Current Events > TMNT Character Designer shows off April O'neil design. Twitter isn't happy.

(+) Yeah! (+)

It is so easy as an adult to not care about cartoons, man.

spikethedevil posted...

Shes a child you creep.

She's a teenager.

But she should be an adult.

FortuneCookie posted...

But she should be an adult.

Why?

CyricZ posted...

Why?

Because that's what she was designed to be. She's the team mom.

Sheiky-Baby posted...

Calm down there Kotaku

Really sure you wanna play it that way, Roman Polanski?

Between this shit, snow white and countless others, this has to be satire at this point. This current formula for media now is such a joke.

Sheiky-Baby posted...

Why couldn't it be a hot black chick?

being hot is offensive

FortuneCookie posted...

Because that's what she was designed to be. She's the team mom.

I think this is a poor reading of April.

She's the human world contact. The one who needs to keep them in check about surface interaction. Age isn't necessarily a function of that.

Not so much their mom as their handler.

Like she doesn't cook for them or do their laundry.

Solution_45 posted...

being hot is offensive

Some of you need real women in your lives and it shows.

CyricZ posted...

I think this is a poor reading of April.

She's the human world contact. The one who needs to keep them in check about surface interaction. Age isn't necessarily a function of that.

Not so much their mom as their handler

I didn't say mom, I said "team mom." Like, if TMNT were one of those 90s kids sports movies, April O'Neil would be the adult coach or the woman who owns the team. She's not the focal point, but she's older and wiser. And, yes, she's been the love interest for the human character, Casey Jones.

To me, it's like rebooting Star Wars and making Obi-Wan the same age as Luke.

FortuneCookie posted...

I didn't say mom, I said "team mom." Like, if TMNT were one of those 90s kids sports movies, April O'Neil would be the adult coach or the woman who owns the team. She's not the focal point, but she's older and wiser. And, yes, she's been the love interest for the human character, Casey Jones.

To me, it's like rebooting Star Wars and making Obi-Wan the same age as Luke.

Why watch a reboot just to see the same exact character dynamics play out each and every time?

DystopiaMan posted...

Between this shit, snow white and countless others, this has to be satire at this point. This current formula for media now is such a joke.

At the Snow White live action show made Snow White look like Snow White. Don't know what they were thinking with the 7 really bad Ren Faire cosplayers they also threw in.

A_Good_Boy posted...

Why watch a reboot just to see the same exact character dynamics play out each and every time?

Because that's what the story is. There's plenty of variety to be had without turning a chicken into a peacock.

Also, I have you tagged as a contrarian, so don't expect further conversation from me.

YellowSUV posted...

At the Snow White live action show made Snow White look like Snow White. Don't know what they were thinking with the 7 really bad Ren Faire cosplayers they also threw in.

The dude from Game of Thrones called out the dwarf trope on social media.

FortuneCookie posted...

I didn't say mom, I said "team mom."

Bruh.

Like, if TMNT were one of those 90s kids sports movies, April O'Neil would be the adult coach or the woman who owns the team.

But it's not. It's a story about young mutant turtles with very little surface-side interaction. She brings them closer to that world.

And wisdom in this case, learned as such on the streets, does not require age.

To me, it's like rebooting Star Wars and making Obi-Wan the same age as Luke.

I think that's a poor comparison. Splinter is closer to being the Turtles' Obi-Wan than April is. On account being the one to actually train them.

FortuneCookie posted...

Because that's what the story is. There's plenty of variety to be had without turning a chicken into a peacock.

Also, I have you tagged as a contrarian, so don't expect further conversation from me.

April has had a ton of range when it comes to look, age, job, etc. She is by far the least consistent main character in the series. This idea that the story MUST be the same every single time is kinda silly, considering it has already changed numerous times with her character.

CyricZ posted...

And wisdom in this case, learned as such on the streets, does not require age.

That much is true, but the division was intentional. If they had wanted April O'Neil to be a teenager, they would have made her a teenager.

CyricZ posted...

I think that's a poor comparison. Splinter is closer to being the Turtles' Obi-Wan than April is. On account being the one to actually train them.

Fine. Instead of Han calling Luke a kid, they're two high school rivals now.

A_Good_Boy posted...

Why watch a reboot just to see the same exact character dynamics play out each and every time?

This is a pretty good point. Of all long-running fictional franchises, I'd say TMNT is on track for the most reboots and reimaginings.

This movie didn't even get reviewbombed over this. You guys are in the minority of a minority on this, no one else cares.

