Me and my friends in our discord server
Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael:
Bold of you to assume any iteration of Donatello sleeps.
cherry valley forever

祝日 / Permanent Vacation
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
wallacepolsom

roma★

Kiana Khansmith
Not today Justin
Sweet Seals For You, Always
🪼
RMH
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Claire Keane
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year

blake kathryn
Monterey Bay Aquarium

if i look back, i am lost
Keni
ojovivo
hello vonnie
seen from Colombia
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@grandbanshe
Me and my friends in our discord server
Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael:
Bold of you to assume any iteration of Donatello sleeps.

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the death of dvds is so fucked. what about bonus features
far far away idol would never happen now
idk why but i love this bit so much. it's just such a sibling thing to do. theyre teenagers your honor.
Its time to apply some turtle whacks!
Rise of the TMNT (S1): End Game
I’ve been working on this show for almost a year now and it’s been the wildest ride of my life! Huge shoutout to all my peeps at Flying Bark and the crew at Nickelodeon who’s dedication for this show is unmatched, as well as a BIG BIG THANK YOU to the fans!! Your support means the world to us! ♡

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Quiet Time
There is a specific reason behind this composition.
i have too much joie de vivre for this
i’m so serious when i say excessive fear of being annoying/creepy/taking up people’s energy etc holds us back. it seems like it’s just little things but they add up. over the past month i’ve ordered food and drinks almost exclusively by asking “do you have a favorite?” and i know if i said that on twitter or wherever ppl would dogpile me for demanding emotional labor of servers or w/e but every single person i’ve asked has seemed genuinely psyched to answer! i don’t ask if it’s busy obvi, and use a phrasing that gives them the easy out of “i don’t have one”— but no one has taken it! the girl at the cafe confessed to me with something like conspiracy in her voice how everybody raves about the gluten free chocolate chip cookies and sure, they’re great, but the delicious, fluffy homemade waffles are RIGHT THERE. the barbera the bartender recommended was actually kind of awful but it broke the ice and we ended up talking for like 45 minutes. the bodega guy declared that he usually makes himself a burger but tonight was “a breakfast sandwich night” and tbh he was totally right. it WAS a breakfast sandwich night
thank you tumblr user @saw5. tumblr user saw 5 gets it
Dad Activities
My two yr old is looking through a book about prehistoric art and she saw a picture of those cave painting of hands and she held up her own and said "hand!" And I gotta be honest. That hit
Oh my god, this reminds me of the childrens garden of our local botanical garden. There’s one section that’s called the prehistoric lives garden or smth, and it’s full of native plants that indigenous people 2000 years ago would have eaten and used as medicine, etc. And within this little garden, there’s an adobe style playhouse, which for some reason (probably lighting reasons) has no roof, which means the rusty red dirt floor is often quite muddy.
And this series of events has led to my favorite interactive art piece ever.
Handprints.
Little tiny handprints at the bottom. Big teenager and adult sized handprints at the top. Handprints upon handprints upon handprints, a modern day continuation of an ancient tradition.
Most of the people who contributed were probably doing so because they thought it would be fun, not for any deep philosophical reason. Heck, you can tell based on the height of the larger handprints that their owners were having a jumping competition. They didn’t think about the fact that they were creating art in the exact same way the earliest humans created art. They didn’t think about the fact that humans have always been and will always be humans, and the ways we interact with each other and the world have always stayed the same in the most important ways.
But I did. I thought about it. And I am in love with humanity all over again.

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starting a collection
attributed to Lily Tomlin; Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky; ilene_cecelia, reddit; Pratchett, Night Watch; Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky; Pirkei Avot 2:21; Ursula K. le Guin, Tehanu
As an eldest sibling, there’s nothing more terrifying than a younger sibling picking up a dangerous habit
knowing that they learned it from you
Legendary Holy Blade, by nolan192
The addition is ALSO really good
Yeah, I don’t know anymore.
Happy April Fools :D
My latest cartoon for New Scientist

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I believe in the separation of church (fandom) and state (media creators)
2003 Mikey's unexplored emotional intelligence ft. The Unconvincing Turtle Titan
Life the past few years has been been chockablock hectic for me, and re-watching some of my fav standalone eps of 03 recently has sparked so much damn joy. Feels a lil like coming home after (during?) a long hard battle.
