Opinions on April and Karai?

[Creativecreature31]

So how do you guys feel about this incarnation of April and Karai?

I know I'll probably get a lot of hate for this.... But I honestly don't really care much for this version of April. :ohwell:

She just come across as so bland to me and I can't really put my finger on as to why...
I like the fact that she's training to be a ninja and I hope her empath powers are explored more but....other then that it just feels like she's just there...

Outside of Donatello she doesn't really interact with the other Turtles and any time she gets an episode to herself, it seems like Donatello's crush just HAS to come to the forefront and focus on that rather than the character herself...

I only hope that changes when the episodes return.

Karai on the other hand is the complete opposite for me.
I never found her interesting in ANY other incarnation but in this show they really helped her character for me. In fact, this show just might have made her become the MOST interesting character for me.

Her plot with Shedder and Splinter is easily one of the biggest highlights in this show for me! She becomes by far a very sympathic character for me as a result of it. Her loyalty to the Shedder is a bit more downplayed. And the fact that she's also hilarious with her danpan snarks helps too.

Well that's just my opinion anyways. So what do you think of them?

[RaphAndDonnie]

She just come across as so bland to me and I can't really put my finger on as to why...
I like the fact that she's training to be a ninja and I hope her empath powers are explored more but....other then that it just feels like she's just there...

That's pretty much how I feel about April too. I like that they're trying to give her character but, eh, it's just not coming across too well with me. Karai though, I like her even though this is my first exposure to her. The fact that she's Splinter's daughter and that Shredder has turned her against him...it's great. Don't care much for the bits with her and Leo and Leo having a crush on her but I can understand it more then the Donnie and April stuff.

[Anton Chigurh]

Agree with April, however I don't care if she was even on the show. the show is so rich with every OTHER character. April is kinda there, but with the recent edition of Casey jones her parts a little more important.

[BabyTurtles]

I honestly wouldn't mind if April left the show (I know that's harsh) but......every time she shows up she just ends up frustrating me with her lack of emotions, her lack of interaction with the other 3 turtles, and just Donnie's crush in general.

in fact anything having to do with April is either about Donnie.....or the Kraang.
(or recently Casey, I guess anything with love)

it's like she can't be there just to be there.....she can't goof off or have fun..or help the turtles with something that isn't about HER.

I think Never say Xever was the best portrayal of April so far....she talked to the other turtles like Raph...and even helped out Mikey when he was in trouble. and what's best about that episode?? IT WASN'T ABOUT HER!

anyways...XD....Karai is cool, she's completely the opposite of April.

(hoping Irma is better)

[Cure]

The less of April, the better. I never cared for her in any incarnation, though. Karai is whatever.

[Bossa Nova]

I don't particularly care for either of them in this show, which is a huge shame to me as I've always liked both of them and I'm sad two of the rare female characters that I've come to really like have been reduced to this. April I could rant about for days so I won't even touch that subject, but Karai I still have a tiny glimmer of hope left in me that she can redeem herself and become an actually interesting character. I know they're going for this whole 'too-cool punk' sort of vibe for her, but honestly half the time she just comes off as extremely spoiled and rude and it makes it really difficult to have any empathy for her. Still, I haven't seen enough of her yet to write her off completely (and it doesn't hurt that Leo seems to have gotten over his moronic crush on her relatively quickly), so I'll give her a few more chances. April on the other hand....well, I still pretend the REAL April is out there somewhere and this boring, Mary-Sue imposter won't stick around forever.

[CyberCubed]

The less of April, the better. I never cared for her in any incarnation, though.

How do you get through the TMNT franchise without the one human element the Turtles/Splinter are always exposed to?

[HienFan]

To be honest I like this April better than that kidnap all the time version in the first toon much as I love the old toon

Karai is pretty interesting that I will say my favourite on Shredder's side

[BabyTurtles]

How do you get through the TMNT franchise without the one human element the Turtles/Splinter are always exposed to?

well if they aren't gonna make her interesting then they might as well take her out and replace her with someone better. Casey...Irma...I don't care.

I don't REALLY want to take her out though...I just want her to get better. The idea of a teen April sounded so good.......but man....it was just done wrong.

2003 April was the best for me T^T.....smart, caring, helpful.

[CyberCubed]

April herself is fine, its just Donnie's crush that should be toned down.

I'm hoping by the time Season 3 hits they can move on from that.

[Powder]

I agree that this Karai has more personality than before, I like her quite a bit. Never really had any use for her character before... Still not a big fan of her hair and make up, though.

April, on the other hand, I don't think she's any more bland than past Aprils. The character on a whole has never gotten all that much characterization, except maybe in the Mirage books, but it took 25 years to get her to a point of being well fleshed out. Ciro's April is my favorite by far, both in design & personality. She's smart, funny, got a chip on her shoulder, & has some cute moments too. The fact she's a teen is lending itself well to growth. We can watch her learn and come into her own alongside the turtles. Plus she's not a damsel in distress, which is nice. Just hope they don't end up making a Mary Sue of her, either.

[Andrew NDB]

Plus she's not a damsel in distress, which is nice.

Except for the episode where she was. But whatever. It works.

[victory_angel]

With April, yes I think they need to expand on her more. Thankfully with the Trailer for the new episodes coming up we do see some interaction with Leo. The main problem with her and Donnie as a couple is Donnie is always the first one there, so the others don't really have a chance to talk or interact with her.

It would be good if she did have a talk to the others about Donnie's feelings for her. I understand they want to have the April torn between two lovers angle for a while, but she also has to come to a decision between them. And admittedly she doesn't want to continue leading one on and hurt the other. Part of the recent trailer did suggest that Donnie is going to be taken out of the picture. So unless that's a part of a Fungus induced nightmare, April may have the chance to interact with the other turtles, even its just to keep up the hope that their brother will be returned to them.

[BabyTurtles]

With April, yes I think they need to expand on her more. Thankfully with the Trailer for the new episodes coming up we do see some interaction with Leo. The main problem with her and Donnie as a couple is Donnie is always the first one there, so the others don't really have a chance to talk or interact with her.

It would be good if she did have a talk to the others about Donnie's feelings for her. I understand they want to have the April torn between two lovers angle for a while, but she also has to come to a decision between them. And admittedly she doesn't want to continue leading one on and hurt the other. Part of the recent trailer did suggest that Donnie is going to be taken out of the picture. So unless that's a part of a Fungus induced nightmare, April may have the chance to interact with the other turtles, even its just to keep up the hope that their brother will be returned to them.

I'm pretty sure that's the nightmare. It looks so much like Kirby bat.
and I'm kinda hoping it's Donnie's nightmare.....just to separate April and Donnie's connection a little. It's like everything has to be about them. (like they have to be connected by the hip or something)

the others will probably have fears like failure and losing family...or being alone without family.

I would like Don's fears to be something more personal and not completely about April (like losing her.)

maybe something like failing to find a cure for the mutation or something. (not being smart enough and all that)

[Refractive Reflections]

To be honest I like this April better than that kidnap all the time version in the first toon much as I love the old toon


Except that the Kraang are wanting to kidnap Nick April all the time, ever since the very first episode! The Nick show has selective amnesia with this arc. For example, the time when April runs away from the Turtles in "The Mutation Situation" her character completely forgets the constant threat of the Kraang (by comfortably attending school again in the subsequent episodes), thus diminishing the dramatic intensity of the episode "Karai's Vendetta" in the first season of April having to reside in the sewers for her safety. (If the show at least didn't have that scene of April having to stay in the sewers because it's "so dangerous out there" tone, I wouldn't have made a big deal of it.)

