Thread by @JoshTarwater

Amy Rose
A name that is rife with controversary and summons up the worst of Sonic fans, both for and against her. When watching these fights, I frequently notice that in a lot of cases neither party understands who she actually is. Am I any better? Arguable.
…+

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+… My name is Joshua Tarwater, a closeted transwoman Sonic The Hedgehog™ fan since 1991, and an Amy Rose fan since 1993. Since about 2015 I went from just being a fan of Amy to a dedicated character researcher. There was a lot to learn as well and I…+

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+…eventually came to an understanding of her character that aligned with how her creator, Hoshino Kazuyuki-san described designing her to begin with. This study of her character and learning about and understanding her motivations also led me to…+

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+…rather infamously come to dislike the Piko Piko Hammer and the direction it took Amy’s character in. This stance left me ostracized and ridiculed in several Sonic fan circles, and especially by Amy fans. Yet, when Hoshino-san was announced…+

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+…as creative director for Sonic Mania™ and had spoken about the difficulties of having to put himself back in the mind set from the early 90s, it gave me hope of seeing Amy explored in a time period from before she received the Piko Piko Hammer. Ultimately…+

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+…that did not come to pass, but the discussions and arguments I had around that idea led me to redesign Amy Rose, take back her original nickname, Rosy the Rascal, and eventually led me to writing fan fiction to explore Amy’s character and allow my take on her…+

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+…to have a world to run in. And thus, for this paper/essay I would like to talk about what I think about when writing Rosy/Amy. She appears at first glance to be a simple character. Sonic Lite or Girl Sonic even. However, in this 250-tweet long paper/essay…+

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+…I hope to demonstrate otherwise as I take you from her character concept, foundation, and structure through how she is a bad character, the importance of her two distinct karmic cycles and how they are important to making her a good and sympathetic character.
….+

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+…Along the way I will delve into how she has been used as a bad character and as a good character. Break down her narrative roles and how she plays to them and how she should. Explore how her Piko Piko Hammer detracts from her motivation and goals. Finally, and …+

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+… ultimately, what my goals are in the exploration of her character, her role as Sonic’s principal and singular love interest, an aspect of her character that defines her and Sonic, and her position as the lead heroine of the Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP and. Now, please…+

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+…join me as I begin.

-WHY IS AMY ROSE/ROSY THE RASCAL-

To begin, I have to approach the basic question of “Who is Amy Rose?” differently. It is typically a question asked from the viewpoint of the consumer and most answers to it are meant to sell the idea of her…+

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+…character. Conversely, I can’t ask the question “what role do I need a character for?” as I am not the originator of or working in an official capacity on the Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP. As such, to even begin to attempt to use Amy in my works I have to ask a slightly…+

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+…different yet similar question to “what role do I need a character for?” which is “why is this character?” It will tell me almost everything about Amy and her role should I receive an adequate answer. Fortunately, such an answer was provided by Hoshino Kazuyuki-san…+

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+…in 2013 at the Sonic Boom Fan Convention where he talks about Amy extensively. The important details however are that she exists because the series needed a girl and Sonic a girlfriend. Her why and the complication of the why respectively. A good answer, but…+

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+…one that ultimately sets Amy up to be a bad character.

-AMY ROSE IS A BAD CHARACTER FROM CONCEPT-

Unfortunately, the title of this segment is not meant to be click bait as it is actually extremely important to look at Amy as a bad character before I can even begin…+

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+…writing her as it will help me avoid the pitfalls of her character as well better see what ideas can be harmful to her character type. Which is itself a problem.

Girl/Girlfriend

Perhaps the most demeaning and harmful of character tropes is when a character simply…+

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+…exists to be an accessory to a male lead. It strips them of any agency and by just being a girl they become shorthand for misogynistic bigotry. That it is the very idea that Amy is founded upon means just getting started with writing her character one has to…+

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+…ask the questions “what is a girl?” and what does that mean in the setting and story. The problem with those questions and others that stem from them is that girl is synonymous with human being. Trying to boil down a female character to just an abstract defeats…+

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+…the idea of using a character at all. However, Amy has had several instances of her character being observed as just “girl” over the years. Whether one agrees or disagrees with those observations is irrelevant; it can and has happened making Amy a cheap and…+

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+…unpleasant character for those who have observed it. When combined with her being Sonic’s “girlfriend” in concept as well, she is reduced to simply being arm candy that demeans woman and young girls while showing boys that girls are just annoying accessories…

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+…to be avoided. While horribly untrue, it is a part of Amy’s reputation and can be traced back to the answer to “Why is Amy Rose?” But is there good that can come out of it?

-AMY’S FOUNDATION-

While easy to dwell on the negative connotations of Amy being created…+

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+…to fill the need of “girl/girlfriend” there is a very important positive that stems from it; it means the Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP is a place meant not just for the 8-11yo boys of the target demographic, but also girls. That Amy can and has opened an avenue…+

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+…for girls into the series is a feat not to be casually brushed aside. And having established that there is a positive to an otherwise harmful role, it is possible to now look at her character construction and what it says about her use and how she should be used.
…+

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+… Knowing the “why” for Amy Rose, it is now possible to look at what type of character has been constructed to fill that need and what other roles she fills out. For that we can begin with her foundation, the character trope upon which her structure is built upon.
…+

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+… Perhaps, to much chagrin, Amy’s foundation is one that can be viewed negatively once again, though there are positives to it.

The Genki Girl.

A simple trope frequently found in Japanese animation. A hyperactive and perpetually cheerful and optimistic sort…+

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+…whose energy frequently overwhelms and annoys other characters in the fiction. They are frequently used as comic relief, a role that Amy has been placed in frequently much to the detriment of her character and reputation. That she is said to have aspects of women…+

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+…that Hoshino-san finds attractive only compounds this treatment of the first and lead female character of the game franchise. Further considering the main non-comical use of the Genki Girl trope is to show her serious or to “break the Genki Girl” to demonstrate…+

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+…that a situation has gotten dire or desperate. However, even “breaking the Genki Girl” can be used as simple comedy within a rubber banding status quo, of which the Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP possesses. It is perhaps also where the idea for Amy’s temper came from. That…+

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+…however, will be covered in a future segment. For now, the focus will remain on the Genki Girl trope as Amy’s foundation and the positives that it allows. Positives that are lost if this foundation is removed.

