Sonic Prime season 2 debuts July 13 on Netflix
2023 is shaping up to be a strong year for animation. From Makoto Shinkai’s wonderful Suzume to the spectacular Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse, the hits just keep on coming. The second season of Netflix’s Sonic Prime series keeps pace, and continues to be a fun and engaging family-friendly show.
One of the things that made Sonic Prime’s first season so great was the portrayal of its teenage hero. Sonic (Deven Mack) is more than just a goofy, chili dog-loving blue blur of a protector; he’s also a flawed, immature kid who’s forced to contend with the fact that his actions sometimes cause more harm than good. While the premise involves action-packed treks through multiple worlds filled with wacky variations of classic characters, Sonic’s growth as a person/hero is the most compelling aspect of the first season. This remains true in the second season, which doubles down by creatively showcasing the extent of the consequences of his misadventures across time and space.
Sonic Prime’s stakes are raised in dramatic fashion as the fate of the entire Shatterverse hangs in the balance. Like the first season, this grim outlook is often balanced by intentionally cheesy dialogue and slapstick humor. The vibrant animation and over-the-top action help in keeping things light as well. More mature undertones can grab older Sonic fans, while Sonic’s near-constant battles with Eggman’s robot army appeal to younger viewers.
What most clearly differentiates this season from the last, aside from the evolving conflict, is in how complete it feels. As a series that appears to have been developed as a whole but released in parts, this portion of Sonic Prime provides the episodes needed to build on the "fragmented" foundation laid by the previous season.
The episodes that felt like filler in the first season are made more relevant given how well the second season’s stories call back to them. Unanswered questions stemming from the abrupt and unfulfilling season finale are immediately addressed. Characters that were only seen briefly are given more satisfying amounts of screen time. And the concluding episode absolutely sticks the landing, anchoring the eight-episode season in a manner that reinforces Prime’s overall theme.
All that said, there aren’t as many nods to the games and some of the episodes drag on far too long. A lot of the fighting seems redundant, with Sonic doing battle with the same foes over and over in a given episode, only for the conflict to end in a predictable manner – seeing Sonic fail multiple times (all in a similar fashion) to secure a valuable object gets old after a while. It’s during these segments that it feels like the story is just spin-dashing in place.
Prime is at its most entertaining when it focuses on Sonic’s need to grow up. His inability to think before acting causes all sorts of trouble, a sentiment made readily apparent thanks to Ian Hanlin’s bullish performance as Shadow the Hedgehog. Always judgmental, he doesn’t hold back his disdain for his blue counterpart’s haphazard fighting methods. Most of his complaints are warranted, though. It’s his superiority complex that makes him a lousy frenemy at times; Shadow is almost compelled to remind Sonic that Dr. Eggman isn’t the only person responsible for their dire state of affairs. Hanlin is convincing in this role, his voice carrying a sense of confidence that can violently shift into arrogance at the drop of a dime. It’s unfortunate that he isn’t given as much screen time as the other main characters.
As Sonic, Deven Mack not only showcases the charming attributes that fans are familiar with, but also the aspects that aren’t always associated with this character. Anger, sadness, regret – all result in a more well-rounded and relatable hero. Meanwhile, Shannon Chan-Kent, Adam Nurada, and Ashleigh Ball are still great as Amy Rose, Knuckles, and Tails respectively, and even more so in this season as they are able to play off of their various counterparts (whom they also voice) meeting one another for the first time. The differing voices of Black and Rusty Rose, for example, stand out more when they’re sharing a scene. The same can be said of Brian Drummond and Vincent Tong regarding their takes on various members of the Chaos Council.
The Verdict
Sonic Prime is a fun and overall entertaining, family-friendly show. Sitting tonally between the 1992 Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and 93’ Sonic the Hedgehog – which features a similar “freedom fighters seeking to overthrow a cruel leader” vibe – it offers an exciting look at the past while presenting some new ideas. It has some issues concerning pacing and the abrupt ending of the first season won’t do it any favors. That said, Sonic Prime should be well received by new and longtime franchise fans.
