Check out my YouTube channel if you like video game music mixes! | Sonic fangame incoming! 🚨| Seeker of knowledge | Open to discussions/debates (respectfully)
Since this is blowing up lemme plug.
I do some art. I like discussing Sonic and MHA, mainly art and writing discourse.
And I've got a Sonic fangame in the works for those who always wanted to play the CD opening-
To elaborate on this, Starfall/Super Sonic 2 actually provides a deeper layer to the sun/moon and life/death thematic binaries by adding the series classic thematic binary, nature vs. technology. All due to one factor.
Cyber corruption🧵
Because Sonic is the sun ☀️
When Sonic rests, his adventure has come to an End🌑
Light vs Dark
Day vs Night
Life vs Death
It's a running theme for this series if you pay close attention.
Below, you'll see that Kishimoto's comment on this has continued this motif since '94👇
Cars eyes ain't a bad reference compared to most (I've seen much worse), but if you want to fully understand Sonic character design, simply look at his origin.
The cinematography, lighting, and camera work in this sequence is legit top tier. Pulling the frame away from Maria as the darkness approaches and envelopes Shadow feels intentional. The handheld camera during the build-up to Shadow and Emerl's clash is filled with kinetic energy
Because Sonic is the sun ☀️
When Sonic rests, his adventure has come to an End🌑
Light vs Dark
Day vs Night
Life vs Death
It's a running theme for this series if you pay close attention.
Below, you'll see that Kishimoto's comment on this has continued this motif since '94👇
So The End looks differently to different people. Ian doesn’t know why Sonic sees it as a moon.
The symbolism of the moon is linked with Sonic so often. I wonder why Sonic Team decided on it and why the moon is so important to Sonic
Funny how people are saying this stuff as like a "gotcha, I told you so" to fans who lost trust in Sonic Team over years (for very good reasons I might add).
But y'all need to know that those who seem skeptical or nitpicky or pessimistic want nothing more than to be proven WRONG
"B-but muh Sonic Team could never make good art direction!"
"B-but muh Sonic Team could never do deeper narratives!"
"B-but muh Sonic Team will never be given proper budget!"
"B-but my Sonic Team would never do multiple playable characters again!"
"M-m-muh Sonic Team!!!"
Interesting!
Apparently, Shadow's inhibitor rings were always canon even before Sonic X revealed them to be limiters.
Perhaps Sonic X really does have the complete version of SA2's story!
I haven't seen anyone else talking about the rest of what was said at last week's Sonic Fan Meeting panel in Korea. So I went ahead and translated this small portion where Hoshino talks about Shadow's design. It was pretty interesting tbh
My response to those saying these Q&As don't need to be in character:
Why wouldn't you want it to feel like the character is actually responding to you? These Takeovers feel more like a Q&A for the VAs rather than the characters.
Japan got an in-character Q&A, why shouldn't we?
I really don't understand the pushback against Sonic being a static character. Y'all realize that's just how he has been in these games right? Y'know, THE most praised Sonic stories by fans? Do y'all not want stories like these anymore? Because this is PURE Sonic right here lol
We really do need a new model. Oddly, there are still people who think the current model is fine but even Kishimoto knows it has issues. It can't even be called fan nitpicking atp.
Well said!
To add, saying "I can't blame Sonic for feeling this way" is no excuse for his hypocritical and illogical behavior.
What can I fit here...
Upset at Eggman for choosing to be himself✅
Mad at Metal when he has no choice✅
Annoyed at Surge for making "the wrong choice"✅
Hey so for anyone who doesn't get why people hate this, stop and read what he's saying and think about what he's getting on Metal Sonic's case for. Nobody thinks Sonic being irritable is dumb. Why he's irritable and what he's choosing to harp on is what's dumb.
Been seeing the muzzle curve discourse come back. The people saying "It doesn't matter" or "Sonic fans are insane" need to take a hike. That's how you treat people who critique art? If you don't care, why waste energy into telling others not to care🤨You're being insufferable tbh
I've thought of this a lot.
Only one aesthetic makes people go "this is Sonic," and that's-> Surrealism.
There's a reason why realism clashes with Sonic. It's not Sonic. It CAN be cool, but so are Sonic's aesthetic roots.
