"[Thinking]Cosmo certainly is special. I only wish I could tell her how I feel. [Aloud] You're so beauti--WAAAAH!"
"It's true, the stars are beautiful! I'm so happy right now, I feel like I could stand here starring at them forever."
"...So do I."
--Tails with Cosmo in "Mission Match-Up" (Sonic X, dub)
I've already discussed some of my hopes/hesitations about the new Sonic cartoon. But now there's more to it. Now it's "Sonic Prime."
YEARS ago, I wanted to see a union of the Sonic cartoons I was watching. Basically I wanted Turtles Forever before that was a thing, but with Sonic.
Cartoons, comics, games: there's a mountain of characters and ideas. Even if some were limited to cameos, it would still be a lot of hype for fans.
I don't think it will happen. Sega owns Sonic, but the rights of individual creations have certain owners (for example, I think Sonic X is owned both by Sega, the Japanese company that made it, and whoever got what was left of 4kids--which made the dub). And it's safe to say anything Penders-made is long dead.
In the back of my mind I still hoped it would happen someday. Maybe as a fan creation. Maybe since the "Sonic Movie" is about dimensions, there would be some multiverse thing and some cameos from the games or something. Now "Sonic Prime" might have a chance to do that even better.
The plot is directly involved in other dimensions. I'm hoping to at the very least see Blaze the Cat. But will the writers take the risks and involve the hedgehog's huge past, or will they ignore it and do their own thing?
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| AoStH |
Rumors have been buzzing around the idea of a new Sonic cartoon. According to a deleted tweet from a while back, there will be a new 3-D animated Sonic TV show exclusive to Netflix in 2022 (same year as the Sonic movie 2).
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| Sat Am |
Since it's arriving the same year as the Sonic movie, it's possible it will follow the tone, or possibly incorporate the same elements (humans, etc). Maybe it's even an extension of the movie-universe, but at this point there is so little information it's anyone's guess.
Animation
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| Underground |
I'm not looking forward to seeing another 3-D cartoon because it feels cheaper. Even the low-budget 90s DiC animation seemed livelier than Boom (which was--facially--expressive, but not much else). Sonic X seemed ideal at the time, but in retrospect it seems shabby to the modern shorts like Team Sonic Racing Overdrive (though those shorts were minutes long, and Sonic X--and the other cartoons--had to be hours).
When I was younger I especially hated the idea of CGI Sonic. Even before the design changes, I already had it out for Sonic Boom because of this (and the Sonic Movie). My exploration of the modern games changed my mind...a bit:
If the show sticks to Sonic's modern design and presents itself like the various openings of Sonic 06 and/or ANY cutscene of Sonic Unleashed, it will work. Night of the Werehog is proof.
Characters
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| X |
Every show has it's original characters. Scratch and Grounder! Sally Acorn! Sonia and Manic Hedgehog! Chris and Cosmo! Sticks! The "movie" has Sara, the movie has Tom Whashisname, and the comics have Sally and the free Tangle and Whisper. This show is bound to create a "mascot" for itself.
The truth is, though, I hope they don't. Or at least not for the first season. The Sonic series has a HUGE cast. In the 90s, there wasn't many "well known" characters so they created their own. In the 2000s, the cast was growing while Sonic X was still being translated over! New characters will be fine, so long as they don't take away from the old ones.
There are plenty of games to adapt and characters to introduce to new audiences (Blaze, Jet, Omega...even Silver).
Plot
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| Boom |
I'd like to see them adapt games again. It would be okay if they took a "loose" route for some (such as the Sonic X version of Sonic Battle or Archie's drawn out version of Unleashed, the "Shattered World Crisis"), but it would be nice to "re-introduce" or "remake" some of those storylines.
Otherwise I'm pretty indifferent. I don't want it to be a comedy like Boom, where Eggman was not even a threat. At the same time, I don't want them to go "too dark" because it's going to be about a talking hedgehog (and that's what fan comics are for, right Evan Stanley and Gigi-D?).
These are the ideal take-always from the cartoons past:
Adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog: comedy without undermining the conflict
Sonic the Hedgehog: showing differences between characters but giving them reason to work together
Sonic Underground: keeping a strong bond between main characters and a goal for the season/series
Sonic X: balancing a large cast while introducing more characters and elements from the games
Sonic Boom: referencing modern memes and "in-jokes" that appeal to the fans
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| Not fond of the idea of Sonic being a "streaming" type of show, either. Sonic X was one of the few "non-cable cartoons" in it's day (not on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney, etc), and say what you will about 4kids, but I respected them for that. |
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| He looks like a train, lol. BTW, Kath Soucie (Sally's voice) also voiced the Little Train that Could, lol |
Sat Am was good for what it was, but when it comes to which Sonic cartoon is better, Sat Am falls pretty low. Sonic X had the "closer to canon" advantage of being made past games like Sonic Adventure. AoStH had a strong Sonic/Tails bond and memorable ytp moments with Robotnik, Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts.
