Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart

Did You Know?

• The first 8 episodes were released on June 28 on the Cartoon Network app, website, and VOD.
• The series premiered in Nigeria on January 18, 2020 via GOtv.
• The show was announced alongside Tig n' Seek (originally titled Tiggle Winks) on May 20, 2019.

Characters

Mao Mao, voiced by Parker Simmons, is a righteous but uptight cat who becomes stuck in Pure Heart Valley while trying to fix the Ruby Pure Heart he accidentally broke. A young Mao Mao is voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard. Badgerclops, voiced by Griffith Kimmins, is a sassy cyborg badger with a robotic arm and eyepatch who serves as Mao Mao's co-hero and partner. Adorabat, voiced by Lika Leong, is a cute blue bat with a yellow heart symbol and a peg leg in place of her right leg. The main antagonist is Orangusnake, voiced by Christopher McCulloch, an orangutan-snake hybrid pirate captain who seeks the Ruby Pure Heart. Other pirates include Boss Hosstrich, a gentleman cybernetic ostrich that shoots eggs from a chest cannon; Ramaraffe, a cybernetic giraffe with a stretchable neck; Ratarang, a small rat that turns into a boomerang; and Steel Wing, a wyvern with metallic wings. Additional villains include Beef Master, a large water buffalo with a bone necklace; Thunder Fist, an electricity-producing gorilla; Tiny Toad, a cyborg frog leading the Thicket Thieves; Bullmozer, a mole with cybernetic arms and glasses; and Ratracer, a female rat with a wheel for legs. Rufus, a sly fox voiced by Julian Barratt, swindles the Sweetypies with his raccoon sidekick Reggie, voiced by Rich Fulcher. King Snugglemagne, voiced by Parker Simmons, is the foppish lion king of Pure Heart Valley. Other residents include Scoops the donkey news reporter, Camille the chameleon royal magic-user, her silent flying squirrel apprentice Honey, Chef Rhett, Pinky the disturbing pink rhinoceros, Ketchup the pink fluffy gopher, Kevin the fearful blue porcupine, Chubbum the friendly frog, Lucky the green hamster, and Gary the crocodile cameraman.

Production

Parker Simmons created the series after being hired at Titmouse, Inc. in 2009 as an animator for Black Panther on BET. He later worked on Metalocalypse, Superjail!, Black Dynamite, Motorcity, and internet shorts. After completing Turbo Fast, Simmons and colleagues pursued individual projects; when asked to make a show, he began drawing and assembled ideas. Concerned the concept was limited, he turned it into a short that screened at the "5 Second Day" event in 2014. Simmons voiced Mao Mao using a low-pitched voice similar to Batman portrayals. Griffith Kimmins, a previous collaborator, voiced Bearclops, and Lika Leong, a former Turbo Fast production coordinator, voiced Adorabat. Doug Vito handled sound editing and later became series animatic editor; Brian Pak animated a brief skit and later served as board revisionist. After positive audience feedback, Titmouse CEO Chris Prynoski saw potential, and Simmons pitched a 7-minute pilot to him. Prynoski provided budget, schedule, and a spare year for character and worldbuilding expansion. Simmons drew inspiration from Batman: The Animated Series, Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump, and Chrono Trigger, as well as personal experiences. The pilot was pitched to Cartoon Network CEO Rob Sorcher in June 2017, and the network greenlit the series with a 95-week production deadline.

Reception

Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart was well received by critics. Nick Valdez of ComicBook.com stated the show "has the potential to become a massive success for Cartoon Network." Dave Trumbore of Collider expressed cautious optimism, praising its start and heart while noting its potential for deeper storytelling over time, comparing the dynamic between Mao Mao and Badgerclops to a comedic duo like Batman and Robin in Care Bear country. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media praised the sharp writing and protagonist dynamics, finding the series more suitable for tweens due to action intensity. Retrospective reviews highlighted the show's distinction from conventional children's programming. Jason Tyler Van Duine of GameRant noted Mao Mao's character acts opposite to typical kid show protagonists, with his ego and frustration driving conflict against an innocent setting. Judy Black of Collider called Heroes of Pure Heart "a breath of fresh air from childish mediocrity."

Future

A second season of the show was announced during a Comic-Con at Home panel in July 2020, with an animatic previewing it. Leaked assets from that season appeared online around June 2021, having previously been in private portfolios of the crew. Creator Parker Simmons voiced frustration on Twitter, warning fans that the leak could endanger the series. Following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the series was pulled from HBO Max in August 2022. Cartoon Network then scrubbed all mentions of the show from its platforms, including the second season announcement. With no new episodes since "Strange Bedfellows" and the removal, many fans assumed the show had been quietly canceled. Simmons expressed uncertainty about its future, saying he did not know if the series was officially canceled or if another season could still be produced.