I realized it might be easier to compile this stuff into its own list rather than adding more and more links to the pinned post, so here's that! I'm basically using this as an excuse to organize more

If you're looking for more in depth understanding of the Them, here's where you can find it :]

You can absolutely relate to Sonic and I didn't mean to imply you couldn't.

If you're referring to my essay about the topic I wrote a couple years back, it was essentially a response to the common phenomenon of dismissing Sonic's character due to being "unrelatable," and since the term "relatable" is subjective to each and every individual, it's not very useful as a character descriptor by itself. When people say Sonic should be relatable they usually mean this in a specific way, such as wanting his emotional vulnerability emphasized. You can certainly relate to Sonic due to his introverted traits, but the relatability that fan discussion always comes back around to is specifically about Sonic displaying severe negative emotions to situations (usually crying) and having flaws. The nuanced (and frustrating) element of this discussion is that Sonic is emotionally reactive to situations, both negatively and positively, and he does have character flaws, but not with the specific writerly presentation that detractors want for him, and in discussion this is oftentimes boiled down to just calling Sonic not relatable enough, which may cause vagueness and confusion surrounding the term "relatable." This is why I described a clearer definition for "relatable" in my essay by relating it to the target audience. I hope that clears things up.

This is not to say you can't or shouldn't relate to Sonic. My point was that he was not made explicitly to be relatable in an emotionally vulnerable aspect, and judging how good of a character he is based on a scale of not just relatability (because nearly every character is relatable to someone in some way), but rather a specific kind of relatability that emphasizes his vulnerability is missing the point of what role he fulfills in narratives. Also, if we don't operate on a clear definition for relatability, then it comes across as a rather arbitrary line to draw since this boundary for relatability seems based in one's individual preference, and others can still find him relatable based on their own boundaries.

Yngya and Shaa are no different, and in interacting with each other they’re experiencing a lot of polarizing forces behind the scenes. Intensity both positive and negative, attraction and tension, magnetism and violence. There is SUCH a push and pull and precarious dance to how they talk to each other. How they make contact. They’re both so aware of their positions in nature and their strengths as gods, how easily this balance could be toppled. In a way they’re both trying to tip the balance into their own favors, but then relinquish that control so easily.