The BEST episodes of Polar Bear's Café season 1

Every episode of Polar Bear's Café season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Polar Bear's Café season 1!

The gag comedy follows the daily life of pandas, penguins, grizzly bears, and other animals at a café run by a polar bear.

Last Updated: 11/5/2024Network: TV TokyoStatus: Ended
Mr. Penguin's Secret / Cherry Blossom Viewing in Spring
star
9.20
5 votes

#1 - Mr. Penguin's Secret / Cherry Blossom Viewing in Spring

Season 1 - Episode 50 - Aired 3/28/2013

Panda becomes curious about what Penguin does when he's not at the cafe. Whilst his investigation doesn't really help him learn Penguin's secrets, he does learn new things about some of the other animals. Later, Polar Bear becomes downhearted when Penguin expresses interest in moving house, though feels relieved once he hears he just intends to renew his apartment lease. Afterwards, everyone gathers around to have a cherry blossom viewing party, looking back on the year they've spent together.

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Mr. Grizzly's Reunion / Mr. Llama's Time Capsule
star
9.20
5 votes

#2 - Mr. Grizzly's Reunion / Mr. Llama's Time Capsule

Season 1 - Episode 49 - Aired 3/21/2013

Grizzly is visited by his mother, who embarrasses him a little when she starts serving home cooking in his bar. After trying it for himself, however, it soon turns out to be a big hit. Later, Llama, Sasako and the others visit their hometown to find a time capsule Llama buried five years ago. Upon arriving, however, they discover the tree he buried it under is in the middle of a private property. Luckily, they manage to get Badger to dig under the property and retrieve the time capsule. Inside, they find an audio cassette featuring a song Llama's past self sang.

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Panda's New Part-time Job! / Mr. Penguin Goes Flying!
star
9.17
6 votes

#3 - Panda's New Part-time Job! / Mr. Penguin Goes Flying!

Season 1 - Episode 29 - Aired 10/18/2012

Panda goes through various part time jobs, including a car dealership, a stock marketer and a lecturer, where he somehow manages to make the respective companies successful and even become a CEO. Later, Penguin has aspirations of flight so the others try various attempts to get him airborne.

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Halloween! / Llama Day!
star
9.17
6 votes

#4 - Halloween! / Llama Day!

Season 1 - Episode 30 - Aired 10/25/2012

Polar Bear, Panda and Penguin go trick or treating on Halloween, getting some curious treats from the homes they visit. Tired of being passed over all the time, Llama suggests the zoo should hold a Llama Day. However, the animals struggle with coming up with ideas to make Llama more appealing.

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Mr. Penguin's Hobbies / Their Childhood Days
star
9.11
9 votes

#5 - Mr. Penguin's Hobbies / Their Childhood Days

Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 9/20/2012

Penguin puts on an art exhibition, although none of the paintings are original and go unappreciated by the customers. After Polar Bear and Panda see the exhibit, they and Penguin discuss what hobbies they and other café regulars have. Later, as Polar Bear gets Grizzly to help out with a few things, he tells about how they first met.

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The New Panda / Reunion at the Grizzly Bar
star
9.11
9 votes

#6 - The New Panda / Reunion at the Grizzly Bar

Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 9/27/2012

As Full Time Panda takes on a side job, he starts to worry when he learns a temp Panda will be coming to the zoo, feeling he might be replaced. As Temp Panda arrives and acts rather sternly towards the other pandas, a ballot is held as to who should be the central panda. Full Time Panda comes in last, though Temp Panda moves onto another site regardless. Meanwhile at the Grizzly Bar, a Tiger, Wolf and Lion have a little reunion. As they lament how they've lost their youth, Polar Bear, who used to be a rap artist (469MA), gives them a surprise performance as a present.

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Panda is no longer a Panda / Meimei's Prince
star
9.00
8 votes

#7 - Panda is no longer a Panda / Meimei's Prince

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 8/23/2012

Panda is reassigned to one part of the zoo after another — even serving as a zookeeper. Later, Panda's sister Mei Mei goes on about her crush on Mr Handa. However, after seeing Handa and Ms Badger at a realty office, Panda believes that the two are getting married.

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Sales Penguin / Mr. Penguin's Picnic
star
9.00
8 votes

#8 - Sales Penguin / Mr. Penguin's Picnic

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 8/30/2012

The trio of Pygoscelis penguins from the water park try to figure out how to sell their excess of penguin cards, eventually settling on creating a concentration game with them, which becomes a hit. Meanwhile, Penguin ends up having to date all the Penko sisters equally, but still has trouble telling them apart. Sasako suggests he give the sisters differently colored ribbons to better identify them, but it backfires when they decide to trade them with each other.

