#Miraculous analysis

[raptorwozhere]

The London special did so much for Marinette’s character and I think a lot of people are just ignoring it due to them being disapproving of her decision to lie to Adrien.

But like that’s the point.

I don’t think there’s a single moment in the special that frames Marinette’s decision as a good thing, instead it is presented as a choice that Marinette isn’t confident in but ultimately makes due to a fear of the consequences of the alternative option.

When asked, Bunnix, who knows the full outcome of this decision, doesn’t tell Marinette whether what she did was the right thing to do, only that the important part is how she “owns up” to her decision and how she acts from here.

While Nathalie and Kagami, the only other characters we see react to her plan, actively disagree with Marinette’s choice but follow it regardless because it is Ladybug’s choice to make.

Only she has the position to make this choice.

It is a burden she chooses to put upon herself because more than anything she wants to protect Adrien. Because Marinette, at 14 years old thrust into an incredibly complex emotional situation, does not know what the right decision is and can only hope she makes the right choice. So she follows her heart and sacrifices her mental state in an attempt to save Adrien’s in anyway she can.

And It breaks her… You can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. It’s haunting. She hates this decision more than anyone else possibly could, she can hardly bring herself to tell Adrien her lie and yet she still does. It adds so much depth and weight to her character and her actions. It makes her interesting.

[2manyfandoms2count]

The flower symbolism in this shot... *chef's kiss*

Wisteria: good luck, kindness, love, longevity

Pink roses: admiration, happiness, love

Red tulips: perfect or deep love

[miraclechatbug]

In Animaestro, Adrien said, "Well, I'm more of a dog person myself."

He could be lying to protect his identity... but I like this theory too.

Since the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses are meant to represent yin and yang, I believe the same thing applies to Marinette and Adrien.

So, Marinette is a cat person and Adrien is a dog person! :D

Other things/headcanons:

- Adrien is an early bird; Marinette is a night owl

- Adrien is always described as sunshine or the summer sky; Marinette is described as moonshine or the ocean

- Adrien is very tidy and organized; Marinette is chaotic and disorganized

- Adrien is more quiet, a listening type; Marinette is the type to overshare and give lots of advice

- Adrien prefers classical music; Marinette is more into contemporary- though they both like Jagged Stone

- Adrien is very calm and thinks about his words before he says them; Marinette thinks at a mile per minute and doesn't have much of a filter

- Adrien is a very internal thinker, meaning he processes things internally which is why he's able to develop a persona like Chat Noir very easily; Marinette is more of an external thinker, she processes things by talking to people and asking questions and needs to be surrounded by activity to process better

- Adrien is very unsure about his future and place in the world; Marinette has a lot of ideas about what she wants to do in her future

- Adrien might take a more calm and relaxed approach to life as he grows older; Marinette is more goal-oriented and ambitious

- Adrien may be good at being creative, but he draws inspiration from other artists and people; Marinette always has a unique flair in every one of her designs

- Adrien avoids confrontation whenever he can even when someone tries to encourage him; Marinette will stand up for herself and others, especially when she's given encouragement

- Adrien might not always want to talk about his feelings or talk about his issues, used to process things on his own; Marinette might want everyone to talk it out, the type who wants everything out in the open

- Adrien is extremely forgiving when he is wronged, to the point that it could be harmful to him; Marinette is more stubborn, it takes her more time to see herself in another persons shoes if she doesn't relate to them- she doesn't forgive or forget easily

- Adrien is more of the type to get sad and depressed; Marinette is the type to get anxious and worried

- Adrien is more of a follower, go-with-the-flow type of person; Marinette likes taking the lead and charge when no one else seems to

- Adrien is optimistic, and always tries to think about the best-case scenarios; Marinette is a bit pessimistic, always thinking about the worst-case scenarios and catastrophizing

- Adrien has very few, close friends and prefers it this way; Marinette always ends up making friends with a lot of people

- Adrien prefers to focus on the practical matters and issues on hand; Marinette prefers to dig deeper and understand the bigger picture

- Adrien is more comfortable with an unplanned, spontaneous approach to life; Marinette wants plans, schedules, and well-defined procedures in place

- Adrien's very graceful and can move with ease; Marinette is clumsy and lacks a good hand-eye-coordination

- Adrien finds happiness and freedom in being Chat Noir; Marinette finds it stifling and constricting at times

- Adrien refrains from making judgments about people too quickly; Marinette jumps into conclusions too quickly

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

There's more, but I can't think anymore, and it's like 3am haha. I don’t mean to say that they are opposites of one another, they're actually really similar in nature and have similar values, they just might come at it differently. I just wanted to write down the differences I could think of, the contrast between the two.

"Creation and destruction are the two ends of the same moment." "Without order, nothing can exist. Without chaos, nothing can evolve."

They're a beautiful balance of each other, two sides of the same coin

[new-kit-on-the-block]

Miraculous - The watered-down significance of akumatization

(This is an analysis, but it's also a sort of rant. So there's a lot of text underneath the cut. Just a fair warning.)

