So, what did you think of Sonic X Shadow: Dark Beginnings? Did you love it as much as I did? Hate it? Mostly indifferent? Leave your thoughts below as I do my best to read every comment! Remember, the Giveaway ends in 48 hours! (Now I can finally play Sonic X Shadow Generations)
Wanna hear something bittersweet? Kirk Thorton actually teared up during the climax of episode 3 due to how much Maria reminds him of his granddaughter. That’s how good this writing is.
Yeah, it's stuff like that that let's you know he understands the character he's playing much better and so can give a better performance. I also heard that he actually never got to learn about Shadow's backstory till this animation, which better explains his odd portrayal of the character throughout the 2010's.
Kirk deserves so much praise for his performance here. I'm glad he finally seems to understand Shadow, cause I believe at one point he admitted he hadn't, which was why he sounded like he did in the 2010s; with that weird almost Transylvania dry accent. But here? Ohhhh he brought the heat big time.
I never liked how he portrayed Shadow in the 2010s i even had the idea to bring back Jason griffin to voice Shadow, but since I now know he never got to know the character fully the hate for him was undeserved and tbh I think that goes for alot of the 2010's cast for example if you were to switch the 00's cast with our current cast I don't think they would be as good since the current cast didn't get to voice the true versions of the characters but more they're one note versions of those characters that's why the voices now sound more like the actual characters of course that doesn't go for the whole cast with some they fit really well from the beginning but some others still don't sound that great but even with that fact I think the voice direction still feels very weird especially in Shadow gens
One thing about "To The Ark" that I loved is how Shadow's care is subtly shown through the whole fight. When he caught the missile, he could've just let it go. Instead, he held it for a few seconds, allowing the G.U.N. pilot time to get over the initial shock of seeing someone catch a missile like that. When Shadow makes sure the missile hits the ship, the ship doesn't immediately go down, and we see that it's the only hit the ship takes. Shadow made sure the damage would cripple the ship while giving the pilot time to escape. THEN he draws the missiles away from any buildings before blowing them up, ensuring that anyone inside the base is relatively safe. And, of course, ejecting the pilot. Lastly, Omega's line: "I wanted to destroy it." Yes, Shadow could have left it to Omega, but Omega very likely would have destroyed it without considering the pilot's safety. Shadow knows this, hence why he intervines as much as he did.
23:40 This is literally EVERYONE'S only criticism with this mini-series. (Including mine) If Dark Beginnings came out as a full-on 6 episode OVA series or something, it would be PERFECT.
Something I noticed, each episode of Dark Beginnings address an aspect of Shadow's characterization the 2010s severely misrepresent. Episode 1: Shadow's arrogance and hubris. He boasts about being the Ultimate Lifeform, not needing anyone because he's extremely powerful. But it's because he copes with the fact he couldn't save Gerald or cure Maria. Episode 2: His aloofness. He distances himself from people because he's half alien, so he feels like he doesn't belong anywhere, that he's incapable of showing humanity, or being cared for. Episode 3: His stubbornness. He's constantly focused on completing a mission is because he doesn't want to regress his dark thoughts or feelings, and be stuck in his head about his life's mistakes. It felt like Ian Flynn was talking to US, and to Sega. Thank You Ian.
That is an incredible catch! Ian really has been spending the last few years trying to right the wrongs done to so many characters whilst making their actions and personality during the 2010's work with the character, rather than just ignoring it.
This needs more likes. I felt the same way. Ian understands there's facets to Shadow. He's like a, prism. Sure he's arrogant but that's not his entire personality. Yes he's aloof but quiet and kind too. Yes he's stubborn, but willing to work with people when necessary. Willing to be vulnerable when he can't hold it in anymore. I really love the touch of his world going dark in episode 2 when he compares himself to the black doom larva. It reminded me a bit of his world going gray in the fan film Project Shadow. In his mind, he's a being of Shadow and darkness. But Maria reminds him time and again he's a light source; not the shadow behind people, but the light in the dark guiding the way. 🥹
@@TheRibottoStudios, Omg, thank you! And yeah, no real Shadow Gens spoilers, but Shadow's name explanation is a beautiful representation of his character.
@@Artist_Unbound i want a tattoo based on it cause that is some Kingdom Hearts level sht and I'M SO HERE FOR IT. It's up there with "Do I need a reason to want to help out a friend?" for my favorite quote from the franchise. And what makes me fall in love with Sonic and Shadow all over again.
@@thepjshow Image if the Sonic movies were like this don’t get me wrong I love them but I don’t know why they put the characters in a real life world not the unique ANIMATED Sonic world.
For people saying this and Sonic movie 3 is too dark for children, show them the scene from Regular Show where a vengeful wizard skins Muscle Man alive.
I've been a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog for *5* years lately, and I could not be any more happy. In a time where most franchises fall from grace and leave fans angry and heartbroken, I'm beyond grateful to be a part of a franchise that's back to its original roots. I became a fan at the right time. All Hail The Ultimate Lifeform, his character has risen again.
It really is a fantastic time to be a sonic fan. It does seem like SEGA are learning form their past mistakes. Even if you don't play the video games, there's still plenty of other media to consume like the movies and animations like these.
Fun Fact: The singer of "Without You," Casey Lee Williams, was a singer for some Sonic Symphony shows and is the main vocalist for the RWBY soundtrack.
Not gonna lie, the Titan themes in Sonic Frontiers gave me RWBY vibes at places. So it looks like SEGA read my thoughts and hired Casey to do the song for Dark Beginnings. Go figure
I'd always had hope Kirk Thornton would be able to deliver a great Shadow performance and these episodes proved he can given the right direction. The man was told of Shadow's backstory in full detail RECENTLY. So it's almost no wonder his voice hasn't hit that right note until now. I know some can still say his voice doesn't suit Shadow, but every actor deserves credit where it's due. And Stephanie Sheh really brought a wonderful performance for Maria as well. She gave Maria that compassionate, hopeful and gentle warmth perfectly. (Plus hearing Sailor Moon come out of Maria's mouth is cool and strangely amusing)
Yeah, I heard that nobody told him the backstory of the character he was playing and I facepalmed so hard in that moment. How could you expect a great performance from someone that didn't even get the chance to know the character he was playing. And on top of that, giving him bad scripts definitely didn't help either. But now, he's proven that he can be a great Shadow alongside the other voice actors.
I saw the animatic version and it's even better than the original one we get. During Shadow's near panic attack as he fantasizes about what could've been....There's this look on his face that's hard to describe as he says "That life was taken from me long ago." It's almost one of...resignation. And then he follows it up with "There's nothing ahead but endless battles." It tells us so much about Shadow in such a short time. He truly believes he doesn't deserve to be happy, to be part of Maria's wish. His game confirms otherwise though; that his family wants nothing more than for him to be happy. To live. I hope he's able to move on because he does deserve to be happy. If any character does it's Shadow.
Over the years plenty of fans have made the “dead Maria” joke. It’s really cool that this animation adds substance to her character to make you actually feel bad for shadow and feel the weight of her death. But the funny thing is the actor for Maria in the 3rd sonic movie is in on the joke. She’s posted about her dying in the movie before in a humorous way, and I find it funny that the actor herself might be laughing in the theater along side everyone else.
It's amazing that such a moment was finally given proper focus and felt like it had some weight behind it. Like you said, so many see Maria's death as a bit of joke, but this makes you feel that death and its impact.
@@thepjshow At the time in 2001, it really hit Sonic fans pretty hard, but then tech improvements happen and seeing the out-of-date model's vs the newer 3d models does not have the same feel for newer fans. I guess it is what it is.
I kinda wish they had kept in Shadow's long drawn out "whhyyyy." in the original version of the script. The way Kirk delivers is it hysterical. But him sighing also works just as well. It gives you the sense that Rouge has been asking FOR MONTHS for him to go, because she think it'd be funny. They're the epitome of "character A likes their personal space. And character B also likes character A's personal space." and it's so cute.
