Tear Jerker / Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart

• In "Not Impressed" we see Mao Mao's father ignoring him, and he is only focusing on training Mao Mao's older and stronger sisters. It's no wonder why Mao Mao has an inferiority complex- he wants to become a Legendary Hero to impress his father, since he was The Unfavorite to him.
  • Mao Mao throws his Chubbum disguise to the ground after fooling Blue into saying that he found him impressive. The costume lands at the feet of the real Chubbum who whimpers, visibly traumatized.
  • When Mao Mao makes his Freudian Slip in front of the Sweetie Pies, their facial expressions indicate that they feel sorry for him. For someone like Mao Mao, pity probably hurts far worse than scorn or mockery.

• In "Bao Bao’s Revenge" the only part of Mao Mao’s story that was exaggerated was Bao Bao himself, because Bao Bao was an easily distracted dog, it ended up costing Mao Mao his tail. It’s really sad because of how much he loved the dog and Bao Bao ended up leaving him completely by accident.
  • The amulet Bao Bao was wearing reveals his fondest memory to be spending time with Mao Mao, which causes him to choke up.
  • After defeating the monster, Mao Mao forgives Bao Bao, only for Bao to run away again chasing a butterfly. He quickly flies into a rage, only for Adorabat to tearfully emphasize how heartbroken he is, backing him into an emotional corner until he begins tearing up. When the gravity of what has happened finally hits him, Mao Mao has a spectacular breakdown.

• In Outfoxed, Mao Mao becomes so exasperated in his attempts to prove that the Special Men are scammers that he ends up snatching Adorabat's "magic pen toy" (a regular pink ballpoint) out of her grasp and snapping it in two. Adorabat tearfully makes another wish: that Mao Mao wasn't such a massive Jerkass. Mao Mao quickly realizes just how aggressive he was towards his own apprentice.
  • According to child psychologists, one of the fastest ways for a parent to ruin a child's trust is to destroy one of their belongings. Mao Mao does just that.

• Badgerclops' genuine frustration and anger in Ultraclops over having his need for personal space, respect and peace of mind ignored by both Mao Mao and Adorabat. And it's clear that this has been a suppressed complaint of his for a long time. When Mao Mao and Adorabat do the same things to him (changing the channel, taking the top bunk, talking over him and disturbing his sleep) to get him to shift back down to normal size, he lashes out, accusing the two of using his pet peeves as a weapon. It soon dawns on Mao Mao and Adorabat just how disrespectful they were towards a close friend.
  Adorabat: Was I mean to Badgerclops?
  Mao Mao: (beat) Yes.
  Adorabat: (Breaks down and cries on him)

• In Popularity Conquest, Mao Mao’s nice personality starts to jeopardize Pure Heart Valley. Adorabat notices Mao Mao continuously getting more popular while Mao Mao continuously stops being serious, getting more infuriated the more Mao Mao’s popularity rises. She has finally had enough when she notices the trash fires, declaring that Mao Mao is committing a crime, but he doesn’t care. Adorabat turns away, saying that she doesn’t like this, and when Mao Mao says to Adorabat that the Sweetiepies like the kindness, she replies “What’s wrong with being the old Mao Mao?! I like THAT Mao Mao, the REAL Mao Mao!” Mao Mao’s frightened Pow-Pow pose when it is requested by one of the Sweetiepies shows how much Mao Mao screwed up.

• In Meet Tanya Keys, Mao Mao is so caught up in his loyalty to Snugglemane and the rule of law that he straight up abandons Badgerclops after the king calls him to take care of Pinky's routine mischief. Tanya Keys' demeanor, which up to this point was impish, quickly turns to disappointed.
  Tanya Keys: (Deflated) You really haven't changed at all. (sighs) This isn't fun anymore. Goodbye, Mao Mao.
  • Note that this is the only time that Tanya doesn't refer to Mao Mao as "Mittens."

• In Orangusnake Begins, we get this scene after Coby and Tanner's first defeat at the hands of Mao Mao:
  Young!Mao Mao: (laughs and chest-bumps Bao Bao) I love defeating bad guys with you, Bao Bao! Let's stay best friends forever!

• In “Flyaway”, it’s very saddening to see Adorabat tear up from the pain of her toothache.
  Adorabat: (whimpers and sniffles) I'm...I'm fine.
  Badgerclops: Kid, you're a disaster. You gotta go to the dentist.
• Near the end of "Scared of Puppets," Mao Mao has one last fear-induced hallucination of being surrounded by Mr. Din Danalins, who taunt him with comments such as "Don't tell 'em you're scared." and "Don't show your weakness, boy!" before morphing into a towering, eye-glowing vision of Shin Mao, who bellows "HEROES AREN'T AFRAID, BOY!" By that point, it's clear: Mao Mao being unable to admit he's scared isn't just an issue of pride, it's also because of all the beliefs his dad has pounded into him.
• In "Zing Your Heart Out," Pinky admits that he can't be insulted because he already hates himself.
  • In the same episode, Adorabat crying when Chester makes fun of her jokes while four other sweetiepies laugh at her expense. This, of course, leads to Adorabat being controlled by the Ruby Pure Heart.
  • Unlike the others’ reactions to being zinged, Ramaraffe is genuinely hurt when her intelligence is insulted.
  Ramaraffe: Are you saying I’m... (chokes up and retracts her head into her armor) ...not smart?
• Mao Mao and Badgerclops being neglected by their father and sisters, and mother and brother respectively is sad no doubt. However, Adorabat's past is arguably worse. In "Adoradad", we learn she used to go on adventures with her father Eugene and her mother Sonara. However, Sonara got killed by a vicious Cave Dragon, which strained the relationship between Eugene and Adorabat, with Eugene not wanting to lose Adorabat like his wife, while Adorabat wanted to continue adventuring and wished her dad would not be so overprotective of her. Mao Mao eventually reconciled with his father Shin Mao, but while Adorabat makes peace with her father, her mother is dead, and unless the Ruby Pure Heart can grant wishes to bring back people from the dead and intact and especially Adorabat's wish to bring Sonara Back from the Dead and fully Intact, Adorabat will never be able to see Sonara again.
  • While somewhat played for laughs, Mao Mao’s depression over Adorabat moving back in with her dad Eugene is rather sad to see. He’s constantly bawling while eating ice cream, even when the monster alarm is going off, he’s still crying as he pitifully asks Badgerclops for five more minutes.

  • A more meta example: This troper asked Parker a question, and proceeded to have her heart ripped out and stomped on: https://twitter.com/parkerrsimmons/status/1779009940222586914?t=8ykYlVP_FdBXQKg1RuirEg&s=19