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Playful Funshine Bear works hard to make sure that everyone is having a good time. His sense of humor makes him the life of any party and he really knows how to have fun. Funshine Bear’s belly badge reflects his sunny disposition – a bright yellow sun with an ever-present smile.
―Funshine Bear's bio


(Note: The subject of this article has conflicting sources to their gender. For the purposes of consistency and readability, gender-neutral pronouns will be used to address this character throughout this article due to their neutrality.)

Funshine Bear is one of the ten original Care Bears who first debuted as a character on American Greetings cards in 1982. Ever since, they have been a main character in nearly every incarnation of the franchise.

Profile

Appearance

Funshine always has sunny yellow fur and a smiling sun Belly Badge. Starting in Unlock the Magic, their belly badge is a smiling sun with shades instead of eyes squinting.

Personality

In the original series, Funshine always looks on the sunny side of life. Happy, perky, and ready to rise with each day, they are equally ready and willing to help others, bear or child alike. Using their tummy symbol, they can help by lighting up the darkest night or shine a beacon for all to see. However, they have a tendency to prank others, which can sometimes land them 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, they are depicted wearing a red baseball cap as well as a masculine voice. In this series, they lost their specialty for telling jokes, and instead focus whole-heartedly on having fun.

In the 2012 series, Welcome to Care-a-Lot, Funshine spends their time playing games or going for a splash. They especially enjoy hang-gliding. The only thing that gets them down is when there is no one around for them to play with, as they highly value spending time with others.

While Funshine displays their warm-hearted tendencies, they do not always play fair. Their personality is fitting to their horoscope, which is Sagittarius.

Sagittarius

Art taken from the official Care Bears Instagram.

Abilities

Their belly badge gives them the power to create tangible sunbeams, which can be used to help them solve any problems they may be facing, although this method is generally only used as a last resort.

Appearances

1980s

The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings

Funshine Bear makes their animated debut in the very first Care Bears 1983 television special. Here, as seen throughout the remainder of the original series, they are depicted as female. After a boy named Kevin runs away from home, Funshine and all of the other bears end up in the Land Without Feelings, ruled by Professor Coldheart. Kevin is then transformed into a Green Creature Slave and tasked with doing the professor's dirty work. It's up to Funshine and the rest of the bears to defeat the mad professor and return the boy to normal.

The 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. They are later a part of the crew on the ship The Cloud Clipper as they travel through the Forest of Feelings looking for their lost friends. After reuniting 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. The Care Bears Movie

DIC series

Funshine appears in many episodes of DIC's Care Bears television series.

  • They first appear in the episode Camp, where they travel to Earth with a small group of bears to assist two boys named Sanford and Murphy on a camping trip. The group is tasked with helping them come together despite their differences.
  • In Braces, Funshine is later among the team that helps a boy named Joey feel better about his new braces.
  • In Split Decision, they joins a soccer game with a timid boy named Carl against a group of bullies to help him build confidence.
  • In The Last Laugh, 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.
  • In Runaway, they are seen when Professor Coldheart begins kidnapping children to steal their warmth, and follows him to his secret hiding place in the forest.
  • In Mayor for a Day, when the mad doctor rigs a contest for children to be mayor of a small town for a day, Funshine and the other bears team up with some local children to put an end to his reign of terror.
  • In The Night the Stars Went Out, when the bears, including Funshine, encounter Strato Nefarious, Funshine uses their tummy symbol to create a small portable sun.
  • In The Magic Shop, when Coldheart once again tries to terrorize a town using his new "Un-caring Ray", Funshine is among the group that travels to Earth to stop him.

Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation

Baby Funshine Bear

Baby Funshine from the second film.

The second Care Bears theatrical film tells the story of how the bears and Care-A-Lot came to be. After being rescued from the clutches of the evil Dark Heart, the villain once again plans to capture all the denizens of Care-a-Lot. Funshine is among the many bears and cousins who are imprisoned in his secret lair.

The Care Bears Family

Funshine appears in several episodes of Nelvana's Care Bears Family TV series.

  • They first appear in The Great Race, where Funshine is 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 their way through the whole competition, with Funshine falling into a pit trap.
  • In The Camp Out, 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. They learned that playing mean jokes on others can backfire 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, Funshine 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.

