#2003 Splinter played favorites

[sugarpasteltmnt]

What are some of your favorite character relationships/dynamics in TMNT, and why? Is there anything that you particularly like seeing explored with them in fan works (art, writing, comics, etc)?

oh wow!! what a fun ask!!

stashing this under a read-more because i really popped off LOL

My favorite relationships and dynamics??

I feel like i should preface this by admitting that Rise was actually my first real exposure to the TMNT franchise-- and after reading and watching some other iterations it became incredibly apparent how different Rise was in several aspects. And i loved it!!

but with TMNT as a whole, i really love the Leo and Raph dynamics across the TMNT universe (shocking i know lol). It's probably my favorite dynamic of the whole franchise lol. I love love love how they can clash against each other in dramatic ways. And yet, at the end of the day, they would lay down their lives for each other. It's so fun and heartwarming to see that across all the different TMNT iterations.

I also think how Splinter's relationship with the boys can drastically fluctuate between iterations is super interesting. Splinter is such a cool character, and playing with his relationship with the boys has such a crazy big impact on the story and vibe. My favorite Splinters are 2003 and Rise and those two are hilariously different. But something they share is their protectiveness of their families. Which is a dynamic some other iterations turn on its head! And I love that!

And April. GOD i love April so much. The concept of her character is a trope i love. A human who is not just a friend but family with non-humans??? I'm obsessed. And I love that each April of every iteration has her own level of unhinged-ness.

Honestly I could probably write a thesis on each character but I'll try to keep it short lol. But something I really love???

The TMNT franchise itself isn't afraid to experiment with its own iconic relationships or story beats.

It doesn't take itself too seriously while putting a lot of thought and care into the wild, different storylines or concepts. What I might think is an iconic relationship/dynamic in TMNT might be different than someone else's-- and that's fun! The level of flexibility and boldness for trying different things for dynamics and relationships is something I really adore about TMNT as a franchise.

There are tropes and dynamics that are totally my favorite. But I also love seeing those things experimented with!!! But I had to absolutely pick something, it would be all the dynamics seen in Rise. I just love it so much!!

And fan works??

as for what I like seeing being explored in fan works, i gotta say--

I LOVE IT ALL AHHHH!!!❤️💞💗💖💕❤️💞💗💖

TMNT is such a fun and unusual IP, and i totally enjoy seeing other fans going wild with their own creative ideas. I love seeing people pop off with whatever their hearts desire. Anything from the iconic tropes to the niche, hyper-specific concepts-- I love it all. Because there is so much to explore with these characters. And I adore seeing people having fun with their ideas. It's hard to answer what my 'favorite' things to see are because I'm greedy for ALL of it! Because seeing all the different experiments with my favorite dynamics and relationships is so incredibly refreshing and exciting!!

I love seeing people play with each brother's relationship with one another. I love seeing the different takes on Splinter and his role as a father figure (or lack of). I love seeing the potential early-days of Rise-April's relationship with the boys as kids. I love every possible take on every possible character. I will always be a sucker for the juicy story tropes. But I'm just as ravenous for the off-the-cuff twists and concepts. I love any and all of it. Because it's so fun to see what people can cook up-- especially when it's a setup that you never would've thought of before but gave you a new perspective!!!

Because at the end of the day, TMNT is-- frankly-- a silly franchise. And it knows it! But it's not afraid to put in the serious moments and emotions that make all the dynamics interesting. And it's not afraid to experiment with its own building blocks. And I love that fans aren't afraid to push the unexpected in fan works, or do a deeper dive of the dynamics and relationships we've seen in different iterations.

This turned more into a love letter for all TMNT and TMNT fans rather than what my favorite parts are, but it's still all true! I am constantly collecting my favorite dynamics and tropes and putting them in my mental shelf of favorite things. While there are classics I'll always love no matter what, some days the flavor changes!!! And I love that TMNT both as a franchise and as a fandom is so diverse when experimenting with these characters!!

So, in a way this is me saying keep having fun creating and experimenting--because not only does it make me happy, but I hope it makes you happy too 🩵

[tmnt-tychou]

Leonardo

Alright! Here we go! SO many good Leos out there. A reminder, this is just my opinion. If yours is different, we can still be friends and I absolutely do not mind hearing about your thoughts on why you would move any turtles to different tiers. A Tier: 2003: He is the most Leonardo Leonardo who has ever Leonardoed. Honor Boy has a great character arc. Always trying to be a good son/brother/team leader. 10/10

90's movie Leo: I mean, come on, that first movie. He fights for his family, he learns, he teaches, he leads. *chef kiss*

Bayverse Leo: Okay, I am so biased with this one. I love his dumb ass. But he's a good Leo. He tries his best to take care of his family. And when he makes a mistake, he learns and grows and becomes a better leader.

Rise Leo: A lot of Leo purists will say he is Not Leo. But I beg to differ. He's a fucking dork who thinks much too highly of himself. That's all Leo's. Only this one didn't get daddy's attention and discipline. Left to his own devices without Splinter putting responsibility on his shoulders, he's just a typical, goofy teenage boy. And he's hell of a lot of fun.

Mutant Mayhem Leo: I like this Leo. Stressed out, nervous, daddy's boy, trying to do his best while they eek into the world of adults. Just a Leo stepping into becoming a true Leo.

B Tier:

80's cartoon Leo: He has a very strong start at the beginning of the show. But in the later seasons, he gets stressed out and whiny, played for comedy. Just watch the first five episodes. He is choice.

IDW Leo: I haven't read all of IDW's run, but I really enjoyed the Foot Leo storyline. Solid Leo.

2012 Leo: I love him so much. He was my favorite turtle from this show. Even when the writing got weird, he was still a joy to watch. He gets B Tier purely for casting Seth Green and making me listen to his god-awful voice acting. Batman crossover movie Leo: Solid Leo. No character arc, but he was there being Leo. C Tier: 2007 Leo: Oooh, I'm going to get hate for this one. A lot of people like him. He could have made it up to a higher tier if he learned something by the end of the movie, but I don't think he did. Blatantly favorited to go travel the world, returns a hypocrite, getting after Raph for being a vigilante when HE had been a vigilante. As Raphael said, he is smug, he is the golden child. And he learns nothing by the end of the movie.

D Tier:

Next Mutation Leo: Half himbo, half asshole, all dumbass.

[tothefiniteyou]

Something that's been in my head a while concerning the brothers and their "roles", so to speak. This is meant to be about the original Mirage comics, but applies to 2003 and IDW as well. Potentially 2012, maybe more. I don't remember the exact issues, but this WILL contain spoilers for IDW and the original comics.

Raph is the one that takes on the responsibilities no one else does/wants to. He very often has to play the part of the bad guy because his convictions are more rebellious in comparison to what Splinter teaches them, core beliefs and rules that Leo in particular takes to heart. Raph keeps his family in line through his anger, for better and worse, being the one of tough love. In volume 1 of Mirage when they retreated from New York after Leo was almost killed, he calls his brother a coward for not "finishing the job" and goes off to face the Shredder alone. He almost got killed because of his impulsiveness, yes, but Leo's always been about saving his family. So really, he had the courage to face Shredder again because it was for someone else's sake. Their whole fight was kind of gruesome and full of harsh words, but at the end of it all, Leo thanks Raph for it. It's very interesting to me. It shows that Leo, even if he was originally mad, understands that his brother was only doing it because he was scared of his family being hurt again. He sees that it was for his own good, so he expresses gratitude.

Alongside that, I've said before that it's not that Raph wants to be the leader because of the title itself, but rather that he wants freedom, and for others to listen to him. He resents Leo for holding him back, not fully understanding his brother's reasoning. He focuses more on action and less on the consequences of said actions and choices.

In essence, Raph is often the one that has to do the dirty work. His parentification in Rise is even similar to this, having to parent his brothers and be the one to tell them "no", even when it isn't his responsibility. But if no one else is going to do it, then he has to be the bad guy, even if his brothers resent him for it. At his core, he always has his family in mind, even if the execution is flawed.

Raph being thought of as the shield has always felt right to me, as shields can still be used to hurt.

