Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: A fascinating story and character development

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Superhuman Legends - The nostalgic heroes are back!

The OVA "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Superhuman Legend Edition," released on May 21, 1996, is a new story about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who once swept across the United States and were loved as great heroes in Japan as well. The work is produced by Tsuburaya Productions and BeeMedia, and is made up of 30-minute episodes. The original story is by Mirage Studios and Fred Wolf, and the director is Shunji Ohga.

story

The story is about four pet turtles who transform into the Turtles through the power of Mutangen, which transforms animals into human-like forms, and become heroes who fight against evil. One day, the Turtles are called by the spirit of light, Chrismu, and are given a mysterious stone called the Muta Stone, which gives them a three-minute power boost. Meanwhile, Rocksteady and Bebop obtain a pair of the Dark Muta Stone. As the Turtles and their arch enemy, the Shredder-led Foot Clan, fight over the Miyuhei Stone, a hidden treasure in Japan, it is revealed that the Miyuhei Stone is actually a Muta Stone, and has the power to summon the seven guardian beasts, the Metal Beasts.

Commentary

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is a US-produced work based on an American comic book, featuring anthropomorphized turtle ninjas. It was also broadcast in Japan and gained great popularity. This work is an OVA produced in Japan after the TV broadcast ended in 1996, and consists of two episodes, "Super Turtles in Big Trouble! Saint Appears!" and "Guardian Beast Descends: Metal Turtles Appear!". These episodes were produced as promotional animations for the toys "Super Turtles" and "Metal Mutations", respectively.

cast

The cast of this film is as follows:

• Leonardo: Hiroki Nakamura
• Raphael: Hiroyuki Shibamoto
• Michelangelo: Toshiharu Sakurai
• Donatello: Hidenari Ugaki
• Splinter, Emperor Kraang: Hideyuki Umezu
• April: Emi Shinohara
• Shredder: Kiyoyuki Yanada
• Rocksteady: Hidetoshi Nakamura
• Be-Bop: Norio Tsukui
• Chris Mew, Dark Mew: Rei Sakuma
• Kinzo Hattori: Tomohiro Nishimura
• Communications engineer: Hirokazu Nagano

Main Staff

The main staff of this work are as follows:

• Planning: Hirohisa Sato, Tetsuya Suzuki, Hidemi Saya, Kiyoshi Ihara
• Planning cooperation: Nobuyuki Okude
• Written by: Mirage Studios, Fred Wolf
• Character design: Satoshi Hirayama
• Screenplay: Masashi Togawa
• Art director: Osamu Honda
• Director of photography: Takashi Yasuda
• Sound Director: Miwa Iwanami
• Music: Takeshi Ike
• Producers: Hideyuki Kachi, Kozo Itagaki, Taro Maki
• Supervisor: Junzo Takaki
• Animation production: Bee Media Ltd., Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
• Director: Shunji Ohga
• Casting cooperation: 81 Production
• Video check: Kazuhisa Takeda, Kazuyuki Kuroiwa, Hiroyuki Saito (Studio Egg)
• Color setting: Hidemi Nakama
• Color designation: Aki Watanabe (episode 1), Kazumi Hasegawa (episode 2) (Studio Toys)
• Special effects: Takashi Maekawa
• Edited by: Kazuhiko Seki, Shigeyuki Yamamori, JAY FILM
• Title design: Yukiko Ohira
• Title: Squirrel Work: Maki Pro
• Developed by Tokyo Developing Laboratory
• Sound producer: Toru Nakano
• Sound effects: Shoji Kato (episode 1), Junichi Sasaki (episode 2) (Anime Sound Production)
• Recording adjustment: Naotsugu Uchida
• Sound: Ryoko Nashimoto
• Recording studio: Hirano Enpei, HALF HP STUDIO
• Sound Production: Masahiro Tsukada, Yuko Ueda
• Sound Production: HALF HP STUDIO
• Music producers: Yoshiyuki Hiramatsu, Kazuo Kogure
• Music Director: Nobuhiro Hasegawa
• Music Production: Suplex Inc., Columbia Edutainment Inc.
• Soundtrack released and distributed by: Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.
• Design and color setting cooperation: Hiroyuki Hama
• Setting cooperation: Yoshihiro Watanabe
• Animation Producer: Yoshinaga Minami (Bee Media), Katsuhide Tomita (Tsuburaya Productions Animation Production Department)
• Animation production cooperation: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
• Produced by: Turtles OVA Production Committee (Takara Co., Ltd., Aeon Co., Ltd. (now Furyu Co., Ltd.), Suplex Co., Ltd., Meets Co., Ltd.)

