Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart

Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart
Genre	Action Adventure Fantasy Comedy
Created by	Parker Simmons
Directed by	Michael Moloney
Voices of	Parker Simmons Griffith Kimmins Lika Leong Christopher McCulloch Debra Wilson Tommy Blacha
Theme music composer	Mint Potion Studios
Opening theme	"I Love You Mao Mao" (performed by Kaho Kidoguchi)
Composer	Mint Potion Studios
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	40
Production
Executive producers	Parker Simmons Chris Prynoski Shannon Prynoski Jennifer Pelphrey Tramm Wigzell Brian A. Miller Rob Sorcher
Producer	Laura Allen
Editor	Todd Raleigh
Running time	11 minutes
Production companies	Titmouse, Inc. Cartoon Network Studios
Original release
Network	Cartoon Network
Release	July 1, 2019 (2019-07-01) – July 17, 2020 (2020-07-17)

Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart is an American animated television series created by Parker Simmons for Cartoon Network. A co-production between Cartoon Network Studios and Titmouse, it premiered on July 1, 2019.

The show is based on the independent teaser short I Love You Mao Mao, which Simmons had initially produced for the annual Titmouse Inc. "5-Second Day" on February 21, 2014, and subsequently posted on Newgrounds.

Plot

Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart centers on its coming-of-age story, with the title character, Mao Mao, a daring cat who has high intentions for action and adventure. During one of his adventures, he gets stuck in a cute and cuddly town called Pure Heart Valley with his co-hero Badgerclops, a cyborg-armed badger, and meets Adorabat, a cute little bat. Together, the three go on adventures to protect the citizens of Pure Heart Valley from the forces of evil while they find a way to fix the Ruby Pure Heart to its original state.

Characters

Main characters

• Mao Mao (full name Mao Mao Mao) (voiced by Parker Simmons), a righteous yet uptight cat who gets stuck in Pure Heart Valley, where he spends time helping the citizens while also finding a way to fix the Ruby Pure Heart which he inadvertently broke in the first place.
  • Colleen Clinkenbeard voices a young Mao Mao.
• Badgerclops (voiced by Griffith Kimmins), a sassy cyborg badger with a robotic arm and an eyepatch, and Mao Mao's co-hero and partner.
• Adorabat (voiced by Lika Leong), a cute, blue, five-year-old bat with a yellow heart symbol and peg leg in place of her right leg.

Villains

Sky Pirates

• Orangusnake (voiced by Christopher McCulloch), an orangutan-snake hybrid pirate captain who wants to steal the Ruby Pure Heart to take over the world. He is actually a criminal duo named Coby (snake) and Tanner (orangutan) who after a fateful encounter with Mao Mao and Bao Bao decided to combine themselves to become the greatest villain in the world.
• Ramaraffe (voiced by Debra Wilson), a female cybernetic giraffe pirate with the ability to stretch her neck. She is shown to be good at thinking of plans.
• Boss Hosstrich (voiced by Christopher McCulloch), a cybernetic ostrich pirate with a southern accent and attire. He has the ability to shoot eggs from a cannon on his chest and is quite a gentleman. He got into a manners battle with King Snugglemagne.
• Ratarang (voiced by Parker Simmons), a small rat pirate that can turn into a boomerang, who often talks about his mama.
• Beef Master, a large water buffalo with a necklace made of bones. Fell off the ship.
• Thunder Fist, a gorilla that can produce electricity from his hands. Fell off the ship.
• Steel Wing (voiced by Tommy Blacha), a wyvern with literal metal wings. Fell off the ship due to his wings being too heavy for flight.

Thicket Thieves

• Tiny Toad (voiced by Mark Sheppard), the leader who is a cyborg frog with a monocle and a heavy English accent.
• Bullmozer (voiced by Simmons), a mole with cybernetic arms and glasses.
• Ratracer (voiced by Lisa O'Hare), a female rat with a wheel instead of legs.

Others

• Rufus (voiced by Julian Barratt), a sly and cunning fox who swindles the Sweetypies of Pure Heart Valley.
• Reggie (voiced by Rich Fulcher), a raccoon and Rufus' sidekick.

