Tale of the Yokai

Tale of the Yokai
Season 3, Episode 20

Airdate	August 9th, 2015
Writter	Brandon Auman
Director	Sebastian Montes
Prev. and Next
Prev. Turtles in Time	Next Attack of the Mega Shredder

"Tale of the Yokai" is 20th episode in season 3 and the 72th episode overall.

"Til' death do us part."

Official Description[]

When the Turtles are accidentally transported to the past, they happen to cross paths with a familiar ninja clan.

Plot[]

The Turtles run away from ninjas that have discovered them in the previous episode, Turtles in Time. The Turtles have no choice but to fight these ninjas, whom Leo identifies as belonging to the Hamato Clan, Splinter's clan. Suddenly, before the ninjas can continue their attack, a familiar voice is heard and the ninjas part to reveal a younger Shredder, who locks eyes with the Turtles and refers to them as yokai: mythical Japanese monsters. Mikey instinctively throws down a smoke bomb, allowing the Turtles to escape from Saki.

After their escape, the Turtles discuss their predicament, concluding that they are at least sixteen years in the past due to the Shredder still being a Hamato Clan member. Before long, the brothers come across a dojo that Mikey believes to be the one that Splinter trained in. In the dojo, Saki reports back to his sensei, Hamato Yuuta (Splinter's biological father), telling him about the creatures that he saw, claiming that their appearance fits the description of the legendary yokai. From outside of the dojo, the Turtles observe this scene, watching as their human Master Splinter emerges from a room and pokes fun at Saki, remarking that his head has always been in the clouds. However, Splinter's father is quick to point out to him that many dimensions and beings permeate reality and that some legends say that when the yokai arrive, tragedy is sure to follow. Splinter and Saki are then left alone in the dojo and begin to duel. Saki starts talking about Tang Shen, asserting that Splinter cares nothing for her and only for himself. Splinter, knocking Saki to the floor, denies this and offers him a hand up but gets it swatted away. Saki then spots the silhouettes of the Turtles, forcing the four to flee before the brothers see them.

Later, around a campfire at night, the Turtles ponder their conundrum of being stuck in the past, wondering why they were sent to this specific time and place. Leo believes that it was more than sheer coincidence that they were sent here, to which Donnie agrees, noting how unlikely it would be for them to end up where and when they are by accident. At the same time, Donnie cannot think of a good reason that they were sent here.

Nearby, on a bridge, Yoshi and Tang Shen are enjoying the night alongside their daughter Miwa. Tang Shen voices her desire for them to leave Japan and visit America, but Yoshi tells her that he has numerous responsibilities in Japan, with an aging father to take care of and a clan to remain loyal to. Shen proclaims that ninjas have no more place in this world and that the Hamato Clan is the last clan of its kind, which is Yoshi's reasoning that it must endure. Tang Shen then leaves with Miwa, turning down Yoshi's offer to walk her home.

The Turtles fool around a bit back at the campfire, and Raph and Mikey inadvertently intercept Shen as she walks home. Hearing Miwa's cries, Yoshi tries to head to their location but Saki instead comes to the aid of Shen and her daughter, attacking the Turtles, who quickly escape to a nearby tree. Saki then approaches Shen, telling her that he overheard her earlier conversation with Yoshi and that he is willing to do what he isn't (move to New York with her and Miwa). Saki kisses Shen on the forehead, telling her to take him back and that he is a better man than she once knew him to be. Unbeknownst to Saki and Shen, Yoshi witnesses this encounter between the two and is devastated. Meanwhile, up high in the tree, Leo considers the option of taking the Shredder down, but Donnie mentions that if they interfere with history by doing so, Splinter may never move to New York and purchase four baby turtles (them). However, Leo points out that they have already altered history for the worse by intercepting Shen and causing her to be saved by Saki. Donnie then pulls out his T-Phone and reveals that in a picture, Casey is fading away, which means that Leo is indeed right. Now, the Turtles must somehow ensure that Shen sides with Yoshi so that history can stay on course.

Later, back in the dojo, Yoshi and Saki duel once more, with Yoshi questioning Saki on what he said to Shen last night in the woods. Saki asks Yoshi "What concern is it of yours?", to which Yoshi replies that Shen is his concern. Before the duel can get out of hand, Splinter's father immobilizes the two, telling them that they are brothers and ordering them to act like it. However, it is clear that their rivalry has further deepened.

