Sonic Underground
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| German title | Sonic Underground |
| Original title | Sonic Underground Sonic le Rebelle |
| Country of production |
France USA |
| original language |
French English |
| Year (s) | 1998-2000 |
| length | ≈23 minutes |
| Episodes | 40 in 1 season |
| genre | Action series |
| music | Jean-Michel Guirao |
| First broadcast | August 31, 1998 - May 4, 2000 on UPN |
| German-language first broadcast |
April 17, 2001 on Super RTL |
Sonic Underground is an animated series from France and the USA from 1998. A total of 40 episodes were produced. The series is roughly based on the computer games about the hedgehog Sonic .
action
Queen Aleena once ruled the planet Mobius, but she was ruled by the evil Dr. Robotnik was overthrown. Their three children, Sonic, Sonia and Manic, were raised by adoptive parents as Aleena had to retreat underground. But Robotnik already suspected that Aleena's children have survived. So he had the adoptive families of the three destroyed and Sonic, Sonia and Manic followed. Since then, the three siblings have been on the run and have joined the resistance movement against Robotnik. Each of the hedgehogs has his own weapon, similar to a musical instrument, which he can activate in an emergency from a talisman - a legacy of her mother. So Sonic and his siblings fight against the almost invincible realm of Robotnik, which has the advantage over its siblings of well-developed weapons and combat robots.
Sonic, Sonia and Manic try to knock Robotnik off the throne with their most powerful weapon: music. Therefore, there is a music video with the three hedgehogs in every episode of the series. Neither Robotnik nor his accomplices can suffer from the music of the band Sonic Underground , and each episode begins with a wise and instructive commentary from Queen Aleena.
Most of the characters from the series have been known for a long time. Dr. Robotnik alias Dr. Eggman had always been Sonic's opponent. The home world of Sonic, the planet Mobius, has always been part of the well-known game series and television series. Sonia and Manic, however, were only introduced into the universe of Sonic the Hedgehog with Sonic Underground . Queen Aleena was also rarely mentioned before Sonic Underground . She appears in the series for the first time.
World of action
Mobius is shown as paradise at the beginning of the series. It is littered with nature and magnificent buildings. Then when Dr. Robotnik took power over Mobius, he created a completely new environment according to his own ideas: He had all previous buildings demolished and a completely new infrastructure introduced, including only the Obverlanders' writing (this is mainly visible because the Underground people still use the ancient Mobius language and script). Robotnik soon had an example made at the royal palace , which he had demolished, and built a huge tower in the same place as the center of his power. The beautiful, former capital Mobotropolis soon became Robotropolis, a dark, polluted and mechanized city from where Robotnik ruled over all of Mobius. Robotnik was more than dissatisfied with Mobius' military capabilities: He had a new type of army made up of SWATbots, through which he maintained control of the planet. He built high walls , put surveillance cameras everywhere , and created a total dictatorship . The exact title of Robotnik in the series is presented as rather blurred, although Robotnik is the sole ruler of Mobius, he really wants to give himself the royal dignity through the queen herself. Among other things, Robotnik had all over the planet search for the chaos emeralds, with whose tremendous energy he wants to supply his "flying fortress", a kind of giant weapon of mass destruction .
In order to break the will of the population on Mobius, Robotnik has disobedient citizens robotized. The person is transformed into half a machine and loses most of the memories and feelings, whoever is robotized becomes irrevocably Robotnik's slave, but Sonic and his siblings can briefly give the robotized back their memory with the power of their medallions. Robotnik repeatedly threatens Sleet and Dingo with robotization because he wants to punish them with it.
characters
- Prince Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic is the son of Queen Aleena and the brother of Sonia and Manic. He can move super fast, which can be quite useful to his family, even Robotnik is aware that nobody in the world is as fast as Sonic, which makes it almost impossible to catch him, even Robotnik's fastest robots and weapons are not Sonic's speed grown. Sonic was raised by a worker and his wife and later by his uncle Chuck. Robotnik had Sonic's adoptive parents and his uncle robotized. Sonic is quite a brag about his speed at times, which can get quite annoying for his siblings at times. Sonic's weapon is his speed and a guitar that he can use both for shooting and as a normal instrument. His only weakness is the fear of water as he cannot swim. He also loves extremely hot chilli dogs, of which he can eat countless quantities. His birthday is March 4th.
