Nick cartoon mid-season review

[CyberCubed]

Almost half of Season 1 has aired given we've gotten 12 episodes out of the 26 episode season. While I was going to do this when episode 13 aired (as that would truly be half), the series is going into reruns for a while so it seems like this is the mid-point to which Nick is taking a break for a while.

So what do you think of the new show now that half of Season 1 has aired? Answer the categories yourselves based on your tastes:

In terms of the quality of episode episodes:

- I think almost all the episodes have been good to great, with, "Turtle Temper" being the only weak episode so far, and even then it wasn't bad, just rather average.

In terms of the Turtles personalities

- I think this is the best banter between the brothers and I think their new personality tweaks have been for the best. Leonardo trying to be a hero, Mike being more gullible, Raph not being defined mostly by his temper, and Don's anxiety and crush on April.

In terms of adaptions of previous established characters and villains:

- I like the way most old characters have been re-introduced. Teen April is great, and this is the best incarnation of Splinter. Baxter has been much improved since his debut though.

In terms of new characters created for this show:

- Chris/Dogpound is my favorite so far, and I liked Xever as a human. Again the only one I actually dislike is Spiderbitez. Snakeweed was pretty decent.

In terms of humor

- This is probably the most consistently funny version of TMNT

In terms of animation and action sequences

Has surprised me, the CG look is much better than I thought it would. I'm also glad to see the fight sequences has been top notch.



Add in any categories that I've forgotten and review yourselves.

[pannoni1]

In terms of the quality of episode episodes:

-I agree, except the first Baxter Stockman episode was also just OK as the idea of Baxter pre-mousers wasn't executed properly. Otherwise, it has a continuity on par with the 4kids series, right up to the Battleshell and possible first glimpse of Dimension X in the 12th episode. There have been some good cliffhangers that make you want to come back for the next episode that nicely makes up for the lack of multi-parters so far. They have a nice formula of usually the Turtles in the Lair followed by a moral by Splinter or on Space Heroes that usually pertains to what comes later in the episode. The action is also good with some animesque scenes and just enough OT slapstick to throw a bone to those fans, similar to Season 1 of the OT for that matter. This series reverts to the three-act formula of the OT and has some good act breaks. IMO, of the four TMNT series on TV, the Nick series wins in this category.

8.5/10

In terms of the Turtles personalities

- Starting off the Turtles a bit younger showing them as less mature surely gives the impression that they're teenagers, not Turtles who happened to be teenaged. But that's not all. From the eye colors, height, and even pets that the TMNT have, this is another winning combination done by Nick.

9.5/10

In terms of adaptions of previous established characters and villains:

- In addition to the Turtles as described, Nick has also been careful not to parody the earlier established characters. With the possible exception of Baxter Stockman in which 4kids is still the best incarnation, Splinter is even more noble than ever and like 4kids, isn't afraid to battle. While not appearing as much as in the OT but appearing more than in 4kids, the new April, while not the best in terms of character design, is a great asset to the Turtles with regards to danger and being younger also gives April an edge on character development. The new Shredder looks like he can threaten at any time, and defeating the Turtles on his first battle really shows that he's for real. I also like the 1990 movie-inspired Foot Soldiers. Finally, the Kraang really can be taxing in terms of their army, and its still unknown of their origin so lots to learn there.

8.5/10

In terms of new characters created for this show:

- I agree, and let's not forget one-shots like Murakami.

8.5/10

In terms of humor

- About on par with the OT, but I'd say that series is ever so slightly funnier. Lots of good references and good flow with regards to the story with the delivery.

8/10

In terms of animation and action sequences

Like I said, some really good action scenes and using the occassional Filmation-style animation for Space Heroes and a flashback/origin story. No fights really feel that rushed nor grueling, so it flows well. The human characters though could be improved somewhat in terms of design.

8/10

I'll add one category: Music and sound effects.

The sound effects from what I've noticed are really good, with a mix of classic cartoony sounds and some sleek ones with battle. One thing that disappoints me is the background music. At times it sounds good reminding me of some movie battle scenes, but during non-battle scenes, the music is unremarkable.

6/10

[whitefox360]

Im happy with it in the way that we're all pretty much happy with it, but i cant help but think that theyre trying to appeal to older fans so much that kids are getting left behind and that cant be good for the series in the long run. I base this, of course, off of nothing but pure speculation. But, when you look at mega popular stuff like spongebob, the difference between what theyre doing and what tmnt is doing is pretty big.