With OT April, it was because she got in trouble due to her job demands, or was used by Shredder and Krang to lure the Turtles into a trap knowing how close she was to them. At least with OT April she wasn't oblivious/forgetful to the threats in her life. :P

As for Nick Karai, she does have some potential, but the show should have followed up on the "Karai is Splinter's daughter" revelation from "Follow The Leader" in "Target: April O'Neil". With the fighting scene Leo has with Karai, its the first time he's fighting Splinter's daughter rather than Shredder's daughter. It would have been nice to have a line or two in "Target: April O' Neil" to support and follow up that dramatic revelation in "Follow The Leader"... :ohwell: Again... if the Nick show didn't make that revelation so dramatic (or didn't have it at all), I wouldn't have made it a big thing either.

I want to be enthusiastic for the show, but for me, the Nick show is dropping the ball too often here to effectively display believable character growth that I was hoping for (in which Nick displayed the potential for) back in the first season. Pushing aside my own personal preferences of characterization, humor, visual design of the characters, tone of the show, and plot twists, from a storytelling perspective, how can I take the show's drama as seriously as it wants me to believe, when the characters don't follow through on the show's own intense dramatic points?

[Cure]

How do you get through the TMNT franchise without the one human element the Turtles/Splinter are always exposed to?

What? I dunno. She's always there. What are you asking?

[Anton Chigurh]

While we're on the subject, what's y'all's opinion of the new Casey? I am not to found of it. I understand it is a nick show but nothing tops Fred wolfs raving vigilat lunitic Clint Eastwood version, draw string sweat pants and all. Also the way he refers to him self in the third person and fights household appliances.

[BabyTurtles]

While we're on the subject, what's y'all's opinion of the new Casey? I am not to found of it. I understand it is a nick show but nothing tops Fred wolfs raving vigilat lunitic Clint Eastwood version, draw string sweat pants and all. Also the way he refers to him self in the third person and fights household appliances.

lol XD the OT Casey from the couple of episodes I've seen was truly a nut.

but I think 2012 Casey works for what's going on now, he seems pretty cool.

and pretty happy about bashing heads XD I couldn't ask more from a Casey.

(actually maybe some Raph Bromance.....)

we've only seen 2 episodes of this Casey though...and both episodes had to do with mostly April's problems....so it will be cool to see Casey get some of his own personal development.

[plastroncafe]

Prior to the Shell Shocked interview I'd have said I was hopeful that April would be more than a token on the show.

But post? I'm keeping my expectations for her and her characterizations low so as not to be disappointed by what we'll inevitably see.

It troubles me to see people in this thread so easy to just give up on April, as if it's HER fault that she has questionable characterization, and not say...the fault of the writers.

It also troubles me to see a character that's been there from the beginning so easily brushed aside because "she doesn't do anything for the plot."
Neither does Mikey, but you'd never see a Turtle show without him.

[BubblyShell22]

I have no problem with this April at all. She's awesome and not a complete Mary Sue as she does have the flaw of being reckless and not realizing that she could be at risk when helping the Turtles. Plus she has the flaw of not really being as smart as we'd like to think since she told Karai that she was failing Trig, so we know that she does have schoolwork problems. My guess is that she probably got a tutor to help her out which allowed her to help Casey. I would like to see if she has other flaws though and definitely would love to see her interact with the other Turtles.

As for Karai, she's fine. I love how she smarts off to Shredder and she has disobeyed him twice now, though I'm sure there's repercussions for that in the future. I'm glad Leo got over his crush on her, though I honestly didn't mind it. Still, I hope that if she does turn good that she and Leo can still be friends and confide in each other.

Casey is awesome so far. No problems with him, and I can't wait to see more of him.

[ZariusTwo]

With OT April, it was because she got in trouble due to her job demands, or was used by Shredder and Krang to lure the Turtles into a trap knowing how close she was to them. At least with OT April she wasn't oblivious/forgetful to the threats in her life. :P

In full agreement here. I never get why people use April being kidnapped all the time as a flaw, she wasnt painted as a damsel in distress, but a hungry and determined career woman who would place herself in danger to best cover the story and expose the various goings-on to the general public. Getting captured was a risk she was always aware of and didnt care for. I find that very inspirational really, and taught me to appreciate journalists who do cover horrific scenes in wars abroad and whatnot, often getting captured themselves. To me, OT April's plights feel more 'real' than expecting a teenage version going through all this wacky and inconsistent nonsense.

As for Karai...eehhh, I never like it when she's 100% against the Turtles, she's just not interesting that way, she sort of becomes very generic. I like her being belonging more to a grey area, being on whichever side that makes her life a little easier to tolerate. She often sees benefits to both the ways of the Foot and the Turtles and tries to balance it out, sometimes suceeding, and sometimes failing.

[BabyTurtles]

Prior to the Shell Shocked interview I'd have said I was hopeful that April would be more than a token on the show.

But post? I'm keeping my expectations for her and her characterizations low so as not to be disappointed by what we'll inevitably see.

It troubles me to see people in this thread so easy to just give up on April, as if it's HER fault that she has questionable characterization, and not say...the fault of the writers.

It also troubles me to see a character that's been there from the beginning so easily brushed aside because "she doesn't do anything for the plot."
Neither does Mikey, but you'd never see a Turtle show without him.

first of all I'm pretty sure most of us here don't blame April herself......we just say April cause I guess it's easier. We know it's the writer's fault.

second...I don't want to give up on April...I really don't....it's just- I'm tired of being frustrated with her and her plot. Fixing April is SOO easy....it's just little things that can make her so much better.

and I do hope she gets better, but I'm just not holding my breathe anymore for it. She's the only GOOD girl on the show....I just want her to be done right.

third, you DID not bring Mikey into this! Oh no you didn't! :oops: first off he has done things for the plot! Chris Bradford anyone? New enemy. Leatherhead trusting him with the powercell because he befriended him? and of course his biggest contribution....he's bait! who else is gonna be bait??? Raph!? no. :D

but seriously, Mikey has helped out a bunch of times.

[Gwydion]

Gotta agree with the OP on both accounts. While I was a bit apprehensive about a teenaged April, I was still fine with it and willing to give it a shot as it has a lot of potential. I just don't think she's lived up to it. I think one of the reasons I find her bland is because all the characters say what a great person she is, but we don't really get to actually see it too often. It's a shame, really.

Karai, on the other hand, I never cared for until this show. Generally I gravitate toward the male characters on any given show, but I really love this version of Karai. She's snarky, sure, but you can tell from her season 2 appearances that there's more to her, and I'm really excited to see how she develops. I think her character has a lot of potential, and I can't help but hope it's not squandered like April's seems to be (for me).

And Casey? I just love this Casey, lol. May change my mind if move love triangle stuff comes into the picture, but for now I think he's great. Easily one of my favorite incarnations of the character.

[Konchadunga]

In full agreement here. I never get why people use April being kidnapped all the time as a flaw, she wasnt painted as a damsel in distress, but a hungry and determined career woman who would place herself in danger to best cover the story and expose the various goings-on to the general public. Getting captured was a risk she was always aware of and didnt care for. I find that very inspirational really, and taught me to appreciate journalists who do cover horrific scenes in wars abroad and whatnot, often getting captured themselves. To me, OT April's plights feel more 'real' than expecting a teenage version going through all this wacky and inconsistent nonsense.

