#cdmagic1408

Quite frankly, I haven’t seen this episode very much either!

Pet show contests are a bit overused when it comes to episode storylines for shows because I’ve definitely seen this plot in other shows…

And yeah, tough or stiff competition episodes in general are pretty hit or miss for me 🫤

As are episodes that just reuse story ideas that many other shows incorporate anyway- it would take all day to list literally all episode storylines that are constantly repeated show after show after show so I’m not gonna get into that

But yeah, first seasons for shows tend to fall into this trap and so I will definitely cut Sofia the First some slack for that- but just some

What I could remember about this episode before rewatching it again was that it was nothing special really. I definitely didn’t find myself rewatching this episode as much as others…

But it’s Clover’s first major episode! And the first major episode that focuses on his and Sofia’s friendship. Which does get put to the test here and there in this show!

I do like Clover, don’t get me wrong! But even episodes where he’s the focus I feel are also hit or miss...

This episode I feel like kind of leans towards the miss category. It just does 🤷🏻‍♀️

The only other two things I remembered about it were that Sofia wanted to make Clover more pet show worthy? Perhaps too much?

And Crackle being a bit out of character

But yeah, that’s it really- I mean, when it comes to remembering important events in Sofia, this episode is not life or death- it’s definitely more on the side of episodic

So it all begins with a fair in Dunwiddie village! That apparently Sofia never ever went to before she became a princess because she and Miranda were always too busy working in the shoe shop to have some fun

Poor Sofia…she’s what? 8? At the beginning here? And she had to work? What the heck are Enchancia’s child labor laws?

I didn’t see a carousel or a ferris wheel anywhere at this fair so it’s not like she really missed much, right?

There is nothing more cliche in a pet show than blue ribbons, just saying

It’s nice to hear Amber and James acknowledge that Clover is Sofia’s pet because I thought it wasn’t really established that he is her pet and her pet IN THE CASTLE until next season

I feel like younger me had definitely always wanted to be in a parade too, but these days I feel like that’s too many people watching me 🫣

What the heck is that little word Sofia says when she feeds Clover blueberries? Yip? Hip? LOL whatever it is, it’s adorable!

Ngl I thought Sofia brought Clover blueberries as a bribe. I mean, it kind of was, but Clover didn’t need to be convinced too much

There has never been a more popified song in Sofia the First than the titular “Blue Ribbon Bunny”...not to my memory anyway, and…it’s a little cringe…I’m sorry but it is! 🙈

I love that Sofia the First goes the lengths of using all sorts of genres for its songs, but I do think some genres are better left alone, idk that might just be me though... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Maybe it's Mia and Robin’s singing that's really off-putting, it just…seemed so unnatural…and not like birds! They do a better job in “A Little Bit of Food” imo

I don’t know how the heck Clover keeps all of that food in his bed…I’m not even gonna ask…

For some reason, I thought James entered Rex as his pet for the contest, but he didn’t- I only thought that because I have it more in my head that Rex is James’ pet

Yeah, really goes to show just how well I remember this episode (/sar)

I do appreciate that Amber didn’t want to offer a completely different animal to Sofia- like, Amber knows just how much Sofia likes bunnies and idk I just think that part of her advice to win was nice even if that wasn’t what Sofia needed

Yeah, totally forgot that the castle had a royal zoo amongst all of the other things it has lol

For a rabbit that’s sorta meant to be a snob, Ginger has a very sweet voice

Okay so THIS is the episode where Hildy, Zandar, AND Vivian appear…

Yes!! Vivian is in this one! So glad to see her and Crackle again here!

I love that Clover and Crackle keep up their tradition of Crackle roasting Clover’s food 🔥🥕

I am with Clover on the pink bow, that was definitely unnecessary! Pink is my least favorite color and it’s so not Clover.

To quote Merryweather- make it blue! If Clover couldn’t win the blue ribbon, he might as well wear blue anyway!

Damn, Ginger has quite the bow collection! And some of them were definitely blue! 💙

Yeaaaah, this might just be me too, but I thought Crackle was a bit out of character in this episode. Like, I don’t think she’s ever THIS mad at anyone in any other episode!

I mean, yeah, she had good reason to be, and yeah, a part of Crackle chewed out Sofia because Crackle is oh-so in love with Clover and was jealous of Ginger

But damn, girl, chill! No need to breathe smoke through your nostrils! I mean, what was Crackle planning to do? Intentionally set Sofia on fire? 😬

Thankfully, she didn’t, but Crackle did act as motivation for Sofia to go and get Clover back!

Ngl I kinda wanted Baileywick to enter Ginger himself and participate in the contest- they were both there after all!

