Headscratchers / Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness

• When Taotie was sent to Chor Gom, why was Bian Zao also locked up in "Bosom Enemies"? He didn't do anything wrong and was indirectly the one responsible for saving the day.
• If Po's such a Kung-fu fanboy like in the movies, why doesn't he know about all these famous martial artists that the Five know about?
  • There's lots and lots of 'em. I think he focused most of his fanboying on the Five themselves, since they were more local than any of the others - also, bear in mind, he does know quite a bit of kung fu history as shown when he's looking at artifacts in the Jade Palace for the first time in the first movie and his ensuing dialogue with Shifu - especially the Wuxi Finger Hold. Being that he wasn't a career martial artist prior to this, however, it's understandable why he'd have a more limited knowledge of kung fu history and legend than his comrades - he worked in a noodle shop as his only vocation. That wouldn't leave much time for leisurely reading on top of all the pretending and fantasizing he did.
• Why is Po so much of a jerkwad in so many episodes of the show? In both movies, he was excitable and a bit melodramatic, an overall hyperactive fanboy, but through it all was still a good guy, mostly serious when he needed to be, and was very likeable overall. But so many episodes of the TV series make him out to be wholly unlikeable, even due to reasons that seem out-of-character for him - he constantly botches up assignments given to him by Shifu, places himself too highly above others, and abuses his authority as the Dragon Warrior just to indulge in his over-exaggerated laziness. Mind you, this is the panda who managed to achieve inner peace after living through the attempted genocide of his kind, while going face to face against the peacock who killed his own mother.
  • Keep in mind, the show is set between the first two movies. Whatever character development he experienced in the second film isn't on display here since as far as the show's concerned it hasn't happened yet. None of the second film's events are referenced here, only those of the first, since only the first film has already taken place in the storyline. For example, it explains why Tigress is still more aloof towards him in this show whereas in the second film she is much more friendly towards him, even going as far as to offer a sympathetic hug when he swears he will get answers about his parents from Shen; had that been in the first film, she'd likely have incapacitated him with some sort of paralyzing move or something instead.
  • Likely a mix of Early-Installment Weirdness and different writing teams. The first film was a bit more cynical and mean, with the creative team of the show likely assuming it was another obnoxious Dreamworks comedy before the later films gave far more poignant and warm hearted development to the story and cast. Plus you know, look at nearly any other character played by Jack Black.
• How does Po even get his superpowers in "Owl Be Back"? I thought it was from the novelties he bought, particularly the kite since I thought it acted strangely, but it's never addressed.
• Also, what about those powers after that episode? Po simply stops using them once that episode has ended.
• Considering how heavy gold actually is, how could the folks at the Jade Palace have been fooled into accepting what Shifu's father claimed to be a golden sword in exchange for supplies? All it would take would be trying to lift it to tell that it was fake.
• In "Owl Be Back", if Fenghuang is so evil, why did she save Po from falling to his death?
  • Simplest answer? For all her evil deeds, there's still that kernel of decency in her.
• In "The First Five", why couldn't Shifu just say that the Sword of Xi-an was uncontrollable to either the Five or Po? Even if the original Five wouldn't listen to him, Po absolutely would.
• What did Hao write a letter to Mantis for? She rejected him after knowing he wasn't the Dragon Warrior, so why did she want him back in the village before his façade started?