Main Characters

The main characters in this game are:

• Leonardo: The leader of the Turtles. When he combines with the Shining Beast, he becomes the Dragon Emperor, with a blue dragon motif.
• Raphael: A member of the Turtles. When he combines with the Shining Beast, he becomes the Phoenix Emperor, which has a phoenix motif.
• Michelangelo: A member of the Turtles. When he combines with the Shining Beast, he becomes the Insect Emperor, based on a spider-like Ushi-oni.
• Donatello: A member of the Turtles. When he combines with the Shining Beast, he becomes the Lion Emperor, with a lion-headed Nue motif.

Detailed story and character analysis

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Superhuman Legend" depicts the new adventures of the Turtles, and the Muta Stones and the Shining Beasts are at the heart of the story. The Muta Stones have the power to power up the Turtles for three minutes, and are important items for them to fight new enemies. In addition, the scenes in which the Turtles transform into different forms by combining with the Shining Beasts are visually very attractive, and are an element that captures the hearts of children.

As the leader of the Turtles, Leonardo displays calm judgment and leadership. His combined form with the Shining Beast, the Dragon Emperor, is a majestic form based on the motif of a blue dragon and has the power to overwhelm his enemies. Raphael is a hot-blooded man, and his passion is his strength in battle. The Phoenix Emperor, based on the motif of a phoenix, can control the power of fire and burn his enemies to ashes. Michelangelo is a cheerful and humorous character, and his spider-like Ushi-oni as the Insect Emperor is known for his diverse attack methods. Donatello is knowledgeable and plays the role of providing scientific solutions. As the Lion Emperor, the lion-headed Nue defeats his enemies with powerful physical attacks and tactics that make full use of wisdom.

Background and influences

This is an OVA produced in Japan after the TV broadcast ended in 1996, and was also intended to promote toys. The two episodes "Super Turtles in Big Trouble! Saints Enter!" and "Guardian Beasts Descend: Metal Turtles Enter!" were produced to promote the "Super Turtles" and "Metal Mutation" toys, respectively. These promotional animations aroused children's interest in the toys, further increasing the popularity of the Turtles.

This joint production by Tsuburaya Productions and BeeMedia faithfully recreated the world of the Turtles while adding new elements, making it appealing to new audiences as well as existing fans. In particular, the scenes where the turtles combine with the Shining Beasts and the power-up effects of the Muta Stones create a visual impact that enhances the appeal of the work.

Music and Sound

The film's music is by Takeshi Ike, and features a spectacular soundtrack that enhances the sense of adventure and heroism. Sound director Miwa Iwanami effectively uses the battle scenes and character voices to enhance the viewers' emotions. In particular, the music and sound effects work together to further enhance the visual impact during the scenes where the Turtles transform and combine with the Shining Beasts.

Recommendation to viewers

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Superhuman Legend" is a must-see for fans of the Turtles, and will be enjoyable for new audiences as well. In particular, the scenes where the Turtles combine with the Shining Beasts and power up with the Mutant Stones are visually appealing and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The story also has depth, depicting the growth and friendship of each of the Turtles' characters, as well as their battles with new enemies.

Although this work was produced as an OVA in 1996, its appeal has not faded even today, and it offers a great opportunity to enjoy the world of the Turtles. Please try experiencing the Turtles' new adventure.