From the beginning of his mutated life, to the end of his life in the bad future, Mikey is comforting ppl, making them feel better. The pat on Splinter’s hand, the wink to Casey Jr. And the fact that there was no sign of his younger self in his future design, except for a single peace sign where his stickers used to be. He never stop hoping and seeing the good in things. Even as the world burned around them. I love him so much.
I also feel mikey's fighting style is so flashy as a way to protect his brothers and to divert the enemies attention away from them cause he is the fastest and more agile
i think it's very important to note that in the future it's implied that raph and donnie are dead. they're not present or mentioned, and you can see two ribbons, red and purple, tied around leo's sword. the two people who are gone when future mikey opens the portal are the two people who support him when our mikey opens it to save leo.
I think I saw some story board thing that had Raph's shell and Donnie's battle shell on a wall. Not really sure if it was official but it seems like they were leaning into more than just implying that at some point during development
I’m so glad Mikey got to be analyzed. He deserves so much love and it’s disappointing he had to go through so much /just/ inside his family. Thank you so much for this analysis.
@@anonymousanon1129 2012Mikey is just living bro 🤨 Rise Mikey is literally the family therapist and has youngest sibling syndrome meaning he feels looked down on all the time and constantly has to prove himself to even feel useful for like 2 seconds. 2012 Mikey doesn't even register what happens to him half the time (Not to say it's not bad) 2012 Mikey might have a lot of trauma but his brothers aren't as abusive as the fandom make them out to be. It's because of the way Splinter raised them they act like they act.
The fact that the writers came out and said the reason why we sometimes felt tension between Mikey and Raph was due to the fact that they wanted to make an episode where they showed how close they were when they were young but slowly drifted apart as Mikey got older honestly just further shows the tragedy of what was taken from us. But regardless with that concept in mind I actually really like the fact that they were once close but aren’t anymore. Cuz then we get to see Mikey’s relationship with Leo and Donnie. Which is also enjoy seeing the difference in. Mikey is just a big ol’ ball of affection and he often shows that through physical touch, he shows that to all his brother but with Leo he shows it the most. You can tell that Mikey really looks up and adores Leo. But he’s also not scared of butting heads with him either and being competitive with his big brother, and will do so in hilarious ways. His relationship with Donnie, is also very different, to me Mikey feels more like Donnie’s shadow sometimes seeing how often the two are together, but what I find the most amazing thing about Donnie and Mikey’s relationship and why it’s my favorite one of the bunch is that Mikey is the only one in their family who Donnie is perfectly okay with touching him and even will often be the one to instigate said physical affection, example the dozen of times in the movie and in the smaller moments in the show. Which for Donnie, knowing full well he doesn’t like physical affection is huge for his character as well as Mikey’s cuz he’s still very respectful towards Mikey. I think the reason why he and Donnie are so close is that while Donnie is still a protective big brother to Mikey, he doesn’t baby Mikey like Raph does. Donnie treats Mikey like an equal. And Mikey kinda clings to that and you can tell he’s very much appreciative that Donnie doesn’t treat him like a fragile doll 90% of the time like Raph had.
Also I want to take a moment to thank you for bringing up and defending Splinter. There are soooo many fans that say he’s a toxic, abusive and awful father to the turtles when in reality while he is emotionally neglectful, which is just as damaging as physical neglect but like you said emotional neglect isn’t always abusive. Splinter is NOT a abusive or awful father he’s just a man that has made a lot of mistakes but ultimately still adores his sons and the family he’s managed to create.
One of the interesting things I noticed is that Mikey's high empathy and emotional awareness allows him to be logical in situations when even the typically highly logical and low empathy Donnie can't be. In the Durby episode, despite wanting attention from Splinter as well, Mikey is able to spot the red flags that Donnie either can't or purposefully ignores. Yet, latter on, Mikey is able to point out that they really should be focusing on staying alive rather than their family squabble. Similarly, Mikey is the first to be able to break out of the montage spell.
i feel like not enough people talk about how it feels being the youngest child, being compensated for your emotions, then abruptly being told one day that you have to grow up, expected to maturely handle our emotional vulnerability without being told how
Also noting that the PowerPoint he made for Donnnie comparing how Splinter treats Donnie to how Donnie treats Shellodon indicates that he doesn’t like how Splinter treats him and knows that it isn’t healthy. You can see his reactions when Donnie goes on about approval form parent aged adults . I think he’s much more introspective than any realizes, both in show in on fandom. I wonder if he bottles up his emotions sometimes, because there’s a reason he has confronted Splinter. Even throughout Tutrle dega, he’s suspicious of him, but doesn’t confront him, instead focusing on Donnie. He never really has serious moments with his dad. Except for in hidden city, which is also the only time his dad says his name I think. And technically, he says Mikey not Michelangelo . I wish we had an episode of Mikey airing his grievances.
yeah, i dont think splinter ever referred to mikey ever in the show. not even "orange" he says the others names at least once, and in the episode where he says "mikey" he's trying to prove that he's the better parent.
@@millie.. I’m about the rewatch the show, but I feel like he has to have said Orange at least once, right? Definitely not as frequently as he’s said any of the other names though. It seems like he got more depressed as the years went on, and as the kids became more self sufficient he pulled back. Which would explain why Mikey doesn’t seem to know what his hugs feel like and why he was originally so desperate to spend time with him in the turtle dega nights episode
If I remember well, Mikey had some arguments with Splinter: first at April's house, when they had dinner with Draxum and Mikey warned his dad about not bringing up the mutation thing and in the Hidden City episode: when Teddy Bear Draxum disappear, Mikey immediately confronts his father about it
True, but I meant parenting specific argument(also I mentioned their hidden city moment in my original comment). Like what Donnie had in Turtle dega nights. Or a real moment of understanding like Raph and Splinter when they went inside his head and Raph saw his mom leave. /gen, nm
@@fibromiteready2fight809 maybe he did, but i genuinely can't remember. he definitely says red and blue the most. i think definitely think he was so desperate for his attention bc hes never really truly gotten it. also, a theory that i have is that when the others get older/develop and learn how to deal with their problems in healthy ways, mikey is gonna struggle a lot because i feel like that gives him a lot of purpose, helping his brothers. i didnt notice him get more depressed as the show went on, but i did feel like he got more paranoid and scared because of the shredder and the kraang.
I genuinely have no idea how this video ended up as long as it did. I was for real expecting it to be like 20 minutes at most. I just had things to say apparently lol
Despite his lack of character development he is sort of the stitching holding them together, He’s not always as developed or fleshed out like the others he is extremely important to the show, not only for fan fare but also for plot and the character development of the other characters, he is essentially how you do a supporting character the right way, he’s not over powered but he’s definitely not underwhelming,he never gets annoying or redundant and his actions don’t ever make the other characters unnecessary or less special and also doesn’t ever feel like he’s overshadowing them, but he also feels important and integral to the story, plot, and other character’s development, but he honestly never feels like he’s a support character, it’s a great way to show the character is there to be supportive without them being solely a support character, it’s clear he is a main character that is in a supportive role, and it’s honestly amazing, so many shows have supportive characters that end up only being support characters, or they end up getting redundant or annoying, take iris from pokemon, she was a very supportive character and had great plot points in the show, but she had certain traits that she had that almost seemed like she did to give her character, but in the end did the opposite, take her phrase “you’re such a little kid” it’s supposed to make her feel more mature and level headed but when it’s used multiple times per episode it gets annoying, it makes her seem like that was the only thing she was there for, a sort of mature supportive character that ended up backfiring and made her seem like an annoying teen who is trying too hard to be an adult, so much so to the point that “I’m the mature one” it almost becomes the only trait she has as a character, but Mikey never has that problem, he’s very much the supportive younger sibling, but he’s never useless or even lacking as a character, he’s there for them on and off the field, he’s relatable, he’s adorable, and he’s interesting, he never feels like he’s a side character even though his biggest role is a supportive one
When you said that older Mikey was destroyed by the emotional weight of handling his powers alone “with a smile on his face” I felt that When you said that Mikey sees being the family therapist as “the least he could do” because he “had it the easiest” I FELT THAT Great video, youngest children solidarity my man
Mikey needs family, I think that’s true in all versions. He can’t deal if his family is broken/missing/dead. It’s completely messes up his personality and turns him into an almost unrecognizable version of himself in the most extreme version (last ronin) or harden, becoming ruthless and strategic(same as it never was). He NEEDS family or else he falls apart.
Interestingly enough, I feel like the same can be somewhat said for Leo. He literally tells Hueso in the episode where he accidentally sent his brothers to Tahiti that he’s nothing without them. It makes me think that Leo would have a similar reaction to Mikey if he lost his family.
@@kandymae I do think in the bad future, if it was just one of them, and not the last brother and April (andJr) that they would’ve lost it. This Mikey was objectively the most grounded, happy Michelangelo in an apocalypse setting(Last Ronin, Same as it Never was episode in 2003, etc). I’m sure they obviously had bad days, weeks, years, etc but it’s better than it could’ve been. Additionally,they all really need each other, and I don’t think Raph and Donnie would survive if the other’s died. They all really need each other.
Can I just say that even the Mikey of 2012 TMNT was a very caring member of their family? I mean, when Shredder almost killed Splinter and Raph went into a rage, Mikey was the only one who was able to stop him by... hugging him. He's supposed to be the most childish and "unmature" member of their family, yet he was able to keep a cool head while he had to watch his only parent to be defeated and possibly killed. He didn't cry. Didn't tremble. He just comforted his most emotionally constipated brother when he couldn't hold it together. I never forgot that about him. For me, he is the glue what keeps together his family in both versions of the ninja turtles.
I really do love how all four turtles are written to represent a different mental health struggle: Leo - Impostor Syndrome Raph - Anxiety Donnie - Autism Mikey - ADHD
Since I have ADHD myself,I have a different role in my family since my little sister isn't really experiencing any problems (ones I can sense) while my parents are also trying to make me "normal" like everyone else,making me emotionally numb sometimes. I honestly relate to Mikey on the part where you have to hide your emotions to help the emotional needs of others. We're not stupid,immature,clumsy,or childish. We might be like those,sure... But we can also be emotionally mature and intelligent. So yeah,sorry for my rant
As an oldest child and both a raph and Mikey kinnie, this analysis is super interesting. I have had experiences that my younger siblings will never experience but I never noticed that they have to go through things I never will.
I'm the middle child out of all my moms kids, but she lost custody of us all so I grew up with only my older brother and sister raised by our Grandma, so I'm technically the baby of the family. It really helps me understand what my older sister went through, being the oldest of us all. She had to throw away her childhood to help raise us.
technically speaking between me and my two sisters I’m the middle child but because I’m labeled as “the mature one” out of the three of us I take on the oldest sibling role I’d say. I really wish I actually could help my sisters like Raph or be more emotional win tune with my emotions like Mikey cause I see them bonding with each other but because of lack of knowledge on my emotions due to my accidental trauma I can’t really do that. 😅😥
I'm the youngest sibling of six. It's wild being the baby of that many kids, but also daunting. Absolutely everything she spoke about Mikey―I felt as if she was speaking about me. While I don't feel as if I'm the emotional glue that keeps everyone together (though I have taken the therapist role way more than once, I still give the "emotional glue" title to the oldest brother), I do relate to absolutely everything else. Younger sibling privileges, seeing the amount of problems that've run deep in the family for years and feeling awful because it sometimes feels like no one else can see it and wants to "break the chain," being taken as the more "immature" one and as a result either being brushed off, being taken entirely out of context, and/or treated like glass. Knowing every single fucked up experience/story in this family either through personal, first-hand experience or the mouths of others. I could go on. I wanna mention real quick that I don't relate to the ADHD part either, though. I do have diagnosed OCD and Depression―which I'm not shocked about anymore, considering mental illness and many other messed up things that aren't really relevant to mention, nor am I comfortable with mentioning, run in my family. Probably why when I first watched ROTTMNT, I was able to see and understand the signs, relationships, and dynamics pretty quickly. It's a show that puts broken families across (almost eerily) realistically, and is all around so much more grounded. ROTTMNT overall means so much to me! All of this is only the bare minimum as to why. I'm happy I was late to the party and didn't end up joining in on the hate bandwagon it got in the past.
