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| Series | Sonic Underground (DiC, 1999) |
| Season | Season 1 (the only season) |
| Episode | Episode 35 of 40 (production order) · production no. 435 · WildBrain no. 135 |
| French title | 20000 lieues sous les glaces |
| First aired (France) | 5 May 1999 · TF1 |
| First aired (US) | 15 October 1999 · BKN Kids II (syndication) · 35th in US broadcast order |
| Written by | Len Janson |
| Directed by | Marc Boreal, François Hemmen and Daniel Sarriet; Tom Smith (US) |
| Song | “Fun in the Sun” |
| Previous episode | Sonia’s Choice (S01E34) |
| Next episode | Sleepers (S01E36) |
Polar ResistanceRobotnik’s submarineQueen Sauna
The Big Melt is episode 35 of Sonic Underground, DiC’s 1999 cartoon about Sonic, Sonia and Manic, the hedgehog triplets of Queen Aleena. It is number 35 in production order – the order TF1 first showed the series in France, where it premiered on 5 May 1999 – and it was the 35th episode to air in the United States, on 15 October 1999. It was written by Len Janson, and its song is “Fun in the Sun”.
Synopsis
The siblings are enjoying a beach holiday, Sonic on a sunbed and Manic on a surfboard, when the Polar Resistance brings bad news: Robotnik has a new weapon in the Arctic.
In the frozen north they find a giant submarine that melts the ice from under their feet. Robotnik plans to melt the polar caps and flood the planet. Separated from her brothers, Sonia is taken for “Queen Sauna” by a colony of penguins with troubles of their own.
The hedgehogs track the submarine to its base inside an iceberg and blow up Robotnik’s ice-bound factory before Mobius ends up underwater. The episode ends where it began, on holiday, with Sonia relaxing in a sauna with her penguin friends and Manic cannonballing off a cliff.
The Song: “Fun in the Sun”
“Fun in the Sun” bookends the episode, which starts and finishes with the siblings on holiday.
Key Moments
- The holiday is interrupted by the Polar Resistance.
- Sonia is mistaken for the penguins’ Queen Sauna.
- Robotnik’s ice-melting factory is destroyed.
Trivia
- The French title, 20000 lieues sous les glaces, plays on Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: “under the ice”.
- The first character on screen is a Polar Resistance bear watching Robotnik’s submarine through binoculars.
- Written by Len Janson.
Watch the Episode
The full episode, uploaded by WildBrain’s official Sonic The Hedgehog – WildBrain YouTube channel (checked 6 November 2026).
Part of our Sonic Underground episode guide. The series page covers the characters, the songs, the prophecy and the show’s history.
Sources: titles, writers, songs and air dates from Luke’s original Sonic Scene guide, cross-checked with Wikipedia, Sonic Wiki Zone and Sonic Retro (Wayback copy); synopsis written for Sonic Scene from the episode, its official description and several fan references; title card and screenshots via Sonic Wiki Zone, copied to our media library.