#episode return of savanti: part 1

[erasedvoice]

Happy Dinosaur Day!

[puggsnotdrugs99things]

So…

I was watching TMNT 2012 little short Blast to the past. Where the turtles basically travel back to prehistoric times but as I was watching it something kept bugging. Like a sense of deja vu and then it hit me

They pulled a 2003 TMNT

Back when 2003 was airing 4kids created these cartoon shorts of the boys, one of them being of their time traveling adventure to the Dino age from the episode “Return of the Savanti Part 1”

Being stuck there for a good while the turtles had to adapt to the time period. Dressing in a new style that fit the era

Similar to how 2012 did as well

It was quick to notice the similarities between the two, as far as having them train and bond with Dinosaurs. Even having both Leo’s claim Triceratops as their Dino pets/friend.

I guess it got me excited seeing that 2003 could have or is inspiring new iterations as they seem to be one of the iterations that seem to be forgotten

[katanashipping]

I know this a leosagi blog but your ask box wasn’t open on your other blog so I am asking here if that’s fine. I looked through your blogs so I don’t think you said but what’s your favorite iteration of raph?

I am sorry I left this sitting in my inbox for so long!

I haven't seen all versions of TMNT that are out there by far, but in general, I prefer versions where Raph is kind and funny, or grows to be kind and funny. His bond with his brothers is the most important to me (as, tbh, with all of the turtles).

Also, I tend to prefer versions that have been out a long time, mostly because when I was younger I had a lot more time to rewatch and reconsider the same media over and over again, and interact with fandom and analysis, whereas these days I just don't have as much time, so I suppose my view is somewhat more reductive of newer iterations of the TMNT in general?

On the other hand, I have rewatched parts of 2k3 pretty much once a year for like 17 years... so I have Thoughts about those boys.

Anyway, out of the versions I have seen and remember, this is my tier list from favorite to least favorite:

2k3 (the all time champion)

Rise (a surprisingly interesting and different version)

2k7 movie (Nightstalker! a childhood fave)

Mutant Mayhem (wish he wasn't so overtly mean)

Batman vs TMNT (I don't remember him much from that movie tbh)

Bayverse (never again)

I have not watched very much of the 87 show (maybe six episodes total, and the Turtles Forever movie), but I think 87 Raph is hilarious and very sweet, so he would be somewhere around Rise for me.

Overall, I prefer Batman vs TMNT to Mutant Mayhem, but MM Raph had a bit more growth, which I liked.

I dislike pretty much everything I remember about the first two Bayverse turtle films though.

I also watched the first season of 2k12 when it came out, but it wasn't really for me, so I didn't include that Raph here because I don't remember him much. I liked how sweet he was with his pet turtle, though. <3

Some reasons that 2k3 is my top tier:

clear progression/growth from S1 to S4 in which Raph works out his anger issues; in later seasons, he is basically all snark and no bite with his brothers and I love to see it

his family grow alongside him and later on, when he needs to blow off steam for half an hour, they let him go without comment and respect his space

I love the special little bond he has with Mikey <3

not to mention the special little bond he has with Casey <3 talk about soulmates 🏍️

I wanted to propose a drinking game where you take a shot every time Raph pushes one of his brothers out of harm's way in a fight or risky scenario, but I abandoned the idea because I like not having alcohol poisoning lol (I think just in Return of Savanti pt 1, which is one of the most recent we rewatched, he does it three or four times???)

not afraid to speak his mind, but also not afraid to change his mind if he's wrong

he's so cute with kids! I headcanon that he and Tyler are still in touch in future and Raph has a special kind of pride in Tyler's progress. ("did you know Tyler got an A on the test? did you know Tyler learned judo? did you know Tyler was accepted into NYU?")

also, the entire episode with Mrs Morris is just <3

cries when emotional (relatable)

has no luck with bugs 🐞

where did he get that accent? don't worry about it!

Gremlin Laugh (tm)

Anyway, that's me! What's your favourite iteration of the boy?

[yellowhollyhock]

Donnie and April

Computer science buddies let’s goooo

Donnie gets so attached to April so immediately. Throughout the series Donatello gets along well with humans (the Professor, Cody, even the way he is less than thrilled about fighting the mutants during Bishop’s outbreak), girls (Sydney, J’Hanna, Angel, Renet), and scientists (Leatherhead, Fugitoid). April is checking all of his boxes. She’s hired on the spot.

Seriously though, as soon as April gets over the initial shock, these two are like they’ve always known each other. Immediate friends. I mean, they’re kindred spirits. April shuts down the mousers but overloading them and causing an explosion. That had to be such a “look it me” moment for Donatello.

