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fictionoverthinker · 8 months

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You know the character mandate for Sonic - "he must not show excessive emotion"? A lot of us want the mandate gone, and I'm gonna try to explain why. Please note: I only started caring about Sonic again after watching Sonic Prime. I tried to catch up, but it's been many years since I've given it any thought - so fill me in if I've missed some things.

It Would Make Him More Believable

NOT to be confused with realistic. Surprisingly many people confuse these two concepts.

That's right - I don't find him too believable, sorry. No-one is entirely immune to having strong emotions; if a character is experiencing drama, they should react accordingly. This is part of what makes them feel existable, no matter how much of a caricature they are.

It Would Allow Us To Feel With Him, Not Just For Him

Do you know what professional weepers do at funerals? They coax out the feelings in others. It's hard to have a tearjerker if the characters involved don't get to fully show what they're going through. If he's not feeling, why should we?

Would It Really Be That Out Of Character?

As I said - if it really went against Sonic's "personality", the writers wouldn't need to be told; they'd just have to know his character.

I don't buy that crying would be a thing he never does, because we do when something affects us badly enough. Imagine if something horrifying happened to his friends and he was unable to stop it. The only way for this rule to make sense is if he legit doesn't care about anything; like any act of bravery he does is just out of sheer boredom, or something.

But if you still insist this is out of character:

Out-Of-Character Moments Are Necessary

I really shouldn't have to explain this one, but anyway: you know what makes the audience realise things've gotten serious (or seriously good)? A character not acting like themselves!

It Would Help Put Him On Equal Footing With His Friends

There seems to be this thing where he's the one who has it together, needing no guidance or support, is always right - with some inconsequential exceptions - as well as acting as a voice of reason to troubled people. I mean that sounds awesome, right?

Actually I hate it.

Keeping it one-sided like this creates a subtle hierarchy, with him on top, because he's the one who knows best. Not only are the others supposed to be his peers and not subordinates, I also don't think you can have this kind of wisdom without ever having needed it yourself. For example:

In the Secret Rings, he says to Shahra: "Let yourself cry". How does he know it would help? Has he tried it?

Needing that support once in a while would even things out.

To be fair, he can be physically vulnerable, needing rescue and assistance from time to time - probably because it doesn't compromise his coolness, letting him make some clever quips while being broken out of prison or catching a ride from a flying friend.

But making it one sided is bad for the giver, too:

Making It One Sided Is Bad For The Giver, Too

Sonamy shippers make this artwork/comic a lot: Sonic comforting a teary Amy. Nothing wrong with it in and of itself, except these same people almost never reverse it.

If someone else is always on the receiving end of emotional support, it will come at the cost of the provider. Because what are they gonna do for comfort? Binge eating chili dogs?

#sonic #sonic mandates #sonic the hedgehog #sonic crying #let men cry #let him cry sega #sonic mandate

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beevean · 1 year

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After sleeping on it I almost feel like it ONLY warrants talking about from a meta perspective, and isn't a big deal at all in universe? The most significant part of those panels to me is TAILS reaction, how sincerely taken aback he is by the sight of Sonic crying. That I think is significant. But Sonic literally just blows it off, and the art is so well done that it effectively communicates the intended emotion - it isn't sonic just being in denial in a "oh I got dust in my eyes" sort of way, it's rather simple and matter of fact that the mind link between him and Mecha means his body is feeling Mecha's emotions and that's where the tears are coming from. He felt Mecha's anger and sadness earlier, now that the anger is dissipated and he's been given new purpose he can now feel Mecha's happyness instead.

And the implication seems to be it's a two way street. The last page is Mecha's monologue about how he's taking Sonic's lesson to heart and going to live for himself from now on. The mind link surely went both ways and played a role in that. Sonic kicked all that anger and rage into the dirt and opened up Mecha's heart.

The most interesting part about Sonic crying is what it means for everyone else BESIDES SONIC tbh x3

And it really goes to show that the muh mandates crowd are living in a deluded fantasy world. Because the problem isn't with the physical act of tears falling from Sonic's eyes. The problem is with IAN FLYNN DOESN'T WRITE THE CHARACTER RIGHT. Daniel Barnes wrote Sonic well so he gets to do things, Ian Flynn writes the character like shit so he doesn't get to do things. Whatever draft of the script it was that got sent out which contained the description and exchange that reflects what we saw in the final comic, I'm willing to bet it didn't get a single note of feedback from SEGA on how it should be changed.

(also fucking Zoomers don't know a Terminator 2 or Conan the Barbarian reference when it's spitting in their face, naturally -_- "I know now why you cry, but it's something I can never do." "He is Conan, the Cimmerian. He cannot cry. So I cry for him.")

The connection with Mecha is interesting :) the whole setup reminds me of the mental link between Sonic and Metal in the OVA, but one that goes more in depth.

I wish other writers had the chance to talk more about their work. Stanley has a Tumblr, but she doesn't get nowhere near the same amount of recognition that Flynn does. His videos where he bitches that Shadow “[is] not a conversationalist, he doesn’t debate, he doesn’t speak his mind, he doesn’t tell people his opinions, he just does” gets shared around with his fans nodding that yeah poor Flynn choked by the yoke of Mandates (nvm that... he literally described shadow...), but the TSR comic that points out that Goellner got no notes at all, no one reads that part :^)

#sonic the hedgehog

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vertigo-express · 10 months

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Could you elaborate on your hatred for the Mega Man Archie Comics? I'm curious on which parts you find problems with (I presume one part of it is how weirdly connected every space related character is)

Hatred is a very strange word choice you used there (it's more general dislike), your presumption is only a symptom of a larger problem.

That larger problem from that is that Flynn felt the need to connect every little thing for the sake of patting himself in the back with MM story elements that didn't need to be connected or were only connected for the sake of being connected. This is something you see throughout Flynn's work and when he doesn't have 12 years of pre established stuff to work off like he did with Sonic, you can see he genuinely struggles writing a story without needing to reference things or overcomplicate matters in a shallow attempt to seem deep.

