#got to the tmnt universe issues and

[theblorboscalledtheturtles]

HEGSGHSHFJGHFSHFJDAWGH

[toy-powerhouse]

The Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turtles have some serious “No Friends” energy: Or the turts lack a support network of allies and friends, so it makes the series feel empty

Maybe one of the biggest failings of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (out of many other failings) is how the titular characters lack a (non-familial) support network. They don't really have any friends or allies, and what few friends/allies they do have are very underappreciated, underrepresented, and underutilized (Todd Capybara and Señor Hueso) or "upgraded" to the much more valued status of family members (April and Draxum).

Despite possibly being the most attention-seeking turtles ever to be created so far, they never seem to have any desire to receive attention from outside the family unit. They're all so insular despite constantly showboating in a world where largely no one has any issues with them being mutant turtles. For the most part, the whole world, both human and Yōkai, is their oyster, and they’re free to roam around and mingle as they please. Yet they're largely content to remain detached from it all. And, that lack of connection makes the series, and its entire universe feel so empty and so small in scope. This emptiness is made especially obvious when compared to other TMNT adaptations that do give the mutant turtles a stronger and plentiful network of friends/allies or at least have the turtles working towards building such close-knit ties with others outside their family unit. The 2003 series was so chock full of friends/allies, it ended on a big damn wedding attended by all the folks they befriended. Even if RotTMNT continued beyond 1 ½ seasons and a movie (technically, it’s two seasons, but let’s be real, season two is too truncated to count as its own season), it’d be highly unlikely that the turtles of that series would ever amass that many notable friends/allies.

We see some glimmers of interest that the turtles have in being a part of a world outside themselves, but aside from those fleeting instances, their disinterest in anything apart from themselves is palpable and never challenged in any major way. This limits the characters’ experiences, their development as well as the overall narrative. It makes all their wacky adventures or dramatic exploits seem repetitive and hollow in a way better kids’ shows mitigate with a compelling cast of supporting characters (i.e., friends and/or allies for the protagonists).

Instead, what RotTMNT lacks in platonic support it more than makes up for in enemies, albeit mostly underdeveloped enemies. The turtles just sort of gain enemies time and time again (because they’re usually unfunny obnoxious screw-ups), which makes their lack of reoccuring friends/allies even more noticeable. Big Mama, Warren Stone, Hypno-Potamus, Repo Mantis, Meat Sweats, the Purple Dragons, Ghostbear, Baxter Stockboy, Sando Brothers, etc., (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, more like Everybody Hates the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, lmao). You get the idea; the turtles seem to have a talent for making more enemies than friends/allies.

But, with friends like the turts (correction: turds), who needs enemies?

The biggest middle finger the series shows to the idea of allies is when in the season one finale, “End Game,” the following allies join April and Splinter to rescue the turds as the B-Team: Bullhop, Franken-Foot, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., and Todd Capybara. Only for the quartet to be captured immediately and left for dead because they’re never brought up again in the episode. While each of the so-called "allies" of B-Team aren't given much respect both in- and out- of universe, Bullhop (real name Stanley) may be the least respected. In short, the turds ruined Stanley's life, showed little grace to the poor guy before he got unceremoniously ousted from the series. He got mutated by the Oozesquitos the turds had accidently released from Draxum's lab, the turds let him stay at the lair with them for a bit to make amends but were on the verge of kicking him out because he was annoying to live with (Gee, those sure are a lot of pots calling the kettle black…), only for him to leave anyway of his own volition. He then shows up one more time in "End Game" to get captured by the Foot Clan, and because this was his last appearance, it's probably fair to assume that he died/was killed while the other three managed to escape unscathed. RIP Stanley, I know he must be ballet dancing his heart out somewhere in cartoon heaven.

It's characters like Bullhop combined with other infrequently or one-time occurring allies like Casey (Sr.), Señor Hueso, Marcus Moncrief (aka Jupiter Jim), Sunita, Piebald, Red Fox, and so on that show how little the series wants to commit to giving the titular characters a stable support network built on trust and camaraderie. The closest we get to a true, ride or die ally and friend is Todd (see “Todd Scouts” and “Anatawa Hitorijanai”) and even he barely gets any respect. In “Anatawa Hitorijanai,” he provides them with a haven away from the Shredder when he’s taken over New York, forges them weapons they use to save the day, and he receives no thanks or any real acknowledgment for doing any of it which makes the turtles come off as very ungrateful to their greatest ally and friend. The way in which the series represents friends and allies is, at times, tinged with a dismissive, even mean-spirited undertone that feels like a slap in the face to themes and messages that the franchise often represents.

TMNT is a franchise that’s narrative is built on connection and the desire for misfits to find acceptance. In many adaptations, the turtles pine for meaningful relationships outside themselves and Splinter. And, while this theme doesn’t need to be the focus of every adaptation, its absence in RotTMNT does strip from the characters an extra layer of depth and misses out on an opportunity to make them more relatable to members of the audience, especially those who’ve ever felt alienated.

If RotTMNT wanted to focus more on the familial relationships of the titular characters instead, that would be one thing. However, even the development and depth of those familial relationships are lacking. For instance, Splinter’s neglect of the turtles is never truly confronted along with the impact of Raph’s parentification (the underdeveloped family dynamic is something to be expanded upon for another entry in my lengthy list of grievances with this adaptation).

There was so much potential to explore new relationships for the turtles outside their own little world. The introduction of Yōkai opened new possibilities for the characters with them being able to be among other non-humans (the underdeveloped role of Yōkai and their Hidden City is also a topic for another day). Even the more lenient human world offered a new perspective. But, like all things surrounding Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it was just more wasted potential.

[nerves-nebula]

Hello. I have never seen an "teenage mutant ninja turtles" show, comic, or movie. The characters however, appeal to me. If any one show or movie would suffice, where should I begin? Other sources have not been helpful.