Almost every English VA for the Deadly Six has had another role since Lost World. Liam O'Brien voiced Zazz and Infinite, Patrick Seitz voiced Zomnom and Lyric (and currently Zavok too), and now Stephanie Sheh voiced Zeena and Maria. The only one who doesn't ATM is Sam Riegal, the voice of Zor
Honestly, knowing how the 2010’s was, seeing this short animated series was a breath of fresh air and I’m glad the franchise is getting the love it deserves, especially Shadow. He’s one of my favorite characters, and I love how he’s portrayed here in Dark Beginnings. Here’s hoping Sega actually makes another Sonic anime because it would be PEAK FICTION 🔥🔥
I'ma be dead honest, I deadass started tearing up seeing the ending scene of visions of Maria and Shadow, I'm so glad we're at a point with the Sonic franchise where that I'm able to actually feel emotional involving this series I'm serious when I say this I need a full version of "Without You" *NOW*
I love how much they use the colors to define some of these scenes in the animation. One thing that I noticed in the third episode was when there was an explosion behind Shadow. I find it interesting that explosion wasnt directly behind like they usually are in movies. Instead, the explosion takes place on one side of Shadow. And upon pausing the scene, Shadow is in the middle while the colors blue and red are on opposite sides of him. I mention this because blue and red not only represents good and evil, but also Shadows origins. Whenever the scene if calm, or peaceful, the color blue is more likely to show up. It shows up a lot when Maira is on screen. Heck shes literally wearing the color blue. Which makes sense because Maria is the one who lead Shadow to a good path. And Maria is someone that Shadow has always cared about. Even after his nightmare, everything looks blue. Mainly to show peace, and some sort of relief that everything was a dream. While the color red is more likely to show up whenever there's danger, or Black Doom is involved. Kinda like red nightmare Shadow was in, or whenever Shadow is attacking or fighting. Shadow is known for his red exterior, which sets him off as this guy you wouldn't want to mess with. He only gets even more red whenever he gets angry or wants to destroy something. We all know that deep down Shadow isnt a bad guy. And that his appearance doesn't define who he really is inside. It kinda ties together how Shadow was created for both evil and good intentions. And how he uses both of those actions to get what he needs. How he's willing to cause G.U.N millions in assets (morally not the greatest thing to do) to save the planet from evil (which is a morally good thing to do). Which makes him such a well written anti-hero. I was also suprised how they used the color purple during the scene where a silhouette of Maria gets shot. But if Maria represents blue, and the red represents G.U.N, the two colors clash together. Making the color purple. Something tragic that happened, but the same thing that lead Shadow to where he was today. I can go on and on but overall, color is very important when creating a scene. How it can not only symbolize the story, but even the characters. I just love these episodes so much. I wish there was more 😭
See, this is why we want Silver to have his year because imagine how we can see Silvers backstory or his relationship with Blaze (not in that type of ship). We need Silver to come back.
It would be really cool for 2026 to be the year of Silver, given that it would have been 20 years since his debut! But any year would do. If they can do for him what they did for Shadow, we would be in for a good time
Giving shadow panic attacks is just perfection. I REFUSE to believe that he hadn’t had any beforehand especially when he was questioning abt his purpose and maria back in sa2. The portrayal of the panic attack is phenomenally accurate. The type that isn’t horrible but still stings and I just KNOW it hurts in the chest. I’ve had those panic attacks and seeing it visualised so accurately is just a satisfying feeling. Hyperventilating, eyes and body just shaking ever so slightly yet visible enough and yet the ability to compose himself with reassurance. Anyone else who’ve experienced this can tell that this is a damn good portrayal. Now, panic attacks like these are WAY more intense inside than how it looks. A million thoughts fly over your mind and it’s as if you can read all of them at once. I’m BETTING on a headcanon that at that moment he thought about how if he didn’t exist, maria wouldn’t have to be gunned down. But by the moment he composed himself by giving reassurance, without shadow, there would’ve been no advancement towards a cure and plus maria would’ve been alone in the ark.
People who think Ian Flynn only makes references in his Sonic stories need to watch this, because it shows he understands the Sonic characters well and how he can make good stories, mandates from SEGA notwithstanding
@@thepjshow I think I speak for you when I say Silver should get his turn in the future. We haven't seen him do much outside of the Archie and IDW comics and that's utterly criminal. I'd love to see a game/comic/animation that delves into his origins and show him take on a greater villain that even exceeds Chaos and Mephiles' power. We saw what Ian Flynn could do with Sonic and Shadow, so there is hope he will give Silver the justice he deserves. And who knows? He'll do the same with Blaze
The sonic adventure games are my favorite in the series. With Frontiers and now generations, it feels the characters are returning to their characterizations from those games, which I'm all in for. I feel for Shadow, as ive gotten older. I've come to appreciate his character and story. He is much like Sonic but has gone through some tragic experiences that have made him aloof and quite introverted. I do appreciate how Rouge is one of the few who understands shadow and does her best to support him. I feel Shadow 05 had done more harm than good for Shadow's character despite delving deeper into his story. Sonic x Shadow Generations, and the prolouge have done wonders in course correcting just who Shadow is. I only hope that sega continues with it and don't make Shadow a one note character
@thekeybladeninjaturtle7380 "muh mandates" Pretty sure it's not the mandates that make Flynn have Sonic make speeches on redemption and how he's trying to be a hero.
Dark Beginnings as a whole was amazing in my opinion. The animation and music were phenomenal. It was nice to see Team Dark fighting together again. And it was great to see Shadow and Maria’s friendship explored more. Seeing her comfort Shadow whenever he doubted his existence or abilities was really sweet. And the ending admittedly had me a little emotional. I really enjoyed the prologue overall. And it has me hyped to play Sonic X Shadow Generations when my copy arrives.
Both games in a nutshell: Sonic gens - A happy go lucky adventure about a hedgehog revisiting his past. Shadow gens - A dark and serious adventure about a black hedgehog fighting his inner demons and revisiting traumatic events.
13:23 "He's really got one hell of a range doesn't he" me : he was in Transformers Robots in Disguise as Airazor & in Transformers Earthspark as Decepticon Breakdown so him voicing Omega reminded me of his roles in the Transformers franchise
Ah, I didn't know that. To be fair, I have been meaning to get a bit more into transformers, so this may be an excuse to do just that. Might read some of the comics too
@@thepjshow while yur at it, if Transformers One is still in yur local movie theater, pls go see it! Paramount marketed the movie terribly and we're dying to have a sequel be made
Ian Flynn is doing a phenomenal job with Sonic, not only correcting their characters in frontiers, but even now fixing my personal favorite character, it’s amazing to see shadow, who had undergone so much growth in adventure 2, back to who he WAS
@PatikYT I don't recall Amy before Frontiers in the games ever yapping about spreading light and feelings around the world. And Shadow never changed in the games post-06 in any major way.
As I said before on other videos on this animation. The character writing was on point. But my favorite bit was those last few shots of Shadow just going through it at the end. We never see Shadow vulnerable, so to see him just wide eyes, twichy eyed, deer in headlights is POWERFUL. That alone made me want to checkmout this side content..So good job on the writers and animators to make that segemt so powerful. Also, I am so glad we're getting a little sprinkintof Team Dark again. Seeing Omega be a beast but also have that humor behind him is so refreshing.and it's refreshing to see Rouge setting back into her old mama Dark vibe.
there was a bonus scene i didnt even see till yesterday, but it shows maria and shadow on earth after the events of x gens and she was talking to him from beyond, him back at his chill spot
I love how the gun commander remembers Maria when he was a child and sounds quite somber talking about how she was taken from them seeming like they had a friendship before she got killed
Well they did had a friendship they just didn't want to deep into it or the general as a whole, making him the most forgotten character in the series. Until now that is😄
This animation is probably my favorite thing to come out of this franchise is recent memory. Everything about it was just so good and I love the way that the friendship between shadow and maria was a big focus. Also, great work with the video!
I love the direction the Sonic series has been taking these past couple years. I hope this energy continues and they can give this care and love towards other characters and parts of the continuity that need cleaning up.
Genuinely the fight choreography between Emerl and Shadow is super dynamic and flows extremely well, it's really good to see them pushing all aspects of their storytelling capabilities as much as they can.
Great video! You know what’s funny, Shadow might as well be the main character because at this point he’s overshadowing Sonic lol. All jokes aside, it’s awesome seeing the franchise going in a better direction, especially with Ian Flynn, he gets too much hate honestly.
one of my fav aspects of the prologue is how it really makes Maria into a character! Like obv we could all empathize with Shadow because of what he lost, but now we empathize for Maria too, which makes Shadow's loss of her hit even harder! It's crazy that I can now say that Maria is one of my fav sonic characters!
i love all the little details that were left in the minor conversations you can have with other characters, like when maria comments on how shadow and her had a teacher, and shadow never handed in his assignments. it’s the little things that count
It's genuinely ingenious the way that they mix the two together to, essentially, give the best of both worlds. The expressiveness of the 2D animation with the depth of the 3D animation.
I really liked Rouge's characterization here, she reminded me of her SA personality, sly and very graceful. You saying she doesn't sound like, she needs to be on corner was funny ngl, first time hearing that kind of depiction of her voice. 😂 Omega is back!!! I was surprised to see that Roger voiced him, again, sounded just like his Heroes voice. Things are finally lookin up for Shadow.
