You'd be scared if you were a kitten whose one simple mistake had caused an unfair amount of trouble, wouldn't you?
- "How Sagwa Got Her Colors": After worrying all day that an honest mistake on her part that led to a rule being changed would get her and her family kicked out of the palace, Sagwa is found by the Magistrate due to a sneeze, and it seems the worst is going to happen. The devastated looks on her parents faces certainly don't help. However, Sagwa is praised by the magistrate, since she gave him a change of heart.
- Later, Mama Miao (in the present) tells Sheegwa that Sagwa "did something she shouldn't have". This means that Sagwa's parents weren't too happy about what she'd done....even though things ultimately worked out fine...
- In "Precious Gift", The Alley Cats take something away from Sheegwa. Sagwa later hears Sheegwa crying over the Alley Cats' theft. The item in question — a jade necklace — belonged to Tai-Tai, as it was a gift from her deceased father). But soon, when the necklace breaks, the Alley Cats start to feel remorse for what they had done, while Sheegwa panics over the broken necklace.
- It's especially sad when Tai-Tai explains to the Magistrate that her late father's other souvenirs were lost over the years. That jade necklace is the last link to him.
- In "Ciao, Meow!", Mama Miao breaks down in tears when the Magistrate promises a descendant of Marco Polo one of the kittens. Baba Miao tries to comfort her, saying they'll leave the palace and live in the alley if it's the only way they'll be able to stay together.
- Also crosses over into "Heartwarming" territory when one realizes Baba Miao loved his family so much, he was willing to sacrifice their easy and comfortable lives in the palace just to keep the entire family together.
- In "Tung the Singing Cricket", the scene where the Foolish Magistrate thinks his singing cricket died can come across as this to anyone who ever lost a pet. It's also worth mentioning that it's Tai-Tai at her lowest moment in the series, since she convinced the Magistrate that his cricket died.
- The show has a surprising number of instances where the characters experience very realistic fears, such as when Sagwa worries Sheegwa went out into a snowstorm because of something she said, or when Mama Miao regrets letting Sagwa go to the caves after a rockslide traps her.
- There are also times when the characters show fears or concerns that kids watching the show can really relate to. Such as Sagwa worrying that Baba loves Dongwa more than her, or Sheegwa worrying Mama and Baba don't love each other after seeing them argue.
- In "Sagwa Rules," the sister episode of the aforementioned "Ciao, Meow!" the kittens have an imagine spot of what life would be like without rules. It starts out nice, but then we get this:Dongwa: (Realizes something) Without rules, the palace wouldn't need a reader of the rules.
[in the Imagine Spot, the reader is shown in the rain walking away sadly]
Sagwa: But...but that would mean Mama and Baba wouldn't have any work.
[in the Imagine Spot, Mama and Baba Miao are shown in the Magistrate's empty study, surrounded by blank scrolls]
Sagwa: And that would mean... we'd all have to leave the palace...
[in the Imagine Spot, the magistrate is shown eating chicken on his throne in his bathrobe, shooing the entire Miao family away] - In the episode where Dongwa befriends Haiyo, there's a scene where the Alley Cats start making fun of the bird and Dongwa decides to join on. Dongwa is unaware that Haiyo is standing right next to him. Upon hearing the insult, the bird walks away with a very heartbroken expression. Dongwa then notices him walking off and tells him he wasn't referring to him. When Dongwa starts searching for him, he asks Sheegwa if she's seen him... She tells Dongwa that she did, but he looked really sad and even scolds Dongwa....
- This causes Dongwa to feel even guiltier for what he said and decides to apologize to him.
- One episode had the Alley Cats visit the mouse village which a mouse who is a close friend to Sagwa told her to keep secret. There's something about the Alley Cat leader's reaction to scaring off the mice while unintentionally destroying their village in the process and trying to apologize to them and even acting friendly with them, but all of them are gone. The next day, Sagwa visits the now ruined village with Sagwa's mouse friend scolding her for breaking her promise. One young mouse asks him where they are going to live and eat.
- In "Time For Everything", Baba Miao chewing out both Dongwa and Sagwa, the former for neglecting his calligraphy and even accusing the latter of helping Dongwa double-cross him. Harsh.Baba: You're making your sister do your work?!
Dongwa: I-I-I...uh...
Baba: And you! Helping your brother to deceive me! That's not like you! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELVES?! (Sagwa and Dongwa are shocked into silence) Well, until you can come up with an explanation for this, YOU ARE BOTH CONFINED TO YOUR QUARTERS! (storms off)
Dongwa: But, Baba, tomorrow's the—!
Baba: AND THAT IS FINAL!- The flashback to Baba Miao's childhood where his father tells him to do scrolls as punishment.
- A mild one at the end of "Cat Burglar"; the Miao kittens are praised for stopping the burglar, but Fu-Fu, who also helped, gets none.
- Even more-so, when the Miao siblings overhear the titular buglar is "sneaky as a cat", it plants some worries in them that this makes them bad.
- While minor, the episode "The Tortoise and the Cat" where Sagwa befriends Oogway the tortoise. There's a scene where Sagwa has a thorn stuck in her paw (after falling into a rose bush) and meows in pain in a sad and hurt tone. Oogway tells her to calm down and takes out the thorn with his mouth. Sagwa tries walking but hurts with every step then says "Oh poor me". To make matters worse, this is the first time that Sagwa is really hurt in the series (it takes place during the twelfth episode) since, being a Slice of Life, the characters rarely get seriously hurt.
