Regarding the original objective of the TMNT 1987 show

[Lazy_BerZerker]

Hello

In my country only few episodes of the original TMNT show aired, but not I've got internet and something I've wondered about since back then is:
When I saw the very first episode of original show, the turtles said their main objective was to:
a) Find out who was guilty in their mutations
b) When they found out, make this person change their master back into a human.

I later saw the very last episode thanks to youtube, and it ended not like I thought, Splinter was still a rat, and the focus was now on that they were true ninja masters (or something like that).

So what happened, when did the original objective change, and why?

Thanks for answers, much appreciated.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Hello

In my country only few episodes of the original TMNT show aired, but not I've got internet and something I've wondered about since back then is:
When I saw the very first episode of original show, the turtles said their main objective was to:
a) Find out who was guilty in their mutations
b) When they found out, make this person change their master back into a human.

I later saw the very last episode thanks to youtube, and it ended not like I thought, Splinter was still a rat, and the focus was now on that they were true ninja masters (or something like that).

So what happened, when did the original objective change, and why?

Thanks for answers, much appreciated.

In which country do you live?

The show took many different directions during the years. I say the entire action was much better during the first 2-3 seasons.

[gobo]

After the Season 2 episode, "SPLINTER NO MORE", Splinter decided he was happier as a rat. The Turtles were all too happy to not be abandoned by their father figure that they decided to slightly change their goal. Instead, they decided to just devote themselves to protecting the innocent, and making Shredder pay for his countless crimes against them, their master and the world became less important than keeping him from conquering the planet.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Also remember the first video game, where Hamato Yoshi mutated back into human in the end.

[Lazy_BerZerker]

Thank you, you've been very helpful.

Oh and I'm from Denmark, you probably heard of it, it's the capital of Sweden. :lol:

[Coola Yagami]

Also remember the first video game, where Hamato Yoshi mutated back into human in the end.

Too bad he slipped and fell into some Mutagen sometime between TMNT 1 and TMNT II.....

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Thank you, you've been very helpful.

Oh and I'm from Denmark, you probably heard of it, it's the capital of Sweden. :lol:

Read this http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles_%281987%29

The 1987 TMNT cartoon aired in Denmark in 2008.

And just wait for 10 October 2009, for Denmark to loose the soccer 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Sweden in Copenhagen... :)

[Lazy_BerZerker]

So regarding the original objective of the TMNT's in the 87 show, after giving it some more thought it occurred to me that the Turtles never try to set all things right with their Sensei's backstory.

After realizing Splinter prefers the life he has now and that defeating Shredder isn't what is important, but doing good is (referring to the finale of season 8), I am surprised the turtles never went to Japan to save the Foot clan from the Shredder. The way I see it, that is the only part of the backstory that never gets dealt with?

There are even at least two episodes that touch upon ways Splinter can prove he should be the leader of the Foot Clan, so it was definitely a possible direction in stead of going for new villains.

My take on it, is that it is perhaps something the Turtles could do once they are fully trained, which first happen in the final episode.
However there is a former episode where Splinter claims the turtles to be fully trained only then to order the family to split up. Though I guess since this was because of a looming danger, I guess the episode cannot be used as gospel of what would happen?

I could even imagine if the Turtles tried to restore the Foot to its pre-robot state, Splinter might have to sacrifice himself and turn human again via the Turtles anti-mutation gun. Making something that was once an objective into a sacrifice.

[neatoman]

It's kind of strange that they assume their mutations were intentional and not the result of a chemical spill.

[cammy85]

snp

I had the outline for something similar many years ago.

Two Foor delegates come from Japan looking for Yoshi and then take the Turtles and Splinter back to Japan so Splinter can be restored to human form thanks to scientists there and then he can lead a new division of the Foot now that Shredder is permanently trapped in Dimension X and Splinter has taught the turtles everything they need to know. But unbeknownst to them all, Shredder is back on Earth and has amassed some followers to challenge the leadership once more and the heroes are arrested for attacking the 'true leader" and because of their former status as public enemy #1. It's gonna take some fancy thinking to get out of this one!!

