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Apritello - Blog Posts
What Are Your Unpopular TMNT Opinions?
Please respect other opinions. Thank you
I don’t love TMNT 2003.
Before watching this version, many fans said 2003 series was the best version. I didn’t have a lot of TMNT content to watch so I tried it(with some high expectations). I really liked it and had a fun time watching it, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best version- there isn’t a best version imo. I had some issues with it such as some intriguing moments from the show that wasn’t further explored like Leo’s first loss, and traumatic injuries from the Shredder and Donnie’s reaction of the alternative universe in Same As It Never Was. They were good but I needed more. Season 6 and 7 were not great and was tough to go through because of the sudden tone and art style change.
Though, it’s my second favorite version so far.
I like 2012 April.
I already made a post about this so I will shorten my explanation.
I have many reasons, but I’m going to say only two or three reasons since I don’t wanna bore you guys to death.
I don’t hate April because she is a victim of bad writing. TMNT 2012 has overall great writing, but there were some mistakes. Apritello is a big example.
When I ignore the bad moments, April is a really good character. Is she my favorite? No, but she had great potential.
Rise has one of the best family dynamics.
When I watch the show, I can tell that the Turtles love each other no matter what, which is a big thing in the fandom. I enjoyed their brotherly relationships since their was rarely an physical confrontation between them compared to how much 2012 Raph hits the other brothers. I don’t like hitting people, unless I need to protect myself, so I always felt a bit uncomfortable with all the hitting in TMNT 2012. I’m not saying TMNT 2012 had bad brother relationships, it’s my favorite because the raw moments the turtles had always warmed my heart. If it happened too often, the moments would have less of an impact.
I think TMNT 2003 went a bit downhill after season 4.
I feel like the storylines after season 4 were not as good. They focused mostly on mystical things, which is fine, but having so many versions of the Shredder was annoying for me. I know it might sound rude, but I think the show should have ended after season 4.
The 2003 Same As It Never Was storyline was not executed as greatly as it could be.
I feel so bad for critiquing the 2003 version since it looks like I don’t like the series. That’s not true, I really like the series and I applaud it for doing storylines like SAINW and Leo’s PTSD.
The reason why I don’t feel like SAINW didn’t live up to its full potential is because of the length of episodes it could have taken and how it didn’t seem to bother Donatello afterwards.
If SAINW was not added in the Ultimate Draco storyline, I think more episodes like an extra one would have been a better idea. The episode felt pretty rushed and I really wanted to learn more about the future like what happened to Casey, why Hun and Stockman betrayed Shredder, and the circumstances right before Future Donnie disappeared.
Leo’s storyline collided with Donnie’s potential character growth, which makes me upset. I adore Leo’s growth, but the other brothers had so much potential. Maybe some hints of Donnie’s fear of the future or the brothers being separated would have made up for it, but it didn’t happen. All the future Turtles’ deaths didn’t seem to affect Donnie like I thought it would.
2012 Fugitoid should have passed away.
I feel so bad for saying this, but for the better of the story, Fugitoid coming back to life was not a great choice. I love Honeycutt, but his sacrifice would have had a lot of impact on the reality of heroes dying. 2003 TMNT did this really well. Some good people died and it symbolized how dangerous and important it is to fight for what is right.
TMNT 2003 had too many characters, which ruined some development for more important ones.
I feel pretty bad for criticizing TMNT 2003 so much, but I still really like it. Every cartoon has its flaws and I’ve noticed more on TMNT 2003 since I’ve been binging it.
Anyway, the show has too many arcs and characters. Too much for any to gain development. Like the Rat King. I would’ve loved to see him more since he was so interesting. And the Monster from season 4. I was so upset when we didn’t get back to him. He deserved a happy ending, and his story would have been great development for Bishop, good or bad.
2012 Karai’s redemption arc was not handled that great.
To be honest, her arc was always a bit shaky to me. What surprised me most was how fast Karai’s mind was changed. All her life the Shredder was her father, but when almost once Splinter revealed the truth, she switched. I don’t think that would’ve happened so soon since, usually, kids that handle trauma like that kind of try to rationalize or try to make sense of it all. It would have been better if Karai was having this mental battle as she was working with the Shredder. She would be neutral though because she doesn’t want to hurt the Turtles and Splinter if what they said was true.
2012 Karai is overrated.
Don’t get me wrong, 2012 Karai is my favorite version, but she is not as developed as some people say.
Her arcs with finding the truth about everything and “curing” her of the mutation were not handled well, especially the latter. It took the last halves of season 2 and 3 to save her. Was I only one annoyed that the group looked for so long, only for the retro mutagen to not work? 😑
She’s on my list of wasted great characters along with April and Casey.
In the 2012 series, female characters are not as well written as male characters.
This is one of my complaints with the 2012 series. Most of the female characters were either reduced to love interests or severely sidelined. April and Karai are the biggest victims with this.
April had great potential to be a great character, but the love triangle ruined it. If they solved this plot line already, April’s character wouldn’t have suffered as much. Can’t determine if fans would like her more, but that’s my opinion.
