Should the Sonic brand get more Japanese elements into the mix?

[Rowl]

Although the Sonic series is a more western oriented brand and is also much more popular here than in Japan, it still actually had some elements taken from Japanese folklore and used for some ideas. Like for example, Tails is loosely based on the mythical creature Kitsune, the Deadly Six on the yokai demons Onis, the Chaos by Japanese Tamagotchi pets and Big, if I'm not mistaken is a homage on Ghibli's Totoro mixed with the designs of the Japanese Tanookis. 

We also have other elements like for example that Amy likes to play with tarot cards, although I have never seen her doing this, and also Blaze might be inspired by some Japanese folklore that has to do with cats. But the only reason I think about this is that she has a jewelry suck in her forehead, which some of the cat-based Pokémon also have. 

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing more Japanese elements used in Sonic games. I personally would like to see more levels with a Japanese flair like Aquarium Park in Colors or Press Graden in Mania. Maybe Big the Cta can open a sushi restaurant in the next game, or the next new character they introduced can be a character based on a Japanese creature or an animal like a phoenix, a pheasant, a tanooki, or a real Kitsune who has got nine tails. Maybe one of Dr. Eggman's new boss robots can be a Samurai or a Tengu etc. 

What do you think?

[Diogenes]

I don't have any problem with Japanese elements showing up in the series, but I don't see any need to deliberately pursue them specifically. The series has taken inspiration from a bunch of different parts of the world, and something overtly Japanese is no more and no less valid than any other.

[mayday2592]

I'd rather see the series take cultural elements from other countries which haven't had their folklore explored as often in videogames. We already have an overabundance of Japan inspired characters. How bout something inspired from  Latin or African culture? 

[StaticMania]

No, there should be more Canadian elements...

I don't know anything about Canada and a character/level theme based on that would spark interest.

It's the best route to take.

[Rowl]

40 minutes ago, mayday2592 said:

How bout something inspired from  Latin or African culture? 

I'm not sure if we are ready for that. Especially with Africa.

[Marco9966]

I love there to be more japanese influence and music, not just westernized music.

[Polkadi~☆]

I suppose the best way to do it would be like Unleashed.

There can be a location that is very clearly Japanese in it's appearance and culture, and a new stage can be made with those elements, whether that would be a Tokyo-inspired stage or one about the mountainous country regions of Japan with old shrines and towns scattered about.

As I say this, however, I also wish the same for other locations of the world. There is so much of Europe just waiting to be used for a Sonic stage, I feel. For that matter, I just want a game like Sonic Unleashed to happen again.

[Sonictrainer]

43 minutes ago, Rowl said:

I'm not sure if we are ready for that. Especially with Africa.

I liked Mazuri/Savannah Citadel/Clay Castle.

[Wraith]

1 hour ago, Rowl said:

I'm not sure if we are ready for that. Especially with Africa.

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[DabigRG]

It does tend to produce some pretty good music tracks, so sure.

[Scritch the Cat]

Well, we're already getting a tanuki, Dodonpa, in Team Sonic Racing.  He might not stick around, though, doesn't seem made to be a main character and he might be a robot.

I wouldn't mind another Sonic anime...for being a Sonic anime; I would definitely mind if it had the problems of Sonic X, but if the first Sonic Adventure is any indication that art style doesn't look good in 3D--then again, that was two decades ago and they might be better at animating it now.

In terms of other things they could add to appeal more to Japanese audiences, Espio coming back would be neat since he's a ninja, although I feel Cream doesn't really contribute to the series the way it is now.  Chao, though, can definitely come back and their reappearance would give Cream a potential purpose.  I hope that comeback is in progress, given their heavy presence in Team Sonic Racing, though it's hard to know whether that roster was made at Sega's behest or entirely Sumo Digital's idea.  Either way, this game and its animated adaptation are the most love the Adventure era has gotten in over a decade, so I'm glad for that.

[Skull Leader]

Aren't the characters already based on some of the most common archetypes that you find in every anime/manga?

I don't mind JP stuff within the Sonic franchise, however I think it's best if the franchise maintain a balance between elements from both the west (for example the way characters are designed with a cartoony look) and Japanese elements (their personalities... heck even their fur color that matches said personalities) as this is an aspect of the franchise that always caught my attention.

If it is something like the tone, I'd rather they stay away as possible from shonen tropes a la DBZ (such as only certain characters being strong enough to make a difference) and instead go more for a cartoony approach from a Japanese perspective, as that kind of works are the ones I find to have the most charm.

[Rowl]

13 minutes ago, Scritch the Cat said:

Well, we're already getting a tanuki, Dodonpa, in Team Sonic Racing.  He might not stick around, though, doesn't seem made to be a main character and he might be a robot.

I completely forgot about this. We haven't really seen much of him.  

[Rabid-Coot]

4 hours ago, Wraith said:

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If they're still talking about folklore as was mentioned further up the conversation I would say its not that we're not ready its more that there's a reluctance to dive into mythology that doesn't have a built in background knowledge.

We know werewolves because they're well represented in our media but something like the Meerkat being the Sun Angel that protects villages from the moon devil or the werewolf would need more effort to introduce.

[Diogenes]

19 minutes ago, Rabid-Coot said:

If they're still talking about folklore as was mentioned further up the conversation I would say its not that we're not ready its more that there's a reluctance to dive into mythology that doesn't have a built in background knowledge.

We know werewolves because they're well represented in our media but something like the Meerkat being the Sun Angel that protects villages from the moon devil or the werewolf would need more effort to introduce.