Supporting characters

Pure Heart Valley Residents

• King Snugglemagne the 25th (voiced by Parker Simmons), the foppish lion king of Pure Heart Valley. He is vain and effeminate, but can be very manipulative and is shown to have a scandalous side to him as well.
• Scoops (voiced by Debra Wilson), a small donkey that runs the news in Pure Heart Valley.
• Camille (voiced by Debra Wilson), a chameleon and royal magic-user to Pure Heart Valley.
• Honey, a flying squirrel and Camille's silent apprentice.
• Chef Rhett (voiced by Tommy Blacha), the royal chef of Pure Heart Valley.
• Pinky (voiced by Griffith Kimmins), a small pink rhinoceros who is considered disturbing by the residents of Pure Heart Valley.
• Ketchup (voiced by Debra Wilson), a pink fluffy gopher with strange interests.
• Kevin (voiced by Griffith Kimmins), a small blue porcupine with no fingers. He is afraid of everything.
• Chubbum (voiced by Tommy Blacha), a frog who is very friendly. His father sounds exactly like Mao Mao.
• Lucky (voiced by Tommy Blacha), a green hamster with glasses.
• Gary (voiced by Tommy Blacha), a crocodile who works as a cameraman.
• Cluckins (voiced by Christopher McCulloch), a chicken. Despite his appearance, he is 30 years old.
• Slim Pigguns (voiced by Parker Simmons), a yellow pig who works as a pizza delivery man. He drives a monster truck.
• Chester Nutz (voiced by Griffith Kimmins), a tall brown porcupine. He is Kevin's older brother.
• Mail Mole (voiced by Chris Prynoski), a mole who is eager to get the job done.
• Ol' Blue (voiced by Tommy Blacha), a blue dog who is a citizen of Pure Heart Valley. He is also a therapist and not easily impressed.
• Marion (voiced by Debra Wilson), a horse in Pure Heart Valley who is always working out.
• Benny (voiced by Christopher McCulloch), a yellow dog who is a citizen of Pure Heart Valley and Penny's husband.
• Penny (voiced by Lika Leong), a pink dog who is a citizen of Pure Heart Valley and Benny's wife.
• Farmer Bun (voiced by Parker Simmons), a pink rabbit with a big orange hat in Pure Heart Valley. He works at a farm.
• Muffins (voiced by Debra Wilson), a mouse in Pure Heart Valley who bakes muffins. Adorabat does not like her.
• Silly Billy (voiced by Tommy Blacha), a violet elephant who is a news anchor in Pure Heart Valley.
• Clark Lockjaw (voiced by Lika Leong) a tiny blue seal who is a news reporter in Pure Heart Valley.
• Teacher (voiced by Andy Daly), the teacher at Adorabat's school in Pure Heart Valley.

Mao Mao's family

• Shin Mao (voiced by Clancy Brown), Mao Mao's father, has a strained relationship with him. He gifted Mao Mao his golden sword while giving his sisters more impressive weapons. It is revealed that he is small like Mao Mao and ultimately learns to be more appreciative of his son.
• Brunhilde Mao, a large knight with a golden spear that can pierce anything.
• Amala, a ninja with a golden scarf that grants the wearer supersonic flight.
• Minori, a monk with a golden hat that can store infinite items.
• A martial artist with golden bangles that grant impenetrable defense.
• A sorcerer with golden eye contact that offers incredible sight.
• Mao Mao's mother, who once informed her son that his father was visiting.
• Uncle Jim Jim (voiced by Parker Simmons), Mao Mao's uncle who, despite being a spirit, is still technically alive and possibly a barbarian.
• Aunt Gloria, Mao Mao's aunt and a secondary character who appears in "Lonely Kid".
• Great-Great Paternal Grandfather Twig (voiced by Griffith Kimmins), Mao Mao's grandfather who was a sumo warrior.
• Great-Great Aunt Blackbeard (voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard), Mao Mao's aunt who was a pirate warrior.

Others

• Bao Bao (voiced by Chris Prynoski), Mao Mao's original partner, a common dog with a sword that does amazing tricks. Mao Mao is apparently unaware of the fact that he is capable of free-thinking as he "betrayed" (actually just got distracted by a butterfly) and left him. Mao Mao eventually accepts that he has a mind of his own.
• Bobo Chan (voiced by Debra Wilson), a young female monster that Badgerclops adopts after seeing her hatch from an egg. She quickly grows to full size after Badgerclops had to leave her in the wild and later on comes to the rescue when the Sky Pirates threaten to murder the heroes by tossing them off a cliff.
• Tanya Keys (voiced by Ming-Na Wen), a female tanuki and former lover of Mao Mao's who makes a living as a bounty hunter. She loves to mess with him, but wants him to be more carefree like her, despite Mao Mao's disgust of her being a vigilante rather than a hero. Just like in legends, she has the ability to transform herself and leaves into people and objects.
• Meditatin' Melvin (voiced by Dana Snyder), a meditating monkey who achieved the ability to astral project simply to get out of going to the dentist.
• Eugene (voiced by Randall Park), Adorabat's father who had a strained relationship with his daughter ever since his wife was murdered by a cave dragon before the events of the series.
• Sonara, Adorabat's deceased mother. A cave dragon from Pure Heart Valley attacked and killed her before the events of the series.

