#indirect sonic quotes

[lazorbeanz]

Sonic: hey Nine, why are you scared of seven?

Nine: what do you me…oh don’t you dare-

Sonic: Because SEVEN, ATE, NINE!!!

Nine: I hate you…

[lazorbeanz]

Sonic: hey buddy, whatcha doing?

Tails: working my 9 to 5

[ayjaydraws]

Honestly Sonic 3 is insane for giving us

- Stobotnik divorce scene

- piss on the moon, announcement AND I miss my wife(’s steamed Austrian goat milk latte)

- direct and indirect recalls to every major Stobotnik quote from Sonic 1 and a few from 2, including „eggsac“, „left yourself open“, „I love the way you make them“, „sycophant“ and „thank you for nothing“

- Robotnik spanking??????? Wtf?

- several quotes straight up stolen from fanfictions, e. g. „I don’t want to lose you again“

- stone shirtless in the shittiest way possible

- the rose, set to the most unfitting song they could have picked

- a dance sequence that would have genuinely been better if it was with stone

[beevean]

Sonamy Paradise – a reflection on recent and future events

[Translator’s note: this article was originally written in Spanish by @latin-dr-robotnik​. Every link with an asterisk leads to a Spanish page.]

Today we’re going to delve once again in a topic that is well known but still discussed in our fandom.

Sonamy. Yeah, I know, really original, right? Well, the audience of this blog is largely attracted to this side of the Sonic franchise, and I don’t see why I should stop analyzing it. Some months ago, we discussed about the progression of Sonamy in IDW Sonic, and before that we also talked about the current situation of the dynamic and its impact on the main canon. In both articles I said very interesting things that are worth bringing up again:

The way SEGA has been recently trying to push Sonic and Amy in front view (and for the entirety of 2020, based on the articles I mentioned in the beginning) tells us the harsh truth we all have to accept sooner or later: Sonamy sells, and it sells a lot. From a strictly business point of view, the ship is so iconic and popular, with fans and detractors alike, that it would be absurd for SEGA to ignore the chance to print these two characters and get a load of money. […] Outside of the business perspective, I believe we’re facing the moment that we’ve been waiting for: it’s time they’ll establish once and for all the dynamic of these two characters, following more closely the original Japanese vision of Sonic. I said many times that, in trying to change canon, the West, especially SEGA of America, did nothing but confuse fans and generate more discussions than needed, by introducing different data and portrayals that contradict the canon established by Sonic Team.

[…] nowadays I think that SEGA has spoken loud and clear. I think canon is ready to negotiate the idea that Sonic and Amy, apart from being excellent friends who would risk their lives for each other in a heartbeat, have something else on their hands (probably the other’s hand). This won’t automatically translate into a kiss, or a complete love declaration (although Sonic X came close…), or a commitment to a formal relationship like we know them in real life. SEGA canon affirms that Amy is “Sonic’s girlfriend” and nothing more. Outside of that detail, they still pretty much function as friends interacting with a little flirting here, and a little Sonic running away there. It’s the basis of their dynamic, now enhanced by the fact that SEGA is giving us a clearer message.

SEGA and its most recent Sonamy side – more canon than ever

An interesting detail that wasn’t included in the ask and that makes me think is the possibility that all of this will feature in the games as well. This is a completely different matter for another day, but I like to think that there is the possibility that we’ll see SEGA being more interested in inserting more Sonamy in the games, even if in an indirect way like in Sonic Unleashed and its emotional support, especially if the rumors that we’re about to get a soft-reboot are true. Romance is not something Sonic games are famous for doing well… at all, but that doesn’t mean it would be a bad idea to add a little sprinkle of IDW Sonamy in the mix.

Opinion: How could Sonamy progress in IDW?

Based on these quotes, that reference the more corporative side of SEGA and the actual Sonic canon, along with the huge wave of shipping material in the recent IDW Sonic #39, my plan for today is to compile some of the opinions that friends of mine have shared (thank you for your time!). The question was simple: Do you think this recent IDW push could be part of a bigger change in direction going forward, or just blatant amounts of fanservice for the sake of it?

The council of the people

The first person to offer her opinions about this Sonamy debate is Beevean, who helped with previous projects like the music in Sonic Forces and by translating some of my articles in English. As I was the reason that she became a shipper again, I asked her a few questions, including the one above that will serve as a guideline for all the other contributions. Beevean then offered a short chronology of interactions, before giving a piece of her mind about the present and the future of the ship:

Well, I’m not sure if you ever chronicled every interaction between Sonic and Amy in the main series to see how their relationship has changed during the years? Not counting the Classic series where the only signs of Sonamy are CD’s manual and outro, from 1998 to 2005 you can see a steady flanderization from "Amy likes Sonic and teases him but they’re still good friends" to “Sonic can’t stand the sight of Amy because she’s a psycho”. Thank you for your service, Sonic X.

Then in Sonic ‘06 they barely interact because Amy is Silver’s amiga, but Amy says her prone-to-different-interpretations line “If I have to choose between the world and Sonic, I will choose Sonic”, up to you if you read it as romantic or obsessed (‘06 has a weird theme of people putting their loved ones before “the world”)

As for Unleashed, I lost count of the times I’ve linked to your emotional support post, so I will say they were trying to ship tease a little more - a ship tease that was all-but-confirmed in Black Knight, the last game written in Japan first.

Then Pontaff happened, and Sonamy took several steps back due to the cast shrinking down, including that awful Generations scene that was so unneeded and mean. This is, IIRC, the last time Amy was depicted as someone Sonic found annoying and clingy; as in Lost World Amy does say (in the English version, I should check the Japanese one) “I’m sorry I couldn’t say...” before “dying”, but aside from that, Amy’s only role is to worry for the Flickies, almost a way to distance her from her “Sonic obsessed” characterization.

And then Boom changed things, and since then Sonamy exploded and that’s how we got to IDW as it is today. Forces in the meanwhile doesn’t do much in the Sonamy department, aside from one single scene where Sonic looks mildly overwhelmed by Amy, but when put it like this it definitely looks like the Boom cartoon tried to establish a more stable dynamic between Sonic and Amy and it was so successful that the rest of the Western media tried to follow suit.

[…]

I wonder... IDW is the most faithful adaptation we ever had, even more than Sonic X, and we know that SEGA keeps a close eye on the writing and depiction of the characters (remember that panel that was changed because they didn’t want Sonic to blush?)

I seriously doubt we’ll ever get a game with nods as blatant as IDW simply because IDW is a comic so it’s focused on the story it wants to tell, while Sonic games are on average light on plot (and I suspect Forces’ failure have convinced SEGA that Sonic games should not strive to go back to a more serious tone)

However, there has been Sonamy merch recently... like, some IDW issues even had Sonadow ship tease moments, likely for fanservice reasons, but I ain’t seen t-shirts with those two :P

Beevean

You can see here that she broached a theme that was not explicitly included in the question, but was alluded to: the possible existence of a game that will capitalize on this change of direction. The elephant in the room is Sonic Unlimited, but as I keep saying, as I am writing this piece, we’re one month away from the possible 30th anniversary announcements: we have little time left to speculate, as we’re so close to discovering the truth.

I then asked the same question to Jessica, the person in charge of the petition for a series based on IDW Sonic in the past, who is still following with me the development of the comic and especially of Sonamy.

I believe they are going to hint at the fact that there’s something more than friendship going on. There won’t be any kisses, but there will be insinuations.

Jessica (jluqueju)

Jessi in particular has showed a remarkable interest for these recent interactions between Sonic and Amy: she has pointed out how hard it is for them to hide the fact that there is something more under their friendship, and how writers, Evan Stanley most of all, are trying to show more of this peculiar aspect of the dynamic of these two characters.

Now, the next opinions come from a group of friends that are even closer to me. I left my question to a team that maybe you guys know if you have actively participated in the discussion spaces of the blog. We’ll start with Mort’s* opinion. The mind behind the Sonic Caos* channel, moderator of our server and co-host of the Seaside Hill Podcast*:

I still haven’t read the last IDW issues. Now you’re hyping me up and I can’t wait to read them ASAP. But this is causing the Unlimited idea to make a lot more sense. Thing is, whatever is done with Sonamy, the theme is always fanservice. Although they tried in Unleashed to put these characters closer, this development was cut short by the poor quality of future games. It's not crazy to thing that they’re going to deepen the characters and their relationship in this new era, going as far as changing the way Amy interacts with Sonic.

Mort

I have to mention that Sonic Unlimited was a main theme of the first episode of our podcast, and it will probably be brought up again in the second episode, the 22nd of May. Our debates always tend to orbit around the same topics, but it’s interesting to see that the perspective of the previous articles, a supposed change in direction for the Sonic-Amy dynamic, ends up being mentioned or alluded to, regardless if you consider the perspective that the ship sells.

Now roll down your red carpets because the next opinion comes from our residential Sonamy expert, Yvanix Rose*. She’s a translator*, an important member of the Sonic Stage Argentina* staff, moderator of our server (she still hasn’t taken part in our podcast, maybe one day…), and someone who has contributed multiple times to the Sonamy debate on this blog, directly or indirectly in the form of threads or translations:

I don’t like closing myself to a single option or point of view, I usually just consider the possibilities and try to test the waters/define/calculate which ones are more likely to happen and which ones are not.

That said, I will try to contribute something to this conversation, but perhaps there could be mistakes, I peaced out at the end of the Zombot arc and I have not read IDW Sonic since.

Both could likely be true:

- We talked about Unlimited many times already, and since Roger left we always get to the same conclusions (I remember that before that we only laughed about that supposed leak xd)

If Unlimited ends up becoming real we’ll see some changes, the fact that the Sonamy dynamic in IDW is in a form that we already know (?) would be a way of preparing the ground for what is coming in Unlimited It makes sense to me, it will help fans getting used to it and new fans have an approach to the franchise similar to what is coming from the 30th anniversary game.

