Which are the best animated episodes?

[Trinxant]

Hi guys. For the last two weeks I've been watching several episodes from the TMNT original series and I've found big quality differences of the animation among the series. After the first season it seems that they changed the people who drew all the stuff. For instance, the only episode of the second season that achieves the same level of quality of the first season is "Introducing the fly". On the third season the episode "Turtles on trial" looks also quite well, unfortunately, it seems that is a kind of exeption.

So which are the best old ones in terms of animation?

Thank you.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Trinxant

Hi guys. For the last two weeks I've been watching several episodes from the TMNT original series and I've found big quality differences of the animation among the series. After the first season it seems that they changed the people who drew all the stuff. For instance, the only episode of the second season that achieves the same level of quality of the first season is "Introducing the fly". On the third season the episode "Turtles on trial" looks also quite well, unfortunately, it seems that is a kind of exeption.

So which are the best old ones in terms of animation?

Thank you.

Budget and production quantity my friend, there's your answer. The show was always kind of low budget but season one only had five episodes so there was a higher budget for each episode.

[Shark_Blade]

That's why I only watch Season 1 of OT really.

[Wesley]

I'd say seasons one, two, seven, eight and ten had the best animated episodes, but there are episodes with great animation scattered throughout the series (The Big Zip Attack, Turtles on Trial, Rock Around the Block, etc).

[MrPliggins]

The Fifth Turtle was higher quality animation too. I would also add Name That Toon and Mutagen Monster to the list. However, these aren't the most exciting episodes.

[CyberCubed]

Season 7 is the most good looking animation wise after the first.

[Spike Spiegel]

Originally Posted by Shark_Blade

That's why I only watch Season 1 of OT really.

Same here. I think the animation and the designs of the Turtles themselves really set it apart.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Spike Spiegel

Same here. I think the animation and the designs of the Turtles themselves really set it apart.

Then you miss a lot of great episodes.

[ABrown]

I always think of "My Brother, The Bad Guy" as having some of my favorite animation featured in the original cartoon.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Season 7 is the most good looking animation wise after the first.

7 was aces. No idea why they got a budget bump that late in the game, but they certainly did.

[CyberCubed]

Most of Season 6 has animation similar to 7 too. If you're speaking strictly of the animation, I don't think the animation ever changed in that season either.

Like there's so many Season 3-4 episodes you can tell were rushed with the poor Korean studios or whatever.

[ToTheNines]

Yeah 6 was good too, now that I think about it. I guess 7 just stands out more because they started actually fighting again.

[Trinxant]

Yes, I realised that the 7th season has very good animation, much better than the second, third and fourth seasons. Another important thing to mention is that in this season there are many more fighting and action scenes than in the older ones (the only old season that used to have fighting/action scenes was the first).

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Wesley

but there are episodes with great animation scattered throughout the series (The Big Zip Attack, Turtles on Trial, Rock Around the Block, etc).

I can't quite remember The Big Zip Attack, where in the episode was there great animation?

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Like there's so many Season 3-4 episodes you can tell were rushed with the poor Korean studios or whatever.

Time and money. It was easier to hire a cheaper animation studio to do the animation or for Fred Wolf France or Dublin to do the episodes themselves. The quality varied.

I suggested before a list showing who animated which episode. Is it impossible to find out from the end credits which studio animated each episode? Is this why no one has done a list yet?

[Wesley]

Originally Posted by pferreira

I can't quite remember The Big Zip Attack, where in the episode was there great animation?

I haven't actually watched the ep in years, but I remember it had great animation throughout (the scenes in Dimension X, for example) even though the actual plot was bad.

[pferreira]

I checked a random episode end credits and it gave nothing away as who did the animation. I also checked IMDB and while it credits some animation companies people who think TMS did episodes may be disappointed to find they aren't listed. It might not be accurate information but that's what I've been able to find.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by pferreira

Is it impossible to find out from the end credits which studio animated each episode? Is this why no one has done a list yet?

Correct. But we can still make that list - we would only be missing the actual names of the animation companies.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Correct. But we can still make that list - we would only be missing the actual names of the animation companies.

I might be able to help with that. By stroke of luck, I just so happen to have an original background from the best looking show of the series, Turtles On Trial, & with it came the folder it was stored away in at the animation studio. We just need someone who can read an outdated Japanese alphabet, assuming the text is informative/relevant.



I can send a hi-res photo to someone who can translate it.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Correct. But we can still make that list - we would only be missing the actual names of the animation companies.

Well IMDB is definitely not reliable as it doesn't even list all the animation companies. People go on about TMS working on the show but they're not listed on IMDB or Akom.