Nothing made me laugh harder in the series than Mikey’s HUGE gasp in Turtle Dega Nights when Splinter actually said Donatello’s name. Yet that huge gasp is so telling about so many aspects of those three’s relationship.
You worded this beautifully. The heart and love put into this analysis is evident with every piece and it's long but it's worth it. Mikey deserved a lot more time in the story but what _is_ there isn't devoid of narrative payoff and you emphasize it perfectly. Amazing work and a wonderful dive into a character we all love dearly. 🧡🐢
as an oldest child, the very last section had me in tears. he is such a good character and so very relatable, even if i don't resonate with the youngest sibling experience. that's how REAL this family is. i am so so glad he got some love. he deserves it. i love your commentary!!
As a younger sibling myself in a partially dysfunctional family, I feel this. There was never a moment in my life where I wouldn't feel the need to please everyone around me and help them with their emotions. My mother gets angry very easily, so I'm usually the one calming her down and help her get on a normal conversation ground again. If there are communication problems between my family members, I help them talk to each other. This video essay really connected to me, because I feel a lot of Mikey's struggles and emotions, the only thing I don't do is lash out in the style of Dr. Delicate Touch. Thank you so much for writing this, it's beautiful, 10/10, did cry at the end
That one with Mikey hit me a lot, just having to hear your parents fight, almost every other night, wanting to try to go back to sleep, or get away from the noise, turning the music up higher, or becoming extremely fidgety to try and get rid of all that anxiety, wanting to cry. It just really sucks.
Omg I’m so glad there’s someone dedicating in-depth character analysis’ to Rise. It’s such an under appreciated show, there’s so much subtle character development throughout the whole series for every main character
I don't watch this show, but you've encouraged me to. Seeing Mikey (ADHD) and Donnie (Autism) being so close really hit me emotionally, as I have autism AND ADHD. I see so much of myself in these characters every time you show them, especially interacting with each other, it's like seeing myself. Hearing you talk about holding families together, and feeling invisible, and taking on the stress of others got me downright crying. I honestly kind of wish we had more singular characters in media that had both, or at least partner characters that represented both working together.
Me and 1st brother are the diagnosed autistic/adhd duo. While we are always butting heads or sharing the same braincell, im occasionally making sure he doesn't endanger. Therefore, i get mad at him whenever he thinks of cooking. It's his scatterbrainedness that makes me think he shouldn't be truted behind the wheel. However, because im the autistic one, it doesn't mean that i can be described by one line. For example, you can me having anxiety about high school to my mother therefore raph mikey and donnie are my favorite of the bunch.
With every charachter analysis of these turtles I realize why I relate to them with each analysis Donnie= struggles with low empathy (this doesnt happen often but when it does happen its because im overwhelmed and dont want to deal with it) Leo= insecure and has up emotional walls Mikey= high empathy and gave himself the role of "mediator" Anyway, another great analysis and cant wait to see what comes next 👍
As an eldest child I found it harder to relate to Mikey than the others turtles (I think it’s no surprise I’m also a Raph kinnie) but I love this video and everything you cover in it, it really puts Mikey’s place in the family into perspective and with how often he’s overlooked in the show and by the fandom, I’m really glad his character is getting talked about more, I still hold out hope for rise being unpaused, and for Mikey to have more of a spotlight, but I absolutely love his character as it is now
Yay! I love Mikey’s character and i needed an analysis of him so bad,also is kinda sad how he always try to keep his family together,even Baron Draxum (also i excited to see the analysis of his high empathy) Edit: I LOVE THE ANALYSIS SO MUCH! I just have one brother and im oldest,so i never understand how is to be the youngest,but i understand how is to be the therapist and glue of the family,if an argument was starting,i always tried to resolve the problem and calm everyone down,bc i feel that was my responsibility to keep my family together not matter what (spoiler:this is not healthy,i ended being depressed and with crisis every time an argument start) so i loved the video,idk why i tell something personal instead of saying something from the video,anyways have a good day and year and a hug to every Mikey kinnie
Not the youngest child, but having the pressure to feel like you have to be the family therapist really resonated with me. Seeing people getting so angry at each other all the time usually doesn’t make sense when you know what the other person is going to feel because of it (I don’t know if I would qualify as being very empathetic or having high empathy, but this feeling is probably accentuated when you have high empathy?). When you feel like you can understand what the other person is going through, you want to help, but it doesn’t always mean your help will be taken or even appreciated. I think you hit the nail with your points though.
The last part of this video made me breakdown in tears. I’m as well a younger brother from my family and I resonated a lot with mikey’s character and all the points of having the younger siblings privilege, or being the emotional glue of the family and still suffering with emotional neglect, it really impacted me, now I love mikey even more then before and understand a lot more about myself and what “role” I end up having in my family. In conclusion, great video!! 😁
I absolutely love Mikey being high empathy and the personality he's paired with. While seeming just as rowdy as the others he's more impulsive, can be blunt, even aggressive at times but still shows him being a young. He doesn't have the answers to everything but has just as much potential as his brothers. I wish we got those deleted episodes and that Mikey could've showed off his artist skills Edit: I think having Mikey and Donnie trying to hack the Kraang ship was smart. It showed the most emotional and logical, both with neuro-divergancies both be disgusted and against the idea of them touching the ship. Adhd also has sensory issues, some senses more than others. I just like them together. Donnie and Mikey are so funny, they bounce off each other in their episodes with Repo-Mantis. And shows so much love for each other. Donnie patting Mikey's head and being cool with Mikey's hugs
The way you so accurately described Mikey as a character is beyond me. You pointed out things that no one else would have seen and your in-depth analysis plus your own personal experiences really helped for a connection with how you demonstrated your point. You did a great job.
Oldest sibling here. Your analysis made me realize I had more in common with this version too. Particularly how things went when our mom passed away when we were kids. I felt like I had to take responsibility for my siblings’ emotions because everyone was a wreck, since our mom was the emotional glue. It took years to learn how to coexist and part of that was us four living in different places as adults. I actually had a midlife crisis when my siblings were old enough to be functional adults and I thought I didn’t have a purpose anymore. This series actually made me miss the way my family was before my mother passed away. Like I had to mourn that as much as my mom. I just love how these versions of the turtles genuinely feel like a family, despite the flaws, the good and bad, the growth and setbacks.
As the second oldest in my own dysfunctional family and a big ol Leo kinnie w/ a youngest sibling who is the spitting image of Mikey, thank you for this video. Not only am I once again just super impressed by your analytical skills and as usual enjoyed a new perspective on a character I love to bits, but you've also sincerely offered a perspective that helps me understand my brother better... when you said "it's not like he wasn't neglected too" something literally clicked inside me and I wanted to go hold him and cry FHXFNG,, mx. skulltrot you've done it again have a wonderful new year
I was literally on the floor by the end of the high empathy section because I never realized why I could never make choices for myself and never put myself first but I was willing to give an arm and a leg to anyone who I care about who needed anything. The entire analysis really hit home, especially being constantly taken advantage emotionally and I’m glad you really went into his character with so much care. Mikey is a character I really relate to and I was really disappointed he didn’t get the development he needed for his type of character
For a character who didn't get enough screentime, your video is perfectly done on Mikey. He has so much depth to him in this version of tmnt beyond being the comic relief. He was always my favorite turtle and your analysis made me see why in ways i can't put into words. Great job!
You made me realize that without him and his hope for family he was able to open up the portal in the future to send Casey back. So without him we wouldn't get to see all these new developments in all of them. This was one of the best I've seen, thank you for doing this.
How come a show about teenage, mutant, ninja, turtles have the more realistic characters then most shows that have actually people! Still, it’s good that a show like this is able to talk about this. I use to hate this version of the turtles, but now, this show thanks to these videos have given me a new love for this show. Thank you.😊😊
Holy shit. As someone who knows nothing about rottmnt or tmnt itself I'm impressed that you were able to explain everything in a way I actually felt connected to a character. As a younger sibling I have never seen somebody aknowledge this part of our struggle. This was truly amazing!
This video essay about Mikey was really good. I didn’t think of him that deeply like Leo or Donnie but this video helps me look at his character in a different way.
Not only was your analysis in-depth and introspective, but also incredibly well-worded and powerful. I teared up in 2 sections of your video, realizing how much these traits resonated with me: first when exploring Mikey's high empathy, and then when examining the invisible pressure of being the youngest. I also struggle with conflict and stress in my interpersonal relationships, often feeling the anxiety and pain of others while always believing I could fix the situation/person by myself. I was told this was out of compassion for others, but had a feeling there was some other underlying reason possibly tied to ADHD. Hearing you analyze Mikey makes me realize I have high empathy, and it explains so much. I've never actually heard it so articulated and explained in the way you did it, and I want to thank you for helping me understand a part of myself that I've struggled with for years. Absolutely loved your analysis and my boy Mikey and I hope you have an amazing day!!!
As the youngest child who has the same amount of emotional insecurities and emotional detachment as Leo/Donnie, I really enjoyed this analysis. I originally thought Mikey's character was undershadowed versus his brothers in this version, but seeing this analysis proved me wrong. He's more of like one of those characters you really have to look at to really understand his position on the show. Mikey had always been one of my favorites for his goofy attitude and would make complete sense for his "Family Therapist" role. I love it! Like when Mikey shows Donnie the comparison between Donnie and Sheldon VS Donnie and Splinter. Just goes to show Mikey *notices* things happening to the family but just doesn't _say_ it. Just like how I, and Mikey probably, act dumb to hide the fact that I know something when I know I wasn't _intended_ to know in the first place (like tension between family members or financial issues). I never knew why I grew fond of Rottmnt until I watched so many analysis videos and realized how much I can relate to many of these characters. 🥺❤ Greatly made video! I appreciate how you went out of your way to express how you felt growing up as well! And that ending really made me cry ;-; Many tears were shed throughout this video xD
Wow, I don't know how you keep managing to bring me tears with these videos. I'm personally the youngest and a major leo/mikey kinnie. These videos speak to me so well and have helped me when writing dynamics for my own comic story (unrelated to tmnt). Just wanted to say thank you and keep up the great work.
i did not expect to cry watching this video i did not realize i related that much to him, i was that therapist friend that tried to keep my friend group, my family that i wanted, together that it had broke me and burned myself out. i'm an only child having to break the fights of my parents, my mom wanted to comfort her while being neglected my own emotional needs literally begging to see a therapist my whole life. i'm empathetic and i wish i wasn't, now i can control it alot better but i felt and still feel the incredible pain my friends feel, it sucks when i can't do much and knowing what happens if i try too hard to help. god, i love these stupid little turtles
Mikey is my favorite character because he shows how it feels like to be the youngest of four. I relate extremely to Mikey (I also relate to Donnie only a bit however) also when Draxum and Splinter were arguing it reminded me of how I react when my parents use to fight I would cry by myself, in front of them or an hour later. My experiences and reactions are similar but also different as my parents and sometimes my siblings become emotionally neglectful, also when my mother tries to connect with me I push her off because she had pushed me off. I am also the youngest of 4 siblings in a Hispanic, religious household which isn't the best combination to be in. I love this video it shows how even the youngest has trouble's and to stop with the constant stereotypes.