To understand the positives of Amy having a Genki…+

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+…Girl foundation it is important to again put forth a question of why? “Why a Genki Girl for her foundation?” While Hoshino-san again provided an answer, and it defines her character, it does not hurt to step back and look at other characters for a moment to answer…+

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+…or provide hypothetical answers to similar questions for them. Why does Tails have his namesake? To keep up with Sonic, even from off screen in gameplay. Why can Knuckles keep up with Sonic? As a game antagonist and guardian of the Master Emerald his role requires…+

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+…it. Shadow is a reflection to study a more pragmatic take on Sonic so he must keep up. Rouge is Shadow’s partner and used as Knuckles counterpoint. The Chaotix had a gameplay necessity. Silver and Blaze are counterparts in story and/or gameplay. The list goes on.
…+

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+… Looking at the others it is seen that they revolve around Sonic for their reasoning, something used as a negative for Amy. Having taken a look at how the entire cast revolves around Sonic however, it becomes much less problematic for Amy to do the same, especially…+

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+…in light of her being Sonic’s girlfriend. And this now brings us back to Hoshino-san’s words. That he wanted to subvert the traditional Mickey and Minnie type of couple as it did not match Sonic’s character. That Sonic is a character always looking forward…+

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+…to his next adventure or challenge, he will never look back. As Amy is a character who was designed without a gameplay idea rather than a story idea, she finds herself behind him. That she lacks the traditional position of Minnie Mouse to Mickey puts her at another…+

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+…disadvantage; she must be assertive and assert that she is Sonic’s girlfriend even when he runs off and leaves her behind. It is at this point however that her having a Genki Girl foundation finally proves its merit and completes what Hoshino-san said about her…+

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+…character. She is a character who must be cheerful, who must be optimistic, who must be energetic so that she can perpetually follow the boyfriend who will never look back at her without becoming discouraged. It makes her an impossible character who can only exist…+

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+…in fiction. However, the consumer may forget the line between fiction and reality and thus the seeming toxicity of the relationship must be addressed.

-THE CAT AND MOUSE GAME-

The general idea of the Sonic and Amy romantic relationship, colloquially SonAmy…+

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+…, is the idea that Amy pursuits Sonic’s on his adventures, possessing a Genki Girl foundation so as not to be discouraged while Sonic never reveals if he likes her or not. At most Sonic is allowed to hint that he does. Without ever confirming it however, and…+

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+…taking into account that most consumers of the Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP will not possess knowledge of Hoshino-san’s intentions, Amy will be left to look as though she is chasing a vain dream and Sonic himself will be left looking cruel in how he plays with Amy’s…+

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+…heart and emotions. This is compounded further when Amy’s temper is brought in and simple gags about her being frustrated by Sonic can be read as her being obsessive and controlling. It is a place that the belief that Amy wants to tie Sonic down can come from.
…+

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+…Even if one can see one of Amy’s character messages being to never give up on your dreams and to always give your all in their pursuit, one of the strengths of her having a Genki Girl foundation, this is still a bad look for both characters and perpetrates the…+

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+…visual of Amy being a bad character and an awful love interest for Sonic. What is meant as a simple and playful relationship is twisted out of context by their individual personalities and engagement in their relationship. Thus, though it compromises Amy’s ability…+

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+…taken at face value, a trait common in well-designed characters but not necessarily beneficial from a marketing stance, a much deeper look into her character is needed to understand her and her romance with Sonic.

-AMY’S CHARACTER STRUCTURE-

Having looked at Amy’s…+

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+…raison d’etre and the potential problems that come from that, in addition to the problems of her having a Genki Girl foundation or just being one and the ease of which her romantic relationship with Sonic can be viewed as toxic, looking at her character structure…+

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+…can help unify the good which is actually taking place behind the surface that many will not see through. An easy place to start is drawing comparisons with Sonic. It is already known that Amy is designed in such a way as to follow him everywhere, but how far do…+

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+…their similarities go? The aforementioned insults against Amy from the beginning of the document, especially Girl Sonic tell us quite a bit actually.

To begin getting an idea for Amy’s character structure certain assumptions will be made at this point more so than…+

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+…prior to this point. Notably, by choosing to recognize Amy as a Sonic clone a lot of her actions throughout her history in the games and direct supplemental materials such as instruction manuals will be viewed through a heavy Sonic filter. Further…+

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+…, Amy’s use of the Japanese honorific “-sama” in the Japanese game manual for Sonic Drift will be read as both a sign of her infatuation with him early in their relationship and also as a form of reverence for who he is and what he does. The necessity for both…+

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+…perspectives rest in the need to view Amy both positively and negatively so as to be able to address concerns with her character as they arise. Most notably, “-sama” being used to imply infatuation and obsession rather than respect and reverence.

While most outside…+

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+…of Japan will never be aware of Amy having once addressed Sonic as Sonic-sama before Sonic Adventure, the franchise being a Japanese creation primarily controlled and written by Japanese individuals informs of the possibility that the obsessive interpretation could…+

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+…have made it into Amy’s characterization in any number of games. Some of Amy’s worse behavior in Sonic X, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Battle, Sonic Rush, and Sonic Free Riders are fair examples of this toxic obsession and need for control appearing. However, while necessary…+

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+…to make note of it, this angle of obsession does not reflect Amy’s core structure, but rather a filter applied over it. This filter and others will be explored at a later point in the document, but for now can be put aside as the perspective of respect and reverence…+

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+…is actually what helps visualize Amy’s core structure and illustrates her similarities to Sonic as a character.

To begin, it should first be noted why Sonic as a character would be revered and respected from an in-universe perspective. Modern media with a lack of…+

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+…cohesive narrative and representation makes it difficult to see, but Sonic once did have established in-universe lore. As Amy was conceived as a character within a year of Sonic it can be assumed that she was shaped by this lore. At this point, the most important…+

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+…part being that Sonic was introduced as “The Most Famous Hedgehog in the World.” From the available information on Sonic from scattered interviews with his creators, it can be pieced together that he is an Age of Adventure style character like Indiana Jones. It is…+

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+…known from interviews with Naka Yuji-san that Sonic is from Christmas Island, a mysterious island full of strange robots and creatures. It is also known that Sonic seeking adventure took his plane and left in search of it. What this says is that Sonic’s reputation…+

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+…as the most famous hedgehog in the world is only partly due to his clashes with IP villain, Dr. Eggman. It is in fact due to him being an adventurer. While evidence to this point can be found all over the IP, it is not needed to now take a look at Amy as an…+

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+…adventurer herself who looks up to Sonic.

To understand Amy as an adventurer it is first necessary to throw out preconceived notions such as her being the everyday person like the average consumer. While Amy like Tails is a character that young girls (boys for…+

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+…Tails) can project onto and be relatable, she like Tails is anything but so normal. While her character was experimented with in the manga that preceded her game series debut, it is what the Japanese game manual for Sonic CD states that sets the idea of Amy being an…+

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+…adventurer. Most notably that her cards tell her to head to Never Lake for a destined encounter. An encounter she hopes to be Sonic. Combined with her love for mystical things and fortune telling and a picture that tells us a bit about Amy starts to form. She is…+

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+…also described as tomboyish here, informing to the idea that she enjoys partaking in boyish activities despite her classically girly demeanor and presentation. That she already knows Sonic also speaks to his reputation, but it is that she is interested at all…+

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+…, no less that she hopes to meet him that speaks to her character. As famous as Sonic is, he is known for adventuring and stopping Dr. Eggman where the menace arises. While this could be dismissed as her simply being starstruck, there is enough evidence in Sonic CD…+

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+…and after to speak otherwise. From after, Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 both establish Amy as a go-getter who seeks excitement from the adventures she has with Sonic and hates to be left behind by the others. In Sonic CD Amy shows little concern for the…+

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+…danger of traveling to Never Lake alone, no less onto Little Planet despite the only in game way shown being the chain Eggman has tied the planet down with. Danger and excitement are her friends, just like they are for Sonic. And if this is still difficult to see…+

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+…then it is time to look at how her nickname helps define her character.

