#re-creation spoilers

[buggachat]

best. dad. ever.

bonus:

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

meet the cast of "lies of attrition"

everything's going so well in my and @ladyofthenoodle 's post-s5 fic! look how fine it's going! absolutely nothing can or will go wrong!

[hamsternamedmarinette]

I have so many thoughts on this finale HOLY FREAKING MOLY!!!!!!!!! 

First of all I’m surprised at the few posts I’ve seen so far expressing disappointment at how things “wrapped up.” Because I found it pretty obvious that this definitely is not the end!!! But the ending right now, in my opinion, was perfect BECAUSE of that underlying bittersweetness! I know we all hate the idea of the love square keeping secrets from each other, but the alternative to this was to have Adrien’s world COMPLETELY crashing down all at once, and in my opinion that wouldn’t have been satisfying at all. It would have just been uncomfortably tragic. I think it’s much more satisfying storytelling to let him have his moment of peace now, after all this horror, then pick everything up with the next season. 

And as for Gabriel Agreste being remembered as the city’s hero, yeah it’s unfair, but that’s honestly why I love it!!!! The idea of the city living in peace and happiness and remembering this man as the good guy, but only Marinette knows the truth??? THAT’S THE GOOD ANGST RIGHT THERE!!!!! I’m so surprised I’m not seeing more people sharing that opinion!!! Like I said, is it fair? No!! Is it gosh darn interesting and intriguing storytelling?? HECK YEAH!!!!!!!!! I’m obsessed!!! 

And the way it left off with Lila being the new butterfly miraculous holder!!! Like come on, it’s so obvious that “Adrien being lied to about his father’s identity” isn’t the endgame here. Lila still has proof of Gabriel’s identity as Hawk Moth, and now she’s the Big Bad. I can’t believe I’m the one saying this, given how I’ve felt about this show’s writing in the past, but have some faith in the story, guys!!! It’s clear Adrien’s story isn’t over! 

All in all I found this finale epic and awesome and satisfying, and I don’t care if I’m the only one who feels that way, I’m utterly obsessed. 

[miraculous-pyromaniac]

'Omg it was so vile to keep Adrien away from the final fight against hawkmoth. Can't believe they did this'

YALL WHAT DO YOU THINK THE POINT OF CHAT BLANC AND EPHEMERAL WERE!?!?!?

Adrien cannot fight his father. He can't do it. Not only because he's a fucking sentimonster, bit because Gabriel can take advantage of him so easily when he reveals its all for his mother.

'But he fought his father in Representation' but he wasn't being faced between the prospect of betraying his only family or betraying the love of his life then. He was just an angry teenager who had been pulled from his home. No moral dilemma just anger.

Adrien is not emotionally intelligent enough to chose between his mother and Marinette.

If Adrien was there, they would have fucking lost. THAT was the point of Chat Blanc and Ephemeral.

[ninadove]

I’ve seen some complaints that Gabriel had somehow been redeemed in the finale, and that the show was disgusting for celebrating an abuser, and like

No

That’s the exact opposite of what happened

Marinette made it a point to give Gabriel one last chance to take accountability and finally become a good father to Adrien. Not only did he turn her down, but he straight up attacked her and carried on with his plan, convinced of his own moral superiority the entire time

Whether or not his last act was to bring back Emilie or to try to fix the damage he caused ultimately does not matter. It has been hammered into our brains, repeatedly, that making the wish is dangerous, irresponsible, and a refusal to accept the notion of mortality AS A GROWN ASS ADULT. But whatever the inevitable consequences turn out to be — he won’t be around to experience them.

We know what a redemption arc (admittedly incomplete, but hopefully on its way to being wrapped up in S6) looks like in Miraculous, and it’s significant that this jerk managed to miss all the marks a fourteen-year-old successfully hit:

Gabriel will never have to face any legal repercussions for terrorising an entire city for a year, nor for trying to take over the world. He will never have to explain to Adrien what this cruel charade was all for. This poor child is going to break next season, and that statue is 1,000% getting cataclysmed, but it doesn’t matter. The person who hurt him isn’t there anymore. No justice can be achieved.

In other words, he did not get redeemed. He pulled a Shadow Weaver.

