#i just really like their dynamic in 2003 okay

[dysfunctional-doodle]

Raph finds Mikey annoying but if you hurt Mikey he will kill ya lol

Exactly. Mikey is annoying but he couldn’t live without him.

Something I really like about 2003 was the subtle hints throughout the show illustrating how much Mikey means to Raph. It is never said out loud, but watching the series again made me see details that I had missed, some more obvious than others.

First off, that moment in attack of the mousers where Raph, cornered by mousers, is oddly sincere when Mikey makes a joke to try and ease the tension of them potentially getting killed:

“This is it, it’s been fun guys!”

“Even me, Raph?”

“Even you Mikey - especially you.”

Mikey’s tone is light, half joking but Raph responds in complete sincerity (at least that’s how I interpreted it lol). The show had already begun showing that Raph has a fondness for Mikey different from his other brothers. I was pondering as to why, and I think I have a reason.

Mikey, I think, is his best friend (at least before Casey). At the very least, he’s someone that he can always goof around with, always willing to do whatever reckless shit he’s doing. Mikey is annoying, but Raph teases him for it, which I turn releases any pent up stress he has. Mikey is just as reckless and rough as he is, and Raph knows this. He knows how much Mikey means to him, even if Mikey doesn’t.

Another major example I can think of is in Back to the Sewers, when all the brothers get mind controlled by a virus and believe they are a part of The Foot Clan. To break the control, a strong memory of emotion/love (it wasn’t too clear, just a fond/treasured memory for them) needed to be remembered. Whilst the other brothers remembered their childhood with Splinter as the final memory, Raph was much harder to fix.

When he did remember, however, it wasn’t a memory of Solinyer that broke the control - it was a memory of Mikey. It seems really small. Just a memory of Raph dunking Mikey’s head into his cake on his birthday, but this kinda solidifies the theory for me.

Raph loves Mikey because of that annoying, playful streak he has in him that fits his own personality so well. His best memory seemed insignificant, but I think it’s actually the opposite. Him being able to be much more irresponsible and youthful only happens with Mikey around because Mikey brings that out of him. Honestly, with what Mikey said about their roles in the family in season 4, it wouldn’t surprise me if Mikey was fully aware of this fact and is why he doesn’t mind being teased by him.

TLDR: Mikey is annoying but in the best way for Raph. You mess with Mikey, you deal with Raph

[exhaustedwriterartist]

Okay so you said Rise Leo is your favorite, but it took a good bit of time for him to get to that spot. It sounds like there’s a story there, and I’m curious. Would you mind sharing?

Hi Crow! There is a bit of a story.

I'm going to be completely honest, I did not like ROTTMNT when it first came out. It was so different from 2012, 2003, and the 2007 movie, and I didn't like that when I was younger. Because of all the differences, Rise Leo was my least favorite out of the turtles. 2007 Leo/2012 Leo were my all time favorites at the time, so it was hard for me to accept this silly boy. Looking back, I have no clue why my younger self didn't give ROTTMNT a chance, because this show rocks!

When I finally got into ROTTMNT and accepted that every iteration is going to have big and small differences, it quickly became my favorite iteration. Why? Because I find all the turtles and April very relatable, the 2D animation is one of my favorite styles, and all the lore and stories in the show are so well told. For the longest time, Rise Donnie was my favorite, and he's still up there for me.

But why is Rise Leo my favorite now? Because I relate to him the most out of the four brothers and I love his dynamic in the show. Of course not fighting bad guys and stopping an alien invasion, but his struggle to find his purpose in both his family and in team, his "it'll be fine"/laid back attitude towards his problems and things in general (excluding things that he is passionate about [as it is for me too]), his relationships with his siblings, his struggle with taking on leadership responsibilities (out of fear of failing his team), the endless amount of jokes and references he makes, the love and care he has for his family, his times of a younger sibling being a menace, his struggle with guilt and his problem of blaming himself, him being a silly guy, his problems solving skills and ability to think outside the box, his stubbornness, his determination, and many many more things about him I relate with. I could talk about him for hours and hours.

Yeah... This blue boy really is my favorite character, not just turtle.

Thanks for asking Crow!

[tmntkiseki]

The very long post where I talk about all the stuff I like from each of TMNT 2003's three art styles (and nitpick at the stuff I don't)

Seasons 1 - 5

When most people think of TMNT 2003's art style, they are thinking of the first five seasons. The dark muted colors, the heavily muscled designs of the turtles, the dynamic lighting effects that change depending on the location, time of day, and the weather. But what is it about the style from the first five seasons that is just so damn tasty?

Interviews with Peter Laird reveal that in terms of the turtles' appearances for the 2003 series, while he doesn't dislike the 1987 turtles, he did find them too cutesy for his liking and described their designs as being "puffy" and "kind of inflatable." The way the 2003 turtles were designed with heavy, well-defined builds was to firmly establish them as ass-kicking superheroes capable of inhuman feats of strength and agility in combat. This is even reflected in the choice to give them white slits for eyes like their Mirage comic book counterparts, which further emphasizes just how serious and intimidating these versions of the beloved characters are meant to be.

One of the things that really does stick out with me with the turtles is the use of "shade with black." Ever since I started learning how to draw in middle school, I've always been told to never shade with black; it looks flat, the colors aren't as deep, your art will suffer for it, etc. But for TMNT 2003, the choice to shade with black is actually of benefit to the series. People love TMNT 2003 for arguably being the darkest and grittiest animated incarnation of the TMNT with a lot of scenes that REALLY pushed the limit of what was okay to show on children's television, and color choice does so much to set the tone of the kind of story you're telling. I especially love it when the shading is used to emphasize expression, like when the turtles are angry or scowling. (Pictured: Raphael during "Meet Casey Jones.")

While on the topic of shading; it's amazing how dynamic the lighting is for this series. As I mentioned earlier, depending on whether a scene takes place indoors, outdoors, underground, underwater, during the daytime, during night, in the rain, etc. the lighting changes to reflect whatever situation the characters find themselves in, whether they're in a hard fought battle with the Shredder or just relaxing in the lair. Lighting for scenes is further affected by things like monitors, candles, street lamps, and other things, and it really brings out both the characters and the environments. (Though I can imagine it was incredibly taxing on the animators, who didn't have access to the same technology that's available now.)

Obviously if I had to nitpick, one of the biggest shortcomings of the 2003 series primary art style is the fact that there isn't a lot to differentiate the turtles from each other physically. If you take away their colored headbands and weapons, the only thing you have to tell them apart is their skin colors; Leonardo is forest green, Raphael is a deep emerald green, Donatello is olive green, and Michelangelo is myrtle green. Without those differing skin tones, there really is nothing setting the brothers apart from each other other than their headbands and weapons (something that the Fast Forward and Back to the Sewer did fix to an extent.)

And this is definitely a "me" thing, but to an extent, I do find the way their builds are drawn is a bit too... bulky? I know they're mutants, that cartoon/comic book style is all about exaggeration of physical features, and that the whole point of giving them these well-defined muscles was to make them appear powerful and athletic, but I dunno man. When I think of ninjas, the first things I think of are "speedy" and "acrobatic," followed by "strong," and while you obviously need a considerable amount of muscle to wield the weapons and perform the stunts that they do, there is a point where too much muscle does ruin the idea that that these turtles are just as fast as they are strong. But, again, it's a "me" thing and I'm pretty sure there are a LOT of people who would disagree with me on this.

Fast Forward

I mentioned in my last post that, believe it or not, I actually do prefer the overall art style for Fast Forward. Why? There are certainly arguments to be made about why Fast Forward's art style is inferior to the first five seasons; for instance, the lighting isn't nearly as dynamic, the designs are simpler and not as detailed, and the overall color palette is far more saturated. So why do I like it so much?

Well, simple: It ultimately boils down to personal preference.

Given my minor ramble about how I don't like how bulky the builds were for the first five seasons, Fast Forward is (to me) an improvement in terms of how the turtles are portrayed in terms of physical appearance. They still undeniably have a lot of muscle to them, but it looks a lot more natural and I can believe they are as fast and agile as they are strong. Fast Forward was also the season where they attempted to individualize the turtles' physical appearances a little more, and while there could have been a bit more effort in that regard (like keeping the missing chunk in Leo's shell from seasons 4 and 5; seriously, why is that gone?), I think they succeeded. Donatello is the tallest and slimmest, Raphael has the most muscle and broadest shoulders, Michelangelo is the shortest, Leonardo is a nice middle ground, etc.

I also really, really love the designs for turtles' gear this season. A lot of people have mentioned how good the turtles look in black/dark colors, and they really do look more like proper ninja this season, albeit future-themed. The praise I have for the designs extends to the supporting cast and villains as well; the future setting, with all its aliens and technology, offers so much in the way of creative potential, and characters like Cody, Darius, Bishop, the Dark Turtles, and many more all have very appealing designs despite being simpler than the earlier seasons.