OHHH GODDD OK WELL. OK SO. the thing is that different iterations are SO different i'm not entirely convinced that comparing them to each other is very ?? helpful?? a lot of people these days get into tmnt through the 2018 animated show Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles. HOWEVER, that show only has like 2 seasons and is not the end all be all of the tmnt universe.

it's kind of hard for me to advise you to watch or read any one specific piece of tmnt media to get into it, because I kind of just already knew about it the entire time growing up?? like i never really actively watched it but i was generally aware of the concept for my entire life.

and i'm not sure exactly ABOUT the tmnt characters interests you, so i wouldn't know where to point you.

with all that as a disclaimer here's some of the more popular film/tv shows (I'm about as lost as you when it comes to the comics to be honest)

ROTTMNT/rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles. it's the newest series as far as i know and it has fantastic animation. it's very funny and lighthearted most of the time and the boys even get magic powers (eventually) it's the one that really got me into tmnt. this one kind of switches around the roles of the characters. Usually you'll see Raph being depicted as the rash one, or the one with anger issues who strikes out on his own (and i still think thats true to an extent in rottmnt) but he, as well as Leo, are definitely portrayed in a different way than normal in rottmnt. which i like tbh it's fun. (i could write a whole essay about how their characters are different but also kind of the same in rottmnt vs other media but that would take all day)

TMNT 2012 series. The 2012 series is very influential as well, and heavily beloved by many. I haven't seen all of it yet, but it's biggest drawbacks (to me at least) is its very 2010's american childrens show style of comedy which can come off as uncomfortably cruel/annoying if you aren't ok with it. it's also an early years CGI animated show, so sometimes things don't look as good as they could. STILL it's definitely interesting and i like the dynamics between the brothers there so I'd give it a chance.

TMNT 2003 series. honestly i havent heard a lot about this one, but i really like the style and ive watched a few episodes of it, and it's definitely solid, sorry i can't say much more than that.

TMNT 1987 series. also can't say much about this one but it is hella goofy from what i've watched of it. it's also the original cartoon series i believe, airing as a sort of "saturday morning cartoon" situation.

TMNT 1990 movie. this one is part of a trilogy of tmnt movies, but i've only seen the first and a half movies. I really enjoyed the first one, it was a fun time and kind of campy, and the guy who plays casey jones is cute. this one is live action and the turtle costumes can look off putting to some people, but personally i liked them.

im sure people in the replies/reblogs of this post will add their opinions too haha

[the-tmnt-ficfinder]

Ficfinder finds: So, I guess…we all have issues.

TMNT 2012 Fanfic Summary: Mikey wasn't insane. He knew he wasn't. He really did have three brothers and a father, no matter what his paperwork said. Also, none of his family was human, and neither was he. That was the truth about him, no matter what anyone else thought. (Sticking by that truth got him thrown into an asylum. What a surprise.) **Winner of FIRST PLACE in the Universal TMNT Mature Fanfic Competition 2016 for MOST COMPELLING AU, and winner of SECOND PLACE for MOST SPOT ON PORTRAYAL OF MICHELANGELO.**

So, I guess…we all have issues: Appraisal and Ratings

(Don't know what fanfic "Appraisal and Ratings" means? Check out my explanation on my Main Masterpost! Looking for a different fanfic to read? Head on over to my Fanfic List Masterpost!)

Disclaimer: This fanfic is completed, and is part of an unfinished series. This fic has an ending that isn't a cliffhanger for anyone who was worried.

The fanfic ratings are not based on quality, favoritism, or how good I think it is, but rather, how intense a subject may be. Like a movie review, or the tags on Ao3, letting the readers know what to expect.

Plot: 💛💛💛💛💛

"Plot is five out of five!! The plot of this story is compelling, confusing, invigorating, and enticing!! Right away, it grabbed my attention, and I got sucked into the story!! The plot was unique, unlike anything I'd read before, for sure a good read!!"

Suspense/Mystery: 💛💛💛💛🖤

"Suspense/Mystery is four out of five!! Right off the bat, I was on the edge of my seat!! This fanfic is FILLED with suspense, and so so much mystery!! It gets a little intense even, which can be really fun!!"

Angst/Hurt: 💛💛💛💛💛

"Angst/Hurt is five out of five!! Aw man, the hurt, the sadness, the confusion and loneliness. Augh!! This fanfic is filled to the brim with mental illnesses, mental dilemmas, mental struggles that all effect the characters very very physically. Hurt my soul to read, and I loved every second of it."

Fluff/Comfort: 💛💛🖤🖤🖤

"Fluff/Comfort is two out of five!! The fluff/comfort levels of this fic are fairly low. While comfort happens, the fluff it minimal, which only serves to make the impact of the hurt and angst even better!! Plus, it gives it a more realistic feel, as in real life, most of us don't receive comfort when we're hurting. At least, not like how its most often portrayed in fanfics."

Emotions Conveyed: 💛💛💛🖤🖤

"Emotions Conveyed is three out of five!! Ah, the emotions displayed in this fanfic are masterfully and I do mean masterfully written!! Some of the scenes and chapters definitely screwed with my head, influencing my moods for sure. Emotional manipulation in writing form!! Beautiful!!"

Drama/Tension Level:💛💛💛💛💛

"Drama/Tension Level is five out of five!! Oh gosh, the stress, the anxiety, lemme say it again; THE ANXIETY!! So many times I was convinced something was going to go wrong, but then things were ok, but then not ok, but then ok and-- Seriously, this fic has the stress, but in a good way!!"

Triggers: 💛💛💛💛💛

"Triggers are five out of five!! This fanfic is VERY trigger heavy with the mental health stuff, so please make sure to read the tags, and stay safe everyone!! ^^"

Legibility (Reading): 💛💛💛💛🖤

"Legibility (Reading) is four out of five!! This fanfic is such a lovely read! The thoughts being in italics, and the sections being divided up via large paragraph space makes for such nice formatting."

Legibility (Audio): 💛💛💛💛💛

"Legibility (Audio) is five out of five!! This fanfic is incredibly satisfying to listen to!! Due to the way it was written, the story flows very smoothly in audio book form. Plus as this story runs on the more intense side, listening to it while doing a task is very enjoyable!!"