I saw Ruby and Jade in the audience! I wonder if Jade entered her donkey…whatshisname…

Yeah, Amber entering her peacock and using her fan and the peacock’s feathers as part of her act is hardcore proof that Amber was super obsessed with her fan during this time! She seriously had it more often this early on than I remembered! 🪭🦚

It would’ve been interesting if we had an episode plot with the whole Clover-Crackle-Ginger love triangle that they attempted to put in at the end of this episode, but I don’t think we ever see Ginger again either…

Uh……was the pet show float the only float in the whole parade? After all that trouble? I swear there were no other floats in front or behind it, what the hell

So……yeah…this episode is just…okay to me…nothing spectacular, definitely not one of my favorites of the show or in this season, but I didn’t hate it. It’s just okay is all.

Introduction

Okay, so I’ve probably seen each of these 5 shorts about 3-5 times at least before I decided to get all my thoughts together!

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from these shorts- like, if they were going to be a series of clip shows of RM itself OR exclusive animation personally introducing us to the new faces and places of this new chapter in Sofia’s story!

I’m personally glad it was the latter, because I would rather save seeing scenes from the show once the show itself finally arrives!

Plus I’m the kind of person that doesn’t want to know absolutely everything before going into new content like RM either! I like to be surprised in some aspects!

Of course, I take it these shorts were “filmed” at least after the events of the series premiere of RM because I imagine Sofia will meet her new friends at Charmswell for the first time there too

And here, Sofia personally introduces her friends and some of what Charmswell is all about as if she’s an expert of the whole atmosphere now! LOL the fourth wall is broken in all of these shorts! That was fun!

Since I already know the names of Sofia’s new friends anyway- it was about time I heard what they sounded like and what their interests are! Because I have been especially curious about that since we got our first glimpses of them in the teaser trailer!

And these shorts are the very first time I have heard their voices at all!

I hoped these shorts would answer some of my questions about Sofia’s friends that I wrote a post about last month, and they have! And so expect a reblog of it at some point!

But yes, this was totally a chance to like, get to know these characters and hear their voices! I genuinely hadn’t heard the voices of Zane, Camila, or Layla yet before these shorts! And I've been very curious to know what they each sound like! I mean, it wasn’t like Sofia was going to do all the talking, right?

I had also written a post about what I thought of Zane, Layla, and Camila after watching the teaser trailer and the intro, which I happened to share on the very same day that Onward coming to Disney Lorcana news came out, and being the Quest Master and dedicated fan of Pixar’s Onward that I am, I absolutely had to scream about that! So ICYMI, have at it!

One thing I plan to do once RM comes out that I did with these shorts too for a start is I used the Voice Memos app on my iPad and recorded my moment-to-moment reactions! 🗣️🎙️

Along with having peeps like you all to share my Sofia thoughts with, this is something I wish I could’ve had when I watched “the first” Sofia the First for the first time! It was something 12-year-old to 17-year-old me never thought to do at the time that 25-year-old me has been doing for the last almost 3 years when watching movies or shows I have never watched before!

And so I feel incredibly fortunate now to have both Voice Memos and people to discuss anything Sofia with going into RM at the end of the month!

But yes, below I will feature genuine quotes of some things I said in my recording of watching these shorts! (marked in bold purple) As well as my usual bullet thoughts like I have written in my Sofia the First rewatch posts!

So now with all that said and done- I give you my perspective on Sofia the First: Magical Friends!

Short 1: "Sofia and the Magical Castle Pets"

This first short title alone implied that it wasn’t just Pepper we were about to meet (or meet again lol). But ALL of the magical pets! And sure enough, that was the case!

Sofia: “Welcome to my school!” Me: “Happy to be here, Sof!”

So even Pepper is a hungry critter and craves snacks like Clover does! Of course, isn’t that a trait of any loyal pet bestie? 😋

One shot of RM’s intro establishes the unicorn, the griffin, and the green dragon as three magnificent creatures

And here we see the same unicorn and griffin from the intro here as representatives of Flora and Fauna’s castle clubhouses respectively!

I want to say Flora had said unicorns were her favorite animal. But I don't remember, though. Either in Sofia or in Sleeping Beauty. Or I could be making this up lol

If that's the case, that was a thoughtful choice to have as the animal representing her! 🦄

So, unicorn for Flora, griffin for Fauna…

And Pepper for Merryweather!

Pepper stands out a bit as the animal that represents Castle Merryweather imo

So far he’s the only one who can talk, and he’s smaller than the other two...

And so I am a little surprised that the green dragon in the intro isn’t representing Merryweather when that dragon is as big as the other two creatures

Is it because the three fairies don’t like dragons? I made a point once before in my rewatch of Sofia the First that the three fairies might have a thing against dragons because of Maleficent turning into one

I might be overthinking this, but that’s a mystery to me 🧐

Nothing against Pepper of course! He looks so cute and cuddly! And FUN! I am absolutely giving him a chance to be a great sidekick!