I have a problem with the way that the latter seasons of Miraculous handle akumatization.

There's a pretty basic rule of thumb when it comes to writing the bigger moments of your story:

If something is a big deal, let it be a big deal.

Seasons 4 and 5 don't always do that.

Let's take a look at what I mean.

These are screenshots of the three separate occasions that characters have broken out of akumatization in seasons 4 and 5.

Take note of who these characters are and their importance (or lack thereof) to the overall plot.

On the one hand, you have Alya and Nino, the two main characters' respective best friends. It's only natural in a show like this for these two to be strong enough to break out of akumatization, it makes the main characters look like they definitely chose their friends right.

And then you have Alix's Redditor conspiracy-theorist older brother.

Why is he one of the big three who managed such a significant feat like this?

It's not like he's been shown to be particularly strong-willed. In fact, one could argue that he's even less so than most other characters due to how much further he fell into the rabbit hole of Lila's manipulation than anyone else.

His gullibility and irrationality are the entire reason he gets akumatized in the first place.

And he doesn't ever play a significant role after this, either. The only other time that he even had so much as a speaking role was the other time he got akumatized way back in season 1 for not being allowed to sacrifice someone to the Egyptian gods.

Now, these aren't the first times that people have fought back against Hawkmoth while being akumatized. But they are the first times that they've successfully broken out.

Pixelator questioned Hawkmoth's authority over him, and in response, Hawkmoth did something with his hand that started causing physical pain to Pixelator, reinstating his control over his akuma.

The only other time an akuma victim fought back was Robustus, which was a special case because he rebelled against Hawkmoth by using the specific abilities that were granted to him.

Neither of them even tried to escape akumatization.

Akumatization has always been set up as something powerful. Something that takes the worst parts of you and amplifies them to the point of no longer being capable of rational thought.

We never end up questioning why people don't try to resist akumatization if they know that they might end up hurting people. We already know the answer. It's because they can't.

Even Ms. Bustier, possibly the character who hated akumatization the most at the time, couldn't avoid becoming akumatized despite her best efforts.

So three separate people breaking free from their akumatization should imply that Gabriel's control over his victims is getting weaker, which would be a very big deal.

But nothing is ever done with that. After Alix's brother, nobody ever broke out of akumatization again. The ability to do so is used as nothing more than a plot device in these few episodes.

Another thing is that, if anything, Gabriel's grasp over his victims' emotional state should be even stronger.

His akumas are canonically more powerful than before, to make the lucky charms that Ladybug hands out stop working against him.

If bigger and more powerful akumas don't make his hold on people even stronger than before, then the entire arc of Ladybug realizing that she can create charms to prevent people from being akumatized more than once, and Hawkmoth's counter-arc of nullifying her efforts by simply creating bigger akumas was all just a complete waste of time.

After Guiltrip, I assumed that they were building up to Rose being able to break out of akumatization through her naturally positive nature alone, and then they would have an arc of her teaching others how to do the same.

Suffice to say, neither of those things happened.

Rose's "inner voice" that she's apparently had in her head this entire time doesn't serve any actual purpose other than to make her worthy of the pig miraculous.

To be clear: I don't have any issues with Rose's invisible illness never being mentioned at any point before Guiltrip. That's the entire point of an invisible illness.

My point is that Rose's ability to break free from negative emotion-based mind control is an extremely important ability that was never even so much as hinted at before or even brought up again any time after Guiltrip.

So, once again, it's just an extremely important one-off ability that doesn't matter and doesn't affect the stakes whatsoever.

These seasons keep throwing moments at us that should be very big deals but are never treated as such.

Now let's compare all of this to an actually good akumatization-related scene.

When Chloe successfully rejected akumatization.

When this happened, it was huge, and it felt like it too.

Not just because of how impressive the feat itself was, but also because of where Chloe was in her character arc.

Chloe was under the impression that Ladybug might never let her be Queen Bee again. Full stop.

She had potentially permanently lost a privilege that really mattered to her, Lila was starting to get inside her head, and she was becoming mean to Sabrina again.

By all accounts, Chloe should've been in the stage of her arc where she started to revert back to her old self. The old Chloe would've accepted Hawkmoth's words without a second thought.

If this was the conventional Zuko-style arc that so many writers try and fail to replicate, this would've been the scene where it seems like she may not actually get redeemed, and would fall back on old patterns of hers. Which is an interesting enough arc on its own.

But we instead have a girl who doesn't have any way of truly knowing better, has no good role models, and is close only to people who enable her worst behaviors. And she chooses to be good.

Her worst fears are starting to come true, nobody seems to have any care or respect for her, and a smarter and more experienced grown man is using all of these negative emotions against her to mind control her. And she still chooses to trust the process and work to gain back Ladybug's trust. Exactly like Ladybug told her to.

The one time she was given really good advice, it stuck with her.

This is the moment that flat-out confirms that Chloe can be redeemed, and actively wants to be better.

Not only did she not get akumatized, she almost made it look easy.