Length: 💛💛💛🖤🖤

"Length is three out of five!! 'So, I guess…we all have issues' has 22 chapters, each one varying in length, and a word count of 112k words. Some chapters run on the shorter side, taking from 8-20 minutes to read, while others are very long, taking up to even an hour to read (though there are only a few chapters with this length)."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, I guess…we all have issues: Chapter List

(Chapters will be added as I rate and appraise them ^^)

Chapter 1

[lavena]

Tmnt headcannons and a psa for those like 3 toxic ppl

87

- Raph can get the highest flips pit of all his brothers

-Leo found out how to make the brushes used for Kanji n such for fun and will sometimes make wallpaper with his favorite quotes

-donnie breaks the fabric of the universe at least once a week and no one is surprised

- mikeys accent is fake, he actually has a Bronx accent, he just liked the sufer persona so much he decided to commit

90s

-Leo got the go ninja go song stuck in his head for years

-Raph is the best break dancer and will go to clubs with his brother sometimes

-Donnie will sometimes escape to scap yards for hours on end just tearing appliances apart

-mikey has anger issues, as seen by him beating the shit out of a punching bag in the deleted scene (April's drawing of mikey)

2003

-leo will get "the batman" voice whenever he is stressed

- mikey has night terrors

-Raph knits

-dons guilty pleasure is Celtic sings (tir na nog, teir abhaile riu)

2007 (dint mind me leading this tf up)

- raph learned Spanish because one of the kids he met on the street as Nightwatcher spoke it and raph wanted to be able to talk to the kid and make sure he ls alright

Leo get vivid nightmares after the Winters debacle

-mikey after working as cowabunga carl has nightmares

- Raph got shot when he first started being a vigilante

-don and mike are twins

- Dons tech support leaves him more sarcastic than ever, which is really funny for his brothers, but leo gets whiplash for the first bit after he gets home

-don holds a grudge against raph and leo, and sometimes their father but never enough for it to affect their family

- Leo got really good at hiding in the shadows to the point he scares the shit out of raph in the mornings

-raph started watching tellanovellas with their father after his nightwatcher thing

-mike will bake custom cakes for his cowabunga carl gigs for an extra price, at first it wasn't very successful but then word spread that they were the best goddamn cakes around and people started to ask for cakes even if they didn't have a kids birthday. Let's just say having a turtle at your quinces or receptions became an inside joke.

-don and mike are up at the crack of dawn, mike cause he likes to bake the cakes the day of so they don't dry out and the frosting doesn't get the weird hard bits after refrigerating and don because he needs to inject coffee and acetometaphin into his veins to deal with these stupid fcuking people

-leo had to use an automatic rifle once in the jungle and he vows to never again

-raph and Casey spent one too many times out till the break of dawn, Casey almost got fired, but raph and him made up a story, put on voices and treachcoats all that jazz. Now Caseys boss thinks he has ties with the mafia... it gets really runny when April finds out and chases them down

-don and mike spend mornings listening to lowkey but hyping songs to get ready in the morning " a boy named pluto" mainly because don can't handel anything loud and mike will cry if the song doesn't have some kind of sway to it

- Raph became the nightwatcher after witnessing the og guys death, poor guys traumatized

2012

- mikey is the best at disappearing, but only after don invested the egg shell smoke bombs

- Leo voice box was permenatly damaged when he was attacked b4 the farm house arc, it gets really bad when he is stressed

- Raph after the whole brainworm thing (is that cannon or fannon, im like 70% sure it's cannon but idk) gets really spooked around insects and worms, especially if he can hear them moving

- Donnie got a chem set for Christmas from his brother, but he knows they really just stole stuff from nycu, he loves it

2018

- Raph gets sad sometimes that he isn't smaller cause he wants to be help, his brother make sure to give him a really big group hug, doesn't solve anything but he knows he is loved

- Mikey spray paints, it started with the sewer walls, but now he does abandon buildings too

- Donnie built himself the best noise canceling headphones, and then built all his brothers pairs because they kept asking to borrow them

- Leo ugly laughts at the fnaf sb freddy memes, all of them, it makes everyone who hears it wheeze

2023

- Leo is so goddamn anxiety ridden, this poor boy

- Finally a raph that does violent right, yeah it might (read deffo will in hs) end up bad, but never for his brother, cause he protects them with that violence and anger

- Don definitely learned how to speak Korean so he could watch k-pop interviews as they aired

- Mikey is a natural at martial arts

That's all I got for now, but quick psa

There has been a bit of toxicity regarding raph fans, like 3 of them. Everyone else is great, so for anyone experiencing hate from those people like @theunicorncomic-blog and @incorrect-2003-tmnt-quotes ( like people are being toxic to them not that they are toxic) along with anyone else experiencing toxicity from the 3 Raph fans

I am so sorry, I know it can be stressful and they seem to like to target things that are personal. So just remember it doesn't matter who your favorite is, it doesn’t matter if you hate a character, we are tmnt. We are TMNT and we love our ninja boys, and we always will. Embrace the new iterations, learn of the old, no matter what it will bring you joy to see our boys out n about getting love.

Spread love and affection, and ignore those who are violent without reason.

And for those like 3 toxic raph fans, I get that you are upset about people disliking raph or feeling like his personality is costing other characters, but something to remeber is that, we love raph, he is a great character, what we are upset about is that the writers make him "angry, strong, rule breaker" and nothing else, they don't let him grow, they don't let him experience, for example the other characters start out as this. " Mr. Rules, Ninja, Leader by name only" and then let him grow to " leader through experience, kind, and willing to risk it all for his family" another " know it all, annoyed, non confrontational" and let him grow to " empathetic, strong willed, smart" they allow the other characters to grow, while sticking with their base. So the Raph we want to see at the end of a series is " willing to do anything to protect, strength through family, and angry at injustice" we can see it be set up in 07 and 03, but the others leave him as an angry, violent jerk who is funny mind due, but non the less we are left wanting more from someone who tends to be one of the more focused on characters.

TLDR, we are upset that Raph suffers as a character from lack of mobility, in a main position he has the options to, but the writers don't give it to him, and by doing so it costs the other characters. So stop being toxic and giving your character a bad rap by using slurs against the people who have different views from you. Just remember there is way more good than there is bad, don't let these 3 ruin things for everyone else or warp your view of others

[hermit-searching]

TMNTposting Raphael edition (Part 1):

I have a confession to make. I've been lying to you all...my fave......is actually Raphael 😂

When I was growing up watching TMNT Donatello was always my favorite turtle, mostly because I was kin assigned the smart, purple turtle when we did those playground roleplay things elementary school kids did in the early 2000s. But during my journey rewatching TMNT 87, and 03 I've grown so SO attached to Raphael it's silly.