However, for all that I love about Fast Forward's art style, there are two aspects to it that I have a massive love-hate relationship with.

First off: The shape of the turtles' heads. They are basically pentagons/hexagons this season depending on the angle they're drawn from and this actually isn't the worst thing if you're learning how to draw the 03 turtles? Because visualizing their heads as pentagons/hexagons is actually very helpful when trying to draw them as they appear in earlier seasons. However, in the context of Fast Forward, the more geometric shapes of the turtles' heads is almost too simple and does make them a little... dopey looking at times. Which becomes even more confusing as to why they went with such basic shapes for their heads when some of the official Fast Forward art uses a much rounder style for the heads that looks SO MUCH better in comparison.

The other aspect to Fast Forward's art style that I have a love-hate relationship with is the overall color palette, which was a consequence of the season going for a lighter, more humorous tone when compared to earlier seasons. It's funny because normally I absolutely love bright, vibrant colors and it doesn't actually look bad knowing Fast Forward's tone, but given I'm one of the people who does not like how different the writing is from previous seasons and how much it affected both the storytelling and characters, obviously I want my Fast Forward turtles with darker, more muted colors. (Though keep the glowy bits. I love my glowy bits.)

Back to the Sewer

And now we get to probably the only art style from this series that I do somewhat dislike.

So, let's talk about something that was originally an issue for me, and is an issue for a lot of people who watched this season: the fact that the turtles' eyes are visible through their masks. Obviously, after six seasons of the turtles only having white slits for eyes, this change is pretty jarring and back when I first started watching Back to the Sewer, I was not happy about it either, especially with just how cutesy the eyes are (and normally I'm the biggest fan of cute; one of my favorite "junk food" anime is Acchi Kocchi, for crying out loud.)

But after actually watching Back to the Sewer, two things happened: first, I got used to the turtles having their eyes visible, and eventually I realized that this is actually to the turtles benefit. The turtles are arguably at their most expressive in Back to the Sewer, and the eyes further help individualize the turtles; Leonardo and Raphael both have smaller, more angular eyes, while Donatello and Michelangelo have rounder eyes (likely to make them look more youthful compared to their older brothers.)

I still don't totally like the 03 turtles having eyes, but again, that's probably because we literally spent six seasons with just white slits and when compared to the changes Fast Forward made to the show's art style, the ones in Back to the Sewer are even more extreme and it just feels very unnecessary. (Based on early concept art of Leonardo for the season, it looks like they were trying to mimic the style of the 2007 movie, which would explain the eyes, as well as changes to Splinter's design and April getting completely redesigned.)

THAT SAID, they did go all out with the turtles' attire for Back to the Sewer. Stuff like the cybernaut armor, the stealth suits, the goofy fantasy garb from the MMORPG they end up playing, and the tuxes they wear at April and Casey's wedding are all incredibly appealing and while, again, I don't like the lighter tone of this season, they probably wouldn't have been able to put the turtles in these outfits had it still been dark and gritty like seasons 1 - 5 (I have seen quite a bit of fanart of Donny in his Sorcerer outfit and that makes me a lot happier than you realize, haha.)

Sadly, my compliments to Back to the Sewer do end there and it's probably for the best that I end this post here anyway since it's 3:15 in the morning and I'm falling asleep at my keyboard. (I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and see just how many typos I made.)

Thank you for listening to me ramble about my TMNT 03 art opinions and have a good day/night!

[randomcerealbrand]

What’s your favorite TMNT ship besides Timatello?

Also another question, how would you react when your online friend turned out to be a Roblox YouTuber?

Favorite TMNT ship? Uhhhh...

I don't have any other ships I like as much as Timatello. I know some of my friends' OCs that are shipped with the turtles (in a not weird way dw) but they don't technically count.

I like Leosagi, but mostly 2003 Leosagi and certainly not 2012.

Aprinardo in TOTTMNT is alright, I like them being a couple because they actually aren't weird towards eachother and it's wholesome, but I only see them as platonic.

Leochi (Leo and Yuichi Usagi) is pretty good, I love the concept of Yuichi working at the Run Of The Mill Pizza, or a crossover between dimensions.

Shellshocked is sweet, but it could never happen, unfortunately.

Donnie and Atomic Lass is just funny as hell.

Apritello is something I don't really enjoy, especially in 2012, because of the way they wrote it. If written correctly, I can see this ship happening from a platonic standpoint.

Mikey and Renet - Again, platonic.

Raph and Mona Lisa - 2012 did it and it was rather undercooked and he never actually called her by her actual name, which was odd. Overall it's very sweet but I wish they had more time to develop it. Again, I'd love to make them a thing in my Rise fanon, but my current storyline is incomplete.

Raph and Alopex - Yeesh, the age gap that some of the artists said they had was.. Odd, to say the least. But their relationship definitely did grow to be pretty good until they parted ways. I'd be down to make Alopex best friends with Raph, but the romantic aspects don't vibe with me.

Donnie and Bigfoot - Get the fuck out.

Any of the turtles in general x April - Depends on the way the canon version wrote it. (Aprinardo is currently the only good one.)

April x Irma - Sillies :]

Leorai - This is dogshit.

Baronjitsu - I mean... Sure, I guess. I like the concept.

Splinter x Tang Shen - Canon in 2012, I liked it, it was sweet. As for ROTTMNT, I like how she was one of his co-stars in the Lou Jitsu movies.

April x Casey - Depends on the iteration. 2003 is great, 2012 can go fall off a cliff. 2018 would be cute :]

Raph x Casey - Sure.

Donnie x Casey - 2012; fix the amount of toxic behavior and hostility they have towards eachother, and I'll talk to you about it.

Vernon x April - Bayverse; He's okay, I guess he just misread her signals, but she doesn't like him back and I suppose he respects that.

Donnie and Mona - IDW Comics - Very cute, I like it :)

Donnie and Irma - We don't get to see much of them throughout the franchise, but I like their dynamic in 1987 (platonically) and I enjoyed their dynamic in 2012 as well.

Leo and Koya - I like it. Not much else to say.

Frida x Casey - YES. YES.

Casey Jr. x Nobody - AROACE CJ FOR THE WIN‼️‼️‼️

Splinter and Big Mama - I mean there is some tension there, but I don't think they'd ever get back together.

Leo and Dale - I honestly really like it, they're just two guys in the apocalypse who really like eachother :]

April and Dale - I bet Dale realizes that he likes men and immediately starts apologizing to April. She forgives him and they become besties and they gossip with Sunita and Casey about shit 😭

I saw someone ship Sunita and Dale together once and cringed so 🤷

Sunita x April - I like it, it's cute, but I feel like it's pretty platonic. I'll think about it more as time goes on, but yeah.

Sunita x Raph - I once saw a friend of mine ship these two together and honestly, I liked it! Very good art, very good opinions on it.

Those are all the ships I can remember off the top of my head. But none of these compare to Timatello.

[pink-arcee]

I see you just got into TMNT now you started 2k3. That’s so cool. I know Donnie is your favorite but I want to ask for the iterations so far. What’s your opinion on each of the TMNT? Individually. /gen question

Oh my god prepare for a YAP

I’ll have this under a cut because this is a long one.

Okay so I’ve seen most of the TMNT iterations/parts of each one, plus I’ve read a couple of the comics. Overall Donnie is definitely my favorite, in each iteration, but second place shifts depending on the series. It’s honestly interesting because the first time I watched anything tmnt Mikey was my favorite with a Donnie as second place, but now Donnie’s my favorite.

1987 show:

I’ve only seen the first season, plus a couple of clips, so I don’t have a super big opinion on it. I’m planning on watching it all the way through eventually. So far it seems pretty funny, though I can’t hear Raph speak without thinking it’s Donnie. ‘87 was the one my dad watched so we’ve talked about it a couple of times. Shredder and Kraang are really funny, they act like an old married couple and it’s hilarious. Splinter is also really funny (“They named me Splinter, for obvious reasons” - that killed me). Shredder’s voice is certainly interesting but it works

1990’s movies:

I’ve seen the first one like 12 times, and the other two I watched a while ago so I don’t fully remember them. The first one is fucking phenomenal. Casey Jones’ intro was amazing, and as a kid I literally wanted to BE him. (Lowkey still do). It’s probably one of my favorite movies ever. The brothers’ dynamic, Casey and April’s dynamic, it’s all great. The Foot Clan looked awesome, Shredder was awesome. The way they dumped Raph into the damn bathtub. Amazing. Raph’s super loud “DAMN” as Casey ran off. My dad and I quote this movie on the regular. Mikey being a goofball the entire movie? (“Pork rind?” “Pork rind.”) Donnie doesn’t have as much characterization as Raph, but he’s still my favorite. Raph’s a close second. I’ve heard the second and third ones aren’t as good as the first one, but I’m still going to watch them soon. I’ve heard Casey isn’t in the second one which is actually tragic. I also heard that April’s actress changed, but I haven’t seen her so I don’t really have an opinion on that.