A lot of people did not like Underground, though. It was close to Sat Am, but that wasn't good enough. They wanted Sat Am back, and didn't get it I guess (THE COMICS WEREN'T GOOD ENOUGH?!)
Sonic Underground was different and complex, but it had advantages over Sat Am. Slight animations and visual improvements. The cast of characters were smaller but better and more focused. The origins were more in-depth. Bringing the show ever-so-slightly closer to the games. Having an epic intro, an improved plot, still fairing at it's worst. It's "dark" moments out did Sat Am's "dark" tone, it had longer and superior episode arcs, and the episodes were more impactful.
Sonic Underground the power to challenge the other cartoons, but Sat Am can't compete. It had less episodes, it was the second oldest, it had odd comedy and foolish characters. While it's large cast, relationships, and more dangerous Robotnik were admirable, the execution left much to be desired. It's disadvantages are simply not easy to ignore, especially with the praise the show receives from fans.
I like Sat Am and would likely rate it above Boom and the OVA. However it's extremely overrated for what it is. Sonic X is probably overrated, too, but it deserves the attention. Sat Am created some memorable characters that had better lives in the comics. It is not nearly as spectacular as long-time fans say.
Underground is similar to Sat Am, and I think there are hints it was supposed to be in the same universe (such as the absence of Tails). But Underground improved upon the former while giving itself new life. The singing may not have been the highlight, but Manic and Sonia fit the world of Sonic even better than Sally and the Freedom Fighters. It's a real shame it's never gotten the same affection.
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| BEHOLD THE TRUE POWER I POSSESS! |
The Sat Am cartoon had some good moments, but Underground fared better overall.
When I think about what was good with Sat Am, Sonic and Sally immediately come to mind. Though they didn't have an entire episode focused on their relationship, it would show up from episode to episode. In one case Sonic is talking in his sleep about the love of his life, gathering Sally's attention...until she realizes he's talking about Chilidogs. In the end they take down the Doomsday machine together. Even though Sally could get annoyed with Sonic's immature attitude, they were close and hinted at their affection for each other.
The episodes with Uncle Chuck were surprisingly emotional and memorable as well. The Void, while an odd ball, is fascinating for revealing the fate of Sally's father as well as changing Nicole's personality. The time travelling two-parter, "Blast to the Past," is always memorable, too.
It make have had some lame episodes, but the good ones easily come to mind.
Easily one of my favorites is an episode with Manic. After finding their birth place, he finally feels the sense of "home" he never had before and wants to stay. In the sweet end, he realizes this siblings are his home. Manic also proves his worth in episodes like "Three Hedeghogs and A Baby."
Sonia has a few memorable centric episodes herself, like when she was torn between her brothers and her old lifestyle in "The Price of Freedom" and "The Last Resort." Even Bartley became less of a dXXX after Robotnik accused him of a crime he did not commit.
In another case the group turns a (practically E-series) robot called ARRT to their side, and ARRT saves them at personal risk. Cyrus' debut is also notable. And how about the 3-parter co-staring Knuckles?
Who can't resist when they met their egypt-ish ancestor and find he looks like Sonic? Or when they travel dimensions and find they are their own worst enemy...
Sonic's re-occurring fear of water is something that set the show apart, as well as Manic's impulse thievery and Dingo's weird crush on Sonia.
Sat Am's best moments revolved around it's characters and it's balance between serious and comedic. A lot of the episodes seemed too similar, though, and blur together. Parts of Underground were better than others, but it seemed like they tried to keep the plots more unique. In total, the risk was worth the reward because the moments in Underground pile up in comparison to Sat Am.
The pilots of these shows are not as strange as AoStH's or Sonic X's 2 pilots. They were just normal episodes (...as far as we know?). They both establish the basics of the shows, but Sat Am gets a few points off because...
Sally's different appearance, which...actually may have been cuter. No explanation, though, just confusion that affected the comics and Sally's color scheme in her random AoStH Christmas Blast appearance.
Let's not forget that Rotor's look randomly changes in season 2 as well.
Also, Nicole is a bulky as heck!