This guy. This dude. He's probably one of the most misunderstood characters in universe (and kind of in fanon as well) besides Leonardo. Raphael, no matter which animated iteration, gets himself into trouble because of his terrible impulse control (Woah me fr), which is linked to his "anger issues" which admittedly he does kind of have, but there's so much more to unpack there than just "oh he angy".

Well, except 87 Raphael but he's special and I'll get to him later.

03 Raph definitely has the most obvious actual blind rage. Fourth episode into the entire series he goes into a blind rage and tries attacking Mikey with a metal table leg when he loses a sparring match against his orange younger brother. Except...he kinda actually doesn't. Yeah he gets mad, for sure he got really mad, but something to note about it is he actually goes into a dissociative state before he attacks Mikey, he immediately apologizes when he's lucid again, and he runs off to cool his head which leads to him meeting Casey and teaching the same lessons Splinter has told him to Casey Jones. (Honestly the besties ever. good for them). And the reason Raph gets so angry? It's not just that Mikey beats him, Mikey eggs him on the entire time. Like I mentioned in my Mikey post, 03 Mikey is an instigator, he's constantly pushing all of his brothers buttons because he thinks it's funny. He does it on purpose so he knows what's coming for him, when his brothers (usually Raph) finally snap. That's not to say that Raph should have beaten his brother with a table leg at all, because he still spends his time learning his lesson through trying to reign in Casey, but his anger was a little more, in lack of better terms, justified than some of the other Raph-Mikey blowouts we've seen (cough12cough).

03 Raph is actually just such a polite, sweet little guy. He has a heart of gold, and tries so hard to protect him family, even until his last breath. He'll help blind old ladies, he gives old clothes and blankets to the homeless, heck his instinct when he's in his last moments in Same as It Never Was was to crawl over to Leo in an attempt to protect his big brother.

This guy's biggest fear is being the one behind the Shredder mask, and hurting his family. Literally, he fears himself, and his anger. He's so, so much more than the family hot-head.

I love this guy so much. It's great watching him develop as a character and cope with his anger without having to dig into the same lesson all the time of "oooh Raph you're angry. Anger is bad Raphael. That's a no no Raphael."

Which is what bothers me so much about 2012 Raph. They spend so much time making a joke about his anger issues it's baffling it was a choice the writers made. Oh to be a fly on the wall when they made all the questionable writing choices in 2012. Like, you'll have moments where Splinter will straight up tell his son "you remind me of my evil not-brother who was the reason my wife died lolololol", and you'll have other moments where they're like "oh aha he ran away and quit the team for the 27th time. Silly Raphael." and I genuinely do not understand why they treat him like this? 2012 Raph, fundamentally, is still the same as other Raphael's. He's got the anger issues, he uses sais, he wears red, but the way they present his anger is just. Weird. They'll have him punch or swat at his brothers just for existing, and not acknowledge it at all, visual gags or whatever. And then they'll also go "ooga booga he's so bad and his anger is bad", and then force him to learn the "anger bad" lesson for the nth time....only to wipe it from his character development again.

Once again, this kid has a heart of gold. He's the turtle equivalent of a Disney Princess. He took care of a pet turtle for, presumably years. He cared for Spike a lot! And...then they just rip that away from him to create a new villain who tries to eliminate his brothers because he used to vent to his pet (being the one way Splinter told him was "healthy" with dealing with his anger). Which? Okay way to punish him for trying to deal with his anger in a way that wasn't beating the snot out of something. (also what the actual fuck was that 180 they did having Slash go "I've always admired you Leonardo"???? HUH???)

But...then you have Chompy. Arguably the only thing they have ever given 2012 Raph without violently ripping it away for laughs, or to teach him some kind of lesson. He does give Chompy back to Tokka for a moment but she gives him back realizing they're both super attached to each other and stuff. Having the moment of Raph admitting he cares about Chompy was so perfect because it finally had a moment where he felt like Raphael.

other beautiful moments from 2012 Raph:

-literally just barn arc.

-"angry Donnie you're so silly and funny and- oh wait Donnie stop-"

-when he gets smacked with a brick by 87 Raphael (sorry I still play favs)

Ok back to more lighthearted Raphposting.

Rise Raph is actually such a fun take on the character. It's so interesting to see him being put into the role usually reserved for Leonardo, being the oldest and being the leader. At first he seems pretty well put together, and different than the other Raphael but. Nope! He still rushes into danger like a kid at a busy intersection during rush hour. The difference being, he learns to reign in his impulse control ever so slightly because he's brothers are all arguably more unhinged than he is. Especially Donnie and Mikey.

His temper in Rise seems to take somewhat of an inspiration from 03, having him dissociate into a rage, though the tone of it is vastly different than 03. Which, I think is fine because Rise always had a lighter tone than 03, and 12. The intention of it is a lot different than turning 12 Ralph's issues into a silly haha, and throughout the series we see how the pressure of being the oldest weighs upon the guy, changing the tone of his issues as the series progressed.

The season finale four parter was genuinely good for Raph's character arc all things considered. Him finally cracking under the pressure only to learn his family will be there for him the way he's always been there for him is beautiful. Him being the one who sees Splinter's memories with his mom? Amazing. And the messed up thing? He sees protecting his family as his duty and purpose despite being a kid himself. Kinda like 03 Raph.

The movie also finally gave us that Leo-Raph dynamic older TMNT fans have craved from the series, but the roles are still reversed. With Raph still being responsible and wanting Leo to take things seriously while Leo does whatever he wants and has ✨impulsive sparkle✨. Getting to see Raph finally let loose and be a normal teenager again, joining in on the silly fun by the end of the movie..Mwah. thank you.

This post is getting long so I'll go into 87 Raphael in his own post. I have way too much to say about him I'm sorry..

[pocoslip]

Did you know he is only Mentioned in the TMNT Adevntures Comic Series in 1996 before Casey Jones made his Proper Debut in 2024

(TMNT Adventures got Cancelled in 1995 but then Archie made a New Series "Year of the Turtles" in 1996 which still takes Place in the Same Universe and Issue 3 is where Casey Jones gets Mentioned but it only lasted 3 Issues before they get Cancelled Again anyway)

[tmntkiseki]

All right, so my overall thoughts on Turtles Forever: Much like with the Fast Forward and Back to the Sewer seasons of 2003, I was surprised that I ended up enjoying it as much I did. Is it a perfect film? Of course not. It is fundamentally flawed in a lot of ways, but as both the 25th anniversary movie and the big send off to the 2003 series, I could definitely think of worse ways they could have closed what was effectively the current chapter of the franchise at the time.