I think it’s really interesting that Black Doom’s voice actor for SXSG is currently role playing as him on Twitter, and said that he wants to drive a car in Team Sonic Racing
I was lucky to be young enough that my first experience with Sonic was actually good content. Like my first real Sonic game I played was Mania and then after that, Frontiers when it came out.
What i really love about this animation is that it never focuses on Maria's death, and i think the reason for that is because we all know she's going to die in sonic movie 3, so they don't put too much effort into it. Instead they focus on fleshing out Maria's character, how much she means to Shadow, and play on the idea of "what could've been" had she survived. That last scene with the song playing while Shadow getting flashes of Maria is now my most FAVOURITE thing to come out of this franchise. Hope they keep this level of quality in the future.
I'm so glad Ian Flynn is a head writer for this decade of Sonic media. Its a funny story but I grew up reading the Archie comics around the time Ian Flynn would've been a writer and I loved how the stories had so much depth and nuance to them and I'm honestly stoked for the future of Sonic franchise for the first time in a long time! Cant wait for your analysis on Sonic X Shadow generations : )
One thing I love is how they asked Casey Lee Williams to perform the “Without You” song. She’s the main singer for a show called RWBY and her vocal range is amazing, and I couldn’t help but fangirl at her performance. I knew her coming to the Sonic Symphony show back in January wasn’t just for show! I hope she does more for Sonic, RWBY, and other franchises. Her work is amazing
I like the scene with Shadow in the rocket not just because of the flashes of what could’ve been, but also because the writers have done this to give Shadow the space he needed to let out some emotion. Not to mention the way he was acting is very reminiscent to those who experienced loss.
I’d like to point out about how he manages his emotions here. And that I feel so called out because of how relatable this is. He’s shown of how in control he has with his sadness, despair, and the slight ptsd. Being alone most of the time makes one have time to (weirdly forcibly) analyse themselves. Now these usually end up worsening their anxiety but for the case of Shadow, it doesn’t. The simple answer lies with omega and rouge and the bond between one and the other. ESPECIALLY with sonic 06 and the whole part about how the two of them would stick by his side despite the fact that in the future, the world turns their back to shadow. With this, I am 100% sure that each and every time he DOES think back about his existence and emotions, rouge and omega are always in mind. This leaves a MASSIVE positive impact. This act and swear from the two of them alone can make shadow or anyone in this matter just have the need to care for them. Maria says herself, shadow has a big heart and he cares about people. He just has problems expressing these. ALL OF THIS adds and adds to the fact that shadow is an empath. THATS how he has full control over his emotions when he was having that panic attack when most struggle to snap out of it when my guy literally *snaps* out of it. The only problem he can barely handle alone is his anger. Always usually showed that his anger is disrupted when there’s a close friend nearby to calm him down. And since, like I said, he’s an empath then it’s so easy for him to reason the pros and cons. Thus and therefore, making him one of the BEST and REALEST written characters in the sonic franchise. As a person who’ve felt all of this, I goddamn love Shadow The Hedgehog
Maria originally was less a character and more a plot device meant for Shadow’s backstory. Dark Beginnings helped us understand why Maria meant so much to Shadow and start to feel for her as a character. It wasn’t simply because he was made to cure her, being his reason for existing, but she was always there for him at his most vulnerable. To give him the warmth he needed when he felt cold. This is also why I think Rouge feels she isn’t up to the task of talking down Shadow. Yes, she’s the closest thing to a friend Shadow has now, but she isn’t at the stage where she can embrace and comfort him at his loneliest. Rouge can’t do that. She can try and reach her hand out, but she can’t (yet) embrace him. She can at the very least veer him to a slightly different direction, but that’s about it.
I really love how Shadow was portrayed here, it makes me upset that some people don’t see the characterization in shorts like this and say it’s bad because the science is wrong or that it’s to short. The fact that it’s so short but so captivating is a testament to how well things have been written
@@thepjshowyou know that meme famous Trump quote “Make America great again.”? With Ian Flynn it’s basically “Making Sonic great again.” The IDW comics, Frontiers, Dark Beginnings, etc. You were absolutely right when you said Flynn should be the writer for the games and not Pontac & Graf. Like imagine if Ian Flynn wrote all of the 2010s Sonic games including the entire Sonic Boom games, show, and comics. Sonic would be blowing away Mario more than ever. Man I just love the Sonic franchise.
Something I noticed is that Sega hired Ian Flynn to be the new lore manager but he has made comic's with great stories that flash out he characters it's like Sega is listening to us and what we want in the games. Serious game, we get Sonic x Shadow Generations, Sonic's upbeat story with younger him going around restoring time and space but Shadow out here fighting his other dad and reuniting with Gerald and Maria. Also pulling my heart stings making me cry and feel happy when Shadow generally smiled at Maria, fighting with her promise in mind. It's a lot and can make a grown man cry. This game was a great step in Sega's new path for this series hope it goes up and up from here. Sonic x Shadow Generations is a 9.5 out of 10 Sonic game it makes you happy for Sonic and get emotional for Shadow's backstory. I hope Sega will keep making games with this amount of detail and care. I hope to see more great content like this thank you so much for the video and showing us that this franchise can be saved with time and care. Keep making videos of your opinion and I hope I can support your Patreon some day, Sayonara ThePJShow.
I loved Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations as a kid, I spent like 2 months 100% Sonic generations and to get all achievements, so im super happy that they made a remaster like Sonic Colors and they made it SO good
My favorite thing about the last scene with shadow on the shuttle is that, if you suffer from them, you pick up the signs that he was beginning to have a panic attack. Like, a real medical panic attack. The pupils constricting and his breath becoming short and rapid, the way his little chest begins to rock... these are the for-real symptoms of an oncoming panic attack. Even his little "Stop it!" makes it clear he's had these before. Whoever wrote that knows what having a real, actual panic attack episode is like.
If you want more Shadow content, there are some deleted scenes you can look up. Some of which I genuinely don't understand why they were not in the final cut.
I'm really surprised at how good the writing style of such a miniseries is, it really captured the characters and their dynamics perfectly. Seeing Team DARK together really reminded me of Sonic Heroes. Shadow's character is really close to Sonic 06 Shadow, who we haven't seen for a long time. Sega has finally understood the character again and have finally gone in a direction that is very entertaining. Kirk Thorton really nailed his performance in those 3 episodes and I can't wait to see more of that direction in the future.
It's nice that we've re-entered the era where character quality is valued in and out of media for game franchises like sonic 2(the film) and frontiers final update giving us the fundamentals of sonics chacter a jokster who takes things serious when it matters
Not gonna lie, the last episode made me tear up a little bit. Shadow is such a good character and the 2010s were not kind to him. But when I saw him thinking of what could have been on earth if Maria survived I legitimately said "we're so back". Oh and Omega is cool I guess.
@marceljankowski5469 Shadow's actual characterization in the games in the 2010s is the same overall as it was in the Adventure Era. There was no significant changes in the games.
As someone who for better or worse got into the series during the fabled 2010s era I'm so freaking glad to see characters like shadow return to form and experience them for what they truly are
Tbh, I’m very happy with Dark Beginnings… especially because Shadow is my favorite Sonic character, so it’s been genuinely exciting seeing him spotlighted.
The Sonic series is one of those franchises that when you first look at it, on the surface it appears like many others. Childish, kid friendly and happy-go-lucky. But just under the surface is so much more, more than what I can go into detail in this one comment.
My only issue with these incredible animations is 'Without You' hasn't been released as a clean cut song, because good god, that theme playing in Ep.3 is what I've gone back to rewatch the most. For me, it's Shadow's traumatic past that I truly adore being presented, because it reinforces why the few things he had like Maria & Gerald, meant SOO much to him & with loss, it's a wound that never truly heals & fades away. We've finally witnessed yet another realistic portrayal of Shadow's character & that's precisely 1 of the many facets that makes this incredible cast SOO loveable, but especially for Shadow, we can truly place ourselves in his shoes & understand just how painful losing especially Maria was to him, which imo, there wasn't a single instance of portrayal that conveyed that more than SA2, until this prologue animation. Seriously, this animation is up there imo, with the IDW comics & some of the best Sonic games as 1 of the most incredible pieces of Sonic media we've ever experienced in this franchise & now, imma go rewatch this beautiful & painful prologue all over again, cause good god is it addicting.
This is EXACTLY why I adore Shadow: Dark Beginnings. This was absolutely gorgeous. We witnessed history. History y’all. 😭😭😭 this was stunning. I was really happy that they finally showed who Shadow really is as a character. Hell- the game does this just as beautifully! Shadow generations really feels like an exploration on Shadow and who he is. Absolutely gorgeous.