Rosy The Rascal

To a lot of consumers of the Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP, this name is relatively unknown or affiliated with the Archie Comics™ series and a character from an alternate dimension…+

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+…also known as Anti Amy. Naturally, a character like that is a gross misrepresentation of the character of Amy Rose, but dialogue from within the script with them being deemed indistinguishable leads to many familiar with them to conflate ideas meant to be wrong to…+
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+…begin with over Amy. However, like most Sonic characters, the name is actually meant to tell us about Amy and who she is, not be used to slander her character as it has in some circles for years. Rosy The Rascal is only half of Amy’s name as her more known moniker…+

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+…of Amy Rose also holds quite a bit of meaning. Amy being a derivative of the French Amelia which can mean beloved, and Rose harkening to the flower specifically related to romance. While some look to the Rose as speaking to Amy’s thorns or temper, things she did not…+

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+…have when she was created, a more accurate reading of Amy’s name would be beloved flower of love/romance. As she exists to be both a girl for the IP and Sonic’s girlfriend, this alone says quite a bit about their actual relationship. However, it speaks to her role…+

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+…as one loved by Sonic and not who she is. That is where Rosy The Rascal comes in. Rosy representing her foundation as a cheerful, optimistic, and energetic character, with Rascal telling us that she gets into and causes trouble for her own amusement, or perhaps the…+

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+…good of others as demonstrated in Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, and Sonic The Hedgehog (2006). It also tells us that she is cheeky like Sonic himself. Not formal, but playful and charmingly irreverent. This meaning of her name tells us that…+

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+…she does follow a similar lifestyle to Sonic, seeking out adventure both for herself and in helping those around her. It also roots back to her optimism as Sonic’s love for adventure roots back to his confidence. But there are more similarities beyond just what…+

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+…Amy’s name reveals. A shared strong sense of justice. A drastic personality change when truly angered, and not just the comedic temper Amy receives in X. Finding helping people a great excuse for an adventure, a strong desire to help others, and a strong distaste…+

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+…for injustice. They are also both characters who follow their own hearts, letting no one tell them how to otherwise live their lives. Despite this sense of initiative and independence that Amy shares with Sonic, there are plenty who fail to see Amy’s independence…+

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+…and powerful drive and initiative. In fact, despite her similarities to Sonic himself and how she is practically a clone of him structure wise, most people fail to recognize Amy as indeed being “Girl Sonic.” To understand why will require a look beyond Amy’s…+

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+…character structure.

-A FILTER OF CHILDISHNESS-

At this point it has been revealed, if not thoroughly, that Amy shares the same character structure as Sonic. Yet she comes across extremely different at a casual glance. While it may be tempting to attribute this…+

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+…to her foundation being a Genki Girl, all that actually does at this point is drive her structure to extremes. The energy, optimism, and good cheer of the Genki Girl simply travels through every aspect of her character and overflows. The actual differences between…+

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+…Amy and Sonic lies further out in Amy’s outer layers. The wrapping that tells the consumer who she is. This is also a place of great danger to her character as in these outer layers it is easiest to manipulate her character for good or ill.

Perhaps the most…+

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+…blatant of Amy’s outer layers is her “girl” layer. From her dresses and hairband to the frequent panty shots, it is constantly shoved down the throat of the consumer that she is the “girl” of the Sonic franchise. This can come across as both obnoxious and unsettling…+

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+…at a casual glance. This naturally translates back onto perception of her character, and it becomes little surprise that there are those who are uncomfortable with her character. Combine that with her Genki Girl foundation driving through everything and it takes…+

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+…what is meant to be playful and innocent into territories that reflect on the integrity of her use in the franchise and her fans. As for how it is known that it is intended to be innocent, the answer lies in the filter between her foundation and structure with what…+

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+… lies beyond it. Her childishness.

Perhaps one of Amy’s most misrepresented in modern times and most misunderstood traits, Amy’s childishness has been used as the basis to drive an age argument in shipping discourse, outright removed, or used to detach her physical…+

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+… age from her mental age among other failures to make proper use of it. Sadly, it is at once a simple trait of her character but also a very important one. Though generally ignored or misunderstood, the role of this character trait is to absorb and focus her Genki…+

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+…Girl foundation. As her foundation overflows and carries all of her traits from her structure and through her outer layers, her childishness gives form to her enthusiasm, naivete, and innocence, allowing for the sense of wonder, joy, and rascally carefree demeanor…+

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+…that allows her to chase her dream. In other words, it is the filter of her character that carries her foundation and structure into her outer layers, or surface personality facets. It is also a diffuser of her focus and allows her to get easily distracted but also…+

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+…so no singular facet receives too much focus and imbalances her character. It is what keeps her character genuine and honest, blunt and direct, but also truly caring. However, as stated above, it will also be left out more often than not leading to flanderization of…+

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+…her various surface facets. As a lot of consumers, and even writers, fail to take note of Amy’s foundation and structure, it is little surprise that her childishness also goes unobserved, despite its importance. leaving focus solely on her surface level personality…+

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+…facets. As stated at the start of this section, it is in this surface level reading where Amy is most distinct from Sonic, but that it is also a place of great danger.

-WHAT MAKES AMY A BAD CHARACTER-

When writing Amy, it is very important to consider the titular…+

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+…question of this section. At this point though it may be difficult to see it, however. Or perhaps it may seem ignored from the viewpoint of someone who dislikes Amy. But that is because this document has not yet explored how most people interact with Amy’s character…+

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+…; her surface level personality facets. The thing is, while extremely important in defining Amy from Sonic, for a lot they are all that is ever seen. So much so, that Amy’s foundation, structure, and childishness can all be removed, and consumers will fail to notice…+

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+…the absence of “Amy” in Amy. Perhaps the most well-known and beloved example is the Amy from the Sonic BOOM! sub-branch of the IP. Relatively beloved for her surface personality facets, independent, strong willed, badass, ungenuine in her love for Sonic and more.
…+

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+… She is described by many as the ideal version of Amy Rose. The question is though, can she be called Amy at all? She does not have a Genki Girl foundation, nor does she share a character structure with Sonic, and she is above all not possessed of Amy’s childishness…+

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+…,its absence typically resulting in BOOM! Amy being praised for her maturity. But this means then that Amy herself is absent from BOOM! Amy, yet she is still recognized as Amy. It is at this point that it becomes possible to see what makes Amy a bad character; her…+

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+…reliance on surface level recognition.

