Pandalian (also known as Panda Monium in some countries— no, not that Panda Monium) is a 26-episode multinational-developed animated series with characters created by Taiwanese company TV Bean, animated by Fuji Creative Corporation and Planet Inc. with Nelvana and Funimation joining hands in sales. The series is set in Pandasia, a ring-shaped planet in a fictional reality which is inhabited by pandas.
Enter Toby, a working-class country boy who lives with his two brothers and grandmother, as well as his pet Didi. One day, after witnessing a meteor falling to his village, Toby meets a fairy named Mi— who turns out to be encased inside the 'meteor'. This fairy, much to his confusion, persuades him to save the world, which is actually at a threat of the evil King Audie of the Darkness Castle. Toby initially refuses the offer, but his determination to save the people he loves causes him to eventually take it, and little did he know what adventure his choice brings him.
Tropes associated with this series:
- Action Girl: Bingo, as expected of someone who becomes the bearer of the Powerup Bean.
- Badass Pacifist: Love, after she becomes the bearer of the Adora-Bean. She purifies a monsterified Didi and her fighting friends by just yelling at them to stop. Also, she is the one who eventually talked Cool back to his senses, and freed him from his Brainwashed and Crazy state.
- Yani as well. Physically, she could not do much since she is locked in a bubble, but she is able to make it up with her wisdom, which makes her the bearer of the Zen Bean.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Oscar and Bingo, big time.
- Big Eater: Max, and how.
- This causes him problems in Episode 8 when he devours a Desira-bean originated egg, causing a monster to grow inside him and he becomes a lunatic who eats everything in his path. He gets better thanks to Oscar's help.
- The Big Guy: Max, and later joined by Congo.
- Big Sister/Brother Instinct: Congo and Bingo are twin brothers and sisters, and cares for each other. When Bingo freezes in their journey towards the Ice Castle, Congo is the one who was hit the hardest.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Happens many times in the series.
- Earlier episodes have the citizens of Pandasia brainwashed two times. One puts bugs on their ears and causes them to follow their own egos and grows to not care about anyone but themselves (yes, including Oscar and Max, who have yet to be bean-warriors at that time). Another reduces them into rambling lunatics who only care about being a star.
- Cool was corrupted by the Desira-Bean and was transformed into King Kulu, who becomes the antagonist for a good chunk of the series.
- Also Bex, Max's father. He was brainwashed by King Kulu to become his subject. Thanks to Yani and Toby's help, he gets better.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- Oscar uses Cool's Super X suit to take down the monster ravaging them in the Bean TV building.
- An enemy variant occurs in Episode 17, where King Kulu uses a bigger variant of the Super X in effort to take Toby and the heroes down. Not that it matters though, since Toby manages to hit the weak spot with Oscar's help.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Yani is a fairy encased inside a floating ball. During the soccer ball game against Congo and Bingo, she rolls like a ball to confuse the opposing team.
- Clingy Jealous Boy: Cool does not take everyone infatuated with Love well. When the king of Arloo tells Love to live happily with Toby, not him— he was sent into an extreme state of jealousy. This bites him back in the ass when this causes him to be corrupted by the Desira-Bean.
- Mi is also this to some extent, as she does not take anyone fawning towards Toby that well.
- Cool Sword: The manifestation of the Valor Bean, and Toby's main weapon. It holds the infamy of being able to be elongated to an enormous size and cutting just about everything.
- Deadpan Snarker: Yani, who often argues with Oscar and calling him out on his hammy behavior.
- Determinator: Toby, all times over.
- Disc-One Final Boss: King Kulu, who turns out to be a corrupted Cool.
- The Dragon: Galoo to both King Kulu and King Audie.
- Devour the Dragon: How he dies. In the last episode, King Audie eats Galoo to gain more power, and he transformed into an even more monstrous form than his first one.
- Eldritch Abomination: Just about every single monsters created by the enemies are these.
- Both of King Audie's One-Winged Angel forms in the finale takes the cake, and the second one is even more terrifying.
- Fairy Companion: Mi to everyone. She is later joined by Yani halfway through the series.
- Fountain of Youth: Audie was reduced to a size of a toddler when Kulu takes over the leadership, and spends a good chunk of the second half being an useless toddler.
- Gag Dub
- Gentle Giant: Max, who loves to eat and is one of the nicest characters in the series.
- Downplayed with Congo. He is much more brash compared to Max, but he is still protective towards his friends, and is also a good guy as well.
- Happily Married: In the finale, Bingo and Oscar married each other.
- The Heart: Love, as aptly named. She keeps the group glued together, which really shows in Episode 22 when her love purifies the gang, who became so inclined with their own ego.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: How King Audie dies in the finale— where he ends up being consumed by the Bean Sword itself.