Also let’s talk about April’s confidence. When we meet her she is just thrilled to be working for the famous Dr. Stockman, and implies people close to her might not really believe she could land a job like that? And then her boss, probably her first boss, the first professional scientist since Uncle Auggie disappeared to see her and at least see potential, tries to kill her. Next thing, she meets a group of talking animals (she’s a scientist she’s supposed to know what’s biologically possible) and they’re all trained ninjas (she is not a trained ninja). Not to mention just being in her twenties. Like what could’ve been harder on her belief in herself?

I could do a whole separate post about how phenomenally April handles all this. But what I wanna talk about here is that she doesn’t handle it alone. All of her new friends, turtles and Casey, do what they can to help her. But it’s mostly Donnie who we see addressing her confidence. It’s little moments all the time. When she’s helping them break into TCRI he’s in her ear with a microphone saying “You can definitely do this, April.” Also, it was exactly what April needed to become friends with someone who didn’t have Stockman’s acclaim, or even a college education, who is still able to talk intelligently about and actually build, pretty much whatever they can come up with. This lays the groundwork for her to eventually say Yeah, I can start my own tech company, it doesn’t matter that my first job went badly and I haven’t been in that field (professionally) since. I can definitely do this.

As much as April needed a confidence boost, Donnie really needed someone to talk to. Not just about tech stuff but about family stuff. He’s very sensitive to conflict, especially between his brothers. And he has close bonds all around him, but do you think a fifteen year old is going to share his worries about his brothers emotional needs with his dad? Or his brothers? When him and Leo are older they probably have conversations like that, but both of them learned how from April first. (Ha, April 1st).

And speaking of Donnie needing someone to talk to, just thinking about to Return of Savanti part 1 when they go to a dinosaur museum to admire the robotics. Raph and Mikey are rolling their eyes so hard, and Leo’s being nice but it’s obvious he doesn’t get it. April is into robotics, too, in fact it seems like the museum was her idea. Possibly (headcanon) a plot to cheer her up after Stockman’s vengeful rampage the episode before. But she picked something Don is Way more excited about than her, because she is the best big sister.

I think sometimes, out of all of them, April forgets that Donnie is a teenager. Like not literally but she thinks he’ll be more mature than he necessarily is. She probably thinks the same of Leo, but Leo is always going to manage to be More Serious than she can possibly expect (showboat). Donnie can be very mature in some ways and then surprise her with like. Secretly ordering food and blaming it on Mikey. He’s the first one she admits her crush on Casey to, probably expecting he’d show the sensitivity he’s always shown when she shares her feelings… and he laughs at her and calls him a bonehead. He’s also the one she calls when she finds Uncle Auggie. (btw they just go to another dimension? Unclear if they left a note?) By then she knows him better to be aware that he might do something crazy. She reminds him to be careful, and he says, “I’m the sensible turtle, remember? :3” Which is important because where did he get the idea that he’s the sensible turtle? They all praise his tech abilities, but if someone has told him he seems calm and mature, it probably wasn’t the people who have lived with him since the first time he took apart their toaster or built a self-driving car in their living room. He’s reminding April that he’s the sensible turtle because she’s the one he got the idea from. And in this episode he lives up to it.

Summary, they show the most of any duo on the show that people will live up to your expectations. Donnie sees in April an experienced scientist, even a mentor, and he actively helps her step into that role until one day she literally becomes his boss. April sees in Donnie a gentle approachable guy who anyone would be lucky to have as a friend. And you know, being a mutant turtle that’s not something a lot of people have seen in him.

Again, I’ve given most of my favorite moments already so have some headcanons:

-Donnie absolutely goes to her for relationship advice

-not a headcanon but I have a lot of feelings about Donnie, Casey, and April starting a business together

-April learns chess specifically to play with Donnie. He has everyone else convinced she’s great at it (she isn’t)

[frozenmiwa]

Review: Rise of the turtles, part 2 (TMNT 2012)

Here we go again, I know it’s been a while. Originally, I meant to get this review out during the quarantine last March but I never got to it. I got the first season on DVD during March and I thought of just watching the episodes from DVD instead of finding them online. During June I got myself a problem however: My TV broke (or more precisely: speakers broke) so I couldn’t really watch anything with any kind of audio. Now that I have my new beautiful TV, I thought nothing would be more suitable for my first watch than some TMNT.

With that, I decided to take a notepad, sit on my sofa and watch the second episode.

