Sophia Bilu Week 3: Why Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is Actually Good

 

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sounds kinda lame, doesn’t it? It's a show that's associated with being a kid and pizza. While the concept itself is pretty ridiculous, most versions of the turtles tend to have pretty serious and dark themes. Many versions, such as the original comics, the IDW comics, and the 2012 show, have in-depth lore. This is kind of what sets the most recent TMNT show, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, apart. 

    Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or ROTTMNT for short, is a much lighter take on the turtles. The most obvious difference is their character design. Each turtle is based on a different species of turtle, and with wildly different designs, it is easy to tell the turtles apart. The characters have different personalities from their past counterparts, with less serious mindsets and more of a goofy demeanor. These elements all contribute to a more lighthearted feel to the show. To pair with the character’s fun and energetic feel, the episode plots are often on the sillier side. Most of this seems like it does not make a compelling argument for the show until you look a lot closer.

The new character designs are one of my favorite parts of the show. Not only does it perfectly match the show's energy, but they are visually interesting and representS each character’s personality. Each character is so distinct that you can tell the difference between them just by looking at their silhouettes, something that has never been achieved in any TMNT tv show, movie, or novel before. A lot of thought was put into the species of turtle that each brother is, further adding to their characterization. Like Raph, the most protective and aggressive brother is a snapping turtle, covered in spikes and huge. These character designs are also so fun to watch being animated. It's obvious that a lot of detail and effort is put into each frame of this tv show to convey the emotion and tension in the scene. 

The positive spin on character designs continues to reflect in the character’s personalities. The best example of this is the “b-team”, which consists of Donnie and Mikey. Both Donnie and Mikey have suffered from under-characterization in past iterations of this series, usually being played off as the “smart one” and “comic relief,” respectively. In ROTTMNT, the characters are given a chance to have more personality. Mikey’s main motivation is being his family's hope, being lovable, and he's a little bit goofy. Much of Mikey’s classic comic relief is distributed to the rest of the brothers, giving them their fair share of funny moments. Donnie, although retaining his classic nerdiness, is given interests and ambitions outside his tech. While many of his arcs and traits appeal to his affinity for technology, it is a device to help him along in the story, not his main personality trait. He is also able to provide comic relief that is not being the butt of the joke. Similarly, Leo is made to be more lighthearted and funny than his usual serious self, and Raph is responsible and kind-hearted. Even with these new traits, the characters still retain their original identifying characteristics. The new spins on the characters make ROTTMNT stand out, and allow the viewers to enjoy the turtles in a fresh way. 

There is a lot more that makes this show enjoyable, and you should totally give it a watch! I have much more to say about this show, should I write more next week?