#and seeing him as a leader on the team

[ehghtyseven]

for my fellow rusty appreciators, seth wrote a nice little article about his leadership this season 🥰

[ilk-insolence]

Raph Is A Great Strategist

Numerous times in the show Raph has shown to have a preference for straightforwardly punching his problems away rather than think up a more complex solution. Like how his immediate fix to getting Mayhem out of the mirror in Mystic Library was to punch everything in the bathroom but the mirror. However, when Raph understands the situation requires more in depth strategy, he’s shown to be an incredibly capable tactician.

(long post ahead!)

In nearly all the plot heavy episodes like Shadow of Evil, Many Unhappy Returns, and the season finales, Raph gets moments where he’s highlighted for his strategic thinking. In Insane in the Mama Train, he’s the one who figures out which eyeball-button goes to the front car with the dark armor, because “‘it was the only button [the Foot Clan] didn’t want me to press!’” [21:05]. He’s also the one who came up with the scheme to defeat all the (known) combatants in the train, with Leo specifically attributing Raph as the deviser during their mind meld [19:46]. In Many Unhappy Returns, after spending a single night waylaying the Shredder, Raph formulated a plan using all the tricks the team learned, seamlessly transitioning the mystic collar Leo acquired into it [19:53], to defeating the Shredder. Additionally, he’s repeatedly called for a retreat during fights, like in Shadow of Evil, Shreddy or Not (Finale pt 2), and the movie, when he can tactically recognize that a battle couldn’t be won. Each time, the show/movie implied that that was the right call, for the family to lose the fight but win the war.

And it’s not just that Raph is good at strategy when he’s pushed to be more serious; the show characterizes him as passionate about creating plans, he enjoys doing it. Literally in the first episode, Mystic Mayhem, after the turtles’ initial plan failed of getting Splinter out of the living room to touch his Do-Not-Touch Cabinet, Raph immediately started devising a new plan that involved “ten chickens [and] a gallon of rubber cement” [9:35]. It was convoluted, sure, and they didn’t end up using it, but it was inventive and the opposite of reluctant. This is also shown in Bug Busters, where Raph planned out dousing Mikey in honey to attract the oozequitoes [2:52]; Snow Day, with the idea to freeze Ghost Bear like in Jupiter Jim Pluto Vacation 4; and Raph’s Ride-Along (and also Bad Hair Day), where Mind Raph created multiple schemes to get the criminals arrested. The show wouldn’t have made Raph be so creative with his plans if they were trying to characterize him as someone who didn’t like strategizing.

So does why Raph do stupid shit sometimes where he doesn’t think things through at all? Well, even though Raph is good at strategy and enjoys doing it, it’s clear his immediate impulse is still “punch the problem in the face”. In fact, all the turtle boys contain the fascinating dichotomy of being incredibly smart in some areas, and the dumbest teenagers alive in others. Just look at Donnie. It’s also how Raph is a loving protective older brother, and the guy who shoved Leo into a wall so hard he disappeared in one frame for shits and giggles (The Mutant Menace x). None of this means that Raph is bad at strategy though.

tldr: Yeah, Raph has a lot of dumb and, frankly, insane moments in the show, but he’s still an incredible tactician who’s plans consistently saved his family and sometimes the world. He's a great strategist.

[turtleblogatlast]

Small but significant character moments that I actually really adore are from both the times we see the boys as tots. There is a reoccurrence that happens in both of them that I find so incredibly interesting.

For the turtle tot short, Splinter leaves the boys with weapons. In the short, Raph is the one who suggests they do “what Lou Jitsu would do” and Leo is the one who takes point when Splinter comes back to reprimand them. Leo, in taking point, is the one to defend them and get Splinter off their tails.

And then, in the flashback regarding the Kuroi Yōroi helmet, Raph is the one who grabs and throws “Skully” as a way to replace their missing ball which breaks it into pieces, but Leo is the one who speaks for the group and rushes into action to fix the teapot.

I love this for multiple reasons, but the biggest are how it shows that Raph has always been inclined toward the bold and fun and making the plans to include his brothers in what he loves and believes they’d love, whereas Leo has always been inclined to be the “Face” of the group and shoulder the attention even if it’s potentially negative all while coming up with on the spot attempts to fix the situation.

[lunarharp]

shirahama-sensei reminded me she has a thing for the teacher from pokemon s/v so i randomly went off on an au where qifrey is the professor. etc

[cementcornfield]

Zac: gives Joe a game ball to reward him for ANOTHER 5-TD game

Joe: I don't want this 😐

[anoant-haikyuu-dump]

Nekoma 2nd years in their 3rd year braindump

Captain - Fukunaga

Vice Captain - Tora

Despite his quiet nature Fukunaga gets chosen as captain and he's suprisingly good. He has a way of leading without saying much, he just stares at people and they somehow understand what he means. Besides that he's the best option by default, Tora's too quick-to-anger and Kenma would never take a job with that much responsibility. If either of them was in charge they'd fight constantly since Tora would run that shit like the millitary while Kenma would try way too little. Fukunaga's the perfect balance— he's respected by both his third-year peers, keeps the energy fun with his jokes (but still knows when to take things seriously), gets super into the game, and isn't afraid to douse troublemakers with a bucket of water. He also brings snacks.

