Sonic X - How a bad dub can ruin a good show!

[@HillTopTerebi]

What did you think of Sonic X? Do you agree with me or did you actually prefer the US dub? Let me know if the comments (I read all of them!) and if you enjoyed the video please hit that like button, share the video, subscribe etc. Cheers!

[@roxywp15]

I dont "prefer" it but i am super nostalgic for it! Yeah it sucks that it had to be dummied down, but the voice acting is great and it doesnt ruin the story, so while its inferior, its still great!

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

@@roxywp15 Agreed.

[@knuckson8304]

Sonic X was an amazing show in sub and honestly its really sad how its only haters are those who only watched the dub, they will never know what they've missed This anime is what introduced me into Sonic and honestly its one of my favs If not my fav

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

@@knuckson8304 What are you saying? Are you seriously calling me a "hater" because I've only seen the dub? Dude I'd be more than willing to watch the sub if it's that much better.

[@knuckson8304]

@@theendisthebeginningistheend I dont even know who you are lol, nor did I reply to you so idk where you got that idea. Im just saying how the majority is, most If not all Sonic X haters have only watched the dub and think thats how the anime is and completely ignore what 4kids does to shows, If you dont believe me literally check any sonic x review ☠ I also have a soft spot for the sonic x dub since so many iconic voice actors started from there

[@JaniacTheHedgehog]

Fun fact, the Japanese intro theme is actually done by the same people who did Cha-La-Head-Cha-La for Dragon Ball Z.

[@BalmungHH0]

The same vocalist anyway.

[@globoiitsuna]

Hironobu Kageyama

[@nellewoodruff6337]

Blessed knowledge

[@dagreatzoink5559]

And that just adds more relatability to the DBZ and Sonic franchise

[@DGDNtertainment]

Wow that’s crazy. This the first time I ever heard that

[@Cringefov]

Hearing Sonic say "shit" is the number one reason why I'd recommend the Japanese dub

[@LannyArtist]

Lol

[@Rakadramon]

I'll be a bit more classy and say hearing Live and Learn during the Biolizard battle over WhateverTF 4Kids thought was music during the scene was MY main reason.

[@EWOODJ]

That is such a stupid reason…

[@electricshield2184]

​@@EWOODJ it was probably copyright reasons

[@Rakadramon]

@@electricshield2184 Wait... copyright infringement?? From SEGA's OWN produced material?? How the hell does THAT work? Unless 4kids might have had to pay SEGA extra for the JPN music score, but.. that just means they went extra with their own music. 😂😂 I don't get it!

[@inkchariot6147]

Think of how great Sonic X would've been if it were picked up by Cartoon Network and aired on Toonami. No crappy soundtrack, no censorship, just a great dub.

[@SuperSonicWarrior93]

I would live for that! Especially with them using some actual Sonic related music from the games.

[@Tarquin23]

Which era of Toonami are you referring to? DBZ had Bruce Falconer’s music in the 2000’s

[@watch6565]

Downside no Jason Griffith and the other 4Kids VAs

[@rapparappa-999]

so a bad dub?

[@watch6565]

@@rapparappa-999 There might be a VA that's better than Jason, but that's up to thought.

[@solo_warr10r]

Rouge: *does anything* Saxophone: that's my cue

[@Shabowdiadlo]

Just like meta knight in right back at ya!

[@WindowsXPguy_NTSC-U]

I think that’s supposed to audibly convey her personality. The saxophone line is there to depict her as sexualized.

[@WindowsXPguy_NTSC-U]

Not always.

[@chidieberenwadike4165]

I thought it was hilarious

[@dylanthesupercrack456]

Sonic: *does anything* The 4Kids music: *an occasional super repetitive arrangement*

[@IsiahAllison-x1l]

I know. The fact that Mike Pollock is still Dr. Eggman to this day is astounding, while everyone else had to go.

[@abrahamambriz892]

I haven't heard any recent news about Amy Palant (Tails), Kathleen Delaney (Rouge), or pretty much every VA for Team Chaotix. Dan Green was requested to voice some lines from SnapCube's Sonic 06 parody dub, Jason Griffith is a renowned acting teacher and Lisa Ortiz MIGHT have been invited to the Sonic Café a few times, but the others? I just don't know...

[@Your_Casual_Fan]

12:25 GOD DANG this music even though un-needed, is FIRE. Knuckles just straight up says "later, furries" and GETS A BADASS TUNE WHILE FALLING.

[@koolcu1l]

Dude yes, that problem with the music STILL plagues anime like pokemon to this day

[@ralcolfwolfcoon8207]

What. The. Fuck??!?

[@crestofhonor2349]

Pokemon is just way better in japanese. I can't switch back even though I do enjoy Jesse, James, and Meowth's voices

[@haaxxx9]

When I watch the Sun/Moon adventures for the first time throughout it's run dubbed, It was okay. I liked mostly everyone's voice and the intro/outro music is meh... And then I heard "Notebook of the heart" when the last season of Sun/Moon was being aired. That song alone evaporated the US OST of Sun/Moon anime without even trying. I will say it is THE BEST outro song and VERY HIGH for the best Pokemon anime song that has ever been made so far. It is that good. Too fucking good! If you never heard of it then get the fuck out of here and IMMEDIATELY start listening to it. Trust me, you won't be dissatisfied.

[@koolcu1l]

@Smash 123 modern pokemon anime definitley replaces game music

[@RaginDragn24]

Pokemon dub was definitely better back then, then it is now

[@kratal122]

Completely agree with you on the music. It’s so obnoxious! Good God, can we please have some time to just take in the story/characters/atmosphere without having music that Teletubbies would call childish blasted at us?

