I don't get it: Why did they give Chloe a redemption arc and made her a hero, only to throw it all away?
She had the chance to change her life for the better, to help others in need out of the kindness of her heart. But did the writers have to decide that she was better as a villain?
I know she was just a character that started out as a drawing in paper and had the spaces filled up in color, but were the writers unintentionally too cruel to push her and force her back into the dark side? Was she only meant to be hated and not to be loved? By her fellow characters and Miraculous fans?
To be honest: I still have hope that her cold, selfish heart will be thawed once more. That she still has a chance to mend broken bridges with the people she has wronged.
I'm not asking that the animators to give her a second redemption arc. It's fine if they want to keep her like that in the original. Us fans just have to remember that one season were she was a hero through our own AU fanfictions and not go against those fans in the opposing side.
Every opinion should be respected. Each of us has his/her own ideas of how the world goes. Some are beautiful... Some are hideous... And sometimes... They bring out the best in each and every one of us.
And yes. This is all because of Season 5.
Well... at least Gabriel grew a heart. In a way. Even though... it was just, a bit.
Season 6... More heartwarming and less heart-aching please!
He couldn't remember the most beautiful thing he ever saw in his entire life... until the day he met her.
Her beautiful blue eyes that sparkle like the ocean... her sweet, melodious siren-like laugh... her soft, luscious hair that makes you feel like you're sleeping in the midnight sky...
If only his bed was made from that material...
Even the way she picked a library book off a shelf was cute.
This was it. The end of school for the week. This was his chance.
He has no photoshoots, no homework, and no busy plans for the weekends. It was the perfect opportunity to ask Marinette out.
He approaches her, ready to ask his long-planned question...
"Going to the zoo! GOING TO THE ZOOOOOO!" Zen suddenly appears out of nowhere singing a happy song. Marinette giggles at him while Adrien just stands there frozen.
And just when he was about to ask her out...
"Only you would get excited over a panther giving birth." Marinette teases.
"Says the girl who was gawking over a picture of a baby kitten hours ago." Zen winks back at her.
For the two teens, this was just their usual friendly banter which they have been doing since they were kids.
For Adrien... it's a WHOLE, COMPLETELY, DIFFERENT story...
"Dude? Dude!"
Nino's voice, and wake-up shake, snapped Adrien back to reality. To the blonde boy's dismay, the girl of his dreams was already gone. Along with his newly-discovered rival in love!
"I'm guessing you saw Marinette with another boy when you tried to ask her out." Sabrina guesses.
Adrien frantically looks around, "How long since you guys got here?"
"Not more than 30 seconds ago." Sabrina replies.
"You, guys happen to know how long Marinette and Zen know each other?" Adrien asks nervously.
"Since they were kids." Nino replies, "The way Marinette sticks to Zen makes it look like he's her older brother."
"Sticks"?! "OLDER BROTHER"?!
"Wait." Nino tries to hold back a chuckle, "You not seriously thinking there's something going on with those dudes, are you? They're just friends."
"Oh. Okay." Adrien tries to not sound panicking, "Question do 'friends' like taking each other to the zoo?"
"Well a black panther recently gave birth at the zoo..." Sabrina recalls, "And I did hear Zen said he wanted to go on the weekend..."
"Thanks! See you guys!" Adrien waves his friends good-bye as he entered his ride.
Wayzz half-way emerges from Nino's hat, watching as his holder's friend left, "He's going isn't he?"
His holder, Sabrina and Duusu nodded in agreement.
He's just gonna admire some cute little animals... He's definitely not hiding behind some bushes while stalking his favourite classmate and her childhood "friend"...
"Just a reminder:" Alya, who found out through Sabrina about her and Nino's talk with Adrien and followed him to his hiding place in the bushes, narrows her eyes, "She's my dearest friend."
Adrien nervously chuckles, "I... just want to get the full Safari experience."
Alya deepens her voice, "Pretty sure they don't have that here."
The two and their kwamis hid silently behind the bushes as their friends in question came into view.
"Alright Little Man." Marinette teases Zen, "Where to first?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Zen shoots back, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the black panther exhibit.
Adrien's grip on a bush branch tightens as he watches them hold hands.
