Let's all be honest here, the absolute biggest winner of this 3-parter has actually been Maria; she had practically zero meaningful screentime in the entire series until now, and these three episodes have quite frankly done more to fleshing out her character than SA2 and Shadow the Game ever did *_combined._* I have genuinely never felt equal parts fonder of her and sadder for her loss than now, and I really couldn't have asked for a better glow-up of her. Thank you Mr Flynn. 😢
I feel you. I’ve never once before had this feeling of sadness, like, bring her back, please 😭 I know they can’t and it would take away from shadows story. But. That’s how you know it was some damn good writing
In one of Eggman’s Egg Memos in Sonic Frontiers, he mentioned that everyone in his family spoke of Maria as someone very special, so now it makes sense why they held her in such a high regard, and it truly makes Shadow and Professor Gerald’s pain and anger when she was killed all the more understandable.
@@SonicAndre2 Even Commander Abraham resented Shadow back in his game for being the reason why the people he cared about aboard the ARK, especially Maria, were killed by GUN -- sheer irony of the matter notwithstanding. It's just really nice to finally be able to feel what all these people liked about Maria.
The song lyrics are so freaking sad, "So I pretend that I'll see you again and that I'll save you from all the things I failed to" ... bro is never going to escape the pain.
Tbf that's just how grieving works especially with survivors guilt. It could last a week, few months or forever. I wish they showed this more during shadows stories in the past but I'm glad we're getting it here.
i think i'm fine with Omega being comic relief in these animations just because the humor comes from him just wanting to destroy everything and damn does he look cool doing it
Comedy Relief Badassess are always some of the best. I mean, how much stronger does it feel when the character seems to think everything is simple and light enough to make jokes and call 'dibs' compared to just being serious? Plus being comedic while strong is just fun and underused.
The ending is sung by CASEY LEE WILLIAMS, who is most well known for the RWBY soundtrack. She's sung for sonic before in the Sonic Symphonies, but this is the first original song shes sung for sonic.
She now officially has sung about an emotional song of a character losing a family member. Both have red and black colors. Are known for being fast and both are considered biological weapons.
@@thewes77 fuuuuuuuck no wonder it sounded familiar. I listened to it for a second and thought “wait, didnt this artist do i burn and armed and ready?” Yes i know those are yang songs, sue me.
Having Casey Lee Williams doing a song for Sonic was something I always dreamed of growing up, but never thought I’d see it happen. Young me is so happy right now.
They sure did… This is easily the best episode so far. Animation and looks as always are incredible, the action is just mind blowing. Sweet to see more Rouge and Omega and even Abe gun commander as an adult, plus another returning boss from shadow game. I was not expecting that emotional send off with shadow thinking back to the past and imagining being with Maria. Really got me emotional, can’t describe how grateful and happy I am as a shadow fan, this short prologue series has been incredible. Can’t wait to continue the rest of the story. 🖤❤️
I watched this on my own and cried. I watched Fadel’s reaction and cried. I watched this reaction and cried. They had no reason to go this hard. Ian said on Twitter early he teared up writing it and if this is just the animation then what the fuck is this man and the team gonna do with the actual game? My god.
To be fair Amy didn't technically managed to talk down Shadow in SA2 - a memory flashback of Maria triggered by her actions did. Shadow simply remembered that Maria wouldn't be okay with what was happening.
@@Ghostel3591 Counterpoint: Shadow explicitly says, "I've gotta go now! I have to keep my promise to Maria... and you", so Amy herself definitely had some sort of impact on him.
@@wakkaseta8351 oh, yes. But you can also say that he decided to keep promise to Amy due to just being thankful. You know common courtesy in return for helping with important stuff, Maria did no rise no gentleman.
I think Abraham Tower was voiced by Roger Craig Smith as he’s the only voice within the credits that wasn’t Kirk or Rouge’s actor. This is observation however but it also sounds like a very serious Roger voice.
Didn’t really think a whole lot about the whole series, but at then end when they had Shadow actually show some emotion with that vocal track… man… yea that part was pretty good
Wait I just realized that space colony ark act 1 must be him going to the actual ark, at the end of this animation, then was teleported to white space at the end of the stage, which must be why he wasn’t at the birthday party.
I love that now that Shadow has found a home on Earth, with friends around him, he's going back to the Ark where it all began. I can't wait to see where they take my favorite hedgehog in the game. I really want to see him at Sonic's birthday party.
I'm pretty sure this episode explains why he wasn't there back in the original game. At the start of Generations, Shadows will be arriving at the arc, while below, Sonic's birthday party will be interrupted.