- Hot-Blooded: Oscar, especially when he uses his Plasma Bean as Pandaman. Also Toby, albeit not as much as Oscar.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Bingo and Congo, despite the former being the older sibling.
- Identity Amnesia: This is Max' main problem, combined with Forgetful Jones. He does not remember where he came from, and according to Oscar, they first met when Max was washed up in the beach. This gets solved in Episode 13 and 14, with Max reuniting with his tribe and purified father.
- Idiot Hero: Toby. While not as much as the other examples, he isn't very bright.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Toby, before he finally accepts his duty as the Valor Bean warrior.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Cool. He is a really smug and arrogant individual, but is firmly on the side of good and will not hestitate to help other people when time calls it.
- Oscar is also not the most respectful individual around, but he cares a great deal for his friends— even Yani, who he often butt heads with.
- Knight of Cerebus: King Kulu. Before his appearance, the series borders Slice Of Life with Monster of The Week formula. When he appears, the series took a dive to full Cerebus Syndrome where the heroes start an actual quest to stop the antagonists.
- Large Ham: Oscar, and how! As expected from someone who is a TV director.
- Laughably Evil: King Audie. He spends a majority of his screentime eating something, which his minions Gold and Silver comments on. Completely averted in the last episode though, where he actually becomes a real threat thanks to eating the Desira-Bean.
- The Load: Yani in her earlier appearances. She has to be dragged on by the group, due to her rapidly deteriorating health caused by the Wisdom Tree weakening. She is aware of this trope, detests it and defies it when she loudly decides not to be a pushover, stating that she will protect her friends.
- Neutral Female: Averted with Bingo, but played straight with Love, Mi and Yani. Love's role is mostly The Heart, Mi is the keeper of the beans, and Yani mainly provides the exposition.
- Also justified since the three, unlike Bingo are physically unable to do much— Yani and Mi due to their size, and Love has no real combat experience.
- Nice Guy: Toby. It is why he got along with Love better than Cool did.
- Love is also no slouch in this department either. She is a very kind and caring panda towards others, which is why she became the bearer of the Adora-Bean.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: It's really easy to forget that King Audie is still relevant due to him being portrayed as a rather incompetent Big Bad in the earlier episodes— and that's not to mention that he was rendered useless by being shrunk into a toddler for a good chunk of the series. Until the final episode.
- One-Winged Angel: King Audie has two final forms. And they are both completely terrifying in appearance.
- Orcus on His Throne: Both King Audie and King Kulu are this. They spend time overseeing their minions doing the actions. However, while Audie spends his time eating while seeing them, Kulu takes the time to make strategies to take the heroes down. Both prove to be scarily competent villains when they got up from their thrones though— it takes longer for Audie to show it, but the last episode really sealed the deal.
- Phony Newscast: Although Oscar later does gain superpowers thanks to the Plasma-Bean reacting to him, in the earlier episode he tries to dupe the viewers into thinking that Panda-Man, his Superpowered Alter Ego, exists while it is all actually staged.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Yani. Although she is a small, guardian fairy locked in a bubble, she is just as powerful as everyone else.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Silver. He is practically an embodiment.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Gold is the boisterous Manly Man to Silver's girly, sensitive guy.
- Sixth Ranger: Yani, Congo and Bingo, who are introduced and joined the group late in the series.
- The Smart Girl/Ms. Exposition: Mainly Mi, and later she is joined by Yani. Being the leader of the tribe where Max' originates, she is bound to be this.
- Smug Snake: Cool, at his worst. He does show redeemable traits though.
- Superpowered Alter Ego: Oscar's Panda-Man persona. While initially nothing more than Oscar wearing a superhero costume, and used to stage a fake newscast to the viewers, it becomes real when Oscar gains ownership of the Plasma-Bean.
- Team Pet: Didi, a dinosaur-like creature who joins the group in their quest.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Cool in the finale. He is no longer as hostile as he was towards Toby in the beginning and decides to have a healthy competition with him for Love's affection.
- Tsundere: Bingo is a Type A towards Oscar. She has feelings for him but will never admit it. She does marry him later in the finale though.
- Weak, but Skilled: Max's Yum-Yum Bean can only manifest into relatively weak weapons, but he makes it up with his fighting skills, as shown in the finale.
- Wham Episode: Episode 11. Cool is fully corrupted by the Desira-Bean, turning him into his King Kulu persona. He attacks the city, petrified Toby's village (including his younger brothers and grandmother), and caused the Bean TV building to crumble into pieces, leading the heroes to conduct the quest to defeat the enemies.
- What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Max's Yum-Yum Bean can manifest into... Various foods.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Yani often calls out Oscar when he takes his Large Ham trait too far.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Oscar and Yani. They often argue with each other and get on each others' nerves— however, they help each other when either of them is under a dire situation.