"That's a, 'Come-On-There's-Something-I-Want-To-Show-You' grip." Alya explains in an attempt to calm him down (and not get arrested for stalking), "Like a kid to his mom in a candy store."
"Not much of a big deal, until the kid throws a tantrum." Nino adds.
His best friend's sudden appearance beside him made Adrien slightly jump in surprise.
"You really have nothing to worry about Master Adrien." Wayzz assures, "Thanks to our size, us kwamis can assure you that Master Zen only sees Miss Marinette as a dear friend who he constantly worries about when she gets involved with akumatized victims."
By the wide eyes on Adrien's face...
"Wrong choice of words, Wayzz." Trixx noted.
"Location confirmed." Sabrina's voice echoed in Nino's earbud. The peacock member of the Team was hiding under the shadow of a tree, pretending to watch the wolves as the targeted duo passes by her, "Heading towards the big black kitties. Request to contain Golden Hawk?"
"Stand by for now." Nino replies.
Adrien looks at them suspiciously, "'Golden Hawk'? 'Contain'?"
When she found out her childhood friend was following her rival to the zoo, Chloe decided to follow her first to give her a piece of her mind!
Why couldn't that meddling, devoted fan of hers be less appealing in the eyes of the boy she was friends with since they were little? She has her own childhood friend and they were still close like siblings.
Just look at them! Gushing over a newborn- Awww! The mommy kitty is licking the baby kitty!
Chloe shakes her head. Get it together Girl!
She continues her way, only to bump into the most vicious animal of her Team.
"Oh now that's just insulting." Lila voices out.
"What?" Chloe asks in confusion, before they continue their glare-down.
Zen and Marinette just couldn't stop awing at the newborn panther cub, even if they were running out of breathe.
"You're gonna grow up into the fastest cat in the planet! Yes you are!" Zen coos at the cub from the safety point.
Earlier, he and Marinette met up with Max and Kim, who both came to see the newborn. The taller boy boasted that he could outrun a panther.
The way he putted it like that, Zen hopes he wouldn't get the panther akumatized.
The moment he saw some zoo merchandises promoting the newborn panther cub, Zen's eyes light up, "I'll... be right back."
"Take your time." Marinette slightly teases. She knows how "fascinated" her friend is with animals.
The moment Zen approached the cart selling the panther merchandises, a white butterfly lands on Marinette's finger.
Zen happily picks up a baby panther plushie, complete with a diaper and a rattle in its paw. He gives it a tight squeeze, hoping he wouldn't pop it before he could take it home with him.
He just LOVES animals! Some people think they're just some beasts who do nothing but wander around mindlessly all day without a care in the world. But not him!
To him, all animals are like people; They have their own quirky characteristics that make them unique from one another... They express love to each other (in really weird ways)... And they're actually quite friendly and helpful to people.
Some of them...
"Hey Adrien. Nino. Alya." He greets the hidden trio while his eyes were still fixed to the plushie, much to the surprise of his classmates who jumped out of their hiding places.
Zen turns to the blonde model, "Friend to friend: Marinette, might 'appreciate' this kind of attention, but it would be better if you gave her a cute plushie to rack up some points."
He gives the plushie to Adrien before checking out the other merchandises.
Adrien was confused, "Hey Zen? Is Marinette, truly your 'friend'?"
"Okay. I see where this is going." Zen turns to face him again, "Adrien... Me and Marinette are just childhood friends. She's like a little sister to me. A little sister who sometimes get occupied with the little things that she almost gets herself hurt if left unsupervised."
Adrien, along with his friends, including the ones who remain hidden, had to agree on that. They have had experience with their classmate's clumsiness due to being too occupied.
Zen continues, "I would love nothing more than for her to be with a nice boy who would make her happy, and even risk his life just for her safety. Especially with the Akuma Attacks we have to face in an almost daily basis. I can totally see that in you. Adrien Agreste."
Adrien couldn't believe what he just heard, "R-really?"
"Dude. Why else did you think I was heading out with Alya to the park on the day you were having a photo session?" Zen asks with a mischievous smile.
Adrien couldn't help but smile back. He should've realized his only rival-in-love was his alter-ego.
