Sonic X discussion

[JezMM]

If only there was a dub release that was actually a dub of the Japanese version, and didn't try to censor words like "BOOKSTORE".

 

There is a theory that when TMS licensed the images to 4kids, the signs were already all blanked out with the assumption that translators overseas would fill them in with correct text.  It's entirely possible that Sonic's "don't try this at home" sign from that one scene where Sonic and Chris are trying to go diving without proper equipment, and the signpost saying "The House of Amy Rose" etc etc, were actually blank when 4kids received them, so they had no idea what was even supposed to be there.  Granted, they could at least have made a guess even if it ended up being inaccurate to the original, as long as it made sense.

[Tara]

There is a theory that when TMS licensed the images to 4kids, the signs were already all blanked out with the assumption that translators overseas would fill them in with correct text.  It's entirely possible that Sonic's "don't try this at home" sign from that one scene where Sonic and Chris are trying to go diving without proper equipment, and the signpost saying "The House of Amy Rose" etc etc, were actually blank when 4kids received them, so they had no idea what was even supposed to be there.  Granted, they could at least have made a guess even if it ended up being inaccurate to the original, as long as it made sense.

I was always led to believe that the dubbers typically had someone from the Japanese production team to call on to clarify things or that they've at least seen the Japanese version so they at least know when something is left out.  But since this is 4Kids we're talking about, it wouldn't surprise me if that wasn't the case. XP

[Zaysho]

Considering the vast majority of signage in Sonic X were nonsense, losing it in the dub is probably the one thing I don't have a problem with. That said, what I know of TMS from their practices with licensing out Case Closed/Detective Conan, was that they do have a habit of editing or changing little things before handing the video over to the licensee. Sonic X was likely no different, but happened to be hit with extra editing and digital cover ups after it was given to 4Kids.

 

EDIT: Seriously:

 

 

I was always led to believe that the dubbers typically had someone from the Japanese production team to call on to clarify things or that they've at least seen the Japanese version so they at least know when something is left out. But since this is 4Kids we're talking about, it wouldn't surprise me if that wasn't the case. XP

This is the company that licensed One Piece without having any idea what they were in for, and had writers on several occasions admit outright they have no idea what the properties they're working on are (I believe it was Michael Hagney who mentioned he didn't know anything about Sonic when he was working on the show--I believe he also expected Ash's Charmander to be a one-shot character in Pokémon, boy was he wrong). Of course, in their defense, they were sort of "forced" to acquire One Piece since it was part of another package and they were in a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario.

[Tara]

Considering the vast majority of signage in Sonic X were nonsense, losing it in the dub is probably the one thing I don't have a problem with. That said, what I know of TMS from their practices with licensing out Case Closed/Detective Conan, was that they do have a habit of editing or changing little things before handing the video over to the licensee. Sonic X was likely no different, but happened to be hit with extra editing and digital cover ups after it was given to 4Kids.

 

EDIT: Seriously:

 

 

This is the company that licensed One Piece without having any idea what they were in for, and had writers on several occasions admit outright they have no idea what the properties they're working on are (I believe it was Michael Hagney who mentioned he didn't know anything about Sonic when he was working on the show--I believe he also expected Ash's Charmander to be a one-shot character in Pokémon, boy was he wrong). Of course, in their defense, they were sort of "forced" to acquire One Piece since it was part of another package and they were in a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario.

It's mostly when the signage was actually part of a joke or just didn't make sense to exist when blank that it bothered me.  Removing signs that say things like "Cola" or "Bookshelf" for example or the ones in the above screenshot with nothing but random letters really don't bother me.  They just baffle me.

 

Though I will say that I can't believe they'd remove poignant social commentary like PUPI POO.  4Kids really need to stop sugarcoating things for kids like that.  PUPI POO is an important issue we need to work together on, and if the kids grow up not understanding it, it could have seriously negative consequences on their social and cognitive development.  Keep PUPI POO in TV.  Please.

 

On a more serious note, I had no idea that 4Kids literally admitted to having absolute knowledge of the shows they dubbed, but it also doesn't surprise me at all.

[juliejo2001]

So if any of you guys have any of the mainstream cable providers, you can get Sonic FREAKING X on Kabillion on demand! (AND a dubbed El Chavo too)

 

It is indeed dubbed, but I'm glad my favorite hedgehog is back on TV in a way that's not Hulu.

[Woun]

It's true. ufotable studio working with CG Part Animation / (全話 - Full Story?).

 

http://www.ufotable.com/works/works.htm

 

I was surprised to find it from the credits, huh.

