I grew up with the original series, but...

I'm on the same boat here, I grew up loving the 80's but I just love the more consistent comic-bookish storyline in the 2k3 version. The first TMNT movie released back in 90 was very close to the comics, but due to some fan and parent complaints of not being close to the tv show, we got the mess that was Secret of the Ooze and Turtles in time later on. They were okay for turtle films but you could really see the drop of the darker TMNT the first one gave us. The 2007 was aight. What made that one good was the theme of brotherhood.

This is off-topic, but...

By writing "2k3", you guys are saving the time it takes to write... one extra character. ONE. 2003, 2-k-3. In a year you've shaved off 10 seconds by doing it. Whoa! Probably the least necessary abbreviation I've ever seen. Worse than "Av" (instead of "Avatar"). Saying it would be one thing (it's a lot smoother), but writing it?

Okay, I'm done here. Moving on.

In all my life, I will never love a woman the way this officer loved that lip ferret.

I'm inclined to agree with the OP...

I also started with the original series way back when, as a child. Loved it then, but I have to say, this series is vastly superior. I think of it as a sort of love-letter to those of us who did grow up with the original, and who were now older and with a taste for the darker tonality. It's also a great way to introduce today's kids (to whom this sort of tone isn't any longer unusual in an animated series) to the Turtles, and keeps much of their basic personalities intact while improving on them to make them even more relateable.

There's a bit of patronizing exposition going on from time to time, and there are still some very cheesy villain moments (who really cackles madly after telling you what they're going to do to you?)...but kids aren't really going to pick up on that until later.

I love that here, we have an animated series, ostensibly for kids (and adults who remember the original), which actually maintains a continuity. There's no pandering to the attention span of your average 8 year old here- story arcs continue for 5, 6 episodes at a time, and there's development throughout the series. This isn't something you would have found in, say, Captain Planet, where the villain is defeated and lumbers off and the kids realize the moral of the story and everyone's laughing and happy. It leaves you hanging sometimes (often, in fact), and isn't afraid to explore the possibility of death and finality.

Personally, I'd like to see an even grittier version aimed squarely at those of us who are now adults and grew up with the Turtles in the late 80's and early 90's. Even so, this is first grade entertainment, no matter what age you are (do you really think half of Mikey's references are aimed at an 8 year old? How many of them know who Sulu or Kirk are?)

True, this series stays closer to the comic. However the violence and messages of the comic are toned down a lot. I feel the series came out a little too late and personaly i find the older characters and their voice actors much better.

Notice also that in the original series the first episodes arc, the ones animated in Japan, have much better quality than the rest and surpass even the 2003 series. Sadly the japanese episodes are very few and the rest is mediocre mostly but it has variety at least

I must admit I did not read the comics, so I can`t judge the adaption quality, but I`ll say this though: the 2k3 series is much more 'mature' - and I don`t mean that because of the increased cartoon violence and danger, but because it deals with more relevant issues (such as coming to terms with defeat or building yourself back up again). Also I find the humour really good (the subtle references help) and the cast <i>much</i> more fleshed out. You can feel the 2k3 turtles are 'living' individuals and not just a bunch of cartoony clones. The events are more epic, the consequences are more 'real' and the gradual increase in magnitude is quite gripping.

Some people see what is and ask Why, while others see what might be and ask Why not?

this series is vastly superior

i grew up with the original show but let's be honest.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=14spme0&s=8#.U_XRd2K9KK0

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