On to Leo - Leo is a very existential person, and that also makes him the most spiritual. Kind of a yin and yang ordeal, with him seeing how there's a balance to things. (I would also say that he needs to assign a purpose to everything, if only to rationalize bad things. It's sort of why he has a bit of a crisis in several iterations when Splinter isn't there to guide him). He's the most "warrior-like" because of the way he values life and honors things like bushido. He'll kill to protect, but that doesn't make him callous, just "strong" (putting this in quotes for multiple reasons). I think IDW tackled this quite lovely, especially when he goes on to have a greenhouse just full of life.

However, I can't say all of this without mentioning the fact that Splinter's teachings are often flawed. I've said before that a lot of Leo's major "arcs" and "growing up" is about becoming his own person and leader, and that's still very much true. Blind Sight is my favorite story to have come from the original comics, and I think it really puts into perspective how Leo struggles to see himself as anything but a weapon. It's that bad habit of his where he must assign purpose to everything, struggling when proven wrong or having to recontextualize things. There's so much more I want to say about him and his role, but a lot of it would be reiterating my points from this post. I struggle to call Leo the sword of the team considering his words to Mikey about how, if he were to throw his katana off the roof, would that be the same as throwing himself. But in Blind Sight, he does learn that he's more than just some sword for his father to wield, and that a sword not only hurts, but protects.

People infantilize Mikey wayyyy too much in this fandom for just being the youngest, which makes me have to pick and choose my words very carefully for fear of the wrong impression. He's definitely the goofball that tends to not take things as seriously, but I think something that The Last Ronin meant to emphasize is that his "raw talent" is from a place of love. It's not that he's not the best of them all just because he lacks focus, it's that he's never seen a reason for him to have to be a warrior like that. Surrounded by his brothers, he doesn't have to try so hard. He'll watch their backs and they'll watch his. He's got the same warrior's spirit as the others, it's just that he rejects some of those teachings in his own way? Raph is often seen as the contrast to Leo, and that's typically true, but I think Mikey can be as well... In a way, Mikey has the most ties to humanity, and that's why I think he's similar to Leo in some ways. Not to say the brothers don't have humanity, but... It's so hard to word what I mean, bear with me.

Being a better warrior kind of means losing his fun-loving and go with the flow nature. He would be less like Mikey. Not to say that being good at fighting exactly equates to being deadly, but that's always a possibility, you know? IDW Mikey is such a good balance and blend of his little shit characterization and his more empathetic side. When he's the first to leave and reject Splinter's ways in IDW, this shows what I mean with him being more strong than Leo's way of being considered strong. He might not be "the best", and he might not tap into his raw talent that several characters mention, but I don't think that's what he necessarily wants. Splinter's idea of strong isn't necessarily the best.... Hopefully this section makes sense and my point gets across that Mikey is both the heart and armor of the team.

And as for Donnie... Oh boy! He has to use a gun in the original comics and actually be the one to kill (since only Raph and Leo really did that from what I can remember), and it shakes him up SO BADLY... And volume 1 just ends with him not choosing to go back to the sewers with his brothers, but to stay on the farm with Splinter for a bit. This is quite a finishing scene after ending a whole war within the city...

Donnie doesn't love his brothers any less, it just goes to show that he's never wanted to be the one to have to kill, and maybe wasn't prepared for it. While Mikey is definitely a pacifist, you can argue that Donnie is more of one. Him wielding the bo even supports this idea, as it can still be deadly, but not as lethal as his brothers' weapons. He's a very soft-hearted person that prefers to invent and give life to machines.

I hate when people think he's any less skilled in fighting than his brothers, because that's wrong! He just doesn't like violence and, dare I say it, I don't think he ever wanted to be a warrior in the same way. His intellect is a mightier and more useful weapon to him, because he can use it to keep others safe and make machines that can do all sorts of things. He'll fight to protect, same as the others, but disarming is more of his goal in the end. This makes Donnie, at least to me, both the brains and armor for the group. He's more than that, but... something something, things falling apart when Donnie is missing in SAINW.

At the end of it all, something you have to remember about all of them is that, even when they grow older, they started out as nothing more than child soldiers cultivated for the sake of revenge. Killing was always in the books, but they all have a different role on the team, and killing wasn't meant to be Donnie's. He helps with plan-making and would probably rather be support than a tank, if that makes sense.

They're heroes but but but. They're just kids, too...........Gripping my head

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Movie Marathon (Fluff)

2003!Michelangelo x reader

A/N: I’ve just started watching the 2003 TMNT again, and it is as amazing as I remembered it🧡

Warnings: None, other than the spelling google docs didn't catch.

—------------------------------------------------

The lair was unusually quiet that evening. Michelangelo and (Y/N) found themselves alone, the rest of the turtles and Master Splinter had gone off to their rooms, to do whatever they had decided to do. And that worked amazingly with the plans you and Michelangelo had for the evening. The two of you had decided to have a movie marathon, where you would watch all of your favorites. It was something the two of you would do quite often, and that you both enjoyed. Except when Mikey had certain ideas about what movies you should watch.

“Mikey! I don’t want to watch another horror movie”, you yelled as you saw the DVD in your green best friend’s three fingered hand.

“Aw! Come on (Y/N)! This one is really good!”, your orange clad friend exclaimed, holding “Lovers Lane Blood Massacre 2: Revenge of the Hook Hand Man” up for you so you could see the movie cover.

“I said no Mikey! I don’t want to watch another horror movie. Especially not what happened after last time!”

You did not need to remind Mikey of what happened the last time, when you watched “Lovers Lane Blood Massacre 1: Hook Hand Man Awakens”. You couldn’t sleep for two weeks without at least one of the turtles standing guard in your living room - which usually would be Mikey.

“Aw shell”, Mikey sighed, throwing the DVD back into his collection. “You’re probably right about that”.

“Probably? No Mikey, I am always right”.

“Oh, how could I forget!?”, Mikey said in a teasing tone, slapping his forehead dramatically. “The lady is always right! Excuse my forgetfulness”.

“The lady has forgiven you”, you laughed, as Mikey started to dramatically ask for forgiveness.

“Great”, Mikey said, placing a hand over his heart. “I can breathe calmly again. Then what would you like to watch?”

“Anything else Mikester, just not horror movies”.

"Ooh, so we're talking all the classics then! Action, comedy, maybe even a little romance," Michelangelo replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, his hands rubbing together.

“See, that I’m into!”, you smiled. “Bring me your best Mikey Man!”

And with that they two of you settled in the cozy couch of the lair, surrounded by an assortment of snacks from the kitchen and a stack of DVDs. The first movie kicked off, and as the night progressed, laughter and banter filled the air. It was a good old comedy. The comfortable silence between lines of dialogue spoke volumes about the easy friendship you two shared.

As the movie went on, you couldn’t help but laugh at the bad jokes. And each time you laugh, Mikey found his attention being drawn towards you more than the movie. For the longest time, Mikey had found himself captivated by your face whenever you laughed. The way your eyes would narrow and your lips widen, showing off where your dimples would be. It was a sight to behold, and Mikey enjoyed it everytime. He often found himself doing crazy things, just to make you laugh. He even loved the way it sounded. And nothing made him prouder, than knowing he was the one causing that smile.

As the credits rolled on the third movie of the night, Michelangelo turned to you with a grin. "That one was epic! Who knew movie marathons could be so much fun, right?"

You nodded, a smile playing on your lips. "Absolutely, Mikester. Thanks for the awesome idea."

The lair dimmed, the only light coming from the soft glow of the TV screen, as names rolled from the bottom and up. A quiet moment hung in the air as Michelangelo hesitated, glancing at you with a hint of vulnerability.

"Hey, (Y/N)," he began, his voice softer than usual. You noticed how he started fidgeting with the padding on his knee. "You know, I really enjoy spending time with you. You're like the best friend anyone could ask for".

You felt your heart skip a beat, a warmth spreading through you. "Mikey, you're an amazing friend too. I'm really grateful for our adventures and all the laughter we share".

