#tmnt and representation

[brightlotusmoon]

...I forgot to take notes.

I love Donnie. In every iteration. I wish rise did this joke with Donnie and Leo. Then we’d have a complete set.

[trochaic-mutant-ninja-tetrameter]

🎶Mine was 'cause of Bowie! What about y'all?🎵

[canonicallyplural]

Raph from ROTTMNT is canonically plural.

In the episode “Man vs Sewer” his is shown to have a trigger related to being alone. When he is left alone in the episode he becomes “Savage”. He cannot recognize his brothers until the main Raph is triggered into front.

In another episode he speaks to “Mind Raph”. They are shown to have different personalities and constantly argue over how to help their brothers.

.

[dustbunsinspace]

What if Leo and Usagi kiss under a mistletoe. Will they actually do it?

(For those who have not seen the Christmas Aliens episode; Raph’s operating a movable mistletoe to help Casey get a kiss from April and Mikey is missing for most of the Christmas night, getting chased around the city by some thieves).

Well… no. Not yet anyway and for quite some time.

It’s 2004, world wasn’t very kind to gay people back then, or helped much with figuring things out for young queers (I would know, I was one). He still needs some time to precess. He just found his first best friend and he’s cool and strong and makes him happy and that’s all he wants to think about rn.

On the other hand feudal Japan was surprisingly okay with two men being involved romantically (despite the problematic side of things… good place to remind everyone 03 Usagi is a teen as well), so he’s a little confused by Leo’s mixed messages.

It’s okay, they’r still kids figuring things out. And when they will, there’ll be time for kisses.

Comic that happens later that night (that I posteed before).

Part of 🟢 Leo gets Overwhelmed au🟢

[msaw]

every time someone draws rottmnt donatello as an emotionless badass, he giggles and kicks his feet

[twelveyearoldfortyyearold]

Donnie (Rise of the TMNT) | Autism Representation in Media

[its-wabby-stuff]

Her 🩵 A headcanon of gear-less look and ninpo presentation. I think she’s a false map turtle, so I gave her a scalloped shell, also to represent Raph. Their shell’s are also a lil’ spiky but in a flexible way. Her plastron is a little bit of a mix but mostly Leo and Raph inspired. I added little line marks just for my own interpretation and to add a little more umph. I think she’s real pretty.

Let me know any of your headcanons regarding personality, what you think her ninpo power would be focused on and/or her weapon of choice.

[mymindimpaired]

The tmnt being so happy to see a sculpture of a turtle holding up the world :)

[purplepixel]

Reanimated speed racer meme but its 2012 donnie to himself.

[it-explains-why-youre-special]

reasons the mutant mayhem writers should let raphael be bisexual:

humans are not at all the only species to have gay relationships! gay turtles happen!

seeing raph, especially this raph, have a crush would be hilarious

what would his dad & brothers’ reaction be?? especially since splinter knows so vividly the pain that comes from discrimination by humans, i can’t help but think that none of them would think anything bad of it because none of them have ever been humans (and therefore had an opportunity to develop an internalized bias). and, especially if splinter found out anything negative had happened to raph because of it (e.g. bullying at school), i can only imagine he’d get even more protective and i want to see that explored (and a bonus: finally a supportive parent in media)

i, as a queer person, would sob so hard seeing a character i’ve loved since i was seven representing someone like me in a franchise so huge as tmnt. i would buy all your tickets watch your show a million times if you had good queer representation in this character (or any of the turtles actually but this post is about raph)

homophobic viewers ain’t shit ❤️ would you rather have a few more 65 year old bigoted white male viewers, or help queer tmnt fans everywhere reinforce the idea that they can be loved?

straight people have literally every other character. i’m just asking for one.

[mintgreyashes]

for my psych lecture today we went through a segment on autism and i realised that i actually already knew a majority of what was being covered because of all the rise fics i've read featuring donnie...

donnie autism representation is so real... but also thank you rottmnt fic writers for being so accurate in your interpretations too fr wahhhhh

[greenvillainredemption]

One thing I love about mutant mayhem is that Leo has a crush on an April who’s not conventionally attractive. It almost feels like, because of the turtles’ isolated upbringing* he hasn’t been influenced by the popular western beauty ideals and just thinks this ordinary human is beautiful! And I think that’s really cool! Because she is!

*though they’ve clearly been exposed to celebrities and other pop culture so ?? idk lol

[canonicallyplural]

Mikey from tmnt 2012 is canonically plural.

In the episode “Journey to the center of Mikey’s mind” we follow his brothers as they get sent into Mikey’s mind.