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Mr. Penguin's Broken Heart / Panda's Night Out
star
8.91
11 votes

#9 - Mr. Penguin's Broken Heart / Panda's Night Out

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/14/2012

While in the park, Mr. Penguin sees Miss Penko on a date. Grizzly stops by and tells Polar Bear it’s a guy’s night out.

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Panda, Tired of Boredom / Panda's Advice Room for Troubles
star
8.91
11 votes

#10 - Panda, Tired of Boredom / Panda's Advice Room for Troubles

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/21/2012

A rainy day at the zoo leads Panda and his fellow animals to think of creative ways to pass the time. Panda is still worried that Mr. Handa does not have a girlfriend.

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Wolf's Occupation Change / Mr Penguin's New Love
star
8.83
6 votes

#11 - Wolf's Occupation Change / Mr Penguin's New Love

Season 1 - Episode 34 - Aired 11/22/2012

Wolf ends up quitting his job at a bakery, so Tiger recruits him for his sweets shops. After Wolf hears about a position at a famous bakery from Panda-Mama, Tiger encourages Wolf to go for it, and he manages to get the job. Later, the gang hear from Llama that Penguin has been visiting the neighboring town's Brown Bear Cafe. As Polar Bear decides to check it out, he learns Penguin has gained a crush on the waitress penguin there, deciding not to come to Polar Bear's Cafe until he works up the courage to ask her out. He eventually confesses but gets rejected, thus returning to Polar Bear's Cafe.

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Big Cleaning at the Café / For Whom Does the Bell Toll?
star
8.83
6 votes

#12 - Big Cleaning at the Café / For Whom Does the Bell Toll?

Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired 12/20/2012

Polar Bear ropes in everyone to do some spring cleaning around the cafe before Panda-Mama brings a salmon for everyone to have hotpot. Later, Polar Bear, Panda, Penguin, Sasako and Llama spend New Year's Eve together, where they reminisce about the past year. They are soon joined by the other animals to see the New Year in.

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Panda Corner Contest / Coffee Roaster Masaki / Panda Corner Project
star
8.83
6 votes

#13 - Panda Corner Contest / Coffee Roaster Masaki / Panda Corner Project

Season 1 - Episode 33 - Aired 11/15/2012

Panda becomes depressed as the penguin hero show appears to take customers away from the panda corner. Rin-Rin suggests to Panda that the zoo put on a photo contest to attract more customers. Meanwhile, Masaki has a go at roasting coffee, learning the meaning behind hand picking coffee beans. Despite some initial interest in the photo contest, the panda corner is still overshadowed by the penguin show, which Penguin also participates in. Thus Polar Bear suggests the Panda family put on their own performance, which proves to be a big hit.

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South Pole Squad Penguinger / Even More, What is Roasting?
star
8.80
5 votes

#14 - South Pole Squad Penguinger / Even More, What is Roasting?

Season 1 - Episode 47 - Aired 3/7/2013

The Pygoscelis Penguins are approached by a TV studio to do a televised version of South Pole Squad Penginger alongside Yama Arashi, with some of the other animals making cameos. The segment follows the Penguingers as they fight to rescue Yama Arashi from the evil Emperor Penguin. The broadcast is a hit and helps make the zoo more popular. Meanwhile, Polar Bear teaches Masaki how a coffee's richness differs based on how it is prepared. He later learns Tree Kangaroo will let him start roasting his own coffee beans.

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Sloth's Trip / I Became a Doll / White Day
star
8.80
5 votes

#15 - Sloth's Trip / I Became a Doll / White Day

Season 1 - Episode 48 - Aired 3/14/2013

Panda and the others end up joining Sloth on a long walk to the hot springs, wanting to get their on his own two feet. Later, the group become paper dolls as they converse in the real world. Meanwhile, Handa tries to figure out what to get Sasako for White Day.

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Animal Field Baseball
star
8.71
7 votes

#16 - Animal Field Baseball

Season 1 - Episode 27 - Aired 10/4/2012

The zoo animals from the Polar Bear's Cafe and the wild animals from Grizzly's bar face off against each other in a baseball match. At the beginning, the zoo team starts to struggle due to some of the animals getting easily distracted. However, Polar Bear manages to win the match by having all the Red Squirrels bat, guaranteeing ball runs. During the interval, the Red Squirrels teach Masaki about how coffee changes taste depending on how much it has been roasted, and he learns from Tree Kangaroo the unpleasant secret behind his favorite coffee, the "Jacu Coffee".

