History Manga / SonicTheHedgehog

* ''Manga/DashAndSpinSuperFastSonic'' - a 2000s manga series by Santa Harukaze and published in ''Extra [=CoroCoro=] Comics Special''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sonic_shogakukan.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Sonic and his alter ego, Nicky.]]

''Sonic the Hedgehog'' refers to a 1992-1994 manga series based off the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' games. It ran in several Shogakukan spinoff magazines.

This manga stars a bookish 10-year old hedgehog named Nicky who lives in Hedgehog Town. Nicky can transform into his alter ego, the much cooler Sonic the Hedgehog. As Sonic, Nicky fights the evil Dr. Eggman alongside his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower. No one besides Tails knows that Nicky is really Sonic, not even Nicky himself.

Despite being only one of many ''Sonic'' manga, this early manga is the most well-known because it gave rise to two long-standing characters: Amy Rose and Charmy Bee, and thanks to EarlyAdaptationWeirdness.

The manga is rare and has never reprinted into volumes, but a work-in-progress collection of online scans can be found in [[https://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=37911 this Sonic Retro thread]].

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!!This manga provides examples of:

* AdaptationalBadass: Tails, who drives a [[CoolCar green sports car]] and wears [[CoolShades sunglasses]]. This is completely different from the Japanese version of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', but oddly enough is somewhat ''closer'' to the international version.
* AgeLift: Sonic is a teenager. He was [[http://archive.is/kjIau 16 years old]] in the Mega Drive days. In this manga, however, he (or Nicky at least) is only 10.
* AlternateIdentityAmnesia: Nicky doesn't remember his time transformed into Sonic, or even that he does so in the first place.
* CanonForeigner: Nicky, his parents Paulie and Brenda, his 7-year old sister Anita, his best friend Little John, the lizard brothers Anton and Mad, and most characters not named Sonic, Tails, Eggman, Amy or Charmy.
* CanonImmigrant: Amy ([[AdaptationalNameChange surname]] Rose) and Charmy Bee were later added into the games starting with ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'' and ''VideoGame/KnucklesChaotix'' respectively.
* CoolCar: Tails' (based on the Lotus Super Seven), and Anton's car.
* DependingOnTheArtist: The manga was run in several Shogaku magazines. Sango Morimoto of the ''Shogaku Ninensei'' (Second Grade) magazine drew them in the well-known "manga original" Amy and Charmy style, while other artists drew them more similar to how ''Sonic'' fans associate the characters.
* EarlyAdaptationWeirdness: The manga has the bare minimum to do with ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. It focuses on a predominantly original cast of [[CanonForeigner Canon Foreigners]] in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals that mostly have never appeared since the manga ended. The story uses Sonic's earliest backstory and it also features prototypical versions of Amy and Charmy.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference:
** Amy is not pink and Sango Morimoto's version of Amy generally looks nothing like her classic video game design (or the other artists). Sango Morimoto's version also appeared in promotional manga for ''Sonic'' called ''[[https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Book Sonic the Hedgehog Book]]''. Later issues though would eventually adopt her classic game design.
** Charmy wears a jacket that he lacks in ''Knuckles Chaotix''.
* FaceYourFears: Nicky unknowingly transforms into Sonic when he's filled with self-doubt, but the finale involved Nicky realizing he shouldn't rely on others after mistaking Metal Sonic for the real Sonic, finally transforming into a confident blend of both of his personas.
* FullyDressedCartoonAnimal: Every character but Sonic, Tails and Nicky.
* InconsistentColoring:
** Whether Amy's fur is brown or blonde depends on the issue.
** Anita is brown in some issues and pink in others.
* IronicNickname: "Little John" is very large due to his weight.
* KidHero: Nicky/Sonic is 10 and Tails is 8.
* LovesMyAlterEgo: Despite being Nicky's girlfriend, Amy can't help but be infatuated with Sonic.
* LoveTriangle: Nicky is in one with ''himself'' as Amy, despite being his girlfriend, is also in love with Sonic.
* MythologyGag:
** Sonic's backstory in this manga is based on the original one Sonic Team had for him, where Sonic magically comes to life after the death of a human AcePilot who had him as a mascot.
** In one issue, Tails rides a Lotus Super Seven. Yasushi Yamaguchi gave Tails a "favourite car" because he had heard that Sonic's favourite car was the Lamborghini Countach (which explains why Tails rides a Lotus Super Seven in one piece of classic artwork, and is shown next to one in one of the hidden screens in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCd'').
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: The CanonForeigner characters wear clothes, which makes Sonic and Tails stand out as they only wear socks and shoes.
* OfficialCouple: Nicky/Sonic and Amy are a couple.
* OffModel: Very intentionally considering it's for children.
* OriginsEpisode: One chapter gives Sonic's origin. 20 years ago Nicky's dad Paulie was riding in a plane when it began to crash. Out of nowhere, the legendary Sonic popped up and told him how to fly safely. Sonic disappeared out of thin air.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: The token reptile characters Anton and Mad [[TheBully bully]] Nicky.
* SecretIdentity: No one but Tails knows that Sonic and Nicky are the same person. Not even Nicky does. He gets amnesia as Sonic. It's implied that Sonic is some sort of mystical being who temporarily takes over Nicky's body.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS:
** Fan translations have been inconsistent with the character names due to being [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign somewhat]] [[GenderBlenderName unusual]]. Is it Nicky or Nikki? The former is a better play on So''nic'', but the latter is a more common rendition of the Japanese. Is his father Paulie or Polly? "Roly Poly" is the most likely reference. What about his rival's last name? The jacket in his first appearance had the initials "AB" which stood for Anton [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseRomanization Beruka]], but it's probably a reference to a plantar wart (also known as [[MeaningfulName verruca]]).
** Not even the raw Japanese version is safe, as Amy (エミー) is occasionally spelled as "Eimy" (エイミー) earlier on (which may have been her original name as she was originally seen in a shirt labeled "E"), and Tails' last name was literally spelled as "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Perhour]]" (パーアワー) instead of [[PunnyName Prower]] (パウアー)!
* SplitPersonality: Sonic in this manga serves as another identity of Nicky.
* SuddenNameChange:
** The manga by Kenji Terada, Hirokazu Hikawa and Koichi Tanaka refer to Nicky's sister as Tania (タニア). However, the manga by Sango Morimoto refers to her as Anita (アニタ).
** In at least one late story, Amy was shown with the last name Rose (and [[AdaptationPersonalityChange apparently]] developed an interest in fortune telling), which she received from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD''.
* SuperpoweredAlterEgo: Nicky is a normal hedgehog but Sonic is super fast and super strong.
* TokenMinority: Hedgehog Town is predominantly full of hedgehogs, but it's also inhabited by non-hedgehogs such as Charmy Bee, Vector the Crocodile and the Veruca family.

