What is it about April?

[CyberCubed]

2k3 April also got the least amount of episodes of any of the April's. There are a large chunk of episodes in the series where April doesn't even appear at all. I think the writers had trouble involving April in the Turtles adventures in that series.

[victory_angel]

A mary sue isn't just a character who is perfect in every way. A Mary Sue is a character who is so skilled they are not challenged by the narrative.

If April was a Mary Sue she would already known how to make retromutagen before Donnie. She would be master ninja that is more skilled then Splinter. She's be able to control her powers better. And she wouldn't need the Turtles because she'd be able to take out both the Kraang and the Foot Clan on her own.

[Luckyday]

I think there might various degrees of it. A step above of a mary sue would be "the chosen one", which is a type of character that slightly written better then a mary sue, but still has some trapings of it and some them is the character having a special trait that no one else has and is explicitly good at the profession that he's learning in the story.

April has little of bit this but she will never been written in a way that will get rid of the conflict, because half of the time this show goes out of its way of making their character do really stupid things for the sake of plot.

It's more likely that she will be written do something that doesn't make any sense for the wheels of motion to turn. For the little things that she does get handed to like I don't know, getting train in ninjutsu because of her special trait or convincing someone through little persuading or convincing, but that's because it is written in a way so that it can get from point A to point B. Writers don't want explain why of the characters' reasons for action, they just want get it done which why is we keep getting moments like Mikey somehow creating super retro mutagen.

[BabyTurtles]

Wouldn't April be classified as a Special Snowflake?

I mean the show is constantly trying to make her seem sooo unique.

[Luckyday]

^It doesn't feel that way anymore.

[BabyTurtles]

Originally Posted by Luckyday

^It doesn't feel that way anymore.

Why do they barely show her now?? (hasn't seen the episodes in a while)

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by LeotheLateBloomer

Let me ask this, what do you think of April as a teenager? And do you like the concept?

I don't like that as a concept. It gives her too little access to society in general. Thet's why reporter April or scientist April are the best concepts.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by BabyTurtles

Wouldn't April be classified as a Special Snowflake?

I mean the show is constantly trying to make her seem sooo unique.

Sorry just found this funny.

Originally Posted by BabyTurtles

Why do they barely show her now?? (hasn't seen the episodes in a while)

No Kraang? She's connected to the Kraang storyline, not the Shredder one. Also another reason she and Casey are probably not being shown as much is not only because the plot doesn't call for them, but probably to give the actual voice actors a rest or to work on other projects.

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

I don't like that as a concept. It gives her too little access to society in general. Thet's why reporter April or scientist April are the best concepts.

This is one of the reasons I didn't like the idea of aging Casey and April down. I just prefer them as adults with their already established lives.

[Luckyday]

I don't mind the idea but if you had change them to their early twenties and make them college students, like in the IDW, I don't think anything would've really changed.

I mean if you're going change some things then do something with them. Most people were glad that this didn't turn into Smallville, but I had really like how the show focus on the teenage element. I want to see more of that of them trying to figure themselves out and becoming mature and not just with the turtles but with Casey and April as well. It would made more sense in a character driven type of show of where all them are growing up together from impressional kids to independent adults.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

This is one of the reasons I didn't like the idea of aging Casey and April down. I just prefer them as adults with their already established lives.

Originally Posted by Luckyday

I don't mind the idea but if you had change them to their early twenties and make them college students, like in the IDW, I don't think anything would've really changed.

I mean if you're going change some things then do something with them. Most people were glad that this didn't turn into Smallville, but I had really like how the show focus on the teenage element. I want to see more of that of them trying to figure themselves out and becoming mature and not just with the turtles but with Casey and April as well. It would made more sense in a character driven type of show of where all them are growing up together from impressional kids to independent adults.

I like the idea of de-aging April (although Casey not so much, anymore). In a logical viewpoint, it does make sense that a human teenage girl would hang out and relate with other teenagers. It also gives April more to do with them and gives her a chance to be more active. What I would love to see is something like April sneaking the turtles inside a movie theater so they can watch a movie together, in the dark of course. Or them riding in a skate park late at night where no one is there. This was sort of explored with Casey and April in a hockey rink in "Target: April O' Neil". However, I agree that her as adult is much more interesting but that isn't the point. The writers need to show more of this but I think now they seem to be focusing less on this element now. April doesn't need to be in every episode but there has to be something unique about this version that will make her stand out from her other ones.

Fans are quick to praise this show for it's "excellent story-telling" but tend to overlook the flaws it has.

[ABrown]

I like the Nick version of April. It's fresh take on the character.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by LeotheLateBloomer

I like the idea of de-aging April (although Casey not so much, anymore). In a logical viewpoint, it does make sense that a human teenage girl would hang out and relate with other teenagers. It also gives April more to do with them and gives her a chance to be more active. What I would love to see is something like April sneaking the turtles inside a movie theater so they can watch a movie together, in the dark of course. Or them riding in a skate park late at night where no one is there. This was sort of explored with Casey and April in a hockey rink in "Target: April O' Neil". However, I agree that her as adult is much more interesting but that isn't the point. The writers need to show more of this but I think now they seem to be focusing less on this element now. April doesn't need to be in every episode but there has to be something unique about this version that will make her stand out from her other ones.