Other more major problems from a writing standpoint would be character assassinations with Protoman standing out the worst as being entirely a seperate character from the game one (even when he worked with Wily, Blues never had anything against Light), Tempo and Lalinde's whole shitshow is badly communicated in the work and comes off as more Lalinde being more abusive than cautious, insane mood shifts from characters making wise cracks one panel to crying their eyes out and spouting philosophy the next. Flynn doesn't understand how to write a mature story without resorting to characters angsting or crying.

Original characters are mostly all nothing characters. They don't have a purpose beyond one archetype or strawman, Xander Payne being the worst of this.

The overly literal take on copying the same story structure as the games also extremely hurts its pacing. A good example to see how copying game pacing into comic format works would Ikehara's MM1-7 manga since they're blunt and have decent characterisation.

Other issues include the art ranging from OK at best to god awful at the worst. Funnily enough, the issue about Roll, Splashwoman and Tempo helping rescue efforts during a storm is one of the only good written stories yet is marred by everybody being drawn like fat cows.

Basically, Archie MM is a showcase about why Ian Flynn cannot write a actual story to save his life. It's sloppy, it's bad and worst of all, it's mind numbingly boring.

It was probably for the better the comic died off because I feel like the Capcom mandate of 4 issues per game, pacing and bad writing in general would have completely bastardised things like the entirety of MM4 and 7, as well as butcher Bass and King.

#asks #megaman #rockman #archie comics #reallybigtunak #really suspicious since i don't i ever said i disliked archie ever on here

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sage-nebula · 1 year

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may i have a directors cut on this?Sonic smiled. And before Tails could say anything else, or could think to turn to the Cyclone, Sonic darted forward and pulled him into a hug. For a split second, Tails wasn’t sure how to respond; one arm thrown around his shoulders was one thing, and not too uncommon a thing at that, but a full-on hug was a different story altogether. Those were so much rarer. But Sonic’s hug was secure and warm, and knowing that it would be the last time for a long time that

Sonic smiled. And before Tails could say anything else, or could think to turn to the Cyclone, Sonic darted forward and pulled him into a hug. For a split second, Tails wasn’t sure how to respond; one arm thrown around his shoulders was one thing, and not too uncommon a thing at that, but a full-on hug was a different story altogether. Those were so much rarer. But Sonic’s hug was secure and warm, and knowing that it would be the last time for a long time that he’d have the chance to hug his brother, Tails hugged him back just as tightly. But the hug was over as quickly as it happened. Sonic stepped back, his hands on Tails’ shoulders. He was still smiling, but—Tails was sure he was imagining it, but it looked like it was wavering a little.

— Finalizing the Pre-Departure Checklist

I wrote this scene this way because of two things.

One — I'm not a very huggy person. I'm not big on physical contact period, for that matter; touch is so low on my love languages that it usually comes out at a resounding 0% every time I take one of those tests. I've gotten better over the years, in that someone touching me generally doesn't activate my fight instincts, and I'm okay with hugging someone goodbye if I know that's something they want. But generally, left up to my own devices, I only hug in emotional, important moments. I reserve my hugs for meaningful occasions.

Two — Sonic is very much the same way. Canonically, he tends to play it cool when he feels emotionally vulnerable. He has no qualms about showing exuberant joy or even anger, but when it comes to vulnerable emotions like loneliness or sadness, he plays it cool until he's in private. Note that this is not the same thing as emotional repression; Sonic still feels vulnerable feelings, and he's fully aware that he's feeling them, but he just won't show that emotional vulnerability openly in public because he's a fifteen-year-old boy and he has a Cool Guy™ image to maintain.

(And from a Doylist perspective, Sega wants kids to see Sonic as a hero that stays optimistic and that they can rely upon, not one who will fall to pieces and break down crying in stressful situations. The "Sonic doesn't cry" mandate is a lot less about who Sonic is as a character, and much more about the image he presents as a brand icon.)

So while Sonic is not really averse to physical contact or affection (he'll ruffle fur, he'll give casual or happy hugs on occasion), this type of hug is something much different. From my perspective as a person and writer, it's something meaningful and emotional that's not doled out every other day. From Sonic's perspective as someone who doesn't want to show vulnerable emotion, it's again something he'll only do at the last second, and only for a fleeting moment.

Of everyone in Sonic's life, Tails is the first and only person that Sonic will ever allow himself to really be vulnerable around, up to a point; Tails is the person he's closest to and feels safest with, but also, he's Tails' guardian, and he doesn't want Tails to ever doubt that he (Sonic) is a rock that Tails can rely upon. Of course, by this point Tails has long since stopped seeing Sonic as an idol, and instead sees him as a brother and a person, flaws and all—but Sonic, as Tails' guardian, will never be able to fully accept that.

Regardless — because of how close they are, Tails is able to recognize the significance of this hug for what it is, which is why it throws him for a loop. And also, because Sonic is the one who raised him, Tails is very much the same way; he doesn't like showing vulnerability in public (and really only will with Sonic himself), he doesn't give full-on hugs that regularly either. So he takes the opportunity that he wouldn't have had Sonic not initiated it first, and hugs Sonic back just as tightly.

But again, it's fleeting. Because Sonic is teetering on the edge of not being able to play it cool anymore, because of how worried he is about Tails and how much he doesn't want to let him go, but knows that he has to. So he ends the hug, wishes Tails well, and bails. Because as close as they are, Sonic still won't cry around him.

It's a bittersweet moment.

#studioboner #thanks for asking!#fic: finalizing the pre-departure checklist

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thankskenpenders · 3 years

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Here’s your latest bit of behind the scenes info I have gleaned from working through the BumbleKast Q&A backlog, this time mostly from August 2020 episodes:

There apparently IS an English lore bible of some kind for Sonic, which Ian was first sent late in the Archie era. (Don’t get worked up about it answering every lore question ever, it probably just covers the basics.)