[@LeviKanal]

i watched sonic x as a kid with a dub that was based on the 4kids version... since i didn't have a point of reference none of the censoring or bad music bothered me. But now i agree the og version is basically the only way to watch this series properly

[@WindowsXPguy_NTSC-U]

This was rated TV-Y7 in Japan, too.

[@benmalsky9834]

The “only way”? Buddy, you can watch it in multiple ways, and they are all valid.

[@benmalsky9834]

Every dub of Sonic X I think is valid.

[@theimmensegamer3367]

I'm not defending 4Kids, but Eric Stuart said that 4Kids would submit every show, script, and visual to both FoxBox and WB, and they would come back with a list of things they needed to change. So basically, 4Kids had no say in the censoring of their shows. Blame the networks, not the production company. The music replacement boils down to licensing.

[@dwainsimmons3447]

Digimon might have a word with you!

[@gamefreack64]

But this is only a US-TV problem. Many 4Kids Dubs was published in other countries to that didn't have this strict TV Rules. Maybe 4Kids forced TV Networks in other countries to dub the 4Kids Version. A German publisher tried to dub the missing episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX und 5D's that 4Kids never dubbed, to dubbed in German directly from the japanese original version. But weren't allowed because all German Dub Yu-Gi-Oh! Episodes from all Series MUST based of the US Version. Altrough all Yu-Gi-Oh! series could be aired on German TV uncut, maybe even in Children TV. The German Dub of the Digimon Series (1-5) based on the original japanese version with the same backround music and the same opening dubbed in german and aired uncut in TV. Even One Piece which aired on German TV since 2003 (one year before the 4Kids Dub aired) was completely untouched and was barely cencored in the children TV. Because of this, I really hate then a US company licenced a anime series even in europe an forced to dub the changed US version to other countries

[@costelinha1867]

6:54 This sub is so shitty lmao. This is some "Your base are belong to us" level of insanity.

[@juiceDpunk983]

Words cannot describe how excited I am for the Japanese version blu ray release. Loved this show back in the day and I always found it funny how Sonic Chronicles uses the Sonic X art.

[@piranhalettuce]

Sonic Chronicles feels like a shitty flash game that became official.

[@goldman77700]

@PiranhaLettuce Alot of gba series were like that tbh. Especially the first games.

[@destinymace]

@@goldman77700 yah but it was a DS game

[@goldman77700]

@@destinymace Yep now you know I never played the game haha.

[@wariodedede]

While I do think the constant music in the eng dub is annoying. I think the panic sounding music in the scene with Sonic in the pool was (maybe unintentionally) a smart idea as it has some remnants of the drowning music from the original 2D games which acts like a throwback.

[@NoHandle44]

12:06 Actually, isn't this part cool because it plays a version of the Sonic drowning theme? And this is a scene where Sonic is underwater. I thought that was pretty neat.

[@RysGameZ]

Same

[@kkasher5253]

Fr I think the music actually adds flavor

[@mitch_universe4058]

Whenever I think of this show, all that I can think of is Jason Griffith’s Sonic screaming “COME BAAAACK!!!!!” as the helicopter leaves him stranded on the cruise ship in the middle of the water. Such a hilarious moment

[@kolkagaming1234]

I generally liked sonic X’s English dub. 50% of the cast was from the games.

[@Amperedz19245]

It's the other way around

[@kolkagaming1234]

@@Amperedz19245Wdym? Tell me.

[@braylonwilliams2547]

Well if you ask me this was the 4kids dub's first time voicing Sonic characters so for Sonic X it's fine by me, they do a lot better starting with Shadow the Hedgehog. I mean Jason Griffith's Sonic got better over time at least. And for being the only one to stick around as of currently, Mike Polluck's Dr. Eggman was honestly great at first but then got really better.

[@KiraTheDumbCat]

As a person that can speak different languages, i see this as an absolute win.

[@supersonicxth]

I'll allow the dub because it gave us the voice cast and Rouge's saxophone jingle.

[@dustinfernandez7922]

I'm so surprised you didn't mention in the English dub where One Girl died and instead Shadow mentions that he hopes she's doing well and they deleted the grave

[@harveymarshall404]

Ya mean molly

[@knowledgeseeker4614]

The fact the dub was used to justify firing Ryan Drummond when he wished to be part of it is a real kick the dog moment if you ask me.

[@MustacheDLuffy]

It’s funny that Jason Griffith became a really good actor

[@TheTrollingPokémon247]

Exactly!

[@yorioyolo]

Honestly, even though I prefer Jason for Sonic, I think it's unfair that Ryan got fired just because he wasn't in the show, and to me, he was also pretty good too.

[@SuperSonicWarrior93]

@@yorioyolo Which is why I want Ryan back as Sonic for the games. He also deserved his own show.

[@yorioyolo]

@@SuperSonicWarrior93 true

[@Ocarinist_Drew]

As someone who grew up with the dub, not gonna lie, the silence of the sub seems kinda awkward. Like seeing those scenes without music felt kinda empty. It probably totally changes the vibe of the show. I could see how if you're used to one, the other would be jarring.

[@raphaelbrown6314]

@ocarinist_drew bruh thats Actually really bad for someone who only grew with dub verison and giving the example that four kids was talking about srry but no offense but the points you made are really dumb even if its subjective which fine but the scenes without the music doesn't make awkward or empty its just adds to the atmosphere in each scene thats gives it a chill vibe to there is music in the sub verison my dude but its not constant to the point were it gets annoying and completely unnecessary the best example you give right now is samurai jack that show has really quiet moments but as to the atmosphere and give it more a relaxation from the action and the music is there in the series when its needed for certain moments not in every seem to extend where it gets annoying and tedious i highly recommend watching the sub version to give you more contexts on it works 😗

[@alyssabullock6421]

I like scenes without music sometimes, they feel more natural and help you focus on the characters more

[@kkasher5253]

@@raphaelbrown6314 did you just compare samurai jack to sonic x my guy?