It's funny how sonic can so easily shift from being goofy and silly to being dark and serious and neither feels completely out of place. Sure, serious hasn't always worked like 06 and forces, but when done well it does feel good. Shadow may be a meme half the time for how edgy he is but damn, when the right person is writing for him and giving him the proper attention, understanding what the character is and how he should be, he's without a doubt the most interesting character in the franchise and absolutely one of the best. I hope they continue to do him justice in the future. And god damn am I looking forward to that movie.
Is it ridiculous to give cartoon animal characters such deep emotions and intense scenes? Absolutely not! This is exactly what hooked me on this series from the start, and why I’ll never let it go. The raw emotion in these characters is so real, and the fact that they’re not human makes it even more special. Honestly, I find cartoon characters way more memorable. The amount of dedication and passion behind this is remarkable, and anyone who writes it off as just a “cartoon about colorful animals” is seriously missing out. I’m just hoping for even more of this brilliance in the future!
@@GideonHannsz-ht3qm I mean there are lots of wholesome furry content too but yeah. Good writing (in all its many forms) transcends character species :).
Holy Crap! The mad lads actually did it, I had a feeling from the prior episodes but they actually did it! They fixed Shadow! He is finally the character I (and I hope a lot of people) have missed for years! Shadow has growth and depth again, instead of being just "evil, edgy Sonic". He's protecting people, fighting to save the world, respects his allies but isnt always open about it, and they even added to his character with him not mourning Maria but missing her, and still thinking about what could have been. I'll admit Jason will always be my "preferred voice of shadow" but this version of shadow is worthy to be the Shadow we used to see. Good job Sega, and fabulous job to EVERYONE who worked this.
I love that, every once in a while, Sega reminds us that Sonic is actually cool. Really awesome to see them revisit one of the best storylines in the Sonic continuity.
It's only now that I realize it's been almost 20 years since Shadow last stepped foot aboard the ARK. Whatever gaps remain in his lore might finally be filled with this game.
This whole episode, how confident (fearless if you will) Shadow was about fighting GUN, how scary he looked once he reached the cockpit, the angle on Omega’s gattling gun, Shadow about to break down by just remembering beautiful moments with Maria… There’s only one word I can find to call this: Raw.
1:54 Shadow gave up killing once he regained his memories after shadow the hedgehog 2005. He remembered the promise he made to Maria. In other words, it's Sega's excuse to make Shadow a but more kid friendly by giving him a no kill rule.
Honestly all of this character development for Shadow and Maria feels like I am dreaming, I had totally resigned myself to the fact that after Sonic 06, Shadow was going to be a one dimensional cutout of himself meant to be revealed to get extra buys from Sonic games and views for Sonic TV shows... I just still cant believe they are getting Shadow so right, that Sega actually LISTENED TO THE FANS and gave us what we wanted
Genuinely curious how much a full series like this / the knuckles animation would cost to make... It's obviously within the marketing budget for the shorts, but this animation is an excellent output from the spending that sells the game and franchise as a whole.
Oh Shadow. I really hope Shadow Generations gives him the closure he needs. The way Kirk delivers the line "stop it. That life was taken from me long ago." Was heartbreaking. He sounds so tired.
This short had the drama, stakes and characterization I'd been missing since I was a kid playing Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 for the first time. I hope they keep it up. It's what made me like the games in the first place.
Unleashed, Secret Rings and Black Knight are very similar to the adventure games in terms of characterization and stakes, and Riders, Heroes and Zero Gravity have good stories even though it's very simple.
Whats this... sonic characters displaying... EMOTION??? I dunno who is now coaching SEGA but it seems their eyes have finally opened that this series is not nor was it ever only for kids
I’m glad you said not ONLY for kids, there are some people who think sonic is just straight up not for kids 😂. It can and should be for everyone to enjoy
@@agentofchaos7198 good adventure series are interesting to all ages. There is a reason WHY something like "My Little Pony: FiM" which is supposed to be laser focused on one demographic (little girls) got so popular with everyone instead. Because it had characters, story, world building and even 80-90-2000s pop culture references - as creator of the show said it "I just didn't want fathers watching it with their daughters to suffer.." (and this is why you wouldn't be surprised to see references even to clearly un-girly stuff like "Escape from New York"). Also dumbing down stories for "kids cartoons" is simply an insult to their inteligence. Kids are not stupid, they are inexperienced - so make a new experience to be good and interesting!