I couldn't imagine the complexity of making both this analysis and actually making the character structures and dynamics Also, thanks to this, millions of people *will* be making fanfics around the ideas this video gives
Oh, how dare the ending line have reduced me instantly into a pile of tears. Ohhh my god. I teared up more than once, because your analysis is so spot on and good and really brings a fantastic highlight to a character I think often gets misunderstood and boiled down to surface level! You are seen. You are not alone. WAILS 😭😭😭
That was really interesting ! I felt like there wasn't much to develop about Mikey since he is not as fleshed out as his brothers but you made me see him through another light ! Thanks to you I get that he is as emotionally deep as his brothers, even if not always explicitely. So yeah, I loved the video, thanks a lot for crafting it ! I look forward to the next one ! :D
I just finished and this definitely gave me a WAYYYYY bigger perspective of mikey, and also gave me a vision of being able to see how much I relate to him. I also cried😭
this is genuinely the most beautiful analysis of literally anything I've ever watched 😭😭 I clicked on this video crazy stoked, got on my treadmill, watched it while running AND I LITERALLY FORGOT I WAS RUNNING. THIS USUALLY DOES NOT EVER HAPPEN. your analysis of Mikey was BEAUTIFUL and had SO MUCH heart in it 😭💗💗💗 I'm sorry that you had to put up with such pressures and expectations at a young age and I'm crazy proud of how far you've come! These videos are not only AWESOMELY edited and scripted, but they also make so many people including myself feel seen. The hard work and effort you put in all you do DOES NOT and should not ever go unseen! The part where you talked about /knowing/ what the family was going through, feeling pressure to keep a family together just for a moment with the game nights and meals, all put together with knowing that you shouldn't go anything alone PAIRED WITH THE HIGH EMPATHY?? MY GOODNESS?? This is genuinely such a beautiful analysis because it touches on heartache and pain so well when it comes to a family. You're just such a wonderful and hardworking creator and I really hope you continue to post what you find entertaining and enjoyable for you!! Thank you so much for this!!!! 💗💗💗 sending love and hugs your way!!
Man, as the youngest child with ADHD, this is such a good analysis. I’m so glad to see other people recognized the bits of character the rise crew managed to fit into the short series, unpacked in such a thoughtful way. I had more to say while watching the video, but I can’t remember it all now. So I’ll just say that this video got a subscribe from me 👍 awesome work
Really thank you for this video! Mikey and his relationship with his family, and feelings is something that hits really close to home for me! I to have been in his position multiple times, being the emotional link that tries to keep it all together even if the rest is falling apart. And both his personal struggles, and his frustrations with the rest of the family are so real and so important! I'll always be frustrated that we didn't get the rest of the S2 Mikey focused episodes, but your video made me really appreciate the stuff that we DID get! The caring but flawed individual that is Mikey, how that gets portrait so well in the show, and how the movie demonstrates how those feelings and connections made him not only strong, but also a wonderful part of the family! Thank you for all your videos! They really mean a lot to me and I rewatch them a lot! And I can feel this one will not be different! Thank you! 💖💖💗💗💝💝
I would even tear up when Mikey is upset as I am too the youngest from a divorced family, I often too tried to keep the family together by trying my hardest to spend more time with my father as he would seem to spend more time with my brother. After the divorce and even before it, at such a young age, I could feel the tension and hatred even tho they pretended to be fine. After the divorce, I could even tell that my mom and my bro tried their hardest to look after me. So, I would push aside my emotion for the sake of the family so they wouldn't have to worry and care about me as much. This eventually led to me to be either emotionally unstable at times, unable to recognize emotions or the reason, and/or unable to handled tense situations. When I was younger, I would too trust people too easily as I too believed that everyone deserves a chance as I was too naive. Although my mom isn't emotionally neglectful, my father was as he never seemed to care about my feelings about anything and made it seem I was making a big deal out of it,being disrespectful, or flat out ignored. When I came to my mom, neglected myself for her sake as I know she was having a lot of hard times and I believed that I would just be more trouble for her to deal with when it was so incorrect
I was so upset and annoyed knowing that we could have gotten more mikey and the relationship between his brothers if season 2 was cut short! if we ever do get a season 3 i would love to see the story boards that were previously for season 2 be for season 3!
I love how you connect even the tiniest details back to real world scenarios. Your analyzation is so through and beautifully conveyed. I’ve literally cried during some of your videos because of how they made me realize different things about myself. Your analysis is truly impressive.
I never realized how much I related to Mikey when it came to being the youngest sibling too. Back then I would always try to be around my siblings and parents, but at the time there was a lot of stress in the family and so mainly there would always be a distance. Even to the point of siblings finally moving out for both being older, and not wanting to handle another stepmother coming around the house to make things worse. Definitely was alone a lot but like Mikey I would notice it and try to come up with ideas to at least do something with my dad, especially when I had the other mother and other brother's during that time. It's really no wonder why unlike my older siblings I'm more like Mikey in the case with others too, though also a mix of Donnie for aspects on how he handles his own emotions. Think Mikey just became another favorite for how there's a lot of relatabilities with him as the youngest and trying to be a glue.
Mann now I want more for a third season to see more of his character development. All of this was worded beautifully, the part "invisible pressure of being the youngest" got me. This is exactly how I feel about this series. I struggled to put it into words but this "you are not alone, you are seen" line greatly explained my feelings. Each brother represents something people see in themselves and seeing THEM being treated so kindly by their own brothers and getting their emotional needs fed gave me hope. Maybe if not hope, it was truly a love letter as you said. İt's heartwarming. İt's honest. İt's trying to protect the ones you love no matter what. Their family dynamic is so close to reality that I just disassociate from mine and zone out into theirs to stay sane.
17:10 Something I think worth noting here is that only in the first photo does Mikey have his eyes open, whereas the other three show him giving a closed-eye smile. In the first photo (the one with his eyes open), he seems a bit... apprehensive? Hesitant? Trying-to-keep-it-together-so-the-dam-doesn't-break? This sort of feeling is still shown in the other photos, but he appears a touch more relaxed. It's almost as if Mikey's trying to mask his concern with a smile and keep the peace (not that there was much of that to begin with) so as not to rock the boat. Forcing oneself to remain positive when everyone else is doom and gloom is pretty common of youngest siblings, especially those of us with high empathy, because really all you want is for people to get along, so the hope is that if _you_ remain positive, it'll rub off on the others. Unfortunately in situations with conflict, what usually ends up happening is the negativity ends up getting to you, especially if you're exposed to it constantly/for long periods of time. It's often there that you'll recline from the group more and just stick to yourself, because you couldn't help anyone and it's _still_ hurting no matter what you do. Sometimes even then, you still want to believe people will get along. It's a vain hope, but one you cling to because you desperately wish to be real.
The fact that I'm the youngest sibling myself and relate to Mikey and how he is probably says a lot about me as a person. I'm a huge empath, so if I see my sister crying or my parents arguing in rare moments, I'm already upset and wanting to at least listen and fix everything. But because of the tone because so loud, it's all just not getting into my brain even though I'm naturally loud as a girl with ADHD. And because of that empathy, I'm as naive as Mikey, but also try to take up the older cousin role like Ralph does since I just want everyone to have a good time, especially my younger cousins. And well, I'm not surprised that both me and Mikey have pretty severe anxiety because of how both of us process things much more differently than other family members. An example being how I reacted to my almost two year old cousin when she threw her snacks on the ground, and while my aunt says that she was just being bratty, I reacted where I ended up comforting her and helping with learning the lesson the "learning from your actions" type of thing. She stopped crying and I helped with cleaning up the mess while my aunt questioned me, which had me telling her that "she's just a baby/kid, and they learn as they grow." or something like that. And for Mikey to be my favorite character as well as the family therapist, it actually didn't surprise me as I wanna at least bridge the gaps that are in my family and hopefully become each other's light. So, cheers to you Michaelangelo, you're doing great!
So one question: why the hell is this my first time hearing about this show and this channel? These characters are so good as case studies in human behaviors and emotions. Bravo to the writers for writing these characters so brilliantly. Plus, I love this analysis and believe it’s all the better for its connections to real world experiences.
The final words of this essay made me cry. This video essay is so great because it really goes into depth by showing how Mikey felt throughout the entirety of the franchise, and it makes a character who didn't get much screen time even more understood. Mikey is the one I relate to the most, and seeing this made me break down in tears. I feel so disappointed that we lost out on Mikey content for the sake of the plot, but it's really satisfying to know that we have the Fandom to help us understand what we missed out on. Thank you for making this video, I really enjoyed it. P.S. If we don't get a season 3 I will be livid
man. i’m literally the youngest of 4 with high empathy and way too much energy and i feel severely called out. mikey has ALWAYS been my favorite, no matter the iteration, and to see such a detailed and thoughtful analysis of his character is awesome cause he’s almost always reduced to the “party guy” (which, i can relate) or the “dumb one” (i could argue about that one all day) and nothing else. my boy has LAYERS. anyway, incredible work! will be crying about this later!
35:55 This statement is so real, the very popular idea that "Youngest siblings have it easy!" and "Youngest siblings are so spoiled!" is so damaging. Not only are we expected to be happy all the time, precisely BECAUSE we're seen as spoiled, but we also have to go through life with the expectations set up by our siblings. I have two older brothers. One of them was the salutatorian of his high school and is currently thriving in an amazing college, and the other barely graduated high school + dropped out of college + is living in the basement. I am compared to them so often. It's this horrific amount of pressure. I also grew up acutely aware of how I was seen as annoying. Now, I have basically no relationship with my brothers. We live in the same house most of the time, but I can't remember the last real conversation I had with them. And as someone who also has emotionally neglectful parents... it makes me feel alone. Being the youngest is hard, too. Stop discrediting our struggles just because you struggled too. That just leads to your little siblings hiding their emotions, and essentially becoming more like you.
It's so hard to pick a favorite character when they're all so well written and in depth and even if they didn't get the time to shine they should've they're all amazing
Even though I’m the oldest of three, I’ve always identified with Donnie the most out of the four. I do experience the “eldest is in charge and should be responsible” button relationship with my younger sister has always kind of been teasing. Shes more academically inclined, I have to work to make up for my misgivings, and it feels like other people can do what I do way easier than me. I’m teased for messing up a lot, not in a malicious way though. I def identify with Donnie being the butt of a lot of jokes
The irony is that in several series, Splinter would talk about watching TV programs like a real father would do, but he STILL wound up with skilled ninjas as sons, who also had pretty functional emotions. In the original comics the consequences of a 'Sensei' who trains his sons to be warriors for his revenge was actually pretty realistic as they turned out as killers who originally wiped out the Shredder in issue 1. In Rise, he gets half-way through the job of home-schooling and it's a very realistic consequence of having a dad who sits around watching TV and eating snack food all day (and not going to school). The short 'Turtle Tots' is actually a pretty good example of how they brought themselves up half the time.