With Karai, she was a love interest at first, but then this Splinter’s daughter plot line happened. Tbh, I think this decision was last minute because I hope to god the creators were not promoting brother/sister romantic relationships of any kind. Anyway, that story was going along until that wild goose chase trying to cure her from the mutation(which didn’t work). After that craziness, she was just sidelined and there was barely any Splinter/Karai moments(one of my biggest disappointments with the show). It would have been amazing to see her journey as the new Shredder, but I don’t blame the creators for that because they had a limited amount of episodes.
2012 April is not op.
Oof.. I’m gonna get so many disagrees on this. 😂
The reason I’m saying this is because of the and my definition of overpowered. Overpower: defeat with superior strength.
While rewatching the show, I looked closely through April’s fights, especially with her powers. Usually, overpowered people defeat supposedly stronger opponents without explanation.
April has rarely beaten someone stronger than her except once with TigerClaw, but with the Dragon’s Tail kick and a sneak attack, not her powers. She used her powers with the Shredder, Shini, Kavaxas, and many more enemies. She lost every time. The only time April won with her powers was against that evil Aeon and it was severely weak.
I would say April is not very close to the fighting level with the Turtles, especially with Raph and Leo. If they went full force on her, she would lose, even with her abilities.
2012 Leo has better characterization than 2003 Leo.
I really like 2003 Leo but he can be pretty bland. He only ever focused on training and meditation. He was also too perfect in some areas. However, S4 made him better in those areas.
With 2012 Leo, I like that he has more interests than training and has a reason why he wants to be the leader. He also messes up and doesn’t get the full swing of being the leader until half way through S2. For me, I think realistic character progression is very important for a show.
I like 2018 April’s design.
I admit, I was shocked when I learned that April’s race was changed, but I have no problems with it. There’s more diversity.
The only thing I don’t like about her design is her hairstyle. I don’t like the pigtails. Much preferred finale look with the high ponytail.
April O’Neil(2012) Character Analysis
So, this version of April is pretty controversial, especially beyond this community. Many fans accuse her of being a toxic, manipulative women. Even some fans would use derogatory words. For me, she is not so bad. Not my favorite, but pretty okay.
I’m not trying to convince others to change their minds. I respect everyone’s opinions because everyone matters is many ways. All I want to do is explain how I see April and get some of you guys’ opinions.
Hope you enjoy this analysis! And comment down below if you would like me to analyze another character.
Anyway, here we go.
The Main Issues
Season 2:
This season was where it all began with April hate train.
I think almost everyone can agree that April wasn’t so bad in season one, maybe even likable. At least, I did.
But all that potential love went down the drain once season two started.
The first episode, called “The Mutation Situation,” takes place a few months after they defeat the Kraang and the Shredder disappeared. Everything seemed fine since April’s dad was back and the city hadn’t been attacked. But, the Turtles once again have to face the Kraang and stop them from transporting their mutagen supply. They asked for April and her dad’s help to find the ship, though she had to trick him into doing it. The four brothers destroyed the ship, but they paid the price because all of the mutagen in the ship fell off, scattered across the city. One of the vials was going to drop on April, except her father took the hit and mutated into a human-sized bat.
Kirby kidnaps April and the guys have to save her. Once they did, Michelangelo reveals that him and his brother’s were indirectly responsible for the incident.
April gets so mad and storms off, wishing to never see them again.
Okay, so from my perspective, I understand why April broke down and said those hurtful things the first time. She went through a lot during the first season. With her dad being held captive for so long, getting kidnapped and probed by the Kraang, and being forced to relinquish most of her old life.
I’m surprised she isn’t even a bit traumatized.
When April believed the Kraang were defeated and her dad was safe, she was happy to have her life back in some kind of order. Yet, in basically a day, that whole dream died right in front of her. She was tired of all the fighting, and lost it when she realized she would have to again. In her irrational, emotional mind, I think she was angry at the turtles for more than just accidentally mutating her dad. She associated them as the start to all the craziness she didn’t want.
After everything she went through, April was desperate to have some clarity that she was willing to throw away her close friends.
I’m not saying that she shouldn’t have apologized. April needed to apologize.
What I didn’t condone from this arc was her yelling at Donnie in “Target: April O’Neil.” She went a bit off line and at least should’ve had some sense in what she was saying. Maybe Donnie practically stalking got her upset, but I get why people would get upset with her over that.
The Love Triangle:
This love triangle was the worst written plot point in this show. I still love the show, but god this needed so much work.
I believe there were some Apritello shippers around season one. I kind of shipped them.
This ship was ruined once season two came around with that April arc and introducing Casey.
I love Casey, but he was mostly used as a plot device for the love triangle. He had so much more potential than what he got.
Based on the comments about the triangle, most people have an issue with their belief that April was manipulating the guys and how unclear the status of either Apritello or Capril.
