#I haven't gotten that far into the anime in my recent rewatch

[dozenssporks]

spoilers for '98 but I was just thinking about when Meryl calmed the mob and stopped them from hurting Vash. In that moment Vash sees and hears Rem echoing Meryl. I've heard people theorize that this meant Meryl was Rem's reincarnation, or that the ghost of Rem was speaking through her, or just that Vash sees her as a replacement for Rem.

To me it seems obvious that Meryl is herself alone. Those are her words about what she has learned from being around Vash and how her beliefs have been shaped by her experiences.

Vash lives his life upholding Rem's ideals and keeping her alive that way. With Legato's death he feels he has failed and completely lost Rem.

Then Meryl steps up and her words are not a shallow repetition of Rem's. They are new in her, grown from the old. Vash realizes that the people Rem saved, kept alive, now keep Rem alive by embracing her ideals.

Rem lives on in Meryl.

Rem lives on in every person on No Man's Land that believes in love and peace.

(I could also read into it that Vash was finally able to face Knives because even if Vash died Rem would no longer die with him.)

[velvet-games]

hmm ok thoughts/questions so far on hazbin hannibal au (feel free to chime in):

okay full disclosure I haven't watched hannibal in like four years but I was obsessed enough with it at the time that I can hopefully still analyze it without forgetting major chunks of plot (emphasis on hopefully)

also full disclosure that a lot of my view of alastor is based on fandom/my own extrapolation; I rewatched some of hazbin recently, and we honestly don't get much! there's a lot of room for different interps and I'm just using mine

the most obvious choice for hannibal is alastor, but the characters are just different enough that I can either a) have someone else be hannibal or b) have the whole point be that alastor is not hannibal (and why that's interesting)

hannibal is a lonely devil (but like, not from the bible): he's the only guy in the world that knows how to play chess, and he'll do anything to keep playing with the one other guy that knows how to play chess; hannibal is legitimately better and cooler than most people, and he is only actually made vulnerable by will.

alastor is like. just a guy tbh. even in hell, he's kind of mediocre; not all of the other overlords respect him, and he's not even as powerful as the goetia, much less anyone in heaven. and that's not even touching on human alastor.

hannibal is born into a lot of wealth, and I think that shapes his sense of "morality;" instead of absorbing actual morals, he absorbs a need for decorum and propriety (the aesthetic of morality basically). he kills because people are "impolite." he fucks with people because it's genuinely just interesting, and he doesn't respect them as people.

I don't really know what to do with hannibal's trauma with later being destitute and having to eat his sister; it wasn't fully explained in the show, and I think it's kind of a relic from the more human version of him in the books. maybe it speaks to a level of having to remove oneself emotionally because being invested means Something Bad Happened to Hannibal, which cannot happen ("nothing happened. I happened." etc etc), and that's why he needs to see everything as a game he can control. that makes will a lot more significant because hannibal could've chosen not to play chess, but now that he does, he needs someone to play with him (or he might have to go back to believing something bad happened). eh.

I don't think alastor was born into wealth at all; I'm good with the general fandom interp of him growing up poor with a shitty father, and I don't really see him as ever becoming wealthy in life. I doubt being a radio show host paid that much, especially since his whole thing is not being a sellout.

alastor's morality is kind of a big question mark that everyone has a different answer to. I don't like the politeness thing because again, I see it as being shaped by hannibal's childhood, and I also do think alastor is Invested. I think he's too invested, actually; there's kind of this desperate edge to him that hannibal would never have. alastor's ego is wounded multiple times and he is, at least to the audience, very obviously ticked off by it. he doesn't like that the other overlords aren't impressed by him, he has a meltdown over husk's minor jab, and tears out his own hair at the idea that other people might've thought he had a heart. he's less of a master chess player and more of a wounded animal that got really good at scaring other animals into not hurting it again. but he's still an animal. and no one has gotten close enough to heal the wound.

so I guess alastor's morality is just whatever feels good/safe. I watched swarm a while back, and I liked the use of murder as a kind of coping mechanism: "this feels bad. I don't feel safe. I don’t know how to deal with this. no one in my life has taught me how to process emotions normally, so I'm literally just gonna do murder." dre's killing is subtextually compared to stress eating; it feels good, there's a dopamine rush, and you stop thinking about the bad things. you can also eat comfort food just because you want to and enjoy it.

something I realized while I watched the show is that I'm pretty sure we don't see alastor actually kill that many people? like he fucked with pentious and tried to kill adam, plus we get a flashback about killing other overlords, but I only remember him actually killing the sharks that were after mimzy. so. lots of extrapolation still.

