A Critique on Sonic in 2021

[@telekinesticman]

Hey everyone, just wanted to say that after looking back on this two years later, I do think some of that Sonic Fanbase twitter stuff comes off the wrong way for me, and I do apologise. Had I made a video like this now, I definitely would have worded it differently, cut some stuff, and explained it a bit more. There's nothing wrong with discussing niche topics about Sonic, my point was more about the repetitive, shallow clout-chasing cycle of discourse that never really went anywhere, This fed into my points about obsessive Sonic fans needing to branch out a little bit to understand games and other art forms on a broader level. I especially feel this now as somebody who doesn't critique Sonic games as "Sonic games", with their own special little exclusions from criticism - I view them as *games* like anything else, which is why I compare them against other games where appropriate. Anyway - there's nothing wrong with liking Sonic Unleashed, or Sonic 4, or Black Knight, or Boom, or any of that stuff. I said that in the video, too! I just wanted Sonic fans to have more of an open mind, especially during that period where no new Sonic games were coming out and everyone was getting restless about it. Branch out a bit, try other stuff! I think this video has a lot of positive stuff in it that people can easily ignore (especially when they only consume my videos through out-of-context clips on Twitter...), like when I recommended a bunch of different games that had similar elements to Sonic, along with fangames and KZbin channels that I really enjoy. Let's not forget that rather glowing section about the IDW comic, too.

[@yrooxrksvi7142]

Nevermind the Twitter tangent, because Pollock had it coming, your IDW bit is pure nonsense and double standards.

[@elibonham4388]

Dude gtf off of twitter dude ehat am i watching ur such a baby man mike pollock is an awesome dude do you just scroll through twitter all day???

[@Infindox]

​​@@elibonham4388how do you feel about this comment today?

[@elibonham4388]

@@Infindox uhhhhhh how did u @ me. My answer to this is i dont remember the og comment did he edit this recently or?

[@Monroah]

Man, that Mike Pollock portion really is a lot more illuminating after the recent Twitter Space fiasco that just happened

[@Matthew-ls7rv]

What happened.

[@Monroah]

@@Matthew-ls7rv Apologies for the long-ass reply in advance. It was a whole mess on Twitter of him talking about being circumcised after people brought up how fucking weird it was for him to be supporting Israel during its ongoing genocide (no, really, he mentioned being circumcised several times for no clear reason beyond making a point about his heritage(?). We thought he was hacked at first). When he went on a stream to talk about it--after spending ages with folks joking around not asking about this genocide thing, he finally gets grilled on it and it immediately cuts off. Then later he backed also *slightly* by saying "both sides deserve understanding" or something of that sort. You know, the colonist side and the side being bombed into oblivion. Both equally wrong, apparently. That was not a fun day and it really soured a lot of folks on him.

[@dwainsimmons3447]

Was he always disliked by people

[@Monroah]

@@dwainsimmons3447 Not as far as I'm aware. For the past like decade at least, the most I heard about him was positive. The stuff like being shitty about Dean Bristow was out there, but not everyone knew about that (myself included). It's mostly recently that a lot of us were made aware that he's Like That. Some had negative views on him beforehand, but this wave of disgust toward him right now is recent.

[@OrangeToadGamer]

43:49 Bro was showing us the warning signs this whole time 💀 *for context, Mike Pollock is currently trending as of May 4th, 2024, due to most of the fanbase starting to realize that he's been tweeting a lot of problematic things*

[@AizakkuAnalysis]

Mike Pollock is going to need a whole video going over the crazy things he's said in the past and now. 😭

[@Soniman001]

Well that celebration on Roger leaving didn't age well LOL

[@danielgarciaescudero2862]

XDXDXD

[@Kneevirus]

Dammit we thought his sonic voice he uses for everything was over

[@Soniman001]

@@Kneevirus cry more

[@Kneevirus]

@@Soniman001 who tf cries over sonic the hedgehog

[@mediamuncher6982]

@@Kneevirus we're not it's just a joke.

[@animatedabe6819]

“Sonic colors is almost 11” excuse me while I go have a mid-life crisis

[@LSMark]

Always look forward to another giant Sonic video to put on while working, love this video!

[@animatedabe6819]

Oh hai person who is annoyed by that phrase so I’m just gonna say that you make excellent contend and wish you the best of luck for the future!

[@mediamuncher6982]

Hi mark love u

[@maskedsentai2003]

You and SpeedSuperSonic should have a Discussion about the Sonic Movie

[@PiggyPooPro]

@@maskedsentai2003 They both like it. Discussion over.

[@philipthewolf8972]

you were so fucking right about mike pollock, holy shit how did people not pick up on his behavior years ago

[@deanmoriarty6015]

dude is honestly right about everything in this video. kinda wild how prolific it is.

[@spectrumbots4268]

"Having such a limited exposure to media can seriously harm your ability to analyze and appreciate art." Beautiful quote!

[@KingKlonoa]

IDW is like the only thing I care about lately that's Sonic related. If they can capture even a little bit of that in the games again, it would really make me happy.

[@Soniman001]

That's because it IS the only thing that's current and Sonic related

[@skibot9974]

What about the movie?

[@Itz_Kwame]

Well, I’ve got some good news for you! Ian Flynn is writing Frontiers!

[@224y-p4w]

​@@Itz_Kwame yeah it came out and I haven't played it but the story seems like your basic meta era story... so yeah

[@yrooxrksvi7142]

@@Itz_Kwame > "Good news" > Ian Flynn Yeah no

[@tionio7722]

Regarding Mike Pollock... THANK YOU SO MUCH! The way he interacts with people on Twitter is awful and it makes me very uncomfortable. I myself had uncomfortable encounter with him on Twitter and I completely agree with your take on him

[@telekinesticman]

I was honestly quite worried about that segment. So glad people are understanding where I'm coming from. Thank you!!