God the 3 episode got me.. Shadow’s face when he was on the ship… it felt like he never thought more about how Maria’s death affected him… and he looked like he was about to breakdown an minute…
i got into sonic a few years ago, and man was it really a great time to get into the franchise. i started with sa1 and IMMEDIATELY followed with sa2, and playing the rest of the games really made me realize just how much more to these characters there are than what meets the eye. the 2010’s really soured the reputation for alot of people (including myself), and playing the older games and ESPECIALLY playing the more recent games, man i love these characters and this franchise. also shadow best character‼️‼️‼️‼️
I wanted so badly to be proven right that Kirk can be a good Shadow in his own right. I know that he's a talented VA, having grown up hearing his performance as Gabumon and his other forms from Digimon and Kisami from Naruto. Do hearing he was positively recieved online thanks to these shorts is wonderful. His delivery on that "Stop it...!" in the rocket on his way to the ARK thinking of Maria is heartbreaking!
Everyone did an amazing job on this project👏👏and expanding more on Shadow's backstory and his character as a whole and i am happy we get see more of Maria this year before that we only know her through vague flashbacks and recordings yet didn’t paint the whole picture of the severity of how her illness affected her and i love this series finally showing it too i enjoy SxS generations through watching gameplay on RUclips that is but yeah one of the best thing this year of Shadow
I've been a Sonic fan since SA2 on the Dreamcast, and I remember replaying the Sonic/Shadow levels over and over again. The "speedster" levels were always the best ones for me, so having a remake of Sonic Generations together with Shadow's storyline just like SA2 did with Hero/Dark routes is amazing. It also came out one day before my birthday!
As someone born in 2002, and thus wasn’t super likely to experience the Adventure era, I’m honestly excited for the current shift back to that tone and characterisation after all I’ve heard about it, and what I’ve seen so far has been amazing! I hadn’t read the Archie or IDW comics (I should, tbf), so my only experience to Ian Flynn’s writing was Frontiers and Shadow Generations, and I’ve loved everything about it - the more serious tone, the emotion, the character dynamics, the personal struggles and goals, even the nuances in their personalities; it has me genuinely invested in the world and its inhabitants, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come in the future for this franchise, so here’s to hoping they keep this trend going ❤️
I’ve always appreciated on ever since Shadow’s debut in Adventure 2. Despite him being a scientific creation or artificial life. Maria & Gerald never saw him as nothing but a tool as they saw Shadow as an actual person.
I am still in shock at how phenomenal this miniseries turned out to be! The perfect mix of 2D/3D animation! I keep watching it almost daily just so it stays fresh in my mind for when I finally get my copy of the game. Can't wait to dig into the story (and finally safely go back watching YT regularly so I don't have to worry about spoilers lmbo)
I love how when I want to write a random comment I usually just talk about what I want to say, but when there's a goal, like QNA or "Interesting Comment" for a giveaway, I suddenly have trouble writing comments
We finally got a Shadow that's not too edgy or cool and actually has a good character portrayal since the 2000s (we don't talk about Shadow 05), and that's a great sign the new writer won't reduce the personalities of the characters to just one-dimensional and actually gives them a purpose for their existence, not just Sonic's friends, girlfriend or sidekick (looking at you Heroes Amy and Forces Tails)
@mon7 ITT: A game with Iizuka and Maekawa themselves having key roles in production doesn't represent Shadow's character well even though they are Shadow's fathers. Also Frontiers having its' script rewritten for the JP version shows that SoJ doesn't see how Flynn and other Westerners try to frame the characters as appropriate for them. See Amy (who loses her sudden nurturing angel of light angle in the JP script to instead be refining herself to be worthy to marry Sonic).
Fun fact: Jamboree has an actual meaning: "a large celebration or party, typically a lavish and boisterous one", so it isn't just a random sound at the end of Super Mario Party Jamboree. I assume most people already know it but I hope it counts as interesting comment and I will have that one in a million chance to get free Shadow Generations.
They just keep getting better with these animations and fun fact the voice of Maria in this animation as well as Shadow Generations is the same voice actress who played Zeena in Sonic Lost World.
Shadow and Maria in these shorts and now in the game has to have given us some of my favorite interactions between characters in this franchise in a long time
The fights in these shorts are so good, my favorite being shadow vs Emerl. My favorite part at the end where shadow grabs Emerls arm and punches had my 🤯. I want to see more fight scenes like this, in these shorts or in the games. I feel like we don’t see too many of these fight scenes in the games. I think with stuff like this and frontiers, we might see more amazing fights in the sonic series.
While watching this video I had a sudden realization about Sonic as a franchise as a whole. For awhile I had only really ever played the 2d games as from a gameplay perspective I really couldn't even find my self enjoying beloved games like Sonic adventure 2, yet I was still heavily drawn in by the story it told even when I had already previously seen it through videos. This eventually led into me getting Sonic Frontiers when I heard that its writing was actually good (ofcourse I also had a fun time with it gameplay). With that and now Dark beginnings I really appreciate that recently the team has been focusing more on that aspect of the franchise as I feel it could draw even more outside faces into these games, and I feel that's an advantage that sonic has over many in its same genre so hopefully shadow generations follows suit. I also have you to thank as I probably wouldn't had ever gotten to see these worlds without your character videos, keep it up many ur doing this franchise justice.
Getting nostalgia from seeing Team Dark again, just kinda wish they played "This machine" at somepoint to top it all off. I cant believe im actually getting back into this after all these years, and it finally feels like justice is being served to some great characters! The franchise needs more Omega!!
Ngl, I want to win. Now about Dark beginnings, it is PEAK Shadow content, the references, Team Dark, Maria, actually amazing writing, the first episode made my cry on the inside and I LOVE it. The Boom VA for Shadow is my least favourite voice but he did a banger job with this since he had a good story to work with. To summarize I will be doing an AMV on this as it is a 20/10
After all these years, Shadow has finally been given the respect and love he's been wrongfully neglected. And with the upcoming Sonic 3 movie, he will be getting even more of that. This truly is the Year of Shadow!
So, what did you think of Sonic X Shadow: Dark Beginnings? Did you love it as much as I did? Hate it? Mostly indifferent? Leave your thoughts below as I do my best to read every comment! Remember, the Giveaway ends in 48 hours!
(Now I can finally play Sonic X Shadow Generations)
They wasted no time in cooking up with Dark Beginnings! Shadow Generations will definitely make you love the character 2x more.
Why would anyone hate it?
I absolutely love it the charecter story and dynamics are beautiful
@@Ericgxz-f6ithere's just a minor detail for me
@@KrushinKay fair enough
Wanna hear something bittersweet? Kirk Thorton actually teared up during the climax of episode 3 due to how much Maria reminds him of his granddaughter. That’s how good this writing is.
Yeah, it's stuff like that that let's you know he understands the character he's playing much better and so can give a better performance. I also heard that he actually never got to learn about Shadow's backstory till this animation, which better explains his odd portrayal of the character throughout the 2010's.
Kirk deserves so much praise for his performance here. I'm glad he finally seems to understand Shadow, cause I believe at one point he admitted he hadn't, which was why he sounded like he did in the 2010s; with that weird almost Transylvania dry accent. But here? Ohhhh he brought the heat big time.
is there a source for this? im interested in hearing mroe abotu it
I never liked how he portrayed Shadow in the 2010s i even had the idea to bring back Jason griffin to voice Shadow, but since I now know he never got to know the character fully the hate for him was undeserved and tbh I think that goes for alot of the 2010's cast for example if you were to switch the 00's cast with our current cast I don't think they would be as good since the current cast didn't get to voice the true versions of the characters but more they're one note versions of those characters that's why the voices now sound more like the actual characters of course that doesn't go for the whole cast with some they fit really well from the beginning but some others still don't sound that great but even with that fact I think the voice direction still feels very weird especially in Shadow gens
Wait, really? That's so sweet. Any source so I could learn more, please?
One thing about "To The Ark" that I loved is how Shadow's care is subtly shown through the whole fight.
When he caught the missile, he could've just let it go. Instead, he held it for a few seconds, allowing the G.U.N. pilot time to get over the initial shock of seeing someone catch a missile like that.
When Shadow makes sure the missile hits the ship, the ship doesn't immediately go down, and we see that it's the only hit the ship takes. Shadow made sure the damage would cripple the ship while giving the pilot time to escape.
THEN he draws the missiles away from any buildings before blowing them up, ensuring that anyone inside the base is relatively safe.
And, of course, ejecting the pilot.
Lastly, Omega's line: "I wanted to destroy it." Yes, Shadow could have left it to Omega, but Omega very likely would have destroyed it without considering the pilot's safety. Shadow knows this, hence why he intervines as much as he did.
That is such an awesome point that completely flew over my head (barring ejecting the pilot).
@@thepjshow
I think that's a missile.