But the show still makes it perfectly clear that this wasn't an easy feat by any means.

She was visibly exhausted and scared after the akuma left, breathing heavily like she almost just drowned.

But the important part is that she did it. She didn't get akumatized. And she is shown to be rightfully proud of this fact.

It's also interesting to note that no other character has ever broken out of akumatization, mid-akumatization.

In the seasons to come, several people would be breaking out of akumatization after they had already been akumatized. But Chloe is the first, and only, person to reject akumatization before it even took hold.

That's how you give a moment like this the emotional weight that it deserves, by letting it stand on its own and not bombarding your audience with the same scene played out by several other characters.

Chloe was the only one to do this, and that shows that she could bring something special to the team if she actually got the chance to be a heroine again. It makes us consider the possibility that her stubborn and argumentative nature might actually end up being a silver lining. She can still be herself while saving people. In her own way.

She can be a hero. She can become a better person. And she doesn't have to change a thing about herself.

It would be a really nice message to send.

Which just makes it all the more disappointing when it doesn't amount to anything.

If the point of her character was that she could've been better, but became worse instead, that would've made for an interesting sort of tragedy.

But that's not what it is. I know that's not what the writers intended because if that were the case, then Ladybug would've probably had some lines about how much potential Chloe had, and how well she was doing before she went back to her old self.

We don't get any of that. What we get instead is the show and characters acting like Chloe was always as bad as she is in seasons 4 and 5.

She never actually liked Adrien. She was never kind to her father or Sabrina. She never wanted to get better.

And that's just not true.

Sorry, the main point of this post was to showcase the difference between important moments that were given the appropriate emotional weight, and those that weren't. But I just went off on a bit of a tangent there.

God. Even when this show gets something right, it gets like ten other things wrong.

Anyway, TDLR: If you want a moment to be significant, let it be significant. Let it make big changes that actually matter. Don't be a coward who's too afraid to change the hierarchy of your story in any kind of way that matters.

If you want a moment to have an impact on your audience, give it time to breathe on its own, and don't repeat it for at least a little while after.

And for God's sake, if an ability is a big deal, then don't let some unimportant side character that no one cares about also have that ability. It just makes it seem like it's not.

[its-wabby-stuff]

I never really noticed this before (mostly because I haven’t rewatched this episode) but the color here is crazy.

Emilie (or Kagami representing Emilie) is in a blue room with Paris being orange. And Amelie (or Felix representing Amelie) is in an orange room and London is blue.

Now upon first glance, you feel more the temperature of the colors, and storytelling wise, the colors would seem to convey Emelie in a cold environment, despite marrying for love, and Amelie in a warm enviroment, despite knowing it was arranged and he was abusive. It’s poetically different. And slightly strange, as their environments tells us a different story.

But then I thought about it a different way. Emelie was an adventurer. She wanted to travel and see the WORLD. Amelie gave up everything for her FAMILY and being the heiress.

My eyes are quite quickly drawn to things in light contrasting the darker colder blue. Bringing things into focus. Emelies focus lies outside of her home at the WORLD, at Paris, the city of love. As if she still longs for adventure and is trapped inside. And Amelie’s focus lies inside with her FAMILY that she gives everything for, no matter how hard it is or what abuse she may have to face.

The windows have a story as well. As Emelies window is smaller and thinner, with less space between the bars. We know Adrien’s deepest fear is being contained and locked away. Maybe he shared that with his mother. But Amelie’s (like Adrien’s) window is big. Giving a sense of freedom. Perhaps, that freedom was allotted, or just an illusion for more control.

I think this can give interesting depth into these characters, and subsequently, the children they made. And why they made the discussions they did, such as Amelie’s devotion to her son despite not fully understanding. Or perhaps, some secrets of the Agreste household, where things never seem to be what you think.

[uptoolateart]

For more than three seasons it was always Cat who got zapped by the baddies, e.g. he became Princess Fragrance’s minion, an actual cat for the mayor, hit by Dark Cupid, etc. etc.

But in S4 we saw Ladybug get hit by Psychomedian and it was Cat who had to do the thinking. This happened again in S5, when she was struck by Safari. There may be other examples I can’t remember right now.

Point is: he spent a long time being a puppet to just about everyone, but we definitely saw this shift early in S4, paving the way for S5 Adrien.

[yan-san-yan]

A deep-dive into Luka as a kid with anger issues.

For a long time now I believe Luka used to have anger issues as a child, because he didn’t know how to deal with the emotions he sense from others due to his incredibly high emotional awareness and empathic nature. He also struggled with expressing himself and finding himself due to being the only male in the family and feeling the need to protect his younger sister and pirate mom. I feel like he would also not have been violent or explosive about it but it was the one thing he knew how to express as a child.

