User talk:Ntg

On TMNT

I did watch few episodes of the cartoon version from 1987 and the TMNT movie released on 1990 and most of stereotypes were really harmless staff. The best way to see the difference is, if you are fan of anime and manga, to compare with Naruto, a Japanese manga and anime of ninja. Ninja actions from Naruto are extremely fast and constantly using jutsu that often have quite a dramatic effect. Compared to this, turtles from TMNT are slow and too simple completely relying on handheld weapons that they always carry around.

The official website by Mirage Studios lets us see the first edition so let me take a step by step check on things that aren't "right". These may not be stereotypes but as a Japanese myself, they don't just appear correct, kind of like having a cowboy armed with a AK-47. The list is rather long so have something to drink nearby. 61.193.96.32 16:09, 2 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Page 1 - Leonardo has a weapon that looks like a katana but the glint is on the non-cutting edge side of the weapon and it looks flat. Most katana glint on the cutting edge side and as a ninja weapon, katana would be given a glint-suppression finish to avoid the detection. He also has two weapons instead of one which would rattle and make noise. Also, Leonardo is standing and holding the weapon in a wrong way, have him carry a baseball bat instead! He has to be standing with his feets almost as you would be trying to run. Donatello also has his weapon in the wrong position, he would probably smack all three turtles infront of him before he does anything. He should be holding it lower with the front end tipped, nearly touching the ground. Raphael and Michaelangelo have weapons ninja never used. Nunchak would rattle and make noise and sai is a Chinese weapon.
Page 2,3 - Leonardo again, he has the cutting edge aimed to his buddies. He should be holding it infront of him so that he can attack in one motion. Rest are same as page 1.
Page 4 - Ninja had the most advanced weaponry at the time they lived. No point in not using firearms. (Of course if ninja were armed like SWAT or Delta force, lots of people would be disappointed!)
Page 5 - Ninja don't use sai. They use Kunai which are easier to hide and can be thrown.
Page 6 - Donatello would land on his side instead of feet and forget about ever seeing Michaelangelo.
Page 7 - Leonardo again has blood on his katana-like weapon but only on the tip. The only way katana can be dirtied like that is when you poke with a katana, which is a possible but unusual way to attack.
Page 8 - Ninja used to exist mostly as hired troop or secret agents and spies. Police would never make an ally.
Page 10 - Turtles are bowing one by one after they enter the room, they should bow together before taking a step inside. Master Splinter is sitting on a chair, he should be seated on a Tatami with or without Zabuton cushion. He should also be without a stick in his hand. The light fixture hanging from the ceiling looks like a Chinese object. Having a tea kettle and cups out isn't wise thing to do, they collect dust.
Page 11 - The cage looks like a Chinese object and until quite recently, Japanese didn't think of having a mice as a pet. The training room looks like it has a stone floor and why did authors put all those windows up there? The entire building is going to crumble from a smallest earthquake. "Hamato Yoshi" is an impossible Japanese name. There is probably only one person with "Yoshi" as the family name in the entire Japan and it's actually a screen name for an actor. It should, at least be spelled "Yoshii". "Hamato" cannot be a first name. Splinter may be saying that the man was actually "Yoshi Hamato" but "Hamato" cannot be a family name as well and "Yoshi" would be a nickname, it is of course a disrespctful thing to call one's owner and master by a nickname. Hamato Yoshi also has his upper cloth tacked the wrong way, this is how a woman would arrange her clothes. He also should be barefooted and I think I should mention here that Ninjutsu include martial art as its technique and karate is not something ninja learned. It takes time to kill with karate and time is something ninja cannot waste, much easier and quieter to sneak up and slice the enemy's throat. Ninja is fairly accurate, but he should be wearing a chainmail and a pair of gauntlet.
Page 12 - "Oroku Nagi" and "Tang Shen" are not a Japanese name. The clan's name doesn't make sense as Japanese clans almost always name it after the master's family name or the place they live in. In a secret group, they tend to call themselves by a thing from the nature, like wind or moon. Master Splinter has three pictures hanging in the back but he should only hang one and keep others stored. Ninja has weapons out but needlessly brandishing weapons is a bleach of etiquette. Tang Shen's hairstyle looks like something taken from 19th century picture and her kimono seem to be held together by a piece of leather and it is tacked the wrong way.
Page 13 - The whole issue about Tang Shen is simply wrong. Because she is allowed to know that Yoshi and Oroku are members of the clan, she has to be a member of the clan as well. By attacking her, Oroku broke the rule of not fighting another member of clan except for the training and Yoshi and Tang (she must know how to fight as well because that is only way she can be a member and Japanese did and do take training women to fight seriously) had every reason to subdue him or if impossible, kill him. Also, ninja clans never let a member go under any penalty. He can turn his anger of being expelled against the clan and conspire with another clan to revenge. The only way he or she may be allowed to leave would be if they became a Buddhist monk never interacting with anyone who is not a monk. The worst thing he can do is to open a martial art school because it can be used to recruit and train to start a new clan.
Page 14 - The funeral scene is American one. Japanese cremate their dead and the only attire allowed at a funeral is black. "Oroku Saki" is not a Japanese name and "Saki" is a feminine name. Japanese clans doesn't set up a branch office as one would set up a business. They rarely, if ever, establish a new branch because relationships between clans are too complicated and Japan has been divided and subdivided between clans that any expansion would be effectively invading another clan. Also, ninja don't wear ninja costume unless they are in a mission which they need those clothes. The clan symbol looks like a pirate flag.
Page 15 - Ninja clans stay out of criminal activities unless summoned and ordered by the government they serve because they are not mafia. There is no point in doing things that the samurai lord of the domain (in the past) or the government would find undesirable. Yoshi (and Tang Shen of course) seems to be forgotten all his training by asking stupid questions and Saki should never have told his name. His costume also looks like a parody of Darth Vader.
Page 20-22 - Guards are walking around with weapons. The point of being ninja is not to attract any attention and guards should really be beggars, shopkeepers and an innocent looking old woman with children. No point in being obvious.
Page 23 - Ninja don't announce what they are going to do nor are they supposed to be emotionally involved in business they conduct. By murdering Yoshi and Tang, Saki had broken that unwritten law because clan leaders nor anyone else had commanded him to kill.
Page 24 - Use stairs!
Page 25 - Turtles are shouting instead of waiting quietly.
Page 27 - Weapons wielded by Foots are Chinese weapons.
Page 33 - It doesn't make sense for Shredder to call turtles gaijin. Maybe "Monsters" or "Yokai".
Page 34 and 35 - Shredder should go inside so he can take on turtles one by one and avoid getting hit by thrown items. He should also throw something back.
Page 37 - Ninja don't or more accurately ninja are never allowed to commit seppuku because ninja are considered dishonorable spies. Only samurai are allowed to seppuku and only for commiting a crime which can be redeemed by it. If a samurai commit a dishonorably crime, he can be executed instead which is roughly equal to the European practice of burning at the stake. In fact, Shredder's willingness to sacrifice his life to kill his opponents are commendable according to ninja logic because that's the least thing he must do.

That's all I can find for right now.

Sorry, this is me. Somehow I got logged out. Revth 16:11, 2 Feb 2005 (UTC)

reply

I didn't move Nintendo Entertainment System, however I was trying to disambiguate SMB. --Nintendude 08:29, 8 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]