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Strange Isn't It?! Let's Discuss the Sonic OVA! || Sonic Anniversary Month
31 Plays8 hours ago
Three Sonic the Hedgehog fans. One mission. Join Satsunami, SuperShadow271 and WysteriaMoth as they navigate through 35 years of the iconic blue blur. From anime adaptations to the best anniversary games, join the trio as they look back on what made this series so iconic.
In the finale of Sonic Anniversary Month, Satsunami discusses the Sonic the Hedgehog Movie aka the Sonic OVA! But after 30 years, how does it compare to adaptations of the time? Why are there cat girls in the presidential office? And is it truly that strange? Well grab your 90s multicoloured tracksuit as we tackle the Sonic OVA!
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Transcript
Introduction to Chatsunami
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to Chatsunami, a Scottish variety podcast that discusses topics from gaming and films to anime and general interest. Join me, your host, Satsunami, as well as the rest of our Chatsunami team for our takes on these very important pop culture topics.
Comedic Film Scene Discussion
00:00:16
Speaker
Sir, it's clearly a trap. I accept copyright! That happens three times in the film. Every time that general goes, don't do this one thing, he goes, do you know what I'm gonna do? That's exactly...
00:00:27
Speaker
It doesn't well. She had the pointy teeth. What was that about? She looked like Bilbo when he wants the ring back. She did, didn't she? I just want the lightsaber one more time. Parasite says, no, you will get back into your office and work. No, says the man in Zoom. yeah Trousers are for the working man. You're bursting into your hotel room. Honey, we need to go.
00:00:50
Speaker
Leave the kids. You can milk an odysl. Oh.
00:00:58
Speaker
That's the worst thing you've ever said on any of the
Podcast Promotion and Platforms
00:01:01
Speaker
episodes. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you can check us out at our website, chattsunami.com, as well as all good podcast apps. As always, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.
00:01:14
Speaker
Stay classy and have bit of... This has been chattsunami. I'm sorry.
Sonic Adaptations Through the Years
00:01:26
Speaker
To say that Sonic's adaptations over the years have been divisive is a somewhat understatement, if anything. It's interesting comparing what we have now versus what came before, as the series now seems to be comfortable in its own quills, rather than needlessly self-deprecating. Many fans may point to shows like Sonic X, Sonic Boom, Sonic Prime, and even the live-action films as the pinnacle of adaptations. But in the 90s, and yes, I feel old just saying that, things were a little different. While I only managed to watch snippets of the show at the time, the holy trinity of cartoons I remember on repeat was Sonic Satay M, The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, and Sonic Underground.
00:02:06
Speaker
And let me tell you, the three of them could not have been any more different from one another. Unlike today where Sonic's characterisation is more uniform, it was a somewhat Wild West era of adaptations as, depending on where you lived, you would probably get a different kind of Sonic. And while the discourse has raged across all corners of the fandom, the American adaptation was painfully 90s as he embodied the cool dude with the attitude. But I feel like the creators themselves did what they do best with Sonic and just threw everything at the wall in hopes that something would stick.
00:02:40
Speaker
As I mentioned, we had Sonic Sat in 1993, dubbed so by fans because it aired on Saturday mornings. God, remember when that used to be a
90s Sonic Cartoons Recap
00:02:49
Speaker
thing? Anyway, The series followed Sonic and his freedom-fighting friends resisting against the devious Dr. Robotnik and his horde of mechanical menaces. It was dark, dramatic, and sadly ended on a cliffhanger after two seasons.
00:03:03
Speaker
Although I think there's supposed to be a fan-created conclusion to that coming up by the group Team Season, or Team C3-ian? Seriously, it looks super cool. On the flip side of 1993, we also had The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, which... yeah, was a thing. If you've ever wondered what cartoon has Dr. Robotnik yelling, PING US, and Sonic giving worldly advice to kids via his now infamous Sonic Set segment, then yeah, this is the one.
