There are large overarching stories and smaller important tales mixed into all of that, leaving the individual and season-long arcs more exciting and engaging. The cartoon is about the Turtles, but not everything happens because of or just to them, other forces are constantly at work. With this type of world-building, the plot feels more fluid and much less out of left field. Things happen to the heroes, but it feels like there are reasons for almost every interaction and they soon become involved in someone else’s tangled web, instead of events feeling too coincidental or overly linked together. The storytelling in this series is tight, especially with those first several seasons. Other minor players like Casey Jones, Leatherhead, and The Rat King had their personalities and histories expanded on or aligned closer to their original concepts, with everyone still working smoothly within the storyline. The crowd seems split on his updated origins, but it does help with explaining a few of the plots. The Shredder has undergone the most change here, but unlike the source material, this version of him was meant to last a while and remain a more constant threat instead of a joke or fodder to be killed off. Master Splinter is no longer Hamato Yoshi himself, but an attentive pet, while April O’Neil works as a lab assistant for Baxter Stockman instead of being the yellow-clad reporter many know. The general premise is basically intact with the Green Machines themselves, but many of the other characters’ backstories have been adjusted or brought back closer to the comics. Many stories, characters, and even some individual scenes are taken directly from the original source material – even if it is toned down somewhat – helping to give this new incarnation some of its acclaimed material. Laird supposedly read every episode draft as well as approved the majority of character designs and changes for the show. Peter Laird, one of the original creators of the characters with Kevin Eastman, and Mirage Comics worked closely with 4Kids Entertainment to help make sure the show could entertain viewers of all ages and strengthen the brand. One of the reasons TMNT (2003) had such a pedigree was because of who was working on it behind the scenes. Some claim it could be the best iteration of the ideas found in the first comic run and may have even exceeded the original in some ways, whether we like to admit it or not. That means that a lot of people, even those who loved the Turtles, overlooked an excellent entry in the franchise. For most in this position, however, it became tough to look past that version of the characters, no matter how silly or different it became as the seasons stacked up. Like many, I grew up watching the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon and was forever changed by its awesomeness, made into a lifelong fan.
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