Care Bears' Dark Side (Pt. 2)

Part 2 of my 2-Part series showing the dark side of the Care Bears.

Welcome back, retrojunkies! This is the second part of my "dark side of the Care Bears" article, so make sure you've read Part 1 first. If you already did and are continuing, thank you for tuning in, because the worst is yet to come!

"The Care Bears' Adventure in Wonderland" may be a pretty bad movie compared to its prequels, but it does have some charm. I mean, don't get me wrong; it's a load of crap, but some people may like it.

The Care Bears TV series, however, is the real deal. It sucks! Like CB movie #3, this show has numerous flaws. I'm going to point them all out as best as I can. Oh, and don't worry; I'll find something about it that I like.

Well, who's in this show? If it's called "Care Bears", then you'd probably expect to see the Care Bears. Well, we've got the Care Bears. There's Tenderheart Bear, Funshine Bear, Grumpy Bear. We've also got the Care Bear Cousins, Brave Heart, Lotsa Heart, Treat Heart.

Then we've got...Perfect Panda and Polite Panda? What the heck?

So how do the flaws rank up in this show? Well, Tender Heart is once again voiced by Jim Henshaw. That really pissed me off, because Billie Mae Richards really made the character of Tender Heart who he really is.

There's something about this show that really disturbed me. Why are some of the Care Bears wearing clothes? I mean, really. Champ Bear has a red jacket and a headband, Cheer Bear has a pony tail and a yellow jacket, Treat Heart's wearing a jacket, Bright Heart's wearing a hat. What's the deal here? Did the censors not approve of the way the Care Bears looked? Did they watch the movie and think they looked like nudists or something?

Another thing that I'm annoyed by is the usage of characters. There are some characters who recur regularly like Grumpy, Tender Heart and Brave Heart, but other characters like Wish Bear, Secret Bear, Playful Heart Monkey and Loyal Heart Dog are lucky enough to make a cameo. The TV series seems to focus too much on Baby Hugs and Baby Tugs. As cute as they may be, do they really need to take up 75% of the show? Is it really necessary to have these two babies featured in every single episode? Well, I think I may have an answer to that.

Going back to the first Care Bears movie, Hugs and Tugs only got one big scene together, and they didn't get a lot of screentime in the movie. I'm sure it would have been a good idea to give Hugs and Tugs more of a chance to shine, but having them featured in every single episode is a major overkill. The Care Bears should have been about the Care Bears helping people share their feelings. Instead the show is all about Hugs and Tugs either playing games or learning things. They should have just called this show "The Adventures of Hugs and Tugs (featuring the Care Bears)".

The worst thing about this show are the villains. If you've seen the movies, you'll notice that each one has a different villain. This series has a specific trio of villains. The main villain is No Heart. No Heart is awesome; I don't have a problem with him. What I do have a problem with are his two little sidekicks: an annoying little douchebag known as Mr. Beastly, and a whiny little bitch called Shrieky. Those two are the characters who really ruin the show.

Overall, the Care Bears series is not really a horrible series; it's just not so good. There were a few decent episodes. Just for fun, I'm going to give you my Top 5 Favorite episodes of the series:

#5 - The Long Lost Care Bears
In this episode, the Care Bears have come across a photo album and discovered two family members they don't recognize. After hearing a call for help, they discovered Perfect and Polite Panda, the two lost Care Bears. I felt it was nice to see these two additions to the Care Bear family, and I enjoyed the reference to the second Care Bears movie made in this episode (when True Heart mentioned Dark Heart's reign). I felt that Perfect and Polite made a great team, and the fact that they always talked in rhymes always tickled my funny bone. It kinda sucked that they didn't recur in any other episodes.

#4 - A Day Without Tugs
In this episode, Hugs wants to play with Tugs. Unfortunately, he's sick. Suddenly, out of the blue, Hugs' shadow comes to life, and she spends the day playing with him. I felt this episode was kind of fun to watch, and it also taught some interesting at home projects. The shadow wasn't very bright, and characters like that always seem to make me laugh. Though, you gotta admit, he did have a pretty good imagination.

#3 - It's Raining, It's Boring
This was a very interesting episode. This was actually sort of an educational episode for activities to do on a rainy day. In the episode, it's a rainy day, and the Beast of Boredom has payed a visit to Hugs and Tugs magically making them bored over a rainy day. Luckily for them, Grumpy comes up with all these fun activities for Hugs and Tugs to do. I find this episode to be a great way to educate kids and teach them about the same kinds of stuff. This episode should have made a home video release to be played at schools and day care centers. Maybe it did.