It's been pretty interesting picking apart my initial understanding/impressions from childhood and comparing it with my deeper comprehension and experience as an adult... especially since the last time I watched some of these eps was a decade or more ago, lol. Now, I love to go on and on and on about the things I love, and tmnt 2k3 is probably about as close to my heart as we're gonna get. And Michelangelo of 2003 is closer yet. This show and him were both officially my "baby’s first hyper-fixation" and my longest-running true love. And as I'm finally getting a wee bit of my free time back, my need to get my geeky thoughts out and splode somewhere old-fashioned style like the feral lil gremlin I am has simply become too much to ignore. So. If you like big wordy introspection deep-dives about above said topics then strap yourself in my friend :D
So I most recently watched S01E12: The Unconvincing Turtle Titan.
Basic premise: Mikey idolises superheros, and reckons he and he brothers could do so much good as a superhero team. It's adorable, and he basically has stars in his eyes as tries to convince his bros while watching the trademark superhero of their world, Silver Sentry, rescue civilians from a fire. It’s clear he also wants to do good - he is a deeply empathetic character, and has gone out of his way more than once to specifically do so (Christmas episode you will live in my heart forever).
He's sadly but understandably brushed off and laughed out, so he rightfully says screw you ahole's and later sneaks off to give being a superhero a shot all by himself as the one and only Turtle Titan!
It highly amuses me that my reaction as a kid was: "Mikey you're still my forever fav, but your bros are right, man. That's kinda cringe. Stahp. Erk :/ " while my reaction as an adult was: *teary eyed* "YoU aRe CrInGe but you are FREE!! FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS TURTLE TITAN!!"
....Yeah, I enjoyed this episode far more as grown up than I did as the target audience 😂
Its so clear Mikey dearly wants to be out there in the limelight, doing good and being admired and cheered on openly by people. To simply exist, and receive validation for work she believes they're fully capable of, having noted how much "quieter" the streets seemed after they supposedly killed Shredder.
Aka. Michelangelo is a bright sunny spirit powered by love and attention, and meant to shine, baby, but how can you do that when your only audience ever are the same four people every day?
And it's a little heartbreaking when you remember that their entire existence is intricately tied to their pathos as ninjas living in the shadows. It’s one of the best things about this incarnation, and in my opinion, a huge reason why its a cut above many others. It’s not about being the best ninja or upholding the “honour” of the clan or chasing vendettas… it’s about surviving, sticking together, having each other’s backs… it’s about family, first and foremost. Before they are ninjas, they are family. (It still makes me emotional as that’s the core philosophy of the show, and also why I love Rise so much, as it shares the same general priorities in family and character dynamics). Now, I am an eternal "Mikey was severely unexplored & maybe a bit unappreciated in 03" truther. Like, the writing overall was generally great (for the first seasons) and I adore the way he was written, but there was just.
so. much. DEPTH.
-to him, his role in the family, his philosophy, and most of all, his emotional intelligence that was just never really explored.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to read emotion. Your own emotions - identifying what you are feeling and why - and by extension, being able to do the exact detective work to identify the what and why of other people’s emotions. Sometimes (or often) one might be able to tell what someone else is feeling and why before they even do. Some people are just naturally intuitive at this, some learn from watching closely and working with themselves/others. It follows that if you are good at investigating and understanding yourself, your emotions and your needs, then you are usually prettttttty good at controlling them. Choosing what the world sees, and what it doesn't. Hiding what you're really feeling, or showing something you're not actually feeling to get a desired outcome. I find it all very fascinating - we are such complex and emotional beings. There are so very many ways one can be intelligent, but emotional intelligence is a deeply unsung and overlooked but an incredibly, incredibly important one.
Now, even if he wasn't explicitly written to be (I think he was, even if unconsciously) 03 Michelangelo is exceptionally emotionally intelligent for someone his age.
(and tbh so are most Mikey's in general... I'm really delighted that it seems to have become a more acknowledged core trait of his… instead of just “party guy." Not sure if it was all 03" where this base formed or if he had such characteristics in any of the og mirage comics, or if 87" had elements that carried over... I only caught the tail end of 87" and watched the same couple of vhs I would hire every Friday at Blockbuster... Good times! :D ... but am very curious to find out one day. Esp the og comics!).