Anything else I could say was already said by Mort xd

- Fanservice. It makes a lot of sense and there’s no need to explain it. “Sonamy sells” xd (?)

The only contribution I’d like to add is that there could be another reason. Are these issues still written by Evan or has Ian returned? If they are still written by Evan or if Evan and Ian are writing together ... Maybe the "fanservice" is because of that, because Ian is not the writer or he is but he’s not alone. Could be more like a decision / suggestion from Evan and not so much something from SEGA xd

Yvanix Rose

I find interesting this position of expanding the debate beyond what I said about change of direction vs pure fanservice, and also opening the possibility that we are facing a conjunctural Sonamy moment, since these are the last issues written by Evan Stanley before she is replaced by Ian Flynn, who is coming back as the main writer starting from issue #50, mentioned as a major milestone in the latest IDW Sonic panel. In this case, the third position could be that it is just something nice that is being done without much direct order from SEGA. Of course, they are the ones who must approve each issue that comes out, but at the same time they might not be demanding “put more Sonamy here for that reason” (borrowing words from Mort), but it’s rather a proposal from Ian and/or Evan.

Other opinions that go around in our Discord server* (my other server in English isn’t as interested in this topic, but I’ll mention it to have an excuse to promote it) seem to follow a similar mentality: whether it’s arguing in favor of Sonic Unlimited, defending the fanservice, asking for a stronger and more widespread canonization, our public space for discussion seems to have taken a position in favor of the current way of presenting the Sonamy dynamic in IDW Sonic becoming the standard for all types of Sonic canon.

And finally, we have our last opinion, courtesy of Facu. Genshiro on Youtube* (he recently talked about SEGA and NFTs*), mod of our server and co-host of our Seaside Hill Podcast:

My journey through the Sonic IDW comics stopped at the end of the metal virus arc, with the Deadly Six and that beautiful Super Sonic/Silver scene. Since then, what little I have seen was because I spoiled myself or because of panels that were posted on different pages and here on Discord.

And to add my two cents, if I see a LOT of Sonamy in the franchise lately, I also think it’s fanservice, because Yvi said, and we all know that, “Sonamy sells”. But I find it curious that after the Unlimited leak, the success that it’s having and how every time it becomes more of a reality than a leak, it makes me think that it is a way to get used to what is coming, because, if Unlimited is real, it would be shocking to see Sonic and Amy together since they haven’t interacted for a long time, let alone having Amy as a playable character. Seeing that we’re getting a little more and more Sonamy each time makes me think that it may be because of Unlimited, to test the waters or simply fanservice.

I don’t think I have much more to say, as I said before, I stopped at the end of the metal virus saga with IDW, after that my relationship with Sonic IDW is based on spoilers that I see sometimes XD

Facu

Personal reflection

Going back to the quotes I started this article with, I believe I’m not too far in my analysis of the situation of Sonamy in canon. In fact, I did not expect in any circumstance to see so many hints at their closeness as we did in #39, and this made me think about some things.

Sonamy or not, we’re at a turning point. The Sonic in 2022 and 2023 will likely be different from the Sonic in 2020 and 2021. Between the comic, the movie, the TV series and the still-elusive games, a new identity for our blue hedgehog is being forged, and I don’t doubt for a second that we’re going to see it more and more this year. I’m inclined to believe that this process of resignification for Sonic will be also applied to his personal relationships (we’ll see what they’ll do with Knuckles, for example), and Amy will be at the forefront of these efforts. Between marketing and fandom reception, I believe that there is still so much yet to see, and somehow IDW Sonic could function as a testing ground if SEGA is really paying attention to what’s going on. Leaving aside Sonamy for a moment, IDW Sonic is the only medium that is currently bothering to give more context and a bigger role to the Deadly Six, trying to grant them a place that many in the fandom don’t believe they should take, after a mediocre introduction in Lost World and SEGA’s fascination to keep bringing back Zavok, like in Forces and TSR.

As I started to work on this article, SEGA’s most recent fiscal results appeared (just as I predicted on this blog): in particular they spoke with their investors about strategies employed according to the franchises they work with, depending on if they’re active or inactive/dormant. Among their strategies, they mentioned three possibilities: remaster, remake and reboot. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? This got me thinking about not only the franchises that can be revived with those three possible strategies, but it also left me pondering what SEGA intends to do with Sonic. Remaster is something we know they will do with Colors Ultimate (and that Generations and Unleashed would deserve as well); remake is something the fandom has obviously been asking for for years (SA1 and 2); and finally reboot, which sounds strange for Sonic... until we remember that the Sonic Rose/Unlimited leak claimed that it was a soft-reboot of the series.

What is my point? SEGA is aware of the strategies it has at its disposal, and among all its franchises it seems that Sonic is in the middle of everything. All the options are good for Sonic in this context, and that makes me think, makes me think more and more about this change of direction, given the possibility that what is coming in the next months will be great. Although we talk more than anything about Sonamy today, it will probably not be the only thing that is resignified for the future.

IDW Sonic #36, the panel that had Sonic blushing in its original draft.

Conclusions

I would like to use this space to thank all the people who took a moment today to participate in this article, to share their opinions and thoughts about what is happening or what could happen in the future. The Sonamy articles on my blog tend to focus only on my perspective, but I hope I have done a good job of presenting other opinions, offering the possibility to explain themselves to people with whom we always talk, people who participate in our discussion spaces, and people I feel deep respect and affection for.

We have shown these perspectives and we briefly commented on some of the details that caught my attention, but what do you guys think? Do you think that this huge Sonamy wave of the past 6 months, in and outside the comics, is a sign of a general change of direction in the representation of Sonic? Or is it simple fanservice that should not be analyzed too deeply?

As always, I invite you to participate to our Discord server*, and if you’re interested in hearing more from Facu, Mort or me, join us for the second episode of the SHP Podcast LIVE on Saturday, May 22nd. See you there!

[angelofdiamond]

This is a perfect proof of indirect forcing towards Sonic, but this time by Amy 😂. Usually in his description quote that Sonic doesn't love to be forced to do/act something that he doesn't want to do/act but this is also a clear example of as Sonic does something that he wouldn't do for the happiness of the others or for don't see this person very angry (right Amy 👀? )or just only for: " ok... let's give a little try this time after all how much could going bad the situation?"

not trying to shit on sonamy but can we agree that this episode really fucking tarnished amy's character by forcing sonic into rituals that would bind them together

sonic did not agree to them but she forced him anyway and ran off when she was distracted

[deebormzone]

Deeborm’s Pointless and Unrealistic Smash Bros. Wishlist

It’s Smashbro season once again, and that means it’s wishlist time. I’d better get in on the predictions now while the market’s hot.

Regular predictions aren’t any fun, though. The characters Nintendo are most likely to add are the least interesting. Instead, I present you with a list of great characters who definitely won’t get in at all. In this minigame, I win if any one of the following make it into Smash. Wish me luck!

First, here’s the Pile of Honorable Mention Smash Bros. Newcomers. These aren’t heartstopping legendary additions, but would be nice surprises. (These do not count towards winning the wishlist minigame, but are worth bonus points.)

Krystal

Staff plus magic is a good fighting style. Plus, it’s nice to have more representation for Nintendo’s non-main franchises, even if it is just Krystal.

Geno (Super Mario RPG)

A good star spirit who deserved better. C’mon, throw him a bone. No, Mii outfits don’t count.

Amaterasu (Okami)

A good dog from a good game. Already appeared in Marvel 3, so not a huge surprise, but definitely welcome.

Simon Belmont

A nice whip-based moveset and a strong history on Nintendo platforms would make Simon a welcome sight, if Konami would let him.

Crash Bandicoot

Crash skipping Playstation All-Stars to join Smash Bros. instead is enough of a joke to make his inclusion worth it.

Shovel Knight

He’s a cool enough guy, but the main benefit of having him in Smash is his music.

Quote (Cave Story)

The little robot that could. He even has a sword! It’s been a while since he’s been relevant, but he did appear on Switch recently.

Hades (Kid Icarus Uprising)

The whole game was great, and Hades was still the best part of it. I don’t really know what his moveset would be, but it doesn’t really matter.

Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

I’ll take any Kingdom Hearts content anywhere it appears, but the draw of his series is the action and stupidity, not the main character, so this wouldn’t be a bombshell announcement for me.

Black Mage

How about a Final Fantasy character who actually appeared on NES? Good design, good spells, good inclusion.

Zelda (Breath of the Wild)

They didn’t make her playable in Breath of the Wild because they’re cowards, but they can redeem themselves here. (Only applies if she has a unique playstyle.)

Professor Layton

The most powerful gentleman is a pleasure to see just about anywhere. He even qualifies as an anime swordsman since he appeared in an anime wielding a sword. He’s practically guaranteed to get in.

Actual Ganondorf

Due to time constraints, the Smash Bros. devs decided to ignore the entire Zelda series and depict Ganondorf as Captain Falcon with a large shoe. There’s still time to set things right.

Snake

Snake is great and everyone loves him, but reclaiming him from Konami is harder than infiltrating Shadow Moses.

Crono

The legend from the SNES. He’s been gone a long time, and seeing him again would be fantastic - if they can work out a good moveset for him. Good meaning, more than anime swordsman.

Those are all great characters, so it’s unlikely any of them will get in.

But the REAL unlikely characters start here! Presenting Deeborm’s Pointless and Unrealistic Smash Bros. Wishlist!! Loosely ordered from least to most hype.

I’ll briefly explain why each of these is a favorite of mine and a good character to add to Smash Bros., and also why they definitely won’t be. If any one of these losers actually makes it in, I’ll be absolutely stunned, but in a pleasant sort of way.

