22 January 2012 (2012-01-22)[1] – present (present)
Boonie Bears (simplified Chinese: 熊出没; traditional Chinese: 熊出沒; pinyin: xióng chūmò, "Roaming Bears" ; Bear Hunting) is a Chinese animated television series shown on multiple Chinese platforms and television stations, including Central China Television (CCTV) and Beijing Television Network (BTV).[2][3] The series features two bears, Briar and Bramble, who try to stop Logger Vick from destroying their forest home. Some other minor characters, mainly animals, are also shown, such as an owl, a gopher and two monkeys. This cartoon is also shown in India on Big Magic Channel in the Hindi language as Bablu Aur Dablu.
The franchise is Fantawild Animation's tentpole[4] and "has been the biggest animation brand in China for many years" according to Variety.[5] As of 2024, the animation brand has developed more than 3,000 products, covering a wide range of categories like food, beverages, clothing, learning supplies and toys.[6]
Origin
Boonie Bears was first shown in January 2012 and last shown in February 2022 and became the most popular children's show in China. More than 600 thirteen-minute episodes have been produced so far.[7] The series is produced by Fantawild Holdings Inc.
Creation and translations
Although originally created in China, Boonie Bears has been translated to other languages, such as English,[8] Spanish, French, Russian,[9]Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali and Hindi (as Babloo Dabloo on BIG Magic).[10] It has now been distributed to 82 countries worldwide and partnered with Netflix, Sony, and Disney.
Characters
Victor "Vick" Von Finkelstein
Vick (formerly called Logger Vick) (光头强; 光頭強; Guāngtóu Qiáng) is a logger who often runs into the animals for his misdeeds against the forest. He is considered as the primary antagonist in the earlier seasons, until redeeming himself and eventually becoming one of the main protagonists starting in season 8: Adventure 1. He is bald, usually wearing a hard hat or an Ushanka to conceal it. He is often seen carrying a chainsaw or a hunting rifle, wearing a jacket and jeans. Despite his menacing demeanor, Vick is often stays determined in light of threats from the forest, his superiors and poverty, not wishing to be in conflict with anyone if possible, despite sometimes seeking vengeance as a hunter. Vick later decided to quit logging and becomes a tour guide to preserve the forest with his animal friends. (Voiced by: Toni Thompson, Paul "Maxx" Rinehart, Brian A. Bullock)
Mr. Li
Mr. Li (李老板; Lǐ láobǎn) is Logger Vick's unseen merciless boss. He is primarily known for threatening Vick and deducting his salary for providing any benefits. (Voiced by: Rick Jay Glen, Paul "Maxx" Rinehart)
Briar
Briar (熊大; Xióngdà) is one of the titular protagonists of the show, he is an Asian black bear who is Bramble's older brother, and a valiant, kind and respected figure in the forest. His intelligence and leadership allows him to rally other animals and battle whatever antagonist, be it Vick or not. Whenever the forest is not under threat, Briar has a carefree life with his brother inside their tree-like cave. The color of his fur is reddish-brown. (Voiced by: Rick Jay Glen, Gene E. Hobbs III, Kieran Katarey)
Bramble
Bramble (熊二; Xióng'èr) is one of the titular protagonists of the show. Like his brother, he is an Asian black bear and is Briar's younger brother. Bramble is physically slightly robust (more so than his brother though he and his brother were both quite stocky) but brash, dim-witted, naive and hedonistic and also sometimes childish, much to Briar's annoyance, although he has proven himself on occasion. He also enjoys food of many kinds, specifically fish and honey. The color of his fur is light yellowish-brown. (Voiced by: Justin J Wheeler, Joseph S. Lambert)
Warren