Now, in 03 I remember there being so many examples of this emotional intelligence in canon through little moments, behaviors, lines, etc. that were never huge or really noticeable, but together make a really cohesive picture. However, you've almost got to be looking for them, otherwise.... they can go right over your head, or mistaken for a comedic moment/ shenanigans/ the sillies... hidden in plain sight. Like I said; by nature, this kind of intelligence is very subtle, and as a result, often unnoticed or unsung. (keeping in mind it's been a hot fuckin minute since I watched most of 03, and I expect when I eventually re-watch it in full sometime this year, I'll find countless more...). One interesting one that does comes to mind is and that cute little introspective spiel he had while his bros were fighting off actual monsters (lol) during Notes from the Underground.
It was such a small exchange that used to vex me so much as a kid as it was played off as just a funny, quirky Mikey thing when it wasn’t really that "funny"? Now I know why; it was funny in an endearing and “ha ha he’s just a lil goody oddball” that most would see as but-!
--BUT it was ALSO such good character moment of exactly what I was talking about because he was also actively giving himself a mini-therapy session - talking himself through what he was feeling - identifying what he felt and why in a humorous way that also delightfully highlighted his relationships with some of his brothers.
Raph (genuine concern, pretty sure he just rescued Mikey from something): "Watch out, you oddball!!" Mike: ”You just called me odd, didn't you?? ...I'm not odd... I'm eccentric.
(Don falls near him, and Mikey helps him up)
Mike: ...Don, Raph thinks I'm odd."
Don: (calm, kind voice of reason, as he pats Mikey on the shoulder before running back into the fray) “You're just being too sensitive." Mike: (time to be a drama queen as the fight rages on around him) "Sensitive?? SeNsItIvE??? If there's one thing I hate, it's when people call me SENsITive--"
*cue Leo surfing on a table to crash-tackle Quarry as Mikey presumably continues in the background lol*
It was so fascinating! Illuminating! And as an adult who has had many similar rants, it struck a deep chord with me before I even had the skills to puzzle out why!
Maybe I’m reaching or projecting too much (I am under no illusions as to why Mikey was and will always be my top turt) but I feel this small exchange reveals a multitude of Mikey's inner thoughts and feelings, and I don't feel it's too unreasonable to infer that some of them are:
Being called odd bothers me because I disagree! Odd means weird and that I don’t fit in. I’m not that weird and I do fit in. I do!
I’m just a little different, yeah, but- not in a bad way! I’m eccentric, which means different in a fun, cool way!
I'm not odd-
(weird/different in a negative way)
-...I’m just me.
I think it's safe to also infer that he views being called sensitive as a huge insult (even though we know Don didn’t mean it like that), as he dosen’t think he should be considered sensitive (even if it is technically true).
Because, again, to him, it's just him being him, and also: he's not being sensitive, he's just being a realist! He's calling it out as it is! And he doesn’t have any issues with that or how he is; it’s the world that’s weird!!
(he's a real one TAT)
It also plays into his insecurities as the "odd turtle out" without a clear role (which is a phrase used once or twice in nearby eps, but the exact details are escaping me rn) and the classic "Leo's the leader, Don's the smart one, Raph's the muscle... what am I? The weird one?" that is hinted at throughout the series but never addressed directly :( (to my knowledge rn...) But, as most would immediately point out, the most clear (and memorable) example of Mikey's emotional intelligence was during Samurai Tourist when he was telling everyone to back off Leo during his angsty emo phase and did his best to explain, with his very limited teenage vernacular, that while Leo's behaviour/state of mind wasn't okay, there were clearly many justifiable reasons for it, and Leo was doing his best to deal with it at the time in the only ways he knew how (and he did such a good job, okay???).
Mikey understood and saw Leo's burdens, and pain, and knew it wasn't just some kind of prolonged broody temper tantrum like the others were implying like it was.
Lastly, on my recent watch of S01E12 Turtle Titan, one scene and one teeny weeny line in particular scene really struck me as a perfect example of everything I've been harping on about.
Really, reallllllly struck me.
Because I didn't expect it so early - I would expect that from S3/S4 Mikey, but so early in S1? Like holy shit, he didn't even develop his emotional intuition on screen during the canon events, he really just had it from the get-go...
It legit had me like:
And it sent the ball rolling for what would become this entire post 😂😭
What scene and what line, you ask?