[@tionio7722]

I honestly feel like that he is searching for "Mike Pollock" on Twitter just to see what everyone says about him in attempt to find any possible personal attack on his persona. yikes

[@telekinesticman]

I'm expecting him to find this video eventually. But that only proves what I said about him is true.

[@user-fy1nq3nf1q]

@@eggs4068 He does not but he sucks lol

[@BranFlaixx]

This is perfect, dude. The community has needed an essay like this for a WHILE. I'd say it's your best work yet.

[@telekinesticman]

Thanks so much dude. I'm about to collapse in bed and reading stuff like this means I can relax and go "phew ok, yeah people like the video, thank god".

[@Infindox]

Here from the Mike... Issues. Dude always rubbed me the bad way, he actually replied to me once because i made a comment that he doesn't own Eggman and its fine to have a fan voice Eggman in a different way (he was mad that Eggman was cussing in a fan work). I support voice actors, but he acts like he owns the character and that his voice is golden. I kinda feel bad that you and i were right but we're here at this point.

[@goldengagster9]

You know I think Roger came back to spite you lmao

[@spamite3378]

That segment about trying new games outside of my usual really hit close to home. I suppose I’ve really just been playing whichever new Nintendo game or PC game interested me, with several games in my backlog. I’ll probably go finish at least one of my games in my backlog because of it, so thanks!

[@Mer.Saloon]

The Mike Pollock bit was great. Maybe I think you were extreme at points, but it is fair to have criticism and to open it up. I genuinely love Mike as Eggman and can confidently say that and I even like some of his snarkiness. But people need to realize he isn't infallible.

[@AlexDKong]

Yeah I think it all comes down to how people perceive things. I like Mike's eggman along with the original and I have no special attachment to either one honestly. A lot of the questionable things Mike says I think stems from how his humor comes off because when it comes to comedy the way u word something, your tone in saying it, timing, and facial expression work together into forming a joke or sarcastic remark. So when your on social media or something the only thing that really comes off is the wording and maybe the facial expression theough emojis even though those can be misinterpreted as well. So some people will see it as humour or snarkieness and enjoy it while others will interpret it differently.

[@yrooxrksvi7142]

I used to like Mike Pollock as Eggman and appreciate him as a voice actor in general, but after crossing paths with him online, no he's pedantic, dismissive, passive aggressive and pretty hypocritical. He spent the entirety of 2014 just damage controlling for Sonic Boom, something he never did for other works. And whenever someone tried to address him, he always pulled the same "I'm just a worker working for my client" card for literally anything. Besides, he's gotten radically worse as Eggman, he just sounds disinterested and bored in Frontiers. And you people have Stockholm Syndrome to still believe he's good. Both as an actor and as a person.

[@yrooxrksvi7142]

@@AlexDKong TL;DR : I simp for him because seniority and I excuse his insufferable snark as "LOL Boomer online"

[@TheKazeblade]

OUTSTANDING video! I've been starving for this kind of deep dive into the current state of the franchise. Well done!!

[@marioandsonicfanx4184]

I haven't seen you do a video in a long time Kazeblade.

[@loltheno]

Despite me having some notable gripes with a lot of the points you bring up, I have to applaud you for this video - 90% of all "think pieces" on the 30th anniversary have just been cookie-cutter 8 minute-long filler videos disguised as proper discussions, so thanks for making something that's actually legitimate.

[@TheRetroCount]

While we're here, can we talk about how much I appreciate Sonic Unleashed?

[@Menace_1129]

Yes we can

[@maximoomega3691]

8/10 imo

[@telekinesticman]

YASS!! And Sonic and the Black Knight!! "Merlina, I know every world has its end..." so true!!

[@theminecraft2516]

Yo Sonic 4 is like lowkey a masterpiece of 2D game design

[@maximoomega3691]

@@theminecraft2516 Sonic 4 sucked in my opinion

[@EpochPho3nix]

While we're here, can we talk about how much I appreciate the Sonic Movie?

[@telekinesticman]

I think it's actually an underrated gem!

[@theminecraft2516]

10/10 They fixed the redesign, even if the movie kinda sucks

[@JmrUltra]

Which Sonic movie, the recent one or the OVA?

[@JmrUltra]

Oh, well in either case I genuinely like both Sonic movies, and I will gladly talk about the recent movie’s flaws if needed. As for the OVA, I love the animation there and it’s a joy to watch in my opinion.

[@Volt790]

This but unironically.

[@GamerG101]

Three years later and the comics are still the only consistently good things to come out of the franchise. Even though I like Frontiers and the extra content, it was NOT worth the full price. Also the Mike Pollock segment is funny seeing as how people think he’s been hacked on Twitter because nobody paid attention to how he’s always been acting online.

[@telekinesticman]

Yep, he's always been like this. I guess no one paid attention.

[@Infindox]

​@@telekinesticmanA lot of people paid attention, its just that a lot of people also got harassed by other Sonic fans.

[@telekinesticman]

@@Infindox that too, good point! I think a lot of people were afraid to speak on it publicly, which is a shame. Looks like the floodgates are open now.

[@hype5456]

​@@Infindoxor some weren't aware because not everyone knows about the guy and his acts

[@Infindox]

​@@hype5456i mean, youre also right. I would never have known if I didn't see what he said on twitter about the redub. The issue is some people see how he acts, and they dont want any criticism towards someone that they view as a role model without researching first.

[@Saltydkdan]

Fantastic video!! I love these longer form deep dives into the current state of a series, excellent all around!

[@telekinesticman]

Wow, thanks so much man! Was honestly shocked that you followed me the other day, glad you enjoyed it!

