Friendship is Card Games: She's All Yak · 11:03am May 12th, 2019
This week, cultural homogenization meets My Fair Lady to launch the most unexpected canon ship since Sugarmac.
Twilight, you aren’t leaving them in suspense at all. They can just read the poster. You just want to exposit. (Pretty sure it’s alicorn instinct, right up there with delegating everything to Twilight.)
Ah yes, the traditional Fetlock Fete, one of those traditions that we’re only just hearing about but has apparently been going on the whole time. Hardly the first time they’ve done something like this; just think of all the other holidays that cover the Equestrian calendar.
Heh. I do like Gallus and Smolder going together. Snarky pals going to the dance ironically.
Meanwhile, as noted above, we apparently have romantic, possibly reciprocated Yonabar. I can’t say I saw that coming. I didn’t really foresee Sandbar coming out of his perpetual daze long enough to develop feelings for anyone. Maybe it was Yona’s wisdom during “Uprooted” that got to him. Of course, the same dedication to friendship that revived the Tree will backlash when combined with yak expectations of self-perfection and the hippocentrism of the Ponish language.
The animators clearly had a lot of fun with Rarity this episode. Seriously, even in just that first scene, she breaks out so many wonderfully odd faces.
I’m pretty sure we just learned how Rarity developed her accent. Credit to Yona, she avoided eatng the sprouts for longer than I would have.
Wait, if Yona likes brown, why is her blanket green?
The song reflects the same issue Rarity showed in “Spice Up Your Life.” She’s brilliant when it comes to operating within the bounds of society, but she has a blind spot when it comes to when it’s best to work from outside of those bounds. She may innovate in terms of fashion, but she plays the rest of the game by the rules.
Pony Yona brings up an interesting point: Transmutation is an option thanks to the template polymorph Twilight used in “It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies.” Of course, involving Twilight might mean somepony could point out how this might not be the best idea. On the other hand, her using that spell as a way for students to appreciate how other species live…
I’m going to need to remember that one.
Heh. Not only do we get a direct reference to the end of “The Cutie Re-Mark,” there’s also a more subtle nod to Rarity’s very first dress session with Twilight.
Also, that’s not a straight duplicate of the group shot. Tab back and forth between then and now and you’ll see some subtle differences.
Pegasine grace making them the best dancers? I like it.
Fluttershy using a rhyming mnemonic again. Except this time, it’s dancing and not automotive safety.
Angel, stop styling on the poor dear.
She’s been to Sweet Apple Acres before, AJ.
Wow. Maud would approve of that kind of apple obliteration.
Ah, training montages. A tried-and-true staple.
“I think she’s got it!” Just to drive home that My Fair Lady reference.
Deadspik3, huh? What, could they not book Vinyl?
Sandbar has apparently been completely tuned out from what five of his professors and his date have been up to for the last several days.
Speaking of, I love how literally every other member of their circle of friends sees it and is ribbing him about it. Of course, Ocellus can probably taste it.
Nice tact, Silverstream.
Ouch. That’s why they call it a dress rehearsal. Still, props to Yona on the recovery after the cotillion crash. The other one… yeah, no amount of poise will help there.
Sad yak song. Like traditional yak song, but sad.
Wow, Sandbar. The Canterlot comment was a daring risk.
A shooting star? What, do Applejack’s parents ship it?
Ponies clean up after the yakcident while the Student Six just sit at a table. Don’t get up and help or anything, guys.
Wow, that was some serendipitous chocolate.
I love Rarity’s expression as it fades to black. She’s stomping under protest.
This was a fun one. You don’t usually see cultures collide in so literal a manner, though it is a more common theme with yaks. The “boy meets girl, one tries to reinvent themself for the other” plot has been done, especially in the context of a school dance, but there’s enough novelty and property damage to keep it interesting.
Now for the contents of my lucky bucket:
Stomp Warden 1WW
Creature — Pegasus Soldier
Flying, vigilance
Whenever Stomp Warden blocks a creature, Stomp Warden gets +0/+3 until end of turn.
“Okay, how about we all take a deep breath and stop crushing everything underhoof?”