2003 show:

I’m almost done with season 2 of it, and so far it’s literally awesome. Donnie has once again claimed favorite, but Raph is again close behind him. I love all the angst. It has its goofy moments, but I like that the story is serialized as opposed episodic. I’m very excited for SAINW. Since Donnie is my favorite you all know I love Donnie angst and SAINW is basically a staple in Donnie angst. I really like the brothers’ relationships with one another. I also really like their voices, Leo and Donnie sound super similar. I also really like how impulsive Donnie is - he saw that portal in the Kirby episode and dove straight in like a dumbass and I love him for it. Leo being thrown through the window (classic Leo) was also funny as hell.

I also really like Splinter in it, I feel like he’s a lot more present than he is in some of the other series. In 2012 and Rise he’s mostly in the background but in 2003 he’s in most of the episodes. I like how often he jumps into the fight to protect his children as well. I’m used to 2012 and Rise so I wasn’t expecting him to be kicking ass in most of the fights, but here he is. I really like the artstyle of 2003 as well, it looks a bit like Young Justice and I was a huge fan of that show as a kid. April and Casey are awesome as well, April being a scientist was different but I liked it, she and Donnie can bond over their interests more. I also love himbo Casey - he’s got such a big heart, and even if he’s not the brightest he’s always trying. His and Raph’s relationship is iconic. Mikey is funny af as usual, though in 2003 he honestly gives Shaggy/stoner vibes, which works. I like how he’s actually one the best at ninjitsu, when they are sparring no one can really hit him. I like that the team is so close, everyone cares about everyone and there’s not a super big division in teams like in 2012. All in all I really love the show so far, and I’m very excited to see where it goes.

2007 movie:

I saw this movie once a long time ago, but I remembered I liked it. I finally found a way to watch it so I’ll probably watch it again once I finish 2003. I remember that there is a ton of angst in it (hell yeah) but since I haven’t seen it in a couple years I can’t really give a definitive opinion on it. From the clips I’ve seen, Donnie is still very much the favorite (“it’s not THAT kind of phone line!”)

Bayverse movies:

I’ll be so for real, I watched both of these movies in one sitting after 10 pm. It was interesting. It felt very off from how TMNT usually is, but I did like it. It’s definitely not my favorite, and there were a lot of parts I didn’t like (No Hamato Yoshi :( and why tf is Casey a cop???) but it was a pretty decent set of movies and I’ll probably watch them again eventually. It’s about the same as I feel with the Bay Transformers movies - they weren’t the best but they weren’t the worst things I’ve ever seen.

Donnie is still the favorite (“Well, you know the plan.” *jumps out of airplane*) and I think Mikey would probably be second favorite. He’s fun. I think Megan Fox is hot so I didn’t mind her, but I wish April actually had more of a personality. She seemed pretty bland, but it doesn’t really surprise me, the April writing seems to be pretty hit or miss. The turtles look… interesting. They’re very… tall… compared to their counterparts. The Shredder and Kraang kind of came out of nowhere in my opinion. It was a cool fight, though.

2012 show:

I just finished it, and holy shit it was honestly so good. Season 5 was kind of eh, but I loved the rest of it. Donnie is once again my favorite, with Raph at second. I really liked teenager Casey and April, and I also really liked how they let April learn how to defend herself. In a lot of the past iterations April has been a damsel in distress, but in 2012 she’s able to actually fight back. I wish we could have seen more of her struggle with her powers, especially more as she’s slowly possessed by the Aeon crystal. The Kraang’s dialogue was funny, and the Utrom reveal was cool. I was so sad when Splinter died (rip) I wish we could have seen more of their reactions to his death(s). The Space Arc was absolutely my favorite (which sucks because a lot of people apparently hated it). I wish there had been more of the Space Arc. I’m also a huge David Tennant fan so hearing him as Fugitoid was awesome. I liked how the brothers interacted, they bickered so much but it was never meant as more than jokes. Mikey intentionally pissing people off and then running was always funny.

I hated most of the love stories in 2012, Leo and Karai and April/Casey/Donnie specifically. Leo and Karai were called siblings several times (what were the writers on??) and it felt like April never had any actual chemistry with either of them. I loved April as well, so it sucked that they didn’t want to be consistent with her character/arc.

I was kinda iffy on Splinter, sometimes it felt like he was a great father but other times he made no sense. (Like grounding them all to the lair when they needed to stop the bad guys from destroying everything). I did like how he was willing to teach April and Casey even though they weren’t his kids, he taught April just about everything and helped Casey get better.

All in all, I really like the show. The animation wasn’t always the best, and the writing wasn’t always great, but I still loved it.

Rise, show and movie:

Rise was the first TMNT show I watched fully, and though I had seen bits of 2012, this was really my introduction to TMNT back in 2019. I love the show so much. Donnie is once again my favorite (as always) but this time Leo’s the second favorite. I really liked April and I wish we had seen more of Casey in the show before Junior showed up. I like when April is adopted into their family, so her being basically their sister was incredible. I really liked the way the brothers interacted with one another, and I really love the animation for it. I used Rise a lot to help me with my art when I was learning how to draw.

I wish we had gotten more of an overarching plot for Rise, but I did like what little of it we got. Rip Gram-Gram. I thought Splinter was an interesting take, but it made sense. Who wouldn’t becoming horribly depressed after being turned into a rat (especially after being a famous action star). I don’t think he was the best father, but he was trying towards the end. I liked what the writers did with the characters, they’re all relatively different than the previous iterations while still keeping some of the key components of each character. I liked how the Shredder was done, with him being more of a mythical creature than an actual man, and how he was possessed by the Krang’s armor (and the Krang were done so well)

The movie was amazing, I loved Casey Jr (so much angst potential) and the overall idea of coming back to see your family that doesn’t know you. It was such a cool way to have the Krang (and they were actually terrifying in Rise, in 2003 they were peaceful, in 2012 they were kinda dumb, but in Rise they fully murdered people on screen. Wacky.) I wish we had seen more Casey Sr - she was so cool and we didn’t even know she was Casey until the end. I wanted to see Casey and Raph bond :( Oh well, we have the fandom for that, I suppose.

Mutant Mayhem, movie and show:

I haven’t seen Tales yet (maybe after I finish 2003) but it looks promising. I loved Mutant Mayhem, it’s a very different vibe than the other ones (“Just getting a little silly here”) but it’s still pretty damn good. Donnie is still my favorite, with Mikey as a close second. This is actually the first version of the tmnt that is younger than me (I was about 12-13 when I first started watching Rise and I’m 18 now) so I was a little worried I wouldn’t like it because it’s for younger kids. Thankfully, I loved it. Definitely for younger people, but you know, it was still TMNT so I still watched it. It’s not my favorite version of them, but I’ll definitely watch it again.

I really wish Casey was in it (is Casey in Tales?) but April was so funny (“Yeah the longer you hide the more sus it gets”). I didn’t really like Splinter that much, but I also prefer it when he has a link to Hamato Yoshi (either by being him or being his pet) so I wasn’t too surprised that he wasn’t my favorite. Donnie was still peak though. I liked that they had teenagers playing them, even though I’m used to professional voice actors/adults playing them. I also liked how funky the art style was, it was similar to Spider-Verse and Spider-Verse was awesome.

The Last Ronin comic:

Oof oof ouch. Holy crap it’s so sad. Oof oof ouch.

In all seriousness, it was so good. I haven’t read the lost years, but I did read the normal comic and it was amazing. Horribly sad, but good. God, the way he could hear his brothers the whole time? The way he clearly blamed himself for what happened to them?

Casey Marie was amazing, and it’s so sad that Casey didn’t get to see his daughter grow up to be just like him. (To be fair, she’s almost a perfect mix of him and April). The ending was heartbreaking. The sudden descriptions of their deaths?

I don’t think the image of Casey’s mask on Leo’s swords will ever leave my mind.

IDW comics:

I’ve only read about half of the first volume, but it’s great so far! I’ve read Jennika’s story too, so I know a little bit from that as well.

Shredder and the Hamatos being reincarnated goes insane, by the way. I love the different art styles in the comics, they all look so good. I wish I could make posters out of every panel. April was once again a scientist, which is pretty cool.

Mirage comic:

I haven’t read the mirage comics, but once I get the money and I know where to find them I’m planning on buying them. They look awesome

Batman vs the TMNT:

I own the movie but I haven’t had the time to see it yet. I really want to, the art style is amazing and I really like the turtles’ new designs.

I feel like such a fake fan, I haven’t seen/read or only partially seen/read most of these. But yeah, I love TMNT and any excuse to yap about it I will take.

[pumpkinpie59]

rating tmnt love interests for the turtles

under the cut ;)))

leonardo

radical / raven shadowheart - mirage

6/10

-she seems pretty okay, but i can’t tell how old she is.

