Sonic X, Episode 1.20: Cruise Blues

Sonic X, Episode 1.20: Cruise Blues

Japanese Title: Departure! Egg Fort II

Japanese Air Date: August 17th, 2003

U.S. Air Date: February 14th, 2004

You can really tell a lot about how “Sonic X” was sold in Japan versus how it was sold in America by the regional titles. The Japanese titles seem to emphasize action and excitement overall. The Japanese title for episode twenty has a big action-y buzz word with an exclamation point, that gives Eggman’s new warship top billing. The English title, meanwhile, is a dumb quasi-pun. Japan takes its hedgehog business seriously while the U.S.A. thought this was dumb-ass kiddie shit. Shockingly, the silly American title is actually a far better representation of what this episode is actually about. 

Even though the last episode had nothing to do with this plot point, Chris' dad has decided his son and his alien friends have spent too much time chasing after the Chaos Emeralds. He forces the team to take a vacation, renting a private cruise ship just for Chris and his friends. (Which is among the most ridiculous rich person vacation I've ever heard but never mind that.) This backfires horribly, as being in a closed-in area surrounded by water drives Sonic nuts. He's soon plotting how to end the vacation prematurely, which Mr. Tanaka goes to bizarre lengths to ensure doesn't happen. Meanwhile, Eggman has built new battle ships for himself and his robotic minions, which he plans to deploy... Eventually. 

I've mentioned before how "Sonic X" — or at least the original Japanese version I've been watching — has an absurd sense of humor that frequently floats to the surface. This goofball comedic impulse takes center stage in "Cruise Blues." This is an episode completely devoted to wackiness. When it seems Sonic is about to get off the boat, Mr. Tanaka instead sends a helicopter full of elderly people down there. This is an attempt to teach everyone to relax and slow down, Tanaka practically threatening everyone if they don't have a good time. Cue lots of jokes about old people falling asleep suddenly or droning on about the same topics for hours. (As someone who used to work in a retirement community, I can attest that these jokes are 100% accurate.)

In fact, the "Sonic X" version of Eggman is starting to compete with his "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" equivalent for the title of Most Ridiculous Robotnik. The villain spends nearly this entire episode debating with his own robotic henchman about what to name their new combining aircrafts. He gives his own ship a grandiose name and Bocoe and Decoe's basic descriptions, which is rejected by the robots. They then proceed to bicker for a half-hour over what to call their warships, before letting random chance pick silly names. "AoStH" Robotnik would just hit Scratch and Grounder over the head and call the ships whatever he wanted. No wonder this Eggman gets trounced by Sonic so easily and so often.

The episode's goofy streak extends to acknowledging the show itself is a fictional product. Yes, the fourth wall is breached multiple times in this half-hour. Bocoe and Decoe have a few lines that suggest they mistakenly believe themselves to be the main characters of this cartoon. During the final battle, the exciting battle ship combination sequence occurs too far away to be seen, causing Eggman to take an annoyed phone call from a network executive. Probably the funniest example of this meta streak is when Amy attempts to shame Sonic into shaping up, as the fate of this television program and it's attached merchandise depends on him acting heroic. Ya know, for a show that looks like a serious action cartoon, I have to admire its willingness to engage in silliness like this.

Definitely the funniest bits in "Cruise Blues" is Sonic's boredom-induced breakdown. Watching the usually unflappable hedgehog reduced to a totally manic state is pretty funny. After Amy gives him that attempted pep talk, he walks off, collapses, and curls up in the fetal position. This is not the hedgehog's only desperate behavior, as he has apparently makes a daily habit of seeing how far away from the ship he can jump every day. (Which, out-of-context, just looks like a suicide attempt.) Ultimately, Sonic engages in some not-so-heroic behavior, attempting to manipulate his friends — including an insincere seduction of Amy — to convince them to leave the cruise ship. Considering the "Sonic X" version of the hedgehog is even more of an unstoppable badass than usual, it's pretty funny to see him in such a neurotic state. 

"Departure! Egg Fort II" never really attempts to get serious. Even the action scenes are farcical. Sonic can't run on an iceberg and the day is saved when Ella swoops in on the X-Tornado and karate kicks the Egg Fort II into the middle distance. Yes, the matronly housekeeper defeats the bad guy this time. This follows an extremely weird subplot where Bokkun comes to the empty Thorndyke mansion, has a fit of loneliness-induced depression, and Ella is there to comfort him. This show is fucking dumb but I kind of like it. 

I have no idea if the English dub of this episode is as amusing or if 4Kids replaced the genuine absurdity with louder, more obnoxious humor. I also don't know what the wider "Sonic X" fandom thinks of a totally time-wasting, extremely goofy episode like this. (I've seen some rumblings on Twitter about how "cute" Sonic is when he has a breakdown, so this might actually be a fan favorite.) All I know is I genuinely enjoyed this slice of dumb weirdness? I wouldn't complain too much if the show continued in this vein for a while. [7/10]

Sonic X, Episode 1.19: Sonic’s Scream Test

Sonic X, Episode 1.19: Sonic’s Scream Test

Japanese Title: Ghost of the Old Castle - King Boom Boo

Japanese Air Date: August 10th, 2003

U.S. Air Date: February 7th, 2004

When I started this project, I know I said I had only watched the first one or two episodes of the "Sonic X" dub. I'm sorry, dear readers, I lied to you. Some years back, I compiled a list of spooky moments from across the "Sonic" franchise. I knew there was an episode of "Sonic X" that had ghosts in it and had a reputation for being kind of creepy. Because I do a whole-ass job on this here blog, I watched the whole episode before writing that listicle... The dubbed version, anyway. So this episode represents one of the few episodes of "Sonic X" I've seen in both the non-tampered-with original version and the screechy 4Kids English edition.

Sonic, Chris, Tails and Amy take a break from looking for Chaos Emeralds, I guess, to visit Chris' mom on her latest film set. She's currently shooting some sort of costume drama in an actual spooky old castle. A cameraman, without thinking, moves a stone hourglass from a prominent pedestal. Afterwards, strange things begin to happen around the castle. It turns out, ghostly spirits have been freed. They possess Chris' mom, suck Sonic into a vortex of some sort, and trick Amy into releasing their otherworldly lord: King Boom Boo. Can Chris and Amy undo this curse before it's too late?