1/3
Recovered Poise 2W
Instant
You gain life equal to the life you’ve lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)
Draw a card.
“Pardon the unpleasantness. May I offer you a cup of punch?”
Twilight’s Lightwall 2W
Creature — Wall
Flash
Defender
As long as Twilight’s Lightwall entered the battlefield this turn, prevent all damage that would be dealt to it.
“Shining was a great teacher, and we all know how I am as a student.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
0/4
Cleanup Crew 3W
Creature — Pony Citizen
When Cleanup Crew enters the battlefield, destroy any number of target Auras.
Years of havoc and upheaval have made cursebreaking as routine a chore as raking leaves in Ponyville.
2/3
Melting Pot 3WW
Sorcery
Destroy all creatures. For each creature destroyed this way, that creature’s controller manifests the top card of their library. (They put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature and may turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it’s a creature card.)
Complex Cotillion 4W
Instant
Tap all nonwhite creatures.
“Of course ponies think it’s a simple dance. Between Celestia and the Tree, it’s amazing they don’t move in lockstep all the time.”
—Discord
Fetlock Fete 1UU
Sorcery
Draw two cards.
Hoofcraft — Draw three cards instead if you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns.
A time to reinforce old friendships and make new ones.
Featherdancer 2U
Creature — Pegasus Citizen
Flying
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, untap target permanent.
Pegasi possess an innate grace beyond the other tribes. Some refine it to a thing of incredible beauty.
2/1
“Fit Right In” 2U
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on “Fit Right In”
2U, Sacrifice “Fit Right In”: Up to X target creatures each become a copy of another target nonlegendary creature until end of turn, where X is the number of verse counters on “Fit Right In”.
Elocution Trainer 3U
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Instant and sorcery spells you cast can’t be countered.
U, T: You may choose new targets for target spell you control.
“I believe what you meant to say was…”
2/3
Droning Lament 1B
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, each opponent loses 1 life.
All yak songs are repetitious. Some are painfully so.
Dubious Cuisine 2B
Sorcery
Each opponent loses 2 life and each player on your team gains 2 life.
Living as far north as they do, yaks have a much more generous definition of “palatable” than most creatures. Also “edible.”
Hippocentrism 2BB
Sorcery
Each creature that’s not a Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
“I didn’t realize how much Equestria equates ‘pony’ and ‘person’ until I looked for it. Now I can’t unsee it.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
Rapid Prance 2R
Instant
Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains double strike until end of turn.
Rainbow Dash’s dance moves double as combat techniques, and vice versa.
Yakcident 2R
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, reveal an Ox card from your hand or pay 1.
Destroy target artifact or land.
Yaks always strive for perfection, including the perfect disaster.
Remixing Dragon 3RR
Creature — Dragon Band
Flying
Finale — Whenever you sacrifice a Song, each player may sacrifice a permanent. Each player who does reveals the top card of their library, then puts it onto the battlefield if it’s a permanent card.
3/3
Whipbraid Yak 3RR
Creature — Ox Warrior
Menace
Whenever Whipbraid Yak becomes blocked, it deals 2 damage to each creature blocking it.
Her horns are only the beginning of your problems.
3/3
Shake the Rafters XRR
Sorcery
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
Shake the Rafters deals X damage to each creature.
Let the ponies hit the floor.
Tweaked Tradition 5GG
Sorcery
Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for 1.)
Return up to three target cards from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Tweaked Tradition.
The future begins with the past.
Lucky Bucket 3
Artifact
When Lucky Bucket enters the battlefield, each player exiles the top three cards of their library face down.
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player exiles the top card of their library face down. Then they may pay 3. If they do, each player discards their hand, returns all cards they own exiled with Lucky Bucket to their hand, and you sacrifice Lucky Bucket.
Runaway Dress Rack 4
Artifact Creature — Construct
Haste
Whenever Runaway Dress attacks or blocks, transform it at end of combat.
“Dreadfully sorry. This isn’t what usually happens when my ideas get away from me.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
4/4
Rumpled Outfit
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +2/+2.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may transform Rumpled Outfit.
Equip 3
Form of the Herd 2GW
Enchantment
At the beginning of your end step, create a 2/2 green Pony creature token.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control no Ponies, you lose the game.