-she’s only his love interest in a possible future, not in the main timeline, but she freaking dies in that future lol.

-i mean i think it has potential but there’s not much there. they seemed cute for what we got tho.

-prolly my second fav leo love interest but that’s not saying much.

leonardo’s wife - mirage

5/10

-from his side story vision or whatever

-kinda average bc they’re cute but she doesn’t exist :/

lotus blossom - 1987

100000000000000000/10

-idk what to say they’re my otp lmao

-objectively best romantic relationship leonardo has ever had.

-they’re mutually into each other, work off of each other well, even splinter likes lotus so leonardo’s dad approves!!

-only downside is lotus hasn’t been in anything since and i think that’s why i’m so salty that they paired leonardo with april in the new movie (kinda but i’ll get to that).

venus de milo - next mutation

-1000000/10

-what the.

-that scene was painful to watch holy cow.

-“we’re just a mutant guy and a mutant girl” *lip bite* -> she just wanted a family bro 😭

carmen - archie

?/10

-all i know is that it’s from a possible future and the wiki says they’re implied to be interested in each other but i don’t trust the wiki so i’m skeptical

-also it’s weird for leonardo to date his pupil

koya - idw

-1/10

-*explodes*

-bruh they have no chemistry and he literally crippled her and she hates him for it.

-this only exists for the bad future and i’ll stand by that.

karai - 2012

-1000000000000000/10

-it’s worse than venus bc they both have splinter’s genetics. they are blood related.

-also they’re cousins too.

-“tHeY’rE nOt rLLy reLaTed” okay even if they weren’t blood related, it’s still weird as hell to crush on an adopted or step sibling/cousin. family is family regardless. and in a kids show especially; tmnt shouldn’t be telling kids it’s okay to crush on your adopted/step sibling/cousin!!!!

-karai led leonardo on.

-it sucks bc if you drop the flirting and crush completely, leonardo and karai’s dynamic is really good for both their characters!! new girl in town is legit one of my fav episodes just for how it portrays leo’s conflict with himself as a brother and as a leader. and he and karai’s dynamic is very interesting as friends and/or siblings or cousins.

april o’neil - mutant mayhem

5/10

-i mean it’s just okay imo.

-leo’s crush is adorable and i like their dynamic a lot.

-i just don’t think april is into him romantically. but their friendship is great.

-i honestly want leonardo to move on and let them be good friends. but i don’t want it to be drawn out and excruciating.

-also i want lotus in a sequel or the tv show 😭

raphael

mona lisa - 1987

9/10

-okay so. if i’m being completely honest, in the show they’re not really romantic. she’s a bit flirty but their dynamic is mostly platonic. which isn’t a bad thing!

-i think as a romantic pairing, they wouldn’t get together for a long time, but i do like them as a couple.

-it’s one of those pairings where i like them as both a romantic couple and as best friends and they work for both equally!

-they’re funny i like them.

venus de milo - next mutation

-1000000/10

-oh yeah raphael liked her too …

-blegh.

umeko / ninjara - archie

2/10

-i’ll be real i do not care about ninjara.

-they broke up so it doesn’t even matter.

mezcaal - archie

6/10

-raphael’s wife from a possible future.

-they’re adorable. shout out to archie raphael for being the only turtle to canonically get married.

-he gives her head pats :3

joi reynard - 2003

8/10

-he asked her out how sweet :3

-i wish joi showed up more i would’ve loved to see them interact more

alopex - idw

3/10

-GIRL GET OUT OF THERE HES NOT GOOD FOR YOU

-she was tWELVE when they met

-he was sIXTEEN

-what the HECK.

-also he was so moody toward her several times ugh

y’gythgba / mona lisa - 2012

10/10

-there we go. the best raphael romance.

-idk they’re cute.

-my only issue is that their first episode together is badly paced and i just wish they had more episodes together. but that’s the issue with 2012 in general not just them specifically.

donatello

jhanna - mirage

9/10

-literally the same as 03 except not as much interaction between them, however, donatello did look much more smitten in mirage?? ig???

-but yeah i love jhannatello :3333333

irma - 1987

2/10

-does this. count?

-idk i only included it bc irma kinda flirts with him more than the others and they end up being closer friends compared to the other turtles.

-yeah no i really don’t think this should. be shipped gjdjfj

-she’s an adult. tho it is weird that she flirted with him but ig the writers forgot the implications 😭

-i could see ppl making her a love interest in a version where she’s a teenager too but otherwise noooooooo

-i like their friendship tho they’re funny.

((((also shout out to next mutation donatello for not flirting with his sister so i don’t have to include her lol))))

jhanna - 2003

10/10

-my belovedssssss

-idc that it’s only implied I LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC

-i ship them so hard.

-they have more screentime together in 03 which is why i like it more than mirage.

-also they slept side by side so obviously it’s canon duhhh

renet - 2003

6/10

-included cause some ppl think they were a thing

-they’re cute ngl

-i think maybe they were into each other for a bit but it didn’t work out bc time travel romances don’t work

april o’neil - 2003

2/10

-donatello kinda had a crush on her but thank God it didn’t go anywhere.

-yeah no thanks lol.

-love their friendship tho they bestiessss

mona lisa - idw

1/10

-why is mona a jerk in idw smh

-i’ve already talked about this but yeah i do not like their situationship at all.

-give him jhanna i’m begging fjdjfjdk

april o’neil - 2012

9/10

-yES I RANKED THEM THAT HIGH SHUT UP

-only turtle x april ship i like; otherwise i’m a jhannatello stan

-keep in mind i only rlly “ship” them in season 4 onwards

-season 1 to 3 was their messy phase and they needed to grow up before they got together

-they were totally dating in season 5 fIGHT ME

-they’re idiots and i love them

bigfoot - 2012

-1/10

-fjdkdkskfjskkdjdksdj

-thanks to my sister for making me add this

-yeah what the.

tbh i don’t count batgirl hhh

michelangelo

princess seri - mirage

1/10

-what in the soap opera—

-no bc she seduced him, had his babies, sent him to jail, and left him there when he called out for help; he was justified to hate her

-the way this plotpoint gets dropped and never mentioned again LMAO

-mikey is the only turtle with canon kids 💀

kala - 1987

10/10

-the best michelangelo ship bite me

-THEYRE SO PURE

-the way he looked after her when they first met 😭

-their cute flirting fjskfjdkdk

-i love them

buffy shellhammer - 1987

4/10

-she’s annoying but she’s capable of handling herself so i like her lol

-but michelangelo liking her was super random and was only there bc the episode was a copy of the transformers g1 episode where powerglide falls for a human girl. i’m not joking both episodes were written by david wise and have the same plotpoints.

-“main flame” my butt michelangelo

-maybe he crushed on her bc kala being in an alternate dimension and near impossible to contact made him feel like it was never gonna work or something … that’s so sad omigosh

-leonardo of all ppl telling him it wouldn’t work bc she’s a human is hilarious tho. like boy lotus blossom is into you too and you know this lmao

mitsu - 3rd 90s movie

3/10

-i haven’t seen this movie, but i don’t like time travel romances.

venus de milo - next mutation

-1000000/10

-pls end me

sara hill / horridus - image

3/10

-… tbh i don’t like hook-up dynamics … it’s not romantic to me …

-also idc if a character is curvy but the girls in image comics are drawn so badly like they have no spine,,, just boobs and butt 💀

princess trib - idw

9/10

-finally a good mikey ship

-THEYRE ADORABLE

-the purest idw couple fr

-they’re just sweet to each other and encouraging and gahhhh

-mikey wanted to show her his manga collection to impress her and i think that’s funny

-it is kinda weird that trib is based on tribble from 1987,,, aka the neutrino baby … but whatever lol

renet - 2012

7/10

-i mean y’know whatever they’re cute

-it’s still a time travel romance which is … mehhh for me

-like it’s sad bc i don’t see it working out unless renet quits her timestress job …

shinigami - 2012

4/10

-pls they’re just friends.

-there’s no reason to make the turtles crush on every single girl character in the show 😭

april o’neil - bayverse movies

2/10

-end my suffering.

-making april pretend to think it’s funny was also cringe. like make her tell him to stop pls.

lemme know if i missed one ….

[velvetvexations]

i refuse to watch the clone high revival.