Staff: Suzuki Ryu　「鈴木龍」 (Kara no Kyoukai: Final Chapter - producer), Kenichiro Kasahara 「鈴木龍　笠原健一郎」and Fukuda Yasutaka 「福田泰崇」。

[-Ace-]

That's awesome, after some searching come to find out that Ufotable is made up of TMS staff which is a subsidiary of SEGA/Sammy. Pretty cool that Unfotable went on to work on one of my current favorite animes, Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works.

[Kuzu]

...holy fucking shit.

Why UFO are working with Sonic of all things I'll never know, but goddamn I hope this isn't a rude.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zaysho]

...holy fucking shit.

Why UFO are working with Sonic of all things I'll never know, but goddamn I hope this isn't a rude.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was 2002-3 and Sonic didn't have the reputation it does now at the time?

Though, even then, come on, there are worse things than to be associated with a Sonic cartoon.

[AstroSeedP]

Not sure this has been mentioned or if people care but TMS has been uploading full dub episodes to YouTube, although they're out of order (probably because they were all uploaded at once and they all finished processing at different times).

It seems it not the only thing they are going to upload according to their YouTube info (Kinda hoping they add the sub version too, but that's unlikely).

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzGf0DdUJVrsbcWL3e_tK1Q

 

[Tara]

Nice to see the series is more readily available lately.  YouTube is a much more preferable platform to Hulu, in just my opinion.

[Your Vest Friend]

Well, more readily available if you're in the US. We still can't see it. 

[FireBird75]

Until Discotek announces they got the subs for the DVDs, I ain't interested.

[removed-profile]

I legitimately like Sonic X in Japanese, the 4Kids dub however, is digusting. But I want some people's opinions, do you hate Sonic X or not. Or is it a Subs not Dubs thing for you? Be sure to comment how you feel!

[DiamondX]

Well i dont like either the 4kids one or the japanese one. The japanese one exgerates with curses and the 4kids is well...its not funny or interesting. I like( Opinion alert) my dub the most. It has some really good actors. The sad thing is we got only 23 episodes.

About the story, its really interesting. I like how they made the arc connected to the games. The only thing i hate is...Chris. I dont think i need to explain why.

The music is intersting... i like the japanese intros. The american one....not so much. The European intro is just...awfull. It just says Sonic x like 30 times.

So, the anime(i think its an anime) is awesome, deserves a sequel, but without Chris. Hes the worst character ever.

[removed-profile]

Well i dont like either the 4kids one or the japanese one. The japanese one exgerates with curses and the 4kids is well...its not funny or interesting. I like( Opinion alert) my dub the most. It has some really good actors. The sad thing is we got only 23 episodes.

About the story, its really interesting. I like how they made the arc connected to the games. The only thing i hate is...Chris. I dont think i need to explain why.

The music is intersting... i like the japanese intros. The american one....not so much. The European intro is just...awfull. It just says Sonic x like 30 times.

So, the anime(i think its an anime) is awesome, deserves a sequel, but without Chris. Hes the worst character ever.

Yes, I agree Chris is not needed. Wouldn't it be cool to see a sequel today with modern characters? Just a thought!

[DEV]

It's okay enough. I'll always love X's version of Eggman - the interactions between him and his henchmen are mostly pretty funny to watch - and it's incarnation of Sonic is pretty spot-on, but outside of that the show doesn't do too much for me. Has it's great moments, but also it's low points and especially Chris is a character I could do without.
Still, I love me some of the episodes like the hilarious "Cruise Blues", that one always gives me some good laughs. The show could have used more silly plots like that.

Talking about the dub, by the way. Never really got around to watch the japanese original, even tho it's very likely the superior version. Maybe one day I'll feel motivated enough to check it out.

[removed-profile]

It's okay enough. I'll always love X's version of Eggman - the interactions between him and his henchmen are mostly pretty funny to watch - and it's incarnation of Sonic is pretty spot-on, but outside of that the show doesn't do too much for me. Has it's great moments, but also it's low points and especially Chris is a character I could do without.
Still, I love me some of the episodes like the hilarious "Cruise Blues", that one always gives me some good laughs. The show could have used more silly plots like that.

Talking about the dub, by the way. Never really got around to watch the japanese original, even tho it's very likely the superior version. Maybe one day I'll feel motivated enough to check it out.