Michelangelo's gaze lingered, and a moment of unspoken understanding passed between them. In the dim light, you could see a mixture of emotions flickering in his eyes - a depth that transcended the goofy exterior he often displayed. It was rare that you got to see Michelangelo like this. He wasn’t really comfortable with being too serious. But when he had to, you were one of the few people he could do it around.

"Actually", Mikey continued, scratching the back of his head. "There's something else I've been wanting to say. It's just, um, kinda hard to put into words".

You felt a flutter of anticipation, your own emotions mirroring Michelangelo's. "Mikey, you can tell me anything. We're friends, right?"

He took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto yours. "Yeah, we're friends. But, you see, I... I think I might feel something more. Like, something beyond friendship, you know?"

The confession hung in the air, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. You processed the words, and a smile crept onto your face, causing Mikey’s heart to skip a beat. "Mikey, I think I might feel the same way".

A weight lifted from Michelangelo's shoulders, replaced by an exhilarating warmth. The air buzzed with a newfound energy as the realization settled in.

"Really?" he asked, a mixture of surprise and joy in his voice.

"Really", you confirmed, reaching out to gently squeeze his hand. "Would you like to turn our movie marathon into date night?"

Michelangelo grinned, his eyes sparkling with happiness. "Totally! Best movie night ever!"

Mikey started another movie, before returning to the couch, placing an arm around you. To no one’s surprise, it was a romance. And as the main title started rolling, Mikey couldn’t help a certain thought from sneaking its way into his head. He had had that thought several times before, but now it finally seemed like it could become reality.

“Hey, (Y/N)?” His heart was beating in his chest. You could feel it through his plastron.

“Yeah, Mikey?”

“Can I… Uhm… Can I kiss you?”

You looked down trying to hide your blush. Mikey saw it and felt like he was about to pass out. You were blushing at the thought of kissing him?

“Yes you can, Mikey”.

Mikey was nervous when he finally let his lips press against yours. It was a soft and tender kiss. Mikey’s first kiss. You couldn’t help but laugh when you pulled back and saw him smile like an idiot. Damn he was adorable.

The rest of the night you and Mikey would hold each other tight, and exchange small kisses every now and then, all while watching the rest of the movies you had planned for the night.

[bambiraptorx]

What are some of your favorite character relationships/dynamics in TMNT, and why? Is there anything that you particularly like seeing explored with them in fan works (art, writing, comics, etc)?

Seeing Rise Donnie and April together is always fun, they've got a good chaotic energy together. And by that I mean half the time they're helping each other do wild stuff like hide from cops or crazy science projects. Rise April very much is not "the one with the brain cell" here lol, she's just as off the wall as Donnie is, and its fun to see that dynamic actually addressed as it is in the show.

I think Splinter and April's relationship is pretty nice too, honestly. It tends to get categorized as "father-daughter" in the fandom, but I don't personally feel like that accurately reflects the show dynamic tbh? Like, April treats him very similarly to the way she treats the turtles, it really feels like more of a friendship. The way she calls him out for doing dumb stuff is very similar to how she calls out Donnie lol. Splinter's not a parent figure, he's a mentor figure for her at best, and even that's a bit of a stretch imo.

For 2003, the space arc with Fugitoid is pretty fun (I just got to that point again lol). Here you've got a bunch of ninjas who are pretty much rolling with the punches of the whole "you got beamed to another planet" thing and doing surprisingly well, and then you've got this robot guy who is like "guys jumping off a roof into a garbage truck is wild actually". He's just as out of his element as the turtles, but in a completely different direction.

For fandom stuff specifically, I like seeing characters put in a room together when they don't interact in canon. For example, I've seen some very fun versions of Leo and Kendra interacting that plays them off each other super well--it's a dynamic that's not in the show, but it makes a lot of sense, yknow? They both rely heavily on manipulation and creating an image of who they want people to see them as, but they do it very differently and for different reasons. There's a lot of fun potential character combos that can be played with.

[artbyremi]

Part of the @tmnt-secret-santa-2024

@itzzaira I'm your secret santa!

I wrote a short one-shot with lots of 2003 turtle tot cuddles. I really hope you like it! I tried to focus more on Mikey because I was getting the vibe he was your favorite. He's honestly the hardest out of the four for me to write so I hope I captured him alright.

Prompt: Brumation- just a lazy day with softness and cuddles and fluff while the four turtle babies are just sleepy and clingy to each other.

Maybe it was his memory fading or his old age making him more susceptible to the cold, but Splinter was sure his winters spent in Japan were nothing compared to the New York winters he faced now. The old rat sipped on a cup of chamomile tea then turned the page of the book he was reading.

The lair was quiet besides the sounds of old cartoon reruns playing on the television. Splinter had learned during the boys’ first year that turtles got especially sleepy during the colder months. As mutants they didn’t enter a proper brumation as regular turtles would but the cold weather turned his usually rambunctious and noisy tots into little cuddle bugs.

Currently, the four were all snuggled together on the couch under a plethora of blankets that Splinter had tucked them in. Raph was on the end of the couch, his legs tucked up to his chest forming himself into a stiff little ball. Leo was on the opposite end of the couch, the hood from the slightly too big jacket he was wearing pulled over his head.

It covered his eyes to the point where he surely couldn't see the cartoon playing and his chest was rising and falling slow and even so Splinter figured he must have fallen asleep. Which only spoke to the exhaustion the small tot was experiencing as Leonardo usually liked to watch his brothers fall asleep before nodding off himself.

The two youngest, Donny and Mikey were in the middle, squished in between their two older brothers. Their chubby little arms were tangled together, their heads leaned close, and eyes planted squarely on the television.

It was nice to have silence in their little sewer home for once. As a single father to four under four, Splinter rarely had the opportunity to mediate or read for himself. However, it was the silence that gave his mind the opportunity to wander more than usual.

Their supplies were dwindling. Not enough that they wouldn’t have food to eat but Splinter could tell the boys were growing sick of congee and tea everyday. It was times like this that made him miss his old life in Japan with Yoshi and Tang Shen more than usual.

Things had been so much simpler back then when he had been a regular rat. There was no need to worry about dwindling supplies or staying hidden. Not that he regretted his mutation. It had brought along opposable thumbs and the intelligence and ability to properly practice ninjutsu just as Yoshi had. He was also finally able to understand the many Japanese soap operas he had spent many evenings watching from Tang Shen’s lap.

But most importantly it was what led him to the four little turtles whom he loved just as Yoshi and Tang Shen had loved him. Splinter had never pictured himself as a father and yet here he was single rat dad to four under four.

“Sensei, I’m cold.”

Michelangelo’s mewl brought Splinter’s attention to the pile of turtles nestled together on the couch. Even through all the extra layers and warm blankets, the cold was still getting to them. He wished he could have kept the old kotatsu from Yoshi’s home in Japan. That certainly would have done wonders for the four shivering little turtles.

“Shhh, Mikey,” Donny said, pressing his hand over his younger brother’s mouth. Then immediately turned his eyes back to the cartoon on the TV.

Donny shrieked the moment he felt a warm wetness on his hand. He should have known better. Placing his hand over Mikey’s mouth to shush him was only asking for the younger boy to lick his palm out of retaliation.

“Sensei!” Donny wailed, frantically wiping his wet palm on the side of the couch as Mikey broke out into uncontrollable giggles.

Splinter closed the book he had meant to be reading. He had enjoyed the momentary silence, but now it was time to get back to his 24/7 job as a father.

The rat adjusted the burgundy shawl around his shoulders then gathered the old blanket, he had been using for himself, into his arms. Even with his fur, the cold air was still a little much for Splinter. However, he could handle a little cold. The little turtles needed the warmth more.

The old rat walked over to the tots and tucked the additional blanket around their tiny shivering frames. “How’s that, my sons?” He knew it probably wasn’t much help. Certainly nowhere near the amount of warmth a kotatsu would have brought but this was the best he could do.

“But, Sensei,” Leo said. “Won’t you be cold now?”

The little turtle had said it with such innocence and sincerity that Splinter had to laugh. It was sweet how even at such a young age, Leo was worried about his old father.