2002

From this era onwards, Funshine's character is presented as male.

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. After one of their practical jokes on Grumpy Bear backfires, they run 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 Funshine is their long-lost king, and dubs them 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 their coronation to gain access to the royal vault, which contains jewels that hold the power of all the joy in 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, they relinquish their title to Gig the pig, who becomes a princess.

Care Quest

Funshine Bear is one of the playable characters in the 2005 Game Boy Advance video game Care Bears: Care Quest during the minigame "Hide-and-Seek", where they must look for other bears who are hiding behind clouds.

The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie

In the second CG Care Bears video, Funshine's role is smaller compared to Journey to Joke-a-Lot, mainly serving as comic relief throughout the movie. Throughout the Care-a-lot steering committee meetings, he uses a squeaky hammer to provide laughs in a serious matter.

He 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 when Wish accidently wishes Twinkers to the new Bears. At one point, Funshine comes into a sulking Wish's house and talks to her about how to get Twinkers back.

Soon afterwards, the new Bears' greed becomes sincere as 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.

2007

In addition to the new makeover, Funshine appears as one of the "Core Five" along with Oopsy, Cheer, Grumpy, and Share.

In this era, Funshine always wears a red baseball cap, and has a masculine voice. Their belly badge is altered slightly to appear more animesque, with slightly smaller eyes and a smaller mouth with cheeks, and more rays added.

Oopsy Does It!

Funshine appears in the Care Bears: Oopsy Does It! film as one of the citizens of Care-a-Lot whose Belly Badge is stolen by Grizzle after he tricks Oopsy Bear into helping him.

Adventures in Care-a-Lot

Aical funshine wave

Funshine is one of the main recurring characters in the 2007-2008 Adventures in Care-a-Lot series, and appears prominently in a number of episodes.

  • In Unbearable, They have a tendency to become proud, such as when they were given an award by the rest of the bears for their overall helpful nature, which they later touted at every opportunity.
  • In Care-Ful Bear, when Share Bear gets into a minor accident, they become determined to force safety measures at the expense of everyone's fun, even temporarily re-naming themself "Careful Bear".
  • In Bubbles, after foregoing sleep one night to stay up and play, Funshine comes down with a case of "the bubbles" and begins to uncontrollably hiccup while spewing bubbles from their mouth and floating around. Unfortunately the treatment is rest and quiet, something Funshine positively can't stand.
  • In Rainshine Meadows, Funshine discovers a new place to play which has fallen into a dilapidated state, they attempt to clean it up themself, only to find the task too great. However, their persistence rubs off on the other Care Bears, and they help restore the area to its former glory.
  • In Dare Bears, Funshine later develops a rivalry with Tenderheart Bear on two separate occasions. First, after trying Grumpy's new bouncy boots invention, the two try to out-dare each other to do progressively more dangerous things, with one unwilling to concede to the other that they're scared.
  • In Forget It, the two begin to feud when Funshine accidentally breaks Tenderheart's pogo stick, but have to learn to work together when Grizzle's "Forget-Me-Ray" wipes the memories of all the other bears in Care-a-Lot.

Share Bear Shines

When Share Bear travels to the fabled home of Princess Starglo, said to be the one who turns baby twinklets into full-grown wishing stars, she finds it less hospitable than the stories suggest. As Starglo denies her request to help her young star friend grow, she reveals that she is dismantling her entire operation since no one believes in her anymore. While Share tries to get her to change her mind, a group of bears, including Funshine, travel to Starglo's home to look for her, and end up using a Care Bear Stare to change her outlook on the situation and make stars again.

The Giving Festival

Funshine Bear appears in the final Adventures in Care-a-Lot spin-off film as one of the organizers of the annual Giving Festival celebration. After a failed attempt to tow Care-a-Lot away leaves his own island floating in deep space, Funshine is among the bears who takes him home. However, his gratitude proves to be short-lived as he tries to capture them while inside his fortress, but they are able to outwit him in the end. Later, they must help rescue Princess Starglo from a cloud spirit named Windle who hates the festival and wants to stop them attending, and is able to change his attitude with a Care Bear Stare.