"I do Love how they Made Omega Kinda the Comedy Relief...I don't know how other People Feel about it..." Are you Kidding me?! This is how Omega was Always Supposed to be Since Sonic Heroes, but every Main Series Game Afterward made him the Generic Robot Companion! As an Omega Enjoyer, Do you know how Long I've been Waiting for this?! (Not Long, really, I've only became a Sonic Fan a few Years ago, and only Sparse Knowledge of the Franchise beforehand Thanks to my Sisters Playing the Games.)
My only issues (nitpicks really) are that "I call dibs" was already used last episode, and I'd like to see more varied dialogue and he seemed more bummed about not destroying a GUN robot than he was about not getting the kill on an Eggman robot, which feels backwards. But still am loving seeing Omega on screen, doing things and being himself. So good to see.
Given that Ian Flynn was behind the animation's writing, it feels like he gave Omega back the comedic parts he had from Archie before the lawsuits happened.
@@WolforNuva Yeah, they could've at Least Added to the Line. Eh, to be Fair, we didn't get to see Anything from Omega's Point of View After the Fight, we were Just Focusing on Rouge Backstabbing her Boss, and Putting Shadow in Harm's way Just for a Laugh. To be Honest, I may have overselled my Enthusiasm for Omega being Written this Way, I Really Liked the way he was Portrayed in Team Sonic Racing, His Personality is Kinda Hard for me to Describe, He has Human Like Reaction to Things, but Says them in a way a Robot would say them, with the Added Touch of him Wanting to Destroy Everyone, in Classic Omega Fashion. You can Listen to his Voice Lines Here if you Want : th-cam.com/video/bRp8FT69_GY/w-d-xo.html My Personal Favorites are "Who's the Fastest Robot Now, Metal Sonic!?" "Noted: Chao is Little and Vicious," "Classifying Silver as a Doofus," and "Decrease your Failure Ratio Blaze!" Just to Name a Few.
I love how expressive how Rouge was when she worried about shadow getting shot down. Then how expressive shadow was thinking about Maria. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that expressive at least not in the games or shows idk about the comics. I LOVE Omega as the comic relief character I’m a sucker for characters who can be cool af and funny at the same time.
Definitely Shadow's part of the game starts straight into Ark act 1, the one we've seen have Doom show up in the long hallway and transition to the messed up city scape and then probably time eater sends them all to white space at the end of that
This mini-series was literally everything I ever could’ve asked for. I’m right there with you for an official series in this style too, Choc. And Sega, I swear to God, if you somehow find a way to give Maria and Gerald back to Shadow, you will once again forever have my unyielding support and love. So excited for Sonic X Shadow Generations, it’s gonna be AWESOME!!!!
Hey, Choctopus. So, yesterday the official Sonic The Hedgehog YT Channel just uploaded the Full Animation of the SXSG Dark Beginnings Prologue, along with a Bonus Ending added in.
One thing to note is those scenes of Shadow and Maria aren’t flashbacks, the two of them never got to be on earth together. They’re flashes of what could’ve (and should’ve) been, probably brought on by the same thing that gave him the nightmare in episode 1. My bet is that larvae from episode 2 has been alive this whole time, except now it’s grown into Black Doom himself since they’re a hive mine species. Since Shadow is technically part of the hive mind Black Doom has the ability to mess with him.
I love Shadow. I freaking love Shadow. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for antiheroes, and Shadow is one of the most incredible antiheroes out there. I love how the approach they used for Shadow's PTSD; showing the impact Maria had on him, and the weight the memories have on him. Seriously cannot wait for your playthrough, it cannot come fast enough. The year of Shadow is an awesome one indeed. 👍👍👍
4:36 when I realized where they were going with the topic...I admit, a couple of tears came out; it hurt when shadow said "stop it" bro💔. Everyone is asking for more minutes in the videos, but I think it's good, because it makes us appreciate every detail, how Shadow emits the pain in his voice, the action scenes etc, god, thank you team sega, and those who animated this💗💗
I like how Shadow puts in the effort to save that pilot who was attempting to eject.
Pure character development right there.
Reminds me of the first Iron Man movie.
"Thanks for not killing me!"
@@aykh1705 That was my first thought too lol
Only for Omni-Man to show up and finish him off anyways
Shadow specifically saved that G.U.N. pilot. The handle the pilot was pulling on was the eject handle, and it was stuck.
I love the detail of the episodes combining with each other.
"Shadow and Maria Finding the Way To the Ark"
That was so genius of them; I didn't even catch that 😱😭
when i saw the episode list i read it like a full sentence. god it fits so well with the theme.
