Is 4Kid's Michelangelo the worst iteration of the character?

[Tomoshibi Amatsu]

Originally Posted by NameGoesHere1066

OMG, you again! You and donatello should start a club called the 4kids Mikey vindicators.

maybe I've been a little harsh on 4kids Mike, there is some truth to what Tomoshibi Amatsu says here:



actually I've been re-watching the 4kids series to get me in the mood for the Nick series and it's kind of true that no one thought that Mikey deserved to win, and it's kind of clear that everyone thinks he's just a screw-up. He is a screw-up unfortunatly and he's an attention whore but rewatching the first turtle titan episode made me see a thing a two I was too annoyed to see the first few times around. He desperately wants to be validated. Not in the background, where unfortuantely, thats where he's been his whole life. I was rather shocked by this when I watched the turtle titan episode this time around. It's almost sad. And a rare subtle character insight on Mikey you don't normally see. I still think he's an annoying little putz and I still dislike this version of Mike. Thing is the writers introduced this, but didn't capitalize on it, and it was too subtle for most people to see without getting annoyed by Mikey's stupid attention whore antics.

Exactly. I mean if people thought I wasn't worthy or good enough to win in the first place and then I won I'd be smug too. I can imagine most people in that situation being all "Who did you think didn't deserve to win? Who's the battle nexus champ? Oh that's right it's ME! what cha gonna do huh?" So in my view Mikey's attitude for winning was perfectly valid especially because he wanted to be acknowledged and accepted. It wasn't that he was trying to be annoying about it. It's just that being battle nexus champ was really the only thing he had going for him. He wasn't Splinter's favorite son like Leo, he wasn't the techno geek like Don, and he wasn't the angry muscle like Raph. I'm not saying it wasn't immature at the same time but again he had every right.

He just wants people to think he's worth something and not just a goof off and a screw up.

[Jester]

Ok, fine good, we've worked out "BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!!!!" Mikey, but what about the Mikey who got jealous of Future Turtle Titan?

[Tomoshibi Amatsu]

Originally Posted by Jester

Ok, fine good, we've worked out "BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!!!!" Mikey, but what about the Mikey who got jealous of Future Turtle Titan?

It feeds into his wanting to be recognized. Think about it you're Mikey and Turtle Titan and in the future some fraud comes along and not only takes your spot light but also the fame with it that should have been yours in the first place. After all you are the original. How dare some knock off come along and steal your thunder and do it better than you? It wasn't until the Future Turtle Titan told Mikey that it WAS Mikey who inspired him to become Turtle Titan that Mikey let go. Just knowing that he was the one who brought Turtle Titan into the future was enough to quench that thirst of wanting to be something great and being recognized for it. He was no longer the background and that's why he accepted Future Turtle Titan by the end of the episode.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Tomoshibi Amatsu

It feeds into his wanting to be recognized. Think about it you're Mikey and Turtle Titan and in the future some fraud comes along and not only takes your spot light but also the fame with it that should have been yours in the first place. After all you are the original. How dare some knock off come along and steal your thunder and do it better than you? It wasn't until the Future Turtle Titan told Mikey that it WAS Mikey who inspired him to become Turtle Titan that Mikey let go. Just knowing that he was the one who brought Turtle Titan into the future was enough to quench that thirst of wanting to be something great and being recognized for it. He was no longer the background and that's why he accepted Future Turtle Titan by the end of the episode.

This...totally doesn't make Mikey a good character. It makes him seem shallow and petty. "What!? He's famous and I wasn't. WHAT A JYPE!" comes of as a whole bushel of sour grapes.

[Loudo]

I don't know about you guys, but I believe flaws are one of the main things that make a character good.
I prefer a childish and attention-whore Michelangelo over a retarded kid (but only when the show requires it to make you laugh) Michelangelo any day.

I was very happy when Mikey started to brag about being the Battle Nexus champion.
Firstly, because it is a sign of continuity. I was afraid that the whole Battle Nexus tournament would have been forgotten as soon as the story arc was over. Fortunally, the 4kids cartoon never disappointed me in this respect, the past is always referenced.
Secondly, because it is consistent with Mikey's personality. I was expecting him to brag about his title and he did. This means he has a coherent and consistent personality and I got to know him well enough in two seasons.

[Candy Kappa]

4Kids Mikey had a terrible personality

[Tomoshibi Amatsu]

Originally Posted by Jester

This...totally doesn't make Mikey a good character. It makes him seem shallow and petty. "What!? He's famous and I wasn't. WHAT A JYPE!" comes of as a whole bushel of sour grapes.

He reacted in a childish way as the Future Turtle Titan pointed out to him, but that still fed into Mikey's character trait of wanting to be famous because that would mean everyone recognizes and accepts him.

[Time Mistress]

I really liked this Mike until FF came along.

[Tomoshibi Amatsu]

Well besides. One episode where Mikey looks like a total tool does not a bad character make. So even if you can argue that the future turtle titan episode made Mikey a horrible person in the wider sense of things it still fit well with his character traits. It's just that they decided to make the bad ones overblown for that particular episode. There are inconsistencies like that in cartoons all the time.

