S03:E05 - Magic Duel

[Arcanel 3,041]

And the amulet should've been much harder to acquire.  Something that strong would be locked in a Canterlot vault, not a cheap magic shop. 

And was a different voice actor doing Trixie, or did she just sound funny because she hasn't voiced that role in such a long time?

Well, to be fair, that antique dealer might have stolen it for all we know, put it on display and not give it away unless the interested client would show a hefty amount of bits, like Trixie did.

 

And nope, I think it was Kathleen Barr again. I think she wanted to accomplish a more evil tone instead of the one we saw in Boast Busters, which really went well with her after evil laugh (I think it equals that of friggin Nightmare Moon!), plus, Trixie's more calm and apologetic tone was beautiful.

[Yellow Diamond 7,568]

@@Kyronea,

 

Really? I don't intend to be rude, but perhaps that is taking the joke beyond its intention and attempting to read between the lines, as it were, to infer something wholly nonexistent. I am failry certain the Rule 63 spell was aimed directly at the gender swaps which exist in the fandom. Given the history of the show, the spell clearly had no message beyond this context.

 

As unfortunate as it is that you were upset by the scene, I cannot fully understand why it would trigger such a response. I mean this apart from obvious differences in our respective perspectives. The Rule 63 gag served no other purpose than to elaborate on how unbelievably "powerful" Twilight had become by virtue of the faux artifact. In other words, and I mean this respectfully, the joke isn't worth the irritation.

[Arcanel 3,041]

However, there were some cliche and overlooked things in the episode. First off, the duel at the beginning seemed kinda shabby. It was not as dramatic as I thought it was, and didn't seem much like an actual duel. I expected Twilight and Trixie to stand back to back and walk a certain amount of steps in the opposite direction, then turn around and fire, but that didn't happen.

Well, truth is, like others said, the type of duel most of us were probably expecting would have too much for FIM's standards. Plus, it actually makes sense the type of duel they did. The whole thing was initiated about magic tricks and not ONCE did Twilight nor Trixie hurt the other, so I'd think it was a rather smart idea to make a duel like this. Trixie wanted to win in the territory corresponded to her, and so she did with the help of the Alicorn Amulet.

 

How does zecora know about magic? how come twilight can now break the fourth wall? How did the mane 6 know trying to breach the barrier would alert trixie?

Well, why wouldn't Zecora know about magic? She's a the type of shaman that knows all sorts of mystical energies, magic probably included. Plus, she has that sage feel, and we don't really know where does Zecora come from, but it's obvious she has a lot of knowledge, so I'd think magic would be inside of what she knows.

 

Well, the "portal" had already been opened by Pinkie, and with someone as powerful as Twilight, "getting in" probably is something easy.

 

And well, we don't know how long had the thing with Trixie ruling Ponyville last, so for all we know, they actually planned this by looking into Trixie's routine. Plus, they were innocent rodents. Unless Trixie had been the ultimate villain with a not corrupted mind, She'd probably not be so bothered. Or maybe they saw her doing it before. Who knows?

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

So, on the whole, I enjoyed the episode, but right now I'm still...I'm really disappointed and even angry by the whole Rule 63 spell thing.It seemed like they were real, like genderchanging spells were real, and then suddenly the episode cuts the rug out from under us and reveals it was all a fake.I'm so disappointed and angry over this because it feels like a slap in the face to genderqueer and trans fans.You'll have to excuse me: I have no desire to discuss the rest of this episode right now.

Did it emphatically state that they weren't real? They might exist but still be too complicated for Twilight to pull off ( yet).

[TheLionPaladin 164]

Episode started and ended mostly well. However i did not like why they made trixie remorseful, it's just not her character the should of kept her evil.

[GrandMasterMiku 6]

To be totally honest, I like the canon design of male!Applejack way way way better then the fanons design. It seems rather right. I mean, F!AJ has a striaght mane while M!AJ has a spiky mane, how does that work?

Edited December 1, 2012 by GrandMasterMiku

[khaine21x3 789]

Other fun stuff that has probably been mentioned

 

- stereotype ancient chinese shopkeeper? we might get to see the Pony's Republic of Chimera

 

-Lyra&bon bon shipping

 

-Pinkie pie's father

 

-Tiarawhy references such as the water levitation spell and the trixie banners

 

I kinda wished that pinkie had said something after getting her mouth back at the end.

Edited December 1, 2012 by khaine21x3

[Thewookie Wooker 64]

Trixie is best Commie dictator, her cutie mark even fits the bill. She likes stars as well. Though the banners are more Nazi-esc so I guess she hired decorators from the USSR and Nazi Germany.

 

 

Lyra drinking a random pop during the 2nd duel was hilarious.

