Sonic CD Opening Animation

Sonic CD Opening Animation

Original Release Date: September 23rd, 1993

What, to you, is the most iconic piece of "Sonic" animation?

It's a good question to ask. The character has almost as long-lived a history in animation as he does video games. From the beginning, Sega and Sonic Team looked to classic cartoons like Mickey Mouse and AstroBoy as inspiration for the hedgehog. That Sonic debuted on TV only a few years after his first game dropped is a testament to how well-suited he is to the realm of animation. How determined his creators were to make him, not merely a video game star, but a cultural icon that could dominate multiple sectors. Maybe it didn't quite work out that way but the fact that "Sonic" animation is still such a pivotal part of the brand is another indicator that Sonic was made to be a cartoon character as much as a gaming mascot. 

Which brings me back to my opening question: What is the most iconic piece of "Sonic" animation? For fans of a certain age, it might be the "SatAM" opening. Lord knows that intro entranced me as a kid, drawing me totally into this world and the effortless sense of cool its hero showed. For others, the highly cinematic opening to "Sonic Adventure" probably hooked them in a similar way. It promises a world of limitless adventure, high stakes, epic fantasy, with a cocksure little speedster at the center. I'm sure, in the future, we'll hear new generations of "Sonic" devotees describing the "Mania" trailer, "Frontiers" gameplay, that bitchin' "Knuckles" short, or the movies in similarly awed tones. 

And these are all good choices. They are also all wrong. No, no, no, listen. I know these things are subjective. Everyone is going to have a different favorite, a personal opinion. Nobody is going to define "iconic" the same way. Especially when it comes to this fandom, when different eras are measured by different games and shows, it's likely that any "Sonic" fan will have a unique, highly personal answer to that question. But I'm telling you they are all wrong. There is, in fact, a correct answer to the question of "What is the most iconic piece of "Sonic" animation?" It is, without a doubt, the "Sonic CD" intro. 

I never had a Sega CD, which I imagine is the case for most "Sonic" fans who lived through the nineties. The Genesis peripheral sold notoriously poorly over here, owing to its high price point and lack of popular games. These days, the console is most remembered for its library of extremely cheesy full-motion video titles, notorious for their choppy visuals, unconvincing acting, and lack of compelling gameplay. (Despite all that, one of these games somehow still managed to be a focus of congressional controversy here in the States.) The Sega CD's most critically acclaimed titles remain utterly obscure in North America. How many people do you know that played "Popful Mail" in 1994? Where was the die-hard American following for the "Lunar" duology at the time? Do such human beings exist?

No, I never had a Sega CD. I did have a family friend who had one. One of those kids who had all the latest gaming contraptions. Naturally, he had to show me "Sonic CD," which was agreed upon at the time as the one bona fide killer app the console had. And the minute I laid eyes on the opening animation, my mind was blown. Years later, I came into possession of the Windows-95 port of the game. I honestly don't have many memories of actually playing "Sonic CD" but I do remember watching that introduction incessantly, letting it loop for a while. 

What was it about the "Sonic CD" Intro that captivated me so? The entire thing runs less than two minutes. It can't be described as having much of a plot, consisting mostly of Sonic simply running through the forest and towards the chained Little Planet up in the sky. And somehow it sums up everything that was cool and cutting edge about this series at the time. I've written before about how exotic anime was to American dweebs in the middle nineties. How it was seen as the more artistic, edgier counterpart to our strictly-for-kids cartoons, that used the endless boundaries of the art of animation for mature storytelling and expressive imagination. This wasn't quite true but that was the perception. The "CD" intro was the closest thing we had to a "Sonic" anime in 1993. And it was fucking cool. In the parlance of the day, it was phat. Hesh. Sick. Bitchin'. At least that's how my little autistic ass remembers it. 

What is true is that Japanese animation was often smoother and more stylized than its English language counterparts. I was utterly obsessed with "SatAM" as a kid but I must have realized, at the time with my little baby brain, that it didn't look this good. Despite its brief runtime, this animation sneaks in so much personality for Sonic. When finding a look-out on a rocky outcropping, he suspends himself on one hand while spreading his legs out. He corkscrews up a narrow peak at the animation's climax. Everything the hedgehog does, every minor pose and movement, is designed to project coolness and attitude. Not to mention the amount of detail in the animation in general. The sparks leaping off the massive chain, the water splashing up around Sonic as he leaps across a river. The dust and rainbows he kicks up. Everything about this animation conveys not simply speed but an effortless speed. Sonic changes the physical properties of things around him when he runs and without breaking a sweat! How fucking cool is that?

There's a reason the "Sonic Mania" animation would so closely emulate this opening. In many ways, this is the definitive look for what would eventually become known as "Classic Sonic." The spindly limbs, the overly round fist, the way his face expresses so much determination and focus despite never saying a word: All of these elements show Sonic's primary attributes. He has such a definitive sense of attitude that words are not necessary to express it. He's aerodynamic but still composed of simple shapes. When the force that speed creates is applied to a big ass rock, the impact of the blow is emphasized by a repeating frame of animation. These are the kind of tricks that make the action scenes in Japanese animation so thrilling to watch, that American animators wouldn't pick up on for years. 

He runs through a wide, open, natural world... With that enormous chain and mountain carved into Eggman's shape being the major exceptions. These are unnatural intrusions in a world otherwise defined by smooth lines and mountainous peaks. Without any spoken dialogue or extensive narrative, the animation tells you so much about this world, this character, and the themes it communicates with. "Sonic CD" is a game very much concerned with ecological ideas. The time travel gimmick shows us a world that is untouched by industry, in the process of being changed, and a grim destination of a totally corrupted, ruined natural landscape. These same concepts are subtly present in this little two minute opening too. It's neat looking and it's thematic! What more could you want? 

How about a bitchin' soundtrack too? The North American release of "Sonic CD" scores the animation to a song called "Sonic Boom," arranged by a fella called Spencer Nilsen and sung by the group Pastiche. To some ears, this song may sound cheesy. The lyrics are certainly goofy nonsense. What exactly does it mean to "reach the other side of the rainbow?" The singers also repeatedly conflate Sonic's speed with flying, which is odd. But when that chorus kicks in! The repetition of the title has an undeniable rhythm to it. When "Save the planet from disaster!" kicks in, it's impossible for me not to feel pumped. The instrumentation combines orchestral synth with wailing guitars, providing a soundtrack that is both epic in scope and contains a rock 'n' roll attitude. The perfect music to suggest smirking bad-ass Sonic is about to go on a planet spanning adventure here. It's awesome, you guys. I'm sorry, I won't be taking any questions on this subject. The defense rests. 

