Sugar Berry Fever

"It's not a dumb book! If the Hero's Code says a hero doesn't eat cobbler, then I don't eat cobbler, alright?"

"Sugary Berry Fever" is the 25th episode of the first season of Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart, and the 25th episode overall.

Synopsis
Mao Mao tries to hide his love of cobbler.

Plot
The episode begins with Farmer Bun hopping away in a panic. Immediately after, it is revealed that he's running away from a large monster with bull horns. Despite the efforts of Adorabat and Badgerclops, the monster does not stop charging towards Farmer Bun's farm. Just then, Mao Mao leaps from the barn balcony and lands on the monster's head. He reads from a book on how to get the monster away, and following its instructions, ties one of the monster's horns to a rope with a Kunai at the other end, and manages to turn the monster around.

In the aftermath of the threat, Adorabat asks Mao Mao how he did that, prompting Mao Mao to show her the Hero's Code; the book he was reading to get rid of the monster. Badgerclops expresses surprise that the book is real, so Mao Mao explains that the book's significance as it was passed throughout the Mao Clan for generations. Just then, Farmer Bun pops out of the ground and offers the sheriff's department some of his prize-winning cobbler as gratitude for saving his farm, much to Mao Mao's sudden horror. As Badgerclops and Adorabat start to dig in, Farmer Bun tries to assure Mao Mao that there's enough for everyone, only for Mao Mao to reveal that the Hero's Code forbids cobbler. Shocked at this, Badgerclops tries to feed some to Mao Mao, making him swat him away. Adorabat asks Mao Mao if he even likes cobbler, and Mao Mao declares that he wants it more than anything, going as far as to admit that if he could have his way, he'd to things to it that would 'make [his] ancestors cry in shame.' He then cooly writes off that he can't and walks away with a whistle. Adorabat then decides to bring some home in case he changes his mind.

That night, Mao Mao is shown to be unable to sleep, holding the Hero's Code close and thinking about the cobbler. Restless, Mao Mao decides to get a glass of water to calm himself, walking past the cobbler several times. In the end, Mao Mao lapses and goes to it (being startled by both Badgerclops and Adorabat as he struggles to control himself). After his hunger makes the cobbler grow a face that pressures him into eating it, Mao Mao ultimately gives in, shoves the code aside, and ravenously eats the cobbler, causing several spirits of his ancestors to declare shame on him for his actions, making Mao Mao cry as he is unable to stop himself. Once finished, he passes out on the sofa.

In the morning, Mao Mao is awakened by Badgerclops screaming in horror. He rushes to the kitchen to see Badgerclops freaking out over the missing cobbler. Adorabat spots a little bit of cobbler on Mao Mao's face and asks him if he ate it. He denies it, however, reminding his friends that the code forbids cobbler, so Badgerclops decides to check his security cameras. Not wanting to be found out, Mao Mao beats them to the surveillance equipment and destroys it. Keeping up the act, Mao Mao deduces that if the thief wanted their cobbler, they'd likely go to the source for more. Mao Mao goes to Farmer Bun's alone, and Badgerclops and Adorabat decide to check the house for fingerprints.

Mao Mao arrives at Farmer Bun's farm, and tells him of the 'break-in'. Panicking, Farmer Bun checks his stash of cobbler to see if it was taken, but upon seeing the massive stash, Mao Mao grows ravenous again and tries to get to it. Realizing that Mao Mao has 'got the fever', Farmer Bun fights him off to keep him from getting to it. Back at the House, Badgerclops and Adorabat find no fingerprints, leading Badgerclops to realize that the thief must've been wearing gloves. Just then, he gets an alarm from the farm, and he then realizes what Mao Mao is doing.

Back at the farm, Mao Mao continues to eat the cobbler (with guilt) but is intercepted by Badgerclops and Adorabat. He tries to escape but is captured thanks to Badgerclops' rodeo clown classes, tying him in a lasso. Now restrained, Mao Mao explains that as a child, he always loved to eat cobbler, even getting enough money to buy his very own at one point. But when he returned to his family, they all disapproved of his purchase and told him that if he ever wanted to become a true hero, he'd have to destroy it, which he did with a heavy heart. Since then, he never touched cobbler again.