The problem is that she was far too helpless for the job she wanted to do, and probably spoiled by the turtles. She seemed to have a big ego, and I grant that is more personality than the new April has, and it's not necessarily a bad trait, but she never brought anything herself to serve it. The least she could have done was try to learn to fight and conceal weapons; as the action figures did. As it was, she rarely even tried to hide; she leeched off the Turtles' abilities and took risks that no career concerns would've justified. You speak as though April was a freelance reporter in danger of poverty, but in fact, she worked for a company that showed no signs of going under. She'd be getting paid so long as she brought back something, and instead of settling for that, she insisted upon taking risks just to make a name for herself among her peers...which, again, would have been okay, except that she wasn't successful. High self-confidence is an admirable trait only when its holder has earned it. When someone just keeps charging into danger despite repeated humiliations proving they can't handle it, they eventually cross the line from respectably brave to deplorably stupid.

Also, note that April was a real asset to the turtles in the rare moments she stayed out of danger. She was able to bring them pizza, give them human companionship where it was mostly lacking, share vital information, and the like. At some point, she should've realized that this was her best capacity for getting things done, and nothing was worth dying over. The opportunity to get footage and insider information on the villains, she could have easily passed off to the turtles, then edited the footage to make it look like she took it herself.

As for Karai...eehhh, I never like it when she's 100% against the Turtles, she's just not interesting that way, she sort of becomes very generic. I like her being belonging more to a grey area, being on whichever side that makes her life a little easier to tolerate. She often sees benefits to both the ways of the Foot and the Turtles and tries to balance it out, sometimes suceeding, and sometimes failing.

It's a little early to say that; don't you think? 2012 Karai started in that grey area; she then moved to being 100% against the turtles, but she hasn't been that way for many episodes at this moment; certainly less than the time her 2003 counterpart was their sworn enemy. Also note that while she's currently opposed to the turtles, she also seems like she's turning against the Shredder. I expect her to go rogue eventually, in which time she'll learn to think for herself and eventually learn she was lied to.

[Refractive Reflections]

In full agreement here. I never get why people use April being kidnapped all the time as a flaw, she wasnt painted as a damsel in distress, but a hungry and determined career woman who would place herself in danger to best cover the story and expose the various goings-on to the general public. Getting captured was a risk she was always aware of and didnt care for. I find that very inspirational really, and taught me to appreciate journalists who do cover horrific scenes in wars abroad and whatnot, often getting captured themselves. To me, OT April's plights feel more 'real' than expecting a teenage version going through all this wacky and inconsistent nonsense.


People forget that Vernon, Irma, Burne, and Zach were kidnapped or in danger many times too, maybe not as much as April in the series, but still used as a pawn to get to the Turtles somehow or their curiosity to the villains got them in trouble too. It's just that since OT April visually fits the damsel in distress image being a curvy woman, some put her into that category. If OT April was an average looking guy and got into just the same amount of trouble, I doubt some would classify "him" into the "damsel in distress" category, but more of a bold, reckless, and zealous investigative reporter.

The problem is that she was far too helpless for the job she wanted to do, and probably spoiled by the turtles. She seemed to have a big ego, and I grant that is more personality than the new April has, and it's not necessarily a bad trait, but she never brought anything herself to serve it. The least she could have done was try to learn to fight and conceal weapons; as the action figures did. As it was, she rarely even tried to hide; she leeched off the Turtles' abilities and took risks that no career concerns would've justified. You speak as though April was a freelance reporter in danger of poverty, but in fact, she worked for a company that showed no signs of going under.


So let me get this straight, OT April is supposed to learn martial arts on top of having a demanding job as an investigative reporter, dealing with office politics with Vernon, an overbearing boss like Burne, while consistently informing the Turtles about what's going on or researching the archives of which villain to look up, and somehow maintaining her own household (paying bills, getting groceries, cleaning the home)? Dang, does she even have time to sleep? :lol: No wonder she has to settle on wearing that yellow jumpsuit and can get easily annoyed :lol:, considering the frantic pace of her life.

She'd be getting paid so long as she brought back something, and instead of settling for that, she insisted upon taking risks just to make a name for herself among her peers...which, again, would have been okay, except that she wasn't successful. High self-confidence is an admirable trait only when its holder has earned it. When someone just keeps charging into danger despite repeated humiliations proving they can't handle it, they eventually cross the line from respectably brave to deplorably stupid.


In the news business, competing news organizations are typically sending their investigative reporters in harms way just to gain an edge over the competition, such as going into war zones, an eye of a storm, riots, government corruption, political injustices, etc. While OT April's peril was a plot device to involve the Turtles, her intentions into getting "the story" wasn't necessarily for her ego, but because of the demands of her boss (Burne) and for Channel 6's ratings in having a juicy, tantalizing news story, and as stated in many episodes before, to be able to keep her job.

[Shark_Blade]

I will always love OT April the best. :tlove:



So let me get this straight, OT April is supposed to learn martial arts on top of having a demanding job as an investigative reporter, dealing with office politics with Vernon, an overbearing boss like Burne, while consistently informing the Turtles about what's going on or researching the archives of which villain to look up, and somehow maintaining her own household (paying bills, getting groceries, cleaning the home)? Dang, does she even have time to sleep? :lol: No wonder she has to settle on wearing that yellow jumpsuit and can get easily annoyed :lol:, considering the frantic pace of her life.
This is gold. :lol: I can easily classify her as superwoman if she did all that. :tlol:

[Refractive Reflections]

I will always love OT April the best. :tlove:

This is gold. :lol: I can easily classify her as superwoman if she did all that. :tlol:

It's just irksome that somehow there's a superficial notion that interprets if people (especially females) are perceived not to be a physical threat to others, they are considered "weak" or "helpless", rather than recognizing the mental/emotional strength in enduring and balancing multiple hardships at a time.

[BabyTurtles]

I rather have an April with personality then an April that can fight any day.

[Bossa Nova]

I rather have an April with personality then an April that can fight any day.

I agree a million times over.

[Leofan26]

Been a while, always during break times I disappear HA.

2012 April: Haven't really been impressed yet, always getting kidnapped fun and no interactions with the other turtles besides Donnie makes things more boring to me. The plot around her is interesting but other than that, hope they go deeper into it but so far. The love triangle won't help, 2003 April has been my favorite April version so far.

2012 Karai: She's always been a favorite of mine, the 2003 series she was pretty cool and I really liked her fights with Leo. I was a shipper of Leo x Karai too so finding out she was a family member in this version disappointed me but also is exciting, I'm intrested to see how things go between Leo and Karai since Leo now knows the secret. I like her attitude too and her skills are nice, the fights have been fun :D

Over all, this series I prefer Karai but let's see how things go. I just hope April has more interactions with the other turtles soon :(

[BubblyShell22]

To be fair, April hasn't gotten kidnapped THAT much though I do agree that I'd like to see her interact with the other Turtles as well.

And as for OT April getting kidnapped, that's the risk you take as a journalist. We see this all the time when journalists are overseas and get kidnapped while trying to cover a story, so it's definitely not a bad thing that this happened considering what happens in today's world. I'm sure she would have learned self-defense if the show had continued on or if she felt she needed it, but she really didn't, and none of the Turtles ever suggested it because they probably thought they'd always be around to protect her.

I do like how this April is learning, and while many feel that she's gotten too skilled too fast, you have to remember that there's a sufficient gap between the season one finale and the start of season two, so she could have progressed fairly quickly in that time. Also, there are some who feel she's a master at it, but I feel that if she was a master, she wouldn't have called on Donnie to help her out. Sure she was more confident, but she still needed the Turtles' help, which is proof that she hasn't surpassed the Turtles as far as being more skilled than them, and that's a good thing in my eyes.

