Friendship is Witchcraft is an Abridged Series using material from My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic. It is a joint project headed by Jenny Nicholson and Griffin Lewis. Most of the voices are done by Jenny Nicholson while Griffin Lewis does the music, editing and sometimes the voices.Rather than directly parodying the show, it presents a version of the MLP universe where each character is just a bit...different. Twilight Sparkle is an obsessive fanfic author, Spike is a universally scorned target of abuse, Fluttershy is an insane cultist, and Pinkie Pie is an orphan who just wants to be loved. Oh, and Sweetie Belle is a robot, but no one seems to have noticed. The resulting show almost feels like a pony version of Sealab 2021.*
The series features original background music and even original musical numbers. Via use of clever editing and special effects, it even seems to be developing its own story arc, revolving around Pinkie's attempts to use gypsy magic to go back in time and save her dead parents.It can be found here.
Fluttershy: This is your cult leader Fluttershy, speaking. Praise Smooze! And, um... remember to leave some money in the donation tray... um, if that's okay with you.
All Love Is Unrequited: Diamond Tiara is poorly hiding her Tsundere crush on Apple Bloom, while Silver Spoon has a crush on her.
Ambiguously Jewish: Diamond Tiara, not because of surname nor mannerisms, but because of her "mark mitzvah" celebration upon getting a cutie mark. It's only really ambiguous because the finer points of pony religions are unaddressed.
Twilight Sparkle: When Fluttershy isn't helping animals learn to read, she's tempting the devil with her dulcet tones! And she's yellow!
Back from the Dead: Rarity's parents, Fluttershy's father, Granny Smith, and a bird, all brought back by Pinkie's portal. When one comes back, a number appears that counts how many have been revived.
And at long last, Pinkie's parents... as babies.
Bad Bad Acting: Applejack and Rarity playing "Applesack" and "Charity" in Twilight's fanfiction.
Rarity's discovery of Sweetie Belle's heart breaking drawing inspires her to write a monologue for her Hearth's Warming Eve pageant audition
Rarity (noticing a pattern?) pretending to have Disco Fever.
Rarity takes acting classes. Sweetie Belle accuses her of being a robot because she has difficulty expressing real emotions.
Spike's butchering of "Reflection" in his audition for the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. Perhaps it's for the best that Twilight forbids him to dream.
Black Comedy: A giant ball of parasprites crashing into a bowling alley knocking down all the pins is pretty funny, except when it kills eight ponies. Then it's hilarious.
Rarity's parents are brought back from the dead, and soon go off for a vacation in "Neigh, Soul Sister". Listen in the background for what happens.
Rarity has PTSD. Cue jokes at her expense.
Even she herself calls it 'Post-Traumatic Dress Disorder.'
Black Magic: Not exactly defined yet, but there is some kind of distinction between "witchcraft" and "legal magic".
Blind Without 'Em: Rainbow Dash admits that her astigmatism made her too nearsighted to join the army during the war or the Wonderballs now. Everything's blurry from her viewpoint. She mistakes Apple Bloom for Applejack at first, and then later both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She refuses to listen to her eye doctor about getting glasses, though.
The "Elmer's bath" that Fluttershy took prior to 'Dragone Baby Gone' appears to be a part of the usual treatment that she and Rarity have at her cult's "Conversion Spa" in 'Neigh, Soul Sister.'
In "Dragone, Baby Gone", Twilight tells the dragon her Gaia name, Celestia2. Later, in "Lunar Slander", a Gaia user with the name Celestia2 suggests to Celestia that her sister is trying to destroy the throne, and that she should make her most faithful student a princess instead.
"Pinkie's Brew" contains the lyrics "Eye of newt and cinnamon". In "Lunar Slander", Pip reveals that he lost an eye, and that his given name is Newt.
Buffy Speak: Regarding the mountain in "Dragone Baby Gone":
Fluttershy: It's so... tall/steep... Rainbow Dash: Well it is a tall/steep thing!
Bus Crash: Implied with Rarity and Sweetie Belle's parents; after leaving, the sounds of an offscreen crash are heard.
Also what happened originally. Apparently Pinkie's brew is wreaking havoc with reality.
Butt Monkey: Everypony hates Spike. They always think of mean things to say about/to him and give him the hardest tasks such as holding a lightning rod on top of Twilight's library.
In fact, in the montage in Episode 3, the Element, Skills, Item and Dislikes of every pony in Team D.E.S.U. are displayed. Every pony has "Spike" in their dislikes. Also see the Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs example above.