I just got to say that poor April was dragged through the mud because of the writer’s mistakes. They confused the h*ll out of us, or at least me, with all the will they, won’t they switcheroo. It was hard to tell if April liked Donnie, Casey, both, or none of them. I think the main goal with this triangle was the writers indecision to either follow the 2003 version’s lead with Capril or go their own path with Apritello. If they had decided, this plot point would have been so much better.
To be honest, I think the writers stopped April from making a decision to make the show “interesting. ”In season 3, it seemed like April wanted to be with Donnie. Casey and her were also acting more like friends instead of love interests. Yet, in the first episode of season 4, they had to make him get love struck over her new outfit.
Ughh... the writers confused me too much.
I think it didn’t come to fans’ minds that maybe April was confused with her feelings. Maybe she liked both guys and didn’t reject both of them outright because of her need to clear her head. Sure, it was a bad idea to be honest with them, but people make mistakes.
“The Power Inside Her”:
People are a bit harsh towards April in this episode. I totally get how they feel, though their hate for her could have clouded their judgment.
The biggest complaint I have seen about this episode is the fans being angry with April for not breaking from the alien’s control. Compared to the aeon, Za-Naron, April is a not that experience with her mental powers. Communicating or using their mental powers is normal for the Aeons, while April figured out how to use them a few months or a year ago. As she kept the crystal, Za-Naron control over her grew stronger. I think that if any other character like Leo or Donnie, fans would be more lenient since their writing was way better.
Of course, April needed to apologize for temporary killing Donnie, and hurting her friends; good thing she did. I don’t hold it against her as much as other fans.
Conclusion:
After finishing the analysis, I concluded that April is a victim of bad writing instead of a terrible character. I know there’s an argument that the writing doesn’t really play a part with liking or disliking a character, but it does. Writers decide every character’s actions and create the person they’ll become. Reducing April to a plot device for romance was terrible. Not seeing April’s potential was one of the greatest disappointments in TMNT 2012.
If you still don’t like April, that’s fine. I’m not trying to change your mind. All I want is to open their perspectives and see that all the hate April gets can be explained.
Hope you enjoyed this analysis. Comment down below your thoughts.
Do you agree or disagree?
Thanks for reading! 😊❤️
I think this was the first time I ever had an OC in a dream (or at least I don't remember any other cases.) Anyways, this is Sunny, an apritello fanchild I made like a half year ago (you can laugh). I had a dream about her today, she went back in time to save the turtles (wasn't this the plot of the Rise movie? I didn't watch Rise but I swear that was the plot...) Anyways yeah she was so cool and it was so interesting AND I ONLY DREW HER AS A BABY BUT SHE WAS LIKE 16 IN THAT DREAM AND LOOKED SO TIRED :(
I wonder what happened in her timeline (there was a weird kraang monster I remember but that's all, she also had a gas mask because I assume the monster released a gas or something so SHE WAS READY)
of course she had to hold him down or he'll freaking orbit the planet.
=CASEBRIELLE SHORT:003=
"It's Christmas in New York City, and many of the Hamatto family's friends are getting together to spend the holidays with them; April gives her boyfriend Donnie a complete science kit, while he gives her an electric minibike he built for her, Mikey is happy sharing pizza for everyone helped by Shinigami, Karai is with Leo praying in front of a picture of the late master Splinter, Raphael shares moments with the Muta-animals, but Casey Jones is sitting on the couch, just enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.
Gabrielle: Hey Casey, how are you? Merry Christmas
Casey: Gabrielle, glad you could make it, Merry Christmas to you too.
Gabrielle: Why are you alone?
Casey: Well actually, I was invited…. I had some relatives coming to my house on my father's side and….
Gabrielle: I'm sure they started to criticize you indirectly while they were with you, your father and sister?
Casey: Hey, how did you find out?
Gabrielle: well we've been friends for a long time and… I know your problems like you know mine… I know you shouldn't have to go through what you're going through right now… but people are selfish and you don't choose your family.
Casey: thanks for understanding Gabe….
Gabrielle: take off that long face, I have two presents for you… here.
Casey: Wow it's a new field hockey stick and…. it's oak!!! that's great, Gabrielle, but I don't have a present for you….
Gabrielle: spend this day with me and that's good enough for me.
Casey: hehehe, I will… wait what about the other present?
Gabrielle: you close your eyes and come with me, don't open it, don't cheat!
He listens to her and feels how she takes him away, it only takes a few seconds.
Gabrielle: ready, you can open them!
Casey: well y…. where is the famous gift?
Gabrielle: look up jones….
Casey looks up and sees that a mistletoe is on top of the two of them.
=CASEBRIELLE SHORT: 002=
"With end-of-term exams coming up, Casey is a nervous wreck, as he has a direct warning from the field hockey team's coach that if he doesn't pass the exams, he'll be cut from the team."
April: now you are toast Jones, what are you going to do now?
Casey: I don't know redhead, could you help me study?
April: I'm sorry Casey, but I had to ask Donnie to help me study, besides you don't pay much attention when you get help.
Casey: what am I going to do? if I don't do well on these tests….
Gabrielle: Hey guys, how are you? What's wrong with you Casey?