I think all of those examples can be read using the eating metaphor, but obviously there's some other stuff going on too. killing the overlords was a reputation-building (no one will hurt me if I'm scary enough) moment, but it was also just for the more practical side of gaining power/souls. killing for mimzy helped confirm to charlie that he could defend the hotel, and it also plays into his role as a gentleman that will clean up mimzy's messes. he gets to be a hero in a fucked up way.

there's obviously no redemption arc for hannibal. I don't even know what the fuck that would mean in a thematic sense. but I do think alastor can be softened a lot if he lets someone in to heal the wound. not sure who that would be though.

I have a lot more, but just one little thing to end on and get y'all's thoughts going: what if vox is hannibal? not in the full character sense, but just to fill the role as the rich guy that psychoanalyzes people. he's probably more obviously suited to a freddie lounds-type role, but maybe he does hypnosis "therapy" and realizes it doesn't work on alastor, which sparks his interest. just some food for thought.

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: September 8, 2024

Got a bunch for you, this week, so let's jump right in...

Rebel Ridge (Jeremy Saulnier, 2024)

Easily One of the Very Best Films of 2024, So Far. Rebel Ridge is a calculated thriller with a smart and balanced screenplay and lived-in performances that never seem forced and never make any of the choices or actions seem convenient. Saulnier milks this premise for every bit of tension possible, and delivers an amazingly restrained piece of cinema that refuses to opt for any of the obvious choices. And the final showdown goes to shit in a manner stays true to the characters while still giving the audiences what they came for. - 9/10

If (John Kosinski, 2024)

Why the heck wasn't this a hit in cinemas?!? This was utterly delightful, through and through. An imaginative, heartfelt exploration of fear, and a celebration of holding onto any shred of childhood you can, for as long as you can. The cast was stellar, and the realization (which probably took me about twice as long to realize than it should have) hit me like a brick, absolutely destroying me in the best way possible. - 8.5/10

The Watchers (Ishana Shyamalan, 2024)

I mostly didn't find it as bad as the reviews led me to believe it would be. But I do think—overall—it fumbled a potentially interesting/terrifying premise with flat characters and amateurish handling of suspense. - 4.5/10

The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki, 2023)

The animation—especially the early fire and subsequent flashbacks—is unsurprisingly stunning... absolutely stunning. And Miyazaki's world-building is straight-up magic, as always. However, the actual plot didn't quite hit me the way his other films have, and it dragged big-time in the second act. - 7/10

Drive-Away Dolls (Ethan Coen, 2024)

Far and away the worst thing either Coen brother has ever been involved in. Just a stupid, boring little road trip movie with unlikable/annoying characters and the most watered down Coen-esque plot imaginable. - 3.5/10

Wicked Little Letters (Thea Sharrock, 2024)

A really fun acting showcase for Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, and very little else. - 6.5/10

Role Play (Thomas Vincent, 2024)

Only watched it because I was bored and didn't know what else to watch and I'd had it in my queue since its release because of Kaley Cuoco. It's really bad. A boring rehash of so many other mediocre movies, but without any of the style or star power. However, Kaley Cuoco looks amazing in that wig, and Bill Nighy has a really fun minor part, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. - 3/10

I also revisited Close Encounters of the Third Kind because my parents visited Devil's Tower recently and their pictures got me in the mood for one of the very best sci-fi films ever made. Then I needed some comfort horror one night, so I watched Scre4m again. I needed something Criterion one afternoon so I watched Powell & Pressburger's wonderful A Matter of Life and Death, and now I've been jonesing for a revisit of The Red Shoes, but haven't gotten around to it, yet. And finally, just tonight I rewatched Beetlejuice to prepare for going to see the sequel on Tuesday.

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[purplesurveys]

1915

When was the last time you admired some flowers? What kind/color were they? I don't know. I don't really...stop for things like this anymore; and it feels sad saying that out loud. In any case, I haven't admired flowers at least since May, when I was looking at the ones I bought my mom and grandma for Mother's Day.