[Gwydion]

I rather have an April with personality then an April that can fight any day.

Here here!

I do like how this April is learning, and while many feel that she's gotten too skilled too fast, you have to remember that there's a sufficient gap between the season one finale and the start of season two, so she could have progressed fairly quickly in that time. Also, there are some who feel she's a master at it, but I feel that if she was a master, she wouldn't have called on Donnie to help her out. Sure she was more confident, but she still needed the Turtles' help, which is proof that she hasn't surpassed the Turtles as far as being more skilled than them, and that's a good thing in my eyes.

By the way the Turtles talk in The Mutation Situation, I don't think that much time has gone by. They specifically use the word "weeks" in the episode as opposed to "months" or something.

But what makes me think she's learning too fast the most is her use of the tessen. She gets it in Baxter's Gambit (ep 19) and rightly can't use it properly in Karai's Vendetta (ep 21), yet somehow she has no problems with it in Mutagen Man Unleashed (ep 30) even though she hasn't been training with Splinter for about a month. Not that she can't practice on her own, of course, but it still just seems pretty far-fetched to me.

I try not to be bothered by this as it was pretty obvious this was the plan from the start in order to get April more involved, but I can't help but wish they had tried harder to do so without needing her to be a ninja.

I don't care that she learns, I just don't like that they feel she has to in order to be a good character. :(

[Karai Samurai]

I rather have an April with personality then an April that can fight any day.

THIS! So much this. April is impossibly bland and I'm not sure why. Ciro and crew does such a great job creating personalities for all of the other characters...why can't they create a personality for their female lead?

Karai is so badass. Nothing negative to say about her character.

[drgon78]

This April does have personality, she is not an eye candy damsel in distress like in the original series and she is not a "Mary Sue" like in the early 2000 series. While I agree she needs more interaction with normal people, family members, friends that are not turtles or Casey, etc.. It would be nice to find out more about her family life like how/when/where her mother died, were is her aunt, was she born in new York, etc. The show is only in the beginning of season two and they are taking there time to develop a lot characters and the story. This will not be a bad thing if the show last 4+ seasons, now if it ends at season 3 then I might have some issues.

[BubblyShell22]

How was April a Mary Sue in the 2003 series? I never saw any evidence of that.

[Creativecreature31]

Uh...Can you please explain to me how the 2003 April was a" Mary Sue?

[Konchadunga]

She wasn't in my opinion, but she was just a bit too close. She had too many innate talents she didn't need to have. At least she didn't become the center of the plot, though; unlike her descendent.

People forget that Vernon, Irma, Burne, and Zach were kidnapped or in danger many times too, maybe not as much as April in the series, but still used as a pawn to get to the Turtles somehow or their curiosity to the villains got them in trouble too. It's just that since OT April visually fits the damsel in distress image being a curvy woman, some put her into that category. If OT April was an average looking guy and got into just the same amount of trouble, I doubt some would classify "him" into the "damsel in distress" category, but more of a bold, reckless, and zealous investigative reporter.

Actually yeah; we would if they got captured anywhere close to as much as April was. Why do you think a lot of people hate Scrappy Doo, Slippy Toad, Cody Jones, and Timothy?

So let me get this straight, OT April is supposed to learn martial arts on top of having a demanding job as an investigative reporter, dealing with office politics with Vernon, an overbearing boss like Burne, while consistently informing the Turtles about what's going on or researching the archives of which villain to look up, and somehow maintaining her own household (paying bills, getting groceries, cleaning the home)? Dang, does she even have time to sleep? :lol: No wonder she has to settle on wearing that yellow jumpsuit and can get easily annoyed :lol:, considering the frantic pace of her life.

In the news business, competing news organizations are typically sending their investigative reporters in harms way just to gain an edge over the competition, such as going into war zones, an eye of a storm, riots, government corruption, political injustices, etc. While OT April's peril was a plot device to involve the Turtles, her intentions into getting "the story" wasn't necessarily for her ego, but because of the demands of her boss (Burne) and for Channel 6's ratings in having a juicy, tantalizing news story, and as stated in many episodes before, to be able to keep her job.

I'm not saying it would be easy, but when it's your life you're talking about, some things are still the smart thing to do. If learning to fight on top of her other responsibilities was too much, or alternately, not enough to get her out of a jam, well, maybe she should've quit her job. Yes; if she became unemployed, things would get hard for her, but deadly? That's quite a stretch. There's welfare, bank accounts, and other companies; not to mention that she had tough friends she could move in with and be safe.

[Refractive Reflections]

Actually yeah; we would if they got captured anywhere close to as much as April was. Why do you think a lot of people hate Scrappy Doo, Slippy Toad, Cody Jones, and Timothy?

I'm not completely familiar with all of those characters, but I think a great amount of the hate was toward their cloying, over-the-top "fanboy" enthusiasm behavior.

I'm not saying it would be easy, but when it's your life you're talking about, some things are still the smart thing to do. If learning to fight on top of her other responsibilities was too much, or alternately, not enough to get her out of a jam, well, maybe she should've quit her job. Yes; if she became unemployed, things would get hard for her, but deadly? That's quite a stretch. There's welfare, bank accounts, and other companies; not to mention that she had tough friends she could move in with and be safe.

Apparently for April (and we could include other reporters who head out in perilous situations like war zones, etc.), even with the constant threat of dying, they are still willing to pursue that type of journalism. Now if she was constantly reluctant like Vernon, then for sure she should have been pursuing other jobs. One has to reason that April wouldn't have took the job, if she didn't know there were extreme risks in that type of journalism in the first place.

In addition, considering the villains she encounters (space aliens, ninja masters like Shredder, powerful crime bosses, etc.) even if she was a trained fighter, she would be delaying the inevitable of getting caught or being killed since she and any other recently trained person would be inferior considering her lack of experience, unlike the Turtles. It's the reason why the Turtles are introduced into the premise in the first place because they are the only ones who can save humanity from the excessive crime and sci-fi craziness that goes on.


While OT April may have her "damsel in distress" situations as with the other numerous humans the Turtles saved before, she's NOT a "damsel in distress" character. She has proven her "worth" so to speak by assisting the Turtles many times before: able to have access to news vans and the helicopter to transport the Turtles (even taking the wheel when there was ammunition fired on them), mechanical skills in fixing a helicopter ("Adventures in Turtle-Sitting"), cross referencing the background information of villains to understand their backstory and where to find them, disguise herself more easily to infiltrate into more public, social settings, being an advocate for them publicly when the city was against them (even to point of being nearly fired from her boss Burne several times over), nursing them back to health ("The Making of Metalhead"), and I could go on and on.

If OT April's ego was as big as some claim, she could have gone the route of Vernon and be a sellout by revealing their lair and turn against them in news reports to follow the fickle societal tides. It would have solidified her job security at Channel 6 for breaking that story.

Even though she may not be physically threatening, she has shown mental wit by fooling the villains (i.e. tricking Rocksteady in "Jealousy With Green", and the batmen in early episodes of Season 10).

Is OT April bold? Yes. Reckless even? Perhaps. But if we are going to start harshly criticizing characters for having a character flaw of being reckless using OT April, then I could easily argue hot-headed Raphael and curious, trouble-making Michelangelo (in most TMNT universes for both Turtles) since they would be a significant burden as well by making problems/missions more complicated despite their expertise in fighting.