Here is a bit of Luka backstory + character arc timeline for my headcanon of why he would have anger issues and why it makes sense:

Emotional Intelligence: Luka's heightened emotional awareness and empathic nature could be both a gift and a burden. As a young child with an unusual upbringing (a mother like Anarka + being single mom that may have ended up neglecting her children, especially Luka as Juleka might have required a bit more attention) this leads to Luka being affected by his environment and other external factors that could have added pressure onto him while it should have been a time for a child to learn and grow and just be allowed to be a kid. He constantly absorb the emotions of those around him, listening to what was being said, leading to a sense of overwhelming pressure and confusion. This emotional overload could be challenging for him to process and manage effectively.

Emotional Sensitivity: Luka's heightened emotional intelligence and empathy make him highly sensitive to the emotions of others. This sensitivity could become overwhelming for him as a child, leading to difficulties in managing his own emotions.

Difficulty Expressing Himself: Luka has always been the feel and act type of bye, often struggling with communication as words have never been his strong suit, instead sticking to his music and express himself through his craft. The kid even started calling people’s true emotions/true selves “heart songs”. One reason for his struggle with expressing himself could stem from feeling the need to protect his younger sister (twin or not) and irresponsible mother. As the only male in the family, he might have internalized a sense of responsibility, which lead to suppressing his own emotions and needs. This creates inner conflicts and make it challenging for him to find his voice. Normally it wouldn’t have been that much of a problem, but since he already comes from a somewhat dysfunctional family with police involvement, finances that he took cake off and a sister that is a victim of bully at school, Luka feels a strong sense of responsibility and need to grow up fast and take care of his family. This results in the emotions he picks up from around him becomes a added stress factor to him at times.

Protective Nature: Luka's eventual anger issues could arise from a deep-rooted desire to protect those he cares about, such as his family. I personally think the Couffaine siblings didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, only having each other which would also enhanced this protective nature of his. Luka feels a strong sense of responsibility for the family’s well-being, which leads to frustration when he perceives their safety or happiness as threatened. I can see it being very frustrating to feel helpless against a situation where cops are involved and seeing people pick on your family/mother for being different and doing what they believe. As a child it may be hard to understand when your loved ones (mother) is sometimes in the wrong and it leaves him wondering why people are so cruel to pick a fight and argue with Anarka. Luka despise people ganging up on one person and in addition to his sister being bullied it makes him even more furious to see people oppressing the weak/minority. It teaches him how unfair the world is from an early age.

Anger as a Defense Mechanism: As a child, Luka might not have possessed the emotional maturity or communication skills necessary to effectively express his protectiveness and concerns. His inability to convey his emotions in a constructive manner could result in bursts of anger or frustration. His keen sense of justice and upbringings of having a pirate-like mom greatly affected this. I wouldn’t put it past Anarka to preach about standing up to what is right and to fight back when being oppressed or targeted. She may not have been the greatest role model in how to act and resort conflicts which means Luka had to learn the hard way. On an additional note, Luka's anger issues might have also developed as a defense mechanism to cope with the overwhelming influx of emotions from others. When faced with an overload of emotions, he could have resorted to anger as a way to protect himself and his family or create a barrier. I am not talking about screaming or throwing a fit whenever, but rather being unapproachable, giving harden glares and even fight if he sees his sisters being picked by other kids. Luka would be quick to act and give in to his grudge and wrath. Luka’s anger isn’t very loud even if his music may be, both as a child and as a teen.

Domino effect: Also he might have had a hard time distinguishing others emotions from his own, like if a room is full of depressed people it has a domino effect. Especially empaths have to be extra careful to separate the emotions they sense from others with their own and also learn to let those feelings go instead of keeping them. A difficult feat for a child.

Reflective Nature: Through trial and error Luka would soon learn the issue with expressing his anger at the injustice and his integrity of “the truth over all” at the world. His talent for reflection would make him introspective and thoughtful. He possess the ability to analyze situations, emotions, and relationships, allowing him to gain insights and learn from his experiences. Usually reflecting when he is plucking the strings of his guitar. Music is a great source for him to relax and to take a breather. To gain new perspectives and a good outlet for him.

Reasoned Decision-Making: Luka's ability to see reason would make him adept at evaluating different perspectives and making rational decisions. He would consider logic, empathy, and the greater good, allowing him to navigate complex situations and conflicts. I can see Anarka giving the occasional wise advice to him and Juleka help him realize that he doesn’t need to be strong for all of them, that they all can share some of that weight and be stronger together.

Learning from Mistakes: Luka's growth-oriented mindset would enable him to recognize and acknowledge his own mistakes. Instead of dwelling on failures, he would use them as opportunities for growth and personal development. He would actively seek to understand the lessons within each experience. This is ruled to protect his loved ones by becoming the diplomat, the supporter and the bridge between his loved ones and to the world.

Personal Development: As Luka matures and learns to control his anger, he becomes more introspective and develop strategies to cope with his emotions. He would develop a greater sense of self, discovering his values, aspirations, and passions. This growth would help him find his purpose and contribute to his overall character. Believing in his integrity of honesty and that by focusing on that instead of acting out of anger, he will start resorting more to communication and emit a calm and positive outlook. By being patient and honest he finds himself being more listened to. It may not solve all his problems but it makes great progress. This leads to personal growth, further self-reflection, and a greater understanding of himself. Or developing coping mechanisms that allow him to navigate his empathic nature effectively. Hence he becomes the loving supportive character we know him as in the show and even the go-to-therapist friend.