Are you in the process of watching or re-watching a series at the moment? Just an early disclaimer - I watch whatever season I feel like watching at any given moment, but my answer to this would be Friends. I've also been meaning to rewatch Breaking Bad, but realistically I can't do that until the company shutdown in December. For now, I've contended with rewatching the Ozymandias-Granite State-Felina trio.

If so, how many seasons does it have? And what season are you currently on? Friends has 10 seasons; Breaking Bad, 5.

Has anyone you know gotten a new pet recently? Nope, don't think so!

How old were you 10 years ago? Who were your closest friends at that point? I was 16 - I was close with Gabie, Angela, and Sofie. To an extent Athenna because I was beside her everyday on the bus.

Do you still speak to any of them? Just Angela now. I last saw Sofie last year, but she's migrated to London and I'm positive that I'll probably never see her again.

Have you ever kissed someone of another race? Nope.

Are there any races you wouldn’t kiss? Uh, no.

What is your favorite thing about your best friend? I'm thankful that she's low maintenance. I've laid low the last two weeks because work has taken over my life; and she either has not disturbed me at all/taken it personally, or, if she does reach out, it's to do some sort of quick welfare check and to remind me that she is proud of me.

What do you mostly have in common with your best friend? We love BTS and Seventeen.

Do you like it when men shave their chests? If you are a guy, do you shave? Theoretically I prefer that they do, but that can always change.

What is your favourite kind of video game? Simulator games, lol.

When you’re visiting a site, do you still type “www.”? No.

What can you hear right now? A YouTube video. I can also hear a tuko somewhere within our ceiling walls, hahaha.

Do you think it’s okay for kids to have cellphones? Yeah, as long as the use is moderated and some sort of parental controls are toggled throughout. I've had a cellphone since I was 7 where it was mainly used for emergencies.

Do you watch anime? If so, what are some of your favourites? No, not as an interest. The only anime anythings I've liked are Pokemon, Your Name, and Grave of the Fireflies.

Do you have any siblings? If so which one of them do you get along with the best? I have. I only speak with and get along with my sister.

What’s your favorite TV show? And who’s your favorite character from it? Breaking Bad! Favorite would be Gus, with Mike and Skyler trailing not too far behind. I used to like Walter, then I got older.

Another favorite is Friends, with my favorite characters being Chandler and (unpopularly enough) Ross.

Have you violated any of the 10 Commandments? If so, what? Idk probably most of them at this point.

Do people think you look like either of your parents? Does that offend you? Yes. No.

Do you prefer regular bacon or turkey bacon? Regular. I've never had turkey bacon.

Do you think it’s weird when people talk to their pets like people? Not at all, that's what I also do like 90% of the time.

What is the last place, other than home, that you stayed overnight? The hotel we stayed at for my grandparents' renewal of vows. It was nice and cozy; it was obviously old but it didn't have that worn down feel to it like other old hotels would typically have – it just felt homey and the service was fantastic too.

What is the furthest you have traveled alone? Alone alone, it would have to be Bulacan. I haven't ventured all that far yet. As for a trip without family, I've been to Thailand with friends.

Have you ever dated someone simply for their looks? No.

Have you ever been drunk? Yeah.

What was the name of the main character in the last book you read? The author. It was an autobiographical self-help book.

What are three of your favorite toppings for salads? Seared tuna, eggs, chicken. Not necessarily in the same salad lol.

Do you prefer pizza or hot dogs? Pizza.

What is your favorite pizza topping? Idk if it counts as a topping, but barbecue sauce.

Is your dad a jerk? No.

Is anyone in your family currently in the military? Nope.

What is your favorite dog breed? I love all of them :)

Have you found any gray hairs on your head? They've popped up every now and then since I was 11.

Do you own a bikini? Several ones. They're what I prefer to have on when at the beach.

If you were a rockstar, what color guitar would you have? I'd love a pastel purple one.

Would you rather have a personal chef or personal house cleaner? I can't cook, but I'd still go with the house cleaner. Maintaining a house is much more tedious and I'd love if I can get help on that.

Do you have any zits on your face right now? YES I have a gross breakout right now. All over my left cheek and there's one above my lip too.

What are three of your favorite bakery items? Pain au chocolat, kouign amann, chocolate doughnut.

What are three creative hobbies you enjoy? I like writing, making bracelets (OK I've done this once, but it was a lot of fun and I'd 100% do it again if there's an occasion that calls for it), and doing by-number things like diamond painting.

What are three things you like about church? Nothing.

