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Best Ninja Turtle animated series?
- Thread starter Cheebo
- Start date
- Status
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I forgot about the last 2 seasons.
The sky was red all the time. The bad guy was Lord Dregg instead of Shredder. And the opening music was changed to a far more dull tune.
I remember watching it as a young teen, and wondering wtf happened to my childhood favorite.
tru dat
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Usagi was in 1987, too.
gutter_trash
Banned
1987 but only the two first seasons thoughThe favorite turtle thread had me thinking, what is everyone's favorite of the 3 cartoons?
1987:
Season 2 was the ultimate best, then it went downhill on Saturday morning network on CBS in Season3, then devolved into poop in Season 4 completely on so forth
godofcookery
Member
87 for the intro.
2012 for everything else + good intro.
2012 for everything else + good intro.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Yeah the intro to 87 is amazing. It manages to sound both gritty and fun-loving at the same time.
The noise at the beginning of the music has a powerful Pavlovian effect on my brain.
googleplex
Member
It really isn't. Anyone that says otherwise ether hasn't seen it or is blinded by nostalgia.
killdatninja
Banned
Hate to admit it, but the '87 toon is so hard to watch now days. 2012 is where it's at.
The '87 cartoon had a much more epic toy line though (there is a very special place in my heart specifically for neca figures though).
The '87 cartoon had a much more epic toy line though (there is a very special place in my heart specifically for neca figures though).
lunchtoast
Member
2012 easily. 03 wasn't bad but I didn't watch all of them. The nick show has great animation and I love all the comic style freeze frames at the end of each episode.
Seven Force
Banned
Pre-Fast Forward '03 > 2012 > Everything else.
Though I do enjoy the '87 series a good bit.
Though I do enjoy the '87 series a good bit.
Chezzymann
Member
2012 is the best. Awesome show.
The 1987 show is good fun and all and I really did love it as a kid but it's uh... a bit shit in retrospect. Didn't stop me from getting the main voice cast (Cam, Rob, Barry, Towny and Renee) to sign my copy of season 5 
Still it's just nostalgia there, not much else.
The 2003 show I never watched for very long. I couldn't be bothered to get up and watch it on TV and that was an era before bit torrent, so it was just kind of a pain to watch easily. I didn't mind what I saw and I did watch Turtles Forever eventually - enjoyed that.
The 2012 cartoon though, whoa, THIS is what my memory tells me the 87 show was like. Fun stories, great characters and some pretty well made fight scenes. It's not without a few issues but I wouldn't mind one bit being a kid today with this version.
So I suppose I'd vote for the newest one.
Still it's just nostalgia there, not much else. The 2003 show I never watched for very long. I couldn't be bothered to get up and watch it on TV and that was an era before bit torrent, so it was just kind of a pain to watch easily. I didn't mind what I saw and I did watch Turtles Forever eventually - enjoyed that.
The 2012 cartoon though, whoa, THIS is what my memory tells me the 87 show was like. Fun stories, great characters and some pretty well made fight scenes. It's not without a few issues but I wouldn't mind one bit being a kid today with this version.
So I suppose I'd vote for the newest one.
Septimus Prime
Member
2012. I liked 2003 and loved '87 at the time, but if you go back to watch those and compare them against 2012, the writing doesn't even come close.
WrenchNinja
Member
2003 easily. Agent Bishop is one of the best villains ever. They had the gang war, Leo chopping off Shredders head, Mikey winning the battle nexus, turtles in space and tricertons, and good guy leatherhead. All of the turtles had distinct personalities and weren't jokes, plus they had Rat Splinter and Usagi Yojimbo
It also wins just for the fact that Casey Jones isn't a shitty little kid, April isnt a shitty little kid, no creepy love obessed Donatello, or random name generator mutant villains, and Raph doesn't hog all of the spotlight.
The flaw I can give it is the Ultrom Shredder retcon, and Fast Forward. But yup its, not even a contest, best turtles show.
It also wins just for the fact that Casey Jones isn't a shitty little kid, April isnt a shitty little kid, no creepy love obessed Donatello, or random name generator mutant villains, and Raph doesn't hog all of the spotlight.