Shadow is officially a kill stealer. Omega called dibs 😔
He even looked at shadow this time as if he was telling him directly *do not steal my kill* 😂
Commander Abraham Tower and Omega are voiced by Roger Craig Smith. Yes, the same guy as Sonic
i thought abraham sounded familiar lol
RCS is probably using his Batman voice for this.
He sounds damn good at Abe honestly. I wouldn’t mind if that’s just who plays him in future.
@@fujinshu Yeah he is
@@fujinshu Nah, it more sounds like his voice as Kale Vandelay from Hi-fi Rush
Let's all be honest here, the absolute biggest winner of this 3-parter has actually been Maria; she had practically zero meaningful screentime in the entire series until now, and these three episodes have quite frankly done more to fleshing out her character than SA2 and Shadow the Game ever did *_combined._*
I have genuinely never felt equal parts fonder of her and sadder for her loss than now, and I really couldn't have asked for a better glow-up of her. Thank you Mr Flynn. 😢
No ita not
I feel you. I’ve never once before had this feeling of sadness, like, bring her back, please 😭 I know they can’t and it would take away from shadows story. But. That’s how you know it was some damn good writing
In one of Eggman’s Egg Memos in Sonic Frontiers, he mentioned that everyone in his family spoke of Maria as someone very special, so now it makes sense why they held her in such a high regard, and it truly makes Shadow and Professor Gerald’s pain and anger when she was killed all the more understandable.
@@SonicAndre2
Even Commander Abraham resented Shadow back in his game for being the reason why the people he cared about aboard the ARK, especially Maria, were killed by GUN -- sheer irony of the matter notwithstanding.
It's just really nice to finally be able to feel what all these people liked about Maria.
The song lyrics are so freaking sad, "So I pretend that I'll see you again and that I'll save you from all the things I failed to" ... bro is never going to escape the pain.
No he can’t it’s so freaking sad
Tbf that's just how grieving works especially with survivors guilt. It could last a week, few months or forever. I wish they showed this more during shadows stories in the past but I'm glad we're getting it here.
i think i'm fine with Omega being comic relief in these animations just because the humor comes from him just wanting to destroy everything and damn does he look cool doing it
He’s kind of always been comic relief, like his introduction is to just yell and shoot things lol.
I can accept it because these are SO FREAKING SHORT but I hope they don't make that all his dialogue from now on
@@frickerrific2813if it ain't broke, Omega calls dibs
He’s always been that way
Comedy Relief Badassess are always some of the best. I mean, how much stronger does it feel when the character seems to think everything is simple and light enough to make jokes and call 'dibs' compared to just being serious? Plus being comedic while strong is just fun and underused.
seeing shadow holding tears got me fucked up
those are not tears, that's anxiety
@@eldiegoetc9257 both
@@eldiegoetc9257 His lip was quivering if you look closely
It was like tears and panic attack rolled into one, a face he'd never make in front of another living person
Real
The ending is sung by CASEY LEE WILLIAMS, who is most well known for the RWBY soundtrack. She's sung for sonic before in the Sonic Symphonies, but this is the first original song shes sung for sonic.
I knew that voice sounded familiar!
She now officially has sung about an emotional song of a character losing a family member.
Both have red and black colors. Are known for being fast and both are considered biological weapons.
@@fluffkit235 KILL LA KILL?!
@@thewes77 fuuuuuuuck no wonder it sounded familiar. I listened to it for a second and thought “wait, didnt this artist do i burn and armed and ready?”
Yes i know those are yang songs, sue me.
@@fujinshu No. Ruby Rose.
8:44 “I wonder who’s voicing him? Sounds familiar”
So who’s gonna tell him?
I didnt recognise that its roger AT ALL
8:44 Abe is voiced by Roger Craig Smith who is the current voice actor for sonic, he’s been in tons of other stuff as well
I WAS WONDERING WHY HE SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE AA!STEVE ROGERS LMAOFOS
He definitely sounds a bit like Batman.
@@fujinshu That's because he voiced batman too.
he's also voicing Omega now too :)
It sounded a lot like Yoshikage Kira.
Having Casey Lee Williams doing a song for Sonic was something I always dreamed of growing up, but never thought I’d see it happen. Young me is so happy right now.
Ikr!
Was that the guy that made Devil Trigger and Bury the Light?