April: He has to pass the tests, if he doesn't want to be kicked off the field hockey team.
Gabrielle: Damn! Are you really sick?
April: He almost got kicked out of the year even at recess.
Casey: thanks a lot redhead, that's funny haha….
Gabrielle: I know someone who can help you, here.
She hands him a piece of paper with an address on it, Casey takes it enthusiastically.
Casey: Can this person really help me study?
Gabrielle: Be there at 5:00 p.m. sharp, I'll let him know.
Casey: thanks blondie, you're great!!!!
After class and just as Gabrielle told him, Casey arrived at the address written on the paper, it was a very decent house, when he rang the doorbell once, he was immediately answered.
Casey: good afternoon …. Wait, Gabrielle, is that you?
Gabrielle: That's right, I'm your new tutor.
Casey: I wasn't expecting that, but how?
Gabrielle: I have experience in tutoring students, so come on we have a lot to do, I know you are smart and you will pass your exams, let's go.
Casey: wow blondie, thank you so much.
=CASEBRIELLE SHORT: 001=
"April decides to be Donatello's girlfriend, even though it seemed impossible, the two finally got together. her friends applaud, even Casey Jones, even if he's a little uncomfortable."
Raph: hey man, are you okay?
Casey: Of course I am! Good old Casey Jones is always fine, Raph, do you doubt that?
Raph: if you say so brother ….
"Months later in the lair, Raphael and Casey are playing video games".
Raph: man I congratulate you, I'm surprised how you have taken with maturity, that April has decided to be Donnie's girlfriend.
Casey: come on man, give me credit! you forget that I'm Casey Jones, a lone wolf, a nocturnal villain who fights crime in New York City, a warrior who is indomitable, there is no girl who can tame me, oh yeah!
April: Hey guys, what's up? look I brought a new friend of mine to meet her, her name is Gabrielle.
Raph: nice to meet you Gabrielle, my name is Raphael, but call me Raph with confidence.
Gabrielle: wow, nice to meet you Raph and you are….
Casey: nice to meet you blondie, I'm Casey Jones….
And without realizing it, Casey Jones started to have a new love interest…
shaking
That night he suddenly went to his room after the night round, he was tired and with many anxieties that made his chest he didn't want anyone to see his state, he didn't want anyone to start asking him any nonsense related to how he was. They had been together for months, almost a year, but something strange was happening, something was not right, her behavior with him was not the same as before, she was not so affectionate or sweet with him, his nerves were eating him alive, his lips were dry, he ran his tongue over them, taking advantage of the space between his teeth, he waited for the dial tone, until she answered.
April: Hello?
???:Hello April, it's me
April: oh...hi...how are you honey?
????: Well, I would say good, how are you?
April: I'm...I'm glad to hear it
From the tone of voice she had, she had quickly deduced that he was not the one she was waiting for, or rather, she didn't want him to be the one calling her, she took a breath of air to continue.
???: I wanted to talk to you about something very important?
April: sure... tell me what do you want...
???: I want to know if it's true
April: what .... thing?
???: you know what I mean? ....
April: no...I don't know....what are you talking about?
???: April I know you very well...you are not good at lying...and I know....when you lie to me....
April: I swear....I don't know....
He couldn't believe that she was denying it, his girl, his girlfriend, his dream of a woman, was doing that to him, he couldn't stand it anymore, he started to tremble, he knew he was hurting himself by asking her that, but it was time to get out of doubts.
????: I know you look like with him ....
April:....
???: you are quiet now aren't you?
April: I.....listen...I don't know.... how to tell you....
???: just do it
April: I never...asked for this to happen to me......
???: but you let...it happen...right?
April: I struggled...believe me.... I struggled as hard as I could....
???: but what happened?
April: he won.... my heart...what I feel for him....was stronger than I thought....
???: meaning you love him?
April: yes....I love him....but I love you too....we gave each other a chance....as you wanted....so much....and it was a beautiful time....
???: please don't go on.... don't talk like it's going to be over....
April: but it's just that....what do you want me to tell you?....is what I really feel...believe me I didn't mean to hurt you....I know that you love me so much, that we both live and share a lot together....
???: and we can keep doing it together....please....
April: I can't do it....I don't feel anything for you anymore....I see you as always....as my best friend....how did you find out?
???: the night we went to that rock concert, remember I was late?
April: yeah...
???: I was late and I was looking for you....that's when I saw you, you were kissing him in the dark, the two of you were holding hands?
April: I see ....
???: you cheated on me...how could you do that to me?....
April: forgive me.... it slipped out of my hands....
???: what do I do with my heart now? I gave it all to you....
April: it will heal.... just give it time....
???: what do you want to tell me?
April: that I can't be your girlfriend anymore.....I've decided to be with him.... I really love him....
???: please April.... don't leave me....I love you so much....
April: I know....and forgive me....for not being by your side.....I can be your best friend like we were before....
???: how can you ask me that? i can't accept it....please....don't leave my side....
April: sorry....I can't....I can't....I have to go......