[blindturtle02]

I don't think I have any problems with OT, 4kids, or 2012 April. 2012 April needs to have a little more screen time. The writers should also allow her to interact with the other turtles. Lovin this new version of Karai, but then I also loved the 4kids version as well. Yep, I also think she'll go rogue eventually. Can't wait to see that! If the writers do decide to go with a sort of City At War arc, I hope it's Karai against the man who's been lying to her for her entire life. I'm glad she's getting to be in the spotlight right now. She's certainly developing plans of her own. That's pretty much a given. The rest of s2 should prove to be quite exciting.

[Karai Samurai]

I don't think I have any problems with OT, 4kids, or 2012 April. 2012 April needs to have a little more screen time.

I think April has had adequate screen time to develop some sort of personality. Karai had a lot less screen time and far better characterization. I just think the writers got a bit lazy with April being the slightly awkward good girl and didn't think it was important to make her something more.

[BabyTurtles]

I think April has had adequate screen time to develop some sort of personality. Karai had a lot less screen time and far better characterization. I just think the writers got a bit lazy with April being the slightly awkward good girl and didn't think it was important to make her something more.

yea I think so too.....

remember that episode when April helped Mikey get on facebook(or whatever they wanna call it XD) in New friend old enemy? she had alot of expressions then.
or
that time when she introduced them to Murakami-san? She was great the entire episode.

....but once they revealed that she was the human the kraang wanted everything went kinda downhill for her character.....everything revolving around her was dire and serious. It's like there was no time for her to just chill and help the turtles with their problems....it was only her problems.

I've come to the conclusion that she's more interesting as a normal girl with personality than a bland girl with a crazy plot.

[blindturtle02]

How is 2012 April bland and without personality? I'm honestly curious here. It's gotten me rewatching some episodes featuring her today since basically everything in my town is canceled due to ice. So KS, do you and Babyturtles feel that she's become more of a plot device than a character? Are they dragging out the whole April/Kraang arc a bit too long for ya? I like the whole psychic/mystery thing myself, but different strokes for different folks and all that. She has great determination when she has been featured. She's certainly no doormat and she's indipendant. She seems as if she's got quite allot of personality. Do you think the writers need to flesh out her character traits a bit more? Maybe have her in more of the downtime scenes in order to learn about her as a person? Again, just curious to hear what everyone has to say. I did like those moments in s1 where she was teaching the guys about every day life in NYC. There should definitely be more of those moments. But we might be seeing more of those since the riff between the boys and April has been closed. From what has been revealed lately concerning the remainder of the second season, I think she's going to be crucial to the boys' survival during upcoming episodes.

[Karai Samurai]

So KS, do you and Babyturtles feel that she's become more of a plot device than a character?

Yes! Exactly this!

I can't speak for babyturtles, but remember that episode when Karai asked April "what makes you so special?" X amount of episodes later and I'm still asking the same thing. Sure she's part of this crazy story line, but seriously, all of the craziness is going on while she's just this boring blob right in the middle of it all. All we need is one episode were April can just be April, not Donnie's crush, not (possibly) Casey's crush, and not the Kraang's target, and maybe she will be interesting. I don't know, give her friends. Show her trying to deal with her newly mutated father. April needs something to give her personality. It's possible to have female leads on television who are more than just eye candy. It's cool that the writers gave her psychic (?) abilities and got her to fight, but at the end of the day, April is just there as the object of someone's desires. She can be so much more.

[BabyTurtles]

Yes! Exactly this!

I can't speak for babyturtles, but remember that episode when Karai asked April "what makes you so special?" X amount of episodes later and I'm still asking the same thing. Sure she's part of this crazy story line, but seriously, all of the craziness is going on while she's just this boring blob right in the middle of it all. All we need is one episode were April can just be April, not Donnie's crush, not (possibly) Casey's crush, and not the Kraang's target, and maybe she will be interesting. I don't know, give her friends. Show her trying to deal with her newly mutated father. April needs something to give her personality. It's possible to have female leads on television who are more than just eye candy. It's cool that the writers gave her psychic (?) abilities and got her to fight, but at the end of the day, April is just there as the object of someone's desires. She can be so much more.

yea...this.

again...It's cool that she can fight......but I just want to get to know HER....her likes and dislikes...

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfQRriHpU7s/UXmpPNSvvDI/AAAAAAAABFY/uTT8pdAh8RQ/s1600/ArielIWantMore.gif

and nobody say..."she's a secondary character" or "she's not shown as much so they don't have much time"

they could have taken out a butt-load of Donnie and April awkward moments to give her some lines to herself! talking to another turtle....giving her an opinion...having fun....anything.

that April and Leo moment was golden...In "New girl in town".

[Asha]

The reason I think its hard to understand this incarnation of April is her reactions to plot points that involve her are too simple.

The episodes when she lived with the turtles but the next few episodes she makes no appearance of at least a reference to how she doing.

Understand April could be solved by establishing her dynamic with each of the turtles. Or her having a conversation not plot related could help.

[Karai Samurai]

Okay, I know it's not cool to revive a dead thread but I just watched "New Girl in Town." Even though April was in the episode for only a minute she was perfect! I loved her girl talk with Leo. I wish we got to see that April more.

[blindturtle02]

There's certainly no harm in reviving this thread. Everyone should be allowed to have their say. Now that you mention it, I was watching that one the other day and noticed the same thing. Loved her in that ep!

[BubblyShell22]

I'm sure there will be more April development as the season goes along. We just haven't seen enough of it yet. And I agree that April was awesome in "New Girl in Town."

[Shark_Blade]

I love it more cause April is wearing other type of clothing than that default jersey.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

April is not a bad character in this show but I don't think she's getting enough development. She is definitely getting there but she still seems to be just there for Don to crush on her for humor. While April and Don have the closest relationship as it should be, I agree with others that she should also spend a little time being a big sister to the other three turtles because that's basically her role in this show.

As for Karai, she was actually cool in the first season until Karai's Vendetta. My problem with her is that after the turtles attempted to attack Shredder, she decides to suddenly join forces with the Kraang, the ones who she were more concerned about. I understood that she's angry at the turtles for what going against their plan and attacking her "father" but that's no excuse to side with the beings that are a threat to your home planet. Not only that but she decides to suddenly kidnap April without thinking what do the Kraang want with her. Nope, since she's the turtles' friend, she decides to threaten her life. Then she decides to kidnap Leo and accuses him for betraying her but she didn't even consider how he felt when she left him and his brothers to fight "Justin" of whom she caused. Later, she says that it's nothing personal against them and that she just wants revenge on Splinter for killing her mother. Leo had to tell her that Splinter would never harm an innocent. Having encountering Splinter before, hopefully she has second thoughts since Splinter refused to fight her when she called him a coward. And now, she decides that it's okay to use the Kraang's technology against the turtles despite her dad's orders, TWICE.

While I think 2k3 Karai went off the deep end for attacking the turtles and Splinter for what happened to her "father", at least it's explained what her motive was for doing so. 2012 Karai siding with the Kraang (the ones who are going to take over the world) and going after April has no explanation. Is she after the turtles, April, Splinter, who?! What is HER objective?

[blindturtle02]

I'm sure there will be more April development as the season goes along. We just haven't seen enough of it yet. And I agree that April was awesome in "New Girl in Town."

Yeah, I think so too. It's coming alright. Maybe they're intentionally leaving her a bit mysterious for a while to entice fans? Keep them tuning in or something? Idk haha

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

I like them. Making them the same age as the turtles makes them fresh and original, while still being the characters that we all love.

[victory_angel]

My take on Karai in 2003 version of was that she was a twit. Her loyalty to the Shredder was admirable. But she believed in honor as well and even she could see that the Shredder was not and honorable man and could abandon her whenever he felt like. And once Ch'rel is imprisoned she decides to get vengeance of the very people who brought her father to justice.

