Her name is Marinette. She is just a normal girl, with a normal life. But there is something about her that no one knows yet, because she has a secret. She leads a double life as a clumsy high school student and the guardian of the Miraculous Ladybug. Her struggles and triumphs have been the staple of many childhoods since she first appeared on screen on Dec. 20, 2015.
While viewers have their own reason for getting into this show, one thing is clear: it appeals to almost everyone, with its over-the-top characters drawing in a younger audience and its interesting concept keeping fans hooked. What other kids show has both an exaggerated love story and a love interest who ends up an orphan?
Ladybug, Cat Noir and other Miraculous holders returned on Jan. 24, 2025 to face a new mysterious villain. Each episode, set usually in Paris, France, follows a similar formula as previous seasons, with a person feeling negative emotions becoming “akumatized,” resulting in superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir having to save them. However, a huge change this season is the art style, with characters having softer edges and coloring as well as smoother animation. While this change is jarring and most people are not fans of it, this reaction could be because of nostalgia for the old art style. With time, people might very well start warming up to it. Although their designs change, the characters themselves remain familiar, with Marinette and Adrien staying at the core of the show.
“Marinette is so creepy, she kind of gives Yandere energy,” FHS freshman Harper Roth said. “She’s like, ‘No one else can have Adrian but me! Let’s get married and have 50 hamsters!’ And then she goes and dates somebody else? What are the standards?”
With the ongoing love square resolved and Marinette and Adrien getting together, fans were hoping Marinette would finally grow past her obsession with Adrien. Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, Marinette continues her streak of being a stalker, and this is framed as her way of showing affection. People are tired of this being the main part of Marinette’s personality. She is controlling, stubborn and cares too much about everything, but these are traits that make her a more realistic character that people can relate to. They also make her a competent Ladybug, as her passion for helping others and her stubbornness keep her from giving up.
Unlike Marinette, Adrien takes on a supportive role. He is bland and would fade into the background if not for his goofy side that comes out when he becomes Cat Noir.
“Adrien doesn’t have a personality,” FHS sophomore Tamar Aharon said. “His whole thing is being depressed. He’s like, ‘Aw, I don’t have a mom,’ or, ‘My dad is mean to me and makes me gross pancakes!’”
While it is refreshing to see Adrien living freely as Cat Noir, he still plays the supporting role to Ladybug. Adrien has so much potential but it is wasted for the sake of turning him into a comic relief. However, in his father’s absence, Adrien is more carefree and can finally express his true self around others. He finds out who he is when he is not crippled by the weight of his father’s expectations.
Despite all the nonsense and clichés, “Miraculous Ladybug” is iconic. It is charming and nothing, not even the new art style or the episodes being released out of order, can take that away. In all seriousness, this show balances the reason it was created with the reason it keeps going. Every episode, while following the same format, is unique and contributes to the overarching plot. No wonder so many are obsessed with it.