Well.
Settle in and let me eventually get there, my dear.
We finally get to the main point of this deep dive:
S01E12: The Unconvincing Turtle Titan!
Enter The Turtle Titan!
So!!
After Mikey first introduces the idea to them and he's shrugged off, the next scene is them all at home training. When it's his turn, he's too busy caught up in his shiny new idea; literally sketching a cute pic of them as superheros while he’s supposed to be practising a new move.
*kill bill sirens*
Upon discovery, Splinter is not pleased. The guys all continue their loving sibling relationship by stealing his sketchbook and throwing it around like a couple of disney bullies. like, guys. Guys. Stop being so mean to the baby TAT
(Ahhhh if I wasn’t so time-poor I’d happily gif all this bc it was so cute but alas)
(ha, DENIED) A brutal intercept from Leonardo (whom I hilariously thought was coming to the rescue fucking lol... Mikey sounded so betrayed at him when he calls him out a few moments later) and more teasing eventually shows us what Mikey was working on inside.
(look at them, its so adorable i can't)
It's eventually intervened by dear ol' dad, who seems to be somewhat content to let the bro-teasing be punishment enough for his lack of focus during training.
But, regarding Mikey's insistence on this, who passionately doubles down amongst the insults, he isn't impressed. Mikey delivers a heartfelt lil' spiel about the good they could do if they never had to hold back from being seen.
“wouldnt it be nice to get a little credit for the good we do?”
Splinter’s opinion is pretty much the exact same as his other sons. The difference is he's very kind and understanding, but firm; it’s a good idea with the best of intentions, but it’s not realistic or smart considering their whole situation. He kind of hints it's not the right "path" for their safety, and gently encourages him to let it go.
“You must never forget who you are. You are ninja. You operate in the shadows.”
“But cant we accomplish so much more out in the open?”
“There are many paths, my son. You must choose the one true to yourself.”
It’s clear the conversation is over for Splinter then; it’s time to get back to training.
It’s also clear the answer to the Superhero thing is still a big fat, firm no, even though it was never explicitly stated.
The above phrases he uses are interesting, and how the word "ninja" is used.
Being a ninja is something that is specifically touched on in many similar character moments in the show, and clearly holds a lot of social, emotional and personal weight for all of them. It is a word that deeply means a lot to all of them, and also has many layers to it. A single word can have incredibly different meanings to every single individual on this planet based on their culture, past, experiences, and specific family culture.
To them, it dosen't just mean being a trained fighter in the art of ninjitsu. It means much, much more.
For them, the words "family" and "ninja" are almost interchangeable. To them, to be ninja is to be family - to be part of this family. It is their way of life.
Remain unseen; stick to the shadows. Fight with honour; fight for one another. Protect one another. Live for one another. To reject that is to threaten their survival. To reject that is to reject one another. To reject that is to reject their family. Because they are ninja - practitioners of ninjitsu - but first and foremost they are a family.
This core theme is present throughout the show, interwoven through and baked deep within the ethos. It keeps it grounded and provides the entire emotional core that powers it. Keeps it together, connected, coherent. This show is always powered by people, not plot!
It's no coincidence that despite the awesome the adventures/action/drama/fights/time-travel/shenanigans every very single major or important arc in this show has a major over-arcing goal that is driven by and deeply echos this theme of family, love and survival/protection.
Of course one of my fav interpretations of this philosophy is Leo's "In this this life, we only have one another. If one falls, we all fall."
...which he told Mikey right before his battle nexus rematch with Kluh in S3.
Look, this show will never not get to me, y'kno?? Anyhoo. Back to the Turtle Titan.
So, they're ninja, and that means to be part of their family, whom live as they are to protect themselves and survive. And they work better/do more good within the shadows anyway (should they choose to).
Splinter’s definitely leaving it open for Mikey to figure out himself (which he does eventually after his fun lil superhero teamup), but it’s clear what he’s implying, and that running off to try superhero-ing does NOT have his blessing.
But, Mikey’s just not feeling it. This is not just an idea to him, this is a grand and glorious opportunity with such promise and a new, much more desired way of life as a reward… there is absolutely no way he could ever just accept it like that without even giving it a chance.
But, it's also clear he's feeling very let down from his family's complete refusal to entertain his idea.