[@Neon90xx]

Damn wasn’t expecting to see you here

[@telekinesticman]

@Casswury I'd love to do more videos covering different things other than Sonic! Unfortunately my audience, and I guess the KZbin algorithm, doesn't want me to do this. I also work a full-time animation job at a local studio now so any time I used to have for KZbin videos has been sucked away. But I'll see how things go.

[@Crusty783]

Mike Pollock critique has aged well

[@maxqill1435]

I would never expect you to be here

[@shanecorcoran2542]

@@maxqill1435 same here lol

[@Nullaccount69]

About the thing about Mike Pollock going off on people about the recast. I remember I put in my input too (on an alt account because I didnt want to deal with a bunch of kids harassing me about it) and was of course flooded with his fans being pricks to me, him also doing some of it, and only liking replies defending him. I was being completely and totally reasonable and mature, and it was just frustrating. Even more frustrating was that my friends were telling me to stop because “its mike pollock” “hes just being funny” etc. glad Im not the only one frustrated with the behavior. Love the video btw great work

[@Nullaccount69]

@@eggs4068 please shut up lmao

[@Jase4Smash]

@@eggs4068 Where does he act like that? The dude is literally just saying what happened to him.

[@Nullaccount69]

@mr.jinjin howdy stranger

[@nman551]

Jesus.

[@ThatBoiDarius_]

I really think now that Pontaff are gone now Ian Flynn should take over for the games. His work in Archie and Idw is amazing He knows how the write these characters more than any other writer I’ve seen in this franchise. I hope He gets more freedom in IDW and can get his characters like Tangle and Whisper in the games

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

Haven’t read archie but idw is pretty underwhelming

[@LiveHedgehog]

I'd rather they stick to the characters already established in the games. I've never thought Tangle and Whisper fit in design-wise - they look like overdesigned fan characters. I thought the same of Infinite, what a terrible design.

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

@@LiveHedgehog I though Infinite looked great.

[@LiveHedgehog]

​@@Sydney_Angelyt Why? It's terrible. He looks like a terrible fan character, with all the cliches/tropes that go with it. The heterochromia eyes are the worst offenders lol.

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

@@LiveHedgehog ok but... he look cool. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@kingbash6466]

It’s so strange and ironic that the Sonic series has been active in every other form of media except actual games.

[@Fractorification]

Regarding the Mike Pollok stuff, I lost respect for the dude back in the Sonic Boom days, because that's when he was more rampant in starting drama because the dude made it very clear he loved the show. So anytime anyone made a video criticizing boom, there he was in the comment section stirring trouble and his legion of fans feeling enabled by him used that to attack anyone, because _"how dare you make Mr. Pollok feel upset!"_ For crying out loud, he sang and wrote a song called Boom Shadow where he made fun of people for, well, just not liking how Shadow was written there (which in hindsight he wasn't even that terribly written in the show at least). The Sonic fandom is already fractured and divided as it is with all the different iterations over the decades, so the last thing it needs is the official VA making opinionated hot takes that enable toxic people to start attacking each other. Better be careful though Caelum, because as nice as it is that you're bringing some attention to this here, Mike tends to find these videos often and will not hesitate to comment. Just hope this doesn't bring any vitriol your way. I think that nobody speaks about this often is because they're afraid the mob will come after them.

[@parlinmains]

How unprofessional of him.

[@chidaluokoro9104]

wow

[@dwainsimmons3447]

I think he was always disliked even before he made a twitter account.

[@noobartist6009]

"Who listens to Sonic and thinks contemporary rap?" Knock knock its knuckles. Unlike Sonic I don't chuckle I'd rather flex my muscles.

[@artboxartist9935]

ah, but you see.... Knuckles theme is a bop.

[@zariatibbs6667]

Infinite's theme

[@beruanga]

While we're here, can we talk about how much I appreciate Marmaduke (2010)?

[@APPictures9]

Came back to this because of Roger keeping his role as Sonic.

[@cullbear55]

Mike always rubbed me the wrong way on Twitter. He's said certain things in such a way that make it come off as rude or negative, but then is allowed to gaslight people into thinking *they're* the asshole for reading the text that way. I'm glad to see more people recognizing this. I really hope he can become a better person, but at this point, he may face consequences with what's been going on.

[@TWIP98]

Always look forward to seeing your videos man, great job!! Edit: You put Ori in here and for that you get this star 🌟

[@vex9134]

Thank you for the mike pollock segment, mike has gotten into controversy and this video was brought into the spotlight again today.

[@SuperStaticPro]

That Sonic Fan Voice is really good. He should voice Sonic officially. (Also this video is fantastic. The IDW bit is my favorite.)

[@maximoomega3691]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpyaZoOjo6ubrpo

[@mastervidxad5883]

55:47 Just to clear up some confusion, Quinton Flynn was proven innocent in court but because of his creepy stalker, the damage has been done to him losing his roles. But yeah, I prefer Silver's first voice over Quinton.

[@Brabbs]

Wasnt aware

[@JPGH_Extras]

All of this vid was VERY Eye Opening for me. Specially about the Comic Side of things. (Considering we don't get those over here in Mexico) I'm very much glad you came back, Cael !

[@Mer.Saloon]

www.idwpublishing.com/product/sonic-the-hedgehog-vol-1-fallout-spanish-edition-sonic-the-hedgehog-vol-1-consecuencias/ I don't know if this is the latino version, but a spanish edition has been coming out.

[@yrooxrksvi7142]

Dude, you're not missing anything. IDW Sonic just sucks.

[@PointingouttheObvious]

Bruh that roger section aged like milk

[@mediamuncher69]

That's what I'm saying

[@UnBR0k3enAngel]

I really wish it didn't. He still sucks. It's been over a decade. At least Griffin gave us a surprise for Black Knight and Unleashed.