[Andrew NDB]

There was no plan, nobody cared.

[IMJ]

The original objective of the TMNT 1987 show was to be an advertising vehicle to sell toys. And so at the time I think it was more important for a studio to literally "just get an episode done" than it was to conform to a traditional or contiguous story structure.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

There was no plan, nobody cared.

https://media.tenor.com/images/44a4502bdf29031b50b7392b60635390/tenor.gif

[oldmanwinters]

Too bad he slipped and fell into some Mutagen sometime between TMNT 1 and TMNT II.....

Remember that in Japan, the first NES game was treated as a separate continuity from the games that followed. And furthermore... the Japanese manual identified April as Splinter's daughter.
https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/File:FamicomMutantTurtlesManual-p23.jpg

I'd say it's say to say thath game has its own little corner of the TMNT Multiverse.

[Wesley]

I think the original objective changed in “Shredder and Splintered” when Splinter said near the end the most important thing is that he and the Turtles are together. The show could’ve ended after season 1.

[neatoman]

There was no plan, nobody cared.

Well, technically it is true that the initial objective was to force Shredder to turn Splinter back into Hamato Yoshi... Then the episode where he turned back happened and Splinter declared that he prefered being a filthy hobo rat, because he didn't like paying money...

... Anybody thinking FW Splinter is kind of a lazy asshole? Between that and his bizarre decision to live in the sewers the second he moves to a new country, it kind of seems like he refuses to get a job. Can you imagine being so unwilling to work you'd rather live in a storm drain than get a job to rent an apartment?

[IndigoErth]

Always did find that odd that he chose to live in the sewer and not find a job... Imagine the better life he could have given the Turtles had he managed to have a home first.

As for considering reasons why he chose that path...Hm. Maybe he wasn't actually a legal resident and ended up finding it difficult to get housing and employment?


It's kind of strange that they assume their mutations were intentional and not the result of a chemical spill.
I guess people, even the Turtle kind, can willingly believe a lot of things when it comes to being content with their own sense of identity, place in the world, and reason for existing.

Granted I'm just adding context that the show didn't have, but... I could see them, or at least Leo and Splinter, accepting that "the universe makes no mistakes" or something along those lines.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

... Anybody thinking FW Splinter is kind of a lazy asshole? Between that and his bizarre decision to live in the sewers the second he moves to a new country, it kind of seems like he refuses to get a job. Can you imagine being so unwilling to work you'd rather live in a storm drain than get a job to rent an apartment?

He had no other choice because he was completely penniless when he arrived in America.

Though it doesn't really explain how his particular home in the sewers had so many items and furniture, unless we are to believe that he stole them.

[The-Shredder]

Well, technically it is true that the initial objective was to force Shredder to turn Splinter back into Hamato Yoshi... Then the episode where he turned back happened and Splinter declared that he prefered being a filthy hobo rat, because he didn't like paying money...

... Anybody thinking FW Splinter is kind of a lazy asshole? Between that and his bizarre decision to live in the sewers the second he moves to a new country, it kind of seems like he refuses to get a job. Can you imagine being so unwilling to work you'd rather live in a storm drain than get a job to rent an apartment?

Many people who choose that lifestyle do so out of depression or because they feel like they can't find a place in society. Yoshi was framed by Saki, lost his position as Shidoshi, and was disgraced by the Foot Clan. Something like that can really bring a person down, but in the end he realized it was his "karma" to live his life as a rat and he valued his newfound family even more.

Yes, I know it's a cartoon "made to sell toys," but I'm pretty sure the scriptwriters had put at least a tiny bit of thought into the characters' development, especially in the first five episodes.

[neatoman]

He had no other choice because he was completely penniless when he arrived in America.

Though it doesn't really explain how his particular home in the sewers had so many items and furniture, unless we are to believe that he stole them.