[lycorogue]

Got around to watching the Miraculous: London special last night and two things still bug me. 1) Minor, but.... why is this the London special when the only bits that are actually in London are rescuing Kagami and Adrien from their isolation chambers? The rest is in the burrow and Paris..... I guess they couldn't double-dip Miraculous Paris, so they used the secondary location????

2) The main thing that bugs me, though, is the GLARING plot hole that is the entire special. Forgive me if this has already been discussed when the special dropped on the 5th. I haven't checked the tags quite yet.

So, the WHOLE PLOT is because the future Bunnyxes* fade from existence and the entire burrow is shutting down due to time ending. The character formerly known as Lila made a wish, and the entire universe is being erased to be rewritten, as Sass had explained to Luka in "Ephemeral". There is no future because that universe no longer exists to HAVE a future.

EXCEPT!

The WHOLE POINT of the climax of "Re-Creation" (season 5 finale) is that Gabriel succeeded in making his wish.

Didn't- Didn't that then erase their universe and re-write it? Just as it did when Lila made her wish or when Gabriel made his originally in "Ephemeral"?

Wouldn't it have collapsed the burrow the same way that it did in the London special? Why did Alix panic this time, but not the previous one (I'm not counting "Ephemeral" since 15yo Alix wasn't in the burrow at that time)? Did the future Bunnyx(es) not disappear when Gabriel made his wish for some reason??? Was that wish somehow different???

*BTW, where did 70yo Bunnyx come from? Why wasn't she there the whole time? Does she randomly pop in-and-out of the burrow? Does Alix at other ages just kinda pop in-and-out of the burrow? Since we never see other-ages-Alix in the burrow does that mean Alix only ever really uses her powers to hide when she's 15 and again in her 20s? But not again until she's 70? How does that even work? Time doesn't really move forward inside the burrow, so shouldn't it be then filled with every Alix of every age that has ever used the burrow??? What is even going on, and what was the point of even including "grandma" Bunnyx?????

**Side note: Since I'm on a mini Bunnyx tangent right now anyway, I find it odd the times Bunnyx is used to avoid disaster vs not.

Wait MONTHS after Chat Noir is akumatized into Chat Blanc and has killed everyone in Paris; maybe the whole world, who knows?

Don't stop Gabriel making his wish in "Ephemeral"; have Sass use his powers without a holder instead.

Stop Lila from making her wish, but don't stop Gabriel from making his.

I just wish the writers had a better rule-of-thumb for Alix using her power vs not before bringing in an ever-watching time-keeper holder into the mix. -_-

[lc-holy]

My other thoughts on season 5:

We all thought it was Marinette who was going to confess first, but it was actually Adrien who did. And we all thought it was Adrien who would confront his father in the end, but it was actually Marinette who did.

We learned that the reason Marinette couldn't confess to Adrien wasn't that she was afraid he'd reject her (although Marinette was afraid of that too), but rather that she couldn't confess because of her trauma-induced anxieties. (But I'll be honest, even without justifying Marinette's trauma in the derision episode, we know that Marinette has been harassed by Chloe for a long time and that she's a big part of the reason for Marinette's anxiety).

Early on in season 5, Alya makes it clear to Marinette that Adrien is interested in her. And the Adrien's confession didn't really surprise Marinette. The important thing was to find out how Marinette will manage to face her fears so that she and Adrien can finally be together. Adrien's patience and kindness had a lot to do with it. He took the lead in their relationship to ensure Marinette's comfort until she was ready to confess.

In the final third of the season, it was Marinette who took matters into her own hands to free Adrien from his father. It's not that Adrien didn't do anything; on the contrary, he tried to talk to his father several times, but it was always to no avail, as Gabriel had such a hold on him. But we were still treated to the Representation episode where Adrien was able to tell his father everything that was on his mind. But in the end, even as Chat noir, Gabriel got the better of him. There could be no Monarch-Chat noir confrontation because of Adrien's nightmare. He was already very unstable at the start of the Conformation episode, so how could he face his father and discover all his secrets in this state?

Some may not like what I'm about to say, but I think it's great that Adrien didn't confront his father. We already see in many stories people who suffer abuse go directly to confront their abuser to free themselves, so why not tell the story of a victim who can't confront his abuser? Especially since Gabriel can easily control Adrien.