00:03:30
Speaker
Fun fact though that I just realised, Sonic Sat.am only got 26 episodes while this one somehow got to 65. What a wild world. Then of course in 1999 we had 40 episodes
00:03:42
Speaker
quite possibly one of the wackiest adaptations yet, where Sonic and his siblings, Sonia and Manic, were band members who were forced to separate from their mother, Queen Alina, and then grew up to fight against Dr. Robotnik once again. Another fun fact, apparently Jaleel White, the voice of Sonic for all three of these adaptations, also voiced Sonia and Manic in this show. I don't know what to do with that revelation, so I'm just putting out there. You're welcome, Pandalurians. As the years went on, we had a variety of TV interpretations which varied in quality. From the OC makers such as Sonic X to the latest Sonic Prime show on Netflix, each one brought something new to the table.
00:04:21
Speaker
But in terms of films, when you think of the phrase, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, your mind instantly goes to the 2019 movie, no doubt. Or if not that, then it goes to the infamous original design for Sonic in
Introduction to Sonic OVA
00:04:33
Speaker
those films. But in 1996, there was an idea brewing in the same year as the 5th anniversary, which is wild to think about. Although, to be fair, I don't think this was the intention of the film to be billed as an anniversary special. Directed by Katsutaka Ikigami, the film one was an original video animation, earning the moniker Sonic OVA, which is what I'll be calling it from here on out.
00:04:55
Speaker
It is also called the Sonic the Hedgehog film, with the tagline, scrape some knuckles and catch some tails, which, I know what they were going for with the character play on words there, but have you ever heard anyone say, catch some tails? Because I genu- I've heard people say scrape your knuckles, but catch tails? Yeah, no, not a thing. At least, not in these parts of the woods. But with that aside, it was released in two parts in Japan. It would not be released internationally until 1999 to coincide with the release of Sonic Adventure. And
Sonic OVA's Legacy and Plot
00:05:27
Speaker
I've gotta say, without going too much into it yet, this film is an enigma wrapped in 90s nostalgia. Never before have I seen something that somehow captures the essence of Sonic. while also simultaneously contradicting it. That's not to say it's bad by any means, but the choices made here are both brilliant and baffling. But after all these years, why does the OVA have such a grip on the fandom 30 years on? What made this one stand out above the others? And it is strange, isn't it? Well, hold on to your chilly dogs as we speed through to find out. But first, we'll be right back after these messages.
00:06:19
Speaker
kids! Are you looking for a new favourite fortnightly video game review podcast? Then boy howdy have we got the show for you! We take a different game every two weeks and we review them, just like a book club!
00:06:31
Speaker
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00:06:38
Speaker
Simply search for The Game Club Podcast and join the club today.
00:06:45
Speaker
Howdy, I'm Luke from the Howdy Beans podcast, a variety podcast where I look into topics each week into the world of pop culture, like book reviews, where I delve deep into the expanded universe of Doctor Who, or a movie review on the 1998 cult classic, The Mummy. Well, if you're very lucky, I might take a peek under the hood of video games, both new and old. So what are you waiting for?
00:07:06
Speaker
Check out the Howdy Beans podcast now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else that you may find your podcasts. And I'll see you very soon.
00:07:16
Speaker
You know, I'm sure the first time I saw this film was on YouTube way back in the day, when I was looking for Sonic-related content and stumbled across this amazing looking animation. The fact this had flown under my radar for so long was inexcusable, so I just had to watch it as soon as possible. That being said, After finishing it, I felt rather conflicted. But before I go on, what is the OVA even about? Well, it's somehow both straightforward and baffling. Set in Planet Freedom, Sonic is summoned by the President of the Land of the Sky after his daughter Sarah is captured by Dr. Robotnik. When Sonic arrives to settle the score, Robotnik reveals that the Land of Darkness is under threat by the presence of Mecha-Robotnik, as well as an unstable reactor in his city Robotropolis, that will blow up the planet if it not stopped.
00:08:04
Speaker
Thus begins Sonic and Tails' quest to stop the nefarious Doctor, who in the end has laid a trap for the dynamic duel in the form of Sonic's metal doppelganger. Metal Sonic. Will Sonic be able to stop his double in... Jesus Christ, this film's only 54 minutes?