???: April.....don't.....remember all the beautiful things we have accomplished together....
April: I'm so sorry.....I'm going to hang up....
When she did that, he just started crying on his bed, he covered himself with the pillow, he was crying very hard, but he was choking that pitiful and painful cry, he didn't want his family to know that he was heartbroken, on his side April, went up to the roof of her house and started crying too, she felt the worst of the girls, she knows that he was good to her and that he loved her, but she could not continue by his side, in that moment she heard that someone was approaching her, it was the boy for whom her heart was beating with full force, but even so, she looked at the floor sitting down, and between tears a smile for him. ...
¿¿¿: but what do you have?
April: finally...I told him about us...I'm the worst.
¿¿¿: please don't think like that.....sooner or later.... should I know?
April: I know but...God I was crying behind the phone.... I felt like a monster...
¿¿¿: you're not....but....it's my fault....he and I had this strong rivalry for your heart....when you accepted it....I was dying inside...but I accepted it...
April: but it took me a while to realize how much I love you.....and it was also when I realized that.... what I had with him couldn't work...
¿¿¿: you know? be it with him or with me.... I just want you to be happy....
April: see? that's what I love about you, your selfless love.... is something beautiful in you....
¿¿¿: but it's my fault he is crying now, the only monster here is me because..... I took my friend's girlfriend....
April: if that's what this is about.... then we are both to blame.... but deep down I knew that if loving you wasn't right..... I wouldn't do the right thing...
¿¿¿: you've always been persistent....that's what made me fall in love with you....well one of the many things....
April: I'm worried about .... how the guys will look at us now ....
¿¿¿: they will understand....creeme.....they will in time?
April: I hope so....I just want to be happy with you and make you happy....
¿¿¿: I know love, I want the same thing....even though, I'm afraid of losing you.....because of life...
April: you won't lose me....because I will fight not to lose you.....never forget something....
What thing?
April : that you are not just a mutant.....that you are my mutant, Donnie....
She got up from her place to hug his neck and kiss him with all her heart, he did the same, although both felt bad, it was a lighter load now, to be able to enjoy their love, neither wanted to hurt Caesy Jones feelings, but they had to do it obligatorily, they also knew that their friends would see them bad at the beginning, but with time they would accept that this way things were decided by their feelings, that starry night was of pain, sadness, but above all it was of love and reconciliation.
A fanart based on my favorite series and a fan art by Eclpisa (April O Neil) and Meteora (his daughter)
Credits to their respective authors (from tmnt and svtfoe) and to the author of the fan art Neko-Mirchan.Deviantart
happy valentine’s day from miss o’neil <33
Hey guys, I just wanna say that anyone who claims 2k12 Apritello is abusive/toxic can leave this blog the HELL ALONE.
I actually find it quite disturbing that people are misusing and casually throwing those terms out, not just because the ship they are throwing it at is pretty much the complete opposite of abusive, but more on that later. Like, thank you so much for misusing and trivialising REAL trauma and pain people go through, especially with a pairing on a cartoon made on Nickelodeon.
But look, in my opinion, you don’t know what an abusive relationship is unless you’ve been through one YOURSELF.
So stop calling out abuse and toxicity in a relationship because you may have no idea what some of these people in the real world go through.
Maybe they were originally doomed by the narrative but it's my doll house and now they are happy and kissing all the time.
I love when there's characters that are pair bonded and you know that wherever one of them is the other is also gonna be there.
🌼 Apritello TMNT Fantasy AU 💜💛
Sooo...I thought it would be great to take my part honoring April month starts with apritello 😀 featuring 2012 Tribunal Acolytes Donatello x Knightess April from my TMNT Fantasy AU 💛💜💎⚔🛡🐢👑🐲
If love is the most intense adventure
The endpoint is the warm pocket of holding hands🥰😍💕
(👆The english translated lyrics version from a chinese song Love Exists by Wei Qi Qi, Meteor Garden💝💖💖💕❤❤)
(Attempted to draw them quick after I saw some cute apritello arts from @christeli4 🥺🥺💖💘💝💕 aaaaww mannn, wish i had more time to draw them moree ofteen...I've been busy irl lately🥺🥺🥺)
Sorry for tagging🙏: @swagreecrow @poetique823 @topaz-rabbit @inspiredwriter @crazedpoptarts @nerdgal27 @cthonyxa @wakifogicu
☆ Find me on other socials 👇😃
Bluesky
💜ANY Support like follows, reblogs, comments and likes are GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Toodles, loves!💜⚔👑
Have you ever thought about posting that post about Apritello not being toxic/abusive at all? I know the reason you said you wouldn’t was because you didn’t want to cause problems, but imo your analysis/interpretations are hardly ever wrong, and you pretty much know what your talking about with this topic.
Well thank you very much, but the post I made was less about Apritello specifically and more about people mislabeling things as abusive overall. It was more of a rant on my part. It was one part sharing my own abuse story and one part condemning people who see some thing they don’t like and then label it abusive and because of that, actual abuse isn’t taken as seriously as it should be. 