IT AIN'T GOOD

This is my full review I posted in a server back when it aired:

The cast changes are one of the biggest issues. It completely throws the whole dynamic off because they lost Ghandi, who, admittedly, was inconsequential in terms of long term character relationships even if he was like half the show, but they add THREE new people who are all supposed to be way more relevant to the serialized story. Two fall very flat and one is okay but still misplaced. Let's talk about that. Confucius, at first, seems like the obvious 1:1 replacement for Gandhi because he's a cheery dude who partakes in silly antics. He's not a full Gandhi clone [copy] because unlike Gandhi, who had a habit of just assuming he was cool and proceeded to act like it, Confucious is, like, trying to get popular on Tikstagram, I guess? That honestly didn't really come up a lot, he just sort of drifts around being there whenever they need a guy who's not JFK or Abe. Then near the end he ends up in a relationship with Harriet Tubman, which is like, okay, because she's the only character even more generic than he is. Seriously, there is NOTHING about Harriet, absolutely nothing, I can say about her personality beyond "once was briefly concerned about turning into a wine mom". Her design being completely unrecognizable as a historical figure really plagues her whole character, like I truly in my heart of hearts believe that if you read the scripts they would all say "TBD Woman of Color".

Which brings us to the sidelining of Cleo. In the first season, Cleo was a major character and focus of several episodes. She was the person JFK was dating, that Abe wanted to date, and that Joan was rivals with. The entire show revolved around that relationship chain. So it's super fucking weird that Cleo goes several episodes into the second season before she gets more than a handful of lines. Here's why I think that is: Obviously, the second season had to be finished or very nearly finished by the time the Cleopatra [Queen Cleopatra (2023)] stuff blew up recently, but I think even before that we've hit a point where people are a lot more aware that Cleopatra was not Egyptian Egyptian and that her portrayal as such in the first season would get a little more side-eyed. This is even more true considering the mandated loss of Gandhi, as she and him were the only non-white leads. Adding two or three more PoC characters made sense! But being so awkward with the handling of Cleo, who did at least manage to wiggle back into the main plot a little, was still weird, and it sucks that two of the three added PoC characters were so badly handled. So which one worked? Frida Kahlo was pretty cool. I don't know nearly enough about the IRL person, but I can at least define her character on the show as the hyper-chill laid back girl and she had several funny jokes, and based on the little I do know of who she is, they referenced her being an artist several times as well as her distinctive physical appearance. Also, apparently her bisexuality, because Frida ends up with Cleo. And, you know, that's fine, but fucking Cleo? Can I please get an episode or three or six or an entire season just about Cleo realizing she's gay, because fucking what? It comes out (ha) that Frida likes Cleo and from there it's like, cool, she just has to have the courage to tell her, but that makes no sense. Even in this season Cleo has multiple jokes about being The Girl Who Is Hyper-Competitive And Puts Down Other Girls, like from top to bottom the stereotypical cheerleader of 2003, because, hey, the whole premise is that the clones were frozen in 2003 and were just unfrozen! can I get anything dealing with that beyond Abe almost saying the r-word in the first episode? *The old clones are from 2003, the new characters were raised since then and that generation gap is actually interesting when properly explored which it barely fucking is.

Okay. Moving on. There's another new character, Christopher Columbus's clone who goes by Topher Bus because he doesn't want to be attacked for it, and that's the first of several funny jokes we get from him that make him way more likable than the show wants him to be. He's given the early flaw that he's a dick online, but not even in a racist way or anything like that? In fact, he's generally shown to be pretty woke, and the main cast casually shove him out of the way when he tries to get involved with things! If they wanted to depict someone who like, pretends to be woke but really is an asshole or something, they do a terrible job of it and have him come off more like someone who's trying but keeps getting kicked for literally zero reasons. "Oh, but he's mean online!" Yeah, to JFK, who was an asshole like literally last week from the perspectives of the older clones. I don't mind JFK getting hit with the likability stick, but like with Cleo being into women it comes out of nowhere aside from the Abe Says a Slur joke where that contrasts JFK being told he's so sex positive for a lame cringe reference to wanting to fuck and you're clearly meant to think "ah, the roles have been reversed, now JFK is just a confidant bro while Abe is in danger of being an angry loser incel", but it just! Needs! More! Development than that! One interesting part of that dynamic flip is that now instead of Joan secretly pining for Abe while Abe openly pines for Cleo, Abe is secretly pining for Joan while she continues to date JFK as in the first season's finale. It gets kind of lost in the politics of the gender swap, though. Like, Abe is now in that incel space, and he tries to manipulate Joan and then feels real bad about it and stops, but taking the way that's framed with other things that happen this season it's like, oh, it's bad for a guy to manipulate a girl like this, even though Joan did that exact kinna thing back in season one and it was more just "lol wacky hi-jinx!". I'm not trying to be all Misandry Double Standard here, but it's one more reason why it would always be really hard to modernize this show in the first place. Another thing about Abe along similar lines is the musical episode, where a big deal is made of Abe having White Guy Confidence, and that is fucking astounding to me. Like, what? Abe is a constantly anxious loser who is fully aware of that fact, I get that White Guy Confidence is a thing but why the hell is Abe getting tagged with it and not JFK, who absolutely has always suffered White Guy Confidence? Beyond the fact that JFK is now a cinnamon roll out of thin air and Abe's new arc is about avoiding the MRA trap?

In that same subplot you had Sacagawea, George Washington Carver, and Kublai Khan fighting to be exceptional enough to shine despite Abe's white mediocracy, and again like with the primary additions nothing is ever done with either who they were or who they are now. They are literally just there because Non-White, which I want to stress I'm not railing against as a concept, but their lines could be given to literally anyone. GWC was actually in the first season, I'm not sure about the others, and there were some Goddamn peanut jokes! Maybe boiling him down to peanuts is an unconsciously racist meme, as is boiling down all of Black science to "the peanut guy", but if the new series is above that then maybe use fucking someone else you are comfortable reflecting in a humorous cartoon fashion that people will understand? It's not necessarily a race thing, like "oh they were overly cautious with the PoC characters". I can think of one joke offhand - not that it was the only one, just the only one I can think of - where the minor characters had a reference to their historical selves, and that was technically delivered by JFK. Between that and how generic Confucius and Harriet are, I feel like the whole idea, the first word in the title, just completely went out the window. In the first season, beyond spear-carrying "some bit character in this large crowd needs to provide a reaction to something", you'd never have an extended scene where a minor character wasn't making a historical reference. It might seem logical to allow them to be more than that, but think about it: these are, after all, minor characters. With the main cast, not every line has to be Nothing Bad Ever Happens to the Kennedys, but it's like when The Flintstones has everyone go to New Rock City to see The Rockles play a 60s pop song. It's like, what in God's name is the point then?

A few days later:

Okay. I think I've mediated on it enough. I can now give my opinion on a reworked season two. Here's what I would have done, assuming only that the mandate Gandhi be absent is absolute: The group dynamic more or less starts the same, with Joan dating JFK and Abe pining for her, it's a great reversed setup. Abe starts to drift in an incel direction, but Topher is there to provide the "don't get this bad" warning that keeps him on the straight and narrow. Joan and JFK quickly realize they aren't working out, and Joan figures maybe she wants to try lesbianism, because she just seems so much like she would be a WLW. She starts to go out with Frida while JFK teams up with Abe and basically acts as the new Gandhi in terms of silly comic relief who's often hanging out with the protagonist. They support each other in Abe getting with Joan and JFK getting back with Cleo, who's started going out with Topher partly because she's desperate for a boyfriend she actually enjoys being with and partly because she really hates having lost both Abe and JFK to Joan, but Topher is actually also in love with Joan, which puts him at odds with both Abe and JFK. Eventually Joan realizes she isn't gay but Cleo realizes she is and Cleo and Frida get together, which is extra emotionally satisfying because Joan lost someone to her this time. The wacky misadventures of Principle Scudworth and Butlertron are basically the same as they are in season two as it exists, the addition of Candide Sampson wasn't bad at all and overall those b-plots were pretty good with the exception of the really terrible Butlertron origin episode, but the end result in the season finale is all the clones being frozen again just as Joan is about to pick between JFK and Abe. Confucious and Harriet Tubman are not present.

At the time I did not propose further characters of color to replace either Confucious and Harriet and would have to think on it a lot to figure something out. Probably people other than me would be better at selecting good fits that are recognizable to an American audience. I also didn't solve the issue of Cleopatra not being Egyptian, but maybe they find out she's actually the clone of a less well-known Egyptian woman who started claiming to be Cleopatra for the clout? That's certainly something Cleo would do.

[annomalysstuff]

What are your favorite iterations(fan made and official) genuinely curious, mine is the 2003!