#2 - The Camp Out
This is undeniably one of my favorite episodes of the whole series. In this episode, Brave Heart, Lotsa Heart and Grumpy take Hugs and Tugs on a camp out, learn about the legendary Swamp Monster, and they even meet the monster himself. This is also a great episode as it gives Playful Heart Monkey some spotlight in the series as he and Funshine Bear play jokes on everyone throughout the episode. Playful Heart and Funshine seem to have some great chemistry together. I always enjoy cartoons with more than one character with a sense of humor.

#1 - The Fabulous Care Bears Safety Game
The episode I chose as the series' best episode is this one. In this episode, Baby Hugs, Baby Tugs and Mr. Beastly compete with each other on a game show about safety. This episode's hilarious, because Beastly (who doesn't know a thing about safety) gets every question wrong. Plus, in the bonus round, Beastly makes a note that he hates brustle sprouts and thinks they're the most dangerous things on the planet (and that's coming from someone dressed as a piece of asparagus)!

Alright, you've heard me rant about a crappy Care Bears movie, and you heard me rant about an even crappier Care Bears cartoon series. Can it get any worse than that? Yes, it can! (*shudders* I'm warning you! You may want to shield your eyes for this next picture!)

GAAAAAHHHH!
The worst thing to ever happen to the Care Bears franchise is their revival in the 2000's...and that's the truth! (quote intended) If you've seen any of the recent Care Bears movies, you'll know what I mean. For one thing, they're computer-animated, which is unacceptable; they don't look good in CG. Champ Bear now looks more like Bedtime Bear, Funshine Bear had a sex change, the Care Bears' tummy symbols are now known as their belly patches, and worst of all, they're no longer doing the Care Bear Stare! The creators of these movies have completely ruined the Care Bears we all loved!

Well, this concludes my 2-part article on the Care Bears' darker side. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and hopefully, I didn't offend you guys too much. Maybe you don't remember this stuff, or maybe you weren't even born. This is all stuff that I remember, and it's all my opinion, so don't take my thoughts too personally. Thank you, and keep on caring!

Comments

As much as I love Care Bears, I have to say that the TV series was not one of my favorite Care Bear cartoons (that spot goes to the Land Without Feelings and Freeze Machine specials). I absolutely hated Champ, Cheer, Treat Heart, and Bright Heart's new looks, I thought these four got way too much screen time, and there wasn't enough for the rest of them (and I have to agree, Hugs and Tugs got a little more than necessary as well, even though I love them to pieces), and Shrieky . . . . ugh, don't get me started!

Something I don't understand, though. Billie Mae Richards voiced Tenderheart, and Jim Henshaw voiced Bright Heart Raccoon in the movies and the DIC series. In the Nelvana series, Jim Henshaw voiced Tenderheart, and Billie Mae Richards voiced Bright Heart. o_O why'd they switch characters, I'd like to know? Bille Mae Richards is THE Tenderheart Bear to me!

I watched Care Bears when I was little.

To TV_Themes, please read my comments on this matter in the Part I of this article. As I indicated before just because there are similarities between two items doesn't constitute it as ripping off another person. First off, AVGN has a style and if DL wants to implement this style it's his given right.

But here DL actually is attempting is own article and I what I find disturbing is how many people nitpick over the really stupid things rather than simply discuss the topic at hand.

Frankily I feel people who keep dissecting other people's articles for similarities and other insignificant items, have FAR TOO much time on their hands, and are sorely in need of a life beyond CyberSpace.

But that's just me. Personally, I loved DL's article and don't really care if it was lifted or not, because that's not the purpose behind these articles in the first place.

As I aforementioned, if you have nothing better to do than to deconstruct people's articles, I suggest you keep your thoughts to yourself and just move on.

Apologies, DL, but I thought someone here needed to defend your case because it seems all these 'low-intelligent' people want to do is criticize your style than appreciate the fact you constructed a well-thought out article about something you like.

Because when you get down to it, folks, NOTHING is 100% original. No matter what anyone tells you.

That video is a parody, not ripping AVGN off. He clearly isn't claiming that James is him.

You guys want to know about ripping off the AVGN? Check out what this guy did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_2gt7XBMMo

Believe it or not, like the first part of DLs Care Bears article, this one also copies the style used by the AVGN (Angry Video Game Nerd) but not as often. Lets use some examples:

AVGN: The Sega CD had its place in history, I mean, don't get me wrong its a piece of *bleep* but it has certain appeal. The 32X is the real deal, it SUCKS!