Edited December 1, 2012 by Thewookie Wooker

[Arcanel 3,041]

It seemed like they were real, like genderchanging spells were real, and then suddenly the episode cuts the rug out from under us and reveals it was all a fake. I'm so disappointed and angry over this because it feels like a slap in the face to genderqueer and trans fans.

 Um...Kyronea? Not to be rude, but you might be overreacting a bit. I mean, the genderchange spell is probably SUPER difficult to do, like DashForever. Hell, I have no doubt Celestia or Luna might be capable of such a thing. But since Twilight probably isn't powerful enough to do it, she needed to make it seem like she WAS powerful enough to do so. Given everything else, there's also what Thereisnospoon. They probably know about the gender benders done in the fandom, so M. A. Larson, who is normally the writer who makes all these type of gags, took that chance to show it here, PLUS making it look with sense as a gender bender spell, like I said, is probably very, very difficult to do. So...I really don't think they were insulting or anything. Not even unintentionally.

 

I cannot fully understand why it would trigger such a response.

Um, if I so may? The interpretation could come that the gender bender thing being all fake, doesn't really give credit to those who are transgendered and such, or, that the crew was not about to do another "controversial" thing, but I don't really know. I think Kyro right now is a little upset because she is on the path of being genderqueer and such (and I say path because I'm not fully sure and I don't want to insult anybody), so I could understand getting slightly upset about this, I think, but Kyro probably took it a bit too far.

[khaine21x3 789]

Um, if I so may? The interpretation could come that the gender bender thing being all fake, doesn't really give credit to those who are transgendered and such, or, that the crew was not about to do another "controversial" thing, but I don't really know. I think Kyro right now is a little upset because she is on the path of being genderqueer and such (and I say path because I'm not fully sure and I don't want to insult anybody), so I could understand getting slightly upset about this, I think, but Kyro probably took it a bit too far.

 

I'd prefer it if corporations don't push real life political agendas in cartoons and video games, I think that they shouldn't be pushing pro LBGT or pro conservative christian values in the show.

[Arcanel 3,041]

I'd prefer it if corporations don't push real life political agendas in cartoons and video games, I think that they shouldn't be pushing pro LBGT or pro conservative christian values in the show.

I know, and I agree, but someone who is part of the "controversial" things in question might get slightly upset, even if it wasn't intentional, or even if it's probably not true (my belief), hence what I wrote.

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

@

@@Arcanel,

No. You don't understand. And I don't appreciate being told I'm being too sensitive about something like this. It's not about what the intent behind the joke was. It's about how it comes across. And frankly, it comes across in a way I found highly disappointing and upsetting. I was really happy to see gender change spells be apparently canon, and then when they were shown to have just been a fake, it really did feel like a slap in the face.

Yes, I realize what it was actually meant to be a poke at. Yes, I realize what they were trying to do. And yes, I realize that arguably the show just says the spells are something only someone as powerful as an Alicorn could do, rather than saying they weren't possible at all.

It still hurts.

[Wingnut 6,988]

It's too bad this thread is already 10 pages long, because now I want to go an brohoof the first person that identified the Yu-Gi-Oh references in Magic Duel. 

 

I'm a bit slow picking up on stuff at times.  For instance, I criticized the alicorn amulet turning up in a magic shop when it is actually a reference to the game shop Yugi's grandpa owns in Yu-Gi-Oh.  In the first Yugi episode, Kaiba tries to buy the Blue Eyes White Dragon card by offering him a suitcase full of cash.  Grandpa refuses, but to expedite today's MLP episode, the shopkeeper takes the big sack of bits.  Twilight Sparkle saying let's duel is also a trademark phrase from Yu-Gi-Oh.  And just as Yugi relies on his friends to overcome evil, the same is true of Twilight in today's episode.  The amulet itself is an item of great power but makes its user evil, just like the power of Orichalcos used in duels against Yugi in one of the story arcs.  And the episode even ends with a reluctant face turn by Trixie, similiar to Kaiba's although it took him an entire series to stop regarding Yugi as an enemy.

 

And perhaps the biggest irony of the episode is this:  Twilight beat Trixie by using magic TRICKS; illusions like we see from David Copperfield.  Too bad the alicorn amulet only grants its holder a small measure of omnipotence (infinite power) but not omniscience (infinite awareness of all things) and thus Trixie was unaware of the deception being used against her.  Hopefully the amulet will be locked up in a safe place now. 

[Radiance64 7,053]

Other fun stuff that has probably been mentioned- stereotype ancient chinese shopkeeper? we might get to see the Pony's Republic of Chimera-Lyra&bon bon shipping-Pinkie pie's father-Tiarawhy references such as the water levitation spell and the trixie bannersI kinda wished that pinkie had said something after getting her mouth back at the end.