Obviously, the biggest point of criticism is the treatment of the 87 turtles in the film and speaking as someone who has quite literally only seen two episodes of the 87 series, I can't say I was impressed with how they were written. They definitely did have their moments here and there (the scene where 87!Don pisses off 03!Raph by kill stealing via giant boulder is hilarious) but most of the time the 87 turtles were depicted as childish and unable to take anything seriously, to say nothing of certain... moments that were clearly written to make them appear inferior to the 2003 turtles. (Seriously, the part during the final fight where 87!Leo, Raph, and Mikey all cried and ran to 03!Raph for comfort bugged me A LOT.) The sheer irony is that even though the writing did heavily favor 2003 turtles, the way they were written interacting with the 87 turtles didn't do them a whole lot of favors, either. They came off as whiny and borderline asshole-ish with how intolerant they were of the 87 turtles and their antics, and while I get it in the context of certain plot events (ie Splinter getting kidnapped and the whole turtle multiverse being threatened with destruction)... Yeah, I would personally never want this movie to serve as someone's introduction to TMNT 2003 because much like how it's not representative of the 1987 show, it really is not representative of the 2003 series either. (If you're looking for good 1987/2003 interactions, I'd definitely point you in the direction of Saturday Morning Adventures Issue #13, even though it's only the Donatellos interacting.)

ALL THAT SAID, there were some very good moments in the movie. It was nice to see the 2003 turtles slowly but surely warm up to 1987 turtles over the course of the film, and the scene where 03!Leo and 03!Raph were talking with 87!Splinter while he gave them rice to eat really tugged at my poor heart strings (there really was a missed opportunity to have 87!Splinter interact with 03!Splinter.) Hun becoming a mutant turtle was actually kind of dark in a way and, outside the bit with the 87 turtles crying, the final battle in the Mirage dimension IE Turtles Prime was fantastic. It's still funny to me that the entire multiverse was saved because of the actions of Bebop and Rocksteady.

The biggest highlight of the movie was the art direction—even if the writing for the 87 turtles wasn't the greatest, the character designers and animators really went to great lengths to replicate the overall look of the 87 cartoon and all their efforts paid off. I'm still not the biggest fan of Back to the Sewers' overall art style, but if it had been animated with the same quality as this movie, I'd probably have less negative feelings towards it. (Again, thank god the 2003 turtles got their white featureless eyes back for this movie.)

What probably intrigues me the most about Turtles Forever is knowing that, had Peter Laird not sold the rights to the TMNT franchise to Nickelodeon, this movie might not have been the last we saw of the 2003 turtles. Had the series continued after this, ya know, what might have happened? Besides Hun being a mutant, the 2003 universe now has its own versions of Tokka and Rahzar and one has to wonder if they'd STILL find a way to bring Shredder back. (Thinking specifically in regards to the whole "Shredder Wars" thing that never saw the light of day.) Personally, I'm glad 2003 ended where it did for... a lot of reasons, but thanks to this movie, I'm all the more excited now for the 2003 oneshot that's going to be in the 40th anniversary anthology, which has been indicated to take place after the movie.

So, yeah. Definitely a flawed film, but still good in a lot of ways.

[lordshroom]

HOLY SHIT WHY ISN'T ANYONE TALKING ABOUT THE TMNT X BATMAN II COMIC????

Okay now that my clickbait title has baited your attention, some context. If you're in the TMNT fandom, you probably know about the Batman X TMNT crossover movie. This movie was based on a six issue comic series that ran before it. It's not a one-to-one adaptation: most notably the TMNT turtles are from the IDW verse and dimension hop to Gotham unlike the movie where they already live in the same world.

The comic then got two sequels: "A Knight in New York" and "Crisis in a Half Shell".

And I like the first comic when I read it a few months back, I prefer the movie but it was still a really good comic run. Recently, I got the two sequels.

Now that I have read them, I am surprised I don't hear more people talk about them. Particularly the second comic, "A Knight in New York." Like, it has some really good Donnie angst. And the internet loves Donnie angst!

Warning: Spoilers/ way too long summary below

Very, very, very, long story kinda short. Donnie is feeling self-conscious about his physical abilities and how much he relies on his tech. He's weaker than his brothers and needs to be saved by them all the time, and it makes him feel useless. Yes, he's a genius, but he still needs his brother's help to carry out his plans. On his own, he's nothing.

But he remembers how cool Batman is, how he's both strong and smart, the perfect package! But in an attempt to talk to him, Donnie and Bane swap places for a week. And it only takes Bane a week to conquer New York City.

When Donnie, Batman, and Robin get back to New York, Donnie's devastated by the destruction he's caused. It only gets worse when Bane beats Splinter into a coma. When the gang gets back to the lair, Donnie suggest they use venom to enhance themselves. Batman and Leo say no, that it's too dangerous and they can't cross that line.

But Donnie doesn't listen. He sneaks out and takes the venom, apologizing to his brothers and says that this is the only way. He hulks out and decimates Bane's Foot's Bases ( because by the way, Bane took over the foot). Donnie's about to kill the very Foot Eliet that mocked him for being weak at the start of the story before Batman and Leo burst in to try to calm him down.

During the fight, Donnie vents about how frustrating it is to be so dependent. But now he's powerful and can do everything on his own. He doesn't need Leo's pity anymore, he doesn't need anyone.

Leo and Batman get through to him by showing him Baxter's modified Venom formula, which Donnie finds an exploit in that they can use to cure it. Leo says their true strength is each other. They work best as a team, and they all need each other.

Of course they beat the baddies and Donnie prove's he's still a ninja even with all his tech, and happy endings all around.

Like, hot damn, what a neat arc that I'm surprised nobody talked about before. I do think overall the sequels are weaker than the original run, but there are some cool elements in there, like this arc.

Also the third run has the Batman and TMNT universes mix in the most fanfiction way possible. Like-

Need I say more?

[extratmnt]

Title: Donnie hates feeling guilty

Universe: Rise of the TMNT

Pairings: Donnie and Leo, Donnie and his brothers

Word count: Finally a decent amount

Donnie was having a bad day. Nothing in particular made it that way, except for the fact that he was way too sensative right now. AKA snappy. AKA if-he-were-to-touch-something-with-a-weird-texture-he-would-scream. AKA overstimulated.