00:08:19
Speaker
Right, okay, let's get the plot out of the first. Story-wise, with the Sonic stuff, I really like it. It characterises him as a bit of a nonchalant man. to be quite honest, is he has a very much, eh, don't care, attitude, which comes across as less carefree and more careless. Tails is more like a younger brother in a sense, with him dealing with the technical aspects of the plot, such as piloting their plane, the tornado, and hacking into Robotnik's technology. What's also kind of funny is it makes the same mistake as the Pokemon film around the same time, where it just assumes you know who Sonic the Hedgehog is, who Tails is, who Knuckles is, Robotnik, etc. So I feel as if for fans of the series at the time, and even fans now watching it, they'll be like, aww cool, it's Sonic the Hedgehog. But for parents who were forced to watch this alongside their children, yeah I can see this is another one where they'd be rolling their eyes going, oh god, not again.
Knuckles' Hat and Legal Issues
00:09:14
Speaker
And speaking of characters, we also get introduced to Knuckles, who I swear to god has his own stranglehold on the franchise with his appearance in this film. It's not so much him being in it that's notable, but rather the fact that he's got a new hat. But she's got a new hat.
00:09:31
Speaker
Now, I'm not 100% on the legal details of this, but I'm pretty sure they had to stop you using that hat for a while because of the ongoing Ken Penders lawsuit with the Archie Comics, which, if you don't know about that whole rabbit hole, then I am so sorry in advance if you fall into it. But it did come back in the 2024 knuckle, Souls miniseries, which is cool I guess. Between that and a few spin-off games, it might actually rival that one Dark Sonic scene in Sonic X. For what short moment had an impact on the fandom? I'm actually quite curious to any Sonic fans listening out there. Let me know which one you think is more significant below, because I would love to hear what you think of that. Anyway. The story is set up in a relatively straightforward way, with the good guys on their way to fight off Robotnik and Metal Sonic. The negatives of this however somehow comes from what I guess is technical humour? In the same way that Margarine is technically butter, there's a few weird one-off, haha that character's acting weird moments, but the one I will never understand is the inclusion of Sarah, aka the President's daughter, who is a cat girl despite her dad not being a cat. Yeah, I'm not touching that one with a barge bolt. I cannot fathom why she's so prominent in it. She serves as both a hostage to Robotnik as well as his prospective bride, and I think she likes Sonic as well.
00:10:49
Speaker
I mean, I'm not overly advocating for a damsel in distress character here, but I mean, they could've just used Amy Rose. Sure, they would have to tweak the story because, trust me, I'll get on to that point, but yeah, it just it seems like a weird character to introduce, unless I'm missing some deep, deep lore where Sarah, the cat, girl was introduced. But yeah, if I am, please let me know. I'm just so confused at that. Because between her and the president, it just seems like unnecessary anime filler to put in comic relief, including one scene where Robotnik says once the world is destroyed, then him and Sarah will repopulate the earth, much to her disgust. I don't really know what's worse to be honest, this that joke or the fact that they actually drew a still of them with several robotnik babies with mustaches, including one breastfeeding. Yeah, you're welcome for those nightmares because if I had to put up with it then you sure a sec have
00:11:42
Speaker
There's also an owl character who I wanna say is the president's aide and is also a painful reminder about how 90s this film is. While the character is more of a like him or leave him in the narrative, His incompetence actually leads to a few cool moments where Sonic showcases his speed to save him from crashing at the beginning which is really, really neat. That and he's only in like three parts of the film so he's not the worst. It's not like Sarah and the President where when they appear you just roll your eyes and go, oh god, what are they going to say next?
00:12:13
Speaker
Genuinely, while that is my main criticism of the OVA, I think the rest of it is pretty darn solid. The art direction is utterly fantastic, from the vibrancy of South Island Beach to the dystopian ruins of the land of darkness. There is genuinely not one moment where I wasn't blown away by the visuals. Heck, even the action was really well done, and I think unsurprisingly the final conflict between Sonic and Metal Sonic or Hyper Metal Sonic, according to Robotnik, really shines.
00:12:42
Speaker
As for the voice acting in the English dub, yeah, I can see why people weren't clambering for them to start voicing the game counterparts. While by no means the worst I've ever heard, it's definitely jarring hearing some of them for the first time after getting so used to the contemporary ones. It's been brought up before, but I was genuinely taken aback by Lainey Frazier, who sounds constantly congested as Tails, or Gary DeHaan who voices Metal Sonic for one line, and sounded a lot more higher pitched than I was expecting. That being said, this isn't exactly a deal-breaker for the film, and I would wager that it would be more to do with the actual direction rather than the
Critique of Sonic OVA's English Dub
00:13:21
Speaker
actors themselves. Martin Burt does a great job of capturing Sonic's indifference, While delivering that one iconic line, I think most Sonic fans have burned into their minds.