23:40 This is literally EVERYONE'S only criticism with this mini-series. (Including mine) If Dark Beginnings came out as a full-on 6 episode OVA series or something, it would be PERFECT.
Something I noticed, each episode of Dark Beginnings address an aspect of Shadow's characterization the 2010s severely misrepresent.
Episode 1: Shadow's arrogance and hubris. He boasts about being the Ultimate Lifeform, not needing anyone because he's extremely powerful. But it's because he copes with the fact he couldn't save Gerald or cure Maria.
Episode 2: His aloofness. He distances himself from people because he's half alien, so he feels like he doesn't belong anywhere, that he's incapable of showing humanity, or being cared for.
Episode 3: His stubbornness. He's constantly focused on completing a mission is because he doesn't want to regress his dark thoughts or feelings, and be stuck in his head about his life's mistakes.
It felt like Ian Flynn was talking to US, and to Sega. Thank You Ian.
That is an incredible catch! Ian really has been spending the last few years trying to right the wrongs done to so many characters whilst making their actions and personality during the 2010's work with the character, rather than just ignoring it.
This needs more likes. I felt the same way. Ian understands there's facets to Shadow. He's like a, prism. Sure he's arrogant but that's not his entire personality. Yes he's aloof but quiet and kind too. Yes he's stubborn, but willing to work with people when necessary. Willing to be vulnerable when he can't hold it in anymore.
I really love the touch of his world going dark in episode 2 when he compares himself to the black doom larva. It reminded me a bit of his world going gray in the fan film Project Shadow.
In his mind, he's a being of Shadow and darkness. But Maria reminds him time and again he's a light source; not the shadow behind people, but the light in the dark guiding the way. 🥹
@@TheRibottoStudios, Omg, thank you! And yeah, no real Shadow Gens spoilers, but Shadow's name explanation is a beautiful representation of his character.
@@thepjshowagreed
@@Artist_Unbound i want a tattoo based on it cause that is some Kingdom Hearts level sht and I'M SO HERE FOR IT.
It's up there with "Do I need a reason to want to help out a friend?" for my favorite quote from the franchise. And what makes me fall in love with Sonic and Shadow all over again.
We DESPERATELY need a Sonic series like this fr
I would kill for a whole animated series or anime like this
@@thepjshowa series like this where it’s a perfect blend of light humor while also having serious moments and themes would be absolutely perfect
FR
I could pay Million dollars
@@thepjshow Image if the Sonic movies were like this don’t get me wrong I love them but I don’t know why they put the characters in a real life world not the unique ANIMATED Sonic world.
A revival/continuation of Sonic X in this artstyle.
It’s so refreshing to see a warmth and vulnerability in Shadow that hasn’t really been present before. At least not in the 2010s era of Sonic.
For people saying this and Sonic movie 3 is too dark for children, show them the scene from Regular Show where a vengeful wizard skins Muscle Man alive.
Or that scene in Gravity Falls where Bill Cipher messes up the face of Pacifica's dad
YES
Muscle Man: "I told you I was ripped." (faceplants)
Exactly 😂
@@LightningStarSC Fun fact: That scene was cut from the UK. As a UK born, I can confirm that I didn't see that scene as a kid
I've been a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog for *5* years lately, and I could not be any more happy. In a time where most franchises fall from grace and leave fans angry and heartbroken, I'm beyond grateful to be a part of a franchise that's back to its original roots. I became a fan at the right time.
All Hail The Ultimate Lifeform, his character has risen again.
It really is a fantastic time to be a sonic fan. It does seem like SEGA are learning form their past mistakes. Even if you don't play the video games, there's still plenty of other media to consume like the movies and animations like these.
Same. So glad the movies got me into Sonic
Fun Fact: The singer of "Without You," Casey Lee Williams, was a singer for some Sonic Symphony shows and is the main vocalist for the RWBY soundtrack.
Not gonna lie, the Titan themes in Sonic Frontiers gave me RWBY vibes at places. So it looks like SEGA read my thoughts and hired Casey to do the song for Dark Beginnings. Go figure
No wonder I felt so Emotional, I was beyond surprised when I learned about this today.
I may not have watched RWBY but she was Spectacular in RvB.
I'd always had hope Kirk Thornton would be able to deliver a great Shadow performance and these episodes proved he can given the right direction. The man was told of Shadow's backstory in full detail RECENTLY. So it's almost no wonder his voice hasn't hit that right note until now. I know some can still say his voice doesn't suit Shadow, but every actor deserves credit where it's due.
And Stephanie Sheh really brought a wonderful performance for Maria as well. She gave Maria that compassionate, hopeful and gentle warmth perfectly. (Plus hearing Sailor Moon come out of Maria's mouth is cool and strangely amusing)
Yeah, I heard that nobody told him the backstory of the character he was playing and I facepalmed so hard in that moment. How could you expect a great performance from someone that didn't even get the chance to know the character he was playing. And on top of that, giving him bad scripts definitely didn't help either. But now, he's proven that he can be a great Shadow alongside the other voice actors.
The only thing I''ll say about Shadow Generations is that the game was made for you. Also as a Kirk Thornton defender since 2015 I won
Now I'm really excited! I gotta play this!
As a Kirk hater since then I'm SO sorry I was so wrong
@@TheRibottoStudiosyeah. I been saying he’s good since Forces
I saw the animatic version and it's even better than the original one we get. During Shadow's near panic attack as he fantasizes about what could've been....There's this look on his face that's hard to describe as he says "That life was taken from me long ago." It's almost one of...resignation. And then he follows it up with "There's nothing ahead but endless battles." It tells us so much about Shadow in such a short time. He truly believes he doesn't deserve to be happy, to be part of Maria's wish.
His game confirms otherwise though; that his family wants nothing more than for him to be happy. To live. I hope he's able to move on because he does deserve to be happy. If any character does it's Shadow.
Shadow in Dark Beginnings in my opinion rivals Shadow’s phenomenal portrayal in Sonic 06.
Over the years plenty of fans have made the “dead Maria” joke. It’s really cool that this animation adds substance to her character to make you actually feel bad for shadow and feel the weight of her death. But the funny thing is the actor for Maria in the 3rd sonic movie is in on the joke. She’s posted about her dying in the movie before in a humorous way, and I find it funny that the actor herself might be laughing in the theater along side everyone else.
It's amazing that such a moment was finally given proper focus and felt like it had some weight behind it. Like you said, so many see Maria's death as a bit of joke, but this makes you feel that death and its impact.
@@thepjshow At the time in 2001, it really hit Sonic fans pretty hard, but then tech improvements happen and seeing the out-of-date model's vs the newer 3d models does not have the same feel for newer fans. I guess it is what it is.
I kinda wish they had kept in Shadow's long drawn out "whhyyyy." in the original version of the script. The way Kirk delivers is it hysterical.
But him sighing also works just as well. It gives you the sense that Rouge has been asking FOR MONTHS for him to go, because she think it'd be funny.
They're the epitome of "character A likes their personal space. And character B also likes character A's personal space." and it's so cute.
Yeah, a sigh is so simple, and yet using it as a response like that just tells you so much about the character
16:20 This mutual respect sonic and shadow have for each other is represented SOOO well in their fight scene in Shadow Gens. Ian Flynn my goat
It’s funny how Maria is voiced by the same person who voiced Zeena in Sonic Lost World!
It's crazy.
Almost every English VA for the Deadly Six has had another role since Lost World. Liam O'Brien voiced Zazz and Infinite, Patrick Seitz voiced Zomnom and Lyric (and currently Zavok too), and now Stephanie Sheh voiced Zeena and Maria.
The only one who doesn't ATM is Sam Riegal, the voice of Zor
Honestly, knowing how the 2010’s was, seeing this short animated series was a breath of fresh air and I’m glad the franchise is getting the love it deserves, especially Shadow. He’s one of my favorite characters, and I love how he’s portrayed here in Dark Beginnings. Here’s hoping Sega actually makes another Sonic anime because it would be PEAK FICTION 🔥🔥
I'ma be dead honest, I deadass started tearing up seeing the ending scene of visions of Maria and Shadow, I'm so glad we're at a point with the Sonic franchise where that I'm able to actually feel emotional involving this series
I'm serious when I say this I need a full version of "Without You" *NOW*
This is the Year of Shadow!
Month
@@slidersides Well, what about Sonic 3?
It really has been feeling like it recently!
@@thepjshowit actually is. Sega seemed 2024 “the Fearless Year of Shadow”
I love how much they use the colors to define some of these scenes in the animation.
One thing that I noticed in the third episode was when there was an explosion behind Shadow. I find it interesting that explosion wasnt directly behind like they usually are in movies. Instead, the explosion takes place on one side of Shadow. And upon pausing the scene, Shadow is in the middle while the colors blue and red are on opposite sides of him.