[@ChaddyFantome]

Just because Sonic says he found the overabundance of cops at the time annoying doesn't mean he hates cops. Sonic worked with GUN in both ShtH and Chronicles.

[@telekinesticman]

@@derdoctor1895 it was a joke. But I still don't think Sonic should be working with cops because it's dumb, and Sonic is an inherently anti-authority figure who makes his own rules. Also the police are an oppressive, tyrannical military force who get away with basically anything.

[@telekinesticman]

If you mean by instilling fear in the community through unmarked vehicles and plain uniform officers among many other tactics, instead of offering actual social help and protecting people, then sure. In theory, police should be cool. But in practice, I don't know how anyone could support them after 2020.

[@Mer.Saloon]

@@telekinesticman Being fair. Tom is a very idealized cop. He embraces a small town lifestyle of mundane activity versus going into the bigger city police force. He doesn't immediately resort to violence (the tranq doesn't count). Compared to other cop shows he's a good guy on his own. I do agree though, making him a cop hasn't aged well as a concept, but this was written in 2012 so yeah times changed.

[@ChaddyFantome]

@@telekinesticman Sonic is not "anti-authority". Sonic is "pro-freedom". He doesn't hate cops. He hates them not letting him do what he wants. Being a free spirit that makes your own rules does not imply inherent anti-authority views. Sonic is not a revolutionary. He is not looking to tear down society or social structures. He has a "you leave me alone, I leave you alone" attitude towards it, and will help or oppose them on a case by case basis based on his personal view and feelings towards the matter. Can't help but feel that you are projecting your political views onto a Blue cartoon hedgehog and its kinda tacky, ngl. Now as for Tom, Tom simply being a cop doesn't make him an oppressive authoritarian. he is a very well meaning individual who represents the ideal image of what a policeman should be. hard working and in service to the people and desiring to protect people as opposed to just wanting power to impose his will on others. I'm not exactly a staunch defender of the movie, but to paint Tom as this horrible person that clashes with Sonic on fundamental level just because he wears a badge is pretty silly. As for the politics, I'm not gonna touch that with a 50-foot poll.... This is what too much Twitter does to people....

[@josepha4161]

@@derdoctor1895 What do you mean? No police in CHOP/CHAZ and defunded police departments in certain cities worked out near perfectly. Crimeless utopias, I tell ya.

[@hasty3697]

Damn. U really were right about Mike huh

[@hype5456]

Definitely but the segments about the rest of the cast is wrong imo

[@majestic3992]

I think your rant about how Sonic fans dont play other games was uwarranted. But I did find the discussion of games you liked in relation to Sonic was interesting.

[@wellsshady]

The critical voice of the online fanbase at large definitely reeks of detachment towards genres Sonic dabbles in, I believe it's important to raise awareness of that.

[@ApocHedgie]

Amazing work as always, Caelum! I always appreciate the detail you put in into your videos, and the humour is always top notch. Oh and I guess your animation is fine too

[@telekinesticman]

Yeah, I guess. *snort*

[@ikercardaensland8251]

The fanbase is so desperate that the sonic movie being successfull makes them blind about the actual quality of the movie, the sequel looks promising since its going to be more focused on sonics world.

[@Mer.Saloon]

I feel like the majority of the fandom aren't blind to the problems of the movie. It's just that the problems don't outweigh the good parts for them. They're still there, but don't have the same impact.

[@mattkugelman4369]

@@Mer.Saloon exactly the way I see it the sonic movie was a b-list film, like a 7.5-8 out of 10, nothing huge but not actually terrible

[@gonzalot.605]

Even as someone who enjoyed the movie, I must agree with your statement. Having said that, I dare to say that the next movie will almost certainly be better.

[@Soniman001]

You know guys....it's okay to think the Sonic movie is just okay and not amazing or the worst thing ever

[@ikercardaensland8251]

@@Soniman001 we never said you should agree with us

[@Jase4Smash]

Sonic Unleashed is so underrated. So underrated everyone says so.

[@theminecraft2516]

So Underrated that the cutscenes online have more views than a lot of movie clips

[@Everik-ct6pg]

I'd say it's decently rated now, if not, just slightly overrated. That game never deserved to be trashed in the first place, but it doesn't deserve to be called a masterpiece either. It's just a neat game with a great story.

[@theminecraft2516]

@@Everik-ct6pg I think Unleashed is a 8.5/10 but not a 10/10 lol Although if Pokemon Sword and Shield got a near perfect score then I guess Unleashed is a masterpiece

[@brolookatthatthingbehindyo1324]

@@theminecraft2516 C'mon now everyone knows sonic bad because 06 lol, sonic kiss girl haha funi

[@kingbash6466]

@@Everik-ct6pg I think it’s the Majora’s Mask effect. One game in a franchise is released to lukewarm or mixed reception at first, then overtime, it gets praised as an underrated entry. However, the positive reviews become so prevalent and numerous that it’s no longer considered an “unpopular opinion” to like said entry.

[@sayer4148]

While I didn't hate Roger's voice, he wasn't my favorite either. My reaction to him not voicing Sonic anymore was basically "huh, so that happened".

[@entertainer_ev2747]

Same

[@skibot9974]

14:25 the implication I got was Sonic faked getting lost because he wanted to hold off leaving earth as long as possible

[@ALtheBoi]

Wasn't planning on watching the whole thing, expected some *"THE FUTURE OF SONIC IS IN DANGER!!?!!?1!!"* garbage. Was pleasantly surprised, great job.