As Splinter orders training to begin again and turns back to his other boys, Mikey says the line: "Sorry Sensei... I gotta get out and clear my head," in a sad little voice before heading out for some alone time, seemingly defeated.
Now, it has a while since I last watched this particular ep, so while I could remember the basic episode beats, I couldn’t remember the specifics.
I remember him ending up at April's soon after this scene to have a sulk and vent, and her being the support and validation he needed to officially get him going as a fledgling superhero. She even gave him his costume! (So cute.)
Thus, I fully expected Mikey to do exactly as he said: go for a sulky sad run on the rooftops for a bit, maybe whine to a pigeon, then flop pathetically into April’s looking for a hug, pity and a hot chocolate …where she would instead invigorate him and help set the plot in motion!
I assumed Mikey 100% wholeheartedly meant that dejected “I give up” line…
BUT-
NO.
T’was a lie.
When he said "Sorry Sensei... I gotta get out and clear my head," in a contrite, defeated sad little voice that indicated he was going to go for a brood and think about his behaviour and repent...
...He was completely lying.
It was a complete and utter lie tailored to get sympathy, pity and a get-out-of-training free card.
So that he could go and do exactly what he it was just heavily implied he should absolutely not do.
How do I know this???
BECAUSE guess what he does immediately after this line???
What actually happens???
This clever little bastard walks like five metres to the elevator- -gets out in the garage, plops his ass right down--
-and CONTINUES RIGHT WHERE HE LEFT OFF.
BITCH DOESN'T EVEN LEAVE THEIR PROPERTY.
Something about the clear relaxed confidence he pulls this off with tells me it’s not the first time he’s pulled the subtle genuine-pity card to get the hell outta dodge and do whatever the fuck he wants.
Because if anyone happened to follow him, he would’ve been fucked? He would have been caught red-handed immediately.
But nah.
He was completely and utterly unbothered. Completely confident no one would call bullshit or follow him.
Because he knew exactly what he needed to say, how he needed to act and what he needed to do to get the freedom he desired. And all it took was one line and a bit of serious acting.
I just…?
It was such a small moment, but it spoke volumes, and I was downright flabbergasted, fam. Absolutely hornswaggled, mates.
Because he pulls the big, loud, whiny dramatic pity card a lot. And when he does, it's always quite obvious, loud and almost playful. These ones are never meant to work, they're meant to release frustration, or lighten the mood, or bring a valid complaint forward (but in the most drama queen way possible, bc he's an extra like that and lives for the drama, baby). But this was not that: it was subtle, tactful and believable. (But also he is absolutely an undiagnosed neurodivergent ADHD-er who severely struggles with motivation and dopamine levels, but that is a whole other post...)
It got even more interesting when I slowed it down to examine his body language and expression throughout the 10 second exchange to make sure I'd read the scene right.
Both the animation and writing were brilliant, and packed full of nuanced detail!!
Look, look!!
1.
Right after finishing his last heartfelt plead to Master Splinter: despondent no-one is understanding, or willing to at least give it a go but still hopeful, with open, pleading body language
2.
Within a few seconds, right after Splinter has begun speaking and it’s clear he is not agreeing (even though he's being very kind and reasonable about it), Mikey kinda shuts down with disappointment and frustration.
His eyes almost narrow, his body goes into an “Im annoyed and done with this because you’re not even trying to see my point of view” defeated limp stand.
He’s not even really taking in what Splinter said: he slipped into this pose at the beginning of the sentence, almost the exact same time Splinter started speaking - so I believe he’s not even really listening to what Splinter’s actually saying - in his burning disappointment and indignation he switched off instantly at Splinter’s obvious nonverbal refusal: his tone/expression/body language, all of which scream: “gentle admonishment with kind and helpful wisdom.”
To Mikey, that doesn't matter for shit, because the answer is still a big fat no without any effort to meet him halfway, and, from his expression/stance, can be argued that this is the most frustrating aspect to him.
To be dismissed completely straightaway.
… and tbh, holy crap, I just realised that this probably feeds into already-present insecurities about his worth and place in the family, as well as not being taken seriously just because he likes to play the fool and is seen as the youngest (moreso in dynamic than canon age in 03) or immature one. I myself have witnessed and experienced infantilization due to playful child-like behaviour, which. My dudes. Is never not something that supremely sucks, and can feel very insulting.