Said alter-ego whose picture he would rarely see being snuggled by his Princess... many times...
A girl screaming caught Zen's and the Team's attention.
"Mari/Marinette!"
Everyone ran towards the source... only to find Kim screaming like a girl.
Well he has his reason: He was being chased by wild animals. The alpha seems to be a black panther, who can speak like a human.
"What do you think about panthers now, boy?" The black panther taunted, in a voice Alya recognizes.
"Dad...?" Upon closer look, Alya recognizes the fang bracelet the "panther" was wearing. Similar to the bracelet her dad would always wear.
The "panther" pounces at Kim, who was pulled out of the way by Zen. The two boys ran, hoping to find a hiding place from the herd of pursuers.
While they ran, the Team transforms.
"You know you really give black cats a bad name." Chat Noir remarks as the Team surrounds the "panther".
"My bad." The "panther" grins. Before disappearing in inky, black smoke.
Our heroes kept their guard up where ever he may reappear. Suddenly, Carapace began to laugh uncontrollably. Something had crawled inside his suit and he was desperately trying to get it out of him.
Eventually, he collapses on the ground, still laughing as a small mouse jumps out of his hood. Said mouse was engulfed in the same inky, black smoke as before, and was transformed into a red-shouldered hawk who disappeared into the sky.
The heroes had to go after the akumatized villain, but first they have to deal with his lackeys.
"You challenged a black panther to a race?!" Zen asks Kim in disbelief as they continue to run away from a herd of animals who were under the command of Animan.
"I can't help it!" Kim explains, "You know how much I love to challenge worthy opponents!"
"That's also how you got almost got erased out of existence!" Zen reminds him.
They soon found themselves surrounded by more animals. Thinking quickly, Zen grabbed a bag of beef jerky from his pocket.
"How did you managed to fit that?" Kim asks.
Zen ignores him and opens the plastic bag, scattering the jerkies in one area where the animals viciously fight one another for them. This gave the teens the chance to escape.
Luckily for them, Marinette's uncle spotted them and ushered them safely inside the bakery.
"Dad always said he wanted to be an animal." Rena recalls as the Team searches for Animan, "It would've been cool, if it weren't for the evil fairy godparents."
Using the tracking function on his staff, Chat managed to track down Kim and Zen in... Marinette's Bakery?!
He only thinks of her as a little sister... he only thinks of her as a LITTLE SISTER...!
"I always did want my own personal zoo..." From atop a tree branch, Mariposa playfully pets the black panther cub in her arm as she watches Chat and Bee go inside the bakery while the others were saving the civilians from Animan's animals.
"Chat Noir! Queen Bee!" Amshel was looking after his niece's friends when the two heroes entered the bakery, "Have you seen Marinette? Is she okay?"
"N-no." Chat feels guilty not checking up on his Princess, "But the sooner we deal with the Akuma, the sooner she'll be safe."
Amshel knows she was safe. After all, she has a... very special friend who is always by her side.
Chat approaches the nearest window to check on the situation outside. The others were saving civilians from the rampaging animals; Grabbing them and putting them indoors or on top of the roofs, whichever was closest.
There was no sign of Animan. Or... atleast he thought.
This villain has the power to transform into a perfect copy of any animals with no discernible features whatsoever. All they could do was keep any approaching animal away from the bakery.
"Challenging a panther to a race?" Amshel asks in disbelief.
"Well- I thought it be fun." Kim explains as he takes a sip of hot cocoa Amshel gave him.
"Have you ever wonder that maybe she would be more interested in chasing meat than winning a race?" Amshel asks.
"Well..." The athletic boy tries to come up with a reasonable answer.
"I hope Marinette is okay." Zen said as he watches Ladybug being chased by a monkey riding on an ostrich. Said ostrich was wearing a fireman's mask and helmet, "I promised Marinette I would get her a baby panther souvenir."
"You... must be, really close with Marinette huh?" Chat asks uncomfortably.
Queen Bee silently groans. She knew that look. It's the look her leader makes whenever he sees Marinette talking to boys (other than him).
"Yeah." Zen replies, "She's my best friend. We've known each other since we were kids."