- Princess Sonia the Hedgehog
Sonia is Queen Aleena's daughter and Sonic and Manic's sister and also the only one of the three who grew up in luxurious circles. She was bored in the luxurious circles of Mobius, because all the rich on Mobius are decadent and Robotnik ingratiate themselves. She has been overjoyed since she has had her family again. Her weapon is her super spin and a keyboard that she can use to generate fog, as a pistol and as an instrument. Sonia is considered extremely clever and shrewd. Plus, she's vain, hates getting dirty, and doesn't like the smell of chilidogs. At the beginning of the series she is engaged to Bartleby, but not since taking action against Robotnik with her brothers. In episode 12 she gets to know Stripes, which results in a short and small misleading "infatuation" from her. But in episode 19 she finally meets her great love, Knuckles the Echidna (Guardian of the Flying Island and Guardian of the Master Emerald). Her birthday is March 4th.
- Prince Manic the Hedgehog
Manic is the family's drummer. He grew up with robbers and looters, which often got him into trouble, but also often helped his siblings out of hopeless situations. When he meets his siblings Sonic and Sonia, he doesn't want to join them at first, but changes his decision when his stepfather is robotized. He became an important member of the hedgehog community. In spite of everything, Manic still has a penchant for pickpockets: every now and then he still steals objects, purses and other things, but mostly only to collect money for the resistance, which Sonic doesn't like at all. His weapon is his ability to pick locks, hack computers, steal things, and a drum kit that he can use to create and shoot earthquakes. Of course, he can also use it as an instrument. He and Sonic often play video games together. His birthday is March 4th.
- Queen Aleena the Hedgehog
Queen Aleena is the rightful ruler of Mobius and the mother of Sonic, Sonia and Manic, whom she had to bring to her stepparents shortly after their birth to protect them from Robotnik. Since Robotnik became the ruler of Mobius, she has had to hide underground and wait for the time to ally with her children, but she is always close by and supports her children in the fight against Robotnik and his helpers.
- Doctor Ivo Robotnik
Doctor Ivo Robotnik does not come from the animal inhabitants of Mobius, but from the human Overlanders. Robotnik's deadliest weapon is his ingenious intellect: building even the most complex machines is no problem for him. Robotnik was able to conquer all of Mobius in a short time thanks to its superior technology. His countless armies of SWATbots were extremely helpful to him. The oracle of Delphius had prophesied Robotnik many years ago that he would one day rule over all of Moubius, but that the reunited family of Aleena could overthrow him. So Robotnik had Aleena and her children searched and put an immensely high bounty on them. He is both the military and political leader of Mobius. Among other things, he seems to be partially robotized himself, because he has artificial eyes and an artificial arm. He is also often referred to by Sonic as "Schrottnik".
- Sleet and Dingo
In fact, Sleet and Dingo were some of Mobius' best bounty hunters until Robotnik hired them to be his assistants. The clever Sleet represents a kind of commander in Robotnik's realm, mostly he is protected by some SWATbots. Dingo, on the other hand, is big, but quite simple-minded. However, its strength lies in its great muscle strength. In addition, Sleet has a device with which he can always turn Dingo into usable objects, which Dingo is anything but right. He is in love with Sonia and tries again and again to get her to his side.
- Knuckles
Knuckles is the guardian of the flying island and the master emerald who makes the island soar. He is also an old friend of the hedgehog trio. When the Master Emerald is kidnapped by Robotnik, he leaves the island to bring him back with the help of Sonic, Sonia and Manic. He also joins the resistance against Robotnik. He falls madly in love with Sonia the Hedgehog in episode 19 and she reciprocates his feelings. Knuckles can dig through anywhere, neither stone walls nor the hardest metal floors can stop him. The music from Sonic Underground is too loud for him, however, so he covers his ears.
