline did help out. Plus loving the new EqG Mini figures. Just wished Adagio wasn't the only Dazzling that got her own toy.

Also, the 3 EqG specials will be premiering on Netflix this summer.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Pretty excited with the MLP movie, thanks to the amount of new characters showcased; the toyline did help out. Plus loving the new EqG Mini figures. Just wished Adagio wasn't the only Dazzling that got her own toy.

Also, the 3 EqG specials will be premiering on Netflix this summer.

Yeah, I'm pretty surprised it's only been Adagio. I've always gotten the impression that Sonata was the most popular Dazzling. The three specials hitting Netflix isn't a surprise. I wonder if they're all coming out at once. I'm guessing that once again, these will each be released the same week an episode comes out, when it would work much better on a week without one.

Friendship is Magic #51
I have to say, the scale on this story is much smaller than I expected, so far. A thief takes a history book from Twilight's castle, they wait until morning before actually going after him, they look around town, and they find him.

The relaxed pace is a pretty nice as a change from how story arcs usually go, though. I enjoyed seeing everyone encounter wacky new characters, and I like the design of the magic shopkeeper. Fluttershy getting information from the saloon by realizing she could just hoof wrestle someone else, and beating someone that was crushing on her, was a nice contrast with Applejack's stubbornness, but what was with her calling it a "wrestley-doo"?

Everyone choosing to just have a sleepover was odd at first, until it was revealed Twilight had a spell to track down her books. Still, I don't get the point of Pinkie's dream sequence, even if it was amusing. I also don't see the narrative point of spending so much time on Frankenstag at the start, if it was just meant to establish Spike's fear.

While there's nothing wrong with us being as in the dark about Shadow Lock as the main characters, I don't think the issue did a good enough job making him seem like a threat yet. He's doing something and nothing particularly bad has happened as a result.

Still, it was a pretty enjoyable issue.

EDIT: ED's interview with the writer, talking about how he got involved.

 

[DemWalls]

Pretty excited with the MLP movie, thanks to the amount of new characters showcased; the toyline did help out. Plus loving the new EqG Mini figures. Just wished Adagio wasn't the only Dazzling that got her own toy.

Also, the 3 EqG specials will be premiering on Netflix this summer.

I think Aria and Sonata are coming, just at a later date. I remember reading about it somewhere.

Anyway, I can't wait to see what they do with the new superhero/mahou shoujo setting. I don't expect a masterpiece, but still.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Bunch of Equestria Girls news. First, book listing that likely reveals what's in the specials.

Our Equestria Girls are back from an adventurous summer at Camp Everfree-but they can't relax quite yet! After saving the camp from disaster, they still have to raise the money to do necessary repairs, and a car wash might not cut it. The Equestria Girls are ready to try new things-starting with a mishmashed music video-and even get caught up in the world of movie magic. But when real magical powers come into play, the girls are going to have to use their own newfound powers and links to Equestria to save the day once again!

The raising money part is probably just a way for the book to link everything together, and won't be present in the specials. Thus, I think it's safe to assume that the first special is about making a music video, the second is about going to / making a movie, and the third involves a magical threat.

From an official website, portraits of various characters.

The makeup on Daring Do struck me as very weird, but then I realized this is in the context of a movie. The story probably involves Rainbow getting upset about how the movie is a bad adaptation of the books. Starlight has a different look than I would have expected. The third character is a new one named Juniper Montage, and I like her design. Derpy is Derpy. I'm really surprised that Rose is apparently getting some focus.

Also, from that website, a rough map of the EQG main city, which it occurs to me still hasn't been named. Anyway, it's a city, it's pretty boring, everyone has boring houses. At least now we know that Sunset actually does have a place to live.

(large)

 

[Choppasmith]

Bunch of Equestria Girls news. First, book listing that likely reveals what's in the specials.


The raising money part is probably just a way for the book to link everything together, and won't be present in the specials. Thus, I think it's safe to assume that the first special is about making a music video, the second is about going to / making a movie, and the third involves a magical threat.

From an official website, portraits of various characters.

The makeup on Daring Do struck me as very weird, but then I realized this is in the context of a movie. The story probably involves Rainbow getting upset about how the movie is a bad adaptation of the books. Starlight has a different look than I would have expected. The third character is a new one named Juniper Montage, and I like her design. Derpy is Derpy. I'm really surprised that Rose is apparently getting some focus.

Also, from that website, a rough map of the EQG main city, which it occurs to me still hasn't been named. Anyway, it's a city, it's pretty boring, everyone has boring houses. At least now we know that Sunset actually does have a place to live.

(large)

Saw those on EqD earlier. I love how they Derpy is folding her arms "backwards" it's like something you'd expect a One Piece character to do. Also like how Human AK looks even MORE different than Rainbow Dash. I don't know if I was the only one, but I always thought when they introduced DD, she purposely looked like Rainbow Dash in order to help the audience with the idea that Rainbow Dash was getting into reading because she was imagining a character very much like her, but then they made her a real person and it felt really awkward (thankfully Stranger than Fan Fiction totally justifies the move imho)

 

[Strider_Blaze]

They look pretty good, Starlight in particular.

And as mentioned, I could see the human Daring Do being the actress playing the character in a movie and not A.K. Yearling. But if they were to go with a story of Rainbow Dash being upset about the portrayal of her idol in film, I could see the motivation being similar to that of SpongeBob being upset over actors being used for the Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy movie.

