Hey this is a safe space right lol, can i finally talk about something thats sorta bugged me this whole time? I think the rot fandom has cooled down a bit so uh, if im gonna be honest with yall, the treatment of rottmnt april was really weird
Like, i know im not the only one who clocked it as strange but this huge insistence that she IS their big sister and any turtlexapril ship IS incest was just so incredibly bizarre.
**long discussion on april and her relationship to the turtles under the cut lol
April is family. There is no doubt about that. This is made very apparent in the episode: shreddy or not, where Karai accepts april as a part of the family and essentially blesses her with hamato mysticism after she expresses her insecurity and feelings of despair when she can't help the turtles in their fight against the shredder because she "isn't one of them" but like. Aside from that, in the rest of the show i didnt really get a sense of anything that i would've interpreted as her relationship with them being sisterly specifically. Tbh with the way the fandom harped on it when i first got into rottmnt- i spent the whole time watching the show waiting for an "aw thanks sis" from any of the turtles or splinter calling her his daughter and that just. Didnt happen
I know you dont need a characters relationship to be spelled out for it to be read a certain way (see hypno and warren) but with the way the turtles refer to each other on multiple occasions as brothers while never referring to april in a similar way never indicated to me that she was a sister-figure in their life. Thinking back on it, even aprils relationship with splinter is very platonic, ie that april is friends with splinter but splinter is definitely not her dad/father figure as suggested by some. This all could very well be another symptom of the shows condensed and rushed development and unfortunate cutting of several episodes but i dont know if it is. Overall though, with what we do have their relationship as a collective has always been very platonic, rather than familial to me. (This doesnt negate the close bonds that makes her family, but still not familial if that makes sense)
Now dont get me wrong, i think its fun and i really like the idea that she could be seen as a sister to the turtles! The friendly and casual nature of their relationship easily lends itself to being seen as a sibling relationship as the turtles are the same way with each other, but the way the fandom has twisted it into a threat completely sucks the fun out of the interpretation and the insistence on it feels more like fandom misogyny than a genuine interpretation of the show :/
Fandom misogyny is a strong thing to call it but ive seen this pattern time and time again in multiple fandoms both past and present (and i wont pretend that i havent done the same thing before) but insisting that one of the few female characters to a majority male cast is actually a sister to them has been used as a reason to not give any thought or interest to who she is and to prioritize the focus on male relationships.
Ive read countless fics where aprils main role is to just. Support the turtles in whatever it is theyre doing, whether its pursuing a romantic relationship or struggling with emotional/mental distress and its always tacked on with a "because im your big sister. Let big sis be here for you" despite this act of caring definitely being something she can do as their friend and is not exclusive to sibling relationships. Additionally, i rarely see her playing a role outside of support or time spent on her feelings about anything that she also experienced in tandem with the turtles which just adds to the typical fandom misogyny flavor im getting from the "april is their sister" fanon
**filtered for rottmnt fics but not accounting for her role as a side character or main character in the story
The way i see it, whether the sentiment is concious or not, this insistence that it is incestuous gives the fandom at large a "valid reason" to ignore her in their stories, using it as an excuse to sideline her from any potential romance from characters she has genuine connections with and keeps her out of the conversation aside from being the "supportive older sister"
And listen, im not here to put anyones headcanon down. I do think it can be a very fun way to see her relationship with the turtles and it has some valid weight to it as a headcanon! They are her found family as much as she is to them, and there is so much to be said about april clearly feeling a profound sense of alienation from her peers and discovering others who also experience that and finding acceptance with them, but in my experience it doesnt feel like that is the greater fandoms genuine interest. It feels more like trying to justify not shipping her with the turtles which is just so.. lame lol
Also not to wonder outloud but i think it needs to be asked: I really have to question if this reaction is doubled down so harshly for her specifically because she's black. I just find it very hard to believe that her being black isnt a factor in this extremely bizarre treatment that literally no other version of april experiences. Especially as the first tv tmnt black april.
2012 april is shown to be very much family to the turtles as the show progresses. Its baked into her character design and splinter even goes so far as to give her the fan he was going to give his own daughter, a very clear indication that she is like a daughter him and i dont see any backlash for shipping 2012 april with donnie because theyre family.
Rottmnt april has a charming, close and healthy friendship with donnie, but because she is accepted as family they cant even be friends? She has to be his sister? But not 2012 april? Is it because she isnt made a clear item of affection from the show like tot april? And is that the only way a girl can be considered a romantic interest by fans? And why so aggressive against the idea? It just rubs me the wrong way ig lol
TLDR April is so much more than just a sister to the turtles. Yes she is family but is also a confidant, she's safety, she's community and understanding, above all she is a good friend and it is so disappointing to see all the wonderful traits she has and see it replaced as her just "being their sister"
All that to say i hope this gives some food for thought, fandom misogyny is so pervasive in subtle ways that unless you know what youre looking for it can be hard to spot, especially if you are new to fanon. Either way the importance of fandom is to have fun, dont let me ruin that for you if you ascribe to the sister-april fanon lol