Fans are quick to praise this show for it's "excellent story-telling" but tend to overlook the flaws it has.

The flaws for this show just feel more middle of the road. Like it feels more put to together then it had in the past of the earlier third season and second season, but there is a point where it can't go one step beyond.

Currently the strength of this show is being fun and zany, but whenever it goes serious, for some reason I just don't feel it. It just doesn't click with me like how "Tale of the Yokai" did for some many other people.

And it makes me terrible for saying that out loud because that was probably their pride and joy, but for some reason I keep feeling that they're holding themselves back or don't understand how to create emotional resonance in scenes or the tendency to skip them all together.

Maybe it's a case of high expectations.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I'd say it is high expectations. This show, while getting darker, will never be as dark as some people are hoping for.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by LeotheLateBloomer

I'd say it is high expectations. This show, while getting darker, will never be as dark as some people are hoping for.

Yeah, maybe that's it. I enjoy the show for what it is. I guess my only expectation is, "Will something in this episode entertain me in some way". I like something about every single episode, including the eps I don't particularly care for...like the recent Yokai ep, for example.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by LeotheLateBloomer

I'd say it is high expectations. This show, while getting darker, will never be as dark as some people are hoping for.

But it's really not getting dark. I just want to see the characters' reactions and how it effects them. From the recent episodes, it seem more apparent that it relies too much on exposition!

It almost like there was off screen scenes of them reacting towards of whatever thing that just happen and afterwards when they are no longer in the state of shock, they give an quick exposition that mostly serve to tell the audience of what's going on.

There things like
Leo finding out that Karai is Miwa
April finding out that she's not 100% human
Everything with North Hampton, period
and latest one is "Tale of the Yokai" because I really wanted to see how Saki learned his origins and it effected him in a way that explain why he snap and decided why it was perfectly okay to murder his foster brother that night, but instead it was "oh he already knew." and some how he was able to organized a coup on the spot!

Now it possible that he was holding in that angry for a long time but all that angry seem directed at Yoshi which doesn't explain the motivation to take out the entire Hamato clan.

For some reason it just really piss me off.

[BabyTurtles]

Originally Posted by Luckyday

The flaws for this show just feel more middle of the road. Like it feels more put to together then it had in the past of the earlier third season and second season, but there is a point where it can't go one step beyond.

Currently the strength of this show is being fun and zany, but whenever it goes serious, for some reason I just don't feel it. It just doesn't click with me like how "Tale of the Yokai" did for some many other people.

And it makes me terrible for saying that out loud because that was probably their pride and joy, but for some reason I keep feeling that they're holding themselves back or don't understand how to create emotional resonance in scenes or the tendency to skip them all together.

Maybe it's a case of high expectations.

Totally agree.

Maybe it is a tad bit of high expectations......after stuff like ATLA and Young Justice...even Teen Titans....well I guess they set the standards a little high.

then again we have Steven Universe...

I haven't kept up with Steven Universe but from what I can remember it has very good emotional moments.....I mean if THAT show can do it...then there is no excuse for TMNT.

if you present the idea of tragedy and loss in a show...then you better be prepared to gives us some emotional moments to back it up.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by BabyTurtles

Totally agree.

Maybe it is a tad bit of high expectations......after stuff like ATLA and Young Justice...even Teen Titans....well I guess they set the standards a little high.

then again we have Steven Universe...

I haven't kept up with Steven Universe but from what I can remember it has very good emotional moments.....I mean if THAT show can do it...then there is no excuse for TMNT.

if you present the idea of tragedy and loss in a show...then you better be prepared to gives us some emotional moments to back it up.

Oh my god. Steven Universe. I didn't want to bring that show up, because I thought I have brought it up way too many times but wow those voice actors on that show can act
their ass off!


Little things like hearing how their voice is shaking from stress or grief to even more comedic moments like whenever Pearl is being neurotic. There is even sometimes hidden context and subtly of characters saying their lines which makes them seem more genuine as real people to me.


I know I'm going off topic but I remembered how in the beginning of that series, I have my arms cross thinking "Oh geez this ****ing show revolves this pure gary sue and these three "We can never die or need food or water" perfect characters, but slowly by the couple of episodes "Hmm gems as an alien species are actually really inventive and creative" and Steven is such a great character. He's not a perfect and the show most of the times never pretends that he is, because he's just a kid that's slowly growing up as an individual.

Alright now that I am done gushing over this show, back to the tmnt and April.

Well... I don't get April but when thinking back to season 1 she did have at least one personal goal which is finding her dad, but after that with her like her dad turning into a mutant bat felt very contrived and her being alien mutant was fine I guess. I mean they already put it out there she has sensing powers and it would've been bad writing if they had never explain why but that could've been a really cool character arc of her coming to terms with it and maybe start questioning "why being human matters?" then making her love interest of two guys fighting over her.

Sometimes I really wonder where their mindset was when making some of these writing decisions.

I can sort of understand when giving April all this kraang stuff because that would certainly make her seem more interesting but in execution it was like when they had change Dogpound to Rahzar. You would've thought that this was some new character development or new context towards how the character is and really doesn't change anything. It just more stuff add on to her and it's just one of many things that irritated me on not so much on April, but how she is handle in the show.

There is a potentially interesting character in there somewhere, I just wish there was someone who can show that hidden depth.