@@fantasyshadows3207 nope, she was the singer for a LOT of the RWBY soundtrack though
@@vgamer4993 oh
They sure did… This is easily the best episode so far. Animation and looks as always are incredible, the action is just mind blowing. Sweet to see more Rouge and Omega and even Abe gun commander as an adult, plus another returning boss from shadow game. I was not expecting that emotional send off with shadow thinking back to the past and imagining being with Maria. Really got me emotional, can’t describe how grateful and happy I am as a shadow fan, this short prologue series has been incredible. Can’t wait to continue the rest of the story. 🖤❤️
This is the last episode
@@playbossthebest936 pretty sure they were refering to the game story
@@kbrxion5620 "best episode so far" sounded as if there were more episodes to see
Even as a fan since Sonic 2, this is the first time in this franchise's history I almost cried.
Shit was beautiful man 🥲
This is 100% me
I'm say it SEGA needs to give Silver this treatment one day. They did him so dirty with 06. These shorts really have given Shadow more love.
06 did the entire franchise dirty.
@@FinallyAlone team dark was great in it tho
@@squee-g1658yea your right about that Sonic 06 did team dark very good.
Shadow was done so well in that game
@@ChillyDogs37true
You can call sonic 06 shadow the hedgehog 2 because of how much he influenced the event of
The game
Anti-air turret: "Finally! My time to shine has come! Prepare to fall, yo-"
ALL FORCES - STAND DOWN
Anti-air turret: "DAMN IT"
"Oh look, a civilian airliner."
@@derekstryder2281 When I first saw that turret, this was literally the only thing I could think of, and it was fucking sending me.
@@derekstryder2281That’s exactly what i was thinking.
Abraham Tower was his name in the Archie comics. He was never named in the games. Glad to see they are going with that name though.
When I saw the Blue Falcon again, my smile came to light. I loved that machine, the Particle Beam Cannon and its purpose.
Same, loved the touch with the Particle Beam Cannon shot!
They should genuinely make a series out of this. And I mean a Shadow-only series in general, obviously this is for the upcoming game.
Once again “I CALL DIBS”
I can’t believe Shadow is a dirty kill-stealer. No respect for the game these days.
Halo announcer: "YOINK"
Omega: *_"WORTHLESS CONSUMER MODELS!"_*
Flanderizing is a hell of a drug 😭
@@DrChaotix21 Shadow wanted to save that pilot. Omega would've killed him.
I would kill for another sonic anime, if the budget and quality increased this much I would love to see one so much
The biggest takeaway from these is that Roger is really good as Omega and Abe.
Omega's personaliy this series is just "I call dibs"
And I love it
Let my boy destroy shit dammit
I watched this on my own and cried. I watched Fadel’s reaction and cried. I watched this reaction and cried. They had no reason to go this hard. Ian said on Twitter early he teared up writing it and if this is just the animation then what the fuck is this man and the team gonna do with the actual game? My god.
The Ultimate PTSD/Anxiety aboard that shuttle
I wanna hug him😭😢
That last scene gave me literal goosebumps and made me tear up a little, this was amazing!
"There's only one person who could ever do that"
Yeah, where IS Amy when you actually need her?
At Sonic's birthday party.
To be fair Amy didn't technically managed to talk down Shadow in SA2 - a memory flashback of Maria triggered by her actions did.
Shadow simply remembered that Maria wouldn't be okay with what was happening.
@@Ghostel3591 Counterpoint: Shadow explicitly says, "I've gotta go now! I have to keep my promise to Maria... and you", so Amy herself definitely had some sort of impact on him.
@@wakkaseta8351 oh, yes.
But you can also say that he decided to keep promise to Amy due to just being thankful.
You know common courtesy in return for helping with important stuff, Maria did no rise no gentleman.
That song at the end sounds like something that could play during the credits of this game
That ending song was incredible.
Do you know what is the song?
@@frddyyfezbeer2368 nope.
@@frddyyfezbeer2368 "Without you" by Casey Lee Williams. It's not released yet though, probably part of the game soundtrack.
I think Abraham Tower was voiced by Roger Craig Smith as he’s the only voice within the credits that wasn’t Kirk or Rouge’s actor.
This is observation however but it also sounds like a very serious Roger voice.
He also voiced Omega, so now he plays 3 characters in this series (Sonic/Omega/Abe)
@@innocentzbatTechnically 4 if you count that Cubot Voice Box/The Colors Announcer
@@innocentzbat Who also played Dave the Intern and a few other side characters in Sonic Boom
Roger voiced ezio
Didn’t really think a whole lot about the whole series, but at then end when they had Shadow actually show some emotion with that vocal track… man… yea that part was pretty good
WAIT I JUST REALIZED, SONIC'S BIRTHDAY THAT ROUGE IS TALKING ABOUT IS THE ONE AT THE BEGINNING OF SONIC GENERATIONS
How tf did I not just realized this, it makes so much more sense 😭
Yup, this reveals Shadow wasn't there cause he went to investigate the ark, probably where his story starts in Generations
and it deepens the reason why shadow’s rivalry battle was on the ark in generations, because the dude was already there
Sorry, but wasn't that obvious?