As for Karai in the 2012 version, she is witty. And while she does feel like she wants justice for her mothers murder, she is willing to think and consider things that her father will not. For example when she first encounters Leo she doesn't kill him directly, but instead tries to seduce him to the dark side. That way the Shredder would see the Turtles would be better on the side of the Foot rather then being viewed as enemies. And it would hurt "Hamato Yoshi" for his prized student to be on the same side of the enemy.

Bur when Leo doesn't turn the way she wanted she gives up on that and finds the Kraang as something of interest. Even if it was just for the sake of utilizing their technology as a way to aid the Foot Clan. And even with the truce they have in Enemy of My Enemy, she would have betrayed the Turtle's again once she'd fullfilled her side of the bargain. However the Turtle's tried to kill her father, and that makes her angry because even though her father drives her nuts with his vendetta on Splinter. He is still the only family she has, and with him gone she will be left with nothing.

In Karai's vendetta she attacks April and even demands the girl tell her what made her so important since she's at the center of an all that is going on. Perhaps she does this as a way of seeing what sort of value or how much of a threat this seemingly normal girl actually was. Karai still doesn't completely trust the Kraang and both Kraang and the Foot are set to betray one another once they have disposed of the Turtle's

The way I see truly see her is that she is spoiled, the Shredder pretty much lets her have anything she wants and do anything she wants. All that is required is that she be a good little soldier and does what he tells her to do. However she is as much a pawn as she is a weapon. I don't see the Shredder as being all that Fatherly to her, there have been moments that imply that he's quite abusive. I doubt he really played with her as a child, told her bed time stories, or give a crap about whatever she was interested in. He would probably get on her case about her school grades, but other then that he was more then likely held a "you want my love...you need to earn it." attitude.

[Electric]

i actually really like this april. i like how involved she is with the kraang plot, how they need her specifically. it makes her seem like a more important character than if she was just a friend of the turtles. the de-aging i prefer, as i think she fits better with teenage turtles. and i also love how theyre doing her training. she started in the middle of season 1, and we saw her a couple of times working with splinter, then we saw her get her weapon. then towards the end of season 1, we see her try and fight karai, and not do too well, but being able to get away. Now in season 2, shes been able to defend herself for kirby and mutagen man, and despite getting knocked down quite a bit, hold her own against karai. the show took their time with her training and i think its working out great.

however, i do think, like many others, she needs to interact with more turtles than just donnie, which i honestly think will come, especially with casey now. and with that, i hope she and casey dont become inseperable characters, and that we get screen time of each alone, not always together



As for Karai, she was actually cool in the first season until Karai's Vendetta. My problem with her is that after the turtles attempted to attack Shredder, she decides to suddenly join forces with the Kraang, the ones who she were more concerned about. I understood that she's angry at the turtles for what going against their plan and attacking her "father" but that's no excuse to side with the beings that are a threat to your home planet. Not only that but she decides to suddenly kidnap April without thinking what do the Kraang want with her. Nope, since she's the turtles' friend, she decides to threaten her life. Then she decides to kidnap Leo and accuses him for betraying her but she didn't even consider how he felt when she left him and his brothers to fight "Justin" of whom she caused. Later, she says that it's nothing personal against them and that she just wants revenge on Splinter for killing her mother. Leo had to tell her that Splinter would never harm an innocent. Having encountering Splinter before, hopefully she has second thoughts since Splinter refused to fight her when she called him a coward. And now, she decides that it's okay to use the Kraang's technology against the turtles despite her dad's orders, TWICE.

While I think 2k3 Karai went off the deep end for attacking the turtles and Splinter for what happened to her "father", at least it's explained what her motive was for doing so. 2012 Karai siding with the Kraang (the ones who are going to take over the world) and going after April has no explanation. Is she after the turtles, April, Splinter, who?! What is HER objective?


Thats the thing about this karai though. She is lost and struggling. at first she wanted to have fun, not killing leo. then she discovered the kraang, and wanted to take them down, until the others turned on her. now she wants to get rid of them, and sides completely with her father. then she meets april, who for so many reasons is special. and i think karai is jealous of that. so she starts a rivalry with april. then she sees splinter, who she believes killed her mother, so she hates him.

shredder works with the kraang, or really has the kraang work for him, so karai really has no option there. she doesnt trust them, but sees how theyre useful in accomplishing her fathers vendetta. when hes gone, she uses them to get rid of april, which she believes would end whatever the kraang need her for, end her rivalry with april, and hurt the turtles and splinter emotionally.

she is a mess right now.she has issues with so many others that she doesnt know what to do. she struggles between what her father tells her to do, what she wants to do, and what she has to do. her motive is to have everything out of the way. to get everything accomplished.

i think that the mess this karai is, is what makes her such a deep character that can be developed

[blindturtle02]

I seriously doubt the Shredder loves Karai at all. That bit in Karai's Vendeta where she was asking April why she was at the center of everything made me feel as if she were jealous of the love and support April had. It's just my opinion, but I'm thinking deep down, Karai knows that no matter how hard she tries Shredder is never going to see her as anything but a soldier and a tool. Seems like she's beginning to realize this even more in s2. Notice that she's starting to ask him questions like,"You'd never let the footbots hurt me, would you father?" Stuff like that. Looks as if she's beginning to question everything she's been taught. I think she's also gotten a taste of what it is to be a dictator like Shredder, and the kid loves it. But I seriously doubt she'll switch sides when she discovers the truth. That girl is probably going to try as hard as she can to make Shredder pay, and if the turtles are caught in the middle, oh well. I'm thinking she'll do a 180 at some point, but she'll probably have to go to the school of hard knocks first. If she doesn't get a handle on the whole vengeance begets vengeance thing, who the heck knows what'll happen?

[Ultimate Ninja]

I like April, she is a nice character. I would like to see her spend even more time on ninja training though.

Karai makes a cool villain, but I miss the more compassionate and understanding Karai from the 2k3 series. Maybe compassionate is an over statement, but she didn't seem that evil until later episodes.

[blindturtle02]

I like April, she is a nice character. I would like to see her spend even more time on ninja training though.

Karai makes a cool villain, but I miss the more compassionate and understanding Karai from the 2k3 series. Maybe compassionate is an over statement, but she didn't seem that evil until later episodes.

So WW, do you think we'll see Karai go from being cold and calculating to more of an understanding character? I'm hoping that's the case later on if the show lasts around 6 or so seasons. Her story has been awesome so far. If there are any of Yoshi's and Shen's qualities within her, they're buried deep beneath what Shredder has planted there. I feel for this kid. She's trying so hard to gain this tyrant's effection, but all he sees her as is a sort of trophy. I can't help but feel that this is how he would have treated Shen if she had chosen him. He's so bent on competition with Splinter that I'm thinking he probably would have treated Shen as a trophy wife and nothing more. This is totally my own opinion, however. Did Saki ever love Shen at all, I wonder? Does he feel anything for Karai? So far, Shredder has used the kid as a pawn and that's about all. Here's hoping she ditches him some day. If anything, he probably feels ecstatic because she shares his hatred for Splinter, I guess. But knowing Karai, this is going to come back to bite Saki eventually.