You have hexproof.
You can’t lose life. (Damage causes loss of life.)
I suspect the animators got a software upgrade, because I've noticed other characters having unusual expressions this season, especially Silverstream in this episode.
Anyway, for me this episode was kind of like what "Common Ground" was for you: I quietly shipped SandbarxOcellus, so it felt a little awkward to see my ship officially sink. But to be fair, the episode wasn't anywhere near as cringey as I expected, and Yona is adorable. And Rarity's song was one of the best in the last two seasons. Overall this was an enjoyable, if predictable, episode.
Also, it appears that ponies take "pot luck" in the most literal sense.
Edited to add:
In her defense, I'd prefer to forget about "Non-Compete Clause," too.
A delightful recap! I enjoyed the episode a great deal, in no small part because it was a very well-executed retread of a classic and frequently-overdone plot. When you’re delving so deep into cliche, the only leg you can stand on is execution—and I felt thoroughly satisfied with how MLP charm and Young Six characterization collided to create an entertaining and deep experience. Plus, I’ve long been a closet Pinkie X Rutherford shipper, and I couldn’t help but squee at the junior edition of Pony X Yak on offer with Sandbar & Yona.
On that note, I was deeply skeptical about the new kids last season, but almost against my will I feel that I’m being won over by them. Yona just carried an entire episode and I’m okay with that.
BTW, your cards are truly awesome this time. Remixing Dragon has a fun mechanic, and that flavor text (& concept) in Shake the Rafters is pure Pony Metal perfection.
Could have been a gift. Then again, brown's the color of Yak-fur. Doesn't necessarily means it's her most favorite color - I mean, humans don't usually have "skin-tone" as their favorite color, but I could see her overhearing a comment from somepony that "brown is a dull color" in, say, the context of an art-project, and becoming defensive about it on a subconscious level, or confused at the attitude at the very least. Either that, or brown has meaning in Yak-culture.
By contrast, I can see a pony growing up with a favorite color associated with perhaps their own coat-colors or those of their parents. I know sky-blue is my favorite color because of a toy I had as a toddler.
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Notice that bit where Sandbar asks Yona out? I am reminded of one particular scene in the s5 finale of Steven Universe.
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...Them's no motion tweens.
But seriously, focus on Yona in that shot instead of Sanbar. It looks so weird to see at Yona standing perfectly still, just doing a confused blink at 25 fps, while Sandbar is going through a set of 60 fps Disney expressions, right next to each other in the same shot.
Let's see... Applejack's slightly moved away out of Starlight's field of view, some minor tween-adjustments of manes and head-tilts... Oh, of course, Starlight's mane style is update from her villainous days. And Bulk Biceps smile is widened, as he looks at Fluttershy...
Also... Snips isn't looking straight at the camera anymore... he's now looking at... Scootaloo? Diamond Tiara? Not clear. But that's an interesting detail they'd change where he's looking.
Oh Rarity.
What a "Rari-fail" thing to say in this situation.
Yeah, has anyone done a "species swap" with the student six yet? (Well, outside of visits to Seaquestria maybe.)
I haven't even seen art of a species roundhouse switcheroo...
Except for getting turned into fish or humans or... Breezies, apparently.
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Yeah, pretty much the classic "Pony X Changeling" love story I was partial too myself.
...Was quite a bit surprised at Yonabar. I don't think Yona even had a ship before today.
Also, this marks the first time they shipped two main characters with each other, and didn't bring in either a relatively overlooked character (Sugarbelle), or outright new ones (Mudbriar, etc.).
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Silverstream has the most adorable beak-sneer-thing when she's experiencing emotional extremes. It was really noticeable in this week's episode with her amusement at how "weeeird" Yona looked, but we saw a little of it last season with "What Lies Beneath" and her telling off the phantom Storm King. All in all, while Yak remains Best, Silverstream is gradually worming her way into my heart as she becomes less and less like a bargain-basement we-didn't-want-to-keep-paying-Kristin-Chenoweth Skystar and more her own person.
This party needed a DJ who talked.
