Let's talk about that first season.

The Great Saiyaman · 10-01-2020, 06:19 PM

Let's talk, let's discuss about what that first season means to us, what it got wrong and what it got absolutely right.

Here's my gripes.
- The animation
I said this before, that first couple of episodes have some BAD animation going, the "Declaration scene" in "Turtle temper" for example.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20170928041818
"Raph is all wise and powerful and the layered animation for my head is lousy!"
It got better, the confrontation between Shredder and the Turtles in "The Gauntlet" still is incredible but in overall season 1's animation hasn't aged gracefully

- New York as a ghost town
Which again comes down to budget issues, there was not enough resources for the crew to animate enough characters to really show off New York as a believable city with inhabitants.

- Get yourself a moon tan.
The moon was always there and always full. It was actually made fun of in the in-canon "Amazing adventures" comic book series.

And here's what I loved about the first season.
- "Go chase a mail man!"
The fact that the Foot Clan couldn't get along to save their lives is my favorite part of this incarnation of the Foot, they are as much at odds with the Turtles as they are with each other. It works because it's very much the truth in real life too. I also should point out that I love the way the Foot is pretty much a criminal organization: Illegal arms trading, extortion, arson and murder.

- The Kraang
I love the way they were presented as being the secret invasion which was very much true to what happened in the Mirage comics. I also love their way of speaking, it was just funny that even though they had been infiltrating for thousands of years they still hadn't mastered the language.

- "It was a dark and stormy night and suddenly a voice called out!"
The voice cast was FANTASTIC! Greg Cipes as Michelangelo as the best example. But I also should mention Jason Biggs, who was a perfect fifteen year old Leonardo, all giddy and eager to be a hero. (But I also should point out that Seth Green was awesome for the Leo who pretty much lost all that innocence in the later seasons) But also Kevin Michael Richardson, his delivery as the Shredder being this ruthless monster was just epic.

- "That is me, my wife and daughter before the Shredder..."
Background stories, it made such a difference in a character being two dimensional and somebody who's character is well thought out. In Season one that heart to heart between Raphael and Xever in "Baxter's Gambit" and a little glimpse in the background story of the latter was a nice intermission of what had been and still is a very much action packed episode.

- Putting the "NINJA" in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
I introduced friends of mine who are martial artists to this series and they were very impressed with how the techniques were showcased, they were able to name each move and tell about how in ancient Japan, the switching of weapons for example happened to teach the students to be more versatile.

- You're the first thing in this city which doesn't bore me!"
Ah Karai, the Catwoman to Leo's Batman. I love how it was presented and how it evolved, there wasn't a case of "We have to give Leo a girlfriend just because." it was more like Tony and Maria in "West side story" but with the both of them wielding blades. The fact that it wasn't until the final season that the two of them actually became a pair and thus they had the duration of the series to grow closer only to blow apart and then reconcile which made it work. Like I said much like Catwoman and Batman.

*Voltron* · 10-01-2020, 08:55 PM

New York as a ghost town really does bother me. Like, NO one is seeing this? In one of the most densely populated and lively cities on the planet? It's literally called the City That Never Sleeps.

And it's New York. New Yorkers have seen way stranger things than 6 foot turtles doing karate at 2 am. Jersey is right across the bridge, if you want to see a human zoo.

~~ABrown~~ · 10-02-2020, 10:11 AM

The first season had Jason Biggs, instead of Seth Green, as Leonardo. I eventually got used to Green, but I liked Biggs's portrayal more.

garsh · 10-02-2020, 10:28 PM

The very first episode has a goof that I plan to never get over.

Remember the scene making a huge deal out of them discovering pizza for the first time?

'Cause it kinda comes off like a continuity error when just a few minutes prior showed them in their kitchen, with a prominent pizza decoration hung over what appears to be a massive brick pizza oven.

*neatoman* · 10-03-2020, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garsh

The very first episode has a goof that I plan to never get over.

https://i.imgur.com/zsENgq4.png

Remember the scene making a huge deal out of them discovering pizza for the first time?

https://i.imgur.com/F0FH3a7.png

'Cause it kinda comes off like a continuity error when just a few minutes prior showed them in their kitchen, with a prominent pizza decoration hung over what appears to be a massive brick pizza oven.

The show, and season 1 in particular, is somewhat notorious for reusing the same sets too often. My guess is that altering the set to lack the decoration for that one scene might have been considered too expensive?

garsh · 10-03-2020, 09:04 AM

Yeah it was probably also too expensive to slightly rotate one of those plates of goo so they're not so obviously identical.

The Great Saiyaman · 10-03-2020, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garsh

The very first episode has a goof that I plan to never get over.

https://i.imgur.com/zsENgq4.png

Remember the scene making a huge deal out of them discovering pizza for the first time?

https://i.imgur.com/F0FH3a7.png

'Cause it kinda comes off like a continuity error when just a few minutes prior showed them in their kitchen, with a prominent pizza decoration hung over what appears to be a massive brick pizza oven.

