WesternAnimation Beary Disappointing Characterization
I went into We Bare Bears with high hopes- great art, great animation, and a spectacular theme song by Estelle. This, plus the hype from Tumblr, had me excited for what I believed was going to be a great show.
What I got after watching "Panda's Date" and "Viral Video" was a bad case of Hype Backlash and a lingering sense of disappointment. My main issue is the characters- specifically, the bears. All three of them strike me as strictly one-note: Grizz is an impulsive loudmouth, Panda is awkward and love-hungry, and Ice Bear is the deadpan polymath. The brotherly bonding moments between the trio feel forced, particularly between Grizz and Panda- after seeing the way Grizz teases Panda so much, I have trouble believing that they get along at all.
Again, this is only an opinion formed after seeing a couple of early episodes, and I'm sincerely hoping we'll see more and better characterization later on in the series. I'll try to watch more and see how I feel about it after some more episodes.
WesternAnimation Sweet, mindless fun
Firstly and most importantly: If you're expecting a show with the level of depth other current kids' shows like Steven Universe and Adventure Time offer, you're going to be disappointed. This isn't that type of show. But! That's not to say it isn't good in its own way.
I've not read the webcomic but I feel like its roots as one show - it'd be easy to translate it into a newspaper comic and it wouldn't feel out of place. Episodes are short and fast but very funny, relying more on character reactions and sudden, silly twists for its gags than on toilet humour or slapstick. And, as an added bonus, there's the occassional 'over the heads of kids' joke, usually delivered by Ice Bear (who is my favourite).
In short, watch We Bare Bears if you want to turn your brain off and enjoy an adorable show about bears trying to fit in in the human world. Don't expect anything mind-blowing or ground-breaking, but do expect to be at least mildly amused for 10 minutes or so.
WesternAnimation Surprisingly Beary Funny
When I first saw the promos for this show, my initial thought was "Cartoon Network has lost its fucking mind." But after watching the first 2 episodes, I'm starting to have second thoughts. It's surprisingly funny. The show is about the life and antics of three bears trying to fit in human society, with disastrously hilarious results. The show can best be described as a mix of Ed, Edd n Eddy and Regular Show with a little bit of Yogi Bear.
- Pros:
- The humor of the show is quite good and contains no excessive gross-out gags, Black Comedy, or offensive jokes that hit the lowest common denominator.
- The Bears themselves are incredibly endearing and their antics are will definitely have you laughing. Like I said, they remind me of the Eds in a way. Grizzly is a kinder and less obnoxious Eddy, Panda is the neroutic and dramatic Edd and Ice Bear... Well, I'd say he reminds me of Ed, but he's nowhere as dumb. Plus, he's become my favorite character as every thing he says and does is prime LOL material.
- Cons:
- Grizzly's antics can come off as a bit annoying. Though he doesn't qualify as a Designated Hero as he does mean well, but is just a little too overenthusiastic and oblivious to how destructive his behavior can get.
Overall, the show is quite good and better than I expected. Definitely worth a look if your curious. And you better watch it, or "Ice Bear will hunt you down."
WesternAnimation A simple, feel-good show
The other reviews are correct in that this show isn't all that complex, especially when compared to a lot of other popular Cartoon Network shows, but I've always enjoyed in nonetheless.
It's the kind of show that makes you feel better after watching it. The characters can get a little abrasive (Grizzly being one example) but for the most part the humor is clean and kind-hearted. Like you won't find a lot of humor derived from making fun of a character's differences, which for me is an off-putting aspect of a lot of similar shows. Even characters with noticeable quirks that would grant them Butt-Monkey status in other cartoons are treated nicely for the most part. Even antagonists aren't punished and set up to fail needlessly and have redeeming aspects to them. The plots are mostly endearing and relatable, and are just the thing to make you smile after a rough day.