Eh, I thought it was funnier that way honestly.

[Arcanel 3,041]

No. You don't understand. And I don't appreciate being told I'm being too sensitive about something like this. It's not about what the intent behind the joke was. It's about how it comes across. And frankly, it comes across in a way I found highly disappointing and upsetting. I was really happy to see gender change spells be apparently canon, and then when they were shown to have just been a fake, it really did feel like a slap in the face. Yes, I realize what it was actually meant to be a poke at. Yes, I realize what they were trying to do. And yes, I realize that arguably the show just says the spells are something only someone as powerful as an Alicorn could do, rather than saying they weren't possible at all. It still hurts.

Ah. I understand. Sorry. (I should have probably stayed away instead of making assumptions...). But Kyro...(sigh), I better shut up about this. I didn't really know that it could have been taken on a way you did. But, for your sake, I think you shouldn't probably think it feel like a sort of "LOOKIE HERE, GENDER BENDER!...LOL NOPE SORRY! (Slap!)", because that might hurt a little more than it probably would in your case.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

Turns out that M.A. Larson was the one who wrote this episode. Not surprising, considering his works so far have been drive by legions of pop culture references which blend perfectly well with just about anything, really. The Star Wars Episode V reference during Twilight's training (the control of water and standing on it, complete with Zecora's "focus" line), Twilight's return to Ponyville (Dark Knight Rises, anyone?), and not to mention a lot of fanservice. We got to see "Alicorn" become a canon term, Lyra and Bon Bon appear on-screen together (much more obvious than usual), and heck, even some Twixie fodder when Twilight mentions that she cannot "get Trixie out of her head", complete with a wet mane. Of course, the wet mane is more subliminal than one would realize, but it was a nice shot by the animators.

[TheTEChguy27 273]

Gotta love it when Pinkie Pie literally breaks the fourth wall at the end of the episode.

 

As far as the entire episode goes, I liked it, especially the part where Pinkie Pie's mouth was deleted. I hope the Alicorn Amulet makes a return in a future episode at some point... would it even affect Rock/Pegasus ponies?

 

Also Alicorn is now canon. I think. Was it canon before?

[Dark Qiviut 22,379]

Also Alicorn is now canon. I think. Was it canon before?

No, it wasn't. The DVD described Princess Celestia as a "winged unicorn," but never "alicorn." This episode marks the first time we see it being used for the show, and it makes sense because "alicorn" is a true mythological term.

[Java Jive 440]

I genuinely enjoyed this episode, and has possibly become of my new favorites, or atleast high up there in the list. The beginning was suprisingly dark, well the atmosphere was. It definitely adds to the thought that they are really capable of making an actual movie. The feel was right for it, atleast. It's kind of disturbing how such powerful tools can fall in the hands of the black market, you'd expect it to be held safely somewhere in Canterlot. This opens up a whole range of possibilities, there might be so much more out there for anypony to use to his/her advantage... The amulet itself was actually the first thing to ever mention the word "Alicorn" in the show. I think many will be happy with that little tidbit of info.

 

Fluttershy showing some anger towards Twi was hilarious, so protective of her animal friends that even she is close to be given "the stare" if she does anything wrong. And Pinkie getting her mouth & nose removed? ... How the hay is she going to breath was my first thought!

 

About the ending... I've seen my share of people who claim her actually aplogizing like that came out of nowhere. But i believe even she is capable of realizing that she was out of control, and if nopony "helped" her she would've have gotten far worse, also, she was again made very aware that she basically fooled herself while trying to outperform Twilight, even an amulet doesn't make up for it. She's not that bad at heart, of that i'm sure, she was likely shocked of herself and learned her own lesson.... I'm sure we'll see her again, still in a rival kind of way, but open to the idea of helping Twilight and the gang out when they need help. Trixie to the rescue? When she ran off into the horizon and faceplanted, i could only smile. Until we meet again!

 

Also... I'm positive that there's a Derpy sighting in the crowd when Twilight is giving her show at the end of the episode. It looks like her, but again, it's from the side. I havent seen her googly eyes for a while...

Edited December 2, 2012 by JavaJive

[Coco Pommel 669]

omgThat episode was great. I actually sort of like Trixie now. And I like the fact that they threw a few bones to the fans, such as rule 63 Applejack and the little bit of foyay between Trixie and Twi.I miss seeing Derpy, though. .___.