The flaw I can give it is the Ultrom Shredder retcon, and Fast Forward. But yup its, not even a contest, best turtles show.
I wouldn't go that far, sure there were plenty of bad episodes along the way and after the motion picture the dark and gritty tone it took was all bad, but I really enjoyed the self awareness in the middle seasons. Constantly breaking the fourth wall, talking about scripts, turning Shredder and Krang into a bickering married couple/son and mother dynamic, the incompetence and stupidity of Bebop and Rocksteady, it was hilarious. I feel it really captured the essence of what the turtles in the comic books were, that is a loving send up of comic archetypes of its generation. The show mirrored that only with cartoon shows of its era.
i always thought the 80's show was a bit too corney so never liked it
I did like the 2003 series well ..half of it like the first 3 seasons since shit was really good and edgy like Karai's character, shredder was baddass and the plot and storylines spanned several episodes and seasons ...but the series hit the shitter once they started the future crap
I only watched like 1 episode of the 2012 series ..I liked it but it feels too safe lol, not enough edgy...too nickish heh
I did like the 2003 series well ..half of it like the first 3 seasons since shit was really good and edgy like Karai's character, shredder was baddass and the plot and storylines spanned several episodes and seasons ...but the series hit the shitter once they started the future crap
I only watched like 1 episode of the 2012 series ..I liked it but it feels too safe lol, not enough edgy...too nickish heh
87 is what I started with like so many others but even during those times I realized the series had gotten stupidly silly pretty quick. Basically when it got on CBS.
2003 is the best due to the edge it had, it had defined characters, good plots and wasn't entire dumbed down..............until Fast Forward.
Can't say I've watched the newest CGI one, guess it was because it seemed like a softer version than the 2003 version and after some maturity growth I didn't want to see it go backwards.
2003 is the best due to the edge it had, it had defined characters, good plots and wasn't entire dumbed down..............until Fast Forward.
Can't say I've watched the newest CGI one, guess it was because it seemed like a softer version than the 2003 version and after some maturity growth I didn't want to see it go backwards.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
The new movie lacks the teenage, too.
It's interesting how they are actually adolescents in 2012.
As someone who watched the '87 show as a kid...the 2012 series is by far the best animated incarnation of the TMNT. Better writing, better characterizations, better animation, and they get to actually be ninjas without network censorship. The 2003 series wasn't bad, either, especially the way they pulled a lot of stuff from the original comics, but I have been very impressed by the 2012 show.
PseudoKirby
Banned
Dr. Giggles
Member
2003, since I grew up on that one.
D
Diggeh
Unconfirmed Member
As much as I love 2012, 2003 really takes it. The characterizations in 2012 are probably the best the Turtles have ever been, but the Donnie creeping and anime expressions really bring it down.
Plus 2003 had a city full of actual people, whereas 2012 is practically barren until
shows up. Then suddenly, BAM! People!
Plus 2003 had a city full of actual people, whereas 2012 is practically barren until
Kraang Prime
StylesTrip
Member
Give me '87 any day.
That's how I got into the Turtles in the first place.
That's how I got into the Turtles in the first place.
panama chief
Member
well damn. my exact words. good job.
TMNT 1987 Animated Series intro
i miss this art style of US show intros being animated like Animes. Thundercats did the same thing.
MoonsaultSlayer
Member
42 fucking posts for the right answer?
The comedy, action, choreography, animations, colors, storylines etc are all top notch. And I'm 31 and grew up with the 80's-90's stuff.
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
1987's art is the most iconic and in my opinion best (not talking about quality of animation here, that was all over the place). It also had the best portrayal of the characters.
2003 is too serious for my tastes and the only good thing that came from it was the mix it had with the original during the anniversary special. The darkness of the art is seriously offputting and the turtles portrayal anticharismatic.
I havent seen much of the new one, but seems that the turtles portrayal is good. Still, m not fond of the designs (turtles are ok, secondary characters like April are atrocious).
2003 is too serious for my tastes and the only good thing that came from it was the mix it had with the original during the anniversary special. The darkness of the art is seriously offputting and the turtles portrayal anticharismatic.