2012

Like the previous eras, Funshine is one of the "Core Six" along with Tenderheart, Cheer, Share, Grumpy, and Harmony. This era changes Funshine to look similar to their original 2002 look, but their belly badge is changed slightly to have twice as many rays, slightly larger eyes and cheeks, and the mouth is open and full instead of sideways. There is also twice as many rays.

Welcome to Care-a-Lot

Funshine is once again a main recurring character in the 2012 Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot television series.

  • In the first episode of the series, Compassion - NOT, they wanted a fun day, but the other Bears are busy. Tenderheart invites a girl named Penny who, like them, loves high speed, but learns that sometimes you have to slow things down.
  • In Sleuth of Bears, when Thanks-a-Lot Bear and Secret Bear form a detective club and begin questioning everyone in Care-a-Lot over the vandalism of Grumpy's "Care-a-van", with Funshine becoming particularly annoyed.
  • In Sunshine, after winning the "Care Bearathon" competition, Funshine becomes even more competitive than usual, and tries to be the best at everything, much to everyone's chagrin.
  • In Lazy Susan, they drink an ill-prepared batch of rainbow tea made by Share Bear which changes them, and several other bears', fur into crazy colors. While the rest scramble to find a solution in time for the annual Care-a-Lot picture day, Funshine actually likes their new tie-dye look, but is forced to change back by an irate Harmony Bear.

Care Bears & Cousins

Funshine is one of the main characters in this continuation of the Welcome to Care-A-Lot series.

2019

In this era, Funshine is once again one of the "Core 10" from 2002, with Friend excluded. Funshine's appearance is once again animesque, with their belly badge now having sunglasses and fewer rays.

Care Bears: Unlock the Magic

Cloudcarcycle

Funshine Bear riding a Cloudcycle.

Funshine is once again at the forefront in Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, though they are very similar to their previous incarnations. They are a little wilder than previously depicted, but they also have a newfound tendency to slow down and appreciate the simple things. It is Funshine Bear who is the first of the bears to discover the Silver Lining.

Funshine is an avid Cloudcycle rider and a fan of adventure.

Descriptions

2002-2006: Funshine Bear is the Care Bear's class clown. This playful bear really knows how to be funny and to have fun. Funshine Bear works hard to make sure that people have a good time. "Enjoy each day" is Funshine's motto and it's shown on the bear's symbol - a smiling sun!

2002 Website Profile:

Caring Mission: Helps people have fun.
Symbol: His smiling sun symbol reminds us to find the fun in each new day.
Personality: Fun and funny.
Character Quirk: He can do perfect impressions and sound effects.
Color: Yellow.
Best Friend: Grumpy Bear
Relationship Challenge: Share Bear, he teases her constantly but has a secret crush on her.(In Adventures in Care-a-Lot, however, he has a crush on Love-a-Lot Bear.)
Motto: The fun starts here!

20th Anniversary: Funshine Bear shares enthusiasm for life and all its possibilities with everyone. An energetic Bear, Funshine makes sure that people have a good time - no matter what they are doing. Funshine Bear's symbol is a smiling sun. It's a constant reminder that a sunny outlook is the best one and that we should enjoy each moment of each new day!

2007-2011: "Here comes fun!" Everyone loves Funshine Bear! This happy and energetic bear knows how to have fun, and can turn anything into a game. Funshine treats everyone like a close friend and loves kidding around. Funshine's favorite things are his sunny belly badge and his trusty red baseball cap.

2020-present: Playful Funshine Bear works hard to make sure that everyone is having a good time. His sense of humor makes him the life of any party and he really knows how to have fun. Funshine Bear’s belly badge reflects his sunny disposition – a bright yellow sun with an ever-present smile.

The Bears Are Back in Town - The Ultimate Guidebook: Too legit to quit! This laid-back bear with a heart of gold is always on a quest to have more fun. Whenever the Care Bears throw s party, they can rely on Funshine Bear to show off his DJ skills and sweet dance moves. When it comes to serious tasks, Funshine always tries his best. If he fails, he just shrugs it off and tries again. It's always sunny wherever Funshine is, because he can turn any cloudy day into 100 percent awesomeness.

HeadStart UTM products: Funshine Bear is a playful bear who really knows how to have fun and make everyone laugh. Funshine Bear works hard to make sure others have a good time. "Enjoy each day" is Funshine's motto, and his belly badge - a smiling sun, shows it!