I mention this because blue and red not only represents good and evil, but also Shadows origins. Whenever the scene if calm, or peaceful, the color blue is more likely to show up. It shows up a lot when Maira is on screen. Heck shes literally wearing the color blue. Which makes sense because Maria is the one who lead Shadow to a good path. And Maria is someone that Shadow has always cared about. Even after his nightmare, everything looks blue. Mainly to show peace, and some sort of relief that everything was a dream.
While the color red is more likely to show up whenever there's danger, or Black Doom is involved. Kinda like red nightmare Shadow was in, or whenever Shadow is attacking or fighting. Shadow is known for his red exterior, which sets him off as this guy you wouldn't want to mess with. He only gets even more red whenever he gets angry or wants to destroy something. We all know that deep down Shadow isnt a bad guy. And that his appearance doesn't define who he really is inside.
It kinda ties together how Shadow was created for both evil and good intentions. And how he uses both of those actions to get what he needs. How he's willing to cause G.U.N millions in assets (morally not the greatest thing to do) to save the planet from evil (which is a morally good thing to do). Which makes him such a well written anti-hero.
I was also suprised how they used the color purple during the scene where a silhouette of Maria gets shot. But if Maria represents blue, and the red represents G.U.N, the two colors clash together. Making the color purple. Something tragic that happened, but the same thing that lead Shadow to where he was today.
I can go on and on but overall, color is very important when creating a scene. How it can not only symbolize the story, but even the characters. I just love these episodes so much. I wish there was more 😭
wow this is a wonderful analysis on how important color is when it ties to emotions. thank you
See, this is why we want Silver to have his year because imagine how we can see Silvers backstory or his relationship with Blaze (not in that type of ship). We need Silver to come back.
It would be really cool for 2026 to be the year of Silver, given that it would have been 20 years since his debut! But any year would do. If they can do for him what they did for Shadow, we would be in for a good time
SILVER GENERATIONS! SILVER GENERATIONS! SILVER GENERATIONS!🤍
A silver Generations game would be so cool
Sliver sucks
@@That_Guy- How?
Giving shadow panic attacks is just perfection. I REFUSE to believe that he hadn’t had any beforehand especially when he was questioning abt his purpose and maria back in sa2.
The portrayal of the panic attack is phenomenally accurate. The type that isn’t horrible but still stings and I just KNOW it hurts in the chest. I’ve had those panic attacks and seeing it visualised so accurately is just a satisfying feeling.
Hyperventilating, eyes and body just shaking ever so slightly yet visible enough and yet the ability to compose himself with reassurance. Anyone else who’ve experienced this can tell that this is a damn good portrayal.
Now, panic attacks like these are WAY more intense inside than how it looks. A million thoughts fly over your mind and it’s as if you can read all of them at once. I’m BETTING on a headcanon that at that moment he thought about how if he didn’t exist, maria wouldn’t have to be gunned down. But by the moment he composed himself by giving reassurance, without shadow, there would’ve been no advancement towards a cure and plus maria would’ve been alone in the ark.
People who think Ian Flynn only makes references in his Sonic stories need to watch this, because it shows he understands the Sonic characters well and how he can make good stories, mandates from SEGA notwithstanding
Exactly!
@@thepjshow I think I speak for you when I say Silver should get his turn in the future. We haven't seen him do much outside of the Archie and IDW comics and that's utterly criminal. I'd love to see a game/comic/animation that delves into his origins and show him take on a greater villain that even exceeds Chaos and Mephiles' power.
We saw what Ian Flynn could do with Sonic and Shadow, so there is hope he will give Silver the justice he deserves. And who knows? He'll do the same with Blaze
The sonic adventure games are my favorite in the series. With Frontiers and now generations, it feels the characters are returning to their characterizations from those games, which I'm all in for.
I feel for Shadow, as ive gotten older. I've come to appreciate his character and story. He is much like Sonic but has gone through some tragic experiences that have made him aloof and quite introverted. I do appreciate how Rouge is one of the few who understands shadow and does her best to support him.
I feel Shadow 05 had done more harm than good for Shadow's character despite delving deeper into his story. Sonic x Shadow Generations, and the prolouge have done wonders in course correcting just who Shadow is. I only hope that sega continues with it and don't make Shadow a one note character
@@joltexe24 I couldn't agree more
@thekeybladeninjaturtle7380 "muh mandates"
Pretty sure it's not the mandates that make Flynn have Sonic make speeches on redemption and how he's trying to be a hero.
Seeing how hard they’re going with Shadow this year it gives me chills thinking about what they would do with my favorite Sonic character, Blaze
Dark Beginnings as a whole was amazing in my opinion. The animation and music were phenomenal. It was nice to see Team Dark fighting together again. And it was great to see Shadow and Maria’s friendship explored more. Seeing her comfort Shadow whenever he doubted his existence or abilities was really sweet. And the ending admittedly had me a little emotional. I really enjoyed the prologue overall. And it has me hyped to play Sonic X Shadow Generations when my copy arrives.
You and me both! I cannot wait to finally be able to play my copy! It's been taunting me since Friday.
Eggman's Laser Piss 💀
Both games in a nutshell:
Sonic gens - A happy go lucky adventure about a hedgehog revisiting his past.
Shadow gens - A dark and serious adventure
about a black hedgehog fighting his inner demons and revisiting traumatic events.
Barbenheimer moment.
13:23
"He's really got one hell of a range doesn't he"
me : he was in Transformers Robots in Disguise as Airazor & in Transformers Earthspark as Decepticon Breakdown so him voicing Omega reminded me of his roles in the Transformers franchise
Ah, I didn't know that. To be fair, I have been meaning to get a bit more into transformers, so this may be an excuse to do just that. Might read some of the comics too
@@thepjshow while yur at it, if Transformers One is still in yur local movie theater, pls go see it! Paramount marketed the movie terribly and we're dying to have a sequel be made
I have always liked the more serious Sonic story’s, Games like Sonic adventure 2 really show off how good Sonic stories can be if executed correctly.
like Shadow Is a Character a Grieving Character that never got that chance to Mourn his Friend/sister looking back at it now
The animation is phenomenal and it revealed so much about shadow’s backstory
Ian Flynn is doing a phenomenal job with Sonic, not only correcting their characters in frontiers, but even now fixing my personal favorite character, it’s amazing to see shadow, who had undergone so much growth in adventure 2, back to who he WAS
Agreed
@PatikYT I don't recall Amy before Frontiers in the games ever yapping about spreading light and feelings around the world. And Shadow never changed in the games post-06 in any major way.
As I said before on other videos on this animation. The character writing was on point. But my favorite bit was those last few shots of Shadow just going through it at the end.
We never see Shadow vulnerable, so to see him just wide eyes, twichy eyed, deer in headlights is POWERFUL.
That alone made me want to checkmout this side content..So good job on the writers and animators to make that segemt so powerful.
Also, I am so glad we're getting a little sprinkintof Team Dark again. Seeing Omega be a beast but also have that humor behind him is so refreshing.and it's refreshing to see Rouge setting back into her old mama Dark vibe.
there was a bonus scene i didnt even see till yesterday, but it shows maria and shadow on earth after the events of x gens and she was talking to him from beyond, him back at his chill spot
I love how the gun commander remembers Maria when he was a child and sounds quite somber talking about how she was taken from them seeming like they had a friendship before she got killed
Well they did had a friendship they just didn't want to deep into it or the general as a whole, making him the most forgotten character in the series. Until now that is😄
This animation is probably my favorite thing to come out of this franchise is recent memory. Everything about it was just so good and I love the way that the friendship between shadow and maria was a big focus. Also, great work with the video!
I love the direction the Sonic series has been taking these past couple years. I hope this energy continues and they can give this care and love towards other characters and parts of the continuity that need cleaning up.
Genuinely the fight choreography between Emerl and Shadow is super dynamic and flows extremely well, it's really good to see them pushing all aspects of their storytelling capabilities as much as they can.
Great video! You know what’s funny, Shadow might as well be the main character because at this point he’s overshadowing Sonic lol. All jokes aside, it’s awesome seeing the franchise going in a better direction, especially with Ian Flynn, he gets too much hate honestly.
one of my fav aspects of the prologue is how it really makes Maria into a character! Like obv we could all empathize with Shadow because of what he lost, but now we empathize for Maria too, which makes Shadow's loss of her hit even harder! It's crazy that I can now say that Maria is one of my fav sonic characters!
i love all the little details that were left in the minor conversations you can have with other characters, like when maria comments on how shadow and her had a teacher, and shadow never handed in his assignments. it’s the little things that count
This quick shot of the ARK at 7:38 gave me chills
Here is a fun fact about this series, it was made using 2d animation and 3d for some of the big fight scenes and sweeping camera shots.