 

[ShinySylvee]

The Daring Do picture reminded me of the style that they use for the adults in the series, so it is possible that she looks differently then the teenagers to show off that she's older then them. Alternatively it does look like she's wearing makeup which I can't imagine would be something that the normal Daring Do would wear so it is possible it's an actor assuming the book's description does fit into the specials.

Other then Daring Do looking a little off the rest of the designs look pretty good. A person on Reddit pointed out that Starlight's picture prominently features a watch on her wrist in the picture. It might be a bit of a stretch but given what the pony version of her is capable of the watch might be indicative of some time traveling shenanigans. Or it could not but it is still a bit odd since none of the other characters that I can remember on EQG wear one and like I said it's very clearly visible. The book blurb does talk about them encountering real magic so maybe Starlight inexplicably got powers from the Equestrian magic. It's possible she won't play a major role and they're just using her for promotional images while she has a couple lines in one of the episodes (Pretty sure Derpy isn't going to be playing a major role either so her being in promotional images isn't proof of her importance) but if they do end up making her an important character in at least one of the episodes I do hope they don't just copy-paste the pony version into the show as I feel like her original portrayal doesn't exactly port over easily and would just feel extremely forced if they tried. Besides I feel like EQG already has enough ex-villains in the main cast and doesn't need another one and furthermore I feel like if written well Starlight can still be an interesting character even with the reformation angle removed.

Overall with those descriptions this definitely feels like an EQG show test-drive. My primary concern with the idea of an EQG show is that the whole show likely won't be able to be entirely carried by how much the audience likes Sunset and as such the rest of the Mane 7 are going to actually have to step up and be interesting. They've been so far portrayed as less mature versions of their pony counterparts and I'm not sold so far that they can be as likable as the original versions. EQG already has to forego the unique and fairly interesting setting of Equestria and is likely going to have to do without many of the high fantasy elements as well. The high school drama aspect is likely a turnoff for many but I think it could be made interesting especially with the added prospect of magic spicing things up. But all of it comes back to whether the main characters are going to be likable and interesting enough to keep people invested and aside from Sunset there aren't any of them that I feel have had a particularly good showing in any of the movies so far. It also doesn't help that a lot of their veteran writers are moving on to other shows and they're going to need to find some new blood to help out if they do choose to expand it into a full show.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Oh, I didn't consider that this could be a test run for a TV show. That explains why two of the three (likely) stories are slice of life.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we already know from the Toy Fair that there's a toy set involving Daring Do, Starlight, and movies, which makes it even more likely that this and by extension the other described stories are real. Though come to think of it, the Sunset Sushi toys make me wonder if there really is going to be a storyline about raising money for Camp Everfree.

 

[SigmasonicX]

At long last, the Guardians of Harmony comic special is finally out!

Shadowbolts - This was previewed before, and it's still fun. The part with Fluttershy was better than the actual Shadowbolts part, though.

Cheese Sandwich - Hey hey hey, wait a minute. While Bon Bon's real name is Sweetie Drops, no one in-universe knows this but Lyra! That completely breaks my immersion in this story /s. It was kind of odd that Cheese would be replaced by a changeling, only for Pinkie to see the real one being carried away and almost immediately figure it out. This was alright.

Shining Armor - This one is a bit odd. Shining Armor goes under the castle to find magic left behind by the first Crystal Empress, Amore. He passes an obvious test set by her, with Fluttershy appearing to be trapped with the sounds of changelings all around them and him choosing to stay behind to help her, but the only magic left is a potion with a dragon label.

Twilight Sparkle - With this one, I notice that Andy Price is the only one actually labeling his chapters. The previous two aren't given titles outside of the table of contents. Despite the title, a lot of the focus is actually on Lyra and Bon Bon, which is nice. There's a pretty odd explanation for Twilight's armor from the toys, with the castle bestowing it on her for bringing two friends who had their friendship tested. The use of the armor is absurd, with her literally just going around scooping up changelings.

Wonderbolts - It's nice to see more specific Wonderbolts members, including Surprise, who looks like her G1 version. She doesn't do anything Pinkie-like. This is another forced toy inclusion, with Spitfire unveiling prototype supersonic devices to bring them to the Crystal Empire more quickly.

Big Spike - Shining Armor somehow ran all the way to Ponyville with the dragon potion. Twilight tries it on herself, and uses it to grant the other ponies armor to fight the changelings. Spike tells her to use it on him, since it's clearly meant for him, and two pages from the end, she relents. Big Spike easily defeats the remaining changelings, the end.

So yeah, this is the most blatant "buy our toys" thing the show and comics have ever done. Some parts are fun, but a lot of it is really forced. I can't tell if it was intentionally like that, to resemble the old He-Man comics that came with toys and the like, but regardless, I can't say I was a big fan.

FAKE EDIT: Learned from Silver Quill's review's first part (the others are coming later), and from the comments below it, that in the final section, Fosgitt might have copied fan art for the armor designs. The common theory behind this is that that particular bit of fan art is from early in the fandom and has become so ubiquitous that he might not have even realized it was fan art. Still, not a good look.

 

[Alastor3]

I just watched The Fault in our cutie mark and it is BY FAR one of the best episode ever. It is also one of the best new character since forever.