The combination of "Sonic Boom" and the specific motions of this animation are so ingrained in my memory that it's impossible for me to separate them. Which makes acknowledging that this wasn't the original soundtrack difficult to recognize. Whenever I watch the Japanese opening of "Sonic CD," I'm always taken aback when I hear "Sonic – You Can Do Anything." It's not that I dislike this song. This one also has a propulsive, bitchin' chorus you can shout along to. I think the rapping is silly sounding but the instrumental backing is probably more sophisticated than "Sonic Boom's" music. Simply put, this isn't the "Sonic CD" opening that imprinted on my brain as a kid. Hearing a different song over this animation feels intrinsically wrong because the U.S. version is so iconic to me. Any other song playing over it would feel weird to me. (Though this fan dub is pretty cool. I'm one of maybe only three people in the world who think Sonic and Bad Religion are a perfect match though...)

Having rambled on about this brief animation for twelve paragraphs, I've probably made my case that "Sonic CD's" intro is, in my eyes at least, at the tippy-top of all "Sonic" animation. It says a lot about how important this short little cartoon is to me that I could probably go on longer about it – did I mention that shot of the shadows of clouds moving across the ground while the synth pumps up at the very beginning? Arrrrgh, man, it's so fuckin' good! – but I'll wrap it up. Would a "Sonic" series or movie in this style of animation make me die of happiness? Yes. Hell, do it like that Daft Punk movie and score the entire story to pop songs, without any dialogue. Pure cinema. Alright, I'm visualizing fake movies now, time to pack it in. Unless the third "Sonic" film ends with Princess Sally popping out of the theater screen to tell me I'm a good man, this will be the only perfect score I ever hand out in this blog's history. [10/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 74

Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW): Issue 74

Publication Date: October 30th

In various places around the internet, both here and elsewhere, I've talked about the benefits and detriments of serialization in storytelling. In the modern age of comic books, serialization is the rule of the land. Few stories are allowed to stand alone and every comic connects to the next one. Telling a story across multiple issues is usually a good thing. It is certainly healthier for world-building and character development. However, sometimes you truly do feel the weight of someone Writing for the Trade doing a disservice to the monthly installments. 

We see that keenly in issue #74 of IDW'S "Sonic the Hedgehog." The tangled mess of incidents and subplots that comprise the Clean Sweepstakes arc battle for dominance here. Amy, Tails, Belle, and the Chaotix fight with Clutch's forces deep within his ship. Charmy manages to get away from the fight and hand Nite a thumb drive full of incriminating evidence against Clutch and Clean Sweeps. He broadcast it to the public and Clutch, in desperation, looses his damn mind and decides to crash his massive flying fortress into the stands full of people. Sonic races off to save the day while everyone else argues among themselves. The issue then ends abruptly. 

Do you see the problem here? This is not a satisfying comic book to read on its own. This is a graphic novel chopped up into chapters, ending at almost random points. I certainly don't expect this comic book to tell a whole story in each issue but it would be nice if so many of IDW's individual floppies didn't feel like advertisements for the next installment. #74 is made up entirely of connective tissue between story beats. We're transferring from the end of the second act to the third here and, boy, can we feel it. Rather than a natural evolution of the story so far, this plays like a prologue to the next episode, when the really exciting stuff is going to happen. It says a lot about how out-of-whack the pacing for this arc has been, when an issue full of as much action and dramatic reveals as this one still feels so narratively inert. 

I know I ranted about this for most of the last review but the point still stands: Cutting back and forth between a bunch of different subplots does not a compelling story make. Evan does a slightly better job of juggling all these balls this time. Mostly because she focuses on one story strand for the majority of the issue. That would be the Chaotix and the others fighting Clutch and his eventual public exposing and breakdown. If the issue has been only about that, it probably would have made for a much more satisfying read. Instead, Stanley feels the need to check in on what everyone else is doing too. The race is seemingly called off but Jet refuses to let go of his petty rivalry with Sonic. Lanolin wants to bring Sonic to justice for his crimes as the Phantom Rider, while "Duo" reveals that Tangle and Whisper knew about it for a while. That happens solely so Mimic can cover his shifty ass, because the good guys still haven't noticed how obviously suspicious this dude is. Every time the story starts to build up a little momentum, it stops to give us a momentary update on some other thread. 

The biggest example of how badly this effects the overall flow of the comic is that Surge and Kit get a showcase scene, to remind us they still exist, where they don't actually do anything. They banter ominously with Duo/Mimic before staying in place, commenting on the action as it happens. Considering Surge's slow embracing of her better nature after becoming a fan favorite has been the best thing about this arc, it's frustrating that Stanley devotes a scene to these two that does nothing meaningful to move their development along. You do not get extra points simply for putting the good characters on the page! They have to actually do something for their appearance to mean anything. We all know Surge is a bad bitch who doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. (Despite actually really caring a lot.) Her picking her teeth and sitting around on her hover-bike while Clutch attempts a Colony Drop on the spectators doesn't add anything. This scene did serve one purpose though: It reminded me that Surge and Kit know "Duo" is Mimic, which I had forgotten about with everything else going on. She does this by calling him the humiliating nickname "Tentacles." Aww, I love it when Surge bullies the other kids. 

Let us step back and discuss another aspect of issue 74 though. From time to time, you see some jack-ass on social media claim that the "Sonic" franchise isn't politic. This is in defiance of the obvious environmental and anti authoritarian subtext that has been there since the first game. Evan Stanley, whether intentionally or not, does provide a big "fuck you" to that corner of the fandom with this scene. When the drive full of dirty laundry on Clutch and Clean Sweeps Inc. is revealed to the public, is it info about how Clutch is a former crime boss and has committed kidnapping, illegal imprisonment, and attempted murder within this issue alone? Not so much! Instead, the infodump focuses on Clean Sweep Inc. improperly dumping toxic waste, poisoning groundwater supplies and the air people breathe. Falsified records, extortion, and silencing whistleblowers, and using all their funds to manufacture weapons. In other words, it is revealed to the public at large that Clutch and his company have been participating not in comic book bad guy crimes but in regular, real world, corporate crime. That's right, kids. Clutch isn't a supervillain. He's something much worse: A capitalist! Maybe the Restoration should work on restoring some government agencies to provide regulations and laws that big companies are forced to follow...