Characterization Marches On: In the first episode, Princess Celestia seems to actually like Twilight Sparkle — albeit in more of a "celebrity and Big Name Fan" way than their close relationship in the actual show — and actually asks her for a friendship report. Later episodes show Princess Celestia to consider Twilight obnoxious at best and creepy at worst, and establishes the letters as something Twilight took it upon herself to send and Celestia wishes would just stop.
This may have something to do with the massive shipfic about two of her friends that Twilight sent.
Chekhov's Gun: The line "They say a kitch-en time save nine" from "Pinkie's Brew" seems like a throwaway rhyme, but when various parents start coming Back from the Dead in "Neigh, Soul Sister", there's a counter counting up to nine.
In the same episode as Pinkie's Brew, Cheerilee gives a seemingly irrelevant and paranoid lesson about robots that seems to have no bearing on anything. Then, at the end of the episode, Sweetie Belle is introduced.
Cloudcuckooland: You'd be hard pressed to pick which character in Ponyville is the farthest off the deep end.
As of the second episode it seems that Twilight Sparkle is at least a little crazier than Applejack and Rarity. Though not by much.
Companion Cube: Diamond Tiara gets a gift box, and declares it her new best friend. While Silver Spoon is right next to her.
In the same episode...
*Snails takes a massive bite out of a cake with a smiley face drawn on it. The cake frowns.* Diamond Tiara: Hey! Cakey is my best friend! I get to decide when she dies!
Comedic Sociopathy: Most of the Mane Six seem to suffer from it to some extent.
Mocked by Sweetie Belle:
Sweetie Belle:Why is it funny to laugh at someone else's misery?! "Oh look, our characters are so malevolent and heartless!" Maybe next we'll hear a new cheap catchphrase!
Crapsaccharine World: As mentioned above, it's made as a Bizarro version of the series, with all the awfulness and strangeness such a description implies.
Credits Gag: Rarity's parents are named "Mommity" and "Daddity"
Devil in Plain Sight: It's pretty ridiculous how the other ponies regard Fluttershy when she called the parasprite swarm her "Army of Darkness", killed at least 13 dragons and many other demons, enjoys clubbing Spike with her spiked club, throws rabbits into bonfires, and leads a Religion of Evil (see below).
Even Evil Has Standards: Fluttershy seems to be honestly trying to talk Rarity out of donating Sweetie Belle's college fund to her cult.
The word "apple" and the image of an apple are legal copyrights of the Dole corporation. This episode has been modified from its original version to keep within good legal standing. We thought that DOLE would be a BRO about this, but clearly there is no BRO in DOLE. We hope you enjoy the episode regardless.
Through the rest of the episode, any apple-related imagery is blurred out, and any mentions of apples is subtly changed to other fruits. This includes Cherryjack's name.
Dramatic Irony: Sweetie Belle accuses Rarity of being a "soulless automaton" when she protests attending the Sentient Social with her. Of course, she's also (quite obviously) a robot herself, but nobody (including herself) notices.
Dysfunction Junction: Applejack and Rarity are tormented by their memories of the war, Pinkie Pie is an orphan accused of witchcraft, and Fluttershy is... Fluttershy. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash are the only two of the Mane Six who aren't horribly emotionally scarred, and even Twilight occasionally lapses into obsessive madness.
Everything's Better with Princesses: Along with Princesses Celestia and Molestia/Luna, in "Dragone Baby Gone" Twilight claims Celestia has named her a princess along with being the leader of Team D.E.S.U.
And as of "Lunar Slander" Luna gave her title to Twilight Sparkle.
Extreme Omnivore: Applejack has eaten mud (pretending it's chocolate) and an old sandwich on the floor ("It's still good!").
It seems to run in the family; Apple Bloom eats paper.
Eye Scream: Half the time a character says "Talk about eye candy" it's because something is in or on their eyes.
Subverted in "Lunar Slander".
Newt: Ever since I lost my eye, I've been craving nothing but candy!
Fantastic Racism: In addition to the cast's utter contempt for Spike, adult dragons are apparently kept in cages in Equestria, for children to throw things at. Twilight all but directly states that the only reason baby dragons don't suffer this fate is because they're considered too small of targets.
Applejack is apparently a huge xenophobe:
Applejack: Apple Bloom, the grapes are different than our kind! You know what that means!
Apple Bloom (cheerfully stomping grapes): Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!
