TMNT Talkback: Episode 5.01: "Lap of the Gods" (Spoilers)

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Episode 5.01: Lap of the Gods
Original Air Date: February 16, 2008
Written by Christopher Yost

Previously on TMNT: The mysterious quartet of ninjas called the Ninja Tribunal kidnaps the turtles and four other warrior-strangers, and recruits them as their soldier in a war against a great evil.

This week, on TMNT: The Ninja Tribunal begins its merciless training regimen, as the turtles and company get a hint of the challenges to come.

Bonus: Acolyte Spelling guide
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From left to right: Adam, Tora, Faraji, Joi
 
These episodes will be brand new to me, since I didn't watch them through "other means" like a lot of people did a few months ago.

In general I'm glad I waited, because now I have 12 brand new episodes to watch. I also stayed away from spoilers, even though I unfortunately found out about some things from this season I wish I didn't, but oh well.

I'm looking forward to this.
 
You can find them on the intarwebs since they've been there even before 4Kids FINALLY decided to air them, back when they had the On-Demand service.
 
Well as the first real episode of Season 5 (last weeks was just the Season 4 finale again), this episode was pretty decent.

Not a whole lot actually happened, but it is a decent introductory episode to the season. I remember a few years ago everyone commented how 4kids erased Japanese culture in their own anime (Pokemon in particular), yet in TMNT which is produced by themselves has ton of it. Ironic, huh?

Anyway, I look forward to next week.
 
It is ironic, that they remove all the Japanese culture from the Japanese cartoons, but add it to the American ones.

Overall I really enjoyed this episode and I can't wait until the series is released on DVD.
 
Well, that all harkens to the whole BS of "Cultural ambiguity" they tried to get away with. But then again, the Japanese companies can't speak up against it, while Mirage/ Peter Laird would say how rediculous that would be. Besides, they're Ninjas. I mean, a slow witted kid can mistake an anime for being a US production, but a complete fool doesn't know where ninjas come from.

I like this lost season so far (though I was waiting to catch it on DVD, but then again, I may not wind up getting it anyway, finanically). Even though they clearly borrowed some stuff from Naruto (the hand jivin' for one). But I almost forgot how much I loved 2k3 turtles, not having seen episodes in some time (back to the DVD thing, I was going to get the second FF DVD and see them all at once, but didn't have the money). I just can't wait to see the end of this saga, myself.
 
The reason they will add Japanese culture to their own works while delete it from acquired works is very simple: they obviously want to portray Japan on their own terms. When you're showing Japan, you have to have your wise old masters, your martial arts, your broken speech, your philosophy, your rock gardens. Having Japanese characters that go to places like the mall or the park or to an island or around the world, that DON'T have a majestic Mt. Fuji hanging over it at all times, and all the while NOT being English, is unforgivable.

I mean, heaven forbid their shows actually allow the portrayal of Japanese people as being, le GASP, just like anyone else. (You know, aside from the card obsessions and living dinos and all ;))
 
I have to say the animation in these episodes are amazing..I love the background designs very detailed. impressive I'll say. Also great tease with the fight. :D
 
And finally, we have here the official first episode of season 5, and it's a good one, though like the previous episode it pretty much exists as setup. Very nice to see the 2K3 style again, and the more varied colour palettes that go with it.

- I found the training sequence a little jarring, as it's rather quick and the 'real' training doesn't begin until the next episode. But I suppose they had to buy time to get splinter and ancient one across the sea.

- speaking of which, do the turtles reunite with splinter before the 'dream sequence' begins, or does splinter arrive while the tribunal has them in a trance? There was never an obvious point when the tribunals misdirection was supposed to begin.

-I like how the female tribunal master is the one of strength, and the big burly silent one is the master of stealth. The series has never strayed far from cliches, but it sidestepped one here.
 
You do realize the "hand jivin'" is not original to Naruto.



And what if the female master knows alot of medical/healing techniques? :p
 
My guess is, as soon as Splinter enters, the 'dream sequence' begins. Considering when it ends, Splinter is still at the door, and the turtles are sitting down...

Also, notice in the begining during the intro when the four members are in their Shredder armor. The one on the lower left is only visible from the top to his waist....the blue colored armor...
 
A lot of really good-looking stuff in this episode; from the beautiful backgrounds to the Shishos' transformation sequence to the fight against the (very cool) dragon, this episode is visually among the series' best. Sadly, while the rest doesn't look horrible by any means, it never reaches the bar set by this beaut.

Random thoughts:

It's funny how...different the Ninja Tribunal's designs are, after the relative deritativeness of the acolytes'; I wonder if that was in any way intentional? I also wonder when it was decided that the Tribunal would have designs outside the Shredder armor--was it when the group was first conceptualized back in season 4, or was it decided during the design phase of season 5 proper? In any case, they're damn cool--I really like how they incorporate the upside-down Foot sign--I didn't notice Chikara's until today.

Character details like this is what's always set the show appart for me: little details such as how their Superman analogue is a black man, the Ultimate Ninja has an unexplained metal hand, the old married couple in the second Nobody episode is interracial, and that Faraji uses a katana. Hell, Hun in himself is pretty damn cliche-busting. But yeah, this is a very nice detail--plus, it explains why you don't see Hisomi with the other three Shisho's in the Master Yoshi episode--he's being stealthy ;) . And it's also appropriate, since "Chikara" is Japanese for "strengh".

Just in case you were wondering: The "shisho" heard after every one of the Tribunal members' names is a title and not a surname; it means "Master".

Two episodes in, and the turtles have yet to question the upside-down Foot symbol. Even they're incredibly dense and haven't noticed yet, or they've realized that it's pretty much irrelevant at this juncture.
 
Chikara likes to show off her thighs, doesn't she.:D

As everyone has stated before me, it's great to see the old designs in action again. TMNT never looked so good...and may never look this good again.

Concerning the "upside down" Foot emblem, I'm willing to wager that their seal is the original whilst The Dark One tainted it by turning his logo 180 degrees, creating what we known as the Foot emblem. The Dark One obviously turns out to be the "true" Shredder the Foot Mystics alluded to back in S4's "Good Genes". It'll be nice to see Oroku Saki again, even he existed back in feudal Japan.
 
I thought the Ultimate Ninja wore a metal claw gauntlet? I'll have to check again (yay, the DVDs are out Tues!) but I don't remember that standing out for me. And what's so cliche-busting about Faraji weilding the katana? He still comes off too much as the stalwart Leonardo-type of the human acolytes.
 
Faraji is African. He's probably Swahili, or at least Swahili descent--his name definitively is--and if so, he's possibly from either Tanzania or Kenya, the countries with a significant Swahili population that also have English as a first or second language (thank you, Wikipedia). Given this apparent background (fanwanked but not illogical, and so far uncontradicted by the show itself, until it chooses to screw me and say that he's from Chelsea), one would expect him to use whatever weapon the Swahili historically used. Instead he uses a katana, which, while a cliche weapon in itself, is not what one would expect an African man to use.

As for the Ultimate Ninja, he has the metal claw gauntlet in his right hand, and what appears to be a prosthetic in his left, as seen here.
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It's not a glove, seeing how his right hand is uncovered and shows the purple-and gold armbands stopping just short of the fist. So, unexplained metal hand.
 
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