[@kkasher5253]

I actually agree with him mostly a lot of times when there’s nothing but silence and voices it doesn’t fit which is why I love anime’s that have great osts in the background Naruto and bleach are great examples to that that soundtrack that’s added ads flavor

[@kirinfellwinter5237]

Most unforgivable change in the english dub: switching out Live and Learn for some generic orchestral score. Like.....seriously????

[@HillTopTerebi]

That's true. A truly INSANE decision!

[@canariawing]

i had NO idea that sonic X was getting a new blu-ray release, i'm so glad i saw this video. i grew up with the 4kids dub so i personally don't have a problem with it and actually still like it to this day but i've always wanted to watch the original japanese version with english subtitles. super excited!

[@randomrave6635]

I despise 4kids for obvious reasons but you have to give them respect for giving us these amazing shows and introducing us to alot of franchises

[@RaginDragn24]

Also 4kids had many amazing vocal tracks for their shows at least that's what I think

[@Blurro]

The best thing to come from 4kids was Jason Griffith and Mike Pollock being cast for the games

[@TheTrollingPokémon247]

@@Blurrothem as well as David Wills as Espio (even though I still prefer Bill Corkery) and Erica Schroeder for Blaze and Wave (which she was pretty good at both.) Besides them and also Lisa Ortiz as Amy (whose performances imo fluctuated a lot,) everyone else was really bad imo.

[@benmalsky9834]

And you have to thank them for encouraging Peter Laird to give us a TMNT that felt just like the original comics.

[@benmalsky9834]

I will always respect 4Kids for giving us shows that many of us still love to this day, like TMNT 2003.

[@yorioyolo]

13:47 that's not entirely true, the country where Sonic X was the most popular was France, the french dub of the show was based on the original japanese version, it had the japanese soundtrack, a french cover of Sonic drive, etc... The french VAs did a good job for the french dub of an anime (because yeah, usually french anime dubs suck and some of them were based on the 4kids version like Pokémon, Kirby or Yugi-oh) and most of them are still voicing the characters today, it didn't have the censorship of the 4kids version (I mean, it did have censorship but not as much as the 4kids version), and it is even on the french Netflix (yes I am french hello).

[@HillTopTerebi]

Sounds like the French dub is good then? Thank you for the information. I knew it was popular in France but didn't realise it was THAT popular. That's awesome. Now I'm going to go and look up the French cover of Sonic Drive. Cheers!

[@yorioyolo]

@Hill Top Terebi To to be honest, I tried to watch the 4kids version on KZbin, and... after watching like 11 minutes of the 1st episode, I was like "No. I cannot take it anymore, I give up, THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR ME !" and then, I went back on the french dub.

[@beam_me_up_scotty69]

@@yorioyolo What exactly is changed in the French Dub? Is it just dialogue related changes or is anything actually cut from it?

[@yorioyolo]

​@That One Gnome the only thing that they cut in the french dub is the eye-catch (which is replaced by a 2 seconds black screen but it's okay since there is the eye-catch on the french/japanese Netflix version) and the only dialogues that they changed (as far as I know) are : - Sonic saying sh*t in episode 2 - Rouge mocking Topaze in episode 11 - Sonic that is NOT muted in episode 52 And a few letters disappeared on signs, etc a bit like the japanese version on hulu. Also Eggman is just called "Robotnik" in the french dub.

[@beam_me_up_scotty69]

@@yorioyolo What did they change Rouge's line to?

[@Celtic1020]

12:15 that one is better in the US because it references the suspenseful drowning music in the games. There are much better examples of your point you kinda shot yourself in the foot with that one.

[@bingbongvo7287]

Say what you want about *Sonic X* but I will forever defend *Kirby: Right back at Ya!*

[@santanajohns5816]

Kirby was actually one of the only times 4kids got it right for the most part. It probably won’t say much, but it has less issues with censorship. Even Kirby fans, agree with this. It probably because Kirby was a children’s anime, it’s no wonder why 4kids was less strict on that one. Sonic X’s voice acting is very memorable, but it’s too bad the censorship sucks, I mean 4kids did butchered the final season of it. I kinda enjoyed sonic X dub for what it is. But it’s a shame, the censorship was just stupid.

[@bingbongvo7287]

@@santanajohns5816 yeah.

[@benmalsky9834]

@@santanajohns5816The censorship never harmed Sonic X in my opinion. No matter what, even in English it’s still a great show.

[@n3mits]

When I was a child I watched Sonic X in Spanish dub (4kids ver) and enjoyed it. Someday I found out that there was another version of the series, the original Japanese version. When I watched that one, I LOVED the series. It was like watching a completely different show, a better one. I loved the original soundtrack so much, and how each character had their own songs. 4kids soundtrack is just so basic and repetitive compared to japanese one, where you can feel the true vibe of the scene. No need to say that the censorship just made the anime tell another story than the original (specially during metarex saga).

[@Virtualnerd101]

I grew up on the American Dub, and I still love it to this day, but the missing scenes in particular are very fair criticism. Great video!

[@MillieTheSillie616]

Not all of the changes 4kids made were bad.... I mean I heard that in original Sonic X Knuckles ends up in a strip club in one scene... cutting that scene probably made sense

[@HOTD108_]

14:45 Did that unsensored Discotek Blu-ray ever actually come out? I can't find any evidence of it online.