Apple Bloom: Applejack and I dec— Applejack: ...ided that I could do the race with you, and we're only— Apple Bloom: Going to charge you twenty— Applejack: Hundred dollars.
Princess Molestia:(magically pulls Fluttershy to her and hugs her) Prepare yourself for a glomp. For this kind act, you have earned yourself one thousand hugs starting now.
Gratuitous Japanese Twilight introduces herself to Luna with watashi wa and is quickly cut off, suggesting the makers never got beyond the first chapter of their learn Japanese text book.
Earlier their dragon destruction team was called team D.E.S.U. although the u in desu is silent when pronounced.
Hair TriggerABBAlanche: Invoked by Fluttershy. For that moment, the falling rocks (and mountainside) play a music video of the song SOS.
Hollywood Tourette's: Averted. Spike's Tourette's doesn't cause obligatory swearing, but it does cause him to involuntarily teleport his epic fantasy trilogy to Celestia... who destroys his years of work, thinking it's another one of Twilight's creepy fics.
Applejack: Oh, hay. I gotta go on home and wreck something so I can file an insurance claim saying the storm did it. See ya!
Ironic Echo: Sweetie Belle practices a song early in 'Neigh, Soul Sister' about how much she loves her sister Rarity. Compare to the song she sings during the race, after rejecting her.
Sweetie Belle:Life is a journey. She has plenty of time to grow up, fall in love, and start a family, like you or I. For love is the fluid that beats through our collective hearts.
Just for Pun: Twilight Sparkle tries numerous puns for the name of her book fort for Princess Celestia.
Laughing Mad: Twilight giggles in a rather unsettling fashion just before showing Rarity her Applesack/Charity fanfiction.
Law of Disproportionate Response: Fluttershy seems more upset with her father over his refusal to come to her softball games or not putting pictures on the fridge as opposed to his setting her velveteen rabbit on fire, or pretty much everything else about her childhood.
Celestia (narrating): Taking drastic measures, Celestia banished her wicked sister to Space Camp for one thousand hours.
Literal-Minded: Twilight thinks Princess Celestia wants her to build a "book fort." At the end of the episode we find out the princess had told her that "books are your forte".
Twilight: Fort... e?
Lock and Load Montage: 'Dragone Baby Gone' uses the one from 'Dragonshy' for the most part, substituting a stat list after each freeze-frame (and adding one for Twilight, who wasn't part of the original).
Loser Protagonist: Apparently shaping up to be Pinkie Pie. In fact, every appearance of hers after "The Perfect Swarm" more or less involves her attempts at witchcraft.
Lost Aesop: The original episode lesson always gets shoved aside by things that distract Twilight.
Episode 1 "The Perfect Swarm":
Princess Celestia: Didn't you learn something about one of your dear friends? Twilight Sparkle: Oh, right! Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned that it doesn't matter if you can slide two feet, or even five or six feet. What's important is that you look cool no matter what.
At the end of Episode 2 "Read It and Sleep" Twilight's friendship report is actually her 70 chapter ship-fic, which she sends to the Princess.
In Episode 3 "Dragone Baby Gone" she ends up writing to the Princess about the ball Rainbow Dash was playing with.
Also in Episode 3, Twilight cuts Applejack off just as she was about to finish her teamwork speech.
Episode 4 "Cute from the Hip" Twilight starts out with what sounds like a normal letter about remembering her childhood only to go on about how much she likes writing and sending letters to Princess Celestia.
Averted in Episode 5 "Neigh, Soul Sister". Even though Twilight doesn't appear in the episode, she gives a lesson (via a micro tape Sweetie Belle swallowed) on always loving one's brother, mirroring Rarity's and Sweetie Belle's lesson in the original episode.
In episode 6 "Lunar Slander" has her write about the difference between a ghoul and a phantom, and how she will one day be able to be a princess to deliver her letters as soon as they're done.
Lucky Translation: Although the Russian translation sadly loses some of the glorious puns that this show has, the joke about Twilight (not) speaking applenese (по-яблонски) is made even better than in the original.
Also works similarly well in the Japanese translation, as the names of every language in Japanese ends with the sound "-go", coincidentally so does the Japanese word for "Apple" (Ringo).
Lull Destruction: Possibly parodied in "The Perfect Swarm", where several shots of Twilight walking along not speaking are dubbed with idle jaw-hanging-open vocal sounds. This occasionally crops up in other episodes as well.