At this point it can be asked how early this starts and the answer is perhaps surprising. Amy’s most well-known trait, her love of love and general air of romantic daydreams is actually not a trait originally belonging to…+

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+…Amy. It is actually one from Sonic’s concept phase girlfriend, a character named Madonna. Added to Amy by Sonic co-creator and designer Ohshima Naoto-san, it was not the only trait added to her. Lead creator of Amy, Hoshino Kazuyuki-san shaped her character after…+

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+… traits he found attractive in women on top of the necessities of her already existing structure. At first this projection is fine, but with time it starts to increase out of control. The kindness Amy is known for was added come Sonic Adventure, her obsessiveness…+

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+…and temper, Sonic X and Heroes. Her maturity Sonic BOOM! with IDW adding in large organization leadership skills. On their own these growing projections are fine as different writers typically add their own spin on long running characters to leave their own mark.
…+

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+… The problem more comes in the traits that come from 3rd party sources and beyond. Archie Comics™ making her an entitled brat and Fleetway Comics™ a weapon wielding badass to start. Harmless on their own bar that they influence fan perception and in turn official…+

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+…presentation. Both of the above examples can be found manifesting in Sonic X up to Sonic BOOM! and after. Sonic BOOM! in particular however fully manifests the problem with the case of which Amy is projected upon, with the most common complaint against its version…+

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+…of Amy being that she has no personality and is simply whatever the writers wanted for any given script. The reason for this however is due to these surface personality facets being written usually as the primarily focused on trait of the current writer resulting…+

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+… in inconsistent characterization as she is written by one writer after another with almost none ever looking underneath the surface. This in turn leads consumers to see her as a catch all character and also project onto her resulting in her being a bad character…+

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+…as a matter of her character never being used clearly or seen due to it being buried under countless projections and not what her actual character is. However, despite this problem there has been a consistent aspect of her character that has been used to keep her…+

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+…sympathetic and helps balance the absorbed facets of her surface personalities.

-AMY’S KARMIC CYCLES-

Of all of Amy’s negative surface level personality facets, the most harmful is her entitlement. Though easily blamable on Archie as like above, examples exist…+

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+…as early as her videogame debut in Sonic CD and further seen in Sonic The Fighters/Sonic Championship. However, as nasty as the Archie Comics™ could play up Amy’s entitlement in a toxic way, it does set the stage for how Amy should be written independent of her…+

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+…narrative roles. This is more so practiced in the games than anywhere else within the confines of the IP and is more noticeable before the Piko Piko Hammer became a major component of her identity.

What most keeps Amy sympathetic is not her kindness and role as…+

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+…Team Sonic’s moral compass and heart, roles she shares with Sonic, but rather that she suffers greatly from karma. Using a narrative karmic cycle, some of Amy’s more grating traits can be countered, putting Amy in her place, and not enabling her entitlement.
…+

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+… However, due to Amy’s Genki Girl foundation and the positive and cheerful approach this gives her, she cannot function with only one karmic cycle and instead needs two. One that punishes her for acting entitled and returns her to her foundation, and one that…+

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+…makes her suffer before something good can happen to her both to prevent her from being a writer’s pet and to show the strength of her foundation.

The first of these karmic cycles is more involved, but is arguably more necessary when allowing for projected surface…+

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+…level personality facets to dictate Amy’s character as the entitlement of her Genki Girl foundation, pursuit of a life of adventure and excitement, and filter of childishness will run out of control. This becomes heavily prevalent in Sonic BOOM!, Sonic Heroes…+

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+…, and the Archie Comics™, with Sonic BOOM! more often than not using a karmic cycle to keep her in check. To wit though, the first karmic cycle starts at Amy’s foundation, the overly energetic and cheerful girl who lets nothing get her down and never gives up. As…+

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+…obstacles appear in the path of her current pursuit however her belief that she has the right to what she pursues begins to manifest. This can be traced to her interest in the mystical as well as fortunes and belief in destiny as it enables her coming entitlement.
…+

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+… Entitlement that is strengthened with each new set back and eventually manifesting in a tantrum or fit/threat of violence. At this point she starts to look very unhinged and anything at all like the character beyond her surface level personality facets. It is here…+

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+…that many believe that Amy’s true character lies as it arises time after time again. And it is an unpleasant character. Someone nasty and neither entertaining nor endearing. It is little wonder that there are many who do not believe she has the right to fulfill…+

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+…the role she was created for; being Sonic’s girlfriend. Perhaps the strongest example of the entitled monster is Amy’s appearance in Sonic Free Riders, a far cry from the genuine girl who loves Sonic and his way of life and just wants to join him in enjoying it.
…+

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+… Fortunately, the first of the Karmic cycles that Amy follows can still salvage her character if actively used. For as she goes from her stage of entitlement to lashing out, something significantly negative happening to her will knock her down and force her to…+

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+…stop. As long as that is a full stop and the situation is severe enough, Amy will be forced to return to her foundation as it is the Genki Girl that she is built on that will allow her to get back up, laugh at herself, and start over with a fresh, optimistic…+

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+…, and cheerful demeanor. This 1st cycle of foundation → entitlement → outburst → karmic response → foundation, allows Amy to be a brat, but puts her in her place so as not to annoy the consumer and be shown to always return to who she is supposed to be.
…+

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+… A good example of this working is in Sonic Adventure at the beginning of Amy’s story where she begins cheerful enough before lamenting about her boredom and missing Sonic and his lifestyle and then being “triggered” when a bird collides with her. Her outburst is…+

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+…nigh immediately countered with karma when E-100 Zero appears endangering her, forcing her to flee before reaching her cheerful, energetic, and optimistic self, aiming to protect the bird, and being put in player control. From the start of her adventure her entire…+

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+…narrative structure is shown in her first karmic cycle, and she is put in the hands of the player back at her foundation. It is repeated throughout her story with her second karmic cycle presenting itself at the end of her story.

The second karmic cycle Amy…+

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+…follows is much less involved, but not any less important. Only a two-step loop, or even more akin to a yo-yo, this secondary cycle dictates when “good” things can happen to Amy and is a necessity for a Genki Girl character, both maintaining their comic relief role…+

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+…as well as showing varying degrees of the seriousness of any situation. Potentially it can even set up the “break the Genki Girl” narrative trope to fully sell a dire situation, though it is uncharacteristic of Amy and not needed for her. However, the idea is.
…+

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+…For a “good” thing to happen to a character like Amy outside of the events of her first karmic cycle, something negative must happen to her first. The greater the eventual good, the more sever the initiating negative. This serves to justify the eventual good…+

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+…as well as showing the strength of Amy’s foundation as her Genki Girl base drives her never give up attitude and allows her the ability to be the mood maker who keeps everyone’s spirits high. Perhaps the best example in her story from Sonic Adventure is her boss…+

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+…battle. While skirting her first karmic cycle as Amy refuses to give up for the sake of the bird, everything seems to be going well until E-100 Zero appears and hurts the bird. In a shocking shift of personality like Sonic as she becomes legitimately angered, Amy…+