[@HillTopTerebi]

It did! US only and only through the Discotek website perhaps, but I got it imported from them to the UK and am currently making my way through it 👍

[@viniciuschimenes1550]

Sonic X had a very poor reputation here in Brazil, as we were already used to anime being bought directly from Japan, such as Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball, Yu Yu Hakusho, Fullmetal Alchemist, Inuyasha and so on. As a result, we were already used to hearing Japanese soundtracks, more aggressive scenes and more complex scripts. Even though they were brought out by 4kids, and obviously contained censorship, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh didn't disappoint anyone, as the themes themselves weren't violent. The problem was when the company brought One Piece here, which became an extreme failure due to censorship. Because of all these factors, even though Sonic has a huge fanbase in Brazil, it wasn't that successful, since we simply didn't like how the show felt. Sonic X got released in 2004 and, if it was on while we were watching TV, okay, but there was no hype.

[@papasauxe]

Great vid man. I agree the music can be very egregious and obtrusive, but I think there's a charm to it. Every character has their own little motif that plays when they're on screen, it kind of reminds me of how everyone kinda had their own genre of music in the adventure games. It could be played a lot less frequently though for sure. It's been a long time since I've seen it but I remember when rouge is on screen they always play a jazzy sax and it did a good job separating the tone from the other scenes.

[@eniryuuoke7446]

Yeah I couldn’t stand the whimsical goofy sounding music that played to every little thing when going back to rewatch, but one of the characters music I did really like was rouges 💕 right up her alley and didn’t annoy me Sonics little repetitive 7 note jingle though 😭 that’s the stuff of nightmares it’s the reason I can’t rewatch this show in full. It plays SO much. If they wanted to make music that major or frequent of a thing in this version, I think it would’ve been worth it to invest into having more different music so it doesn’t get annoying after a while There was one episode I was watching with team chaotic where the music got especially annoying. There was a scene where they played like 5 different annoying whimsical music sounding things all packed into like 15seconds of dialogue 😭I was like “g-guys… did he really need a different sound effects and jingle for each sentence or each portion of sentence he spoke?” 😭 I feel sooooo bad for whenever was tasked with inserting and having to hear all those sounds every few seconds in this show 🪦 Like where are you now and are you okay bro? 😭

[@dr_classified]

Sorry about the long tangent of a comment lol Thank God you mentioned the music being the biggest issue with the dub!!! It's really annoying going back and seeing that not one scene in the entire dub is not littered with constant-switching motifs and song changes when it really doesn't need to. Not to mention that the amount of times a motif shows up only to be interrupted by another is annoying. Music is supposed to heighten a story, not distract. Though I'd also say another big issue is the vocal deliveries. 4Kids likes to dub anime, especially stuff like One Piece and Sonic X (two action-dramedy-oriented anime) like they're baby shows, when they really aren't, with over-the-top, overwhelming deliveries, and overbearing music that can really take older viewers out of the experience. It works for shows like Kirby: Right Back At Ya, which with an artstyle like that, works for the show, but for Sonic X, it doesn't work at all. It ruins the tone in some places. I don't blame the cast for this at all tho, mainly just the people who directed them to sound like that. And I will say that the cast and their deliveries did improve a lot over time. I actually just bought the official Blu-Ray to the Japanese subbed version and am really enjoying it so far. I can appreciate the music and voice acting a lot more now that it isn't consistently shoved into my face as often!

[@Sammy-34079]

video games shows are trash comic Marvel Dc Shows are better!

[@MLESoup]

I had this exact same experience with Digimon. The music changes and bombastic noise really killed the dub despite some great VAs. It's good to hear that Sonic X is being re-released in Japanese. I did really like the show as a kid, but I also struggle watching it dubbed :(

[@dwainsimmons3447]

The music for digimon is done by Stu Levy.

[@TheSFMWonderer]

The only good thing about the USA dub is the fact we got the 4KIDS English cast for Sonic games. And we still to this day have Mike Pollock.

[@Cloud-dt6xb]

The dub for this show is NOT bad, there are two big examples of 4kids dropping the ball but if the voice actors had been able to do the proper scenes I believe they would’ve nailed it. Overall though it’s still a good watch and their a big reason why.

[@heinz216]

Well then where’s live n learn when sonic and shadows fight the ARC. It’s there in the Jp version

[@Brabbs]

What are you even talking about? Just because they COULD do a better job doesn't mean they did.

[@adcgdsin9320]

​@@Brabbs ... what are _you_ talking about? Your comment does not relate to OP's comment at all. OP did not even talk about what the voice actors could have done.

[@Brabbs]

@@adcgdsin9320 if the voice actors had been able to do the proper scenes I believe they would’ve nailed it. assuming he meant to say "If the voice actors had been *able to do the scenes proper* "

[@doomguy2553]

It is bad

[@MonkeMan2.0]

Here’s one thing that I’m surprised no one brought up, I watched one KZbinr that reviewed this show without nostalgia bias, and while they did recommend the Japanese version, he pointed out something that no one else even mentioned. He mentions how there are some critiques from people how the show is “racist” in some way, and while usually we chalk them out as usually people that don’t know how to critique and what not (he didn’t notice it up until seeing it before reviewing it), he points out how in the English dub, he notices that whenever the aunt shows up, a specific music plays and…. I’m just gonna say you guys should hear it yourselves. Also I will note, it’s not the VA’s fault as they are a good person, it’s just the people that did the score did NOT need to use that for whenever the aunt appears.

[@dwainsimmons3447]

11:25 The music is what I have a problem with this dub too. I don’t have any problems with the dub music of the 4kids dubs of Pokemon, Mew Mew Power, and Yugioh.