What was the last type of pie you ate? Good question. I'm stumped. I don't have pie very often; not really a common/popular food choice here.

Which book did you love when you were younger? I reread the Septimus Heap series multiple times.

Which book series could you read again? Twilight, haha. It's atrocious at many points, I know – but I can't help but have it continue to be one of my favorites.

Tell me about your first breakup, if you had one. It was barely a breakup. They just ignored me for three months straight until I confronted her and we ended it then and there...at least that's how I remember it; I've consciously wiped out nearly every memory of that person.

Which person would you chose to travel the world with? Angela and Hans, or my family. They're the only ones I've got.

Do you have (a) stuffed animal(s) sitting in your room? Which one(s)? Yeah I have a bunch of BT21 plushies in here.

Have you ever had to do a doubletake on someone ‘cuz they were so pretty? Sure.

Is your last ex currently in a relationship? Probably! I don't keep updated and have asked my friends not to tell me anything about her, but this is likely.

Who was the last female you were introduced to? Idk probably someone related to work.

Who was the last male you were introduced to? ^

Do you use a nightlight? No. I like it to be pitch black when I sleep.

What’s your opinion on border control? I can only speak for my own experience which is China imposing their own borders on our own seas and blatant bullying of our fishermen, in which my dominant sentiment is "Fuck off." I know this is a very nuanced topic, though, and that this can mean many different things in many different areas.

What are your favorite things to create? An archive of my life – aka this blog.

What’s something you prefer to keep private? My struggles.

Are you good at prioritizing? At work, yes.

If you’re not religious, were you ever? What made you lose faith? I was raised in the Catholic faith (disowned it when I was 10) + had a brief religious phase when I was 17 after the death of my grandfather (disowned it the second time when I was 18). I let go because all of the religious people I know are hypocrites and are discriminatory towards everyone and everything. It didn't make sense that for a religion that encourages acceptance and understanding, all their followers are so judgey about every damn thing.

What feeling do you have the most difficulty in expressing? Disappointment.

When was the last time you looked at your significant other/crush’s Facebook profile? Idk, I haven't had either in so long.

[hpdfag]

I didn’t get to see the pink theme sadly but this deeper red one is so cool?? It probably looks much better in dark mode but I have too many eye problems too use it all the time ngl…I’ll check it out later!

How have you been doing? I recently got a bit too BPD and now I’m in this little stage where I really wanna improve as a person, getting into self care and all that shit. It’s a bit silly, and I’m sure it’s something akin to mania, but I think it’s good for me to feel so stimulated to take care of myself! For me, it’ll get me a compliment or two from my FP and overall I’ll feel better for them. And I end up feeling good for myself so…happiness for the whole family!

Tell me a bit about how you’ve been doing and all, stuff that happened (if anything!) or anything on your mind. We’re always open-eared around you :}

- 🧶

THANK U THANK U !!!!!! ive been on an editing kick again so ive been messing w/ the themes on basically all of my blogs .. im glad u like this one :D

i've been doing really well!! it's similar for me actually, i'm finally doing some really hard work with my therapist and it sucks but it's making me want to get better. i really do believe that it's what i'm here to do, and it feels wonderful to have a purpose again. i always say that the meaning of life is something you have to find for yourself, but i never really bothered with it. i always considered myself a lost cause. but maybe i can get out of this. maybe one day i won't feel so small and scared ... it feels wonderful to feel wonderful :]

and it is good !! even if it's just mania, it's always good to take care of yourself. i always relearn some unfortunate truths whenever i bother with self care like "i feel more like a person when i bother to shower and eat breakfast" LOLOL

overall i've been doing a lot better i think :] im finally starting to break out of the mindset i worked myself into with my ex and im feeling much better for it. i've actually had several people irl tell me that im looking visibly better completely unprompted and it catches me off gaurd every time haha

i haven't been doing much but !! im hoping to get back into the swing of things, especially with school coming up in september ... but it's gonna be the last year before college!! im a senior!! wtf!! it feels weird going into senior year at 16 but i did start kindergarten at like 4 years old so i guess it tracks /silly

right now the project i want to get back on is my neocities ... it's a total mess right now while i figure out html and css, but hopefully eventually i can make it my own !! it's very vaguely space themed right now but eventually i wanna theme it off of myself since like. all of our interests come and go but unfortunately i remain /silly .. it'll be difficult but lots of fun !! (i have it linked here if u wanna poke around it in its current laughably unfinished state, itll look best on google chrome on desktop!)

ive been spending a bit more time with my mom recently too, ive been rewatching some of my favorite anime with her and we're gonna watch some newer ones too!! (we've gotten thru evangelion and madoka magica so far, and we're gonna start cowboy bebop next ^_^)

auauauaua ive started rambling like hell but !! im glad to be able 2 chat with u, it's always one of the highlights of our day :]

[literaila]

Horimiya~ oh I love it. Love it so much. That's a nice lil list, I've been meaning to start bungo stray dogs.

