History YMMV / CareBears

* SweetnessAversion: The franchise is infamous for its light-hearted tone and bright colors, but as a series that spans so long and with so many different incarnations, this is highly variable based on which incarnation you're watching.

* AccidentalInnuendo:
** "That's it, Playful Heart! We'll make them laugh so hard their grum''PINESS'' will disappear!"
** From the first movie, the scene near the beginning where Secret Bear is looking relaxed in a car while Friend Bear looks under the hood. [[https://www.memecenter.com/fun/2733121/care-bears-countdown It needs to be seen in order to be believed.]]

* AssPull: Secret Bear [[spoiler:making another key out of nowhere]] in the first movie.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: You either ''really'' wanted to give Oopsy Bear of ''Adventures in Care-A-Lot'' a hug, or just found his klutz status really annoying and punchable.
* BrokenBase:
** Was ''Adventures in Care-a-Lot'' an okay show, or the worst thing to happen to the franchise?
** ''Welcome to Care-a-Lot'' raised some concerns when The Hub's [[ForcedMeme marketing attempt]] to attract a PeripheryDemographic the likes of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' complete with fandom nicknames like "Belly Bros" and "Care Bros". Realizing rather early that they were doing it wrong, The Hub completely ditched the effort. Considering the premiere's ratings giving some of The Hub's best ratings amongst all demographics, the incident didn't leave too much of a mark.
** Which '80s series was the definitive version, [=DiC=] or Nelvana? They both have their share of fans/defenders and individual strengths to back each version (the former tends to show up more in advertising, while the latter included more personality and CharacterDevelopment, especially in regards to the Care Bear Cousins.)

* CrackShip: Some fans pair Beastly and Shreeky together.
* DracoInLeatherPants:
** Many a girl has admitted to having a crush on Dark Heart from the second movie.
** Hell, even ''[[HumanoidAbomination No Heart]]'' has fangirls. Wrap your head around ''that''.

** Christy and Dark Heart only appeared once but are the most well remembered part of the second film, and have many fanfics about Dark Heart adjusting to his new life.
** {{B|reakoutVillain}}eastly was pretty popular in his own right, given his goofy ButtMonkey status and not being [[MinionWithAnFInEvil nearly as bad as many of the other Care Bears villains.]]
** The Careless Bears ([[NoIndoorVoice Too Loud Bear]], [[ItsAllAboutMe Me Bear]], and [[ThePigPen Messy Bear]]) were apparently only meant for the "Big Wish Movie", but many have waited for a possible return for how much they stand out from the other bears.
* FashionVictimVillain: Dark Heart, lord of all evil, wears a red track suit for a majority of the second film.

** Christy and Dark Heart's relationship in the second movie gives off some funny ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' vibes now. Dark Heart even transforms into a wolf at one point so Christy can ride on his back.
** Also in the second movie, Creator/AlysonCourt voices one of the young girls fighting a shapeshifting villain. Later on, Alyson Court would voice [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Claire Redfield]], who also fought [[BodyHorror shapeshifting]] villains like [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 William Birkin]] and [[spoiler: [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica Alexia Ashford]] (''Darkside Chronicles'' only).]]
** Professor Coldheart looks and acts almost ''exactly'' like an ice-themed version of ''VideoGame/IMMeen''.
** Towards the end of the first movie, the possessed Nicholas exhibits spiral eyes much like those of [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Lord Genome]].
** Not to mention the concept of [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs an evil magic book being beaten with the power of friendship]].
** WesternAnimation/TheCareBearsAdventureInWonderland featured a [[{{WesternAnimation/Aladdin}} Jafar]] {{Expy}} evil wizard as the BigBad, who tried to abduct Alice and had Tweedledee and Tweedledum working for him. Years later, Series/OnceUponATimeInWonderland was made.
** In 1983, an album titled ''The Care Bears Adventures In Care-a-Lot'' was released. In 2007, a cartoon called ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsAdventuresInCareALot'' premiered.

** Beastly muses about how great being a king would be in "The Great Race". Cue ''Welcome to Care-a-Lot'', with his role as King of the Beastlies, complete with a golden crown.

* HoYay: Professor Coldheart and Frostbite get this in "Runaway." After Frostbite gets sprayed by the warmth and kindness from the machine, he tries to kiss Professor Coldheart and after Professor Coldheart is temporarily turned nice, he dances with Frostbite.
* JerkassWoobie: Beastly. Sure, he's evil, but can you really hate him for all the abuse No Heart puts him through?
* MemeticMolester:
** Mr Cherrywood has gotten this treatment thanks to his infamous "creepy pedoface".
** Dark Heart. "Time for a game of disappearing bears!"
** Professor Coldheart because of his paedo-looking face and how he captures kids.
* {{Padding}}: The first {{sequel}} had a musical number at the end that was pretty much just there to make sure it fulfilled the bare minimum for screentime. The song itself was over six minutes long and over half of it consisted of [[EndingFatigue endlessly-repeated chorus]] (obstensibly to cover the end credits).