[@slimeshed]

I wached Sonic X in the russian dub and well... it's kinda cool. Seriously, Mikhail Tihonov is still one of the best Russian Sonic voices. You should listen to this at least once

[@SaddieMoon]

11:58 I like the English example better as it sounds like the drowning theme from the games.

[@benmalsky9834]

Yeah, you’re right!

[@desertsandfly2277]

I believe the constant playing of music in the background with no pause was some weird rule established by streaming companies back in the early 90s and 2000s. Even DBZ suffered from the same problem. However Bruce faulconer's(the original music provider for the English dub of DBZ) created a workaround by making background music that was so quiet that you could barely hear it so it would pass the rule. But sometimes it also had problems because they kept changing the music every 5 seconds in every scene.

[@Sammy-34079]

video games shows are trash comic Marvel Dc Shows are better! and hollywood is better

[@ridleyformk1244]

I love Sonic X! I remember watching the series everyday on KZbin when I was 15(same age as Sonic.) I'm 17 btw. I love your channel, voice, and the background music you use, you should really list what you are using in the description so I could listen to it please. Glad I've found you and have a sub!

[@harrietr.5073]

Honestly I like the Jettix song since that was the song I grew up with.

[@supersonicfan7514]

I wouldn’t say it was ruined. A lot of people liked the English dub.

[@benmalsky9834]

Like me!

[@benmalsky9834]

The way I see it, both Japanese and English versions of Sonic X are both valid and worth checking out. Both have made an enormous impact on Sonic’s legacy in their own ways.

[@supersonicfan7514]

@@benmalsky9834 well said.

[@supersonicfan7514]

@@benmalsky9834 that’s nice. 🙂

[@lexkitteh5183]

Love this video! I had a very similar experience, I have also always liked Japanese sonic, and used to watch unsubbed RAWs of the show since it was all I could find. When the 4Kids dub aired, I was repulsed due to the censorship, needless cuts and horrible music added! I continued watching in Japanese with no subs lol. It helped me learn much of the language! I also had those bootleg DVDs with the bad subs! Haha nice to see another English speaking fan of Japanese Sonic!

[@Sammy-34079]

video games shows are trash comic Marvel Dc Shows are better!

[@MilesCW]

I LOVED the Japanese version because it added so much more layer through the music. The episode 26/52 songs from the OFF COURSE group where absolute on point with the emotions.

[@Jfsosa97]

I watched it when I was younger in the Latin American Spanish dub. I gave it a try watching it again on Netflix. I watched an episode and decided I wanted it to be a nice memory rather than ruin it with what I want out of a show now xD

[@THECHRISAL3X]

Yep. I feel EXACTLY the same way haha. The Japanese dubs music makes the shows tone feel so much more real, it’s like they respect the viewers

[@markmorales7958]

A common trend with 4kids’s incompetence to every anime they Butchered: 1. The soundtrack other than one song (usually the opening theme) is terrible. 2. The motivations of the cast of the shows make no goddamn sense, and has no logic backing up those statements. 3. It has bad forced in puns that even make the children of their targeted demographic cringe. 4. And the Visual changes SOMEHOW gets worse as the show continues.

[@greenthepyro1]

I just can't stand the music in the english dub, and when they changed Live and Learn to some random noise i can't even call music... i was just done with it.

[@joelbarraclough6689]

Even if 4Kids butcher Anime I still like the Sonic X dub

[@roxywp15]

This channel is SUPER underrated and super cool! Love your content man, keep it up!

[@HillTopTerebi]

Thank you! I massively appreciated the comment! Hopefully I can grow the audience over time. Thank you for watching!

[@mewtwo255200]

I would love to see an uncut, unedited english redub of this series!

[@andrewburris4370]

But unfortunately is never gonna happen probably.

[@roguereaver634]

Rouge: *exists* 4kids: 🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷 🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷

[@JoseGregorioValeroVillarroel]

lol Really?

[@d4c_reznor470]

As someone who grew up watching Power Rangers and other action shows, especially from the 90s, I don’t mind the constant music that much. What I did have a problem with was not including Open Your Heart and Live and Learn when adapting the final bosses from the adventure games

[@JLWalker101]

The only good part about the dub is the voice actors like knuckles or eggman. the japanese dub had so much that just made this show worthwhile.

[@bendyboy7179]

The most annoying part of this version of the show is every 5 seconds you hear the one song say bah bah bahbe bahba ba bah or how ever it goes.

[@HillTopTerebi]

I know exactly the piece of music you are referring to haha

[@malcolmgiles2183]

I never minded the music, honestly I gotten use to it I was able to tune it out. Plus how can you hate the music that's how we got the infamous saxophone guy who seems to follow rouge🤣👌

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

😂👍

[@tealover70]

LOL

[@cinnamay_roll]

great video! i agree so much with you. storytime: i was a sonic fan when i was little and at 11 years old i remembered sonic x. in latin america we had the jetix version, i remember that hideous opening very vividly XD so, i searched for it on youtube and found the whole series in japanese with english subtitles and GOD i got so obsessed. i just couldn't believe what 4kids did to such a good anime! thanks to that i also learned a lot of english. unfortunately, i cant find the episodes on youtube anymore, so i couldn't watch it again for free :( maybe one day...

[@rioovalentine]

the changing a bar to a fast food restaurant is hilarious, they could have made it a cafe or something, or even just a hangout spot that doesn't serve anything

[@blackmonish]

I can always respect a man with a beer in one hand, and a Dreamcast controller in the other (my favorite console). Respect, my man!

[@aBIgailjacob14411]

Thank you. Some one had to say this. There were some moments in the show that were important to build on characters that 4kids either butchered or took out completely and it's so stupid to assume kids can;t handle mature themes. Like, the stuff they censored wasn't that bad imo.

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

Censorship is bad, but the show's still good IMO.

