Sonic X — That’s What Friends Are For (review)
The 2003 series of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic X itself was criticized for its inclusion of human interactions with our main anthropomorphs, or to be more precise, Chris Thorndyke. This is a character with nothing to offer and has proven not only to be obsessive over Sonic, but also a bit selfish at one point, thus demonstrating some of the low qualities of humanity (even for a ten-year-old). I however do not object to having human characters in the show, as long as they serve a purpose or show of the best of Sonic & his friends. Case in point: Episode 14 — That’s What Friends Are For. In season 1, this would count as the second episode not to feat Dr Eggman, deciding to tell a more refined story, to present a fine interaction between Sonic and a human companion, which I will be analysing in this episode. I will be talking about the dub version since it was the easiest way to access the show since it first released in the UK and on Netflix. If you haven’t seen this episode or the series yet, then a SPOILER Warning is now in play. You have been warned.
That’s What Friends Are For
Before we can get into the heart of this episode, we need to start with how it all began, and what a way to start an episode about a fast-running blue hedgehog than with politics. Just what was needed in a kids show, am I right?! After Eggman’s base was destroyed in the previous episode, Sonic is not only given the credit, but is featured on every news outlet in America. The President’s aide stresses that if they don’t do something about it, then the American people will most likely vote for Sonic as President. Um, how would that even work? Sonic isn’t remotely interest in politics, but I guess we have to create some form of conflict in a filler episode pitting Sonic against the US government. So, George W. Bu… I mean, well just the President ponders that he may need to get a real job if that’s the case. Oh really, Bush?! After retiring from war crimes, you plan to earn a living through publishing a book, speaking fees and going on The Ellen DeGeneres Show? Like a real job? Anyway, in order to combat this population contest, the President’s aide comes up with a brilliant idea (HA!) to host a black-tie event in celebration of the recent victory over Eggman, invite Sonic as a guest of honour, and have the media portray the President & Sonic as allies. Even the President is thinking how he’s surrounded by idiots, though not entirely inaccurate.
At Thorndyke mansion, Sonic receives an invitation to the White House for the event, but Sonic isn’t interested as he already set up a trip with Helen on the same day. Helen is a girl from Chris’s class who is wheelchair bound. Sonic met her one day while she was visiting the lake looking over the island. Her father told her that the island was full of beautiful flowers, but is unable to take her to see them at the moment, so Sonic decides to take her there instead, he even gets a life jacket and a boat ready for the journey. It’s really sweet to see our laidback hero prepare for a friend he just met instead of a once in a life time event to meet the President.
Sonic’s friends go to the White House in his place, but the president’s aide is having none of it, so he literally declares Sonic’s absence… a state of emergency, and calls the US military to capture Sonic! The military manage to find Sonic about to leave the mansion with the boat. The military and the police are in hot pursuit of the blue hedgehog, but Sonic manages to out run them off the freeway and meets up with Helen. Even the police casually give up on trying to catch up to Sonic’s speed. Your tax money at its finest people! I mean, they’re not wrong, but still.
Back at the White house, we witness one of the biggest examples of blatant 4kids censorship. The photographers & journalists are getting impatient over Sonic’s absence, in the original dub they start drinking and end up intoxicated, but in the western release, the alcohol is replaced with orange juice and hilariously… the President’s aide is offering them a GIANT salami than what was originally a bottle of wine. I’m dead serious!
As Sonic and Helen sail their way to the island, they are intercepted by military helicopters who descend close to and shoot a grappling hoot at the boat, potentially endangering a disabled child! Sonic attaches the hook to Helen’s chair, lifting her and himself above, swings the rope, then releases the hook to let the chair fly towards the island, but just barely. Safe and sound, Helen gives us one of our favourite clichés in anime, when the characters look like there crying, but then suddenly burst into laughter as this the most she’s ever felt alive in a long time.