It’s too bad we didn’t learn the unicorn and griffins’ names…

I also wonder if they speak like Pepper does…

I’m curious to know what other tricks Pepper has in store, next to making rainbow trails from speed, plus disappearing and reappearing!

So I wonder why Sofia and her three new friends- Layla, Zane and Camila- are part of Castle Merryweather… 🤔

It’s obviously how (or part of how) Sofia meets and befriends her new friends!

I wonder if it's and I bet it is- partly inspired by Harry Potter a little bit, without being Harry Potter. Like, maybe somehow they're sorted into Castle Merryweather.

I mean, I love all three of the fairies! Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather! And they definitely each have their own distinct personalities…

Merryweather constantly tries to prove herself and is definitely the most impulsive of the three. Maybe that's part of it.

Maybe Sofia and her friends need more of Merryweather’s personality in order to be truly great magic users? Like, maybe the young royals are all sorted based on what traits they need more exposure to!

Or maybe it’s simply based on what kind of magic you want to learn!

Or at its most basic, it’s totally random!

OR MAYBE they’re all in Castle Merryweather because Merryweather’s gift before Maleficent curses Aurora was never used or brought up? Apparently, it was supposed to be happiness according to a commentary of the movie. But maybe because Merryweather’s gift to Aurora was different and special from Flora and Fauna’s, that’s why Sofia and her friends have Merryweather, because they’re special too, and maybe it’s a way to bring about some magical suspense that is sure to be in this show!

Whatever the reason, I love that Sofia and her friends will be team blue! Favorite color for the win! 💙

And yeah, being a part of this castle is why specifically Pepper is their main pet and their main friend in this show because he is the pet representative.

But yeah, I think I got it straight that Pepper is at Charmswell and stays at Charmswell.

I mean, Pepper does play with Amber and James at one point in the intro, but that's probably because Sofia gets to take Pepper home for the weekend, which, yeah, “take your pet home for the weekend”? That's a tradition that kids in school get to have and do!

So I wonder when that episode will be because I'm sure that will be a thing…

But yeah, Charmswell is not a boarding school. Sofia still lives in the Enchancia Castle! I was already aware of that well before going into these shorts!

But yeah, during the day while Sofia is at Charmswell, she is part of this castle clubhouse, apparently! It's not necessarily or just a building where you learn stuff. It’s…a clubhouse! 🥳

So I wonder what they do in these clubhouses? Like, they can't possibly have all of their classes in there, right? There’s a whole campus ground to learn magic!

Perhaps it’s the place where they do magical group assignments! Or just homework in general!

I can’t wait to see what the inside of all these castle clubhouses look like! I take it we will be going inside them all! But in Merryweather's mostly!

Short 2: "Sofia and Layla's Magic Butterfly Wings"

I was beyond excited to meet Layla first! I was definitely the most curious about her!

I was especially very curious about her magical butterfly wings! 🦋✨

AH-mazing. I AM SO GLAD SOFIA STILL SAYS THAT!

“Hey, Layla! Nice to meet you!” My genuine greeting to her 🤗

I love that Layla remembers her manners lol

Ooh! She's into enchanted gardening????? 🌹✨

idk if Miss Nettle is teaching enchanted gardening like she did in her debut episode of “the first” Sofia the First, but I’m glad they’re bringing that back! I hoped they would!

Next to Sofia, I bet Layla is one of Miss Nettle’s personal favorite students at Charmswell!

I get the sense that Layla strives to do her best in anything she does, including getting the best grades in her classes- but she is not conceited like Devin is

I would say Layla is probably the most overachieving between her, Sofia, Zane, and Camila

Layla also seems to like to try new things! And is probably the first to try something new out of Sofia’s three new friends!

YES!! Layla has a piece of magical jewelry just like Sofia does!

If anything bad happens to that butterfly wing granting bracelet- so help me

“Isn't any day a perfect day to fly?”

I wonder how Layla is at flying in the rain… ☔️

Even Layla flies side by side with the green dragon! Which makes me more curious about what the dragon’s purpose at Charmswell is if it isn’t representing Castle Merryweather (idk what the gender of this dragon is either)

“Yeah, you're like a fairy with those wings, Layla!”

Seriously, Layla IS like a fairy with those wings! I LOVE IT!!!!!!! 🧚🏼‍♀️

“Dracokitties?! Half-dragon, half-kitty??”

They already kind of remind me of the Night Lights! Toothless and the Light Fury’s hybrid children from the third HTTYD film. It already helps that the dracokitties are a hybrid of two different creatures!