I'm slightly surprised that a comic for little kids would go in this direction. I think it's great to teach children that corporations are not your friend. However, IDW "Sonic" isn't prepared to grapple with the real world ramifications of events such as these. If the post-Trump era has taught us anything, it's that a lot of people don't give a shit about corporations doing horrible things. Some people actually make excuses for such events! Clutch refers to this breaking news as a "smear campaign" and that the amount of money he makes justifies whatever crimes he's committed. That it is "good business" and that "nobody cares about a few sick kids." The comic has Clutch do this on-camera before a crowd, who boo him immediately. He sees the consequences of his criminal disregard for the safety of the world right away. Here in reality, when evidence that CEOs have committed serious crimes leak to the press, the execs lawyer up. Usually, they have enough cash to pay whatever fines exist for their infractions, meaning the bad guys see no consequences for their actions and the infrastructure that allows them to do these things never changes. This is a comic book for little kids. After being exposed, Stanley has Clutch loose his mind and immediately become homicidal. This is either the author realizing that corporate criminals like Clutch rarely pay for their actions, causing her to write him immediately doing something obviously and blatantly evil to remove any doubt in the public's mind... Or this is merely a funny book for grade-schoolers and that much thought was not put into it. Either way, Clutch's mental breakdown is probably the best moment in this issue. 

Something else this issue got me thinking about... Isn't it funny how, when Lanolin was nothing but a background character, when we knew nothing about her, she was beloved by the fandom with multiple people demanding more appearances from her? Now that she has become a featured player and been gifted with an actual personality, she has quickly become one if the most loathed characters in the book? Almost as if deciding you like someone based solely on their outward appearance is shallow or something. Anyway, considering the production cycle for comic books, I assume Stanley was not aware of the fan reaction to Lanolin when she wrote the script for issue. At this point, however, it feels a bit like the writer is actively trying to make us dislike Lanolin. When Duo reveals that Tangle and Whisper knew Sonic was the Phantom Rider, the sheep gets extremely offended. She attempts to track down Sonic and arrest or something, I guess, when he's in the middle of saving the day. It's only after Tangle and Whisper talk her out of it that she changes her mind, deciding to put this debate on-hold until after the crisis is resolved. And so Lanolin is revealed to reside on the most annoying corner of the Character Alignment Chart: Lawful Neutral, the designation for people who think the law – or, at least, their personal interpretation of it as it aligns with their own morality – is an inflexible facet of the world and that any violation of it must be immediately and swiftly punished. 

In effect, this accomplishes two things. First off, Tangle's defense – that Sonic was doing the wrong thing for the right reason and we should just trust the guy the comic book is named after – does not feel like a justifiable position. "He's my friend, my friends are good and would never do anything bad, therefore my friend doing a bad thing must be good" is not the ethical position you think it is, Tangle. Generally, the comic acting like Sonic can do whatever he wants and not face any consequences for it is, makes our hero look like an unaccountable vigilante who can do no wrong. And that's not compelling. More pressingly, all of this makes Lanolin look like a bitchy straw man. She has a good point. 

We should hold those we have designated as our defenders to a strict set of rules! However, Lanolin reacting to this information in a moody, impulsive, and frankly illogical fashion makes her seem like, ya know, an idiot. Obviously saving the lives of thousands of innocent civilians is more important right now, lady. Which raises the question of if we are supposed to dislike Lanolin, of this is building towards some sort of growth or change for her. Or if we are heading towards a tedious courtroom arc where Sonic is put on trial for crimes that he will obviously be cleared of, because he's the default good guy of this universe. I don't know if that would be better or worse than the comic simply moving on past these events and hoping we forget they all happened. 

In general, it's another very frustrating issue. I've already pointed out how frequently any tension or momentum the script builds up is immediately undermined by switching focus to something else happening, usually via slow dialogue scenes. We see this in the action sequences too. The opening rumble between Clutch's goons and the Chaotix is decently executed, mostly thanks to Aaron Hammerstrom's bad-ass pencils. However, there is a moment that bugs me. Clutch grabs Charmy, puts his cane-gun to his head, and demands the Chaotix hand and the thumb drive get back in their cage. At this point, I would imagine Clutch would simply kill these guys – which he was attempting to do only a few panels earlier – rather than imprison them again. But, okay, whatever, this is a G-rated comic book. What happens instead is much more depressing. Vector pretends to concede, only for Espio to toss a shuriken into the debate and Charmy to sting his way out of Rough's grasp. What was the point of this moment? We already know that Clutch has no qualms about hurting children, as he's already tried to shoot Charmy. It adds no suspense to the sequence, as the situation is immediately resolved without any stakes being raised. This sequence simply makes the heroes look like they can easily wiggle their way out of any dilemma or makes Rough look like a bigger joke than he already is for forgetting that bees have stingers. 

I'm not convinced that this beat wasn't inserted strictly to make the comic book longer, in order to guarantee that this arc wraps up in the big anniversary issue next time. The awkward, stop-and-start feeling this entire arc has had makes me suspect that is the case. That action scene wraps up with Clutch running after Charmy as he flees the room and, right as he leaves, the villain perfectly shoots the control panel. Which means a not-small portion of the sprawling cast are, once again, stuck in a fucking boiler room. Throughout this storyline, Stanley has become obsessed with inventing these contrived reasons to keep the teams apart. Before, it was Tails and Amy being stuck on the other ship, looking for Belle. Maybe this story shouldn't have had twenty-one central characters? You don't have to include everybody in the team in every story, Evan. You don't need four or five dramatic things happening at once. "Urban Warfare" had this same problem, this need to shove in as many of the beloved cast members as possible and march each of them through constant action scenes and contrived subplots. That's not how you write an epic. It's how you write a shitty epic. Wasn't this storyline supposed to be about hoverboard racing???

People seem to like this on-going story, so I guess that problem must be with me. Still, I've seen this comic book, this exact same writing, do things in a much smoother and far more satisfying manner. In her Archie days, Stanley would shove in random events without setting them up. Now, she feels compelled to create these elaborate and unbalanced soap operas that weave through far too many characters and shove in far too much unconvincing action scenes. All of which ignores Stanley's strengths, which are in character interaction. A little aside here where Amy points out that both her and Don have a hammer for a weapon, and he cracks a joke about the boots she's wearing, will stick in my memory far longer than any of the other bullshit that happens in this issue. That's the benefit of having a big group of characters to draw from, seeing these different personalities bounce off each other, not insisting that every single one of them must participate in this meandering narrative. 

