Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 6: From A. Rose

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 6: From A. Rose

Original Release Date: December 25th, 2018

I've pointed this out before but it bears repeating. Sonic the Hedgehog, for whatever reason, has a strong association with Christmas. The most evident reason for this is not hard to figure out: This is a cutesy franchise for kids, designed to sell video games and consoles. Exactly the kind of thing an eager child would ask Santa Claus for once December draws near. It probably doesn't hurt that the Japanese love the secular visuals of the holiday, incorporating red and white hats, evergreen trees, colorful lights, and snowy vistas into the kawaii mascot culture the country is deeply enamored of. This is so common that cute anime girls in a "Santa Skirt" outfit has become a trope onto itself. Since Sonic is also a huggable mascot, it makes sense that his creators would often stick a Santa hat on his head and have him delivering presents. That ice themed levels are common features in the games, tying in closely with the areligious Japanese version of the celebration, furthers the connection. I'll let you know if I ever come across official art of Sonic and friends having a festive KFC feast or of Blaze being compared to day old cake. 

Obviously, a "Sonic" Xmas special is not without precedence, as I've explored in the past. Because of this – and also, I imagine, a desire to drum up some more sales during the holiday buying season – "Sonic Mania Adventures" would have one more episode tagged on in late December, several months after its main run seemingly concluded. This final episode would also spotlight the fourth corner of the Classic Sonic series' heroic cast that had, up to this point, been excluded from the YouTube animations. I guess Tyson Hesse isn't a totally despicable monster and felt he owed it to the Amy Rose fans to focus an episode on her, after leaving the pink hedgehog out of "Mania Adventures'" main narrative. In that sense, this extra installment operates as a two-fold treat: A holiday bonus and a chance to see a long-time character in animation again. 

"From A. Rose" actually picks up right where the previous episode left off, with Eggman and Metal Sonic thrown a great distance by Knuckles' fist. They land in the jungle and, disgusted by his latest defeat, Eggman leaves Metal Sonic laying on the ground there. The seasons past and winter arrives. Soon, the mechanical minion is buried in a heavy layer of snow. That's when Amy Rose stumbles across the robot, buried in the frosty layer. At first, she's frightened by his appearance. However, after pulling out of the path of a falling tree, Amy grows a little fond of the machine. She patches Metal Sonic up, slaps a bow on him, and delivers him right to Eggman's door step. It is a gift that the doctor, after a minute of consideration, accepts. Aww, ain't that sweet? 

The "Sonic" series has never been the best at female representation. Being a relic of nineties "no girls allowed!" childish sexism, the series didn't have any real female characters for its first two installments. When the first prominent heroine in the games was introduced, she still only filled the role of a helpless damsel in distress, like so many princesses and captured babes before her. Attempts have been made over the years to correct this oversight. More women have appeared in the games. (Though whether you consider sexy femme fatale, a mom and a toddler, and Token Girls on otherwise all male teams to be forward thinking or not is up for debate.) The comics and cartoons have added more diverse women to the cast, though the movies still aren't there yet. The biggest way Sega has addressed the "Sonic" series' gender imbalance was making Amy Rose more of an independent character in her own right in "Sonic Adventure," who didn't need a blue hedgehog to fight her battles for her. By the time we got to "Sonic Boom," Amy was mostly allowed to exist without the baggage of being defined solely as "Sonic's girlfriend."

This is a development that the Classic branch of the "Sonic" series has struggled to incorporate. Modern Amy hardly defies gender roles, still being extremely pink and classically girly in most ways. Her tendency to smash shit with an oversized hammer is born largely out of negative stereotypes about feminine rage, after all. Classic Amy, with her frilly skirt and short stature and perfect little bows on her shoes, continues to exist in mostly a supporting roles. She's been playable in the weird spin-off racing and fighting games – where she gained her mallet for the first time – but wouldn't be playable on a mainline "Sonic" until last year. Tie-in media has attempted to expand this version of the character beyond her crush on Sonic. Her status as a friend to the animals, dabbling in divination, and generally a loving and kind person have been focused on more lately. This has done little to move Amy past her role as The Chick in the classic corners of the franchise. That she got left out of "Mania" all together, when obscurities like Ray and Mighty were included, maybe didn't make for the best optics either. 

I can't help but I imagine that this was a factor in making the "Mania Adventures" holiday special about Amy. She is, in fact, the protagonist here. She discovers Metal Sonic and it is her kindness and love of all sentient life – something Sonic would not be expected to show towards this particular foe – that drives what little story exists here. That Amy cleans up Metal Sonic and returns him to his "family" of sorts certainly doesn't defy her conforming to feminine archetypes of being a nurturer and a caregiver. At the same time, that she protects a deadly enemy from harm, when anyone else would immediately spin-dash him, does show us what Amy can do that her bro-y teammates can't. After all, this is the same Metal Sonic who threatened her and the kindness she shows him proves what a big-hearted individual she is. In other words, this episode does not stray from the somewhat reductive role Amy has always had in the classic games while also giving her more to do than get captured, fawn over Sonic, and be a prop for him to rescue at the end of the game. 

It is also, one must point out, extremely cute. Avoiding the difficult question of how Sonic and friends know what Christmas is, "From A. Rose" favors generic seasonal signifiers like snow and gift-giving. Amy dragging Metal up to Eggman's base, and leaving him gift-wrapped for the big bad, makes her into something of a Santa Claus figure. It brings themes like unconditional kindness and giving with no thoughts of receiving to the forefront, solidifying the holiday special status. Making Metal Sonic into a blankly staring straight man, forced to endure Amy's adorable antics, is also a good joke. That Eggman, ruthless villain that he is, is also seemingly moved by this selfless act of kindness certainly also matches the Christmas-y mood of this entire production. Such a sentimental tone means this final episode of "Mania Adventures" lacks most of the action and laughs of the previous parts. I definitely still chuckled a few times. There's a good joke involving a Flicky and Hesse still gets a chance to incorporate the glib, highly expressive faces he's so good at a few times. (Especially during Sonic's contractually obligated cameo at the end of the episode.) This one is definitely designed more to warm your heart than tickle your funny bone. 

This is also apparent in how the episode sounds. "From A. Rose" is as beautifully animated as the rest of the series. However, it foregoes the use of music and sound effects from the classic games. I guess because Amy wasn't playable in "Mania?" It does make this episode stick out when watched in a row with the other ones, not quite having the infectious energy as the rest of the series. But, hey, we all deserve to slow down and relax a bit during the holidays. "From A. Rose" isn't much more than a bonus, a little Christmas gift Sega and Sonic Team handed to fans at the end of 2018. When taken in that light, it's cute enough. "Sonic Mania Adventures" works perfectly fine – and maybe better – without it but who can complain about something this harmless and good natured existing? If nothing else, the end credits do present us with some postcard worthy festive images of Sonic and the gang celebrating the season. At the risk of damning this three minute program with faint praise, I'm definitely more inclined to rewatch this around December than "Sonic Christmas Blast." [7/10]