"Uh-huh." Chat reacts through a forced smile. He could feel the metaphorical bile building up in his throat, "Has... anyone ever told you... look... cuuute, too-ge-therrr?"
Queen Bee rolls her eyes. Like Chat, she even feels like barfing. Although less dramatically than what he looks like he was about to do.
Zen snorts, then lets out a laugh, "She's just a friend. I don't get why people don't see us like that or maybe in a sibling-like friendship. She's like a little sister to me. A little sister who I'd be happy to still watch over even if she meets the seemingly nice prince of her dreams."
Chat internally let out a sigh of relief. It was like what he said before when they were at the zoo. She really is just a friend/little sister to him.
Although... was it just him, or did the last sentence he said sounded... ominous?
Queen Bee also feels, uncomfortable with what Zen just said. Luckily for her, that feeling was immediately replaced when a fly started flying around her. Annoyed, she attempts to swat it away, but the fly swiftly avoids her, until she claps her hands together, finally squishing it in the process.
Then a thought came to her, "Bugs are animals, right?"
In response, every male in the room turn their heads to her at the same time.
Specks of black energy seeps through the striped heroine's finger. The "fly" was growing, pushing her hands apart, revealing a black blob that was growing until it transformed into a black panther.
Animan charges at Kim, but Queen Bee holds him back with her trompo.
"Sir, if you're not going to buy anything and just cause trouble for our customers, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Amshel scolds the villain while pointing a finger at the door.
Animan responds by transforming into a brown stallion and forces Queen Bee on his back, bucking her repeatedly until she was flung at the door, crashing into the glass before crashing on the pavement. He then transforms into a Texas Longhorn bull. However, since his back was turned at Chat, it gave the cat hero the surprise attack advantage.
Chat swiftly leaps over the villain. Animan charges, but was held back by Chat's extended baton. Having regained her senses, Queen Bee wraps the string of her weapon around a nearby tree and swings out of the way. Now that his teammate was no longer in harm's way, Chat leaps into the sky before Animan could charge straight at him.
"Easy big guy." Mariposa appears beside Animan and playfully pets his head, "You're being bull-headed."
The heroes who were in-charge of handling the escaped zoo animals have trapped all of them inside Carapace's Shell-ter. All 6 heroes reunited and stood before the two villains.
"It's a jungle out there." Mariposa playfully looks around, "Time for the king of beasts to return order to the kingdom."
In response to his mistress' words, Animan began to change.
Team Miraculous braced themselves for whatever animal Animan will turn into. Their eyes suddenly widened and their mouths opened when the black energy surrounding Animan got bigger and bigger by the second.
The giant Tyrannosaurus Rex roared at the heroes. Before he could attack, Mariposa whistles, and the baby black panther cub approaches the heroes.
The heroes kept their guard up, even when the cub turned left and resumed his walk. Then he walks to the opposite direction. After a few steps, he turns around and skips to the left.
This, confuses the heroes. Was Mariposa... using the black-cat-cross-your-path tactic on them?
Oh that is so "diabolical" of her.
The cub stops chasing his tail and leaps into Mariposa's arms. The heroes just gave her annoyed looks. Rena rolls her eyes.
They charge... only to be knocked down by Animan's Tyrannosaurus Rex tail.
Fun fact: The tail of the Tyrannosaurus Rex is really heavy. Able to even pin down 6 teenagers who were blessed with super-powered strength. It becomes heavier when the dinosaur sits down.
"You give black cats a bad name." Chat Noir hisses at the cub. The cub didn't care as he was too busy licking his paw.
Mariposa grins as she looks down at the black cat hero, "Hm. Maybe I could give Animan an extra boost: The power to turn ex-heroes into animals."
"Can I be a swan?" Queen Bee asks as she and her teammates struggle to free themselves from Animan's dinosaur tail.
Mariposa thinks it over as she tickles the panther cub's head with her finger, "I prefer cute little helpless animals."
She walks closer to the subdued heroes. Just as she reaches out her hand to grab her first magical jewel, a cupcake was chucked at her face.
"Hands off the jewelry, Mariposa!" Zen feels guilty throwing that cupcake at his currently-possessed best friend's face.