[Bossa Nova]

I just finished watching that episode with the other Turtle Titan, fully expecting the worst from what I've read here, and I honestly don't see it. None of his brothers took him seriously in his Turtle Titan endeavors despite how much he really worked toward his goal. I don't see why it makes him petty because someone else stripped him from what he worked so hard to create, and then acted like HE was the imposter. Maybe he didn't react in the most mature way about it, but I don't see why his getting upset makes him into a douchebag. Maybe this says something about me, but I like this Mikey because I think of the four of them he seems to react like how most normal people would. Sure, if he'd harbored this jealousy for episodes on end I could see how that would turn into some petty, whiny brat, but he didn't. He learned his lesson, and I don't see why it's a bad thing that he be given respect where due. I mean, he DID create that identity, why shouldn't he be given any credit for it?

[Tomoshibi Amatsu]

Originally Posted by Bossa Nova

I just finished watching that episode with the other Turtle Titan, fully expecting the worst from what I've read here, and I honestly don't see it. None of his brothers took him seriously in his Turtle Titan endeavors despite how much he really worked toward his goal. I don't see why it makes him petty because someone else stripped him from what he worked so hard to create, and then acted like HE was the imposter. Maybe he didn't react in the most mature way about it, but I don't see why his getting upset makes him into a douchebag. Maybe this says something about me, but I like this Mikey because I think of the four of them he seems to react like how most normal people would. Sure, if he'd harbored this jealousy for episodes on end I could see how that would turn into some petty, whiny brat, but he didn't. He learned his lesson, and I don't see why it's a bad thing that he be given respect where due. I mean, he DID create that identity, why shouldn't he be given any credit for it?

Because people expect him to be selfless and not care if someone pretty much stole HIS creation and everything HE built up. Personally I think Future Turtle Titan was effectively screwing Mikey over until he admitted that it was Mikey who made him who he was. Even Mikey realized that the imposter wasn't really stealing his identity and ideas, and that the fact that it was Mikey who helped create the new Turtle Titan helped him to accept his replacement. The end of the episode proves this when he pretty much passes the torch.

[Jelly Bean]

I don't know some how I feel that his actions were out of character. I would think that Mikey would feel honored that someone was trying to carry on the identity he created, not feel threatened. WHat better recogition can you get than someone carrying on the legacy you created instead of letting it die with you. The way I would accpet Mikey's behavior in that FF episode was if the new guy was tarnishing it in some way and using his Turtle Titan do do bad things, but he wasn't, he was doing noble things. And thats what got me. Mikey was not mad that he took his identity so much as he was mad that he was getting the credit and glory he felt she should have always gotten. In other words it rubbed him the wrong way that he was the turtle titan better than he was. And that makes him petty. Twist it any way you want but that seemed to be the driving reason he got all jealous of the future turtle titan.

[STORMSHADOW__210]

I love every iteration of all the characters, 4kids Mikey was great,love that solo xmas episode

[STORMSHADOW__210]

Also love his "check it out, they got lil initials on their belts" line from tmnt forever

[Tomoshibi Amatsu]

Originally Posted by Jelly Bean

I don't know some how I feel that his actions were out of character. I would think that Mikey would feel honored that someone was trying to carry on the identity he created, not feel threatened. WHat better recogition can you get than someone carrying on the legacy you created instead of letting it die with you. The way I would accpet Mikey's behavior in that FF episode was if the new guy was tarnishing it in some way and using his Turtle Titan do do bad things, but he wasn't, he was doing noble things. And thats what got me. Mikey was not mad that he took his identity so much as he was mad that he was getting the credit and glory he felt she should have always gotten. In other words it rubbed him the wrong way that he was the turtle titan better than he was. And that makes him petty. Twist it any way you want but that seemed to be the driving reason he got all jealous of the future turtle titan.

Well technically he did at the end of the episode. So I mean it still kinda lived up to what you would call in character right?

[Icegaze]

Unlike what seems to be the popular opinion around here, 4Kids Mikey was by far my favourite version of the character. I didn't care much for the Mirage version, the 1987 and 2k7 Mikey's were so uninteresting to me.

4Kids Mikey even gave Leo a run for his money in terms of who would be my favourite turtle of the show. It was like 1. Leo, 2. Mikey then the rest.

So, I obviously don't agree with people saying that the Mikey of the first 5 seasons of the 4Kids incarnation was bad.

[odupianist]

At this point, the 4Kids version is better than Nick version in my book (so far).

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by odupianist

At this point, the 4Kids version is better than Nick version in my book (so far).

The Nick version is funny and playful.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

The Nick version is funny and playful.

The Nick version is also made out to be a complete idiot, just for the sake of some cheap jokes. 4Kids made their Mikey funny (albeit rarely) and smart.

[Allio]

Mike is okay, I think he just suffered from the "4kids can't do funny right" most of the time