@@vittosphonecollection57289 you have good memory congrats. Generations is an old game, we already forgot details ok?
The mech is the Blue Falcon. You can see it very briefly at 2:33, Guardian Unit of Nation Bule Falcon LZ-12R ARK.
I was thinking I was the only one who saw that. Good catch!👍
Wait I just realized that space colony ark act 1 must be him going to the actual ark, at the end of this animation, then was teleported to white space at the end of the stage, which must be why he wasn’t at the birthday party.
Also explains how he ended up in radical highway! It was the exact moment time eater shenanigans began.
Bro They Cooked With This Episode! We Need A Full Anime NOW SEGA
When I heard Casey Lee Williams on the track I legit started screaming. I've been wanting her on the sonic soundtrack for forever
Roger craig smith (Sonic’s va atm) is Abraham tower the gun commander
"I WANTED TO DESTROY IT" got me
Abraham Tower is the name Ian Flynn gave him in the Archie Comics.
I love that now that Shadow has found a home on Earth, with friends around him, he's going back to the Ark where it all began. I can't wait to see where they take my favorite hedgehog in the game. I really want to see him at Sonic's birthday party.
I'm pretty sure this episode explains why he wasn't there back in the original game. At the start of Generations, Shadows will be arriving at the arc, while below, Sonic's birthday party will be interrupted.
It's funny how sonic can so easily shift from being goofy and silly to being dark and serious and neither feels completely out of place. Sure, serious hasn't always worked like 06 and forces, but when done well it does feel good.
Shadow may be a meme half the time for how edgy he is but damn, when the right person is writing for him and giving him the proper attention, understanding what the character is and how he should be, he's without a doubt the most interesting character in the franchise and absolutely one of the best. I hope they continue to do him justice in the future. And god damn am I looking forward to that movie.
I know that feeling of holding back a cry but seeing Shadow almost break was one of the toughest things to watch.
Is it ridiculous to give cartoon animal characters such deep emotions and intense scenes? Absolutely not! This is exactly what hooked me on this series from the start, and why I’ll never let it go. The raw emotion in these characters is so real, and the fact that they’re not human makes it even more special. Honestly, I find cartoon characters way more memorable. The amount of dedication and passion behind this is remarkable, and anyone who writes it off as just a “cartoon about colorful animals” is seriously missing out. I’m just hoping for even more of this brilliance in the future!
and its not disgusting like furry crap either! its just good writing
@@GideonHannsz-ht3qm I mean there are lots of wholesome furry content too but yeah. Good writing (in all its many forms) transcends character species :).
Holy Crap! The mad lads actually did it, I had a feeling from the prior episodes but they actually did it! They fixed Shadow!
He is finally the character I (and I hope a lot of people) have missed for years! Shadow has growth and depth again, instead of being just "evil, edgy Sonic". He's protecting people, fighting to save the world, respects his allies but isnt always open about it, and they even added to his character with him not mourning Maria but missing her, and still thinking about what could have been.
I'll admit Jason will always be my "preferred voice of shadow" but this version of shadow is worthy to be the Shadow we used to see. Good job Sega, and fabulous job to EVERYONE who worked this.
These shorts did a good job at making me feel upset about Maria’s death compared to other media
all those maria flashes were EPIC
This one is pretty emotional.
Abe kinda sounds like Chris Redfield from Resi 5/6
edit: It is, sonic's VA voiced Redfield Roger Craig Smith.
shadow has more development than the main character i swear💀
Despite barely having any screen time aside from this game
Sonic is a static character, his stories are more about how he inspires and changes others. Any change he goes through will be subtle.
I love that, every once in a while, Sega reminds us that Sonic is actually cool. Really awesome to see them revisit one of the best storylines in the Sonic continuity.
It's only now that I realize it's been almost 20 years since Shadow last stepped foot aboard the ARK. Whatever gaps remain in his lore might finally be filled with this game.
GUN Pilot: **stuck**
Shadow: I gotchu, bro
Such a nice guy
maybe he knew that omega would've killed the guy
@@GideonHannsz-ht3qm That, more importantly
This whole episode, how confident (fearless if you will) Shadow was about fighting GUN, how scary he looked once he reached the cockpit, the angle on Omega’s gattling gun, Shadow about to break down by just remembering beautiful moments with Maria… There’s only one word I can find to call this:
Raw.