[Electric]

I seriously doubt the Shredder loves Karai at all. That bit in Karai's Vendeta where she was asking April why she was at the center of everything made me feel as if she were jealous of the love and support April had. It's just my opinion, but I'm thinking deep down, Karai knows that no matter how hard she tries Shredder is never going to see her as anything but a soldier and a tool. Seems like she's beginning to realize this even more in s2. Notice that she's starting to ask him questions like,"You'd never let the footbots hurt me, would you father?" Stuff like that. Looks as if she's beginning to question everything she's been taught. I think she's also gotten a taste of what it is to be a dictator like Shredder, and the kid loves it. But I seriously doubt she'll switch sides when she discovers the truth. That girl is probably going to try as hard as she can to make Shredder pay, and if the turtles are caught in the middle, oh well. I'm thinking she'll do a 180 at some point, but she'll probably have to go to the school of hard knocks first. If she doesn't get a handle on the whole vengeance begets vengeance thing, who the heck knows what'll happen?

i agree. if/when karai finds out the truth, i cannot see her going straight to the turtles as an ally. i imagine she'll be on her own for awhile, not with shredder, not with the turtles, but in the middle

[Metalwolf]

I like Karai, but I'm kind of dreading the eventual AprilXCasey thing. Mainly because Karai's fate is more open-ended with so many possibilities, she isn't going to get shoved into a narrow love interest role like April probably will.

Why is it that females tend to get stuck into the love interest role so often? It's only one possible fate for males, but women seem to get railroaded into it far more often. :ohwell:

[blindturtle02]

Was thinkin the same thing Metalwolf. Also Wondering if they're going to give Karai a dark fate or something to that nature. Hope that's not the case. I like her character and desire things to turn out ok for her in the end.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

Thats the thing about this karai though. She is lost and struggling. at first she wanted to have fun, not killing leo. then she discovered the kraang, and wanted to take them down, until the others turned on her. now she wants to get rid of them, and sides completely with her father. then she meets april, who for so many reasons is special. and i think karai is jealous of that. so she starts a rivalry with april. then she sees splinter, who she believes killed her mother, so she hates him.

shredder works with the kraang, or really has the kraang work for him, so karai really has no option there. she doesnt trust them, but sees how theyre useful in accomplishing her fathers vendetta. when hes gone, she uses them to get rid of april, which she believes would end whatever the kraang need her for, end her rivalry with april, and hurt the turtles and splinter emotionally.

she is a mess right now.she has issues with so many others that she doesnt know what to do. she struggles between what her father tells her to do, what she wants to do, and what she has to do. her motive is to have everything out of the way. to get everything accomplished.

i think that the mess this karai is, is what makes her such a deep character that can be developed

The turtles were wrong for turning against Karai and I understand that she is angry with them but that is still not an excuse to side with the Kraang only to kill them. And is she really after the turtles or is it Splinter she is after? And yes while Shredder now works with the Kraang giving her no option but to side with them, she DID have the option to not use the Kraang's technology when her father told her not to. And regarding April, there was no rivalry with her until Karai learned what happen to April's mother and was defeated. Learning about April losing her mother, I honestly think that instead of capturing her and sending her to "the ones of whom she does not trust" (lol, couldn't resist:P), she should have capture her for herself for questioning. Just to see if she could be an enemy or a possible friend.

This is just how I see it.

[Lisardo]

For some reason, I feel the 2003 April was more "bland" than the 2012 one. 2003 April was just "there" IMO, whereas this one is more spunky and bold - that same character trait the 1987 April had that I loved so much. And I agree with the previous posters about how I prefer an April with personality over one who fights. The 2012 April is a decent balance of both.

[Candy Kappa]

I like them both, although I still wish Karai wasn't Miwa.

[CyberCubed]

I agree that Nick's April is a lot more memorable than 4kids April.

I never actually realized how 4kids April just, "felt there" a lot of the time. She's also not in a lot of the episodes, probably because she rarely went on adventures with the Turtles in that show.

[drgon78]

I also like Nick's April a lot more then 4Kids April.

[JTH]

Most of the time I saw 4kids April as being "just there" and more times than not having no purpose. The only time I really felt she had meaning in the series was SAINW, and that's for an alter time-lime saga. Other than that, I always saw here as filler.

Nick show at least gives April purpose to the show and stories, some of the choices they made I don't agree with the path they took, but I can at least say they tried, enhanced the character, and did give me reason to care about the character and does give me the sense the relationships she holds have true emotional value.

4kids April...eh, not really.

[Huzzah]

I like them both, although I still wish Karai wasn't Miwa.

I'm actually completely with you on that, I know it was a forgone conclusion, but I still would've preferred it not be.

Because we all know that Miwa actually becomes the Nick version of Venus...okay not really...I apologize for such a poor taste joke.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I'm sorry but I feel it is the other way around, I feel that 4kids April is more helpful and more of a big sister to the turtles while Nick April is just a human friend who is either just there or used as a plot device. Nick's version just seems to get in the way when she wants to help and the whole "psychic powers" ability just seems a bit tacked on just to make her look more vital to the team. The whole crush thing that Don has is getting worse because now she's noticeably become the center of attention ever since Casey entered the series. I think Nick just needs to give April a break. There's really nothing special about her to me.:ohwell:

[Leofan26]

If only they didn't have Donnie's crush on April story, takes up too much away from April's character.

Her story is good now, it doesn't allow her to hang out with other turtles or do her own thing. Hopefully his crush on April is over now and we can all move on and do better things for them.

[plastroncafe]

^^^^^

This. Please.
Yes.

[BabyTurtles]

If only they didn't have Donnie's crush on April story, takes up too much away from April's character.

Her story is good now, it doesn't allow her to hang out with other turtles or do her own thing. Hopefully his crush on April is over now and we can all move on and do better things for them.

double agree!

[ShredderX633]

I agree that this Karai has more personality than before, I like her quite a bit. Never really had any use for her character before... Still not a big fan of her hair and make up, though.

April, on the other hand, I don't think she's any more bland than past Aprils. The character on a whole has never gotten all that much characterization, except maybe in the Mirage books, but it took 25 years to get her to a point of being well fleshed out. Ciro's April is my favorite by far, both in design & personality. She's smart, funny, got a chip on her shoulder, & has some cute moments too. The fact she's a teen is lending itself well to growth. We can watch her learn and come into her own alongside the turtles. Plus she's not a damsel in distress, which is nice. Just hope they don't end up making a Mary Sue of her, either.

Wow I couldn't agree more with you there. April should feel like she has a purpose of being on the team and making her nothing more than a damsel in distress was just being sexist, cliche and very repetitive. I'm glad to see this April finally being able to contribute to this show as opposed to the previous incarnations.

[Eiko]

I like them both, although I still wish Karai wasn't Miwa.

Yea same. Could have been worse though what if it was April as Miwa now that would have been awkward.

[TurFlytle]

I also like Nick's April a lot more then 4Kids April.

Probably because she has more backstory, she's kind of a Mary Sue, she's mostly there, and she actually fights alongside the turtles on missions.

[turtle1237]

The problem is that she was far too helpless for the job she wanted to do, and probably spoiled by the turtles. She seemed to have a big ego, and I grant that is more personality than the new April has, and it's not necessarily a bad trait, but she never brought anything herself to serve it. The least she could have done was try to learn to fight and conceal weapons; as the action figures did. As it was, she rarely even tried to hide; she leeched off the Turtles' abilities and took risks that no career concerns would've justified. You speak as though April was a freelance reporter in danger of poverty, but in fact, she worked for a company that showed no signs of going under. She'd be getting paid so long as she brought back something, and instead of settling for that, she insisted upon taking risks just to make a name for herself among her peers...which, again, would have been okay, except that she wasn't successful. High self-confidence is an admirable trait only when its holder has earned it. When someone just keeps charging into danger despite repeated humiliations proving they can't handle it, they eventually cross the line from respectably brave to deplorably stupid.