"Blast From the Past" was an awesome 2-parter. It had time travel! Sonic and Sally facing their younger-selves! Chuck, Sal's father, the surprising origins of the robotisizer! Snively with hair?!
Still, the time stones were not accurate, or the "floating island" (where's little planet?). Plus Sonic being an adult in the opening when...well...
Small problems aside, it was still a lovable 2 episodes.
Though there wasn't one like it again, the second season did have a bit of a story-arc as they gathered what they could to fight the Doomsday Machine.
Underground has 3-part episodes, though, that out-do all those.
The origins saga is a bit stronger in the beginning (literally) as it shows how they met each other and set out on their quest to find there mother. The first episode is strong, but the others are flat in comparison. Still, it takes the time to explain some things, like how Manic lacks his siblings quick attacks but has the more powerful instrument.
The next is a trio of episodes featuring Knuckles, who has returned after his initial appearance. It has some bizarre twists, like Chaos-Dingo or whatever, but the addition of Knuckles makes it a better set, even if his voice isn't the best.
It's always hilarious interesting to see Knuckles get tricked (gotta' feeling this at least partly--along with Sonic 3 obviously--influenced Sonic X). It's also nice to see them pair Sonia up with someone who isn't a rich jXXXXXX more her speed. Adding a character from the comics was a bit odd, but he's sort of like Knuckles' version of the Oracle and fits right in.
Alone I think "Blast to the Past" might be better than one of these "sagas," but together it's defiantly a win for Underground. Combined with the funny-looking pilot, and Sat Am's at a disadvantage.
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| This might have been from Underground's pilot (not that different than normal). |
Though the cartoons Sonic Underground and Sonic the Hedgehog had their downsides, they had some surprisingly good themes.
Something seen in both is that sometimes winning meant losing something, too.
Even in it's pilot, "Sat Am" began to show this theme up-front in center, with Sonic facing his robotized dog.
A character called Cat saved Sally and Antione but at the cost of his own freedom.
Another character called Ari betrayed Sonic to save his fellow freedom fighters, but Robotnik had no intention of keeping the deal. Ari then helped Sonic, but was lost in the mysterious "Void."
Ari was later saved from the Void, but Sally's father, who was also banished there, could not leave.
The show's end had a rather dramatic moment where Sonic was nearly robotized and Robotnik nearly won.
By far the deepest moment, though, was the events of "Ultra Sonic," where Sonic is reunited with his Uncle, only for the robotisized hedgehog to revert to his mechanical, enslaved personality.
In similar spirit, they later find away to break through to him again, but he remained physically robotisized.
In a similar fashion, Underground quickly made a habit of having the hedgehog-siblings believe they were close to reuniting with their mother just to keep them apart.
As mentioned before, in Underground's first chronological episode, "Beginnings," Sonic's adoptive parents are taken to be robotized, his home is set ablaze, and he cries. In the same episode the siblings various family-figures are robotized and they are left to find their mother alone.
A friend of Sonic's, Cyrus, falls into a plan similar to Ari's, but begins to have doubts. He breaks down and admits it's a trap, but the lion's father was already assimilated robotisized. He actually reunites with his father, but does not have long with him.
In another episode with an idea similar to Sat Am, Sonia is conned and believes de-robotisization is possible.
Sonia falls for a character called Stripes, and he grows affection for her, but has no trouble betraying her brothers.
A a guard who worked for Queen Aleena is caught and robotisized before he could fully help them.
The group rescued a baby and Manic grew fond of it, calling him "Hip." Turned out that Hip was a robot made to spy on them and find their "Sanctuary."
A robot called ARRT decided to betray Robotnik and join their cause, but it didn't end well for him.
The hard truth: neither of these shows are dark. Looking back, Sonic X may have been the darkest show--yes, even the dub. That does not take away from either of these, though, because it's nice to see some emotion mixed in with the more light-hearted themes Sonic thrives on.
Sat Am was colored with deeper shades and tried to shoot for a cloudier mood. Dstyopic, with cold-blooded Robotnik and the threat of Robotisization, it's easy why fans refer to it as "dark."
However it never really affected Sonic himself except for where Uncle Chuck was concerned. Likewise when Sally had a hint of her father, it was swept away even quicker. It had its moments, but the random comedy (and it's not Sonic I'm referring to) offset the balance.
Underground was more stable. It has wacky, silly moments but they did not seem out of place because the show didn't strive to be "dark." Instead they let the serious parts fit in naturally, usually making the reveal a surprise.
