Allsparkle General Discussion

[CoffeeHorse]

I'm not sure what a equivalent disaster would be in a world revolving around high school. Everyone forced to do remote classes, and in-person classes only resuming NOW? That'd...probably be hitting too close to home, really.

Too close to home, but somebody needs to do stories like that. As much as kids probably liked remote classes at first, imagine how utterly apocalyptic everything seemed to them. Imagine if even the 2008 crash was before your time. Imagine this was truly your first big thing, with no other events in your life to help you contextualize it. One day you're told to stay home from school and not go back until whenever. Your parents have been told to stay home from work and not go back until whenever. You're a kid and time still passes slowly for you, so this seems like it's going on forever. Now imagine spending the rest of your childhood watching shows that just act like nothing like that ever happened.

Kids are ready for post-apocalypse Equestria Girls.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Hasbro has released a PDF that contains a fair bit of background information and lore from the New Generation movie. It's 55 pages long, so we'll probably be mining this for information for a while.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2023/01/official-size-chart-for-g5-ponies-and.html

According to the size chart, Pipp is indeed...smol.

We get some origins for the various cities and other little tidbits.

Spoiler

The challenge became how to maintain some continuation of the past while being set hundreds of years later. One of the ways Mayer and his team achieved this was to keep some of the key attributes of the places fans loved from past stories. “Maretime Bay has some elements from Ponyville. You can see some design details like the window shapes that we brought from Ponyville,” he explains. “We thought that over time they moved to the coast, but they kept some of the design from the city. Bridlewood is an evolution of Everfree Forest from ‘Friendship is Magic,’ especially when it came to the shape of the trees. Zephyr Heights comes from Cloudsdale. Now that the magic has gone, they can’t live in the clouds anymore so the next place they could go were the mountains above the clouds. They still keep the same feeling in the clouds even though they’re now grounded since they can’t fly.” Another way to pay homage to the past was to infuse the film with enough easter eggs that fans could watch the film over and over again, never ceasing to discover new things that relate to both the current and previous ponies. “I think the biggest ones were in Sunny’s house,” Mayer reveals. “We decided to put a huge amount of easter eggs in there because we thought of her father Argyle as an Indiana Jones kind of guy, an archaeologist or a professor. He collected things that he had found over the years so his office is full of easter eggs.

Argyle is confirmed to be "an Indiana Jones kind of guy". At least in this original treatment. We'll have to see how that develops. Maybe he's just waiting for someone to find him in a fridge, somewhere.

Then there's this:

Another way to pay homage to the past was to infuse the film with enough easter eggs that fans could watch the film over and over again, never ceasing to discover new things that relate to both the current and previous ponies. “I think the biggest ones were in Sunny’s house,”

They purposely designed this film to make it as re-watchable as possible. It's not CoffeeHorse's fault that he's addicted to the film! They just did TOO good of a job!

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I wonder who this document was made for, because it reads like pure self-congratulatory marketing copy, for a film that was released on Netflix. Who were they trying to sell it to here?

Ucha adds that it was imperative to everyone on the creative team that the film never talked down to children or felt condescending in any way. "Kids are used to watching much more sophisticated stuff than we did at their age," he says. "It’s the same with the music because children today don’t listen to the silly, super young songs that we listened to when we were kids. That’s why I think it will be a surprise for audiences who might not expect what they get from this movie. We also wanted to reward
parents for their interest and their time with something that makes them feel like they just had a really fun experience too."

I noticed. And I appreciate it. This movie is not as simple as we all thought the first time we watched it. I catch something new every time.

He notes that it was often the simplest things that proved to be the most challenging to address. "It's hard for ponies to carry things and still walk around because they can't hop along on three legs," Gallagher explains. An early call I made with the directors was that they weren’t going to stand on two feet. We wanted to keep them on four legs and they could hold things or talk when they’re sitting down. We came up with a lot of workarounds, visual cheats, and shortcuts so that they could pick up objects and still move from point A to point B without showing how they did it. When you have restrictions you have to think outside the box."

This is straight up shameless. Every word of this is a palpable lie.

At the beginning of "Gonna Be My Day," Sunny passes over a bridge that reads "3.89" which is a completely accurate measurement. The tunnel is exactly 3 meters and 89 centimeters high.

Okay this is useful. You see this, SFM gang? We have an exact measurement!

"We had a lot of conversations about where the Earth Ponies live in Maretime Bay," says Fattibene. "We discussed how tall they are and how they walk through the doors in a certain way, so there’s wear on the doors because they brush up against them. They’re also really good at maintenance in Maretime Bay. There are little patches of paint that have been repainted so they’re not quite the same color as the old paint. It gives the world a certain richness even if people don’t initially see it. I think it feels more real."