[@w1nterdays]

The show is great. As it was meant to be seen, that is

[@benmalsky9834]

@@w1nterdaysAll versions are meant be seen

[@w1nterdays]

@@benmalsky9834 it wasn’t meant to be a show for toddlers

[@benmalsky9834]

@ It’s not for toddlers, it’s for EVERYONE, of ALL ages.

[@ProwlerGokuTheOne]

As a sonic fan who grew up with sonic X, I thought that the 4 kids dub was just how it was in Japan too, but after learning it’s reputation with the OP dub, I wanna watch it in Japanese desperately

[@cleardude6992]

Also, let's not forgot, Junichi Kanemaru (jp va for sonic) know english

[@blekksverd]

Thank you for bringing up the music! It's an often overlooked problem, but may actually be the number one reason I can't stand to watch the dub. It just never shuts up.

[@GUNUFofficial]

I think the youtube versions uploaded by tms changes some stuff.

[@Sammy-34079]

video games shows are trash comic Marvel Dc Shows are better!

[@GUNUFofficial]

​@@Sammy-34079 marvel never gave us mama luigi

[@Doki-fy]

I love the English dub. I know it got censored to oblivion had some bad voice acting but I grew up with it which means it will be the only version I will ever watch and still love. “But the Japanese version is so much better sonic swears!” Yeah when has sonic ever….done that. The hedgehog who said he wouldn’t be caught dead using a gun just swearing casually? It’s just too weird for me and messes up the character in an even weird way than any of the censorship stuff to me.

[@BronzeAgePepper]

English swears directly translated to Japanese don't carry the same weight and vice versa. "Sh_t" is more vulgar than "kuso," while their equivalent of "die" is like dropping the F-word on someone.

[@swempytimes]

I completely agree with your tinnitus joke 🤣 I would love to hear you do a deep dive in Sonic x down the road

[@Sammy-34079]

Sonic the Hedgehog is total trash. He's nothing but a rip-off of the great Mickey Mouse, and his video games suck. Marvel and DC, on the other hand, are the real legends. Their stories, characters, and worlds are on a whole different level from Sonic and his lame little universe. So yeah, forget about Sonic the Hedgehog. Marvel and DC are where it's really at.

[@yorioyolo]

​@@Sammy-34079Who tf asked you ? Shut the f*ck up. Also, if you think the Sonic franchise as a hole is garbage, why did you even click on this video in the first place ? Did you read the comics ? Have you watched any of the movies or TV shows? Did you even play more than one of the games (mainline and spin-offs) ?

[@Silent_Mochi]

I have a soft spot for the 4kids version and don't hate it, although I won't deny some things in Japanese is wayyyyy better than the dub I wish they could've gotten the 4kids actors back and redub it on fumigation like they did with one piece The 4kids actors are really not that bad imo, the issue is the script in English is just very generic and kiddy(sounds dumb ik but hear me out) One big example is Cosmos death scene In the English dub it's a very generic, "I'll never see my friend again, she's dead" but the voice acting is actually pretty decent just very basic In the Japanese it's extremely emotional, and tails breaks down asking sonic why he couldn't save her That's just my hot take, wonder if anyone agrees with me

[@ritaandrunt5767]

Sonic x was a big part of my childhood I always looked forward to watching it whenever the show would be airing to this day it's still one of my favorite animated incarnations of sonic the last time that I watched it in more recent times was during when I was in school during the anime club that was hosted there I don't remember what epsdoie it was that we watched during the club but either way it definitely was good to revisit the show again and it also gave me a huge blast of nostalgia

[@LegionOfWorldWarriors]

I prefer the US dub, but I'll respect your opinion.

[@altrovic815]

Wow. A bad dub that makes the show worse. What an original opinion. As if people haven't been complaining and whining about 4kids for the last 10+ years

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

Yeah.

[@TheTrollingPokémon247]

That was in the past before 2010. Where and when today do you see anyone complaining about the 4Kids cast? They’re the most loved and praised cast of all 3 of them.

[@lefeeshchopped8286]

prefer the voices in the dub, prefer the lack of censorship in the sub

[@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois]

Juni'chi Kanemaru is legendary bro

[@lefeeshchopped8286]

@@ChuckE.CheesesIllinois I can't say I disagree. He's right up there with Jason Griffith for me

[@Howardpower679]

Nah bruh Japanese dub wins

[@lefeeshchopped8286]

@@Howardpower679 Not in the slightest. I'd say the same about fma's dub

[@TheTrollingPokémon247]

The Japanese dub is much better. Sonic shouldn’t sound like a nerd (even though Griffith improved a lot by the end of his run,) Tails shouldn’t sound like a girl, Knuckles shouldn’t sound angry and annoying all the time, Amy should sound sane, and Rouge should sound youthful and not like an old woman.

[@subjectfnaf]

Wouldn't it make sonic X like a half isekai anime 3:57

[@Sammy-34079]

video games shows are trash comic Marvel Dc Shows are better!

[@sezunemizuhana3870]

Considering US Sonic X is the only Sonic cartoon that has Jason Griffith. (My favorite Sonic voice ever) I kinda have no choice but to watch the American version.

[@Chou-shi]

The french version is the second best cuz it's direct localization of the japanese version, with the translated opening, the ending in instrumental and they keeped everything !!!

[@KylerFlame]

The Japanese does a lot better capturing the emotions of characters, and is all around better

[@killianlesenechal2707]

It's maybe late to say that since the videos is out for several month now, but if you don't understand at all japanese but you understand french, go watch the French version of sonic x. It's one of the best version by far, because it's the only version out of Japan which is not made by 4kids.

