Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Loves Attack On Titan As Much As You Do
Anime is more popular than ever. The accessibility of streaming and simulcasting make it easier than ever to be up to date with new shows as they air in Japan. Likewise, there are many big celebrities being open about their admiration for the medium and how they pull inspiration from it, raising awareness to even bigger crowds. Artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Jamie Lee Curtis talked about their love for anime, Samuel L Jackson produced "Afro Samurai" and even Michael B. Jordan directly referenced anime when making "Creed 3."
And yet, it is arguably "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" that makes it official: anime is mainstream now. While filmmakers like Jordan Peele have long drawn inspiration from anime, we haven't really seen a project from a franchise as well-known as "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" not only reference an anime show but actually make it a part of the plot — until now.
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" does a lot to update the popular franchise and the characters, like giving them a bold new visual style. The film also updates the references the characters drop, such as Gru from "Despicable Me" and "Megamind," as well as what their interests are, like making Michelangelo an improv comedy fan or making Donatello a total weeb.
That's right. Donatello (and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem") likes anime as much as you do. More specifically, he likes shonen anime like "Attack on Titan."
Spoilers for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" to follow.
A meaningful reference
"Attack on Titan" is arguably the biggest anime show of the past decade. From the moment the show premiered, it captivated audiences all over the world, regardless of how familiar they were with the genre. And with good reason too. This is a show that offers the kind of thrills and plot twists on par with shows like "Game of Thrones" or "The Walking Dead," including gorgeous visuals and one of the best anime soundtracks out there.
Throughout the years, the show has only grown more ambitious and complex in the best possible way. At its peak, the show was trending on social media and crashing streaming servers every single week because of how popular it is.
In "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," Donatello references the show early in the film as an anime he likes, just another one of the many references Donnie drops, like "Avengers: Endgame" or BTS. But towards the end of the film, as the turtles prepare to fight against a mutated giant Superfly the size of a skyscraper, Donnie gets an idea. What if they specifically target Superfly's nape, as they do in a key "Attack on Titan" sequence. And indeed, their plan works.
For the uninitiated, "Attack on Titan" is an anime that starts out about a group of people hunted by massive humanoid monsters called Titans that eat people. The only way to kill them is to cut their nape. From there, well, it's best not to spoil the show.
The start of bigger things
We've come a long way since the days when shows like "South Park" would mock the very idea of anime as just something foreign and weird, from the time when the only thing adults could name about anime was "Pokémon." At what point do shows like "Demon Slayer" or "Attack on Titan" become as big points of reference for popular animated shows as "TMNT" itself or "G.I. Joe" in the '80s?
After all, it isn't only in Japan where anime movies can top even the biggest blockbusters at the box office. In the U.S., too, movies based on popular shows like "Demon Slayer," "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Dragon Ball" make a lot of money, comparable with big Hollywood releases.
"TMNT" has always been about speaking to contemporary references, ever since the original comic satirized contemporary superhero comics. "Mutant Mayhem" too is a movie that feels very much of today for many reasons, such as pushing innovative visuals in animation, and now, in the way it recognizes the prominent place anime has in pop culture.