#apritello fans just. get it too tbh.

[ladysqueakinpip]

anyways I genuinely feel so grateful for the rise apritello server I almost started crying on the way home bc I was filled with such joy. legit the best thing that happened to me in 2023 second only to maybe going to key west.

[fabuloustrash05]

rank the canon love interests for each turtle, gO (i can't remember if you have already lol)

*cracks knuckles* It’s time for a lightening round of ship ranking!

Disclaimer: I’m rating these girls based on their romantic relationships with the Turtle that crushed on them/had a relationship with. This is NOT a ranking of their individual characters.

Leonardo

Unnamed Women/Yumi’s Mother (Mirage)

2/10

She was just a figment of Leo’s imagination so does she even count?

They have a daughter together which is nice, but also HOW DID THAT WORK??

Raven Shadowheart (Mirage)

7/10

Seems like a good ship

F in the chat for Leo, even when he has a GOOD relationship it can’t last long.

Lotus Blossom (1987)

10/10

The overall BEST Leo love interest.

The fact she gave him a flower to remember her by <3

Lotus deserves to make a comeback!

Can’t believe Nickelodeon chose INCEST over her!!

Karai (2012)

-1000000000000000000000000/10

WHY DID THEY HAVE LEO PULL A LUKE SKYWALKER?!

Koya (IDW)

2/10

I can definitely see the appeal and aesthetically they look good together but the CONTEXT of their relationship is BAD.

LEO IS THE REASON SHE IS DISABLED!!

Lita confirms they get together in the future, but WHY?? They have no romantic chemistry or hints that they like each other romantically. Maybe SHOW us instead of TELLING us!!

Toxic 95% of the time

April (Mutant Mayhem)

7/10

I usually heavily dislike April x Turtle ships, but I can’t deny that they were cute.

Leo’s moment of falling for her was actually kinda cute and funny.

His crush on her is not shoved down our throats like OTHER April x Turtle ships *cough* 2012 Apritello *cough*

I like that they went  to prom together <3

But again, I don’t think April should be shipped with any of the Turtles and I don’t see this ship lasting in the long term…

Seems like it’s a one sided crush like Dipper and Wendy from Gravity Falls, so I’m not convinced this will last in the upcoming show/sequel

Raphael

Ninjara (Archie Comics)

2/10

They’re cute but it’s not a really interesting ship

It looks too much like a cheap OC x Canon pairing

Mezcaal (Archie Comics)

7/10

The first and only time one of our Turtles boys have been married, congrats Raph!

A badass married couple

I hope her and Raph are forever happy together running that bar

Mona Lisa (1987)

10/10

Iconic!

Her kissing Raph then calling him “doll” is so cute!

She IS the ideal Raphael love interest. Her and this ship truly left a major impact on the fandom.

She is the go to Raph love interest people think of in any iteration (2003, Rise & MM fans all wanted and made their own version of her in the show)

Joi (2003)

1/10

Meh…

Idk if she counts but I added her cause some people shipped them

She is Raph’s only human "love interest" and it doesn’t feel right to me. 

Out of all the Turtles, Raph being with a human feels weird, the other Turtles I’m fine with being with humans. Raph has always been known to date non human characters so this ship doesn’t look/sit right to me, and doesn’t feel like a relationship that would go anywhere.

Alopex (IDW)

2.5/10

I just don’t like it

I guess it’s because I was introduced to Alopex in the 2012 series where in that she’s a 30 year old woman and Raph is a teenager, so this relationship feels weird to me.

Kinda toxic at times tbh but still cute when they need to be (which is rare)

She’s 17 and Raph is 20… But that was apparently “retconned” so Idk what to think

Y’gythgba/Mona Lisa (2012)

10000000000000000000000000000000000/10

THE BEST LOVE INTEREST AND SHIP IN THE ENTIRE SHOW!!

The ONLY GOOD and HEALTHY relationship in the show!

“What a woman…” ICONIC!!

Raph was loyal and Mona was devoted to him!

He falls for her because she punched him in the face. That is both hilarious and very in character for Raph XD

She’s as much in love with him as he is with her!

Badass warrior power couple!

Short King x Girlboss

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!

Donatello

Jhanna (2003)

3/10

Another “Meh” ship to me.