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
Pilots	2		March 6, 2014 (2014-03-06)	February 19, 2016 (2016-02-19)
1	40		July 1, 2019 (2019-07-01)	July 17, 2020 (2020-07-17)

Pilots (2014–16)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Written and storyboarded by	Original air date	Prod. code
1	1	"I Love You Mao Mao"	Parker Simmons	February 21, 2014 (2014-02-21) (Theatrical) March 6, 2014 (2014-03-06) (Online)	N/A
Bearclops tries to get Mao Mao to meow like a real cat, only to cause an argument that starts to get heated, while Adorabat meows freely. Note: This is a teaser for the 7–minute pilot "Bao Bao's Revenge".
2	2	"I Love You Mao Mao "BAO BAO's Revenge""	Chris Ybarra	February 19, 2016 (2016-02-19) (Theatrical)	N/A
When Mao Mao's old partner, Bao Bao, threatens the kingdom, his friends will need to learn about his past in order to protect the present. Note: An expanded version of this short serves as the basis of the season 1 episode "Bao Bao's Revenge".

Season 1 (2019–20)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Written and storyboarded by	Story by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S viewers (millions)
1	1	"I Love You Mao Mao"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 1, 2019 (2019-07-01)	MM101	0.44 (Sneak Peek) 0.27 (Premiere)
Adventurers Mao Mao and Badgerclops accidentally damage the Pure Heart that protects Pure Heart Valley from the dangers of the world. Together with daring native Adorabat, the trio must protect the town from villains who plan to steal the Pure Heart including the sinister pirate, Orangusnake.
2	2	"Perfect Adventure"	Michael Moloney and Parker Simmons	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 1, 2019 (2019-07-01)	MM102	0.26
Adorabat fears that Mao Mao will give up adventuring due to the town's simplistic lifestyle so she makes up an adventure for Mao Mao and Badgerclops to follow. Things slowly start to get out of hand when Adorabat ends up leading the other two into more and more situations until she puts them all in danger.
3	3	"No Shortcuts"	Phil Ahn and Allison Craig	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 8, 2019 (2019-07-08)	MM107	0.30
Feeling that she is useless in battle, Adorabat has Badgerclops create a cybernetic peg leg dubbed the Mega-Mech to aid her. However, the weapon proves to be too much for her. When Mao Mao insists on getting rid of it, Adorabat races off to face Orangusnake on her own and ends up getting captured and used for his latest weapon.
4	4	"Ultraclops"	Griffith Kimmins and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 8, 2019 (2019-07-08)	MM106	0.28
Badgerclops is upset that Mao Mao and Adorabat always blow him off. When a giant monster wrecks havoc, Camille, the royal magic user, gives Badgerclops a necklace to turn him into a giant so that he can combat it. Badgerclops ends up liking being big as no one can ignore him and he can do whatever he wants, upsetting the Pure Heart Valley Sweetypies.
5	5	"Mao Mao's Bike Adventure"	Griffith Kimmins and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)	MM114	0.38
Mao Mao insists that "a hero is never wrong" which annoys Badgerclops and Adorabat when he refuses to listen to reason. His Aero-Bike gets stolen in the middle of the night and he immediately places the blame on the Sweetypies of Pure Heart Valley despite the fact that they cannot steal anything and evidence pointing to Orangusnake's own doing.
6	6	"Breakup"	Phil Ahn and Allison Craig	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 15, 2019 (2019-07-15)	MM104	0.35
Adorabat is upset at the fact that Mao Mao and Badgerclops have had numerous adventures together and she feels left out. After accidentally instigating a fight between the two, Adorabat gets her chance to hang out with them individually. Unfortunately for her, she realizes that spending quality time with each of them is annoying and tries to get them back together.
7	7	"Not Impressed"	Griffith Kimmins and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 22, 2019 (2019-07-22)	MM108	0.41
Mao Mao is perturbed when a Sweetypie in Pure Heart Valley named Ol' Blue does not find Mao Mao's abilities impressive. Mao Mao finds himself desperately trying to get some kind of validation from the mopey resident, unaware of the fact that his feelings are psychologically linked to his own father issues.
8	8	"Enemy Mime"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 22, 2019 (2019-07-22)	MM103	0.39
Pure Heart Valley is attacked by a giant pink blob that mimics whatever is in front of it. Mao Mao and Badgerclops find that they cannot directly fight it because it fights back and they cannot reason with it because it absorbs everything in its way. It is up to Adorabat to defeat it using the one thing she knows: magic tricks.
9	9	"Outfoxed"	Phil Ahn and Allison Craig	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 29, 2019 (2019-07-29)	MM111	0.40