- The way Gongji treats Sagwa in "Snagged By a Thread". Not to mention the moment where Sagwa considers letting her take all the blame for the pillow they ripped, but then imagines the punishments Gunji might endure, and sadly takes responsibility for her part.
- Sagwa being mistaken for a stray and almost being taken away from her home and family.
- Sagwa joining in the alleycats in their bullying of a lost mutt in "Mutt That Would Be King". Sheegwa later gives her a very deserved What the Hell, Hero?.
- In "Sagwa's Good Deed", the Heartwarming Moment that is the good deed in question soon turns to this when Sagwa returns to the palace and Mama Miao is angry with her for missing dinner, making her eat plain rice instead of the special fish dinner the rest of the family had, as Sagwa had given away her portion to Fam and his family. Later she laments to Fu-Fu that she feels she can't do anything right, as Dongwa arrives with Sheegwa and tells Sagwa how angry Mama and Baba Miao are.
- Let's not forget the fact that Fam and his family, before the episode, would often go hungry. The part where he tells Sagwa about this is pretty sad to watch.
- In "Cha-Siu Bow Wow" the kittens meet their newly adopted cousin Cha-Siu, who turns out to be a puppy who behaves like a cat. Sagwa and Sheegwa immediately warm up to him, but Cha-Siu fails to gain Dongwa's acceptance as he doesn't know how to relate to a dog. When the Sleeve Dogs see Cha-Siu's behavior, they proceed to harass him for his relation to the palace cats and call him worthless when he can't do the same things dogs do. Dongwa only watches in shameful bewilderment and Cha-Siu wonders if he's worthy of being a cat or a dog. Although Dongwa is finally able to accept Cha-Siu for what he is, we never do see the Sleeve Dogs get their comeuppance for their hurtful remarks.
- Particularly saddening is Cha-Siu's adamant statement of "I am too a Miao!" before he deflates when the Sleeve Dogs tauntingly dare him to climb a tree, saying that if he's really a Miao, it should be easy for him. The episode earlier showed that Cha-Siu is incapable of climbing trees because of his body structure. Any child who has ever felt out of place in their family, whether adopted or not, because things that come easily to the rest of the family don't for them can relate to his emotions.
- The goodbye scene in "Luck Be a Bat", in which Fu-Fu says his "Jai-jen, my friend", catchphrase to Sagwa in a heartbroken tone.
- To put it in context, Tai-Tai has captured Fu-Fu and been using him as a good luck charm; Sagwa helps him escape, but Tai-Tai says if she ever finds her lucky bat again, she'll lock the cage forever and throw away the key...meaning Fu-Fu can never come back. It's a pretty big one for anyone who ships him and Sagwa.
- "Sagwa's Lucky Bat" is both this and a Crowning Episode of Heartwarming, particularly to any long-time fans of the show.
- In one episode, Sagwa envies the spectacular clothing of a group of visiting Persians. After they reveal that their master insists on only feeding them rice so their breath won't stink, they ask if Sagwa has family at the palace. Sagwa is genuinely surprised by the question and talks about her family a bit. Then one of the Persians says that they were forced away from their families so long ago they don't even remember them.
- That said, it is clear that they live under an abusive master who treats them strictly as commodities and never as true companions as the Magistrate does with his cats. Even after Sagwa has allowed them the freedom to live like normal cats for a short time, they must return home with their strict owners to resume this unwanted lifestyle.
- In "Princess Sheegwa", Sheegwa is mistaken for a princess due to a special "birthmark", and her parents do not allow her to play with her brother and sister as she is expected to fulfill a role she doesn't understand. Understandably, Sheegwa feels very lonely and starts hating all the privileges that her supposed title gives her. It gets even worse when we find out that she will no longer live at the palace, and will be taken all across the country to fulfill her royal duties. Upon learning this Sagwa, who bitterly refused to see her little sister out of jealousy of the attention she was getting, remembers all the good times she had playing with Sheegwa. She then resolves to make the most of her remaining time with her younger sister. Thankfully, the misunderstanding is discovered and Sheegwa is finally free to play with Sagwa again, no longer held back by her princess duties.
- Sagwa spreading a false rumor that Hun-Hun had stolen food from baby kittens all just to get back at Dongwa for spending more time with her and not with Sagwa. The alleycats soon spread the story all around town and Dongwa is devastated when he gets wind of it. Just when he confronts Hun-Hun, who we've seen is probably the nicest of all the alleycats, Sagwa stops him from ending their friendship and shamefully admits that she made the whole thing up, to which Hun-Hun chews her out for lying to everyone. She also does the same to Dongwa, who admits he was wrong not to make sure it was even true in the first place. The two siblings quickly make up, and go about to make sure the rumor is spread no further.
- Cook feeling useless when his younger brother substitutes for him while his sprained arm is healing, only for his brother to feel like Cook is embarrassed at his unique cooking style. And through all of it, Reader has no idea how to sort out the issue. It takes a clever plan from Tai-Tai of all people to help the brothers patch things up.
- In "The Competition", the Foolish Magistrate's and Magristrate Wong's pranks on each other during the titular competition were meant to be funny, but they take their pranks far enough to get Wong's daughter, Liu Chang, and Sagwa—who are participating—wrongly disqualified.
- The judge of the competition asks Liu Chang if she knows anything about the disappearing ink that Wong used to replace the Foolish Magistrate's special ink as a prank. Wong can only stare in shock as his daughter is being wrongly accused of cheating and doesn't even try to stand up for her.