The Missing Piece - Banjo-Kazooie

The big B-K ought to have been in Smash from the first damn one. They’ve got platforming moves (jumping, gliding, flight), they’ve got mobility (Talon Trot, forward roll), they’ve got a wide arsenal of attacks (eggs of all sorts, Breegull Bash, Beak Barge), defensive options (Wonderwing, Shack Pack), and they’re fun characters to boot. Whenever I get asked to pick one person to add to Smash, this is my answer.

Of course, it won’t happen because of Microsoft. Nowadays, Xbox doesn’t seem to have many compelling exclusives, so it’s hard to imagine them letting Banjo do cross-company work, even with no games planned. There’s also the risk of them using the unnerving Nuts & Bolts models, which would leave a foul taste in my mouth even if they did get in.

Sometimes I think they were planning on adding Banjo-Kazooie in Smash 4, but they couldn’t make a deal with Microsoft, and the character got re-purposed into Duck Hunt. Those back-mounted bird attacks look a little familiar... and so does the brown and red color scheme.

The Surliest Psychic - Neku Sakuraba

Neku’s a cool kid. He floats around and has loads of weird psychic powers. Giving him a unique moveset would be simple. His game, The World Ends With You, is coming to Switch fairly soon, so there’s even advertising potential. His fans rarely get anything new, so he’d be nice to see.

Of course, he’s Square Enix, which makes him harder to add. A third-party, minor franchise (barely even a franchise! ...sorry) doesn’t seem likely to make it in when the only third-party characters so far are the heaviest of heavy hitters (Sonic, Snake, Pac-Man, Mega Man, Ryu, Cloud).

And I hate to admit it, but it’s been so long since I beat that game, I don’t even have a clear memory of Neku’s moves anymore. That’s mainly why he’s down here on the list. He still qualifies as bombshell, though!

The Rythmic Ringleader - Marshall

There was barely any Rhythm Heaven content in Smash 4 at all! I was so disappointed.

I know, it’s not so easy to add Rhythm Heaven, especially as a character. First of all, it’s a teeny tiny series on par with Warioware. Then there’s the problem of adding rhythm-based content. It could be like Donkey Kong’s Final Smash, completely unusable online due to lag, or it could be hard to implement around the game’s huge soundtrack.

Also, the series doesn’t really have any strong lead characters. Karate Joe is just Ryu. “Rhythm Girl”, who appears on the title screen sometimes, doesn’t even have a name. The pink guy from Megamix is alright, but he doesn’t actually do anything.

Marshall here might be the best pick. He offers moral support in Fever, probably the best game in the series. His design is a bit more unique than Joe and friends, and he can even stand in for one of the Chorus Men as needed.

Since the odds of getting any Rhythm Heaven rep are so low, I’m considering it a win for me if anyone, not just Marshall, makes it in.

The Legendary Yell - Dragonborn

Skyrim is on Switch, Cloud is in Smash, and all bets are off.

The main reason Dragonborn would be a great edition to Smash is because they represent the whole Elder Scrolls series. A crusty old RPG series, exclusively for PC, making it into Super Fuckin’ Smash Brothers. That’s my kind of joke.

They might seem a bit similar to Link in terms of playstyle, but if the devs put the work in, they could craft something really cool. Big two-handed weapons plus magic, and maybe a hint of archery. They could use a skill system in reference to that RPG history, where the moves you use grow stronger as they connect and unlock different playstyles, resetting between lives.

As a bonus, the Dragonborn’s signature power is Unrelenting Force, a Shout that does little damage but blows enemies away. That move would work especially well in Smash Bros., and would also be a great ability for Kirby to steal (”Fus... Ro Dah~!”).

Of course, this is only possible if Bethesda plays along... and if Nintendo is willing to accept a big Western hero in a game that, currently, has none. I have a feeling that this inclusion is more likely than the rest, but there are some major hurdles in the way.

The Orange Warlord - Andy

It’s been too long since Advance Wars has been a thing.

Every so often, you’ll see an Advance Wars character on somebody’s Smash wishlist. There’s potential there to add a moveset based around indirect combat, with military-themed summons and projectiles. Advance Wars did make it into Smash as an Assist Trophy, so it’s not a completely ridiculous idea!

Andy is probably the best pick for a representative. He’s pretty basic in terms of design, but he’s more or less the main character. The runner-up is Sami, but she specializes in infantry. Infantry uses real guns, which tend to be forbidden in Smash. In fact, Sami usually carries a big, real-looking gun whenever she’s depicted. Andy, however, carries wrenches and specializes in repair. Nothing violent about repair, even if you’re repairing tanks and bombers! 100% family-friendly.

Sadly, not even Andy has much of a shot. Worse than the existence of real guns, his series is basically dead. But I still remember him and his advanced wars, and I’m leaving a spot on my wishlist for him, just in case. I’d call it a win if any Advance Wars character makes it.

The Fountain of Fury - Fawful

The Mario RPGs are (were?) pretty great, but they rarely get any representation in Smash. It’s understandable- those characters would count as yet another Mario representative, and from a lesser spinoff at that. But this list is all about recognizing games I loved, and the tiny hope that they might shine once more.

Fawful is probably the best rep here. He’s popular for a spinoff character, owing to his broken English and oddball machinations. He appeared in three Mario & Luigi games, twice as a major player. Usually, characters from Mario RPGs get completely abandoned, so that’s saying something.

It’s tough to pin down his moveset. Most of the time, he fights with his jet-powered vacuum hat, but it varies. He’d have a unique playstyle for sure, if the devs can figure one out.

And here’s an interesting fact- both of Fawful’s games are getting remastered. He actually qualifies as “has an upcoming game,” which Master Sakurai says is an important factor in deciding who gets a spot. Maybe, just maybe, this angry beanman has a real chance.

The Arsenal Absolute - Doomguy

Talk about a long shot.

The new Doom came out on Switch recently, taking Doomguy’s odds from “completely impossible” to “extremely unlikely”. The real draw of Doomguy, though, is his history. Smash Bros. is all about gaming’s greatest mascots (and whatever Nintendo wants to advertise this console generation, but let’s ignore that). Doomguy is the FIRST First-Person Shooter, and it’s hard to get more prestigious.

The two big obstacles keeping Doomguy out are the fact he’s third-party, and the fact he uses lots of guns. For the first, he could maybe come as a package deal with Dragonborn thanks to Bethesda, and for the second, his new game features a lot of energy weapons. Maybe enough to keep him from using anything forbidden.

But that raises a question. If Doomguy loses bullet weapons, like the Super Shotgun, is it really Doomguy anymore? Can he focus on bombs and lasers and berserking, and still be Doomguy? Maybe this one’s simply a lost cause.

Besides, they’d probably call him “Doom Marine” or something, which is no fun.

The Nightmare Neighbor - Porky

The Mother series hasn’t done too well in Smash Bros. Ness and Lucas use a whole bunch of PK abilities they don’t actually have in the games, which bugs me just a little. I’d like to see some more well-done Mother stuff to take the edge off. Magicant in Smash 4 3DS was a good start, but how about something... more substantial?

There are a few good characters that could show up still. Flint, with his mighty 2x4, would be a cool addition, as would Duster and his staples. I’d like to see Paula or Kumatora, but guess what? Ness and Lucas already took their moves. Grr.

So how about the big man himself? Pokey Minch, the piece of garbage everyone hates. He’s a great villain with great tools. It could be Pokey or Porky, spider-bot or on foot. I’m not picky! Give him a final smash based on the ever-popular Giygas battle, and I would definitely feel happy.

But as always, he’s not likely to get in. The Mother series is basically done. Worse, Pokey’s spider-bot, his signature weapon, might be just a little too big (somewhere, Ridley cries into his cup of Phazon).

The Overwhelming Otaku - Travis Touchdown

What a cool game! No More Heroes for the Wii, using Nintendo’s gimmicks in a fun and stylish action game, starring Mister Travis here. Although his games came out on other consoles later, for a while he was an unlikely Nintendo star. And guess what? He’s coming back on Switch for a new game.

Besides being from a fairly low-profile series, I think the main issue with Travis in Smash is his sheer vulgarity. If I’m remembering right, his first spoken line in-game is “FUCKHEADS!” as he does a backflip off a motorcycle and decapitates five people, which is great, but might be frowned upon by Papa Nintendo. They could tone down that part of his character for Smash, but vulgarity is baked into him on every level. His laser sword recharges by pretending to jerk off, and his signature pose is taking a shit to save the game. Also, there’s the above image.

But although Travis seems like an unlikely addition to Smash Bros., you could easily compare him to Bayonetta, a similarly low-profile, high-violence character. And Bayonetta made it in, guns and all. Anything’s possible, right?

The Seeker of the Stars - Goombella

In ages past, I might have requested Paper Mario in Smash Bros. Those times have long passed. Paper Mario is no longer the symbol of cheerful adventure and exciting battle, but the harbinger of stickers, Toads, and despair.

The only way to make sure the first two paper Mario games are appropriately enshrined in Smash Bros. is to add a character who is undeniably not related to stickers in any way. To that end, I propose Goombella. She’s the first partner you meet in Thousand-Year Door, and sets off the plot. She also narrates the post-credits scene. Yeah, I know that’s not much! I’m trying my best, here! She’s more interesting than Goombario, at least!

Ideally, she could represent the whole game by summoning the other partners for varying attacks: Kooper’s shell for a forward-B, Vivian for spot dodges and low attacks, Bobbery for a powerful forward smash, the baby Yoshi for dashing, maybe Flurrie for grabs. That sort of thing. Doopliss could do something similar as a playable character, transforming between characters, but I’d rather give the slot to the real heroes.

This is probably even less likely to happen than Doomguy, but this list is about games I loved getting one more moment of glory. I know the real truth in my heart: Paper Mario will get in, he’ll be covered in stickers, and I’m just going to have to deal with it like a rational adult. Now that’s a “Smash Attack”! Ha-ha.