[@telekinesticman]

Thank you! I was definitely a bit worried people would misinterpret the video's title, I don't want to come off as some clickbait news channel or anything. Hoping that when people are sifting through dozens of "Sonic 2021" related videos they eventually come across this one and go "wait...this is an actual video, cool!"

[@LopezXiann14]

The way some Sonic fans are forgiving him almost immediately after the response makes it very obvious that some people simply can’t see him as anyone but Eggman

[@joshwillcox7141]

Personally I can't stand Twitter. It's honestly just a cess pool of mostly half-baked opinions and obsessive personalities. It's never entertaining or gives me anything more than "huh, okay..." When reading what someone thinks.

[@mredbadger]

A while ago I watched that fan dub of Sonic X which was meant to be like, more accurate to the Japanese version. One of the comments was like, “wow, the guy voicing Eggman is really good!” First response was guess-fucking-who saying “not really, it lacks the subtle nuances of my voice”. Like, imagine drawing fan art and having Naoto Oshima being like “it’s shit mate, I’m way better at drawing”. Just weird.

[@Rex67Diego9]

man i wish that mike pollock would appear on my twitter so i can just tear him and his fans appart

[@parlinmains]

@@Rex67Diego9 He’s so narcissistic he wouldn’t give you that gratification.

[@parlinmains]

“Subtle nuances”. Wow, Mike, I wonder why you think so highly of yourself.

[@thechronocrator]

crying because eggman is mad at me for ruining his dinner

[@telekinesticman]

This might be the best comment on this video.

[@bluudevil4483]

Dude fantastic job on the video, it really hit home for me on a personal level especially the Last section of the video. I think that applies to all fanbase that are just too into that only one certain game or show. Since I like momentum based / rhythm games I gave games like skate 3, jet set radio, CTR, batman Arkham games and hover a chance and enjoyed each of them. Glad you're back man I'd like to see you tackle other things too, I'm personally a big mega man fan and ratchet and clank fan aswell.

[@mattkugelman4369]

That’s what I’ve been doing

[@faker1888]

Even if I don't like most of your opinions I respect them- opinions are subjective after all. (I do agree with you on the quality of the IDW comics and the fact that not everything needs to be sonic)

[@sonic5993]

I appreciate the information about Mike Pollock; I make it my business to not really follow voice actors all that much, but almost every word of mouth made Mike out to be a good person so I had no reason to really think otherwise. Its unfortunate, but I do think its something that many need to know about so as to not let it continue.

[@yrooxrksvi7142]

Ohhh Believe me, I ran into him online during while Sonic Boom was being promoted, and it was exactly the same snarky, dismissive attitude, always pulling the "I'm just working for my client" card. People need to stop putting on a pedestal just because of seniority, he's not even that good as Eggman anymore.

[@ThatsATHICC_RAY]

*Why is nobody talking about the animation at the beginning? That was so good!*

[@powqutybut1488]

I wish spark the electric jester was more popular so most sonic fans could be held off for a while

[@mattkugelman4369]

Same

[@markcampbell8590]

Games like Spark the Electric Jester and Freedom Planet are so good to the point where I honestly believe they're superior to most of Sonic's titles in my opinion.

[@moosesues8887]

Sonic look cool thi

[@RubberYen]

42:45 What's wrong with people showing their appreciation for Roger's work as Sonic? He's done the role for 10 years and many have grown up with his voice, so its understandable why people are sad about his departure. You come off as very cynical.

[@telekinesticman]

I didn't necessarily have an issue with them showing appreciation for him. It was constant, and again, made it seem like people thought he died or something. That's why I showed the Reddit post where people were saying "hey ok we get it, you can stop now" with the whole "can we appreciate Roger???" stuff. People were talking about how much he did for the community and all this stuff, but really, the dude was just doing his job. Not saying we can't we appreciative of it, it just seemed like a disproportionate amount of praise, especially since Ryan and Jason weren't around during the age of Twitter and conventions and charity streams and stuff, so there's less to compare to in terms of community engagement like that.

[@AppleSlipper]

I agree.

[@RubberYen]

@mrcristofer 2013 ok edgelord lol

[@RubberYen]

@@telekinesticman lets be real. You’d probably do the same exact thing if Ryan Drummond were to leave the role now.

[@telekinesticman]

@@RubberYen I mean I'd obviously be upset if he had just left and yes, I would have said *something* on Twitter about him leaving. But that would also be a totally different scenario where Ryan Drummond was Sonic for over 20 years straight with no other actors in-between that replaced him. I feel like the behaviour would have been somewhat more justified in that instance, but I still don't think I would have acted the same way many others did for Roger.

[@GR34SRR]

though I disagree with some of what you say, but its honestly really refreshing hearing someone with your opinions. your brutal honesty at some parts were REALLY funny to me, I actually started laughing out loud. great work!

[@HaileyEira]

Jason Griffith and Ryan Drummond have the best Sonic voice. They both capture Sonic's personality so perfectly!

[@gonzalot.605]

We may disagree in many things, but it is always refreshing to listen to your opinions.

[@AT7outof10]

Congrats on this feature-length film about Sonic! In all seriousness though, very enjoyable vid. I really do wish all the sonic downtime would mean Sega is giving their other IPs some love but we know that we shouldn't misplace hope in them.

[@Mer.Saloon]

I genuinely thought the movie was good. Not great, but good. I won't lie a lot of the stuff you posted did get a chuckle out of me. But I respect that it isn't master writing. On its own it could be more true to the games, but I do respect that it did manage to make this kind of plot work well enough on its own. I definitely can't say I entirely disagree with your points, but at the same time, I can't say they bother me that much. I will defend the flossing though. It's a dumb dance and lasts less than a few seconds. I don't get what's wrong with that. Edit: Oh yeah, fully disagree on the design points, but I did appreciate hearing your critiques on the design. I mostly hear everyone else just praising it, and while I like it. It's just good to hear a different take on the design.