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+…turns to violence to put a stop to her aggressor. As these two events happen, harm coming to the bird, and Amy choosing violence, she is wrapped in a series of bad events that she did not bring onto herself. At the end of it though, as she returns to her Genki Girl…+

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+…foundation, the good that comes is the realization that like Sonic she can fight, and she can protect those around her. She is a step closer to her dream of traveling with Sonic and can begin to earn his respect as the first step towards getting there. It’s a huge…+

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+…positive, but the negatives are not so small. She has embraced violence as a means to an end, and her desire to help led to someone getting hurt and possibly worse So. that she is able to see the good she can bring with her efforts if she turns violent potential…+

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+…into something constructive and beneficial is a fair reward. Even being able to move a tiny bit closer to Sonic is fair. However, it is also fine if she receives no reward for negative happenings to her person as possessing a Genki Girl foundation provides her…+

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+…a role as comedy relief, and it also is shown to be stronger and stronger in the best light. Not giving up and giving others the strength and motivation to not give up either. Negative occurrences to Amy’s person actually are for the best narratively and for her.
…+

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+… It also fits nicely with her various roles within the Sonic The Hedgehog ™ IP.

-AMY’S NARATIVE ROLES-

By this point, this essay/paper has addressed or mentioned several of Amy’s roles. The Girl. The Girlfriend. The Comic Relief. The Mood Maker. The Heart.
…+

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+… When looked at like this the original questions this work looked at, who, what, why is Amy Rose in addition to what roles need to have a character made for them start to become a lot clearer. Amy does a lot, an awful lot. But the reason she does not really leave…+

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+…an impact to the casual consumer is that her roles are either undefined and or easily perceivable as negative, the girl/girlfriend, or are covered by other characters, Sonic for the mood maker and heart as well as everyone for comic relief. It is little surprise…+

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+…however that she shares roles with Sonic as she is the female lead of the series and should share traits with Sonic for IP consistency in product. Her typical backseat/side character use however makes it difficult to notice at all as mentioned above and can be lost…+

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+…completely behind projected and flanderized traits such as her temper or obsessiveness. It is again why it is important for writers to remember her plethora of roles and to make use of them. To quickly list the important ones, they are –

-Female Lead
-Girl
…+

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+…
-Series Lead’s Love Interest
-Comic Relief
-Mood Maker
-Team Heart
-Moral Compass
-Instigator
-Tagalong

For a supposedly simple character with nothing to her but several interchangeable surface level personality facets, Amy has a tremendous number of roles. Not…+

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+…surprising in light of the reasons behind her creation. They are however on their own nothing special and shared by several other characters, her most unique one being Sonic’s love interest. If one considers writing her from surface level personality facets and…+

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+…and projections of the consumer and writers from around the globe, she really isn’t anything special. When writing her from her Genki Girl foundation, through her shared with Sonic structure, filter of childishness, and karmic cycles, suddenly all of these roles…+

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+…start making more sense. Female Lead shows that the series is more than just for boys and that a girl with a powerful and positive force of personality can lead it. Girl shows that traditional feminine values and societal expectations can be embraced and a strength…+

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+…speaking to the right for everyone to be themselves. Series Lead’s Love Interest shows that love can be a powerful force of motivation and independence, as well as an avenue to embrace one’s vulnerabilities and make them a strength. Comic Relief when taken with the…+

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+…rascal of Amy’s nickname shows it’s okay to go a little overboard and have fun, especially when balanced with her karmic cycles. Mood Maker naturally shows that if you have the energy, good cheer, and optimism that giving it everything to help should never be taken…+

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+…as wrong as long as the recipient of the aid is listened to, and their problems treated with care and respect. Team Heart is strengthened by Mood Maker and due to Amy’s energy provides the balance to Sonic’s cool confidence. Moral Compass is served by Amy’s karmic…+

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+…cycles constantly forcing her to see where she is wrong making it easy for her to see where others are wrong and lead them to the right way forward through her energy and Mood Maker role. Instigator becomes clear through her rascally energy, shared sense of justice…+

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+…with Sonic, and love of adventure leading her to get into or drag others into adventures. Tagalong lastly shows that she refuses to ever be left behind and will always be a part of the adventure, whether making it more exciting or highlighting how great it and…+

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+…everyone involved are.

Taking all her roles into account, her character construction from her foundation to her filter of childishness, and her character concept, it becomes clear that Amy is a character meant to be written from her concept and foundation up.
…+

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+… That she is typically written from surface level personality facets down is a disservice to her character and generally bad writing. As such, it is easy to understand why she is so misunderstood and easy to see as a bad character. After all, most good characters…+

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+…will typically be written from their concept up, who they are underneath the surface façade driving everything about them, rarely to never written from the façade down. And when it does happen, it is all the way down and through every aspect of the character’s…+

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+…inner workings. Not just to what supports the projection of the current writer or consumer. That said, there is an aspect of Amy’ character that serves as an antenna for projection and the foundation for many traits that are not rooted in Amy’s core construction.
…+

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+… To not acknowledge it and its influence, no less how it is perhaps as iconic if not more so within Amy fan circles than Amy herself is folly.

-THE PIKO PIKO HAMMER-

For a lot of consumers, the Piko Piko Hammer is Amy’s go to weapon. What defines her like Tails…+

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+…and Knuckles’ namesakes. Makes her unique and allows her to stand out. Her main gameplay feature and her character image. To these consumers, a great deal of Amy fans specifically, she is inseparable from the Piko Piko Hammer. So much so that when presented with…+

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+…perception problems these individuals will defend these negatives in defense of the Piko Piko Hammer making Amy “unique.” To be fair however, it makes Amy less unique and simply makes her either another cartoon hammer girl, or contradictorily to her character…+

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+…nature as a Genki Girl and rascal, it turns her into an angry straight man.

As the Piko Piko Hammer has quite the effect on perception of Amy, it would be best to understand what it is and where it came from. To begin, does it have an origin? Fortunately, yes, but…+

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+…it requires a bit of understanding of Japanese entertainment to find its origins. Though for this essay/paper a quick summation should suffice.

Though, despite sharing the name of the Japanese toy hammer it is based on, Amy’s has only resembled it when paired with…+

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+…her pre–Sonic Adventure design, otherwise being its own thing. The name likely sticking due to still making the characteristic sound for which the toy is named. The toy itself though not being a weapon but something designed to hit someone when they do something…+

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+…dumb or annoying. It is effectively a straight man’s tool to put the fool of a comedy duo in their place. Again, a strange thing to give Amy, even more so to turn into a legitimate weapon that is treated in a genuine way as such. This brings its own set of problems…+

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+…which will be addressed shortly. First though it should be looked at why Amy was ever given a weapon, toy or not, in the first place. This answer lies in its first appearance and rather uniquely ties into her character construction.