DL: "The Care Bears' Adventure in Wonderland" may be a pretty bad movie compared to its prequels, but it does have some charm. I mean, don't get me wrong; it's a load of crap, but some people may like it. The Care Bears TV series, however, is the real deal. It sucks!

Coincedence? I can't be so sure its not since both articles remind me of the way the AVGN does his reviews.

You wanna talk about the worst thing to ever happen to the CB's, dalmatianlover? I just witnessed it recently: Behind the windshield of an SUV parked at Six Flags Great Adventure was placed what appears to be a Special Edition Patriotic-themed Care Bear, complete with the American Flag right on his/her belly. To me, this would represent the next nail on the coffin for the Care Bears franchise (next to those gawdawful CGI movies you mentioned in the last part of the article.) It's obviously another politically manufactured device to turn a new generation of Americans into sycophantic, complacent, pol-pandering flag wavers. (Do you suppose there could also be a Special Edition Canadian Pride version with the Maple Leaf on its tummy, considering it was a Canadian animation studio that produced the series and the movies?)

Looking back, it seems like the merchandising coincided with some of these episodes. I remember seeing commercials for a Hugs and Tugs set and having a few clothes for my Cheer Bear within a few episodes of her getting a ponytail (which Mom said my toy didn't have because she wasn't a teenager yet).

I think the cartoon franchise jumped the shark after Movie II, as that introduced the elements you saw in the series. Plus it was one of the World's Biggest Retcons, as the CBs and CBCs ALWAYS knew each other in this continuity (when they just met in Movie I.) Even when I was a kid my BS meter was going off on that one.

I had forgotten all about the cartoon show. Thanks for jogging my memory lol.

Dude, I only vaguely remember watching Care Bears. Hats off to you guys that know more than I do.

Forgive my Care Bear ignorance, but does Playful Heart Monkey have a FRIGGEN BUTCHER KNIFE THROUGH HIS HEART!?!?

Friggen emo/serial killer primates...

/sarcasm off/

Here is my rebutal, first of all, I wish you stated your opinion of the first Care Bear series, the one from DiC which had Professor Coldheart as the villain. Are you familar with series?

As for the series it selfs, I agree mostly what you said about the Care Bears. Though I liked the inclussion of the Care Pandas, you actully had some shipping in the CB world. To actully see Care Bears have romantic feelings blow me away.

Now as for the villains, No Heart is one of the best villains of all time. He was purely evil, he is better than the baddest vilains on some action cartoon shows for older audience. He was a great villain period, not just great villain for a Care Bear.

I liked Beastly a lot, I thought he was a great villain sidekick. He does a villain side kick suppose to do, provide comic villain, and balence to the seriousness of the head villain. I like villains to be bad and serious, and to for their lackies to be funny.

As for Shreeky, I kind of agree with you. She did bring down the quality of the shows villains, No Heart and Beastly was just awsome, they didn't need another person added to their pot.

After she joined the show, we saw No Heart less and less. He became a figure head villain. The later episodes was mostly about Beastly, or Beastly and Shreeky trying to get a Care Bear on behalf of No Heart.

But I liked her when compared to the goody goody kids that were friends with the Care Bears. She was more realisticly of a what a kid was. Being a little mischevies, and causing a little trouble, instead of a goody goody kid.

I thought the episode when Beastly was in the Care Bears game, he got ripped off. He was disqualifed because Brave Heart thought he might have cheated, without any prove. That is not fair. Innocent until proven guilty. Besides putting up with No Heart and Shreeky, hasn't he suffered enough? Give the poor guy a bone here.

Well, here was the thing which was funny, while we first received Nelvana's offering, in Europe, they received DIC's anime-sque version of the Care Bears with Professor Coldheart, and a new villainess called Auntie Freeze (no kidding)..

For some reason I started liking the DIC version better than the one we received. Mainly because DIC kept with the specials and the real reason why we liked the Care Bears.

I agree with you on the syndicated/second season of the Care Bears. Apparently Nelvana couldn't make up their minds on what direction they wanted with the series. Cheer Bear being a girl kinda threw me for a loop, since for the first season I felt most of the Bears were boys. Go fig.

No-Heart was a cool villain, where Beastly served as the comic-relief sidekick. Think of Porky's Space Cadet to Daffy's Duck Dodger's but more with Homer Simpson's personality (though looking back, I suspect even Homer was smarter than Beastly).