Though it's tone was more of a mix of Sat Am and AoStH, overall it did have it's dire moments. Out of those Sat Am characters and events, the only two that seemed truly devastating were the "loss" of Uncle Chuck and Sonic's near-robotisization. Both of these issues were resolved. Ultimately Hip, Argus, ARRT, and Cyrus ended up being more memorable than the likes of Cat. I'll give Ari a bit more credit, but they did save him after all.
To make things worse, Underground based it's entire existence around a tragedy: kids without their mother. And it was cancelled before that could ever be concluded.
Sat Am went for a darker tone, but Underground improved the idea.
Despite being made with a lower-budget, the DiC Sonic cartoons have a soft spot among fans. Some like the light-hearted, Sonic and Tails focused Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Some the more experimental Sonic Underground. But for some reason, Sonic the Hedgehog, or the "Saturday Morning" show, seems to be the most easily remembered.
I like the cartoon, but I would not call it the best. With that in mind, I've been explaining some of the things that made Sonic Underground a better show.
Neither were perfect, though, and this time I'm addressing some of the all-time lows for each series.
THE SINGING
While it could be cute, for the most part the triplet's little songs were a mistake. Some, like "Fun in the Sun," seem to be random and just quickly written into the plot. Others, like "Face your Fear," just don't sound very good. And others, like "Liberty's Gonna Rock," suffer from both of these problems.
Not all of them sucked. If memory serves me correct, the ones featuring Manic's voice faired better. And the "first" song, "Someday," is rather fitting. The best option would have been to have their band as a hobby rather than a necessity--like Sonic's band in (oh no--but yes) Sonic Boom.
Even though music was made into a theme of the show, many times it came across as forced and awkward.
REUSED PLOTS
The second most cringe-worthy element of Underground was when they'd "borrow" a plot from a previous show. This is most noticeable with "Sonic Tonic," but also "Who Do You Think You Are," which reuses the amnesia idea.
DUMB TRANSFORMATIONS
In the previously mentioned "Sonic Tonic," the feet of whoever drank the "tonic" would grow into comical size. Only it's not funny, it's just stupid. Some of Dingo's shape-shifting wasn't very pretty, either.
THEY TRIED TO KILL ROBOTNIK WITH FLOUR
Okay, that's not what happened at all. Actually, they essentially had an opportunity to take him out, but let him go. Always kinda' bugged me.
Except for the songs, which are impossible to ignore, I'd say these worst moments weren't too bad. Still, even though the music is worthy of most of its criticism, each song was just about minute in length. Repetitive, but nonetheless a small part of the episode.
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| To clarify, the main weakness was mostly the vocals/lyrics. |
USING POWER RINGS TO SAVE THE DAY EVERY EPISODE
Well maybe it wasn't every episode, but it sure seemed that way. It made the episodes predictable, and, unlike in Sonic X where the ring simply helped Sonic, in a lot of Sat Am episodes they were always the solution. I get that Uncle Chuck made them for Sonic, but it also seems to have other random traits whenever the plot demands it. It even helped restore Uncle Chuck for some reason.
ADDING RANDOMS WIZARDS AND MAGIC
Sonic Underground was filled with some random fantasy storylines, usually with the Oracle character. The reason it gets a pass, though, is that its main plot already established the show with fantasy elements like a prophecy and magical medallions (talismans).
Sonic the Hedgehog (aside from being about talking animals) was not created with the same themes. Clearly set in a dystopia, with evil robots and "future" technology like Nicole, the show leaned more into Science Fiction. Many "magical" items such as the Power Rings were inventions. Other, more mysterious powers like the "Power Stones" at least had unknown origins.
However, characters like Lazar, the Guardian, Nagus, and even the "Headless Gopher" are all extremely random and go nowhere fast. With some creative thinking, Sonic's speed could have been taken away by some new Robotnik weapon. Maybe Naugus could have been a shape-shifter rather than a sorcerer.
Point is "magic" often came out of nowhere and was used as an lazy way to move the plot forward. The Time Stones don't resemble their in-game versions, so why even bother? Make it another invention by Uncle Chuck. Or have Rotor do something useful for a change.
ADDING IN RANDOM DINOSAURS/DRAGONS
Hey, Underground fell victim to this one, too, when they introduced Knuckles. However, it didn't take over the plot and wasn't really memorable.
Sat Am had a whole, fairly random episode dedicated to "terapods." Then came "Dulcy." Not just the cringe-y character, but the episode as well.
REDUCING TAILS TO THE BABY OF THE SHOW
As mentioned before, even though Tails didn't make it into Underground, his Sat Am counterpart did not even come close to competing with the Sonic-Tails dynamic in AoStH.
