I can definitely start by saying that this special is, in every way, worth a look. Everything about it is absolutely wonderful.
Nick Confalone's writing for this special proved to be one of the best he's done for MLP by far. The comedy aspect of the story was nicely done and funny, of course. But not only that, he did a brilliant job at extending himself by incorporating excellently dramatic and impactful moments. I like that he also incorporated an emotional resonance and heart, such as when Sunset reunites with Princess Celestia and the two call it water under the bridge.
The direction by Ishi Rudell and Katrina Hadley, along with their army of animators, likewise put great effort into this episode. They helped translate precisely what Confalone was putting into writing it, and they did it so beautifully. So beautifully, that you can't help but find your emotions getting gently tugged every step of the way.
The music that was composed by William Anderson, as well as the songs "We've Come So Far" and "Invisible", also gave a significant boost for the vision the special was aiming for. Like the writing and direction, they too had a heart and emotional resonance that gave the special a soul.
The voice acting from the ensemble, as well as the characters and character development, were terrific as always.
The addition of Wallflower Blush was quite a nice touch. Admittedly, as a villain, she certainly wasn't the most original, and neither were the outcomes involving her. However, she has an incredibly tremendous depth about her that makes her one of the most relatable characters yet. She's someone who felt neglected, unnoticed, and forgotten among others, and that's something that can cause someone to become hardened. She wanted to connect with others, but she found herself too shy and overlooked to do so, and only through the kindness and friendship of others could she truly be free and happy. As someone who often spent much of his time alone in his public school years, often very shy and invisible from less-than-friendly fellow students, I can totally relate to Wallflower. Wallflower's voice actress, Shannon Chan-Kent, likewise did a wonderful job voicing the character.
Trixie's development in the episode, from being an arrogant show off to a compassionate friend of Sunset Shimmer, was also nicely done. Unexpecting too, because for a while I thought that she was going to be the villain considering how mad she was at Sunset for not including her in the yearbook.
I'd furthermore like to add that Tara Strong's performance as Princess Twilight was amazing. So many moments with her character were really funny and cute, and I loved how Strong was able to push herself emotionally for those moments.
Sunset Shimmer was definitely the best character in this special, though. Next to her appearances in "Rainbow Rocks" and "Friendship Games", this was one of the best installments focused on her, especially because of how well it depicted her coming a long way from being a villain. Her character development throughout, such as her courage to speak to Princess Celestia and her newfound friendship with Trixie, was brilliant! Rebecca Shoichet likewise voiced her character marvelously, putting stupendous feeling into her character.
Now if I have to call out one mishap concerning the special, it would be that some moments with Pinkie and Rainbow Dash may have been slightly cringy. But that's okay, they're fairly passable.
In the end, "Forgotten Friendship" is a real winner for the Equestria Girls series, with a huge thanks going towards the amount of feeling and heart put into it.