Continuing the last episode, Turtles realize who ever took April and her father, may have some answers to what happened to them 15 years ago so they end up interrogating Snake, the man who was driving the van. While they find out the “people” doing these kidnappings are called “The Kraang” and that they have been kidnapping scientists from the city, they don’t find out why. Snake himself doesn’t know the answer, he tells the turtles where they can find the Kraang but manages to get away from them later on. While he is listening in Leo and Raph trick him into believing they are going to use his van to drive in as they are attempting to save April and her father – which is not actually way they plan to use his van. The turtles return to the lair to gear up for their mission. Raph has a tender moment with his pet turtle while Mikey pops up and ends up being chased by Raph with spoon. While Leo is having doubts whether their plan will be a success or not, Splinter then encourages Leo by telling about his past, of how Splinter – as a man lost everything due to a feud with a former friend, Oroku Saki. While Splinter may have lost his family and his name, but he eventually gained a lot of things, like his sons. Leo not completely sure about things, he is positive they will make it through the mission somehow

In the Kraang headquarters April makes a hilarious attempt on escaping and failing at it, while Snake and the Kraang guards outside are waiting for the turtles to arrive. Turtles are on their way alright, using the van as a distraction while they themselves use a different way of transport. When the turtles have found their way inside the building, it turns out it is not something you’d see every day as the place is filled with alien robots. After a while they manage to find April and her dad, however once the turtles are about to get them out, the Kraang appeared and took both humans away. Turtles chase after them but a newly mutated Snake (later named Snakeweed by Mikey) shows up and turtles find themselves yet another battle. This leaves Donnie to save April before she’s taken away by the Kraang. While Donnie manages to save April, her father isn’t quite as lucky as he is still at the clutches of the Kraang.

In the end rest of the turtles manage to take care of Snakeweed – even though not permanently. April moves in with her aunt and is determined to get her father back somehow, the turtles (or mainly Donnie) offer their help in the matter and thus gain their first human ally. So, all is well – or as well as it can be at the moment.

Or is it?

As turtles find out, one of their shuriken ends up in the news, while turtles think it’s cool, Splinter tells them to be more careful from now on as they are mainly meant to say hidden for their own good. And he is right about that as we find out someone very sinister is seeing this very same news broadcast in Japan and plans on visiting an old friend…

What I liked about the episode:

+ Over all this was a very good episode, it had a solid plot, good pacing and great action scenes. Even that one where April tries put up a fight. I found that scene very comical and entertaining. However, my favorite fight scene had to be the one where the turtles face off newly mutated Snakeweed.

+ Speaking off Snakeweed, I’m glad we saw what his mutation process looked like. As far as I can remember I don’t think we have seen mutation scenes in previous shows, so I haven’t really payed the process much attention until now. From what I could tell the whole process was painful and it had horror-esque feel to it, so that’s a plus.

+ I know I didn’t give April much of praise on my first review and it is no secret I hate her with burning passion, but in this episode, I found myself kind of liking her character. She wasn’t someone I would go nuts over, but her personality showed off nicely. Nothing of her personality came off as forced and I liked her interactions with Donnie even though I do not ship Apritello in this version.

+ I really liked the ending, it wrapped out the episode nicely but also brought up a new threat in Shredder while not giving away too much when it comes to his appearance. This helps to keep his character as sinister as he should be.

What I didn’t like:

Honestly, I don’t think there was a thing I didn’t enjoy about this episode, and that’s a first. My only complaint doesn’t have to do with the episode itself but the way the episode was put on DVD. I’m perfectly aware this episode was meant to be one parter, but it in some releases it was presented as a two parter. I remember seeing this one as parts 1 and 2 myself when it aired in my country. I would have liked if the DVD did the same, but oh well, at least I got to watch the whole thing as it was intended.

…I don’t have lot to say about the dub Finland eventually got, simply because I don’t remember much about it. What I do remember I did enjoy Shredder’s Finnish voice. He was voiced by Jarmo Mäkinen, who voiced Valtor from Winx Club as well as Savanti Romero and Zanramon for the third season of TMNT 2003. While he didn’t have deep voice like Kevin Michael Richardson but that didn’t stop him from sounding menacing. I think Mäkinen is similar Markus Bäckman who voices Splinter in a way they sound great as villains. What I like about Mäkinen is that he is able to portray his villains (and I’m mainly talking about his interpretation of Prime leader Zanramon in the season 3 of TMNT 2003) as chill one moment and threatening the next. So, I would say he was a good pick for Shredder. Now I only wish I could have a good memory of him voicing Shredder.

And now, some screen shots!

Turtles seeing the mutagen cannister. I really love their expressions here.

Raph about to do some interrogation....

...In a form of mutation roulette. One of my favorite scenes in the episode. I like the glowing effect they did with the ooze here.

Kraang base.

“What? I can be the only one who’s hungry.” - I can relate.

Everyone here: Mikey, weren’t you supposed to do something?

Leo and Raph looking for Snake.

Snake hiding.

Donnie at work.

Raph busted after having a sensitive talk with his pet turtle, Spike.

“Were you talking to your pet turtle? That is so adorable.”

Leo having some doubts. Luckily Splinter has a story to tell.

Last battle between Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Saki. I swear from this angle young Oroku Saki does remind me of Hamato Yoshi from 2003 series.