The lore bible reiterates that the two worlds thing is extremely literal and not a mistranslation

While this has never been depicted in the games, the characters apparently travel between the two planets with warp rings of some kind. This matches how Sonic got to Earth in the movie, so it shouldn’t be surprising

No, the events of the older games, even the ones still firmly considered canon, will never completely fit with the two worlds lore, the Classic/Modern divide, etc. Don’t think too hard about it. Sonic’s continuity is just loose. Ian knows it makes no sense, he and Evan are just working with what they’re given

Ian readily admits that Silver’s time travel is a mess. Silver somehow keeps needing to go back in time to stop various future-altering catastrophes in Sonic’s era, but when all is said and done he apparently always returns to the same static “blue skies” future. (In other words, the future he returned to at the end of the Metal Virus saga isn’t a new timeline he created, but rather things being back to the way they’re supposed to be.) But how does Silver’s future keep getting changed by events that already occurred 200 years ago from their perspective while Silver’s just minding his own business in his own time, requiring him to keep going back in time and restore the good “blue skies” future? Ian doesn’t know. He’s given up. This is just how Sega says it works and there’s no clear logic behind it. Again, just don’t think too hard about it

Ian believes that the infamous “Sonic can’t cry” mandate is a misquote that can be traced back to Penders on his old personal forum. As Ian puts it, it’s more like a general guideline about Sonic not being the type to wallow too heavily in negative feelings, with certain things occasionally being deemed too far by Sega

Ian also doesn’t like the term “mandates.” Sega did not hand them a concrete list of rules to follow, there are just some general guidelines, some things they've gotten feedback on, some ideas that have been shot down, and some things dictated by the current lore. He’s always quick to remind people that the guidelines and what is and isn’t doable have changed over time, and that they will probably continue to change

For instance, he’s been trying to get Sticks into the IDW series for a while. His pitches so far have been shot down, but he’s confident that she’s considered a part of the regular cast--she has a Sonic Channel profile and everything--and that she’ll be able to appear someday. Sega just keeps telling him “not right now”

#secret BumbleKast knowledge #I'm tagging these ''stuff I learned from listening to the podcast'' posts now since I'm finding a lot of interesting info

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idw-sonic-fan-blog · 3 years

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The Mandates

Just wanted to share my thoughts on the pro-ported mandates because they cast a shadow on this comic.

“Game characters cannot have relatives unless they were estabilished in the game canon, i.e. Cream and her mother.”

This one is understandable and you can blame Penders for this. Mind you that most licensed comics of gaming franchises don’t actually delve too much in personal family relationships or expand on them. So this is expected and honestly Sega should have put the screws on Archie decades ago about this.

“Game characters can not die. There are workarounds for this, such as being Mistaken for Dying or "Mistaken For Dead”

Again. Yes. Not a big deal.

“Game characters cannot have wardrobe changes unless approved. Chao Races and Badnik Bases has some characters (mainly the female game characters) wear different clothes for extreme conditions. Male characters remain the same.”

This is a useless rule but whatever. I mean Sega, you are the ones putting bad wardrobe choices on the characters so again it’s whatever.

“Sonic can't be shown getting too emotional (i.e;cry)”

This is one that it complained about because it really wouldn’t matter unless it is called attention to. A lot of superheroes don’t cry. But that doesn’t prohibit them from expressing themselves. IDW Sonic has been sad. He has been pissed. He has been furious.

Is this not too emotional?

Is he not expressing himself appropriately?

I don’t even know why this is brought up. When in this comic has Sonic not been expressive or displaying the appropriate amount of emotion? When did Sonic needing to cry be necessary?

“Game characters cannot enter in a relationship.”

Oh GOD YES. Don’t threaten me with a good time.

“All major Character Development must be approved by SEGA.”

Yeah, of course. Let me remind you that Penders and Archie ruined any strand of trust Sega could have in comic media. They played loose at first and all of the sudden, they are involved in a lawsuit about characters in a Sonic comic that they didn’t even know about. They probably lost a video game business relationship because of it. If they want to be involved in the comics, fine. That means that they are now forced to World Build. They have to invest in it now and not just be like Lucas Films and let anybody do anything with their flagship title.

“Much like the post-reboot of the Archie comic, the words "Mobius" is banned—the planet is simply called "Sonic's World". Unlike the Post-Boot, which allowed the names "Mobian" and "Mobini", anything related to Mobius is banned in this comic.”

…Of course but how about you throw the writer’s a bone and I don’t know, name the fucking planet. If it is not Earth, give it a name.

“Sonic must always win at the end. Even if he and his friends are at the losing end in an overarching story (the Metal Virus arc, for example), they must come out on top when it concludes.”

I don’t even get this rule and the knee jerk hatred for it. Why even have it? Why even share the existence of this rule? Archie Sonic didn’t really lose too bad. It’s more on how you frame a victory. The fact of the matter is that Eggman is still actively trying to conquer the planet. Sonic stops him but Eggman still has control of land and has military installations all over.

This rule is offset by this. While Sonic can’t lose, Sonic can’t completely win.

“Characters and material from other licensed properties (Sonic the Comic, Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics), Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)', Sonic Underground, the OVA, Sonic X and the Paramount films cannot be used. This rule extends to characters and redesigns done by the current writers. The only exception is Sticks from Sonic Boom, and that's because she was created by SEGA themselves and showed up in non-Boom media, but any ideas regarding her use still need to be okayed by SEGA.”

First off I am glad that Sticks was spared by this rule and I look forward to her eventual inclusion. Second, again, this is not much of a big deal as it was expected. Sorry Freedom Fighter fans but honestly deal.

“Male characters, sans Eggman, can't wear pants, which was also a thing in the Post-Reboot, albeit never explicitly stated. The inverse is also true; female characters have to have some form of lower clothing.”

Okay this is a pedantic rule. It is so weird with how precise it is. Like…huh?