Meditation as a new Coping Mechanism: Recognizing the need for emotional balance and control, Luka could have discovered meditation as a way to calm his mind, regulate his own emotions. It would provide him with a tool to process and channel the emotions he absorbs from others.

Inner Harmony: Through regular meditation practice, Luka could have learned to find inner peace and harmony within himself. It would allow him to center his emotions, understand his own feelings better, and navigate the emotional challenges he faces. His reflective nature would extend to his emotional intelligence, where he would both have a deep understanding of his own emotions and be attuned to the feelings of others. This awareness would contribute to his growth and allow him to build meaningful connections with those around him. Which helps balance his exceptionally high EQ.

Positive Role Model: Luka's journey of overcoming anger issues and change in behaviour and suddenly being more approachable could serve as an inspiration to others who may be dealing with similar challenges. It could teach them the importance of seeking help, finding healthy outlets for their emotions, and growing as individuals. This is where his new responsibility of the go to guy begins, a positive change that will eventually become a burden.

Empathy as Strength: Luka emotional awareness and empathic nature becomes a source of strength for him instead of the source of his stress. He learns to channel his empathy into supporting and understanding others, fostering deep connections and friendships. It makes him more compassionate, patient, and supportive towards those who are also dealing with emotional difficulties. This could highlight the importance of empathy and emotional intelligence as valuable qualities. Which leads us to the next problem.

Supporting Character (Complexity and new issues): Luka's selflessness shapes the relationships with others. It helps with strengthening bonds and create deep connections as people appreciate his caring nature, but it could also lead to challenges when his own needs are overlooked or unacknowledged. Luka's personal development have a significant impact on the relationships he has with others so it will take a long time before this issue is addressed, or when even he realizes this.

Exploration: This involve exploring his own identity and finding a sense of self amid his familial responsibilities. He might feel torn between fulfilling his protective role and discovering his own passions, interests, and aspirations. This may eventually lead to internal conflicts and a quest for self-discovery in the future. This does not mean he has identity issues of low self-esteem. He is stuck in the responsibility role due to circumstances.

Self-Sacrifice: Luka's tendency to prioritize others lead him to self-sacrifice, putting the needs and well-being of his loved ones above his own. He might willingly set aside his own desires and ambitions to ensure the happiness and support of those around him.

Emotional Support: As stated earlier Luka naturally become a reliable and compassionate source of emotional support for his friends and family. The person others turn to in times of need, knowing he will be there to listen and provide comfort and new sets of perspectives, to empathize with their struggles, and offer thoughtful insights. Which position him as a mentor or guide to other characters. Luka’s wisdom and ability to see reason would make a valuable source of advice and support, offering guidance to those who may be struggling with their own challenges. While this deepens his connections and foster a sense of trust and understanding it becomes a problem with his habit of….

Neglecting Personal Needs: Luka's focus on caring for others might result in him neglecting his own needs and desires. He could put aside his own emotional struggles or dreams, not wanting to burden others or divert attention away from them.

Struggles with Self-Worth: Luka's selfless nature may lead to internal conflicts and struggles with self-worth. He might feel that his value is now tied to how much he can do for others, and without that, he may question his own significance or purpose. Perhaps it’s a fear of losing control of his emotions, to feel the anger that is brewing inside him, or simply just a fear of not being able to protects those he loves.

Moments of Vulnerability: Despite being there for others, Luka struggle with expressing his own vulnerabilities and seeking help when he needs it. Juleka may be the only person he gets to truly be transparent with. His journey could involve learning to open up, trust others with his own struggles, and seek support when necessary.

Finding oneself: Even though Luka has come a long way, he hasn’t been following his own advice, he is not as kind to himself as he is to others. I personally think it’s not because he isn’t trying, but because no one ever offers to lend an ear to him (outside of Juleka). For instance others may think that the calm, patient Luka couldn’t possibly be struggling or needing advice when he always have a solution to a problem. So why wouldn’t he have one for himself then? He may have tried to talk about it but his voice was drowned out by other’s needs or they might have talked over him or simply not payed attention since they wouldn’t expect him to feel that way. Luka's character development could involve learning healthy boundaries and understanding that self-care and self-prioritization are necessary for his own well-being. And put distance between his feelings and others and that it’s okay to say no. Through personal growth and support from those around him, he could come to realize that taking care of himself is not selfish but essential.

Luka's anger issues isn’t fully gone (possibly) as it may arise from a tendency to suppress his emotions, especially if he feels the need to be strong and dependable for his family. Holding in the emotions for an extended period could lead to occasional outbursts or difficulty managing his anger when someone he cares about is threatened. Silencer and migration is a perfect example of that.

Overall, I think this backstory would provide Luka with a compelling arc of growth, self-discovery, and emotional mastery. It showcases his resilience, empathy, and determination to overcome obstacles, while also emphasizing the importance of emotional well-being and self-care.