The worst part about being overstimulated is that you could be having a completely normal day, then out-of-the-blue here comes your nervous system attacking you.

Being overstimulated was kind of hard to describe, but if Donnie were to, he would say that the sound is eating your teeth, that your clothes are made of needles, and that every little light looks like the sun.

Maybe Donnie should have said something sooner, but he didn't. And now they were in a fight with the Purple Dragons.

Donnie did his best, he really did. But your best isn't really that great when you're in his condition.

He finally hit his limit when the movement of fighting caused his sweatshirt to move against his scales, and if you've ever been overstimulated you would know how horrible it feels.

Donnie gasped and deployed his jetpack. He had to get out of there now!

Kendra didn't hesitate to mock him. "Running away from the fight?! What, too cowardly?! Maybe you've just accepted that we're better than you!"

Sure, that hurt his feelings a little bit, but Donnie didn't really care at the moment.

Before he knew it, he was a quarter mile away from the fight.

Donnie found an unoccupied alley and sat down, leaning against the brick wall. He closed his eyes and covered his ears.

Finally, he could relax a little.

After a couple minutes, or a couple of hours, Donnie was calmed down enough to open his eyes. Oh, thank goodness it didn't hurt.

He then uncovered his ears and was immediately bombarded with the sound of his phones notifications. He looked down at it to find over thirty unread texts and fifteen missed calls.

Donnie sighed. He couldn't deal with this now. He stood up and proceeded to use his jetpack to get home.

As soon as Donnie got home, he heard yelling.

"We need to go find him!" Leo.

"I know!" Raph.

"Guys, arguing about it isn't going to help." Mikey.

Donnie tried sneaking over to his room to try and find a figit toy.

"Donnie!"

Or not.

He waved to them.

Raph rushed over to him. "Donnie, are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you-"

Mikey ran in between them and put his hands up. "Woah, Raph, give him a second to actually explain."

"Oh, right. Sorry," Raph apologized.

Mikey turned around to face Donnie. "Donnie, do you mind explaining what happened?"

Donnie opened his mouth and then closed it. What was he supposed to say? He was having sensory issues so he ditched them in the heat of the battle? Nope, not happening. He really was a jerk, wasn't he? So instead, he just settled for shrugging.

Mikey gave him a sympathetic smile. "That's okay. You can tell us later."

Raph looked scandalized. "No, we need to talk about it now."

"No we don't, Raph. Donnie obviously needs a break right now." Leo had made an appearance. He handed Donnie his figit cube. "Here. I think you might want this."

Donnie was amazed that Leo had figured out what he wanted so fast. Even he couldn't most times.

Donnie looked at him in confusion and started playing with the cube.

Leo chuckled. "Well, all the signs were there: non-verbal, excessive stimming, flinching at every loud noise. It just took someone to actually pay attention to see it."

Mikey hummed in understanding. "So, this is why you left? Because you were... having a moment?"

"It's not called having a moment, it's called overstimulation," Leo answered.

Donnie felt tears prickle into his eyes and he looked away. He felt so guilty for ditching them. How could he have been so selfish? They could have gotten hurt without him, and he was just sitting in an alley. He sniffed.

Raph gained a worried look after hearing that. "What's wrong, buddy? You still not feeling good?"

Donnie felt the tears make their way down his face. He whispered his response. "I feel guilty."

They didn't need to ask Donnie what he meant. They knew.

Leo hummed. "Well, you shouldn't. You have no reason to be. Your body and brain just work a little differently from everyone elses. You can't help it. Plus, you guys never hold it against me when I need a break, so why would we do that to you?"

Donnie smiled. Leo always knew that the best way to get through to him was through facts and data. "Thank you." After a pause, he added in a whisper, "I love you guys."

"We love you too, Dee."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Send me an ask for any requests you might have for me to write!

[naivesilver]

AU masterpost to keep myself (and everyone else) from getting lost

So since apparently I can't stop creating New Things, I thought I could compile a comprehensive list of all tags and links to keep within reach for a change ✨I'll make sure to update it as I post more/already existing stuff grows content-wise

(Actual list under the cut obviously)

Once Upon A Time AUs

Thousand Problems Verse: The AU where Geppetto never sent his son through the wardrobe and Pinocchio was therefore hit by the curse like everyone else, destined to deal with his fairytale-esque issues alongside the more mundane ones you'd expect from a Storybrooke teenager.

Series on Ao3 - Tumblr main tag - Pinocchio's friends tag - Grace's clique tag - Parents tag

Ever After Storybrooke: OUAT/Ever After High fusion where the EAH protagonists are the children of the OUAT fairytale characters instead. Cedar Wood focused.

Tumblr tag

Stray Saplings: Originally an offshoot of the Pinocchio Swap, where every version of Pinocchio inexplicably switched universe overnight, now a self-indulgent take on August having to navigate being the (gasp) responsible adult for a few of his most traumatized counterparts

Tumblr tag

Appalachian Wine: Eliana is the Blue Fairy's biological daughter, but more importantly, she's August's older sister, and that doesn't bode well for anyone - especially her mother.

Tumblr main tag (with storyline fics) - Eliana tag

TMNT AUs

Shaking The Latch: 2003/Rise crossover where freshly mutated Lou Jitsu falls into the 2003 TMNT universe with his very young sons and gets to meet four more of them (older, brasher and way too enthusiastic about babysitting), plus himself 2.0 (and isn't that the scariest prospect).

Ao3 link - Tumblr tag

Sonic AUs

Salvector AU: Italian classic Inspector Montalbano, but with Sonic characters. Chief of Vigata City police Vector has to investigate the bizarre murder of Dr Starline, even after all suspects seem to fall on the scientist's uncommon ward.

Ao3 link - Tumblr tag

Belle & The Gang: Instead of taking Belle back to the Restoration HQ after rescuing her, the Chaotix take her in. Disaster ensues, but maybe there's space for some healing, too.

Series on Ao3

Miscellanea AUs

Frater Meus (Lies of P videogame): Post Real Boy ending. Carlo, recently resurrected, uses his influence to bring Romeo and P back to his side, one angry but uncertain about the best course of action, the other in a shape that suits the nature of his original creation - a scared child who got his heart ripped out. In a city still in shambles, with a son that aches for his younger brother, Geppetto really should sleep with an eye open.