Splinter patted the boy on the head, “I will be just fine, Leonardo.” Splinter adjusted the blankets around the tots. “I’m more concerned about you four. Any warmer?”

“I’m still cold,” Mikey whined, puffing out his flushed cheeks with a heavy little huff.

“I’m hungry,” Raph joined in on the whining.

Donny nodded, “Yeah, me too.”

Hungry?

Splinter checked the clock on the wall. It was nearing noon. He had been so caught up in his own mind that he hadn’t realized quite how late it had gotten. “How’s some congee sound?”

Mikey’s face wrinkled up, “Rice porridge?”

“Daad,” Raph whined, “We’ve had it like ev’ryday this week!”

It’s all we have supplies for, Splinter thought to himself. He doubted four four-year-olds would understand their situation and Splinter didn’t want to put that worry on them either way. He was the parent after all. He would handle all of life’s stresses just as Yoshi had done for him.

Splinter took a seat on the edge of the couch, cupping Raphael’s flushed cheek in his palm, “It's good for you and it’ll warm you up.”

Raph huffed, “Well, I’m sick of it!” He crossed his arms across his plastron and made the grumpiest face his four-year-old body could muster. Raph probably thought he looked tough but really he just looked like a chihuahua baring its teeth.

It was quite adorable.

“We have had it a lot this week, Sensei,” Donny said matter-of-a-factly.

It was true. Splinter had prepared the same congee at least four other times that week. Splinter loved it but maybe rice porridge wasn’t exactly the most appetizing thing to a couple of four-year-olds. Maybe he could at least spice it up this time with some chicken or maybe mix in an egg or add some pickled ginger. Of course, they would actually have to have those ingredients in the first place for that to be a possibility.

“I want chicken nuggets!” Mikey exclaimed.

Splinter returned his attention to an excitable Michelangelo.

What?

“Did ya’ hear me, Dad?” He tried again. “Can we have chicken nuggets, please!?”

The look on Mikey’s face melted Splinter’s heart. The small turtle looked so innocent as he stared up at Splinter with wide, pleading eyes. Maybe it was because he had been deemed the youngest and thus the baby of the family or maybe Mikey just had a natural charm about him but there was something about the little turtle that Splinter just couldn’t say no to.

But he needed to.

Splinter cupped Mikey’s chubby little cheek in his hand. “I’d have to go on a supply run, my son.”

The only food they had was enough rice to make a few more pots of congee that could feed all five of them as well as some saltines, a couple containers of yogurt, and a few other miscellaneous ingredients. Nothing that he could make chicken nuggets with.

Splinter knew he would need to go on a supply run sooner rather than later but today was not that day. There had been a massive blizzard the night before. The roads would be slick and slippery with ice and the shops would be barren from people snowed into their homes. It wasn’t exactly the best conditions for a supply run.

However, at the mention of a supply run, Mikey’s face lit up. “Can you get the dinosaur ones?”

“Oh, Please please, Sensei!” Donny joined in. “I really wanna eat a Brontosaurus!” The little boy exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. “Or a Raptor or a Triceratops or a Skorpiovenator!”

Splinter wanted to shut them down. It was too dangerous for a supply run. They could survive off of congee for a few more days until the ice melted. But Mikey’s cuteness mixed with Donny’s excitement for Dinosaurs made it nearly impossible.

How could he possibly say no to them?

A tiny sneeze from Mikey was the nail in the coffin. Donny wrapped an arm around his younger brother, trying to provide to him what little warmth he could even though he himself was shivering.

Splinter, maybe a little too frantically ripped the shawl from his shoulders and wrapped it around the two shivering boys. That was the last thing he had to offer them. There were no more blankets left in the lair unless they started stripping their bed sheets.

“I’m cold too, Sensei,” Raph muttered as he wrapped his shiering arms around his chest.

“You can have this, Raphy,” Leo said, as he began to unzip his sweatshirt.

“No–no,” Splinter zipped Leo’s sweatshirt back up. His oldest was always quick to think of his brothers’ needs before his own. It was sweet but at the same time Splinter worried how that might develop as Leo grew older. “You need to stay warm too, Leonardo.”

Leo settled back against the couch and pulled Raph close to his side. Raph, who usually wasn’t the cuddly type, leaned his head against Leo’s shoulder and let out a wide yawn. Splinter grabbed the edges of the first lighter blanket and tucked it up to the boys’ chins followed by another lighter blanket then finally the heavy wool blanket.

Donny yawned, then stuck his thumb into his mouth, a habit Splinter had been struggling to break him from. Mikey stared up at Splinter with tired eyes, “Are we gonna have dino nuggets for lunch?”

Splinter’s heart broke. They needed more food. They needed warmer clothes. They needed more blankets. As much as he didn’t want to risk his own safety and possibility of discovery out on the surface. He needed to risk it anyway.

Splinter cupped Mikey’s cheek, “Alright, my son.”

Leo sat up straight, “Am I in charge, Sensei?”

Splinter shut down a coming argument from Raphael almost immediately. “I don’t think anyone needs to be in charge. I’ll only be a few hours.”

Leo’s face fell, “But what if a bad guy comes?”

“I bet I could take ‘em!’ Raph but in.

Leo rolled his eyes, “Yeah, right.”

Raph glared at Leo then turned to look up at Splinter, “You said I’m doin’ really good at trainin’, right, Sensei?” The hot-headed toddler looked up at the rat with a fierce glow in his eyes.

Splinter let out a subtle sigh. “You’ve all been doing excellent.” It was the truth. The boys had all been doing very well in their ninjutsu training, which thus far had consisted of basic punches and kicks.

Splinter readjusted the blanket around the boys’ shoulders. “But remember, we are all very safe down here. No one will find us.”

“Are you sure?” Donny said, followed by a wide yawn.

Splinter chuckled quietly to himself, “Yes, I’m sure.”

Leo took his turn to yawn widely, which then spread to both Raph and Mikey. Splinter smiled at the cute sight in front of him. Whoever said yawns were contagious knew what they were talking about. Splinter bent down to adjust the blankets once more. “Looks like it's nap time, my sons.”

The boys all nodded, their heads falling to each other’s shoulders.. Splinter ran his hand along the tops of each of their heads. “Sleep well, my sons.”

“Sensei, you’re back!” Mikey cheered as Splinter entered through the archway, cloak still covering his head and grocery bags in hand. The tots scrambled their way out of the blankets and came running to greet their adoptive father at the door.

Mikey and Raph each attached themselves onto one of Splinter legs, while Leo and Donnie both grabbed a grocery bag from his arms.

“Hello, my sons,” Splinter greeted.

“What’s this, Sensei?” Donatello asked as he pulled out a small black electronic device from the grocery bag he had been carrying. The object was small and square with a large vent on the front.

“That’s a heater,” Splinter replied, struggling to move with two tots still attached to his legs. It wasn’t a kotatsu but at least they could finally have some heat. Splinter had always avoided snatching a heater out of fear that he would be caught but he was desperate. Luckily, the clerk barely even glanced his way as he walked out the door with a small heater under his cloak. Maybe they really hadn’t noticed or maybe they understood that someone stealing a heater was only doing so for a valid reason.

“A heater?” Leo asked, head cocked.

Raph and Mikey released their tight grips on Splinter’s legs to toddle over to Donatello. “A heater?” Mikey asked, giving the device a poke.

“Yes, my sons.” Splinter said as he grabbed the heater from Donny.

The boys followed behind like obedient little ducklings as Splinter carried the heater over to an outlet in the wall. “This is to help keep us warm.” He set the device on the ground and plugged it into the wall then turned the heat up to high.

Raph held his hand out in front of the vent. “I think it's brok’n, Sensei.”

Splinter chuckled to himself, “Patience, Raphael.”

Raph scrunched up his face in frustration. “But it’s s’pposed to be hot.”

“It’s hot now, Raphy!” Donny grabbed his brother's hand and held it in front of the heater’s vent.

“Whoa,” Raph held out his hand in front of the vent, mesmerized by its heat.