[ladymiraclewings]

As a native french speaker, i think that Revolution is an interesting episode in various dimensions, like for example with the actual situation here in France about things like politic, (adding that i don't follow the news daily so i'm unaware of some things to) and also with Chloe's ascension as Mayor and her full takeover of power.

Aside the characters devellopment and things happening in this episode, there is another thing that i found interesting is when Chloe was making her speech at the Louvre, which it was something that really happened at the exact same place back in 2017 with President Macron, the actual president of France.

In summary Revolution is an amazing episodes which talk about many things (like the Adrienette relationship) but it's also talking about of French history in many ways and how it was explained (somehow, but with parallels)

[juxies]

Thinking on how they placed a whole special mid-season 5, I wonder if it’s safe to assume that the Brazil special will also take place in this season.

We get Luka leaving with Jagged and Penny, pictures of them in Brazil at the end of Migration, then no more news about them, and suddenly, in the finale, they’re fighting against the Miraculized people, seemingly fully trained by Master Su-Han, who wasn’t seen since Multiplication.

For what reason wouldn’t we know anything about them for so long? And how did they even meet the Celestial Guardian in a whole other continent? Not to mention how Luka is aware of Bunnix and that she isn’t supposed to interfere with the timeline.

If it’s the case, my bet is that this special will give us some insight about their situation and answer our questions, there’s really a lot of potential here.

[anastuffsstuffs]

ik people get very upset about the forgotten scarf plot in this fandom (i almost forgot it happened too) but i think the extent of it actually worked to show how much marinette truly doesn't do good things to get something from in exchange, yk? i guess alya said that she had a good heart for letting adrien belive it was a present from his father in the episode, but what actually shows how much she cares more about other peoples happiness, regarless of being rewarded for it or not, is the fact that it's been seasons and she has never said a word about it, and Adrien indeed never found out. (ik that for them it is less time than for us, but in others shows plots like this one would be "resolved" very quickly)

and i'm not questioning if letting go was the right thing to do or not (since she literally made it and adrien needs to know the truth). the point is that it is second nature for marinette to always work to do what she thinks is best for others, regardless of being rewarded for it. she knew she worked so hard on the scarf but bacause the purpose was to make him happy, and it did, the work was done, even if he didn't get the chance to compliment her or say thank you for it AND THATS WHY she is ladybug.

the scarf plot actually foreshadows her choice not to tell Adrien the truth about pretty much everything at the end of season 5 because of how extremelly depressed it would make him. and i think this utopian situation they are now living will make her finally start to question how much protection and sacrifice for people's happiness is actually worth it (or even if it really is "the right thing to do"), when is it actually good for them instead of their right to know the truth

[tengo-sentimientos-saben]

Gabi Grassette and Gabriel Agreste.

The question is, how?

As the potato chip boy, he became one of the most powerful figures in Paris (and the world).

[pearl484-blog]

About Zoe

There are two traits that Miraculous Ladybug has about Zoe that absolutely fascinate me.  1. She is an actress by nature and in her intro, she uses those skills to be the person she senses the people around her want her to be. Why did she learn habit? How often did she practice that to default to that when meeting new habits? What does that do to her sense of identity? How does she know who she is when there’s no one around her to define herself? It’s an interesting foil to Adrien who does something similiar to gain his father’s approval. He puts on a perfectly polite, well-behaved act, but we know that Adrien will let his wild, unrepressed side out at the slightest chance of interaction without consequences. Unlike Zoe, however, Adrien will keep up the same act (no matter how anti-thetical it is to how he feels) with everyone, instead of changing it on the fly, leading to him not getting caught as easily when he’s lying. 

2. When Zoe is first introduced, Chloe genuinely seems to be trying to be a role model to her. She shows Zoe around, gives her helpful tricks, and shows off how far she’s come. It isn’t until Zoe rejects her (because Chloe has decided “THEN LET ME BE EVIL” took the villain ball and started hogging it) that Chloe starts acting like a brat with Zoe, sometimes becoming even more petty towards Zoe than everyone else. I kinda wanna know, what would Chloe and Zoe have been like if Chloe wasn’t acting out and trying to become the world’s biggest jerk? Like, what if Zoe had arrived while Chloe was Queen Bee? Would Chloe still give her “bad” lessons, or would she use Zoe as a reflection of herself and teach Zoe all of the lessons she knew from being Queen Bee, good and bad?

[2manyfandoms2count]

I really love the fact that Hesperia uses the formal you (vous) with Ladybug and Chat Noir instead of treating them like insignificant kids

[atomicduckthefirst]

Was talking with @gameguy20100 and sort of discussing the nature of Kagami's creation, and what the heck Tomoe was thinking, and came to the conclusion that what made Kagami was the idea of honesty, or the desire for it.

Neurotypical vs Neurodivergent

Small disclaimer: I would like to apologize to anyone this might hurt, feel free to correct me at any time.