I’m a 2000s kid, tmnt 2012 was my first introduction to tmnt and it is my absolute favorite (despite its flaws). Like, the somber ambience, taking more seriously the ninja aspect, the characters themselves (specially the turtles and splinter). I just love it when tmnt goes a little darker with still some spots of light

As for fan iterations tmmt by @kaysdenofchaos has me so intrigued, like with all the stuff about the experiments (I read handplates as a kid, and that aspect of tmmt reminds me so much of that for some reason), the character design is spectacular and just everything, god I fucking love it so much

And also I really love In the Deep by @plumroseiswriting . I LOVE Casey and April, they’re fucking amazing and they’re dynamic is so similar but also different and I’m all for it. Also the story is so so dark and I love it. Like, freezing winter, pitch black ambience and a lot of mental illness and trauma (specially from Raphael) here’s some fan art I made :D

At last this one’s a little silly, okay, maybe very silly. But hear me out. Post ergo propter hoc. A tmnt and house crossover by Bemna on Ao3. I don’t even know if it counts, but I love it. Like, house trying to manipulate everyone, Mikey trying his best to make everyone feel good, Leo trying his best to intimidate everyone, Donnie straight up dying- and the doctors figuring out if selling kids to the government to be experimented on is ethical or not. Also all the research the author does into illnesses is insane

(Also one that I really like and that really doesn’t have all the love it should is Family ties by @anti-solidcoffee . It’s about a really rugged up Raph that adopts a baby mutant turtle by himself and we see the both grow and she’s just adorable, and so alone, and just, god, I love it, please check it out, I promise it’s great if you like old man adopts daughter trope) here’s some fan art I made :D

[my-name-is-bunnyfoxy]

So for the TMNT shipping thing…

Leosagi maybe? It doesn’t matter which version though.

I'm not gonna include 1987 and 2012 since I'm pretty sure in those versions Usagi is an adult. I'm unsure whether I should put Yuichi since most people ship him with Leo but you know what why not.

2003 Leosagi:

I actually really enjoy their dynamic and how they act towards each other. It's so sweet and wholesome.

I also love their ship name, katana duo (I think-)

Honestly to me they work as both bros and gays.

I do like the episode where Leo was yeeted into Usagi's dimension.

And oh my god them in the big brawl episodes>>>>>>>>>>>>

TMNT WHY DON'T YOU MAKE THEM GAY ALREADY??

Please just give us normal Leo love interests...

Wish we got more of them though

Pretty much I'll give this ship a solid 10/10. Very nice.

Rise Leoichi/Leosagi:

This was my actual introduction to the Leosagi ship. Also ironically Rise was what got me back into the fandom last year xd

I really wanna watch Samurai Rabbit because of Yuchi. He's such a dumbass.

Dumbass x dumbass who have the ability to be smart but don't use it

When Worlds Collide fanfic... (Okay i haven't actually red it but from the animatics and fanart GOD DAMN IT)

Blue boys

They definetelly would talk about their ancestors 24/7.

Like 2003, I'm cool with them being platonic friends who maybe as a joke act gay cause they find it funny.

My BIGGEST gripe however, with this ship is how much I hate the reused stereotype and how they meet. I stopped liking and ended up hating Yuichi being a bartender at Run of the Mill. It just became overrated. And sometimes Yuichi has almost little to no personality and is reduced to the love interest the main character must have. Also I feel like people should tag Rise Leo x Yuichi Usagi as Leochi because Miyamoto Usagi and Yuichi Usagi are two different characters. Plus I don't like how some fans get pissed off all because you don't ship them (ngl I have a huge fear people will attack me cause I ship Leo with a girl HOLLY SHI- Honestly that also would be funny at the same time xp)

I kind of doubt they will use Yuichi as a crossover with TMNT but we can always rely on fannon.

A good enough ship, 7/10. Mainly because I want more original ideas for Yuichi and that people stop copying each other's stories.

[pluckyredhead]

Is Geoff Johns’ Aquaman the best run on the character, in your opinion?

Lol no.

I will say this for Johns's Aquaman: he did a very good job synthesizing all of the contradictory backstories and canon that had come before and refining the best elements into something that made sense and created lots of story potential. Like:

Pre-Crisis, Arthur's father was human and his mother was a random Atlantean woman, and he was king because he was elected to the position. Post-Crisis, his mother was the queen consort of Atlantis and his father was an ancient Atlantean sorcerer. Johns married the two, literally, by having Arthur's father still be human, but his mother the queen (not the queen consort) of Atlantis. This allowed Arthur to be a child of two worlds, and have all the pressures and conflicts of the crown, both of which are really strong elements of the character.

Pre-Crisis, Orm was Arthur's half-brother on his father's side, so he was fully human and became a supervillain because he couldn't breathe water like Arthur and he was big mad about it. This is nonsense. Post-Crisis, he was still Arthur's half-brother on his father's side, but that father was the aforementioned ancient Atlantean sorcerer and neither Arthur nor Orm had any real relationship with him to speak of, so their dynamic isn't interesting and Orm himself is criminally boring. In the New 52, Orm is Arthur's half-brother on his mother's side, meaning that for the first time, he is also a potential heir to the throne of Atlantis, and the conflict between him and Arthur stems not from random hatred but from a genuine disagreement about what's best for their people. That's SO MUCH BETTER.

Pre-Flashpoint, Mera was the queen of an underwater realm from some random other dimension we don't care about. In the New 52, she's the princess of a rival undersea kingdom to Atlantis, which is way more interesting.

Pre-Flashpoint, Tula was from some random "royal family," which isn't explained and doesn't make sense. In the New 52, she's Orm's half-sister on his father's side, meaning she and Arthur aren't actually related but they have the same brother. Also interesting!

There are so many good ideas in Johns's Aquaman, and honestly I think this book does a better job than literally every other New 52 book I've read (and I've sadly read a lot of them) at presenting a cleverly streamlined, accessible new narrative for its characters based on what already existed, rather than just changing things at random just to be different.

The problem is the execution. Johns's Aquaman is utterly joyless, which was true of basically every single New 52 book, but this one feels particularly weighed down by it. It's also deeply, deeply embarrassed by its subject matter. He spends all his time trying to convince you that Arthur is a TOTAL BADASS who is VERY SERIOUS and DOESN'T TALK TO FISH, OKAY???

And like...he's Aquaman. The whole concept is goofy. Superheroes are goofy. If you can't hang with that, maybe superhero comics aren't the place for you?

The book just radiates un-fun. No one in the book was having fun, no one making the book was having fun, and I didn't have any fun reading it.

As for what the actual best Aquaman runs are...I would say probably the Silver Age, the Sub Diego arc in the 2003 run, and there was some really fun stuff in Rebirth. And the Peter David run isn't actually good but it's really, really entertaining.

[ncisfranchise-source]

Be honest. When NCIS premiered in 2003, did you really expect it to be going strong and with a full franchise built around it 22 years later?

JAG was a success, but NCIS outperformed even the wildest of expectations of a spinoff to become a cultural juggernaut that shows no signs of slowing down.

Can you imagine a TV lineup without at least one version of NCIS? When you’re looking at decades of long-running entertainment and on-demand watch possibilities, it’s impossible. 

Gibbs: The Guy Who Said More with a Look than Most People Say in a Speech

Even years after he stepped back from leading the team, Leroy Jethro Gibbs remains the backbone of NCIS. There’s a reason the character is getting the prequel treatment — he’s iconic.

The man barely speaks, but when he does, you know he means business. Mark Harmon‘s use of the less-is-more approach worked like magic. Without his performance, Gibbs, as we know him, wouldn’t exist.

Gibbs may have a permanent poker face, but you never questioned the emotions brewing just under the surface. A quick nod or a stern look would have everyone falling in line.

You might have wondered if NCIS could survive Harmon stepping back, but the show hasn’t lost its edge with his absence.

The story continued steadfastly on. Harmon has remained a fixture behind the scenes, and even if he’s not the face we see when we turn on NCIS, we can still feel Gibbs’s presence in every episode.

The Unlikely Family Dynamics

You don’t have to be ashamed to admit that falling in line with the NCIS team is your guilty pleasure.

Solving mysteries is done all over the place on TV.

Creating dynamic relationships on-screen can be like lightning in a bottle. You can have the most talented actors and the best writers, and the relationships can fall flat.

NCIS banter is magical, and the agents are one of a kind.

They feel like family, albeit a highly dysfunctional one. They work hard and play hard, ribbing each other like kids while chasing down murderers. Sounds just like home, right?

Every time a character left, viewers braced for disappointment, thinking, “There’s no way this can work now.” But every time, NCIS proved us wrong. 

Newer faces like Torres and Knight managed to slip into the team without feeling like knock-offs. Even Gary Cole’s Alden Parker didn’t try taking Gibbs’s place. 

NCIS has the unique ability to let go of the past while still feeling familiar. Maybe it’s because the past is never forgotten, just like with family.

Balancing Intensity and Humor – A Lesson in How to Laugh Right After a Murder

Murder is a rough business. Nobody wants to be murdered, but even solving them takes a little getting used to. Laughter helps.

NCIS has a knack for making us giggle right after exploring a grisly murder scene. Cracking jokes, nerdy habits, or obscure historical facts in the middle of an autopsy sound offputting, but those survival tactics work on screen and off.

NCIS manages a nearly perfect balance between dark crime drama and light-hearted scenes that keep viewers from dwelling on a story’s gloomier details.

Without that perfected blend, the rotating cast, and holding tightly to the past while never losing sight of the future, NCIS might have gotten stale or, even worse, too heavy to bear repeat viewing. 

