How would you fix April O'Neil?

[Luckyday]

How would you move the characterization of April from a walking plot device to a character with a fully realized identity?

[Warhorse]

By having the Turtles crash at her place for a few days because of something going on down in the sewers. This way, you get to see quick snippets of how she lives, what her room is like, what she does during down time.

[BabyTurtles]

1) have her interact with the other turtles to show that's she's actual friends with them
2) give her hobbies and personal goals
3) let her have her own skills to help the turtles instead of just using her not so helpful kunoichi skills.
4) stop with the "I have a feeling" powers....
5) again! have her talk to someone else other than Donnie and Casey! anyone that doesn't have a crush on her.

...that's a start

[Luckyday]

I would want to know how she was growing up because that could gives us a idea of why she act the way she is because if there no really core personality then all of the writers will create their idea of her core personality and each idea is different from each one which will create a OOC character. In short, they need freaking talk to each other.


I always felt that from her school license, she use to be a ugly duckling who was a little nerdy and couldn't hang out with anyone but Irma (and maybe is still seen as such) which why we don't see her really gravitating towards science. She hangs out with Donnie but always done out necessity and not because it interest her as it use to. They write her as someone who tried be someone else or trying figure who she is because that is actually something that teenagers go through.

The other thing is get rid of this Kraang BS plot because it's just not working. The real problem with this character is that she suppose to be the main character and yet the writers do not want to make her the main character or is unable to do so and as such having a April centric story with the turtles as the main characters and april as side character of her story does not work. If you want turtles to be main characters then make them the ****ing main characters and of a turtle centric story. THAT WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS! April just works better as a side character or at least it does for those writers because they don't want or can't write April as a character.

[ssjup81]

Hm, how I would improve her...

1. I agree with having her interact with the other three more. I could personally see her getting along with Leo pretty well too, but it has to be reciprocal. Back in season 1, when Mikey wanted to make a human friend, April pointed out that she was a human friend to them, but Mikey said it didn't count because they saved her. I found that strange of him, of all people, to say. I'm just under the impression that yes they see April as a friend and definitely care about her, but not particularly interested in her life as much as Donny is.

2. Show what her hobbies are. She did mention chess club once. I'd like to know what her future goals are. We know more about Casey's future hopes and dreams more than April's. I hate that. What is her life like when away from the turtles? Seems since she's a teenager that the writers would have more imagination in this regard since she's not an adult with an already established occupation.

3. If they are going down the Donatello x April path, show them casually doing things together, not plot-related stuff. What do they chat about when they're not going on about mutations, her father, the Kraang, etc. I also would like this in a nonromantic set up. I mean this in a general one. Romantic implications or not, I just want them to show that there is more to their friendship other than the Kraang and plot points. Maybe that'll help her seem less like a plot device. "April's in this ep. Let's see what plot they'll force her into this time while an awkward Donny amusingly makes a fool of himself in front of her..."

4. Expand on the junk with her mother. Is this why she's so stubborn? Growing up without her? What happened to her mother? What did she grow up believing regarding her mother? When fighting Karai, why did she even think of mentioning that?

5. Actually show her interactions with the others. I was surprised that they didn't do this when she was stuck staying with them in the sewers. I want to see this situation and hope it's used if they do end up having to leave the city for safety.

6. Expand on why she's such a loner. One of her arguments when Splinter said she'd have to remain with them for her safety, was "What about my friends?!" Casey noted that he's rarely ever seen her hang out with anyone and seemed to imply that all she did was study. Why? It's a contradiction, isn't it? Was (is) she a nerdy type who wasn't (isn't) good at making friends?

7. I don't mind her tingling "Mutant sense" or her slight clairvoyance in general when it comes to the Kraang and mutants, but I would like for there to be more to it. This is building up on what I said above regarding the friend thing. I would like for her to reveal how long she'd had this sixth sense power so that it doesn't feel like a 100% plot device. As a kid, did she frighten people off with that sense? Is this why she was implied as being a loner? I think opening up about this would help, and how the sense is only so intense now because of all the current Kraang activity.

That's about all I can come up with for now.

[pennydreadful]

All of the suggestions here are spot-on. There really hasn't been enough development of April outside of Super Spechul Kraang Powers and Love Interest Du Jour. I'd like to know who she is as a person - what makes her tick. I want to see her being a friend to the Turtles, instead of always a burden who needs rescuing. Let her crack a joke every now and then. Let her be more of a surrogate daughter to Splinter. I feel like she takes a lot from the team and doesn't give much back.

I also think it'd help if they actually gave her some down-sides to her powers. One could argue that yes, she has to deal with living in the sewers at times, being in danger and being without a father but IMO that doesn't cut it - that's what we've already got and it's not working.

[Shark_Blade]

Make her an aspiring tv reporter instead of a kunoichi.

[pennydreadful]

Yeah - or give her a blog. Have her reading comic books with Mikey. Show her sparring with Raph, or showing the guys how to cook something. Have Leo teaching her how to speak Japanese.

In short - give her a personality and show her having a bond with the Turtles.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by pennydreadful

Yeah - or give her a blog. Have her reading comic books with Mikey. Show her sparring with Raph, or showing the guys how to cook something. Have Leo teaching her how to speak Japanese.

In short - give her a personality and show her having a bond with the Turtles.

To be fair April told Karai that she picked up some Japanese from her friends.

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

To be fair April told Karai that she picked up some Japanese from her friends.