[Two-of-Hearts 168]

Probably my favorite episode of season 3 thus far, and one of my favorite eps in general. I love Trixie to begin with and she hasn't lost her touch. I'm usually pretty skeptical when it comes to pop culture refrences embedded in the show, it seems to me that a lot of bronies say 'oh this is an obvious refrence to this' and so and so, when really its probably coincidental, but this episode I think had a lot of geniune refrences and also nods to the fandom. I love the part where Trixie 'deletes' Pinkie Pie's mouth, that was hillarious. I was though, a little dissapointed at Trixie and Twilights reconciliation at the end, not because I didn't want it to happen eventually, but because I think Trixie should have stayed a reoccuring villian and the final forgiveness and reconciliation coming only towards the end of the series. Oh well, hopefully she'll come back as a good guy now.... cause I do want to see more of her.

[Pancake444 4]

I loved it when at the end it just cuts off right as Pinkie is going to speak! It makes me crack up everytime!

[Dark Qiviut 22,379]

Just watched the episode for a third time, and I love it more and more. And this time, I'm by looking at a few extra things.1. The contrast in atmospheres throughout the episode. The beginning was extremely moody with the tavern, rain, and muted colors. Then the brightness of Ponyville followed by the cloud cover later that day. And finally the beautiful nighttime sky.2. As always, the production stands out so well and gives Adobe Flash the respect this underrated medium deserves. MLP:FIM showed us what Flash can do, but the later seasons demonstrated the extra details, such as the smooth visual animation, colors, the moving around the mouth, and camera angles.3. Spike's rise as an important character. For most of the previous two seasons, Spike was a secondary character. In Season 3, though, he garnered three crucial roles already: being one of the main rescuers of the Crystal Heart in The Crystal Empire, finding the book that describes the Mirror Pond, and now being the one responsible for keeping the team together in One Magic Duel (although Fluttershy found the book discovering the powers and consequences of donning the Alicorn Amulet ).4. Some overlooked genfic material: a possible exploration of Snips and Snails being loyal to Trixie even though she horridly treated them throughout the episode while under control of the Alicorn Amulet. I'm unsure if the writers will ever explore it, but there's a lot of room for developing the friendship between them in many angles: trust, fear, guidance, loyalty, redemption, and even their talents/pursued interests (which for Trixie, it's to perform in front of an audience).

[Twiliscael 3,960]

That..that was fantastic. Season 3 has been kind of a disappointment so far but then this episode rolls in. It did everything correctly. The humor, the references, the plot (of both sorts), and everything~! We even got some Zecora in their!

 

Also, we all have a new title for Trixie:

The Great and Powerful Pushover!

 

EDIT: Also, I think this would have been a better episode as a 2-parter.

Edited December 2, 2012 by Velvet Remedyiscael

[Evilshy 5,090]

It's too bad this thread is already 10 pages long, because now I want to go an brohoof the first person that identified the Yu-Gi-Oh references in Magic Duel. 

 

I'm a bit slow picking up on stuff at times.  For instance, I criticized the alicorn amulet turning up in a magic shop when it is actually a reference to the game shop Yugi's grandpa owns in Yu-Gi-Oh.  In the first Yugi episode, Kaiba tries to buy the Blue Eyes White Dragon card by offering him a suitcase full of cash.  Grandpa refuses, but to expedite today's MLP episode, the shopkeeper takes the big sack of bits.  Twilight Sparkle saying let's duel is also a trademark phrase from Yu-Gi-Oh.  And just as Yugi relies on his friends to overcome evil, the same is true of Twilight in today's episode.  The amulet itself is an item of great power but makes its user evil, just like the power of Orichalcos used in duels against Yugi in one of the story arcs.  And the episode even ends with a reluctant face turn by Trixie, similiar to Kaiba's although it took him an entire series to stop regarding Yugi as an enemy.

 

I noticed most of those, as well. I instantly thought of Yu-Gi-Oh when Twi said "let's duel!", although I made a connection from the amulet to a Millennium Item and not the Seal of Orichalcos, although that works, too. The whole friendship thing reminded me more of Yu-Gi-Oh abridged, where friendship defeating superior opponents is frequently used as a joke.

 

I also noticed the irony in Twi defeating Trixie with smoke and mirrors instead of raw power, totally reversing Boast busters.

 

Actually the only thing I didn't like about it is that Trixie seemed to be turning good there at the end, which I don't like, and I kinda wanted Twi to have actually trained hard enough to actually perform some of those spells, although I can see from a story perspective how giving Twi such an apparently massive power boost in the middle of an episode wouldn't be very smart. I did like how she teleported her friends around to make it seems like she had all kinds of advanced magic, but honestly, I'd think just casting a few illusions would've been easier. But maybe she isn't as good with illusions as she is at teleporting or something? Eh, whatever.

 

And finally, plenty of references, humor, and a few shout outs to the fans. This is definitely one of my favorite episodes