A shooting star. It's a shameful Apple Family secret that Bright Mac was an incredibly bigoted pony.
Well, Sandbar looks and acts stoned at the best of times...
Wait, if the instinct is to just let Twilight handle everything.. and she is Twilight.... you know, that actually does explain a lot, like why she keeps trying to do everything herself even when there are other options.
Or just spitting the vile things right out. Though is a good reason to use them, something most normal beings would not want to eat.
Plot Twist! Yona is colorblind!
Let's be honest. Starlight is far more likely to pull out that spell to try to deal with some sort of argument.
I've always enjoyed the Student 6 than it seems most people do on this website (although that's just among the sample size of bloggers I follow). But I never expected to be cheering this much Yona. In her montage, Yona is never spontaneously inept at something, and the strides felt objectively obtainable, just requiring rigorous work. And she works her butt off and attains it.
It would have been really easy to furlough Rarity into being less sensitive than she should be to Yona's struggle. At worst, it might have made her into a condescending prick. But this is the woman who we all admire for her maximum effort, and no hesitation in giving. She never demeans Yona's physicality, her sociology or culture. Her enthusiasm comes from the excitement of sharing something that brings her joy. In fact, this might have been Rarity's first chance to ever do so; I can't recall a time where any of the Mane 6 or CMC ever asked her to tutor them so much in higher society. Also, I'm going to
stealquote FanOfMostEverything's overview to add to my blog post:Actually, all the non-royalty Mane 6 got to share their passions that logically tied in to the Ball, and giving advice to Yona. Amity Ball worked remarkably well as a device for including the original cast that went beyond cameos, and didn't feel awkwardly shoehorned. Also, how rare is it for an episode to have all of the girls EXCEPT for Twilight be have a supporting role in a story?
The time Yona spent with her teachers is never actually portrayed as detrimental or some kind of "pony-washing." Her newfound skills were achieved with her qualities of work ethic, and can probably serve her later in life. (You'll notice that the show never slights her change in recipe for the potluck; that root stew seemed more in line with survival rations.) But there are still nods at ethnic exclusivity that persist even after the threat of overt racism has been defeated back in Season 8. Along with the name change to the award implemented at the very end, Spike accidently slips in the Felock Festive, reminding us that the Ponyvillians have essentially lifted and transplanted one of their own celebrations. Yona is literally pointing it out the (unintentionally) intended audience with the pony silhouettes on the posters. How often has the MLP community seen or used that artstyle and imagery in our own fan works? These stylized pony silhouettes that have for so long been part of the details of the living setting. But now Equestria itself might now be make the conscious decision to change that.
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A really amazing detail is how the end product of Yona's dress doesn't really look right on Yona. The dress itself isn't ugly at all. It just never looks like it's suppose to go over a Yak. It doesn't fit her form and feels more stretched , and the colors aren't right for the distinct mud brown that makes up most of her color pallet. This seems like was literally meant for the pony form of Yona, working with the typical pony form, and having the cream color of her muzzle suddenly extending all across her. Think back to what Fluttershy was wearing during her stint as a model; she may have hated the role, but most of those outfits looked like natural extensions of her character. They didn't just look good, they looked good on Fluttershy. Whoever illustrated all this is a true artist that understands the language of fashion, and captures a struggle that some demographics of people face when accessorizing themselves or are using designing as expression. Say, a black women whose natural hair won't ever be falling down shoulders and back (barring copious hair product).
The only true downside that stuck out to me were the overabundance of cartoon physics towards the end. Yona trips with one leg, and suddenly she's launched at a 15 foot arc. That could be believable if she went off balance while charging, as would happen during during School Daze. But not while just taking several-inch steps. This hyper-destructiveness is something I had worried about earlier with the "spontaneous ineptitude," although not as demeaning to Yona or the audience. Recall the destruction at the end of the first Grand Galloping Gala. The scale of property destruction came from more logical preceding steps, with a statue tilting on its axis (Rainbow Dash) and knocking one heavy pillar into the next. Then we got an unspecified number of scared animals spreading the destruction across the venue. It also just feels more satisfying because each character's faff-up was building up, and then combine like Faux Pas Voltron.