Not that that means anything.

[DonatelloNinja82]

Originally Posted by whitefox360

Im happy with it in the way that we're all pretty much happy with it, but i cant help but think that theyre trying to appeal to older fans so much that kids are getting left behind and that cant be good for the series in the long run. I base this, of course, off of nothing but pure speculation. But, when you look at mega popular stuff like spongebob, the difference between what theyre doing and what tmnt is doing is pretty big.

Not that that means anything.

I cannot completely agree with you here, lol! As a mother of three young boys (8, 6, and 3.5), I think this show does a great job of appealing to both younger and older audiences. I totally fangirl over the references to the old versions that I catch, and my sons absolutely love this show too. My oldest son actually doesnt care at all for the OT show, but loves this one. This show has a perfect balance, in my opinion, of enjoyability (is that even a word?) for many age groups.

[BAXTER STOCKMAN 19]

I will give it 10/10! All episodes have been excellent so far!! Some of my friends who decided to watch it also told me that they like it more than the OT and 2003 series!

[Kevin G]

Why don't we wait for the rest the episodes to be aired to make a final review of what we think of the show ?

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Kevin G

Why don't we wait for the rest the episodes to be aired to make a final review of what we think of the show ?

Because if you read the thread title, this is a mid-season review. We're halfway into the first season now and we're seeing where we stand.

[zodiac brave]

Originally Posted by whitefox360

Im happy with it in the way that we're all pretty much happy with it, but i cant help but think that theyre trying to appeal to older fans so much that kids are getting left behind and that cant be good for the series in the long run. I base this, of course, off of nothing but pure speculation. But, when you look at mega popular stuff like spongebob, the difference between what theyre doing and what tmnt is doing is pretty big.

Not that that means anything.

i think this show is VEEERY tweened out! aimed directly (in just the perfect way) to younger kids. and thats awesome because its also done well enough to appeal to the older guard.

[LH]

So far, I give the series a 10/10 for being funny, exciting, and having an awesome cast of characters that never cease to make my day. The turtles are all unique and each have traits that make them relatable. April is always awesome, and Splinter has the perfect balance of seriousness and humor. I hope that the next half of the season is just as amazing as the first! (and more Leatherhead!)

[BubblyShell22]

I'm very satisfied with the series so far. It has a nice balance of humor and can get serious at times. The characters are awesome, and I like how the Turtles act much younger and are still growing as ninjas. All of the episodes have been good, and I hope that the rest of them are great as well. The writing has been awesome and the voice cast is excellent at bringing the characters to life. So far, I give this series a 10/10.

[sdp]

I've enjoyed the show a lot so far, now it doesn't quite have the charm of the OT and it's not as exciting as 2k3 but yet I look forward to each new episode, it is really being it's own thing without trying to be the other two shows. So far I'd still rank it below those two shows but it's only the first 12 episodes, there's much it can still do while it finds it's own identity. I would like to see more action, it doesn't have to be the same as 2k3 but more of just adventures of the day would be good. I mean Baxters second appearance already made up for his first one. I don't like how humans look, including Shredder. I hate how the Streets of NY seem so empty, it feels so surreal, I never got that feeling from the OT or 2k3. I hate some of their mutants like Spiderbytes/snakeweed/pidgeonpete since their designs are uninspiring and so is their backstory. I wouldn't mind a bunch of mutants as long as their back story and designs back them up.

While I hate Shredders design, I think this will end up being the best developed Shredder. The whole Splinter being human origin makes their rivalry have more depth and the OT just wasn't written well enough to take advantage of it. 2k3 was better written but it was harder to get that Shredder have such relationship with the turtles and ends up as more of a one dimensional villain.

[Jephael]

I'm definitely enjoying this show, but at the same time I'm on the fence about certain elements, especially the Turtles' personalities.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Jephael

I'm definitely enjoying this show, but at the same time I'm on the fence about certain elements, especially the Turtles' personalities.

The Turtles personalities are the strongest parts of the show.

[Jephael]

Michelangelo acts like a 5 year-old, Donatello is a lovesick moron, Leonardo is a sci-fi nerd and Raphael is a dick to everyone! How do any of those personality traits make them strong?