Like... just because playing the fool is fun does absolutely not mean someone is actually a fool, and the fool who believes the act to be absolute is the real fool here.
3.
"You must chose the path that is true to yourself,” Splinter finishes his line and begins to walk away.
Splinter hasn’t even turned away and the frustration burns, turning into proper anger; his posture completely changes, even though the changes are small... together they form a big window to his thoughts. His shoulders hunch slightly, his frown deepens, his posture noticeably tenses and straightens (you can even see some of his muscles tighten), and he looks down and clenches both fists tightly.
There’s even a few in-between frames just before this screenshot of him flaring his arms out almost dramatically like he's about to yell or stomp his foot before squeezing them tight to his body and clenching his fists.
His body language screams “Look at me!! I’m pissed! I’m mad!” and his tiny flare-up indicates he was feeling and quickly suppressing an intense burst of anger/frustration... :")
And with the situational context and other canon events we can also assume: “I want to be listened to! My opinions are valid! I have good ideas! If you’d just give them a chance!”
AND we can also assume from previous eps, context and family dynamics that he knows its not worth arguing more, as the result with be the same or worse (consequences, even if that consequence is only painful disappointment from dad and burning brotherly judgement).
4.
Closer on his angry look. It‘s shifted to looking a bit more upset, and gives me upset “betrayed” vibes. His arms are so tense they've come forward a bit, subtly highlighting his still-clenched fists.
He knows he personally can’t just let this go but he also knows that it’s not worth pushing it anymore right now despite how much he needs to.
This is the moment I believe he realises he needs to switch tactics to get the chance to prove himself… to both himself and his fam.
And this is also the moment he comes up with a lil' plan to do so. Time to get the hell outta dodge and live out his dreams!
5.
Now its determination and dare I say spite with his angry frown that's also kinda a pout and slightly narrowed eyes. He’s made his decision, fuck all the non-believers!
He even looks at his drawing to reassure and centre himself; is it really worth it? Should he just listen to his family and forsake his dreams??
…Does he really want to do this???
The answer is: of fucking course!!!
6.
His decision is 100% made: it’s time to lock in.
Cue complete and deliberate tonal shift.
His shoulders are now dropped miserably. He’s looking at the ground. His mouth is drooping down. He’s clutching the sketchbook with both hands - one across his middle as if protecting himself/curling in slightly, projecting submission and defeat.
He now looks remorseful, sad, beaten - really channeling those kicked puppy vibes 🥺
Stage set.
Bamboozle begin.
He is an actor at peak performance and the world is his stage. 😇
He begins his one key line: “I’m sorry Sensei, but I’ve gotta get my head on straight.”
7.
And within a few seconds, he’s outta there, his shoulders slumped and his head down, looking sad and kinda pathetic. Like he’s scurrying off to lick his wounds.
They all watch silently and let him go.
…
8.
Him in the garage less than a minute later, happily planning his first superhero escapade.
Within the span of 20 seconds, Michelangelo played them all like the cheap kazoos they are.
Game, set, match.
Our master manipulator. My clever boy. The king of the underestimated. He who notices, but not noticed himself. Genuinely fun-loving and playful, but happily seen as not as capable, as that means less responsibility and boring work.
My perfect boi.
(However, I must say... ...it should be noted its probably a 50-50 flip on whether Splinter was genuinely fooled and compassionately wanting to give him some space or probably suspected he would still try something but was willing and trusting enough to let him learn his lesson on his own.
Especially because when Mikey comes home, having learnt his lesson and all the more confident and self-assured in his own place in the shadows for it, look at Master Splinter's face!! Awww, look.
It's so very soft, fond...
and proud oml
(he is such a good dad, i can't)
Ok tbh don't tell me he didn't already know that Mikey would come home enlightened and on the same page, even if he might not have approved of the ways his son had to go through to learn it... And after raising four boys for fifteen years there's no way I can believe he didn't know Mikey was gonna go out and do what he was exactly told not to™ anyways...
But then again, he was genuinely shocked and pearl-clutchingly scandalised when they followed him to the battle nexus.... he clearly trusted them (or poor Leo) to not follow, so idk.
Jury's out on that one, folks!
Regardless...
Behold Michelangelo and his incredible, subtle emotional intelligence and incredible people skills, ladies, gents and all in-between!