[@DangerNoodlexoxo]

I do wish that Mike got replaced too. I think all of the sonic cast need new voices and new directions. More along the lines of the adventure era. This whole series needs a reboot of sorts. Just start after sa2 and go from there lol.

[@AllHailShadow117]

It’s interesting watching this after Roger is back to being Sonics VA

[@TheChaosSpirit]

Bless your heart haha. I really appreciated this video. ❤️

[@davidpescitelli8004]

30:18 Ok so I actually have a huge problem with Sonic and Shadow's debate about Eggman in IDW. Sonic says Eggman should be given another chance because Shadow also nearly destroyed the world. The problem here being that Eggman and Shadow are not comparable. In SA2 it's heavily implied Gerald messed with Shadow's mind to think Maria wanted revenge. Once he learned the truth Shadow chose to save the world and nearly died saving it. Eggman does not have the same excuse and he's only helped saved the world either to save his own skin or so that he could be the one to conquer it. The comparison doesn't work and makes Sonic look like a bit of a dick guilt tripping Shadow like that. I feel like Sonic should have pointed out that the tinkerer was a completely different person from Eggman and could benefit the world if he was still alive. This somewhat relates to another problem I have where Sonic is for some reason convinced people like Eggman and Metal Sonic can be reformed. Yes Sonic is forgiving with a lot of people but they usually give him a reason to forgive him. Both Eggman and Metal dive him no reason to believe they can be reformed. Tinkerer doesn't count, because that was pretty much a complete personality change.

[@telekinesticman]

This is an understandable take, I somewhat agree and disagree. I would be interested if the book addresses this as a character flaw or something that the other characters point out to Sonic. I think the comparison to Shadow is, yes, not a truly direct one, but that's also because Shadow's backstory is kinda vague and confusing in SA2. You even said it's "implied" Gerald changed his memories, but it's not clear. Shadow is evil at first because he forgot what Maria said and then remembers later "oh right she said to save the world" and then he becomes good again. I don't think it was a bad way for Sonic to show that Shadow was in the wrong, but upon closer inspection, sure, it can be a little muddy.

[@yrooxrksvi7142]

@@telekinesticman Shadow wasn't "evil" at first, he was driven by blind revenge who he thought was justified due to Maria's violent death. So Sonic gaslighting him by saying that he's too beyond salvation is utterly stupid. One thing is someone who wants justice but seeks it in the worst way possible, plus the VERY strong implication that he's been brainwashed. Another thing is a renowned egomaniac who just wants to conquer the world and has no remorse, no matter if he's amnesiac now. It's lazy, insulting to Shadow's character, given how strong his conviction is, and makes Sonic look like a toxic positivity manipulator. Why are you people so adamant on forgiving these garbage comics ? I hope you changed your mind on Flynn since Frontiers, because it showcases most of his worst writing.

[@jordanosburn5009]

The points you covered were something that everyone definitely needed to hear- I absolutely can’t stress it enough. Especially the parts where you addressed the issues of the community and Mike Pollock’s “social listening” behavior. I honestly found it too strange and unnecessary that Mike was overly tuned in and had to chime in for *everything* related to eggman, more so when his input had nothing to do with the post.

[@jordanosburn5009]

@@eggs4068 Its not that, I’m not saying that he should condemned. But his behavior creating confrontational replies that he doesn’t necessarily need to be making, isn’t a behavior we should encourage or defend. I’m a fan of his work as Eggman, but I find his tweets disconcerting.

[@agentblackdog9798]

@@eggs4068 There's a reason why we take issue with Mike's recent behavior. The man doesn't need you to come to his defense.

[@arsenal4444]

Amazing, I've never seen a video where I disagreed with the analysis and general sentiment so much. Like maybe 20% agreement at most, either in description of things, or perspective on them. Great work! It's crazy to think we're fans of the same franchise but so it is, and this is some detailed dissection you've done. Learned quite a bit. Hyped for the animation stuff you mentioned and also thanks for linking to your recommendations.

[@najibosman6497]

39:52 that aged horribly

[@UGotBoostPWR]

Gonna be real, I let out the biggest yell of excitement when you brought up Ultrakill and Titanfall 2 in terms of good schmoovement/action games. Always love seeing those crop up in the most unexpected places.

[@telekinesticman]

Hell yeah man, I love fluid first-person movement and combat. The demo of Shady Knight rocks as well.

[@UGotBoostPWR]

@@telekinesticman Man, I had to go and check that out after you brought it up. The demo for Shady Knight is incredible! For sure keeping an eye on this one.

[@najibosman6497]

39:52 honestly man I had the same reaction I was so happy that I actually couldn’t go to sleep the night it was announced, of course no disrespect to roger props to him voicing him for that long too bad I didn’t enjoy his performance as sonic at all.

[@maximoomega3691]

When the world needed him the most he came back

[@DTheHedgehog]

Hey, massive, MASSIVE props to you for putting this together, and I'm so sorry you had to sift through so much of what the fanbase has been doing to even produce such a well-mannered take on the current situation. I wonder- what's your take on the recent information about SEGA's 60th anniversary delivering, but not as much as they'd liked?(Only 18 out of 30 games, and the fact that all 3 main company subsidiaries can't get into their offices due to lockdowns.) I also wonder what this video would have been like if you included the sudden surge of hype that happened on the 15th, when SoE employees got office party invitations. Besides from that though, this is an excellent video that magnifies all the issues I've been having with the reception people have been having with the franchise, and the 'persona' Mike Pollock is putting on at the moment. There's some aspects of your movie sequel synopsis which sound believable as well, so I think at least one of your speculations on it might end up being similar in the final product. Finally- I just want the fanbase to be quiet. They've got hard proof as to why things haven't been presented yet and they'll still be in denial, thinking that SEGA's just torturing us and forcing us to wait. Sure, I'll be pretty ticked if nothing happens by July, but all I want is ANYTHING that can hit 8s or 9/10s in the major reviews. And if that means marketing needs to wait and actually promise us things instead of just a pointless CG teaser that doesn't show anything of substance, then I don't know what'll happen. I do not want to be Cyberpunked again.