I love you so much for analysing Mikey with this much depth and understanding... 😭 Mikey's my favourite because I'm exactly like him. Youngest sibling, trusting people too much even tho they're being toxic to me, not being allowed to do what I want unless everyone agrees and everything else... I am exactly a clone of Mikey. tbh tho, i would love to have a friend like mikey...would make my days go by much happier
The turtle siblings really make me realte to them since all of them remind me of me and my sibling's real life representation. We're all four siblings like them and the reason I think they just make me feel so connected is probably since I saw them since childhood and how that affected me (and my siblings). And the other reason I think is because of how almost accurately the 4 turtles represent me and my siblings. Raph is no surprise very closely representing my eldest Sister. She's just like him, in a way, even if it doesn't seem like it. Like him, she cared about our well-being and protects us from any potential danger. Like family issues and/ or conflict. She keeps her feelings to herself but is also very expressive at the same time. She balances the mood of the family everytime. Leo's character reminds me of my 2nd elder sibling. Though she isn't all 'narcissistic' or that's how people think Leo is at first glance, she still is very self-caring towards herself. There are other characteristics of him that remind me of her alot! And even if it really doesn't seem like they don't resemble each other much, there's alot they share in common. Mikey resembles my smaller Sister alot. I don't want to repeat points from the video but this video is exactly her. She's just like him. And i think I relate more to Donnie in many levels. I keep my feelings to myself to not make it bothersome to my family. I am ambitious and have many hobbies which I obsess over. The video where you (creator) talk about Donnie's low empathy made me feel absolutely connect with him even more. Again, I don't want to repeat your points from the video but most of what you've explained is my characteristics. If this is related (?) I am an INFP. I don't know how much does that compare to donatello but I just thought I'd share? Anyways, sorry about the rant I did. I just wanted to appreciate your very amazingly worded videos and commentary! You should get more recognition!
It's 1am and I'm crying over a damn turtle in a show I've never watched The rawness in your voice made me feel just how much the writers put their hearts in this show, it's arguably atla level love
I’m the youngest in my family as well. One of two siblings, with a brother who seems to care sometimes but is nothing like the older siblings Mikey has. Every point you hit in this video I related to, from the emotionally neglectful parents (only my mom) to the family therapist feeling to the need for independence to the high empathy and everything else. Mikey really does feel as if someone took my exact personality, down to every T, and added it to a character for it. This analysis really not only spelled everything out for me about myself, but also helped me realize just how flawed my own family is and how I wasn’t just being dramatic or ridiculous as my mother often claimed. As you said, “you are seen” is the 3 words that I really heard when listening to this video. Thank you so much for making this, it’s really been an incredible help for me moving forward.
This made me cry so much. Thank you so much. I was waiting for something like this to be said I always knew Mike he was my favorite but I could never really explain why everyone just say because he’s funny and stuff but it’s like I felt a connection is hurting me so bad in a good way but like so much is so well said thank you thank you thank you
never have ive seen an analysis video that made me feel like i was about to start crying and sobbing. ESPECIALLY for a character i liked but never thought twice about
It legit is just so sad Mickey’s character development was cut short cuz even w/his short amount of screen time he already became my favourite :( Anyways loved this video, not many ppl talk abt Mickey so I really enjoyed it
Throughout the whole video I was ready to get into feels but wen “It’s not like Mikey wasn’t emotionally neglected too.” Was said something inside me clicked words can’t express how much I needed to hear that thank you from the bottom of my heart
Your videos are incredible. You mentioned this being an essay and I realized that that is exactly what it is. Im used to the scrapped together essays that is high school required, that such a concise and clear video could be an essay did not even occur to me. Your voice and music choices are calm and soothing, something very important when talking about subjects that could be distressing. The videos you use are well-times and high quality. With every video you make me understand more about Rise, the Owl House, and more impactful, myself. I hope you feel the same applies to you as well. Im saying all this to thank you. You blow me away every time. Please, keep it up.
While I love all tmnt this is my absolute favorute since after 2003 ROTTMNT is the only other show which showed Mikey RESPECT. One of the things I LOVE about this Mikey is how intelligent he is. He vocabulary is genuinely way ahead of compared to a normal 13 years old and his family acknowledge that intelligence. It makes it LEAGUES above 2012 shows treatment of my favorute turtle.
i am a younger sibling myself, and i feel like i have to make everyone proud of me all of the time, and i cry when i know i might be disapointing someone, even if logic says im not. ill start crying if someone undermines me or my feelings. sometimes, i get a wave of hapiness and helpfulness that makes me feel like doing something for someone, other times, i feel like i cant do anything. i can try to follow my interest one day, and it just wont work. i constantly feel an underlying feeling of, "i *NEED* to do this". as an over-thinker, ill think far ahead based on the reactions/responses that i know people have to things, so i make a lot less bad choices, because of having the benifit of future hindsight. this makes me know what someone will do/say if i *DONT* do/say something, and that leads to me falling on the floor crying. i really cant think about my emotions and what causes them until im in an emotional state, and then i forget, so ill come back once i can gather my thoughts to make a cohesive comment about more than nonsense.
I love the fact that you analyzed him so much and gave attention to all of Mikey's different "personalities". It's a popular headcanon that Raph has DID but personally, as a system, and someone who relates to Mikey the most... COME ON GUYS IT'S OBVIOUS. IT IS SO OBVIOUS.
I’m crying right now. I’m a middle child, but a traumatic experience practically broke me, leaving me defenseless against the cruelties of the world. My family stepped up, particularly my baby brother. After all these years it’s like we switched places emotionally (at least in the way you described it). He started acting more like an older sibling while I fell back into the younger sibling role. The truth is that I feel so much younger than the rest of my siblings because of how strong they have become, and how they are able to handle pressure that would shatter me. Like Mikey, I have high empathy. So much so that it’s hard for me to watch any kind of media without feeling what the characters are feeling and wanting to do something about it-to ease their pain and help them process their emotions. I wouldn’t trade this ability for anything in the world, but it is sometimes heavy to carry. The last thing you said in this video, “You are not alone. You are seen. And all you need is hope,” that really got me. Thank you. I really needed to hear that. Out of my family, I’m definitely Mikey. My siblings and I would compare ourselves to the Ninja Turtles when we were kids, and I was always Mikey, even when I related more to Leo (we all knew I was more like Leo, but we appeased our baby brother who wanted to be the leader). Now that the roles have switched, and this is a different series than the one I grew up with, I am proud to say that I have Michelangelo’s role. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you again for a wonderful analysis, and for giving Mikey the love and attention he deserves.
Yooo!! You almost make me cry. Well, actually… YOU make me cry. I’m the middle sibling, and seeing a analysis about the relationship of Donnie and Mikey was so important to me. Thank ya a lot
Me realizing I'm a Mikey Kinnie is the weirdest thing to me rn- "Omg I relate to this" "OH NO.... I RELATE TO THIS" Then my friends in the corner calling me a lover bc I kin him (as a joke ofc- plus they kin Donnie, they CANNOT talk)
Having high empathy is honestly exhausting. You're taking in what everyone around you is feeling and trying to figure out what they're all thinking in my case. I hate being in huge crowds or in a crowded area. It's like a superpower but the superpower is your kryptonite:(( When my school had an assembly the whole time I was clenching my jaw trying not to explode. 0/10 experience honestly. After all that the mental exhaustion was crazy, I had a bad headache😵 Does anyone else have experiences like this? (Lovely videos, Skullrot!
I was crying at your words. I feel connected to Mikey even though I am the oldest, I don't want things to crumble and break around me because I feel useless. I make family's that are my friends and try to keep them together.
I've just watched all of Rise and all of your videos on it, and I am sincerely touched and impressed by your in-depth appreciation for each character. You've got a new subscriber out of me ❤ I relate to Mikey in so many ways. I also have high empathy--I was literally in tears this entire video just because of how much I love the turtles and appreciate your breakdown of their characters 😂 I also struggled with contention in my family, and I relate strongly to both Mikey's and your experiences. I'm the second youngest of 6 siblings and part of a pretty broken nuclear family. Due to being the youngest, my younger brother and I are significantly removed from all of the contentions between my older siblings and our parents. That did leave us less affected in some ways, but like you say in the video, it still does affect us. It's so difficult to see things breaking down around you and not know why. I subconsciously took it upon myself to be the mediator between my older siblings and my parents, which has led to many more problems later in my life, and I'm only recently learning to let go and to take care of myself. In any case, I love Mikey so much and I love him even more after your analysis. You are so insightful and I'm so grateful for you sharing your thoughts and experiences 🧡 Looking forward to more amazing videos 🐢
This episode hit me like a ton of bricks. My parents were extremely neglectful and me being the oldest I had to toughen up and not only raise my siblings (I'm the oldest of 4) but also protect them. I remember the best example, which was when I was little I was afraid of needles but my mom would take all of my siblings to get vaccines at once for school. I was terrified but I knew if my siblings saw their big brother freaking out over getting shots, then it would scare my siblings and make our mom angry. So despite being terrified, I suck it up hid the anxiety and smiled while I faced this fear to make my siblings know it was okay. I'm no longer scared of needles but there were many examples of me having to shut down my emotions for them. I feel raph very hard, but I also appreciate being seen in this episode of analysis
I remember one time I came from college on break. My little sister answered the door, she didn't look happy to see me. I was completely clueless as to why she was being so moody with me. Since I have autism I've needed, but failed to realize I was getting more attention from my parents than my sister was. She's acted this way after this incident, but has gotten over it. fairly quickly now. My sister loves being the center of attention, so than it finally dawned on me why she was being the way she was. I'm not that emotionally intelligent, but this video helped me quite a bit. Thank you for posting this video. I learned a lot.
Oml. I absolutely can relate to the comments about emotional care towards my sisters. If they are scared or upset, I don’t express my own but let them feel their own emotions. I don’t know if I would say I am required to act like this, it’s my love that drives me to protect my sisters. If one of them are crying and I feel like I want to as well, I’ll push my needs aside for them. Then again, you are definitely not wrong, everybody, whose a older sibling like me, act differently with their younger one
i havent seen this version of teenage mutant ninja turtles, it is really strange to find out they made raphael the oldest when im used to leonardo being the eldest brother. I love the analysis of emotions and the levels each age of a family deals with said emotions
“two divorced dads who had a messy breakup taking their kid of shared custody out for the day” that is remarkably accurate
From the beginning of his mutated life, to the end of his life in the bad future, Mikey is comforting ppl, making them feel better. The pat on Splinter’s hand, the wink to Casey Jr. And the fact that there was no sign of his younger self in his future design, except for a single peace sign where his stickers used to be. He never stop hoping and seeing the good in things. Even as the world burned around them. I love him so much.
i didnt even think about that, thats so sad :( i love mikey sm
Godammit now imma cry even more
I love him too
Dang it man. Why you gotta make me sad?
I also feel mikey's fighting style is so flashy as a way to protect his brothers and to divert the enemies attention away from them cause he is the fastest and more agile
That's way he has the habit of running into a fight first
Agreed
i think it's very important to note that in the future it's implied that raph and donnie are dead. they're not present or mentioned, and you can see two ribbons, red and purple, tied around leo's sword. the two people who are gone when future mikey opens the portal are the two people who support him when our mikey opens it to save leo.
I never noticed that 🥺
oh good well that implication just made m cry
Oooof 💔😭
When Future Leo Looks over at NYC you can also see Sheldon crashing down
I think I saw some story board thing that had Raph's shell and Donnie's battle shell on a wall. Not really sure if it was official but it seems like they were leaning into more than just implying that at some point during development
I’m so glad Mikey got to be analyzed. He deserves so much love and it’s disappointing he had to go through so much /just/ inside his family. Thank you so much for this analysis.
@@anonymousanon1129 What about 12 Mikey
@@anonymousanon1129 2012Mikey is just living bro 🤨 Rise Mikey is literally the family therapist and has youngest sibling syndrome meaning he feels looked down on all the time and constantly has to prove himself to even feel useful for like 2 seconds. 2012 Mikey doesn't even register what happens to him half the time (Not to say it's not bad) 2012 Mikey might have a lot of trauma but his brothers aren't as abusive as the fandom make them out to be. It's because of the way Splinter raised them they act like they act.
