Holiday Recommendations

Written by Jason

Hey everyone!  It’s that time of year again!  Of getting together with friends and family, reflecting on the year that has past and looking ahead to the next one, and… way too much going on!  Okay, maybe that last one is just me, but for myself, I know that Christmastime is a time when I quite often get “peopled out” and want to advance in a direction away from what feels to me like complete chaos.

One goal Karlissa and I have discussed is keeping better track of what books (and even TV shows and movies) we watch in a given year.  And if there’s one thing that I have learned, it’s that in today’s world of media oversaturation, word of mouth is the best way to market the stories you have interacted with. 

So with that in mind, here’s some recommendations for different books, TV Shows, or even movies that you might want to consider in some of your quieter moments this holiday season, or even moving into the new year.  Some might be new, others new to me, and of course, all are fantasy (or fantasy-adjacent)!

Books…

This manga is fun and has surprisingly deep themes about family life, responsibilities and bonds.  Add on fantastic action of different types – espionage and outlandish assassinations – as well as fantastic characters and great humor.  I can’t help but wonder that I get more out of this series as a husband and dad than the teen crowd it is aimed at.

Karlissa here! This year I discovered this beautifully illustrated book about the friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien – I recommend checking it out!

TV Shows…

Okay, maybe this one is a bit of a cop-out.  But having only discovered the manga and the TV series, I can honestly say that, in my mind they are both well worth your time.  The TV show largely stays true to the manga, but Karlissa prefers the TV Show’s flow.

A fan-made, animated, original Legend of Zelda story.  The fact that the characters speak via text boxes (like the video games) does not detract.  The story is gripping, the soundtrack spectacular, and I for one cannot wait for the next episode (the 6th episode was released in the spring of 2025).  Check out these videos on YouTube, this is not your average fan-fiction.

Movies…

While I’m sure many of you have come into contact with this movie in one form or another, please allow Karlissa a moment to sing its praises: “Fun, unique, and crazy, with great animation and engaging characters!”

Not a new movie by any stretch, but one that keeps with the holiday theme.  Make no mistake, this is not a Christian movie by any stretch, but with charming animation, brilliant character growth and a great sense of humor, it’s a favourite in my house.

A new release for this year, and while the novelty of the first is gone, I would argue that it’s the more subtle character growth and struggles that give it plenty of merit all its own.

Thanks to everyone who has listened to our podcast, read our blog, bought a book, or attended a book signing this year!  Thanks for being a part of the journey with us, and please stay tuned for updates on Karlissa’s new book To Narnia and Beyond, as well as any other projects that we will put out.  Also, for more recommendations, follow Karlissa and I on Goodreads (post links here) and see what we have been reading and our thoughts on them.  Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year!

Sonic the Hedgehog on the Small Screen... Ranked

By Jason Koop

Everyone: in this, the month of March, the year of our Lord 2025, I am petitioning that this be henceforth known as “The Month of Sonic the Hedgehog”.  Why, you ask?  Simple, because everyone knows that a march is like walking really fast.  That’s as close as you can get to running without lifting your knees that high.

So, to celebrate this inaugural month of Sonic, let’s do something that is still very much “in” these days.  Ranking media.

But what to rank… the Sonic video games, where the hedgehog got his start?  Nah, I haven’t played every Sonic game. How about the comics?  I’ve certainly talked ad nauseum about those on the podcast.  Yeah… about that.  I’ve only really read the IDW comics, and have only seen parts of the Archie comic run. And the movies… well, the less I say about those the better.

Hmmm… the problem with making these click-bait-y type blogs is you either need to come in with a ton of knowledge or a lot of time to get caught up on what you don’t know.

For the sake of brevity, we will rank something from a relatively small selection size.  Sonic’s adventures on the small screen.  Heck, we can make it even smaller by reducing it to purely animated series.  That way I can eliminate the Knuckles mini-series.