But NCIS never forgets to have fun. One minute, they’re uncovering a terrorist plot, and the next, Torres is getting roasted for his ridiculous undercover disguises. 

That humor makes the show feel like a comfortable old friend. No matter how serious things get, there’s always a laugh waiting in the wings.

Ridiculousness (Not the Show. The Cases!)

Okay, so some of the crimes are… let’s say, out there. 

I mean, how many terrorists are out there targeting Navy personnel? Wouldn’t we know if this was a thing, let alone one that spans 22 years and an entire franchise?

But NCIS has a way of making even absurd stories feel personal. The stakes are always high, and as ridiculous as it sometimes seems, we’re all in for every case.

Like many other successful mystery shows, the why and how of crime solving is just as important as the who, and using that standard allows NCIS to weave in bigger, season-spanning arcs like ongoing terrorist threats or complicated political conspiracies.

Sure, some of these cases might stretch credibility, but the team keeps us invested. Feeling like family allows us to forget we’re watching a procedural and get caught up in the larger story.

Comfortable might not be the go-to word for a crime show, but for many, NCIS is just that. 

It is so satisfying to settle in with characters you know well as they successfully pluck bad guys off the street (and out of the water) and put them behind bars.

The cast and the stories may change, but in a chaotic world, the reliability of these crime-solving characters to make things right before the hour ends puts NCIS high on the list of comfort TV.

It’s not high-concept TV and won’t win any awards for groundbreaking storytelling. But it’s the show that makes us feel, for an hour a week, like everything will be okay. 

That’s something we all need sometimes.

[ravensvirginity]

Surprisingly, I agree with a lot of things and agree that they need to make it so that it is difficult in their relationship so that they can overcome difficulties like it was a little similar in the Titans comics 2003 and 2008 and so that she plays a big role in the plot and if these problems are solved I really hope you will be kinder to bbrae then we will come to an agreement and by the way in Raven’s solo written by wolfman there was a moment when she lost her temper and wanted to kill so she rarely but breaks down when everything is too much

Oh yeah Raven definitely has moments where she wants to kill. The thing holding her back wouldn't be Gar's memory though it would be her core moral principles that she's willing to die for.

At the end of the day I just personally don't like BBRae 🤷‍♀️ like even if they wrote perfectly in character BBRae with both characters equally balanced it's not for me. I'd probably stop criticizing it if they wrote it in a way that doesn't do a massive disservice to Raven but it's just not a ship dynamic I like. But that's okay! We all have different shipping tastes and that's just a normal part of fandom.

[yellowhollyhock]

18 and 20 for Raph

2003 Raph

18- a relationship I admire

ooh this is difficult to choose. I'm gonna say Leo and Raph. They have very different ways of approaching a problem, but they also have so much mutual respect and always come through for each other. Raph is the only one able to reach Leo after they're driven from New York the first time. Leo, out of all his bros, understands Raph's need to go out and do something when Splinter is missing. Those are big stand out moments to me, but there's a lot of examples of these two just understanding each other. And that's understanding that's taken some work, you know? They are very similar, but in some ways that makes reaching common ground harder, because 1) trying to fill a similar space and stepping on each other's toes and 2) when differences come up, they're both unused to it and also maybe both kinda want to be seen for those differences. Yet they've prioritized their loyalty to each other and put the work in to understand the other's needs.

Also, they allow each other to relax in a way that is so rare, especially for Leo. Raph will relax with Don and Mikey too, but still with the two of them they're seen as the little brothers and the big brothers are on alert to protect them. When they're just with each other, they're a little more chill. At the beginning of the episode where Raph meets Mrs. Morrison, they're having a race. In the triceraton prison when they break Raph out of solitary confinement and Leo has brought him spoons for a weapon,, idk there's something about their expressions their that says to me 'hey bro we are still a couple of goofs okay :)'. I just love that they can act silly together, especially since neither of them is silly as a default.

20- ideal best friend

he is best friends with each of his brothers in different ways and I adore that, however, I gotta say Casey.

Basic answer maybe but it's true. Casey and Raph are peas in a pod. The perfect balance of enabling each other and keeping each other in check. They do so many dumb things together as only best friends can. They poke fun at each other so much, they get into silly competitions, if there's a group task going on they gravitate to each other. Also they both have this Big Brother energy, if an innocent person is in danger they can smell it from a mile and be there in a minute. I love the idea of Casey (trying to) be an older brother figure for Raph after he realizes how young he is.

Also, Casey calls him Raphie 🥺

honorable mention to 03 Don because I'm actually shocked he wasn't the answer to either if these questions. Raphie and Donny hang out casually so often and have each other's backs so completely in big moments and small. they're probably the most purely sweet sibling dynamic of the franchise ❤️💜

more raphs under the cut, hehehe

2012

18

I admire Raph's relationship with Mikey. There are a lot of difficult family dynamics, especially early on, in 2012, and these two definitely struggle with each other. They both have some habits they really need to grow out of--and they do!

And! They love each other so much right from the beginning! The problems never erase the underlying good intentions. Eventually the intentions do solve the problems. I just. Love them so much. Raph is s protective of Mikey and Mikey trusts him so much. Also, I don't remember if I got this from the show or more so from fan works, but I see these two comforting each other a lot. Raph is such a hugger and always seems to notice when he's brothers need a shoulder, and Mikey's a very good listener and full of kind words. Mikey needs hugs and Raph needs kind words.

20

Ideal best friend: April. They both put up with everyone's nonsense, they should be gossip buddies. Also with the brainworm and the magic crystal, I feel like they could bond over doing things they regret while they weren't really in control.

Also Raph was also a vampire later? and again fighting his family against his will? this poor child needs a break 😭

Plus also in the crystal episode it's Raph who gets through to her. he says something like "remember your family... remember Donnie" and I Hate this for personal reasons but! I also love that Raph knows what's gonna bring April out and he's right on. And she had just hurt Donnie pretty severely, actually at that point I think they thought he was dead (utterly disintegrated) (blown up by the power of her mind) (good for her) (i'm so sorry apritello shippers) so it makes sense that this is on Raph's mind and whatever else may have been going on Donnie was April's friend.

I lost my thoughts. The POINT IS, Raph and April get each other and I wish we had more of them bonding on screen.

2007

18 and 20

It's Casey Jones. Casey is so good in this movie. The supportive friend ever. Raph is at the moment a bit emotionally unavailable but we can assume that at other times he's been the one carrying while Casey breaks down. I love that Casey immediately knows Raph is the Nightwatcher, but apparently gives him quite a bit of time and space before telling him that. And when he does iirc it's after he learns from April that (they think) Leo isn't coming back. So it's at a moment where it makes sense for him to be like 'yeah I wanna be respectful but I can't watch anymore, Raph needs help.' Plus it just seems to me like they're each other's safe space. April is on Casey's case (ha) about him sleeping all day, and Donnie's on Raph's,

(and April actually canonically knows that Casey is out at night vigilanting, in spite of him thinking he's slick) (and this is my headcanon in direct contradiction to canon but I fully believe Splinter Donnie and Mikey also knew about Nightwatcher)

so they are both feeling kinda smothered and judged at home, but they can be themselves around each other. I think they are very neat and cool.

90s

18

Raph and Splinter. So much love, so much patience, so much respect. I don't have words they're just ❤️♥️ Maybe my favorite father-son bond in all of tmnt (03 Splinter and Don are a dtrong contender)

20

Donnie actually. Raph is great friends here with Leo, Mikey, April, Casey, and pretty much whoever else he comes across, but the ideal best friend, I gotta go with Donnie.

It's in the third movie when Donnie's trying to speak Japanese and Raph just knocks the guy on the head. "how about sayanora?" "heheh, that'll work"

Also when, I think in the second movie? When during training Raph just loses his temper, not with anyone just loses it, and Donnie is at his side in a second, not having any clue what to do or say but just present. I love how much they're all there for Raph in that moment, but I feel like Donnie is just a little bit More There. Does that make sense?

or when Donnie rips Raph's gag off and Raph yells at him for ripping it off so fast (i think he says something like 'just rip my face off why dont ya') and Donnie puts the gag back on so he can untie him the rest of the way in peace. idk they're just. they annoy each other much at times but there's so much underlying warmth.

1987

18 and 20

Donatello. Love this duo in 87. I cannot words it is too much. They are just constantly making fun of each other but also hugging and just sticking close.

There's one thing, during the red sky season, it's like this okay

Donatello, picklocking a door

Raphael: That says do not enter

Donatello: So, I'm not entering! I just wanna see what's inside.

