Hey hey, long time, no journal post! I'm not dead, just pretty slow ^^; I realize I haven't done a journal for over a year, not since bitching about Sonic VA's in Team Sonic Racing lol! So, I figured, maybe I could do something interesting, possibly even fun, by doing a few journals (spread out of course) about my thoughts on various ships/pairings in fandoms, and maybe get other people telling what they think about the pairings as well? Of course, I come up with ideas, and then usually fail to follow through for one reason or another (I'm easily distracted folks, sorry ^^;...) but we'll see how this turns out!
So, I figured I'd start this off, with a pairing that's ever popular (I know it's got a fair bit of detractors too LMAO), Sonic and Shadow, or as the pairing is more commonly known by, Sonadow.
First off, gotta begin with the obvious; Sonadow is THE main gay/yaoi/slash pairing in the series. You'll get people who will say "No, it's Sontails!" or MUCH rarer "No, it's Sonuckles!" (I guess cuz they were the first male main characters beyond Sonic in the games) but sorry, once SA2 came out, if those pairings HAD been popular before (of which, I honestly can't recall them being back then), they went right out the window lol XD. Just like SonAmy is the 'main' straight pairing in the series, Sonadow is it's gay/yaoi equivalent. So right away, that's gonna be a double edged sword; In most shows, I actually tend to NOT like the 'main' pairings that they try to go with, and prefer the main character either with someone else, or not paired at all lol. I'm probably not the only one who feels that way about stuff XD
BUT on the other side, sometimes they DO pick a pairing that can work out, and even if Sonadow admittedly isn't my FAVE pairing in the Sonic fandom, I can at least admit that I DO think they have a lot of shipping potential, and a LOT of ways to make the pairing work. I've read SO many Sonadow fics (of course, since this pairing is the 'main' gay pairing, there is a LOT more fanfics of them, then fanfics of other pairings lmao) that have GREAT plots, and really good characterizations that just WORK so well! So, I will say, I find it to be a good pairing!
That being said, I do feel, as I do with most pairings that are over-saturated in fandoms, that it can get to be boring to see them over and over and OVER again, even if they DO work well together; Like, seeing a hot picture or reading a good story, and being like "MAN, I wish someone would draw/write something of this quality for [insert other pairing here], but all the quality goes to Sonadow!" lmao X'D. Even though my favorite pairing is already not drawn a whole lot, and ESPECIALLY not WRITTEN a whole lot, I still will go and enjoy other pairings if I feel a little 'bored' with my fave lol. I enjoy a pinch of variety LMAO (I say, despite that I mostly prefer Sonic to always be one of the partners in the pairing, and not so much about other pairings lmaooo).
But yes! Let's get into this!
One of the big strengths of Sonadow, that I think gives Sonadow an edge over some other pairings, even if those other pairings can have something similar, if not a lesser version of it, is it's versatility, ESPECIALLY when it comes to Shadow's characterization. Shadow is a character, that even in CANON, has such a wide range of ways he has been portrayed, that depending on how someone wants to portray him, they can just pick a game from any era with him in it, and get a different way to portray him. It goes even further if they choose to set their story DURING certain games, where he was portrayed that way; for instance, if they choose to do their story during Sonic 06 (not necessarily IN that game, but in that era), Shadow is going to be MUCH differently characterized, than if the story was set in Shadow The Hedgehog.
Shadow in SA2, has had his memories tampered with, and is focused on his revenge, and his anger over what happened to Maria. He's cocky, smug, almost POSH sometimes, in his attitude. There's actually not a whole lot of 'stoicism' in his characterization there. He seems quick to be angered, like his irritation when he discovers Rouge is a government spy, and his swift, annoyed dismissal of her asking him if he is even sure he's the real Shadow. Or even when being confronted by Sonic, he seems genuinely offended at being called fake, and during the fight, declares himself the 'coolest' lmao. Compared to 06, where he is FAR more stoic, even when being confronted with realizations that he is going to be betrayed, and locked away in stasis in the future. AND he apparently works for GUN now lol, some sort of secret agent XD. Can you imagine 06 Shadow, EVER declaring himself to be the 'coolest' lmao XD?
His characterization is even MORE confused, when you bring Shadow the Hedgehog into the fray. In that game, with it's different endings, and different ways he behaves, you could make him a complete murderous psychopath (killing Eggman, and destroying the whole planet and everyone on it), or a super depressed, borderline suicidal character ("I've caused so much destruction...I should have never been created."). The way his past is so loosely detailed, allows for a LOT of different ways a writer could insert their own versions of how his life on the ARK was, and can use the fact that his memories were tampered with, or even the fact that Eggman saved his life, and could have ALSO tampered with his memories during his recovery as PRIME fanfiction plot fodder.
And that's just his characterization; you also have abilities and things to play with. For example, even before Sonic 06, there were people who would write that the rings he wears, are to keep his latent Chaos powers in check, and then 06 came along, and basically CONFIRMED that lol (in an awesome scene I might add). There are people who think he's immortal (albeit, just that he can't get sick, and can't age; he can still be killed though), which I actually don't mind subscribing to that idea heh XD. Some people like to take his alien, Black Arms heritage into account, and others prefer to completely wipe that bit of his character out of their heads XD.
