let's talk about Princess Sally Acorn and Sonic comic #134 of the Archie Sonic comics:

Hey everyone, I'm Neil, and I want to talk about one of my favorite characters, Princess Sally Acorn.  Princess Sally Acorn is a character who appears in both a cartoon known as "Sonic SatAm" and the Archie Sonic comics, and in my opinion, Sally gets way too much hatred.  The big reason that Princess Sally Acorn got a lot of hate was because of a slap she did to Sonic in comic #134 of the Archie Sonic comics and because Sally considered Sonic selfish during that slap.  I heard from "bugsy," otherwise known as "thebig3box network" on YouTube, that Jon Gray was the one  responsible for Sally's slap and not Karl Bollers, whom was the writer of Sonic comic #134.  

                           Archie Sonic comic #134.  Darn it, why did Sonic comic #177 have to get rid of Sally's long hair?!?  She looked perfect with it!!!

Karl Bollers pretty much started writing for Sonic comic issues at issue #50 and ended at issue #154 and a lot of people think Karl Bollers had Sally slap Sonic because of a dropped idea that Karl Bollers had that involved Sonic dating Amy secretly without Sally knowing it.  But I'm kind of glad that idea was scrapped because before making this post, I watched all the episodes of "Sonic X."   I can understand why some people didn't really like Sally slapping Sonic because it's never really nice to hit a friend, let alone have a girl hit you.  However, some girls slap guys in media all the time probably saying things to guys like "you're a pig" or "you're so dumb" before, during, or after the slap like my friend Emily, otherwise known as "CrystalMaiden 77" on YouTube, eloquently said in her review of Sonic Archie comic #134.  I'll give a link to that review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvq90MTlIdo&list=PLHvkpKypKLU3SFHZGNG1KuJWH3Ut4Xv3l&index=207.

Sally in the Archie Sonic comics is not this "Mary Sue" type of character that people like to label as for some idiotic reason because she has flaws that help make her feel real and help humanize her, and the reason that Sally slapped Sonic in issue #134 is because of the flaws she had.  If people want a real definition of a "Mary Sue" or a "Gary Stu" type of character, Sonic from "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" would certainly qualify because he's such a smug sadist to the villains and he never gets called out on it or for seeming to steal disguises or other materials from other people in that show.  Sally in the Sonic Archie Sonic comics had flaws like being sneaky, wanting to try to fight enemies by herself without Sonic's assistance, pleasing people against better judgment, being a judgmental snob, being cautious to the point of paranoia, and worrying constantly that Sonic will die.  

Sally's also a clever tactician, she's a great leader, she's sympathetic, and a great mediator, but she does have flaws like the ones I listed and more, and my friend "CrystalMaiden 77" has a web link that pretty much lists the flaws Sally has, and the link is here:  https://crystalmaiden77.wordpress.com/2018/11/27/so-how-is-sally-acorn-a-mary-sue-again/.  I wish that the Archie Sonic comics didn't have to ditch Sally's long hair-style and just her wearing a vest and boots from an Archie Sonic issue like that of issue #130 or 134 because I loved Sally looking like that, and Steven Butler really did a good job making Sally look beautiful when she had that long hair.  I know that at least some people like to say that Tracy Yardley does great artwork, and while that can be true, Steven Butler and other artists in the Archie Sonic comics like James Fry and Art Mawhinney aren't exactly slouches either, especially Mr. Butler when Sally had long hair.  If I'm recommending stuff from "CrystalMaiden 77," it's because she has a lot of videos and other content that I think is all criminally underrated and very worthy of praise:)  

Anyway, the reason that Sally blew up at Sonic in issue #134, which included her infamous slap and her calling Sonic selfish, was because of the events of Archie Sonic comic issues 125, 132, and 133, and she wanted Sonic not to die.  Some of Sally's lines after Sonic yelled at her confirmed this in issue #134:  "Do you know what it was like believing you were DEAD?  It completely broke my heart.  Watching MECHA hurt you brought it all back...   and I refuse to have my heart broken again, Sonic."  Issue #125 had Sally think Sonic died since Sonic destroyed the Quantum Dial, and after a trip through space, Sonic returned to Mobius in issue #130 to his friends and family, but he apparently got really hurt by Eggman's robotic daughter Mecha in issues 132 and 133, which caused Sally to get into a huge panic about Sonic's safety.  In issue #132, Sonic got hurt really badly by Mecha and thrown into the ocean, which worried Sally because she was worried Sonic couldn't swim, and in issue #133, Sally saw Mecha shoot Sonic in the shoulder with a laser, causing Sally to cry in a huge panic, "Sonic!  No!  Not again!  Not again!"  