Fear of possession, whether by the spirits of the dead or otherworldly entities, is common across almost all cultures. This speaks to a universal human anxiety: The realization that we do not have control over our own bodies. Disease, age, parasites, and even our own subconscious can cause our bodies and brains to betray us at any minute. Unsurprisingly, this fear has spawned a subgenre of horror fiction. From classics like "The Exorcist" to gore-fests like "Evil Dead," it's an idea horror writers and filmmakers will never stop capitalizing on.

A "Sonic the Hedgehog" cartoon is probably not someplace you'd expect to see a story like this but here we are. Chris sees his mother and his friend Amy change into unrecognizable beings that attack him. Their faces twist into ghoulish visages, eyes wide and smiling. But that's not a smile of joy but one of unhinged lunacy. Amy hears Sonic say words to her she's longed to hear but it's not really him saying it. It's another entity purposely manipulating her. Whether or not "Sonic's Scream Test" utilizes these elements well is debatable but I gotta give the show some credit for even going there.

Whether you find "Sonic's Scream Test" creepy or not probably depends entirely on how old you were when you first watched it. However, I think this episode gets the ambience right, if nothing else. I'm a man with far too many opinions about gothic horror movies, so believe me way I say this is a pretty nice spooky castle. The scene of Lindsey Thorndyke wandering the dark corridors in a classy gown, lit only by a candelabra, is some good shit. A later moment of the sound guy wandering the same creepy hallway, listening for strange noises, is even better. The use of otherworldly, giggling children voices is a cliché but it works here. There's even something classical about the ghosts being unleashed by a simple stone item being removed. That gives me some "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" vibes and, ya know, I like that movie.

Ultimately though, this episode just can't work one-hundred-percent for me. After that promising first act, it starts to fall apart once the ghosts actually appear on-screen. These goofy motherfuckers just aren't scary, man. The diminutive spectres have big toothy grins that are exaggerated in a cartoonish way, not an uncanny way. Their swirly eyes are similarly more funny than spooky. These faces might've been unsettling if attached to something other than the marshmallow-y stereotypical sheet ghost body. The little ghosts in "Sonic & Knuckles" managed to be sort of creepy with a lot less than these guys.

Their giant overlord, given the less-than-intimidating name of King Boom Boo, looks like a cookie jar and has a rainbow-colored tongue for some reason. (In the Japanese audio, he's called King Booboo, which makes it sound like he's after some pic-a-nic baskets.) The annoying part is, with some slightly subtler colors or facial designs, these guys could've been genuinely creepy. Their trick of replacing normal faces with their ghost faces is a genuinely good one. The moment where Amy's face morphs into a ghostly grin is halfway to a decent jump-scare.

Another thing that bugs me about this episode is its inconsistent rules. When dealing with archetypal monsters, you either have to respect or subvert the rules. Not all werewolves are allergic to silver and not all vampires hate garlic but every iteration of these species have specific rules they abide by. These ghosts fear the stone hour glass that can imprison or free them. That's fine. But they can also produce a spooky vortex for no defined reasons. (Other than the writers needed to remove Sonic from the episode for a while.) Most vexingly, how intangible the ghosts are varies from scene-to-scene. Sometimes they pass through walls with ease. Other times, Sonic can slam King Boom Boo into a wall, burying him in rubble that he then chews his way through. Make up your mind, "Sonic X."

It also takes Chris Thorndyke way too long to figure out that the ghosts will be trapped when the hourglass is placed with the moon symbol down and the sun symbol up... Even after he reads a convenient plaque saying just that. Then again, maybe idiocy runs in the Thorndyke family. Chris' mom is, I guess, a complete dumbass. When she first meets Tails and Amy, she assumes they are special effects. Later, after her ghost is exorcised, she seems to think the entire experience has been a film shoot. That she just stumbled into starring in a fantasy movie. Oh yeah, she also complains about her feet hurting while running from the ghosts in high-heels, endangering her son in the process. Needless to say, I don't think we can owe Lindsey Thorndyke's great success as an actress to her intelligence.

Despite possibly being a little too spoopy for the really young ones, 4Kids mostly let this episode air with minimal editing... With one amusing exception. See, the moon symbol on the hourglass features a crescent moon and a star. You might notice that looks a lot like the globally recognized symbol of Islam. In order not to offend anyone, the star was digitally removed in the dub. That was probably for the best. Overall, the potential this episode shows in its first half is squandered in its second half, which is probably way I'm going to rate something that would otherwise be extremely my kind of shit on the lower end. But it's still scarier than every "Sonic" creepypasta ever written, so I guess that's worth at least a [6/10].

Sonic X, Episode 1.18: The Dam Scam

Sonic X, Episode 1.18: The Dam Scam

Japanese Title: Huge Shoot-Out on the Savanna!

Japanese Air Date: August 3rd, 2003

U.S. Air Date: January 31st, 2004

I guess it should've been obvious by now but it seems the second of "Sonic X's" story arcs is going to have an international angle to it. Since the focus has really turned towards gathering the Chaos Emeralds, "Sonic X" has taken us to its version of the Hawaiian islands and Asia. Today's episode, as the Japanese title probably indicated, drops us onto the African savanna. Considering the "New World" arc mostly focused on Thorndyke mansion, Chris' school, and other places around Station Square, it's a nice change of pace. 

To go into more detail: The X-Tornado is flying over the savanna when Eggman's massive Egg Fortress somehow sneaks up on them. Sonic makes short work on the warship but the X-Tornado is struck by a piece of flying wreckage. Grounded for a while as Tails makes repairs, Chris and the fox come across a local construction site where a dam is being built. This will fuck up the ecosystem but the greedy businessman don't care. That changes when Tails rallies support from the local people and animals. Meanwhile, Eggman deploys E-65 Garru-Gaooh, a dangerous new robot, to make Sonic's life miserable. 

"The Dam Scam" is basically a filler episode that occupies itself with silly humor and unimportant side characters, without featuring a single Chaos Emerald. Yet the episode does make one important contribution to the overall "Sonic X" lore: It gives us a peek at Tails' backstory. We learn, in the forested homelands of Not-Mobius, he was bullied by the other Not-Mobians for his interest in technology. In a likely homage to the "Sonic 2" manual, he spots Sonic running around, is immediately smitten with his coolness, and chases after him. After Tails improves and repaints the Tornado, which Sonic just has sitting around for some reason, the two become fast friends. It's not much but I like the idea that Sonic and Tails' friendship is based on the hedgehog not being a judgmental asshole, as opposed to the usually more one-sided "big brother" relationship he has with Tails. 