S1, CD, OVA, R, Heroes, and Colors go all in on surrealism
Cyber corruption develops like an illness. It slowly paralyzes the body and traps the soul in the technological void of Cyber Space. The perfect counter to Sonic. The representative of nature who is as free and fast as the wind.
However, there is its use isn't only negative
->
SA1. Reuniting the Flicky family and changing Gamma's heart
SA2. Reminding Shadow of Maria's true wish to bring hope to himanity
Heroes. Spurring her friends into action to find their lost friends
Battle. Being Emrel's "mother."
06. Helping and caring for Silver and Elise
Cont.
Watched the whole clip and yeah, nothing was taken out of context this time.
"Focusing it (her love) on one person" - False
"She's not chasing anymore" - So she's not Amy
"We can explore it later" - Sonic Team canned Flynn's awful idea and bro won't take no for an answer💀
For the love of GOD stop taking everything out of context of the BUMBLEKAST! it's literally one of the scrapped plotline that Amy had because she was hardest one to write a struggle for her compared to the other 2 😭. Plz stop the straw man argument you are not going anywhere
Like Sonic, The End is also a force of nature, granting death. As Sonic represents the sun with his heart of gold, The End appears to him as a moon.
Life vs death.
In The Final Horizon The End also utilizes technology for its benefit with a robotic Titan and Cyber corruption
->
Super Sonic is a manifestation of his heart of gold. Shining bright like the sun. Turning thoughts into power with the Chaos Emeralds. The sun, being a star, allows him to also represent a shooting star that has the power to grant wishes. The ever-living wishes of the Ancients
->
While I think The End and even Starfall/Super Sonic 2 could have been executed better imo. There is still a subtle brilliance in it's themematic binaries. The message inspires. Frontiers carries the storytelling legacy of the Sonic series from the beginning to its (almost) End🧵
Life approaches death. Sonic approaches The End. Both forces of nature use the technological power of Cyber corruption. Weaponized by The End, even the invincible Super Sonic struggles to withstand it. But Sonic's heart is incorruptible. With control and mastery nature adapts!
->
To fight an illness, the body must adapt. Sonic does exactly that through rigorous physical training to temper and earn the mastery of Cyber corruption.
This introduces a theme of nature utilizing technology for its own benefit. But, this power also has a catch...
->
From stillness to motion. Nearly paralyzed by Cyber corruption he burns it like a fuel source. Turning a negative into a positive, signified by his eyes going from fierce and powerful red to cool and reserved blue. His heart in control due to his fur retaining it's golden glow
->
I love how people say "Sonic is barely there" and "he's always sleeping" as a way to slander Sonic X when he literally has THE most screentime out of anyone in the show.
Now, I know the OP didn't say it but I see it catching on in the comments
Sonic is not book smart, he is street smart, according to Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara:
In other words, you might catch him with a book but his knowledge comes from experience
This "what's cool changes" rhetoric doesn't apply to Sonic's character like people think it does.
Ohshima and Yasuhara gave Sonic a character who embodies substantive coolness NOT superficial coolness.
Superficial coolness is fleeting, substantive coolness is timeless
Sonic is supposed to be cool, and what's cool changes.
Hence why Sonic has changed, more than once.
What's cool in the US in the early 90s wasn't cool in Japan in the 90s, or in the US in the 2000s.
It's also why we're never getting 2000s edgy Sonic back.
With an unwavering expression and Cyber energy radiating off of him, Starfall/Super Sonic 2 engages The End with a pinpoint focus and the snap of a finger. Life batting away death, defiantly opposing it with arms crossed.
->
Since this reply is still doing numbers, take this reminder that Sonic wasn't always supposed to be the social butterfly that many interpretations depict him as. Sonic X depicted this trait of his character well, especially in its slice-of-life portion.
The End (in JP) is a controller of natural order and seeks to balance chaos. The infinite all-consuming light of the moon believes that dreams of aspiration inevitably march towards death.
But as SA2 fans know, wishes are eternal. The End begins to realizes this truth
->
Sonic ensured wishes were granted. Carrying the dreams of the Ancients and embodying them with his life, Sonic painfully allows the Ancients cyber energy to consume him. Relinquishing control and giving into unatural and chaotic Cyber corruption. Piercing The End.