Mao Mao and Badgerclops learn about "Takesgiving", a holiday where two thieving con artists, a fox named Rufus and a raccoon named Reggie come and take everyone's personal belongings. Mao Mao and Badgerclops set out to prove that the swindlers are up to no good, but Adorabat insists that they cannot be evil because they act nice all the time.
10	10	"Bao Bao's Revenge"	Emily Oetzell and Chris Ybarra	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 29, 2019 (2019-07-29)	MM109	0.38
King Snugglemagne gets a message that Bao Bao, Mao Mao's old partner, is arriving. Mao Mao is convinced that Bao Bao betrayed him and cost him his tail. However, Bao Bao turns out to be a regular dog, with Badgerclops stating that Mao Mao has a tendency to be hyperbolic, and that an actual monster they once faced together is coming to attack the town.
11	11	"Popularity Conquest"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	August 5, 2019 (2019-08-05)	MM115	0.34
King Snugglemagne reveals to Mao Mao that out of the entire sheriff's department, he is the least popular due to his short temper and abrasive personality. In order to become more likable, Mao Mao reinvents his look and tone, but the town soon begins to fall in disarray without his strict rules which starts to concern Adorabat and Badgerclops.
12	12	"Sick Mao"	Emily Oetzell and Chris Ybarra	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	August 5, 2019 (2019-08-05)	MM117	0.34
Mao Mao suddenly catches a cold that prevents him from being effective at fighting. Despite this, he insists that he is not sick as that would mean that he is weak. Adorabat and Badgerclops try to prevent him from spreading the disease which makes it even more difficult when a giant ice dragon appears to cause destruction in the town. Note: The episode was removed from Cartoon Network's website on March 20, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It still remained available on Digital Video-on Demand services such as iTunes as well as on HBO Max before it was removed from the service.
13	13	"Thumb War"	Emily Oetzell and Chris Ybarra	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	August 12, 2019 (2019-08-12)	MM112	0.39
The gang decide to compete in the annual Thumb War competition. While Adorabat is having fun, Mao Mao insists that there is no point in having fun if you are just going to lose. Soon Mao Mao begins losing hope in trying when he is forced to give up his gloves and use his actual stubby fingers while also going up against the champion, Big Thumb Pete.
14	14	"All By Mao Self"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	August 12, 2019 (2019-08-12)	MM105	0.40
While fighting the Sky Pirates in a junkyard, Mao Mao comes to the realization that he will not be able to achieve legendary status until he makes some changes in his life. To do this, he decides to add weights to his feet and carry scorpions while remaining blindfolded. Orangusnake next tries to convince Mao Mao that he does not need friends to be legendary.
15	15	"He's the Sheriff"	Phil Ahn and Allison Craig	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	August 19, 2019 (2019-08-19)	MM113	0.34
When King Snugglemagne believes that the sheriff's department is more popular than him, he makes an impromptu day out with them as a volunteer deputy. However, Snugglemagne's constant politeness annoys Mao Mao and the crew and they look for a way to get rid of him. At the last moment, Snugglemagne faces a polite off with Boss Hosstrich.
16	16	"Bobo Chan"	Nora Meek and Griffith Kimmins	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	August 19, 2019 (2019-08-19)	MM119	0.31
Badgerclops discovers an egg that quickly hatches into a small blue dino-like creature that he names Bobo Chan. While he wants to keep her as his own, Mao Mao insists that he release her back into the wild and Adorabat wants to hunt and kill her. Eventually, Badgerclops releases Bobo Chan into the wild and three months later gets a surprise.
17	17	"Small"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 7, 2019 (2019-09-07)	MM120	0.43
When Shin Mao, Mao Mao's father, arrives at Pure Heart Valley to visit his son, everyone is put off by his "passive-aggressive" nature. He continuously puts down Mao Mao, despite his heroic endeavors and makes Badgerclops, Adorabat and even Orangusnake uncomfortable. However, Shin Mao changes his tune when Mao Mao is placed in a conflicting position.
18	18	"Legend of the Torbaclaun"	Phil Ahn and Griffith Kimmins	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 7, 2019 (2019-09-07)	MM118	0.38
Adorabat claims that there is a mysterious creature called the Torbaclaun that arrives when the no leaf clover is present. Mao Mao angrily denounces such a creature exists, but all the Sweetypies begin to give in to the obviously fake phenomena. While Badgerclops profits from the event with his flutes, Mao Mao seeks to expose the whole thing as a sham.
19	19	"Meet Tanya Keys"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 7, 2019 (2019-09-07)	MM121	0.37
