Who would’ve predicted that one shot of two mares sitting on a park bench would span so much fandom? We literally followed these two background ponies like MLP Bingo Night and 9 years later, we get to see them married canonically. And that was before all the moment we had of them even in the human world. I’m sure every shipper across the fandom internally squealed at the duo sharing a piano in Rainbow Rocks without even seeing the movie. And they made enough buzz in the fandom where they even have a short together. But from the title, you can expect a little trouble in paradise. If I were to give this short a moral, it would be not to let anything come between good friends. That, or maybe know exactly what competitions are happening in the Friendship Games before dressing like a peacock and owl. Let’s take a closer look at the fandom’s OTP.
I can know my friends for years and not have moment of finishing each other’s sentences like this. Might be overkill on the “friendship” but it makes for a cute moment with these two.
So if we were to have some form of an antagonist in this short, it would be our lovable and poorly timed exposition speaker Sandlewood. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with his character other than being an exposition dump just for comedic effect. I think it makes it even worse to hate be just because of how earnest and excited he is for the Friendship Games. I mean who can hate such a happy face like this?
And just like that, our arm-in-arm duo goes into anime attack mode. Why this happened like this? I have no idea. Was this a great shot? Buck yeah it is. I’ll say this, these two might need some counseling if the small mention of the Friendship Games gets them this competitive.
And just that easily, Sandlewood is chosen to be on the team for Canterlot High’s Friendship Games. Well if it was that easy, it makes sense how this school lost that many times that Crystal Prep is just bored of it. Oh you’re doing stick juggling? Well can you also ride a motorcycle?
So we can probably say that Luna does know at least what games are going to be done for the competition. Why pick Sandlewood? Maybe to help with the academic portion of the games. I guess I can see how stick juggling is good hand-eye coordination so I can see how he could’ve done maybe the archery portion of the games. And everyone is so supportive of his skill so I can’t be mad at it.
And now we get to the Lyra vs. Bon Bon portion of the short with a lot of images so hang on to your over sized leg boots. It’s about to go down.
Disco vs. Tap dancing. When have the Friendship Games involved any of these type of events anyway?
And now we go into not only a fighting game setting, but they didn’t even have any kids in the background doing the same repeating motions to really sell it. Or have someone just walking by questioning the booming voice over, pixelated portraits and hearts floating above two girls looking like they’re gonna clobber each other. Pinkie Pie, where you at?
Bon Bon…how even?!?! Even Bulk Biceps is just as shocked. I want to think he may have just went easy on her, but that grip on his hand and the veins popping out means he put at least more effort than usual. I’ll give credit to Lyra for not actually punching someone’s lights out.
Anybody else scared? Because I’m scared. Need I remind you that these are supposed to be regular NON-MAGIC INFUSED high school girls here?
How do these two even prepare all of this? Was there just a table full of hot dogs just ready to be injected into Lyra’s mouth. Or maybe the little league soccer team off to the side just didn’t want to get in her way. Look at those eyes. I wouldn’t mess with her either.
As creative as this is, why and how?!? Lyra is sculpting on a spinning wheel, mostly used for pottery, not full blown statues of foreshadowing. And I can’t stop laughing at Bon Bon’s statue that with one hit of the chisel, she made an angry sculpture of herself and even able to do the exact same face. No mirror, no reference picture. Just…pure…anger.
Can anyone explain what the competition here was even supposed to be? Costume design? Performance art? Why are these two girls dressed like birds? Where did any of these costumes come from?
Where are the developers for Them’s Fightin Herds when you need them? I think I found some DLC characters they can use. And yes, they even charged at each other in fighting game style glory. Who won in this charge? I have no clue, but I think I’d rather not know.
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| Micro Chips: “Is it just me or did things take a turn towards Weirdsville?” |
Dude…Micro Chips…you have classmates that have turned into demons, have brainwashed the student body, have wings, and fought evil singers with the power of music. At this point, your school is Weirdsville. And just blogging about this is not gonna get the news crews or scientists here to study your magical classmates with wings.
Oh hi exposition speaker Sandlewood. Giving us more up to date information when we have a bird fight going on in the school yard. But this might be some useful information since Vice Principal Luna put up the results of who’s going into the Friendship Games. Odd how we didn’t see the Humane 6, the girls with magic powers at their fingertips, try out and yet were allowed into the Friendship Games. How convenient.
So it turns out that both girls made the team and will be going on to the Friendship Games. Luna, seriously, what made you choose them again? I’d like to think her and the group of students looking over auditions might have left during the pottery and sculpting, but still. Why?
Maybe for this cute moment with these two becoming fast friends again. I can’t hate an ending like that. It’s just too cute. And I’m sure they had plenty of fun at the Friendship Games they competed so hard to be part of.
(Editor’s Note: Bon Bon competed in the baking section and barely made it. Then they both competed together for the bird house making section and disappeared afterwards.)
And that was All’s Fair in Love and Friendship Games, another brief love letter to the fans who created this shipping to the point of it being canon. I still find it funny and interesting that a short moment from “Dragonshy” all the way from season 1 (which upon re-watching Lyra wasn’t even sitting with Bon Bon, but were seen together in the next shot) spawned these two together. Along with Derpy, these two are probably the most looked for when seeing crowds of Ponyville citizens and as time went on, their character grew until a boulder of character development landed in out 100th episode “Slice of Life”. We followed this relationship’s growth through underwhelming voice changes, Hearts and Hooves Day all the way to their proposal and marriage in Season 9. These two characters who were barely named in canon and fandom are the moments I love about this show and its creators. Hearing out crazy stories and head canons to help shape the world of MLP:FiM and making them a reality in the show. That the care and dedication that I see even in Lyra and Bon Bon, one of the perfect couples we never saw coming. I’m Penny Wrights and I’m suddenly in the mood for lots of hot dogs.
