Previous Trope Repair Shop thread: Snowclone, started by SomePerson on Feb 28th 2019 at 9:16:03 PM
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard FeynmanI've been wondering the same thing myself. The key is whether red pandas would be a different trope, a subtrope, or just part of the trope.
Given the similarities in the variety of cuteness, despite their closest extent of relation being that they're both members of the order Carnivora, I'd say probably. But I'd really like a more experienced troper's opinion on this (because there are other tropes, i.e. "Everything's Better With…").
In PBS's animated "Arthur", Sue Ellen and the Armstrongs sponsor Tenzin Wangdu, who in his first appearance ("Sue Ellen's Little Sister"), is shown as a brown bear living in Tibet; by the time he meets Sue Ellen in "Wish You Were Here", his facial markings resemble that of a panda, and even though his family has moved from Tibet to Dharamsala, India, no additional information that I'm aware of has been given yet as to whether or not he's supposed to be some sort of panda subspecies, which leads me to wonder whether or not this would be considered a trope subversion....
http://www.arthur.wikia.com/wiki/Tenzin
Edited by snichols1973Special Agent Oso sounds like a bit of a YMMV example: even though his facial markings are similar to a panda's, his colors are green and yellow, and due to a lack of further species evidence to support the theory, I was wondering if Special Agent Oso would be a subverted or averted example of "Panda-ing to the Audience".....
I am surprised that the Panda King from Sly Cooper is not present under "Video Games". While he isn't "adorable", I believe he is still worth mentioning.
Cut per TRS:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16926770260.68077500&page=1#comment-22
Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.