Sonic the Hedgehog (OVA)

[BrayPlays (Formerly CyDra) 23]

The anime features Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Eggman (Dr. Robotnik in the English release) and a few supporting characters, such as the human Sara. The series was licensed by ADV Films and was released on September 7, 1999 as a single direct-to-video film in North America as Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie. It was given the subtitle The Movie by ADV due to its now movie-like length by combining the two OVA parts together. The English dub was later released on DVD in North America on January 13, 2004,[1] and as of 2008, this OVA is no longer licensed.

If you've seen it (I'm pretty sure most of you have thanks to YouTube), what are your opinions? Did you like it, hate it? What would you do differently about the animated creation?

[Fwiss 29]

Hmm, I saw it so many years ago, so I can't really specify the details. Culturally, it was interesting because it was one of the better glimpses of the early Sonic in Japan. Before the Sonic Adventure era, the Sonic series in Japan was vastly different from the American Sonic. Sonic CD had one of the strangest discrepancies. In the American Sonic CD manuals, Amy Rose was given the name Princess Sally, an awkward, unusual, and transparently erroneous attempt at integrating the American Sonic stories of SatAM and the comics into the games. The OVA was a different Sonic in a way. It more closely resembled the games, and while Sonic's attitude was still spunky, it was different. Since I don't remember it well, I don't have a lot to say. It's kind of funny that years before Sonic '06, there was a lesser-known Sonic storyline involving a human princess.

I like how there are a lot of story elements in the OVAs that were simply not explained or taken for granted, like the old owl, the princess Sara, or Knuckles' awesome hat.

From the Wikipedia article's list of censored scenes in the US VHS release:

• Metal Sonic accidentally looking up Sara's dress when he crashes through the bottom of Eggman's ship, resulting in Sara repeatedly kicking his head, calling him a pervert. In the same sequence, Sonic also appears to injure himself after falling onto the ship, landing on his crotch. Also, Sonic is synched with Metal Sonic and essentially feels what he feels; he even blushes.
  
• During the second fight against Metal Sonic, Tails, after the Tornado is shot out of the sky, falls down a hill and starts to roll into a snowball and crashes into Sara and Knuckles. When the snowball clears, Tails is revealed to be holding on to Sara's breasts. Knuckles notices this, and thinks Tails did it on purpose.
  

Wow, the OVAs really are anime. You definitely wouldn't see that in a western-written work.

To sum up this disorganized post, it was interesting to see how different Sonic was in Japan.

[Seviper the Fang Snake 368]

Let's not forget Sonic flipping Metal Robotnik off

[Danny Felixe 330]

Oh the movie. I really liked it. Though, I remember seeing all the parts that Fwiss has mentioned so I must've seen the uncut one

One thing that still bugs me though... When Knuckles says he's Sonic's best friend, WHY does Tails say NOTHING? Does he not think he's Sonic's best friend? That Sonic has decided to live with his second best friend over exploring with his best friend? Hmm...

Also has some good quotes we will likely never see anywhere else

Oh, looks like I'm out of time to say anymore. So overall... yeah I enjoyed it

[Centaur Man 25]

Oh I really love the OVA. It was a simple story and a really cool Cartoon-movie.

Especially Metal Sonic, who changed at the end of the movie his lesson of life that there is only one Sonic and that he isn't only a killer machine (well...he rescue the President and the Owl). The battlefights are really cool aaaand the funny scenes (MY HAT IS ON FIREEEEE! xD) AND of course the censored things. Why are those scenes only in old cartoons? Why not today? It makes the film realistic.

SEGA should make more of those films.

[Lino Blythe 8]

What I thought was funny was I have this friend who is exactly like Knuckles and he even thinks Knuckles is cool. My friend took up welding classes and got a job in that for a bit and then I saw this movie and saw Knuckles welding! I had to show him the movie and it was just awesome to see his reaction. Best, movie, ever~

[BrayPlays (Formerly CyDra) 23]

It was interesting to see just how different Sonic was in the west and east. The censorships throughout the movie seem odd to me now, but they aren't distracting. The story is decent enough to have "Sonic the Hedgehog" attached to it. I think that for it's time, the animation was; and still is, well done and pleasing to look at. I simply adore the soundtrack, well it is "Sonic the Hedgehog" after all. Some of the voices (And by that, I mean most of them) I don't like... Tails, the president, Knuckles, Old Man Owl and Sara. The voices for Sonic, Robotnik, Metal Robotnik and Hyper Metal Sonic were done quite nicely! For a movie based on the blue hedgehog, I think it holds up even to this day. If it was up to me however, I would make the movie closer to Sonic CD, but it's as close as we've seen to a good Sonic movie. I love the movie and I would recommend it to anybody that's a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog.

[Lena Stan Account 60]

I still haven't watched it...Cause i can't find it anywhere. (I don't want it on youtube.)

[Shinomi-chan 294]

It was pretty cool xD and funny! although... I should go watch it in Japanese with subtitles.. I have already watched it with English dub and it was pretty awesome. but I'd like to see the original version as well. the drawing style and the music... just... CLASSIC!!

[Blue Comet 11]

It the only sonic show beside sonic x that didn't change the design for sonic, tails, knuckles, and dr.robotnik and the first to include metal sonic when I was a kid I uses to watch a lot of anime and I was a sonic fan so I enjoy every bit of this movie some of the voice acting however it ok it was the 90`s so a course voice acting for video game character would not be 100% awesome.

[Shinomi-chan 294]

still a classic :3 still very awesome! and the sounds and music and everything xD

[Noodles The Echidna 23]

Oh my gosh, I LOVE the soundtrack. It's a great movie too.

[Shinomi-chan 294]

I know right? I really should watch the original version though.

[Noodles The Echidna 23]

I just watched it for the 3rd time yesterday.

[Blue Comet 11]

It's the only sonic media that got little to no hate if you check around the internet everyone had something positive to say about this OVA.

[Shinomi-chan 294]

Well it sure did earn good ratings and no hate! I think it's well made, funny, it has got action and since it's a bit older styled it is "CLASSIC~" awesome OVA/Movie if you ask me :D