If you would still like to read it, let me know and I can probably rework it a little bit to include a deeper analysis about Apritello specifically.
Hey DG! Been following ur blog for a year now, and i love your positive support to this fandom :)
Do you think Apritello in 2012 was in any way abusive/toxic looking back not that the show is over?
I don’t think this myself at all, i just wanted to know your opinion on this claim because i trust your judgement.
Oh wow, thank you so much! Sorry I’m not really active on this blog anymore (though I’m still around and still compulsively check it lol). But I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my past posts! (My apologies for my lack of gifs in this post; my Apritello gifs aren't on this computer.) As for Apriltello being toxic or abusive, I wouldn’t label it as such. They certainly had their moments where each of them said or did the wrong thing, but they’re teenagers who have no idea what they’re doing, romantically or in life in general. But they learn and grow as individuals over the course of the show, and in doing so, they grow closer together.
Let’s start with Donnie. One of the major complaints I’d hear about him was that he once kinda wound up stalking April back in Season 2, which we all agree wasn’t healthy for either of them.
Now, disclaimer/PSA: Ladies, if a guy is following you around without your consent, do not try to rationalize it. You don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s head in real life. If someone is doing something that makes you uncomfortable, don’t gaslight yourself, or try to justify his behavior, or try to see it from his perspective (which you can’t be sure of anyway). Just get away and stay safe.
With Donnie, he’s a fictional character, so we, the audience, did get to see things from his perspective, and he wasn’t following her with creepy intentions. He wanted to talk to her and patch things up, but he wasn’t totally sure how to approach her, and used that time hopping from rooftop to rooftop trying to figure that out. What he should’ve done is figure that out from home while giving her space. But he’s a teenager who grew up in isolation from the world, not even watching as much TV as his brothers, and he's learning how to socialize for the first time. It doesn’t make his behavior correct, but it makes it easy to forgive so long as he learns and grows from it, which he did. Besides, there was an alien race after April. Keeping an eye on her wasn’t a completely terrible idea. He should’ve just gone about it differently.
Another complaint I’d hear about Donnie was that he still wanted to protect her, even after she’d learned to fight and control her powers, like in her fight with Shinigami, for example. To which I offered the counter-argument: what kind of jerk would Donnie be if he just stood there and didn’t care that the woman he supposedly loves was getting her butt handed to her? The writers needed to show Donnie distressed over April being hurt, but they also needed to have Raph hold him back, because it really was April’s fight. His desire to protect her wasn’t because he thought she was weak or incapable. It was simply because he loves her and hates to see her hurt. A third complaint I’d hear against Donnie was that his feelings persisted a long time. One blogger even referred to Mikey’s crushes on multiple girls as the most “realistic,” out of the turtles’ romances. It may be more relatable to that particular blogger, but it’s not unrealistic to have feelings for one person that persist a long time. I had a huge crush on a guy friend from 5th grade through 10th grade, and that crush resurfaced briefly during my senior year. Some feelings can’t be switched off at will, so what matters is how you handle those feelings while you have them. And while Donnie didn’t always know the best way to handle them, he was a teenager, perfectly entitled to his mistakes, and not toxic or abusive towards April.
Now it’s April’s turn. This teenage girl lost her mom under mysterious circumstances at a young age, then lost her dad (multiple times throughout the series) to an alien race that was ultimately after her so they could terraform the planet. She lived alone a lot of the time, and still had high school, extracurricular activities, and massive secrets to keep. That’s a lot for a minor to deal with. Now add having a big mutant turtle friend awkwardly crushing on you. Would any of us have known how to handle that at that age? Most of us didn’t even know how to handle crushes on fellow humans at that age. For much of the show’s earlier seasons, Donnie’s flirtations and near-confessions came at times when April was up to her eyeballs in chaos she didn’t know how to handle.
She got a lot of crud from fans in particular for kissing Donnie right after he’d told her he understood he was making her uncomfortable and he’d back off, especially because Donnie said after the kiss he understood nothing and he was even more confused than before.
As a fan, I love the kiss. As a grown-up, I gotta say it wasn’t the best decision she could’ve made in that moment. Actions may speak louder than words, but for someone like Donnie, words would’ve been a lot easier to understand. I think what went on in this scene was that April finally realized she did have feelings for Donnie. She wasn’t ready for a relationship with everything going on, but she didn’t want Donnie to give up on her just yet. At the start of the next episode, a still-confuzzled Donnie tried showing off in front of her again (“Check me out, April!”) and she ignored him and walked right on past, further confusing Donnie and irritating the fans. But I think April was trying to overcorrect. Maybe even she thought the kiss was going a little too far, and she was trying to make sure Donnie knew she didn’t want a relationship yet. April’s biggest crime as far as Apritello goes was just not verbally communicating with Donnie. She was young and it was a weird situation and she didn’t know how to handle it.