“So we have half-dog, half-unicorns, and…now we also have half-dragon, half-kitties? Or cats? I’m gonna go with kitties, since it's puppies and unicorns for puppercorns like Pepper…”

But yeah, they’re dracokittes, not drago-kitties (I might’ve accidentally called them the latter a few times when not hearing Sofia say what they are lol)

Idk if that was the flying horse stable where the flying horses came from behind Layla- I mean, why else would they be flying from that direction?

But yeah, Charmswell is a HUGE campus! We get a good look at it as Layla flies around!

I saw there’s even a playground! And I love the look of it so far! There’s at least two long curvy slides, some swings, and a merry go round!

“So you like sports, huh? Are you into Flying Derby as well, Layla?”

If Layla does participate in Flying Derby, I wonder what her flying horse's name is. Because, yeah, I’m sure there is a Flying Derby field somewhere in the Charmswell campus…

Plus we know the name of Sofia’s flying horse at Charmswell- Wildfyre!

It would be great if one of Sofia’s three friends was a part of Flying Derby with her, and so far...yes! I picture Layla as that friend! And that would be awesome because I always loved the flying derby scenes in “the first” Sofia the First!

I also wonder if Layla is into Dazzleball like Devin is…

And if neither Flying Derby or Dazzleball, what sports does Layla like to play? Something new would also be fun to explore!

I noticed none of Layla’s fellow flying animals spoke around her so who knows if she can understand animals like Sofia can? 🤔

LOLOLOL I love Sofia’s expression as she’s ready to catch the falling Layla- and that she’s prepared to catch Layla anyway!

I can really sense Layla’s active vibe just from her love of flying and soaring in the air because that can take a lot of endurance and energy to do!

Yeah, I LOOOOOOOVE Layla wings!! Plus the fact that she gets to fly with all these different creatures, and that she has SO MANY INTERESTS!!

“So nice to meet you, Layla! I love you even more now than I already did!”

Ever since Mela Pietropaolo was announced as the VA of Layla, I have followed her on Instagram- and I already love her as Layla’s VA! Her voice, her sweetness, her enthusiasm! It's all great!

Short 3: "Magic Spells with Sofia and Clover"

I wondered if this short was where the footage of Clover magically being levitated into Sofia's lap while she’s sitting on her bed from the intro would be from…

I was really curious to see what Sofia and Clover were up to in this one…

Sofia: “Welcome to my room!” Me: “Welcome BACK to your room!”

Sofia’s bedroom is as beautiful as ever! 😍

Tbh it gave me an instant flashback to seeing her bedroom for the first time in “Once Upon a Princess” back when I was 12! Like, I pretty much felt that feeling all over again at 25! 🥹

Nice to see that Clover still has his special carrot decorated bed and is into snacks! 🥕

And that he and Sofia are still roommates! Love that too!

“Magic desk? Oooooh!”

Yeah! Wow! Sofia has her own desk in her room dedicated to magic? That's pretty sweet! Better than a regular desk! ✨

What’s that symbol covering what I am certain is the mirror on her desk? I can’t quite tell what it is… 🔍

Did Sofia conjure up the desk herself? Does she get it on her first day of Charmswell? Maybe it’s miniaturized and it builds itself when she finds a place to put it in her room!

Or did Cedric give it to her?? It would be awfully nice of Cedric to give Sofia a gift in celebration of her going to magic school! And practically following in his footsteps! And maybe THIS IS IT!

(looks at what else is on Sofia’s magic desk) Rather than perfume- potions! Plus a quill! And her own crystal ball?? AWWWWESOMMMME!!! 🔮

“Yeah, you're her magic assistant AT HOME” Yes! While Pepper is Sofia’s loyal pet for practicing magic at Charmswell, Clover is that loyal pet in Enchancia! That’s fair! Cuz I’m sure Sofia will have magical homework to do at home in the castle!

But hopefully Clover gets to visit Charmswell at some point!

Floating Spell- Flotissimo!

I am the kind of person that LOVES to memorize incantations for magic spells!

And I bet that’s the same spell Sofia does to Clover in the intro!

(as Sofia was explaining other spells she learns at Charmswell, I notice behind her to the left) “Ooh! Love your picture [of you and Clover] in the background!”

Battle charms to stop bad guys??? SWEEEEEET! 🤩

Undoozio! Undoing Spell! Must be disappearo’s cousin!

There are definitely a lot of different spells we’re about to see in action! I'm sure we'll learn them all, and all their incantations, and get them in our heads in no time!

I'm also curious about how Sofia will earn her wand, because she must earn that in the first episode, too!

But yeah, Sofia doing magic like Cedric? It makes my heart melt! 🥹

Seriously, Clover- you look SOOOO FLUFFY and CUUUUTE!!!

