Mao Mao is a show that had so much potential ahead of it. And the biggest thing holding it back was something entirely out of their control !
The 11 minute block allocated to most cartoons on CN is a bit of a horror with stor driven shows which would've been so much better, if it not for such a short time span allowed.
Cuz of all of this, Mao mao leaves a lot to be desired, while trying to do more than it is able to as well. I love the lore of Mao Mao, I really do... but I just can't shake the way they had to shoehorn the lore of the world. Mao mao's backstory is the main way we learn of a LOT of the world and so much feels pre-established but never truly addressed? I think if they knew they were getting another season or smth, it would've been easier to maybe leave out some character moments and maybe explore the world a little more? There isn't a single two part episode in the show and I feel like it would've helped SO MUCH with a lot of the storylines.
Enough about critical analysis(for now) I want to talk about my BLORBOS !!!!
I absolutely adore the characters in Mao Mao, you can tell that's where the heart of the show it. Mao Mao, Badgerclops, and Adorabat have such vibrant personalities and you can tell so much about how they interact with eachother. I especially love the romantic tension between Badgerclops and Mao Mao XD !!
I feel Mao Mao's younger self in my heart so much (he's also so cute :(((( !!!) and I would love to have had a bit more depth in his childhood. Like I said, fuck 11 minute runtimes !!!
Something that i DID love was Tanya and her relationship with Mao Mao. It came with implied history between them that was hinted at but never really addressed. They have their baggage and they want to make things right but it's also just a little out of our reach. When they resolve their issues, few words of what occured were said, but they (and we) understood. If there was more characterization AND worldbuilding (considering their history of escapades and tanya's hydra egg snatching) like what was done with Tanya, I think Mao Mao could've gotten a lot more love and a more dedicated fan base. The subtle build up of Mao Mao's relationship with his father and how he perceived how his dad acted as a child made me excited for hoe they were going to handle the conflict between them. BUT... yet again... it was rushed and underwhelming. Him acting EXACTLY how Mao Mao framed him, rather than showing how he exaggerated his relationship (and how it affected him traumatically) was a sad turn of events. I will commend the show on it's reveal of Mao Mao's dad being weak and small, and his father seeing how his words affected the psyche and well being of his son. I'm glad Mao Mao got his closure, I just wish it was held better, also could've done witha little less comedy in the episode to help set the tone a little better (see Finn's dad dungeon episode from adventure time)
Adorabat is a pretty high kin for me now because of how silly she is :p she's just a little girl! I wish we had more time with her father because it was just kind of added at the end (especially the dead mother part) and I also wanted to see them interact and be happy together more !! Maybe putting this arc earlier in the show to have him be a recurring character? This isn't to say I don't love the adoptive gay parents trope at play hehehe...
Badgerclops is a bit of an interesting character, he's very unserious through most of the series, other than the episode where he was very beeg. I don't know what I really wanted but I felt his story was kind of.. lacking? idk i just wish there was more to him than just "erm I was evil but not rlly erm :3"
Overall I think it was a good show that wasn't given a proper chance from the start. If you only care about character shenanigans then you will absolutely LOVE it !! But you want to sink your teeth into some more interesting lore, or can't stand poor pacing... maybe give this one a skip !
P.S this show was definitely made by furries good lord there's a whole ep where Badgerclops is basically doing petplay fghjk