The next day, the Turtles locate and surround Shen, gaining her trust after introducing themselves as ''friendly yokai'' and telling her that they need to talk to her. At her house, Shen gives the Turtles a julienne of cucumbers to eat, saying that the veggie is the favorite food of the yokai, according to the legends. She then recalls a story that her grandmother told her of a girl who was fetching water from a river and encountered a kappa (turtle yokai). The kappa terrified her, but she always carried cucumbers with her to ward off yokai. Upon being fed, the creature was so thankful that it told her of a great hurricane that would devastate her village and saved her people in doing so. The Turtles liken the intentions of the kappa in the story to their own, saying that they want to save her. They warn her that if she sides with Saki, the world itself could be at risk and that it is far wiser to side with the more disciplined Yoshi. Shen says that she will decide to do what is right for her daughter, commenting that Yoshi is too dedicated to his clan and Ninjutsu to help raise her. Donnie then reveals to his brothers that April has faded away in the picture on his phone, so Leo insists that the only noble thing to do now is to take down the Shredder once and for all.

Later, Saki vents to his men his anger over having just learned his true backstory. He initially belonged to the Foot Clan but was adopted by the Hamato Clan as an infant after the Foot Clan was wiped out. Desiring to have his revenge on Hamato Yuuta and the others, Saki torches a Hamato Clan shrine and declares the rebirth of the Foot Clan. The Hamato ninjas remain loyal to Saki, even genuflecting. The Turtles then appear, and Saki heads over to the dojo as his men face them. After outmatching the ninjas, the Turtles take pursuit. At the dojo are Shen and Yoshi who speak of their love for each other before Saki, now armed with claw weapons, arrives. Seeing that Shen has now resolutely sided with Yoshi, Saki has bad intentions on his mind. After Yoshi orders Shen to take Miwa and go elsewhere, a fight breaks out between the two ''brothers''. As the fight tears through the dojo, Yoshi pleads with Saki to stop what he's doing, but Saki refuses due to the amount of ''dishonor'' he's received. During the fight, some burning candles are struck down by Saki and the dojo is soon ablaze. Even after Yoshi tells him this, Saki is determined to see the battle through, despite facing the possibility of death.

The Turtles arrive on the scene just as Tang Shen enters the burning dojo. They try to stop her but the debris blocks their path. Back to the battle inside, Saki has Yoshi at his mercy but Shen puts herself in between Saki and Yoshi, which proves to be a fatal mistake, as her life is accidentally taken by Saki. A heartbroken Yoshi cradles his wife, as a devastated Saki rushes toward Shen but is intercepted by debris and hit in the face with a piece of flaming wood. As his face burns, he runs out of the dojo and steals Miwa (who was left unattended), renaming her Karai. The Turtles manage to enter the dojo and uncover an unconscious Splinter, as well as the deceased Shen. The turtles take their unconscious father outside, leaving him to awaken in safety but also leaving him to grieve the death of his loved one. Before retreating to the shadows, they sadly witness the story of his tragic past in person.

The next morning, Donnie looks at his T-Phone and notes that the picture has returned to normal, indicating that history has taken its intended course. Raph still complains about being stuck thousands of miles away from home and at least sixteen years in the past. Renet then finally arrives, however, claiming that she's spent the last six months trying to find them. Leo angrily asks why they were sent to this event in the first place, to which Renet responds that the time scepter sent them here to ensure Splinter's survival. Donnie realizes that it has been this way, they were always destined to save Splinter's life and have always been the ones to do so; thus, a causal loop. The turtles are shocked by this news, before asking Renet to take them to their time period. She then brings them all back to their time in New York and says goodbye to the Turtles before disappearing into a portal. The Turtles return home, eager to see their Master Splinter.

Debuts[]

Transcript[]

Tale of the Yokai/Transcript

Production[]

Trivia[]

This episode's title is similar to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Legend of the Yokai, a short film and fan-art compendium website that was made to promote the 2014 TMNT film.
Both Minae Noji and Hoon Lee voiced the parents of characters they had already played. Minae Noji, known for playing Karai in the 2014 TMNT film, voiced Karai's mother, Tang Shen. And Hoon Lee, the voice of Hamato Yoshi, also voiced his father Hamato Yuuta.
This is the first time a character on the show has died on-screen.
The Ninja Turtles were confused as Yokai or Kappa various times in this episode.
- A Yokai is a demon that can be either evil or mischievous to people, which most of the time, takes the form of an animal (like a Kappa, which takes the form of a turtle) or a human. Their presence is followed by a tragic event according to legend.