Home News Ciro Nieli Shocks Shellheads With Apritello Video We’ve All Been Waiting For

Ciro Nieli Shocks Shellheads With Apritello Video We’ve All Been Waiting For

by Justin W
Will April ever really get together with Donny? Well, she definitely showed him some love in this video! Image Source: Nickelodeon.

I’m ashamed to admit that this video flew under my radar last week, but it’s time to make up for that. Ciro Nieli and Brandon Auman have a habit of posting some pretty interesting behind-the-scenes footage on their social media pages. Sometimes these posts can even reveal information that won’t be shared with the general public for several months, so it’s definitely nice to get a sneak peek. That being said, it wouldn’t be fair to characterize this video as something you will definitely see in the animated series at some point. Instead, take it as read that this was just a fun little side project that Nieli and his team created for themselves and the fans.

With that out of the way, can we talk a little bit about Apritello? For those who haven’t been paying attention to this animated series, it might be surprising to learn that Donatello and April have had an on-again, off-again “thing” for each other. Of course, this being a show aimed at younger audiences, they never really pushed the concept too far. At best, we’ve seen Donny pining over April and getting rejected pretty much every time. Whether it be the fact that the censors most definitely would not allow this kind of relationship or the likelihood that parents might not want their kids watching such a show, there are several reasons that this “ship” has never fully developed.

Until now.


You see, now that we know the series is coming to an end, it would seem that the animators and creators behind Nickelodeon’s TMNT can finally play with the concept a little bit behind the scenes. One look at the video above will show you exactly what happened when Apritello officially became a thing in the studio. The reaction is priceless, and the results definitely made my jaw drop. If you were worried that we might never see what would happen between these two, now you can rest easy knowing that the team behind this cartoon has definitely explored the possibilities!

Say what you will, but this has definitely been a long time coming. Personally, I don’t think the world really needs to see this actually come to fruition – but I suppose it’s a possibility that we’ll see this either at the very end of the series or as a DVD extra at some point. Whatever happens, I’m glad Nieli decided to share this video with the world.

Is this the moment you’ve been waiting for? Are you happy to see Apritello finally develop, even if it was just the product of the animators having fun behind the scenes? Share your thoughts either in the comments below or on Facebook/Twitter.

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10 comments

Elisa March 28, 2017 - 12:24 pm

I don’t mind a bit of romance. If done well, it can add an extra layer to a character. And I think Donnie’s feelings for April are actually pretty central to this whole tmnt 2012 verse. While we haven’t seen them in a “relationship” there is an undeniable bond between those two and I actually really like it. My 6 year who watches the show with me thinks it’s cute and funny so I really have no problem with it at all. 😁

NUMBER ONE TMNT FAN March 28, 2017 - 12:56 pm

OH DUDE! WOW! That defenitely hasnt happened in the show! lol! i don’t know why but i couldnt stop smiling for like 5 minutes after watching that.

KaiDigo March 28, 2017 - 4:56 pm

and then they Totally Banged, the end.

TwistedCupid March 29, 2017 - 12:38 am

I been hoping for the romance since… well forever. I know that in the past, 90’s censorship had this whole no weird romance… but we are not the 90’s anymore. Kids grow up & let’s face it, Mass Effect proves that there is more to romance than being from the same home-world.I personally think this is a personification of how alien girls & guys seem to each other. Yet overcome that awkwardness with friendship & so forth. Donnie being a nerdy turtle, would have seemed the least likely but times have changed, nerds can get the girl, also April being half alien and a human mutant, shows that girls may look different from boys but have the same heart underneath it all… idk… I get philosophical.

Elisa March 29, 2017 - 7:32 am

Yes! Mass Effect! ❤ I totally agree. Also, I think it ties into the whole concept that the turtles want to be seen for WHO they are not WHAT they are. They are more human than a lot of the actual humans around them.

GrandAsylumGaming May 2, 2017 - 6:06 pm

Actually I can agree with both of you! You have some VERY interesting points indeed! Some things need to be clarified tho, I do agree that Donnie & April should and could have a romance, if they did Donnie would still have to be isolated from the outside world or for all we know April could have one day became the ambassador between the Human Race and our Turtle brothers, and even if they where able to set foot on the surface and seen as a member of the human race, humans would still judge them for WHAT they are not WHO they are! Its just a fact about the human race that has been around since our existence even tho people can see them for WHO they are nobody could naturally ignore WHAT they are!

Anna Renee March 29, 2017 - 1:01 am

I’m completely in favor of Apriltello. In my opinion, it’s given Donatello more development, as a guy that has real emotions and thoughts apart from technology and science. Beastiality really isn’t a concern — it isn’t. I’d like to argue that Raphael and Mona Lisa are an inter-species relationship, and if a counterclaim is ‘well, they’re both mutants, though’, just remember April is a mutant too. We determined in Season 2 that she had a mix of Kraang and human DNA that gifted her with psychic powers.

I think Donatello deserves to be happy. Perhaps I’m reading to far into the animation and script, but he seems genuinely happy when he is around her. He seems genuinely concerned for well being, unlike Casey, in my opinion.

I’d really love to see TMNT end on a happy, or at least give closure on the love triangle.

Poch March 30, 2017 - 12:21 pm

I have a feeling that this might show up in the finale of the show.

Nymphia March 31, 2017 - 9:03 am

*Fangirling incoherently*

Kaine Morrison May 14, 2017 - 2:37 pm

Where the hell are the Blu-Ray/DVD Season sets for the ’12 series?
For that matter, where are DVD sets for the ’03 series?

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