On the occasion of the arrival in France on Cartoon Network of “We Baby Bears”, spin-off of “We Bare Bears”, the director and one of the screenwriters evoke for us the genesis of the series, its characters of adorable cubs, and its themes.
Broadcast since April 11 on Cartoon Network, the American animated series We Baby Bears, which is none other than a spin-off of We Bare Bears, invites us to embark on magical adventures with three adorable little bears, Grizz, Panda, and Polaire, who travel through incredible worlds aboard their magic box to find a new home.
Along the way, they meet more or less familiar faces and make new friends, learn from their adventures, and above all understand that, as long as they are together, the place does not matter.
On the occasion of the arrival of We Baby Bears in France, we spoke with director Christina Chang and screenwriter Michael Heller who told us about this series which is inspired by Kawaii culture, Japanese anime, and of K-pop.
AlloCiné: Can you introduce us to this new series derived from We Bare Bears?
Michael Heller : We Baby Bears is a spin-off of We Bare Bears which focuses on three baby bears, Grizz, Panda and Polar. Their world is magical and they explore fantastic universes. They use a box that acts as a kind of magic carpet that allows them to travel to various fairy dimensions.
In fact, they are looking for the perfect place to make their home. I think we were tempted by the idea of creating a series inspired by Japanese manga, ultra punchy, which corresponds more to what young people watch today.
Christina Chang : We introduced the baby bears in the We Bare Bears series, during flashbacks about their childhood. It was therefore a natural continuity to create a series only with these cubs that everyone adores but who are just at the beginning of their existence.
Which bear is most like you?
Michael Heller: I think I’m a bit of those three bears. Although I hope, like a lot of people, that I look a little more like Panda. Like me, he lives a little inside himself. He can be extremely cautious and tends to over-analyze everything around him. As an artist, I totally identify with that.
Christina Chang: My favorite bear is also Panda. But I think I look a little more like Polaire. That’s what everyone thinks of me, by the way. I am a quiet and somewhat monotonous person. It’s not always easy to know how I feel, I’m a very reserved person.
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What topics do you cover with this series?
Michael Heller: Topics change from episode to episode. The general theme is that of finding one’s “home”, of feeling “at home”, and of feeling integrated into the world around us. It was also a recurring theme in We Bare Bears.
In the end, the subject is that of self-acceptance, how to feel good about yourself…as a bear. And this, despite the judgment of the world around you. I think these are essential subjects for children as well as for adults who watch our series. In any case, I hope that this new universe will make you dream. It is a feast for the eyes and for the heart.
Christina Chang: I believe this series is a journey of discovery for each of these bears as they learn more about who they really are and what they want out of this existence. It is also the theme of complementarity between beings. These bears are learning to appreciate each other and to understand that together they can solve any problem that stands in their way.
It’s a nice metaphor for the society in which we live, each one is unique and complementary to the other. We can all learn to be a better brother to others. Don’t let the harshness of life get you down. We must always move forward and give reality to all the dreams that lie dormant in us.
How do you explain that we still love bears so much? There are so many in the world of animation…
Michael Heller: I don’t really know if there’s a definite answer. No doubt their personalities are close to ours and we can easily identify with them.
Christina Chang: How to resist bears?! They are adorable and I love them so much.
Can we expect more seasons of We Baby Bears like there were for We Bare Bears?
Michael Heller: Absolutely. Cartoon Network has just announced a second season. We have just started production. We have a lot of ideas and I think we will surprise you with the crazy universe of these three bears.
We Baby Bears airs Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. on Cartoon Network.