It's genuinely ingenious the way that they mix the two together to, essentially, give the best of both worlds. The expressiveness of the 2D animation with the depth of the 3D animation.
I really liked Rouge's characterization here, she reminded me of her SA personality, sly and very graceful.
You saying she doesn't sound like, she needs to be on corner was funny ngl, first time hearing that kind of depiction of her voice. 😂
Omega is back!!!
I was surprised to see that Roger voiced him, again, sounded just like his Heroes voice.
Things are finally lookin up for Shadow.
I’ve never been this emotional for A FREAKING SONIC GAME.
I think it’s really interesting that Black Doom’s voice actor for SXSG is currently role playing as him on Twitter, and said that he wants to drive a car in Team Sonic Racing
He even referenced SnapCube's Real Time Fandub of Shadow 05. First Dan Green, and now Ben Diskin
This is probably the best I’ve ever seen Shadow in any Sonic media if I’m being honest
I was lucky to be young enough that my first experience with Sonic was actually good content. Like my first real Sonic game I played was Mania and then after that, Frontiers when it came out.
What i really love about this animation is that it never focuses on Maria's death, and i think the reason for that is because we all know she's going to die in sonic movie 3, so they don't put too much effort into it.
Instead they focus on fleshing out Maria's character, how much she means to Shadow, and play on the idea of "what could've been" had she survived.
That last scene with the song playing while Shadow getting flashes of Maria is now my most FAVOURITE thing to come out of this franchise. Hope they keep this level of quality in the future.
Honestly when Maria said Shadow has big heart but trouble expressing it, I recalled that someone said pretty much the same exact thing
I'm so glad Ian Flynn is a head writer for this decade of Sonic media. Its a funny story but I grew up reading the Archie comics around the time Ian Flynn would've been a writer and I loved how the stories had so much depth and nuance to them and I'm honestly stoked for the future of Sonic franchise for the first time in a long time! Cant wait for your analysis on Sonic X Shadow generations : )
@RamaDeeZ The Archie comics had Sonic side with a monarchy that locks up protestors.
One thing I love is how they asked Casey Lee Williams to perform the “Without You” song. She’s the main singer for a show called RWBY and her vocal range is amazing, and I couldn’t help but fangirl at her performance. I knew her coming to the Sonic Symphony show back in January wasn’t just for show! I hope she does more for Sonic, RWBY, and other franchises. Her work is amazing
I like the scene with Shadow in the rocket not just because of the flashes of what could’ve been, but also because the writers have done this to give Shadow the space he needed to let out some emotion. Not to mention the way he was acting is very reminiscent to those who experienced loss.
I’d like to point out about how he manages his emotions here. And that I feel so called out because of how relatable this is.
He’s shown of how in control he has with his sadness, despair, and the slight ptsd. Being alone most of the time makes one have time to (weirdly forcibly) analyse themselves. Now these usually end up worsening their anxiety but for the case of Shadow, it doesn’t.
The simple answer lies with omega and rouge and the bond between one and the other. ESPECIALLY with sonic 06 and the whole part about how the two of them would stick by his side despite the fact that in the future, the world turns their back to shadow.
With this, I am 100% sure that each and every time he DOES think back about his existence and emotions, rouge and omega are always in mind. This leaves a MASSIVE positive impact.
This act and swear from the two of them alone can make shadow or anyone in this matter just have the need to care for them.
Maria says herself, shadow has a big heart and he cares about people. He just has problems expressing these.
ALL OF THIS adds and adds to the fact that shadow is an empath. THATS how he has full control over his emotions when he was having that panic attack when most struggle to snap out of it when my guy literally *snaps* out of it.
The only problem he can barely handle alone is his anger. Always usually showed that his anger is disrupted when there’s a close friend nearby to calm him down. And since, like I said, he’s an empath then it’s so easy for him to reason the pros and cons.
Thus and therefore, making him one of the BEST and REALEST written characters in the sonic franchise.
As a person who’ve felt all of this, I goddamn love Shadow The Hedgehog
Maria originally was less a character and more a plot device meant for Shadow’s backstory. Dark Beginnings helped us understand why Maria meant so much to Shadow and start to feel for her as a character.
It wasn’t simply because he was made to cure her, being his reason for existing, but she was always there for him at his most vulnerable. To give him the warmth he needed when he felt cold.
This is also why I think Rouge feels she isn’t up to the task of talking down Shadow. Yes, she’s the closest thing to a friend Shadow has now, but she isn’t at the stage where she can embrace and comfort him at his loneliest. Rouge can’t do that. She can try and reach her hand out, but she can’t (yet) embrace him. She can at the very least veer him to a slightly different direction, but that’s about it.
I really love how Shadow was portrayed here, it makes me upset that some people don’t see the characterization in shorts like this and say it’s bad because the science is wrong or that it’s to short.
The fact that it’s so short but so captivating is a testament to how well things have been written
1:15 I’m sorry, YOU WERE WHAAT 😨😅
I’ve gotta give major praise to both Kirk Thornton & Ian Flynn
Both of them did a phenomenal job!
@@thepjshowyou know that meme famous Trump quote “Make America great again.”? With Ian Flynn it’s basically “Making Sonic great again.” The IDW comics, Frontiers, Dark Beginnings, etc. You were absolutely right when you said Flynn should be the writer for the games and not Pontac & Graf. Like imagine if Ian Flynn wrote all of the 2010s Sonic games including the entire Sonic Boom games, show, and comics. Sonic would be blowing away Mario more than ever. Man I just love the Sonic franchise.
Something I noticed is that Sega hired Ian Flynn to be the new lore manager but he has made comic's with great stories that flash out he characters it's like Sega is listening to us and what we want in the games. Serious game, we get Sonic x Shadow Generations, Sonic's upbeat story with younger him going around restoring time and space but Shadow out here fighting his other dad and reuniting with Gerald and Maria. Also pulling my heart stings making me cry and feel happy when Shadow generally smiled at Maria, fighting with her promise in mind. It's a lot and can make a grown man cry. This game was a great step in Sega's new path for this series hope it goes up and up from here. Sonic x Shadow Generations is a 9.5 out of 10 Sonic game it makes you happy for Sonic and get emotional for Shadow's backstory. I hope Sega will keep making games with this amount of detail and care. I hope to see more great content like this thank you so much for the video and showing us that this franchise can be saved with time and care. Keep making videos of your opinion and I hope I can support your Patreon some day, Sayonara ThePJShow.
I loved Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations as a kid, I spent like 2 months 100% Sonic generations and to get all achievements, so im super happy that they made a remaster like Sonic Colors and they made it SO good
My favorite thing about the last scene with shadow on the shuttle is that, if you suffer from them, you pick up the signs that he was beginning to have a panic attack. Like, a real medical panic attack. The pupils constricting and his breath becoming short and rapid, the way his little chest begins to rock... these are the for-real symptoms of an oncoming panic attack. Even his little "Stop it!" makes it clear he's had these before. Whoever wrote that knows what having a real, actual panic attack episode is like.
If you want more Shadow content, there are some deleted scenes you can look up. Some of which I genuinely don't understand why they were not in the final cut.
Really? I definitely have to give them a look. Thanks for letting me know!
I never used to be a 3D sonic, nor shadow fan, but stuff like this animation heavily compelled me to get into the games more
I'm really surprised at how good the writing style of such a miniseries is, it really captured the characters and their dynamics perfectly. Seeing Team DARK together really reminded me of Sonic Heroes. Shadow's character is really close to Sonic 06 Shadow, who we haven't seen for a long time.
Sega has finally understood the character again and have finally gone in a direction that is very entertaining. Kirk Thorton really nailed his performance in those 3 episodes and I can't wait to see more of that direction in the future.
It's nice that we've re-entered the era where character quality is valued in and out of media for game franchises like sonic 2(the film) and frontiers final update giving us the fundamentals of sonics chacter a jokster who takes things serious when it matters
Not gonna lie, the last episode made me tear up a little bit. Shadow is such a good character and the 2010s were not kind to him. But when I saw him thinking of what could have been on earth if Maria survived I legitimately said "we're so back". Oh and Omega is cool I guess.
@marceljankowski5469 Shadow's actual characterization in the games in the 2010s is the same overall as it was in the Adventure Era. There was no significant changes in the games.
@galten7361 I will hunt you down.
As someone who for better or worse got into the series during the fabled 2010s era I'm so freaking glad to see characters like shadow return to form and experience them for what they truly are
@CrystalChris21 Do you think Sonic making speeches about redemption and being a hero is in-character yet complain about Baldy Mcnosehair.