A simple two or three issue race story line, focused on Surge learning to be loved, would have been a great idea. A three issue plot focused on the Chaotix exposing Clutch's crimes to the public probably would've been fun. Giving Jet some much needed character development by centering in on his obsessive desire to beat Sonic would have made for a solid one-off. Even Sonic cosplaying as a Psycho-Ranger or melodramatic in-fighting among the Diamond Cutters, by far the least interesting part of this saga, could have been redeemed. Instead, all of these ideas were rammed together and the result has been, unsurprisingly, a mess. At least it'll be over next month, right? Sorry to be so negative, as I know some folks have been enjoying this one. I swear, I never set out to be a humorless, pretentious old man that hates everything because he holds a book for little kids to too high of a standard. What do you expect this middle-aged man to do, not review the "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic book? Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this series moving on to something else soon. [5/10]

Sonic Boom: Conclusion

I started my retrospective of the "Sonic Boom" animated series in July of 2022. Over two years later, I'm finally finished with it. It's a long show, the most numerous of all the blue hedgehog animated programs, so it is expected that it would've taken me a while to get through it all. However, I certainly didn't intend for things to drag on the way they did. Sorry about that, guys. The last two years have been hectic and, whenever I found myself with a little free time to write about "Sonic" bullshit, there was seemingly always a new show or comic or bowling-centric live action spin-off to discuss. To anyone who has stuck around for this entire thing, thank you so much for tolerating my constant schedule slippage. I truly appreciate the people who enjoy my nonsense and have been doing so for years now. 

But what of "Sonic Boom?" I went into this retrospective well aware of the spin-off franchises reputation. The "Boom" sub-series' journey from ugly stepchild of the "Sonic" brand to beloved underdog is well documented. The memes around the series slowly transitioned from being centered around the glitchy performances of the gameplay to the clever, meta-laced jokes of the cartoon. In my introduction, I theorized that the self-aware quality of the "Sonic Boom" cartoon played a hand in the entire franchise finding its footy again in the last decade. Having now watched all of the show, I believe this to be far more true. If getting in on the joke, laughing at itself before anyone else could, was a necessary step in the "Sonic" series' rehabilitation from the low-points of the 2000s, then "Sonic Boom" constantly poking fun at itself and ribbing the fandom was essential to that. "Sonic Boom" is the first time a "Sonic" cartoon felt like it was in dialogue with the fans. That entire attitude drives the series now, from the movie totally redesigning its title character after fan outcry to the much demanded return to retro-platforming aesthetic. Sega and all involved realized that, if "Sonic" were to survive, they had to actually pay attention to what fans wanted and what they were saying. "Boom" being able to crack jokes about blarms or SonAmy was a big step forward in that direction. 

The cartoon wasn't immediately like that, of course. How could it have responded to fan discourse from the beginning, before the staff became aware of said discourse? "Sonic Boom" definitely took a while to find its footing. Those early episodes are working from a much more general idea of who these characters are and what the world around them is like. I never disliked "Sonic Boom" but I was certainly slow to embrace it. The interpretation of Knuckles as an enormously unintelligent dunderhead was, by far, the characterization that I was most reluctant to get on-board with. Sonic as a snarky slacker or Eggman as a neurotic loser, ya know, there are precedents for that. I've never cared for Knuckles being reduced to simply a super-strong idiot. In general, I really didn't like "Boom's" setting at first. Sonic hanging out in a middle-class tropical village full of generic cartoon animals did not sit well with me at all. Is this how newcomers to the franchise in 2024 feel when they try and get into "SatAM?" "Who is this sexy squirrel bitch?" "Why is Sonic sleeping in a hut?" My version of that was "Why does Sonic own a TV?" "What's the supply chain situation at Meh Burger?" The setting demanded certain things of me, as a long time fan, that I took a minute to grow accustomed to. 

The writers behind "Sonic Boom" understood something central to the series' success. "Boom" was a sitcom and the scripts leaned into that. As one of the foundational formats of the television medium, the sitcom has a different essential function from most types of TV program. It is not a narrative driven genre, so much. The plots are frequently formulaic. Instead, we return to our favorite sitcoms every week in order to spend time with the characters. Success stories like "Cheers" or "Friends" flourished because audiences became attached to the cast. "Sonic Boom" understood this too. It quickly ran with the cozy pleasures of hanging out with its weird band of misfits every week. That allowed the writers to build episodes around simple premises like "Sonic returns a library book" or "Eggman gets into a game for children." It worked on me too. Slowly, I found myself welcoming Sticks' paranoid delusions, Tails' wacky inventions, and Knuckles' buffoonery as comfortable reminders of why I enjoy spending time with this crew in the first place.

This contrast between "Boom's" self-awareness around its status as part of the global "Sonic the Hedgehog" conglomerate and its embracing of the rules and conventions of sitcoms allowed the show to do some unique things. "Sonic Boom" could be both an action/adventure show full of crazy sci-fi plots and a reliably funny comedy about friends hanging out. This balance was not always perfect. Sometimes "Boom" strained under the expectations of being both a goofy comedy and a typically action-packed "Sonic" show. However, more often than not, it worked. I felt the pressures of the writers working within the eleven minute runtimes or a limited animation budget much more than I ever did the conflict between "Boom's" flippant style and the usual hedgehog shenanigans. In other words: The writers usually knew what they were doing.

"Sonic Boom" had a diverse pool of writers which means it took a while for the show to form something like a consistent vision. The first season and a half can almost be watched in any order. However, the second half of season two saw the program double-down on continuity in a surprising way. In general, I am against heavily serialization in my TV shows. I want a show to feel like a show, not a fourteen hour long movie cut into parts. At the same time, too episodic an approach can leave a program feeling weightless, like nothing that happens has any permeant effect. "Sonic Boom" found the happy medium in its second season, letting most episodes stand alone while happily reaching back into the archives for a random character or plot point whenever it would be funny to bring them back. If you're a Trekkie or spend too much time on TVTropes, you might be familiar with the term "growing the beard." It's when a series takes a noticeable upswing in quality and finds its footing, so named for when William Riker grew some bitchin' facial features in the second season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." The "Robots from the Sky" storyline can easily be pin-pointed as "Boom's" beard-growing moment. I already liked the show before that point but that arc represents the beginning of the writers taking bolder swings and the show starting to feel it took place in more of a fleshed-out world. 

How far that beard could have grown, sadly, is a question we'll never have an answer to. One can't help but feel like "Sonic Boom" got a little screwed in the end. The quality of the games sunk most corporate interest in the program early on, something the showrunners, writers, and animators had no control over. It never seemed like Cartoon Network gave the program a fair chance, yanking it around the schedule and eventually burying it on another network. The obvious lack of interest the powers-that-be had in the show can be seen in the murky events that led to its cancelation. After being moved quite a bit in its second season, production concluded seemingly with no clear answer one way or another on if a third season was incoming. At one point, a storyboard artist said a third season was expected but months passed with no further announcements, nothing being confirmed. Eventually, two whole years after the second season ended, it was confirmed that the show's widely assumed termination had occurred. The impression is of a program so ignored by the money people that they simply forgot it existed, the leftover stock of "Sonic Boom" episodes tapering out to an end without the Time-Warner CEOs noticing. 

