A talented Sonic the Hedgehog fan has created a stunning animation sequence that uses a style commonly found in action-packed shounen anime.
On February 6, an X (formerly Twitter) fan animator named @kotoriyrisuet posted a 15-second video depicting Sonic’s transformation into Super Sonic. The sequence titled “Super Sonic Transformation” showcases uniquely smooth animation combined with strong lighting effects that evoke a distinct shounen anime feel. According to @kotoriyrisuet’s post, the animation uses a technique called “sakuga,” which is often used in action anime to highlight particularly important or memorable scenes.
Related
New Toei movie co-created by Sonic the Hedgehog designer “Most ambitious CGI movie to date”
Toei Animation teams up with Sonic the Hedgehog designer Naoto Oshima for a new family-friendly adventure film starring JK Simmons and Adam Devine.
Shonen anime like Dragon Ball and Naruto are known for their use of Sakuga
Sakuga was introduced during the 80s era of animation, when iconic shounen titles like Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball and Shoji Kawamori’s Macross were at the peak of their popularity and starting to find an audience in the West. Sakuga’s scenes often feature significant changes in fluidity and style that help engage the viewer. Today, this technique is still commonly used in modern action series, especially during important character moments or key battle scenes. Pierrot’s Naruto series uses it at least twice; once during the match between Rock Lee and Gaara during the “Chunin Exams” arc and again during Naruto’s epic final match with Sasuke Sasuke. Jujutsu Kaisen fans also witnessed sakuga in Satoru Gojo’s first domain expansion performance.
Overall, Sonic’s transformation into Super Sonic is considered by many to be an homage to Dragon Ball Z, as the hedgehog’s brilliant golden spikes are reminiscent of Goku’s hair after becoming a Super Saiyan. In December 1984, Dragon Ball first appeared in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. More than 40 years later, the franchise is still going strong. The current main series, Dragon Ball Super, continues to be published monthly through V Jump, with Akira Toriyama writing the stories and Toyotarou illustrating. Toei Animation is also currently collaborating with Toriyama on a new anime titled Dragon Ball Daima in celebration of the franchise’s 40th anniversary.
Related
Shonen Jump releases the first English-language animated manga
A Shonen Jump series known primarily in the West for its memes has become the first manga series to have dubbed animation in English.
Sonic the Hedgehog entered the gaming industry in 1991 with the launch of his first game on the Sega Genesis. More than two decades later, the agile green rodent has now become a multimedia icon with several animated series of his own, including The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic X and Sonic Boom, just to name a few. Name some series. His latest animated series, Sonic Prime, debuted on Netflix in December 2022. In the series, Sonic accidentally destroys a reality-warping device called the Paradox Prism — an error that causes creating some strange new worlds featuring alternate versions of Sonic and his friends. The series ran for a total of three seasons before ending earlier this year.
Source: X (formerly Twitter)