Sonic The Fighters/…+

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+…Sonic Championship

The team at SEGA game studio AM2 had an idea to make a Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP fighting game and upon getting Naka Yuji-san’s permission began making it, using the cast of the games and some unique characters to round out the roster. With that…+

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+…done they worked out how they would work in a fighting game. To prevent showing a girl like Amy uncharacteristically punching people, but wanting to keep her tomboyish aspects in, they opted to give her a Piko Piko Hammer. When looking at her in game animations…+

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+…she is presented as joyously swinging it with her whole demeanor coming across as though she is simply playing and having an absolute blast. This switches in an instant however when she becomes the one struck, her demeanor changing instantly to being very upset…+

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+…and bratty in her defeat screen. Her rascally nature, childish filter, and 1st karmic cycle are all seen in full display while the tomboy idea of a girly-girl fighting with the boys does not break her “girl” image. In this case the Piko Piko Hammer played well to…+

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+…Amy’s character construction. But it is the only example. Going forward from here it loses its toy imagery as it is redesigned to specifically serve as Amy’s weapon. Already the idea of a childish character playing is lost and the idea she needs a weapon starts a…+

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+…shift from Genki Girl optimism to the idea that she needs to protect herself. It still has not spiraled out of control yet however in disrupting Amy’s character construction as its primary use is to let her jump higher and has no bearing on the story, even being…+

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+…completely absent in the next game story. In fact, outside of spin-off games, the Piko Piko Hammer rarely ever appears outside of gameplay. To understand where it’s impact and warping of her character to the point that in the Sonic BOOM! branch of the Sonic The…+

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+…Hedgehog™ IP, Amy can be described as unique only through it even in universe, it is necessary to look at alternate media. Specifically, two examples, one Western and one Japanese.

The Archie Comics™ and Sonic X

To understand why the Archie Comics™ are partly…+

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+…responsible, the setting of the comics must be remembered to be one of an ongoing war where the characters are required to be competent rebel and military soldiers rather than fun loving adventurers who happen to save the world. The dichotomy is fairly extreme, but…+

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+…sets up the idea that the Piko Piko Hammer is Amy’s weapon so that she can join Sonic and the others in battle. Tying back to the idea that in Sonic Battle, Amy uses boxercise, an exercise routine based on a combat sport, and the idea that she is trying to impress…+

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+…Sonic through her combat prowess is born. She becomes the cute badass who is vastly more dangerous than she appears and her road to usurping Knuckles as the muscle of Team Sonic has begun to be paved. Yet, even with the Archie Comic’s tendency to play into the idea…+

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+…of Amy being a hidden powerhouse and even unhinged via parallels like Anti Amy, it mostly avoids the obsessiveness she is known for as well as some of the more unflattering aspects of her reputation. These rest instead in Sonic X.

Perhaps hard to see for some Amy…+

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+…fans, despite gaining a reputation for accepting anything Amy does, Sonic X begins the transition of Amy’s character to the point her character construction appears unneeded for her to be Amy. Instead of having a righteous anger like Sonic or childish brattiness…+

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+…born of her filter of childishness, Amy’s anger became a mixture of entitlement and straight man. The reasons for this shift are debatable, but a clear tool of this shift is the Piko Piko Hammer. As described at the beginning of this section, it is a toy used…+

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+…to hit someone for being foolish, the tool of a straight man. Further, the idea of it being made Amy’s “weapon” allowing her to fight alongside Sonic and the others permeates Sonic X to the point that it can be clearly seen the difference between her gameplay…+

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+…stealth approach and the TV series combat approach. Amy’s rescue of Sonic on Prison Island is perhaps the greatest example of this shift. Where it starts to dismantle her character though is that like Sonic whom she shares a character structure with, Amy should be…+

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+…a genuine character. Thus, her “gag” of the straight man hitting things escalates to the idea that she can destroy robots with a swing of her hammer and her friends and even the villains begin to show fear at the appearance of the Piko Piko Hammer. What is meant…+

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+…to be a gag is played too genuinely and Amy starts to appear abusive and controlling. And while there are those who will argue against it, that it has been observed, including by Amy fans, it should not be ignored. Especially so since in Sonic X, Amy’s first karmic…+

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+…cycle is not only ignored, but for gags is chased off by Amy herself using the Piko Piko Hammer. At this point, Amy can enter the entitlement phase of her karmic cycle and never suffer the consequences resulting in her not returning to her character foundation.
…+

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+… Stranger still, this is using a character who will be placed into the comic relief role frequently. Yet, this rascal and bringer of levity is instead now being used as an entitled straight man. The straight man role being one of the Piko Piko Hammer and not…+

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+…one of Amy’s.

And so, the Piko Piko Hammer has broken Amy’s karmic cycle, superimposed roles which are not her own onto her, and has changed her identity to that of Team Sonic’s muscle when Knuckles is not around. Even her role as an instigator of further…+

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+…adventure has been lost to the Piko Piko Hammer as it serves to anchor and tie her down. Further, as it became her weapon and the face of her character, its roles have come to supersede Amy’s own resulting in a case of revisionist history.

Before Sonic X, Amy’s…+

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+…declaration of growing into someone who Sonic could respect only really implied she would no longer need rescued and could fight for herself and help others just like Sonic. It could still be tied to her sharing Sonic’s character structure. However, after Sonic X…+

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+…and Sonic Battle, consumers began to believe that Amy’s path to earn Sonic’s respect was to become a master of combat. However, this would turn her more and more into Knuckles rather than staying similar to Sonic and true to her own adventurer’s spirit.
…+

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+… Amy fans who support Sonic and Amy as a couple will argue against the reason this breaks Amy’s character. However, many consumers who choose to attack Amy as Sonic’s love interest state that she desires to tie Sonic down. Amy and SonAmy fans claim this is…+

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+…untrue. Yet, as long as Amy continues growing as a master of the Piko Piko Hammer as a combat weapon, and Sonic continues running off in search of his next adventure and challenge without looking back, she actually grows further from him. Claiming she is simply…+

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+…trying to earn his respect so he’ll acknowledge her means he must stay still to see her strength and combat prowess in action, effectively tying Sonic down. Thus, now the Piko Piko Hammer is presenting Amy as ingenuine. Little surprise as Sonic X not only started…+

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+…the Piko Piko Hammer led character cover up, it also instilled a violent hammer enabled temper leading Amy to appear to have a hidden unhinged side. The very idea of her being genuine like Sonic himself whom she shares a character structure with becomes…+

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+…unsustainable. The Piko Piko Hammer for all extents and purposes has successfully turned Amy into a different character and removed the adventure loving rascal who enjoys Sonic’s way of life and chasing after him.