Warren (蹦蹦; Bèngbèng) is a nervous red squirrel and a friend of the bears. He likes pine cones and nuts. Warren's agility allows him to weave through threats and conduct espionage for the bears. He is allergic to snacks. He is also mistaken for a female due to his voice. (Voiced by: Toni Thompson, Siobhan Lumsden)
Herbert "Herb" Diggs
Herbert Diggs (萝卜头; 蘿蔔頭; Luóbotóu; 'Radish Head') is a gopher who lives in the forest. He is unusually obsessed with radishes, carrots and turnips, attempting to secure them at all ends when given the chance. His expertise in subterranean navigation and excavation gives him the upper hand in many confrontations. His voice is somewhat high-pitched in the Mandarin version. (Voiced by: Toni Thompson, Justin J Wheeler, Joseph S Lambert)
Hoo Hoo
Hoo Hoo (涂涂; Tútu) is an barn owl who lives in the forest. She is very forgetful and lazy, dozing even in her flight. She is only occasionally helpful and refrains to join their conflicts. More often than not she is also mistaken for a male due her voice which sound like a high-pitched version of Rick Jay Glen’s voice. (Voiced by: Toni Thompson, Rick Jay Glen, Siobhan Lumsden)
King Tiki
Tiki (吉吉; Jíji) is an arrogant, and greedy monkey. He is the self-proclaimed ruler of the forest that occasionally runs into conflict with other animals and questions Briar's leadership. He and his servant Babu originally came from a jungle along with other monkeys before they were accidentally transported to Pine Tree Mountain forest where they currently live. He really loves fruit, and especially loves bananas. He usually keeps a pineapple crown. He also holds a curved stick in his hands containing a hanging pine cone and wears a necklace made of leaves. (Voiced by: Paul "Maxx" Rinehart)
Babu
Babu (毛毛; Máomao) is a small golden marmoset who is the loyal sidekick and servant of Tiki. She admires Tiki and is like a daughter to him. She likes bananas like Tiki. (Voiced by: Rick Jay Glen, Gene E. Hobbs III)
Fabian
Fabian (肥波; Féibō) is a British Shorthair who became Vick's pet to escape his nomadic life. A fraudulent con artist, he often manipulates Vick and other creatures for private gains. He likes food, particularly fish. Vick officially adopted him in the Boonie Bears Forest Frenzy episode I'm Feline Fine!. (Voiced by: Toni Thompson, Rick Jay Glen, Siobhan Lumsden)
Natasha
Natasha (翠花; Cuìhuā) is a female Asian black bear. She lives in the city and works in a circus. Both Briar and Bramble have a crush on her, although she perceives them friends. She also came to the forest for the bears once. the color of her fur is light reddish brown. (Voiced by: Toni Thompson)
Louie
Louie (老鳄; 老鱷; Lǎoè; 'Old Alligator') is a Chinese alligator who lives in the city along with his friends. He also works in the circus. He often tells stories to his circus friends and the bears. He laughs very loudly, and has also stolen Vick's mother's ornaments. (Voiced by: Justin J Wheeler)
Shao Lin
Shao Lin (铁掌大师; 鐵掌大師; Tiězhǎng Dàshī) is a South China tiger who also works in circus and who only appears in Boonie Bears Or Bust. He lives in a cave with his friends in city. He knows martial arts and is often seen practicing. He sometimes saves the bears from Vick. (Voiced by: Rick Jay Glen)
Sheldon
Sheldon (拖拖; Tuōtuō) is a small tortoise. He is also a worker in the circus and only appears in Boonie Bears or Bust. He has a big iron ball which he likes a lot, usually wears a cap, and walks much slower than the other characters. (Voiced by: Toni Thompson)
Carly
Carly (赵琳; Zhào Lín) is a teenage girl coming from a small town. Sometimes, she takes foolish decisions. She likes the forest and the nature. In the English episodes where she first appeared, she is trying to find her little Kitty, which happens to be a Siberian Tiger. She wants Logger Vick to help her (who was, at this point, a tour guide and thus in league with the creatures) to find her Siberian tiger. She was the only female characters to have a main role. She is also the main protagonist of her own spin-off series, titled Adventurer Carly. (Voiced by: Carly Leung)
