Oh gods help me-- I've tried to stay out of this thread but it's stuck in my brain and I have to respond now. There is a very good reason why Leo seems to end up attracted to the "bad girls". While the underlying attraction between Leo and Karai is mostly left to our imaginations and the writers' barely discernable hints, (cuz I can almost guarantee we'll never see it happen overtly), in the
original 'toon he fell goony-eyed, goofily, madly in love with Very Bad Girl Lotus Blossom--an admittedly embarrassing moment for Leo fans- but appropriate for the
unsubtle world of the old cartoon. She was thief-- she worked for Shredder for a price (am I remembering this right?) Anyway, she was Honor's polar opposite-- and Leonardo went head-over heels for her.
Come on, we've all heard "opposites attract", right? There's a reason for that. Our "opposite" is very often the embodiment of unexpressed aspects of ourselves. We all have a shadow self, and nowhere does the shadow come out to play so exuberantly as in our relationships-- and who we are attracted to.
As for the new Toon, even after reading the various views presented, I don't see that Leo would ever have a romantic relationship with Karai. It wouldn't be true to character.
So from a Leo character standpoint, think about this....
Would you want a relationship with someone who waffles about basically being good or bad? Who is always playing games? Not honest? Not trustworthy? Inconsistent in words and actions?
The problem with your argument is that if Leonardo is purely "good", and only attracted to "good", he becomes a one-dimensional character-- a flat caricature of "goodness". Which he *isnt*-- a huge part of his appeal (to this Leo fan anyway) is that he
struggles with remaining true to what he believes. In both the Mirage and 4Kids series he had spent a long dark-night- of- the- soul after getting trounced by Shredder, having to overcome self-doubt and fear. In the 4Kids series he he went through it again after his percieved failure at having opted to blow up the entire family along with Shredder's space craft. He was dark and moody and bad tempered and rude even to Splinter for a long time-- appearing to have become more Raphael than Raphael. In the original 'toon he went through an episode of self-doubt thought he was no longer fit to lead and left the family. In the
Mirage City at War he questions the concept of "honor", even questions how much he is willing to give his life to Splinter (Something like: "I would gladly give my life
for him but I'm not sure I'm willing to give him my life").
The thing is, even someone wholly committed to honor, committed to doing the right thing, to serving the needs of the many over his personal needs, every "good guy" has a
shadow side.
Would you put yourself into a romantic relationship after being stabbed through the shoulder with your own sword by that person?
No one
puts themselves in a romantic relationship. We don't
choose who we are attracted to, and who we love. It just *happens*. We can choose to follow through or not, but as far as who gets our hearts pounding, we have no control over that. Now it would be very much like Leo to try and convince himself that he
has control over that. I wrote a whole novel-length fan fic about his struggle to deny his feelings for someone, but the reality is we don't get to choose that. "Master of the Body and of the Mind" doesn't say anything about the
Heart!--lol!
Even before Karai chose Shredder's side, a romantic relationship was unrealistic for Leo.
Leo's a natural leader type (not the power leader type), would recognize potential in others and desire to bring that talent out. So I agree with the concept of Leo admired the potential he saw in Karai, to try to encourage her to rise above her past and maybe become an ally, to free herself of a dark and evil path. But that admiration wasn't based in romantic love.
Likely not at the start. More likely the admiration was for her skills as a Ninja and a warrior. But Leo is also a rescuer. Over time he wants to save her from the "dark side"-- why else would be keep letting her go -- pleading with her to do the honorable thing? Why is he so devastated when she
doesn't do the right thing? Over and over? I think he's hooked. How come? Hm?
And as for Karai, her Darkness is drawn relentlessly to Leo's Light. Over and above "opposites attracting", the small seed of Good in her would be instinctively drawn to him for some kind of "salvation."
Metaphysically or psychologically it can be understood as the faster we run towards the light, the faster the dark will pursue us, sucked along in our wake. It's simple cause and effect, the Universe and/ or our psyches maintaining balance.
But the idea of the "good boy" being attracted magnetically to the "bad girl"-- omg-- it's too juicy to pass up. I think the writers know this, but of course they can never write *that* story for a kids' cartoon. The writer in *me* sees it and is going nuts -- thank heaven for fan fiction!
OK. I feel better now. Needed to get that out.
~GW
