This special is good, but it's not one of the best Winnie the Pooh installments. I like the New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episode, Un-Valentine's Day better. I like the idea of Christopher Robin's menagerie thinking that Christopher Robin got bit by a love bug. Why? I've heard of the term "love bug," but I'm guessing it's either an expression or love bugs are a myth, and Christopher Robin has been so busy making valentines that his friends haven't seen him in days. They find him writing a card for his new friend Winifred (whom they think is his new girlfriend), with there being fireflies nearby, and Pooh and his animal friends have the mentality of toddlers, so it makes sense for them to think their friend was bit by a love bug. I saw one review saying that the reviewer can relate to the animals thinking Valentine's Day was a monster, and I don't blame them (the reviewer). I don't enjoy Valentine's Day as much as I used to.
The story has a heartfelt moral about making new friends while still having a special place in your heart for old friends, hence the song the characters sing at the end. I can totally relate; even when I make new friends, my friendship with my old friends remains! At first, Christopher Robin's stuffed animals think he doesn't love them anymore and has made new friends to replace them, but they all eventually receive Valentine cards from him in the mail, and he sets them straight, proving them wrong. Not only does the aforementioned song have an inspiring message, but the music and vocals are soft, smooth, and heartwarming! To put bread on the table, flashbacks from other Pooh movies appear during the song.
The special/TV movie is not without its flaws. The animation is good, but it has a lower quality than the previous Pooh installments. For some reason, Eeyore has bluish eyes here, and they're not as dark as usual. I'm guessing that's a coloring error. Paul Winchell's voice was a little bit scratchier during his last few performances as Tigger, including this, and it didn't sound as good as before. I'm guessing it's due to him aging. This was Winchell's last performance as Tigger before he retired, and Jim Cummings did Tigger's singing voice here and voiced Tigger full time ever since the former retired.