“Classic characters such as Mighty, Ray, Nack/Fang, Bean, and Bark won't appear in non-Classic issues, as Sega doesn't want Classic and Modern Sonic to mix.”

One of the most bullshit mandates fueled by the nostalgia boner fans created. Like this is stupid because Archie Modern Sonic has added more character and depth to all of these mentioned characters than any of the Sega Sonic games they appeared in which only amounts to 1 or 2 at most. Why neuter your own potential stories with this stupid limitation?

“According to Ian Flynn, a specific incident involving Shadow's characterization when he's exposed to the Zombot infection was written in a specific way because of Sega mandating that he be written as an "overconfident asshole rival" character, similar to Vegeta. He later followed up with an explanation that out of every character, Shadow has the most mandates and notes attached to how he's portrayed. According to the podcast, Sega says that Team Dark is no longer a thing. The three members are not a team and they have never worked for G.U.N.; Shadow also doesn't even consider them friends.”

This is my opinion is the worst rule. First it’s contradictory to the character Sega introduced us to. Stop trying to be like Dragon Ball for once and actually be your own thing. It’s one thing if we are changing it because Shadow was unpopular because of his personality. But no one likes this Shadow. People miss the somber but reserved Hedgehog that continued to fight in spite of the world betraying him. Hothead Shadow is a cheap Knuckles. And I don’t even understand why Shadow even has so many mandates when he wasn’t the most egregious offender. Knuckles was.

Also, Team Dark aren’t a thing and Shadow doesn’t even consider them to be his friends. First off that doesn’t even fly in your own games. Who outside of Sonic does Shadow interact the most? Rouge. They have teamed up and were a packaged duo since their inception. When Shadow appeared, Rouge appeared right next to him. If Rouge was in a game, so was Shadow.

Team Dark or just Rouge has fought alongside Shadow in every game they appeared in. Who else does Shadow talk to if not Rouge?

“Sega has stated to Flynn that only male hedgehogs are allowed to go Super with the Chaos Emeralds.”

Except in Sonic Mania.

“Ian isn't allowed to directly reference a game, since the comic is supposed to be its own thing.”

Okay. Not only is this rule stupid. But it’s untrue.

This references the end of Sonic Forces.

The first page of comic.

It has referenced Sonic Adventure, SA2, Sonic Generations , and Sonic Unleashed.

This referencing Shadow the Hedgehog.

I don’t believe this rule exists and even if it did, it is dumbest rule since the whole point of this comic is to base it off the games more. The dumbest rule.

“Knuckles is not allowed to leave Angel Island unless he has a very good reason to.”

For decades, people have complained that Knuckles routinely leaves the island. For decades. Now does this mean Sega is going to 1. Use Knuckles and 2. Amplify the importance of Angel Island and the Master Emerald? No. Again, this criticism should be levied at Sega because they often conveniently forget Knuckles purpose and just hand wave it instead of giving Knuckles more to do on the island like I don’t know, have other entities invested in attacking him.

In summary, here is what I think is going on. Do I think most of these mandates are real? Yes. Given what happened to Archie, I do think Sega is doing some brand alignment. I think they got the clamps on.

But what I think is going on is a Japanese cultural thing called Power Harassment. It is normalized abuse of power. Sega of Japan is normally laxxed about their brands. They don’t mind blatant rip-offs of their mascot nor do they get stiff about fandom creations or mods. The comic division, however, is getting tough love because not only did it cost them a publishing deal, but ruined a relationship with a high end developer. So the IDW writers and staff are being subjected to intentionally hypocritical rules and strict mandates that they know don’t make sense until they’ve shown to be obedient.

A lot of the mandates aren’t strict. But some are so asinine that I don’t think they aren’t aware with how stupid they sound imposing those rules. Like Shadow is the most narratively complete Sonic character and yet, Sega puts this tight mandate as if Archie Shadow was the most egregious thing. Archie Shadow was overpowered. He wasn’t out of character like Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails were. They can’t be that stupid or be that intentionally dense. So they want to see if the writing crew can follow orders. That’s it.

But that’s just my take.

#idw sonic #sonic the hedgehog

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sally-mun · 4 years

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Why the Sonic movie is so great (spoiler-free)

As someone that HATES spoilers myself, I vow that you can read this without having the movie ruined!

Anyone who’s been a fan of Sonic media for a long time knows that it’s difficult to get Sega to allow him to have much of a character. Usually the only ways in which we can get some depth out of him is via comic books or cartoons, but even then Sega is known to yank on the leash and reel him back in. Most of us are familiar with the infamous “Sega mandates” that restrict writers from allowing Sonic to ever lose in a significant way or to cry. Unfortunately, this necessarily prohibits Sonic from having any real character growth. Characters have to struggle in order to evolve, but Sega seems to oppose the idea of Sonic ever facing a real struggle. All it takes is one look at the games (aka the media that comes directly from Sega themselves) to really see this policy in action. In short, Sonic has been an emotional one-note for a very long time.

And that’s what I find so refreshing about the way his character is handled in the movie: He’s allowed to have real emotional range. When we think of Sonic, we think of things like confidence, kindness, and even arrogance -- and don’t get me wrong, he’s still all those things in the movie! However, he is also frightened, and unsure of himself, and frustrated, and desperate, and mischievous, and angry, and overjoyed, and sad. At one particular moment, I would go so far as to say we witness him actually suffering, and attempting to cope with it. He experiences SO many emotions that Sega never seems willing to allow, and this gives him so, so, SO much more depth! He has hopes, he dreams, he has regrets, he has imagination, he has innocence! He wrestles with inner struggles while putting on a brave face! It’s quite possibly the most characterization Sonic’s had in at least a decade.