As vice captain Tora's essentially Fukunaga's personal megaphone. He does 90% of the yelling, scolds first-years who interupt the coach, and is the go-to-guy for gathering up the team for huddles. Initially some of the new players doubt Fukunaga's captain skills and although Fukunaga himself isn't bothered Tora gets super defensive of him. A lot of shouting about respecting your upperclassmen and whatnot. He also has the tendency to rile himself up (the other teams like to provoke him) but Fukunaga knows how to keep him in check

Tora and Fukunaga insist that Kenma is “Honorary Captain” and convince the new members to call him that. Kenma hates it. He tried to stop them but by the first week it had already stuck. Despite his distaste towards the nickname Kenma's a cornerstone of Nekoma's leadership, he's the brain after all! He's still the strategic mastermind of the team and first-years often go to him for advice (much to his dismay). He doesn't love being relied on by so many people but he tries his best for Kuroo's sake (who he calls to rant to at least 4 times a week).

Fukunaga asked Kuroo to teach him the “We are blood” chant so he could continue the tradition, but the first time he tried it in an actual game he burst out laughing before getting through a single line. Then Tora—being way too intense as always—started yelling at him to do it right, which only made him laugh harder. In the end Kenma put aside his embarrasement and did the damn chant, just to get it over with. Tora and Fukunaga were so proud that they tried to hug him right there in the middle of the court. The whole thing was a mess.

On his last day as captain the first-years dump a bucket of water over Fukunaga's head. Karma at last.

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

Okay challenge mode. You are a therapist and Eridan Ampora from Homestuck has just walked right out of his intro page into your office. How do you fix him?

put him and karkat in a room with a pile of stuff and tell them they can't leave until they've jumped into it and talked about their feelings

[wingheadshellhead]

Steve Rogers & Tony Stark in Avengers Assemble 1.25 "The Final Showdown"

[royalarchivist]

Green Gay Ninja's "team full of strong opinionated leaders" ran into a lot of communication issues on Day 1, but nobody has more experience wrangling loud rowdy people than FitMC.

[glitter-stained]

"This character can't be a part of the found family!!! They and [patriarch figure] don't have a father-child relationship!"

*staring at the board showing the other characters having deep intense found familal bonds with the character:* "....i mean i guess?"

[ratwithhands]

I HAD ONE MORE AU TO ADD Team Supernova Emmet is joining Artfight! I decided to add him in last minute since I remembered I had a rough ref for him. I decided to make him two more for his face and arm.

I think that's all I'm adding this time around. Maybe Burst will have its shot next year ^^*

[akkivee]

i’m not posting this for any other reason than to cry over ichiro’s voice as he teases kuukou lmao 😭😭😭

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 762: The Inter High's starting line

Pag 1

2: I'll run

4: Miyazakii!!

Good luck, Kyushu teams!!

Let's do it, Kyushu!!

Hirayama-kun, you can do it!

5: Senpai, I'll replace your empty bottle

Thanks

6: Now

7: It's starting!

Soon?

Yes!!

8: Uh... ah....

Pag 2

1: In this Inter High!!

With my own legs!!

2: How many times have I pictured this?

Ah.....

3: How many times have I imagined this?

Uh.....

Pag 3

1: Myself standing inside the course!!

2: I can't breath properly and my heart is pounding

3: Earlier, I wanted to drink but my hands were shaking and I couldn't open the bottle

4: I was about to give up

5: If.....

Pfuii.....

6: If it's a dream

If this is a dream

Pag 4

1: Please don't wake up

I've worked too hard for this!!

Pag 5

1: Five minutes until the start of the boys' Inter High's first day!!

Pag 6

1: In the front, last year's champion, Sohoku High School, is lined up!!

Sohokuu...!!

Sohoku!!

Red-head!!

Ah, there's the orange-haired guy again!!

2: Ah.....

3: Ah..... in the front......

4: Don't look around so restlessly

Ye-yessir, teh

5: O-no-da-kuun

He's so cuteee!! Look this way!!

6: Ah- those are Back-gate.... Onoda-san's!?

They're his die-hard fans

Waa, as expected!! As expected!!

Pag 7

1: But he's so nervous that he turned to completely “ignoring” them

Ohhh...!!

2: Huh!? I don't know why, but seeing Onoda-san so nervous, is naturally.... making me relax, teh

Ah!! That was his goal!?

3: No, that's just his pre-race ritual

Don't worry about it

Teh!?

4: Also lined up in the front are the members of the local team of Fukuoka, the Fukuoka Josei High School

Pag 8

1: Behind them, are Kyushu's veterans, Kumamoto Daichi from Kumamoto

Kumamotoo!!

The super express of Higo country!!

2: Fukuokaa, Kumamotoo, take the stage!!

