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Characterization in the Sonic Franchise

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by Beamer the Meep, Apr 2, 2021.

What style of characterization do you prefer?

  1. Classic Era Characterization

    70 vote(s)
    56.0%
  2. Adventure Era (SA1 - SH) Characterization

    67 vote(s)
    53.6%
  3. Dark Era (ShTH - SU) Characterization

    17 vote(s)
    13.6%
  4. Modern Era (SC - SF) Characterization

    14 vote(s)
    11.2%
  5. Other

    14 vote(s)
    11.2%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. My 9 year old brother simps for him
     
  2. Zephyr

    Zephyr

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    Small children?

    I'm not gonna say that people are forgetting who the target demographic is here, but its seemingly being taken somewhat for granted.
     
  3. RDNexus

    RDNexus

    Member
    The translation is accurate, I can kinda attest for that.
    Quite surely that's @Windii's translation there ^^"
     
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  4. But Shadow was already popular to begin with. It wasn't like he was losing popularity and needed a re write. And this new interpretation of him seemingly hasn't made him any more popular than he already was.

    So it comes off as an arbitrary decision because it hasn't benefited the character at all.

    If anything, its having the opposite effect as fans have been vocal about how one dimensional and unlikable he is now. The only ones who don't seem to mind are the people who already didn't like or care about Shadow to begin with.

    So its like...congratulations, they ruined one of their most popular characters?
     
  5. Aesculapius Piranha

    Aesculapius Piranha

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    Late to the thread, but emphatically the OVA did it best. Always kind of bummed that vision never leaked into the games more. I feel it really grabbed the feel of what Sonic should be.

    Runners up:
    Mania
    Forces (for entirely different reasons than Mania)
    Sonic CD
    SatAM
    Various isolated parts of Adventure were okay, I guess.
     
  6. Pexs

    Pexs

    Otherwise known as Spex Member
    I'm honestly surprised so many people reference the OVA as any kind of good for Sonic personality-wise. I remember watching that as a kid and wondering why Sonic had any friends at all, what a brat.

    He does level off later, but wow.
     
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  7. MagnusTheGreen

    MagnusTheGreen

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    I think a lot of people (including myself) like that "brattyness" of the OVA Sonic. I think it gives him an edge that Modern Sonic just doesn't have.
     
  8. Dek Rollins

    Dek Rollins

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    That "brattyness" is just who Sonic is as a character. I think people way over-emphasize Sonic's rude qualities if I'm being honest, but regardless he was always supposed to be that way to some extent.
     
  9. The context of Sonic's "Brattiness" has kind of changed as time went on; it was one thing when there was a very small cast, and the setting was pretty low scaled. Sonic could be something of a brat and not draw too much attention.

    But with the cast as large as it is now, and there being actual childish characters, Sonic acting like say...Charmy Bee, is a lot more discerning than if Charmy didn't exist.


    I guess what I'm saying is that, there more characters that exist, the less traits that Sonic has ironically enough due to dilution.
     
  10. Aesculapius Piranha

    Aesculapius Piranha

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    When I talk about the OVA having superior characterization I am thinking of the overall worldbuilding, and not just Sonic himself. Even then for the time period that was more subdued than his SatAM counterpart....

    Well, giving Robotnik the finger aside, which was priceless.
     
  11. Nova

    Nova

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    He's the Hedgehog with an Attitude. He's supposed to be a little bit short-tempered.
     
  12. But its not the 90's
     
  13. Aerosol

    Aerosol

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    Sonic (?): Coming summer of 2055...?
    And there it is.

    I wonder how popular a toothless, always-positive Sonic would be.
     
  14. Given the fact that Sonic is still popular right now, it wouldn't affect him that much.


    I think some of you are putting way too much focus on the word "attitude" when it comes to Sonic, and its creating a bit of a short sighted impression about the character.

    I never said that Sonic was "toothless", that's a gross generalization and assumption on your part.

    What I was getting at is that Sonic's characterization has evolved over time, as literally everything in existence does. Superman, Batman, Spider Man, and a lot of long standing Superheroes are not the same characters that they were before, even if they retain core traits. And none of them are any less popular.

    The movie's rendition of Sonic doesn't really have what I'd call an "attitude", and he's no less popular for it. Because kids gravitate to Sonic for more than just his "attitude".


    All I'm saying is I don't think we should be holding Sonic to a one word marketing gimmick from the 90's. Sonic is more than just "attitude" at this point.
     
  15. Azookara

    Azookara

    yup Member
    To be honest I think if the general public's response to Movie!Sonic is anything, probably really well.

    Though I guess a lot of it has to do with the idea of what 'cool' means to modern audiences. In the early 90s being rude and crude was cool, in the later 90s early 00s it was about being extreme and doing tricks/stunts (Adventures), in the mid 00s it was being a strong-willed anime protag (06, Storybook, Unleashed), in the 10s it was being a smarmy self-aware MCU character (Colors - LW, Boom) and in the 20s its about being hyperactive and relatable (the movie).

    Not that I'm a fan of this fact, but it is what it is. The goalpost keeps moving for what people think he should be like.
     
  16. Nova

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    Your position always seems to shift. You go from saying Sonic has been consistent, to saying things like this. Make your mind up - do you want consistency, or do you just want consistency with what your favourite version of the character is? I also don't see how it not being the 90s anymore has anything to do with whether Sonic can still have an attitude. That archetype still exists, you know.
     
  17. The perception of acceptable personality traits will always be changing.

    If you think Sonic isn't "cool" anymore and changed for the worse. Sonic didn't change, you did. Sonic is going to be whatever the kids want him to be, and trying to force him to be anything is just going to alienate his target audience.


    In other words, we've become the Boomers :V
     
  18. Nova

    Nova

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    I never brought up how 'cool' he was. I just want some character consistency and it so happens that Sonic's original characterization placed an emphasis on him being a do-gooder with a bit of an attitude problem. Cool or not, why should that change?
     
  19. When I say Sonic is "consistent", I meant more along the lines that he still appeals to his target demographic, not that he specifically appeals to me. I definitely have my own biases, but I can't really force my ideals onto the series.

    Even Boom Sonic has appealed to someone, even if that isn't my specific favorite interpretation.

    And even if that archetype still exists, how popular is it? How popular would be it today in an age where what's considered cool is vastly different? Like I said, Movie!Sonic doesn't really have an attitude and he's still massively popular despite that.

    Most people I've seen either find Sonic's "attitude" obnoxious or just alienating. Like @Azookara said, it was acceptable in the 90's to be an obnoxious git, but not so much in 2021.


    Like how some people found Sonic to be "boring" in the 2000's. I didn't feel that way, but I also recognize that people's perceptions about him were different from a different period.
     
  20. Nova

    Nova

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    Absolute horseshit, we were discussing characterization, particularly in relation to Goku and Sonic and how Goku has stayed fairly consistent while Sonic hasn't and you disputed it.

    You also can't make sweeping claims as to what 'most' people prefer and pretend it's an argument. It was also never more or less acceptable to be an 'obnoxious git' - assuming of course you found Sonic obnoxious, which I never did and still don't. Some of the kindest people I know can have a short fuse at times and I don't think any less of them for it. The content of Sonic's character is still ultimately good and I think having him get a little miffed from time to time makes him far more interesting. It has nothing to do with how cool he is.