#6.   The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993)

Full disclaimer, I have only seen a couple episodes of this, and… I honestly feel that gives me a pretty good grasp on the series as a whole.  The theme song kind of summarizes what to expect.  Sonic and Tails run around, clash with the Dr. Robotnik and his minions, wacky hi-jinks ensue, with no real plot or character to make them stick.  Frankly, it has more in common with a Looney Tunes cartoon than anything particularly “Sonic”.  While certain characters from the show got limited exposure in the Archie comic run, there’s a reason why no one is really clamouring for references to this part of Sonic’s history.

#5.   Sonic Underground (1999)

Again, having only seen a couple episodes of this, this is another insanely wacky chapter in the Hedgehog’s existence.  Really, about the only thing it does is affirm the Hedgehog’s affinity to music.  Which, while neat in of itself, does little to make this one worth watching.  At least it pretends at having a plot/story arc for its protagonists.  That’s something.  And the title is a pun.

#4.   Sonic Boom (2014-17)

Part of an attempted re-boot for the franchise (which also included a few video games sharing the same title), this series presented both different designs for the characters and a much lighter tone.  While the characters are relatively flat, there are some fun episodes and truly humorous jokes.  Thankfully, the show is self-aware enough not to take itself seriously.  Overall though, it’s best described by its in-show fast-food franchise, a “Meh Burger”.

#3.   Sonic Prime (2022-24)

This series is… confusing to me.  On the one hand, it cuts out the wacky silliness that Sonic has been known to indulge in with his animated shows.  On the other hand, it replaces it with a multi-verse story that frankly feels too spread out.  While the multi-verse does give the audience interesting takes on certain characters (like Nine, Knuckles the Dread and Mangey Tails), we aren’t given any real reason to get attached to them and their conflict.

The Chaos Council – comprised of 5 different Eggmen – is pretty funny with its squabbles and Shadow does his best to keep things on point.  There are multiple cool action sequences, and the dialogue is pretty good too.  However, it’s all too… surface and would have been better off with less multi-verse hopping.

#2.   Sonic the Hedgehog (1993-94)

Also known as Sonic SatAM (because it typically played on Saturday mornings), this is the series that is arguably the most recognizable.  In a world where Robotnik has pretty much won, polluting most of the planet and robotizing many of its inhabitants, it’s up to Sonic, Tails and the Freedom Fighters to fight back.  It provided the groundwork for the initial 10 years of Sonic’s run in Archie comics; with several characters introduced in the show being main characters, like Princess Sally Acorn, Bunnie Rabbot, Antoine, Rotor, Nicole, and Robotnik’s lackey Snively.  There is a surprising amount of world-building that happens to separate it from just being “stop the evil Dr.’s most recent evil plan”.

#1.   Sonic X (2003-06)

This is by far the largest Sonic show, in terms of story and scope.  The cast is big, including Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Cream, Shadow, Rouge, and a human character, Chris Thorndyke. In the first season, the episodes range from funny side-stories (like where they play a baseball game against Eggman and his robots for a Chaos emerald), to more serious fare (like dealing with the fact that Chris feels very much an after thought of his parents).

The second season is where the series truly shines, taking Sonic and his friends away from Earth, and placing them in their own planet where they are soon caught up in an intergalactic war with the Metarex.  Here the series really goes big with its spectacle and stakes, leading to some surprisingly dark turns for a kids show, which makes the victory feel all the more earned.

The theme song is a fun jam.  And finally, it proves my theory that the perfect Sonic show should be an anime.

#0.   Sonic x Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings (2024)

Karlissa went over my head an insisted I include this, to which I respond with…  IT’S NOT FAIR!!!  I mean, c’mon!  The animation is gorgeous, the dialogue is fantastic, the action scenes are flat-out SICK, and it features a hauntingly beautiful song by Casey Lee Williams!  I know, it’s a prelude to Shadow’s portion of the video game, and non-Sonic fans might not get a whole lot of it, but for someone like me (or even Karlissa, who has received fandom by association with me) its only flaw is that it’s not a full-on show!  Please, SEGA!!!  Make a show like this!  P.S.  Watch it on YouTube if you don’t own the game.