TMNT Season 3 Best Episode Tournament Round 2: Tale of the Yokai vs. In Dreams
 

The quest for perfection continues as another top seed prevailed, but only by the slimist of margins. Will we see a repeat this time? Probably not. :P

This is the 2 vs. 15, to get to this one, the 15 seed had to overcome the biggest deficent in the tournament's history (7 vote trail) to come back to win the Tiebreaker. Sadly, if it falls behind by 7 this time, the towel might as well be thrown. But et's see what happens.



Round 2 Polls will last 5 days and will be private polls, but of course you can still discuss who you voted for and your reasoning why.

Note: All Round 2 Matches will begin on Tuesdays. Going to keep it uniform, so always be tuned in this time each Tuesday.

To check out the complete up to date bracket, the link is here:
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cf...Best%20Episode

Now with that said and done, it's time to take a look at the "Tale of the Turtle Tape"!

Official Seed: #2
Where JTH seeded this episode: #5
Total Points Received: 151
Official IGN Review: 9.0/10
Current TV.com Rating: 9.9/10
Highest Rating Episode Received: #2 (8 Times)
How did it get here?: Recieved Bye

Official Seed: #15
Where JTH seeded this episode: #4
Total Points Received: 20
Official IGN Review: 8.0/10
Current TV.com Rating: 9.1/10
Highest Rating Episode Received: #4 (ME)
How did it get here?: Defeated The Deadly Venom in Round 1

Winner faces winner of #7 Serpent Hunt/#10 Turtles in Time in Round 3


JTH's Prediction:


Which episode wins in your mind, vote away. Remember...HAVE FUN!!! :D

In Dreams for me. It is one of my fav eps overall. Ironically, Tale of the Yokai is one of my most disliked episodes.

Quite an even match up between a massive underdog against the popular series favorite; to talk about both.

I've said my opinion on In Dreams in the past being an entertaining episode with a very lackluster arc of the series. The triumphs the episode has results from the creative scenario unlike the episode it's facing in addition to having some highly entertaining areas to shine in. Whether it be for Dave to shut up or horror references which actually fit the episode is quite a joy with what it got away with to frighten the younger audience.

Where the episode falters in is the plot itself, having a ton of style without its substance present like most of the Northampton arc. A noticeable flaw throughout the season though, not just here. I'd wager if the episode tackled a few plotlines previously established in the Turtles' respective minds, it can rank among the very best this season. Still a fun ride in the arc partaken in.

So, now for Tale of the Yokai, the episode more than likely to win and chop Northampton into near nonexistence with the emotional weight. However, while I highly agree with the episode being a season best, I really find it to be an overrated episode; not to say the episode was bad, but I find a lot of questionable decisions made. Positives first though...

Just like its opponent to conquer, Tale of the Yokai's scenery is a magnificent wonder to the eye; the Yokai painting in Tang Shen's description and the Turtles in the fire was easily one of the best images in the series. In addition, the episode does connect to getting into the roots of Shredder and Splinter, with the latter not being this perfect human being as originally believed. Add in shocking actions taken with Tang Shen killed onscreen despite her injuries invisible and the burning of Oroku Saki and it's quite a marvel.

Though I can praise the actions utilized, it feels the episode has a serious pacing conflict. Even if season 3 also suffers from potential held back, no more noticeable did I find it here than this episode. Beside some of the continuity relating to the backstory being extremely contrived and lacking, there are noticeable instances of the episode's faults due to writing. Here are a few examples that are highly questionable:

1. The sudden betrayal of some Hamato members into the Foot
2. Of all parts of the feud, why are the Turtles thrown into the climax without a clue on Shredder's perspective before he's a villain?
3. Even though it's destiny, why would Tang Shen leave the baby Karai on the ground and head back into the burning penthouse?

Tale of the Yokai does succeed in being a highly depressing atmosphere of destiny, but it almost feels the episode plays extremely safe with not preventing the occurrence. Outside Splinter being a bit flamboyant and overconfident before his tragedy, we know little on these younger incarnations.This is the episode's most crippling weakness; the only purpose is to reignite the feud of Leo against the Shredder for the following episode, even then the "It's time we finish Shredder, once and for all" quote in the trailer is nonexistent. The episode suffers from extreme repetition with no risk as everyone knows what will happen besides a minimal curveball, wasting potential of a brief time travel stint which could have went into another episode involving the Foot altogether.

Granted a lot of people see a lot of good in this story and I respect it, but I question the praise the episode has. Despite the positives I mentioned, the pacing kills the episode the most out of all the episodes this season. Unless a so called "destiny" is elaborated on in a future episode during season 4, the episode suffers immensely despite the chills given.

With all that said, I'm going to have to give my vote for In Dreams. Yes, that episode was more for creative atmosphere over emotional atmosphere in Yokai, but the conflicts in that episode are nonexistent over Yokai's questionable decisions. Even though the result will be obvious, I did want to give my twenty five cents worth like normal.

Can't say I expected it to be half-and-half with each episode clocking in at 7 votes as of now. Wow.

I prefer "Tale of the Yokai". It added more to the TMNT lore, had a lot of drama and emotion, let us know how the Foot was resurrected despite being destroyed for over 20, let us know who Tang Shen was, and we got baby Karai (so KAWAII!!!).