A report from Andrew Paulson has revealed that US anime localisation company 4Kids are to start providing original, uncensored episodes of the Japanese Sonic X series. A short trailer featuring a clip from the first episode, Enter the Supersonic Hero, has been uploaded to their Youtube Channel. The only problem is, if you’re outside of the US, you’re blocked from watching it – just like any other Sonic X video the company has on their account.

The move is both a positive instance of 4Kids coming to terms with what a lot of their audience has asked for, yet a shock for worldwide fans that even today have to put up with archaic regional rights issues. The TSSZ article is littered with comments from fans disappointed that they cannot watch their favourite cartoon online.

4Kids has received a lot of venom in the past for their handling of Japanese anime shows. Vitriol from Sonic the Hedgehog fans have been somewhat more intense due to an ownership of the franchise’s merchandising rights, along with a controversial move of integrating their voice actors into the Sega games.

They may well be trying to make things up to a ton of their disgruntled viewers tired of the American edits and censors, but have 4Kids scored another own goal here? Let us know in the Comments box or the SSMB.