Thank you for coming to my ted-talk!
....
...
...
Oh, lastly, I also recently watched Nobody's first ep as well and... um...
Ohmygosh it was a perfect analysis! Thank you so much for writing it!
I don't have anything new to say, but I fully agree about his uncanny abilities to act and read his own and others' emotions! He has so many instances of using these abilities for helping his family to loosen up and bring some semblance of escapism (even if the way is unconventional). He also uses it in battles! For example in Battle Nexus against Raphael!
Overall "Unconvincing Turtle Titan" is one of the best episodes ever for me (alongside "Christmas Aliens"), so I'm so happy with this analysis! Again, thank you for making it!
Oh my GOD, I can't believe I forgot battle nexus Raph vs. Mikey! Thank you sm for pointing it out! I positively adore that fight for all the above reasons XD
Like, poor Raph never stood a damn chance in heck.
Mikey read him his rights. Mikey was a ballistic missile, honed directly at Raph. Mikey was waging supreme mental warfare and all Raphael had were his sai.
Like, our boy didn't even have to land one hit!
He knew he'd never beat Raph if his stronger brother got his hands on him. He also probably knew he might have been able to go toe to toe in martial arts and beat his brother fair and square (as they're pretty even in skill, just with different strengths to balance each other out) but he also just as easily could've lost, and either way, that would be so much more work with such a higher risk... so why risk it?
Especially when the reward was something so personally precious to Mikey himself?
Validation, attention, adoration. And not just from his family, but. An entire stadium of people!! It was literally a dream come true for him, and fulfilled almost every emotional, self-esteem and self-actualisation need he had.
So cue the psychological warfare and brutal mental beatdown using fifteen years worth of in-depth psychoanalysis and intimate knowledge of his bro's emotional and mental weaknesses...
...and then apply it in the most fun and chill way possible (for him).
Ha, poor Raph even had a bit of a breakdown afterwards about it 😂
Again, the entire sequence is deliberately light-hearted, and all of it (especially Raph's lil freakout) is genuinely funny all-round, but a perfect example of... *gestures to all of Mikey and all of the above*
And, actually, while I'm on the subject...
As much as battle nexus is one of my fav arcs, it kinda makes me sad now to think bc of plot shenanigans we never got a Leo vs. Mikey showdown in the finals because that would have been juicy...
My knee-jerk would be ofc Leo would win, but it would have been cool to see if Mikey tried using any similar mental/emotional tactics and possibly made any ground, or actually had the intense motivation for my reasons above to fight Leo seriously.
Because if he fought Leo as well as he did in the kluh rematch or with the determination he has when chasing something he's truly passionate about, well... it would have been sick to see him give Leo a run for his money even if he ended up losing. And that could have created some interesting family drama or dynamic shifts...
Alas.
But super fun to muse on tho.
Thanks for making me think ☺️
Went off a bit, but. Ya made me think 😆👍
(Thanks for the sweet thank you's too :D )
Ohmygosh Leo against Mikey would have been so fun! I'm probably really biased but I wholeheartedly believe Mikey would have won! Hear me out! (I'm probably reaching and reading too much into everything, but that's fun!)
I would start from afar! Mikey has a really low self esteem, but a lot of belief in himself. He believes that he would be a great superhero, he believes he (and his brothers) deserves a "thank you", believes that he deserves to be loved, but at the same time he "knows" he is the most "useless" out of his brothers in all facets of life, but but he knows his family, he has been single handedly uprooting good spirits in his family, he has been taking notes about what makes his family act and he believes in himself to be skilled enough to use it for anything he wants. Good thing he loves his family because he is really smart and observant and, when he wants to, can use it against anyone, like, for example, against Raphael in Battle Nexus!
Mikey is talented in his physical abilities, he is realistically on par with his brothers in the context of skill, so the only thing that makes him lose against the normal opponents is his mental state. In the show he is portrayed as an anxious person who is masking it, he is often doubting himself and looks at his brothers to see what they are doing because he idealizes them (of course he would be teasing and pranking his brothers, because he knows it works for dissipation of attention and tension and just because he can :] ) But when he enters the flow state his brain focuses on one thing - his opponent(s). In the flow state his anxiety and self-doubt are disappearing and the only thing left is belief!