Also, note that April was a real asset to the turtles in the rare moments she stayed out of danger. She was able to bring them pizza, give them human companionship where it was mostly lacking, share vital information, and the like. At some point, she should've realized that this was her best capacity for getting things done, and nothing was worth dying over. The opportunity to get footage and insider information on the villains, she could have easily passed off to the turtles, then edited the footage to make it look like she took it herself.



It's a little early to say that; don't you think? 2012 Karai started in that grey area; she then moved to being 100% against the turtles, but she hasn't been that way for many episodes at this moment; certainly less than the time her 2003 counterpart was their sworn enemy. Also note that while she's currently opposed to the turtles, she also seems like she's turning against the Shredder. I expect her to go rogue eventually, in which time she'll learn to think for herself and eventually learn she was lied to.

How many REAL reporters today take risk just for the story though? April is no different, Lara Logan gets assaulted in Cairo, Daniel Pearl gets beheaded a few years back, and James Foley gets capture by the ISIS and beheaded in front of the world, all reporters, all took risk and all paid the price.

Real life reporters do this, Just because April is a cartoon, and a reporter, at that, should not mean she should not take risk, in fact, the type of job she has in the series pretty much demands it.

No insult to Pearl and Foley, but the job is what it is.

[ssjup81]

I can only compare Nick April to OT April as far as animated programs go. I'm not a fan of either, but that doesn't mean I dislike them. For pretty much any franchise, I have favorite or non favorite characters because it's super rare for me to literally dislike or hate a character. I could dislike an aspect or storyline, but not the character itself.

Anywho, Nick April kind of bores me still, and would like to see more dealing with her that doesn't involve mutants or the Kraang. What are her hobbies? What's her favorite food? What makes her tick? How about talking about her mother sometime? I feel like I know more about Casey than I do her. I also would like some sort of repercussion or side effect for her having these "powers". Has she always had them? Even when super young? Something. Explain why she has few friends. Maybe her Kraang power scared them off unknowingly.

[Electric]

I can only compare Nick April to OT April as far as animated programs go. I'm not a fan of either, but that doesn't mean I dislike them. For pretty much any franchise, I have favorite or non favorite characters because it's super rare for me to literally dislike or hate a character. I could dislike an aspect or storyline, but not the character itself.

Anywho, Nick April kind of bores me still, and would like to see more dealing with her that doesn't involve mutants or the Kraang. What are her hobbies? What's her favorite food? What makes her tick? How about talking about her mother sometime? I feel like I know more about Casey than I do her. I also would like some sort of repercussion or side effect for her having these "powers". Has she always had them? Even when super young? Something. Explain why she has few friends. Maybe her Kraang power scared them off unknowingly.

thing is though:

we dont know caseys favorite food? aprils hobbies are training and hanging with casey and irma. whereas casey vigilantes to protect his family, april fights to protect hers as well. as far as the mother thing, we know enough to know its hard on her, and theres still plenty of time to learn more about it. she has few friends because she hangs out with the turtles all the time. she still has irma, and casey.

i get what youre saying, in a way, that you want to know more about april. fair enough. but this is a cartoon, about 4 mutant turtles, with each show only 21 minutes. there is simply not enough time

can already picture a response theyd have plenty of time if theyd stop showing donnies crush well, yeah, thatd free up time, but whether you like it or not, thats part of donnies character, and again, the show is about him and his brothers essentially. theres no point to take time away from donnie to show april getting bullied/left out/alone at school.

or they cant write female characters no, just the 4 main characters are the turtles, who by meer design, are all male. april has been developed plenty, with a lot revolving around the kraaang. again, just because someone may not like it doesnt mean its discredited as part of her character. and also, karai, a female, in this show has been done incredibly, and has also developed.

april is a stubborn, loyal, friendly character, training to be a kunoichi (which this show has done great with, showing her progression). she bonds with donnie, has become friends with casey, does almost anything to protect/help her father, is critical to the kraangs plan because of an explained test on her mother, and holds the cure to retro mutagen.

april 2k3 was a lab tech who found the turtles when she was almost killed, then owned a shop and hung out with the turtles, before marrying their only other human friend

[Warhorse]

thing is though:

we dont know caseys favorite food? aprils hobbies are training and hanging with casey and irma. whereas casey vigilantes to protect his family, april fights to protect hers as well. as far as the mother thing, we know enough to know its hard on her, and theres still plenty of time to learn more about it. she has few friends because she hangs out with the turtles all the time. she still has irma, and casey.

i get what youre saying, in a way, that you want to know more about april. fair enough. but this is a cartoon, about 4 mutant turtles, with each show only 21 minutes. there is simply not enough time

can already picture a response theyd have plenty of time if theyd stop showing donnies crush well, yeah, thatd free up time, but whether you like it or not, thats part of donnies character, and again, the show is about him and his brothers essentially. theres no point to take time away from donnie to show april getting bullied/left out/alone at school.

or they cant write female characters no, just the 4 main characters are the turtles, who by meer design, are all male. april has been developed plenty, with a lot revolving around the kraaang. again, just because someone may not like it doesnt mean its discredited as part of her character. and also, karai, a female, in this show has been done incredibly, and has also developed.

april is a stubborn, loyal, friendly character, training to be a kunoichi (which this show has done great with, showing her progression). she bonds with donnie, has become friends with casey, does almost anything to protect/help her father, is critical to the kraangs plan because of an explained test on her mother, and holds the cure to retro mutagen.

april 2k3 was a lab tech who found the turtles when she was almost killed, then owned a shop and hung out with the turtles, before marrying their only other human friend

If the writers cared, it is so easy to write an episode where we got to know April more. Or Casey for that matter. Easiest thing to do in my mind, would be where she invites the Turtles to her apartment for Thanksgiving. A 3 to 5 minute scene is all it would take. Or, another way, say with Casey, have Raphael go off on one of his rages, and then decides to cool off by crashing at Casey's. A minute of playing video games and chattering could be used for great character development for Casey. Look, if the show can waste time on a fake TV show the Turtles watch, nearly every other episode, then they can waste time on Casey and April, who are characters that we actually care about, helluva lot more than the Star Trek/Power Rangers rip off.

[ssjup81]

If the writers cared, it is so easy to write an episode where we got to know April more. Or Casey for that matter. Easiest thing to do in my mind, would be where she invites the Turtles to her apartment for Thanksgiving. A 3 to 5 minute scene is all it would take. Or, another way, say with Casey, have Raphael go off on one of his rages, and then decides to cool off by crashing at Casey's. A minute of playing video games and chattering could be used for great character development for Casey. Look, if the show can waste time on a fake TV show the Turtles watch, nearly every other episode, then they can waste time on Casey and April, who are characters that we actually care about, helluva lot more than the Star Trek/Power Rangers rip off.Yeah, this pretty much. They could show these tidbits in various ways. I'm still surprised they didn't in season 1 when April had to stay underground for her safety.

Oh and I love the fake shows. I can't wait to show Space Heroes to my dad when I go stateside. :lol:

[nathanbofficial]

I really like April. Shame on the 'fans' for hating her, you can't have Turtles without April O'Neil, no matter how much you think she's badly written :x

Karai is amazing though, one of my favourite characters :)

[The Vernon]

One is a red head, possibly Irish. The other - a straight, dark, black brunette... and possibly Asian.

My opinion is: ...if I were alone in a one floor building held hostage, I'd want both of them to save me.

[drgon78]

I really like this version of April and in most ways better then any of the other versions of her.

As for Karai, while this is the best version they have done, I have never been a big fan of the character.