This was unfair to everyone, of course. Over the four or three "Boom" was in production, the writers, director, animators, editors and so forth has cranked out a pretty good show. The cast was always good but the sense was that Roger Craig Smith, Mike Pollock, Cindy Robinson, Travis Winningham, Colleen O'Shaughnessy, Nika Futterman, and everyone else still had plenty left to explore with these characters. "Boom" ran for two lengthy seasons, ultimately having the most episodes of any of the blue hedgehog cartoons. Its lifespan was about standard for a "Sonic" cartoon. However, it's hard to escape the feeling that the show was only starting to find its groove when it got canned. Especially in the way it was starting to include more elements from the video games. I maintain that something fishy was definitely up with how things played out behind-the-scenes. Makes me want to track everyone down and write a definitive oral history or something....

In a franchise full of cult classics, "Sonic Boom" is definitely one of them. The show garnered a following and remains fairly well-liked within the larger "Sonic" fandom. Seven years after a new episode aired, you still see people asking for Sticks the Badger to be included in something again. Considering Sega's general reluctance in acknowledging past "Sonic" tie-in media once their moment has passed, it's hard to say if this will ever happen. Either way, I found myself growing surprisingly attached to "Sonic Boom" before the end in a way I didn't expect. I'd happily rank this up there with "SatAM" and "Sonic X" as one of the best "Sonic" cartoons. In its own humble way, "Boom" was a consistently entertaining and amusing show that wormed its way into my heart. I'm glad I watched it. I wouldn't mind watching it again someday, truly the proof that a TV show has won me over. 

At least until this past year, "Sonic Boom" was also the latest "Sonic" TV show. After wrapping up my reviews of the Archie "Sonic" comics, I made a promise to review every blue hedgehog related cartoon. That quest is over now, right? It would be, if I was less of an obsessive compulsive nerd. Alas, I am that bitch. Thus, there remains a grab-bag of animated "Sonic" miscellanea for me to dig into next. One chapter in Hedgehogs Can't Swim history closes, another opens. As for "Sonic Boom," it's a funny show! I'm glad it exists! Now excuse me while I try and figure out the safest way to get all this speed tape off me... 

Ghost Tale

Ghost Tale

Original Release Date: October 31st, 2023

We interrupt the meandering conclusion to an old cartoon show for a special holiday event! Yes, friends, it's Halloween season, the spookiest, happiest time of the year! I try and dig up something thematic, on my favorite of all holidays, to write about on my humble little Sonic the Hedgehog blog. It's not always easy though, as I've discussed most of the official altogether ooky "Sonic" content over the years. Luckily, last Halloween, we got a new spooky treat for us hedgehog fans to commemorate the season with. Unfortunately, last Halloweens, I was locked in the Labyrinth of Leviathan, having my flesh infinitely explored by the Order of the Gash, beyond the limits of human experience, where pain and pleasure become indistinguishable from each other. Accordingly, I was only able to post a review of an at least somewhat spooky "Sonic Boom" episode. Time to make up for missing out and take a look at "Ghost Tale."

That would be a 15 years later sequel to "Sonic: Night of the Werehog," dropping back into the haunted home of adorable ghost girl, Lah, and her two roommates/buddies/spouses(?), the rotund and bowtie sporting Su and the lanky and bandanaed Uh. While surrounded by a litter of ghostly babies, the two male spirits entertain their partner by levitating some plates. Impressed, Lah decides to give this telekinetic display a shot herself. She attempts to levitate a grand piano but has problems lifting it. After a short struggle, the piano does float into the air... Because her two boyfriends are raising it – with quite a lot of effort – behind their back. Awwww, ain't that cute?

"Ghost Tale" was a pleasant surprise last Halloween, dropped onto the internet with little teasing or prior announcement. "Night of the Werehog" might have been a one-off animated short released a decade and a half ago but, since "Sonic" fans never forget a character, its cast has maintained a cult following. Or, at least, Lah the Ghost Girl has. Which is hardly surprising, considering she's a cutesy anime character and, technically, part of that somewhat disreputable but widely beloved trope known as Monster Girls. Her more generic co-stars, Su and Uh, aren't seen nearly as much in fan art and the such. Like always, Sega has been reluctant to capitalize on the popularity of an obscure "Sonic" supporting cast member. Lah and the gang are the creation of Marza Animation Planet, a CGI animation studio. Now, Marza is owned by Sega, leading one to assume that Sonic's parent companies also own Lah and her hanger-ons. Perhaps there might still be some contractual red tape – or professional courtesy – preventing these guys from becoming regular members of the "Sonic" supporting cast. Outside of brief appearances on non-canon comic book covers or blink-and-miss-it cameos in the game, this cartoon marks only their second official appearance. 

It's also entirely possible that Sega considers Lah and company incidental characters made for a minor promotional cartoon for a video game that came out a decade and a half ago, with no need to promote them further. This would put them in the same limbo as Sally and the Freedom Fighters or Scratch and Grounder, much more significant characters that Sega technically owns but can't be arsed to include in anything as they are connected to long since deceased corners of the franchise. However, I do suspect there might be some, at the very least, legal separation between the rest of the "Sonic" cast and the "Night of the Werehog" gang. I say this because... Sonic doesn't actually appear in this short. It stars Lah, Su, and Uh alone. The Werehog has a cameo, of sorts, in a classic monster movie style poster glimpsed in the background. It looks different enough from Sonic that this could be considered legally distinct from the blue hedgehog, qualifying as more of a homage than a deliberate appearance. My point is: "Ghost Tale" is not that connected to the "Sonic" brand and could, possibly, be considered a mostly unrelated piece of media. I'm still fairly confident that Sega could use these guys if they want to but, with this review, I am straying slightly into "Lara-Su Chronicles" territory of "Sonic" material that is debatably not truly "Sonic" material. 

This may be like DiC producing a stand-alone short starring the kid from "Sonic Christmas Blast" in 2011 but, whatever, I'm writing about it. So let us actually discuss "Ghost Tale": It's cute! There's not too much to talk about with it. The character design of Lah remains adorable and lovable. Simply by looking at her dimpled face, you want to see her be happy. This means you are invested in her being satisfied with lifting that piano. The exact details of her relationship with the other ghosts may be ambiguous. Nevertheless, it's adorable that the guys want to make the cutie-pie smile without causing her to doubt her own ability. Also, it's funny because it causes men to suffer and who doesn't love to see that? Lah, Su, and Uh are not horribly deep characters. They are akin to Tom and Jerry and other classic cartoon figures, defined entirely by static characteristics. Lah will always want something special and shiny to amuse her. Su and Uh will always be competing with each other and any other vaguely male presences to impress her. Seemingly lacking the ability to speak in any thing but sighs, shouts, and other non-word vocalizations also limits the stories you can tell with this gang. That's okay though, as simplicity is the mode they are designed to work in. Hearing Lah do that breathy little Japanese girl yelp over and over again is a little annoying but, otherwise, this is cute. 

