Sonic X (Japanese: ソニックX Hepburn: Sonikku Ekkusu?) is a Japanese anime television series created by TMS Entertainment and based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series published by Sega. Sonic X initially ran for fifty-two episodes, which were broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 6, 2003, to March 28, 2004; a further twenty-six were aired in non-Japanese regions such as the United States, Europe, and the Middle East from 2005 to 2006. The show's American localization and broadcasting were handled by 4Kids Entertainment—which heavily edited the content and created new music—until 2012, when Saban Brands obtained the rights to the series, and later in 2015 by Discotek Media.
The plot follows a group of anthropomorphic animals originating from the games—such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, Amy Rose, and Cream the Rabbit—and a human boy named Chris Thorndyke, whom the animals meet after teleporting from their home planet to Earth. While on Earth, they repeatedly scuffle with antagonist Doctor Eggman and his robots over control of the powerful Chaos Emeralds, while also adjusting to their status as celebrities. The final story arc sees the friends return with Chris to their world, where they enter outer space with a newfound plant-like creature named Cosmo and fight an army of creatures called the Metarex.
Sonic X received mixed reviews from critics. Generally, writers criticized its American localization and some of the characters, while being more generous toward its story and aesthetics. The series was very popular in the United States, though less so in its native Japan. The show's merchandise included an edutainment video game for the Leapster, a trading card game, a comic book series featuring an original storyline, and various toys and other items. The phrase "gotta go fast", the title of the show's North American theme song, has survived as a Sonic catchphrase for over a decade after the show's initial release.