The Blockbound Builder - Steve

Speaking of being a rational adult, here’s Minecraft. No matter what games I play over the years, I always come back to Minecraft sooner or later. Someday, I ought to actually beat the game, huh?

Anyway, Steve in Smash is possible because Minecraft came out on Switch with bonus Nintendo content, and he’d make a good addition to the cast because he looks ridiculous in third person. Well, that, and I guess he could also have a creative moveset.

Minecraft in Smash Bros. arguably makes sense from a game history perspective, too. It’s new compared to Mario or Pac-Man, but hugely impactful. It would also make a good stage. I know everyone hates autoscrollers, but a procedurally generating destructible stage could be great fun to play around in.

There are two main problems with Steve in Smash. First, he’s another Microsoft rep, so Nintendo might not be able to cut a deal. Second... he doesn’t have any good battle music.

The Best Defense - Phoenix Wright

Phoenix in Smash is basically the pinnacle of wishful thinking. He’s a third-party character from a series about reading lots of dialogue who doesn’t even fight. I’d say he had no chance at all if it wasn’t for the fact that he made it into Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a headliner, but even then he had a really gimmicky fighting style that made him hard to use. Still, I guess Smash Bros. is the ideal series for gimmicky fighting styles.

Why is Mr. Wright a good fit for Smash? No reason at all, besides the fact that I like him and his games a whole lot, and so do others. Sadly, he doesn’t even have any games coming out, so I can’t give him the advertisement bonus.

However you look at it, Phoenix Wright has almost no chance at all... but isn’t that how his trials usually go?

The Coolest Dude - Papyrus

Let me clear a couple things up first. It’s been said that it would be bad to have Undertale in Smash Bros., because it would rile up the terrible fanbase. Is that true? Probably. But I don’t give a single, solitary fuck. The only thing, and I do mean the only thing that matters here, is having interesting characters in Smash Bros.

It’s also been said that Sans should get into Smash Bros. I appreciate the commitment to memes, but he actually shouldn’t. Sans’ main character trait is that he doesn’t do anything, which is not a good trait for a fighter to have.

Papyrus, meanwhile, does a lot of things. He has bones. He has deadly traps. He has spaghetti. He has dating power. He is pursued by dogs. He’s got great music. He could easily have a wacky moveset befitting Undertale. Imagine his blue attacks in Smash Bros., a projectile you have to hold still to avoid!

Still, I only mentioned Undertale at all because people have been throwing these kinds of speculations around. Realistically, a shitty GameMaker game that isn’t even out on Switch yet has zero chance of seeing Smash Bros. The idea is thrilling, though, so I have to mention it. You know how I’d get a kick out of Elder Scrolls or Phoenix Wright being represented in Smash? The idea of some crappy game poorly thrown together by some guy in his basement somehow making it into Nintendo’s top-tier premium exclusive celebration is, essentially, the Ultimate Joke. And then I could take that joke and use it to beat people online!

Whew. That’s my, I mean, Deeborm’s Pointless and Unrealistic Smash Bros. Wishlist!! I hope you enjoyed my delusions, and I wish everyone good luck with their own Smash hopes. In the end, all newcomers are good newcomers, so let’s wait and see what happens!

[beyoglubelediyesicom]

Birlikte Güzelleşelim!

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[nedraggett]

Run ragged

It didn’t work.  And while I wasn’t surprised by that, I did want to tease out why, at least for myself.

I honestly was openly skeptical of Blade Runner 2049 for a while, so I can’t hide my bias there.  I wasn’t totally ‘salt the earth and never mention it again’ then and am certainly not saying that now.  But each new trailer left me feeling more ‘uh...really?’ and the explosion of immediate praise from many critics even more so.  I wasn’t contrarian, and neither did I think groupthink was at work, but I suspected a massive wish fulfillment was. 

So I generally avoided reactions after that and figured I’d wait for things to die down a bit -- even more quickly than I might have guessed, seeing its swiftly collapsing commercial performance over here. My Sunday early afternoon showing near here was about maybe 2/3 full on its third weekend, so it’s found an audience, but I’m in San Francisco -- I expected an audience there. Enough friends have posted theater shots where they were the only person in the room to know this is dying off as an across the board thing, and never probably was.

I’m not glad it failed, but I’m not surprised -- in fact, being more blunt, I think it deserved not to be a hit.  The key reason for me played itself out over its length -- it was boring.  It’s a very boring movie.  It’s not a successful movie except in intermittent moments.  

That said, of course not everyone agreed (I’ll recommend as an indirect counterpoint to my thoughts this piece by my friend Matt, which went up earlier today). And boredom is not the sole reason for me to crucify it -- there were a variety of things one can address.  I’ll note two at the start since they could be and in a couple of cases I’ve seen were particular breaking points for others:

* The sexual politics of the movie, however much meant to be in line with the original scenario as playing out a certain logic, were often at least confused or hesitant within a male gaze context, at most lazily vile beyond any (often flatly obvious) point-making.  I often got a mental sense of excuses that could be offered along the lines of ‘well...you know, it’s supposed to be like that in this world, it’s a commentary!,’ which is often what I’ve seen in positive criticism of, say, Game of Thrones. Maybe. That said: not that any sort of timing played into it, but the fact that Harvey Weinstein’s downfall began two days before release, and the resulting across-board exposure and on-the-record testimonials from many women against far too many men, couldn’t really be escaped.  Further, since the fallout was first felt, after all, in the film industry, seeing any film, new or old, through the lens of what’s acceptable and who gets through what hoops -- and who is broken by the experience -- is always important.  It’s not for nothing to note that the original film’s female lead Sean Young got shunted into the ‘she’s crazy’/’too much trouble’ file in later years where male actors might perhaps find redemption; the fact that she played a small part in the new film made me think a bit more on her fate than that of her character’s.  (Another point I saw a few women brought up as well -- having a key to the whole story be pregnancy and childbirth as opposed to infertility wasn’t warmly received.)

* It’s a very...white future. Not exclusively, certainly. But people of color barely get a look in, a quick scene here, a cameo there. A black female friend of mine just this morning said this over on FB about the one African American actor whose character got the most lines, saying: 

to have the only significant black character be this awful, creepy man who seemed to be an "overseer" type to the children, was really uncomfortable and another perfect example of scifi using an 'other' narratives or american slave narrative but within a white context. We all know what it's supposed to represent and so it's just straight up lazy writing at the end of the day and exploitative.

Meantime, another sharp series of comments elsewhere revolved around how a film perhaps even more obviously drenched than the original in an amalgamated East Asian imaginary setting for the Los Angeles sequences barely showcased anyone from such a background. Dave Bautista certainly makes an impact at the start, but after that? The fact that I can think of three speaking roles for actors of that (wide) background in the original, as in actually having an exchange with a lead character, and only one in this one, maybe two if you count the random shouting woman in K’s apartment building, is more than a little off.  Add in a ‘Los Angeles,’ or a wider SoCal if you like, that aside from Edward James Olmos’s short cameo apparently has nobody of Mexican background, let alone Central American, in it, and you gotta wonder.  My personal ‘oh really’ favorite was the one official sign that was written in English and, I believe, Sanskrit.  Great visual idea; can’t say I saw anyone of South Asian descent either.

Both these very wide issues, of course, tie in with the business and the society we’re all in -- but that’s no excuse. And there are plenty of other things I could delve into even more, not least my irritation over the generally flatly-framed dialogue shots in small offices that tended to undercut the grander vistas, or how the fact that Gosling’s character finding the horse carving had been telegraphed so far in advance that it was resolutely unremarkable despite all the loud music, etc. My key point remains: boring.  A sometimes beautifully shot and visually/sonically striking really dull, draggy, boring film.

The fair question though is why I think that.  A friend in response to that complaint as echoed by others joked what we would make of Bela Tarr films, to which I replied that I own and enjoy watching Tarkovsky movies. Slow pace and long shots aren’t attention killers for me per se; if something is gripping, it will be just that, and justify my attention. Meanwhile, the original film famously got dumped on for also being slow, boring, etc at the time, and plenty can still feel that way about it. Blade Runner’s reputation is now frightfully overburdened and certainly I’ve contributed to it mentally if not through formal written work; it succeeds but is a flawed creation, and strictly speaking the two big complaints I’ve outlined above apply to the predecessor as much as the current film, it’s just a matter of degrees otherwise. But if you told me I had to sit down and watch it, I’d be happy to. Tell me to do the same with this one, I would immediately ask for the ability to skip scenes.

I’ve turned it all over in my head and these are three elements where things fell apart for me, caused me to be disengaged -- not in any specific order, but I’m going to build outward a bit, from the specific to the general, and with specific contrast between the earlier film and the new one.  These discontinuities aren’t the sole faults, but they’re the ones I’ve been thinking about the most.

First: it’s worth noting that the new film brings in a lot of specific cultural elements beyond the famed advertising and signs. Nabokov’s Pale Fire is specifically singled out both as a visual cue and as an element in K’s two police station evaluations, for instance. Meanwhile, musically, I didn’t quite catch what song it was Joi was telling K about early in the film but a check later means it must have been Sinatra’s “Summer Wind,” featured on the soundtrack.  Sinatra himself of course shows up later as a small holographic performance in Vegas, specifically of “One For My Baby,” while prior to that K and Deckard fight it out while larger holographic displays of older Vegas style revues and featured performers appear glitchily -- showgirls, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis in his later pomp, Liberace complete with candleabra. All of this makes a certain sense and on the one hand I don’t object to it.