This episode also harkens back to another idea that was present in early "Sonic" but was largely discarded by this point in the franchise. That would be an ecological theme. The greedy businessman don't care that their dam will displace the local wildlife. They're only interested in the money it'll make them. When Tails spots the hordes of sad looking animals standing outside the construction site, he organizes them into opposing the building. This seemingly works over the course of a few hours, which is incredible. But I guess the sight of mad elephants and gorillas standing outside a construction site would put the fear of God into even the most bottom-dollar obsessed businessman. 

Though one can only take this pro-nature premise so seriously, simply because the creators of this episode seem deeply misinformed about many topics. First off, why would you build a dam on the savanna, a geological region synonymous with being wide and flat and fairly dry? Later, the businessmen attempt to set fire to some trees, in the mistaken belief that smoke creates clouds, which will create rain and flooding, necessitating the creation for the dam. That's just not how any of that works, you guys. I'm not sure if this is meant to reflect how clueless the businessmen are or how clueless the writers are. Considering this episode also depicts gorillas as living on the savanna and, most egregiously, not a single black person residing in the near-by community, I'm betting it's the latter. 

This whole episode has a weird gorilla fixation, even though they live in jungles and not savannas. Eggman's Robot of the Week is E-65 Gorru-Gaooh, whose name I'm assuming is a weird Japanese pun on "gorilla." In addition to resembling the long-limbed ape, E-65 has a more monkey-like coloration and also looks a bit like a Dogū, with its wide-eyed face. Despite having two breast-shaped cockpits that Decoe and Bocoe hang out in, the machine has a grunting, ooking mind of its own. For no reason I can decipher, the gorilla-bot also has a Predator-like cloaking technique, being able to blend in among the trees and leaves. 

This quirky robot provides an actual threat for Sonic. The camouflage ability catches Sonic off-guard and the machine beats him into submission. This leads to a kind of campy but also kind of cool scene where Sonic closes his eyes, centers himself, and listens for the invisible machine's next step. That would've been a good climax, our hero outthinking his opponent and overcoming a genuine challenge. Instead, the episode reveals that Gorru-Gaooh's cloaking doesn't work among the construction site's machines. Sonic grabs a Power Ring and explodes the robot. (This is after he completely wrecks the Egg Fortress earlier in the episode the same way.) I guess that was an awkward attempt to fuse the episode's two plot lines but it mostly just seems like the "Sonic X" writers couldn't let a single episode pass without Sonic powering up and humiliating Eggman with ease. 

More than anything else, what I'll most remember about this episode is its bizarre sense of humor. There are several very puzzling gags. Such as when the downed Egg Fortress is surrounded by crocodiles, which Eggman then electrocute... Yes, Eggman seemingly murders a whole lake full of crocodiles, their dead bodies floating belly up. (Unsurprisingly, this moment was cut from the 4Kids dub.) Later, there's a scene where Sonic encounters a cheetah, which he mocks in a speed-related fashion. Weirdly, this sequence concludes with an omniscient narrator speaking and also features a lingering close-up of the cheetah's ass. (Also cut from the dub.) Amusingly, the cheetah gets a data card during the eye-catch, the second time this show has extended that honor to a literal random animal. Bokkun is forced to tap-dance against his will and Eggman breaks the fourth wall by referring to the businessmen as "minor characters." Let me tell ya, there's some quality shitposting inside this cartoon.

Also, the sole Chris focused scene has him telling Tails he wants to grow up to study animals, before clarifying he means Earth animals and not animals like Tails and Sonic. Sounds like Chris is a furry-in-denial to me. This is also one of those "Sonic X" episodes with noticeably sketchy animation. The use of CGI in several scenes really sticks out. Despite that, this one is too lovably bizarre for me not to enjoy it. I really didn't expect "Sonic X" to be as consistently surreal and hilarious as it is. [7/10]

Sonic X, Episode 1.17: The Adventures of Knuckles and Hawk

Sonic X, Episode 1.17: The Adventures of Knuckles and Hawk

Japanese Title: Knuckles! Fist of Fury

Japanese Air Date: July 27th, 2003

U.S. Date: January 24th, 2003

When I was reading through Archie's "Sonic X" comic, I would occasionally encounter explicit references to the events of the cartoon show. These would always baffle and confuse me, as I did this all ass-backwards and read the comic before watching the cartoon. What this really means is you guys have to suffer through me sometimes stopping these reviews and saying "Oh, that's what that meant!" One of the most confusing tie-ins with the show the comic made was a random reference to Knuckles hanging out with Hawk, a portly gentleman with a bowl cut in a sports jacket. Thanks to episode seventeen, helpfully entitled "The Adventures of Knuckles and Hawk " I now know what this Hawk dude is all about. 

As the English title also indicates, this is episode that doesn't feature Sonic at all and has Knuckles take the lead role. He's been scrounging the globe for Chaos Emeralds. While digging through an Aztec temple in Mexico, Knuckles comes across this helpless fellow named Hawk. Sometime afterwards, he gets a message that Hawk is hanging out in the Far East. The echidna saves the human again, this time from local gangsters, and gets led to the location of a Chaos Emerald. That's when Eggman's latest robot, E-91 Kunoichi, appears to snatch the magic rock. Now Knuckles has to steal his emerald back and rescue Hawk for a third time. 

Despite his appearance in the opening sequence of every episode, the "Sonic X" version of Knuckles has been more like a reoccurring guest star than a regular supporting player. So it's extra-nice to see him get a starring role like this. That also allows for a little more exploration of this version of Knuckles' backstory. He really wants to return home to Angel Island because he has a very special relationship with the Master Emerald. In flashback, we seem him relaxing with the Emerald, standing by it in a thunderstorm, and lovingly caressing it afterwards. That's a little weird, Knux! But if my entire life had been devoted to protecting a giant glowing rock, I would probably have an unhealthy attachment to it too. 