A "penniless" man who could afford a one way ticket from Japan to NYC? I just looked it up, that **** costs 1 408 USD. Besides, not having money is great incentive to get a job

Many people who choose that lifestyle do so out of depression or because they feel like they can't find a place in society. Yoshi was framed by Saki, lost his position as Shidoshi, and was disgraced by the Foot Clan. Something like that can really bring a person down, but in the end he realized it was his "karma" to live his life as a rat and he valued his newfound family even more.

Yes, I know it's a cartoon "made to sell toys," but I'm pretty sure the scriptwriters had put at least a tiny bit of thought into the characters' development, especially in the first five episodes.

Or they could have, i don't know, have him mutate first and then move into a sewer? Seems like that would have made more sense than to think the audience would assume he suffered depression despite not showing many signs of it.

[Leo656]

One would think that in the mid- to late-1980s, especially, Yoshi could have rather easily gotten a job as a martial arts instructor. I mean "McDojos" were popping up everywhere back then after the Karate Kid craze, and as I understand it the industry was very lax as far as certifications and credentials. He basically could have walked in, thrown a few high kicks, and gotten a job. Problem solved.

It's just one of those things where the writers weren't thinking about plot holes, they simply needed to keep the story moving towards its predetermined destination.

[CyberCubed]

A "penniless" man who could afford a one way ticket from Japan to NYC? I just looked it up, that **** costs 1 408 USD. Besides, not having money is great incentive to get a jobit.

Heh, the Archie comic showed this in Yoshi's backstory in a later issue. He snuck on board the cargo of a plane to fly to America with the luggage. So he had no money. It's a fun detail the show overlooked.

[oldmanwinters]

I prefer to think that FW Hamato Yoshi figured the Foot Clan would find him and kill him if they ever knew his location, so even in America, he couldn't risk being in public. I mean... that was basically Shredder's plan anyway, and somehow he still was able to expose him with that mutagen.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

A "penniless" man who could afford a one way ticket from Japan to NYC? I just looked it up, that **** costs 1 408 USD. Besides, not having money is great incentive to get a job

Yoshi was mentioned as becoming penniless after moving to the states, so he could've still afforded the ticket beforehand.

That being said though, I do have to wonder how a man who was seemingly well off in Japan become so extremely poor in America till the point where he couldn't even get a minimum wage job?

My theory is that after arriving in the states, Yoshi blew all of his loot on hookers and Cocaine to deal with his shame, after which he was so badly broke and dishevelled that he both couldn't and wouldn't want to live a normal life :lol:

[CyberCubed]

Well keep in mind this was 1987. Yoshi was a poor Asian immigrant who moved to NY most likely illegally. I don't think he ever became a U.S. citizen, so he probably feared deportation and likely could not get a real job. I just hope Yoshi never met Trump on the street in 1987.

[Leo656]

New York has always been a sanctuary city, you jabroni. They are like destination Numero Uno for illegal immigrants specifically for that reason. If Yoshi had settled in someplace like Mississippi he might have had a rough time getting set up, but nobody in NYC was gonna be checking his papers.

He'd at the very least be able to set up a hot dog cart or something. He'd'a been fine.

[IndigoErth]

He'd at the very least be able to set up a hot dog cart or something. He'd'a been fine.
Sushi cart... Call it "Sewer Sushi," but use the Japanese word for "sewer." And don't ask where he gets his ingredients.

[sleeplessknight]

[QUOTE=IndigoErth;1837331Maybe he wasn't actually a legal resident and ended up finding it difficult to get housing and employment?[/QUOTE]

LOL. Turns out Splinters true nemesis was in fact not the Shredder but Immigration and Customs Enforcement. :lol:

He lived in the sewers out of fear of being deported.

[pferreira]

The original objective of the TMNT 1987 show was to be an advertising vehicle to sell toys. And so at the time I think it was more important for a studio to literally "just get an episode done" than it was to conform to a traditional or contiguous story structure.That's a very cynical way of looking at it. Even Season 1 set out with an objective other than to sell toys which was set out the origins of the TMNT and its world (which it did).

Can you imagine being so unwilling to work you'd rather live in a storm drain than get a job to rent an apartment?He left his home country an outcast, no credit so he was homeless.