- Argus
Argus was once a member of the life guard and a loyal supporter of the queen. However, he was kidnapped and robotized by Robotnik. He lost all memories in the process. However, Sonic, Sonia and Manic managed to save a large part of his memory.
- Cyrus
Cyrus is a childhood friend of Sonic and is also part of the resistance against Robotnik. Robotnik later blackmailed Cyrus by telling him that if he didn't help arrest Sonic, Sonia, and Manic, he would be robotizing his father. Ultimately, Cyrus helped the three hedgehogs to escape.
- Bartleby
Bartleby is Sonia's ex-fiance. Just like the rest of the nobility on Mobius, he also regularly sneaks into Robotnik, but he is also friends with Sonia, Sonic and Manic, although Sonic does not particularly like him and tries to convince Sonia to stop the fight against Robotnik.
- Mindy LaTour
Mindy LaTour is a close friend of Sonia's. Robotnik forced her to give Sonia a tracking device. However, she resisted Robotnik and joined the resistance movement. Mindy's father became a victim of Robotnik's robotizer. However, he survived the attack.
- The Oracle of Delphius
The oracle of Delphius is an old friend of the hedgehog family and is considered the personal keeper of the culture of Mobius. The oracle can predict the future, mostly speaking in riddles. The oracle also has a peaceful disposition. He appears several times in the series. When he showed himself to Sonic for the first time, he quickly won his trust with Chilidogs.
Production and publication
The series was produced from 1998 by DiC Enterprises and Sega of America under the direction of Marc Boreal, Francois Hemmen, Daniel Sarriet and Tom Smith. The music was composed by Mike Piccirillo and Jean-Michel Guirao.
It first aired from August 31, 1998 to May 4, 2000 by UPN in the United States. The German premiere followed on April 17, 2001 on Super RTL . There were also broadcasts in France, Spain and Great Britain.
Sonic Underground was released on video cassette and laser disk in some European countries. Various DVDs of the series as well as the two complete seasons are available in the USA.
In the Sonic comics of Archie occurs Sonic Underground at once.
synchronization
| role | English speaker | German speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic | Jaleel White | Tobias Müller |
| Manic | Vanya Gerick | |
| Sonia | Dascha Lehmann | |
| Sleet | Maurice LaMarche | Norbert Gescher |
| Chuck | Klaus Jepsen | |
| Great grandfather Athair | Werner Ehrlicher | |
| The Oracle of Delphius | Hasso Zorn | |
| Queen Aleena | Maggie Smith | Joseline Gassen |
| Lady Windimere | Joan Gerber | Margot Rothweiler |
| Destructo | Nick Jameson | Jonas Ziegler |
| Dr. Ivo Robotnik | Gary Chalk | Jürgen Kluckert |
| dingo | Peter Wilds | Gerald Paradise |
| Knuckles | Brian Drummond | Marius Clarén |
| Cyrus | Ian James Corlett | Julien Haggège |
| Bartleby | Phil Hayes | Frank Schaff |
| Mindy LaTour | Louise Vallance | Uschi Hugo |
Episode list
| No. | German title | English title | Engl. Song segment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | How it all started | Beginnings | Someday |
| 02 | You get to know each other | Getting to Know You | Working Together In Harmony |
| 03 | The trip goes on | Harmony or Something | We're All In This Together |
| 04 | The wedding | Wedding bell blues | When Tomorrow Comes |
| 05 | How do you catch a queen | To catch a queen | Have You Got The 411? |
| 06 | Mobodoon | Mobodoon | I've found my home |
| 07 | The price of freedom | The Price of Freedom | Money Can't Buy |
| 08 | The street gang | Underground masquerade | Let The Good Times Roll |
| 09 | False friends | Tangled webs | Teach The Children (Light The Way) |
| 10 | The fear of the water | The Deepest Fear | Face your fear |
| 11 | Amnesia | Who Do You Think You Are | We need to be free |
| 12 | The last paradise? | The Last Resort | Listen to your heart |
