I have always been a major fan of Sonic. The Blue Blur was one of the few things most Christian moms were ok with, a cute hedgehog fighting an evil genius bent on world domination. I followed Sonic & Friends in the video games on Sega Genesis, I remember what a big deal the intro of Knuckles The Echidna was in Sonic III and playable in awesome Sonic & Knuckles master cartridge that allowed you to insert playable Knux in Sonic 2 & 3. I collected The Adventures of Sonic on VHS, its Loony Toons zaniness made me laugh with Scratch and Grounder. I had the Archie Comics and watched Sonic The Hedgehog (SatAM) which introduced The Freedom Fighters and Sally Acorn, Princess of Knothole and Sonic’s love interest. I became a metal head, not the music, when Metal Sonic was introduced in Sonic CD and Sonic Chaotix (called Mecha Sonic, Archie Comics) and adored The Sonic The Hedgehog Movie (Anime) that depicted Metal Sonic in all his mechanical menacing glory. Then I followed The Blue Blur into the transformation from cute kid with short spines and black eyes to long spines and green eyes and grinding shoes in Sonic Adventure. SEGA was brilliant that they allowed The Blue Blur to evolve into a teenager, and to give us the angsty and epic Shadow The Hedgehog who could have ended up just another dopplaganger and dark copy of Sonic, but proved He is The Ultimate Life Form with his unique cynicism, superiority complex, and dark humor; Shadow became a way for me to vent my adolescent angst, I even wore only red and black clothes for a time inspired by Shadow’s Red and Black fur, spines, and body.
I stayed a Sonian even during the much hated Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 that debuted on multiple consoles with SEGA was making no more consoles after The SEGA Dreamcast. I enjoyed the very dark Shadow The Hedgehog video game, which altered his origins like Sonic Heroes, the theme song “I Am All Of Me” is up there with “Live & Learn.” The lyric music with its signature rock was a nice transition for Sonic Adventure and beyond. Then came the live action movies, with James Marsdan and Jim Carrey, both of which I adore in how well they capture Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles! I even have said Edris Elba made Knuckles better than he ever was! And I read The Knuckles The Echidna spin off comics by Archie! Yep I know Chaos Knuckles (think Robotnik in Sonic The Movie 2 when he becomes one with The Master Emerald), Enerjak the most epic Echidna Villian, Mammoth Mogul, and Julie- Su, Knux’s wife!
So when Netflix decided to make a Sonic Series called Sonic Prime, I was eager to watch, though I thought calling it prime might make people think its a Amazon Prime series. Well I tuned into Season One, and enjoyed the Shatterverse, that Sonic accidentally shatters reality creating alternate realties, one is rural with a scared Knuckles, another a post-Flood world with a Pirate Captain Knuckles called Dread (play on Knuckles having dreadlocks), and another woeld which is conquered by The Chaos Council, five Robotniks of all ages from toddler to senior citizen, that world is my favorite with its skyscrapers and futuristic city vibe. Sonic must try to retrieve The Prime Shards, and he enlists the help of his friends, one who is Tails with Nine Tails, most of them robotic. This was a neat change, to made the plural in Tails be literal. Shadow The Hedgehog is featured in the series, he ends up in The Void, a space between the portals to the different alternate realties, he tries to aid Sonic after fighting him in one of most epic fights in Season 2. One of my favorites is Chaos Sonic, a new version Metal/ Mecha Sonic (kinda reminds me of Silver Sonic), who has more of Sonic’s personality, speaks with his voice, and has digital screen for a face instead more menacing look of black eyes and red pupils. I love that Sonic and Chaos Sonic race each other, reminds me of the level in Sonic CD where you race Metal Sonic and the racing game Sonic R that I played like crazy on PC, unlocking Metal Sonic and Metal Knuckles! Netflix did a great job making each iteration or version of Sonic’s friends likable, I like Environmentalist Amy Rose with a giant Flicky Bird, and Mecha Amy, I love Rebel Leader Rogue The Bat and Feral Rogue. Tails however is best in his Nines persona, even outshining Sonic in scenes. Shadow gets to relive his darker side in a scene where take outs Eggbots on the haul of Eggship in The Void, even Dr. No of The Chaos Council freaks when Shadow starts assailing the ship and they have no idea what he is.
The biggest issue people may have with this series is the shatterverse, alternate realties. J. J. Abrams and Disney has exhausted this form of storytelling, but Sonic Prime does it well. Part of the reason is Sonic since its origins has gone through Zones, other worlds and dimensions since Sega Genesis, his ability to go fast allowing him to travel space and time, and reality, so it does not feel tacked on or out of place, but is intrinsic to what Sonic has always been.