Mao Mao is reunited with Tanya Keys, a tanuki bounty hunter and former lover of his. She has come to kidnap Badgerclops and collect his bounty for a past crime he committed. While Mao Mao wants to stick to the law with rescuing his partner, Tanya tries to get him to be more abrasive with how he does things, all the while messing with him.
20	20	"Weapon of Choice"	Angelo Hatgistavrou and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 7, 2019 (2019-09-07)	MM116	0.33
When Mao Mao reveals the weapons and their abilities that his sisters received, he suddenly begins to feel demoralized that his own sword, Geraldine (which is basically a glorified glow stick), does not seem to be that impressive. Desperate to prove that his sword is worthy of its battle prowess, Mao Mao sets off to show its magnificent worth.
21	21	"The Truth Stinks"	Emily Oetzell and Chris Ybarra	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 14, 2019 (2019-09-14)	MM110	0.53
Badgerclops is convinced that his new purifying crystals keep him clean when in actuality, he has become incredibly stinky. Mao Mao prevents Adorabat from telling him the truth because of his inability to handle criticism. When the two's attempt at giving him a bath fails, they decide to tell him the truth outright, resulting in him becoming difficult.
22	22	"Trading Day"	Phil Ahn and Griffith Kimmins	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 14, 2019 (2019-09-14)	MM122	0.52
Thinking the other has it easier, the Sheriff's department decides to switch places with one another. Mao Mao gets his own robot arm, Badgerclops attends elementary school and Adorabat tries to be the new sheriff. While fun at first, all three begin to have doubts about their respective new positions, made even more difficult when facing a new monster.
23	23	"Head Chef"	Angelo Hatgistavrou and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 21, 2019 (2019-09-21)	MM123	0.48
Mao Mao and Badgerclops are cooking geniuses, but their methods are different. Mao Mao views cooking as an art while Badgerclops views it as a science. To settle their differences, they get on King Snugglemagne's cooking show Head Chef to prove who is really the best with Adorabat joining as well, even though she is cooking with plastic food.
24	24	"Orangusnake Begins"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 21, 2019 (2019-09-21)	MM125	0.40
Mao Mao continues to goad Orangusnake and the Sky Pirates with his constant insults and put downs. In an effort to beat him, Orangusnake combines with his minions to become Bossiraffeosnakurang. When this too fails, they get unexpected help from the energy of the Ruby Pure Heart and become powerful and Mao Mao must learn to not be so demeaning to others.
25	25	"Sugar Berry Fever"	Emily Oetzell and Chris Ybarra	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 28, 2019 (2019-09-28)	MM124	0.48
Mao Mao lives his life by the hero code, a book that gives him all the information he needs on becoming a true hero. However, there is one rule that he has trouble staying true to: no cobbler. Mao Mao tries to repress his love for the dessert, worrying Badgerclops and Adorabat, but when a monster threatens to steal it, Mao Mao must live by his own truth.
26	26	"Captured Clops"	Phil Ahn and Griffith Kimmins	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	September 28, 2019 (2019-09-28)	MM126	0.42
When Badgerclops gets upset over having to do many (actually just two) chores, he leaves HQ and finds himself captured by the Sky Pirates. Mao Mao and Adorabat go to rescue him, but refuses to go back to a life of doing chores and agrees to steal the Ruby Pure Heart. However, he soon learns the downsides of having a non-chore filled life.
27	27	"Flyaway"	Angelo Hatgistavrou and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	October 5, 2019 (2019-10-05)	MM127	0.38
Adorabat is afraid of going to the dentist, so Mao Mao teaches her about meditation to relax herself. Her spirit leaves her body and she begins to have fun, but also decides to escape so that she will not have to get her tooth fixed. Mao Mao and Badgerclops try to beckon her spirit back while she meets the spirit of Meditatin' Melvin.
28	28	"Baost in Show"	Emily Oetzell and Chris Ybarra	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	October 5, 2019 (2019-10-05)	MM128	0.35
Bao Bao returns to Pure Heart Valley and is immediately adopted by King Snugglemagne who wants to put in a dog show he is running. Mao Mao is still upset at Bao Bao's "betrayal", but ultimately decides to enter (with Badgerclops as his pet) to rescue Bao Bao. Eventually, Mao Mao and Snugglemagne fight over the right to be Bao Bao's owner.
29	29	"Fright Wig"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	October 12, 2019 (2019-10-12)	MM129	0.35
King Snugglemagne has a terrible fright while getting a midnight snack. An emergency call is sent out to the sheriff's department, but when they arrive, Snugglemagne denies any wrongdoing. Mao Mao, Badgerclops, and Adorabat all decide to stay over for the night to discover what scared the king, who is overly determined to not discuss anything with them.