"Ghost Tale" is all of two minutes long. There's only so much to say about it. However, reading far too much into "Sonic" and "Sonic"-adjacent media is kind of my thing, if you hadn't noticed. And "Ghost Tales" does raise an interesting question. Throughout the short, Lah is surrounded by smaller phantasms, who have curly little unibrows, a single tooth in their mouths, and babble in incoherent baby noises. All of this suggests that these critters are... Baby ghosts. The Sonic Wiki refers to them by that name, suggesting this is their official designation. How are we to interrupt their presence in the mansion or how they came to be? First off... Is a baby ghost the ghost of a baby or the off-spring of a ghost? The former suggestion is rather morbid, implying infanticide and crib death exists in the "Sonic" universe. The latter raises some other disturbing quandaries though. If ghosts can have babies... Do ghosts, ya know, make woopie? Dead or immaterial things, which ghosts usually are considered, can't traditionally procreate. In the "Sonic" world however, spectres do seem to exist as separate species all of their own that merely resemble the earthly conception of a spirit. I don't know, maybe they bud off totally asexually via a process like mitosis. If that pushes the image of Lah getting yammed out of your brain and helps you sleep at night, sure, go with it. 

I'm a pervert however, so let's run with the assumption that ghosts get down and goopy in a spooky way reproduce via sexual intercourse in the "Sonic"-verse. That presents another mystery: Who are the Baby Ghosts' parents? Are they ghostly foundlings that have arrived at the haunted mansion via unknown means and become the non-biological wards of Lah and the others? Are these the, I don't know, kids of Lah's ghost sister? Her ghost nieces and nephews or cousins or something? Is she merely ghost-babysitting? Lah certainly seems rather child-like herself, which doesn't mean much to the moë obsessed Japanese. She is, at the very least, mature enough to have a split-second crush on Sonic the Werehog. Su and Uh seem romantically interested in her, obviously. The Ghost Babies stay close to her throughout the entirety of "Ghost Tale," certainly presenting the assumptions that she is their ghost-mother. 

I think you know what I'm implying here: Did Lah do the monster mash with Su and Uh? Did bustin' make anyone feel good? Did they take turns with Lah or haunt her creepy music box at the same time? Did Su watch while Uh placed a casket in her grave? Both guy-ghosts still seem like they are trying to win the affection of their favored girl-ghosts however, probably excluding the existence of ghost-polygamy or ghost-cuckoldry. Maybe some other handsome furry besides Sonic fell into this mansion and was happy to take Lah up on her romantic advances, the unfaithful harlot. Assuming any of these scenarios are plausible, that causes one to ponder extensively on ghost biology. Maybe they do it like fish, Lah plopping out some ghost-eggs that then get ghost-fertilized by the ectoplasm of whatever Class 5 Full Roaming Vapor that happens to be nearby. I'm sure there's plenty of extremely detailed fan art out there illustrating some of these what-if scenarios. All of this is utterly unfounded speculation and I'm sure Marza, Sega, and everyone involved didn't think about it that much. But I did. And now you have too. 

All of that aside, "Ghost Tale" is charming and amusing enough for all of the two minutes it takes to watch. It would be nice if we see these spooks again. Maybe Marza will make another short fifteen years from now. That seems more likely than Sega sneaking them into another game or comic book. Since IDW made a Halloween special, you kind of have to assume Lah was at least considered for a role in that story, if they can use her. Maybe nobody wants to figure out how this trio fits into the current "Sonic" universe. They at least appear to be human-like and Sega can't make up its mind about what role fleshy humanoids play in this setting these days. 

All of that aside, Im glad this exists. It's nice. I like these characters and the haunted home they inhabit. It's good to know that there's a spooky corner of the "Sonic" world out there somewhere and that these three exists somewhere besides the fevered imagination of fans. "Ghost Tale" is short and sweet, a fun little treat for our collective Halloween buckets. It brought a little bit of Samhain cheer into my life. I hope it does for you too and that you have a wonderfully creepy October 31st and that my disturbingly vivid ideas didn't send too big a shiver down your spine. Then again, everyone deserves a little scare, or at least an uncomfortable thought about non-corporeal porking, on Halloween! [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.52: Eggman the Video Game Part 2: The End of the World

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.52: Eggman the Video Game Part 2: The End of the World 

Original Air Date: November 11th, 2017

The first half of the season finale of "Sonic Boom: Season Two" – aired back-to-back with the second half – had the kind of silly premise you expect from this show. Eggman is trying to make his own video game and shit gets wacky. While Shadow showing up was enough for the season one finale, the show runners clearly wanted to escalate things for season two. As the subtitle makes apparent, season two wasn't ending with a mere supervillain royal rumble. Instead, the entire world was going to end. Or at least be brought to the edge of Armageddon. That ended up being a fitting choice for a season finale topic, as "The End of the World" was also destined to be the end of the show. I'm sure every TV crew writes a season finale with the hope that they might get to return to this setting but most programs have to write with the always-present threat of cancelation in mind. Considering how "Sonic Boom" had been jerked around in its second season, I'm sure Natalys Raut-Sieuzac and the talented team around her saw the writing on the wall. So, if you're gonna go out, might as well go out with a bang, baby. 

We pick up where we left off, with Shadow and Sonic beating the snot out of each other. During the fisticuffs, Sonic informs Shadow that Eggman mislead him. The so-called Ultimate Lifeform isn't going to allow such a betrayal to stand and he immediately turns his wrath on Eggman. Not wanting to get disremembered today, Eggman rushes into Mombot's hut and asks for Steve's help. He is given the dimensional portal gun, crossing over into the alternate world from "Where Have All the Sonics Gone?" and convincing the dictatorial Lord Eggman to crossover into the main "Boom"-verse. Sonic and Shadow, briefly united, go after their Eggman into the alternate universe. A duel with Metal Sonic, the result of Eggman's motion capture tech, ensues that stretches back into the original zone. While this is going on Shadow captured both Eggmen and hides them somewhere around here, causing the very fabric of the universe to start to break up. Now, Team Sonic has to locate Lord Eggman and send him back home before shit gets apocalyptic. 

If the unusually convoluted plot synopsis above didn't make it apparent, "Eggman the Video Game Part 2" properly raises the stakes for the season finale. In what is a real butterfly effect situation, Eggman getting splashed with mud escalates to the entire universe nearly shattering apart. (Actually, this started with Amy not having enough eggs for her baked Alaska, so it's her fault.) "Boom" goes for it too. In order to get the stakes as high as possible, as quickly as possible, the clouds darken and storms start to blow in immediately after Shadow announces his intentions. We are greeted to a cool montage of Team Sonic searching around the entire island, over land, sea, air, and lava flow. Vector gets a cameo. I have no doubt that the producers figured they might as well get their money's worth and pack this episode with as many pre-existing assets as possible. The Gogobas' response to the impending end times – "It's okay, we understand that you're too busy to save us..." – was presumably cut for time. 

