We Bare Bears

***We Bare Bears*** is an American animated sitcom created by Daniel Chong for Cartoon Network. It ran from July 27, 2015 to May 27, 2019

## Plot

Three brother bears awkwardly attempt to find their place in civilized society, whether they're looking for food, trying to make human friends, or scheming to become famous on the internet. Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear stack atop one another when they leave their cave and explore the hipster environs of the San Francisco Bay Area, and it's clear the siblings have a lot to learn about a technologically driven world. By their side on many adventures are best friend Chloe (the only human character in the cast), fame-obsessed koala Nom Nom, and Charlie, aka Bigfoot.

## Why It Rocks

1. The animation is incredibly fluid for the show's setting.
2. Likable characters, such as the awkward Panda, the monotone Ice Bear, the group leader Grizz, and the charming human Chloe.
3. Great comedy with accurate timing, such as Ice Bear's unforgettable one-liners.
4. It has a gentle "slice-of-life" pace.
5. Cute character designs, even in the human characters.
6. Amazing soundtrack, especially the theme song.
7. Knows how to make **good** modern day references.
8. Creative and funny episodes, such as *Food Truck* and *Chloe*.
9. The background design is impressively detailed.
10. The idea of 3 innocent bears trying to adapt to modern day society is an amazing concept.
11. Teaches great lessons about friendship, family, relationships, diversity and acceptance.
12. Cool Easter Eggs are inserted in the show. For example, in *My Clique*, Chloe is watching an episode of *Adventure Time* (which is also made by Cartoon Network, the company that made this show). This scene is a reference to the fact that Chloe's voice actor plays multiple roles in Adventure Time.
13. Great halloween episodes that are like the Treehouse Of Horror in The Simpsons, Except more modern.
14. It spawned a film called *We Bare Bears The Movie* in 2020 after the series itself ended in 2019, which was good and funny.
15. In “Shush Ninjas”, it had classic movie references like The Sound Of Music, Titanic, and The Little Mermaid.

## Bad Qualities

1. Some exaggerated pop culture references, such as long-dead internet memes such as MissingNo. from Pokémon.
2. Panda and Grizz can be annoying at times.
3. Nom Nom and many human characters can be very unlikable.
4. The series finale, “Panda’s Birthday” is very disappointing, as it features the k-pop band Monsta X, which is an attempt at being hip and cool. And because of that, the story continues in its movie.
5. The bears have been flanderized in the later seasons.
6. Some bad episodes such as Jean Jacket, $100, (mentioned above) Panda’s Birthday, Losing Ice, and "Professor Lampwick".
7. One question, how does Panda fall in love with Lucy, since Lucy is a person, it is not considered zoophilia?

## Reception

### Critical

*We Bare Bears* has received generally positive reviews from critics. The pilot was described by the EYE Film Institute Netherlands as "hilarious and endearing", and it won in the "Young Amsterdam Audience" category. The show was praised by Mashable for tackling "modern millennial anxieties" and for representing racial minorities; Mashable called the show "a parable about the charms and perils of an increasingly connected society". Common Sense Media described the show "a funny and heartwarming story" that "sometimes poke gentle fun at hallmarks of modern society". It said that "what stands out is how the characters' uniqueness serves them well as a group" and considered it suitable for ages 8 and up. The Straits Times of Singapore noted that *We Bare Bears* has appealed to adults as well, and said that the series stands out "because it juxtaposes a somewhat mature sense of humour with a visual style that recalls the hand-drawn illustrations from children's books."

According to Chong, fans responded positively to the fact that the human communities being ethnically diverse ones. The Asian-American news site *NextShark* said that the show had gained popularity among Asian American communities because it "contains deeper messages of representation and belonging as a minority – something most Asian American children are far too familiar with." It noted that the show "unapologetically showcases and simultaneously normalizes Asian culture through their references to Panda’s love for K-pop and K-dramas, the Bears’ regular trips to their favorite boba shop, and Ice Bear’s impressive ability to speak fluent Korean and cook traditional Korean dishes."

A reviewer for *The* *A.V. Club* was more mixed, saying in 2015 that the show "bounc[ed] between the extraordinary and the endearing," describing typical episodes as the bears "find[ing] themselves in some sort of bizarre yet generic conflict...with little background music, a more muted color palette, and a simpler vibe." Overall, *The A.V. Club* said it was "not a must-watch show by any means, but it’s charming and breezy enough to enjoy within its brief run-time."

Den of Geek noted that the show embraced episodic storytelling, contrary to 90s and 2000s trends in kids' television, and felt that it "uses episodic storytelling to its full advantage and crafts adventures that are perfectly suited to the format." It noted that the show did have some light elements of serialization, including character growth. Screen Rant said that the show was known for its 1990s pop culture references, such as depicting Charles Barkley magically appearing from a trading card. The TV show has an average audience score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.