But on the other I do.  Something about all that rubbed me the wrong way and I honestly wasn’t sure why -- the Nabokov bit as well, even the quick Treasure Island moment between Deckard and K when they first talk to each other. The answer I think lies with the original film. It’s not devoid of references either, but note how two of the most famous are used:

* When Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty introduces himself to James Hong’s Hannibal Chew, he does so with a modified quote from William Blake’s America: A Prophecy. (This fuller discussion of that quote and how it was changed from the original is worth a read; it’s also worth noting that Hauer brought it to the table, and wasn’t planned otherwise.) But he doesn’t do so by spelling out to the audience, much less Chew, that it is Blake at all.  You either have to know it or you don’t. If, say, we saw Batty clearly holding a copy of the book -- or maybe more intriguing, a copy in Deckard’s apartment -- then that would be one thing...but it becomes a bit more ‘DO YOU SEE?’ as a result. Clunkier, a bit like how Pale Fire worked in the new film.

* Even in the original soundtrack’s compromised/rerecorded form, I always loved the one formally conventional song on the original soundtrack, “One More Kiss, Dear.” I just assumed as I did back in the mid to late 80s, when I first saw the film and heard its music, that it was a random oldie from somewhere mid-century repurposed, a bit of mood-setting. It is...but it isn’t.  It’s strictly pastiche, a creation of Vangelis himself in collaboration with Peter Skellern, an English singer-songwriter who had a thriving career in his home country. It just seemed real enough, with scratchy fidelity, a piano-bar sad elegance -- which was precisely the point. You couldn’t pin it down to anything, it wasn’t a specifically recognizable element. It wasn’t Elvis, or Liberace, or Sinatra. 

This careful hiding of concrete details -- even when the original film showcased other clear, concrete details of ‘our’ world culturally, but culturally via economics and ads -- is heavily to the original’s benefit, I’d argue.  There’s a certain trapped-in-baby-boomerland context of the elements in the new film that, perversely, almost feels too concrete, or forced is maybe a better word. It’s perverse because on the one hand it makes a clear sense, but on the other hand, by not being as tied to explicitly cultural identifiers -- whether ‘high’ literature or rough and ready ‘pop’ or whatever one would like to say -- the original film feels that much more intriguingly odd, dreamlike even. I would tease this out further if I could, but it quietly nags -- perhaps the best way I could describe it is this: by not knowing what, in general, the characters, ‘human’ or not, read, listen to, watch in the original, what everyone enjoys -- if they do -- becomes an unspoken mystery. Think about how we here now talk about what we read, listen to, watch as forms of connection with others; think about how the crowd scenes in the originals feature people all on their own trips or in groups or whatever without knowing what they might know. We know Deckard likes piano, sure, but that suggests something, it doesn’t limit it.  We know K likes Nabokov and Sinatra -- and that tells us something.  And it limits it.

My second big point would also have to do with limits versus possibilities, and hopefully is more easily explained.  Both films are of course amalgams, reflections of larger elements in the culture as well as within a specific culture of film. The first film is even more famously an amalgam of ‘film noir’ as broadly conceived, both in terms of actual Hollywood product and the homages and conceptions and projections of the term backwards and forwards into even more work. It is the point of familiar reference for an audience that at the time was a couple of decades removed from its perceived heyday, but common enough that it was the key hook in -- the weary detective called back for one last job, the corrupt policeman, the scheming businessman, the femme fatale, etc. etc. Set against the fantastic elements, it was the bedrock, the hook, and of course it could be and was repurposed from there, in its creation and in its reception. 

2049 is not a film noir amalgam.  Instead, it’s very clearly -- too clearly -- an amalgam of exactly the wrong place it should have gotten any influence from. By that I don’t mean the original film -- above and beyond the clear story connections, its impact was expected to be inescapable and as it turns out it was inescapable.  Instead it’s an amalgam of what followed in the original’s wake -- the idea of dystopia-as-genre -- and that’s poisonous.

Off the top of my head: Children of Men. The Matrix. Brazil. Her. Battlestar Galactica, the 2000s reboot. A bit of The Hunger Games, I’d say. A bit of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (not a direct descendant of the original at all, of course -- George Miller always had his own vibe going -- but I caught an echo still). The Walking Dead. A fleck of The Fifth Element. Demolition Man, even, if we want to go ‘low’ art.  But also so many of the knockoffs and revamps and churn. There could be elements, there could be explicit references, there could be just a certain miasma of feeling.  But this all fed into this film, and made it...just less interesting to me. 

Again, the first film is no less beholden to types and forebears.  But the palette wasn’t sf per se, it was something else, then transposed and heightened and made even uneasier due to what it was.  2049 has to not only chase down its predecessor, it has to live with what its predecessor created.  But did it have to take all that into itself as well? It becomes a wink and a nod over and again, and a tiring one, a smaller palette, a feeding on itself. And it’s very frustrating as a result, and whatever spell was in the film kept being constantly rebroken, and the scenes kept dragging on.

This all fed into the third and final point for me -- the key element, the thing that makes the original not ‘just’ noir, the stroke of genius from Philip K Dick turned into tangible creations: the replicants, and the question of what it is to be human. Humanity itself has assayed this question time and time over -- let’s use Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a start if we must for the modern era, it’s as good as any. We as a species -- if we individual members can afford the time and reflection at least -- seem to enjoy questions of what makes us ‘us,’ and what we are and what we have in this universe.  This much is axiomatic, so take that as read.

The replicants in the original film -- famously thought of differently by Dick and Ridley Scott, to the former’s bemusement when they met and talked for their only meeting before the latter’s death -- set up questions in that universe that are grappled with as they are by the characters in different ways. Between humans, between replicants, between each other, lines always slipping and shading. Their existences are celebrated, questioned, protested against. But we don’t live in these conversations for the most part, we tend to experience the characters instead; it’s often what’s unsaid that has the greatest impact. And if the idea of a successful story-teller is to show rather than tell, then I would argue that, again, flawed as it can be, the original film succeeds there be only telling just enough, and letting the viewer be immersed otherwise. (Thus of course the famous after the fact narration in the original release insisted upon by the studio, and removed from later cuts to Scott’s thorough relief.)

By default, that level of quiet...I would almost call it ‘awe’...in the original can’t be repeated with the same impact. The bell cannot be unrung, but that’s not crippling. What was crippling was how, again, bored I was with the plight of the characters in 2049. How unengaged in their concerns I generally was. One key exception aside, I never bought K’s particular angst outside of plot-driven functionality, and frankly they often felt like manikins all the way down from there. Robin Wright’s police chief had some great line deliveries but the lines were most often banal generalities that sounded ridiculous. Jared Leto’s corporate overlord, good god, don’t ask. As for Joi and Luv, Ana de Armas and Sylvia Hoeks did their best, and yet the characters felt...functional.  Which given the characters as such would seem to be appropriate, but their fates were functional too. Of course one would do that, of course the other would do that, of course one would die the one way, of course the other would die that way, and...fine. Shrug. 

So, then, Deckard? Honestly Harrison Ford had the best part in the film and while I found him maybe a bit more garrulous than I would have expected from the character, he did paranoid, wounded and withdrawn pretty damn well. Not to mention comedy -- the dog and whisky combo can’t be beat, and it’s worth remembering his nebbishy ‘undercover’ turn in the original -- and, in the Rachel scene, an actual sense of pathos and outrage. I bought him pretty easily, and it made everyone else seem pretty shallow. When K learns about the underground replicant resistance and all, the bit about everyone hopes they are the one was nice enough, but the rest of it, clearly meant to be a ‘big moment,’ was...again, dull, per my second point about the limited palette. A whole lot of telling, not much showing, and such was the case throughout. It was honestly a bit shocking -- but also very clear -- to myself when I realized how little I cared about humans or replicants or any of it at all towards the end. It all felt pat and played out, increasingly unfascinating, philosophy that was rote. It could just be me, of course -- maybe this is an issue where the stand-ins of replicants versus realities of robots and AI, along with the cruelties we’re happy to inflict on each other, means the stand-ins simply don’t have much of an imaginative or intellectual grip now.

Still, though, I’ll give the film one full scene, without Ford. As part of his work, and to answer the questions in his own head, K visits Ana Stelline, a designer of replicant memories. This, more than anything else in the film outside of certain design and musical elements, felt like the original, or something that could be there. It introduced a wholly new facet -- how are memories created for replicants? -- while extending the idea that instead of one sole creator of replicants there are multiple parts makers with their specialized fields in an unexplained (and unnecessary to be explained) economy. Stelline’s literal isolation allows for space and the limits of communication to be played out in a way that makes satisfying artistic sense, and Carla Juri plays her well. It builds up to an emotional moment that sends K into an explosive overdrive that is actually earned, and Juri’s own reaction of awe and horror is equally good.  But -- even better -- the scene ends up taking a wholly new cast later in the film, when more information reveals what was actually at play, and what K didn’t know at the time, and makes the final scene a good one to end on in turn (and by that I mean back in her office, specifically).

The problem though remains -- one scene can’t make a film. One can argue that it’s better to reach and fail than not at all, but it’s also easily argued that one gets far more frustrated with something that could have worked but didn’t. I don’t think an edit for time would have fixed the film but it would have made it less of a slog while not sacrificing those visual/sonic elements that did work; it still would leave a lot of these points I’ve raised standing, but it would have gone down a little more smoothly, at least. But sometimes you’re just bored in a theater, waiting for something to end.

[septembersghost]

need you to know everything in this reply is perfect to me 😭

the johnny cash comparison is SO good, i'm glad you said that! i was discussing this with my mom the other day - in some of his later tracks and performances, you hear him leaning more and more into the country roots, and it's fantastic. (idk why this is the example that popped into my head, but take songs like "don't think twice, it's all right," at its core it’s still quintessential elvis, but he's evolving and experimenting/maturing too). even earlier with the memphis sessions, the blue eyed soul and country sounds are crystalline. as the rock of the 80s transitioned more into the subgenres like metal and grunge, country started to fuse some with both pop influences and a resurgence of southern rock (i was thinking about how roy orbison had a revival in the 80s as well). i just feel like so many things were happening sonically and with the songwriting in that world that elvis would've been perfectly suited for.