Then there's this weird habit of characters running at full tilt whenever they lose their vision. This is something I found bizzare and extremely annoying back in Games Ponies Play with Peachbottom. When someone's , their first instinct is to try and figure out their surroundings. Why would that ever lead to a decision to INCREASE their speed?
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I guess I'm suppose to realize that this is a reference to the instincts and habits of animals, much like when crowds of ponies shake the ground they're standing on instead of applauding. But that could be made more clear with unspoken details, like a yelling yak noise when Yona her sight is taken from her.
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I had to wait awhile after the Season 8 premiere for Silverstream to win me over, but this was never something that ever dragged her down for me. Just because between the two of them, Skystar is so much more the adult (and I don't just mean the model sizes).
Silver is a very eager follower, towards her friends and towards the Mane 6. When we meet Skystar, she immediately takes the Mane 6 under her wing to explain to them Seaquestria. Silverstream is also a loudmouth, rather than just a chatterbox, with higher volume and over-pronunciation of words when she's excited; excitement which is typically over from something like plumbing or paper. Skystar's ennounciation is more like a regular Valley girl. Her aspect of the Cloudcuckoolander isn't fully revealed until later, when you realize "Oh God, she's talking to the shells." All in all Skystar is more composed and well-spoken (for a My Little Pony show... comparatively), which makes sense for someone in a closer position to taking the throne.
The character arc that actually feels to have copied a lot from Skystar (possibly by total coincidence) is Autumn Blaze's. Both perform a forbidden transformation so that they can go fight for their new friends, defying the will of their reclusive society and tall matriarch.
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(Going back to Silverstream as a follower, she needs another of her friends to encourage her to power through her fears when put through the Tree of Harmony's test. Although Silverstream's struggle was less circumstance of society, and more the fear of getting her head stuck on a pike. WTF Tree?)
They both even have a bit with talking to inanimate objects. But that still doesn't bother me because of the differences in design for the races, the aesthetics of their settings, the unique problem and subsequent magical metaphor facing each society, and the reactions and lessons taught to the pony protagonists present.
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Yeah, I did notice that recycling of character traits between Skystar and Autumn Blaze, and I do wish they had only done it once, but I can't stay mad at AB. She's great.
It always struck me Skystar was a little nutty, but Silverstream is an airhead. Like, she wears her heart on her sleeve and her brain in her talons.
Sandbar. We talked about whether he might be too pony even for others ponies. After this episode, I'm... not sure what to make of things. It feels like he grew some more personality, but at the same time, not..? Like, we got to see more—but that more is more extreme laid-backedness. Well, at least we know he likes his girls like his falling timber: Big, brown, capable of smashing a man in two.
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Aye, Sandbar's sneaky-deaky asking for a date was oh-so adorable. Too bad he didn't expect Yak need to be best, even at not being Yak.
OcelBar was cute, but I'm glad they did this. Gallus still owing hug time to Silverstream and Smolder getting moments with Spike, it seemed like the big, clumsy girl was fated to be ignored and forgotten.
What got me about this episode was how almost all of Yona's self-changes would have been fine, if she'd just avoided the trip-worthy dress and the vision-obscuring hat. Obviously to get the standard MLP message of "be yourself" it had to go wrong, but it could easily have not done.
I felt a bit unimpressed with the episode overall - the plot really felt like one I'd seen done several times before - but I realised afterwards that although MLP does "character tries to not be themselves, it goes wrong, they learn to be themselves" very often, they've not actually done a Pygmalion plot before. So I guess it's OK.
As with Changeling Mockery, "Fit Right In" likely needs a "nonlegendary" clause if you didn't intend it to be an out-of-pie one-sided Plague Wind.
Superb flavour text on many of these cards. Rapid Prance is magnificently Dash, and Hippocentrism makes a really interesting point. All that cutesy worldbuilding language from season 1 takes on a darker light in an Equestria trying to welcome nonponies.
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"Fit Right In" should have that clause, yes. Changeling Mockery deliberately omitted it. It's admittedly a stretch for blue, but it's hardly unconditional removal. Your opponents needs to have a legendary creature and another creature that's worth killing and they choose which one dies.