What I truly like about this episode isn't merely that it goes as big as "Boom" probably could, in order to feel like a proper climax of all that has come before. It also, like much of season two has, organically builds on elements introduced in previous episodes. Here we have a story that smoothly combines Shadow, Mombot, Steve, the alternate universe from "Where Have All the Sonics Gone?," the premise of a dimension collapsing if two of the same people co-exist in from "Two Good to Be True," and Metal Sonic. Only the last of those seems like a bit of a reach. I'm sure if the writers could have thought of a way to do it, they would've thrown Dave, the Lightning Bolt Society, T.W. Barker, Charlie and Belinda, Og and the Froglodytes, Roboken, the Bike Chain Bandit and Muckfoot into the mix too. I never expected "Sonic Boom" to develop such a fleshed-out world. Seeing that come into being has been one of the unexpected delights of this season. 

Bringing Metal Sonic into this story clearly serves another purpose. Shadow appearing on this show was a big deal for "Sonic" fans, because Shadow is one of the most popular characters from this franchise. Metal Sonic, similarly, is another very popular established "Sonic" character. Though they've both been in "Boom," they've never been in an episode together. Cramming Sonic and two of his most frequently reoccurring enemies together was obviously an attempt to top the previous season finale. Better yet, it quickly ramps up into a three-way melee between Sonic, Shadow, and Metal. I'm not the biggest Metal fan but even I'll admit that the appeal of these three powerhouses wailing on each other isn't beyond me. Sometimes you just want to see the good guys and the bad guys punch it out. 

Moreover, the action scenes are quite well done. "Boom" has come a long way in that regard. From the utterly sluggish and graceless fights of the first season, we've arrived at this: a cool series of duels. The opening fight between Sonic and Shadow sees the asshole-ish hedgehog using his teleporting abilities offensively, something we really haven't seen Shadow do that often in his other appearances. The fight between them and Metal Sonic actually has some well done choreography, of punches and kicks interlacing. The sequence where all of Team Sonic works together to bring down Metal Sonic is even better. Honestly, it's probably the best action scene from the entire series. Even Lord Eggman from Dimension X gets a decent action beat, when he whips out an off-brand lightsaber. If you had gone back after I finished watching season one and told me this show was going to feature some genuinely decent fight scenes some day, I don't know if I would've believed you. 

Last time, I postulated why the "Boom" version of Shadow is a bigger asshole than his Sega counterpart, eventually concluding it's probably because he's bitter about living in a cave. "The End of the World" shows us that Shadow's rage extends much further than simply wanting to pound Sonic in a not-sexy way. Shadow intentionally captures the two Eggmen, knowing full well that their presence will lead to a cataclysm. His justification for this is simply to say "I want revenge on this whole pathetic universe." Revenge for what? What happened to Shadow that he has to kill every single living thing on this planet and any other ones in order to feel vindicated? Who hurt you, Shadow? What is your fucking problem, dude?! If this was all out of some deluded desire to do away with anything inferior to him, that might make sense... Except that an interdimensonal infarction that wipes the entire universe would presumably destroy Shadow as well.

We shall never know what could possibly motivate Shadow to do this. However, I think this definitely makes "Boom" Shadow the evilest version of this character. King Shadow from Archie's "25 Years Later" setting just subjugated the globe to his rule. The darkest pathways Sega Shadow takes in his own game only results in him destroying or conquering Earth. This Shadow is going to kill everyone on this world plus other potential beings living on other probable planets. Because, as far as I can tell, his feelings are hurt. Listen, man, I have grumpy days too but it doesn't make me want to commit universe-wide genocide. What a dick! At the end of the episode, after his plan has been foiled, he simply shrugs his shoulders and says he's "not thrilled with the results" but "impressed" that Sonic saved the universe. Is... Is this how Shadow the Hedgehog flirts? By nearly wiping out all of existence and all life within it, including his own? Truly, "Boom" Shadow is 2 edgy 4 me. 

The stakes are high and "The End of the World" plans them fairly straight. The big conclusion of the episode, where Sonic's speed saves everything, is about as iconic a moment as this version of the blue hedgehog could ask for. None of this prevents "Eggman The Video Game Part 2" from also being a funny eleven minutes. Natalys Raut-Sieuzac is credited with the script. I've come to believe that most of the "Boom" episodes had other writers inserting some jokes here and there. However, if Raut-Sieuzac truly did write this one all by herself, it's by far her funniest script. Volcano Wonderpants, the relative fastness of panthers, the difference between imply and infer, and whether Lord Eggman is "emo" all make for some fine comedic lines here. There's some wonderfully silly visual gags, in how Eggman abruptly leaves Orbot and Cubot to deal with Shadow or Steve's solution to hiding from the rampaging hedgehog. Probably the biggest laugh, for me, came when Eggman pops into the alternate world, the other Eggman immediately – and casually – accepting the rules of interdimensonal travel. Love that kind of shit, when characters dismiss science babble as another fact of life they deal with. 

"The End of the World" – and all of "Sonic Boom" – concludes with Eggman making a crack about how "There's always next season." If the cartoon had gotten a third season, this wouldn't have been anything more than another of the show's self-aware, fourth wall leaning gags. With this being the final episode of the entire series, that moment feels like a tactile admission that the show runners knew "Sonic Boom" had no future. Eggman losing all his research from these last two episodes, then hoping that he can make up for it next season – when there isn't a next season – feels like a fitting joke to wrap things up on. Right up until the end, Eggman simply can't catch a break. I've got more thoughts about "Sonic Boom" ending but I'll save those for next time. As for "The End of the World," it is a fine installment. [7/10]

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.51: Eggman: The Video Game Part 1

Sonic Boom, Episode 2.51: Eggman: The Video Game Part 1

Original Air Date: November 11th, 2017

I don't know if the "Sonic Boom" production team had any idea that their show was not long for this world in 2017. An in-depth, trash talk filled, behind-the-scenes book about the entire fiasco-filled history of the "Boom" sub-series has yet to be written. I suspect the powers-that-be – whether that was Cartoon Network, some nebulous force within Sega, or the French – gave the show a two season order right from the get-go. Either way, the "Boom" staff had their ears in some corner of the fandom and knew that, to create a properly epic finale, they needed to bring back a much in-demand character. Why not stretch it out over two episodes, to truly deliver on that sense of grandness? Did anyone suspect that the "Eggman: The Video Game" two-parter would be the last episode of the show and, indeed, the last part of the entire "Boom" enterprise? I'm gonna guess no. Either way, the fact of the matter remains: Here we are at the penultimate episode of "Sonic Boom." The end is neigh. 