[Spitfire]

Wasn't even aware they'd hit 12 episodes. I watched half the first episode and haven't seen anything since. My desire to has been absolute zero which actually surprises even me. I haven't felt that way about something turtles since Next Mutation came out. Did the same for that series. Watched the first episode and never watched another one. Been way behind on the IDW comics as well. So behind the trades are further ahead then me. These new incarnations have lead to a waning interest in the franchise.

Anyways seems most of you think the series is pretty enjoyable so I guess I should give it a proper chance. Though unless they drastically toned down the anime crap I may not make it very far. I found it happened way too often and was extremely distracting as well as cringe worthy.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Jephael

Michelangelo acts like a 5 year-old, Donatello is a lovesick moron, Leonardo is a sci-fi nerd and Raphael is a dick to everyone! How do any of those personality traits make them strong?

What the hell are you talking about? Why are you taking one part of their interests and blowing it up to be their entire personalities?

By that logic you can say in every other incarnation Raph is the angry one, Don is the smart one, Mike is the surfer/due one, and Leo is the competent one.

Taking one aspect of their personalities and overblowing it is bizarre.

[Jephael]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

What the hell are you talking about? Why are you taking one part of their interests and blowing it up to be their entire personalities?

Good Lord, you're a nincompoop! Where did I say those were their only attributes? I'm just pointing out what bothers me about them. Why does it even concern you what I think? I'm entitled to my own opinion, so mind your own damn business!

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Jephael

Good Lord, you're a nincompoop! Where did I say those were their only attributes? I'm just pointing out what bothers me about them. Why does it even concern you what I think? I'm entitled to my own opinion, so mind your own damn business!

You made a comment about the Turtles having personalities like, "Mike acting like a 5 year old and Don being a lovesick moron," and I was calling you out for saying they had one dimensional personalities.

I'm not sure where you get this idea from, because the Turtles are shown to be far more than one-dimensional. Also if you don't like discussions or debates, I think message boards really aren't for you to be honest.

[Jephael]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

You made a comment about the Turtles having personalities like, "Mike acting like a 5 year old and Don being a lovesick moron," and I was calling you out for saying they had one dimensional personalities.

I'm not sure where you get this idea from, because the Turtles are shown to be far more than one-dimensional. Also if you don't like discussions or debates, I think message boards really aren't for you to be honest.

Did you read the PM I sent? It's not the debates that bother me, it's the way you act. You seem to think talking down to people, calling their ideas and opinions stupid or weird is the best way to get your point across, when it really just makes you look like a jerk.
I'll say this one more time: I'M ENTITLED TO MY OWN OPINION!!! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, TOUGH!!!

[Avatar Yuffie]

Episodes:

Some really shine bright: I find myself rewatching Never Say Xever, The Gauntlet and It Came From the Depths a lot. Some weren't as strong (Turtle Temper for example), but the little details like Leo perfectly knowing what Raph's real issues are and Splinter hinting his own personal anger really makes up for it. It is episodic, but at the same time the characters acknowledging what happened/what they did, giving a sense of continuity.

Characters:
Best Splinter and Leo incarnation of the franchise. I will be one of the many viewers crying bitter bitter tears if the Foot ninjas beats Leo up in this continuity (Ciro, please don't. The Turtles vs Shredder was traumatic enough).

Raph really didn't change much: his temper was just scaled down and didn't feel the need to push Leo off a pedestal. Mikey is adorable, and Donnie, while he does have a teenage crush, didn't seem to be the only thing going on for him (probably helped April has limited screentime). I am rooting for him btw.

Speaking of said girl, I like April so far, looking forward when she finally joins the fight as a Hamato ninja.

The characters' strength is really the TMNT and Splinter. I like their brotherhood and how the series showcased that aspect of their relationship.

Adaptation:
I'm ok with Splinter and the Turtles. Leatherhead was pretty cool. But too early for the other characters. April, Shredder, Kraang, Karai and Baxter still need to pull their weight for me to judge properly.

New Characters:
Bradford and Xever are a welcome addition to the franchise. I like the fact that everytime they appear, they actually put up a very tough fight for the heroes. I need to see more of Kirby O'Neil if I like him or not.

Humor:
Very funny.

Action Scenes:
Awesome. New Friends Old Enemy, Never Meet Xever, The Gauntlet. I really like the fact Splinter tells his students to make lots of harm when they mean to.