Does this show need more female characters?
 

Let's face it, girls and woman are fans too

I voted no because at the end of the day, this show is about the TMNT themselves, and that's all we need really. I don't watch it for the women. I watch it for the Turtles and always have, so there you go. As long as Leo's on the screen, I'm happy.

Not really no.

Does a Mahou Shoujo show need more male characters?

I chose the third option. I neither agree nor disagree. I guess it just doesn't matter one way or the other for me.

So it's impossible for women to enjoy a show if there's not a lot of women in it?
That's stupid.

Nope. They don't know what to do with the two they have, already. The show doesn't need a ton of female characters (as a female fan) just better written ones.

While I voted a loud resounding YES, or rather as loud and resounding as clicking a radio button can be, I can't help but fully stand 100% behind the above wisdom.

That's not what I meant.
What I wanted to say that it would be great to have more female characters from the tmnt universe like Grabielle, Chikara-Shisho, Ananda, Angel, Jhanna, Mitsu... Specially villians as like Koya, Viral, Tempestra, Pimiko...

It's as equally stupid as the notion that boys can't enjoy a show that has female characters in it.

I voted the second option, but honestly, my true opinion is they should improve how they use female characters first, and THEN add more.

pretty much.

still....maybe third time is the charm? (if we aren't counting robo irma)

I'm not sure it "needs" more female characters but it's strange that it only has two important female characters.

It needs effectively written female characters. They still have no idea*what to do with April as her powers change weekly, frankly they could write her out of the show for awhile and if wouldn't hurt my feelings. Karai has been handled a bit better, and her more infrequent appearances also help, because they don't have to ALWAYS find a way to force her into the story.

Though honestly they really don't need to introduce many new characters, male or female, until they get a handle on the ones they do have. What's Snakeweed been up to since season 1, for example. I'm not saying they need to have integral parts regularly, but why not an occasional skirmish, even if it's only brief?

If they introduce female characters (be they previously from the franchise or newly invented) and they actually bring SOMETHING DECENT to the series, then that's great.

But sticking a load of half-assed, one dimensional, not-thought-through girls in to fulfil some quota is stupid.

I mean April is getting annoying now. Irma, well, she brought nothing to the series except for a miniscule plot twist that wasn't even that essential.

There's only really Karai that I've fully enjoyed this series.

I'm interested for this female character that Mikey's supposed to be getting a crush on. Not so much for the crush (although it depends how well it's done, I'm thinking more Leorai than Apriltello/Capril) but she seems like she'd be very cool. I'm just judging that off a picture I've seen of her though.

Edit: I mean Renet, couldn't remember her name before. :)

One or two more would be nice. They don't have to be there all the time, just an acquaintance who's around once in a while. (But not a character who's only there for one or two episodes like I kind of assume Renet may be.) Likewise I watch it for the Turtles, and I don't need women in it because I'm a woman, but it would be nice for characters of my gender to be a little more represented. If they want to add one that's closer to my own age, I'd be cool with that though, I'm not sure they otherwise existed much in that city. lol

Or as I've said before, a character who's closer to Splinter's age, simply a friend who stops in to visit with him and the boys now and then, they don't really need to do a whole lot with her. Edit: Seriously, the only adults Splinter really knows are bad guys, he otherwise just deals with teenagers. All. The. Time. The guy could use an adult friend. lol

Ditto this. I'd like to see more representation. It makes no sense to me that there are no female mutants (not countrng Kraangitized NYC or Mom-thing... no interacting characters at ay rate). And while I like the romance angle, and that they're trying to broaden their demographic with it a bit, it's still a boy's show geared around fighting.

This show totally needs at least one more female character. That's one of the reasons I was really upset to see Irma go. She was a fun character and I wanted to see more of her. I really wanted her to meet the turtles and become part of the team.

Worst plot twist ever...
But, I think she would come back as human and encaged by the Kraang or in the middle of the chaotic and mutated city

Yes we need more female characters. Fully fleshed out, well written characters.

This in a nutshell.

At this stage, the show's got so many problems that adding diversity is not at the top of the list of things that need to be fixed first.

I think they were doing a good job with Karai, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they then mutated her because they didn't know what else to do with her and didn't know how to write her as part of the team with the Turtles. They have no idea how to write April and she's fast becoming the most irritating thing about the Nick show for me. And personally, I'd rather Renet didn't go into the show at all if they're only putting her in to be a love interest for Mikey.

The way things are running lately, they'd put a new female character in and then she'd disappear after one or two episodes like every other new character they come up with lately. Though it would be nice if there were some more female mutants or some of Shredder's henchmen (other than Karai) were in fact henchwomen.

As it stands at the moment, this show has too many characters already and not enough development.

I have to agree with you here. Much as I would love more women/girl characters (especially mutants/villains, and especially not sexed-up ones!), I would prefer they work more on developing the characters they already have and bringing up the quality of the writing/characterization.

There is one more female character coming Renet. No we dont need any more female characters. 3 is enough i believe.

Though whether or not the female characters we already have or will have require better writing is another issue entirely.

Does anyone really think she'll be permanent though... I'm kind of expecting her to be in a few episodes at most, closer to being a temporary guest star.

Even though Mikey will supposedly have a crush on her that doesn't guarantee that it will really even become a thing like we all kind of assume it will. It could turn out to be more like it was with Kala in the original series, you get the idea he likes her but then she can't stay. If she's around for the long haul I'll be surprised.