Shared cultural knowledge can be useful but it's not necessary to tell a good, effective story. If you don't expect your audience to be familiar with what you're referencing you explain it to them in the story, just as you do for something you've invented from nothing.

[Polkadi~☆]

53 minutes ago, Rabid-Coot said:

If they're still talking about folklore as was mentioned further up the conversation I would say its not that we're not ready its more that there's a reluctance to dive into mythology that doesn't have a built in background knowledge.

We know werewolves because they're well represented in our media but something like the Meerkat being the Sun Angel that protects villages from the moon devil or the werewolf would need more effort to introduce.

(Character) the Meerkat is a protector of an African village. They help the locals and keep them safe from any danger that approaches. Eggman comes and attempts to attack the city, and (Character) the Meerkat is struggling to fight Eggman on their own. Sonic the Hedgehog enters, and they both work to together to drive Eggman away, until Eggman finally retreats. Sonic and (Character) share their thanks, and Sonic is on his way again to the next Zone.

In a world with anthropomorphic animal characters, while reflecting on cultures where some animals have particular meanings, you can afford to get a little creative.

[Myst]

Yes.

[Sean]

3 minutes ago, Myst said:

Yes.

One-word posts aren't allowed. Why do you think yes?

[Myst]

15 minutes ago, Sean said:

One-word posts aren't allowed. Why do you think yes?

Sorry.

Basically the more japanese influenced takes on Sonic have more 'style' to them.

Take for instance, the Sonic CD animations. Sonic's design is sleeker and his movements are more fluid. Compare that to say, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, which had a chubbier 'cute' Sonic with more Spumco styled facial animations.

Compare the CGI in a game like Sonic Adventure or Shadow the Hedgehog  to the CGI in Boom. Not hating on Boom or anything, but the movements are more clunky in that show. 

The japanese teams handle story and emotion a lot better too. Stuff like Cosmo's death in Sonic X, (which was cut in the dub) and Maria's death in various games, are subject matter no american team would attempt with the Sonic brand.

Shinobu Toyoda said himself in that Gametap Sonic documentary years back, that Sonic was designed to be 'very japanese' and that is one of the reasons why Sonic Team hated the American redesigns in 1991. Sonic was intended to be an anime styled character.

Basically Sonic has more edge, style, substance and quality when handled by japanese teams than by American teams like DiC and Bigredbutton. (The IDW comics being an exception)

[Polkadi~☆]

10 minutes ago, Myst said:

Take for instance, the Sonic CD animations. Sonic's design is sleeker and his movements are more fluid. Compare that to say, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, which had a chubbier 'cute' Sonic with more Spumco styled facial animations.

Different takes on a franchise will do this. Even Toei's interpretation of Sonic for Sonic CD is a bit different to what he actually is.

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Compare the CGI in a game like Sonic Adventure or Shadow the Hedgehog  to the CGI in Boom. Not hating on Boom or anything, but the movements are more clunky in that show. 

Sonic Boom is made on a TV budget. It cannot be made to look as good as SA1 or Shadow the Hedgehog, because that would eat up all the money spent to fund the show to exist. If the circumstances were different regarding Sonic Boom, then sure, but being made for TV forces compromises.

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The japanese teams handle story and emotion a lot better too. Stuff like Cosmo's death in Sonic X, (which was cut in the dub) and Maria's death in various games, are subject matter no american team would attempt with the Sonic brand.

Archie Sonic did plenty of this too, and that was American. That's not even getting into the British Sonic the Comic, which had some pretty messed up stuff and yet still composed itself well enough.

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Basically Sonic has more edge, style, substance and quality when handled by japanese teams than by American teams like DiC and Bigredbutton. (The IDW comics being an exception)

This cherrypicks parts to make some parts better than the other.

In my personal opinion, it's not the nationality that counts, it's the talent of the people themselves making it. The production team can all be Japanese and it could still suck, because their talents didn't keep up.

[Iko]

I like when Sonic is a mix of both occidental and oriental culture, and that's one of the reasons why I like Sonic in the first place.

I wouldn't like an only Japanese or an only American direction for the series... I like it staying in the middle.

[Rabid-Coot]

7 hours ago, Diogenes said:

Shared cultural knowledge can be useful but it's not necessary to tell a good, effective story. If you don't expect your audience to be familiar with what you're referencing you explain it to them in the story, just as you do for something you've invented from nothing.

 

6 hours ago, Polkadi~♪ said:

(Character) the Meerkat is a protector of an African village. They help the locals and keep them safe from any danger that approaches. Eggman comes and attempts to attack the city, and (Character) the Meerkat is struggling to fight Eggman on their own. Sonic the Hedgehog enters, and they both work to together to drive Eggman away, until Eggman finally retreats. Sonic and (Character) share their thanks, and Sonic is on his way again to the next Zone.

In a world with anthropomorphic animal characters, while reflecting on cultures where some animals have particular meanings, you can afford to get a little creative.

I agree it can be done it just seems like theres a load of lesser known folklore that existis in a gap between deleloping your own fiction and repurposing whats known.

[Sapphirine Wind]

 I'd like it if they inserted elements from any. I'd like to see world building from it, honestly.

Or if they built on what they already had.

 

[batson]

I will say this: I do miss the days when the Sonic series was written by japanese writers. Stories like the ones from Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 simply doesn't come from the western writers that have been running the show for a while now.

[DabigRG]

3 hours ago, batson said:

I will say this: I do miss the days when the Sonic series was written by japanese writers. Stories like the ones from Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 simply doesn't come from the western writers that have been running the show for a while now.

It's worth noting that Forces and at it's base Colors were written by the Japanese as well.