[@AniFAE_Productions]

I think 4kids was notorious for their Americanization (is that even a word?) Of shows and butchering them with dubbing and censorship (such as the Pokemon series - need I reference Brock and his "nothing beats jelly filled donuts" line...). When I first saw this, I was like, that's not sonic? Because my teenage mind couldnt understand why Jaleel Whites voice wasnt present lol. I was also still too much of a original sonic design fanboy, and at the time, couldnt get into the newer "adventure" style sonic that this show based itself around. Though it has grown on me. I mean, hey, this dub is bad, but gotta be better than the 90's OVA (Sonic the movie) dub right? Right?? I howl with laughter now at the "Shut up tails!" Meme that spawned. I still own the VHS of the Sonic the hedgehog the movie, and to be fair, I do love the animation in that, and I kinda like the Sara character as comic relief. She needs a return of some sorts haha! If only we got an animated series based on Fleetway... Great video as always Hilltop! Ps: Discotek media is such a life saver for older media, with then publishing things that would be considered "lost media". For example I have an anime on vhs called A Journey Through Fairyland from the late 70's? It never had another release anywhere until Discotek media re released it in 2017. Much respect to them!

[@HillTopTerebi]

Haha that OVA dub was really bad. Well... Robotnik was fairly good. But everything else...? Not so much. In case you didn't see, Discotek pre-orders for SX are now live on Amazon USA btw! An animated Fleetway series would be very cool. I just wish they would release all the comics in some sort of massive hardback books tbh! I'd take that. Thank you as always for watching! 🙂

[@Rakadramon]

A bit off-topic but I gotta give 4kids credit with their versions of the Pokémon themes. They became addictive and timeless!! "Gotta catch em all" "Pokémon World" and "Pokemon Johto" didn't need to go SO HARD for back in the day!!🤣🤣

[@SaddieMoon]

2:36 Fun fact: Originally, the ova was supposed to be a pilot for a Sonic Anime before being quickly cancelled.

[@legoawcstopmotioner9435]

I just recently rewatched the U.S. dub. I didn't hate it, but that's probably because that's the one I watched as a kid. There were a lot of things that bugged me about it though. The fact that the JP version had some music from the games that was removed in the dub bothered me to no end. Adding gibberish dialogue in scenes where the characters didn't say anything originally was super idiotic. And Molly. Need I say more?

[@ReynaldoP]

I grew up with the the 4kids dub version and honestly I never noticed the background music till now. Yes I agree that the dub has issues. In fact I may go ahead and watch the Japanese version just to see the major differences that you mentioned. It is always better watch the show in its original form.

[@Chapmike]

"Western dub" is only partly true, as the French dub was done directly from the Japanese version. They just forgot to readd some text on blank signs, as I'm pretty sure TMS provided them blank so different countries could easily replace the text. Too bad not a single one understood it. Also, for whatever reason, when the opening started to use different footage, the French dub switched to the Jetix one, including the end credits. And unfortunately, they butchered it, as you can still hear the Japanese credits starting in the last seconds of the episodes, only to have a hard cut to the Jetix one. Other than that, that's still the most faithful dub you can find. And just like the 4Kids cast, our cast became the official game cast when they started to dub the games since Sonic Generations.

[@kaobunn]

its kinda difficult for me to watch japanese dub with english sub because it takes me out of the experience a bit having to watch the subtitles in order to understand is a little annoying

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

Same, but it's even worse for me. I'm a slow reader, so I have to pause it every single time.

[@kaobunn]

@@theendisthebeginningistheend same tbh

[@TheUnknownGruntProductions]

I grew up with Sonic X 4Kids dub, so I can look past most of its flaws. I would even say some (very little) of its censorship is for the best at some times. But the rampant censorship of season 3’s heavy hitting moments, specifically the death of that girl (I believe her name was molly) was abhorrent, and whilst I can watch season 1-2 in dub, I always watch season 3 in sub whenever I do a rewatch. Good video!

[@nmaredark3214]

If you are referring to the girl in Shadows backstory, her name is Maria

[@TheUnknownGruntProductions]

@@nmaredark3214 I meant season 3, in the original she’s killed by the metarex.

[@nmaredark3214]

@@TheUnknownGruntProductions oh uh Cosmo?

[@TheUnknownGruntProductions]

@@nmaredark3214 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHSloqR5o9aBg7s The girl from this scene, Molly

[@kawaii.universe2003]

A few years ago I tried watching the English dub and I… I just couldn’t. It was so cringy and I was getting second hand embarrassment from it. I loved Sonic X as a kid and never noticed how bad it actually was. Definitely going to be watching the Japanese version in the future

[@faithlessberserker5921]

A lot of sonic media is like that. My dad stopped by my place while I was playing sonic adventure 2 while a corny cutscene with terrible voice acting was playing and he stopped by to watch and I got second hand embarrassment from that shit too. Thank fuck it wasn't sonic heroes. Some of that stuff from the 2000s is just super cringe.

[@AshuroBR]

Finally someone who talks about this. When i was little, i watched the 4Kids versions, 8 year old me liked it. But i heard about the Japanese version years later, and i watched it, it was awesome, i even rewatched 2 times. Now i can't even touch the 4Kids version, it's that bad.

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

No it's not.

[@AshuroBR]

@@theendisthebeginningistheend Ok you can tell your opnion here, but you are saying that everywhere in the comments. This is just someone who wants attention.

[@zen821]

4kids version is okay, but it's just the censorship is the problem

[@zen821]

I like some of the 4kids VA's including Sonic's VA

[@theendisthebeginningistheend]

@@zen821 I agree.

[@tynus293]

I remember buying Sonic X and classic Sonic on CDs . Makes me feel nostalgic.