| 13 | The debutante ball | Come Out Wherever You Are | Society girl |
| 14th | The race | Winner Fakes All | Built for speed |
| 15th | A gift horse ... | A Hedgehog's Home is Her Castle | Let's do it to it |
| 16 | Artifacts | Artifact | You Can't Own Everything |
| 17th | The vermin plague | Bug! | Never give up |
| 18th | The hanging gardens | Sonic Tonic | I Wish I Could Go Faster |
| 19th | The flying island | Friend or Foe? | Not Always What They Seem |
| 20th | Head games | Head Games | Take A Chance |
| 21st | In ancient Rome | When in Rome ... | Where There's A Will, There's A Way |
| 22nd | The crown jewel | The Jewel of the Crown | The Cosmic Dance |
| 23 | Three hedgehogs and a baby | Three Hedgehogs and a Baby | Being a kid is cool |
| 24 | The Bedouin tribe | Dunes Day | True Blue Friend |
| 25th | The pyramid | Mummy Dearest | Mummy wrap |
| 26th | The hedgehog with the iron mask | Hedgehog in the Iron Mask | Part of the problem |
| 27 | The parallel dimension | Six is a crowd | I can do that for you |
| 28 | The Flying Fortress - Part 1 | Flying Fortress | No One Is An Island |
| 29 | The Flying Fortress - Part 2 | No Hedgehog is an Iceland | Learn To Overcome |
| 30th | The betrayal | New Echidna in Town | The Mobius Stomp |
| 31 | Old enmities | Country crisis | How You Play The Game |
| 32 | A hairy affair | Haircraft in Space | Don't be a backstabber |
| 33 | The derobotizer | Healer | We're The Sonic Underground |
| 34 | Sonia's decision | Sonia's Choice | Never Easy |
| 35 | Queen Sonia | The Big Melt | Fun in the sun |
| 36 | sleeper | Sleepers | Have it all again |
| 37 | Bartleby, the prisoner | Bartleby the Prisoner | Justice Calling |
| 38 | Be polite | The Art of Destruction | The Sound Of Freedom |
| 39 | The medallion | The pendant | Lady Liberty |
| 40 | Prisoners in cyberspace | Virtual Danger | Don't Let Your Guard Down |
Relationship with other parts of the franchise
The series differs in a few ways from the previously presented Sonic universe . The evil Dr. Robotnik in the series Sonic Underground the entire planet Mobius. In the previous Sonic universe, however, he only ruled a large part, and not the entire planet . In addition, Sonic has siblings in this series who have never been mentioned before and he is of noble descent. A similar Dr. Robotnik like in video games. Also a helpful talisman or Sonic's band membership did not appear before. Many figures from earlier series are completely missing, including Sonic's friend Tails . Robotnik's headquarters, the city of Robotropolis, on the other hand, looks like in the earlier TV series Sonic the Hedgehog . Robotnik's character changed from a vicious tyrant and evil scientist to a much more politically active strategist, so he often acts in secret. In previous series, Robotnik had all residents of Mobius robotized in order to gain complete control over them, even that is no longer the case in Sonic Underground . Here flexible citizens are spared. The rich live here in a splendor and extravagance that only comes close to the late Baroque and Rococo (Robotnik owns a palace in the episode "The Marriage" that is reminiscent of Versailles Palace ). The clothing and their behavior also seem to be influenced by it. In earlier series, however, it was explicitly mentioned that Robotnik had all citizens (including the rich) subjugated and expropriated. The population of Robotropolis in the Sonic the Hedgehog series consists almost entirely of robots and robotized residents and consists mainly of factories, laboratory facilities and military facilities. This is in contrast to the Robotnik from Sonic Underground , who is also a politician, aristocrat and general and, like Louis XIV , has rallied the nobility and ruled as an absolutist ruler in lavish splendor.
Web links
- Sonic Underground in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- fernsehserien.de about the series