* ReplacementScrappy:
** For older fans, [[TheKlutz Oopsy Bear]], the chronically clumsy bear, who replaced [[BornLucky Good Luck Bear]], while [[TheHero Tenderheart Bear]]'s role was usurped by Cheer Bear. Oopsy Bear was then dropped from ''Welcome to Care-a-Lot'', with Tenderheart Bear restored to a prominent role, but Good Luck Bear still a backgrounder. Additionally, Bedtime Bear who usurped Grumpy Bear's position in all 00s merchandise due to TCFC not wanting two blue bears. Grumpy Bear was restored in ''Adventures in Care-a-Lot'', with Bedtime reduced to a minor role and thought to be eliminated in ''Welcome to Care-a-Lot'', though he eventually surfaced as a rarely-appearing character.
** Actually, Grumpy wasn't shelved between 2000 to 2007 - Instead he was spun off into a clothes line that did poorly and did not receive any publicity or advertising due to the target audience of the line. Thankfully, that line was ended when Grumpy was merged back to the main series.
** Also, unfortunately, Oopsy does have a [[http://www.bedtimebear.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6629&highlight=favorite+care+bear small fanbase]]. Reaction of the fanbase to Oopsy's eradication ranged from a stoic goodbye to TheyChangedItNowItSucks.
** After the posting of a preview video in which Wonderheart Bear was upset that Baby Hugs & Tugs had their belly badge powers, but she still didn't, there were [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkRxUwgMtRU&feature=g-high-u posts asking to bring back Oopsy]] to show her she's not the only one without a belly badge power. (Of course, there's a difference - Oopsy didn't even have a proper badge. Wonderheart does, she just couldn't use its power yet, though she eventually would.)

* ViewerGenderConfusion: As described at the trope entry, it's often been unclear which bears belong to which gender over the years. The 2007 line is the first to specifically delineate gender.

* TheWoobie:
** Grumpy Bear, who is charged with helping grumpy kids with their problems and has done it so much that he's become grumpy himself.
** Oopsy Bear is supposedly designed to be a woobie judging from his personality traits.
** Wonderheart Bear from ''Welcome to Care-a-Lot'' can be this at times, especially since mean/bully types on the show tend to threaten her through her CompanionCube, Floppy Bunny. And to a kid her age, threatening their stuffed animal is akin to threatening them.
** [[SweetSheep Gentle Heart Lamb]] in "Birthday Bear's Blues" when No Heart finds her in the maze. He not only wants to kill her, but also eat her and her stare isn't strong enough to hold him back. Thank goodness the Care Bears find a way to save her.

* StockParodyJokes: The Care Bears are a cult who use their Care Bear Stares to [[GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul force people to be happy and nice all the time]].

** Christy and Dark Heart's relationship in the second movie gives off some funny ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' vibes now. Dark Heart even transforms into a wolf at one point so Christy can ride on his back.

** [[BreakoutVillain Beastly]] was pretty popular in his own right, given his goofy ButtMonkey status and not being [[MinionWithAnFInEvil nearly as bad as many of the other Care Bears villains.]]

* IdiotPlot:
** As with many children's shows, the plots frequently revolve around characters making decisions that would defy common sense. It's more acceptable when it's the younger characters making these mistakes, but it's somewhat jarring when the more mature Bears, as well as the villains, act like idiots. Never mind, the Bears don't seem to physically age, so all of them have been around for at least decades. So that means ''none of them'' have an excuse for their stupidity.

* MisaimedFandom: Subverted with Grumpy Bear; for a lot of people, Grumpy Bear's anti-social attitude and contempt for his fellow Bears and their at times Stepfordized personalities make him their favorite. Which ironically was mentioned in his original bio, as far as Grumpy's bio stating that his personality wasn't wrong and that it's OK to be grumpy sometimes, as opposed to casting Grumpy Bear in the "TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong" direction.

* FirstInstallmentWins: The original '80s incarnation of the Care-Bears is by far the most widely known and popular depiction of them amongst general audiences. Likewise, the original ten Care-Bears[[note]]Tenderheart Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Grumpy Bear, Bedtime Bear, Birthday Bear, Good Luck Bear, Sunshine Bear, Wish Bear, Lots-o-Love Bear[[/note]] are the most iconic members of the group and get the most focus in adaptations and merchandise, with the other Care Bears being far less known outside of fans and collectors.

** Which series was the definitive version, [=DiC=] or Nelvana? They both have their share of fans/defenders and individual strengths to back each version (the former tends to show up more in advertising, while the latter included more personality and CharacterDevelopment, especially in regards to the Care Bear Cousins.)

** This is raised UpToEleven in the Mexican Spanish dubs of the films, when ''all the Bears and Cousins'' are addressed as males, despite most of them were voiced by [[CrossDressingVoices females]]. This is especially egregious in the first dub of the second film, when True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse are addressed as males, causing the accidental side effect of turning them into a [[HoYay gay couple]]. The second dubbed version fixes this oversight though, and the South American dubs of the rest of the franchise outright avoids this trope.