God, aot was my personality trait for a good couple years. So good, definitely a lot going on. How far in have you gotten?

Solo levelling~ interesting, interesting. I've seen a couple edits, also on my to watch list.

Lmao that made me laugh. Why is that so relatable. Love asking for recs only to be catapulted into an anime I've never heard of by a simple edit.

Death note huh? On a scale of 1-10 how insane are the men in it? I haven't actually watched it.

Tick tick boom. A masterpiece. Cars? Agajn, haven't watched it. Though I respect you not wanting to pick between the both of them.

Hmm favourite anime movie: drifting home. God, i hate rewatching stuff, but I must've rewatched it a total of like 7 times in the span of a few days. A real comfort movie.

An anime I adore that I watched recently was spy x family. Ugh so cute and funny and sweet. Healed my heart after jjk.

But overall favourite anime? Not sure I could pick one. I also conveniently forget every piece of media when someone asks me about my favourites or recs.

Also megumi is probably like, this is why I don't do nice things. Satoru is menace and will be suffocated-

i got about halfway through the first season with aot. i think partially (mostly) i was just getting mad at all the characters wondering why they were being so stupid but ive heard that it gets better as the seasons go on so ill continue… eventually..

solo leveling i just picked up one night instead of sleeping. it was a very unwise but good decision.

no so actually i only started watching jjk cause of a megumi edit. i got about halfway through the edit and i was like “mmm… fine.” and here we are.

mentally? about a 8/9. literally probably a 6ish. i didn’t think id like it cause the story is pretty… mm well lots of spoilers… but the back and forth between characters really kept me invested.

cars is phenomenal.

i’ll add it to my list. i was actually just about to start spy x family so that’s good news!

i also have that disease. very nice very fun.

you think he was trying to be nice? megumi is carrying out murder plots

[summers-pratt]

rules: tag some people you want to know better &/or catch up with, then answer the questions below!

tagged by @captain-peroxid3 (thank u bestie hi how are u!!)

last song: Fuck Me (I Didn't Know How To Say) by the Crawlers (which is bonkers bc I first heard this song on the spike centric spuffy playlist you made, i swear I didn't plan this lol) wait does music on the tv count bc when I walked thru the door when I got home Rihanna's halftime show was on bc my dad is watching the superbowl. So maybe my answer is Diamonds by Rihanna depending on how specific you want to be lol

3 ships: Spuffy (I know, who would have guessed, I play that one pretty close to the chest), the Doctor and Rose (recently rewatched the first couple seasons bc I missed her :), and Gideon and Harrow bc FUCK those books have rewired my fucking brain chemistry I swear to god dude holy fucking shit these bitches gay and they are so fucked up and I love them

Currently reading: Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It is,,,insane. It's about legalized and industrialized cannibalism bc all animals got a virus that makes them fatal to humans, so humans...adapted. It is so clinical and coldly descriptive, it is very unsettling, but it is really interesting and pretty good so far (I'm about halfway thru)

Last movie: Excess Baggage (fully bc I saw @silvermars edits for it and said 'rom com between two people from different worlds who proceed to be ridiculously unhinged and enamoured with each other? sounds amazing, sign me up (and it was, as are the edits))

Currently craving: some juice. Maybe orange. Cran pomegranate. White grape peach. Apple. I ran out and haven't gotten more yet :/

Tagging @momsopposed2theoccult bestie what is up, and honestly anyone I interact w on here is welcome to do this, I want to learn about my btvs girlies :D

[imthepunchlord]

Hello, your lordness! Quick question, but... while I like ninja turtles (despite having only watched the live action movies and knowing some Basic stuff...), I... don't actually see the appeal? I mean, I LOVE ninjas and I'm happy that the turtles DON'T shy away from the fact that ninjas kill people, but I never actually saw any animated series (or read any of the original comics).