30	30	"Sleeper Sofa"	Phil Ahn and Griffith Kimmins	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	October 12, 2019 (2019-10-12)	MM130	0.34
An accident causes the sheriff department's couch, Sofia, to get destroyed and Mao Mao orders a new one. Catching on to their plan, the Sky Pirates sneak into the department inside the new couch in an effort to defeat them. However, they end up liking their new surroundings and decide to mooch off of their new benefactors with disastrous results.
31	31	"Mao Mao's Nakey"	Angelo Hatgistavrou and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 6, 2020 (2020-07-06)	MM131	0.45
Mao Mao climbs the Ruby Pure Heart to prove his worth. Upon getting to the top however, the strong winds blow his clothes clear off leaving him "nakey". He resolves to use stealth to get to the center of town where his clothes ended up and to "rescue" Adorabat and Badgerclops, who are just back at HQ messing around and waiting for Mao Mao.
32	32	"Lucky Ducky Mug"	Emily Oetzell and Chris Ybarra	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 7, 2020 (2020-07-07)	MM132	0.24
When Adorabat and Badgerclops break Mao Mao's favorite mug, he gives them the silent treatment. So, at a battle, The Sky Pirates become confused as to why they are not talking. Badgerclops tries to give a new mug to Mao Mao, but Mao Mao will not trust them. Adorabat and Badgerclops apologize to Mao Mao for breaking his mug and made a new one.
33	33	"Lonely Kid"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 8, 2020 (2020-07-08)	MM133	0.26
When Adorabat has trouble making friends at school, Mao Mao tells her the story of how he made his first real friend - Bao Bao. Mao Mao was searching for a friend, instead he met Bao Bao. After the pair defeated the Flimborg, everyone got angry at them and started to chase them, so Mao Mao and Bao Bao became partners through the chase.
34	34	"Try Hard"	Phil Ahn and Griffith Kimmins	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)	MM134	0.27
When the Sky Pirates take Mao Mao and Badgerclops hostage, it's up to Adorabat to save the day. Mao Mao wants her to try hard and save them through skill and bravery, but she keeps failing when she tries to rescue them. Eventually, Adorabat is able to save the day by being herself.
35	35	"Scared of Puppets"	Angelo Hatgistavrou and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 10, 2020 (2020-07-10)	MM135	0.28
Mao Mao is scared of puppets, so Badgerclops tries to scare him, but he keeps failing when Mao Mao pretends to be not scared. Mao Mao a birthday he had when he was a kid. At a Farmer’s Market, a Giant Elephant Monster comes to attack them, Mao Mao tries to prove to himself that he’s not afraid of puppets anymore.
36	36	"The Perfect Couple"	Danny Ducker and Emily Oetzell	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 13, 2020 (2020-07-13)	MM136	0.31
When Mao Mao accidentally breaks up the most perfect couple in Pure Heart Valley, he has to figure out how to get them back together again. But at the wedding, Orangusnake steals Penny as a wife.
37	37	"Adoradad"	Nathanael H. Jones and Alexandria Kwan	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 14, 2020 (2020-07-14)	MM137	0.31
When Adorabat's dad, Eugene, forbids her from working with the Sheriff's Dept. because it's too dangerous, Adorabat sets out to prove that she can take care of herself. Later, Eugene returns to her childhood home and gets attacked by a Cave Dragon. Adorabat saves him and Eugene realizes that his daughter is big enough to continue to fight evil.
38	38	"Badge-A-Fire Explosion"	Phil Ahn and Griffith Kimmins	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 15, 2020 (2020-07-15)	MM138	0.28
When Badgerclops comes out of a rare state of hyper-focused creativity, he may have made something that could destroy all of Pure Heart Valley. He tells his friends how he likes to make funny inventions, but his parents never liked it, which made him heartbroken.
39	39	"Zing Your Heart Out"	Angelo Hatgistavrou and Nora Meek	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 16, 2020 (2020-07-16)	MM139	0.27
When Adorabat starts to aggressively 'heckle' everyone with her new zing power, she threatens the entire kingdom. She thinks her jokes are funny, but she starts to go too far when her zing power starts to hurt people.
40	40	"Strange Bedfellows"	Nathanael H. Jones and Emily Oetzell	Akira "Mark" Fujita, Michael Moloney, and Parker Simmons	July 17, 2020 (2020-07-17)	MM140	0.27
After an insane battle, Mao Mao and Orangusnake end up in the same hospital room. But even in full body casts, the sworn enemies continue the fight. Dr. Cuddlestein wants them to follow her rules, but they start to ignore her policies. The two leaders weren't getting along very much until they ended up in a cement hole.