00:13:30
Speaker
Yeah, that one. I also didn't realise that Edwin Neal voices both the President and Robotnik, which...
00:13:37
Speaker
isn't it yeah that one i also don't realize that awin neo voices both the president and robotic which yeah, they were decent enough. I have to say that while I had to get used to it, Bill Wise did well as Knuckles, but again, i think the direction for the trio seemed to be more like teenagers with attitude, which, while it is accurate for the characters, once again was a lot more higher pitched than expected. As for the old man owl, yeah, that's how he's credited. I don't think he actually has a proper name. I thought Charles Campbell was alright, but he puts on this kind of fake old man voice, which I've heard before in countless games or shows where they've needed an old sounding person, but they just got the first person to put an impression of one on. You know the type of voice I mean, when they speak like this, old sonny, I can't hear you. You know, that is just so jarring. Honestly, i would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to see how they decided to land in these voices? Because yeah, honestly, I'm not 100%. And while I criticised her character earlier, I thought Sasha Beze, and apologies if I'm mispronouncing that name, but I thought she did do a great job as the character. You know, it's just a shame that the writing let her down in that regards. But with that being said, is the film worth checking out?
00:14:51
Speaker
Honestly, I would say so.
Sonic OVA as a 90s Animation Time Capsule
00:14:52
Speaker
While it may not live up to the same standards as the latest adaptations, I think it's the perfect time capsule into the period that it was made. There's one particular scene where Metal Sonic's programming breaks and, thinking it's Sonic, decides to dress up the ill character in blinding colourful clothes that were very much a 90s staple. Then again, it'd be cool to see it make a comeback. One thing I'd be remiss not to mention is the ending theme song Lookalike, composed and arranged by Mitsuhiro Tada and written and sung by Ryo Konaka.
00:15:23
Speaker
While I wouldn't say the lyrics are the best or sensical at points because the whole point of it is they're trying to say opposites to tie in with the themes of Sonic vs Metal Sonic in the film, it is genuinely one hell of an earworm that you will be humming after you listen to it for days. After getting over the fact that I'm somewhat older than the Sonic OVA, it is really cool to see that even today it's being referenced. From Knuckles' aforementioned hat, to even a reference in the IDW comics, it will be interesting to see if the fourth live-action Sonic movie references it in some way, seeing as Metal Sonic will be the primary villain. While it has its flaws, I still think there is a lot to like here. when later games and adaptations went absolutely crazy with their plots. It was somewhat refreshing to see something relatively straightforward.
00:16:11
Speaker
They took the most iconic trio of the franchise and led them on a trademark Stop Robotnik and his dastardly plans adventure. So, if you can put up with a little 90s corniness and sometimes questionable humour, then you're sure to have a fun time. But what did you think of this film? Was it a comfy nostalgic trip down memory lane or one that should have remained in the land of darkness? Whatever the case,
00:16:34
Speaker
feel free to reach out and
Conclusion and Listener Invitation
00:16:36
Speaker
let me know. But as always, thank you all so, so much for listening to this episode of Chatsunami. If you would like to hear more episodes from ourselves, then you can check us out at website, chatsunami.com, as well as all good podcast apps. You can also hear further episodes there for our Sonic anniversary a month, which has been an absolute blast. Huge shout out to Wisteria Moth and SuperShadow271 for accompanying me. Huge shout out to our Pandalorian patrons, Robotic Battle Toaster, Ghosty and Cryptic 1991. Thank you all so so much for the support. And if you would like early access to episodes, exclusive episodes, commentary tracks, bloopers and all the juicy content, then you can check us out at our Patreon page, patreon.com. forward slash Chatsunami. This podcast is of course a proud member of the Popat Collective. For more information, check us out on our Twitter slash X page at PopatCollect. But until next time, thank you all so, so much for listening to this month and here's to 35 more years of Sonic. Stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.