The movie’s inciting incident comes about because of a moment of intense emotion from Sonic. It’s absolutely heart-wrenching to watch him go through it, but at the same time it’s one of the most satisfying things about the entire film, because we NEVER get to see him struggle like this. Most of Sonic’s struggles in other media are related to physical obstacles and challenges, not internal conflict. It makes him absolutely relatable and endearing to the audience, and that gets us invested in his emotional journey. We feel his highs because we’ve already felt his lowest low, and as he makes progress and grows as a character we can’t help but cheer him on. When Sonic’s well-known confidence comes out, it means so much more now because the movie allowed us to see him when he wasn’t confident. When Sonic’s being arrogant and cocky, we understand just how secure he feels because we’ve seen him worry and we know what scares him.

These things are absolutely crucial from a narrative standpoint. If the goal of your story is for a character to be courageous and defeat an enemy, then we need to see them, even for a moment, without that courage. You HAVE to show those lows in order for the highs to have any kind of value. It’s the same reason the movie Titanic spent SO much of the beginning showing off the magnificence of the ship, because if it didn’t, then we wouldn’t really grasp just how tragic it really was when it sank. That contrast is necessary, or else the culminating moment won’t stand out from anything that came before it. The Sonic games make mild attempts to show Sonic with varying emotions, but they’re so incredibly shallow; it’s the video game equivalent of telling instead of showing. Despite being a visual medium, the games really only ‘tell’ us when Sonic is allegedly feeling different emotions, and while we can appreciate what they were going for, more often than not the performance falls flat.

The Sonic movie gets it. Sonic’s emotions are raw and visceral, and we as the audience can immediately connect with what he’s feeling at any given time. We can see it on his face, read it in his posture and body language, hear it in the tone of his voice... He’s a fully realized character with the same range of emotions that the rest of us have. Even 5 minutes of his presentation in the movie has more depth than anything Sega’s presented in the games in the last decade. I can only hope that Sega is able to learn from what the movie has managed to accomplish, because the franchise DESPERATELY needs more of this. Sonic can’t stay generic forever, and this is definitely a step in the right direction.

#Sonic movie #this is mostly character analysis and storytelling theory #nothing about the actual movie plot or anything!

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skull001 · 4 years

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(Corrected version because Dumblr won’t let me edit... Plus some parts I blew because the heat can affect one’s mind. XD)

@steamystefano

"I don’t think that shippers ever cared about what’s canon and what’s not, in any media. And of course the brattiest ones are going to cling on whatever they can to “validate” their opinion and harass other people over it, no matter what’s their ship. But I find it a little unfair to blame the fandom for something they have no control over, like how the Archie comic treated character relationships. And the fact that some of the fans liked it. Isn’t shipping a thing that concerns only the fans?"

In an ideal world, fandom (or better, fandumb) shenanigans should always stay out of official media. The Archie comic was supposed to be for all fans of everything Sonic.

Sadly, some people did not share this view.

It would had been a situation out of the control of the Archie comic staff had there been a mandate that forced them to continue things like Sonally to tie in with SaTAM... Except there wasn't.

The games had the basics such as who is who and what role each character has. Yet the Archie staff decided to nitpick what things they were going to respect and which they would not. Guess which was one of those things they didn't, and which is the very source of the idiotic "shipping wars".

They were dumb already because it was a fandom thing, but it became idiotic the moment these people abused their position to favor one side, and continued to play that stupid one-sided game to "prove" how this spinoff cartoon character, based after a generic Ricky was "superior" to the pink girl that everyone in Sega of Japan and Sonic Team supported.

They could had chosen to be impartial, like it was after the Pendercalypse and the following reboot. But no... They threw every single pot shot, threw underhanded jabs because they could and believed they could get away with it. Things like Sonic calling Amy a liar after she tried to expose Fiona, turning Sonic into an editorial mouthpiece. Same with Cream who in her comic debut reminded the audience WHO was dating Sally, you dumb, silly pink girl! Even on covers like issue #222 which felt like a direct mocking.

None of the people onboard Archie worked on DIC Production's SatAM. They were supposed to be professionals working on a Sonic comic for all of the fans of the franchise where characters from different eras and continuities co-existed... And they decided on their own free will to act like fanboys and exclude Amy/Sonamy fans for no good reason.

Their excuse?"Oh, but it's the only one thing we SatAM fans have left". It's hard for me to be sympathetic when they were the ones who burned every bridge. Now they play victim and cry "Rally4Sally!"

Why should Amy/Sonamy fans in general always be branded as the intolerant side when we were not the ones who started the shitstorm? Why does Sega of Japan has to be labeled as bigoted racists when they are in all of their right to not use a lore and characters that were created without their permission nor consent?

Want to know how ridiculous this crap can get? People pretending to be "reasonable" Amy/Sonamy fans who condemn the toxic fanbrats in this group, while at the same time, justifying the BS of the toxic Sally/Sonally side (such as defending A Knothole Resident / Kuta or pretending that people like Jonathan Grey were not harassed over a 17 year old comic panel). Like, who are they trying to deceive? They're so basic and easy to figure out, lol.

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rockmilkshake · 4 years

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How far do you think Sonic's potential breakdown will go? As in...will there be crying and sobbing sounds from him?

Maybe! I get the feeling it won’t be anything severe like loud crying or sobbing. But if it does happen, it’s going tug at our heartstrings.

From what we know about Sonic’s past (due to leaks), there are a lot of traumatic events, fears, and depressing things that could cause this possible event.

Firstly, we know he had an owl mother who took care of him.

But judging by this shot, if it is her he is giving the flower to...

...she doesn’t make it.

After this, he has to run away from home from people who are trying to capture him as well as possibly kill. Using the ring to take him somewhere else, he ends up someplace completely different from his home planet. He’s lost, alone, and scared. And if others like the warriors on his planet were to find out about his powers, they’d try to take it from him or worse...

So he hides.

10 years later, and he hasn’t been discovered by anyone. He is managing to get along in the world while staying hidden. He can keep himself entertained with comics and games, supposedly is able to obtain edible food, and is relatively living well.

But, the loneliness is getting to him. And it gets to him hard.