Series on Ao3

Sunset/Spring (Pokemon Legends Arceus): Akari, the girl from the future, is not half-grown and capable of pulling her own weight, but a small child with no memory whose presence cannot be explained. Just what is Arceus' plan, exactly?

Series on Ao3

Signs (Disney Descendants): Lampwick finds his way back to Pinocchio before the Isle of the Lost is sealed, and they build their own family from then on, old grudges be damned.

Series on Ao3

Baby Cedar & Uncle Wick (Ever After High): Cedar Wood's childhood and growth, surrounded by a doting grandfather, a protective father and a "friend" of her father's who is not always the best of influences.

Series on Ao3 - Tumblr ficlet #1 - Tumblr ficlet #2

[felyas-stuff]

guess who finally started reading more issues of something other than idw anyway yeah I’ve been reading a lot of Mirage TMNT lately and my opinion on Mirage!Honeycutt shifted from "eh whatever, kinda boring" to "what a sassy little guy with a huge identity crisis. i like him"

Also, some explanations for my headcanon design (spoilers ahead, obviously):

I think him wearing clothes would make sense not only because wearing clothes is a very human thing to do (I know wether or not he’s Zayton in Mirage is debatable but still) - but also because in Mirage’s TMNT universe SAL got mass-produced without Honeycutt’s consent. Someone stealing your invention is already bad enough, but when this invention is your BODY now…yeah, you gotta at least do everything you can to differentiate yourself from other robots 😳

After his eye got damaged in Mere Appendix it got replaced with a different eye from the same unit and…Well, if we count OG SAL as a prototype - they usually vary in one way or another from the "final product" so yeah, I’m giving him heterochromia

[sonicasura]

Sky (Skyward Sword Link) is practically a demon magnet in my opinion. Why? Well, Demise was the Demon King which is a kind of role that you don't sneeze at. Demonic hierarchy is something taken very seriously especially when it concerns the king.

You do know what happens when a ruler in power is slain right? Absolute chaos as everyone scrambles to reclaim balance whether it be power or order. One such example is the City At War episodes of TMNT 2003. By taking out the Shredder, who also controlled the Purple Dragons, various gangs try to take his place as it left a huge power vacuum.

This put everyone living in New York City in the hot seat especially the SLAYER(S) aka the Turtles and Co. Crime kept running rampant until Karai seized control as leader of the Purple Dragons for everything to deescalate. By killing Demise, Link put a huge target on his head for every demon to gun down cause I imagine the Demon Realm isn't gonna be stable after that.

His soul definitely could've been marked with a special signature that only the supernatural or those highly adept in magic could detect. I'm also not forgetting a potential flare alerting every devil kin about Demise's fall. Signs or changes that can only happen under these circumstances.

Now their reasons to seek out Sky is like a mixed bag. It can mean good or very bad depending on the motives and party in question. Some demons/devils could seek to serve him as he took out their former master.

Eternal servitude, whether it be by magic or tradition, is a thing in both literature and myth. Some devils might even drag Link down to take Demise's place as Demon King. Power is often viewed above all standards as challenges for the throne often happen in certain cultures or societies.

Sky slayed Demise in one on one combat. It wasn't a group effort like in the original heroes who sealed the Demon King away. He still qualifies and desperate people will go to extreme lengths just to restore natural order. A power vacuum can cripple an entire civilization. If stopping it means a Skyloftian takes the throne then so be it as Link is the only one to prove his strength.

The other reason demons would seek him is either to kill or control him. Link's the only person who was able to slay Demise. An act that can spur vengeance from the fallen Demon King's loyal followers. Some would kill Sky just to gain right to the throne as he now stands in their way.

Manipulation is on the table as some demons will think the hero possesses something no one else has. A possible advantage against all their enemies if they play their cards right. Demons could try to make Link a puppet king or use him for their own goals. After all, the reach of the Demon King must be immense.

Whatever way you put it, the first incarnation of the Chosen Hero is now demon bait. Link better hope there isn't any viable portals between his realm and the demon realm cause oh boy. Creating a settlement on the surface just got a whole lot harder.

For anyone in the Linked Universe fandom, demon attacks will definitely become a thing. Who knows what era has active connections to the demon realm nor how strong each can potentially be. Sky's marked soul will still be on the radar unless it's hidden.

Although he and Hyrule can now bond over being curse buddies. Even if the reasons why they are being hunted down for is different. The Fierce Deity would immediately detect Sky's marked status and the Skyloftian might have to spill the beans right there.

I don't think even a deity like Fierce will have tact when it comes to a serious issue such as this. That's my opinion anyway. Until next time folks, I'll see you back at Skyloft.

[sillyandquest]

I just realized something-

In the TMNT 2012 series, Kirby O'Neil is a psychologist so he could very well help the turtles with their trauma and maybe some other potential issues they never noticed.

I heard that Leo's visions of his deceased father are a potential symptom of schizophrenia. I personally don't think he has it, but I do like to think about it. Magic IS a canonical thing in the 2012 universe after all so maybe spirits do as well. Either way, the fact Leo is trying to speak to his father's spirit at all, even though he is no longer with them, is cause for concern. By that point the turtles had already met April's dad, so they could go to him for help if they got too overwhelmed.

I'm gonna add a cut off here so that you don't have to read about how this will effect that Mutant Mashup Au I've got with @possumsarenice if you don't want to.

Thanks for continuing to read!

Anyway, since canon Mr. O'Neil is a psychologist, in the Au he'd get along pretty well with Orange (Rise Mikey). He might think "Dr. Delicate Touch" comes off a little strong but thinks it's funny nonetheless. I kinda wonder their first meeting was Orange eagerly asking questions about Kirby's process and what it's like helping people through their issues. Kirby probably got a bit overwhelmed, but how could he resist this kid? (Rise Mikey in general just radiates "adopt me" vibes. Those puppy dog eyes let him get away with SO MUCH in this AU it's unreal.)

Kirby is a ball of nerves most of the time and over thinks a lot. Generally very stressed out, but he does love his daughter and only wants to see her happy. He'd definitely adopt the Hamato's, he knows they make May (2012 April) feel like she belongs so he doesn't mind them crashing at his apartment for movie nights or snacks or even if one of them needs advice.