Lyrical Dissonance: "Pinkie's Brew" starts off as a zany attempt by Pinkie Pie to go back in time but quickly becomes depressing as it's clear she wants nothing more than to see her parents. There's a reason the song cuts out partway through in the episode.
Manipulative Bastard: Twilight Sparkle plays Molestia like a harp from Hell in Lunar Slander, and is all but confirmed to have been the one who convinced Celestia to banish her to Space Camp in the first place. Her apparent success in convincing Molestia to abdicate might push her into full fledged Magnificent Bastard territory.
Motor Mouth: Done briefly by Apple Bloom in Episode 4, first while talking to Rainbow Dash about cutie marks, then again while talking to Twilight about Pinkie's gypsy magic.
Narcissist: Along with a touch of Cloud Cuckoolander, Twilight's reaction to seeing her own face (as Apple Bloom's cutie mark)?
Twilight Spakle: Oh, who was that pretty lady?
Then this guy appears on Apple Bloom's flank, and she asks the same question with the same tone.
She also immediately decides that since Celestia put her in charge of taking care of the dragon problem, she can declare herself Princess Twilight (with this picture in the group shot).
Never My Fault: Twilight manages to blame every mistake she makes on Spike.
Nice Hat: While she's still a designer, giant hats are Rarity's specialty. She also has a "hat scarf."
The Nicknamer: Cheerilee doesn't know any of her students' names, and so calls them things like "you" and "girl with the bow."
Applejack tends to call people non sequiturs like "lawnmower" and "wagon wheel."
Noisy Robots: Sweetie Belle is almost always heard whirring whenever she moves.
Noodle Incident: Twilight maintains that her attempt to make waffles in a bounce house would've worked if not for Spike's weak grip, but Celestia forbidding Twilight to enter a bounce house ever again says otherwise.
Only Sane Mare: Oddly enough, Pinkie, despite her canon personality. Her friends still insist on treating her as an evil gypsy witch.
By "Cute from the Hip", she's actually learned gypsy magic from Zecora.
Sweetie Belle is the only one to call out other characters on their callousness, when she's not busy "contemplating the fragility of life" and declaring her love for her sister. Despite being a robot.
Orphanage of Emotional Abuse: Judging from Pinkie's Orphanage songs, she was taught that she probably wouldn't ever be adopted because she was an 'ugly pink earth pony' and wasn't special enough to be loved.
The Other Darrin: Rainbow Dash is voiced by Keesha Bush-Trenerry in "The Perfect Swarm" and Jenny Nicholson in later episodes.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's stunned blinking, to the point where they eventually start blinking with the background music. Followed immediately after by the three thinking of names for their group, to which Sweetie Belle can only think of "Cutie Mark Acquisition Program."
Repeated in "Neigh, Soul Sister". While listening to Spike's audition tape, Sweetie Belle's reflection in the mirror occasionally blinks out of sync with her.
Paper-Thin Disguise: Sweetie Belle is best sentient organic life form. Hooray!
Rarity's parents also died six years ago while on vacation. They come back via one of Pinkie's portals, and then decide to take another vacation without their daughters. And die again, if the offscreen crash sounds are any indication.
Pet the Dog: Rarity missed the eclipse and the attempted return of The Smooze in order to attend the Sentient Social with Sweetie Belle. Even her reasoning for doing so is a little heartwarming. "I wanted to save your soul". She cared enough for Sweetie Belle that she wanted to make sure she got through the apocalypse, when it did arrive.
Sweetie Belle:One lives one's death, one dies one's life.
Pokémon Speak: Rainbow Dash's Smurfing devolves into this in her story of how she got her cutie mark:
Rainbow Dash: I always liked rainbows and all, but I was dashing nowhere in a dash. It wasn't until my very first dash that I rainbowed a rainbow need to dash. And rainbow! Dash rainbow dash rain dash rainbow rain dash dash!
To Twilight, Apple Bloom sounds like she only says the word 'apples.' She thinks she's speaking "Applenese."
Poor Communication Kills: Parodied in "The Perfect Swarm"; Pinkie Pie repeatedly tells the others exactly what she's doing and asks for help, only to get completely ignored.
Applejack: We didn't name ya Apple Bloom so you could grow up to be the president.
Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: Rarity starts doing this several times in "Read It And Sleep", only to keep getting interrupted before she can finish.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: When Sweetie Belle declares Applejack is her new sister, she displays these.
