Sonic Boom Episode 1 and 1a: Community Review

Nov 9, 20147 min read

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Published: Nov 9, 2014

7.4K Views

Well that was certainly something. Many of us have had the pleasure to view Sonic Boom for the first time. It feels great that the months of waiting is finally over and we have something tangible to latch onto. Its real people, enjoy it.

In the wake of the Sonic Boom series premiere(s) I have found another way to help involve and connect the Sonic Boom Hub Community! I will reserve this space for everyone’s personal reviews of the first episode(s) of Sonic Boom. If you have a journal with your own opinions of the show, leave me a link to it and I can include it into this journal. Or if you just want to leave a comment below, that is cool too. This will be a fun way to gauge instant fan reaction, something I am always interested in.

I’ll also take this spot to put out a formal “Sonic Boom Hub Review” of the pair of episodes. For those that have yet to see the show, this review will be spoiler free, so don’t worry!

Sonic Boom Hub Review (Episode 1 and 1a)

Core Structure
Sonic Boom the television series is certainly closer to the early incarnation of the Sonic television shows (see AOSTH) rather than more recent builds (Sonic X) and it exudes a different kind of humor. It seems the core principles of this show are going to revolve around how these super heroes are simply people too. They have the same issues we all have, and deal with them in similar manners as well. This seems to be a pretty bold gamble, especially for the Sonic franchise, but it will go a very long way towards making these characters more relatable. Seeing a Sonic that actively cares for and protects his teammates, albeit in backwards ways, creates a connection with the audience that “Sonic the Superhero” never quite could. The developers behind this project have previously stated that they have been taking several cues from other relatable shows and I think that is very clear after watching these episodes. Character relate-ability will be a large factor moving forward and is meant to help invest you into this franchise.

Humor
Of course, you want to enjoy yourself when watching this show, so the humor is very important. I am happy to report that this aspect is pretty much on point in the early stages of this project. The writing is generally smart and witty, making this enjoyable for pretty much anyone. A few of the jokes were forced or flat, but that was certainly the exception and not the norm. Delivery was downright exceptional and we got a numerous amount of original jokes, something new franchises can struggle to create. What Eggman does in his sleep is absolutely horrifying and absurdly funny at the same time. It was a joy and pleasure to behold and somehow, it honestly feels like he should be doing that from now on.

Characters
This section comes with a caveat. Due to the fact that this was a premiere, I believe the writers really wanted to limit the overall chaos. As such the pair of stores were mainly about Sonic and Tails while featuring a heavy dose of Eggy. Sonic Boom was hailed to be an arc that would include all the team members together, but that is not the case early on. As the season continues, I fully expect the other members of the team, Amy, Knuckles and Sticks, to be fleshed out further, but as of right now, we are only given three real characters to explore. What I saw was positive though. Sonic and Tails still have that brotherly bond and are willing to do anything for each other. Eggman continues his abusive relationship with his own robots while leading the charge against his nemesis. These are series staples and it would have been weird to see that altered.

I think the dynamic we saw between Sonic and Tails was an interesting case study. Sonic X clearly tried to divide the pair, separating them into specific roles. Sonic Boom did the inverse, casting the dynamic duo in the same light. The tendencies displayed by Sonic in the pair of episodes were parroted by Tails. When Sonic was headstrong and stubborn, even against his partner, Tails was the same. When a situation had earned Sonic’s ire, Tails had developed the exact same feelings. Again I think this harkens back to the early builds of the characters as Tails has re-established himself as “Sonic-lite”, which is honestly what he has been developed to be.

The future in terms of character development seems promising as well. Knuckles may have regained a touch of his egomaniac roots that had been lost when he became Sonic’s friend and not his rival. Amy is no longer “Sonic-centric” and has expanded her influence to the entirety of the Sonic cast. That could have major implications for her character. Sticks… is crazy… Let’s leave it at that.

Visuals
CG animation is a beautiful thing, and we are seeing more and more of it as we move forward in this technological age. Sonic Boom takes ample advantage of this medium with expressive character models and smooth articulation. I’ll be honest that I am not quite used to Sonic characters with the ability to emote like this, but it is quickly growing on me. It makes them much easier to read. As long as we stay focused on the characters and the main locales (the house, laboratories and vehicles) this is a beautiful show. On that note however it is more than clear that those were points of emphasis as one-shot areas that were utilized did not receive anything close to that same level of polish. That is acceptable however, considering you will not be seeing a lot of those places.

Overall
This was a strong debut in my eyes. It set the groundwork for episodes to come and made the ride along the way an enjoyable one. You could not ask much more of a premiere. It left me wanting to see more of the other characters, not less and developed the basis of a growing world. I didn’t feel at all lost as we have yet to play the unreleased games, and that alleviated a major concern for me. It was quick, accessible and funny. That is a winning combination.

Community Reviews

Alright here is the spot for all your reviews!
** Note: While mine was pretty much spoiler free, I can not guarantee that same for these, so be careful! **