I'm gonna watch it again.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

The design team knew that Pegasi would be the smallest breed, Unicorns the tallest, with Earth Ponies falling in the middle in terms of scale.

Pipp was doomed before this even started.

When Sunny refers to her “142 Questions for a Unicorn,” the filmmakers can confirm that they did, in fact, write all 142 questions.

I think we knew this before from somewhere, but I still really want to see that list.





Also, I've read through Sunny Starscout's Book of Adventure. Maybe this deserves it's own thread, but I'll just put this in here for now. It's basically this generation's Journal of Friendship, if you remember that guidebook from G4. Basically, it's Sunny's diary, retelling the events of the movie from Sunny's POV along with some profiles and artwork from the movie. It's mostly about the movie, but there's little bits referencing Make Your Mark (up to Winter Wishdays, even!). Tell Your Tale gets the fewest references.

I just wanted to bring up a few interesting details that the book gives us.

Spoiler

Well, the biggest thing is...Argyle's dead. We kind of suspected as much, but Sunny just out and SAYS that her dad died. So, at the very least, Sunny BELIEVES that her dad is dead. No details (surprise, surprise), but this is as close to confirmation as we're likely to get.

It's confirmed that Argyle MADE those little Mane 6 dolls for filly Sunny. It looked like he did, but it's nice to get confirmation.

This book says that a "magic accident" is what Sunny thinks caused magic to disappear the first time. I'm not sure if this is another piece of the puzzle, or if Sunny and her dad were just mistaken. The book also mentions Misty's version of the story from MYM.

I've never really noticed before, but there WAS someone else inside Sunny's smoothie truck in the movie. Either she hired a employee for the day so she could spend the day sneaking into CanterLogic or Sunny actually OWNING the smoothie truck was a idea that came later. OR there's more than one Smootie Truck in town, which feels ripe for expansion.

It's confirmed that Hitch sleeps in the police station. That's his house. I'm a little disappointed. Especially since we've never seen his bed or anything.

I still want official word on the difference between "sparkle' and "luminescence". I've brought this up before, but this book uses both terms, too. This book DOES seem to imply that "sparkle" is like Auras and external and "luminensce" is more like Chakras being more internal. But, I just want this "system" expanded upon more.

They mention a fantasy book series called "The Chronicles of Chevalia" that Pipp likes. I don't think we've heard of this before. I guess we have our Daring Do for this generation.

Queen Haven never takes off her crown. EVER. Weird detail, but it's in here.

They hint that the crystals around the world and cutie marks might have some special magic that they haven't discovered yet. Feels like hinting at something later in the next season of MYM.

We get confirmation that Opaline's full name IS Opaline Arcana. We knew that from the toy, but it's nice to see it used somewhere else.

Also, we got some profiles for the Mane 5. We might have seen them before, but I forget, so here they are anyway.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2023/01/g5-my-little-pony-toolkit-for-2022.html

Spoiler

derpibooru.org/images/3033024
derpibooru.org/images/3033025
derpibooru.org/images/3033026
derpibooru.org/images/3033027
derpibooru.org/images/3033029
derpibooru.org/images/3033028

(You can check the "Behind the Scenes" tag on Derpibooru to see more concept art)

We get to learn what everypony's..."scent profile" is. *SIGH* Hasbro, why do you do this to yourself? How do you think this is going to end? First the perfumes now this. Why are you obsessed with how ponies smell this generation?

Also, fun fact: Pipp's favorite treat is garlic bread. I guess being on screen all the time makes her crave carbs.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Rumor has it that the next set of episodes for Make Your Mark drop in June.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2023/03/my-little-pony-make-your-mark-chapter-4.html

The sooner the better, honestly. Having to wait 6 months or more between episode drops is PAINFUL! It was one thing when we got 26 episodes before a 6 month break, but only around ten episodes each drop just doesn't leave us with enough stuff to really pick over during the wait. Tell Your Tale has helped, but even that's had to stall for time to sync back up with MYM.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Agreed. This schedule is painful. I imagine it's what Netflix wants though. Imagine having to do weekly schedules for all their stuff. It's just easier for them to drop whole batches here and there.

 

[wonko the sane?]

I mean... they literally invented the habit of easily binging entire seasons...

 

[Videomaster21XX]

It's confirmed that Hitch sleeps in the police station. That's his house. I'm a little disappointed. Especially since we've never seen his bed or anything.

Well there you go I guess. I love how I just managed to read through this thread yesterday. Saw that comment then the VERY NEXT DAY the show is like: "You mean this?"

And yeah of course that's Hitch's bed. Just a thing he can pull out like that. Very much like him.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

I mean... they literally invented the habit of easily binging entire seasons...

