Funshine Bear

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Funshine Bear is one of the ten original Care Bears who first appeared on American Greetings greeting cards in September 1982 and is the main protagonist of The Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot.

They were voiced by Patricia Black (1985-1986), Susan Roman in The Care Bears Nutcracker Suite, Julie Lemieux (who also voiced Soak from Keroppi and Friends, Renée Ratelle from Jacob Two-Two, Coochie and Coo in Rolie Polie Olie: The Baby Bot Chase) in Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot and The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie, Ian James Corlett in Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot, Michael Sinterniklaas in Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot and Care Bears and Cousins, and Justin Michael in Care Bears: Unlock the Magic.

Appearance[]

Funshine always has sunny yellow fur and a smiling sun Belly badge. (Tummy symbol)

Personality[]

In the original series, Funshine always looks on the sunny side of life. Happy, perky, and ready to rise with each day, he's equally ready and willing to help others, bear or child alike. Using his tummy symbol, he can light up the darkest night or shine a beacon for all to see. However, he has a tendency to be a practical jokester, which can sometimes land him in trouble.

Beginning with the early 2000's franchise re-launch, Funshine was given a more outgoing, athletic personality, but still retains the overall fun-loving spirit of the original. This thrill-seeking bear lives to seize each day, whether through extreme sports or games, and can't stand being cooped up for even a moment. In the Adventures in Care-a-Lot series, he is always seen wearing a red baseball cap, and has a fairly masculine voice. In this series, he has lost his forte at telling jokes, as it was changed to having fun.

In the 2012 series, Welcome to Care-a-Lot, he digs playing games or going for a splash. He is also obsessed with games and he especially loves hang-gliding. Basically, the only thing that makes him sad is when others don't play with him, as he likes to play with others.

History[]

The Land Without Feelings[]

Funshine Bear makes his animated debut in the very first Care Bears 1983 television special. Here, as well as the rest of the original series, Funshine presents as female. After a boy named Kevin runs away from home, he ends up in the gloomy Land Without Feelings ruled by Professor Coldheart, who turns him into a Green Creature Slave. It's up the her and the rest of the crew to defeat the mad professor and return the boy to normal.

Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine[]

In the follow-up to the original TV special, Funshine is among the bears who must once again stop Coldheart and his new sidekick Frostbite from tricking a boy named Paul into helping him complete his "Careless Ray Contraption" that will freeze everyone's feelings.

The Care Bears Movie[]

Funshine Bear appears in the first Care Bears theatrical film as one of the bears who welcomes the children Kim and Jason to Care-a-Lot during the "Nobody Cares Like a Bear" song sequence. He is later part of the crew of the ship The Cloud Clipper as they travel through the Forest of Feelings looking for their lost friends. After re-uniting with their wayward comrades, and joining forces with the Care Bear Cousins, the group travels to Earth to combat the evil Spirit and seal her away for good.

Care Bears TV series[]

Funshine makes his debut in the original Care Bears television series in the second episode, where he and several other bears travel to Earth join two boys named Sanford and Murphy on a camping trip, and help them come together despite their differences. He is later among the team that helps a boy named Joey feel better about his new braces, and joins a soccer game with a timid boy named Carl against a group of bullies to help him build confidence.

When Cheer Bear becomes depressed because she can't cheer up Grumpy Bear, Funshine is among the bears who hold a comedy show called "Laugh Night" to try and cheer them both up. Later, he is seen when Professor Coldheart begins kidnapping children to steal their warmth, and follows him to his secret hiding place in the forest. When the mad doctor rigs a contest for children to be mayor of a small town for a day, Funshine and his friends team up with some local children to put an end to his reign of terror.

When the bears encounter a new villain named Strato Nefarious, who is stealing the stars from the sky so he can use their light to read his sheet music, Funshine uses his tummy symbol to create a small portable sun for the fiendish fiddler to use instead. Later, when Coldheart once again tries to terrorize a town using his new "Un-caring Ray", Funshine is among the group that travel to Earth to stop him.

Care Bears Movie II[]

The second Care Bears theatrical film tells the story of how the bears themselves, including Funshine, first arrived in Care-a-Lot after being rescued from the clutches of the evil Dark Heart. When the villain once again plans to capture all the denizens of Care-a-Lot, Funshine is among the many who are imprisoned in his secret lair. With the help of a girl named Christy, he and his friends are freed, and help Dark Heart care enough to transform into a real boy.

Care Bears Family TV series[]

Funshine first appears in Nelvana's Care Bears Family TV series as one of the contestants during the annual Care-a-Lot Obstacle Race to compete to be king or queen for a day. When Mr. Beastly rigs the drawing to become a participant himself, he begins to cheat her way through the whole competition, with Funshine falling into a pit trap. The Great Race Later, when Grumpy Bear, Brave Heart Lion, Lotsa Heart Elephant and Baby Hugs and Tugs go on a camping trip, Funshine and Playful Heart Monkey play practical jokes on them the entire time, even pretending to yell for help from a "swamp monster". However, when a real swamp monster shows up, the two must fend for themselves while protecting the cubs, who wandered away from the group. He learned that playing mean jokes on others can fire back at times.

Care Bears Nutcracker Suite[]

Funshine is one of the main characters of the final original series television special who travels to Earth with Grumpy Bear help a girl named Anna feel better after her best friend moves away. However, when a portal to Toyland opens in her home and releases both a Nutcracker and a horde of rats, (s)he and Grumpy call for help and re-group with other Care Bear Family members before entering the other realm. Together with Anna and the Nutcracker, Funshine and the rest must stop the Vizier from ruling all of Toyland.

2000's series[]

Journey to Joke-a-Lot[]

Funshine is the focus of the first computer-animated Care Bears film, Journey to Joke-a-lot, released in 2004. From this film onwards, Funshine presents as male. After one of his practical jokes on Grumpy Bear backfires, he runs away to the land of Joke-a-lot, where laughing and having fun is the main focus. Upon arrival in the town square by parachute, a rat named Sir Funnybone exclaims that he is their long-lost king, and dubs him the new ruler of the land. However, this all turns out to be an elaborate plan by the rascally rodent, who wants to steal the new king's scepter following his coronation to gain access to the royal vault, which contains jewels that hold the power of all the joy of the kingdom.

When the rest of the bears arrive, they become privy to Funnybone's plan and try to help Funshine. After foiling his plot to steal the scepter at the "Laff-Fest", the villain reveals his real name is Basil Ratbone, from the No Fun Atoll, and admits that he only wanted the jewels so he could introduce the concept of "fun" to the rest of his friends. After revealing that Funshine isn't the destined king, he relinquishes his title to Gig the pig, who becomes princess.

Big Wish Movie[]

In the second CG Care Bears video, Funshine is among the residents of Care-a-Lot who welcome their new neighbors, Me Bear, Messy Bear, and Too Loud Bear to the community. Later in the film, when the new bears abuse the power of Wish Bear's wishing star Twinkers, their greed eventually becomes too severe and Care-a-Lot begins to fall apart at the seems. It's up to the Care Bears, including Funshine, to rebuild it in the aftermath.