| Harmony Bear | |
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Species: |
Care Bear |
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Home: |
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Gender: |
Female |
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Debut: |
1980's Toyline |
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Fur color: |
Violet (TV series) |
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Belly Badge: |
Rainbow music note (UK/AUS toy) |
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Voice Actor |
Nonnie Griffin (Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation) |
Harmony Bear is a Care Bear who made her debut in the original 1980's Care Bear franchise. She first existed as both a UK and Australian-exclusive toy in the mid-1980s and has since been included in several international Care Bear-related media beginning with the second film in 1986.
Appearance and Personality
Harmony's name is meant to have a double meaning. Not only does she exemplify unity and togetherness between people of all kinds, but she loves to spread the joy of music and sound. Fortunately, both goals are not mutually exclusive, and she often uses her songs and melodious voice to bridge gaps that language cannot.
In most incarnations of the character, she has a tendency to "sing" her lines rather than just speak them and has the ability to make up tunes on the fly to fit any situation.
While she always has violet fur, her Belly badge has changed numerous times throughout the years, beginning as a rainbow music note, then a red heart with two small pink hearts, and currently, a smiling rainbow flower.
History
1980's toyline
Harmony Bear made her debut in the original 1983-1986 Care Bears toyline. She was first released as a UK/Australian-exclusive plush, with slightly lighter fur and a modified Belly Badge that depicted a rainbow-colored triple music note.
When Harmony was released internationally, her Belly Badge was changed to a Red heart.
Due to their rarity and relatively limited market, toys of these particular versions of Harmony remain valuable items for collectors.
Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation
Harmony as a Care Bear Cub from Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation.
Harmony made her animated debut in the second Care Bears theatrical film, which tells the story of how the Care Bears first arrived in Care-a-Lot as cubs after escaping the evil Dark Heart. Sometime later, a grown-up Harmony is seen helping the other bears prepare for the return of True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse from a caring mission, and has a run-in with the villain when he arrives disguised as the Caring Meter Reader.
After Dark Heart propositions a girl named Christy into helping him capture most of the Care Bear Family, Harmony is among the few bears left to mount a rescue mission, with the help of two children named John and Dawn.
The Care Bears Family
Harmony only makes very minor appearances in Nelvana's Care Bears Family TV series.
In The Great Race, where she is seen as one of the spectators of the annual Care Bear Family Obstacle Race, and help drive off Mr. Beastly when he causes trouble as usual.
The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie
Harmony Bear's appearance in The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie.
After being absent from Journey to Joke-a-Lot, Harmony appears in the second Care Bears CGI feature.
When Wish Bear wishes for new neighbors who love wishing as much as she does, she ends up heralding the arrival of three troublesome bears - Me Bear, Messy Bear, and Too Loud Bear - who begin to grate everyone's nerves. Harmony Bear is among the bears whose picnic is ruined by their wild car ride, and when the trio begin to abuse the power of wishing for their own benefit, Care-a-Lot begins to fall apart at the seams.
In order to get everything back to normal, it's up to all the bears, including Harmony, to help clean up.
Care Bears: Oopsy Does It!
Harmony 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.
Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot
Harmony, as seen in the episode "Harmony Unplugged".
Like most Care Bears, Harmony receives a slight redesign in Adventures in Care-a-Lot, now sporting a pink headband with a small flower that resembles her Belly Badge. As the lead vocalist of Care Bear Honeys, she also runs Sweetheart Candy Parlor, a candy shop that is featured in a few episodes.
In Oopsy the Hero, she is seen inside Smart Heart Library with Cheer, and when they leave, they are rescued by Oopsy from a falling sign at the Smart Heart Library, they begin to spread the word of his heroism, unaware that he only knocked them out of the way by accident.
In Battle of the Bands, she, alongside Cheer, True Heart, and Share form a band called the "Care Bear Honeys". However, their loud music disturbs Grizzle's sleep, causing the wily bear to spread rumors that each of the band members are saying nasty things about each other in an attempt to break them up.