This alone shows major flaws in Amy as a character…+

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+…if she can be completely replaced by a toy hammer and the roles it carries. That it is defended by some Amy fans and argued to be as important to her as the namesakes of other characters implies it is effectively the Piko Piko Hammer that they are fans…+

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+…of with the idea of being fans of SonAmy frequently rooted in anything else but who Amy is below all the projections and even characters placed on top of or in place of. It is almost hard to believe that they are Amy fans. Fortunately, there is a small window of…+

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+…hope in people recognizing Amy as Amy. So much so, that there are those among Amy fans who are more so unwitting Piko Piko Hammer fans who are agitated when people start dividing Amy up into three(3) characters; Modern Amy, BOOM! Amy, and

-CLASSIC AMY-

Returning…+

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+…to where this essay/paper started, much like SEGA has done with various alt media stories, who Amy actually is can be clearly found again. Before she became a great leader and warrior with the Piko Piko Hammer as her symbol, Amy was just an adventure loving…+

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+…girl who looked up to, idolized, and fell in love with Sonic and his way of life. She yearned for excitement and sought it where she could, her rascally antics and kindness allowing her to connect with many others and experience many adventures. Seeking to become…+

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+…a part of Sonic’s life and adventures she quietly made him into her rival and sought out in pursuit of him. This Amy, this character free of projections and the Piko Piko Hammer quickly became a fan favorite and showed that who she is can be successful. Even with…+

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+…Modern Amy this true Amy can come back as demonstrated in the first episode of the animated short series Team Sonic Racing: Over Drive. However, her existing reputation presents it from really sticking and she continues to be a character that is projected upon.
…+

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+… And so, the freedom for Amy to be Amy, to be explored from her concept through her character foundation and structure, filtered through her childishness, and contained by her karmic cycles exists almost solely in revivals of her “Classic” iteration. This freedom…+

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+…as well as that of fan fiction and works led to the Alternate Universe (AU) version of Amy using her Rosy The Rascal moniker and otherwise known as Ring Bond Amy or just Amy in white leotard.

-SONIC RING BOND & ITS REASON FOR BEING-

Amy is not unique within the…+
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+… Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP in being lost or experiencing unexplained changes. Her actual character is also far from the only thing left unaddressed or further explored. To that end the Sonic Ring Bond AU was founded to explore not just Amy’s original personality…+

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+…, but also other varying questions from the Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP. However, it is still itself little more than a background for exploration of Amy’s character and how she functions. To that end the aim is to write not from the top down as she so frequently is…+

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+…, but from the bottom up and without the majority of the projections upon her character or replacement characters like the Piko Piko Hammer. These ideas first manifest in her appearance, which like “Classic Amy” return closer to her original game design. The ideas…+

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+… behind this are rooted in gameplay imagery to answer the question of what would Amy be like if she had Sonic’s gameplay with only a slight twist on it? This means that moving away from her dress would be a necessity. The problem behind this idea is that a dress…

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+…is a definitive image of a main part of Amy’s core concept: girl. That said, it can be rather limiting to a girl to reduce her to the shape of her clothes. Inspired by real life happenings, this problem finds its solution from little girls who partake in dance or…+

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+…gymnastics and choose not to change after class. It also easily addresses the idea of giving Amy a garment that allows her to partake in the tumbling and acrobatics of Sonic and his way of moving while still holding onto “cute girl” imagery typical of Amy. By also…+

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+…taking inspiration from real young girls, it helps tie Amy to her childishness and the innocence and naivety that brings with it. Thus, for this redesign to sell her as athletic and acrobatic like Sonic yet still, innocent, childish, and girlish to tie her to her…+

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+…character construction and concept is a leotard. The design for the AU purposefully mixing elements of her “Classic” and “Modern” designs to show that she does not need to change drastically to hold onto to who she is while allowing her to pursue her dream of…+

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+…of partaking in Sonic’s life and adventures. It further aims to reclaim Amy’s original Rosy The Rascal nickname to describe her character straight from her name. Thus, it brings to the fore that the AU and ideas behind it and exploring Amy’s character is to reveal…+

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+…it fully and show that she is so much more than her surface level projections that have warped her character for years. However, as projections have been noted, key projections including the author’s own should be addressed.

-MODANNA’S LOVE-

At this point in the…+

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+…paper, despite several allusions to the various traits projected onto Amy and a huge one for the Sonic Ring Bong AU itself, they have never really been focused on. This is because most of these projections are specifically distinct to the individual writers and…+

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+…are only anchored to key points of Amy’s character structure that support them and not her whole. The exception is a point of derision and argument for those who are unfond of and even against the idea behind Amy’s creation; her over the top theme of love which…+

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+…she gets from Sonic concept girlfriend Madonna at the behest of Sonic co-creator and designer, Ohshima Naoto-san. This is easily then the most important of all projections onto Amy as it speaks to Sonic’s co-creator wanting Sonic’s girlfriend to have a personality…+

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+…like Madonna’s. That Madonna and her personality was also accepted by Naka Yuji-san says that a girl who is head over heels for Sonic is the ideal love interest. But does it work? There is a very vocal group of Sonic fans who say no, but a lot of what they say has…+

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+…already been covered. Thus, it requires looking at what else they see as a reason for them being incompatible. One being, and understandable, based in Sonic typically showing discomfort to and even openly fleeing from Amy. He is officially described to find Amy’s…+

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+…uninhibited passion and feelings overwhelming, but it is never stated that he dislikes her. In fact, it is implied that he actually does like her. It has even been stated by people who work on spin off media and must answer to SEGA of Japan, the parent company that…+

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+…ordered the creation of and oversees the entire Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP. So, it can then be considered to be true that Sonic does feel for Amy to some degree of what she does him. But then what of his reactions? The answer to this can be found in early concept art…+

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+…of Madonna being shown to daydream about smothering Sonic in kisses. The key point however is that Sonic is shown to be irritated by the gesture. As such it can be taken to mean that as it is unquestionably known that Madonna was designed as Sonic’s girlfriend…+

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+…that Sonic simply does not like public displays of affection. Then why run from Amy when she displays the same affection rather than get annoyed? The answer to this has already been answered in that Amy overwhelms him, and the reason for such is that her Genki Girl…+

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+…foundation and filter of childishness shape and energize Madonna’s love. As a Genki Girl, Amy is already overwhelming to everyone, and her childishness will make Sonic uncomfortable as he is typically presented as far older than he is. However, this plays well to…+

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+…what Sonic gets out of the relationship. Sonic loves above all else to run free and face adventure and challenge. Facing Amy’s feelings and being overwhelmed gives him reason to run and the challenge of surviving an encounter with her passion a great thrill.
…+

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+… Realistically, Sonic couldn’t ask for a better partner. But it cannot be viewed as a traditional relationship, or it will be immediately misunderstood. Little surprise as Amy creator Hoshino Kazuyuki-san wanted to avoid a traditional relationship. As covered at…+

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+…the beginning of this document, Amy is designed to enjoy Sonic’s lifestyle and have a personality that will never be discouraged from always having to chase him. And it is here that Amy receives what makes her part in the relationship worth it even as she complains…+

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+…about wanting more romantic encounters with Sonic. She shares Sonic’s character structure and that also entails his love of adventure. So, when she has to chase after Sonic, she is able to be led on adventure after adventure. And Sonic not telling her no is his…+

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+…,awkward in matters of the heart too mature for his boy’s heart to understand, way of inviting Amy along and sharing with her what he loves most. She shouldn’t ask for more without facing the karma of her first karmic cycle and recognizing how silly she is.

