#brainrottmnt

Baby designs changing to be even babier

(specifically the special pose ones)

I love ROTTMNT as a show and its movie. It's not perfect, and it's far from what it was supposed to be due to how its been treated by both execs and many adverse turtle fans. But I love it. As it was still airing, being the same age as some of the characters at the time (Me🤝Raph, 2003). As it was cancelled. As the movie came out. It's something that brought joy to me.

But, aside from ROTTMNT itself, I want to take a moment to the fandom that came of it.

I had no plans to be as involved in this fandom space as I had. I was dipping my toes into coming back into social media after years of pushing back on it due to bad experiences with previous fandoms. I'm not saying the ROTTMNT fandom is free of its issues, but I'm happy with the people I've found because of it, and the creativity i've seen throughout.

Meeting the Separated Council was one of the best things that I've ever experienced in fandom. From when it was just me, Ken, Nico, Diana, Val, Dae, and Cupcake, to getting to know Insomnia, Tea, Espresso, Kay, and Blue. And getting to know them all outside the context of this fandom. I've created connections I never expected to create.

And the people who stay with my posts throughout my ups and downs, who want to know the story I want to tell with my AU, to the thoughts I have— I've been able to carve enjoyable time in spite of the difficulties I've been experiencing in real life. The fact that people genuinely seem to like my self-indulgent turtle art.

It's hard to articulate.

I honestly love Brute's line to Lieutenant here

"I know you get nervous when I rush you, but we gotta hurry"

And there's just this very determined-to-end-you teen who just got launched at you via brother just a scene before

It really does suck to go through 2018-2020 posts about ROTTMNT and see how little faith people had in the show tbh.

Listen, I have my own criticisms about Rise. I have many of them. While some as a consequence of being cut short, some aren't. It ain't perfect at all.

I understand to an extent why there were fears. Being cynical about the state of rebooted cartoons wasn't uncommon, especially in that era.

And yet, so many of them didn't even give it a try. Or if they did, they looked for things to dislike. So many were quick to brush it off.

One I remember distinctly being like "it's more comedy centric and all the turtles are just like 4 Mikeys"— Did we even watch the same show? Criticize it, but at least actually know what you're talking about.

And yet, at the time, even though I was enjoying the show, I keep seeing the negative feedback and I honestly began picking and picking at the parts I didn't like about the show. Because I wanted to stop liking it. Because I felt guilty for liking it.

Because I'm the same age range as the Rise turts! As a 14 going on 15 years old when the show came out, I was close to the target audience! Yet I felt so damn cringy for liking something "way worse than the other versions."

I'm becoming 20 in a couple months and I think about little I let myself enjoy things.

That is to say, I'm glad the movie brought life back to the series, and brought more eyes to just how much Rise was unreasonably bashed.

ROTTMNT was a story cut short. It didn't even last half the time of 2012's run. 2012-2017, 5 years, which was already the shortest after the other 2 before it.

Elements of the show and movie, concept art, and miscellaneous comments and notes from staff-- there was care put into this show. A plan. There was more meant to be there. ROTTMNT wasn't a soulless iteration. It wasn't a passionless project. People cared.

You're allowed to not like ROTTMNT! You don't have to like every iteration of TMNT! You're allowed to think something sucks.