Also FortuneCookie, you're wrong, the story is about focusing on the teen and mutant elements of TMNT, it's about their desire for basic acceptance into teen life above ground, and April is their first human contact, their gateway into it, and their role model, and love interest. She has to be a teen to tell this story. Which is already widely regarded as the best TMNT story ever.

TMOG posted...

I mean, if all you're doing to "make a character into Carl" is Photoshopping their head onto his body and/or changing his skin color, then that could apply to literally every character that exists regardless of their appearance.

In the original comic the character looks kind of like Carl.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/2/8/AAA4VzAAEui8.jpg

FortuneCookie posted...

Fine. Instead of Han calling Luke a kid, they're two high school rivals now.

I wouldn't hate that.

They serve as soft rivals in the OT anyway when it comes to Leia's affection.

I don't mind stylistic designs but man are all the humans in that movie ugly as sin.

FortuneCookie posted...

Fine. Instead of Han calling Luke a kid, they're two high school rivals now.

I can see them being roughly the same age but Han still has to come from somewhere other than Tatooine for the plot to make sense.

Still I do remember when I watched TMNT chiefly because of how attracted to April I was.

Granted I was 12, but...

To expand on what I said previously, in the IDW series, for example, while ages aren't actually stated, Leo, mentally, is portrayed more as like... A late teens/perhaps even early twenties kind of character. April is a college student. There is not much of an applicable age difference between them. In the 2012 series, April is a teenager. Etc. and so on. But like said, it ultimately doesn't matter, because April has literally never been consistent.

YellowSUV posted...

At the Snow White live action show made Snow White look like Snow White. Don't know what they were thinking with the 7 really bad Ren Faire cosplayers they also threw in.

Snow White's casting is fine. The 7 dwarfs or whatever they are now is not.

They were afraid that the depiction of the characters stepping on the toes of a social minority group, so instead of trying make them contemporary they just...took roles away from the social minority group itself.

And the Wonka movie is probably worse because it's a regular-sized actor made to look like a little person.

What the fuck is that lmao

FortuneCookie posted...

Because that's what the story is. There's plenty of variety to be had without turning a chicken into a peacock.

Also, I have you tagged as a contrarian, so don't expect further conversation from me.

But if you want to see all of those old character interactions play out then why not go and just watch those old ones instead? Why bother investing your time and money in seeing shit you've already seen? Just what are you expecting to happen with this new iteration of the franchise?

frumpy april

StealThisSheen posted...

To expand on what I said previously, in the IDW series, for example, while ages aren't actually stated, Leo, mentally, is portrayed more as like... A late teens/perhaps even early twenties kind of character. April is a college student. There is not much of an applicable age difference between them. In the 2012 series, April is a teenager. Etc. and so on. But like said, it ultimately doesn't matter, because April has literally never been consistent.

Yeah like, a lot of race/design swaps are dumb, but there is basically no "standard" design for April specifically. The turtles themselves have gotten a ton of redesigns (especially in Rise where they were explicitly different types of turtles, which took a bit to get used to, but in motion it's great).

TMNT overall isn't really an "old franchise revived/rebooted after being dead while everything iconic is changed" franchise. It's a franchise that massively changes every few years

YellowSUV posted...

In the original comic the character looks kind of like Carl.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/2/8/AAA4VzAAEui8.jpg

...Not really?

Ivynn posted...

I don't mind stylistic designs but man are all the humans in that movie ugly as sin.

Yeah, there is nothing wrong with making a world where characters are stylistically ugly. Don't know why the artist is trying to defend this as "realistic" when it seems like the whole movie is going for a stylistic choice of making everything ugly.

cuttin_in_farm posted...

And Im personally getting annoyed that media seems to only see two races or something.

Like, if a character is most recognizable as a white character, they never try to make them Asian or Hispanic. They always go to make them black!

And when it comes to women, its never a blond. Its always the less desirable redheads that get changed. Lord forbid the beautiful blond gets changed to a black character. Just cant have that

All it does it make wokeness a scapegoat too.

Ultimately, the race thing will always be obvious. But it would help if they didnt do the laziest race changing possible every time.

Yeah, that's the laziest way possible so of course that's what we get. I personally don't understand the point, I don't need to see myself represented in any way, to me it's an obvious marketing ploy. The skin of the character doesn't solve shit in the real world either, but people lose their mind over it anyways.

mehmeh1 posted...

Yeah like, a lot of race/design swaps are dumb, but there is basically no "standard" design for April specifically.

Yeah, April is literally just "girl friend/human liaison of the turtles." She's been old, young. White, black, mixed. Red hair, brown hair, black hair. Scientist, reporter, tech person. Wears yellow, doesn't wear yellow.

April can and has been pretty much anything they want her to be.