So what about this Hawk guy? If my above comments didn't make it clear, he's kind of a nincompoop and not of the lovable variety. We don't actually learn much about Hawk or why he has such bad fashion sense. Knuckles has to rescue him three separate times over the course of this episode. He seems to get in trouble a lot and that is his sole personality trait. The only useful stuff he does is hand Knuckles the Red Chaos Emerald and give him a place to crash for a night. Despite that, the echidna seems to have some fondness for him, as he lovingly refers to him as "partner" at the end. I guess when you're a solitary teenager whose closest relationship is with a giant gemstone, you take whatever friends you can get. By the way, that parting gesture almost brings Hawk to tears, so I guess he's really lonely too. Just what this series needed: Another human with a needy relationship with one of the video game characters!

This episode is also, as far as I can tell, a sort-of half-assed homage to martial arts movies. The city the majority of the episode is set in is referred to as, no kidding, "Oriental City." It seems patterned after Hong Kong. Knuckles almost gets into a scuffle with some goons in a bar and the crook who has Hawk locked up seems like the kind of dude a young Jackie Chan would kick in the face. Also, the Japanese title is obviously taken from a Bruce Lee movie. And I guess Hawk kind of looks like Sammo Hung if you're standing really far away. I call it a half-assed homage because there's not much actual fighting in this episode. Bokkun threatening to do some kicks and punches is the closest we come to some wire-fu. Maybe kung-fu movies were just the animators' primary visual reference for this part of Asia.

Aside from all that, the biggest nod towards the Asian fisticuffs genre is the new antagonist. The Eggman robot of the week is E-93 Kunoichi. The 4Kids dub renamed her "E-93 Lady Ninja," which is basically what "Kunoichi" means. There's a long list of genre tropes associated with this character type in Japan and this episode hits some of them. Such as the fishnets in her costume, her primary weapon being a Kusari-Fundo, and the scene where she glides on a kite. (The Kunoichi's legendary sex appeal is also hinted at by this robot having a bustline bigger than Rouge's.) Despite all that, E-93 Kunoichi speaks with a man's voice for large stretches of the episode. She puts up a good fight and is a memorable adversary but Knuckles still uppercuts her into the stratosphere at the end. 

What "Sonic X" is most known for, at least to me, is directly adapting the plot of the "Adventure" games. That habit begins here. While rescuing Hawk the first time, Knuckles discovers his shovel claws power-up. This is given much pomp-and-circumstance, despite playing a fairly small role in the episode. At the very end, the Red Chaos Emerald glows, Knuckles hears a woman saying a cryptic thing, and has a vision of something exploding out of the Master Emerald. This is the first hint that Tikal and Chaos will be appearing on this show eventually. Kids watching this show for the first time presumably got a real kick out of this. 

It's an okay episode. It's neat that Knuckles got a starring role and the Kunoichi stuff is pretty entertaining. Hawk is kind of a dork though and it bugs me that Rouge appears in this episode but doesn't do much. The game tie-in feels more like corporate synergy than natural storytelling. And that's all I have to say about that, until the next time this comes up anyway. [6/10]

Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome: Issue 1

Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome: Issue 1

Publication Date: November 17th, 2021

From the minute IDW acquired the publishing rights to the "Sonic" brand, they were obviously aware of how valuable it is. The Archie books ran for almost two and a half decades, gathering a die-hard fan base that was willing to stick with the book through wild ups and downs in quality and major creative overhauls. The Archie book also supported a number of spin-offs over its long run. It didn't take IDW long to follow in Archie's footsteps and produce one-shots and mini-series that tied into the main book. 

Which brings us to "Imposter Syndrome," the third mini-series spin-off in IDW's new Sonic-verse. The latest four-parter is a bigger risk than the previous two because it's the first to revolve around new characters. The book stars Surge and Kit, Dr. Starline's genetically engineered imitators of Sonic and Tails. In a savvy marketing move, IDW has been promoting its star characters for months. It might've been dumb luck but I'm betting IDW is pretty aware of how to sell stuff to the "Sonic" fan base. They know that a lot of "Sonic" fans are basically infants and only need a pair of shiny keys — cool character designs — dangled in front of their eyes to catch their attention. Even though we knew absolutely nothing about their personalities, Surge and Kit became popular the minute images of them were released. This technique made the new characters fan favorites before their debut issue even came out, creating white hot hype and making "Imposter Syndrome" an ensured best-seller. 

But enough of me bitching about how shallow many people (certainly nobody reading this blog) in this fanbase are. Let's talk about "Imposter Syndrome's" plot. After months of research and development, Starline awakens his newest creations. Surge is a lime green tenrec, with electric powers and super speed. She has Sonic's snark and spunk but is unchained from morality. Kitsunami — A+ pun, Flynn —  is a blue fennec with water manipulation powers, who is quiet and submissive. Starline has designed both to replace Sonic and his friends in the public's mind as the planet's premiere heroes. It's all part of his scheme to undermine Eggman, defeat the Restoration, and seize control of the world. Yet, as he goes through the testing stages and begins his plot, Surge and Kit are already proving harder to control than expected. 

In the past, I've commented on Ian Flynn's frustrating insistence on a lack of intertextual depth. I read way too much into stupid "Sonic" comics and cartoons because I get bored with how disinterested kids media is in being about stuff. (And also because I think it's funny.) "Imposter Syndrome" doesn't contain any real world subtext but it's unusually meta about the "Sonic" series itself. The very first panel has Starline referencing a "Sonic Cycle." That's an insightful meme about the never-ending cycle of hype and disappointment that accurately describes fans' relationship with every new "Sonic" game. In the comic, Starline uses the Sonic Cycle to refer to how the blue hedgehog always destroys Eggman's plans. Which, from a certain angle, reads like a criticism of Sega insisting this comic follow the same formula. He builds Surge and Kit specifically to appeal to people, to take the things the public likes about Sonic and Tails but use them for his own purposes. His latest evil deed is all about manipulating the plot people expect, a subversive twist on the crowd-pleasing story beats Sega/IDW wants this series to always follow.

