Sonic X

Sonic X is a Japanese anime television series based on Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise. Produced by TMS Entertainment in partnership with Sonic Team, and directed by Hajime Kamegaki, Sonic X initially ran for 52 episodes, broadcasting on TV Tokyo and its TXN affiliates from April 2003 to March 2004. A further 26 episodes aired in North America, Europe, and the Middle East from 2005 to 2006. The American localization and broadcasting were handled by 4Kids Entertainment, which edited the series and created new music. Sonic X follows Sonic the Hedgehog and his anthropomorphic friends, who accidentally teleport from their home planet to Earth during a battle with the mad scientist Doctor Eggman. Sonic is saved by a human boy, Chris Thorndyke, who helps him find his friends while repeatedly battling Eggman and his robots over the powerful Chaos Emeralds. The second season adapts the games Sonic Adventure (1998) and Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), and the third sees Sonic and his friends return with Chris to their world, where they enter outer space and fight an army of aliens. Sonic X received mixed reviews, with criticism for its American localization and human characters, but praise for its story and faithfulness to the games. It was popular in the United States and France, though less so in Japan. Merchandise included an edutainment game for the Leapster, a trading card game, an American comic book published by Archie Comics, and toys. "Gotta go fast", the title of Sonic X's North American theme song, has endured as a Sonic catchphrase.