So when Michelagelo comes against Leonardo he truly has two opponents - Leo and his own self doubt - and the only thing that separates Mikey from the win is if he can achieve the flow state. In the show Leo is portrayed as someone who can lose his focus and his temper so when Mikey adds to the flow state his skills of dividing and dissipating attention I, personally, think Michelangelo would win :]
But that's all just my opinion ^_^
Ooooh! Excellent addition
Such great points, and I completely agree! You gave me a bit to chew on... :D
I feel you're right on the money. I also love the term "flow state" - very apt! And a great way to describe that highly-focused, yet almost entirely instinctual mental state one can slip into when shit gets real.
I wonder if this state could be considered a type of in-the-moment hyper-fixation/hyperfocus, which we've defs seen Mikey fall into when when the chips are down and failure is not an option (and are... commonly a neurodivergent thing, heh).
And the masking too, and himself as his own biggest obstacle! Yes, yes!
I think my knee-jerk reaction to "Leo would ultimately win" is that of all his bros, I feel strongly its canon that Leo is the one he idolises and respects the most. And with that comes the internalised "he's waaaaaay better than I'll ever be..."
And thus, all the sharp mental and physical skills he has (which are more than enough to go toe-to-toe with any of his brothers, really) are usually straight-up ineffective in a serious battle against Leo where there is pressure and stakes (as opposed to training or casual sparring) because Mikey would immediately get it in his head like "oh man, it's Leo, no-one can beat Leo when he's serious, oh man oh no" which... then, yeah. Self-confidence takes a steep dive and the battle is already over 😔
It's an interesting thing I've noticed in myself that I feel is defs connected to how ADHD brains work - like, when you have the luxury of getting in your own head you easily do, or you really don't have to do something, you don't (e.g. you have your family around you to pick up the slack in certain areas, or provide that safe space for you to freak out) but if you don't have that safe space, or there is someone actively depending on you, then any fear/freakouts/procrastination/nerves are more easily ignored or kicked to the curb because... there's no-one else and it's just... gotta be done. So you do it. And its as simple as that. Y'know?
(I'm sure there's probably an existing term for this, or reasons why the brain can function like that... maybe I'll look into it at some point. But it's defs connected to having the "right" motivation and entering a certain flow state... like your family's safety or your survival.)
In my musing, the next question was: would the title of battle nexus champion be the right kind of motivation for Mikey to preemptively decide to go all-out in a battle between them? That would set his determination in place and allow him to go into his flow state during battle? After all, as much as he wants it, it's not life or death.
I believe the answer could be yes, but I feel it could be 50-50; as athletically talented and creative as he is on the battlefield I feel there's a likely chance he would still fall prey to his own hubris; something like (what I think is a very in-character trait) getting surprised and/or excited by his own competence and skills mid-battle (after having one-upped Leo because this is a battle versus Leo, with the aforementioned big mental baggage and esteem issues when comparing himself to the all-powerful ninja master Leo 😂), and Leo pouncing on that mistake like a tiger.
But, he's an unpredictable boy who thinks fast on his feet, so it's just as likely he could keep his eye on the prize, and maybe focus on using his agility and quickness to try and overwhelm Leo before he has a chance to put up any real fight (I can also see him caught off guard if Mikey immediately came at him kinda like Raph would, bc Leo would absolutely be expecting some banter and funsies from his laidback bro, and that might be the good start Mikey needed to push the advantage).
Or! misdirection; I could see him playing a similar game from Raph's match in evading and joking (but not so much teasing directed at Leo bc their relationship is not so much like that, and also bc Leo just doesn't respond the same way to the verbal jabs Raph would) until Leo gets lowkey frustrated or impatient in a very big bro "you're embarrassing me" kind of way, because come on, they're supposed to be fighting, but people are laughing, and this isn't a real fight and you're turning this honoured tradition in a joke--
(Okay leo wouldnt be that outwardly dramatic but I reckon he'd absolutely be thinking it, and it would show, ha)
Then, if he's completely locked in, Mikey just needs to throw in one subtle comment about Master Splinter that isn't mean, per say, but defs touches on Leo's soft spot; his deep respect for his master, and his own issues in trying to live up to Master Splinters expectations (but really mostly his own intense expectations) and the fight could well be over, with Mikey the victor, and Leo up in the healer's section looking like shocked pikachu 😂