I havent seen much of the new one, but seems that the turtles portrayal is good. Still, m not fond of the designs (turtles are ok, secondary characters like April are atrocious).
2012 by far. The comedic timing is really on-point. The expressions work real well. I really like the look. It's a solid show, even though i haven't really kept up with it. Saw the first season and thought it was really good.
87 is... bad. It has not aged well at all. Shredder also sucks ass in that show.
2003 is okay, but pretty generic in some ways.
87 is... bad. It has not aged well at all. Shredder also sucks ass in that show.
2003 is okay, but pretty generic in some ways.
Cow Mengde
Banned
I grew up in the 80s, but 2003 version is the best. I actually liked parts of Fast Forward better than the Ninja Tribunal arc. While Fast Forward had some lousy episodes, it was also more fun. Ninja Tribunal took itself too seriously and ends up looking more ridiculous.
The 2012 one is excellent as well, but it's not finished yet. Who knows, maybe by the end of the series, I might like the 2012 one better. Right now, 2003 is the best.
The 2012 one is excellent as well, but it's not finished yet. Who knows, maybe by the end of the series, I might like the 2012 one better. Right now, 2003 is the best.
TacticalFox88
Banned
What's with the Fast Forward, hate?
:'(
:'(
thecouncil
Banned
The 2012 art style and character design for everyone outside of the turtles is so goddamn dreadful. Terribly unattractive show. I wish the "Kraang" would develop a less annoying speech pattern as well.
demosthenes
Member
1987 isn't streamed on Netflix 
Cow Mengde
Banned
Fast Forward really wasn't that bad. It was rushed and the change in style threw people off. Most people were pissed because they were left hanging on the Ninja Tribunal stuff, which in hindsight wasn't very good. Fast Forward had some awful episodes, but also had some good ones.
Anyone in particular?
It took me a while to warm up to April's design but everything else has been aces, especially the mutants and Casey Jones. 2012 has my definitive Splinter as well.
Rapscallion
Member
The answer that has eluded every post thus far is clearly the
Japanese "Mutant Turtles: Superman Legends"
Japanese "Mutant Turtles: Superman Legends"
thecouncil
Banned
I feel the opposite way a out all the things you mentioned. April isn't too awful but Casey with the missing teeth and bandana is no good. The mutants are bad though: Fishface, Dogpound, Rahzar, whatever that plant monster was (Jerkweed?). I think maybe the most appealing design so far has been Metalhead. He actually looks cool.
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
The best thing about this is that it looks like a parody done in the west about japanese animes, music included.
That April, Splinter, Shredder and bebop and rocksteady saves the whole thing.
IdreamofHIME
Member
ReturnOfTheRAT
Member
1987
GekigangerV
Member
Pretty much. The series of episodes where Ultimate Drako sends the turtles to different times/dimensions is better than anything in either the 87 or new toon. The new show has been okay so far though. The 87 show really falls apart after the second season.
Also, the 2003 show had this theme in Japan which was pretty damn good.
http://youtu.be/3PdAQy6R7OE?t=40s
1987 isn't streamed on Netflix
Are the others ?
Here in my country it only has Next Mutation and the 2007 movie.
29 posts =(
There's probably a reason for that...
I was talking more about walking in shadows and cuting stuff but yeah that works too xD
Wolf Akela
Member
One thing I prefer with 2003 is that they don't really shove the comedy in front of your face. The humor can just be from witty lines or entertaining exchanges between the characters, not "hey look at this punchline!".
I'm fairly certain the alien stuff was actually in the comics. I thought the triceraton arc was really good.
I wonder why there's a trend with Raph holding the sides of his sais with his fingers. Aren't sais used for catching/blocking swords?
I think 2003 had quite a following in Japan, just judging from the amount of Japanese fanart.
Also the first Japanese intro is awesome:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZUs3XQ6fuY
I'm fairly certain the alien stuff was actually in the comics. I thought the triceraton arc was really good.
I wonder why there's a trend with Raph holding the sides of his sais with his fingers. Aren't sais used for catching/blocking swords?
I think 2003 had quite a following in Japan, just judging from the amount of Japanese fanart.
Also the first Japanese intro is awesome:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZUs3XQ6fuY
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