Now Shreiky was rather a funny story in itself. She arrived in the second season/syndication as No-Heart's niece. And the question is why? Why did Nelvana jump the shark and apply the 'Scrappy-Doo Syndrome' with their series?

The funny thing was it started with Nelvana wanting to produce another American Greetings property for television. That was Strawberry Shortcake. In the specials and movie vignettes, you knew Double S had a nemesis, the Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak.

Apparently, however, having a male villain torment little girls on a constant seemed questionable (though no one ever complained with Murky vs. Rainbow Brite, strange..), so they came up with a female villainess known as Sour Grapes.

Sour Grapes' gimmick was this shrill noise she'd make which would transform grapes, fruit, any plant.. sour..hence the name. And the Pieman wasn't too keen on her for the most part. (In the Marvel Comic, SG had a niece called Raisin Cane, but I won't go into it.)

ANYHOO.. When Nelvana lost the distribution and production rights to Strawberry Shortcake to DIC, they wanted to prevent the anime company from using Sour Grapes.. feeling they had more rights to the character than American Greetings.. thus Shrieky was born.

And I agree, Shrieky was the most annoying character in the series (ironically I believe she was voiced by the same actress who does Vicky for Fairly Oddparents.), always trying to one-up Beastly in front of her uncle.

The problem was, at times she proved more witless than Beastly.

But the real downfall behind the Nelvana Care Bears series was when Disney had syndicated it. Through no fault of Disney (for once, miraculously), Nelvana thought it would be cool putting the Care Bears into different themes. One was prehistoric times where No-Heart was now a Tyrannosaurs, and another was a blantant Star Trek rip off. I guess the Brits should be thankful they never attempted it with Doctor Who.

Because of this jumping-the-shark, it wasn't really the Care Bears we grew and loved, but just another gimmicky show to sell merchandising to the masses.

Simply on the fact when you compare the first season with the others, you note the writers actually made an effort with the stories. Here, ironically, Grams Bear didn't exactly live with them in Care-A-Lot. But the stories did hold up.

But afterwards, (probably due to other film projects and such) Nelvana really let the show go. The only reason I feel the Hugs-and-Tugs episodes held up so well was they were educational, and apparently were made to appeal with the young Rugrats and Nick Jr. crowd.

Whereas DIC's version actually kept to the genuine tales of the Care Bears. Sure they had Professor Coldheart rather than No-Heart, but I kind of liked him. Still love the specials they had with him and his theme song he used to have.

Once in the second special I almost fell over laughing when the openings credits actually admitted it was a 'MAD Production.' Making me wonder if Alfred E. Newman would pop out in a Care Bears outfit or somewhere else.

But yes, like anything else, I believe merchandising and catering to popular shows was what really did the Care Bears' television show in.

Great article again, DL, keep up the good work!

No Heart, one of the coolest villains ever!

No offense to anybody, but I hated the Care Bears cartoon. I watched it a few times and I remember it being either extremely annoying or boring.

I LOVED the shadow episode. That's one of the only few that's stuck out in my mind. I think there was another episode with a rodeo or something I remember vaguely.

Also, allow me to be painfully politically incorrect for a moment and say that the CGI Care Bears look like fat, retarded children. No offense to the latter, naturally.

Hugs & Tugs took over 75% of the show? Thats chump change compared to what Champ, Cheer, Bright Heart and Treat Heart got. Wanna know something? Loyal Heart Dog had ZERO dialogue throughout the course of the Nelvana run. Lucky for him he had a role in a Dic episode (his voice is identical to Brave Hearts).

I belive the episodes you're mostly thinking of (ie the clothes, the Hugs and Tugs overuse, showing the same few bears over and over again) are the second season of the Nelvana version. There was actually a season before the two Nelvana seasons produced by DiC I think that stunk even wrose then the Nelvana second season, especially since the Care Bears and Cousins weren't drawn correctly and coloured in all these washed out colours. The wrost thing about the second Nelvana season and the DiC season IMO is that they were way too educational.

i loved the NElvana Care bears cartoon as a kid, and to be honest, i still hold it in high regard as a solid and great kids show. it aired in canada for a long time, on channels like YTV.

i find it alittle odd you complain about how overused hugs and tugs were yet your fave eps focused on them more or less. but for the most part your right I HATE the CG movies worse then the wonderland movie and i always thought it odd they made the pandas and not once ever talked about them after that

That care bear pig is really fat.

Ugh! the Care bears in 3D is just wrong...and the whole changing the sex of Funshine bear is just as awkward as making Tweety a girl for that updated Loonatics show.