So due to a bunch of in real life events happening in my life and me working on a new one shot and my long term fanfiction I might not update this story for a while. Just to be clear this fic is not dead but I need more time to make sure this fic is still great. That being said please check out my last chapter called "A Cat's True Value" in where Cat Noir starts to learn about new abilites.
Anyway, since I have your attention I want to tell you about what I think about the show as a whole.
Miraculous Ladybug for me is a very interesting but flawed show, particulary in how they handle the romantic aspects of the show, repetative story structure, and the characters.
With the show's infamous love square I was invested in it for 2 seasons but by season 3 it got old. Adrien and Marinette were good with each other, but there is so many times you can see Marinette fawn over Adrien (and in season 3 be much more creepy to him) and Adrien be oblivious towards Marinette. Not to mention the whole secret identity situation makes things even more convolutued and I just wonder that if Alya and Nino get to know each other's secret identities, why can't Marinette and Adrien know each other's identity especailly since they are the only ones who KEEP their Miraculouses. Yes Phineas and Ferb did this but the Phineas and Isabella relationship wasn't the main focus of the show unlike Miraclous Ladybug. Also with the introduction of Luka and Kagami I thought that Marinette and Adrien would be better off with them. I know Marinette/Ladybug and Adrien/Cat Noir will get together with a reveal but it won't happen for a while.
Now for the story structure, for 5 seasons the show's structure has relatively stayed the same with the whole villain of the day thing. Even though in season 2 and onward shook things with new characters and character arcs, new heroes, new villains, and new concepts, the format stayed the same even with the season 2 and season 3 finale. For the sake of comparison I am going to bring up seasons of Power Rangers such as In Space, Lost Galaxy, Time Force, S.P.D., Jungle Fury, and RPM as examples of serialized episodes of TV that follow a formula done right. However these seasons would have 35 to 40 episodes per 1 season with a specific theme before moving on to something entirely new. The point is that this format can work for one maybe two seasons but not for five seasons, and even though the plot is moving it does get distracting/hard to get through with crucial plot points being mishandled due to sticking with the formula. Maybe if the heroes took more proactive measures to stop Hawk Moth or actively make plans against Hawk Moth or had more character development through the akumatized villains this wouldn't be so bad. And speaking of the characters...
To me I see Miraculous Ladybug as a character driven show with the plot being repetative and the lore not being not being explored to it's highest potential, the show rides or dies with the characters. Especially with the love square driving the civilian plotlines and how they will milk this plotline dry until the show is over. You already know my thoughts on Adrien/Cat Noir and Marinette/Ladybug, so I am going to talk about some other characters. Alya and Nino are good friends to our main leads and I like them as a couple, Chloe should have keep her redemption arc, Lila should replace Chloe's role as an antagonist to Marinette, and there are other potentially intersting characters (like Marinette's classmates or the other past Miraculous holders) that the show never really focuses on. It's a shame because if the show can focus more on the supporting cast and make them matter.
While I will not spoil season 4 of Miraculous Ladybug (the episodes can be watch on YouTube in a different language (with English subtitles being available), I will say that the season does live up to Thomas Astruc's promise of each episode having the emotional impact of season 3's Cat Blanc.
So with me working on different stories and other writing projects, me attending college in the fall and in the summer will be preparing for college, alongside moving to a different part of the state things have been hectic. I will finish this short story but I still have a longer term project to work on and the amount of projects I tackled is a bit much, but I will talk about it more on my profile page. My schedule may be scattershot for a while but I will not give up on writing this fanfic, however I will discuss topics of shows in place for chapters so you guys can have something to look forward to. I will be taking a break for a while to restrategize but don't worry during the summer this fanfic will have at least one new chapter. Anyway, reviews would appreciated as I can use them to better plan out my fanfiction goals in the future. Until next time.