It's less the binge model and more...I'm not sure those first 10 episodes really work as a first "season"? Nothing gets resolved. It's very episodic. MYM's first big batch seems to be more equivalent to the first half of a season rather than a whole one. It just kind of...stops.

Honestly, if this show HAD been airing weekly and ended at the same spot it did, and we still had to wait 6 months for new episodes...I'd still have the same complaints. The place MYM ended it's batch wasn't really exciting or fitting, it was just sad for Misty.

Really, it just boils down to me wanting more of it now! So, I guess they did something right. *shrug*

 

[CoffeeHorse]

There is one minor arc to it. Misty finally obtains something she can bring to Opaline, and she does it by finally managing to think quickly under pressure instead of panicking. After so much failure, she's done something right.

And then we get the sucker punch of seeing her crying. Up til then her suffering is hilarious. It very abruptly stops being funny. The chapter ends on a turning point. She's having her first real doubts about this evil minion gig just as she's starting to succeed at it.

 

[Shadewing]

I suppose this is the best place to post this:

 

[ZakuConvoy]

So, apparently the MLP Facebook page uploaded a new photo. And...it's just interesting enough that I'm going to talk about it a little.

Sorta spoilers...maybe. There's ONE thing in the picture that doesn't quite fit, which is the reason I'm going to bring it up. It *might* be hinting at a future plot element.

Spoiler

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2023/05/new-mane-6-group-shot-from-my-little.html

Okay, so everyone's wearing flower wreaths. Zipp has bunny ears. It's all very cute.

But...what is going on with Misty's mane? Why is it suddenly so much redder?

Is Misty...going to absorb Opaline's fire powers? I can't help but think of Opaline's red coat when I see that color on Misty. Do they...end up doing the DBZ fusion dance? Or getting a power-up from Sparky?

Is my joke-theory about Opaline being Misty's imaginary friend closer than I thought?

MYM - Chap2, Ep8: "Have You Seen This Dragon?"............................(SPOILERS)

It's the final episode of this chapter! Someone has gone missing. And now the gang is on the hunt. Will the missing be found before it's too late? The episode is now available on Netflix --------------------------- SYNOPSIS: Have You Seen This Dragon? First it was Sunny's lantern. Now...

www.allspark.com

...Or maybe they're just referencing the new "Style of the Day"/Bridlewoodstock toys.

That's...more likely. Probably.

 

[wonko the sane?]

They might also be using the hair to physically show her distancing herself from opaline and her influence. I mean: it is a kids show, eventually the people whom treat you well will win over the exploiter.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

Make Your Mark WILL return on June 6!

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2023/05/my-little-pony-make-your-mark-chapter-4.html

(Some light spoilers in the video)

They haven't said what this will be, exactly...but I think smart money is this just being the 45-minute "Bridlewoodstock" special. We'll probably have to wait until fall/September-ish for 8 more full episodes. Not confirmed, just speculation on my part. But, it fits with the pattern of their release dates.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I'll be disappointed if this is just another special, but I'll take it.

The scenery makes me think of one of the videogames. The one with Opaline. Whatever one that was. I can't believe there's already too many videogames to keep track of.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

And now we know what Chapter 4 will include! We are getting a 44-minute Bridlewoodstock special...AND we're getting 6 22-minute episodes, too!

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2023/05/bridlewoodstock-trailer-and-chapter-4.html#more

(Some spoiler images in the link)

I am pleasantly surprised! I really thought we'd have to wait a while to get a good chunk of more MYM content. I'm looking forward to it!

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I guess it makes sense. The first chapter was also preceded by a special, many many months earlier. Maybe they decided we've waited enough and they're skipping the gap this time. Or maybe this was the original plan but last time the episodes needed more time. Or the special was rushed out ahead of time as a preview. We may never know. The G5 schedule is a mysterious thing.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

I don't know if I want to post this is EVERY thread where it's relevant, but I'll post this here, anyway.

Here's the connecting covers to IDW's Endless Summer specials:

(Spoilered because the file is a little large)

Spoiler

Unfortunately, no, I don't think this is actually a "crossover". As far as I know, this is more like the IDW 20/20 specials. It's more about everyone working on stories about the theme of summer.

Still, it's neat to look at.

 

[Videomaster21XX]

Well we did indeed get six episodes along with the Bridlestock special. Sadly I likely won't have a chance to watch through them till tomorrow night, so I'll have to be wary of spoilers till then.

 

[Shadewing]

Well we did indeed get six episodes along with the Bridlestock special. Sadly I likely won't have a chance to watch through them till tomorrow night, so I'll have to be wary of spoilers till then.

Spoiler

There's gonna be ponies, friendship, and possibly magic in them.