@nenemyun
His father/creator lived above the clouds (in the Space Colony Ark)
Shadow later battles Mephiles who is named after the demon Mephistopheles
Interesting...
Pariah put into words what I've thought for a while.
I could easily make threads like this about any mainline game with Super Sonic. I can do that since they're thematically rich with substance
No matter how deep I dig, I can't do that with IDW's Metal Virus, and that says a lot
To elaborate on this, Starfall/Super Sonic 2 actually provides a deeper layer to the sun/moon and life/death thematic binaries by adding the series classic thematic binary, nature vs. technology. All due to one factor.
Cyber corruption🧵
🔴TIME OUT SONIC FANS🔴
Harassment and spreading lies about ANYONE is NOT COOL‼️
This hypocritical and toxic behavior from GROWN ADULTS over a MINOR is NOT COOL‼️
All of you participating should be ashamed of yourselves. This ain't a joke. You have set our community back.
Hot take maybe but I've never really been a fan of characters remaining on "teams" post-Heroes.
The world feels so much smaller when you see these independent characters always hanging around the same people. How about we see some new dynamics?
Yoichi originally being kicked is a nice visual parallel to when he finally receives a hand. It also serves as an opposite to the theme of hands = connections.
#MHASpoilers
#MHA407
The solution is to lower his speed. This allows the levels and platforms to be made smaller. Then, place more emphasis on ebb and flow rather than go, go, go! Ya know?
You can also do that by adding more varied platforming👍
This.
Sonic is not trying to change Merlina like some of y'all think.
The line, "That's what I figure," is there for a reason. It almost single-handedly allows him to avoid being portrayed as a hero redeeming his villain but instead, as a friend offering his opinion for comfort.
He only attempts to reach out to her is AFTER she's already beaten. And even then, there's no air of superiority or moral grandstanding, he just offers his perspective. That's why "That's what I figure" is a great line, it's not some profound philosophy, it's just Sonic's nature.
Even Sonic Team knows they have broken the trust of fans since they have apologized MULTIPLE TIMES to us. It's how "hire this man" came to be, why there are so many clashing ideas of what Sonic should be, it's why One Way Dream exists.
There is reason to be skeptical.
I feel like this ad conveys Sonic Team's vision for Sonic Frontiers the best.
"Sonic gets over any kinds of difficulties. No enemy can stop him. No one can stop Sonic. Sonic never stops, Sonic keeps running...WE will keep running" - Morio Kishimoto
BTW Eggman reminiscing on being Mr Tinker is 0 excuse for Sonic wishing he'd change since
Sonic enjoys fighting him
Sonic knows he wasn't good by choice
Sonic knows Eggman loves being himself
Sonic wants people to make their own choices
+Eggman reciting Open Your Heart to Sonic🤮
Shoto vs. Dabi and Ochako vs. Toga didn't even get snubbed like Deku vs. Shigaraki.
Crazy how we saw side characters' fights from beginning to end but not even the main protagonist and antagonist🤨
#MHA402
We are finally on the Shigaraki vs Deku fight and they’re such a non factor, the focus is STILL on All Might vs AFO, not to mention we flat out skipped the 20 minutes they spend fighting since Tomura took back control over his body 🫠
#MHA402
WE should be critical. WE are the money that keeps this franchise afloat. WE made Sonic what it is. Do not shut others down. Understand them. This goes for everyone. This ain't no old fans vs new fans. We are all passionate for Sonic and we are all in this together.
Once again ignoring the fact that we barely saw Modern Amy getting comedically snappy like this for years until now🤭
Regardless we move Amy fans😎
TY Evan Stanely🙏
Yes, Sonic Team isn't fully to blame because Sammy has had a chokehold on this franchise. But when we attack or mock each other for being a seeming "annoyingly jaded", it's MUCH better to take Sonic's advice and Open. Your. Heart. Stop feeding into this cycle of negativity.
For those who don't know, Omega was built to support Shadow and keep him in check.
In 06, He singlehandedly held off Mephelis who then revealed that Omega defeats and seals Shadow in the future.