Trivia

  • Funshine is mentioned in the opening credits song of the original DIC Care Bears animated series "I Wanna be a Care Bear" ("I'd be like Funshine and make the sunshine..."). They would later have their own singing line in the song "Flying My Colors" in the second film ("Got the sun on my tummy and a smile on my face, I'm ready for a party any time, any place.")
  • Funshine from the 2000's series and onward can be compared to both Champ Bear from the original series and Superstar Bear, as all three are yellow, athletic, and outgoing.
  • Not counting Grams Bear's stories, Funshine is one of two Care Bear Family members to be a king or queen at some point, after Queen-for-a-Day Lotsa Heart in "The Great Race".
  • Funshine appears in the 38th episode of Cartoon Network's Mad TV series, "Monkey Ball Z / The Green Care Bear", during a segment that parodies the 2011 film Green Lantern. They are seen going to battle with the rest of the bears and Hal Jordan after apparently being corrupted by Parallax.
  • They have a friendly rivalry with both Tenderheart and Brave Heart Lion.
  • Funshine's belly badge appears to be emotive at some times. In Oopsy Does It! for instance, when the bears fall asleep, the smile in Funshine's belly badge falls asleep as well.
  • The Unlock the Magic incarnation of Funshine appears prominently in the 2022 Alaska Airlines ad campaign "We Care A Lot", serving as the representative of the Care Bears as a whole in the "Care Coalition", which also includes fashion designer Tan France, TikTok star Nick Cho, a sentient Snuggie, an unnamed elderly woman representing all grandmothers, a golden retriever representing all dogs, and Mother Nature.

In other languages:

Croatian: Vedrana (from the word vedra, meaning "bright", "shiny", "smiling", "sunny")
Dutch: Zonnebeertje ("Sun Bear")
French: Grosjojo/Toutaquin
French (Canadian): Solours
German: Sonnenscheinbärchi ("Sunshine Bear")
Hebrew: Smechach Dov ("Happy Bear")
Italian: Mattacchiorso ("Joker Bear")
Japanese: ファンシャインベア
Mandarin (Taiwan): 陽光熊/Yángguāng xióng ("Sunshine Bear")
Norwegian: Gladbamse ("Glad Bear")
Polish: Miś Zabawy ("Fun Bear")
Portuguese: Brilhante ("Brilliant")
Russian: Солнышко ("Sun Bear"), Весельчак ('someone who likes to have fun and to share it with others', this name was used in the movie 'Journey to Joke-a-lot')
Spanish: Divertosito ("Funny Bear")
Spanish (Spain): Mattachiorso ("Joker Bear")
Swedish: Solnalle ("Sun Bear")