Religion of Evil: Rarity is in a cult led by Fluttershy. They worship "Lord Smooze", a monster from the G1 movie. Oh, and they attempted to summon him during a solar eclipse with the intention of ending the world.
Ridiculously Equine Robots: Cheerilee starts episode 4 by giving a lecture about the dangers of robots, who are indistinguishable from, and believe they are, actual ponies. Then Sweetie Belle appears and starts talking in Robo Speak and nopony bats an eye.
A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Apparently, robots go on murderous rampages if they ever discover their true natures.
Rhymes on a Dime: Subverted with Zecora, who is introduced as "the whimsical rhyming zebra" and proceeds to screw up her first chance:
Zecora: Gather, kids, and form a circle And listen as I...um...uh...'circle'...um... ...Hey, kids, who wants to follow me to the creepy statue?
She later botches what should be an easy rhyme while trying to console the children over the cancellation of Molest Fest as well:
Cheer up, kiddo, don't be sad. This night didn't turn out so...s-sad. Just listen to what I've sa-ai-ad And then you won't feel so sad!
Robo Speak: Sweetie Belle at times drops into stilted speech. Even when she's talking about heartfelt emotions or life and death, it still sounds heavily synthesized.
Also, in the extended version of Pinkie's baking song, she says "God Help the Outcast" which, coupled with how Fluttershy keeps calling her a gypsy, makes her essentially Esmerelda.
The class at the start of "Cute from the Hip" chant "phallic symbol, phallic symbol", mimicking the school scene in the 2006 version of The Wicker Man. Cheerilee identifies it as the Equestrian national anthem.
"The spinning cutie mark was already taken by our local Beyblade champion!"
A subtle one, but when Applejack and Rarity gasp at Twilight "getting the costumes," there's an interrupting Time Skip transition pretty much identical to the ones used in Majora's Mask.
The same sound plays when the day of the eclipse starts.
Smurfing: Rainbow Dash does this with "rainbow" and "dash".
Sound Effect Bleep: Played straight in episode 1. Starting in episode 4, it's replaced with a sound clip of Apple Bloom saying 'Buy some apples!' with an apple and a "censored" bar covering the offending muzzle.
Parodied in "Lunar Slander", where due to a cease and desist letter prohibiting any depiction or mention of apples, the apple image over the muzzle and Applejack's Cutie Mark is blurred and the sound clip of 'Buy some apples!' is censored accordingly.
Rarity's sleep song — based on "Art of the Dress", itself a parody of the song "Putting It Together" — prompts Applejack to remark that she doesn't "care much for covers."
"Your talent is wiggling—" (Silver Spoon wiggles her butt) "—my talent is exposition; both of our talents have to do with plot!"
"What an interesting plot, Twist!"
In The Perfect Swarm, Celestia exclaims "I'm sorry to have to put you through so much tribble."
"The eldest came to be known as Celestia*
pronounced Suh-lestia
, because she raised the sun each day. Her younger sister, who used her powers to raise the moon, was called Molestia."
"...I'd have to say that this was the most touching Molest Fest yet!"
Stepford Smiler. Pinkie. Oh, dear God, Pinkie. She learned to pretend to be happy while growing up in an orphanage, and her skills are listed as baking, smiling, and facades.
And Rarity. Poor, shell-shocked Rarity.
Sweetie Belle:Well at least I don't spend every Veterans Day sobbing on the floor!
Strange Girl: Does not even begin to describe Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight Sparkle: Dear Princess Celestia, today, on a separate adventure, I learned that the letters in my name spell Skillet Witgraph! Can I change my name again? Your faithful student, whooo knooows?
Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion: There isn't a lot of actual rhyming in "Sweetie's Big Race", but two parts have clearly subverted rhymes:
The race has begun We must run fast Jump over the mud Having a good time
and
Making tacky jelly Put it on your head We're gonna win the race Because I am a good racer!
The first line of her earlier song might also qualify, depending on where she was going with it:
Just because you feel upset Does not mean you have to yell...
Suspiciously Specific Denial: While teasing Apple Bloom, Silver Spoon abruptly insists "Diamond Tiara would never fall in love with someone as clumsy as you!"
Total Eclipse of the Plot: The intent was for Rarity and Fluttershy to awaken Smooze during the eclipse and end the world, but Rarity misses it to attend the Sentient Social instead.
You Can't Fight Fate: Everyone fully expects Apple Bloom's cutie mark to be apple-related, even after Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle rant how they could have any cutie mark they wanted.
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