The very first thing by we see is a memory playing out who co feels very plural coded.

They we meet the “angry Mikey” (who is noticeably a giant), “hungry Mikey” (I have a lot of qualms with this… writing choice actually), “funny/annoying/buzz buzz Mikey” (who is noticeably small and based off a certain way Mikey acted and dressed once earlier in the series), and “cryptic Mikey” (who borders between being cryptic and being just… it’s hard to explain in a nice way).

Then we journey into Mikey’s imagination (which we view as his proper headspace) inside our both fictive and factives (he seems to actually be really introject heavy). And the “one, true Mikey” who’s around 5. This also sort of implies he’s the host or at least core and I have… thoughts about that.

And at the very end of the episode, once they’re all outside Mikey’s mind it’s established that 1. He remembers the whole adventure and 2. “Angry Mikey” can front.

.

[gonetoforks]

I havent formally introduced her yet but, fun fact; my version of jennika as big mama's assistant is bi (like canon) and fa'afafine!

A samoan queer identity which she represents by being a trans woman. (though note they are not always the same) She/Her prns.

Being a queer samoan, I wanted to give her something meaningful to me, and since her character in rise was almost named "frida" i wanted to give the name more justification than just "she's a female painter."

Frida Khalo was famous for her flower motifs in her self portraits to represent fertility, but fa'afafine are often compared to flowers because of how they are considered special. They give the world variety, and flowers appear over and over again in logos and iconography for fa'afafine communities like SOFIAS & the pride flag.

She works under "Fr1da" as a codename (for big mama) and pen name (as a painter) because she's in the process of growing into her identity, like a flower.

Sheena also works at a local flower shop when she’s not fighting part-time in the Battle Nexus.

Happy Pride month and late AAPI heritage month!!

[zeze-mp3]

im here to talk about how my tmnt au's turtles and ppl and rats express their gender cuz i can

donnie is like so super nonbinary agender and he genuinely doesn't care what pronouns you use for him, but usually they put their pronouns as he/they/she. theyre also autistic and that's relevant because she doesn't really prioritize the way her clothes look so much as the way they feel. their wardrobe is pretty much just joggers and biking shorts, a few jackets, a few comfy skirts, and a few threadbare shirts that casey just so happened to lose 🧐🏳️‍🌈⁉️

leo is transfem, she still goes by leonardo and she tends to be pretty androgynous in casual settings, although she does tie her mask in a bow and she does dress up sometimes- casey and april LOVE to do her makeup although usually it's just eyeliner lol

raph is genderfluid and bigender but in general is the most stereotypically masculine- he doesn't wear a lot of feminine stuff, it's just not his thing, but sometimes she will tie her mask tails up into a bow as a little way to signal that shes feeling feminine. he wears shirts more than any of the other turtles, and it's usually some niche rock/metal band tee that gets all ripped up in the back because of his little snapper spikes

mikey is the resident he/they, but he secretly (and eventually not so secretly) like being referred to by neopronouns (which i may or may not list later) and donnie is the og neopronouner in the household (ze/zir) mikeys clothes are too colourful to be sifted into masculine and feminine stuff and they usually have neon joggers on. they also like to make kandi btw tehehehe

april is the only cisgender person here, but she's not feminine by any standards, and her peak gender expression is androgynous blob

casey jones is intersex transmasc because i never see enough intersex rep and his parents were very supportive of his transition and he's able to get her yayayyay!! he dresses like a slutty gay boy greaser but don't we all? imagine a teenage boy wearing what 87 casey wears lol. he has little a cups and literally never wears a bra or a binder he's like peak free the nipple and we love him for that- he basically just challenges the patriarchy's idea of gender and i love him he's so me

[dysfunctional-doodle]

lowkey-- no-- highkey beleive mikey is some of the best adhd representation in media. regardless of whether it's canon in the iteration or not, it is always done so well (at least in my eyes)

my favourite guy on the entire planet. you just gotta love him! i mean how could you not??

(also i'd love to hear any headcanons about him or personal takes about how he or his adhd is portrayed :3 (love your writing and your art))

Look, Mikey is consistently my favourite guy for a reason. Especially 2003 Mikey.

Representation is done best when it’s not shoved in your face and presented as an anomaly, and the way Mikey is written in many iterations is perfect example of this. I love the guy, I really do.

I have plenty of headcanons! I shove them in my fics and mention them from time to time! At the moment Too Many Turtles is my main ranting point, but maybe one day I’ll note everything down, who knows.