A series of incidents that start with Sonic getting a honey-do call from Amy while driving a race car ends with Eggman wondering why he's so unpopular. After spotting Tommy Thunder hocking his incredibly powerful new video game, Eggman decides some electronic entertainment starring him may boost his public image. When the village is disinterested in his Atari 2600-esque game, he engages Sonic and the others in a melee to motion-capture their moves. Underwhelmed with his own fighting abilities, Orbot gives Eggman the idea to paste his own graphics over motion capture of a foe powerful enough to thrash Sonic single-handedly. That means only one hedgehog: Shadow! Eggman does too good of a job of goading Shadow into wailing on Sonic and friends, the so-called Ultimate Lifeform going on a war march against the blue hedgehog and all his friends. 

In the past, when "Sonic Boom" has set out to emulate the gaming realm from which its cast emerged, the results have rarely satisfied. Natalys Raut-Sieuzac's "Nominatus" episodes seemed built around stodgy callbacks to ancient gaming memes. "Eggman: The Video Game" is slightly less antiquated than "Your princess is in another castle" jokes, despite including multiple shout-outs to Nintendo's beloved plumber. I say slightly because Eggman's first game is patterned after "Pitfall," a platformer older than both Sonic and Mario. The script, from Jean-Christophe Derrien, does include shout-outs to "Street Fighter," "Mortal Kombat," and "Super Smash Bros," which are slightly more contemporary references. If I wanted to read into things, perhaps you could interpret the main thrust of the episode – that Eggman has to be talked into using motion capture CGI graphics in his game – as an oblique reference to the "Sonic" series' own difficulties with piercing the polygon ceiling. That seems like a stretch, especially since the classic "Sonic" titles aren't recalled much here. Trying to understand why a TV show literally based on a classic game series would do a video game themed episode without referencing its own history is beyond me. 

Despite getting title billing, the video game premise is only an excuse to explore a richer vein of storytelling: "Boom" Eggman's continuous search for approval and praise. Every action of his that follows in this episode is motivated by a need to be respected, to dispel the blatant disrespect apparent in being splattered with mud. It sticks in Eggman's teeth that he's not popular or at least understood. (Counter to his line from the last episode about how he's "widely disliked.") The unavoidable fact that Sonic lives rent-free in his head stands in contrast to how much Sonic doesn't think about him at all. The hedgehog actually apologizes to Eggman for covering him in mud earlier! When the villain tries to get Sonic to shit talk Shadow on-camera, Sonic's response is unbothered. Eggman agonizes over his choices and interactions. Sonic simply does stuff. Is this the real reason Eggman hates Sonic? Because he has to work so hard to accomplish anything while everything seems effortless to the hedgehog? I'm going to miss thinking about this shit after my next review. 

All of this is truly beside the real purpose of this episode anyway: Showcasing beloved fan-favorite Shadow the Hedgehog. This is only Shadow's second real appearance in "Boom," showing the writing crew's complete willingness to fuck with fans. How many Shadow devotees where incensed that Comedy Chimp got more attention on this show than their edgy husbando? Shadow's rarely appearing on "Boom" might have something to do with how incompatible his established backstory is with this show. Knuckles has made an off-hand comment about Angel Island before yet we still don't know if Chaos Emeralds exists in "Boom's" world. Where the hell is Gerald Robotnik, the ARK, G.U.N., and the Black Arms going to fit in? Does anyone in Hedgehog Village know what a Biolizard is?! Like all the other Sega cast members before him, Shadow has his personality reduced to a few exaggerated details. He's an immensely powerful and incredibly crabby loner with some undefined beef towards Sonic in the past. Otherwise, what the hell is his deal? Eggman locates him running around a valley, suggesting Shadow has been hanging out off-screen since the season one finale. Later, Eggman finds him standing in a cave. Does he live there? Is that why Shadow hates Sonic so much? Because Sonic is a homeowner and he's out there habituating like a god forsaken neanderthal? 

We can only speculate, the backstory for the "Boom" version of Shadow residing solely within the realm of fanfiction now. However, I imagine Shadow fans were satisfied with this episode. Largely because the entire second half is devoted solely to watching him beat the shit out of our heroes. He punts Knuckles through a wall and swings Tails around by his tails. Amy and Sticks put up a little more of a fight but they don't last much longer. Sonic gets the dramatic image of being punch through a series of trees. All because Eggman presented him with a badly edited video of Sonic shit-talking him! It's a good thing Shadow doesn't eat fast food, because he'd rip Dave's heart out of he got pickles on his burger. I won't deny that seeing Shadow the Hedgehog kick the ever-loving shit out of the good guys isn't fun. However, it is a bit of a mood whiplash to go from Knuckles telling a horse in a bar joke to Shadow ready and willing to commit homicide. If this show had gotten a third season or the writers had simply used Shadow more, they probably could have mined some humor out of Shadow seemingly thinking he's in a normal action/adventure cartoon, instead of a wacky meta sitcom. 

I don't know if the producers squirreled away more time and money for event episodes like this. I don't have that much insight into the world of modern animation. However, the action here is probably the best out of all of "Boom." The three-way fight between Shadow, Amy, and Sticks features some surprisingly acrobatic kicks, flips, and slides. I'd go so far as to say these scenes look cool. The action actually seems to take priority over the comedy for once. There's plenty of gags. Knuckles suffers much slapstick abuse. The "emergency" Amy summons Sonic for at the beginning is a nice subversion. (He races right off to it as well, suggesting these two are in one of their dating periods again.) The reaction to Eggman trying to deploy some sick special moves is mildly funny. Yet there are surprisingly few gags once Shadow steals the spotlight. Which is a bummer! He would've made a good, overly serious straight man. His announcement that "This aggression shall not stand!" made me laugh harder than anything else in this eleven minutes... 

The result is a slightly weird episode tonally. Derrien has story credits on two season one episodes but this is the first script credited solely to him. Strange that someone like that handled the first half of the series finale, instead of one of the regular writers like Denton or Freiberger. Still, there is novelty in seeing Shadow thrash Sonic and the gang. There's enough insight into Eggman's neurosis to intrigue me. If the entire series has been more like this, I'm sure "Boom" would have been less divisive for so long. However, with the final episode looming, I'm grateful this series was allowed to be its own weird-ass thing for most of its existence. Will Sonic be able to defeat Shadow? Will Eggman finish his video game? Is Amy Rose's baked Alaska alright? How does Amy know what Alaska is? Will that teaser of Charlie building Belinda battle armor of her own ever be followed up on? Presumably some of these questions will be answered next time, in the very last episode of "Sonic Boom..." [7/10]