In this light, Surge and Kit immediately being embraced by fans becomes almost painfully ironic. That's exactly what Starline wants to happen in-universe! In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if "Imposter Syndrome" isn't a stealth criticism of the notorious "Sonic" original character phenomenon. Surge and Kit — who, like Starline, are loosely inspired by well-known game sprite glitches — basically look like Sonic and Tails but are different colors. They have superpowers that are technically different from the heroic duo but serve the same purpose, much like any number of unoriginal fan-made characters. They are also shallow imitations of Sonic and Tails as people. Surge is all-attitude but without Sonic's motivating heroism. Kit extends Tails looking up to Sonic to its most extreme point, making him a groveling, pathetic yes-man. Is Flynn using this comic to present the "Sonic" fandom with the things they've always said they wanted and making them understand why they actually don't want these things? 

If this is Flynn's actual objective with this mini-series, "Imposter Syndrome" will go down as the comic's most intriguingly meta moment. But what are my general first impressions of Surge and Kit? Honestly, I think they are kind of annoying. Surge is obnoxiously egotistic, constantly trumpeting her own awesomeness while speaking largely in catch-phrases. She's also overly enthusiastic in her tendency towards violence, in a way that's off-putting. This also manifests as her frequently bullying, and even threatening to murder, Kit. Despite her cruelty, the little fox just wants to please her. This is literally Kit's only personality traits so far, making him more pathetic than sympathetic. 

But I'm not going to dismiss these characters outright and give them the Worst New Character award in January. Because there's room for development here. A key moment in this issue has Surge realizing that she hates Sonic and wants to wreak chaos for no discernible reason. Kit similarly concludes that he doesn't know why he's totally devoted to Surge. Starline hypnotizes them both with his magic glove afterwards, rebooting their brains. That's the second time in this issue he has to do that. It's clear that Starline is in a Doctor Frankenstein situation here, having created life without thinking it all through. He didn't give his O.C.s backstories and they are quickly waking up to that fact, throwing them into existential crises and making them question his authority. Flynn is obviously going somewhere with this and it will, hopefully, justify these two being sort of obnoxious jack-asses. 

As for the issue itself, "Imposter Syndrome No. 1" serves its purpose. Ian Flynn seems to only know one way to begin a story, so this issue is largely devoted to putting the pieces in place for the rest of the plot. Starline is constantly referring to his master plan, making the reader privy to what he's plotting. We see Surge starting the forest fire from the last issue of the regular "Sonic" book. (And the unsurprising spoiler is dropped that Amy and everyone else stops the fire.) We see the villains manufacturing other disasters. It's all a prologue for the bigger things the bad guy — and this comic book — has planned. The character stuff is interesting so a narrative that promises a lot of exciting things are about to happen, instead of just letting those exciting things happen, doesn't bother me too much. 

Flynn has to include lots of action scenes too, least the seven-year-old boy demographic wander off to more explosion-filled pastures. So the book starts with Surge and Kit racing through an obstacle course, smashing a number of Badniks and avoiding various perils. There's a pretty neat sequence where Surge racing through Central City and causes a number of traffic accidents. The artwork makes this stuff more exciting too. Thomas Rothlisberger handles the beginning and end, while Aaron Hammerstrom does the rest. Rothlisberger's work has an exciting, dynamic quality but his character work is a little loose. Or maybe he's still learning how to draw Surge and Kit. Hammerstrom's stuff is more self-assured and dramatic. The forest fire and city sequences are especially well done. 

I have reservations about Surge and Kit as characters at the moment but it's still early. If "Imposter Syndrome" continues to run with its self-reflective criticism of the "Sonic" franchise and its fanbase, then it might prove to be more interesting than this first issue suggest. Taken on its own merits, issue one of "Imposter Syndrome" is intriguing and makes me want to read more, even if it's plotting is simply functional and the jury is still out on its star duo. [7/10]

Sonic X, Episode 1.16: Depths of Danger

Sonic X, Episode 1.16: Depths of Danger

Japanese Title: Aim for It! The Sunken Ship in the Southern Sea

Japanese Air Date: July 20th, 2003

U.S. Air Date: January 17th, 2004

Any long-time readers of this blog will know that I reviewed the Archie "Sonic X" comic quite some time ago. Thus far, during my watch-through of the actual series, I haven't seen too much stuff the comic ran with outside of the generic premise. The perturbed veterinarian that became a member of the evil organization S.O.N.I.C.X. in the comic was taken from a brief cameo in the second episode. That's about it, so far. That changes a little bit with episode 16. The sunken pirate ship that was the setting for the second issue of the comic is taken from this episode. As I watch more of this show, I will presumably see other little nuggets that the comic picked up.

At least the U.S. government has learned its lesson this time. Even though Eggman was seemingly defeated last episode, they are still scanning the oceans for any sign of him. This instinct is wise, as the doctor survives inside his sunken Egg Fort. Meanwhile, the Sonic team decide to go on a vacation to the Grand Sapphire Sea. While overhead, Tails detects another Chaos Emerald. After attempting to deal with Sonic's hydrophobia, the gang eventually rent some scuba gear and investigates. They find the Emerald inside a treasure chest aboard a legendary sunken pirate ship. Eggman, naturally, intervenes at this point.

Once again, my favorite thing about "Sonic X" is the semi-realistic way it explores the premise of Sonic landing on our world. In the first scene in this episode, Chuck presents the furries with something special: Social security cards, pass ports, flight licenses for Tails, and even a pet license for Cheese. (Much to Cream's chagrin, as she insists Cheese is a friend, not a pet.) How Chuck got these documents approved for alien cartoon animals so quickly, when actual human immigrants struggle to achieve these things, presumably has something to do with him being rich. Yes, Sonic, you are now an official person in the eyes of the government. Better start paying your taxes. 

Last review, I mentioned how I sort of like how this show has made a real supporting cast out of its goofy exclusive characters. Yet this has ups and downs. It's nice that Sam Speed and Bokkun aren't just running gags... Which means they are still basically running gags. Here, Bokkun's habit of presenting exploding video messages is accidentally visited on Eggman himself, which is pretty dumb. (Though the Japanese Bokkun is still less annoying than the screechy English version.) Later, Sam Speed swoops in out of nowhere on a jet ski to help Sonic out. Now come on. Is this race car driver/police contractor really just stalking his nephew everywhere and waiting to jump in whenever he can help? That stretches belief and, worst yet, is sloppy writing. 