I don't rmemeber what was inside but it was bad and Raph says "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into" and yeah that makes sense Donatello is indeed often getting Raphael specifically into some mighty fine messes (personality transmogrifier, health-o-meter, stealing government 'surplus')

And then and then in the next episode, when something happens that could? Sort of be attributed? To Leonardo and Michelangelo wanting to still help the humans in spite of being hated? Donatello says to Michelangelo, copying Raphael's tone so well

"This is another fine mess you've gotten us into"

And Michelangelo is rightly like "HOW is this MY fault??!"

that's kind of a random exmaple but I just love when Donatello mimics his brothers words or vocal patterns, she's just like me fr. Don and Raph duo was something else in 87, y'all gotta watch it trust me

[tmntkiseki]

In my TMNT 2003 rewatch, I'm only two episodes away from the Big Brawl arc and it's going to be interesting rewatching these episodes now that I've actually read some of Usagi Yojimbo.

Like, full disclosure: Back when I watched through TMNT 2003 the first time, while I didn't dislike Usagi, he was one of the most boring members of the recurring cast for me. He was pretty much only able to hold my attention for as long as he showed up on-screen, after which I'd be like "Well, okay! Now where's Leatherhead?" Which sounds really, really, really bad, I know, but that's just how it was. And if Usagi wasn't able to catch my interest as a character, then there was no way I was going to get invested in his dynamic with Leonardo. They've got a nice friendship going on and some cute interactions, but there really is no greater depth to their relationship than "Peter Laird and Stan Sakai felt like having their OCs interact." (Ironically, I'm pretty sure the episode where their dynamic is at its most interesting, "Samurai Tourist," is also the episode that pretty much killed any chance of me becoming a Leosagi shipper.)

And the thing is? I don't think any of it is the fault of Usagi or the TMNT 2003 writers. I do believe my original lack of interest in him is merely a consequence of his nature as a crossover character. No matter how well-written he is in a piece of TMNT media, you are never gonna get the full scope of his personality, the world he inhabits, or the people that he interacts with on a day to day basis. Which, you know, isn't the worst thing. If anything, it's all the more reason to read the original Usagi Yojimbo because in his natural element, Usagi is absolutely fantastic. I am so deeply invested in both his personal journey as a character as well as his relationships with those he meets along the way that it's almost strange to think that I thought he was boring at all.

Anyway, I might have some more thoughts to share once I do get around to rewatching The Big Brawl, but yeah. My opinion on Usagi has more or less done a 180 just because I took the time to read his original source material, haha.

[sapphire-weapon]

I think people tend to ignore Leon fucking up (like with Shen May), because they have the mindset of "oh no, that's my favourite character! So he can't do anything wrong or have any flaws!" It's such a limiting way to think. I mean, I really like Leon too, but I'll openly say that he often gives me the fucking ick, lmao. The Shen May scene had me recoiling. Man's a stereotype of "that creepy guy at the bar" and he exudes that a LOT. I'm glad he was turned down. Even the characters we love need to be humbled when they're full of shit, because it's realistic and interesting. It's okay to think outside of the caveman "he good! no bad!"

Also, tacking on, because despite it being a different topic, I may as well stick to a singular ask. Jilleon is such a weird concept to me, lmao. I think for the most part it's treated pretty lightheartedly, but I'm confused because I couldn't really identify where it came from, other than that they're both attractive. I love Jill, but I don't see her reciprocating any attraction. Like, remotely. They get along fine, but I can't even see a close friendship. Maybe I'm biased though, cause I love her and as much as I enjoy Leon, dear god above he doesn't need another love interest. Also Capcom please just grow your balls and properly address Valenfield. We all know they're either a couple or have been pining for several decades.

I'm not gonna lie, if OG Leon asked me out, I'd have told him I had a boyfriend, too. Or maybe just even told him I wasn't interested in men all together. His approach is so... old-fashioned in a bad way. It's evidence that his development was arrested in 1998; he hasn't matured past that point, so he thinks that it's still a thing to just go up to a cute girl and ask for her number right after getting her name.

So like. I'm not surprised that it's pretty much exclusively early 20s and younger ppl who don't think he's trying to ask her on an actual date, because no one does that shit anymore. That was already out of fashion by the time I was in high school, even, and I entered high school in 2003.

But for any tiny childrens who are reading this: yes this is literally how relationships would start in the 80s and 90s. Out of nowhere and on a whim between complete strangers and just hoping it works.

Re: jilleon

Prior to Death Island, I would have agreed with you. 100% I didn't understand what the basis for it was, and I didn't think she'd be interested in him at all.

Then I watched Death Island. And I'm 85% sure that they've already slept together LMAO Chris dropped the ball between RE5 and DI, and Leon just kind of slid in there and took his shot and actually seems to have made it???

If I'm not mistaken, Jill is the only person other than Remake Ashley in the entire series who actually laughs at Leon's jokes. And she actually gets him to laugh out loud in return -- which is almost unheard of for him.

They just seem very comfortable around each other in general. Jill seems more at ease in his presence than she's been in Chris's since... Lost in Nightmares? And Leon is definitely more comfortable being with her than he is being with Ada or Claire. Like, Jill seems as comfy as a presence for Leon as Chris and Ashley are.

I just really like their dynamic in general. I don't think of them as romantic, but I see them as very, very good friends who just fuck every once in a while.

Like, Chris is still Leon's best friend, but their relationship is a lot more intense. But Jill is the person that Leon first thinks to call when he needs to nerd out about movies or to just bullshit in general. And then every so often, a text message conversation happens like:

"Gonna be in DC for a weekend for BSAA shit. Pick me up from the airport?"

"Sure. What hotel?"

"Staying with a friend actually idk if you know him. Leon Kennedy? In the DSO. Brown hair, blue eyes, giant cock?"

"Never heard of him. Sounds like he's in for a fun weekend though."

[clambuoyance]

ngl I know nothing ab your DC blorbos except they're gay and cool or something Idk I just think they're neat... I'd ask what comics I could read ab them being super blorbo-y but Idk...

OKAY so there’s a lot of characters in dc but the ones I draw/talk about the most are these group of friends!! They feature in Young Justice 1998, Teen Titans 2003, and Young Justice 2019, as well as having their own comics and other appearances :)

each comic run has different vibes but my personal favorite is yj1998 bc I like its wacky and zany vibes. It was not my first comic though, and it’s a little older so it might be hard to understand or read if it’s your first time reading comics like this, and again it is old soooo some stuff does Not age well such as certain jokes or depictions and it is of course not all perfect but overall I love it and think it has a lot of heart

I think i have a lot of fun with it bc it feels so…animated? And it has funny slapstick humor. Honestly I probably like it bc it makes me laugh the same way ninjago makes me laugh…a group of 4+ friends that have cute dynamics with each other and just Being Silly Together. I really don’t know how to explain it but between all three runs, I can see yj1998 in my head the most as a wacky animated show with exaggerated bouncy animation idk so that’s part of the fun for me. I think the moment I realized this was going to be a long term emotional investment was When I read the issue where they randomly end up on a planet and have to play baseball bc I am a SUCKERRR for baseball shenanigans

But yeah the group starts out with Bart, Tim, and Kon in JLA: A world without Grownups, and they just have a good trio dynamic 🙏 the banter between all three is so good 🤩and I liked seeing their friendship develop throughout yj1998 too! Especially for Tim, with his hesitancy at the beginning.They weren’t without conflict ofc but that adds to why I like them bc eventually they became besties for life. They are also quickly joined by others but the main one that stays w the group through all three runs is Cassie Sandsmark , aka Wonder Girl ii.

But yeah I guess some things I like are the way they actually Hang out? like they will do camping trips or go to the mall and games together etc etc, but there will be parts that feel more serious while never losing that humorous tint to it. For some examples, I love how Tim tries to be a leader in the beginning, but then one arc shows just how much Cassie is more fitting for it, and how they bond over Leader things like how hard it is to tell Bart what to do and then will share a really nice hug 🥺, and I love Cassie and Cissie’s relationship a LOT because they sometimes misunderstand each other but clearly care for each other (they aren’t canon but in my heart they are.) I also like Tim and kon’s build towards understanding and friendship for a similar reason, and cissie and Anita also have a nice development with each other, but yeah all the dynamics are just fun to think about tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️ I am pointing at them eagerly and going “wow! Friendship!!”

And as for the guy I never shut up about…well that’s a whole thing I could ramble about but i became obsessed with him the moment he quoted Peter Pan while lamenting about how he was afraid his friends would leave him behind after several issues of him acting like Hot Shit and erm I’m predictable so it got to me 🙄 also he makes dumb jokes every second like he expects someone to laugh at them like he’s so dumb sometimes….anyways I do not want to ramble too much so I will get on with it

I was only familiar with his black tshirt look before, so when I first saw this goofy looking dumbass with a leather jacket and glasses and an earring I WAS LIKE “THATS SUPERBOY? THATS REAL?” and quickly became interested in the notion of a Superman associated hero wearing something like this bc I don’t think my brain ever considered the possibility before….also it is something I cannot explain some panels just activate my cuteness aggression 😔 I just think he’s really cute 🫶🫶🫶