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Hey guys!
Welcome back to Top 10 Nerd, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey.
Sonic Mania Adventures is the latest Sonic animation to grace Sonic fans, and it’s
quickly gaining steam.
But I’m willing to bet a bunch of you don’t know a damn thing about it, especially since
it’s quite new.
So, today I’ll get you up to date on the show so you can catch up and get watching!
We’re only 2 episodes deep so far, so plenty of time to catch up!
If you finish this and want more, check out our video on the Top 10 Sonic Cameos next!
But first, get ready, it’s time for the Top 10 Facts You Need to Know about Sonic
Mania Adventures!
Number 10: There’s no dialogue.
One thing that has some people hating on the series is the lack of dialogue.
It plays as more of a silent short film, with tons of physical humor and sound effects.
Like if Charlie Chaplin was really fast and chased by an evil genius, this would be it.
Personally, I really like it, and almost prefer it over some other Sonic shows, since it doesn’t
take itself seriously.
Plus this will let it work across cultures, without needing to translate it.
PLUS, let’s be real, the dialogue in Sonic is not exactly the most inspired anyway.
But the biggest reason most people have no problem with the dialogue is…
Number 9: The music’s Bomb.
The music by Tee Lopes is, in my opinion, damn near perfect for this series.
As in silent films, the music in this series is hugely important in setting the tone of
each scene, and it’s done really well.
It’s like a mix of classic video game music and modern Sonic tunes.
So good.
Number 8: They’re only 3 minutes long.
When I call this a series of shorts, I mean it.
Each video is only 3 minutes long, with about 1 minute being taken up by the credits.
It sounds pretty horrid, but this actually isn’t too bad, since without all the dialogue
you can just make a super streamlined animation where it’s all about the action and story.
However, it does have a lot of fans a little annoyed; it’s kind of anticlimactic waiting
so long for another 3 minutes of entertainment.
And it’s made even worse because…
Number 7: They’re released monthly.
This is one thing that is kind of grinding some fans the wrong way.
These shorts might be more acceptable if they were a weekly thing, 3 minutes a week is totally
fine.
I’d also understand if they were being animated month by month, but from what I could tell,
that’s not the case.
I’m not really sure why they decided to draw it out so much, but it might have something
to do with our next point…
Number 6: There will be only 5.
Here’s something that might be super disappointing to anyone who saw this as the great return
of Sonic onto the screen.
There are only 5 shorts planned, with two having already been shown.
Now look, I get that they’re being released for free on YouTube, so as beggars, we can’t
really be choosers.
But 5 3 minute episodes, over 5 months is almost insulting.
It’s pretty clearly a PR tool, trying to keep people engaged, and as advertisements
go it’s an entertaining one, but hopefully, there’s more to it than this.
Number 5: It’s written and directed by Tyson Hesse!
While this series is being produced by SEGA, it’s very much the brainchild of Tyson Hesse.
He directed it and did the art, which is damn impressive.
Especially given his amazing rise from independent webcomic artist to a well-known name in Sonic,
working on both the Archie comics and later IDW’s Sonic series.
And now with this, it’s great to see him at the helm of what’s looking to be a pretty
successful project.
Number 4: It’s in 2D.
Considering the significant upheaval that’s happened in the wake of the less-than-stellar
3D installments in both games and TV, this might be a relief to certain Sonic fans.
Now, I’m not sure the 3rd dimension is the aspect that killed Sonic 06 and the other
3D travesties, but given the number of fans calling for more 2D Sonic, this will be good
news for many.
Number 3: There's merch!
Here's the part where it sounds like they're paying me even though they're not.
If you guys do enjoy the series, or you know people who do, you can get exclusive merch
at shop.sega.com.
Not all the merch is available in every country, but if you're interested, definitely check
it out.
And SEGA, if you ARE looking to sponsor someone, my soul's been dead since I did "Hottest Sonic
Characters Part 2" so I'm down for anything.
Number 2: It's a continuation of Sonic Mania.
Since the style of this series is vastly different from Sonic Mania, many first time viewers
were assuming that it would be a standalone branch out of the series.
But nope, despite all the differences, this is actually a continuation, picking up just
following the ending of Sonic Forces.
I haven’t actually been able to figure out for sure if it’s canon or not, but many
of the fans seem to think so since there are all sorts of people in the comment section
using the shorts to explain many things in Sonic Mania.
Number 1: It feels like a game.
This might sound kind of weak for a “Fact”, but if you’ve seen the shorts, hopefully,
you’ll know what I mean.
Sonic shows and comics tend to feel kind of different from the games.
They’re still Sonic, they’re still telling similar stories, but it feels like Sonic in
a new world.
But in these shorts, through the lack of dialogue, and the game-inspired music, and the level-like
episodes, Sonic Mania Adventures is honestly the Sonic show that most feel like a classic
Sonic game to me.
And I dig it.
That’s it for today!
Hope you guys enjoyed if you did please smack that thumbs up button and subscribe to Top
10 Nerd for more videos!
Let me know what YOUR favorite Sonic show is, and also let me know which one YOU think
feels almost like a game!
I’m interested in you to hear thoughts.
And if you want a sweet playlist to watch so you can just relax and let the nerdiness
wash over you, check out our Top 10 Alternate Versions playlist on the channel!
Until next time, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey with Top 10 nerd.
Later nerds!