On a spiritual note, Sonic rarely delves into religion. There was The Ancient Walkers who are Tiki Mask looking gods who are behind the power rings and chaos emeralds, but that was exclusively in The Archie Comics, which are no longer canon thanks to IDW now rebooting the comics. There was a Darwin evolution scene of Echidnas, but that again was in The Archie Comics. I suppose one could argue chaos emeralds & crystals in Sonic Prime may seem like New Age crystal magic and Mother Earth spiritism, however, there is no mention of Mother Eartg, and New Age crystals are used for healing, protection, and to change aura energy, none of which is how crystals in Sonic Prime are used, the crystals in Prime are used to augment speed, augment power, and augment the ability to create things like Chaos Sonic. As for the emeralds in Sonic, emeralds are associated with Christ our Lord and represent his kindness and goodness, there is the rainbow of emeralds before God’s throne, “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” (Revelation 4:3). The fact its seven chaos emeralds that make Sonic, Shadow, and Silver go Super Form could be symbolism for the seven days of Creation, seven lamp stands, and the seven churches.
In paganism emeralds are associated with Venus and are to ward off adultery, but that is not part of Sonic, so a pagan interpretation doesn’t work.
The real heart of Sonic’s story is Industrialization versus Environmentalism, Robotnik trying to create a metropolis of metal all over Mobius or Earth or whatever the realm he is in, and Sonic and his animal friends fighting to save the planet and animal kind from deforestation. I for one am not a radical environmentalist, I fall into eco-responsible, a middle of the road view that believes we should protect nature since we are stewards of the the planet under God, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth,” (Genesis 1:28), and yet I do not do radical things like get rid of washer & dryers or demand no new homes be built. Aside from protecting animals and nature, Sonic is about the power of friendship and good against selfishness, pride, and evil. Robotnik or Eggman is an evil genius who has no friends, only minions, and is alone in his quest for dominion, save The Chaos Council but they all really hate each other and want to usurp one another when they can. In contrast, Sonic and his friends trust one another and fight for each other and to save the planet or universe in the case of Sonic Prime. Sonic possessed an innocence or purity despite facing evil, reminding me of Jesus’ words about being pure & innocent as children, “Verily I say unto you, unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven,” (Matthew 18:3) and “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8). Sonic’s greatest power is not speed, but love, which he uses to transform enemies like Shadow into allies and even friends. Sonic even doesn’t hate Eggman or The Chaos Council, he fights them with cheerfulness despite the stakes, and he even feels regret and remorse when he makes mistakes like trusting Nines, and shattering The Universe. Sonic tries to atone, to make right any wrongs, never giving up, preserving in all things which reminds me of Paul’s words, “but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope..” (Romans 5:3-4). The Blue Blur’s normal disposition is is smiling and rejoicing, which reminds me of “rejoice evermore!” (1 Thessalonians 5:16 KJV).
I should mention Dr. Deep, one of five Robotniks of the Chaos Council is designed like New Age & Asian Spiritist, he does Yoga in one episode of Season Two, but because he is evil and meant to be rooted against in the series, I think it actually depicts Yoga as negative since its the bad guy doing it. Still be aware Yoga is in that scene. Also Amy Rose in the rural world with the dead and rotten upper world and lower lush realm with her giant pink flicky goes into extreme environmentalism in Season One where she is willing to destroy people to save nature, but that is depicted as wrong, so actually its positive message about not being a climate alarmist extremist or a eco-terrorist.
Sonic Prime is a great series. It takes the Sonic tropes, familiars, and epic worlds and adds some twists while delivering thrills. I really enjoy the different portal worlds, how Sonic must interact with the physics, and how well done the action is in the battle scenes, Netflix “spared no expense!” (John Hammond, Jurassic Park). Everyone will find a character to latch on to, for optimists with joy personalities there is Sonic, for feminists there is Amy Rose, for cynics and downtrodden there is Shadow and Nine. There is also timely message of how technology via The Egg Empire will destroy our world and even reality, as Scientists are even now messing with The 4th Dimension, unsure what there actions will do.
Sonic Prime meets with my approval. It is smashing good fun that really doesn’t include modern politics or history, as aforementioned the environmental message is as old as original Sonic video game in 1991, making Sonic Prime perhaps one of few escapist entertainments left. Amen.
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