How are 3 females enough? That's like saying 3 males are enough.

and April is a poorly written character, Karai is barely shown now...and when she is she's barely coherent.

so really girls are getting the short end of the stick here...the way short end.

Nope, let's focus on the boys.

Does Sailor Moon need more males? No.

I dunno, not to debate the matter but imo that sounds more fitting if it was asked if, say, G.I. Joe needed more women; things that are clearly trying to be for girls or for boys. Where as, even if marketers don't want to recognize it, the Turtles are pretty neutral, which is then where it irks me a tad to compare to something like Sailor Moon.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say, I don't think TMNT was ever really "Neutral", or at least as far as how the cartoons were presented. I'm pretty sure that the creators behind it have always approached it as a "boys thing" that girls latched onto, and that they're fine with that, but it wasn't the original target. Just like Sailor Moon or MLP are very clearly Girls' Things that boys latched onto.

There's obviously going to be crossover in all things, but I don't buy at all that any of those shows are or were "neutral". If you ask parents or advertisers, TMNT is a boys show.

As such, I can actually buy the argument that there are "enough" girls, even though that's not going to be a popular opinion. It's in no way fair, but again, they're not trying to be fair, they're trying to sell toys to a target audience. It's not a popular point of view but it is a valid one.

If they can add some good characters, I don't care what gender they are. Do we necessarily "need" more females? I dunna. I just want good characters. Period.

Well I did say something about the marketers didn't I. But that's them and their game plan and not always what ends up true in the viewership which is what I was talking about, not the aim of people who probably don't even watch the shows they make these decisions for. (Never watched Sailor Moon, no idea boys/guys were into it. o.O)


Anyhow.

Would be nice to see more come along over time if the show lasts several more seasons, but agree they could first stand to improve what they currently have to work with.

Maybe they're like Disney when so many of their "princess" characters end up looking the same. Need a course in Female Character Diversity 101.

This is what I don't get though - why do shows have to be geared towards a specific gender in order to market them? It's never made sense to me - like how we have men's deodorant and women's deodorant, men's razors and women's razors. Everyone uses deodorant. Nearly everyone uses razors. Everyone watches tv and movies. Who do we specifically have to market it to one or the other in order to sell it?

Why not just make a good show and it'll build up a fanbase who'll watch it and buy the merchandise, regardless of gender. Why do people care whether the kids buying the toys are boys or girls, as long as toys are being sold?

I didn't make the rules, I just report them. Simplest answer? "It's always been that way and thus it always will." Besides, marketing isn't about people as "people", its about people as sub-groups. Since you can't be all things to all people, it's much easier to decide who you MOST want to be interested in your product, throw most of your efforts in that direction, and go from there. Anyone else who jumps on for the ride is welcome and appreciated, but not the most-wanted.

As for razors and deodorant, I'm guessing it's mostly as simple as "men and women are different, so our products have to appear to be just as different even though they're kind of not." And it works. Most men won't buy/use a women's razor or a woman's deodorant. Even if the only difference is color, even if the feminine version were to cost significantly less, most men will not do it. It's deeply ingrained in our collective identity that it's just something you don't do.

So, yeah, that's why.

Deodorant makes some sense. There are different smells that men and women prefer, but heck if you wanted to rock Old Spice, no one would stop you, you're just an outlyer of their demographic. But razors....*shrugs* Unless there is some difference I don't know about between male and female razors (aside from the region to be shaved) that's a skosh pointless. Although most basic razors are kinda neutral.

On this planet? Never. :lol: If anything they'll find a reason for it to cost more.

I admit I do sort of wait for the day when my father is out of razors and I get to offer him the use of one that's pink or purple and see if he'll take it. :P Granted as a man he can just freely put it off sans embarrassment until they buy more.

But I'd be proud though if he took the offer. Not sure he would. My brother in law would however, he's an interesting mix of thinks he's a tough guy and gladly embraces girl stuff. LOL


Marketing of shows and junk though, it reminds me of something I'd read not that long ago where games are concerned and how in the early days of video games there really wasn't a target. But at some point that changed... and subsequently changed how society viewed games/gaming.

Well, first, we need a fleshing-out and cleaning-up of many of the extant characters, which will probably come with the Retromutagen.

This. I know marketing companies like to make up a bunch of BS about how men and women need different razors because their skin is different, but I can tell you, I've used both and I've never experienced any major difference, or adverse affects. It's a sharp bit of metal on the end of a plastic stick, with a teeny lubricating strip - it don't matter if you're using it on your face, armpits or legs.

Marketing companies are full of sh*t.

They go full naked mode when transforming so I can understand why some guys watch it. :tlol: And girls in mini skirt and uniform, what's not to like? :D

No, because there was actually a balance of male-to-female characters there, as it's largely a romance series. Love interests everywhere.

Granted, MLP and Turtles are both trying to broaden their demographic so the shows cater to everyone, but the marketing side still skews to the assigned stereotypical gender roles, because girls aren't about whacking stuff with weapons, and guys aren't likely to be into frilly tea parties and so forth. And like Leo said, they're always going to be reinforced like that, unless there's some major shift in thinking in the next 70 years or so... at any rate, it'd be a very slow change in societal thinking.

My wife uses Old Spice, mainly because it lasts longer than women's deodorant. It's not like anyone is snuffing armpits, she's just trying to reel in the potential BO more effectively.

Since this topic is about adding diversity, why not add a transgendered character? Not one whose character is sorely defined by that, but someone treated like a normal person. It won't happen on American kid's programming anytime soon, but I figure since we're asking why, I'd join.