Sonic X

Sonic X (ソニックX Sonikku Ekkusu?) is an anime series loosely based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. It was animated and produced in Japan by TMS Entertainment with the partnership of Sega and Sonic Team. It was first broadcasted in Japan in 2003 by TV Tokyo. During that same year, 4Kids Entertainment obtained the license to localize and broadcast the show in America.

Originally planned as a 52 episode series which would be inspired by the story-lines of the Sonic Adventure series, Sonic X expanded to 78 episodes between 2005 and 2006. These additional episodes (53 to 90) were never aired in Japan. An interesting note is that the original Japanese version is probably one of the more controversial anime to come across 4Kids' line of dubbing, and thus it was heavily edited though all 90 episodes that were dubbed in English.

Concept and Creation
The show was created by TMS Entertainment. It was the first anime series based on the Sonic universe. It was primarily influenced by other anime rather than work from the West, and was created for a Japanese audience. Yuji Naka, then the head of Sonic Team, filled in as executive producer, and Yuji Uekawa created all of the original characters. Most of the series consists of original content featuring new as well as established characters, but the second season is mostly based on the plots of, Megaman ZX, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, and Sonic Heroes. While traditionally animated, it includes non-outlined CGI elements for things such as Sonic's homing attack.

Two trailers for the series were produced. The first was developed before Cheese had been given a name in Sonic Advance 2 (2002); it referred to Cheese simply as "Chao". It was made up largely of footage that would later appear in the series' intro, but also of unused scenes featuring unique anthropomorphic animals. Sega showed off the second, which was narrated in Japanese, at its booth at the World Hobby Fair video gaming event in February 2003. It consisted mostly of scenes from the first few episodes, followed by introductions to the main characters. However, it also showed a still frame of a silver anthropomorphic hedgehog (not identified as Silver the Hedgehog) who never appeared in the series.

Several of the Japanese performers had voiced their characters in the games, but they were also given ample information about their characters' roles in the anime. Chris' voice actress Sanae Kobayashi was not sure she would be able to effectively communicate Chris' growth as a person owing to Sonic's presence, but found that a worthwhile goal. Chikao Ōtsuka, who voiced Eggman, found him a difficult character to play due to the tension in his voice and Ōtsuka's desire to have children who watched the show recognize the character as a villain but not hate him.

Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka believed that Sonic X and its merchandise, along with the game Sonic Heroes, had helped expose the Sonic franchise to a new generation of potential gamers in 2003, and he dubbed it a "Sonic Year" as a result. More boldly, Naka hoped that Sonic X alone would cause the popularity of the Sonic series to skyrocket, as that of the Pokémon series did after its anime adaptation was first released.

Music
The Japanese version of Sonic X was scored by Yoshihiro Ike. Its opening theme was "Sonic Drive", performed by Hironobu Kageyama and Hideaki Takatori. The series included three ending themes: "Mi-ra-i" (ミ・ラ・イ Future?) by Run&Gun for episodes 1–13, "Hikari Michi" (光る道 Shining Road?) by Aya Hiroshige for 14–39 and again for 53–78, and "T.O.P" by Uru for 40–52. 4Kids hired several composers to write a background score for the North American release "for both artistic and commercial reasons". The North American opening and closing theme, titled "Gotta Go Fast", was performed by Norman J. Grossfeld and Russell Velazquez.[2] A soundtrack titled Sonic X ~Original Sound Tracks~ was released in Japan on March 8, 2004; it consisted of 40 tracks of original music from the first four seasons.

New Era Saga
Paul Gekko attempts to destroy the base of Doctor Eggman and retrieve seven Chaos Emeralds. One of Eggman's robots inadvertently shoots a machine containing the Emeralds, which activates the "Chaos Control" technique. This teleports Paul, Eggman, and some of his Family and Friends to Earth, the parallel-universe version of their world. Paul is chased by police, escapes into a mansion's swimming pool, and is rescued by a twelve-year-old boy named Chris Hikari, who lives there with his movie-star mother Lindsey, corporate executive father Paul Shiba, scientist grandfather Chuck, maid and chef Ella, and butler Tanaka. Chris tries to hide the animals from his family until Cream accidentally reveals them, but they all build up a good rapport with Chris' family and with Chris' friends Danny, Francis, and Helen. The Shinobi still want to return home, so they repeatedly scuffle for the Emeralds with Eggman, his robot assistants—the hyperactive, attention-seeking Bokkun and the bumbling Bocoe and Decoe—and his larger, armed robots. Eggman plans to take over the world, catching the attention of the unnamed nation's President. Luke, Tear, and federal agent Topaz work to stop him. The other shinobi clans soon join the crusade and, when Eggman is defeated, the Metarex was destroyed and Van Grants killed, they are all hailed as heroes.

Recurring Sonic characters

 * Paul Gekko (Super Paul Gekko)
 * Obito Junior
 * Kyoji Gekko
 * Doctor Robotnik
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Cheese
 * Paul Ichijou
 * Lyon
 * Christopher Hikari
 * Hotaru
 * Utakata

Minor Sonic characters

 * Vector the Crocodile
 * Espio the Chameleon
 * Charmy Bee
 * Vanilla the Rabbit
 * Gekko Family
 * The Sad Ones
 * Renato Clan
 * Shimiza Clan
 * Mizu Clan
 * Naori Uchiha
 * Ten Tails
 * Fuu
 * Tear Grants
 * Luke Fon Fabre
 * Asch
 * Van Grants
 * The Sad Ones
 * Shia Gekko
 * Wilfrid Gekko

Naruto Characters

 * Sasuke Uchiha
 * Naruto Uzumaki
 * Minato Namikaze
 * Itachi Uchiha
 * Kushina Uzumaki
 * Obito Uchiha

Original Characters

 * Paul Shiba
 * Chuck Hikari
 * Nelson Thorndyke
 * Lindsey Thorndyke
 * Topaz
 * Sam Speed
 * Jerome Wise
 * Mister Stewart
 * Scarlet Garcia
 * Hawk