Maurice
Maurice (大马猴; Dà mǎ hóu) is a swindler and gangster. He and his partner Arnold have an abundant criminal history, working for many crime lords as henchmen. He is tall and thin, values image and carries a comb all the time. He is also self-indulgent, narcissistic and self-centered. (Voiced by: Toni Thompson, Justin J Wheeler, Gene E. Hobbs III)
Arnold
Arnold (二狗; Ér gǒu) is a criminal and sidekick of Maurice, who he aids in their quest. Though pudgy and short, he is often seen more as an annoyance than anything with his violent and reckless tendencies. (Voiced by: Rick Jay Glen Paul "Maxx" Rinehart and Joseph S Lambert)
Rex Vector
Rex Vector (天才威; tiān cái wei) was the primary antagonist of the show starting in Adventure 2. He is a proclaimed scientist, an inventor, and an animal poacher. However, his boss Wolfgang ends up firing him because he is unable to catch any animals because of Briar and Bramble. In Monster Plan, he creates a chimeric robotic monster along with special electronics that resemble fruits and beehives to collect the animals' powers. And in Boonie Bears: Monster Plan, he intends to create a far more powerful and improved version of the Monster Robot to win in a science competition. To accomplish his goals, he seeks to find various scattered energy stone fragments across the forest.
Mr. Pete
Mr. Pete (洞洞幺 dòng dòng yāo) is Rex Vector's animal partner, who is a hamster. He is very loyal to Rex Vector. Before he met him, he couldn't walk. However, Rex Vector brought him and fixed his leg because he wants the science rewards.[11]
Theme songs
Part 1: "I'm a Little Confused"
Part 2: "Universal Adventure"
Part 3: "I'm a Little Confused"
Part 4: "My Sweetness"
Part 5,6,7: "I'm a Little Confused"
Chinese New Year Films: "I'm a Little Confused" (2013)
Episodes
Series
Part 1:Boonie Bears (104 episodes)
Part 2:Boonie Bears or Bust (104 episodes)
Part 3:Boonie Bears: Forest Frenzy (104 episodes)
Part 4:Boonie Bears: Spring Into Action (52 episodes)
Part 5:Boonie Bears: Snow Daze (52 episodes)
Part 6:Boonie Bears: Sunsational Summer (52 episodes)
Part 7:Boonie Bears: Autumn Awesomeness (52 episodes)
Part 8:Boonie Bears: The Adventurers (52 episodes)
Part 9:Boonie Bears: The Adventurers 2 (52 episodes)
Part 10:Boonie Bears: Monster Plan (52 episodes)
Part 11:Boonie Bears: Monster Plan 2 (52 episodes)
Part 12:Boonie Bears: Shrink (52 episodes)
Other media
Feature films
Fantawild has produced 2 television films and 10 feature films in the Boonie Bears brand. The first television film Boonie Bears: Homeward Journey was released in 8 February 2013 and the second television film Boonie Bears: Robo-Rumble was released in 2014. The first feature film based on the series titled Boonie Bears: To the Rescue premiered in China on 17 January 2014. A second film, Boonie Bears: Mystical Winter, was released on 30 January 2015. A third installment, Boonie Bears: The Big Top Secret, was released on 16 January 2016. A fourth film, Boonie Bears: Fantastica, was released on 28 January 2017. A fifth film in the series, Boonie Bears: The Big Shrink, was released on 16 February 2018. The sixth installment, Boonie Bears: Blast Into the Past, premiered in China on 5 February 2019 and was later released in international territories.[12][13][14] The seventh installment, Boonie Bears: The Wild Life, was released in China on 12 February 2021. Boonie Bears: Back to Earth was released in China on 1 February 2022 as part of the Chinese New Year slate. Boonie Bears: Guardian Code was released in China on 22 January 2023, and their most recent film, Boonie Bears: Time Twist was released on 10 February 2024.
^Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 332. ISBN9781476672939.