Similar to Joi, does she even count?? Apparently she does to some people and its a ship for 03 fans.

Fan versions of her and this ship from different interactions (1987 & Rise) are more interesting than the actual canon version of them in 03 tbh

I guess I’m just not convinced of this ship and I don’t like how they look together. It’s hard to explain.

April (2012)

4/10

Could’ve worked with a cute “friends to lovers” story but the writers ruined it.

Kinda cute in season 1, got worse after that. Season 5 was them at their best but that’s only because it wasn’t shoved down our throats by that point.

The love triangle brought out the worst in them (and Casey).

I like them better as best friends.

Hottake: Donnie was more of the problem than April.

Like I said in Leo’s ranking, April should NOT be a love interest for any of the Turtles.

Big Foot (2012)

-1/10

Why did this happen??

Batgirl (Batman Crossover Comic)

2/10

Got a thing for redheads, huh Don?

Not a huge fan of big crossover shipping like this, but his crush on her was cute so I’ll admit that. 

It was sweet she gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaving. So good for you Don!

Mona Lisa (IDW)

0/10

JUSTICE FOR RAPH X MONA LISA!!

Obviously not my cup of tea.

The Nerd x Nerd trope… wow, so original…

She’s a bitch to him at times and invalidates his trauma. 

I really thought her and Jennika were gonna be a thing (which I would’ve preferred more tbh), so her with Donnie as a massive disappointing surprise and feels so forced.

Michelangelo

Princess Seri (Mirage)

2/10

Tragic. She betrayed him. That bitch.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR BABIES??

Also… MIKEY FUCKS??!

Kala (1987)

9/10

UNDERRATED SHIP!!

Two party loving teens who just wanna skate and have fun!

They keep pictures of each other as mementoes. THAT’S ADORABLE!!

Much like Leo x Lotus, we need this ship to make a comeback.

Buffy (1987)

0/10

FUCK THAT BITCH!! SHE TREATED HIM LIKE TRASH!!

Sara Hill (Image Comics)

4.5/10

I’m a sucker for the Turtles dating alien lizard woman.

I like the “friends with benefits” relationship they have. Feels like a Mikey thing he would do regarding his love life. 

I love how they bonded over their love of cartoons. Very cute.

She left him for another man though… WTF SARA?!?! YOU BROKE MIKEY’S AND MORE IMPORTANTLY MY HEART!!

Mitsu (TMNT III)

1/10

Bland and boring (Just like the movie!)

Princess Trib (IDW)

5/10

RESPECT TO MIKEY GETTING ALL THE PRINCESSES!! AND THE NEUTRINOS TOO??

Cute, but in the end I prefer him with Kala.

They are the only good Turtle ship (not counting Jennika and her girlfriend Sheena). But that ain’t saying much from me cause they’re still bland at times with little to go with.

How are they one of the better ships in IDW yet they are the most bland and uninteresting couple??

Renet (2012)

9/10

Very adorable!!

Works well romantically and platonically.

They’re both goofballs who are misunderstood by their peers.

Would be a 10 but Mikey was unfaithful...

Renet confirms they have some kind of future together.

I personally can’t see them staying together in the future, maybe having a friends with benefits relationship like him and Sara.

Shinigami (2012)

1/10

I like their dynamic, but not as a romantic one.

“Someone will die…” “OF FUN!” vibes.

Shini is obviously a lesbian and is dating Karai so…

Headcanon: They have playdates with their cats.

April (Bayverse)

0/10

WHAT DID I LITERALLY SAY IN LEO AND DONNIE’S RANKINGS??!!

The one Mikey crush that literally gives me the ick. I don’t like it.

C R I N G E

MIKEY SWEETIE SHE’S A FULL GROWN ADULT!! YOU ARE A CHILD!!

[misssakurapetal28]

Unpopular ROTTMNT opinions

Warning: There’s MILD TMNT 2012 hate. So if you don’t want to hear ANY hate, don’t read.

Note: I might put this under cut later. 

-I actaully like Rise! Apritello as a friendship AND as a pair/shipping. I think part of the reason why people don’t like it as a pair at all is because they messed it up SO MUCH in the 2012 TMNT that now no one wants romance in the new series. Which I understand competely, but honestly? I’m willing to give this a chance if it’s possible. I feel that romances in kid shows CAN work out and be enjoyable as long as it’s written properly. However, if people still don’t want this (or is not into shipping in Rise) that’s perfectly fine. I just don’t want no one to hate on anyone who does like this or willing to give it a chance.