I'm looking forward to it.!!

3: We're looking forward to your race

Do you want to say a word?

Yes, uhm.... Higo

4: will work hard!!

We'll work hard!!

Pfuii

Pag 9

1: Wh... what are the conditions!?

2: Earlier you said “there are difficult conditions to meet in order to run”...!?

Yeah

3: It's simple.... but hard

4: Sugimoto, the fact that you're running in the Inter High

5: means that Sohoku now has seven members

6: Despite the rule that says that each team can only have up to six people, there is one that has seven

7: It's the same situation that would happen if, for example, you took a reserve from another team

During the race, they could do things like blocking the wind, or attack; the higher your number, the more at an advantage you are

They could even help preserve the ace

8: So, in order to maintain equality

Pag 10

1: during the race you cannot get close to “Sohoku”!!

2: It's better... if you avoid conversations with them too

You have to run like you're a member of the “selected team”

These are the conditions

3: It means that you have to break away from “Sohoku”!!

5: This is all I can help you with

Pag 11

3: Don't worry about Sohoku

They have Miki, and Sadatoki and Kinaka are reliable too

5: Are you Sohoku's Sugimoto-kun!?

Ah, ye-yes

Quick, wear this, and the number bib....

6: Thank you, Touji-san!!

7: Can you follow it? That rule

Pag 12

1: Yes!!

2: I'm a man who follow the rules, after all!!

Pag 13

2: From now on I'm not a Sohoku member... but I'll run as a member of the selected team!!

3: There wasn't much time but I remember

4: Iwatani-kun from Nishihori Hisch School in the Saga prefecture

Ah- yes

5: You.... you remember my name!?

As expected, Sohoku is amazing!!

I'm counting on you

Yessir!!

Pag 14

1: First year, Uchikawa-kun, from Matsushima Business school in the Miyagi Prefecture

Ah-woah

2: I've always done track and field, so I don't know much about road racing, but thank you!!

Yeah, do your best

3: Second year Kobayashi-kun from the same Matsushima business school

Yes!

4: Babagome-kun from Toyotsukita High School in the Aichi prefecture

I'm a second year!!

And the first year Shingi-kun from Izumobata High school in the Shimane prefecture

5: Hyoo, thank you so much!!

6: As expected from Sohoku, huh

That's why they're the two-times in a row champions!!

Pag 15

1: I'm a third year from Chiba, Sugimoto

2: I'll cheer for you from behind the scenes

3: Run without regrets

4: Yes!!

5: Sugimoto-san!!

We're counting on you, Sugimoto-san

Touji-san.....

6: And everyone.....

Pag 16

1: Thank you

2: Without realizing it, my shaking has calmed down

3: I'm prepared!!

4: Hydrate yourself frequently, and eat supplementary foods at fixed time

Once every forty minutes, remember it

Yessir

Yessir!

Ohh, such a precise advice

5: I'm glad, it's so reassuring! Who would have thought that there would be a member of Sohoku

When I heard that our coordinator, the third year Yamashita-san, was absent due to illness, I wondered “what do we do now”

I'm so glad!

Pag 17

1: Let's run!!

2: No matter how hard the road may be!! Without giving up!!

3: We'll fight, with all our strengths

But I'll tell you one thing first

4: Even if we give our everything, the probability that we'll lose is high!!

Huh

Huh

Prepare yourself

5: Because I know

6: The opponents we have to fight that are lined up before us....

Pag 18

1: I know how strong they are!!

Pag 19

2: And how much they long to win

Pag 20

1: And how hard they have worked!!

Pag 21

2: The first day of the Inter High tournament in the Fukuoka Prefcture, starts now!!

[thisisadonaldduckblognow]

bangs pots and pans

raph was never any less suited to leadership than leo

raph was never any less suited to leadership than leo

raph was N E V E R any less suited to leadership than leo

idk how many times i can say it before it sinks in that in rise there was never once any point where that was the point being made

if you just like leo’s character better than you like raph’s, that’s fine! if you just like it better when leo is leader, that’s fine! i have no issue!

but we need to stop trying to circle that leadership change back to somehow being about better or worse or ~more cut out for it~ because it sucks to throw the great job raph did through the series under the bus in order to prop up leo’s good qualities. 

they’re both great leaders. they both have strong suits and weak suits in the role, they both have growth and development when they’re in that role. they BOTH make on-screen mistakes in that role and aren’t very good at it at first! not getting a more in-depth explanation about it in the movie or series stinks and it’s very interesting to explore, but seriously. 

[cure-typhoon]

I know this is probably normal behaviour for the trolls but do you think that after they saw Karkat eat animals with all fur and bones, refuse to sleep for a full month and then befriend the person that stabbed him did they ever wondered what the fuck was wrong with him

[roughroadhaley]

i don’t think it is humanly possible for the Robby-Johnny relationship to be as good as the writers want me to believe it currently is going, but i also don’t think it’s going half as bad as people on here or on reddit say it is, so it is incredibly challenging for me to find posts I agree with about them anywhere