Its no secret Sonic the Hedgehog has been in serious trouble, recently. Sonic Boom has flopped, and Sonic games haven't been selling well since Sonic Colors. The only Sonic related product being pushed, at the present, is the Sonic Boom cartoon. If you're unfamiliar with Sonic Boom, think Teen Titans Go, except with Sonic the Hedgehog characters instead of the Titans.
However, the moment I saw the new Flash TV show, I fell in love. I didn't really know why. I mean, I always liked the Flash, a lot. But my favorite superhero is Superman. Although Flash is a close second. But why do I like this show so much. Well now I've figured it out. This show is everything I used to like about Sonic the Hedgehog, but done even better.
The setting is the same as in the Sonic Adventure games (the two best games in the franchise). All the action happens within a city. This is the most obvious connection. Especially when compared to Sonic X. But one major difference is that in Sonic X, all the cops and anyone with a connection to the government was almost always portrayed in a bad light, either being incompetent or outright malevolent. But in the Flash, the Flash IS a cop. So that's a pretty big difference. I guess Sam Speed was a cop in Sonic X, and he was alright, but most of the time he acted like a jerk. But he wasn't evil, and he did stick up for Sonic in season 2. (I should make another topic, sometime, about how Sonic is anarchist propaganda)
Obviously, both franchises have a huge focus on speed. Seeing the Flash run he often creates a sonic boom, and damages nearby property. Similarly, in Sonic X and later the games, Sonic could create a sonic boom and literally run through robots or objects, destroying them.
But then there are similarities with the styles of the two franchises. The Flash is obviously a very lighthearted style. Even more lighthearted than the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is already very cartoony (Most of the time). The Flash looks like a Saturday morning cartoon. This isn't a bad thing. If you don't like Saturday morning cartoons, then what are you doing on this website? But at the same time, the Flash isn't afraid to be taken seriously, and to make things dramatic and action oriented, when the plot calls for this. If you look at the older Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, then you have the exact same style. Sonic was, for the most part, a lighthearted series. But when the plot called for seriousness (such as when a character dies), the plot wasn't afraid of putting in darker elements and themes into the story. Its this mix of cartoony and dark that I loved about Sonic, and its the same thing I love about the Flash. It really wasn't until Sonic abandoned this style of writing, becoming too dark in Shadow the Hedgehog, and then becoming too light in Sonic Colors, that the series started running into trouble.
Now for Sonic and Flash TV show character comparison:
Flash = Sonic: They are both the main protagonist. Super speed. Kind of a "full of himself" attitude, but also being a good person with a good heart.
Iris = Amy: The love interest. They both have a sense for adventure and want in on the action.
Cisco = Tails: Both are the sidekick inventor.
Arrow = Knuckles or Shadow: Both are darker rivals to the main hero.
Wells/The Reverse Flash = Dr Eggman/Metal Sonic: Both Wells and Dr Eggman are evil scientists who are the main antagonist. Wells and Metal Sonic both have super speed.
That's why I love the Flash. Discuss:
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