I also feel like it’s because they don’t ship April x Turtle pairs at all since they see April as a sister to the turtles. Which is fair, but at least April ISN’T related to them. It’s leagues better than some incest ships that I know....coughtcestcough. Also, the “childhood friends to lovers” thing IS a troupe and it DOES exist. 

-I like Rise of TMNT A LOT MORE than TMNT 2012. I also like how it treated it’s sibling relationships a lot more than the previous show did. Raph and Mikey’s relationship is handled better (I just don’t think 2012! Raph gave none of his brothers enough credit as he should of sometimes and he treated them (mainly Mikey) like a freaking punching bag).The brothers in Rise may act silly and petty towards each other SOMETIMES, but it’s been shown COUNTLESS of times throughout the series that they love and care for each other. I just never felt it that much with TMNT 2012. I know sometimes sibling relationships aren’t sunshine and rainbows and even sometimes complicated, but I feel like as though Rise handled this better when it came to that. I just feel like 2012′s sibling relationships where toxic. I’m just more of a fan of healthy sibling relationships than “realistic” ones.

-Raph’s not an jerk-stu, Leo gets to have fun and be free without responsibility for once, Mikey’s not written as an compete idiot this time (cute doesn’t always mean naïve and stupid and I love how the creators are showing that) and Donatello is handled a lot better in writting this time (I LOVE TMNT 2012 Donnie to bits, but he had a lot of low self esteem). As different as the turtles are in this series is, the creators handled their personalities quite nicely instead of aping one trait up to 1000%. Also, Rise!April is less mary-sueish and bitchy than 2012! April. Rise! Splinter is good too ^^

-If I was given a choice to being back TMNT 2012 or keep Rise, I would choose the latter because I believe it’s better written and handled better than 2012. Also, even though there was plot holes and things that weren’t solved, I think TMNT 2012 had it’s run. Though I wouldn’t mind some kind of spin-off that fixes those plot holes. 

-Despite all the things that I love about Rise, I don’t mind if the show goes a agusty/deep/dark/suspenseful route, even if it’s every now and then. I don’t know, it just doesn’t bother me unlike others. In fact, I would love to see that happen. As long as it doesn’t go overboard or includes it just for the sake to be edgy or please “certain fans”, I’m fine with it :)

-I don’t really care for Darxum x Splinter/Lou Jistu that much if not at all. It just really didn’t interest me and I have no idea where it came from.

-I honestly don’t mind Raph permanently being the leader this time around. Heck, I wouldn’t even mind Leo becoming the leader like in the old incarnations. Maybe they can be co-leaders? Either way, I don’t mind any of it. Though I do like to see Leo development. 

-Some of the fandom is just a BIG mess for Rise! angst and suspense to happen despite what’s happening in the show, but honestly? I am too XD Is it bad that I actaully want more of that too? I know the show is for kids, but I wouldn’t really mind it still as long as it’s ok. NOT to the point where it would be like another Steven Universe, but just a little bit more would be good for me.

-Kind of want the gang to face some more challenges and tough choices in the future. Because...you know...THE FEELS!? O__O

-Kind of want the unnamed foot soldier to be Casey instead of Karai tbh. Not only it would be an interesting change but also hella funny XD

-I don’t want Draxum to change AT LEAST until around the end of the series. Because I want the lesson “sometimes, people don’t change” or “sometimes, people don’t change right away”.

-I want an arc focusing on Raph’s “anxiety”.

-I want Casey back. And I kind of want him to be black too XD

-If Casey does come back, I don’t want ANY love triangle bullcrap. IF there HAS to be a love triangle, I don’t want it overdone it nor dragged out as long as it was in TMNT 2012.

Bonus not so unpopular opinions:

-Something REALLY random, but I want Tom to have a boyfriend. Something sweet :)

-I want an episode that focuses on Leo and Donnie’s relationship/bond as “twin” brothers.

-I want more highschool shenanigans with April (and maybe Sunita). I want to see Taylor and the purple dragons in school again. Sorry, not sorry XD

-Also, what’s up with Dale??? Unlike some people (for some reason) who dislike him already, I actaully want to see more of him and learn more about him. What’s really his purpose besides having a crush on April? I would at least like for him to be good friends with her.