So, he decides to get out and play in the open at nighttime.

Of course, him hitting a home run and running the field 150 times causes EMP across the whole Pacific Northwest.

Based on shots from the music video of Speed Me Up, we know this wasn’t just a charge up because he was running so fast. Sonic is clearly not happy while doing the home runs.

It seems like Sonic has had his traumas, stress, and anxieties build up inside of him, and this scene will show when what happens when they boil over.

Then he meets Tom who, while reluctant to help the alien he just found in his garage, is willing to assist him in hiding from the government military. A close encounter with Robotnik and a quick getaway later, he decides to help Sonic.

For Sonic, this is likely to be an absolute godsend for him. Not only does he now have someone to protect help while on the way to San Fransico, he now has someone he can call his friend after so many years of being alone.

Even Tom doesn’t feel the same way at first.

He and Tom will bond over the course of the film and Sonic will probably enjoy the trip incredibly as already shown in clips and trailers.

He can use his speed when dangerous situations come along.

He’s able to party and have fun in space full of people. (With the help of a disguise.)

And he has a friend after so many years of being alone, someone who he can trust and look up to.

So, perhaps, after making friends with Tom and the euphoria of his freedom dies down, he’ll start realizing just how sad he is. Maybe the stakes will start getting higher than they were, and he’ll start getting stressed out. Everything from there might start to pile upon him.

Or maybe this possible breakdown happens sometime in the middle in a calmer setting where he and Tom take time to reflect on how crazy the journey has been. Possibly a campfire scene mentioned in one of the AMAs.

Honestly, I’m sure any way the movie deals with this sadness in Sonic, whether through him breaking down, just talking about these things with Tom, or both, it will be a good tackle at the trauma. Mainly because of the way everyone talks about Sonic in this movie.

In most interviews, it is repeated that Sonic acts like an excited child. “Hyperactive 12-year-old” by James Marsden. And from that, because Sonic is a kid, I get the feeling that what he has been through isn’t going to be treated lightly. Maybe he starts his recovering by the end, maybe he gets better right away.

I have good faith in this movie to take Sonics problems seriously, Sega has never really taken the crazy and horrifying events into account with Sonic’s character, having weird mandates that require him to not show extreme emotion and keeping Sonic as their on-top-of-it-all heroic mascot. But with them not involved with this movie, I see a much better representation of Sonic’s character in store for us.

#Sorry turned into one big ramble and probably might not have answered the question the way you wanted #sonic movie #sth #movie sonic #tom wachowski #gif #long post #ask

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cutegirlmayra · 7 years

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I am not trying to sound like a fanbrat or a political liberal. But do you think that SEGA's mandates on who other people write Sonic is ridiculous and dictative? Things like Sonic can't cry? Sonic can't experience a meaningful loss? Sonic and his friends can't have relatives (the last one being hypocritical because Cream has a mother.) It's justified for Marvel not allowing Capcom to have certain characters due to licensing issues. But IMO, I think Sega being weird about their mandates.

I think there is some reasonable restrictions when it comes to integrity of your characters and franchise, just because we’ve all seen how crazy some spoof-masters or abridged-overlords can be when it comes to a series xP

But I agree there should be some rights to the author, and some rights to the original owner, otherwise it just wouldn’t be creative and fair.

Sonic not crying is a culture thing. To depict your hero crying would show ‘weakness’ in some culture’s eyes. I feel, especially for American audiences, that crying is a sign of ‘great emotion’ for either distress or loving care, not so much ‘weakness’ as many would fight against the interpretation. It also gives audience sympathy for the character and a chance to relate.

This one is under a theory of mine, that if Sonic were to experience a great, traumatic moment, he would canonally snap into Dark Sonic like story arc. They pamper Sonic quite a lot, but they don’t want inconsistency with universes either. So there’s a good argument for both opinions, but I agree that there should be a level of change within Sonic that is caused by outside forces. But to like, say, kill off a friend of Sonic’s or something might be taking creative liberties too far, especially if it effects universe consensus. We want everything to have the same elements, just a different look or tone, you know? That’s how they think of it, I would imagine.

So, the company can make and do whatever they want to Sonic, his friends, and the universe, but others can’t. This kinda does go with law as they have legal right to make new changes. However, I agree that some creative liberties could be enforced, as Archie has broken that rule under (I think?) special permission or just paid more for such things. (They’re also, slightly, buddy-buddy with SEGA, so I can see them letting it slide…) I wouldn’t want a huge family for Sonic either though, it doesn’t match him, but Sonic Underground was before that rule ever existed? I’ll have to check on that, but that was sponsored by SEGA to an extent, so I’ll have to do more research on that one ;)

Well, for someone who sells their characters for inappropriate artwork, you would think they’d be a bit ‘loose’ on who can do what right? Well, wrong. It’s sadly the same issues. Money, publicity, and to a extent (AGAIN) integrity. Japanese companies are especially big on integrity, though I think SEGA has broken that once or twice with releasing games that are not done yet, and letting other writers mishandle their characters portrayals. But I agree that SEGA has certain, unalienable rights to their characters and demands those are still enforced.

However, if I was to, say, walk up to SEGA and present money for copyright and do a book series on Sonic, they’re would still be complications just for the sake of complications and not everyone can get copyright just by paying a fee. It’s a little more… ‘dutiful’er than that.

#cutegirlmayra #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #SEGA #sega of america #sega of japan #sega mandates

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newstfionline · 6 years

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The Amazing Psychology of Japanese Train Stations

Allan Richarz, CityLab, May 22, 2018

It is a scene that plays out each weekday morning across Tokyo. Suit-clad office workers, gaggles of schoolchildren, and other travelers gamely wend their way through the city’s sprawling rail stations.