Short 4: "Magical Music with Sofia and Zane"

@strixmoonwing (hope it’s okay that I tag you!) Your favorite blue boy! I couldn’t wait to find out why he’s awesome!

After learning about Layla’s interests, I couldn’t wait to learn about Zane and Camila’s!

OHHHHH Zane plays the mandolin, not a lute! I thought it was a lute, my bad! 😅

I LOVE the mandolin! In general and Zane’s magical mandolin!

And it's a magical instrument! A concept which was first introduced at the end of Season 3 of “the first” Sofia the First that’s also making its return! 🎶✨

Ooh, there's even a fountain of Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather!

It was also depicted in Layla’s segment, but I first noticed it here in Zane’s segment!

And the water of the fountain is coming out of their wands! That’s cool!

I love that Zane’s first line of dialogue is singing- it’s fitting for his talent as a magical musician!

Me to Zane [melodious tone]: “Nice to meet you, tooooo!” 🎶

This might just be me, but I think Zane has a bit of a crack in his voice- which I actually enjoy! Because I believe Sofia and her friends are supposed to be 11 or 12-years-old now and boys’ voices do start to crack at around that age!

Having said that, I hope Kai Harris voices Zane for RM’s entire run!

“Aye! Devin, too!” I was NOT expecting him to show up here! That was a delightful surprise!

And we get to hear HIS voice too! I am definitely curious about who his VA is…Devin definitely doesn’t have a voice crack whatsoever! Which totally goes with the immature side of his personality!

I wonder if Devin is Zane's best guy friend- or frenemy!

Ooh! Devin plays Dazzleball?

Will Devin also be a part of Flying Derby?

If he likes sports and Layla likes sports, I take it they will interact frequently too!

But yay! Dazzleball is being re-adapted too!

If I remember correctly, Dazzleball is frisbee, soccer, and…football? I think? Three sports all in one! It's a sport where the object switches in the middle of the game and you have to play based on what the object is…

To Zane’s point, Dazzleball is a tricky sport. So are all the sports in the EverRealm that involve an object because more often than not, the objects are enchanted and they’re made to troll you! 😆

And speaking of trolling…

Zane's got a bit of a trickster attitude to him! I mean, hello! He's a boy! That's what boys do! They like to put you on your toes! 😉

So……would Zane be best described as zany? 

Wow! Devin’s eyes go BIG when he's influenced into being happy! 😃

(Zane decides to make Devin sad) “Yeah, you guys are manipulating his feelings right now!”

Being sad over a lonely leaf is pretty silly ngl

(I notice even Sofia wiping her eye in sadness) “Wow, even infecting Sofia!”

I think this is the closest we have seen Sofia crying since OUAP- I know this sounds like a tall order and maybe kinda mean, but I would love to see Sofia cry more often in this show! 🥲

I mainly say that because it’s good to let it out when you feel like you have to! It’s not always the best to keep feelings in, you know?

Overall, it was hilarious when Zane messed with Devin’s personality, and Devin was none the wiser and didn't know about it! But Sofia was aware of Zane’s mandolin impacting mood. Maybe because she is dubbed “the most magical princess” in RM's plot teaser, she has more of an advantage that way… 🤔

“Spooky, you say?”

I initially wondered the minute I heard the name Gloomshire if it was spooky there, and Zane deciding to play something spooky is now making me go back to that theory a little bit… 👀

Like, I wonder if the spookiness in Zane’s music implies anything about what Gloomshire is like- because maybe it IS spooky there!

I mean, I had this other theory that Gloomshire is a kingdom of sweet dreams, and the night is its theme, but we'll have to see! They weren't quite specific about it here, but I hope we will get specific down the line! 😴💤🌙

Btw is Gloomshire pronounced Gloom-sure or Gloom-shy-er?

Love how Devin uses his cape to cower in fear! That was funny! ☺️

Interesting that gloves and a cape are a part of Devin’s attire- since gloves used to belong to Cedric, plus I can’t think of another prince in Sofia off the top of my head that has worn a cape before…

But yeah, that mandolin is POWERFUL! I wouldn't be surprised if it gets stolen at some point…

I mean, any of the magical objects are as much in danger as Sofia's amulet of getting stolen this time I would say!

Also, I think the inside of the mandolin turns different colors depending on the mood!

Yellow for happiness, obviously. And blue for sadness, and green for spoooookinesssss!

Emotions must be another big thing in Gloomshire!

Zane does happy strumming on his mandolin during the intro! The glow in his mandolin is yellow as he, Layla, and Camila appear with Sofia- which I am now just noticing!