** Despite not being as prominent as the main Care Bears and having been DemotedToExtra since the eighties (until ''WesternAnimationCareBearsAndCousins'' briefly brought them back to the limelight), the Care Bear Cousins are extremely popular amongst fans, with some preferring them over the actual Care Bears, in part because the Cousins all had distinct designs and personalities, compared to the bears who have the same body types and less distinct personalities at a glance.

* CommonKnowledge: Because they're a bunch of cute and colorful bears, it's easy to make the assumption that the Care Bears are primarily aimed towards girls. However, this is not and has never been the case, as the Care Bears actually lack a specific target demographic, being mostly aimed towards both young boys and girls as far back as the 1980s. The fact that there are a [[GenderEqualEnsemble roughly equal number between the male characters and female characters]] should be a giveaway towards this.

** For the cousins, Brave Heart Lion due to him being a more proactive leader than Tenderheart Bear and for providing comic relief.
** For some, the Care Bear Cousins over the actual Care Bears in part because the Cousins all had distinct designs and personalities, compared to the bears who have the same body types and less distinct personalities at a glance.
** Bright Heart Raccoon also qualifies. He was actually upgraded to being a part of the main CastHerd in the Nelvana series' final seasons.
** Gentle Heart Lamb also has her own set of fans, due to being a female sheep and the friendliest of the Care Bear Cousins. While she alongside Loyal Heart Dog get the least-amount of focus in animated media (especially in the ''Nelvana'' incarnation) compared to Brave Heart Lion, Bright Heart Raccoon, and Lotsa Heart Elephant. Older fans wished she gained more focus or her own dedicated episode, especially since Gentle Heart was more prominent in the books focused on the Cousins.

** The Careless Bears were apparently only meant for the "Big Wish Movie", but many have waited for a possible return for how much they stand out from the other bears.

** For the cousins, Brave Heart Lion due to his being a more proactive leader than Tenderheart Bear and for providing comic relief.

** Gentle Heart Lamb also has her own set of fans, due to being a female sheep and the friendliest of the Care Bear Cousins. While she alongside Loyal Heart Dog get the least-amount of focus in animated media (especially in the ''Nelvana'' incarnation) compared to Brave Heart Lion, Bright Heart Raccoon, and Lotsa Heart Elephant. Older fans wished she gained more focus or her own dedicated episode, especially since Gentle Heart was more prominent in the books

* TastesLikeDiabetes: Played with. The franchise is infamous for its light-hearted tone and bright colors, but the villains themselves are often far darker than what you'd expect and the more overt displays of cuteness are often PlayedForLaughs. Additionally, with a series that spans so long and with so many different incarnations, this is highly variable based on which incarnation you're watching.

** On the topic of ''Adventures in Care-a-Lot'', Oopsy Bear. Sure, the fanbase isn't huge, but there's no denying that there is one.

** Gentle Heart Lamb in "Birthday Bear's Blues" when No Heart finds her in the maze. He not only wants to kill her, but also eat her and her stare isn't strong enough to hold him back. Thank goodness the Care Bears find a way to save her.

** Seriously! When the StarComics comic adaptation was translated to Norwegian, Cheer was consistently referred to as male in the translation. ''Nobody noticed.''

* TastesLikeDiabetes: Played with. The villains themselves are often far darker than what you'd expect, and the more overt displays of cuteness are often PlayedForLaughs. Additionally, with a series that spans so long and with so many different incarnations, this is highly variable based on which incarnation you're watching.

** For the bears, Grumpy Bear, who is basically the most popular bear of the cast, even (hell, especially) amongst people who hate Care Bears.

** For some, the Care Bear Cousins over the actual Care Bears (in part because the Cousins all had distinct designs and personalities, whereas outside Grumpy Bear, all of the Care Bears were too similar.) The bears are similar only because most people collapse being nice into generic love. Aside from explicit personalities like Grumpy or Secret, the bears are more unique when you realize that romance, friendship, enthusiasm, [[HaveAGayOldTime gaiety]], generosity, mediation, hope, and competition are unique traits.
** Bright Heart Raccoon pretty much also qualifies. He was actually upgraded to being a part of the main CastHerd in the Nelvana series' final seasons.
** Christy and Dark Heart are the most well remembered part of the second film, and have many fanfics about Dark Heart adjusting to his new life.

* FashionVictimVillain: Dark Heart, lord of all evil, wears.... a red track suit. To be fair, he might be dressed like that in order to approach Christy.

** As with many children's shows, the plots frequently revolve around characters making decisions that would defy common sense. It's more acceptable when it's the younger characters making these mistakes, but it's somewhat jarring when the more mature Bears, as well as the villains, act like idiots. Never mind, the Bears don't seem to physically age, so all of them have been around for at least decades. So that means ''none of them'' have an [[JustifiedTrope excuse]] for their stupidity.