"I take it back!" Kim calls out to Animan, "I can outrun a dinosaur any day!"
This enrages Animan. Even more when Kim starts blowing raspberries and making insulting funny faces at him.
Animan gives chase, but in doing so, lifted his tail, freeing the heroes in the process.
Mariposa angrily wipes the cupcake off her face as she watches Ladybug summon her Lucky Charm: a black-spotted red... ball of yarn?
Animan, still a T-Rex, was still chasing Kim. The boy clearly wasn't showing any signs of being tired or slowing down.
Man that kid's fast.
He suddenly bumps into Ladybug, causing her to drop the ball of yarn, which attracts the wide eyes of the panther cub.
While the heroes were busy trying not to get eaten by the currently-T-Rex villain, the cub jumps out of Mariposa's arms and starts playing with the ball of yarn, slowly untangling one strand after another with every swipe of his claws.
Queen Bee manages to grab Carapace's shell and pull him backwards, just seconds before Animan could take a bite out of him with his large ferocious jaw. She feels something light landing on her feet.
This could work.
She grabs several threads of the untangled yarn at the same time, pulling them with all her might. When the cub was playing and untangling the ball of yarn, he unintentionally created a snare trap, which caught T-Rex Animan's foot once the striped heroine pulled the yarn.
The T-Rex attempts to free himself, but steps on the left-over cupcake Mariposa wiped off her, causing him to slip on his back. Queen Bee ties his jaw shut with her trompo while Rena Rouge grabs the bracelet, tosses it on the ground, and then stomps on it, releasing the black butterfly in the process.
As Animan transforms back into Alya's dad, Mariposa glares at another failed attempt to capture the Miraculouses. And the panther cub found a new favourite playmate in Zen.
"All I wanted was a petting zoo..." She pouts before disappearing in a swarm of white butterflies.
After Kim apologized to Alya's dad, the Team went to an empty alley and de-transformed. Adrien was the first to run. He had to make sure Marinette was okay during and after the animal attack.
He suddenly bumped into someone, and they both fell on their backs.
"Adrien!" Marinette happily hugs her friend in relief before he could stand up.
Adrien's face turned red at the affectionate contact. Her soft hair, rubbing against his chin... her sweet scent of sugar and baked bread... Oh he could just... help her get back on her feet!
Once they were both standing, Adrien smiled nervously as he dusted the dirt off Marinette, not even bothering to dust himself off after.
Come on man... You got this...!
Behind Adrien, Zen slips the baby black panther plushie into his hand. When Adrien held the plushie in front of him, Marinette lets out a tiny squeal at how cute it was.
Adrien looks behind him. Nino, Alya, Sabrina, and even Zen were giving him the "go on" gestures.
The blonde boy takes a deep breathe, "I... got this, for you..."
Marinette squeals again when Adrien offered the plushie to her, grabs it and hugs it with great happiness as if she intends to pop it.
She then hugs Adrien, whose face turned as bright red as a tomato. He looks like he was ready to pop out of happiness.
Zen smiles at the two. They really look cute together.
Adrien was a good guy, despite being the icon model of his father's brand. When he accidentally spilled soda on Marinette on the first day of school, he immediately realized his mistake and sincerely apologized to her.
When they were planning Marinette's birthday party, he took charge to make it the most memorable party anyone has ever seen, while also making sure noone collapsed from exhaustion in the midst of the decorating.
Zen would be lying if he said he never notice his classmate hiding in places while watching Marinette from a distance. He hasn't done anything seriously inappropriate. (Yet.) But still...
Plus he helps people in and out of Akuma Attacks.
They'd make a cute couple. All Adrien has to do, is to finally admit his feelings.
Which... was not gonna happen today because the baby panther cub just lept into Marinette's arm, and got her to cuddle him due to how cute he was.
Adrien smiles as he watch his crush cuddle the cub in her arms. She nearly dropped the plushie he gave her, but he caught it in time.
And since her back was turned at him... And the cub's head was rested on her shoulder...
"You are so going back to your Mommy." He whispers to the cub with narrow eyes. The cub gives him a mutual reaction.