Toon Zone Talkback - "Care Bears" Getting Animated Again

[Shift]

This is the talkback thread for "Care Bears" Getting Animated Again.

One word: Cousins. Bears can only get you so far...

[zoombie]

From what I heard, they want to braden the audiance to tweens. This could be similar to My Little Pony Tales, or if they are lucky My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. If they got some of the MLP:FIM cast for this show. I see Pinkie Pie being Cheer Bear, Rainbow Dash being Sports Bear I forget his name.

But if they can get Tara Strong back, that would be cool because she got her start in the Care Bears cartoon, one of her first gigs, so it would be like a homecoming.

[Sailor V]

Rainbow Dash being Sports Bear I forget his name.

His name is Champ Bear.

Besides, I'd like to see another Care Bears cartoon as long as it's not just for kiddies and is very entertaining for all ages.

[TheGunheart]

Yeah, the Nelvana version was one of my all time favorite cartoons as a kid. To be honest, I liked it even more than Transformers. I really wanted to like Adventures in Care-A-Lot, since I thought the designs were a definite improvement, but it just lacked the charm, and the cousins.

...I just hope it isn't an all CG cartoon like the Prime and Strawberry Shortcake. I'd prefer some stylish Flash animation like My Little Pony: FIM.

[Silverstar]

From what I heard, they want to braden the audiance to tweens. This could be similar to My Little Pony Tales, or if they are lucky My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. If they got some of the MLP:FIM cast for this show. I see Pinkie Pie being Cheer Bear, Rainbow Dash being Sports Bear I forget his name.

But if they can get Tara Strong back, that would be cool because she got her start in the Care Bears cartoon, one of her first gigs, so it would be like a homecoming.

I wouldn't have a problem with a Care Bears series designed to appeal to more than just wee tots and little girls, but a character for character, voice for voice remake of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic I would not be in favor of. I'd rather get something that isn't already airing and that we haven't seen before.

FTR, the voice of Pinkie Pie is Andrea Libman, and Rainbow Dash's voice actress is Ashleigh Ball, who absolutely could not do a male character's voice. (And as Sailor V pointed out, the sports bear's name is Champ Bear.)

[zoombie]

I wouldn't have a problem with a Care Bears series designed to appeal to more than just wee tots and little girls, but a character for character, voice for voice remake of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic I would not be in favor of. I'd rather get something that isn't already airing and that we haven't seen before.

FTR, the voice of Pinkie Pie is Andrea Libman, and Rainbow Dash's voice actress is Ashleigh Ball, who absolutely could not do a male character's voice. (And as Sailor V pointed out, the sports bear's name is Champ Bear.)

Thank you all for clearing that. I said I didn't remember Champ Bears name. Sorry for that.

Of course I wouldn't want the whole cast to be the MLP:FIM case, just if they wanted to use some of them because they are good. If they only used one person from the MLP:FIM cast let it be Tara Strong (Twilight Sparkle), like I said one of the shows she got her start on was the Care Bears, she has roots in the Care Bears, so it would be a homecoming. Wouldn't also mind if they got Cree Summer to do a voice, another Care Bears alumn.

[Jave]

and Rainbow Dash's voice actress is Ashleigh Ball, who absolutely could not do a male character's voice.

Why, this is interesting. Can you please tell us what makes Ashleigh Ball incapable of voicing a male character?

[nakak]

I always felt Rainbow Dash has a rather boyish voice (heck, alot of first-time FIM viewers thought RD was a boy until told that she's a girl). So I think Ashleigh is capable of doing a little boy voice.

[Shift]

The voice casts for Care Bears have traditionally been Canadian, so many of you are likely to be satisfied.

I won't delude myself in thinking the show will impact many over 10 years and/or male. That's just the nature of the beast, ironic equestrian examples nonwithstanding. All I'm really hoping for (besides cousins; seriously, what's so hard to get?) is that it avoids talking down to its audience and making the issues of the episode overly simplistic. The Nelvana series took that to heart for the most part, and from what I saw, the recent series avoided it to a degree, though not perfectly. As long as we don't get thecredibility massacres that were the Laugh-a-Lot/Big Whish movies, I think I'll be good.

[Silverstar]

Why, this is interesting. Can you please tell us what makes Ashleigh Ball incapable of voicing a male character?