In Surprise Day, it is revealed that Harmony has an absolute dislike of surprises, which causes her to dread the upcoming Surprise Day celebration. When Share gives her a surprise despite her objection, she shuts herself away from the rest of the town until they can convince her that surprises can also be fun.
In Harmony Unplugged, True Heart remarks that Harmony is the best singer in Care-a-Lot and should hold a concert, the planning begins to go to her head, causing her to snub her friend. After seeing how conceited she's become, nobody apart from True Heart attends her show, and she instead holds a new performance to tell everyone how sorry she is.
She is the lead singer of the Care Bear Honeys.
Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot
Harmony Bear in the Welcome to Care-a-Lot.
Harmony is one of the main characters in the 2012 animated series Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot.
Her first major role is in the episode Show of Shyness, which involves her losing her voice before a big talent show, which is also being wrecked by King Beastly and his cohorts. Only with the help of a girl named Pheobe are the villains are driven away, and Harmony later regains her song.
In Feeling Flu, only she and Tenderheart are not effected by a disease called the Feeling Flu, which causes the rest of the bears to switch personalities. Both she and Tenderheart must help the others gain the ingredients for an antidote.
In Sad About You, When a girl named Joy comes to Care-a-Lot after her best friend moves away, the bears all try to cheer her up in their own way, with Harmony performing a melancholy song that fits her situation.
In Lazy Susan, During the annual Care-a-Lot picture day, Harmony is at her wits end trying to get everyone ready for a good snapshot after all the previous years' attempts were ruined in one way or another. However, when Share Bear and a girl named Susan botch their attempt at making rainbow tea, Harmony and the rest are left with crazy-colored fur and must scramble to create an antidote in time.
Care Bears and Cousins
Harmony is once again a main character in the sequel series to Welcome to Care-a-Lot.
Care Bears: Unlock the Magic
Harmony is a minor character in Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, being one of the few Bears to stay in Care-A-Lot on Caring Control.
She makes a minor appearance in Festival of Hearts and a flashback cameo in On the Trail of the Cloud Bouncer and a major appearance in The Big Whifflesnooze.
Descriptions
2002-2006: Harmony Bear helps others get along. This peace-loving bear knows our differences are something to be celebrated, not something to keep us apart. When differences are brought together in harmony they create something beautiful. That's the meaning of her symbol - a smiling flower with different colored petals.
2002 Website Profile:
- Caring Mission: Helps others overcome differences and get along.
- Symbol: Her smiling flower symbol shows the beauty and happiness that comes from getting along with those around us.
- Personality: Open and friendly.
- Character Quirk: She's got a beautiful singing voice that seems to magically help calm others when they're upset.
- Color: Lavender.
- Best Friend: Friend Bear
- Relationship Challenge: Champ Bear (He can be so competitive sometimes.)
- Motto: Good times get better when we get along together!
2007-2011: Like the different colors of a rainbow, different kinds of people can join together to make something beautiful. That's what Harmony Bear believes. She helps others get along and play well together. Her bright flower belly badge shows this, too. Each petal of the pretty flower is a different color!
Gallery
Notes
- Another music-themed Care Bear, Heartsong Bear, has a Belly Badge that highly resembles the one from Harmony's 1980's UK toy design, but with only two notes instead of three.
- Harmony Bear has had more individual Belly Badges than any other character, with three distinct designs total.
- Like True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse, she is one of the few characters whose first animated appearance was in the second film but not the first. Similarly, her absence from the first movie is never explained.
- She wears a pink headband with her 2007 redesign, but in merchandise her headband is yellow.
In other languages:
Danish: Fredeligbjørn ("Peaceful Bear")
Dutch: Tevredenbeertje ("Happy Bear")
French: Grosfasol and Harmonie ("Great Fa Sol", possibly derived from solfège music scale, "Do Re Me Fa Sol..." and "Harmony")
French (Canadian): Harmonie ("Harmony")
German: Harmonie Bärchi ("Harmony Bear")
Italian: Armoniorsa ("Harmonium Bear")
Japanese: ハーモニーベア
Norwegian: Harmonibamse ("Harmony Bear")
Spanish: Harmoniosita ("Harmony Bear")
Swedish: Harmoninalle ("Harmony Bear")