And I love how Adrien's friends were there to support him and helped Chat noir beat Gabriel in the Representation episode!

And Marinette managed to free Adrien, but not without consequences. It's not just "the knight who freed the princess from the evil dragon and happy ending!". Gabriel leaves her with all his heavy secrets. The idyllic ending we're shown at the end is just Adrien's vision. It's as if Gabriel has hidden all the horrors he's committed in a box wrapped in beautiful gift wrap. Only Marinette and a few others know the contents, but prefer not to say anything for Adrien's sake.

And please know that I don't blame Marinette at all for keeping the truth from him, it's extremely difficult to tell truths that could break the person you love. And I don't understand people who say she has to tell him the truth because otherwise she's a bad person. It's so much more complicated than that... Especially as Marinette also has the right to take a breather...

Still, I can't wait (and I'm afraid too) to see when the truth comes out.

 But there's very little room for Ladynoir, is there?

Er... yes. One of my main criticisms of this season is the cruel lack of Ladynoir ! There are very few Ladynoir moments, even platonic ones. Not even a discussion at the end of the two episodes of the kwamis choice. Or when Ladybug suddenly trusts Felix in Pretension. Chat Noir is just a little surprised, but that's all.

I can understand that Ladynoir is less present because Adrien and Marinette are much more focused on their relationship as Adrinette. And Ladybug and Chat Noir had no conflict this season. This is a season that was supposed to wrap up several arcs, but because the episodes are short and there are so many arcs to wrap up, ladynoir is sidelined. But honestly, apart from the few moments I mentioned above, I didn't find the absence of ladynoir all that bothersome. (Still, I'm sad I haven't seen much of them this season).

And as I said, this season was supposed to conclude several arc. So we have the end of the Chloe arc, the Lila arc, the Gabriel arc, the Ladynoir arc and the Adrinette arc, but the end of an arc doesn't mean it's really the end.

Chloé is far from Paris, but will surely return worse than ever. (or perhaps a redemption? but I don't think so), Lila no longer exists but she becomes Cerise and possesses the butterfly miraculous, Gabriel is dead but his statue is there to remind us that he's still here after all.

The Ladynoir arc concluded in the first third of the season.

Chat Noir abandons his feelings for Ladybug, as he realizes his feelings are not reciprocated, and focuses on his feelings for Marinette. Ladybug begins to have feelings for Chat Noir, but as he no longer has feelings for her, she decides to focus on her feelings for Adrien. In the final episode, Ladybug and Chat noir found a balance in their great superhero team. Chat noir and Ladybug stand next to each other in front of all the other superheroes following them.

Adrinette's arc :

Adrien managed to be more enterprising in his love relationship and to be a good support to Marinette. Marinette faced up to her fears and had the courage to confront her boyfriend's father several times before setting him free. They had their fairytale ending.

But some things don't add up, not only does the end of the lovesquare arc set us up for an Adrinette conflict over the secrets Marinette is keeping from Adrien, but the relationship between Chat Noir and Ladybug is also incomplete. For example, Ladybug has never confessed her feelings to Chat Noir. To me, Chat Noir and Ladybug's feelings haven't changed, they're just hidden for now.  

Cerise seems to have more rage against Marinette than Ladybug. Especially in the post-endcard re-creation. While Gabriel was very angry with Ladybug and Chat noir, is Cerise more likely to take it out on Adrien and Marinette's relationship? 

Although I was initially skeptical about Adrien and Marinette breaking up, Cerise could potentially be the cause of a future Adrinette separation. Maybe i’ll be totally wrong, but I think there will be a conflict between Marinette and Adrien that will relaunch the lovesquare in some way.

To sum up: like the end of Gabriel and that idyllic ending that feels more like a dream than reality, the conclusion of the lovesquare for this arc left a lot of people dubious. As if something were incomplete. An ending for Marinette and Adrien will only be satisfying if there's a reveal, so yes the story isn't over. Adrinette and Ladynoir will be confronting new issues and conflicts next seasons. It's a new beginning for everyone.