"He was reaching a point in his life where he could reflect on everything he'd gone through and turn it into meaningful, spiritual art that I think would have been very satisfying for him creatively." *nods* i'll cry if i think about this too much because! it would've been amazing and he deserved to have that...

"he had kind of a perfect vibe and voice for some of the later '70s and '80s megamusicals." YOU GET ME. i keep thinking about this!!! the rock influenced musicals were very different from what came before and i'd just be so interested to know what he would've thought of them and if he'd have gravitated towards any of that music.

"I think all the time about an alternate history where ALW is like thinking about rock influences and ends up casting him instead of Steve Harley for Phantom of the Opera initially." shared brain cell because this is exactly what i was fantasizing about too. el's voice on the original cut of the title track, with the electric guitars? *___* ugh it would be spectacular. I'VE HEARD THIS SONG (oh jungle room sessions...) BUT DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS ALW/TIM RICE I'M LOSING MY MIND?

"it also sometimes makes me feel sick if I think about it too much because of how easy it is to ignore the people in our lives or celebrities in our culture who are hurting and need love. It is easier to love the dead because they are made into images again." same. i know you've seen me mention this, but it truly is something i grapple with over and over again regarding love and reverence for these figures who sometimes seem to transcend mortality, and the way we love them being...indirect? yet no less true, and always deeply personal. (and of course you are VERY right about the people directly in our lives as well.) it's often hard to parse. with celebrity culture, the reason why i find myself curious and invested with the artists i admire as people is that it's the only way in to dispel that flat dimension of the image in some small way. finding out about their foibles and hurts, along with the extraordinary talents and successes, it doesn't diminish them for me, it clarifies that humanity and i find it makes me cherish what they created even more. the dead can be perfected and polished, but only holding that aspect reduces the complex and still beautiful tapestry of who anyone was. and demanding perfection is so futile, people are far too layered for that. there will always be separation because of course we can't be close to them directly - or like, you and i couldn't love and celebrate el when he was alive, since we weren't yet alive - but the best we can do is lend them compassion for their humanness while celebrating their art, remember they were vulnerable and real, and not only that glimmering icon, but we can still have stars in our eyes over them too.

that quote of ann-margret's is true and breaks my heart. my mom was telling me how the news of his death went around campus instantly, and everyone, fan or not, knew who who he was and shared a similar shock, but she also remembers how quickly it turned cruel. he's been done so many disservices, but the caricature that certain aspects of our culture turned him into with an almost gleeful malice at points is just devastating to me? i don't know how people could be giving these glowing eulogies and re-examining his legacy and asserting his gifts and artistry while in the same breath relegating him to that the way they did. he deserved so much better for so long.

something i also consider a lot is...i feel when someone dies tragically, we too often view the prism of their life from that point, as if it defines everything else, but it shouldn't. the sorrow can be acknowledged and wholly felt without blotting out the triumphs and joy - it's like we need to do better to remember the life, the spark of that person, which is where the real soul of them resides.

"it's so important to restore their humanity to them and to carry those memories forward, but on the other hand, sometimes the image, hard as it was to live up to, was the gift they wanted to give to their fans, something that they created and shaped specifically to bring others joy. So those creations become so much more precious to us when they are all we have, and it's almost like the effort falls to us now, after they put so much work and love into their art, to receive it and protect it and use it as a way of knowing them better." you phrased this beautifully. yes. it's that constant dichotomy, to recognize and empathize with the humanity, with the fact that they were real, flesh and blood people, and yet to treasure and protect the beauty and gifts they gave us that do feel somehow larger than life and miraculous, and remain incandescent.

in a timeline where Elvis had been in good health and lived longer or even was still alive! what do you think might've happened with his career?

this is a great question, and i love it despite it also making me unspeakably sad. obviously so many things would have to change for this to happen, and there are endless hypotheticals that can be asked about him - what if he'd gotten, and been willing to accept, help with the pills and his other struggles, what if he hadn't been trapped in vegas, what if he'd left parker, what if he had had the chance to make dramatic pictures and choose/record more music that inspired him rather than the movies and soundtracks he ended up having to do for so long, what if he hadn't been drafted, what if his mother hadn't died when she did - any one of these changing potentially changes the whole course of his life. but let's say nothing is different except he's healthier and survives. keep in mind elvis would've only been 45 in 1980, and, all things being equal, his voice would still have been strong and clear and beautiful. i don't think he's the type of person who ever would've wanted to stop creating and performing. the 80s gets us into an interesting time with music, disco fizzles out, a bunch of fresh rock and pop and country sounds rise and flourish, hip-hop begins to enter the mainstream. another big thing that happened was the revitalization of broadway, with particularly flashy, sweeping musicals. barbra streisand, who'd primarily been recording various forms of pop as it shifted for a good decade or so, along with her successful film soundtrack music, returned to her roots and released the broadway album in 1985 (one of my albums of all-time), when el would've been 50, and it was seen as a gamble, but turned out to be a huge hit. elvis may not have been a musical theatre performer in that sense, but he had a natural affinity for drama and flair, so it'd be cool to know if he would've taken to any of that or incorporated aspects of it (in my head, he'd totally enjoy the phantom of the opera). the rock sounds, the r&b, the fusions in pop and country, all of that would've piqued his interest, i think, because he was so passionate about music and was so skilled (and such a sponge for it across genres) at adapting it. so he could've experimented with new sonic forms, kept expanding his abilities and repertoire. i'd love to imagine that he'd have flown away out of vegas and finally gotten to tour the way he wanted. i even think he would've added innovation to the culture and music happening at the time. if he'd remained well and found creative outlets that inspired him, it's something he could've kept going on and building for a long while. i feel certain he would've done more gospel records too eventually, while still staying current at the same time. i imagine any of that would've somewhat altered how his legacy has been viewed, especially the wrongfully disparaging commentary. maybe he'd be like some of the other artists we've seen, paul, elton, bob dylan, billy joel, and so on, and kept playing well into his 70s. maybe eventually he'd have retired instead and taken time for himself (and you asked career specifically, but i hope he could've found some personal peace and love that he kept looking for too), but...part of me really does think he never could've left making music or being onstage and sharing that love and energy with an audience, as long as he was able. he would've found those songs to keep singing. which is what he did do in life. if only he'd had more time.

kind of off-topic/an aside, but i honestly believe he'd be so, so touched, and so amused regarding some things (i simply know he'd dissolve into that contagious laughter), that the young women on the internet, even a generation behind me, (after i explain the internet to him, i will tell him <3) are listening to and watching, and writing and reading about, and making countless fanvids and edits/gifs/etc for him in 2023. i hope in 2027, when he's been gone for fifty years, all the fans right now, new and old alike, still hold onto part of what they're currently experiencing. there's something indescribably wholesome about it (even in the thirst posting tbh, because it's still his power?!). i just cannot fathom any current star having this effect decades later, including the ones i adore. not because they aren't great, not because they aren't creating wonderful, lasting work, they undoubtedly are, but so much has shifted in how we absorb and keep and pass that on which alters it along the way. elvis' status as the best-selling solo artist of all time could *maybe* be broken eventually (although it's not in the foreseeable future), but it won't actually be comparable because streaming and everything within the industry has vastly changed. another difference, unfortunately, also lies in the tragedy. i hope our current young musicians have long careers and carve out happy, peaceful lives free of as much of that torment as possible, but the immense sadness and mythic rise and fall of it all are why we culturally still cling so much to certain people - as i've oft mentioned with EP, MM. to those eternally young and heartbreaking figures. if they'd experienced recovery, and lived the long, contented lives we wish they had, would we be this captivated by them now? or do we look into the abyss of their absences and hold them closer to keep them alive, to understand and feel that connective empathy? it's deeply human nature to be drawn to trying to understand the shadow of that darkness chasing their light. we want them to live and we can't give it to them, so we find ways to bring them to life instead.

i wish he was here to know how beloved he is, and i wish he was here because it would mean the trajectory of his life was far more gentle. i wish he was here to laugh with us about it and see us singing and dancing along to his music as if it was brand new, but i do believe he often looks down at us like:

[poliwag2-blog]

Frequently asked questions about ultrasonic cleaning

20 answers to the most frequently asked questions about ultrasonic cleaning .

What is meant by the term "ultrasonic cleaning"?

Ultrasonic cleaning is a fast, efficient and ecological cleaning process, which consists in agitating particles of a solution with sound energy (sonication). It is one of the most modern and efficient cleaning methods, which allows to quickly and safely remove dirt particles from the surfaces of objects in different ways. The objects to be cleaned are submerged in a tank with corresponding liquid through which ultrasound passes, generating vibrations. For these purposes high frequency sounds, called "ultrasound" are used. In turn, these vibrations generate millions of microscopic bubbles, which undergo very rapid processes of expansion and collapse, transmitting their energy to other materials. This phenomenon was called "cavitation."

Which is better to clean home? Ultrasonic cleaning or steam cleaning?

No doubt, steam cleaning do a better job for houses. It takes very less time and the operation is chemical free. Here is a quick guide to steam clean your home in few minutes.

How are ultrasounds generated?

High frequency sounds (ultrasound waves) are generated from electric current, which transmits its energy to a mechanical system (transformer) that converts it into high intensity vibrations. Cleaning capacity of an ultrasonic bath directly depends on the type and power of the transformer used.

How is an ultrasonic bath built?

An ultrasonic bath module (also known as a "sonicator") includes a sound generator and special transformers, installed on the bottom of a stainless steel tank. For vibrations to be generated, the tank must be filled with a liquid material. Generator together with the transformers generate in this liquid alternating waves of high and low pressure with frequencies of 25 to 130 kHz.

What is the heater used for in an ultrasonic bath?

Heater in an ultrasound bath is used to keep the solution temperature at the appropriate level between cleaning cycles. In turn, the heat needed for cleaning is generated during the cavitation process.