[@BatFan_Attic]

fun fact. the energy thing? already existed before the movie. He literally is shown to be essentially a potential energy machine even back in the kids show days.

[@anthonylezama1645]

whoever voiced sonic for this video did a great job!!!

[@TheGamerRist22]

42:44 100% disagree. Sonic is a very important character to people and he voiced him for 10 years. And he loved Sonic. Some people grew up watching Sonic a Roger.

[@TheGamerRist22]

@Yuri F. Schmidt Thats a matter of opnion.

[@TheGamerRist22]

@peya's palace I'll say it again. It's a matter of opinion. It's your opinion. You're saying it like it's a fact and everyone else is wrong.

[@luzrs1317]

This video made me realize the main reason I like Sonic at all is because of the better part of the fandom, and nostalgia... Kinda sad, but it's nice to be reminded to think critically, besides, now I can really start to learn from the franchise's mistakes overall

[@ikercardaensland8251]

Your opinions are refreshing, even if I dont agree with everything.

[@loziclec.1295]

Imagine if Sega just decides not to hire a voice actor for Sonic. He's just silent forever now.

[@loziclec.1295]

Damnit.

[@parlinmains]

I wouldn’t mind that.

[@Rex67Diego9]

1:02:55 also, dude this was a joke, are your serious? do you actually believe this was a serious tweet?

[@najibosman6497]

I couldn’t agree more with that statement with the movie design, it’s obviously a massive improvement compared to the original design but man does it fall flat compared to naoto oshima’s original design and yuji uekawa’s sonic redesign.

[@mattkugelman4369]

Unfortunately you can only get so far with Hollywood

[@gonzalot.605]

I like the movie design because it looks way more distinctive than the majority of 3D renditions we had in the last couple of decades. But yeah, I can understand why most people still prefer Oshima's original design.

[@expcake]

this video is insanely interesting to watch in hindsight, and that's not due to events within the past week. just in general. (edit: i mean this in a positive and/or retrospective way rather than an ominous one, in case that wasn’t clear) thanks for the video

[@SSean1991]

Absolutely beautiful! I actually found you through Twitter in one of the tweets talking about your hopes of Mile Pollock being replaced, and I totally agree with that. His arrogant rude tweets towards people and fans is just uncalled for! Also speaking of Tweets, I think one of my tweets actually popped up in this video, I think it may have been the reply to the IGN Sonic Colors tweet, so that was a pretty surreal moment, trust me though I've long passed moved on from that whole thing. I was just bringing up how I'll never forget it because it was a very silly review at the time, but things were different on the internet back then in that old review, plus of anyone actually gets heated up anymore that's just plain weird. Anyway I loved the video and can't wait to see more from you!

[@nman551]

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

[@drifter402]

Bruh who cares about tweets. I'm serious

[@cjdestroyahanimation7729]

59:30 totally agree with you man. There are a lot of things you can do instead of tweeting sonic related. Heck, I'm taking my time playing some Mario games and watching cartoons from the golden age. I know people are upset, but at least do something else. And when time passed by fast, we'll eventually get something sonic-related from SEGA. Just let it be. Anyways, great video dude.

[@mediamuncher6982]

I agree.

[@skibot9974]

Yikes all that Pollock stuff makes me think Sega got rid of the wrong guy. I’d much rather have a Sonic that sounds like 30 year old than a guy who sounds great but acts like an asshole

[@BlueJack222]

Rodger did the same thing

[@skibot9974]

@@BlueJack222 when?

[@entertainer_ev2747]

Well wishes come true lol

[@skibot9974]

@@entertainer_ev2747 no if it came true then Mike would be gone

[@TheSnazzyMaddie69420]

omg I agree so hard on the "do something else statement". back in 2020 I tried Bayonetta for the first time and that got me into so many other games, Metal Gear Rising and Devil May Cry are my favourite games ever, and it actually gave me a new perspective on what I would like a new sonic game to be like. man, Im not even a sonic fan anymore because I became an action combat game fan (and also Persona LOL)

[@Sjono]

9:15 Who thinks of Sonic music and immediately goes ‘Ah yes contemporary rap?’ Have you listened to Pumpkin Hill?

[@Adam-pc4fp]

Or You Can Do Anything? Or Metallic Madness?

[@gamingwithdream2005]

I wanna challenge something. Tell me when has Sonic acted on the line from SA2? He's not much of a free spirited adventurer. He's either relaxing like in SA1 or Generations or He's on the go when there's a threat like Unleashed or Lost World. When has he ever seeked Adventure? He only acts when there's a threat, other than that, he's just relaxing and enjoying the moment.

[@Rex67Diego9]

the classic games kinda

[@toyland_f]

That whole Mike Pollock section is a case of "when people show you who they are, believe them the first time."

[@chillax7345]

22:40 I agree with that statement 100% all the way through but Tails is actually voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey

[@JamoXeno]

woah, I've been following you on twitter cause i liked your 3d art but i didn't know you were this cool, I'm glad youtube recommended me this video

[@JLDrawz]

Damn..I never realized how much of a jerk Mike actually is.