SEGA NEEDS to make a brand-new animated series like this on some streaming platform! I’d watch it in a heartbeat!
1:54 Shadow gave up killing once he regained his memories after shadow the hedgehog 2005. He remembered the promise he made to Maria. In other words, it's Sega's excuse to make Shadow a but more kid friendly by giving him a no kill rule.
This might be obvious but I’m thinking the game is going to start with us doing space colony ark and then black doom transports us to the white void
"Theres the moon, still destroyed" you mean still PISSED ON!
Honestly all of this character development for Shadow and Maria feels like I am dreaming, I had totally resigned myself to the fact that after Sonic 06, Shadow was going to be a one dimensional cutout of himself meant to be revealed to get extra buys from Sonic games and views for Sonic TV shows... I just still cant believe they are getting Shadow so right, that Sega actually LISTENED TO THE FANS and gave us what we wanted
Genuinely curious how much a full series like this / the knuckles animation would cost to make... It's obviously within the marketing budget for the shorts, but this animation is an excellent output from the spending that sells the game and franchise as a whole.
Omega looks straight at Shadow as he calls dibs. Cuz Shadow killed the last robot he called dibs on. Lol
"Honestly dude just eject!" ... Yeah about that:
The handle he was pulling was the EJECT HANDLE, and it was stuck. Shadow rescued the man.
Woah, I didn’t even notice that! I just thought the guy was being stubborn😭
Oh Shadow. I really hope Shadow Generations gives him the closure he needs. The way Kirk delivers the line "stop it. That life was taken from me long ago." Was heartbreaking. He sounds so tired.
You are my favorite Shadow channel.
Are they gonna release an extended version of the vocal track that played at the end? Because if so, Imma listen to it on repeat
I’m hoping it’s gonna be the ending song to shadow gen’s…. I hope I hope
Im late to this party but i gotta say I'm genuinely shocked at how amazing this series was
this animation is just PEAK.
They cooked up some chilli dogs.
This short had the drama, stakes and characterization I'd been missing since I was a kid playing Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 for the first time. I hope they keep it up. It's what made me like the games in the first place.
Unleashed, Secret Rings and Black Knight are very similar to the adventure games in terms of characterization and stakes, and Riders, Heroes and Zero Gravity have good stories even though it's very simple.
really hope the song at the end is going to be in the game or at least apart of the soundtrack for the game
Whats this... sonic characters displaying... EMOTION???
I dunno who is now coaching SEGA but it seems their eyes have finally opened that this series is not nor was it ever only for kids
I’m glad you said not ONLY for kids, there are some people who think sonic is just straight up not for kids 😂. It can and should be for everyone to enjoy
@@agentofchaos7198 good adventure series are interesting to all ages.
There is a reason WHY something like "My Little Pony: FiM" which is supposed to be laser focused on one demographic (little girls) got so popular with everyone instead. Because it had characters, story, world building and even 80-90-2000s pop culture references - as creator of the show said it "I just didn't want fathers watching it with their daughters to suffer.." (and this is why you wouldn't be surprised to see references even to clearly un-girly stuff like "Escape from New York").
Also dumbing down stories for "kids cartoons" is simply an insult to their inteligence. Kids are not stupid, they are inexperienced - so make a new experience to be good and interesting!
@@Ghostel3591 that is what makes sonic games(well, most of them) for all ages: there are for everyone to enjoy. Its the secret ingredient
I NEED more of this
8:20 - OH! A commercial airliner!
"I do Love how they Made Omega Kinda the Comedy Relief...I don't know how other People Feel about it..." Are you Kidding me?! This is how Omega was Always Supposed to be Since Sonic Heroes, but every Main Series Game Afterward made him the Generic Robot Companion!
As an Omega Enjoyer, Do you know how Long I've been Waiting for this?! (Not Long, really, I've only became a Sonic Fan a few Years ago, and only Sparse Knowledge of the Franchise beforehand Thanks to my Sisters Playing the Games.)
My only issues (nitpicks really) are that "I call dibs" was already used last episode, and I'd like to see more varied dialogue and he seemed more bummed about not destroying a GUN robot than he was about not getting the kill on an Eggman robot, which feels backwards.
But still am loving seeing Omega on screen, doing things and being himself. So good to see.
Given that Ian Flynn was behind the animation's writing, it feels like he gave Omega back the comedic parts he had from Archie before the lawsuits happened.