Eh, her voice just sounds too feminine to be convincing on a male, at least to me. Even her most aggressive voice just sounds like a tomboyish girl rather than a boy to my ear. Certainly Ms. Ball is physically capable of voicing a male character; obviously there's no law preventing her from doing so and if someone dumped a ton of money at her doorstep and asked her to, I wouldn't expect her to turn down the job, but I don't think she would sound convincing doing it, that's all.

[TheGunheart]

All I'm really hoping for (besides cousins; seriously, what's so hard to get?).

From what I gather, you can blame poor marketing. They apparently did a relaunch back in the 2000s that didn't sell well. You know, when they didn't actually show up in those DVD movies that were supposed to advertise the toys? Yeah, great idea that one.

Also, what I'd really like is a villain who's a threat of some sort. To be honest, I think Discord would be a pretty good model for one in this kind of show; creepy, powerful, but funny enough not to scare the kids. I really don't want someone as...ineffectual as Grizzle again. Even Professor Coldheart could be dangerous when he wanted to be.

[The ShopSoldier]

I'm viewing this development with caution and high defense.

I'm not a fan of the Care Bears, nor did I grow up with them (nor MLP or Pound Puppies, for that matter, so there's that).

All I know is I'll give this a shot if it is as ambitious in its development as MLP:FIM is and was.,,, I know that's asking a lot, but that's because to me, the potential is there to make a fan of something just as cute, but awesome as MLP has become (and that's not hard to admit when you have the right creators/writers on your side to make it happen).

[TheGunheart]

On the subject of Ashleigh Ball, however, I think she'd be absolutely perfect for Swiftheart Rabbit. She was pretty much the Care Bears' Rainbow Dash back in the day, after all.

[Dr.Pepper]

I hope that it is aimed for a broad audience and not just preschoolers. I hope that it is in the same spirit as MLP.

[Jave]

Eh, her voice just sounds too feminine to be convincing on a male, at least to me. Even her most aggressive voice just sounds like a tomboyish girl rather than a boy to my ear. Certainly Ms. Ball is physically capable of voicing a male character; obviously there's no law preventing her from doing so and if someone dumped a ton of money at her doorstep and asked her to, I wouldn't expect her to turn down the job, but I don't think she would sound convincing doing it, that's all.

It's just weird that you would draw the conclusion that Ashleigh wouldn't be able to voice a male character based simply on a couple of roles where she voices feminine characters. As nakak pointed out, her character of Rainbow Dash is often mistaken for a male (I know I thought that the first time I saw the series), and I think that's quite indicative of the range she can have for her characters. And to add: Ashleigh has already done male voices. She voiced Oopsy Bear in all the Care Bears DTVs from a few years ago. If anything I think that makes her a lock for the next animated series, specially if that particular character is used.

[Silverstar]

It's just weird that you would draw the conclusion that Ashleigh wouldn't be able to voice a male character based simply on a couple of roles where she voices feminine characters. As nakak pointed out, her character of Rainbow Dash is often mistaken for a male (I know I thought that the first time I saw the series), and I think that's quite indicative of the range she can have for her characters. And to add: Ashleigh has already done male voices. She voiced Oopsy Bear in all the Care Bears DTVs from a few years ago. If anything I think that makes her a lock for the next animated series, specially if that particular character is used.

Fair enough. I've never seen any of the recent Care Bears projects, so I'll have to take others' word on that.

[CartoonFridays]

I'm taking bets for this show becoming a cult hit like My Little Pony.

[ToonEGuy]

If it's going to be another cartoon that ends up looking like the way My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is made, I think I'll pass (but then again, I can't really remember being into Care Bears before anyway).

[TheGunheart]

Well, I guess it's not what I expected.

Kind of disappointed, really. I really liked the Adventures in Care-A-Lot look, and these don't look nearly as expressive. Plus, it's apparently confirmed to be computer animated, which, well...what can I say? TV shows typically don't have the budget to pull it off.

[ToonEGuy]

Well, I guess it's not what I expected.

Kind of disappointed, really. I really liked the Adventures in Care-A-Lot look, and these don't look nearly as expressive. Plus, it's apparently confirmed to be computer animated, which, well...what can I say? TV shows typically don't have the budget to pull it off.

So it's CGI then? Well, at least it's better than being a 2D cartoon that would look like digital barf on your television screen.