What is "degassing" and what is it for?

Degassing is the process of eliminating dissolved gases in the liquid used in the cleaning process. Cavitation must take place after the gases are removed - this will ensure vacuum formation in the bubbles that appear. When a high pressure wave hits the wall of a bubble, it explodes, and the energy that is released helps the cleaning solution break the bonds between the dirt particles and the surface of the treated object.

How to get the optimal result?

To obtain an optimal result it is necessary to follow a few simple tips: choose the right type of ultrasonic bath with the convenient sized tank; select the cleaning solution suitable for the proposed purposes; set the correct temperature and cleaning time.

What is "direct" and "indirect" cleaning?

When you immerse the parts to be cleaned directly to the cleaning solution added to the ultrasonic bath tank, this is called "direct cleaning." With this, the objects are usually not placed directly at the bottom, but rather placed in a plastic basket or tray. But in this case you have to choose the cleaning solution that does not damage the bathroom tank. To avoid the influence of aggressive media on the tank walls, you can use a closed plastic or glass container: fill it with the corresponding liquid and place the objects to be cleaned inside this container. This method is called "indirect cleaning." It should be taken into account that the amount of liquid in the tank during the cleaning process must reach the marked level - about 3 centimeters below the limit.

Why is it necessary to use a special solution in the cleaning process?

In the cleaning process you can use different liquids, including tap water. However, water alone has no purifying properties, so in order to obtain the desired effect, it is necessary to use a special solution. You immerse the object into the solution and the process begins, meanwhile the cavitation effect helps the cleaning solution break the bonds between the dirt particles and the surface of the object. Solutions specially designed for cleaning contain certain ingredients that increase the effect of ultrasonic cleaning. For example, lowering the surface tension of the liquid increases the level of cavitation. Normally, cleaning solutions contain wetting substances or surface active agents (surfactants).

What solution to use?

There is a wide range of cleaning media, designated for particular applications. Modern solutions contain different detergents, wetting substances and other reagents. Application of adequate solution guarantees success in the cleaning process and allows to avoid unwanted reactions with the treated object. Before applying one solution or another, please consult an experienced technician.

What solutions should not be used in the cleaning process? Brush or disc which is better?

Never use flammable or liquid solutions with low ignition temperature (gasoline, benzene, acetone, etc.). As we said before, the cavitation process generates heat that can form a dangerous medium in flammable solutions. Similarly, bleach and acid should be avoided - they can damage the steel tank. In the case of extreme need, use them very carefully and only for indirect cleaning. If you do not have a special container for indirect cleaning, you can use a glass container for these purposes.

Read out testing guide for brush and dics.

How often should the solution be replaced?

It is recommended to replace the solution when it becomes visually dirty or when the cleaning quality falls. It is not necessary to renew the solution before starting a new cleaning cycle.

Why keep the amount of solution at the marked level?

Each time before starting the process make sure that the amount of solution is at the indicated level. This is indicated with the basket and / or tray inside. Otherwise the characteristics of the cleaning process can be altered - its frequency, effectiveness, causing damage to the bathroom. Adequate level of liquid guarantees good circulation of solution around the object, protects the heaters and transformers of the device from overheating and shock.

How long is the cleaning process?

Cleaning time depends on several conditions, and in particular: solution used in the process, type of dirt, process temperature, level of cleaning required. As soon as the process begins, you will immediately be able to observe detachment of dirt particles. However, if you perform this procedure for the first time, it is very difficult to calculate the exact time. Normally an approximate time is set and, depending on the results obtained in each particular case, the decision to stop or continue is taken. And so, by testing different combinations of temperature, solution used, type of objects and dirt class, the operator acquires the necessary experience and calculates the optimal time.

What is the recommended temperature?

Solution heating allows you to optimize the cleaning process - make it faster and more efficient. As in the previous case, to determine the optimum temperature it is necessary to perform several tests with different solutions, types of objects and types of dirt. Normally the best results are obtained with the solution temperature set between 50 ° C ~ 65 ° C.

Is it necessary to wash the parts after cleaning?

To remove the residues of chemical reagents contained in the solution it is recommended to wash the objects after finishing the process. You can rinse them in the same bucket with tap water. However, in cases of special need (especially when it comes to medical materials and tools, etc.) it is recommended to use another container and purified water: distilled, deionized, etc.

Is it necessary to turn off the bathroom between cleaning cycles?

Continuous operation of the bath causes evaporation of the cleaning solution. This can cause a decrease in liquid level and cause damage to the equipment. Therefore it is recommended to turn off the bathroom after each cleaning cycle and check the level of solution to ensure its proper functioning and extend its life time.

Can the cleaning process damage objects?

With some warnings, this cleaning method is considered safe for the vast majority of objects. Although an enormous amount of energy is released during the cavitation process, it is a safe procedure, since this energy is located at the microscopic level. The most important thing in this regard is to select the appropriate solution for each type of object in particular, while ultrasound simply increases its effect. It is not recommended to use ultrasound to clean objects that may have hidden cracks and following stones: emerald, malachite, pearls, tanzanite, turquoise, opal, coral, lapilazuli.

Where is ultrasonic cleaning used?

Normally this cleaning method is used to clean objects and parts irregularly and with the cavernous surface, which must be treated with special care. Ultrasonic cleaning is widely applied in the automotive industry, machinery manufacturing, weapons, polymer products, chemistry, medicine, jewelry and many other branches.

What should not be done with an ultrasonic bath?

Never place objects directly on the bottom of the tank - ultrasound energy can reverberate from the object and be returned to the transformers, causing damage to the bathroom. Always use the tray or basket, ensuring a 30 mm distance between the bottom of the tank and treated objects. Avoid falls and sudden shocks in the bathroom - this can damage the ultrasonic generator. 

Never turn on the bathroom without liquid in the tank. 

For safety reasons, never use flammable liquids: gasoline, benzene, acetone, etc. 

Do not use the bathroom in places with excessive dust. 

Do not use the ultrasonic bath with high ambient temperatures for a long time. 

Never attempt to clean explosive objects, ammunition, grenades, mines, etc.

Never place animals and other living things inside the bathroom.

[lazorbeanz]

Late night

Unbreakable Bond

Headcanons #2

🔵 Tails: “Sonic I’m home! I- why are there 2 dozen carrots hanging from the ceiling-

Sonic: 🎶24 CARROTS IN THE AIIIIIIRRRRRRRR!!!!!!🎶

🟠 Team Sonic at the dinner table:

Tails: *happily is chewing food*

Knuckles: “dude, stop chewing yo food so fkn loud”

Tails: :(

Sonic: “LEAVE THE LIL GUY ALONE”

🔵 In their free time, Sonic takes Tails out to do an escape room together, just to let his little brother go flat out detective mode…he takes them very seriously (he’ll even dress up to fit the occasion).

Sonic doesn’t really know what to do 99% of the time, he just enjoys seeing the kit having so much fun cracking codes and solving riddles and puzzles. He usually stands back so not to interfere with the young Sherlock Holmes, but he constantly insists he be his sidekick, saying how “every detective needs their sidekick”…oh how the roles have reversed

They usually complete them within 20 minutes (tho no doubt he could get them done much faster if he wanted too)..but the joy painted on Tails’ face after..a sign of accomplishment he was feeling. Sonic could tell he felt like the happiest fox in the world…and he probably was!

🟠 An angry Tails storming into the living room where Sonic is sitting: “TELL ME WHY-“

Sonic: 🎶ain’t nothin’ but a heartacheeee🎶

🔵 Despite being a spikeball himself, Sonic hates needles

🟠 Sonic takes Tails with him to hot regions because he’s a perfect portable fan

🔵 Sonic skids n slides around on tiled floors in his socks. If unlucky, he’ll end up hurling himself into a wall at rapid speed.

(CONCUSSION 👏)

Tails will hear the commotion and start hollering from wherever he’s at,

“DOWN!”

“..1”

“..2”

“..3…”

Counting up like in the M&S Olympic game boxing matches lmao

Then screams “KNOCKOUT!!” If he’s not up once he’s counted to 10

[lazorbeanz]

*sonic and amy meeting up with tails in his workshop*

Tails the moment they put a foot in the door: *switches on the stereo*

🎶can you feel the sunshine?🎶

Tails: well I definitely can

Sonic: really?

Tails: oough it’s a bit bright in that direction *points at them*

Sonic: Tails…

Tails: say, when did it get so warm in here-

Sonic: OH SHUT UP!!

[lazorbeanz]

Late Night

Unbreakable Bond

Headcanons and indirect quotes :p #4

🔶 Tails: You ready for tomorrow’s history test?

Sonic: Yea

Tails: What ended in 1896?

Sonic: 1895

Tails: Yea you ready…

🔷 Tails: So, who did ya learn about today?

Sonic: Errr some guy called ‘Martha Luker King Jr.’

Tails: *tryna hold it together* u-uhm okay…and what did he do?

Sonic: *with all confidence* He died for our sins…

Tails: Wait no that’s- *wheeze*

🔶 Sonic singing along the Chorus of Speed Life (he doesn’t know French): 🎶“Something something speed life…SOMEBODY’S WATCHING MEEEEEE”🎶

🔷 Sonic and Tails have this challenge they do at karaoke nights where they attempt to sing a song that’s not in English, which really just ends up as a big laughing fest as they fail miserably. Sonic tries to make up for it by dancing to the music (cuz mind you, it’s catchy) but his legs turn into spaghetti from his fit, and faceplants onto the floor. Tails attempts to help him up but his knees do a funny and falls on top of him, leaving the brothers immobile and gasping for air.

🔶 Sonic: is the pink panther a lion?

Tails: say that again but slower

Sonic: I don’t get??

Tails: he’s the pink PANTHER

Sonic: okay?? But is he a lion?