Compared to Metal, a copy that rivals Sonic's speed, Omega is the "anti-Shadow."
Great thread💙
Sonic characterization discourse is a warzone but the other characters have it bad too.
Amy feels like a shell of her former self now. It's sad that we have to defend characters when all we want them to be is themselves
Here's why I love Amy. The 2000s did it best
This Modern characterization discourse is so funny to me
We criticize how a character is being portrayed
A writer listens and adjusts accordingly
We praise them for listening to criticism and satisfying us
And others mock us for not being satisfied in the first place
So goofy😂
Once again ignoring the fact that we barely saw Modern Amy getting comedically snappy like this for years until now🤭
Regardless we move Amy fans😎
TY Evan Stanely🙏
I'm telling y'all, Sonic Team really had him thought out at the very beginning. The Sonamy dynamic is a product of that 30-year-old document. We have Ohshima and Yasuhara to thank for getting the ball rolling and writers like Meakawa, Yoshimura, & now Toyoda for keeping it alive.
I used to be a Sonamy denier but this is flipping real. The only time Sonic will show it openly like this is when it’s not the real Amy, but even then he’s still a bit shy about it. Can’t believe it took me this long to piece it together.
Pariah likes Scapnik Island and Daniel Barnes' work👍
This man has gone beyond living up to his name and become a literal boogeyman in this community. I thought I'd help put that to rest by showing how he is just another critical fan who wants the best for the Sonic series.
Great video💙
I'll say this since I think it should've been at the start:
18 mins he says those who can't handle ruthless criticism shouldn't watch. He doesn't hold back in talking about the comics' pros and cons. He remains fair while honest that he had a bad experience with IDW
Never say Sonic fans are never satisfied
Never say Sonic fans don't know what they want
Never say Sonic fans don't deserve better
We are finally beyond a step in the right direction
We are amidst a new Frontier
"Knuckles is stubborn and strong as a rock"
Another point for Knuckles being earth-based instead of fire-based
- His climbing/digging
- He was almost a mole
- His connection to a big ol rock
- His isolated life on a floating rock
If Sonic is the wind, Knuckles is the mountain⛰️
Went on and did translations for the character bios myself. Please keep in mind that these are *mostly* directly translated so some expressions might sound off, also that I’m no professional translator and I did this mostly for fun
have a fun read, these are really good! (1 / 3)
Since Sonic 2, Sonic has had flat character arcs. He carries a truth and then uses that truth to positively change those around him.
A key part of his role is to INSPIRE positive character arcs.
THIS is what makes him special and unique from any other character in the series.
Nah I was feeling nostalgic watching that vid and your passive aggressive remarks killed the vibe ngl
Attacking newer fans is only gonna make us look bad. We wanna invite them into the old stuff, not make them resent it, ya know?
You Gen Alpha and late Gen Z Sonic Fans will never understand what growing up with 2000s Sonic content was like
Y’all had Frontiers, Prime, Superstars and the Movies
We had Unleashed, Rush, X and Archie
I feel sorry for y’all, y’all will never know what Peak Sonic is 👎🏾😹👎🏾
Unleashed. Reassuring Prof. Pickle to hope and trust in Sonic
This "new" arc of Amy in Frontiers wanting to spread love with the world was something Amy was already doing. To act like Frontiers "saved" Amy's character is either lack of knowledge or ignorance of her past history.
@PersonthePerso2
The debris is the reason she fell. She wasn't trying to kill herself.
Sonic saw her choice of not taking his hand as the wrong choice is what I'm getting at here. It's not really in line with Sonic since he believes it doesn't matter who is wrong or right according to his theme
Yes, there are people who REALLY understand Sonic's character. Eitaro Toyoda, for example. He has handled the Japanese rewrites of games since 2010, worked as a character supervisor for JP Sonic media, and wrote the Sonic Channel stories and 25th-anniversary comics.
#Toyoda4Sonic
Need to get this off my chest.