“It’s like magic,” Mikey exclaimed, stepping in front of Raph so he could feel the full force of the heater.

Raph charged at Mikey, “Move outta the way, Pipsqueak!”

Splinter stepped in before Raph could push Mikey to the ground. He knew it was only play fighting but after his trip to the surface he really wasn’t feeling up to cleaning any accidental boo-boos.

“There’s room for all of you.”

Splinter grabbed the four pillows from the couch and set them each equal distance from the heater. The boys each took a seat on an individual pillow and allowed Splinter to wrap them up on the several blankets.

“All snug?”

The boys all nodded, eyes drooping, and heads bumping against each other.

Splinter smiled at the four all cuddled together. “Lunch will be ready soon.”

“Okay, Sensei!” They all called back.

“Boys!” Splinter called, “Lunch is ready!”

Splinter had expected them to come running the moment they could smell cooked chicken. But instead he was met with an odd silence.

“Boys!” He called again.

Still no response.

Splinter grew worried for a moment.

Had they run off?

The old rat hurried his way to the living room and was met with an adorable sight. The boys had all pulled their pillows closer to the heater and were cuddled up together in an adorable ball of snoozing tangled turtles.

Raph, being the biggest, was on the bottom of the pile serving as the base. His arms were wrapped around a pillow and his head was buried into a blanket. Donny was laying across Raph’s shell, his head tucked into the crook of his neck. His thumb was once again shoved into his mouth, causing a bit of drool to run down his chin.

Leo was laying on the other side of Raph. Donny was taking up a bit too much space for him to properly sit on top so he settled for laying on his shell and using Raph’s shell as a footrest with his arms sprawled out at his sides like a starfish.

Mikey was curled up in a little ball on top of Leo’s plastron like a puppy in donut formation. His head was shoved deep into the crevice of Leo’s shoulder. Leo stirred a bit moving his arms to pull Mikey closer to himself.

It didn’t look like the most comfortable of laying formations but they certainly looked adorable. Splinter wondered how many more cute cuddly moments he would be able to catch like this before they grew too old for cuddles.

Splinter grabbed a disposable camera out of a nearby drawer and snapped a photo.

At the sound of the photo snapping, the boys each stirred but they didn’t wake. Instead they only attempted to snuggle closer to each other and the heater.

Splinter smiled at the sight.

Dino nuggets could wait.

He would let them rest for now.

[deadlyflan]

Turtle asks, 1, 2, and 16?

1. How did you get into TMNT?

Back when the world was new, before the internet, before cordless phones, before slap bracelets or tamogatchis, before neon windbreakers and snowboarding got nationally popular for no reason (for like maybe three years? I dunno, the past has weird shit in it,) BEFORE that 90s stuff, back when COSTCO warehouse club shopping was a new concept--my grandma bought a VHS three-pack.

She handed out these three video cassettes that played in a VCR on our big-box cathode-ray TV to me and my two boy cousins. Ninja Turtles for boy #1! Ninja Turtles for boy #2! Ninja Turtles for the only granddaughter--oh. Uh. Maybe not?

I watched her hesitate for a split second. Is this a girl gift? Is this something I would like? Is it more important to be fair to a group of kids or to hold back a cassette tape and give it to another little boy? What other little boy? She only had the two in front of her, and if she gave one of them a second tape, there'd be howling...

I remember her shrug of, 'what can it hurt?'

I got given a copy of "Cowabunga, ShredHead."

It was 1989.

I was 9.

I have been obsessed since.

Thank you, grandma.

2. Favorite iteration?

My nostalgia-fave is the TMNT family from the first 1990s movie. They love their dad so much. Their Splinter is such a dear, dear old man. Their April is so Cool!Aunt-coded. Their Shredder wears the *best cloak.* The TMNT family has a deep and mystical psychic bond!! Aaaaaaaahhhh!!! My heart!!!

My modern-iteration fave are the 2012!TMNT boys. I love the adventures and the voicework and the characterizations and the combat. I love that most of the conflict is between the whole team and an outside enemy. I love that the boys feel like rough and tumble idiots who slowly mature over the course of the 5 seasons. Psychic-Alien-Hybrid!April was a cool choice. And their Casey Jones is second only to 1990sMovie!Casey. Love that maniac.

3. Favorite Theme Song?

2003!TMNT has the best theme song. You don't have to know how to sing. It was shout-able.

[bluepeachstudios]

Ok so you've told us about the rise! Version of your fusions, so what would the 2003 version of the fusions be like?

I could've sworn I answered this before but I can't find it so guess I just thought about it in my head? .u.

The 2003 turtles act more mature than 2012 (which prob comes from writing teenagers like they're grown adults half the time but I digress). The fusions also have no doubt that Splinter loves them, because '03 Splinter was actually quite chill with his kids fusing into other beings. He's seen weirder.

He actually trains them to focus their minds and gives them exercises for teamwork and learning how to make their fusions more stable, and make it easier to unfuse when they need to. He also gives the fusions themselves their own training.

Pheo is a storm. He's entirely confident in himself, in leading, in being a good brother, he knows his component parts are both good at what they do. Raph always calls Leo out for his bad leadership choices and Leo always holds back Raph's impulsive sides. Pheo's relatively calm, his anger is quiet and controlled like a fine point.

Deangelo is a LOT calmer. Still has that ADHD/Autism solidarity, still very positive and cheerful. Still very much thinks out of the box, though his ideas are less "silly" and more "terrifyingly efficient". He hides any hint of negative emotions that he has and never processes anything. Refuses to. Jokes about it or just suppresses it. Also he's the best artist of the fusions! He loves to draw! :D

Daphy isn't explosive at all. His anger is cold as ice and happens slowly over time, with lots of planning. 2012 Daphy will explode a building 2003 Daphy will get it legally demolished by a construction crew while making you pay out of your pocket for it and destroy any chance of gaining income for the next 30 years. His FAVORITE thing is motorcycles and he wants to build them in his spare time. Also the most protective over his brothers! Would kill a man for looking at Leo or Mikey wrong.

Mio is literally the most terrifying thing anyone has ever had to fight. He can take Splinter down. Mikey and Leo's skills combined are such a terrifying combination. He's not as flashy and cocky, he's more... Sure of himself, is the best way I can think to put it. He is however still VERY dramatic. Plays dead often to trick enemies into getting close enough to hit him and usually scares the shit out of his brothers when he does do this. But now enemies are even more scared to get near him while he's down. :)

Lonny is cool as a cucumber. Calm, collected, nothin' pisses him off, nothing shakes him. He has anxiety but it's all inward turmoil and never really shows on the outside except in small moments. He snaps sometimes if he gets too anxious. He's also the most protective of his brothers! His planning is immaculate and he's great at adapting honestly. Inside he is a literal mess. If he's left alone he gets increasingly anxious, though he usually defuses before it can get to that point.

Machiel is rough-and-tumble, goofy sarcastic, snuggliest dude. He can and will eat several whole pizzas on his own. Most openly affectionate. He's got some self-worth issues, like he worries if he's doing enough, if he's good enough, but he mostly covers this up with bravado and posturing. Angry crier which only pisses him off more.

[romancomicsblog]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem amplifies the fun of the franchise - REVIEW

*Slight Spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem*

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been a franchise that has consistently been rebooted and I have never minded.

While the 2003 series was my initial Turtles introduction, the 2012 series really made me a fan. It had the right balance for me of brotherly affection, drama, stakes, and weird obscure villains.

While Rise of the TMNT wasn't exactly my taste, I can appreciate the animation, comedy, and going for a different new take. Plus my god is the Rise of TMNT movie good. I'm all for making really cool characters into animes now.

Going into this movie I had extremely high hopes. Not only has this franchise rarely disappointed, but it was produced by Seth Rogen, who has worked on shows like The Boys and Invincible, and directed by Jeff Rowe, who is not getting NEARLY enough credit for this movie. He was a writer on Gravity Falls and the co-director of one of my favorite animated movies: The Mitchells vs The Machines.

And I got to say, this movie does not disappoint.