But yeah, Zane’s music is definitely going to help us kick off some really catchy beats, I'm sure! 🎶💃🏻

Overall, Devin is a cocky one all right- when not under the effects of Zane’s mandolin

The way I see it, Devin likes to be the best of the best

And while he is that way most of the time, I feel like what we’re all going to like about him is that deep down, he’s a total softie 🥺

But if Devin is irritable in any way, it’ll be great to go back to this short just to see him get trolled by Zane and Sofia! 🤣

So I wonder which castle clubhouse Devin is in? Flora, Fauna, or Merryweather?

“Well played” couldn’t have said it better myself, Sof! 👍

Yeah, I figured Sofia would like Zane as a friend for being a musician like her friend, Vivian, back at Royal Prep! Bonus points for the fact that Vivian also plays the mandolin!

Zane’s magic music, and his magic mandolin, is quite something! 👏

I wonder if Zane plays any other instruments…

Short 5: "Make a Rainbow Potion with Sofia and Camila"

(upon reading the title of Camila’s segment) “Oooooh, so she's into potions?”

We get a whole exterior shot of Charmswell’s main building as we open this one! 😲

I want to guess that’s the ballroom on the left that is detached from the main building 💃🏻

We have Miss Nettle’s statue out front!

And behind Charmswell’s main building must feature everything else in this large, gorgeous set! ✨

The classroom Sofia and Layla are in when they make their rainbow potion- is that the same classroom Cedric and Sofia are in during the intro? And when Layla flies around in her wings while Devin is jealous?

There's lots of books in this classroom too! 📚

Camila’s tiara might be my favorite of the three new friends! 👑💚

I love Camila’s freckles! I don't think I've ever really noticed them before! But they're adorable! 😍

Sorceress Queen when she grows up? I’m gonna guess she’s the crown princess of whatever kingdom she’s from! So is she the oldest sibling or an only child?

Okay! Rainbow spells AND rainbow potions! I’m excited we’re going to have more focus on potions in this show! 😄

Dragon fruit = potion ingredient!

Teleportation Spell- Transposia!

Doesn't Camila do this spell in the intro, sort of? While she taps Sofia's tiara and Sofia sings “became a princess overnight”?

I take it Camila says “oopsies” a lot or at least has the tendency to say “sies” at the end of her words. Like, I take it that's going to be a trademark of hers!

What I love about Camila is she's definitely the most dorky between her, Sofia, Zane, and Layla. The most adorkable!

I mean, I suppose they're all kind of dorky in their own way, but Camila especially because she tried using Transposia multiple times to get the potion ingredient

That star shaped potion bottle is very unique!

Hopefully Sofia and Layla got magically transported to the right place! 😆

I know it’s going to be a long time before we could ever possibly see Grimtrix in this new chapter of Sofia’s story- heck, he might not even reappear in this series at all! -but I can just imagine how much his blood would boil if he ever heard about Camila’s motivation… 👀

Man, the fact that Camila calls herself a “Sorceress Queen” kinda gives me Cedric when he wanted to take over the kingdom vibes a little bit!

But Camila seems too sweet to do something malicious like that. Like, I can already tell from her vibe alone that she doesn't want to do it that way 😇

Final Thoughts

In the end, I am so glad to have seen this introduction to the world of RM before RM arrives! It was totally worth watching! 🪄✨

And I think it’s official: Princess Layla is definitely my favorite of the new characters so far! I am super in love with everything about her! 💖🦋

So we still don’t know which kingdoms Layla and Camila are from- but I can’t wait to find out! 🏰

I am also wondering who loves animals the most between Sofia, Zane, Layla, and Camila- because I believe they all do!

But yeah, it was so great to meet all of them! Like, I can't wait to see them in further adventures with Sofia! 🤩

I believe the most important thing I want to say about this overall is that Sofia seems very happy at Charmswell! And I am so happy for her! With all that she's been through before this, this school is totally her right fit! It has everything she could ever possibly want- friends, magic, sports, music, new things to try! It is AH-mazing! 🥹

And it appears that magic is a regular part of Sofia’s life now! It was always there for her, but now she gets to pursue it full-time!! AAAAAAH!! 🙌

I still believe the animation of this show is gorgeous- yeah, seriously, this is not A.I. people. This is very, truly 100% real art made by real humans! 👏👏👏

Like, these were all really great introductory segments! I’m glad I got to know some of what Charmswell is about!

Plus who's there and, you know, getting the vibe of the whole school!

And yeah, I can't wait to go there with Sofia, and see more of what it's all about once Royal Magic hits Disney Plus in three weeks! ✨✨✨✨

Mother’s Day! How fitting considering Mother’s Day is right around the corner! Next weekend actually! 💐

First and foremost, my heart goes out to anyone that does not or cannot celebrate Mother’s Day. I feel incredibly fortunate to have my mom in my life, and to celebrate her every single day- but just know that I see you and you are loved ❤️‍🩹

So we begin with Sofia heading to her mother Miranda with a pink rose! And the expectation that Mother’s Day is a day just for the two of them like it’s always been...