@@anonymousanon1129 12 Mikey deserved it 99% of the time
As someone who was told I’m like Mikey this made me stare at a wall for a good while.
yup🥺✨️😔
The fact that the writers came out and said the reason why we sometimes felt tension between Mikey and Raph was due to the fact that they wanted to make an episode where they showed how close they were when they were young but slowly drifted apart as Mikey got older honestly just further shows the tragedy of what was taken from us.
But regardless with that concept in mind I actually really like the fact that they were once close but aren’t anymore. Cuz then we get to see Mikey’s relationship with Leo and Donnie. Which is also enjoy seeing the difference in.
Mikey is just a big ol’ ball of affection and he often shows that through physical touch, he shows that to all his brother but with Leo he shows it the most. You can tell that Mikey really looks up and adores Leo. But he’s also not scared of butting heads with him either and being competitive with his big brother, and will do so in hilarious ways.
His relationship with Donnie, is also very different, to me Mikey feels more like Donnie’s shadow sometimes seeing how often the two are together, but what I find the most amazing thing about Donnie and Mikey’s relationship and why it’s my favorite one of the bunch is that Mikey is the only one in their family who Donnie is perfectly okay with touching him and even will often be the one to instigate said physical affection, example the dozen of times in the movie and in the smaller moments in the show.
Which for Donnie, knowing full well he doesn’t like physical affection is huge for his character as well as Mikey’s cuz he’s still very respectful towards Mikey.
I think the reason why he and Donnie are so close is that while Donnie is still a protective big brother to Mikey, he doesn’t baby Mikey like Raph does. Donnie treats Mikey like an equal. And Mikey kinda clings to that and you can tell he’s very much appreciative that Donnie doesn’t treat him like a fragile doll 90% of the time like Raph had.
Also I want to take a moment to thank you for bringing up and defending Splinter. There are soooo many fans that say he’s a toxic, abusive and awful father to the turtles when in reality while he is emotionally neglectful, which is just as damaging as physical neglect but like you said emotional neglect isn’t always abusive.
Splinter is NOT a abusive or awful father he’s just a man that has made a lot of mistakes but ultimately still adores his sons and the family he’s managed to create.
I love what you said about Donnie being okay with physical affection with Mikey. I never noticed it before but I love it
I think after the movie though after he kept being so concerned about his oldest brother I think the relationship would change.
…I never felt tension. 😅
One of the interesting things I noticed is that Mikey's high empathy and emotional awareness allows him to be logical in situations when even the typically highly logical and low empathy Donnie can't be. In the Durby episode, despite wanting attention from Splinter as well, Mikey is able to spot the red flags that Donnie either can't or purposefully ignores. Yet, latter on, Mikey is able to point out that they really should be focusing on staying alive rather than their family squabble. Similarly, Mikey is the first to be able to break out of the montage spell.
This is why emotional intelligence also matters.
i feel like not enough people talk about how it feels being the youngest child, being compensated for your emotions, then abruptly being told one day that you have to grow up, expected to maturely handle our emotional vulnerability without being told how
Nope. You just get tossed from irresponsible childhood straight into full-adult mode with absolutely no transition.
Even just as someone with ADHD and high empathy, this was so refreshing to see
Also noting that the PowerPoint he made for Donnnie comparing how Splinter treats Donnie to how Donnie treats Shellodon indicates that he doesn’t like how Splinter treats him and knows that it isn’t healthy. You can see his reactions when Donnie goes on about approval form parent aged adults . I think he’s much more introspective than any realizes, both in show in on fandom. I wonder if he bottles up his emotions sometimes, because there’s a reason he has confronted Splinter. Even throughout Tutrle dega, he’s suspicious of him, but doesn’t confront him, instead focusing on Donnie. He never really has serious moments with his dad. Except for in hidden city, which is also the only time his dad says his name I think. And technically, he says Mikey not Michelangelo . I wish we had an episode of Mikey airing his grievances.
yeah, i dont think splinter ever referred to mikey ever in the show. not even "orange" he says the others names at least once, and in the episode where he says "mikey" he's trying to prove that he's the better parent.
@@millie.. I’m about the rewatch the show, but I feel like he has to have said Orange at least once, right? Definitely not as frequently as he’s said any of the other names though. It seems like he got more depressed as the years went on, and as the kids became more self sufficient he pulled back. Which would explain why Mikey doesn’t seem to know what his hugs feel like and why he was originally so desperate to spend time with him in the turtle dega nights episode
If I remember well, Mikey had some arguments with Splinter: first at April's house, when they had dinner with Draxum and Mikey warned his dad about not bringing up the mutation thing and in the Hidden City episode: when Teddy Bear Draxum disappear, Mikey immediately confronts his father about it
True, but I meant parenting specific argument(also I mentioned their hidden city moment in my original comment). Like what Donnie had in Turtle dega nights. Or a real moment of understanding like Raph and Splinter when they went inside his head and Raph saw his mom leave. /gen, nm
@@fibromiteready2fight809 maybe he did, but i genuinely can't remember. he definitely says red and blue the most. i think definitely think he was so desperate for his attention bc hes never really truly gotten it. also, a theory that i have is that when the others get older/develop and learn how to deal with their problems in healthy ways, mikey is gonna struggle a lot because i feel like that gives him a lot of purpose, helping his brothers. i didnt notice him get more depressed as the show went on, but i did feel like he got more paranoid and scared because of the shredder and the kraang.
How you managed to make a video about Mikey longer than the videos about Donny and Leo COMBINED is beyond me.
I genuinely have no idea how this video ended up as long as it did. I was for real expecting it to be like 20 minutes at most. I just had things to say apparently lol
@@skulltrot probably cuz hes way to relatable (sure, the other turtles are just as relatable as well but mikey is just WAY to relatable)
Despite his lack of character development he is sort of the stitching holding them together, He’s not always as developed or fleshed out like the others he is extremely important to the show, not only for fan fare but also for plot and the character development of the other characters, he is essentially how you do a supporting character the right way, he’s not over powered but he’s definitely not underwhelming,he never gets annoying or redundant and his actions don’t ever make the other characters unnecessary or less special and also doesn’t ever feel like he’s overshadowing them, but he also feels important and integral to the story, plot, and other character’s development, but he honestly never feels like he’s a support character, it’s a great way to show the character is there to be supportive without them being solely a support character, it’s clear he is a main character that is in a supportive role, and it’s honestly amazing, so many shows have supportive characters that end up only being support characters, or they end up getting redundant or annoying, take iris from pokemon, she was a very supportive character and had great plot points in the show, but she had certain traits that she had that almost seemed like she did to give her character, but in the end did the opposite, take her phrase “you’re such a little kid” it’s supposed to make her feel more mature and level headed but when it’s used multiple times per episode it gets annoying, it makes her seem like that was the only thing she was there for, a sort of mature supportive character that ended up backfiring and made her seem like an annoying teen who is trying too hard to be an adult, so much so to the point that “I’m the mature one” it almost becomes the only trait she has as a character, but Mikey never has that problem, he’s very much the supportive younger sibling, but he’s never useless or even lacking as a character, he’s there for them on and off the field, he’s relatable, he’s adorable, and he’s interesting, he never feels like he’s a side character even though his biggest role is a supportive one
When you got your own siblings to watch with you, you know its gonna be phenomenal, and we cried together... 😭
When you said that older Mikey was destroyed by the emotional weight of handling his powers alone “with a smile on his face” I felt that
When you said that Mikey sees being the family therapist as “the least he could do” because he “had it the easiest” I FELT THAT
Great video, youngest children solidarity my man
Mikey needs family, I think that’s true in all versions. He can’t deal if his family is broken/missing/dead. It’s completely messes up his personality and turns him into an almost unrecognizable version of himself in the most extreme version (last ronin) or harden, becoming ruthless and strategic(same as it never was). He NEEDS family or else he falls apart.
Interestingly enough, I feel like the same can be somewhat said for Leo. He literally tells Hueso in the episode where he accidentally sent his brothers to Tahiti that he’s nothing without them. It makes me think that Leo would have a similar reaction to Mikey if he lost his family.
@@kandymae I do think in the bad future, if it was just one of them, and not the last brother and April (andJr) that they would’ve lost it. This Mikey was objectively the most grounded, happy Michelangelo in an apocalypse setting(Last Ronin, Same as it Never was episode in 2003, etc). I’m sure they obviously had bad days, weeks, years, etc but it’s better than it could’ve been.
Additionally,they all really need each other, and I don’t think Raph and Donnie would survive if the other’s died. They all really need each other.
Can I just say that even the Mikey of 2012 TMNT was a very caring member of their family?
I mean, when Shredder almost killed Splinter and Raph went into a rage, Mikey was the only one who was able to stop him by... hugging him.
He's supposed to be the most childish and "unmature" member of their family, yet he was able to keep a cool head while he had to watch his only parent to be defeated and possibly killed.
He didn't cry.
Didn't tremble.
He just comforted his most emotionally constipated brother when he couldn't hold it together.
I never forgot that about him. For me, he is the glue what keeps together his family in both versions of the ninja turtles.
I love him so much
This comment deserves more likes
I really do love how all four turtles are written to represent a different mental health struggle:
Leo - Impostor Syndrome
Raph - Anxiety
Donnie - Autism
Mikey - ADHD
Since I have ADHD myself,I have a different role in my family since my little sister isn't really experiencing any problems (ones I can sense) while my parents are also trying to make me "normal" like everyone else,making me emotionally numb sometimes. I honestly relate to Mikey on the part where you have to hide your emotions to help the emotional needs of others. We're not stupid,immature,clumsy,or childish. We might be like those,sure... But we can also be emotionally mature and intelligent. So yeah,sorry for my rant
Only left Aspenger (and i had that)
@@sergiomendoza251 Aspenger's is a part of the autism spectrum
Bro like actually I might be collecting their mental health struggles like pokemon
As an oldest child and both a raph and Mikey kinnie, this analysis is super interesting. I have had experiences that my younger siblings will never experience but I never noticed that they have to go through things I never will.
Same, it was really interesting to hear this alternative perspective compared to what I have had to deal with.
Same. I kin Mikey because of alot of these reasons except like Raph I am the oldest and have no idea what it's like to be the youngest
I'm the middle child out of all my moms kids, but she lost custody of us all so I grew up with only my older brother and sister raised by our Grandma, so I'm technically the baby of the family. It really helps me understand what my older sister went through, being the oldest of us all. She had to throw away her childhood to help raise us.
technically speaking between me and my two sisters I’m the middle child but because I’m labeled as “the mature one” out of the three of us I take on the oldest sibling role I’d say.
I really wish I actually could help my sisters like Raph or be more emotional win tune with my emotions like Mikey cause I see them bonding with each other but because of lack of knowledge on my emotions due to my accidental trauma I can’t really do that. 😅😥
I'm the youngest sibling of six. It's wild being the baby of that many kids, but also daunting. Absolutely everything she spoke about Mikey―I felt as if she was speaking about me. While I don't feel as if I'm the emotional glue that keeps everyone together (though I have taken the therapist role way more than once, I still give the "emotional glue" title to the oldest brother), I do relate to absolutely everything else.
Younger sibling privileges, seeing the amount of problems that've run deep in the family for years and feeling awful because it sometimes feels like no one else can see it and wants to "break the chain," being taken as the more "immature" one and as a result either being brushed off, being taken entirely out of context, and/or treated like glass. Knowing every single fucked up experience/story in this family either through personal, first-hand experience or the mouths of others. I could go on.