The animation style is both impressive and at times disgusting in the best possible way. This is the first time I've felt New York feel grubby and grimy. Every shot looks wonderful, and that cannot be understated.

The hardest part of the Turtles is usually the brother dynamics. I feel like if not written or performed correctly, the Turtles can come off as buddies or even acquaintances. But this was not a problem here. The idea of having all four actors in the same room clearly paid off, as the four of them riffing and mocking each other were some of the highlights of the movie.

I do think coming out of this, some of these turtles will be the definitive versions of the characters. While Mikey and Raph have their charms, Micah Abbey as Donnie and Nicolas Cantu as Leo were stands out for me.

The idea of taking Donnie from the tech guy to more of a calculating nerdy weeb was genius. Donnie often is the guy who is most made fun of because he is nerd, and I think pivoting to him being a smart-ass and respected for his brain was a nice touch.

Leonardo as the goody two shoes dork who wants to lead so bad also worked for me. Leonardo can sometimes come off a sorta bully or arrogant for even trying to be the leader. Making him unsure but wanting to be a good leader makes him charming and more likeable.

Also among our heroes are Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil and Jackie Chan as Master Splinter.

While April does not have as much to do as I would've liked, I think Edebiri is a nice addition and I'd be happy to see more of her. She has good chemistry with the brothers, although it did take me out of the movie to think of the age gap between Edebiri and Cantu.

Jackie Chan's Splinter may be my biggest problem with the film. While he is a passable Splinter and has plenty of laughs, he does not seem as fierce of a warrior as he has seemed in the past, nor as wise. I do not mind a flawed, anxiety ridden Splinter, but he should feel like he can take on the Turtles easily, and I don't think he can.

(Also, Jackie Chan is a bad father in real life and shouldn't disown his estranged daughter for being gay. Read all about it here!)

I'm not going to go to into the details of all the villains in the movie, as there are quite a few, but I really loved the inclusion of the vast TMNT universe, and their own fun takes on them. One of the benefits of having Seth Rogen as a creative is access to all his very talented friends. A highlight for me was Mondo Gecko, voiced by the great Paul Rudd.

The main antagonist of the film being Superfly was a rather interesting choice. While I was sure we were going to have a Jekyll and Hyde situation with Superfly and Stockman going in, the idea that it was his mutant son was a weird but fun choice. Clearly Ice Cube was having a lot of fun playing a villain. He gave me quite a few laughs and felt like a proper first villain for these turtles. I'm glad they didn't just jump into Shredder or Kraang.

While all the characters are fun and interesting, what I really love about this story is the central theme of acceptance. Having them all have the goal of being accepted by society felt natural, important, and very teen drama, which is fresh to the TMNT. They are often outsiders who don't really care about that, just protecting the city. Making that at the heart of the movie made me feel for them in a way I haven't before.

Leaving the movie where it does excites me for more movies and the upcoming show they have planned. I think this version of the turtles can last us a good 5-7 years, and will end up being as iconic as the ones that came before.

Not that there is a super high bar for TMNT films, but this is definitely my favorite. I think kids are going to love, TMNT fans are going to love it, and non TMNT fans are going to be pleasantly surprised.

I highly recommend you go see this movie, I know I am definitely going again soon.

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to support me, you can follow me on my socials here!

[aealzx]

Omigosh ! Shame on me, I've only just noticed that you've done a written version of your comic. Or, at least, extra scenes and the sequel after Donnie becomes himself again.

I've read the first two parts with Raph looking after the recovering Donnie. How can I express my appreciation and admiration for your work? Your drawing style is amazing but your writing style is so descriptive and emotional. I can feel the brotherly love between the turtles, Splinter's love for his children.

You're doing an incredible job, I just had to tell you that.

I hope we get to see more of Disaster Twins after Better Genes.

Oh by the way, what's the reason for the title? Really curious about that.

And that's all I wanted to tell you. I also hope you are doing well !

Take care of yourself 💕✨

Ahhhhhhh no shame no shame XDDD That first post isn’t even like a week old, it’s no big deal at all. You’re totally fine.

Awwwww I’m so glad you enjoy it XDD Honestly comments are enough for me. My receiving love language is totally words of affirmation, so really, just comments pointing out one thing you liked is enough to give me a hit of happy chemicals for a whole hour or more XDD So euguuuuhhh ;V; Thank youuuuuuu omg, I’ve never really had my writing being complimented so much and have always felt like it was rather…scattered and subpar compared to “the good stuff” that makes people notice. So having it pointed out just TVT thank youuuuu. I’m glad the emotions bleed out well enough.

Thank you againnnn

Leo and Donnie being twins is one of my favorite fan headcanons I’ve adopted and looove to play with. But I also just love the dynamics between the entire family, so I end up bouncing around and none of the dous grab my attention permanently. That being said, I do have another Leo and Donnie section planned, as well as Raph and Mikey, Donnie and Mikey, and Carol in there too. XDD

As for the title XDD huuuu that’s a bit hard to explain. Mostly Better Genes is because the concept of double mutated Donnie was ripped from three TMNT 2003 episodes titled “Adventures in Turtle Sitting”, and “Good Genes” part 1 and 2. So I wanted people to know that I was referencing to those episodes, but didn’t want to have my stuff come up when searching those episodes. So I switched Good for Better XDD

But, I also went with Better Genes because it’s a more buried part of the story bit. The rottmnt boys were planned mutants, so it makes sense that they would be designed to have various ehhhhh plus points or whatever you call them. Enhanced strength, speed, etc. One of those that made sense to me was Draxum not wanting people to mess with his design, so I had the thought that Draxum made it so the boys’ genetics couldn’t be tampered with because their own genes would fight off anything that wasn’t part of the original design. 

These two sections kind of touch on that idea:

The reason Donnie was able to create a cure on his own within the vague time limit is because he wasn’t creating something brand new from scratch. His own immune system was trying to fight off the mutagen, it just was being overwhelmed. So he just isolated his own antibodies, and made more of them. And after that his own immune system was able to beat the mutagen, so he’s the one with the better genes X’D

Hope that made sense |D

Thanks again for the note 8DDDD I’m doing great, just eternally tired like everyone else. X’DD

Take care too~ Get yourself a treat if you want.

[octolingkiera]

Name: kiera !

i've joined the @tmnt-write-fight! can't wait to get write some Cool Fics with some of these prompts >:3c

~●○°●○°●○~ Likes: family fluff, hurt/comfort (emphasis on the COMFORT), humor, genfics (no shipping), happy endings, leo and donnie twin stuff <3 (they're my favorites your honor) Squicks/dislikes: romance/shipping, major character death, leosagi/leoichi (or usagi in general, sorry :( ), heavy angst with no release (humor, comfort. etc). hurt/no comfort, bad dad splinter, bad future timeline. if you have any specific concerns, feel free to message me!! Favorite Iteration(s): rise!!! 1987 is nice too :3

~●○°●○°●○~ Prompt #1 - Rise: When Leo and Donnie decide to put their heads together, they make a great team. Great for them (and whatever they're doing/planning) that is. For everyone else, it's a disaster in the making. (Prompter bonus: I'm an older twin Donnie truther lol) Prompt #2 - Rise: Leo needs glasses because he's near-sighted, but he hasn't worn his glasses since he was a kid, and unlike Donnie, he doesn't (usually) bother to wear his contacts. (Optional: his basketball goggles are prescription.) Prompt #3 - Rise: Following their recovery from the Krang invasion, Splinter has allowed the boys to get a pet. The only problem is they can't decide between a dog or a cat. (Optional: Raph and Mikey want a dog, Leo and Donnie want a cat.) Prompt #4 - Rise: The turtles play a four (or five, with April) person multiplayer co-op game. It goes great, for the most part--until it doesn't. Prompt #5 - Multiple iteration crossover. During a meeting of the turtleverse (dealer's choice how it ends up happening), the Rise turtles (who are the newcomers here) end up meeting the 1987 turtles, and they get along like a house on fire--that is to say, they're now best friends. One of the other sets of turtles that have previously met the 1987 turtles (such as 2003 or 2012--or maybe both) are watching this all go down. What do they think about this? ~●○°●○°●○~

[tmnt-tychou]

Hello again!!