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Panda's Apology! / Rin Rin Welcomed
star
8.71
7 votes

#17 - Panda's Apology! / Rin Rin Welcomed

Season 1 - Episode 28 - Aired 10/11/2012

Polar Bear attempts to fill in for Panda but is questioned by the police. As expiation, Panda decides to give Polar Bear a day off by working at the café in his place, though it's not as easy as he thinks. Meanwhile, Rin Rin is invited out drinking by Full Time Panda, who is curious as to why he considers Panda to be cute but not him.

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Christmas Planning / Christmas Trouble
star
8.71
7 votes

#18 - Christmas Planning / Christmas Trouble

Season 1 - Episode 37 - Aired 12/13/2012

Panda wonders whether he'll get a present for Christmas — until Rin Rin shows up with a knitted pochette for Panda, which the latter accepts reluctantly. Penguin, eager to show off his storytelling, tries in vain to find a party to appear at before deciding on Bar the Grizzly. Panda and Mei Mei argue over whose picture should be sent to Handa as a Christmas present, and Llama and Alpaca use their wool to create scarves and other garments.

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The Animals' Hidden Talent Competition / New Year's Guest
star
8.67
6 votes

#19 - The Animals' Hidden Talent Competition / New Year's Guest

Season 1 - Episode 39 - Aired 1/10/2013

As the New Year rolls in, the Polar Bear's Cafe holds a hidden talent contest. Later, Penguin comes to visit Panda's home whilst the cafe is closed, which doesn't please Panda very much.

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The Hammock Sea / Panda Mama's Gardening
star
8.67
6 votes

#20 - The Hammock Sea / Panda Mama's Gardening

Season 1 - Episode 40 - Aired 1/17/2013

Polar Bear sets up a hammock in his garden and invites Panda and Penguin to laze around with him. Later, after Panda upsets Panda-Mama by eating her tulips, he tries and find something to replace them.

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The Café Garden / Sales Penguin's Sales
star
8.67
6 votes

#21 - The Café Garden / Sales Penguin's Sales

Season 1 - Episode 32 - Aired 11/8/2012

Polar Bear takes the others to see the café's garden where all the ingredients are grown. Meanwhile, the sales penguins attempt to pitch their penguin trading card game to Handa so they can sell it in the zoo's shop, even suggesting they hold a penguin themed hero show to attract customers.

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Mr. Penguin's Dilemma! / Idol: Yama Arashi!
star
8.67
6 votes

#22 - Mr. Penguin's Dilemma! / Idol: Yama Arashi!

Season 1 - Episode 31 - Aired 11/1/2012

As Penguin is put under the pressure to choose one of the Penko sisters, Llama helps him to differentiate between them, but this soon backfires. As the pressure builds, Panda questions the Penko sisters on why they like Penguin, leading them to realize they don't like Penguin after all. Later, Panda Mama goes with King Penguin Mama to a concert by porcupine pop group Yama Arashi (which is based on the Japanese pop star group Arashi).

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Panda's Diet / Strive for it! Wild Panda
star
8.67
9 votes

#23 - Panda's Diet / Strive for it! Wild Panda

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/10/2012

After breaking the slide at work, Panda has decided to lose some weight. His ideal body shape is far from his current look. To fit his new look, Panda wants to be wilder but he admits he was born meek. An invite from Polar Bear leads Panda to the bar, Grizzly’s

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Panda gets Enthusiastic / Everyone's Parfait
star
8.67
9 votes

#24 - Panda gets Enthusiastic / Everyone's Parfait

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/3/2012

Full Time Panda is away for a week, so Panda has to work his shifts. He gets some encouragement from a fan name Rin Rin, who he searches for every day. Mr. Polar Bear wants to serve a special menu and when word gets around it will be Parfaits, everyone has a suggestion.

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Obsessed with Smartphones / Super Fun Driving Lesson
star
8.67
12 votes

#25 - Obsessed with Smartphones / Super Fun Driving Lesson

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/26/2012

Penguin is excited about his new smartphone. But the café patrons are not impressed until Panda shows them his new phone. Along with a new smartphone, Penguin is taking driving classes to get his license. Polar Bear has agreed to give him a few pointers.

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