Since I brought up Kirby it only feels appropriate to wonder about Carol O'Neil. In the Au, I imagine she's an accepting lady, if her daughter is anything to go by, and is generally very friendly. She'd also have that "calming vibe" and is very caring as long as you behave. She's a strong and encouraging mother that can and will mama bear April and her friends.

When it comes to both of them, Kirby and Carol are great friends. She and Kirby are probably those parent friends that meet up every once in a while to talk about whatever adventure their daughters went on. I don't really see them as a couple, just really good neighbors! Carol's calm nature helps keep Kirby from exploding with worry whenever May isn't home on time or something like that. I imagine both sets of O'Neil's live in the same apartment building, but are like a floor or two away from each other. May and April probably had several sleepovers as kids, so Kirby and Carol each have several blankets and pillows tucked away in case the girls ever need an emergency sleepover.

I think that both of them met the Hamato's at the same time, maybe during the Krang invasion. April and May were worried about their parents and quickly introduced them to the turtles before letting them know the situation. In this Au, the invasion lasts longer than canon, so Carol and Kirby bonded with Yoshi and Lou before Yoshi's death. Over time the two adopt the turtles one by one, Carol thinks they're sweet boi's while Kirby thinks they're kind hearted hooligans and always laughs at Blue's or Simoni's jokes.

[rainbowfoxes]

So a little IDW!TMNT theory I've cooked up

Recently, one of the creators for the comic — One Ms. Sophie Campbell — stated that as of issue #112, about 5 years have passed since the series started. You can see her post here.

Now I've gone back to read the issue to confirm, and it looks like at some point in the process, "5 years" got changed to "several" as you can see on this page.

Now, it seems like at some point, "five years" was changed to "several years" (and we can tell that this was a later change due to how clunky "we're only about several years old" is as phrase. We're going to take Ms. Campbell's word, though because a) I trust her memory and authority on the subject as both the author and artist for this issue and b) it makes things much more interesting.

Here's why:

In issue #69's (nice) Ninja Notes editorial column, editor Mr. Bobby Curnow (at least, I assume it is Mr. Curnow who responded to the letters to the editor at this time. Regardless, the point stands) states that the turtles "span roughly from fifteen to nineteen," as you can see here:

Now, issue #69 came out in May of 2017. Issue #1 came out in August of 2011. Following our 2:1 ratio, that means it had been three years since the start of the series. By extrapolation, that means the boys were twelve to sixteen as of issue #1.

But wait! There's more!

Issue #1 establishes that the turtles mutated 18 months prior to the start of the series, which puts them mentally at ten-and-a-half to fourteen-and-a-half.

And now we draw it all together:

In the IDW continuity, the Turtles and their father are the reincarnations of the Hamato family, all of whom were executed by Oroku Saki several hundred years ago. If the boys were about mentally about ten to fourteen when they mutated? That means they were about ten to fourteen when this —

— Happened.

Now, all this is done without taking into account some in-universe time skips. Comic book time is very Jeremy Bearimy like that. But I think it's close enough that I can confidently say not a one of those boys was over 16 when they were murdered, and I think the younger they are the more heartbreaking everything is. They spent almost their whole lives on the run, training to get vengeance, only to die before they could even be considered adults. And then Splinter goes and sets them on the same path when they get a second chance at life...

(but that's it's own post)

[All images are described. If there is any problem with the descriptions, please let me know!]

[skeleton-in-a-hoodie]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love 💚

Playing with Shadows - part one of Dead Doesn't Mean Gone au

This was supposed to be a oneshot, but I quickly got really attached to this version of Mikey and Splinter and the fic ended up being six chapters long. By the time the first draft of this fic was done, it was the first part of a series and I started really thinking about what happened to both these characters and where to take them in the future.

2. Memento Mori (Remember That You Must Die) - part three of DDMG

DDMG Tang Shen is a lot of fun to write. Figuring out who she was when not someone's dead wife/mother was as entertaining as it was interesting, and the answer was apparently someone who's simultaneously filled with so much love and a desire to protect her daughter, as well as constantly cataclysmically enraged at all the people who have wronged her. If dropped into season 1 of the 12 universe, Shredder would be dead within a week.

Her relationship with DDMG Splinter now lives in my brain rent free - they were so close to moving to NYC, and being happy together, but everything went to hell instead. I am so excited for when we (eventually) get to her and Splinter meeting up again.

I will say there are parts in this fic that assign more blame to Shen than is fair regarding what happened + the arguments she and Yoshi had about moving. That isn't me blaming her for them having relationship issues because Splinter is my blorbo - her husband died horribly and was simultaneously blamed or a lot of stuff he didn't do + his name was dragged through the mud, so a combination of that and survivor's guilt has left Shen blaming herself a lot more than she should, because the idea of blaming him for anything, even the times he was a stubborn mule, makes her feel complicit.

3. The Whole Being Dead Thing - part one of Ghost Splinter 2 Electric Boogaloo

Splinter dies and keeps making awful (un)life choices, which all blow up in his face.

Also fun fact: the name for this au was supposed to be a jokey placeholder name until I thought of a better one, because saying "that au where splinter dies" also describes DDMG. But then I got attached to it

4. The Pied Piper of New York - part two of DDMG.

I know DDMG has taken up most of this list, but in my defence I've not written many fanfics. Also it's my comfort au and I enjoy shaking it like a dog. Actual picture of how I write this au below:

This is probably the first fic I wrote that really started to include horror elements, which are a lot of fun to write. Getting to write Mikey's brothers and how they bounce off one another and Splinter is also entertaining, cause I get to explore how they're different or similar from their 12 counterparts e.g. Leo gradually coming to see Splinter as one of them, but not liking the idea of Splinter being Mikey's dad because it a) interfers with Leo's own pre-existing plans and b) he doesn't want to think about their dad being replaced.

5. Lone Turtles and Cubs - part one of tmnt ageswap au/ dubiously canon for The Road to Hell.

I'm still proud of this fic - it was one of the first things I wrote after not being able to write for 5+ years, and is one of the first fics I managed to finish.

Basically the Turtles throwing a party to commemorate their rat nephew and sort of human nieces being given their first weapons, with flashbacks to shortly after they all got mutated.