I have another character for you!! How about Splinter?? 😄

Thanks as always!! 😊

Sorry this took me a while to get to, it's been a busy week. But I am LOVING these and thank you to everyone who submitted asks. This is the most asks I've ever received and I have greatly enjoyed this. A Tier: 90's movie Splinter: This is a rat Splinter. He is a good dad and tries his best. This man loves his sons. Also, easily the most frail of all the Splinters, but still manages to toss Shredder off a building.

2003: Another rat Splinter. This man loves his sons and also loves his father, Hamato Yoshi. He is wise, caring, and very invested in in his sons' lives.

2012: A Hamato Yoshi Splinter. I love this Splinter so much. I think he is my favorite thing to come out of 2012. This man is Dad Vibes so much! He loves his kids and he wants them to have the best lives he can provide. I also love that we got this massive more human-sized Splinter. Just love him all around.

B Tier: 80's cartoon Splinter: A Hamato Yoshi Splinter, he has a great design and amazing voice actor. He is calm, he is zen and fatherly. He looses points because he never calls the turtles his sons. They are always "My turtles/pupils/students." The very first time I heard Splinter call the boys his sons was in the 90's movie and it blew my little mind. (Note, I'm not sure if maybe they changed it in the last seasons where they were trying to be more like the live action movies. It's been so long, I don't remember.)

2007 Splinter: I THINK this is a Hamato Yoshi Splinter? This is a hard one for me because everything in the movie is good. I love his design, I love his VA, I love his lines and how he interacts with the turtles. But there was just something OFF about the whole of the 2007 movie and I figured it out by reading the comics that take place before the movie. In which Splinter picks Leonardo ONLY to go on this world tour for vague reasons while the others are stuck at home. Raphael is immediately hurt and angry at the blatant favoritism. Don and Mikey look like they are so used to it, they don't even argue anymore. Leo is so much the golden child in this movie it hurts me in my soul. Splinter is a terrible father, but he was fine on screen if you take the movie at face value.

C Tier: Next Mutation Splinter: I don't recall if it was ever clear if he was a ran or Hamato Yoshi. He knew Venus' dad, so maybe Hamato Yoshi? He gives off these prancy, gay dad vibes which are kind of fun and fresh for a Splinter. (He plays chess out in the park late at night with his blind boyfriend.) He doesn't do too much to parent his extremely dumbass kids. Maybe since they're 18 he's decided they are their own problem now. And while the turtle suits are pretty nice for a TV production, the rat suit is BAAAAD.

Bayverse Splinter: This one makes no sense. Any Splinter that takes out Hamato Yoshi completely really throws off the universe. Why is he so Asian coded when he has no Asian influence in his life aside from finding a book on martial arts? It's weird. Other than that, he's fine in the movies.

Rise Splinter: A Hamato Yoshi Splinter. I like that we got a Splinter where you can really see the depression from being turned into a rat. And you can see how the turtles turned out to be different people: Leo and Raph especially, without Splinter there to be an influence on the group dynamic. But the characterization doesn't make sense. He says he loves his boys, but he doesn't always know their names? I know this was played for laughs, but the characterization wasn't there. Also minus points for the god-awful character design. Again, I know dad-bod Splinter was played for laughs, but...we had to look at it.

Mutant Mayhem Splinter: Again, another Splinter without Hamato Yoshi that makes no sense. However, he is a GOOD dad who loves his sons and does his best to keep his family together. I love this idea that he is a shut in because he is actually scared of the surface. I do have a hard time buying he is a martial arts master from merely watching kung fu movies. And also minus points for the god-awful character design.

[animefeminist]

Anime’s Glass Ceiling: what keeps women out of the director’s chair?

One of my favorite current manga is Beastars, by Itagaki Paru. A bizarre mash-up of high school soap opera, murder mystery and obsessive thought experiment on how a world populated by animals might function, it earned itself enough acclaim to garner an anime adaptation produced by Studio Orange.

Orange is the best CG studio in the anime industry, but there was one aspect of their otherwise fantastic adaptation that stood out to me, like a splinter lodged in your hand from an otherwise beautiful coffee table. While Itagaki, the creator of Beastars, is a woman, the director of the anime—Matsumi Shinichi—is a man.

The world of manga is home to many talented and successful female writers and artists. Takeuchi Naoko combined the appeal of tokusatsu drama with magical girl aesthetics to create Sailor Moon, and in doing so created a whole new kind of magical girl story that remains popular to this day. Arakawa Hiromu wrote and drew one of the best shounen comics of the 2000s with Fullmetal Alchemist, and then proved herself equally capable of easy-going slice of life stories with her farming comic Silver Spoon.

Then you have Takahashi Rumiko, who is a manga industry unto herself, with masterpieces ranging from Urusei Yatsura’s zany comedy to Maison Ikkoku’s relationship drama to Mermaid Forest’s horror; not to mention that her series Ranma ½ played a central role in introducing countless American fans to anime in the 1990s.

The popularity of these authors led to their work being adapted into similarly successful anime. But most of these anime, if not all of them, were directed by men. Sailor Moon made the careers of countless animators and creators at Toei, but the main directors—Sato Junichi, Ikuhara Kunihiko, Igarashi Takuyai—were men. The 2003 anime adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist I watched as a kid was directed by Mizushima Seiji and written by Aikawa Sho, both men. Urusei Yatsura served as the proving ground for one of anime’s most famous auteurs, Oshii Mamoru—a man.

Read it at Anime Feminist!

[starrcrossrose]

Okay for the risk of a long post, I’ll put all my answers under the cut but I wanna play!

Here are my answers to these 😗🐢✌🏻

1) First exposure to TMNT was I think the 2003 series?… wait NO it was the movies from the 90’s! But I don’t remember them super well so I’ll just say 03.

2) Watched 03 on weekends or sometimes after school as a kid when I’d visit my Nana’s house (she had cable tv, but my mom did not so tv time was sacred and special to us at Nana’s 😂)

3) I loved them, the theme song was awesome, and I was always always ALWAYS a Leo girlie

4) I was always a casual fan of TMNT and enjoyed almost every new bit of content when they hit big screens. However, Rise of the TMNT did me in. I have been a goner since late 2020, but DEFINITELY since 2022 when the movie released.

5) I’m most familiar with Rise by now, but have definitely done more digging now that I’m IN. Second to that would probably be the Bayverse movies and then 2003 (again, only bc I didn’t have cable or internet so most things I loved as a kid were watched in spurts and all of them incomplete lol)

6) I own SOME official TMNT merch. I have a couple of comics (IDW Collections volumes 1 and 2, the 40th anniversary comic, and the TMNT X MMPR volume 1 comic), as well as a couple of figures and some games. But most of what I own currently is fan made bc Rise got NO good merch. Not a single thing.

~Favorites~

7) Rise is my favorite, hands down. But there are things about the other iterations that I do love. It’s just that Rise has everything someone like me LOVES, so it’s perfect for my silly brain

8) Leo. Always Leo. And Donnie is always fighting for that top spot but I always end up caving into being a Leo girlie. Especially with Rise where Donnie WAS my favorite… until season 2 🤣 sorry lil dude

9) tbh Rise Leo is my favorite of the Leo’s ONLY because I loved the divergence from his typical outward character traits. It was fun to see who he COULD be if the weight of responsibility and leadership were not forced upon his shoulders at a young age. And, at his core, he is STILL such a Leo. He just buries a lot of those things under his cool guy persona. There is nothing I love more than a well written, multi-faceted character

10) Rise Leo 💙✌🏻

11) I have come around to loving lots of the Raph’s, actually. I really like Bayverse Raph, and I like 07 Raph, 03 Raph, and Rose Raph for very different reasons. Rise is special to me tho bc he has such eldest sibling energy and problems that I heavily relate to

12) Oh I ADORE Bayverse Donnie he’s just such a gentle, quietly unhinged dude. But RISE DONNIE. HE IS EVERYTHING IVE BEEN SAYING A DONATELLO COULD BE! Little mad scientist who can make anything out of everything and is so unhinged in his projects and his love for his family. But every Donnie is so good, so cherished. (Except for maybe 2012 Don… sorry buddy your writers failed you just a little)

13) Favorite Mikey is also Rise Mikey and now probably Tales Mikey. Because I think he deserves to be a little more of a gremlin. Channel that youngest energy (even if he’s the same age he just has that “youngest” privilege in a lot of ways I think). I loved how he got to be more blunt and feel an array of emotions instead of always being the party guy in the recent two iterations.