I wonder if Roland knew about and wanted to tell Sofia that Amber and James would be joining her and Miranda on Mother’s Day, but Sofia was just too excited and too much in a rush for him to do so- idk his awkward “have fun” seems to suggest that to me

I feel like Amber and James should have included Sofia in their Mother’s Day gift, but for some reason, they didn’t 🫤

Like, it couldn’t have been hard for all three of them to plan something together, could it?

That’s why I feel for Sofia’s heartbreak when she sees the pink rose unicorn they made for Miranda 🫂

But it’s a relief that Miranda loved Sofia’s simple pink rose anyway since not all gifts need to be BIG to make someone happy, it’s the thought that counts!

Plus it’s not like Miranda was about to or would ever intend to leave Sofia out- not here and not throughout this episode

And hey, maybe the pink rose unicorn could hold the stem of Sofia’s rose in its hooves!

To be fair, Juneberry Island, once we see it, IS GORGEOUS! Especially the multi-colored trees! Like, I get why the royals would want to go there for their Mother’s Day picnic over the village pond

And on top of that, a picnic on an island does sound like fun!

Also yes, Sofia isn’t told to leave her simple picnic basket behind either, they take that along with the huge made-for-royals picnic basket too!

I see what they did there with the seating arrangement of Miranda and three children in the coach. By sitting diagonally from the mother she’s had all her life, Sofia feels even more left out and neglected...

When initially watching this episode while this show was still airing on TV, I felt like I saw Sofia’s point of view a lot more since it was given the big focus

It helps that I really love my mom and have a very close relationship with her too!

But now that we know the story of what happened to Amber and James’ mother, when before I had no idea what happened to her, I feel like I can understand both perspectives better now! 🫶

Amber and James never had a mother to celebrate Mother’s Day with before Miranda and Sofia came along, and so it’s awesome that they finally do! ☺️

So during the coach ride to the Royal River when Amber says “this is so exciting!” I don’t blame her!

Lucinda!! @lexlight1

Man, the starting episodes of this season sure feature the return of a lot of characters who only really show up once in Season 1! Miss Nettle, Hugo, and now Lucinda!

And I love how we go deeper into Lucinda’s story by meeting her mom in this episode too!

Everything Lucinda said about everyone in her family being wicked witches and never good witches is given its validation here!

I LOVE how Lucinda and her mother match owls on their skirts! 🦉

That and Lucinda’s mother referring to Lucinda as her “little witchlet” makes me think of The Owl House a little bit- Eda’s mother calls Eda “witchlet” as well

You know, I wonder if since the village pond is where Sofia and Miranda used to have their Mother’s Day picnic, if others in the village do too and that’s why Lucinda and her mother decide to do their hexing elsewhere

Because it’s no fun when there’s a huge crowd of people waiting to be hexed only for them all to just run away the second they see you, right?

But yeah, it’s not JUST Sofia whose Mother’s Day feels different this year, Lucinda’s too! Because she’s not wicked anymore and so her hexing tradition with her mother is not as fun as it used to be...

It's cool that we have that plot and Sofia's happening side by side!

The younger Sofia and Miranda flashback moments are just too precious for words 🥹

I want to say that the visual of the royal family all together and dressed up when Sofia sings that her and Miranda’s family grew by three…IS the wedding. That or the wedding reception anyway. But I’m not entirely sure…

In some ways…yeah, I believe moving to the castle and becoming a princess has forced Sofia to grow up a little quickly, you know? 🙁

Sometimes I wonder if Sofia and Miranda aren’t as close as they used to be as a result too

Because their family is bigger, AND because Sofia was keeping the magic of her amulet a secret from her mom too- and for the whole series!

I take it Sofia and Miranda used to tell each other absolutely everything, but now they don’t really anymore- mostly on Sofia’s side of things

As totally great as it is for Sofia to have a father again, and siblings too, I can understand how that set-up does separate her from Miranda a bit, and I feel like part of why Sofia doesn’t share as much with Miranda as she used to do is because Sofia just wants her mother to be happy

Because Miranda is happy with Roland obviously, to the point of calling him “Rollie” which she has done since the pilot, and Sofia didn’t want to make things hard for Miranda by telling her about all the mean things her siblings were doing to her in the pilot BECAUSE she wanted her mother to be happy and to be her happy daughter in return 😢

So in essence, the saddest thing about Sofia and Miranda not spending Mother’s Day just the two of them like they always had is that Sofia didn’t realize the last time they did that WAS the last time

But hey, as Miranda advised to Sofia in “Four’s a Crowd” the more the merrier!