X has the best Eggman in everything ever! (Except for Unleashed and Lost World, luv him in those ^_^)

[DEV]

X has the best Eggman in everything ever! (Except for Unleashed and Lost World, luv him in those ^_^)

And Sonic Boom, we cannot forget Boom. Or the Archie Comics. Eggman has been lucky enough to be great in almost every sonic medium out there, imo.
But yeah, X version is definitely in the top 3 - especially if we also count the second half of the Sonic X-comics

[Tara]

I liked Sonic X when it came out, but as time went on, it started to feel more and more like a generic and lackluster anime, with none of the charm of the series it was based off.  Chris is just the worst character, whom I feel under better writing could have been likable if he were part of a single story arc as opposed to a main character.  Emphasis on "main character," because he really felt like he was the star instead of Sonic.  Sonic X isn't the first show to have an obligatory "kid" character that we're supposed to relate to instead of the main cast, but he certainly is the worst I've ever seen of the trope.  He can be compared to Jubilee from the animated X-Men series from the 90's, except Jubilee actually went on to be an okay character in her own right and didn't completely hog the limelight from the characters that the show was actually centered around.

Forgiving all of this, Sonic X is still a relatively bland piece of work with forgettable writing and forgettable characters.  It's not particular painful to sit through, though.  It has some cute and sweet moments.  But otherwise, I just kind of don't care for it.  It's okay.

[Kuzu]

Show was ok, but yea it was really nothing special after a while. Kinda boring.

 

Or maybe its because it went a significant time without its actual main character, Sonic :V

[Mauro Fonseca]

Maybe it's because I didn't marathon it, but Chris genuinely didn't feel a problem to me until Season 3. He's mostly just the contextual excuse to have the characters (bar Sonic) travel places. I'd have preferred a focus on Danny or the wheelchaired girl though. Hell, I even genuinely liked the short Chris arc in 50-52. Chris materially has everything, but emotionally he's become dependent on Sonic, so Sonic takes the time (being sure, as he is, that he can make things work out with time anyways) to help him first- and then Chaos Controls back in time to save Tails too.

 

I dunno. Maybe it's because I watched this in 2014-15 and thus am over the Chris hate and whatever. Maybe because I watched the JP version. Maybe because I like the Tatsunoko-esque children's show monster of the week format. I genuinely don't get the hate for this show.

 

Plus the background signage is great. And have you HEARD episode 52 in Japanese? Have you HEARD the random use of two 80's love-ballad-style Japanese songs? It's great! Man I'd love to see someone do a MegaDrive version of these, to use as credits themes in ROM Hacks like Sweet Dreams in Sonic 2.

 

[Tara]

Chris materially has everything, but emotionally he's become dependent on Sonic, so Sonic takes the time (being sure, as he is, that he can make things work out with time anyways) to help him first

See, that's fine in concept, but in execution, it makes Chris come across as a 10-year-old version of Bella from the Twilight Saga.  We're supposed to empathize with Chris as a lonely kid who, despite having everything, lacks the heartfelt companionship and nurturing that a kid needs.  Too bad they show at various points that not only does he have literally the most luxurious life and financial stability to boot, but he has a close circle of friends (Danny, Helen, that one girl that I don't think we ever get the name of), various family members that care about him, including his parents, and a teacher that cares about his well-being (granted, one that only knows of his existence because of Sonic).  Basically, he totes has everything that we're supposed to believe he's lacking or needs, but what he doesn't have is a blue hedgehog that runs fast, and that's where our empathy is supposed to lie.  It's just awful.

[Mauro Fonseca]

Again, that might be because I watched it in chunks over time, but by the time of that conclusion in 50-52, it'd have been a good while after I'd watched the earlier episodes, so I easily took their intention as-is.

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

I haven't watched it for a while, and I haven't watched nearly all the episodes, but I'm pretty sure Sonic X is one of my least-liked branches of Sonic. I really don't like what they did with the characters, especially Sonic, Tails and Knuckles (who just happen to be my three favorite characters). It seems like Tails' role as Sonic's sidekick and "little brother" was completely marginalized in favor of him just being the "tech guy" and nothing else, which I hate for both Sonic's and Tails' sake. I guess they were too busy with Sonic's relationship with Chris to bother with his relationship with Tails as much. And Knuckles' role as the "butt monkey" who's constantly being mistreated by the other characters for no reason is beyond irritating, especially considering he's my favorite character. As far as Sonic himself is concerned, they focus on his relationship with Chris, but he seems somewhat aloof from the other characters, I guess. I don't know what exactly it is I don't like about Sonic X Sonic, but I remember not liking him very much either. I'm not particularly fond of Dr. Eggman, at least in the dub, which is the only version I've watched. He just doesn't seem as evil as he should be.

It's possible I'm judging it too harshly, but I'm just plain not interested in this version of Sonic. To me, it has too many annoying aspects, and no particularly interesting or compelling aspects to make up for it.