I wanna mention real quick that I don't relate to the ADHD part either, though. I do have diagnosed OCD and Depression―which I'm not shocked about anymore, considering mental illness and many other messed up things that aren't really relevant to mention, nor am I comfortable with mentioning, run in my family. Probably why when I first watched ROTTMNT, I was able to see and understand the signs, relationships, and dynamics pretty quickly.
It's a show that puts broken families across (almost eerily) realistically, and is all around so much more grounded.
ROTTMNT overall means so much to me! All of this is only the bare minimum as to why. I'm happy I was late to the party and didn't end up joining in on the hate bandwagon it got in the past.
Nothing made me laugh harder in the series than Mikey’s HUGE gasp in Turtle Dega Nights when Splinter actually said Donatello’s name. Yet that huge gasp is so telling about so many aspects of those three’s relationship.
You worded this beautifully. The heart and love put into this analysis is evident with every piece and it's long but it's worth it. Mikey deserved a lot more time in the story but what _is_ there isn't devoid of narrative payoff and you emphasize it perfectly. Amazing work and a wonderful dive into a character we all love dearly. 🧡🐢
THANK YOU SM!!!!
@DanielleBelle BRO YES. The scene of him crying at the end of s2 made ME cry
Wow didn't expect to see my other ROTTMNT analyse youtube her hello
as an oldest child, the very last section had me in tears. he is such a good character and so very relatable, even if i don't resonate with the youngest sibling experience. that's how REAL this family is. i am so so glad he got some love. he deserves it. i love your commentary!!
As a younger sibling myself in a partially dysfunctional family, I feel this. There was never a moment in my life where I wouldn't feel the need to please everyone around me and help them with their emotions. My mother gets angry very easily, so I'm usually the one calming her down and help her get on a normal conversation ground again. If there are communication problems between my family members, I help them talk to each other.
This video essay really connected to me, because I feel a lot of Mikey's struggles and emotions, the only thing I don't do is lash out in the style of Dr. Delicate Touch.
Thank you so much for writing this, it's beautiful, 10/10, did cry at the end
That one with Mikey hit me a lot, just having to hear your parents fight, almost every other night, wanting to try to go back to sleep, or get away from the noise, turning the music up higher, or becoming extremely fidgety to try and get rid of all that anxiety, wanting to cry. It just really sucks.
Omg I’m so glad there’s someone dedicating in-depth character analysis’ to Rise. It’s such an under appreciated show, there’s so much subtle character development throughout the whole series for every main character
I don't watch this show, but you've encouraged me to. Seeing Mikey (ADHD) and Donnie (Autism) being so close really hit me emotionally, as I have autism AND ADHD. I see so much of myself in these characters every time you show them, especially interacting with each other, it's like seeing myself. Hearing you talk about holding families together, and feeling invisible, and taking on the stress of others got me downright crying.
I honestly kind of wish we had more singular characters in media that had both, or at least partner characters that represented both working together.
Me and 1st brother are the diagnosed autistic/adhd duo. While we are always butting heads or sharing the same braincell, im occasionally making sure he doesn't endanger. Therefore, i get mad at him whenever he thinks of cooking. It's his scatterbrainedness that makes me think he shouldn't be truted behind the wheel. However, because im the autistic one, it doesn't mean that i can be described by one line. For example, you can me having anxiety about high school to my mother therefore raph mikey and donnie are my favorite of the bunch.
With every charachter analysis of these turtles I realize why I relate to them with each analysis
Donnie= struggles with low empathy (this doesnt happen often but when it does happen its because im overwhelmed and dont want to deal with it)
Leo= insecure and has up emotional walls
Mikey= high empathy and gave himself the role of "mediator"
Anyway, another great analysis and cant wait to see what comes next 👍
As an eldest child I found it harder to relate to Mikey than the others turtles (I think it’s no surprise I’m also a Raph kinnie) but I love this video and everything you cover in it, it really puts Mikey’s place in the family into perspective and with how often he’s overlooked in the show and by the fandom, I’m really glad his character is getting talked about more, I still hold out hope for rise being unpaused, and for Mikey to have more of a spotlight, but I absolutely love his character as it is now
Yay! I love Mikey’s character and i needed an analysis of him so bad,also is kinda sad how he always try to keep his family together,even Baron Draxum (also i excited to see the analysis of his high empathy)
Edit: I LOVE THE ANALYSIS SO MUCH! I just have one brother and im oldest,so i never understand how is to be the youngest,but i understand how is to be the therapist and glue of the family,if an argument was starting,i always tried to resolve the problem and calm everyone down,bc i feel that was my responsibility to keep my family together not matter what (spoiler:this is not healthy,i ended being depressed and with crisis every time an argument start) so i loved the video,idk why i tell something personal instead of saying something from the video,anyways have a good day and year and a hug to every Mikey kinnie
Bro this was posted 1 day ago how is ur comment 2 days old ?????
@@erniethemaidenhaver i comment in the premiere,and i edited after see the video
@@iinsomniatica oh lmao haha
Not the youngest child, but having the pressure to feel like you have to be the family therapist really resonated with me. Seeing people getting so angry at each other all the time usually doesn’t make sense when you know what the other person is going to feel because of it (I don’t know if I would qualify as being very empathetic or having high empathy, but this feeling is probably accentuated when you have high empathy?). When you feel like you can understand what the other person is going through, you want to help, but it doesn’t always mean your help will be taken or even appreciated. I think you hit the nail with your points though.
The last part of this video made me breakdown in tears. I’m as well a younger brother from my family and I resonated a lot with mikey’s character and all the points of having the younger siblings privilege, or being the emotional glue of the family and still suffering with emotional neglect, it really impacted me, now I love mikey even more then before and understand a lot more about myself and what “role” I end up having in my family. In conclusion, great video!! 😁
I absolutely love Mikey being high empathy and the personality he's paired with. While seeming just as rowdy as the others he's more impulsive, can be blunt, even aggressive at times but still shows him being a young. He doesn't have the answers to everything but has just as much potential as his brothers. I wish we got those deleted episodes and that Mikey could've showed off his artist skills
Edit: I think having Mikey and Donnie trying to hack the Kraang ship was smart. It showed the most emotional and logical, both with neuro-divergancies both be disgusted and against the idea of them touching the ship. Adhd also has sensory issues, some senses more than others. I just like them together. Donnie and Mikey are so funny, they bounce off each other in their episodes with Repo-Mantis. And shows so much love for each other. Donnie patting Mikey's head and being cool with Mikey's hugs
As the youngest sibling this made me genuinely cry. Thank you for making this amazing analyst video.
The way you so accurately described Mikey as a character is beyond me. You pointed out things that no one else would have seen and your in-depth analysis plus your own personal experiences really helped for a connection with how you demonstrated your point. You did a great job.
Oldest sibling here. Your analysis made me realize I had more in common with this version too. Particularly how things went when our mom passed away when we were kids. I felt like I had to take responsibility for my siblings’ emotions because everyone was a wreck, since our mom was the emotional glue. It took years to learn how to coexist and part of that was us four living in different places as adults. I actually had a midlife crisis when my siblings were old enough to be functional adults and I thought I didn’t have a purpose anymore.
This series actually made me miss the way my family was before my mother passed away. Like I had to mourn that as much as my mom.
I just love how these versions of the turtles genuinely feel like a family, despite the flaws, the good and bad, the growth and setbacks.
As the second oldest in my own dysfunctional family and a big ol Leo kinnie w/ a youngest sibling who is the spitting image of Mikey, thank you for this video. Not only am I once again just super impressed by your analytical skills and as usual enjoyed a new perspective on a character I love to bits, but you've also sincerely offered a perspective that helps me understand my brother better... when you said "it's not like he wasn't neglected too" something literally clicked inside me and I wanted to go hold him and cry FHXFNG,, mx. skulltrot you've done it again have a wonderful new year
I was literally on the floor by the end of the high empathy section because I never realized why I could never make choices for myself and never put myself first but I was willing to give an arm and a leg to anyone who I care about who needed anything. The entire analysis really hit home, especially being constantly taken advantage emotionally and I’m glad you really went into his character with so much care. Mikey is a character I really relate to and I was really disappointed he didn’t get the development he needed for his type of character
lets GOOOOO, Mikey's a character I love seeing analyzed, despite not seeing it done too often, very hyped for this vid!!
For a character who didn't get enough screentime, your video is perfectly done on Mikey. He has so much depth to him in this version of tmnt beyond being the comic relief. He was always my favorite turtle and your analysis made me see why in ways i can't put into words. Great job!
You made me realize that without him and his hope for family he was able to open up the portal in the future to send Casey back. So without him we wouldn't get to see all these new developments in all of them. This was one of the best I've seen, thank you for doing this.
How come a show about teenage, mutant, ninja, turtles have the more realistic characters then most shows that have actually people!
Still, it’s good that a show like this is able to talk about this. I use to hate this version of the turtles, but now, this show thanks to these videos have given me a new love for this show.
Thank you.😊😊
Holy shit. As someone who knows nothing about rottmnt or tmnt itself I'm impressed that you were able to explain everything in a way I actually felt connected to a character. As a younger sibling I have never seen somebody aknowledge this part of our struggle. This was truly amazing!
This video essay about Mikey was really good. I didn’t think of him that deeply like Leo or Donnie but this video helps me look at his character in a different way.
Not only was your analysis in-depth and introspective, but also incredibly well-worded and powerful. I teared up in 2 sections of your video, realizing how much these traits resonated with me: first when exploring Mikey's high empathy, and then when examining the invisible pressure of being the youngest. I also struggle with conflict and stress in my interpersonal relationships, often feeling the anxiety and pain of others while always believing I could fix the situation/person by myself. I was told this was out of compassion for others, but had a feeling there was some other underlying reason possibly tied to ADHD. Hearing you analyze Mikey makes me realize I have high empathy, and it explains so much. I've never actually heard it so articulated and explained in the way you did it, and I want to thank you for helping me understand a part of myself that I've struggled with for years. Absolutely loved your analysis and my boy Mikey and I hope you have an amazing day!!!
As the youngest child who has the same amount of emotional insecurities and emotional detachment as Leo/Donnie, I really enjoyed this analysis. I originally thought Mikey's character was undershadowed versus his brothers in this version, but seeing this analysis proved me wrong. He's more of like one of those characters you really have to look at to really understand his position on the show. Mikey had always been one of my favorites for his goofy attitude and would make complete sense for his "Family Therapist" role. I love it!
Like when Mikey shows Donnie the comparison between Donnie and Sheldon VS Donnie and Splinter. Just goes to show Mikey *notices* things happening to the family but just doesn't _say_ it. Just like how I, and Mikey probably, act dumb to hide the fact that I know something when I know I wasn't _intended_ to know in the first place (like tension between family members or financial issues).
I never knew why I grew fond of Rottmnt until I watched so many analysis videos and realized how much I can relate to many of these characters. 🥺❤ Greatly made video! I appreciate how you went out of your way to express how you felt growing up as well! And that ending really made me cry ;-; Many tears were shed throughout this video xD
Wow, I don't know how you keep managing to bring me tears with these videos. I'm personally the youngest and a major leo/mikey kinnie. These videos speak to me so well and have helped me when writing dynamics for my own comic story (unrelated to tmnt). Just wanted to say thank you and keep up the great work.
i did not expect to cry watching this video
i did not realize i related that much to him, i was that therapist friend that tried to keep my friend group, my family that i wanted, together that it had broke me and burned myself out. i'm an only child having to break the fights of my parents, my mom wanted to comfort her while being neglected my own emotional needs literally begging to see a therapist my whole life. i'm empathetic and i wish i wasn't, now i can control it alot better but i felt and still feel the incredible pain my friends feel, it sucks when i can't do much and knowing what happens if i try too hard to help.
god, i love these stupid little turtles
Mikey is my favorite character because he shows how it feels like to be the youngest of four. I relate extremely to Mikey (I also relate to Donnie only a bit however) also when Draxum and Splinter were arguing it reminded me of how I react when my parents use to fight I would cry by myself, in front of them or an hour later. My experiences and reactions are similar but also different as my parents and sometimes my siblings become emotionally neglectful, also when my mother tries to connect with me I push her off because she had pushed me off. I am also the youngest of 4 siblings in a Hispanic, religious household which isn't the best combination to be in. I love this video it shows how even the youngest has trouble's and to stop with the constant stereotypes.