Tang-Shen with their baby daughter Miwa, during the battle.

Oroku Saki starting the fire...

...Which kills Tang-Shen (at least it seemed so before season two that is.)

April knows her rights alright..

But because the Kraang don’t care about their rights she comes up with a plan...

...Buuut it doesn’t look like it’s working.

“Well I guess we can just sit here..” - I must say I like coloring of their cell.

Snake and some Kraangdroids waiting for turtles’ arrival.

Snake mutation.

Turtles climbing the wall.

And they made it in. I really like they gave each turtle different eye color in this version but during action scenes they still have white eyes like in the comics.

Argument between Donnie and Raph.

Some alien robots.

...But now they are toast.

It’s a brain thing!

And now it’s biting Mikey!

This is what happens when you pause an episode at a random moment. Mikey looks cute though.

You heard him Raph, we are going that way.

Donnie manages to find April’s cell.

Action with Mikey.

Donnie picking the lock.

“Hey, do you think it’s easy to pick a lock with these hands?”

Not so fast...

...Because these guys are here.

And with them, more trouble arrives.

Like newly mutated Snakeweed for example.

April being taken away by the Kraang.

Leo figuring out the plan to get rid of Snakeweed.

...While Donnie is trying to save April.

And now it’s April’s turn to hang in there.

April saved by Donnie.

Leo in action.

Snakeweed electrocuted.

Turtles have gained themselves some new enemies.

It’s Kraangy! ...Wait, that doesn’t happen until season 2... or 3... can’t remember.

Turtles promise to help April find her father.

Maybe it’s just me but I find April’s pupils creepy looking. They make her eyes look souless... at least to me.

I swear Donnie has the cutest design ever.

Leo talking to Splinter inside the dojo.

Watching the news.

Okay, who dropped this?

Yay, they made it on the news!

So what’s the worst thing can happen?

Well there’s always this omnious person.

Ending still.

Okay I admit, I may have over do it with the screen shots but they are my favorite thing about these reviews, that and getting to watch some TMNT.

So, what’s next? For now, I’m going for the third episode of TMNT 2003. Hopefully it doesn’t take as long as this post. We can always hope, right?

[officialotakudome]

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New Post has been published on http://otakudome.com/final-tmnt-set-dated/

Final TMNT Set Dated

Nickelodeon has dated the final DVD set of the 2012 TMNT reboot:

NEW YORK – November 1, 2017 –  Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey put five years of training and fighting to the ultimate test as they embark on their final missions in the new Nickelodeon DVD Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Final Chapters, available December 12. In this final collection of episodes, the half-shelled heroes must band together once and for all in order to be the heroes they were destined to be. Whether they are battling mutants in another dimension, teaming up with a rabbit samurai to defeat an evil sorcerer or clashing with classic movie monsters to protect New York City, the Turtles will have to use all of their ninja-knowledge to defeat their enemies!

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Final Chapters is a two-disc DVD being released in December just in time for the holidays! Like all other Turtle adventures, this final collection of episodes has all of the humor, heart and adventure that has captured audiences for generations. Produced by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Media Distribution, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Final Chapters will be available on DVD December 12, for the suggested retail price of $13.99.

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Final Chapterscontains the following episodes:

Monsters vs. Mutants arc:

The Curse of Savanti Romero – The Turtles’ plans to enjoy Halloween are put on hold when strange monsters threaten to transform the city.

The Crypt of Dracula – Renet Transports the team to Transylvania to stop Savanti Romero.

The Frankenstein Experiment – Savanti is soon to recruit Frankenstein’s Monster and unleash all of his creatures on the 21st century.

Monsters Among Us! – When the Turtles return to a world run by monsters, they realize they may have made the situation even worse.

Worlds Collide 2-part story:

When Worlds Collide – Part 1 – When Mona Lisa suddenly arrives on Earth, Raph’s eagerness to help her could end up getting the team into even bigger trouble.

When Worlds Collide – Part 2 – Raph must get Mona Lisa and Bishop to work together to defeat an alien threat and save the Earth.

The Samurai arc:

Yojimbo – The Turtles are transported to an alternate to an alternate dimension where they meet the rabbit samurai, Miyamoto Usagi.

Osoroshi no Tabi – Usagi leads the Turtles through a haunted forest where they encounter mischievous and dangerous spirits.

Kagayake! Kintaro – As they reach their destination, Usagi and the Turtles must help Kintaro fulfill his destiny.

Mutant Apocalypse:

An older weathered Raph battles road gangs in a post-apocalyptic mutant wasteland in this ninety minute special.

Tales of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Final Chapters fast facts:

Street Date: December 12, 2017

Catalog: 59193243000 (US); 59193244000 (CAN)

Running Time: 264 Minutes

Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital

S.R.P.: $13.99