@@WolforNuva Yeah, they could've at Least Added to the Line. Eh, to be Fair, we didn't get to see Anything from Omega's Point of View After the Fight, we were Just Focusing on Rouge Backstabbing her Boss, and Putting Shadow in Harm's way Just for a Laugh.
To be Honest, I may have overselled my Enthusiasm for Omega being Written this Way, I Really Liked the way he was Portrayed in Team Sonic Racing, His Personality is Kinda Hard for me to Describe, He has Human Like Reaction to Things, but Says them in a way a Robot would say them, with the Added Touch of him Wanting to Destroy Everyone, in Classic Omega Fashion. You can Listen to his Voice Lines Here if you Want : th-cam.com/video/bRp8FT69_GY/w-d-xo.html My Personal Favorites are "Who's the Fastest Robot Now, Metal Sonic!?" "Noted: Chao is Little and Vicious," "Classifying Silver as a Doofus," and "Decrease your Failure Ratio Blaze!" Just to Name a Few.
I love the touch of the moon having its own rings like Saturn from the debris floating in the gravity’s pull
Sega, if you make this a full series with this level of quality all the way through, you can have my money. All of it.
I love how expressive how Rouge was when she worried about shadow getting shot down. Then how expressive shadow was thinking about Maria. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that expressive at least not in the games or shows idk about the comics. I LOVE Omega as the comic relief character I’m a sucker for characters who can be cool af and funny at the same time.
I said "oh....Shadow" when that Scene happened....
I used to PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS!!! 😭
I need to Update my Audio Equipment
Definitely Shadow's part of the game starts straight into Ark act 1, the one we've seen have Doom show up in the long hallway and transition to the messed up city scape and then probably time eater sends them all to white space at the end of that
I was going to say "aren't they forgetting that Shadow is a GUN agent?", but him just getting "eager" like that makes sense I suppose.
Unfortunately I think that was confirmed to be retconned
Sucks honestly, I'd love for Shadow to be linked to G.U.N., good character development
This mini-series was literally everything I ever could’ve asked for. I’m right there with you for an official series in this style too, Choc. And Sega, I swear to God, if you somehow find a way to give Maria and Gerald back to Shadow, you will once again forever have my unyielding support and love. So excited for Sonic X Shadow Generations, it’s gonna be AWESOME!!!!
Fuck. The animation team for the 3 episodes definitely cooked 🔥👌🤩🔥 really gave me hopium to have full series 😭
Hey, Choctopus. So, yesterday the official Sonic The Hedgehog YT Channel just uploaded the Full Animation of the SXSG Dark Beginnings Prologue, along with a Bonus Ending added in.
i need a whole series of this its incredible
2:44 the guard was trying his best to eject but the lever was stuck, shadow went out of his way to save the guard and set off the eject for him
i'm glad they are bringing G.U.N back. i'm glad they are bringing humans back. and i'm glad Mephiles back to the Sonic franchise
Same.
These animations went harder than they needed to. and I'm so happy they are just playing it straight.
1:31-1:36 It is called the Blue Falcon
2:54 Cool hedgehogs don't look at explosions
duuuude a one hour OVA in this style? i mean c'mon Sega, print that money!
That s the first time I’ve seen shadow smile (I’m also a new sonic fan, so he might’ve smile before this)
This was so peak
they cooked with all the cooking talent of Gordon Ramsey, Giy Fieri, and Remmy fromy Ratatouille
We always love these videos, especially from choc
One thing to note is those scenes of Shadow and Maria aren’t flashbacks, the two of them never got to be on earth together. They’re flashes of what could’ve (and should’ve) been, probably brought on by the same thing that gave him the nightmare in episode 1.
My bet is that larvae from episode 2 has been alive this whole time, except now it’s grown into Black Doom himself since they’re a hive mine species. Since Shadow is technically part of the hive mind Black Doom has the ability to mess with him.
They cooked
I love Shadow. I freaking love Shadow. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for antiheroes, and Shadow is one of the most incredible antiheroes out there. I love how the approach they used for Shadow's PTSD; showing the impact Maria had on him, and the weight the memories have on him. Seriously cannot wait for your playthrough, it cannot come fast enough. The year of Shadow is an awesome one indeed. 👍👍👍
8:43 "I wonder who'se voicing him..." About that...
4:36 when I realized where they were going with the topic...I admit, a couple of tears came out; it hurt when shadow said "stop it" bro💔.
Everyone is asking for more minutes in the videos, but I think it's good, because it makes us appreciate every detail, how Shadow emits the pain in his voice, the action scenes etc, god, thank you team sega, and those who animated this💗💗