To the casual observer, it is chaos; commuters packed shoulder-to-shoulder amid the constant clatter of arriving and departing trains. But a closer look reveals something more beneath the surface: A station may be packed, yet commuters move smoothly along concourses and platforms. Platforms are a whirl of noisy activity, yet trains maintain remarkable on-time performance. Indeed, the staggering punctuality of the Japanese rail system occasionally becomes the focus of international headlines--as on May 11, when West Japan Railways issued a florid apology after one of its commuter trains left the station 25 seconds early.

Tokyo is home to the world’s busiest train stations, with the capital’s rail operators handling a combined 13 billion passenger trips annually. Ridership of that volume requires a deft blend of engineering, planning, and psychology. Beneath the bustle, unobtrusive features are designed to unconsciously manipulate passenger behavior, via light, sound, and other means. Japan’s boundless creativity in this realm reflects the deep consideration given to public transportation in the country.

Rail stations, whether in Japan or elsewhere, are also great places to see “nudge theory” at work. Pioneered by behavioral economist Richard Thaler, who was awarded the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize for his work, and Harvard Law School professor Cass Sunstein, the theory posits that gentle nudges can subtly influence people towards decisions in their own (or society’s) best interests, such as signing up for private pension schemes or organ donation. In the U.K., there’s a government office devoted to the idea, the Behavioural Insights Team (or “nudge unit”), and their work often shows up in the transit realm.

In 2016, for instance, London Underground operator Transport for London partnered with the behavioral science department at the London School of Economics to develop ways of encouraging riders to queue on both sides of station escalators as a means of increasing their capacity in the capital’s Holborn Station. Among other measures, simple hand and footprints were also painted on each side of the “up” escalators. In Australia, researchers conducted an experiment with lighted directional arrows on signposts to improve flows of departing passengers. Using a camera system designed to recognize and distinguish brisk-walking businesspeople from dawdling tourists, for example--green arrows would flash to direct commuters in an efficient route towards the exit.

When it comes to passenger manipulation, what sets the stations of Japan apart from their counterparts is both the ingenuity behind their nudges and the imperceptible manner in which they are implemented. Japan’s nudges reflect a higher order of thinking. The orderliness of society is taken as a given--Japanese commuters know how to queue on an escalator and can easily navigate the confusing, but wide-open, spaces of Tokyo’s rail stations without assistance. This allows rail operators to instead focus on deeper psychological manipulation.

Japan has one of the highest suicide rates among OECD nations, and often, those taking their own lives do so by leaping from station platforms into the path of oncoming trains, with Japan averaging one such instance each day. It is a brutal, disruptive end that can also wreak havoc across the transit system.

To address the issue, stations across Tokyo and the rest of Japan installed chest-high barriers as a means of preventing suicide attempts. But platform barriers are expensive, and about 70 percent of Japan’s largest and most-travelled stations do not have the platform space or structural strength to accommodate them. While there are hopes to have platform barriers installed in all 243 of Tokyo’s train stations by 2032 (at a cost of $4.7 billion), rail operators in the interim have come up with alternative approaches.

Standing at either end of a platform in Tokyo’s labyrinthine Shinjuku Station, one might detect a small square LED panel emitting a pleasant, deep-blue glow. Nestled among vending machines and safety posters, the panel might be dismissed as a bug zapper. But these simple blue panels are designed to save lives.

Operating on the theory that exposure to blue light has a calming effect on one’s mood, rail stations in Japan began installing these LED panels as a suicide-prevention measure in 2009. They are strategically located at the ends of each platform--typically the most-isolated and least-trafficked area, and accordingly, the point from which most platform jumps occur. Some stations, such as Shin-Koiwa Station in Tokyo, bolster their LED regime with colored roof panels, allowing blue-tinted sunlight to filter down on to platforms.

It is an approach that has proven to be surprisingly effective. According to a study by researchers at the University of Tokyo published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in 2013, data analyzed over a 10-year period shows an 84 percent decline in the number of suicide attempts at stations where blue lights are installed. A subsequent study revealed no corresponding increase in suicide attempts at neighboring stations lacking such lights.

The idea has been picked up in the U.K.: Several stations in England now emulate the Japanese approach, with blue LED light panels on station platforms.

Commuting during rush hour in Japan is not for the faint of heart. The trains are jam-packed at as much as 200 percent capacity during the height of rush hour, and razor-thin connection times to transfer from one train to another leave little margin for error. Compounding the stressful nature of the commute in years past was the nerve-grating tone--a harsh buzzer used to signal a train’s imminent departure. The departing train buzzer was punctuated by sharp blasts of station attendants’ whistles, as harried salarymen raced down stairs and across platforms to beat the train’s closing doors.

To calm this stressful audio environment, in 1989 the major rail operator JR East commissioned Yamaha and composer Hiroaki Ide to create hassha melodies--short, ear-pleasing jingles to replace the traditional departure buzzer.

Also known as departure or train melodies, hassha tunes are brief, calming and distinct; their aim is to notify commuters of a train’s imminent departure without inducing anxiety. To that end, most melodies are composed to an optimal length of 7 seconds, owing to research showing that shorter-duration melodies work best at reducing passenger stress and rushing incidents, as well as taking into account the time needed for a train to arrive and depart.

The tunes feature whimsical titles like “Seaside Boulevard” and range from the wistful to the jaunty. Most stations have their own melodies, forming de facto theme songs that become part of a station’s identity. Tokyo’s Ebisu Station, for example, is known for its departure melody--a short, stylized version of the theme from The Third Man.

As more stations have added melodies over the years, the original thesis has proven correct. A study conducted in October 2008 at Tokyo Station, for instance, found a 25 percent reduction in the number of passenger injuries attributable to rushing after the introduction of hassha melodies on certain platforms.

The use of these jingles is not without controversy, however. Shortly after their introduction, residents living near open-air rail stations, weary of hearing endless repetitions of the same jingles all day, complained of noise pollution.

Despite, or perhaps because of, its reputation as a remarkably safe country, Japan is nonetheless vigilant in combatting youth delinquency. Train stations are particularly sensitive in that regard, since large congregations of young people pass through stations at all hours of the day.