Once the pair are in the clear, Helen explains the reason her father wasn’t able to spend more time with her was because he and her mother are working long hours in order to pay for her medication, her school fees and her wheelchair. Sonic & Helen re-enact the scene from Return of the Jedi as the soldiers catch up to them in their hover bikes or something. The two reach the top of the island to find a meadow of flowers, beautiful & scintillating to Helen’s delight. Sonic offers to pick some of the flowers for Helen, but she wants the flowers preserved when she comes back with her parents. I think at this point, Sonic has demonstrated his stance as a selfless friend, even when the government are pestering him to meet with the President, he constantly defies them just to grant his new friend her wish, going through the trouble of bringing a boat, louring the soldiers away from the flowers, and after stealing their helicopter manages to get back Helen’s wheelchair back. Even when Helen asked Sonic about the President, he just responds with “that guy can wait” since taking her home was his priority.
Eventually Sonic agrees to meet with the President due to Helen’s wishes. Once Helen returned home, she tells her wild adventure to her family, which you’d expect her parents to respond with; Honey, you do realize you’ve been out all day and it’s past your bed time, right? Or… Well good, now we have a case to sue the government for putting our daughter’s life at risk. Instead, they are just pleased to see their daughter’s new lease on life and agree to make time for each other, with Sonic listening to a very excited Helen from outside, which would be easy to cry out stalker, but I’m willing to see it as Sonic making sure that his new friend is ok.
Final thoughts
That’s What Friends Are For is probably one of the better filler episodes of Sonic X. Don’t get me wrong, there’re still things that plague the series, the voice acting ranges from decent to bad with the supporting characters given stereotypical accents not just towards international characteristics, but to homeland ones too, not helped is the localization by 4kids and its shoddy censorship. The rest of the main cast are just put into the background for the episode with nothing to do.
What this episode prospers is its innocent story about friendship, finding joy in the smaller things and just getting an adventure out of it. It makes simple commentary on American society while it almost comes across like a satire to the American government not only coming up with ridiculous schemes and also willing to use vast amounts of their own resources just to entertain their own absurdity. Sonic shows off his best traits in this episode, despite having a laid-back attitude, there are times when he’s not fighting and destroying Eggman’s robots, he’s willing to go out of his way to support his friends, old & new. Bear in mind, in a previous filler episode (Party Hardly) Sonic went off to find a meadow in the mountains and picked some flowers there for Cream the Rabbit while she not only feeling home sick, but was missing her mother.
Helen shows a gentle quality to her personality and expresses profound joy regardless of her disability. It’s these qualities that show how radically different she is to Chris in terms of social class and characteristics. Helen grew up in a lower middle-class family who are working full time, yet receiving low pay, and are unable to spend more time with her, but she still loves them for all the support they can give her. We even get a glimpse into the average working class of America, a regular guy working at a grocery store and willing to work full time for his own daughter’s wellbeing and future. Chris Thorndyke however, is the offspring of a software and housing CEO father and a world class actress who are almost completely absent in his life, leaving him with a Mexican stereotype house keeper (with a terribly dubbed accent), a Chinese stereotype butler and an absent-minded scientist grandfather, Rick Sanche… I mean… oh who the Hell cares what his name is, to the point where he finds solace over a blue hedgehog instead of his actually friends from school. To say the boy’s got some issues is an understatement. This could have been an opportunity to have Helen as one of the few main disabled characters in anime, and as not only Sonic’s friend, but his moral compass too. Have Helen take a textbook from the characteristics of Nunnally from Code Geass, some who isn’t able to do things on her own, but her love for life and compassion was not only her way of support, but gratitude also. In the Shadow Saga, instead of Chris trying to convince Shadow to stop his attempt to destroy the earth, Helen could have been the one to talk instead, have her gentle nature ease Shadow’s pain and convince him to do the right thing, which makes sense since Shadow’s friend, Maria was also suffering from an illness and would wanted him to see the beauty of the world, and to save it. Instead of having Chris antagonise Shadow by grabbing him by the shoulders and shouting “How could you destroy the earth? It’s not far!”.
That’s What Friends Are For may be just a pointless filler episode to some, but on the surface, it’s a fun ride that offers laughter and delight.
