Hero: 108 is an animated television series created by Yang-Ming Tarng for Cartoon Network. It was broadcast on Cartoon Network and the Kabillion On Demand service in the United States and aired on the Cartoon Network international channels elsewhere. The series is co-produced by MoonScoop Entertainment, Gamania, Hong Ying Animation and Telegael Teoranta for Turner Entertainment Networks International Limited. It premiered on 1 March 2010. The show was renewed for another season, which began airing on 7 May 2012, on Cartoon Network (Russia and Southeastern Europe), UK, April 30 on Cartoon Network Too, and on Cartoon Network in the United States on 4 June 2012. The series ended its run on 9 July 2012.

Synopsis

Many years ago in the Hidden Kingdom, animals and humans lived in perfect harmony until an evil trickster named HighRoller arrived and fooled the animals into thinking humans were their enemies. Chaos reigned in the Hidden Kingdom until Commander ApeTrully formed a task force called Big Green to reunite the animals and humans while fighting the forces of HighRoller and the Zebra Brothers. The storyline in a typical episode follows a formula, although the formula varies and several episodes depart from it: Commander ApeTrully goes on a mission to the castle of an animal kingdom to make peace and ask its inhabitants to join Big Green, bringing a gift of gold as a token of goodwill. The animals generally dismiss the gift, and usually capture ApeTrully who calls for help from First Squad. Members of First Squad (usually everyone except Mr. No Hands, who does come along on occasion) deploy by descending through a maze of tubes and landing on turtles fitted with tank treads, and then are launched through a tunnel and out over the water. When they arrive where ApeTrully is being held, a battle or contest ensues, during which special talents or abilities of the animals are revealed, often something based on their nature. After the battle or contest, the animals usually concede to First Squad's skills saying through translation by ApeTrully (unless the animal rulers can talk) that they would be honored to join Big Green. After joining, the animals often are assigned a particular duty at Big Green based on their demonstrated skills, which may help solve a problem introduced in a subplot. The show is very loosely based on the ancient Chinese novel Water Margin focusing on the exploits of First Squad and Second Squad.

Episodes

Characters

Big Green

Big Green is a peacemaking force with goals to restore peace between the humans and animals:

First Squad

Big Green's elite warriors and the series' main characters. Among its members are:

Second Squad

The Big Green's secondary warriors. They are jealous of First Squad and constantly at odds with them to prove their worth. Among its members are:

Big Green Air Force

A part of Big Green's army that specializes in air battles. They dress in white and use large jet-shaped firecrackers as jets and giant afros inside their hats as air brakes and parachutes. Among the members are:

Other members

Villains

Animals

Production and animation

Hero: 108 is co-produced by American studio MoonScoop Entertainment, Taiwanese studio Gamania Digital Entertainment, Irish studio Telegael Teoranta and Chinese studio Hong Ying Animation for Turner Entertainment Networks International Limited. Filipino studio Toon City provided the animation for the show with their CelAction2D workstation engines.

Broadcast and release

The show aired on Cartoon Network in the United States from 2010 to 2013 before later picking up on by their production company Splash Entertainment’s on-demand streaming service app, Kabillion Channel on YouTube, for re-runs after their run ended on Cartoon Network.

In other media

Advertisements

Hero: 108 has appeared in many Beanfun! commercials to sponsor Gamania which featured many flash-animated clips of previous episodes, in which an event occurred which featured a big bean appearing being pixelated, then the character disappears which features the bean transforming into a question mark and an exclamation point. None of the characters have any dialog at all in the commercials except Mighty Ray in one commercial where he says "Okay, Banana?". An American toy commercial was made to sponsor the Hero: 108 action figures that are available in Toys "R" Us. The commercial aired rarely, mostly on Cartoon Network, making it the only Hero: 108 commercial to air in television.

Video game

An MMORPG based on the series titled Hero: 108 Online had the players play as First Squad and Second Squad. This MMORPG game was developed by Gamania's RedGate Games subsidiary. Its servers are now closed.