I love that Lucinda listened to Sofia’s entire story song of her and her mom. She didn’t doze off or laugh at Sofia during it or anything- it really goes to show just how much of a good witch Lucinda has become since first befriending Sofia! 😇

I also love Lucinda helping Sofia in a well-intentioned way, even if it’s wrong or at the expense of the rest of Sofia's family because it feels so right for her character who’s working on being a good witch

And in a way, it’s also the least Lucinda could do after Sofia helped her to be a good witch and getting all the village kids to see that she was a good witch too! ✨

It’s not like the watermelon that Lucinda’s mother conjured was going to go to waste anyway, I’ll bet other than James, the animals of the forest would dig in too!

Yeaaaah, considering how many times Sofia does disappear from her family in this show, mainly when her amulet and magic are involved, that adds to all I had to say above regarding Sofia and Miranda not being as close now that they’re royals...

It sounds like this episode is the first time Miranda, Amber, James, and Baileywick individually dealt with witches. They know what witches are, but they had just never dealt with them head on before

Man, I would say seahorses are Sofia’s best sea animal friends! First Sven in Merroway Cove and then the seahorses that Lucinda conjured for her to have time alone with Miranda

Believe me, there are worse g-words than “good”

I don’t think Lucinda had to undo the seahorses pulling the boat with Sofia and Miranda in it even after her mother’s lecture because doing it was still bad on Amber, James, and Baileywick’s end, and for all of them anyway since they were all supposed to spend Mother’s Day together, and Miranda in particular never wanted any of part Lucinda’s trick

Although if the seahorses kept moving Sofia and Miranda around and didn’t take them straight to Juneberry Island, that would have been a whole other problem

Baileywick using fancy language to ask the fisherman to borrow his boat is so unnecessarily funny- like, it’s funny because that’s SO Baileywick, but also would the target audience even understand what he’s saying? I doubt it 😂

LOL Amber’s so funny as she speaks while holding her nose- the one time her fan actually isn’t enough to hold back stench!

I always think Sofia fears for like half the episode that Lucinda hasn’t actually changed her ways and is genuinely being mean to her like she was to her and her friends during Jade’s birthday- but really it’s Lucinda going along with what her mother wants

Fact: I was lucky enough to ride Splash Mountain at Disneyland just a few months before it closed down. It was the first and only time I ever went on that ride. While I didn’t go on it with my mother, I rode it with my sister, and we were lucky to have our mom standing outside waiting for us with our extra dry clothes as we both came out soaking wet and with our teeth chattering (yeah, I distinctly remember just how much my teeth were chattering like crazy after my sister and I went down the big dip- but it was totally worth it!!)

So now when I watch Sofia and Miranda ride the rapids- I think of that! But that whole moment with the two of them is so fun to watch anyway! It’s another one of those times where I can’t help but go wheeeeeee! 🙌

It is unusual that Lucinda and her mother never hexed the fisherman. Yes, they hexed his boat, but not like the fisherman personally

Baileywick as a frog is quite amusing!

Had Amber and James not ducked, would they have turned into ducks? Honest question. 🦆🦆

The rapids I would say were definitely more risky for Amber, James, and frog Baileywick since their hexed lilypad boat was a lot more flimsy than the other two boats- I’m thankful neither of them fell in the rapids and drowned! 😬

Floating an island as a hobby is certainly not something you hear everyday!

​​Temptation with flies or not, idk why frog Baileywick had to help with the rope when his strength was probably not as strong as the others in his hexed condition

I totally get Lucinda going along with her mother's hexing for most of the episode- to make her happy so that they could have a fun day together without any argument and the coming out about being a good witch to her being a hard thing to do

I always questioned why Sofia never told her family about Lucinda before. Just because Sofia was most probably asked how Jade’s birthday party went after the fact. Did Sofia think they wouldn’t believe her about turning a witch good? 🤔

I feel as though this episode is not entirely a year after OUAP since this is the first Mother’s Day Miranda celebrates with not just Sofia, but with Amber and James too- plus her comment about how they’re all still trying to get used to being a family

Mama Bear Miranda standing right in front of Sofia, Amber, and James. “Don’t even think about hexing my family again!” You go girl!

I do love how easy witches in EverRealm have it when it comes to their spellcasting- all they have to do is either say hex or unhex based on what they have in mind for trickery!

I'm glad Lucinda's mom ultimately put her daughter's happiness over her hunger for wickedness on their Mother's Day 💞

And in the end, it is sweet to celebrate not one, but two mothers!

​​All the more reason it was good to bring two picnic baskets! Plus a third one from the witches too!