[@knuckson8304]

Honestly the music in the dub wasnt really that awful, compared to the japanese soundtrack sure it stands no chance but the dub also made some good songs, like sonic's theme for example I do agree the sound whenever sonic does something becomes annoying

[@tanook4751]

The part when Rouge gets handcuffed by Topaz made me rewatch the entire show up to that point subbed

[@Sammy-34079]

video games shows are trash comic Marvel Dc Shows are better!

[@tanook4751]

@@Sammy-34079 🤖🤖🤖

[@Sammy-34079]

@@tanook4751 Sonic the Hedgehog is total trash. He's nothing but a rip-off of the great Mickey Mouse, and his video games suck. Marvel and DC, on the other hand, are the real legends. Their stories, characters, and worlds are on a whole different level from Sonic and his lame little universe. So yeah, forget about Sonic the Hedgehog. Marvel and DC are where it's really at.

[@tanook4751]

@@Sammy-34079 says Blaze the Cat, last time I checked she’s a Sonic character

[@fanix9989]

Glad that I found this channel! You bring up interesting points and I can agree with you. So didn't you watch the whole anime in Japanese? I'm glad that you will watch it thanks to Discotek Media. As for my experience with the series, I remember watching some episodes when I was a kid (Italian dub, that means 4kids obviously). I liked it, but a few years ago I decided to revisit the whole series in Japanese, knowing about the censorship, and I fell in love with it. Its plots are not always perfect but its characters, their relationships and the tone balancing are incredible for a kids' cartoon. And I find that the American score totally altered the original tone of the series. I'm currently rewatching it and I'm going to buy the blu-ray too. Hope you will like it and sorry for the boring long comment :)

[@HillTopTerebi]

Thank you for your comment - it's not boring at all! I don't think I did see all of Sonic X so I am very excited to watch the whole thing uncensored, in order, in Japanese! (Pre-orders are now live for the Blu-Ray btw - hooray!) I definitely saw the last couple of episodes and the SA1 and 2 adaptations at some point over the years, but I definitely haven't see the whole series. Exciting times. From what I have seen of the Japanese show though, I agree with your comments 100%. Thank you for watching this video btw! 🙂

[@fanix9989]

@@HillTopTerebi You're welcome!

[@_K4m1k0_]

I grew up with the French dub that was more JP dub accurace with the og ost, and goddamn it still slaps!

[@VioletaVolnutt]

Thank you! You have NO idea how much JP Sonic X is important to me, it is one of my favorites animes in general, heck, one of my favorite things, you would not believe how much i cried while watching it, it really made a big impact on me. I'm always SO frustrated when i see people talking about Sonic X, most youtubers simply refuse to give the JP version a go and always review the 4Kids version, and it's so unfair, they always say the show is terrible and some other negative things. I know for a fact the original Sonic X truly is great, 4Kids did much worst than just sensorship and music changes, they cutted and edited so many scenes, and changed so much of the original script. JP and 4Kids Sonic X look like totally different shows to me. And i belived 4Kids ruined Chris character, because i really don't know why so many people hate him, after watching JP Sonic X Chris literally became one of my favorite characters in the franchise, and Cosmo too. Just, thank you for spreading the good word, it's so rare to see people giving Sonic X a genuine chance, as a big fan of the anime this really does hurt to see And for me, the Metarex Saga is my Sonic Adventure 3, it is amazing how much the Metarex Saga feels like it belongs in the Adventure series, Sonic, Tails, Amy and Knuckles really felt like the version of themselfs from the Adventure games, and i think Shadow's aminesia and arc was handle way better than in Heroes/ShadowTH. It's specially impactful if you're a fan of Tails and his character arc from SA1 and SA2. The Metarex Saga in general, in the JP version, i believe it is one of the best storys in the whole franchise, and even it being the best part of the anime for me, i still also really like the parts on Earth and the human cast, specially Chris and his character arc from the end of Season 2. And i was really happy and surprise from how much respect the writters gave to Chris in the Metarex Saga. Sorry for the big comment, i hope you read it :P

[@VioletaVolnutt]

I believe every Sonic fan should watch JP Sonic X on it's entirety at least once

[@fanix9989]

I find your comment really relatable. Watched the Japanese version, absolutely loved it, and was a bit frustrated to see so many unfair hate towards the anime. I understand if someone doesn't like it, but I think that Sonic X was criticized much more than it deserves, to the point that today I'm very cautious when I watch reviews of any product. And I couldn't find many people who gave it the credit it deserves. Talking about Sonic X reviews, if you wish you can check my review. It's really long and definitely not perfect, but since you like Sonic X you could maybe appreciate it.

[@VioletaVolnutt]

@@fanix9989 I will give your videos a watch ^^

[@t59112]

Dub cuts out his Development, his backstory and stuff. They made him 10x annoying than he is in the sub (he's barely annoying in the sub).

[@VioletaVolnutt]

@@t59112 in the sub he simply acts like a kid (in season 1 and 2), and Sonic did change his life completely, he just wanted to help his new friends and was really hard to say goodbye at first. I see a lot of people saying Chris is bad because of what he did when Sonic was going back to his world, but that scene and final episodes of season 2 were the whole point of his arc

[@BKLYN48]

Icl I prefer the English version. I just like my sonic voice. I’m biased 💀

[@boomgirlbucko]

2:39 Why did you pronounce 'advertisements' like that 💀

[@shrimpy4307]

He’s bri’ish 🤓

[@567taco]

I'm unable to hate the dub just for how fond I am of the cast. Of course, it has it's downgrades in the music, translation choices, and cut content, but I will never not feel joy hearing Jason's Sonic and the rest of them.

[@SofiaPreCure]

I like Sonic X 4Kids Dub but I respect your opinion