Despite its flaws, this episode is still pretty amusing. Sonic's inability to swim, and associated fear of water, plays a big role. There's an amusing sequence where Chris tries various half-assed attempts to provide Sonic with oxygen as he traverses the ocean floor. Such as shoving a rubber hose in his mouth or having him carry a bell over his head. Predictably neither of these techniques work very well. The hedgehog's hydrophobia isn't just used for goofy sight gags. It actually increases tension in the last act, after Eggman attacks with a giant jellyfish robot and Sonic discovers he can't run fast underwater. 

Naturally, this aqua-hindrance only slows our hero down so much. After Sam Speed rides up on a jet ski, Sonic grabs a Power Ring and destroys the jellyfish bot in seconds. No, this is not the real challenge Sonic faces in this episode. Instead, this episode presents him with his greatest foe yet... Crab. Yes, this humble crustacean successfully defeats Sonic when he cleaves through his air hose and latches onto his ass. This sends the hedgehog paddling to the surface in a blind frenzy, knowing he's been beat. Yes, this pinching beachcomber accomplishes something Eggman never has: Bring Sonic to his knees. I can only assume this episode is the start of a great arc about Sonic and Crab's rivalry. I mean, it has to be important, because Crab even gets an info-card during the commercial break! Surely, TMS wouldn't throw one of those together for a random, toss-away gag character that does nothing important? 

In all seriousness, this episode is pretty sloppy from a writing perspective. Eggman just inflates some balloons in the Egg Fort and floats it to the surface, the military apparently having moved on, I guess. Maybe nobody just pays attention to this part of the ocean, as it takes Chris and the Sonic team a few minutes of walking to find this legendary sunken pirate wreck. It turns out the owner of the dive shop is the ancestor of the pirate captain, a plot point that has nothing to do with anything. Also, when Chris goes to buy the collection of "Thunderball"-style oxygen masks, we learn the government has passed a bill to pay for anything Sonic needs. That's a not-so-realistic touch there and unnecessary, considering Chris' family is fucking rich as hell. Does this superhero team really need government sponsorship? 

Despite these evident flaws, I can't rate an episode this goofy too harshly. This one made me laugh more than a few times and it actually moves the overall plot forward, as our heroes grab a new Chaos Emerald by the end. So that more than justifies its existence. Any episode that has Sonic getting into a crab battle and definitively loosing can't be all bad, even if it was obviously written in an afternoon. [6/10]

Sonic X, Episode 1.15: Skirmish in the Sky

Sonic X, Episode 1.15: Skirmish in the Sky

Japanese Title: Mobile Fortress Egg Fort Attacks!

Japanese Air Date: July 13th, 2003

U.S. Air Date: December 13th, 2003

Let's get right into this one. Since their existence is public knowledge now, and Amy is bored of being cooped up in the Thorndyke mansion, Chris and Ella decide to take Tails and Amy to the mall. (Sonic declines, on account of being a free bird you cannot cage.) Meanwhile, the U.S. government goes about excavating Egg Base only for a massive warship to burst though the ground. Not only did Eggman survive his base's destruction but he's built Egg Fort, a flying battleship, to replace it. He immediately sets out to destroy Station Square. Luckily, Sonic arrives to save the day... But he's gonna need help.

This is another action-packed episode that was likely to please the fidgety seven-year-olds this cartoon was targeted at. Once the attack on Station Square begins, this is pretty much non-stop destruction. Bipedal robots outfitted with wrecking balls smash things, including the Thorndyke limousine. Sonic runs from, and rides around on, drones that resembles both birds and jets. He fights back against a horde of floating, green machines outfitted with death rays. (Which, in classic Eggman, flash several times before firing.) It gets a little repetitive at times — the animation of Sonic making Swiss cheese of the wrecking ball bots gets repeated too much — but I can enjoy this. 

Better yet, Sonic is even challenged by this attack. Sonic can destroy or outrun one Eggman robots in seconds but an endless horde of them is more difficult. It's refreshing to see the hedgehog overestimate his jumping ability or get annoyed, even when powered up with a ring. I also like the moment where Sonic insists they have to lure Eggman out of the city, to make sure he doesn't destroy any more property or hurt more people. This episode could've pulled a "Man of Steel" and just reveled in the collateral damage but Sonic isn't morally bankrupt like that. Good to know. 

Eggman immediately takes the bait and follows the X-Tornado out to sea. This is despite Bocoe and Decoe asking him not to do that. This furthers the "Sonic X" Eggman's characterization as both incredibly dangerous and really dumb. It's also revealed in this episode that Bocoe and Decoe are apparently the only assistants on the entire Egg Fort, a massive airship you'd imagine would take hundreds of people to operate. This might explain why one blow from Sonic, after grabbing two Power Rings, is enough to take the entire ship down. I can only conclude that Eggman is a genius at quickly manufacturing massive weapons of destruction but never actually thinks about things beyond that. He's some sort of mad scientist idiot savant.

Yet even this is not what I will most remember about this episode. Once again, "Sonic X's" oddball sense of humor catches my attention the most. Tails and Amy deciding to go to the mall was not such a good idea. Unsurprisingly, a pair of anthropomorphic cartoon animals attract a lot of attention wherever they go. People either flee in fear, stare in fascination, or squeeze them like they're produce. A kid in the toy aisle drags Tails by his tails. After Ella takes everyone to an exclusive rich person club, the gang is assaulted by a horde of handsy rich ladies. It's weird, uncomfortable, kind of realistic too, and also pretty funny. Where else are you going to see a matronly old woman molest Amy Rose's ears, outside out the more specific corners of r34? There's also a pretty funny scene at the beginning where Chris tries to give Sonic a cellphone but the hedgehog discards it. Because he has no interest in Chris being able to contact at him at any time. Lol.

I never thought I'd say this but, just over the course of its first fifteen episodes, "Sonic X" has built up a unique supporting cast that it actually has time for. Over the course of this episode, Ella, Sam Speed, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Tanaka all help out. Some of this stuff is goofier than other. Mr. Tanaka driving a semi-truck containing the X-Tornado into some robots at just the right time is actually kind of badass. Mr. Stewart dramatically jumping onto a car to deflect some laser beams with a handheld mirror is hilarious nonsense. And it's not like I exactly love to see Sam Speed, who the show wants to be a lovable dumb-ass but forgot the lovable part, but it's nice Chris' uncle shows up when his nephew needs a quick getaway. I'm just glad this show is actually making these clowns useful. 