Production

Cartoon Network announced on May 20, 2019 that they greenlit Mao Mao up for a full series alongside Tig n' Seek (originally titled Tiggle Winks). Eight new episodes were released on June 28, on the Cartoon Network app, website, and VOD.

A second season was confirmed to be in production at the Cartoon Network Studios First Look Panel during the Comic-Con at Home event on July 23, 2020.

The show in August 2022 was removed from the HBO Max, as a result of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Cartoon Network subsequently removed all references to the show from their official websites, YouTube channels, and Twitter feeds.

Animation

The series was animated by Titmouse, Inc. with additional animation from Inspidea studio in Malaysia and used Adobe Animate along with After Effects for compositing.

Broadcast

The show debuted on Cartoon Network in the United States on July 1, 2019. The series had also premiered in Belgium on March 2, 2020.

On September 1, 2020, the first 30 episodes of the show was added to the HBO Max. With a final 10 episodes of first season added on January 1, 2021.

In August 2022 the show was removed from the HBO Max, as a result of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

Reception

Critical reception

The series was well received from critics. Emily Ashby of common sense media gave the show 4 out of 5 stars; wrote that "Action scenes are loud and flashy, involving swords and axes, laser blasts, light beams that resemble bullets, lots of impact and overall a lot of violence. Death is implied in some cases, but the heroes always emerge unscathed." and that "The intensity of this show's action makes it a better choice for tweens than for younger kids, but the sharp writing and appealing heroes give the show cross-generational appeal."

Dave Trumbore of the Website Collider gave the show 3 out of 5 stars; (Good) saying that: "He'll be cautiously optimistic with this one. It's got a good start and great heart, it just remains to be seen how much original mythology will make its way into the narrative. Just like Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and OK K.O.! took some time to build up the behind-the-scenes drama, Mao Mao could benefit from a deeper storytelling well in the long run".

Nick Valdez gave it 5 out of 5 stars; of ComicBook.com wrote: "Show has the potential to become a massive success for Cartoon Network".

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Episode	Result	Ref.
2020	A Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program	Parker Simmons		Nominated
		Outstanding Editing	Doug Vito, Todd Raleigh, Jocelyn Barkenhagen, Haley Gansert		Nominated
	47th Annie Awards	Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production	Khang Le, Chris Fisher, Gael Bertrand, Deodato Pangandoyon, Howard Chen	Ultraclops	Nominated
2021	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program	Parker Simmons		Nominated
	48th Annie Awards	Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for role as: Mao Mao	Parker Simmons		Won
	Annie Award	Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television/Media Production	Michael Moloney	Mao Mao's Nakey	Nominated

External links

• Quotations related to Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart at Wikiquote
• Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart at IMDb