Hm... the appeal sticks to me as I like turtles, ninjas are cool, and I really like cartoons. As a kid I always preferred animation over live action and that still sticks for me today; I'd always sooner watch an animated show than live action. If you're asking if TMNT is worth watching, I'll say there are pros and cons to each one, and this is just coming from my personal preference and views. And I'll admit, I haven't seen everything.

Now for TMNT, it's a series I like but never was my favorite show/idea. Though concept wise, it is a fun idea and a little funny. Ninjas are known for their speed and lethality, and turtles aren't, more slow and peaceful/rather hide than fight (though some will if it comes to it). So it's a very fun mixture of opposites.

Now, animated shows...

I haven't seen the first one, 1987, so I can't speak for it, but I don't really have an interest in seeing it. Those who grew up with it I know like it. But I am past that point.

I instead watched a lot of the 2003 TMNT, which was my introduction to TMNT. I remember liking it, thought it was pretty cool. It was my Batman the Animated Series and Gargoyles as I was one of those kids that grew up on WB Saturday morning cartoons and had no access to cable, so for something aesthetically dark and edgey looking, it was cool.

Honestly though, it wasn't until recently that I've thought of rewatching 2003 TMNT. Which tells me that, despite liking the show as a kid, it hasn't really stuck with me enough that I wanted to see it again or even thought about it. Presently I'm only a handful of episodes in and so far... they're fine. Coming in from Rise, animation isn't as exciting or fluid but that's to be expected as an older medium.

If you're curious to see 2003 TMNT, I will forewarn that this version does get dark. And Shredder I know is a controversial topic. I also hear that you just stick to the first four seasons and that's it, I've heard that it got so dark they had to lighten it up and it went down hill.

But if you want decent animation, something dark in visuals and story, and a bit of comedy here and there; I could recommend it. If I was farther in my reawatch I could give a more elaborate answer, but I can only work off what I remember and the few episodes in I am in rewatching it.

Uh, 2012 TMNT I can't speak for on recommending it or not. It's a version of TMNT I haven't seen and currently don't plan to see as the overall design and aesthetic of the show just doesn't appeal to me. So far, from nosing around here and there, I've heard mixed reviews. Some say the writing is good and it gets dark, and some say it's kinda cringe or made weird choices.

It has it's fans, but aesthetically it's not for me and it's not one I'm going to watch. At most, I'll give it that Splinter looks the best in this version. That is one cool looking rat.

But whether to watch it or not... I can't quite say. If you're curious check it out. I know at least s1 is on Netflix.

Now, for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the one I've been spamming content for, and currently hyper fixating on, which has also gotten some controversies; this version of TMNT is absolutely my favorite and one I can fully recommend.

At this time, in terms of animated shows, this one has the best animation, the best fight scenes, and they don't shy away from getting creative. Like, look at this gif of Mikey fighting with a ladder.

If you want to see more of this fight, here's a look to video footage that some has of it.

And like most shows, the animation just improves and gets better the more they do it. Honestly, the movie they did for RoTTMNT has some of the best animation for this year. Like, spoilers for the movie if no one has seen it yet, but man, this fight is just awesome and intense and they didn't have to go out as hard as they did.

As a long time fan of watching animation, gosh, this show is amazing.

Another factor I like is the writing, the creative choices, and the characters in how they're handled and how they work off each other. Now, biggest controversy I see is visual style choice and the changes they made.

For one thing, instead of all being the same turtle with colored bandanas to differentiate them, all the brothers are different species of turtles, so you can tell who you're looking at even if they don't have the bandanas. And the greatest factor is that they'll take in these changes, and incorporate them smartly into the characters.

Leonardo is a red eared slider.

Raphael is an alligator snapping turtle, physically making him the biggest and strongest.

Mikey is an ornate box turtle and the only one who can fully go into his shell.

And Donnie this time is a spiny soft shell turtle, leaving him having the weakest defense, so he delves into technology to make up for this weakness, and he has a variety of battle shells to make use of, from a spider shell, to hover shell that has an installed seat/bike to carry April around, to a jet pack shell. Given his limitations in comparison to his brothers, it naturally fits in for him to be more tech involved as means to adjust.

Another thing that really surprised TMNT fans was that this version really shook up the formula. They kept in the core of the characters, but did new spins on them. And to me, they're refreshing.