Also, this is another episode where it's really obvious what kind of cartoon the animators and designers would rather be working on. "Skirmish in the Sky" packs in just enough references to classic Japanese anime and sci-fi movies to be noticeable. The Egg Fort bares more than a passing resembles to the Gotengo, the flying submarine with a giant drill tip from Toho's 1963 tokusatsu flick "Atragon." While in a toy store, Chris picks up a model kit for a cartoon robot called Pandam, a show-out to both Gundam and Mazinger Z. (Which predates "Panda-Z" by a whole year.) The same scene also features a quick shot of a Godzilla/Gorgo-like toy kaiju. The Japanese title also sort of reminds me a little of "Super Dimension Fortress Macross." Considering the X-Tornado confirms the mechanical designers were "Robotech" nerds, it seems likely to be an intentional nod. The same goes for the bipedal designs of the E-42 Torole, which vaguely resemble the same show's battle pods. 

Fifteen episodes in and I think I'm fully won over by "Sonic X's" mix of hedgehog-on-robot action, patently absurd humor, and a human cast that are slowly becoming lovable losers. If nothing else, the show is really capitalizing on its "Sonic and friends are transported to Earth" premise while still including the stuff you actually expect from this era of the franchise. More often than not anyway. [7/10]

Sonic X, Episode 1.14: That's What Friends Are For

Sonic X, Episode 1.14: That's What Friends Are For

Japanese Title: Chase the Hero Sonic!

Japanese Air Date: July 6th, 2003

U.S. Air Date: December 6th, 2003

Even though the "Beating Eggman" two-parter marked the end of the "New World" story arc, "Sonic X" isn't done screwing around with goofy episodes. "That's What Friends Are For" begins with the President concerned about his re-election chances. See, all the press surrounding the destruction of Eggman's base is focused on Sonic, not on Our Glorious Leader. Press Secretary Jerome Wise thinks up a wacky scheme to fix this: He'll throw a charity ball celebrating Eggman's defeat and invite Sonic, allowing the President to mooch off the hedgehog's star power. Sonic, however, has other plans. He's promised Helen, a girl in a wheelchair from Chris' class, that he would take her to a secluded place in the forest where white flowers grow. Wise finds Sonic turning down the invitation unacceptable and sends a military team to retrieve him. The blue dude with 'tude sympathy for children with disabilities does not let this stop him. 

I know any political commentary on "Sonic X's" behalf is probably completely accidental. I've read before — and I can't find a source for this now so it's probably bullshit but — the show is not set in the year 2003 but some undetermined future date. Meaning this American president is probably not meant to be a stand-in for George W. And yet I can't help but notice parallels. We, the viewer, obviously knows that Eggman is not defeated. So the White House holding a big charity dinner to celebrate the destruction of his base feels hilariously premature. It can't help but bring the infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner to mind. In general, I can't help but notice this Japanese cartoon portraying the U.S. president as a praise-hungry buffoon only concerned about his re-election chances during a time when our President was famous for his gaffes and starting shady wars he had no intention of ever ending. Maybe the satire wasn't intentional but it certainly speaks to the global perception of the U.S. government at the time. 

In fact, "Sonic X's" willingness to have Sonic continuously oppose establishment powers, like the police or military, can't help but come off as subversive in hindsight. The majority of "Chase the Hero Sonic!" is devoted to our hedgehog hero humiliating soldiers in high-tech gear. In fact, it's pretty funny how serious military force is deployed for the task of retrieving a blue hedgehog to appear at a party. Armed soldiers, attack helicopters, and even high-tech X-Jet style hovercrafts are deployed to try and catch the hedgehog. It's, at most, a preposterous waste of money and resources and, at worst, a hideous violation of Sonic's autonomous rights as an individual. (Though I guess extraterrestrial blue hedgehogs probably have no rights, in the government's eyes.) Either way, it's a hell of a way to pay him back for his heroics last time.

Despite all the manic wackiness of Sonic making a laughingstock of the U.S. military, that is not the main point of this episode. In fact, "That's What Friends Are For" comes very close to being a Very Special Episode. Sonic's friendship with Helen really comes out of nowhere, as he's never much interacted with Chris' schoolmates before. He apparently met Helen when her wheelchair got stuck in the sand by a lake. They immediately form a bond and Sonic spends the rest of the episode insuring Helen will have a night she'll never forget. The episode isn't really about what struggles kids in wheelchairs deal with, as whatever Helen's condition is isn't even specified. But there is a slightly patronizing tone here, Sonic going out of his way to treat this person he's never met before with a special reverence. (Also, the eye catch image of her shown before the commercial break depicts her standing on her own, which feels kind of distasteful.)

Helen, at this point in the show anyway, is defined mostly by her paraplegic status. She has a sob story about how she never gets to spend much time with her dad, as he's constantly working to afford Helen's medical bills. We get a scene of him toiling away at a grocery store, apparently on both day and night shifts. We don't know what Helen's mom does but it's implied she works all the time too. This is a sad reality of a lot of people who are victims of the for-profit medical industry. Yet the episode still concludes with Helen's dad promising to work less, as if the problem is him working too much and not the lack of funds or help to ensure Helen has as fulfilling a life as possible. At least Helen's parents are actually working to take care of her, as opposed to Chris' idle rich parents who just choose not to spend time with their child. 

In fact... Hey, Chris, why don't you use some of that cash allocated to pay for your granddad building personal jets to help out your paraplegic friend with overworked parents! Anyway, if it wasn't already apparent, this is quite an offbeat episode. Sonic zooming around with a cheering girl in a wheelchair is an odd sight, even in the context of the continuously weird "Sonic" cartoons. A lengthy subplot involves intoxication. When the journalists sent to cover the White House charity dinner learn Sonic isn't there, they begin to leave. Wise plies them with free booze, as if a bunch of drunk and belligerent reporters will smooth things over. (These scenes were, naturally, removed from the dub.) Also, the episode concludes with Sonic commandeering a helicopter and landing it on the White House lawn, which probably would be a legit reason for him to be in trouble with the government. Everyone is just happy to see him though. This administration is going to have to sweep so much shit under the rug. 