I couldn't imagine the complexity of making both this analysis and actually making the character structures and dynamics
Also, thanks to this, millions of people *will* be making fanfics around the ideas this video gives
Oh, how dare the ending line have reduced me instantly into a pile of tears. Ohhh my god. I teared up more than once, because your analysis is so spot on and good and really brings a fantastic highlight to a character I think often gets misunderstood and boiled down to surface level! You are seen. You are not alone. WAILS 😭😭😭
As the youngest in my family watching this….painfully accurate. Well done. I’m crying. But thank you. That last. Message, I needed it. Thank you❤
That was really interesting !
I felt like there wasn't much to develop about Mikey since he is not as fleshed out as his brothers but you made me see him through another light !
Thanks to you I get that he is as emotionally deep as his brothers, even if not always explicitely. So yeah, I loved the video, thanks a lot for crafting it !
I look forward to the next one ! :D
I just finished and this definitely gave me a WAYYYYY bigger perspective of mikey, and also gave me a vision of being able to see how much I relate to him. I also cried😭
this is genuinely the most beautiful analysis of literally anything I've ever watched 😭😭 I clicked on this video crazy stoked, got on my treadmill, watched it while running AND I LITERALLY FORGOT I WAS RUNNING. THIS USUALLY DOES NOT EVER HAPPEN. your analysis of Mikey was BEAUTIFUL and had SO MUCH heart in it 😭💗💗💗 I'm sorry that you had to put up with such pressures and expectations at a young age and I'm crazy proud of how far you've come! These videos are not only AWESOMELY edited and scripted, but they also make so many people including myself feel seen. The hard work and effort you put in all you do DOES NOT and should not ever go unseen! The part where you talked about /knowing/ what the family was going through, feeling pressure to keep a family together just for a moment with the game nights and meals, all put together with knowing that you shouldn't go anything alone PAIRED WITH THE HIGH EMPATHY?? MY GOODNESS?? This is genuinely such a beautiful analysis because it touches on heartache and pain so well when it comes to a family. You're just such a wonderful and hardworking creator and I really hope you continue to post what you find entertaining and enjoyable for you!! Thank you so much for this!!!! 💗💗💗 sending love and hugs your way!!
omg thank you!! this is so nice
Man, as the youngest child with ADHD, this is such a good analysis. I’m so glad to see other people recognized the bits of character the rise crew managed to fit into the short series, unpacked in such a thoughtful way. I had more to say while watching the video, but I can’t remember it all now. So I’ll just say that this video got a subscribe from me 👍 awesome work
Really thank you for this video! Mikey and his relationship with his family, and feelings is something that hits really close to home for me! I to have been in his position multiple times, being the emotional link that tries to keep it all together even if the rest is falling apart. And both his personal struggles, and his frustrations with the rest of the family are so real and so important! I'll always be frustrated that we didn't get the rest of the S2 Mikey focused episodes, but your video made me really appreciate the stuff that we DID get! The caring but flawed individual that is Mikey, how that gets portrait so well in the show, and how the movie demonstrates how those feelings and connections made him not only strong, but also a wonderful part of the family!
Thank you for all your videos! They really mean a lot to me and I rewatch them a lot! And I can feel this one will not be different! Thank you! 💖💖💗💗💝💝
I would even tear up when Mikey is upset as I am too the youngest from a divorced family, I often too tried to keep the family together by trying my hardest to spend more time with my father as he would seem to spend more time with my brother. After the divorce and even before it, at such a young age, I could feel the tension and hatred even tho they pretended to be fine. After the divorce, I could even tell that my mom and my bro tried their hardest to look after me. So, I would push aside my emotion for the sake of the family so they wouldn't have to worry and care about me as much. This eventually led to me to be either emotionally unstable at times, unable to recognize emotions or the reason, and/or unable to handled tense situations. When I was younger, I would too trust people too easily as I too believed that everyone deserves a chance as I was too naive. Although my mom isn't emotionally neglectful, my father was as he never seemed to care about my feelings about anything and made it seem I was making a big deal out of it,being disrespectful, or flat out ignored. When I came to my mom, neglected myself for her sake as I know she was having a lot of hard times and I believed that I would just be more trouble for her to deal with when it was so incorrect
I love the way you go so deep into the turtles and how you really explain the perspective of them, even in ways most people wouldn’t even think of!
I was so upset and annoyed knowing that we could have gotten more mikey and the relationship between his brothers if season 2 was cut short! if we ever do get a season 3 i would love to see the story boards that were previously for season 2 be for season 3!
I love how you connect even the tiniest details back to real world scenarios. Your analyzation is so through and beautifully conveyed. I’ve literally cried during some of your videos because of how they made me realize different things about myself. Your analysis is truly impressive.
I never realized how much I related to Mikey when it came to being the youngest sibling too. Back then I would always try to be around my siblings and parents, but at the time there was a lot of stress in the family and so mainly there would always be a distance. Even to the point of siblings finally moving out for both being older, and not wanting to handle another stepmother coming around the house to make things worse. Definitely was alone a lot but like Mikey I would notice it and try to come up with ideas to at least do something with my dad, especially when I had the other mother and other brother's during that time. It's really no wonder why unlike my older siblings I'm more like Mikey in the case with others too, though also a mix of Donnie for aspects on how he handles his own emotions. Think Mikey just became another favorite for how there's a lot of relatabilities with him as the youngest and trying to be a glue.
Mann now I want more for a third season to see more of his character development.
All of this was worded beautifully, the part "invisible pressure of being the youngest" got me. This is exactly how I feel about this series. I struggled to put it into words but this "you are not alone, you are seen" line greatly explained my feelings. Each brother represents something people see in themselves and seeing THEM being treated so kindly by their own brothers and getting their emotional needs fed gave me hope. Maybe if not hope, it was truly a love letter as you said. İt's heartwarming. İt's honest. İt's trying to protect the ones you love no matter what.
Their family dynamic is so close to reality that I just disassociate from mine and zone out into theirs to stay sane.
17:10 Something I think worth noting here is that only in the first photo does Mikey have his eyes open, whereas the other three show him giving a closed-eye smile. In the first photo (the one with his eyes open), he seems a bit... apprehensive? Hesitant? Trying-to-keep-it-together-so-the-dam-doesn't-break? This sort of feeling is still shown in the other photos, but he appears a touch more relaxed. It's almost as if Mikey's trying to mask his concern with a smile and keep the peace (not that there was much of that to begin with) so as not to rock the boat. Forcing oneself to remain positive when everyone else is doom and gloom is pretty common of youngest siblings, especially those of us with high empathy, because really all you want is for people to get along, so the hope is that if _you_ remain positive, it'll rub off on the others. Unfortunately in situations with conflict, what usually ends up happening is the negativity ends up getting to you, especially if you're exposed to it constantly/for long periods of time. It's often there that you'll recline from the group more and just stick to yourself, because you couldn't help anyone and it's _still_ hurting no matter what you do. Sometimes even then, you still want to believe people will get along. It's a vain hope, but one you cling to because you desperately wish to be real.
This is beautiful, I wanted to cry at the end, thank you 🥺
this video ripped my heart out and made me actually cry. good job, skull!! your analysis is genuinely amazing. /lh /pos
LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The fact that I'm the youngest sibling myself and relate to Mikey and how he is probably says a lot about me as a person. I'm a huge empath, so if I see my sister crying or my parents arguing in rare moments, I'm already upset and wanting to at least listen and fix everything. But because of the tone because so loud, it's all just not getting into my brain even though I'm naturally loud as a girl with ADHD. And because of that empathy, I'm as naive as Mikey, but also try to take up the older cousin role like Ralph does since I just want everyone to have a good time, especially my younger cousins.
And well, I'm not surprised that both me and Mikey have pretty severe anxiety because of how both of us process things much more differently than other family members. An example being how I reacted to my almost two year old cousin when she threw her snacks on the ground, and while my aunt says that she was just being bratty, I reacted where I ended up comforting her and helping with learning the lesson the "learning from your actions" type of thing. She stopped crying and I helped with cleaning up the mess while my aunt questioned me, which had me telling her that "she's just a baby/kid, and they learn as they grow." or something like that.
And for Mikey to be my favorite character as well as the family therapist, it actually didn't surprise me as I wanna at least bridge the gaps that are in my family and hopefully become each other's light.
So, cheers to you Michaelangelo, you're doing great!
So one question: why the hell is this my first time hearing about this show and this channel? These characters are so good as case studies in human behaviors and emotions. Bravo to the writers for writing these characters so brilliantly. Plus, I love this analysis and believe it’s all the better for its connections to real world experiences.
Yay a Mikey Analyses video! Can’t wait to watch! ^^
The final words of this essay made me cry. This video essay is so great because it really goes into depth by showing how Mikey felt throughout the entirety of the franchise, and it makes a character who didn't get much screen time even more understood. Mikey is the one I relate to the most, and seeing this made me break down in tears. I feel so disappointed that we lost out on Mikey content for the sake of the plot, but it's really satisfying to know that we have the Fandom to help us understand what we missed out on. Thank you for making this video, I really enjoyed it.
P.S.
If we don't get a season 3 I will be livid
I came here for a good character analysis. I got a fantastic one, and the one that had me on the verge of crying.
this video made me cry
man. i’m literally the youngest of 4 with high empathy and way too much energy and i feel severely called out. mikey has ALWAYS been my favorite, no matter the iteration, and to see such a detailed and thoughtful analysis of his character is awesome cause he’s almost always reduced to the “party guy” (which, i can relate) or the “dumb one” (i could argue about that one all day) and nothing else. my boy has LAYERS. anyway, incredible work! will be crying about this later!
Why did this actually make me cry? like it made me want to crawl into a cave and never leave because how much I relate to it.
35:55
This statement is so real, the very popular idea that "Youngest siblings have it easy!" and "Youngest siblings are so spoiled!" is so damaging. Not only are we expected to be happy all the time, precisely BECAUSE we're seen as spoiled, but we also have to go through life with the expectations set up by our siblings. I have two older brothers. One of them was the salutatorian of his high school and is currently thriving in an amazing college, and the other barely graduated high school + dropped out of college + is living in the basement. I am compared to them so often. It's this horrific amount of pressure. I also grew up acutely aware of how I was seen as annoying. Now, I have basically no relationship with my brothers. We live in the same house most of the time, but I can't remember the last real conversation I had with them. And as someone who also has emotionally neglectful parents... it makes me feel alone.
Being the youngest is hard, too. Stop discrediting our struggles just because you struggled too. That just leads to your little siblings hiding their emotions, and essentially becoming more like you.