Raph is the leader here instead of Leo, designated as he's the oldest/biggest turtle. It's hinted that he had more of a temper as a kid, but he's fueled that anger into something useful, using it as a means to protect his brothers; and he's the most protective of his family trying to keep up with everyone. He does struggle as a leader and older brother as caring for his family can take more priority than what should be done. Another big change is that Raph in this is more openly a softie, can be gentle when trying to give out harsh truths, and actually has anxiety over being left alone. Which to me is nice to see, as most anxiety is portrayed with more quiet/shy characters but Raph here is very vocal and forward.

What does stay the same is him being reckless and always rushing in. And in the movie, they do keep Raph vs Leo clash, which in my opinion, is probably the best handling of it. Raph doesn't stay the leader and Leo is recently nominated to be leader, a position he doesn't want and isn't taking seriously, much to Raph's frustration.

Leo in this version, free of being the leader and bearing responsibility, is more of a wisecrack/joker. He often seeks attention, does try to be a solo show, portrays himself as confident but secretly insecure, and if things get too intense, will crack jokes to try and lighten things.

He matches Leo at the core by being an expert strategist, always having a plan and can figure out the schemes of others. He actually has stepped in as leader a few times before the official nomination to be leader to make plans and guide his team. And he does think he knows better than his brothers (something I've seen with 2003 Leo too).

Mikey in this version is still the baby of the family, still very much a goofball, heart of the group, and naive and trusting; but he's the most elaborate fighter, a true wildcard. He is the most creative of the turtles and that goes into his fighting style; he actually likes to take objects you usually wouldn't use in a fight and works with them. He's actually a really good fighter. Another factor to him is that in terms of mystical power, which this version incorporates into their fighting style as they're half yokai here, he's actually the most adept to it and first to activate his power.

Honestly biggest different to him is that this version, he has a slight temper and is a verbal savage.

Donnie got the biggest overhaul in characterization, making him very arrogant and full of himself, which to me makes sense when he's an inventor that's able to make anything. He's still the tech guy of the team, just this time he knows he's amazing so no being quiet spoken or lack of confidence. They also work off him being a softshell turtle, not just as a solid reasoning for him being techy, but also being the most feral and savage of the brothers, cause softshell turtles are viscous. He's also confirmed by creators to be autistic and he's one of the better portrayed autistic characters, having low empathy but still caring, particular about touch, having fixations, ect. This video actually covers the writing of low empathy and autistic characters and talks about Donnie's portrayal as an autistic character.

This version of Donnie also works off the 2012 TMNT idea of Donnie and April being closest, only this time for sure, they're tight best friends than a romantic item. And their chemistry is amazing.

That's actually one of the biggest appeals to this show as there's no romance to be the focus. The main focus is familial love and the bonds of siblings. To me, this is the best portrayal of them as siblings, teenagers, and as a family. They are all 100% ride and die for their family, and will do what they can to help each other and have each other's backs.

But this doesn't stop them from roasting each other, throwing each other under the bus, and messing with each other. Here's a bunch of moments from the show and movie that show them as siblings, both going at each other but also being there for each other (which forewarning, there are spoilers for the movie).

This is also the only show I can think of that has siblings tell each other they love them kinda regularly. It's not every episode, but it does pop up quite a bit. And you can hear it occasionally here in the video.

Either way, I have gushed a lot about this show and there could be more to say, but I'll stop here. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to me is the best version. I love it's style and animation, I love this take on the characters and them as a family and their interactions, and I love this show's comedy. This is a show I can easily rewatch a lot and binge.

Honestly, the only thing for me that brings it down was that Nick cancelled it mid season 2, and they had to scramble to figure out a way to wrap up the show, so anything set up in s2 was dropped and cut (like Big Mama's Assistant) and I've heard that the s2 finale we got (taking on Shredder) was probably supposed to be the s3 finale, as the s2 finale was supposed to reveal there were more turtles and they got 2 sisters (presumably Venus de Milo and Jennika, which I would've loved to see how Rise would've done them). So it left s2 a little awkward to watch, but fully blame Nick for that.

There is a possibility that we may get more of Rise, if the show and movie did well on Netflix, and I was of the fans that binged the show and movie as much as I could. I do hope so as I genuinely love this show.