Before I wrap this up, I should probably point something out. The ending theme to "Sonic X," up to this point, has been a lively little number called "Fu-tu-re" by Run&Gun. It played over footage of Sonic and friends napping on the couch after a long day of adventuring. I had gotten quite used to singing along with "TO BE SHY, TO BE FREE" at end of every episode. This episode introduces a new closing theme: "The Shining Road" by Aiya Hiroshige. At first, I assumed this to be a special ending theme for this episode, about Helen's eternal gratitude to Sonic. Yet the accompanying animation makes it clear that this is not the case. It depicts Sonic brooding in the city before meeting Amy at sunrise, the two sharing meaningful glances among much soft focus. The lyrics describe hidden romantic feelings and a girl inviting the object of her desire to a secret meeting. Dang, no wonder SonAmy shippers love this show. Anyway, the other song was much better. 

As for the episode itself, I've seen some "Sonic X" fans mention Helen with fondness, so perhaps this one is something of a fan favorite. I wouldn't go that far and I still don't know if Helen is just an example of tokenism or not. Still, an episode this weird and unexpected can't help but be endearing to me. [7/10]

Sonic X, Episode 1.13: Beating Eggman, Part 2

Sonic X, Episode 1.13: Beating Eggman, Part 2

Japanese Title: Attack on the Eggman Base (Part Two)

Japanese Air Date: June 29th, 2003

U.S. Air Date: November 29th, 2003

"Sonic X" picks up right where it left off last time. Tails, Amy, Chris and Frances remain pinned down by E-35 Funfun. Sonic rushes in to save them and quickly defeats the machine. Just as Tails uncovers the Yellow Chaos Emerald, Eggman yoinks it and flies away. Our heroes take chase in the X-Tornado. They return to Eggman's base, just as it's under attack by the U.S. military. Rouge and Topaz — quickly joined by Knuckles — make it into the base's power station but are soon trapped inside with their own bomb. Luckily, Sonic is here to save the day and kick some robot ass.

Has there ever been a satisfying resolution to a cliffhanger? Whether it be in comics, animation, live action television, or old time-y movie serials, it seems most cliffhangers are designed to make sure you tune in next week... And not so much to have a satisfying conclusion in their own right. Last time, Sonic ran off to rescue Chris and Tails, whose situation seemed very grim indeed. Today's episode starts with Sonic rushing in and knocking over Funfun with a single kick to the head. When the machine gets back up, Sonic grabs a Power Ring and tears it apart in seconds. The rest of this episode has pretty much nothing to do with the scene the last one ended on, proving the entire contrived scenario was created strictly just to end the last episode in an exciting place. Feels a little bullshitty, man.

This episode also proves to me, once again, what a weird character the Japanese version of Eggman is. At the beginning of the episode, he seems overjoyed that he's nearly won. He commands Funfun to stomp on the X-Tornado and crush Tails. He actually tells the robot to "Kill him!" He builds a robot powered by two Chaos Emeralds, that almost crushes Sonic to death. Pretty dark. Later, Eggman is comically almost taken out by his own henchmen and laughs like a child when riding around in what looks like one of those coin-operated kiddie rides. So which is it, "Sonic X?" Is Eggman a cold and calculating villain ready to murder his enemies? Or a childish comic relief bad guy that shouldn't be taken seriously? The answer is, I guess, both. But the back-and-forth between these two extremes is still so weird to me. 

If nothing else, it seems like "Beating Eggman, Part 2" will be an important episode to this show's lore. The attack on Eggman's base is televised and seemingly watched by everyone in Station Square. When Sonic swoops in and saves the day, everyone sees it. This seems to be the point where Sonic goes from being a wanted criminal by the cops, or some weird cryptozoological legend, to a beloved hero all over the world. The crowd watching on the big TV in Station Square's Time Square (Time Station Square?) all cheer when Sonic wins at the end. Obviously, our hero will be doing no more hiding after this point, which is probably for the best. As that storyline was starting to get old.

The second part of the episode, devoted to Rouge and Topaz' team rushing into Eggman's base, feels like it probably should've been more exciting. Knuckles sailing in on a missile, even shooting "Yahoo!" like Slim Pickins in "Dr. Strangelove," is pretty funny. Watching Rouge flirt belligerently with both Knuckles and Topaz is always entertaining. (This also leads to a moment of Knuckles denying he's Sonic's friend before admitting he does know him, like the tsun-tsun he is.) Yet once the characters get locked in the room with the bomb, this plot line becomes totally inert. It's becomes Knuckles and Rouge trying to punch and kick through the door, the tension of the literal ticking bomb next to them never really being felt. 

Since Sonic has a habit of quickly ripping through Eggman's robots, there is some novelty in seeing him actually struggle in the last fight. As if to emphasize the robot's power, it is modeled after classic super-robot anime Mazinger Z. This is a reference American kids watching this show in 2003 were unlikely to catch but is immediately obvious to an old weeb like me. The Egg-Mobile even attaches right to the bot's head, like Mazinger Z's pilder. Still, no matter how close Eggman's Go Nagai homage comes to smashing Sonic, the hedgehog wins. The sequence of Sonic running up the machine's leg is so sluggish, that I can only assume we are actually observing this moment from Sonic's perspective. That he's actually moving too quickly for the eye to see or something. Either way, it's a disappointing end to what should've been a neat battle. 

I was reading the other night about how some people apparently regard "Sonic X's" animation, at least in some episodes, as quite poor. I didn't even notice before now, probably because even a mediocre anime looks great when compared to the garbage animation of the DiC cartoons I've been reviewing for the last year. Still, the seams are starting to show. There's a lot of repetition in this episode, of Eggman laughing. Of Rouge and Knuckles pounding in a big steel door. Scenes of Sonic, energized after grabbing the two Emeralds, look especially awkward. Some episodes of "Sonic X" have looked pretty fluid and lively while others, like this one, look pretty stiff and cheap. That happens sometimes, I guess. 

Overall, the second part of "Attack on the Eggman Base" feels disappointing after the exciting first half. The moment that really sticks out to me, in this one, is when Chris tries to awkwardly talk Frances out of going with to Eggman's base. He doesn't want his friend to be in danger but she's having a great time. Is Chris Thorndyke the most awkward grade-schooler to ever live? Sure feels that way sometimes. Also, Amy completely disappears in the second half of this episode, which is kind of funny. Anyway, this is the first episode of "Sonic X" to really let me down, probably because I liked the proceeding episodes so much more. [5/10]