I think the bigger issue here is the fact that people would have been upset if she was white and/or traditionally attractive.

But whatever.

I have no plans to watch the movie anyway.

StealThisSheen posted...

April has had a ton of range when it comes to look, age, job, etc. She is by far the least consistent main character in the series. This idea that the story MUST be the same every single time is kinda silly, considering it has already changed numerous times with her character.

That's my gripe.

With male characters, there's usually a measure of consistency. With female characters, they're whatever the current writer wants them to be. They can change a character based upon trends, politics, personal attraction, personal identification, etc.

You could look at six images of Shredder from different adaptations and you'd know him on sight. The same isn't true of April O'Neil.

A_Good_Boy posted...

But if you want to see all of those old character interactions play out then why not go and just watch those old ones instead? Why bother investing your time and money in seeing shit you've already seen? Just what are you expecting to happen with this new iteration of the franchise?

If you want to tell a different story, why not tell a different story?

GreenKnight127 posted...

I think the bigger issue here is the fact that people would have been upset if she was white and/or traditionally attractive.

no they wouldnt, outrage about this kind of stuff only exists in the wake of changes like this being made because it makes weird people irrationally mad, and then the people who hate this weird people make it into some sort of cultural last stand to protect the race swapped cartoon character

meanwhile normal people either dont care or just think the character looks weird and move on to the next Product

Omfg does she looks awful. You can argue diversity is necessary in most movies but ugly looking characters are not.

mehmeh1 posted...

It's a franchise that massively changes every few years

Another great point.

If you guys don't like this instance of TMNT, wait a couple of years for the next one lol.

I feel like I've been waiting 30 years for another hot adult April O'Neil tho

FortuneCookie posted...

That's my gripe.

With male characters, there's usually a measure of consistency. With female characters, they're whatever the current writer wants them to be. They can change a character based upon trends, politics, personal attraction, personal identification, etc.

You could look at six images of Shredder from different adaptations and you'd know him on sight. The same isn't true of April O'Neil.

Though to be fair Shredder himself has had a ton of changes, from a human, to an alien, to a demon, to a mutated human.

Casey has also had a few changes, though not as drastic (aside from the live action version but we don't talk about that)

GreenKnight127 posted...

I think the bigger issue here is the fact that people would have been upset if she was white and/or traditionally attractive.

But whatever.

I have no plans to watch the movie anyway.

Like they complained in other instances of TMNT where she was white?

Oh, wait, no they didn't.

Nobody complained when she was white. Suddenly lots of certain people (like you) are complaining when she's black.

Wonder why.

ultimate_reaver posted...

no they wouldnt, outrage about this kind of stuff only exists in the wake of changes like this being made because it makes weird people irrationally mad, and then the people who hate this weird people make it into some sort of cultural last stand to protect the race swapped cartoon character

meanwhile normal people either dont care or just think the character looks weird and move on to the next Product

So if they had made April white and traditionally feminine/"attractive"....you dont think anyone would have complained?

No one would have written articles about how it could have been "the perfect opportunity to add diversity to the series" or something?

Have you not been paying attention to pop culture for the past decade?

You KNOW that's what would have happened.

Please don't play dumb.

The design could be anything but if the shade of skin is darker than a certain point then they will dump on it.

StealThisSheen posted...

Suddenly lots of certain people (like you) are complaining when she's black.

Where did I complain that she was black? Im pointing out that people would have complained if she had been white in this latest installment, because I pay attention to pop culture trends.

You are just in denial and want to argue. Have fun with that.

FortuneCookie posted...

That's my gripe.

With male characters, there's usually a measure of consistency. With female characters, they're whatever the current writer wants them to be. They can change a character based upon trends, politics, personal attraction, personal identification, etc.

You could look at six images of Shredder from different adaptations and you'd know him on sight. The same isn't true of April O'Neil.

Only because he has a fairly consistent costume. Shredder himself, underneath the costume, has been changed a lot of times, too.

Same with Baxter Stockman.

GreenKnight127 posted...

Where did I complain that she was black? Im pointing out that people would have complained if she had been white in this latest installment, because I pay attention to pop culture trends.

You are just in denial and want to argue. Have fun with that.

Don't worry, I know you're just working on your next suspension. You have fun with that.

DKBananaSlamma posted...

I feel like I've been waiting 30 years for another hot adult April O'Neil tho

It's funny, but despite all the changes to April over the years, the original cartoon one is still the most iconic and the one everyone goes back to.

You can't change perfection.

Ivynn posted...

It's funny, but despite all the changes to April over the years, the original cartoon one is still the most iconic and the one everyone goes back to.

You can't change perfection.

Thats not the original April.