So when it comes to pairing him with Sonic, you have a LOTTTTT of different avenues to go down, in how you portray Shadow in that relationship, and almost all of them can be considered valid, because even the GAMES can't keep his characterization solid lol. I've seen the gamut of opinions on Sonadow, ranging from 'Shadow can't stand Sonic, and wouldn't hook up with him ever', and 'Shadow cares about him, but he'd never admit it', and I think all of those can be valid, based on how Shadow is in the games lol.
Some examples! Say you wanna do something based on SA2 Shadow... let's do an alternate version of the SA2 ending, but Shadow does NOT fall from the ARK, Sonic manages to see he's gonna fall, and saves him, and brings him back onboard the ARK. He's fulfilled his promise to Maria, and did it without losing all of his memories in the process. Where does he go from there? He has no home really, unless the ARK counts as a home, and he has no life on Earth. Queue Sonic offering to help him out, show him around the planet? I could see a writer making THIS Shadow, a touch more naive, seeing as he has no experience in 'normal' life, and being more open to Sonic. Turning it into Sonadow, by making Shadow be attracted to Sonic, would likely have him being more 'cute' about it, or confused.
Or even something like this! Shadow DID fall from the ARK at the end of SA2, and we're fast forwarding to Sonic Heroes, where Shadow has amnesia, and doesn't remember anyone. When Sonic sees he's alive, and perhaps having felt guilty that he couldn't save Shadow from falling, perhaps he takes time to seek Shadow out after they save the world, and apolgize for not catching him before he fell, and Shadow takes the opportunity to ask Sonic about what he knows about his past. Sonic offers to help Shadow recover his memories (not so far fetched, considering that Sonic offered to help Chip with the same problem in Unleashed, even in the middle of a massive Eggman emergency AND a personal emergency with his Werehog form lol. There's no more threat in this scenario, so Sonic would have all the time he wanted to help out Shadow), and the two of them grow closer, with Shadow becoming interested in Sonic, and Sonic getting to know Shadow more, and a romance develops between them.
Compare that to an idea like this! It's Shadow the Hedgehog, and Shadow is a lot more aggressive and violent, being strung along by Black Doom, frustrated that he can't remember his past, and only knows that the humans are shooting at him too during the chaos of the Black Arms Invasion. Perhaps he's also attacking GUN soldiers in Westopolis, and Sonic shows up, stopping him, and Shadow, expecting a fight, is instead surprised when Sonic instead offers to help him, so long as Shadow stops attacking the humans too. Shadow refuses, saying he can uncover his past himself, but Sonic insists on following, and trying to help him when he can. Shadow is getting annoyed, but also finds himself intrigued, attracted, and even perhaps has a few flashbacks from SA2, where he fought with Sonic. During a heated moment, Shadow pins Sonic down, and demands to know why Sonic is trying to help him, and Sonic says it's because he cares about Shadow. Cue Shadow aggressively making out with Sonic, and the relationship begins there?
Shadow is pretty different in each of those scenarios, and all of them (at least, imo) could be totally valid. AND, it sorta brings up another thing, the top and bottoming lmao X'D. In some characterizations (like that first characterization I used for example) I could easily see Shadow being the bottom in that relationship, whereas without the baggage and naivete, he could be a switch in the second example, and a dom in the third example. The point is, Shadow has a LOT of options to use for versatility in plots, with all the angst baggage he has, and even lots of options in the sexy department, making a hot bottom or a hot top, and totally believable in either role imo. It makes him VERY easy to ship with Sonic (and even a few other characters), and make a good story, and a sexy one lol.
Sonic has a number of different ways that he could view Shadow too. Is he interested in Shadow, excited by him, because Shadow is basically his equal in ability, a powerful rival, and gives him a challenge? Is he drawn to Shadow, but subconsciously troubled by him, because he sees Shadow as what HE could become, if he ever lost someone, like Shadow did? Or maybe he just wants to cheer him up, help him see the good sides of life? Or maybe he just is attracted to him, and wants a piece of dat Ultimate Ass, amiright lmao XD? There's even more versatility there for shipping, and it adds to the pairings appeal, and makes it easier to write fanfiction for.
I enjoy Sonadow! It's not my favorite Sonic pairing, but some of the best shipping fanfics I've read have been Sonadow, it gets a LOT of hot art, hot fanfic smut, and is a sexy pairing in general. I enjoy the MANY different ways that just SHADOW can be portrayed in this pairing, from a more solemn, serious Shadow, to a crazy rapist Shadow (omfg there was a lot of rapey Shadow in the early days LMAO), to a smug, seductive Shadow. It's a pairing that has a lot of angles to use, that has a fair bit of chemistry, and I've seen a lot of different takes on it, and a lot of them are pretty interesting.
I sorta feel like this has been a bit of a rambly sorta journal about this pairing, but it's all I can think of for now lol X'D. What do you guys think of Sonadow? If it's a favorite, what do you like about it, or if you don't like it, why? I know that some people feel that the two of them have no chemistry at all, which, I respectfully disagree with, and I have a feeling that some people don't like it because it's over-saturated, or that it takes away from their own preferred ship XD
Either way, tell me what you think!
