How did Mona Lisa become so popular?

[CyberCubed]

Also on a side note, did anyone else really like those pink jellyfish mutant enemies in the episode? I find the episode memorable mostly because of those things too, not the generic evil pirate guy who was trying to take over their ship.

[TigerClaw]

Yeah I would like to see more female mutants added

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Also on a side note, did anyone else really like those pink jellyfish mutant enemies in the episode? I find the episode memorable mostly because of those things too, not the generic evil pirate guy who was trying to take over their ship.

No way. Would prefer human guards.

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Also on a side note, did anyone else really like those pink jellyfish mutant enemies in the episode? I find the episode memorable mostly because of those things too, not the generic evil pirate guy who was trying to take over their ship.

They were pretty stupid and what killed the ep for me was how Raph would keep running from them instead of fighting them.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

They were pretty stupid and what killed the ep for me was how Raph would keep running from them instead of fighting them.

We saw Don and Mike fighting them.

[DonatelloNinja82]

Most of my reasons for liking Mona Lisa have already been said. As a kid, I thought she was great...and I still do. I loved that she was a female mutant when there were not many females on the show to begin with, and I loved how she was smart (majoring in physics) and could verbally spar with Raph ("I thought I was supposed to be the one with the clever remarks") This has to be one of the episodes I have watched the most. Plus, Raph was my favorite turtle at the time, so I loved this ep for that as well. Simply put, Mona was a fun, original character who I wished had been on the show at least once more.

[mikey22]

the episode was on vhs tape so u could watch it over and over again and a lot of people had the raphael heroes collection vhs

[DonatelloNinja82]

Originally Posted by mikey22

the episode was on vhs tape so u could watch it over and over again and a lot of people had the raphael heroes collection vhs

Yep...I owned all four of them

[Technogeek29]

Originally Posted by DonatelloNinja82

Yep...I owned all four of them

The Leonardo one sold out so many times my parents eventually gave up looking so we didn't have his as a kid. Donnie being my favorite the VHS fell into disrepair after watching it 5 times out of the day.

[DonatelloNinja82]

Originally Posted by Technogeek29

The Leonardo one sold out so many times my parents eventually gave up looking so we didn't have his as a kid. Donnie being my favorite the VHS fell into disrepair after watching it 5 times out of the day.

My Mike and Raph ones were well loved. My brother was the Leo nut...poor Donnie didn't get much attention when I was little. He's my fave now so go figure.

[Protoman]

A mix of many things really

- Female character in a lacking female character show

- Love interest for a turtle with an open ended story for future returns

- Closest thing to a "female turtle member" without it being a turtle and before the Venus era.

And the key factor

- She got a toy. In a line that a female character was either APRIL.... or odd one shots like Princess Mitsuko or Irma. Imagine if Lotus Blossom got a toy or Aska. They would be in the same boat.

[DonatelloNinja82]

Originally Posted by Protoman

A mix of many things really

- Female character in a lacking female character show

- Love interest for a turtle with an open ended story for future returns

- Closest thing to a "female turtle member" without it being a turtle and before the Venus era.

And the key factor

- She got a toy. In a line that a female character was either APRIL.... or odd one shots like Princess Mitsuko or Irma. Imagine if Lotus Blossom got a toy or Aska. They would be in the same boat.

I wish Lotus got a toy...

[Avatar Yuffie]

Yeah, everyone said good reasons.

Also, Mona Lisa's a really fun character. I know the bad guys are rather lame, and the pink sea weed thingies are ridiculous, but she carried that episode well, and her banter with Raphael acting like a dork with her seals the deal. Even if she wasn't a love interest, I'd think that'd be the same interaction (I mean she's technically an adult, wasn't she in college? I doubt FW would actually pursue that even if she becomes a regular).

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by JYX

Like the title of the episode says, "Raphael Meets His Match", I think it was because it was a great comedic twist to have someone outwit Raphael when it came to sarcasm, and since she was female it gave a flirtatious edge to the relationship as well.

And as others have mentioned, she was the first mutant female on the show.

Yep, this is why I was a fan of her as a kid. I loved her sarcastic, witty sense of humor. It's why I liked Raph! It was nice seeing him outwitted. Someone on his level. I also liked the fact she was female. TBH, this is one episode I remember watching when it first aired and liking it so much I deemed it one of my favs. Yeah the villain and plot left a lot to be desired, but Mona Lisa was great!

Personally, I wish she would've been around more, just like Mondo Gecko should've been around more to hang with Mikey.

[Raphaeline]

She is sooo overrated.

I'm sick of seeing her in almost every fanart of Raph, really. Now I hate her I guess -_-

That furry fangirls are all over the net and create mutant females, OCs, so Mona Lisa is a cool character for them because she looks like she's coming right from a Mary-Sue fanfiction.

I watched again the episode recently, and cannot understand how people can think Raph and her are in love? it's like the yaoi fans: if they see a guy looking a bit too long in the eyes of another guy, they say they're in love and start shipping them.

During all the episode, Raph seems embarrassed by her, not attracted at all, he looks more confused than anything. Then further in the episode, they look more like "friends" I would say, but I don't see any love there, really.

I'm glad she didn't appear in other episodes (her background story was quite stupid and not realistic, even for this show, she got mutated in a really strange way...), it was a cheesy character.

I hope she won't appear in the Nick show. The Raph from Nick is not the same Raph as in the 87 series (and even in the 87 series he didn't look in love or attracted, so I can't imagine the Nick Raph having a stupid crush). I'm so glad she didn't appear in the 2003 series she would have been totally out of place.

[Powder]

You summed it up perfectly.

[Avatar Yuffie]

Originally Posted by Raphaeline

She is sooo overrated.



I hope she won't appear in the Nick show. The Raph from Nick is not the same Raph as in the 87 series (and even in the 87 series he didn't look in love or attracted, so I can't imagine the Nick Raph having a stupid crush). I'm so glad she didn't appear in the 2003 series she would have been totally out of place.

I agree. It's a good thing Mona Lisa wasn't in 2K3 too. The Leonardo/Raphael shippers will literally tear her apart.

Really I pity fictional girlfriends getting the hate from fans because she's supposedly in the way of two hot men's weenies in late 90s/early 00s.

[Refractive Reflections]

I read some internet rumors that the Fred Wolf staff had considered having Mona Lisa during the Red Sky seasons, is there anything to substantiate this?

[cryan]

Well,I too want to see Mona Lisa come back.No disrespect but what do you have against her?i thought she was a great character.I am going to even say she was hot and still is.Haters just want to hate I guess.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by JYX

I read some internet rumors that the Fred Wolf staff had considered having Mona Lisa during the Red Sky seasons, is there anything to substantiate this?

How could they know she was so popular? Most of the popularity I've seen is Internet fandom (usually between say 1998-2003, when TMNT was mostly a childhood memory for a generation of guys and girls born in the 1970's and 1980's).