Despite being only one of many ''Sonic'' manga, this early manga is the most well-known because it gave rise to two long-standing characters: Amy Rose and Charmy Bee.

* CanonForeigner: Nicky, his parents Paulie and Brenda, his 7-year old sister Anita, his best friend Little John, the lizard brothers Anton and Mad, and likely several other characters.

* EarlyAdaptationWeirdness: The manga has the bare minimum to do with ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. It focuses on a predominantly original cast in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals. The story uses Sonic's earliest backstory and it also features prototypical versions of Amy and Charmy.

* FullyDressedCartoonAnimal: Every character but Sonic and Tails.

** In one issue, Tails rides a Lotus Super Seven. Yasushi Yamaguchi gave Tails a "favourite car" because he had heard that Sonic's favourite car was the Lamborghini Countach (which explains why Tails rides a Lotus Super Seven in one piece of classic artwork).

* TokenMinority: Hedgehog Town is predominantly full of hedgehogs, but it's also inhabited by non-hedgehogs such as Charmy Bee and Vector the Crocodile.

** Whether Amy's fur is brown or blonde depends on the issue. This disappeared over time as later issues began to use her canon classic design and with it, her pink fur. Though the color of her dress remained inconsistent.

** Whether Amy's fur is brown or blonde depends on the issue.

** Amy is not pink and Sango Morimoto's version of Amy generally looks nothing like her classic video game design (or the other artists). Sango Morimoto's version also appeared in promotional manga for ''Sonic'' called ''[[https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Book Sonic the Hedgehog Book]]''.