But after that moment, things did change between them. They really started getting closer as friends, which became a wonderful foundation for them. Donnie started to relax around her a little more, which helped her relax around him, and her feelings were allowed to develop without pressure. They care about each other, protect each other, fight for each other, and respect each other. Things were awkward between them at first, and they did inadvertently hurt each other here and there, but they just needed to grow up a little. I mean personally I don’t think anyone should even date before their prefrontal cortex reaches maturity at age 25, but I don’t think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could ever go on that long. lol
“I won’t be bothering you anymore with music boxes. I get it now. Donnie is to April like big foot was to donnie. I’m just a mutant.”
Do you see April’s face? Before you guys start saying she’s leading him on or she’s teasing him I want you to look closely at her face.
To me its the face of hurt. Those words donnie said hurt. It wasn’t a pitty kiss. She kissed him because she wanted him to know that she didn’t deny him because of his appearance she denied him because of his actions. And once she realized he was about to totally give up on her she knew she needed to do something to give him some hope.
“Your my mutant” that line right there should tell us something. This is just my insight.
But before you go hating on her why dont you try understanding her before you join the crowd of haters. She’s a teen with a shitty life. No mother or dad. No friend that’s a girl that she can bond with. Nothing. She literally has no one but the turtles and Casey. And donnie is the closest to her and hearing him about to give up on her…..that would hurt any girl right?
I just believe that she doesn’t want to have a boyfriend right now. And honestly if Casey tries to get with her she would probably put him in his place just like she did with donnie but without the whole kiss.
I don’t know I could be wrong but I definitely know that she is no way TEASING or LEADING HIM ON WITH FALSE HOPE. April isn’t that trype of girl. She’s not a bitch. Or a tease. She’s just no I refuse to believe such things. And just like the boys I will defend her and protect her. She doesn’t deserve this harsh treatment she’s getting. Its uncalled for and completely childish. So please before you call her a BITCH, SLUT WHORE, HOE, A TEASE, try understanding her and her feelings and her side of the story.
I need the 2012 fandom to talk about Donnie's contact in April's Shellphone (i forgot what they're called sue me)
Look, this was my OTP throughout my junior high years, might as well tweak their dynamic
April’s a spunky gal [inspired by rise april :>]. She can be stubborn at times and only Donnie can talk her out of it. Once they became friends, they tend to stand or sit close to each other.
It took awhile for Donnie to realize that he has a crush on April since it’s the very first time he ever felt that way for someone.
April on the other hand was oblivious to it. She only knew about it when Mikey accidentally slipped it up in one of their convo. She never mentioned about the whole thing to Donnie as to not scare him off and just waited until Dee’s ready to tell her about it.
They’re very supportive of each other. Donnie helps her with her schoolworks while April helps him with his socializing skills and getting the stuff he needs for his projects.
Am I the only one who thinks that the romance in the 2012 show wasn’t as bad as people say it was? Like I know it had problems, but I’m pretty certain it’s not as god awful as people say it is.
Even though I’m probably the only one who thinks this😂
I couldn't sleep cuz...
I just read the whole "fixing 2012 apritello headcanon" thingie about protective Raph caring about Donnie's silly crush on April, and Raph been thinking that April has led Donnie on all the time and that made him mad, he followed her and threatened to KILL that poor teenage girl with his sais to make her make up her mind about Donnie's feelings towards her and people in the notes who liked....supported THIS BEHAVIOUR?????!!! 💀💀💀 WTF??? 💢💢💢
I can't believe this fandom 💀💀💀 Okay, first of all, 2012 April slanders are just a different breed of stupid honestly (or they are just a misogynists) and two, STOP MISCHARACTERIZE MY 2012 RAPHAEL!!! 🚫🚫🚫🚫 My 2012 Raphael is a kind-hearted turt who won't ever harm any soul, he's a sweetest turt to his brothers, to April, and to Master Splinter. I love Raph so much as I love Donnie!🥲 Writing a hedcanon justifying a threat to kill a 16-year-old teenage girl just because she doesn't return his brother's feelings ain't gonna solve it, dumbass! 😠😠😠 Doesn't make it ANY BETTER!!!! I love 2012 April so much it hurts🥲💕💕💖💗, you guys are the ONE who needs to BACK OFF from her!! Homegirl has enough on her plate! She lost a mother, lost her father (twice!), lost her only best girl friend, Irma, and lost her only home! GODDAMNIT!!!😠😠💢💢💢 You guys JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HER AT ALL!!! You just DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT HER!!!! LEAVE 2012 APRIL ALONE!
Y’know, one of the best things about the ship that is Apritello is that Donnie is entirely aware of how slim the chances of it actually happening really are.
Donnie’s smart, obviously. He knows the odds are stacked against him, that his appearance is not exactly appealing, and how unlikely it is that April would ever feel the same.
And yet, he hopes.
She is the one person that can derail him from logical thinking, that can make him take something that he would normally see as impossible and believe that it could happen. He has an emotional investment in it, and even though he certainly knows it would be nothing short of miracle if she liked him back, he still wishes for it to happen. If he saw the same odds in some sort of experiment, he would consider it fruitless, but in this, he has faith.