-I want more “Terror Trio” episodes (Leo, Donnie and April).

-Want more Donnie and April episodes, regardless friendship or more. 

-I want dark turtles. Regardless if there’s dark counterparts of the turtles or one of the turtles turns dark, I want dark turtles. 

-Don’t know if it’s the kind of show for that, but linked with the first one, I just want a LGBTQ relationship (or character) in general. 

-I WANT MORE PIEBALD!

I guess that’s it for now. 

[misssakurapetal28]

🤦🏾‍♀️

1). Found family =/= Adoptive family. Family doesn’t always mean nuclear family. Friends can be considered family. Doesn’t mean they’re related. 

2). It means that they both see one another as siblings, that doesn’t mean said feelings can’t change. People grow up. People’s mindsets change. Childhood friends get together all the time in real life and in fiction also! Also, childhood friends to lovers is a well known troupe.

3). Some 2012 fans might prefer Rise Apritello because it’s a healthier and more appealing bond than 2012 Apritello. They just might want what they didn’t get from the previous series (and I don’t blame them).

4). Why do I never hear people automatically deeming Splinter as April’s “surrogate father” or Cassandra as April and the turtles “surrogate sister” if that was the case? Why is this argument only used when people want to see April and the turtles as siblings??? Why does it only ever count when it comes to April and the turtles but nobody else in the Hamato clan???

5). You can date a guy or girl while still seeing his or her siblings as your own individually. That doesn’t mean that guy/girl is “your sibling too”.

6). Tbh, who really cares? Its fiction, not a freaking Bible. Let people do what they want.

It’s fine if you see them as siblings OP, but at the end of the day, they’re biologically not. They’re not even adoptive siblings. So it’s perfectly fine if others ship them. I’m not trying to ruin your experience, but don’t want everybody else’s experiences be ruined with the “their literally siblings” argument either. It’s not that serious.

"I LOVE the fact that they didn’t ship April with Donnie and made them siblings/besties. Because 2012 was not it, it was just creepy. People now ship them but to me, it’s just 😟. Like uhm, hey, April is their sister!! She’s their family!! Sure not blood-related but dude she’s their sister!!"

[pumpkinpie59]

i responded to your ask box on instagram, but i felt like it didn’t have enough room for me to really explain my thoughts. it kinda made it sound like i liked aftb, which isn’t true either.

a foot too big is definitely one of the weaker points of tmnt 2012. i don’t even think most apritello fans would disagree.

it’s confusing, weird, and most of the scenes have you wondering “what were the writers thinking??”

it is kinda funny tho. i like the shock on non-tmnt 2012 fans’ faces when i mention that one time bigfoot fell in love with donnie. just that as a concept amuses me. and the scene where bigfoot chucks the fridge with ice cream kitty inside out of the kitchen kills me every time.

raph is great in it the entire time too.

the kiss … i have very mixed feelings about. it wasn’t executed well at all, but at the same time, i was kinda glad it happened? i just wish it had more context. i do think they talked about it at one point, but i wish it was on screen instead of the writers shying away from showing people actually talking about their relationships smh.

for donnie, i think that aftb sets up his mini character arc during the farmhouse episodes, that includes his “i’ll back off a bit” speech to april and him becoming friends with casey. i personally thought that he wasn’t as overwhelming in his feelings for april during the second half of season 3, so i think he grew a bit.

and for april,,, tbh i get upset when i think about her role in aftb because during the farmhouse arc, we get so many episodes that let us explore her character. and then there’s aftb where she just does what the writers want her to do. she feels like a puppet rather than a character making real choices. it feels like she doesn’t sympathize with donnie at all until the end, which is so unlike her, considering that he’s her best friend.

but my personal least favorite episode is turtles in time. it’s kinda sad since it’s the episode that introduces renet, who is a great character, but the episode feels rushed, it’s not very funny imo, and i was bored out of my mind watching it. i get that it’s trying to set up tale of the yokai and how they get to that time, but it just does nothing for me otherwise.

and yeah personally i just prefer episodes that make me question things than episodes that bore me.

I think we can all agree that A Foot Too Big from season 3 was one of the worst episodes of TMNT 2012.