Sonic X, created by TMS Entertainment, takes viewers on a journey through various settings, with the best being outer space one in its third season, where Sonic and his friends face off against Dr. Eggman to protect innocent inhabitants and stop his evil plans.
Originally the series started airing from April 2003 to March 2004 on TV Tokyo. However, as its popularity extended beyond Japan, ShoPro Entertainment was made a license holder for the anime to air in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Also Read: Best Anime For 12-Year-Olds To Watch
How Many Seasons Are There In Sonic X?
Sonic X spans three seasons, with each running a course of 26 episodes. The first season introduces Sonic and his companions, including Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, as they are teleported away to Earth in the aftermath of their battle against the series’s over-arching villain, Dr. Eggman. The Sonics team up with a young boy, Chris Thorndyke, to return to their world while protecting Earth from Eggman’s schemes and simultaneously locating the Chaos Emeralds.
In the second season, the anime events start merging with the narratives from the main series game, mainly Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, and Sonic Battle.
Season 2 explores Shadow the Hedgehog’s backstory and introduces a new character, Cosmo, a plant-based extraterrestrial lifeform wishing to get her revenge against Metarex. The Sonics face new challenges in their fight against Metarex’s evil plot and the Chaos Emeralds.
The third season takes Sonic and co on an intergalactic journey, wanting to put an end to Metarex, who is threatening the peace of an entire galaxy. With the universe’s fate at stake, Sonic joins hands with unlikely allies in order to face the greater evil, Metarex. His spirit shines with vigor as he ventures into space to stop Metarex and restore peace to the cosmos.
Sonic X mostly received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. On the positive side, Sonic X is enjoyable and has an action-packed storyline. The animation is also decent, capturing the fast-paced and dynamic essence of the main series of games.
Also Read: 42 Best Anime Like A Couple Of Cuckoos To Watch This Year
However, the anime does come with its own set of flaws. The animation, at times, can be pretty bad, the writing to some might feels cringy, and some episodes are just bad in general. The series also garnered quite some criticisms directed toward the American localization of the series.
The English voice acting did not do justice to the original Japanese version. Additionally, the character, Chris Thorndyke, wasn’t well-liked and came off as annoying. This led to the show receiving mixed reactions from the audience, with people generally finding Chris’s role and development unappealing.
Despite the mixed reviews, Sonic X enjoyed a successful run in a few regions, particularly the United States, France, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
The series contributed to furthering the popularity of the Sonic franchise, introducing the video game-based characters to a broader range of audience through its anime adaptation. Sonic X became a gateway for new fans to get into the Sonic universe and explore its lore.
Sonic X has three seasons in total, with all three having strengths and weaknesses.
Season one is for you if you want to fulfill your Sonic-on-earth fantasies. Season 2 has both adventure arcs and a mini-arc based on sonic battle, which provide some interesting details; the main series games do not, such as the camera that picked up Shadow when he robbed the emerald, which due to poor lighting, seemed to resemble Sonic, leading to the capture of Sonic all to avoid revealing the secret “Project shadow.
” When the colony falls, a veteran from the incident is interviewed about it, and it is not to be played for laughs. Season 3 perhaps introduces the series’s most original, well-received OC and space drama story.
Also Read: 30 Best Anime Where the Main Character Was Betrayed But Makes A Comeback
Overall, if you want to see the most well-fleshed-out and relatable depiction of these characters, albeit with glaring problems like moderate cheesiness and the restrictions of being a kid’s anime, Sonic X is for you.
So Is Sonic X Worth A Watch?
Well, that is both a Yes…. and a No.
If you like to see a mostly action-packed albeit childish with a comedic undertone approach to the Sonic franchise and can tolerate poorly written characters and drawn-out storylines that you probably already know, in other words, if you are someone who has had little to no exposure to the main series games, then I highly recommend it.
If not, I say just watch the first season, which, in my opinion, was the best of the three and get a sense of it yourself.
