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"Hometown Hero"

Season 1, episode 7

Hometown Hero is the seventh episode from season one of Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. It was the last of five total to air during the show's official worldwide premiere event.

Episode PlotEdit

SynopsisEdit

"Po visits Mantis's hometown and discovers that Mantis hasn't been entirely honest with the villagers."^[2]

SummaryEdit

Po and the Furious Five's yoga lesson was interrupted when Zeng brought Mantis an urgent message. After Master Shifu removed the (tiny) scroll from it's encasing and handed it to Mantis, he was shocked to read that his ex-fiance Hao Ming needs him to urgently return to their hometown. Po and the Five insisted on coming with them (especially Po, who was surprised and excited to learn that Mantis had almost been married), but Mantis unexpectedly became nervous and refused, giving the excuse that his hometown did not like tigers, snakes, monkeys or cranes. Once Mantis had departed, Shifu ordered Po to follow him, just in case he needed backup.

For the next couple of days, Po quietly followed Mantis on his journey, but was eventually caught. Though Mantis was angry at being followed, he was nervous and reluctant to have Po visit his hometown, and tried to persuade him to go back home. However, they had already arrived at the gates to the village. Horrified, Mantis confessed to Po that long ago, Hao had jilted him and left him broken-hearted, so Mantis decided to get back at her. Before he could explain exactly what he had done, the villagers suddenly rushed out in excitement towards the two friends, intending to greet the Dragon Warrior. Thinking that Mantis had told them that he was coming, Po gladly welcomed the villagers... but received a shock when they greeted Mantis instead and carried them into their village.

During the villagers' celebration, Po snuck into the village square and confronted Mantis, demanding an explanation. Mantis confessed that in order to make Hao regret jilting him, he told everyone that he was the Dragon Warrior. Mantis promised to confess the truth once the celebrations were over, but Po, deciding to support his friend, instead suggested that Mantis keep up the facade in order to rub Hao's nose in it. Po proceeded to disguised himself as Mantis's crippled sidekick, complete with eyepatch, crutch, and a habit of making weird noises and slamming his head on the table.

During a celebratory dinner, Hao and Mantis reunited at last. While Mantis remained cold, Hao attempted to seduce him, revealing that she had summoned Mantis back to his village in order to get back with him. Po was soon asked how he had come to be Mantis's sidekick. Thinking quickly, he conjured up a story about being a former dirt farmer who was saved by Mantis from a rock monster. One eye closed forever from witnessing such 'awesomeness' (hence the eyepatch) and Po begged Mantis to let him be his sidekick. Mantis decided to let him tag along. Much to Po's dismay, Mantis soon gave in to Hao's seductions, and once again became her boyfriend. However, at that moment Hao's (very) recently ex-boyfriend Dosu burst in. Angered that Mantis had "stolen" his girlfriend, Dosu and his whistling sidekick Sai So challenged Mantis and Po to a duel at noon.

The next morning, Mantis woke up in his and Po's room literally crazy with love, but Po quickly reminded him of their fight at noon. However, Mantis had already made plans with Hao to meet her parents, but promised to be at the fight. Before leaving, he made it clear that Po was not to fight them, otherwise the ruse may be discovered. When noon arrived, Po stood in the village square facing Dosu and Sai So... while Mantis was a no-show. Angered, Dosu and his sidekick brutally beat Po before informing him that the duel was rescheduled for two o'clock. When Mantis returned to their room later that day, he found a beaten and displeased Po. Po informed him about the new duel, but Mantis had once again made plans with Hao beforehand, but again promised to be at the fight at two. However, when the time came, Mantis once again didn't turn up and Po again received a beating. The same thing happened at six, and continued up until nine, when Po returned to their room badly beaten and now genuinely needing his crutch. Tired of Mantis's broken promises, Po declared that Mantis was a disgrace to the Dragon Warrior name and that tomorrow he would be returning to the Jade Palace. In a desperate attempt to convince Po to stay, Mantis revealed that he and Hao were getting married. A thoroughly shocked Po was opposed to this, stating that Mantis was needed at the palace. Mantis, still blinded by love, demanded to know why Po wouldn't support Mantis at this important event. Po retorted that all he had done was support him, but since Hao came along all Mantis has done was let Po down. Po then departed the village.

The next morning, Po was traveling through the forest, muttering about his ordeal. Annoyed that he had been unable to fight Dosu and Sai So, he proceeded to display his remarkable kung fu skills, felling several trees with one toss of his crutch. However, Po quickly spotted Dosu and Sai So staring at him in shock, having seen the whole thing. Despite Po's attempts to cover himself, Dosu figured out that Mantis was a fraud. He and Sai So rushed back to the village to reveal the truth to Hao Ming and give Mantis a severe beating. Po followed in an attempt to stop them.

Mantis and Hao's wedding was in progress when Dosu, Sai So and Po made it back to the village, and a scuffle ensued between the three as Po desperately tried to stop Dosu from revealing the truth. Po soon found himself being beaten up once again as Mantis and Hao exchanged vows. Hao revealed that ever since she learned that Mantis was the Dragon Warrior, she knew that she had always wanted to be "Mrs. Dragon Warrior". Mantis, seeing his friend in trouble and realizing that Hao only loved him for his faux title, left Hao at the altar and came to Po's aid. He and Dosu finally faced each other in combat, with Mantis victorious. However, Dosu was able to reveal the truth to Hao. Po attempted to maintain the facade of being an injured sidekick, but Mantis stopped him and revealed the truth himself to the entire village. The villagers were shocked, and and outraged Hao called off the wedding. Mantis couldn't care less, and Po informed Dosu that Hao was once again available, but Hao was less that happy to take him back. Mantis then proceeded (with extreme difficulty) to carry a still injured Po out of the village.