We Bare Bears
We Bare Bears is an American animated series created by Daniel Chong for Cartoon Network. The show follows Three Bear brothers Grizzly, Panda, and Ice Bear, and their awkward attempts at integrating with the human world in the San Francisco Bay Area.
We Bare Bears
The Three Bare Bears
by Daniel Chong
Lauren Sassen
"We'll Be There"
by Estelle
Brad Breeck
United States
English
4
140 (list of episodes)
- Daniel Chong
- Curtis Lelash
- Jennifer Pelphrey
- Brian A. Miller
- Rob Sorcher
Carrie Wilksen
- 11 minutes
- 22 minutes (specials)
July 27, 2015 –
May 27, 2019
The series was based on Chong's webcomic The Three Bare Bears, and the pilot episode made its world premiere at the KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival, where it won in the "Young Amsterdam Audience" category. The show premiered on July 27, 2015, and ended on May 27, 2019, and ran for four seasons and 140 episodes.[1][2]
A film adaptation, We Bare Bears: The Movie was released digitally on June 30, 2020,[3] and later aired on Cartoon Network on September 7, 2020; it served as a conclusion to the narrative of the series.[2] A spin-off prequel series titled We Baby Bears focuses on the Three Bears when they were cubs. It was announced in May 2019 to be in development and premiered on January 1, 2022.[4][5]
Reception[edit]
Critical[edit]
We Bare Bears has received generally positive reviews from critics. The pilot was described by the EYE Film Institute Netherlands as "hilarious and endearing",[23] and it won in the "Young Amsterdam Audience" category.[24] 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".[25] Emily Ashby of 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.[26] Alison de Souza, writing in The Straits Times, 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."[10]
According to Chong, fans responded positively to the human communities being ethnically diverse.[10] 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."[27]
Kevin Johnson of 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, Johnson 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."[8]
Den of Geek's Shamus Kelley 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.[28] Helen Armitage of 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.[29]
Penguin Random House announced in 2014 that it would publish books based on various programs for Cartoon Network, including We Bare Bears. The books were produced out of the company's Cartoon Network Books imprint, a division of the Penguin Young Readers Group, and is based on a partnership with the network that started in 2013.[36] Books based on We Bare Bears are: