Animation 'Sonic & Friends' is a New Animated Series, Here's the Official Reveal Teaser

[Dreadknux]

SEGA has finally revealed what the mysterious 'Sonic & Friends' branding is for in an official reveal teaser posted earlier today; it's a new series of animated shorts destined for the Japanese company's TikTok channel.

Announced on the publisher's social media channel, the new series presented Sonic and his pals as cute 'chibi' style 3D characters, no doubt getting into all kinds of fun.

Speculation about what Sonic & Friends was going to be spread like wildfire a month ago when a trademark for the name appeared on Japanese websites, with further details suggesting that it was related to a new video game. A logo was more recently discovered, that evoked the same kind of child-like appearance that has eventually been revealed here.

Turns out it was just a TikTok show this whole time. However, it's possible that, depending on the relative success of this animated series, SEGA may explore further merchandising opportunities with the new branding. And that may involve some kind of video game (although if it did, we suspect it would be more like a mobile game at this point).

SEGA Japan released a teaser video above, which you can also find on its TikTok channel. What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments section below!

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[DaBigJ]

I still firmly think we might get some merch with the "Sonic and Friends" name, it just feels like the most logical thing to do.

Anyways this is way out of my range of interest but I have to admire the production value of the short. The lighting and model work is pretty high quality, and it being merely short productions means it's just gonna be inoffensive stuff, which I'm okay with.

[Dreadknux]

I'm a dad now. Give me Sonic baby content so I can show off how cool Sonic is to my little boy, before he has a chance to like Power Rangers or something 

[Stasis]

@Dreadknux I’ve tried to get my 13 month old daughter to watch Sonic related media with me but no luck I’ve got something age appropriate now that she will most likely love watching. 

[Indigo Rush]

Will this one end with Sonic killing another demigod or is this just filler 

[Blue Blood]

I guess they couldn't go with for more well-known name of "Sonic and His Shitty Friends" for some unknown reason. 

 

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Looks cute and I expect them to be light on voices and the like, so it wouldn't be surprising to see these localised in the future. 

[joe_schmoe99]

I can't believe they straight up murdered Eggman

[SolidSurgeTT]

Could you not use TikTok, Sega? Kthx

[Indigo Rush]

Actually, yeah. Why is this on TikTok? Controversies aside, the target audience seems really young. YouTube Kids I could understand, but TikTok? Maybe I'm behind the times, but are parents actually giving their 5 year olds their smartphones to view short-form media like this?

[ShadowForever]

Oh, so it's a cartoon? More and more mysterious... 

[sonicclaasic]

They looked adorable Just watched It earlier I'm definitely up for the Sonic & Friends merchandise especially If they do plushies of them. 

So It got finally revealed and we know what Sonic & Friends Is now.

[Red Hot Jack]

Woah I'm surprised there is already a lot of merch for this and it's just announced!

(The designs are based off some plushies lol)

[GentlemanX]

Not on Tiktok, but yeah this seems like an obvious fit to engage with a younger demographic using newer social media. Ideally, I'd like to see this turned into a longer pre-school series of shorts on Youtube Kids or on something like Cartoonito, but trying to keep up with evolving social platforms makes a lot of sense.

I think this looks really cute and serves a niche Modern Sonic doesn't, Classic Sonic shouldn't, and fills said niche better than something like Movie Sonic or Boom Sonic do. Hope to see more.

[MGA_Gamer]

Yeah... Not for me TBH, but then again, I'm not exactly the target demographic here!

[GeAr-DX]

Looks cute, I liked. Looking foward for the merch.

[MetalSkulkBane]

I just hope it will have more than Core Cast of 5. I know it's for little kids, but add Blaze, Chaotix, or Shadow and I'll watch it.

... I mean, I'll probably watch it anyway, but you know, much less enthusiastically.

[joe_schmoe99]

24 minutes ago, MetalSkulkBane said:

I just hope it will have more than Core Cast of 5. I know it's for little kids, but add Blaze, Chaotix, or Shadow and I'll watch it.

... I mean, I'll probably watch it anyway, but you know, much less enthusiastically.

I have a strong feeling that these shorts will be very surface level Baby's First Sonic type content, so I kinda doubt they'd use anyone other than Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Eggman. I'd be happy to be proven wrong, though. Of those three choices, I could see them possibly using Shadow.

[castell-neath]

Well....looks good for its target audience but im just going to have to go on twitter and nag and nag and nag Mike Pollock if there will be a "Sonic & Friends" Shadow in it soon soon. Maybe we'll get a "Boom shadow" style song again!! 

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Yep, looks like predictions were right on the money for this looking geared toward pre-schoolers.

[Waveshocker Sigma]

5 hours ago, Indigo Rush said:

Actually, yeah. Why is this on TikTok? Controversies aside, the target audience seems really young. YouTube Kids I could understand, but TikTok? Maybe I'm behind the times, but are parents actually giving their 5 year olds their smartphones to view short-form media like this?

Tablets, actually. But yes. This is been a thing for the past decade, believe it or not. Speaking as an uncle who watched his sister and her friends do the same with their kids.

Anyways, uh, cute? I guess? It looks like the perfect way for Sonic to meet Hello Kitty again. lol

[Scritch the Cat]

I'd be willing to take this in stride, but dammit, the short legs are too much.  That's like failing the first rule of Sonic character design.  I'm not going to pitch a fit over whether Sonic's nose bridge is wrinkled or whether his arms are blue or whether his eyes are green, but when you give a character who runs a lot really stubby legs, and worse yet, still show him running on those stubby legs, that's annoying.

[Iko]

It looks ok, I'm just a bit annoyed that it's Sonic-Tails-Knuckles-Amy all over again.

Look at "It's Kirby Time", those read along stories on Youtube. They're still aimed at a pre-school audience, but there's a lot of fanservice for long-time fans and good use of side characters, even obscure ones at times (I love those stories, they are wholesome and have very good arts).

I know that I'm not the target audience, but I can enjoy any media for what they are, regardless of the target: this, from the preview, looks way too casual for my tastes. Not bad, but it does not interest me enough to bother.

At the end of the day, it's just an harmless little show, it's fine I guess...

 

[Baconjack]

Can’t believe Tomy predicted Sonic & Friends 5 years before it came out

[Sonictrainer]

Pros: AWW SO CUTE

Cons: Sonic's head spikes are throwing me off a little bit

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

PUT SHADOW IN THIS SHOW!

DO IT!

You KNOW he'll be adorable!