IF SOMEONE SEEMS "TOO NITPICKY" TO YOU, DO NOT ENGAGE
After seeing some tension over the reveal of the Generations Remaster, I wanna nip this issue in the bud for those who might see this thread before things gets even worse
Yeah idk man I’ve watched the trailer back like 4 times now and the gameplay just does not look good
It literally just looks like Sonic Forces level design and controls
Visuals are stunning though, probably the best the series has ever looked
I'm pretty optimistic for Shadow's character in Generations because of this man right here.
Eitaro Toyoda has consistently proven he has Shadow nailed to a T.
Not to mention Toyoda is Maekawa's friend and protégé, so he's also carrying on his legacy for Shadow.
#Toyoda4Sonic
There are multiple stories by Toyoda that I love but I'd also like to shout out Episode Shadow for Sonic Forces which is the only in-game thing he's written. This dlc is to this day the only game post Black Knight with character interactions that really does it for me. (Old edit)
Yoichi originally being kicked is a nice visual parallel to when he finally receives a hand. It also serves as an opposite to the theme of hands = connections.
#MHASpoilers
#MHA407
Now that we have all of Deku's costume designs in the anime...RANK THEM
Costume Alpha
U.S.J. Costume
Costume Beta
Costume Gamma
Costume Delta
Stealth Costume (WHM)
Costume Epsilon
Costume Epsilon (with mask)
Costume Zeta
#MHA
Secret Rings.
Darkspine Sonic is fueled by power from Sharah's rage, hatred, and sadness due to her abuse from Erazor Djinn. This transformation from negative emotions shows how sometimes these emotions are necessary to deal with someone who is hurting you. A thematic connection.
🟡"Street smart, but warm at heart" ~ The Sonic Technical Files
Sonic's first bio makes a point to describe the warmth of his heart.
Though a cool shade of blue, there isn't an ounce of coldness inside. His confidence, courage, freedom, and loyalty are all contained in his heart
Funny thing about arguments like these miss is that the comic is meant to depict the Sonic we know from the games, so IDW literally can't be treated as it's own thing. Now if it wasn't canon this would be a different story. It's an unfortunate situation I'm afraid.
I just watched half of this video as of writing this tweet, and I can't help but get caught up on Pariah695's section on Characterisation coming off as, "These characters are being depicted in a way I don't remember or like, so I can't treat it with its own merit."
Exactly! I'll add that Sonic was 18 in his earliest bio by Ohshima and Yasuhara. "Classic" Sonic was always the older version despite what Generations said.
"Classic" Sonic isn't actually less mature than "Modern" Sonic. They were always the same character with different designs.
I've received enough replies on the subject that I decided I needed to make a thread on why I do not believe Classic Sonic works as younger Sonic and how this is just an artstyle change
If you like relatable flawed Sonic then that's cool. Movie Sonic is like that and doesn't claim to be Game Sonic. Good! Keep it that way. The whole reason why Prime Sonic is criticized is because he is retable and flawed like Movie Sonic yet he claims to be the same as Game Sonic
@nenemyun
Morio Kishimoto, Director of Sonic Frontiers said the moon is the form how We human being see The End. for Sonic or Sage it have different looks. the looks of The End is symbol of death for who see it. the sun is life and the moon is death
Ian Flynn writes a great non canon Sonic.
He also writes a great canon Classic Sonic.
He writes an okay canon Modern Sonic for games.
He does not write a good canon Modern Sonic for comics.
The one thing that made me optimistic for Sonic X Shadow Generations seems to be coming true!
Toyoda is giving us a Shadow that acts and talks like Shadow. That is literally ALL I wanted bro🥹
I'm pretty optimistic for Shadow's character in Generations because of this man right here.
Eitaro Toyoda has consistently proven he has Shadow nailed to a T.
Not to mention Toyoda is Maekawa's friend and protégé, so he's also carrying on his legacy for Shadow.
#Toyoda4Sonic
This is "boost to win?"
Y'all saying Forces is better?
Did we forget you can play certain levels in that game with one hand?
I mean sure, this mod is mostly cool QTEs and lacks platforming but at least it doesn't nearly play itself like Sonic Team's Forces level design👇
"It's not canon tho"
Neither is the JP Q&A but at least he said things Sonic would actually say.
This would be the perfect response for Boom Sonic since it sounds more like HIM than anything lol
Makes me wonder if the VAs have the Boom personalities stuck in their heads🤭