Let's ignore that for now, and just look at what Tails did do on the show...
Riding in Sonic backpack, calling Sally his "aunt," having stories told to him, being ignored by his friends (even Sonic) when he thinks there is something up with Sally, playing hockey, picking flowers...
Tails was the baby of the show. While he was running alongside Sonic in Sonic 2 and even saving Sonic in some episodes of AoStH, he wasn't even considered an offical freedom fighter until near this show's end.
What bothers me the most about Tails' role is that he's TEN. Not 8 like he is now. Not 4-5 like in AoStH. He's TEN. The oldest version of Tails (aside from the Archie Comics where he went on to be 11) yet he acts like the youngest. And, really, the others are only around 5 years older, so what makes them think they're more adult?
THOSE RANDOM ANTIONE EPISODES
Last time I checked, this was Sonic the Hedgehog, not Antione Depardieu. Yet strange episodes like "Hooked on Sonics," "Fed Up With Antione/Ghost Busted," and "The Odd Couple/Ro-Becca" gave the character too much screen-time for my taste. Especially "Fed Up With Antione" and "Ro-Becca," ugh.
GRIFF
That whole episode: no. Not a good idea.
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| As if Antione wasn't bad enough... |
Ah, well. They both had weird, annoying, and down-grading moments. Despite the mostly out-of-place singing or poorly written lyrics, I don't think Underground completely suffered. To it's credit, Sat Am wasn't completely tainted by these things, either. But it doesn't help, and I really can't stand what happened with Tails.
Overall I think Underground faired better than Sat Am. Least it didn't take away from who the characters were.
In early canon, "Uncle Chuck" was a very important character. A good inventor opposed to the malicious Dr. Robotnik, early works credit Chuck with inventing the "power shoes" (speed-up shoes) and "power rings" (rings).
Of Sonic's relatives, he's the most reoccurring. The details change, but at its simplest, Chuck was close to Sonic and helped inspire him to take on Dr. Robotnik.
Sat Am
In one of Sat Am's most emotional moments, Sonic reunites with his robotized Uncle Chuck and tries to use a power ring to save him. Eventually (in Season 2) they are able to restore his personality and Chuck is able to help them. However he remained robotsized on the outside. It was also revealed that "Charles" himself created the Robotsizer--to prolong life--but "Julian" Robotnik took the design for his own dark purpose.
Underground
Uncle Chuck reappeared in Sonic Underground as a part of Sonic's origins. While his exact relation to Sonic/Aleena is not made clear, it's assumed (via appearance) that they are still related. At some point Sonic met Chuck in his early childhood, and after his adoptive family was robotisized (and his home burned to the ground), Chuck took him in. Chuck taught him to be a freedom fighter, but like his Sat Am counterpart he was robotisized.
"Grandpa Chuck" of Sonic X
Despite relying more on the games and Sonic Team for background on Sonic X, some elements of Western canon leaked into the anime. One of these elements: Grandpa Chuck (Chuck Thordyke). Chuck is Chris' grandfather, rather than Sonic's uncle, and he's a human. However he shares his intelligence and talent for inventing. Over the series Chuck would grow closer to Tails, becoming a role-model with an almost uncle-like relationship to him.
Comics
Uncle Chuck was faithfully adapted into the Archie Comics as Sir Charles the Hedgehog, brother of Sonic's father, Jules (and brother-in-law to Bernadette). Later in the series run, he was restored to his Mobian self, defended Sonic and the others as a member of a council, and helped with the Secret Freedom Fighters (featuring the likes of Sally's brother, Elias, and Silver the Hedgehog).
Following the reboot, Sega created the condition that game characters could not have family members unless they already appeared in the games (such as Cream's mother, Vanilla). Ian Flynn got creative and brought Charles back with the label "Uncle to Everyone," under the guise that his relationship to Sonic was adoptive (this character was allowed to return because he came from the Sat Am TV show, rather than Penders-written comic characters like Jules and Bernadette).
Despite this, Sonic was shown to be very close to his "Uncle" and Charles likewise tried to look out for Sonic. Over the course of the Unleashed-adaptation, Charles was also revealed as a friend of Professor Pickle. His role in this series, though, would be his last.
Uncle Chuck survived a comic reboot, appeared in 2 cartoons, and inspired another character. Many have tried to mimic the emotional bond between Sonic and Chuck, but the character remains one of the closest to Sonic, even visually. It's a shame the character's gone for now, but who knows? Perhaps he'll inspire someone else...