I hope this gave you some idea if you wanted to check out any TMNT cartoon, which Rise is the only one I can actually give a recommendation to as that's the one I love most. But it's not for everyone, and it can come down to how open you are to a show that really shakes things up. If you like animation, it'll at least give you a good time in terms of animated fight scenes.

If you, and anyone else reading this, decide to check out Rise, I hope you guys enjoy and have fun. I did.

Currently, s1 of Rise is on Netflix as is the movie, and I can confirm that you don't really need to watch the show to watch the movie. At most, you need to know they have mystical power. And forewarning, the movie is very dark.

[justwhumpythings]

What are your fav shows, movies, books, songs?

Shows: The other day I was thinking about Daredevil S1 again and I thought 'you know, this might be my favourite show!' and then I remembered 'no you idiot, that's Good Omens' So both of them XD I also quite enjoyed Our Flag Means Death although I think I will come to love it more with later seasons. Have been rewatching some A:TLA recently too.

I tend to watch more comedy than purely fictional stuff regularly, so I like some of our classic British comedy panel shows like Would I Lie To You, QI, Taskmaster and Mock the Week (rip :'() I finally got myself to watch This Country (which I always want to call Our Country instead, I had to look up which it was XD) not too long ago and enjoyed it more than I thought I might!

I also go for more Youtube-based entertainment these days, where I can thoroughly recommend Drawfee for art, humour and chill, and the spinoff Secret Sleepover Society (mirrored from Twitch) for gaming, humour and chill.

Movies: I don't watch so often, but Megamind is always a comfort choice, or Kung Fu Panda, and while I haven't watched it for years now, Thor (2011) has a special place in my heart. Then there are other films like Lord of the Rings or The Lion King which are such perfect classics that it never even occurs to me to list them as favourites, but they are, especially LOTR.

Books: I haven't read books in years 😅 For real, I'm hard pressed to think of anything I could call a current favourite rather than just a long-ago childhood fave. I found Marie Kondo's book a good read a while back, and often will just plump for a Discworld book if asked (Going Postal, usually). Good Omens is actually far from my favourite Pratchett book sshh don't tell anyone 😉😅

Songs: God, I'm so terrible, I haven't listened to much music recently either.(There's a reason I added 'I don't consume media' to my description lol). I got this new computer last October and still haven't gotten around to adding my music library to it 😅 so I can't even use that as reference. My Youtube Mix seems to be stuck in 2012-13ish when I last listened to new charts music socially XD But I am trying to listen my way through Glass Animals latest album from February, and I always enjoy some Woodkid or Alt-J.

Thanks for the opportunity to ramble about things that only I care about! XD

[biromantic-nerd]

Tagged By: @mythcas thank you, dear! 💚

Last Song: ?? I have no idea. It's been a while. Actually I feel like it was a cover of "Halo" maybe?

Currently Reading: I only read fics now because of like,,, a lack of money. Lately it's been SVSSS fics that my friend recs to me; though these past few weeks I've been watching tv more than reading, so I'm reading way less rn

I'm also rereading my own fics bc I took a writing break in mid-April and so now I'm trying to ease back into it if I can.

Currently Watching:

Lots of stuff! I've been using tv shows as a distraction recently. Plus I have to keep switching shows so that my attention span stays sharp rn when my mind's super going

I was watching Community and got really far into that (s3 I think) before I had to switch bc I found myself thinking of other things while watching.

Just started Supergirl - and while I haven't gotten to Lena yet, Kara is already so bi? I really like these season 1 characters so far. But shows with long fight scenes currently aren't for me bc my mind wanders, so I'm going to come back to watching this show later

I'm also rewatching Haikyuu!! bc I've had a really bad week and that's a light-hearted show. I never actually finished that show, probably won't this time either, but it'll be nice while it lasts

I've been binging a lot of Will & Grace actually, and that's been fun too.

I tried watching Way of the Househusband but the animation was so jerky that it was visually too straining for my eyes.

Last Movie: I know I just watched one recently but I cannot think of what it was. There was some movie between after I finally watched The Old Guard and now but I can't remember what movie that was. [edit: It was The Incredibles 2] [edit2: Wait no it was 4th Man Out!! I just watched that in early June!! That was the last movie!]

Currently Craving: soup??? Definitely want a good broth right now, not like a hearty stew but a broth. I just ate like 13 ounces of chocolate and oddly now I want Soup

Tagging: @sapphicmarinette @dustorange and anyone who wants to do this 💖