Despite being saddened by his tale, and despite the monster returning to eat more of Farmer Bun's cobbler, Badgerclops is still unable to trust Mao Mao and leaves him while he and Adorabat fight the monster themselves. As they try to pull the monster out of the barn, it suddenly grows. Farmer Bun realizes that the monster has the fever too, and it uses its tail to grab Badgerclops and Adorabat and fling them away. During their scuffle, the monster accidentally frees Mao Mao. Mao Mao also tries to fight the monster, but he is also flung away, and lands in the cobbler stash, getting covered in it. While he is distracted, he tries to eat some, but the monster returns and eats Mao Mao whole.

Trapped in the monster, Mao Mao realizes that the massive amount of cobbler is blocking his exit, and even worse, he can't cut through it since it's already 'mushy goodness'. His hallucinations then return and declare that if he won't eat the cobbler, the cobbler will eat him. With no other options, Mao Mao finally decides that he won't lie to himself anymore, and forces himself out. The hallucination tells him that it's against his family's code, but Mao Mao retorts by declaring that while it may be their code, it's not his code, and he eats the entire mountain of cobbler and transforms into a golden version of himself: his golden truth form. Now at ultimate power, he effortlessly fights the monster, gets over his guilt, banishes the spirits from his mind, and declares to the world that he is a hero, and eats cobbler. With one final, massive power punch, he defeats the monster, and it burps out the Hero's Code.

With the threat over for real this time, Badgerclops asks if Mao Mao will be able to do that from now on (as it would mean that he'd never have to work again). Mao Mao, however, reveals that it was only a one-time thing, as it came from years of repressed desire. He then declares that it doesn't matter, finally understanding that he was so caught up in the Hero's Code, he forgot the first rule of being a hero: be true to yourself. Mao Mao then goes to Farmer Bun (who's trying to get rid of the monster's charred body) and asks for more cobbler. Having had his livelihood ruined, he allows Mao Mao to 'take what's left. Mao Mao (rather heartlessly) thanks him, and Farmer Bun ends the episode with one last thing to say: "I hate you."

Characters

 * Adorabat
 * Badgerclops
 * Farmer Bun
 * Giant Dragon (debut; pictured)
 * Great-Great Aunt Blackbeard (debut; pictured and envisioned)
 * Great-Great Paternal Grandfather Twig (debut; pictured and envisioned)
 * Hog Monster (debut)
 * Large Cobbler Monster (debut/consumption)
 * Mao Mao
 * Mao Mao's Sisters (flashback; pictured)
 * Brunhilde (flashback; pictured)
 * Minori (flashback; pictured)
 * Shin Mao (flashback; pictured)
 * Small Cobbler Monster (debut/consumption)
 * Uncle Jim Jim (debut; pictured and envisioned)
 * Unidentified Mao Clan Ancestor (debut; pictured)

Locations

 * Pure Heart Valley
 * Farmer Bun's Farm (debut)
 * Sheriff Headquarters

Trivia

 * Adorabat and Farmer Bun are the only Sweetypies to appear in this episode.

Continuity

 * The Mao Clan not having cobbler is once again being emphasized in this episode, the first time is when Shin Mao mentioned it in "Small".
 * This is the second episode where Mao Mao gets tied up, the first being "Bobo Chan".

Cultural References

 * Mao Mao beating up the Hog Monster in his Golden Truth form is in a fashion of Persona 5’s "All Out Attack".
 * In the scene where Badgerclops and Adorabat accidentally cover themselves with flour, Badgerclop's brown area of his head becomes completely white, this may be a nod to his original design as Bearclops lacked a brown facial marking.
 * When Mao Mao came for Farmer Bun for his stash of cobbler, it's a reference to a SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Just One Bite" where Squidward goes to the Krusty Krab for some Krabby Patties. Both Farmer Bun and Spongebob are suspicious at Mao Mao and Squidward respectively.

International premieres

 * March 05, 2020 (Brazil)
 * June 11, 2020 (Poland)