TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Features A Popular Netflix Anime Easter Egg You May Have Missed
There are more Easter eggs and references in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" than moviegoers may expect. The new, animated "TMNT" adventure takes place in a decidedly modern version of New York, and its eponymous heroes, Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Raphael (Brady Noon), all behave like normal teenagers living in today's world. Over the course of the film's runtime, the four characters reference everything from popular TikTok trends and celebrity memes to movies like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Avengers: Endgame."
Donatello, for his part, emerges as a die-hard anime fan throughout the film, which even incorporates his self-professed love for "Attack on Titan" into its climactic, third-act battle. The movie, to its credit, finds more than one way to reference the character's love of anime, too. Indeed, at the end of "TMNT: Mutant Mayhem," which sees its four leads finally get to live out their dream of attending high school, Donatello is shown wearing a "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" hoodie. The detail, which is easy to miss if you aren't paying close enough attention, proves that Donnie's interest in anime extends far beyond just "Attack on Titan."
In case the Easter egg itself wasn't fun enough, it turns out that Donnie's hoodie was included in "Mutant Mayhem" because of one endearing behind-the-scenes moment.
Donatello's voice actor is a big anime fan in real life
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" may have only just hit theaters, but viewers are already expressing their excitement over the film and its fresh takes on its iconic main characters. On Twitter, one user even posted a screenshot from the end of the movie and specifically noted Donatello's "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" hoodie. In response, "Mutant Mayhem" script coordinator Andrew Joustra revealed that the costume choice was made because of a real-life interaction between the movie's director, Jeff Rowe, and Donatello voice actor Micah Abbey.
"Early on during a recording session we had some anime references in the script. Jeff asked the boys to name some current ones they liked and Micah mentioned 'Jojo,'" Joustra explained. "Thus Donnie became a 'Jojo' fan!"
This story only further reinforces the fact that "Mutant Mayhem" is being received so well partly because of how relatable it makes its popular heroes. From Michelangelo's improv dreams and Leonardo's unrequited crush on April O'Neil (Ayo Edebiri) to Donatello's love of anime, the film goes out of its way to not only give each of its leads their own distinct personalities but also depict them as believably modern teenagers. Taking that into account, it makes a lot of sense that Donatello's anime hoodie was ultimately a nod to the actor who plays him.
For those who may not have caught the last-minute reference in "Mutant Mayhem" or may not be familiar with any of Donnie's favorite anime shows, it's also worth noting that "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" is streaming now in the U.S. on Netflix.