Warning: Unmarked spoilers for My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Forever is a 6-part Clip Show of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. It aired on Australian channel 9Go! in April 20 - May 25, 2020, long after the series' Grand Finale. Due to licensing issues between Hasbro and Discovery Family, it was not released internationally until the rights have expired, except for Ukrainian Plus Plus.
The Framing Device is set somewhere between "The Ending of the End – Part 2" and "The Last Problem". The Mane Six are making preparations for the coronation of Twilight Sparkle as the ruler of Equestria and Starlight Glimmer decides to make a memory book for the occasion focusing on everyone's signature moments.
Episodes:
- "A-Dressing Memories" (Rarity)
- "Cakes for the Memories" (Pinkie Pie)
- "Memnagerie" (Fluttershy)
- "Deep Tissue Memories" (Rainbow Dash)
- "Harvesting Memories" (Applejack)
- "Memories and More" (Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Celestia, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle)
Friendship Is Forever features the following tropes:
- And the Adventure Continues: The special concludes with Twilight saying the memory book can never be complete, and Spike suggests starting to work on the second volume with everyone.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Pinkie forgets to activate the scrapbook as instructed, so the first three memories weren't recorded. Then she dismisses Starlight's scrapbook entirely in favor of asking Twilight trick questions and tries to make sure her memory-inducing cupcakes work despite that property being something she made up.
- Bad Liar: Starlight and Spike check that Applejack would be incapable of talking to Twilight without spilling the beans about the book, so Spike has to consistently interrupt her. In the end, she says she just wanted to chat with Twilight about the old times.
- Blatant Lies:
- Rarity desperately tries to keep Twilight in place despite her being curious, because Starlight and Spike keep accidentally making noise behind the curtain.
- Starlight and Spike tell Twilight that they've been at Pinkie's shop totally coincidentally.
- Rainbow rarely goes to the spa, so she bluffs that she visits it all the time after Wonderbolts practice. Twilight reminds her that she already used that excuse in "Applejack's Day Off". Her trying to butt in to Twilight's relax time doesn't go smoothly.
- Clip Show: The special is mainly composed of key scenes taken throughout the series.
- Continuity Nod:
- When Starlight nearly exposes herself, Rarity excuses the noise by saying it must be the raccoons from her other boutique.
- Fluttershy is again in charge of the songbird choir like in "Mare in the Moon" and "A Canterlot Wedding – Part 1".
- Angel got a lot friendlier to others after "She Talks To Angel".
- Continuity Porn: Due to being a Clip Show, it's natural that it'd show a lot of references and story arcs, specifically the progress of each of the Mane Six.
- Rarity's episode focuses on her moments of Generosity, her proudest and shameful scenes, expansion of her business and Spike's relationship with her.
- Pinkie's turn of asking Twilight for the happiest memories of her shifts into her listing all the holidays she's made-up. Then she lists different outfits with an even faster montage.
- Fluttershy's episode addressees her struggles with fright and assertiveness, shows the scenes with The Stare and her taming Discord.
- Rainbow's episode emphasizes that she has a lot of interests outside of being an athlete, even if she mainly wants to be remembered for her awesome moments.
- Applejack's episode goes over her moments of being The Reliable One and her relationship with the Apple family, as well as growing to be more open-minded.
- The last episode is an asserted collection of memories regarding the Master-Apprentice Chain and the influence Twilight had on others.
- Epic Fail: During Pinkie Pie's section, the scrapbook repeatedly doesn't record anything due to various errors. Thankfully, Pinkie has Photographic Memory and starts narrating the events of the episode that just happened.
- Framing Device: Starlight Glimmer and Spike go around Twilight Sparkle's friends to fill the memory album using magic, so they watch as Twilight goes over the flashbacks.
- Hand Wave:
- It's not shown how exactly Starlight made a book capable of extracting memories, Rarity makes a sarcastic remark that of course she can do something like that.
- Pinkie Pie makes Twilight reminisce by saying the cupcakes are made with a special scientific method that connects taste to memories. Twilight has heard weirder things from her and just entertains the request.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Pinkie says she expected Twilight to notice that she can inexplicably exposition stuff with exact timing as necessary or has flashbacks to events she wasn't present for.
- Let Me Get This Straight...: "Cakes for the Memories" starts with Pinkie Pie recapping what she needs to do.
- Mundane Utility: Starlight has apparently researched ancient spells only to make a photo album directly from Twilight's memories, which has to be nearby when someone prompts Twilight for the exposition. Rarity drops a Lampshade Hanging that with Starlight being The Arch Mage it shouldn't be surprising.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Twilight is surprised that Fluttershy is struggling to keep the animals coordinated for the performance. It's because they have conspired together to keep Twilight monologuing, and she gets completely fooled.
- The Perfectionist: Rarity has made 14 iterations of a dress for Twilight and made her do test-fitting for all of them. Turns out it's not even the real royal gown but a backup, Rarity has finished that weeks ago.
- Prequel: The special elaborates how the photo album seen in "The Last Problem" was made.
- Right Behind Me: Twilight recalls a few moments she wasn't proud of Rainbow, who without her realizing is giving her the massage and suddenly presses harder.
- Surprise Party: Twilight is Locked Out of the Loop until the photobook is complete.