It's been basically established throughout the fandom that Kagami is HEAVILY autism coded (eg making lists to explain friendship, misunderstanding social cues or not picking up on them at all, needing the truth and nothing but the truth, etc.). We talked about why Tomoe would want to intentionally make Kagami autistic in a world that (I assume) is generally hostile to neurodivergent people. After all, perfection is generally associated with a rise to the top, so wouldn't being neurotypical make that easier? And with someone who is obsessed with perfection and believes their word is law, you would think they would make their daughter more like them, right? There are three reasons that we came up with.

1. Control through other people

First off, it allows her a better grasp of control over Kagami's free will. Though iirc it's unknown why she ever gave Kagami free will (likely because she values honesty), Kagami being autistic allows her to have a better hold over her. It isolates her from quite a few of her peers, at least at first, and it encourages her to interact with people like her mother, who is blunt (making her easier to understand for Kagami) and aggressive (which normalizes this behavior to Kagami). Additionally, she seems to find her mother hard to understand, but other, less abusive people can also be hard to understand, so even when exposed to better people she still believes her mother is a good person.

2. Control through the system

Since misunderstanding social cues and her own traits being misunderstood can screw Kagami over, why make her autistic? By intentionally kicking her down, she prevents her from getting to the top, and by association, prevents her from realizing Tomoe will never be happy with her, and that striving for perfection is an impossible goal. Once again, it allows her to keep control over what Kagami expects from her mother, and what she expects from herself.

3. Honesty is the best policy

To someone obsessed with perfection, who considers herself above all and who clearly doesn't like beating around the bush, it's possible Tomoe thinks the exact opposite of ableist people and considers being neurotypical a flaw. To someone who values honesty, arbitrary social cues, arbitrary expectations, and an aversion to saying what you want or mean, might be read to someone like Tomoe as making up rules, making up expectations, and twisting words. In other words, she might consider being neurotypical as being dishonest. As someone who is disabled, she's likely had quite a few people try to take advantage of her, especially considering the community she interacts with, so she might have reservations of her child being the same as those around her. It could quite literally be an act of rebellion. And considering Kagami's theme within the show is heavily implied to be truth (possibly directly paralleling Luka), it's possible Tomoe made Kagami desiring honesty. Which makes a lot of sense considering her character.

What's ironic though, is that she's friends with a lot of people who are... less than honest. Marinette and Adrien, sure, but also Lila (who she knows is a liar) and Felix (who iirc she also knows is a liar). So she directly goes against her mother's wishes.

She's very interesting to me, Kagami is love, Kagami is life.

[beezonia]

I really do like the idea that mayura uses her fan to communicate with others

It’s like such a subtle way of showing her cunningness because it’s an easy way to hide what you could end up saying to someone close to you

Much like when her and Hawkmoth communicate she spreads the fan out to hide their conversations

But also you realise a fan could also be used as a weapon (with the sentimonsters from the feathers) honestly if she got close enough she’d be able to poke someone’s eye out for sure

I also really like how it give me vibes of a heiress in anime’s with like how sneaky and bitchy they can be with the fans and their emotions

In Rise of the Sphinx we see a range of different emotions and ways she uses the fan to portray them

She usually keeps the fan closed when she’s annoyed or thinking about something, whilst it’s open when she’s feeling mean or excited

Much like Mayura, although from what we saw of her in the show, the emotions seem to be very muted apart from the anger and manipulation

Except when she’s dying or coughing she’s much more sad and muted

But yeah I love mayura and the use of the fan for not just making sentimonsters!

[nothingtherefornow]

Do you think that Miraculous have a problem setting foils to Marinette?

Oh that's a hard one to respond ^^' and I don't think I'm very suited to give you a proper answer but I'll try my best :).

I don't think Miraculous have a problem setting foils to Marinette because at least four of the Miraculous antagonists that we've seen to far can be considered foils to Marinette's character : Chloé, Lila, Gabriel, and Felix

According to wiki : "In any narrative, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character; typically, a character who contrasts with the protagonist, in order to better highlight or differentiate certain qualities of the protagonist. A foil to the protagonist may also be the antagonist of the plot."

And if I base myself on what I have read and heard about "foil characters" these can have at least one point in common or a resemblance with the character of which they are the foil :

Chloé

Chloé is everything Marinette is not : rich, snub, vain, cruel, sadistic, self-centered 100% of the time, and initially wanting to be a superhero not for altruistic reasons, but to gain admiration and fame. The only commonality that can be associated with them is their impulsiveness and the feeling of jealousy.

Except that where Marinette learns from her mistakes when she inadvertently hurts someone because of her jealousy, and gradually learns not to no longer let this feeling cloud her judgement, Chloé gets bogged down in this flaw, and her dislike for Marinette easily turns into hatred as soon as Marinette gets closer to Adrien and becomes the object of his affection.

2. Lila

The only thing one could associate between Lila and Marinette is the lying, except that where Lila lies for her own benefit, in order to gain the fame, power, control, attention, and popularity she crave so much, Marinette only lies by omission, to get out of an embarrassing situation, or to protect her secret identity or make somoene's happy. Marinette's lies are only non-malicious lies or white lies, unlike those of Lila.