You also need to take in consideration that the Turtles' Lair in this version isn't a sewer, it's an abandoned subway station with a diner for travellers. Which also explains why there's a kitchen in the first place. It's entirely possible that the Pizza oven had been there from the get go and that none of the Turtles had asked Master Splinter what that big disc shaped thing above the oven was.

*Original TMNT Cartoon Fan* · 10-03-2020, 01:44 PM

The Kraang must have struggled wih multiple languages throughout the years. English didn't become the dominant language until the mid 18th Century.

10-01-2020, 06:19 PM	#1
The Great Saiyaman Stone Warrior Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 904	Let's talk about that first season. Let's talk, let's discuss about what that first season means to us, what it got wrong and what it got absolutely right. Here's my gripes. - The animation I said this before, that first couple of episodes have some BAD animation going, the "Declaration scene" in "Turtle temper" for example. https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20170928041818 "Raph is all wise and powerful and the layered animation for my head is lousy!" It got better, the confrontation between Shredder and the Turtles in "The Gauntlet" still is incredible but in overall season 1's animation hasn't aged gracefully - New York as a ghost town Which again comes down to budget issues, there was not enough resources for the crew to animate enough characters to really show off New York as a believable city with inhabitants. - Get yourself a moon tan. The moon was always there and always full. It was actually made fun of in the in-canon "Amazing adventures" comic book series. And here's what I loved about the first season. - "Go chase a mail man!" The fact that the Foot Clan couldn't get along to save their lives is my favorite part of this incarnation of the Foot, they are as much at odds with the Turtles as they are with each other. It works because it's very much the truth in real life too. I also should point out that I love the way the Foot is pretty much a criminal organization: Illegal arms trading, extortion, arson and murder. - The Kraang I love the way they were presented as being the secret invasion which was very much true to what happened in the Mirage comics. I also love their way of speaking, it was just funny that even though they had been infiltrating for thousands of years they still hadn't mastered the language. - "It was a dark and stormy night and suddenly a voice called out!" The voice cast was FANTASTIC! Greg Cipes as Michelangelo as the best example. But I also should mention Jason Biggs, who was a perfect fifteen year old Leonardo, all giddy and eager to be a hero. (But I also should point out that Seth Green was awesome for the Leo who pretty much lost all that innocence in the later seasons) But also Kevin Michael Richardson, his delivery as the Shredder being this ruthless monster was just epic. - "That is me, my wife and daughter before the Shredder..." Background stories, it made such a difference in a character being two dimensional and somebody who's character is well thought out. In Season one that heart to heart between Raphael and Xever in "Baxter's Gambit" and a little glimpse in the background story of the latter was a nice intermission of what had been and still is a very much action packed episode. - Putting the "NINJA" in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I introduced friends of mine who are martial artists to this series and they were very impressed with how the techniques were showcased, they were able to name each move and tell about how in ancient Japan, the switching of weapons for example happened to teach the students to be more versatile. - You're the first thing in this city which doesn't bore me!" Ah Karai, the Catwoman to Leo's Batman. I love how it was presented and how it evolved, there wasn't a case of "We have to give Leo a girlfriend just because." it was more like Tony and Maria in "West side story" but with the both of them wielding blades. The fact that it wasn't until the final season that the two of them actually became a pair and thus they had the duration of the series to grow closer only to blow apart and then reconcile which made it work. Like I said much like Catwoman and Batman. __________________ "I reject your reality and substitute my own." - Adam Savage, "Mythbusters" Last edited by The Great Saiyaman; 10-01-2020 at 06:34 PM.

10-01-2020, 08:55 PM	#2
Voltron Handsomest Boy in School Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The Realm of SJW Posts: 4,642	New York as a ghost town really does bother me. Like, NO one is seeing this? In one of the most densely populated and lively cities on the planet? It's literally called the City That Never Sleeps. And it's New York. New Yorkers have seen way stranger things than 6 foot turtles doing karate at 2 am. Jersey is right across the bridge, if you want to see a human zoo. __________________ I AM FOR ACTUAL! . . . and the White Savior. . . and the Right Hand of God. . .

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10-02-2020, 10:11 AM	#3
~~ABrown~~ Banned Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,831	The first season had Jason Biggs, instead of Seth Green, as Leonardo. I eventually got used to Green, but I liked Biggs's portrayal more.

10-02-2020, 10:28 PM	#4
garsh Foot Soldier Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 155	The very first episode has a goof that I plan to never get over. Remember the scene making a huge deal out of them discovering pizza for the first time? 'Cause it kinda comes off like a continuity error when just a few minutes prior showed them in their kitchen, with a prominent pizza decoration hung over what appears to be a massive brick pizza oven.

10-03-2020, 09:04 AM	#6
garsh Foot Soldier Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 155	Yeah it was probably also too expensive to slightly rotate one of those plates of goo so they're not so obviously identical.

10-03-2020, 01:44 PM	#8
Original TMNT Cartoon Fan Overlord Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 10,154	The Kraang must have struggled wih multiple languages throughout the years. English didn't become the dominant language until the mid 18th Century.