Even in the 2k3 series, Donatello makes himself content with watching April start a relationship with Casey, because it makes her happy. It is obvious that his feelings for her go deeper than friendship, but he still just sits and watches, even though you know it must have been hurting him pretty badly.
It just kills me, and I really hope that Apritello is at least acknowledged in some way in canon in 2k12, because I don’t think I can stand watching Donnie’s heart be broken.
[Gif credit here.]
Hahaha..lol MY CAMERA SUCKS.
The Apritello Kiss
I didn’t make my own Tumblr account until mid-November and my posts weren’t searchable until over a month later, so I’m a little late with posting my thoughts on different episodes. Naturally, I’ve been dying to talk about the kiss in “A Foot too Big.”
I saw another post shortly after the episode aired that perfectly illustrated my thoughts and feelings on the kiss, but once I got my account and tried to find the post so I could like or reblog it, I couldn’t find it. Basically I know I’m not the first one to post these views on Tumblr, and I’m not trying to be unoriginal. I just am unoriginal. I don’t think April was trying to lead Donnie on. She just didn’t know how she felt about him until she realized she may lose him. Earlier in the episode, we see her feeling totally awkward about getting the music box, and while we pretty much all agree the music box was adorably sweet, it really is the kind of present you give to someone if you’re going steady. They weren’t in a relationship. Maybe if it didn’t have a heart on top, or a picture of him inside, or if he didn’t stand there awkwardly smiling and not saying anything after he gave it to her, she might have been more receptive. Also, as she told Casey in “Within the Woods,” their families are gone and/or mutated. She’s not in a very relationshippy place, and that’s ok. When Donnie said, “I won’t be bothering you with music boxes anymore. I get it now. Donnie is to April as Bigfoot was to Donnie,” her face didn’t look happy or relieved. She looked kind of sad.
I don’t think it was pity, though. If she gave him a pity kiss, it’d probably be on the cheek, not the lips. If it were pity, she would not have called him “my mutant.” April just wouldn’t do things like that if she didn’t mean anything romantic by them. I think this is the moment when she discovered her true feelings. In “The Invasion,” she shut Donnie down when he tried to tell her how he felt. I can think of two reasons why she reacted the way she did. 1. She probably didn’t want Donnie to say anything that he wouldn’t say if they weren’t about to be killed. 2.She may have still been hoping for a normal life (as she did in “Mutagen Man Unleashed), and maybe she was trying to convince herself that Casey would be more likely to give her a normal life. At least he’s human. She was more touchy-feely with Casey in “The Invasion,” but in all previous episodes that’s not the case. She always brought Irma along on their would-be dates (“Of Rats and Men,” “The Wrath of Tiger Claw,”) and she’s disturbed by his physical advances (“Plan 10,” “A Chinatown Ghost Story,” etc.) I think April has slowly come to realize that her life will never be “normal,” and at any rate, Donnie seems to have a lot more moral fiber than Casey. I think the kiss demonstrated that she did not want to loose the chance of being with him. It was a, “Look, I’m not ready to be your girlfriend, but please don’t give up on me,” kiss.
So why did she walk away? She’s probably still kind of shy and insecure about liking a mutant (even if she’s one herself). Besides, she’s only 16; she’s not going to handle these things perfectly. Why did she ignore Donnie in “Buried Secrets,” when he told her to check him out? She’s always had the attitude of “Not now, we have stuff to do.” She’s just task-oriented. She may have also felt a little embarrassed about the kiss. Plus, it may have been one of those “Give ‘em an inch an they’ll take a mile,” situations… and she knows how she feels about him now, but maybe she thinks the kiss was a bit too much and in that moment she was trying to over-correct. Some people think the kiss was a mistake on the writers’ part and that now it’s like it never happened. I don’t think so. April’s behavior in every episode since the kiss has shown an increased warmth and affection for Donnie, aside from that “Check me out, April,” incident. She even kissed him on the cheek again in “In Dreams,” and gave him a neck rub in “Race with the Demon.“ Poor Donnie’s never been good at figuring out people’s intentions on his own, so hopefully after the last four episodes, he’s begun to understand something. We may not have seen them dtr afterwords, but we can see that the kiss scene was clearly a turning point in their relationship, and not just April leading him on with some pity kiss that’s been swept under the rug.
Just decided to color some of my old tmnt drawings
Check This Out! 🥺💜💛👇
Please do check out and appreciate this beautifully written and drawn 12 Apritello fancomic by the talented Maven Brooke! 💜💛💜💛💜
PART 2 👇👇👇
THIS!!!!👆👆👆 IF YOU WERE WRITING OR DRAWING 12 APRITELLO INVOLVING RAPH, THIS IS WHAT I WANTED!!! 🥺🥺💛💜💛💜💕💕💕💗
IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND, DEAR FANDOM!🥺🥺🥺
Sorry for tagging: @swagreecrow @poetique823 @wakifogicu @inspiredwriter
This has come up a lot, and I may be a minor in this fandom but this needs to be said.