And then let's not lie to ourself (no pun intended XD), while Marinette is of an altruistic, generous and heroic nature, Lila is just a perverse narcissist capable of ruining your life just because you offended or opposed her once

3. Gabriel Agreste

Both Marinette and Gabriel are from a modest background and low/middle social statut, and both are designers. But their vision about fashion differs a lot. For Marinette it's about understanding people, creating something they feel good with and which matches their dreams and personality. For Gabriel Fashion is like having the illusion of choice, where everything is about the trend of the moment decided by the more powerful and notirious/famous people.

Gabriel became a famous and rich designer now part of the rich elite, and became as cold, cruel, vain and arrogant as the likes of Audrey Bourgeois and Tomoe Tsurugi can be.

Marinette never lose sight of what is really important, and would sacrifice her dream for the sake of those she loves, while Gabriel is fully capable or hurting the people he pretends to love for the sake of his goals. Gabriel pretended to do things for his son's hapiness, but was catually only ever doing things for himself and hiding behind the excuse of doing it for his family. Marinette would never be be that self-interested or centered when the happiness of her loved ones is also at sake.

4. Felix Fathom

Felix and Marinette are both smart and intelligent, both have affection toward Adrien and Kagami, although while Felix's is more possessive and didn't hesitate to hurt Adrien for petty reasons before, Marinette is a loving person and only ever hurt people by clumsiness or accident in the past.

Marinette is a kind, altruistic and mostly selfless girl willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of her superheroes responsabilities, and she matured a lot across the seasons and learnt to better understand people. Felix has the emotional intelligence of a child and is morally grey and mostly had self-centered desires and ambitions. He also has quite a lot of worrying issues that makes him very dangerous because of the abuse he went through at his father hands

But just like Felix and Adrien, Marinette has reasons to resent the world and wanting a new one where her and her loved ones wouldn't be hurt by the likes of Gabriel, Chloé and Lila anymore. Because just like Felix, Marinette suffered from abuse, a different form of abuse because of Chloé, but abuse nonetheless, because that's what bullying is. And Marinette also suffered from a world where she was constantly let down by adults, just like Felix.

But Marinette never lets anger and hate get the better of her, in the end she beleives in doing the right thing, in giving a chance to others to fix their mistakes and bad deeds.

So yeah, we can kinda consider that there's 4 foils characters for Marinette in Miraculous

If anything, Miraculous has problems setting foils for Adrien :

Lila could have been his foils in many ways : They are both very charismatic, easily attracting the admiration of others, both work as models, and both are skilled in hiding behind a mask. But where Lila only wants paws to fawn over her, and her popularity rests on lies, Adrien wants guenuine friends, and suffers from his fame as a model, and and it is his honest talents and qualities that have made him popular and famous. And Adrien is putting a mask in front of others when he wants to hide his pains and troubles from them.

Lila use her lies and manipualtion tactics to deceive and hurt others, and I only remember Adrien using his manipulative skills twice, once when he let jealousy cloud his judgmenet, and the second time when he "asked" Lila to fiw the mess she's made against Marinette during the episode Ladybug.

Contrary to Adrien, Lila doesn't want friends, se only wants puppets whose strings she can pull and who can give her attention and affection. In the abusive environment where he grew up, Adrien may have turned out like this in the worst case scenario, but he didn't, he became somoene who doesn't want to hurt others, even those who wronged him in the past.

Felix and Gabriel could also have been foils for Adrien in their own way :

In the special Paris we discover that Adrien once considered the idea of using the wish to bring his mother back, but abandonned the idea because he's perfectly aware of what sacrifice that wish would entail, and Adrien doesn't want somoene to live through the same pain he did from losing a parent. This is the complete opposite of Gabriel who doesn't care how many people he will hurt to make the same wish. Adrien is kind and selfless enought to think other people, Gabriel couldn't care less about the innocents.

Adrien once proclaimed that unlike his father, he wouldn't live in the past, and we've seen how Adrien's love for the girl of his dreams can be just as strong as the love Gabriel feels for Emilie. Except that where Adrien's love became more and more selfless toward Ladybug and Marinette, Gabriel's love turns out to be selfish and possessive, everything Adrien isn't.

Outside of the fact that they're both sentimonsters, Felix is ​​what Adrien might have become in other circumstances : bitter, resentfull, angry agaist the the whole world for the abuse and injustice he went through, willing to do anything to create the perfect world for him and his loved ones (hello Chat Blanc ?) and as skilled in manipulation and deception as his cousin and Lila can be. Instead, Adrien keeps faith in the good of others, and has become a kind, caring, charitable, heroic, honest person, in short everything that Felix is ​​not, although he may still become more honest and heroic in the future

But in the end, neither Lila, Felix or Gabriel are foils to Adrien , because while all those three characters have had confrontation with Marinette, Adrien never had the last word or a true fight with those three