[@SuperNova-mp5zp]

who's mike? like mike pollok i havent gotten through the video yet

[@pugman9672]

Unfortunately it is and to think that people would have rioted if he didn’t return( I was on of them).Now I wouldn’t want him to get canceled I think that’s overkill but idk he needs to bring his ego down 30 pegs.

[@SuperNova-mp5zp]

@@pugman9672 Yeah I finished the vid a bit ago and meant to mention who it was XD whooops. While idk if he needs to be canceled he needs to learn his lesson of not having so much of an ego and doing the things he does it's very unprofessional and unbecoming of him. I'm just really disappointed is all.

[@pugman9672]

@@SuperNova-mp5zp yeah and realizing that so many people rallied for him to come back not knowing or realizing that they where enabling him hurts in hindsight. I will admit tho the way he was kinda toying with the fan base about his return kinda rubbed me the wrong way but we were all like “oh liked Mike there he goes again”. This is so disappointing it gonna be hard to enjoy his performance going forward so now I’m glad that it seems he is only limited to the games.

[@gonzalot.605]

This is one of the main reasons why I try to avoid using Twitter. It makes normal people turn into petulant divas and self-righteous douchebags.

[@ChaddyFantome]

Removing alternate timelines and dimensions is an absolutely terrible idea as it doesn't give characters their own space to work in and room to breath. Characters like Knuckles and Blaze do not work as permanent fixtures in the same world because they have too much overlap. You risk creating too many redundancies and you shrink the scope of the universe for no reason. Also, Tangle is just an Amy clone

[@parlinmains]

Tangle feels more like Fleetway Amy, who was also a scrappy tomboy.

[@ChaddyFantome]

@@parlinmains Tangle is literally just Amy but less feminine and without the sprituality or Sonic love element. (Though, I guess you can just replace Sonic with Whisper if you really wanted)

[@justkiet]

I may have disagreed with a couple of things in this video but holy shit, at 59:30? You fucking nailed it my man. You say pretty much everything I hate about some of the fans right now. It is soooo therapeutic to hear someone call this stuff out. For this section alone, this is one of the best videos about Sonic. Genuinely, thank you.

[@Aidan_004]

There’s a whole discussion going on right now over whether Mike’s Twitter was actually hacked or not, but to me that’s missing the forest for the trees. If anything, the harmful and offensive tweets made by his account in the past few days should prompt people to take a second look at his account and realize that, regardless of whether or not he was hacked, he has always been a massive piece of shit and is not deserving of respect, admiration, or the role of Eggman’s voice actor.

[@toonaurz2620]

39:47 Vegeta: Well that didn't last real freaking long.

[@Everik-ct6pg]

I feel like the first sonic movie was just a bridge for the sequel to be more accurate to the games. The studio wouldn't have let them do an accurate adaptation first, because it would've been too much of a risk, and Sonic lore is kinda complicated to just establish in a single movie.

[@SPRX77]

That’s what I pretty much saw it as since I think the sequel is going to focus more on sonic and tails and (hint: knuckles) and more about his world, so yeah I wasn’t really complaining about this plot since it was mainly to bring new people in here and not everyone will know the lore of sonic, cause BOI THERES SO MUCH IT CAN BE A MESS

[@zestytriss5282]

The plot of the movie is very simple. Its great for the first timers who dont know Sonic, it definitely brought new people like my little nephew and my big brother's girlfriend

[@BitchChill]

Like Sonic has any lore

[@Everik-ct6pg]

@@BitchChill it is really complicated (at least for a movie to explain), like the chaos emeralds, master emerald, perfect chaos and the connection he has with the emeralds, the mural prophecy established in Sonic 3, Shadow's entire backstory, etc...

[@parlinmains]

The sequel ended up being more accurate, but not as accurate as Caelum wanted.

[@matthewwonks2534]

I cried during some of those Metal Virus moments. No shame--they were powerful and moving.

[@LuisSanchez-yv4ct]

IDW comic is the Sonic storytelling i always wanted as a kid. It's really everything i could ask for as a fan.

[@yrooxrksvi7142]

So you wanted garbage fanfiction with really lazy world building, a laughably tryhard to be grimdark robot zombie apocalypse, and a bunch of ugly OCs no one cares for ?

[@TehJellyLord]

One of my tweets was featured in the Eggman section of this video at 54:01 , and I’d like to clarify my position. I don’t like him as a person but he does his actual job as a voice actor well, so I don’t see why he should be replaced on those grounds unless he says something worth being “canceled” over. That is what I was saying. I understand and agree with not liking the guy as a person, but he hasn’t necessarily done anything so bad that he deserves to be fired.

[@telekinesticman]

Thank you for clarifying, I wasn't trying to start any drama or call out anyone over any of the screencapped tweets (hence why I censored all of them that were either linked with online drama or something I was criticising, like the Sonic Unleashed stuff), so I'm glad you were respectful. I used your tweet because it was an example of my problem with people enabling him and sort of hand-waving his behaviour because it wasn't bad enough to be called out, basically. Thanks again for understanding.

[@TehJellyLord]

@@telekinesticman it’s not a problem at all! Your video was excellent and I agree with pretty much everything you said and share every sentiment regarding the current state Sonic series, the movie, the games, the comics, trying things other than Sonic, and what I hope for the series going forward, barring this one little thing. But I definitely do understand the argument completely and I’ll alway appreciate being used as an example even in situations where it might be on the more negative side of things. It helps me learn and grow. Your videos are always a treat, I also have a great appreciation of analysis channels like this. Another good one you might wanna watch is a channel called LeadHead. I also absolutely ADORE your Sonic dioramas and other art (10/10 stuff as far as I am concerned. Peak Sonic art). Anyways, have yourself a fantastic day and keep up the amazing work :)

[@knightryder11]

Even though I might not agree with his review on the first movie but I do know that his idea for the sequel is pretty cool