Gallery

Funshine Movie

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Care Bears Family
Care Bears
Original Bears
Bedtime Bear (1982) - Birthday Bear (1982) - Cheer Bear (1982) - Friend Bear (1982) - Funshine Bear (1982) - Good Luck Bear (1982) - Grumpy Bear (1982) - Love-a-Lot Bear (1982) - Tenderheart Bear (1982) - Wish Bear (1982)
Introduced in 1980s/1990s
Forest Friend Bear (1980s) - Sea Friend Bear (1980s) - I Love You Bear (1980s) - Baby Hugs Bear (1983) - Baby Tugs Bear (1983) - Grams Bear (1983) - Secret Bear (1984) - Share Bear (1984) - Champ Bear (1984) - Harmony Bear (1985) - Surprise Bear (1985) - Daydream Bear (1985) - Prize Bear (1985) - True Heart Bear (1986) - Perfect Panda (1986) - Polite Panda (1986) - Gramps Bear (1986) - Take Care Bear (1987) - America Cares Bear (1991)
Introduced in 2000s
Laugh-a-Lot Bear (2003) - Bashful Heart Bear (2004) - Best Friend Bear (2004) - Thanks-a-Lot Bear (2004) - Do-Your-Best Bear (2004) - True North Bear (2005) - Sweet Dreams Bear (2005) - Hopeful Heart Bear (2005) - Smart Heart Bear (2005) - Me Bear (2005) - Messy Bear (2005) - Too Loud Bear (2005) - Amigo Bear (2006) - Always There Bear (2006) - Heartsong Bear (2006) - Play-a-Lot Bear (2006) - Shine Bright Bear (2006) - Superstar Bear (2006) - Work of Heart Bear (2006) - All My Heart Bear (2006) - Oopsy Bear (2007) - Pink Power Bear (2008) - Heart of Gold Bear (2008) - Sweet Sakura Bear (2009)
Introduced in 2010s
Wonderheart Bear (2012) - Shiver Me Timbear (2012) - Great Giving Bear (2012) - Trick-or-Sweet Bear (2013) - Christmas Wishes Bear (2014) - Rainbow Heart Bear (2017) - Piece of Heart Bear (2018) - Sparkle Heart Bear (2019) - Watchful Bear (2019)
Introduced in 2020s
Unity Bear (2020) - Togetherness Bear (2021) - Dream Bright Bear (2022) - I Care Bear (2022) - Care-a-Lot Bear (2022) - Sweet Message Bear (2022) - Sweet Celebrations Bear (2022) - Dare to Care Bear (2023) - Calming Heart Bear (2023) - Spooky Sparkle Bear (2023) - Destiny Bear (2023) - Be Me Bear (2023) - Always Here Bear (2023) - Good Vibes Bear (2023) - Flower Power Bear (2023) - Friends Forever Bear (2024) - True Friend Bear (2024) - Love Song Bear (2024) - Blissful Heart Bear (2024) - Peaceful Heart Bear (2024) - Kind to All Bear (2024) - Good Wishes Bear (2024) - Love to Care Bear (2024)
Peel & Reveal Bears
Best Secret Bear (2023) - Wishful Heart Bear (2023) - Lucky Star Bear (2023) - Dreamtime Bear (2023) - Always Heart Bear (2023) - Champ-Shine Bear (2023) - Love Song Bear (2023) - Charm Bear (2023) - Friend Share Bear (2023) - Grump-a-Lot Bear (2023)
Metaverse/NFT Bears
Hello Fren Bear (2022) - Self Care Bear (2022) - Warm Fuzzies Bear (2022) - ILY Bear (2022) - I Can Bear (2022) - Investor Bear (2022) - Enjoyer Bear (2022) - Collector Bear (2022) - Bad Crowd Bear (2022) - Cyborg Bear (2022) - Glitch Bear (2022) - Magic Sparkles Bear (2022) - Metaverse Bear (2022) - Zombie Bear (2022) - Pixie Bear (2022) - True Light Bear (2022) - Fun Dream Bear (2023) - Care Heart Bear (2023) - Always Grumpy Bear (2023) - Harmony Song Bear (2023) - Birthday Sparkle Bear (2023) - True Dreams Bear (2023) - Cheerheart Bear (2023) - Lucky Wish Bear (2023) - Super Love Bear (2023) - Best Heart Bear (2023) - Ocean Breeze Bear (2023)
Other Bears
Question Mark Bear (1980s) - Unnamed Pink Panda (1980s) - Unnamed Blue Panda (1980s) - Precious Heart Bear (1991) - Recycling Bear (1991) - Bo the Take Care Bear (2013) - International Day of the Girl Bears (2019) - Black Lives Matter Bear (2020)
Trademarked Bears
Dandy Bear (1990) - Fun Play Bear (1990) - Giving Bear (1990) - Munchie Bear (1991) - Melody Bear (1991) - Princess Heart Bear (1994) - Hollyheart Bear (1995) - Happyheart Bear (1995) - Peppermint Bear (1995) - Heart Shine Bear (2021) - Believe Bear (2021) - Caring Heart Bear (2022) - Warm Hug Bear (2023) - Lots-a-Pride Bear (2023) - Share Your Care Bear (2023)
Care Bear Cousins
Brave Heart Lion (1985) - Bright Heart Raccoon (1985) - Cozy Heart Penguin (1985) - Gentle Heart Lamb (1985) - Lotsa Heart Elephant (1985) - Loyal Heart Dog (1985) - Playful Heart Monkey (1985) - Proud Heart Cat (1985) - Swift Heart Rabbit (1985) - Treat Heart Pig (1985) - The Koala (1980s) - Noble Heart Horse (1986)
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