Which was most likely splinter and the turtles. Does not count.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by pennydreadful

All of the suggestions here are spot-on. There really hasn't been enough development of April outside of Super Spechul Kraang Powers and Love Interest Du Jour. I'd like to know who she is as a person - what makes her tick. I want to see her being a friend to the Turtles, instead of always a burden who needs rescuing. Let her crack a joke every now and then. Let her be more of a surrogate daughter to Splinter. I feel like she takes a lot from the team and doesn't give much back.

I also think it'd help if they actually gave her some down-sides to her powers. One could argue that yes, she has to deal with living in the sewers at times, being in danger and being without a father but IMO that doesn't cut it - that's what we've already got and it's not working.

Maybe there disadvantages of being an alien hybrid. The reason why the kraang look the way they do is because of the electromagnetic radiation. They evolve to have body that is not covered in nerve endings ( unlike us humans that have entire skin for it) and they use this to their advantage to telepath to each other despite being near electronic machines. The more powerful April's sensing power will become, the more sensitive she will become from being near electronic machines so her powers can never progress to telepathy and her senses can't work in certain environment that has a lot electricity running.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

Which was most likely splinter and the turtles. Does not count.

Yeah, that's what I meant. They are her friends, and it's something that they taught her. You just prefer that it was specifically Leo?

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

Yeah, that's what I meant. They are her friends, and it's something that they taught her. You just prefer that it was specifically Leo?

I'd rather it be her actual friends. As in having a life before she met the turtles. She kinda looks like a loser that only has one friend. And that was before she met Casey.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

I'd rather it be her actual friends. As in having a life before she met the turtles. She kinda looks like a loser that only has one friend. And that was before she met Casey.

Oh! I see now. I thought you were agreeing like some others who said that they wished that they'd show April actually interacting with the other turtles aside from Donny so much.

[victory_angel]

1: Definitely more time with the Turtles. Maybe observances on living with the Turtles. While the weeks she's comes to live with them will always be fan-interpretations. Maybe if she's with them when they need to evacuate the city with them perhaps she could keep a private online journal (or secret letter to Irma &/or Casey) about her time with the Turtles about her observances of whats going on with each of her friends.

2: April cooking. I mean why not show April making breakfast for her mutant friends at some point. Or maybe helping Mikey make something that isn't Pizza related. Even if she's a complete klutz in the kitchen she'd at least get a little development.

3: Yes more on her mom. I would totally love it if April's mother turns out to be Mona Lisa, but anything about her mother and what happened to her would be great.

4.We totally need an episode where it flashes back to moments in her life that may not seem significant, but actually are.

5. Episode where she listens in on memories of the turtles lives. Kinda Tales of Leo or reflections type of episode.

[electric_sheep]

April was always kinda bland but 2k12 ramps it to 11 she's so bland that something, something...
How to fix her?

Give her something interesing to do a goal, a hobby an opssesion, anything really...
Give her a better design, the shorts dosen't really work.
When she's out on the street or somewhere where it's cold it's odd that she wouldn't put anything on, give her something that would work everywhere, i like the jacket she had in season 1 whe she was pretending to be a pizza delivery girl, combine that with normal pants.
Get rid of her dad, send him to france or some crap, april is already a Marry Sue, we don't need Marry Sue for Marry Sue.

Speaking of Marry Sue, she need's to take charge les time getting kidnaped and show her training. Give her a better weapon than what they give her, maybe a sword of her own or a baseball bat.

Get rid of Casey Jones.
I hate this Casey so ****ing much and he only makes April even worse.

Get rid of Donnie fixation so she can talk normaly with the turtles without getting uncofortamble.

[Creativecreature31]

^ I love your sig! Beavis and Butthead is awesome!

How I would fix April?

Get rid of that stupid, Kraang plot.

Let her interact with the other Turtles

Let this stupid love triangle plotline die out. (I don't really care who she ends up with I just want this to stop.)

Stop letting her be a damsel in distress

Have her spending time with Irma or her dad.

Give her hobbies, likes and dislikes, just make her feel like a person!

[shihe]

I think the Kraang plot is fine. Or at least was fine for a 1st season.
I don't think she's been the focus of said plot lately anyway.

But ok. How I would improve April...
I was about to say have her hanging with the Turtles on their nightly patrolling missions, but she was already shown doing that.

She needs a drive to stick to the Turtles more time. But in order to do that, she needs to feel that she's at fault of something.

Say... Irma gets kidnapped because of her. Or something happens to her father again because of her. That alone is enough for her to hop into the action more.

Also, just the fact that she once (barely) outwitted Karai with her basic training should've been motivation enough to have her wanting to improve desperately. We should be seeing her training more frequently, getting field experience with the Turtles, getting kidnapped less, etc.

I think they're somewhat on the right track this season... but it's going a bit slow for her. Having her kidnapped twice (Mazes and Mutants + Lonely mutation of Baxter Stockman) does not help her case, though. (Alhtough I'm not sure if the former counts).

[pennydreadful]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

To be fair April told Karai that she picked up some Japanese from her friends.

True - just would've been nice to have seen it.

Originally Posted by victory_angel

3: Yes more on her mom. I would totally love it if April's mother turns out to be Mona Lisa, but anything about her mother and what happened to her would be great.

I'm hoping that they're saving some of the April's mother stuff for a future plot twist - it seems kind of weird that they haven't mentioned her at all.

[Enscripture]

Reveal her to be an alien with a hot-air balloon head with size 16 feet and kill her off and introduce an interesting version that's not annoying as hell and hideous.