I know that at least some people would think Sonic was wrong to keep fighting Eggman in issue #134 since he was injured, but I don't really think he was because he was walking and running just fine without any hint of pain in that issue even if he had a shoulder injury.  And personally, I don't necessarily think Sally was right to hit Sonic at all in issue #134, but 1.  I've seen worse things than slaps all around media, and 2.  Sally apologizes to Sonic for her outburst of issue #134 later in issue #187, so I think people need to seriously bury the hatchet towards Sally.  Personally, I think Mina Mongoose would have been a better girlfriend for Sonic because she's cautious without being overly nagging like I feel Sally is, plus Mina, unlike Amy, isn't really abusive, plus Mina doesn't really seem to mind Sonic seeking thrills.  Sure, Fiona would have made a good girlfriend for Sonic as well, but I think it made sense for her to leave the Freedom Fighters considering how awfully people in that group treated her, especially Sally, and I even think how Sally acted in issue #160 towards Fiona was awful because I felt awful for Fiona:(  Personally, I don't think Sally makes a good girlfriend for Sonic because from what I've seen, they're practically never showing good chemistry, they argue too frequently, they have poor communication skills, and Sally lacks faith in Sonic's abilities like the Archie Sonic comics showed.

At least some of that stuff between Sonic and Sally was also present in "Sonic SatAm," but at least the Archie Sonic comics had Sally be nicer to Sonic than she was in "Sonic SatAm" seasons 1 and 2 because she has been nice to him multiple times like in issues 53, 57, 69, and 187.  In seasons 1 and 2 of "Sonic SatAm," I just can't stand Sally because she's constantly arguing with Sonic, practically not helping Sonic, and she's slow to thank Sonic while in one of the Archie Sonic comic stories, Sally at least does thank Sonic for rescuing her even if she does horribly hit Sonic with a stick after doing so.  Now, I don't mind if people like Sonic and Sally as a couple; that's fine, but such people need to understand that I have just as much of a right to voice my opinions on things regarding Sonic as much as they do.  In the Archie Sonic comics, I liked how Sally looked sad in issue #53 when she didn't want to bother Sonic with what she considered dumb problems, I liked how she hugged Sonic in issue #69, and I liked how after Sonic considered Sally a friend in issue #187, Sally said she was glad to have Sonic as a friend.  Anyway, me saying that I think Sally makes a bad girlfriend for Sonic doesn't automatically mean that I think she's an awful character in the Archie Sonic comics.

In fact, I love Sally in the Archie Sonic comics and "Sonic SatAm" season 3 because of how deep and lovable she is as a character!  The only flaws about Sally that genuinely really annoy me are 1.  she acts like an uptight worry-wart about Sonic's safety constantly when she should know Sonic will be OK, 2.  her acting high and mighty towards people she doesn't approve of like Fiona, and 3.  her not really using weapons or having any magical powers very often.  Yes, Sally did use the Sword of Acorns to kill Kodos in issue #100 and did use some weapons other times, but she didn't do so very frequently, and I don't see why she couldn't have had elemental magic like lightning or ice magic or at least something like a flame gun.   A lot of people think that Sonic being blended with romance is awful, but I don't really think so since the Sonic cartoon called "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" had him flirting with ladies like Breezie, Roxie, and Miss Possum, and when I think of "cool," I think of a guy who wants to impress people, including women.  Besides, Disney kids movies like "Beauty and the Beast" and "A Goofy Movie" had some moments of romance, plus a Disney cartoon called "Darkwing Duck" had some romance as well, so I don't see why Sonic being blended with romance is considered equal to a war crime!  

Also, there was hardly any romance drama at all in the Archie Sonic comics to speak of other than the break-up between Sonic and Sally, plus there was more hugging than there was kissing.  What I do want is for romance to be a side element balanced with good writing, a good amount of action along with a balance of light-hearted moments and tension, and I think the Archie Sonic comics did fine on that regard even if I think Sonic should have had Mina as his girlfriend with Sally having Monkey Khan as her boyfriend.  I don't think that every Sonic character needs to be super-deep and complex, but I would have liked at least some more characters like Sonic, Bunnie, Tails, Amy, and Mina to have the amount of character depth that Sally had in the Archie Sonic comics, and I especially want that for future Sonic stories!  For any future stories for Sonic media like a game, cartoon, or a comic, I don't need Sonic just being a quip-spouter and I don't need Tails being a coward or a brat because in other Sonic games like "Sonic and the Black Knight" or "Sonic Adventure 2," Sonic showed compassion and Tails wasn't a coward!  Anyway, Jon Gray should not have had Sally slap Sonic in issue #134 because not only would Sally doing so have Sally acting out of character, but Jon should have realized that the idea of Sonic and Amy being shipped possibly just can't really work.  I'll talk about why I think Amy would make a bad girlfriend for Sonic next time and until then, take care:)