(This is where I add that I wish I knew the IDW boys better. I’ll get there someday)

14) Mmm I actually really liked 03 and 07 Splinter. Wise, tired dads with good character designs. And yes I also like Rise Splinter (again, complex and multi-faceted and you have to actually pay attention to get the payoff of his own character arc. It was refreshing to see the Sensei also experience growth even tho he’s an old man).

15) Favorite April is also absolutely 03 and Rise. Fierce ladies who will absolutely put themselves on the line for their turtle friends in very upfront ways. I did also enjoy 07 April but just didn’t get as much time with her as I would’ve liked. That movie had a lot of sequel or spin-off tv series potential but alas.

16) Casey… is harder for me to answer. But tbh I really like IDW Casey, and I also love Casey from Rise bc it was such a different take on the character. I don’t remember too much about 03 Casey as far as personality so eh. He was there but doesn’t stick out as strongly to me.

17) RISE SHREDDER IS PEAK, YOU CANNOT PRY THAT PLOT AND INCREDIBLE DESIGN FROM MY SILLY LITTLE GRIP

18) Mmmm… favorite Villain… I mean Shredder is the classic but I think I really like the Kraang in Rise bc they’re actually scary in the sense of the power they hold. But I also liked Superfly in Mutant Mayhem, he was interesting. I need to keep reading and watching other series to get to know the other villains better. XD Bishop is a good one too

19) Favorite ally… gosh this one is also hard to answer bc I don’t know many of them well enough yet to give an opinion. For now I will say Casey Jr from the Rise Movie

20) THEME SONGS. I will always love the 03 theme it was MADE for the era is was airing in 🤣 the Rise one also slaps. But tbh I think TMNT has stayed pretty consistent in having good soundtracks and theme songs throughout time ✌🏻

21) Favorite story arc isssss also hard to answer. Again I didn’t have cable to I never got to finish arcs and see them out from start to finish. And Rise was too short to have anything more than “Growing into being heroes and defeating Shredder” arc into “traumatize every single one of them down to their bones and almost kill Leo right in front of me and my salad” arc for the movie. 🪦 and in 03… I also never saw enough of it to fully finish arcs either. I’m sorry I’m a fake fan 🫡😂

22) My favorite pizza is Hawaiian and when I found out Rise Leo liked it too I actually yelled 🤣

Okay I will answer the rest later! 💙💙💙

In honor of TMNT's 40th Anniversary, here are 40 questions for people to send you about TMNT!

~~ Background ~~

1.) What was your first exposure to TMNT?

2.) What was your first exposure to [TMNT iteration]?

3.) What was your first impression of [TMNT iteration]?

4.) When did you become a fan of TMNT?

5.) Which iterations are you familiar with?

6.) Do you own any TMNT merchandise?

~~ Favorites ~~

7.) Which iteration is your favorite?

8.) Which turtle is usually your favorite?

9.) Who is your favorite version-specific turtle?

10.) Which version of Leonardo is your favorite?

11.) Which version of Raphael is your favorite?

12.) Which version of Donatello is your favorite?

13.) Which version of Michelangelo is your favorite?

14.) Which version of Splinter is your favorite?

15.) Which version of April is your favorite?

16.) Which version of Casey is your favorite?

17.) Which version of the Shredder is your favorite?

18.) Who is your favorite villain?

19.) Who is your favorite ally?

20.) Which theme song is your favorite?

21.) What is your favorite story arc?

22.) What is your favorite kind of pizza?

~~ Fandom ~~

23.) What is one of your favorite TMNT fics?

24.) What is one of your favorite TMNT fan comics?

25.) What is one of your favorite TMNT AUs?

26.) What is one of your favorite pieces of TMNT fan art?

27.) What is something you love to see in TMNT art/fics?

28.) What is one thing you would like to see explored more in TMNT art/fics?

29.) What is one headcanon that you have?

30.) What is one common headcanon that you reject?

31.) What is one piece of TMNT canon that you dislike/ignore?

~~ For Artists/Writers ~~

32.) What was the first thing you've made for TMNT?

33.) What is your favorite thing you've made for TMNT?

34.) Which character do you write/draw most often?

35.) Which character relationships are your favorite to write/draw?

36.) Which character do you have the hardest time writing/drawing?

37.) Do you write/draw for one specific iteration, or multiple?

38.) Do you generally stick close to canon, or diverge from it?

39.) Do you have any TMNT OCs?

40.) Do you give the turtles tails?

[aquietwritingcorner]

Oh no! It appears Cabin 2’s Bo ruined his favorite dress while playing recklessly being super careful looking at outfits! Whatever shall he do?

@tmnt-fandom-family-reunion

(From @irequirealobotomy for @tmnt-fandom-family-reunion for my Little Don 2003 AU)

Donnie looked at the other turtle's outfit, frowning a little as he looked at the stain. It made him run his own hands over his outfit, smoothing out the geometrically patterned purple kimono and gray hakama pants. Raph had worked hard on this, and he didn't want to get them messy, not before the picture Leo wanted them to take together. But it looked like the other turtle had gotten messy, and was upset about it. Donnie frowned.

"Hey," he said. "Don't worry. My father helped another turtle get a stain out of his outfit. Maybe he can help you with yours." Donnie held out a hand to the other. "I can take you to him. I bet he can get it out!" In fact, Donnie was sure that Splinter could!

[blazichu]

I wasn’t sure if you were asked this. Since Donnie is your favorite turtle and this for 03 what’s your opinion on raph?

Okay, I'm sorry that it took me quite a while to get around to this, anon; things came up, and I hope you understand.

I think 2003 Raph is great! He has a lot of depth to him, and you can see his personality come out in really interesting ways when you might not expect it on the surface. While I'm no big fan of Leo-Raph conflicts, I do think there are times it's put to really good use in general, and that the writers do both of them justice. City at War is a really great example of this, where you can see both sides of the argument. Raph's stance on the gang war is a really fascinating contrast to some of his counterparts-- I'm thinking specifically about 2007 Raph/Nightwatcher-- and says a lot about him as an individual. The episodes dealing with Leo's PTSD in s4 may not be my favorites, but I also think having Raph empathize with Leo's behavior during that span of time was a really excellent decision, and it plays a really nice contrast to the fact that they were clashing earlier in that same character arc. (It also meshes with their dynamic in both Tales of Leo and the Green Man, which is nice to see seasons after the fact.)

Obviously I love seeing him interact with Don, but we don't get a ton of that on screen. I do think their personalities mesh in a really great way, and it would have been nice to see more, but at least we have H.A.T.E. Even though it's never spelled out, it really does come across that Raph's protective streak is in full swing where Donnie in particular is concerned; Bad Day might be the most interesting example of this, where Don feels like what's happened is his fault, and Raph is trying to tell him it's not. (I'm also the person who said that Don probably sided with Raph in City at War, since it looked like he was getting up to leave with him just before Karai entered the picture.)

In spite of theirs being a fairly early conflict, I don't really have a lot to say about Raph and Mikey. I'm glad that the series didn't belabor that side of things between them, but it was definitely an important character moment for Raph, allowing him to grow from there on out. Their interactions in The Big Brawl paint an interesting picture of their relationship after the fact-- that some of the frustration is still there, and can be exploited-- and given Mikey's behavior where the tournament is concerned, I can understand why the writers chose to play Grudge Match off the way they did. That episode wasn't my favorite characterization choice on anyone's parts, but the idea that Raph, Don and Splinter are just hanging out together off screen is really funny to me.

2k3 just did fantastic character work with all of the leads, and Raph is no exception.