The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is a surprise hit as it got great reviews from critics. Aside from critical acclaim, the new TMNT movie also delighted anime fans with references to Jujutsu Kaisen and other titles.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the latest entry in the long-running TMNT franchise.
While it’s the seventh film, it is a reboot, making it easy to watch for those who didn’t grow up with the series.
For those still on the fence about watching the film, the numerous anime references are making a strong case for making it worth seeing on the big screen.
New TMNT Movie Is Chock-Full of Anime References
TMNT is an iconic American comic book and cartoon franchise, so it’s not at all connected to the anime industry. Despite this, it seems that the animators of the latest film are huge fans of anime.
That’s because lots of fans spotted a range of anime references throughout the movie. This is quite unexpected, but no surprise given how mainstream anime has become in recent years.
For instance, fans spotted an Attack on Titan reference. Specifically, during one scene, Donatello did the iconic Shingeki no Kyojin salute, followed by what seems to be a Naruto run by the other turtles.
While these are still fun references, there are more apparent ones throughout the film.
The one that arguably got the most attention is the surprise appearance from Satoru Gojo.
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Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gojo Appears as a Sticker in TMNT: Mutant Mayhem
In one scene, a sticker of Jujutsu Kaisen's Satoru Gojo is shown, which is based on his funny appearance in one of the Juju Sanpo (or Juju Stroll) shorts.
Gojo’s appearance (albeit in sticker form) delighted many fans, especially as it comes right on time for the show’s second season which focuses heavily on him in the first five episodes.
Aside from Jujutsu Kaisen, other fans reported that the film also features references to Demon Slayer and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
TMNT’s references aren’t limited to anime though, as the film is also chock-full of references to other franchises. These include the Avengers, Family Guy, Despicable Me, and many more.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is now screening in US cinemas.
Currently, there’s no word yet on how long it will be available in theaters.
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