[[JustForFun/TheOneWith The one where]] Sonic has a SecretIdentity that not even he knows exists.

* SuperpoweredAlterEgo: Nicky is a normal hedgehog but Sonic is super fast and is stronger than Nicky.

TheOneWhere Sonic becomes ComicBook/SpiderMan

* AdaptationalBadass: Tails, who drives a [[CoolCar green sports car]] and wears [[CoolShades sunglasses]]. This is completely different from the Japanese version of VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2, but oddly enough is somewhat ''closer'' to the international version.
* AgeLift: Sonic is a teenager. His was [[http://archive.is/kjIau 16 years old]] in the Mega Drive days. In this manga, however, he (or Nicky at least) is only 10.

The manga is rare and has never reprinted into volumes, but a work-in-progress collection of online scans can be found in [[http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=37911 this Sonic Retro thread]].

* DependingOnTheArtist: The manga was run in several Shogaku magazines. Sango Morimoto of the ''Shogaku Ninensei'' magazine drew them in the well-known "manga original" Amy and Charmy style, while other artists drew them more similar to how ''Sonic'' fans associate the characters.

* AgeLift: Sonic is a teenager. His age was [[VagueAge somewhere between 15 and 18]] in the Mega Drive days. In this manga, however, he (or Nicky at least) is only 10.

* SuddenNameChange: The manga by Kenji Terada, Hirokazu Hikawa and Koichi Tanaka refer to Nicky's sister as Tania (タニア). However, the manga by Sango Morimoto refers to her as Anita (アニタ).

* EarlyAdaptationWeirdness: The manga has the bare minimum to do with ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. It focuses on a predominantly OC cast in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals. The story uses Sonic's earliest backstory and it also features prototypical versions of Amy and Charmy.

** Sonic's backstory in this manga is based on the supposed original one Sonic Team had for him, where Sonic magically comes to life after the death of a human AcePilot who had him as a mascot.

** In at least one late story, Amy was shown with the last name Rose and [[AdaptationPersonalityChange apparently]] picked up an interest in fortune telling, which she received from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD''.

* SuddenNameChange: The manga by Kenji Terada, Hirokazu Hikawa and Koichi Tanaka refers to Nicky's sister as Tania (タニア). However, the manga by Sango Morimoto refers to her as Anita (アニタ).

** In at least one late story, Amy was shown with the last name Rose and apparently picked up an interest in fortune telling, which she [[RecursiveAdaptation received]] from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD''.

* RecursiveAdaptation: In at least one late story, Amy was shown with the last name Rose and apparently picked up an interest in fortune telling, which she received from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD''.

* TokenMinority: Hedgehog Town is predominantly full of hedgehogs, but it's also inhabited by non-hedgehogs such as Charmy Bee and Vector the Crocodile.
* SuperpoweredAlterEgo: Nicky is a normal hedgehog but Sonic is super fast and is stronger than Nicky.

** Fan translations have been inconsistent with the character names due to being [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign somewhat]] [[GenderBlenderName unusual]]. Is it Nicky or Nikki? The former is a better play on So''nic'', but the latter is a more common rendition of the Japanese. Is his father Paulie or Polly? "Roly Poly" is the most likely reference. What about his rival's last name? The jacket in his first appearance had the initials "AB" which stood for Anton [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseRomanization Beruka]], but it's probably a reference to a plantar wart (also known as [[MeaningfulName verruca]]). One translation even renamed Sonic's little sister Anita to Tania!

** In one issue, Tails rides a Lotus Super Seven. Yasushi Yamaguchi gave Tails a "favourite car" because he had heard that Sonic's favourite car is the Lamborghini Countach (which explains why Tails rides a Lotus Super Seven in one piece of classic artwork).

* AgeLift: Sonic is a teenager. His age was [[VagueAge somewhere between 15 and 16]] in the Mega Drive days. In this manga, however, he (or Nicky at least) is only 10.

* MythologyGag: Sonic's backstory in this manga is based on the supposed original one Sonic Team had for him, where Sonic magically comes to life after the death of a human AcePilot who had him as a mascot.

** Anita/Tania is brown in some issues and pink in others.