 One last thing about what Adrien said to Marinette in the garden: "I don't know if I'll ever manage to be like him [his father]". I saw a lot of people angry that Adrien had suddenly forgotten all the horrible things his father had done, and that this meant Gabriel had been redeemed. I'm sure Adrien still knows what his father did to him, especially when he tells Marinette that he feels freer when he's with her. I interpret this as a kind of guilt on Adrien's part. Adrien has always had a sense of sacrifice, especially in helping Ladybug, but the only time he refuses to go and fight for everyone's safety is when his father dies. He must have felt some guilt or perhaps admiration for his father at the time, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten all the horrible things his father did before.

And if you still have doubts about whether the writers gave Gabriel redemption at the end of the season, here's what Thomas has to say about it :

[lunaroceanic]

I think MLB has a really good opportunity here to reinforce the importance of the Ladybug-Chat Noir partnership—really, a lot of the groundwork for it has been laid out already. Because much to mine and many fans’ disappointment, Adrien did almost nothing in this episode. He wasn’t able to contribute at all to the final confrontation, Ladybug did not have him by her side—and she lost! She was, in fact, not able to do it without her partner, just like she always says! She didn’t have Chat there to back her up in the fight, or balance out her habit of wanting to see the best in people and offering second chances, which allowed Gabriel to win.

That theme of imbalance is reflected in Gabriel’s choice to shirk Ladybug’s offer to find a solution at the human level and instead continue to pursue his wish for a world that’s perfect (for nobody but himself). I really don’t think this “perfect” world will last, I think LB and Chat’s relationship will be tested one ultimate final time through the reveal of what Ladybug’s been hiding from Adrien and Chat, but once they’re on more equal footing again vis a vis: information, they’ll come out on the other side stronger for it

[6foottallladybug]

me explaining to my mom that that one furry show i watched 5 years ago is kinda over now and also the main villain just committed suicide on screen and their old teacher just had a baby with her wife and a 14 year old was mayor bc her dad skipped town with her half sister he isn’t related to and now the main superhero girl is with her superhero boyfriend but as their true identities and neither of them know and also she knows his dad was the supervillain who committed suicide but didn’t tell him and now he thinks his dad is a hero who sacrificed himself to stop the villain and

[awakefor48hours]

Me logging onto Tumblr in 2015

[hauntiingg]

we should start drawing fanarts of other kwami’s revealed forms. i want to see what people come up with.

[buggachat]

imagine if plagg just revealed his true form on a whim whenever he felt like it

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

Even now, with his father lost to the universe, and not even a body to bury, Gabriel was still here. He was in his room, in all the belongings his money had bought, in all the clothes that bore his brand. He was in the Miraculous on Adrien’s hand, the twin rings hanging from a chain he could never remove, in all the words Ladybug refused to tell Chat Noir. And he was in the statue in the Place des Vosges, immortalized in gold, looking out at the city with serene contemplation, but never down at Adrien. Never again. “He was Monarque,” Adrien spoke into the darkness. Maybe Plagg could hear, maybe not. His Kwami was always good about knowing just what Adrien wanted him to know. “My father was Monarque.” His words hung hollow in the silence, their weight somehow growing heavier on Adrien’s chest as he spoke. The voice didn’t answer, keeping silent long enough for Adrien to wonder, once more, if he really had imagined it. Then it was there again, as close and clear as though its speaker was in the room with him. You’re Chat Noir, it told him firmly. Cataclysm his statue.

moonie i'm obsessed.

[isuthetimelady]

Can we talk about how she was fighting Monarch with a giant fly swatter

[juliamex3]

The more I think about it this isn't a happy ending. The wish was made. Marinette lost, Gabriel won. The Butterfly Miraculous is still lost. LBs and CNs dynamic feels like is back to square one.

There were some small victories in there. They got the other miraculous back. Gabriel is gone. But the negatives feel like they ourweigh the positives. The ending of the episode FRAMES it like a happy ending, but is it really?

I don't know I think that's an interesting way to cap off the first major story arc of the show that was focused on for five seasons, with everything being very unclear.

The entire last couple of minutes in recreation in general all feel weirdly ambiguous, something about that whole entire scene is off to me it just doesn't seem right. And maybe I'm delusional, or maybe this is intentional and something they'll play off on.

Maybe things AREN'T as perfect as they currently seem. Maybe there were more consequences of the wish. Maybe these are different characters than the ones we were foolowing before.

[ninadove]

Can we please get the explanation too because that has to be a hell of a piece of creative writing