To address the Japanese fear of loitering and vandalism by young riders, some train stations deploy ultrasonic deterrents--small, unobtrusive devices that emit a high-frequency tone. The particular frequency used--17 kilohertz*--can generally only be heard by those under the age of 25. (Older people can’t detect such frequencies, thanks to the age-related hearing loss known as presbycusis.) These devices--the brainchild of a Welsh inventor and also used to fend off loitering teens in the U.S. and Europe--have been enthusiastically adopted in Japan.

Standing outside one of Tokyo Station’s numerous exits on a recent summer day, it was easy to see the effectiveness of this deterrent in action. Weary salarymen and aged obaachan passed under the sonic deterrent without changing pace. Among uniform-clad students, however, the reactions were evident--a suddenly quickened pace, a look of confusion or discomfort, and often a cry of urusai! (Loud!) None appeared to connect the noise to the deterrents placed almost flush in the ceiling panels above.

Rail employees are not exempt from the behavioral hacks of their employers. Perhaps most famously, Japanese train conductors, drivers, and platform attendants are mandated to use the “point and call” method--called shisa kanko--in executing tasks. By physically pointing at an object, and then verbalizing one’s intended action, a greater portion of the brain is engaged, providing improved situational awareness and accuracy. Studies have repeatedly shown that this technique reduces human error by as much as 85 percent. Pointing-and-calling is now a major workplace safety feature in industries throughout Japan.

So, why don’t train workers everywhere do this? Like so many aspects of Japanese transit culture, shisa kanko has proved resistant to export (though pointing-and-calling has been adopted in modified form by New York City’s transit authority). In this, as in so many things, Japan’s rail system stands largely alone.

#Japan #Japanese rail system #Japanese train stations #nudge theory

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beevean · 1 year

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Whatever you do, never remind me of that stupid Sonadow ship-bait panel of Shadow carrying Sonic bridal-style. Complete with the former chastising and the latter taking it with a smile. The reactions from that alone more than told me that "fans" do NOT care about how shitty these characters are being written... -_-

That was such blatant shipbait that it makes the Sonamy in Boom look subtle :P

Funny, isn't it? Shadow is a jerkass to Sonic and fans cry that the Evil SEGA Mandates are ruining the character. Put the same scenario in a baity position? SONADOW CANON LOOK AT THEM THEY'RE SO GAY FOR EACH OTHER <3

Bleh, I'm mostly reminded of how insufferable Shadow was through the entire arc. Stanley put a huge stick in his ass and he couldn't say one (1) civil thing, let alone being cordial to Sonic like he tends to be. But, sure, Shadow picks Sonic up in a convenient bridal style and they have one vaguely decent conversation in the orchard. Totally worth it.

#sonic the hedgehog #fans don't look #feel free to joke about the stick part

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sage-nebula · 1 year

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Well, it was Penders shenanigans who forced Sega to step in so I don't blame them for watching the comics like hawks.

I don't like Penders at all—I think he's a petty, misogynistic creep and a bad artist to boot—but I think it's reductive to blame it all on him.

First, he wasn't the only writer on Archie who got up to some nonsense back in the day. I won't pretend to be an expert on Archie by any means, since I've only read two issues myself (one where Sonic got mind controlled for an issue and beat up his friends, the other was the Sally/Nicole stargazing one because I'm gay), so everything I know about it, I know via osmosis, mostly thanks to the ThanksKenPenders liveblogs. But I do know that Penders was only the lead writer on Archie for a certain amount of time, and that there were other writers after and I think before him. Penders is the most infamous because of the lawsuits and because he has a chronic case of Can't Shut The Fuck Up Disorder that constantly rears its ugly head on twitter, but he's not the only one that got up to some bullshit in the Archie comics. He's just the most notorious.

Second, while Sega undoubtedly started laying down more mandates once they finally started paying attention to what the Archie comics were doing (e.g. I've heard it was because of that cover with Sonic crying that Sega was like "no, don't show our hero in distress in that way"), it's to be honest standard fare for companies to pay close attention to how their license is used and it's stranger that Sega wasn't paying attention back in the 90s than it is that they are paying attention now. Like for example, Nintendo is notorious for how strict they are with their IPs, but they're far from the only ones. Hasbro has oversight with Transformers and My Little Pony, in both comics and cartoons. Disney controls portrayal of Mickey Mouse in any licensed games that are made. Part of why Voltron: Legendary Defender was such a mess is because of fighting between the writing staff and the desires of the brand executives, so on and so forth. The fact that Sega was so hands-off with Archie is an exception for how licensed properties are handled, not the rule, and my guess would be that there was some sort of leadership change within Sega that made whoever got put in charge step in and fix things.

So it makes sense for Sega to closely scrutinize what goes into the IDW comics, to make sure that it's promoting a positive representation of Sonic and the franchise as a whole. It's what pretty much every other license holder would do when it comes to a licensed work. The sun would burn out before Nintendo would let someone run roughshod with a Mario comic*, and the same with Disney and Mickey Mouse. I think it's fair and just that Sega protects Sonic in the same way, especially since the IDW team has proven that they can still produce very good comics even with the mandates in place.

(*In fact, Archie actually pitched the idea of a Mario comic to Nintendo, which would have been written by Ian Flynn. Nintendo of America approved it, but Nintendo of Japan said no, so the project was scrapped. Nintendo is very protective over their IPs, and I think it's good that Sega has started following in a similar example with Sonic.)

#anonymous #unfortunately not strict *enough* since they made Tom a cop in the movie #when we all know Sonic is antifa anarchist #but c'est la vie. we take what we get #also for the record while Penders obviously did The Worst #one of the stories I know about from Archie that I really really really dislike #was written by Ian Flynn. and I love Ian's work in IDW so like #nobody's perfect you feel me #but yeah Penders is definitely the loudest and most rancid #he's just not the only reason why Sega started keeping stronger oversight

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