FUCK IM A 2012 MIKEY KINNIE how am I just realizing this
It's so hard to pick a favorite character when they're all so well written and in depth and even if they didn't get the time to shine they should've they're all amazing
Even though I’m the oldest of three, I’ve always identified with Donnie the most out of the four. I do experience the “eldest is in charge and should be responsible” button relationship with my younger sister has always kind of been teasing. Shes more academically inclined, I have to work to make up for my misgivings, and it feels like other people can do what I do way easier than me. I’m teased for messing up a lot, not in a malicious way though. I def identify with Donnie being the butt of a lot of jokes
The irony is that in several series, Splinter would talk about watching TV programs like a real father would do, but he STILL wound up with skilled ninjas as sons, who also had pretty functional emotions. In the original comics the consequences of a 'Sensei' who trains his sons to be warriors for his revenge was actually pretty realistic as they turned out as killers who originally wiped out the Shredder in issue 1. In Rise, he gets half-way through the job of home-schooling and it's a very realistic consequence of having a dad who sits around watching TV and eating snack food all day (and not going to school). The short 'Turtle Tots' is actually a pretty good example of how they brought themselves up half the time.
I love you so much for analysing Mikey with this much depth and understanding... 😭 Mikey's my favourite because I'm exactly like him. Youngest sibling, trusting people too much even tho they're being toxic to me, not being allowed to do what I want unless everyone agrees and everything else... I am exactly a clone of Mikey.
tbh tho, i would love to have a friend like mikey...would make my days go by much happier
The turtle siblings really make me realte to them since all of them remind me of me and my sibling's real life representation. We're all four siblings like them and the reason I think they just make me feel so connected is probably since I saw them since childhood and how that affected me (and my siblings). And the other reason I think is because of how almost accurately the 4 turtles represent me and my siblings.
Raph is no surprise very closely representing my eldest Sister. She's just like him, in a way, even if it doesn't seem like it. Like him, she cared about our well-being and protects us from any potential danger. Like family issues and/ or conflict. She keeps her feelings to herself but is also very expressive at the same time. She balances the mood of the family everytime.
Leo's character reminds me of my 2nd elder sibling. Though she isn't all 'narcissistic' or that's how people think Leo is at first glance, she still is very self-caring towards herself. There are other characteristics of him that remind me of her alot! And even if it really doesn't seem like they don't resemble each other much, there's alot they share in common.
Mikey resembles my smaller Sister alot. I don't want to repeat points from the video but this video is exactly her. She's just like him.
And i think I relate more to Donnie in many levels. I keep my feelings to myself to not make it bothersome to my family. I am ambitious and have many hobbies which I obsess over. The video where you (creator) talk about Donnie's low empathy made me feel absolutely connect with him even more. Again, I don't want to repeat your points from the video but most of what you've explained is my characteristics.
If this is related (?) I am an INFP. I don't know how much does that compare to donatello but I just thought I'd share?
Anyways, sorry about the rant I did. I just wanted to appreciate your very amazingly worded videos and commentary! You should get more recognition!
It's 1am and I'm crying over a damn turtle in a show I've never watched
The rawness in your voice made me feel just how much the writers put their hearts in this show, it's arguably atla level love
I’m the youngest in my family as well. One of two siblings, with a brother who seems to care sometimes but is nothing like the older siblings Mikey has. Every point you hit in this video I related to, from the emotionally neglectful parents (only my mom) to the family therapist feeling to the need for independence to the high empathy and everything else. Mikey really does feel as if someone took my exact personality, down to every T, and added it to a character for it. This analysis really not only spelled everything out for me about myself, but also helped me realize just how flawed my own family is and how I wasn’t just being dramatic or ridiculous as my mother often claimed. As you said, “you are seen” is the 3 words that I really heard when listening to this video. Thank you so much for making this, it’s really been an incredible help for me moving forward.
This made me cry so much. Thank you so much. I was waiting for something like this to be said I always knew Mike he was my favorite but I could never really explain why everyone just say because he’s funny and stuff but it’s like I felt a connection is hurting me so bad in a good way but like so much is so well said thank you thank you thank you
never have ive seen an analysis video that made me feel like i was about to start crying and sobbing. ESPECIALLY for a character i liked but never thought twice about
It legit is just so sad Mickey’s character development was cut short cuz even w/his short amount of screen time he already became my favourite :(
Anyways loved this video, not many ppl talk abt Mickey so I really enjoyed it
Throughout the whole video I was ready to get into feels but wen “It’s not like Mikey wasn’t emotionally neglected too.” Was said something inside me clicked words can’t express how much I needed to hear that thank you from the bottom of my heart
NEW MIKEY ANALYSIS JUST DROPPED! he deserves so much love in the show and in the fandom, always great to see someone talk abt him
Your videos are incredible. You mentioned this being an essay and I realized that that is exactly what it is. Im used to the scrapped together essays that is high school required, that such a concise and clear video could be an essay did not even occur to me. Your voice and music choices are calm and soothing, something very important when talking about subjects that could be distressing. The videos you use are well-times and high quality. With every video you make me understand more about Rise, the Owl House, and more impactful, myself. I hope you feel the same applies to you as well. Im saying all this to thank you. You blow me away every time. Please, keep it up.
While I love all tmnt this is my absolute favorute since after 2003 ROTTMNT is the only other show which showed Mikey RESPECT. One of the things I LOVE about this Mikey is how intelligent he is. He vocabulary is genuinely way ahead of compared to a normal 13 years old and his family acknowledge that intelligence. It makes it LEAGUES above 2012 shows treatment of my favorute turtle.
Tmnt 2012 did him SO DIRTY. MIKEY DESERVED BETTER
i am a younger sibling myself, and i feel like i have to make everyone proud of me all of the time, and i cry when i know i might be disapointing someone, even if logic says im not. ill start crying if someone undermines me or my feelings. sometimes, i get a wave of hapiness and helpfulness that makes me feel like doing something for someone, other times, i feel like i cant do anything. i can try to follow my interest one day, and it just wont work. i constantly feel an underlying feeling of, "i *NEED* to do this". as an over-thinker, ill think far ahead based on the reactions/responses that i know people have to things, so i make a lot less bad choices, because of having the benifit of future hindsight. this makes me know what someone will do/say if i *DONT* do/say something, and that leads to me falling on the floor crying. i really cant think about my emotions and what causes them until im in an emotional state, and then i forget, so ill come back once i can gather my thoughts to make a cohesive comment about more than nonsense.
I love the fact that you analyzed him so much and gave attention to all of Mikey's different "personalities". It's a popular headcanon that Raph has DID but personally, as a system, and someone who relates to Mikey the most... COME ON GUYS IT'S OBVIOUS. IT IS SO OBVIOUS.
I’m crying right now. I’m a middle child, but a traumatic experience practically broke me, leaving me defenseless against the cruelties of the world. My family stepped up, particularly my baby brother. After all these years it’s like we switched places emotionally (at least in the way you described it). He started acting more like an older sibling while I fell back into the younger sibling role. The truth is that I feel so much younger than the rest of my siblings because of how strong they have become, and how they are able to handle pressure that would shatter me.
Like Mikey, I have high empathy. So much so that it’s hard for me to watch any kind of media without feeling what the characters are feeling and wanting to do something about it-to ease their pain and help them process their emotions. I wouldn’t trade this ability for anything in the world, but it is sometimes heavy to carry.
The last thing you said in this video, “You are not alone. You are seen. And all you need is hope,” that really got me. Thank you. I really needed to hear that.
Out of my family, I’m definitely Mikey. My siblings and I would compare ourselves to the Ninja Turtles when we were kids, and I was always Mikey, even when I related more to Leo (we all knew I was more like Leo, but we appeased our baby brother who wanted to be the leader). Now that the roles have switched, and this is a different series than the one I grew up with, I am proud to say that I have Michelangelo’s role. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you again for a wonderful analysis, and for giving Mikey the love and attention he deserves.
Yooo!! You almost make me cry. Well, actually… YOU make me cry. I’m the middle sibling, and seeing a analysis about the relationship of Donnie and Mikey was so important to me. Thank ya a lot
Me realizing I'm a Mikey Kinnie is the weirdest thing to me rn-
"Omg I relate to this"
"OH NO.... I RELATE TO THIS"
Then my friends in the corner calling me a lover bc I kin him (as a joke ofc- plus they kin Donnie, they CANNOT talk)
Having high empathy is honestly exhausting. You're taking in what everyone around you is feeling and trying to figure out what they're all thinking in my case. I hate being in huge crowds or in a crowded area. It's like a superpower but the superpower is your kryptonite:((
When my school had an assembly the whole time I was clenching my jaw trying not to explode. 0/10 experience honestly. After all that the mental exhaustion was crazy, I had a bad headache😵
Does anyone else have experiences like this?
(Lovely videos, Skullrot!
Ok but the final line of the video was freaking amizng
Despite being the oldest I have been trough almost every single thing the turtles had to go through and this hits maybe an little close to home
I was crying at your words. I feel connected to Mikey even though I am the oldest, I don't want things to crumble and break around me because I feel useless. I make family's that are my friends and try to keep them together.
the last five minutes of this had me tearing up. you did such a fantastic job describing mikey's character and diving into his character!!
I've just watched all of Rise and all of your videos on it, and I am sincerely touched and impressed by your in-depth appreciation for each character. You've got a new subscriber out of me ❤
I relate to Mikey in so many ways. I also have high empathy--I was literally in tears this entire video just because of how much I love the turtles and appreciate your breakdown of their characters 😂
I also struggled with contention in my family, and I relate strongly to both Mikey's and your experiences. I'm the second youngest of 6 siblings and part of a pretty broken nuclear family. Due to being the youngest, my younger brother and I are significantly removed from all of the contentions between my older siblings and our parents. That did leave us less affected in some ways, but like you say in the video, it still does affect us. It's so difficult to see things breaking down around you and not know why. I subconsciously took it upon myself to be the mediator between my older siblings and my parents, which has led to many more problems later in my life, and I'm only recently learning to let go and to take care of myself.
In any case, I love Mikey so much and I love him even more after your analysis. You are so insightful and I'm so grateful for you sharing your thoughts and experiences 🧡 Looking forward to more amazing videos 🐢
This episode hit me like a ton of bricks. My parents were extremely neglectful and me being the oldest I had to toughen up and not only raise my siblings (I'm the oldest of 4) but also protect them. I remember the best example, which was when I was little I was afraid of needles but my mom would take all of my siblings to get vaccines at once for school. I was terrified but I knew if my siblings saw their big brother freaking out over getting shots, then it would scare my siblings and make our mom angry. So despite being terrified, I suck it up hid the anxiety and smiled while I faced this fear to make my siblings know it was okay. I'm no longer scared of needles but there were many examples of me having to shut down my emotions for them. I feel raph very hard, but I also appreciate being seen in this episode of analysis
I remember one time I came from college on break. My little sister answered the door, she didn't look happy to see me. I was completely clueless as to why she was being so moody with me.
Since I have autism I've needed, but failed to realize I was getting more attention from my parents than my sister was. She's acted this way after this incident, but has gotten over it. fairly quickly now.
My sister loves being the center of attention, so than it finally dawned on me why she was being the way she was.
I'm not that emotionally intelligent, but this video helped me quite a bit.
Thank you for posting this video. I learned a lot.
Oml. I absolutely can relate to the comments about emotional care towards my sisters. If they are scared or upset, I don’t express my own but let them feel their own emotions. I don’t know if I would say I am required to act like this, it’s my love that drives me to protect my sisters. If one of them are crying and I feel like I want to as well, I’ll push my needs aside for them. Then again, you are definitely not wrong, everybody, whose a older sibling like me, act differently with their younger one
i havent seen this version of teenage mutant ninja turtles, it is really strange to find out they made raphael the oldest when im used to leonardo being the eldest brother. I love the analysis of emotions and the levels each age of a family deals with said emotions