Still…+

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+…the fact remains that Amy is treated as a momentary gag character when her love for Sonic is on display, and just as quickly removed from the story. Sometimes. There is an alternative outcome however and it lies in Sonic’s tendency to tease Amy by not fleeing at…+

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+…speeds she can never dream of matching, or when they are forced to adventure together. In these cases, Amy always calms down. Once she has leveled out her limitless energy Sonic grows comfortable in her presence. He opens up and Amy’s role as his love interest, his…+

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+…girlfriend, is to show Sonic’s full range of emotions beyond the unreachable, larger than life hero upon the distant pedestal. Amy grounds him by being able to reach his most guarded feature as his girlfriend, his heart. But Amy cannot reach his heart if she is…+

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+…never on screen with him. And so, this essay/paper turns to the importance of Amy being the main female lead.

-AMY AS THE FEMALE LEAD-

Having the position of female lead of the Sonic The Hedgehog™ IP puts a lot of expectations on Amy, especially as she serves…+

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+…as an entryway to the IP for many women and girls of all ages. That she is typically presented as a gag character, dismissed and left out, and even shown to be obsessive and abusive at her worst to some does not paint a fair picture of Amy or present a welcoming…+

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+…environment for female fans to find entry into the series. That she also can’t keep up, never blatantly has what makes her and Sonic a couple shown, and is the only character besides Sticks from Sonic BOOM! to need a weapon to partake in the action, that Amy is a…+

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+…girl on top of all that results in an image that is vulgarly misogynistic and anything but welcoming. It is with little surprise then that Amy has such an extremely divisive reputation bolstered even further by her presented lack of a clear identity. And if this …+

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+… is how the main female is treated it is hard to take any of the other female characters seriously. No, as the lead female and love interest of the main character, Amy’s presentation carries far more importance than her treatment speaks to. Though in recent years…+

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+…she has been considered to be treated better, it has been completely at the cost of her character to the point that Amy herself is not there at all and only a doppelganger that shares her face and name. This unfortunately begins to present an image claiming that…+

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+…female characters are only acceptable within male marketed materials if they fit certain criteria, lest they be treated as a joke and naught but disrespected. This is a dangerous precedent and one that should be always avoided. But how?

As this segment’s title…+

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+…and the above problems around Amy state though, Amy is the female lead. This means then that she is at the fore of all other female characters and sets the precedence for how much freedom to be characters or just acceptable archetypes. To do so however requires…+

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+…elevating Amy to full on main character, a role she has on occasion been able to achieve before being pushed aside for any number of reasons. Yet, as Amy shares Sonic’s character structure, it is unquestionable that she has what it takes to be not just the female…+

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+…lead of the IP, but even able to lead in Sonic’s stead when reasonable. In such a position, as she shares Sonic’s character structure, Amy would be able to do everything that Sonic does, but with the twists both positive and negative in the right way due to her…+

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+…girl/girlfriend concept, Genki Girl foundation, and filter of childishness. It brings a vastly different experience, especially when the influence that her nickname, Rosy The Rascal, has on how she approaches different scenarios. But even elevated to such status…+

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+…Amy’s role as Sonic’s girlfriend can still be crippling if she does not interact with him positively, something not possible without his signature speed. With it, she could spend the time with him to show how well they get along once her energy levels out and Sonic…+

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+…is able to acclimate to Amy’s presence. Further, it would allow for the two-way teasing between the two and the competitiveness between them to shine. This also allows for moments of Sonic and Amy flustering one or the other first, a dynamic that allows Sonic…+

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+…to put Amy off balance and enjoy seeing her flustered. Yet another opportunity to show that they have a healthy, competitive, supportive, and loving relationship. It is anything but traditional, but then neither are Sonic and Amy.

And so, that is where the Sonic…+

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+…Ring Bond AU begins to explore Amy’s character. With the projection and question of what if Amy had Sonic’s speed, a return and prominent use of her nickname to make clear character expectations, and design changes to allow the consumer to see that they are…+

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+…being presented a new take on Amy. Her white leotard presenting a clean start free of the stains of her existing reputation. Further, the AU’s core idea and namesake, the Ring Bond, establishing that Amy sharing Sonic’s speed firmly establishes the idea of a bond…+

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+…between them, and one that allows Amy to partake of her dream of being a part of Sonic’s life and adventures. She need only master his speed, and her impossible dream and character message of never giving up on your impossible dreams, but pursuing them and letting…+

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+…them help you grow and become the best version of yourself that you can be becomes very clear and motivational. If Sonic is one to be chased after, then Amy, or perhaps better, Rosy, is the one to pull you along so you never give up or grow discouraged. To that…+

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+…end she will need an in-universe example. And her story will have to be told genuinely, and never from a meta or out of universe perspective lest her earnestness and genuineness be made to be false, and she seen as two faced and untrustworthy. No, she must be…+

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+…shown to care about who she helps, what she seeks, and who she loves honestly. It cannot be made a joke, even if the consumer is invited to laugh at her when her karmic cycle puts her in the role of comic relief. After all, her Genki Girl foundation assures she…+

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+…will always smile and pick herself back up to try again in a better way while keeping everyone else smiling too. One could not ask for more from a character of an entertainment IP.

-FINAL THOUGHTS-

With that, I complete putting in order most of what I think…+

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+…about when I aim to write Amy. It is naturally incomplete as some things only come to me while I’m writing, or they are thoughts rooted in other characters and the nature of their responses to Amy. But perhaps, and I truly hope so, that with this essay/paper…+

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+…I have managed to chase away the idea Amy is a simple character, simply Sonic Lite or Girl Sonic. Because while she shares her character structure with Sonic, her concept of girl/girlfriend alongside her Genki Girl foundation and filter of childishness make her…+

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+…vastly different yet uniquely rooted by making use of two (2) karmic cycles to keep her entitlement at bay. Entitlement that breaks her genuine and earnest character, warping her roles and enabled by the faulty use of the Piko Piko hammer. And hopefully, by digging…+

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+…out who Amy actually is under years and mountains of projections and top-down writing, even complete discarding of her character, my aim of putting her fully in the spotlight can be appreciated. Even should my writing skills fail to reach my lofty goals.
…+

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+… Finally, I would like to thank everyone who read to the end of this essay/paper. It is a long read, and one that is perhaps difficult to accept as I site no sources for my claims. But this paper is less to prove anything so much as show what I think about when…+

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+…I write Amy, or more accurately, Rosy. To that end I truly hope I was successful regardless on if I am agreed with or not.

Once more thank you, and please, wish me luck in my efforts to write “Amy,” and not just another doppelganger.
Thank you.

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