Tbh, I’m very happy with Dark Beginnings… especially because Shadow is my favorite Sonic character, so it’s been genuinely exciting seeing him spotlighted.
This Shadow vs Emerl fight inspired me to make some fight choreography of my own. I'm really happy with some of the results!
The Sonic series is one of those franchises that when you first look at it, on the surface it appears like many others.
Childish, kid friendly and happy-go-lucky.
But just under the surface is so much more, more than what I can go into detail in this one comment.
THIS SHIT IS SOOOO BEAUTIFUL I CANT BELIEVE I FUCKING CRIED TO A SONIC SHORT
My only issue with these incredible animations is 'Without You' hasn't been released as a clean cut song, because good god, that theme playing in Ep.3 is what I've gone back to rewatch the most.
For me, it's Shadow's traumatic past that I truly adore being presented, because it reinforces why the few things he had like Maria & Gerald, meant SOO much to him & with loss, it's a wound that never truly heals & fades away.
We've finally witnessed yet another realistic portrayal of Shadow's character & that's precisely 1 of the many facets that makes this incredible cast SOO loveable, but especially for Shadow, we can truly place ourselves in his shoes & understand just how painful losing especially Maria was to him, which imo, there wasn't a single instance of portrayal that conveyed that more than SA2, until this prologue animation.
Seriously, this animation is up there imo, with the IDW comics & some of the best Sonic games as 1 of the most incredible pieces of Sonic media we've ever experienced in this franchise & now, imma go rewatch this beautiful & painful prologue all over again, cause good god is it addicting.
This is EXACTLY why I adore Shadow: Dark Beginnings. This was absolutely gorgeous. We witnessed history. History y’all. 😭😭😭 this was stunning. I was really happy that they finally showed who Shadow really is as a character. Hell- the game does this just as beautifully! Shadow generations really feels like an exploration on Shadow and who he is. Absolutely gorgeous.
This is one of the greatest things to come out of this franchise. Absolutely PEAK!
God the 3 episode got me..
Shadow’s face when he was on the ship… it felt like he never thought more about how Maria’s death affected him… and he looked like he was about to breakdown an minute…
i got into sonic a few years ago, and man was it really a great time to get into the franchise. i started with sa1 and IMMEDIATELY followed with sa2, and playing the rest of the games really made me realize just how much more to these characters there are than what meets the eye. the 2010’s really soured the reputation for alot of people (including myself), and playing the older games and ESPECIALLY playing the more recent games, man i love these characters and this franchise. also shadow best character‼️‼️‼️‼️
I wanted so badly to be proven right that Kirk can be a good Shadow in his own right.
I know that he's a talented VA, having grown up hearing his performance as Gabumon and his other forms from Digimon and Kisami from Naruto.
Do hearing he was positively recieved online thanks to these shorts is wonderful. His delivery on that "Stop it...!" in the rocket on his way to the ARK thinking of Maria is heartbreaking!
He’s also my choice to voice Megatron if Frank Welker ever steps down from the role.
Everyone did an amazing job on this project👏👏and expanding more on Shadow's backstory and his character as a whole and i am happy we get see more of Maria this year before that we only know her through vague flashbacks and recordings yet didn’t paint the whole picture of the severity of how her illness affected her and i love this series finally showing it too
i enjoy SxS generations through watching gameplay on RUclips that is but yeah one of the best thing this year of Shadow
Well, maybe you can win the giveaway and play the game for yourself!
I love shadow dark beginnings it’s fantastic in my opinion
I've been a Sonic fan since SA2 on the Dreamcast, and I remember replaying the Sonic/Shadow levels over and over again. The "speedster" levels were always the best ones for me, so having a remake of Sonic Generations together with Shadow's storyline just like SA2 did with Hero/Dark routes is amazing. It also came out one day before my birthday!
Happy belated birthday! Hopefully it was a good one
As someone born in 2002, and thus wasn’t super likely to experience the Adventure era, I’m honestly excited for the current shift back to that tone and characterisation after all I’ve heard about it, and what I’ve seen so far has been amazing!
I hadn’t read the Archie or IDW comics (I should, tbf), so my only experience to Ian Flynn’s writing was Frontiers and Shadow Generations, and I’ve loved everything about it - the more serious tone, the emotion, the character dynamics, the personal struggles and goals, even the nuances in their personalities; it has me genuinely invested in the world and its inhabitants, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come in the future for this franchise, so here’s to hoping they keep this trend going ❤️
I’ve always appreciated on ever since Shadow’s debut in Adventure 2. Despite him being a scientific creation or artificial life. Maria & Gerald never saw him as nothing but a tool as they saw Shadow as an actual person.
I am still in shock at how phenomenal this miniseries turned out to be! The perfect mix of 2D/3D animation! I keep watching it almost daily just so it stays fresh in my mind for when I finally get my copy of the game. Can't wait to dig into the story (and finally safely go back watching YT regularly so I don't have to worry about spoilers lmbo)
Honestly, I loved Dark Beginnings! It’s making me excited for not only Shadow Generations, but also the third movie!
I love how when I want to write a random comment I usually just talk about what I want to say, but when there's a goal, like QNA or "Interesting Comment" for a giveaway, I suddenly have trouble writing comments
We finally got a Shadow that's not too edgy or cool and actually has a good character portrayal since the 2000s (we don't talk about Shadow 05), and that's a great sign the new writer won't reduce the personalities of the characters to just one-dimensional and actually gives them a purpose for their existence, not just Sonic's friends, girlfriend or sidekick (looking at you Heroes Amy and Forces Tails)
@mon7 ITT: A game with Iizuka and Maekawa themselves having key roles in production doesn't represent Shadow's character well even though they are Shadow's fathers.
Also Frontiers having its' script rewritten for the JP version shows that SoJ doesn't see how Flynn and other Westerners try to frame the characters as appropriate for them. See Amy (who loses her sudden nurturing angel of light angle in the JP script to instead be refining herself to be worthy to marry Sonic).
Fun fact: Jamboree has an actual meaning: "a large celebration or party, typically a lavish and boisterous one", so it isn't just a random sound at the end of Super Mario Party Jamboree.
I assume most people already know it but I hope it counts as interesting comment and I will have that one in a million chance to get free Shadow Generations.
They just keep getting better with these animations and fun fact the voice of Maria in this animation as well as Shadow Generations is the same voice actress who played Zeena in Sonic Lost World.
Shadow and Maria in these shorts and now in the game has to have given us some of my favorite interactions between characters in this franchise in a long time
The fights in these shorts are so good, my favorite being shadow vs Emerl. My favorite part at the end where shadow grabs Emerls arm and punches had my 🤯. I want to see more fight scenes like this, in these shorts or in the games. I feel like we don’t see too many of these fight scenes in the games. I think with stuff like this and frontiers, we might see more amazing fights in the sonic series.
While watching this video I had a sudden realization about Sonic as a franchise as a whole. For awhile I had only really ever played the 2d games as from a gameplay perspective I really couldn't even find my self enjoying beloved games like Sonic adventure 2, yet I was still heavily drawn in by the story it told even when I had already previously seen it through videos. This eventually led into me getting Sonic Frontiers when I heard that its writing was actually good (ofcourse I also had a fun time with it gameplay). With that and now Dark beginnings I really appreciate that recently the team has been focusing more on that aspect of the franchise as I feel it could draw even more outside faces into these games, and I feel that's an advantage that sonic has over many in its same genre so hopefully shadow generations follows suit. I also have you to thank as I probably wouldn't had ever gotten to see these worlds without your character videos, keep it up many ur doing this franchise justice.
Getting nostalgia from seeing Team Dark again, just kinda wish they played "This machine" at somepoint to top it all off.
I cant believe im actually getting back into this after all these years, and it finally feels like justice is being served to some great characters!
The franchise needs more Omega!!
Ngl, I want to win. Now about Dark beginnings, it is PEAK Shadow content, the references, Team Dark, Maria, actually amazing writing, the first episode made my cry on the inside and I LOVE it. The Boom VA for Shadow is my least favourite voice but he did a banger job with this since he had a good story to work with. To summarize I will be doing an AMV on this as it is a 20/10
I like how the games, comics, and movies have worked in recent years I’m glad this is happening to a cool franchise
Honestly my only real complaint about it is having ONLY 3 PARTS, I would want to watch more of it
I love how when Rouge sees Shadow she gets a little glimir in her eye like she was in work mode but is now like "My friend is here"
Lowkey the Sonic producers watching your every video😂
After all these years, Shadow has finally been given the respect and love he's been wrongfully neglected. And with the upcoming Sonic 3 movie, he will be getting even more of that. This truly is the Year of Shadow!