Tails: 🤦..*grabs the landline phone* hello is this the brain replacement store-

🔷 The brothers have a war going on in their Snapchat stories, where they would steal awkward pics of each other…whether that’s Sonic eating a really messy chilidog or tails after an experiment gone horribly wrong, with the caption being like ‘look at this loser lol’ or something meme related…yes they turn each other into memes

🔶 Sonic would randomly decide to attach tails to a lead every now and then to see his reaction, which at first was pretty vicious, but now he’s just like “rlly bro? -_-” but either one would send Sonic in hysterics

🔷 Tails: hey Sonic, what word starts with “f” and ends with “u c k?”

Sonic: Fu- WAIT TAILS NO-

Tails: it’s firetruck! 😊 uhh sonic?

*cue sonic getting carted away in an ambulance…i think he stopped breathing*

🔶 Since Sonic doesn’t give a toss, tails would somewhat keep an eye out on his brother’s quill care (you could say Amy has talked to Tails about the matter) so after heaps of reasoning and the last resort - the cute fox eyes, Sonic reluctantly gives in to letting his younger brother brush his quills for the first time. It’d go down something like this…

Tails: one~

Sonic: ow-

Tails: two~

Sonic: OWWW…how many of these (brush strokes) do we have to do?!

Tails: like a thousand or something…thre-

Sonic: AAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEE!!!!🦅🦅🦅

ANOTHER LIFE IN THE DREAMHOUSE REFERENCE IM SORRY IM SORRY-

🔷 Tails was so sleep deprived that he almost mistook liquid petroleum for coffee one morning (somehow)

🔶 Tails loves planes…in all forms…and THAT INCLUDES the one used to be fed…

Sonic: Tails, you are 8 years old, with an IQ of about 300…and you still want me to do…this?

Tails: b-but…aeroplaneee 🥺

Happy wholesome Wednesday!

Whilst you’re here, we have an Unbreakable Bond Discord server out for all you folks who love the brothers just as much as us! 💙💛 It’s a totally chill place where we can chat, share art or fics, and most importantly, hyperfixate over that hog and fox duo we love so much! (There’s even a place for boops!)

Created by @suzienightsky ✨ If you’re keen on joining, flick her a DM and she’ll give you an invite.

Sorry for the ad lmao

[lazorbeanz]

Why did I first read this in rouge and shadow’s voices

[lazorbeanz]

💙: gimme kiss

🩷: *smiles b4 shaking her head no*

💙: see how you responded? Not very respectful, not cutesy, not demure…

🩷: *almost about to burst out laughing* is that so?

(He gets his kiss in the end)

[beevean]

Opinion: How could Sonamy progress in IDW?

[note: the original article was written in Spanish by @latin-dr-robotnik​]

Today we’re going to discuss a recurring topic on my blog, with a more complete perspective.

Today’s article was inspired by an ask I got a few days ago about my possible perspective on the future of IDW Sonamy. I thought it would be interesting to revisit and expand this topic, because it’s still something of great interest for thousands of fans all around the world, and because SEGA has recently adopted a very peculiar position on the couple and their dynamic. As I detailed on my article SEGA and its most recent Sonamy side – more canon than ever, the dynamic has been going through a shift that can be distinguished into two main parts: 1) the commercial potential of Sonamy as a merchandising and marketing icon; 2) the stability of the interactions in the comics, in the short monthly stories on Sonic Channel, and so on.

That being said, there’s no need to mention that we’re going to focus entirely and nothing more than on this ship. I usually suggest other articles for those who prefer to read on other subjects, but today I will recommend our Discord server [translator’s note: the server is mainly Spanish-speaking], where discussions about ships are limited on their own canal that is separated from other themes: general discussions, music, fangames and mods, fanfics, fanart and even gaming in general. As you know, if you want to bring something else to our community, or just avoid talking about Sonamy, you’re more than welcome to join. Now, back on track.

What’s going on with Sonamy in IDW?

To recap what’s happened in these last months: Sonic and his friends finally got through the nightmare that was the Metal Virus, he and Amy hugged a few times, and since very recently they’ve been involved in a short arc about Chao races in Twinkle Park Zone, with a sinister background. In these last months after the eradication of the virus, there have been much closer and warmer interactions between our two hedgehogs, and I suspect that part of this is what inspired that question in the first place: what’s going on?

As I commented in the article where I proposed that Sonamy is “more canon than ever” (I know that it’s an exaggeration, that was the point), SEGA is treading carefully and the main canon seems to be willing to negotiate a more open representation of the relationship between the two in their different continuities, from best friends to something more. What I did not expect to happen was reading an answer from Evan Stanley (artist and writer that replaces Ian Flynn) about their dynamic, summing it up with “they like each other”.

The redrawing of Sonic’s expression when Amy hugs him in a recent drawing of hers made people wonder if this was yet another example of SEGA’s “censoring” (comparison below), to which Evan answered that it was modified to keep Sonic in character: he’s a guy that does not show much emotional vulnerability or too many negative emotions, and this is why sometimes the artists have to adjust WIPs to keep in line with this official point of view. Evan assured that this is not any kind of confirmation that Sonic does not like Amy, and doubles down by highlighting that in the official material, in the wikis and on Sonic Channel they show that, and I quote: “They like each other, but Sonic just isn’t the kind of guy who is going to make goo-goo eyes at Amy or perform grand acts of romance. If you wanna see that, that’s what fan works are for.”

And Evan’s words are a great way to sum up what’s going on with IDW Sonic right now. When it comes to interactions, they’re working with two characters who deep down “like each other”, but both show it in their own way. Amy is much more proactive when it comes to express her feelings, while Sonic only sometimes shows a glimpse of his feelings, with a smile or a small gesture. But at the end of the day they’re still friends and, depending on the situation, the comic can focus more or less on these details.

Comparison between the first sketch showed by Evan and the final product. The modification of the expression was minimal: Sonic’s slight blush was changed into a smile, maybe being a little overwhelmed by the gesture of affection.

The “progression” of the dynamic in the future

A good part of the answer to this question is based on my idea that right now, when it comes to Sonamy, we reached some kind of comfortable plateau. What am I referring to? To the fact that there have been a lot of varied interactions in these last 3 years of the comic, and they’re everything I could have asked for and then some. When we talk about Sonamy in canon, as Evan said, we don’t tend to hope for great romantic gestures from Sonic, we barely even ask for a look that hints that they understand each other beyond what it seems at first glance, so the fact that the IDW continuity is betting so much on this ship is basically a dream come true. For this reason, I don’t think things will change much in the future.

If I have to make a prediction on Sonamy’s future in IDW, I believe that there are still a lot of possibilities that our known writers (and maybe new writers!) could explore more, to see what makes this dynamic work so well. Actually, about 10 years ago, Ian Flynn wrote that if they could take advantage of the abilities and similarities between the two characters as adventurous spirits and with a strong moral sense, they would be “like poetry in motion”. This largely happens in IDW Sonic if you look carefully, but there are always new stories to tell and opportunities for them to work together and explore a bit more their strong bond, stronger than other friendships that they share. When the next major arc comes (which seems to be getting closer), they could explore aspects of their dynamic that are slightly more experimental, like being separated for extended periods of time and under dangerous situations… as long as they don’t turn it into a painful experience like the Metal Virus arc.

What Ian Flynn wrote about Sonamy, what works and what doesn’t. This was written in 2011, when Archie Sonic was still the major comic continuity, and when, according to Ian, Sonic was still “tied” to Sally Acord, leaving little room to the writers’ opinions.

The reality is that I see a stable future for the dynamic in the IDW universe. Sonamy is not fit for a lot of drama (fights, breaking up, etc.) without feeling forced or completely out of place, and only fanfics and fanart could be capable of capitalizing on this kind of content. On the other hand, for reasons I detailed in past articles, SEGA would not dare to alter the established order of the dynamic, let alone new that they managed to recover and maintain control over the ways Sonamy is being portrayed everywhere. SEGA won’t pull a Dragon Prince, which ended up confirming the main ship and then they made them go through a crisis and break up in a heartwrenching way in the graphic novel that acts as a bridge between season 3 and 4.

In short

The future of IDW Sonamy is looking bright and stable. I don’t think there will be serious changes to what we’re experiencing right now, and this is why both Evan Stanley and Ian Flynn agree that the dynamic is practically in the perfect place, keeping in line to how SEGA wants them to be represented together. This means we won’t see more affectionate gestures than what we’re seeing now (I doubt we’ll ever see again Sonic offering Amy a rose like in Sonic X), but it also means that we have now a solid basis for our expectations. In the now old IDW Sonic #2, Sonic and Amy had the chance of seriously talking a bit about what they thought of each other, with Sonic being determined to keep living life his own way (although he wouldn’t mind Amy to accompany him… or even suggesting himself that she could come), and Amy being determined to respect his way of life, because that’s what she loves about him, and she doesn’t want him to change. Since then, all we have seen and we’ll keep seeing in the comic is a consequence of this key moment; the two philosophies that they have and they share, in a constant back-and-forth with some tense moments and some cute moments.

An interesting detail that wasn’t included in the ask and that makes me think is the possibility that all of this will feature in the games as well. This is a completely different matter for another day, but I like to think that there is the possibility that we’ll see SEGA being more interested in inserting more Sonamy in the games, even if in an indirect way like in Sonic Unleashed and its emotional support, especially if the rumors that we’re about to get a soft-reboot are true. Romance is not something Sonic games are famous for doing well… at all, but that doesn’t mean it would be a bad idea to add a little sprinkle of IDW Sonamy in the mix.

And finally, I think I’ve talked enough about this topic, As you know, we’re waiting for some news, and I hope we’ll see each other again here or on our Discord. We’ll see if on this 25th something interesting happens. In any case, see you next time!

The moment that shaped the present and future of their entire relationship, 3 years ago.