Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noiris a French animated show marketed toward children. But in the seven years of the show’s existence, it has found a strong following from all age demographics. Whether it be families that sit down together or young adults looking to relive the nostalgia of their childhood cartoons through new content,Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noirdelivers.
Here, we will dive into the aspects that makeMiraculousan excellent show for the entire family. From the emotional moments and relationships formed to the battles Ladybug and Cat Noir face against the forces of negativity, this show holds many aspects that appeal to a broad age range from children to adults.
Positive Messaging
The show’s basis is that Marinette & Adrian work together in their secret identities to combat their friends, family, and the people of Paris after the villain Hawkmoth has possessed them. Hawkmoth seeks to manipulate people’s negative emotions, giving them superpowers in exchange for feeding their poisoned thoughts. All he desires is the power of Ladybug & Cat Noir, as the powers of creation & destruction combined could bring back his lost love.
While there is plenty of fighting throughout the show, the message in every episode remains the same. Whenever possible, the heroes try to talk to the people who have been possessed and help them work through their emotions. Whether it be a close friend who had been humiliated or a stranger who is frustrated because no one understands them, the duo work toprotect innocents from harmand then take the time to talk to the possessed and give them encouraging words on how to move forward.
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Superheroes
The Superhero trend has taken over screens everywhere. In this series, we are treated to two teenagers who have been gifted magical items known as the Miraculous. Each Miraculous has a kwami spirit inside, with Marinette’s housing Tikki & Adrian’s housing Plagg. The kwamis left unattended would have chaotic unchecked power, with Plagg proving capable of destroying an entire city with just one use of his destructive abilities.
Keeping their identities secret from all of Paris, including their family, friends, and each other, the action and romance displayed throughout the show both exemplifies the strength of the popular genre and adds to it, making it a more marketable show for a broad audience. Add in the twist identity of their main villain (revealed in the show’s second season), and audiences still excitedly wait to see what’s next in the tales of these two heroes and their friends who come along for the ride.
Serialized Format
In the beginning, the show appears to take on an episodic format, with the story of every episode remaining self-contained. WhileMarinette’s crush on Adrian(and Cat Noir’s infatuation with Ladybug) is a running theme throughout the show, there wouldn’t be a true narrative until the end of season one. There would be a two-episode story depicting theorigins of the heroes. This would open the door for new characters and new heroes to appear.
Upon the second season’s debut, the villain Hawkmoth was revealed to be someone very close to Adrian. With this knowledge in the audience’s hands, but the heroes, many story arcs would prove even more emotional. Sometimes the show would give us the perspective of the villain who has taken this path of manipulation and deceit in the hopes that they can bring back someone very dear to them. While the narrative can appear cliché on paper, the cast of actors and writers pull off the scenes excellently, ensuring the audience is on the edge of their seats for every chapter.
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Representation
There is atremendous cast in the showwith plenty of diversity. While the show takes place in Paris, a broad range of accents and skin tones make every character feel unique. Marinette, the main character, has a French & Chinese heritage, with some episodes taking time to showcase the different cultures.
There is also astrong LGBT representationfeatured throughout the series. While the series has beenshy to follow-upon the same-sex relationships hinted at throughout the show, many quickly point to specific moments where the relationships seem to be cemented. An instance such as Juleka kissing Rose off-screen or the moment of quiet intimacy shared between Marc & Nathaniel leads many to see signs that Thomas Astruc (writer) & Jeremy Zag (developer, producer, composer, etc.) have slowly been building towards. With Nino & Alya finally seeing their relationship come to fruition, many are hopeful that steps will be taken in future seasons to further grow the representation in this show.
