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Update and fannish squeeing over Miraculous Ladybug
So, I decided to take a break from all of the games on my phone because they were literally eating up all of my free time and then almost immediately created a Tumblr account (I'm nkvictory, btw) because that seems to be where the fandom for my latest obsession is hanging out.
And, well, can I just say how much I love these dorks?
I have an OTP. I have never had a true OTP before. The closest is usually along the lines of "Yeah, I think this couple works best," which isn't the same as the whole "I need these two to be together forever RIGHT NOW!" I'm currently feeling. I didn't think I could feel that way. And over a het pairing, no less!
I usually don't like het pairings because I can't stand the dynamics most people use. The few I have liked were battle couples (or battle groups in the cases of the ones I tend to prefer poly groupings for) because they're more likely to be equals. This one is definitely a battle couple, even if they're still working out the 'couple' part, with her just as likely if not more to rescue him as he does her. That helps. As does that it's so sweetly innocent that I could write the characters as hetero-romantic aseuxals and not have to change a thing. And the fact he's the Disney princess of the pair. Literally. Not only is this show being distributed internationally by Disney, but the creators have compared him to a Disney princess and have had the character do things like actually swoon.
It might also help that I find the love square hilarious. You see, these two adorkable idiots are madly in love with each other and not only haven't figured it out yet, they've managed to combine their civilian and superhero identities into an incredibly tangled love square. It takes special talent to pull off what normally takes four people with just two.
Most of all, I love that they've been set up as a legitimate example of what a good and healthy relationship is supposed to look like in a series whose main themes are abuse and consent.
Consent is obviously important to Adrien/Chat(Cat) Noir, probably because far too few people care about his. Since this is a child-friendly show, it shows up as less outright sexual harassment and more physical touch. In fact, it can be easy to miss if you're not looking for it, beyond a few obvious moments like Adrien flinching away from Chloé when she decides to be clingy. (We are not meant to like Chloé.)
The abuse is a bit more obvious, if only because the show is a bit more blatant about it. For one, the main shtick of Papillion/Hawkmoth (did I mention this is a comedy, because it is) is to possess emotionally vulnerable people with an evil, corrupted butterfly and turn them into the supervillain of the week, all while emotionally manipulating the hell out of the victim. And they are treated as victims, even though they do attack our heroes. Which is really important, I think.
Then there's the fact Adrien's obviously a bit too used to being treated like a pretty, posable doll with the unfortunate flaw of being alive. Hell, the poor kid's been isolated for so long that he literally doesn't know how to interact with his peers without posing. Doesn't help he's shy, either. His best friend might be the only one who knows what's up, and even then Nino, sweetheart that he is, probably has nowhere near the full picture. Adrien's mother is missing and his relationship with his father... Let's just say the man manages to combine neglectful with domineering in the worst possible way, at best. At worst, not only could you make a very solid argument for emotional/psychological abuse but, if the man isn't actually the story's big bad supervillain, then he's being set up as the biggest red herring ever.
For Adrien, being Chat Noir is freedom. Freedom from his room (with its disturbingly bar-like windows), freedom from isolation, freedom from relentless, utter perfection. He messes things up and delights in the freedom to do so, to make mistakes and know he's not disappointing someone and that his partner/friend/wishes-he-could-be-more-with won't denigrate him or be upset or leave him, like far too many people in his life.
Ladybug treats him like an equal and a partner and when he worries he's not good enough, she reminds him how much she needs him. In return, he helps support her and brings her down to earth when she makes her own mistakes. And she does makes mistakes. She's as much of a dork as he is. She's a Prince Charming still finding her feet. Literally. One of the reason's her best friend hasn't figured out her secret identity yet is because Marinette is a legitimate klutz. Oh, and her imagination spots are hilarious.
God, I love these two.
Oh, and because I haven't said it yet, it's called Miraculous Ladybug, aka Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. I nearly didn't watch it because I'm a bit of an animation snob and my first thought towards 3D animation for TV is not terribly kind. I only gave it shot after hearing that, despite being written in France, Toei was animating it. For the non-animation fans, they're basically who the anime people go to in order to make their anime good enough for a movie big screen. And, yeah, I can see where they did stuff to make it less expensive (reused clips, set pieces, etc) but they make up for it in high detail, gorgeous scenery, and very expressive characters.
For the interested who made it to the end of this ramble, I recommend the following:
YouTube:
The (infamous) Umbrella Scene from the Origins episode(s) - warning, spoilers!
Lucky Strike! AMV - a pretty good example of their battle couple antics - and what dorks they are.
Irresistible AMV - love square antics.
I'm Not Over AMV - more love square antics.
Castle AMV - features the villains and gives a pretty good example of the abuse theme inherent in the show. Warning, major spoilers!
Control AMV - like the previous one, villain and abuse-theme oriented, but considerably fewer spoilers.
Fanfiction:
Chasing the C/h/atwalk by Inkkerfuffle - The main characters are aged up a bit in this story, which is based off of Project Runway. I've never seen Project Runway and never care to, but this story makes it work in all the right ways and takes full advantage of Marinette's canonical dreams of being a fashion designer and Adrien's canonical job as a model. Story is complete.
Tendencies Series by KryallaOrchid - An AU after the first 13 episodes of the show but it has excellent world building, good plot and pacing, and a beautiful example of how a healthy relationship should build. Entire series is complete.
What the Cat Dragged In by Kryal - An Avengers/Miraculous crossover from the POV of Tony, Natasha, and Clint. Works extremely well as a loving introduction to the Miraculous/Quantic Universe - you don't have to have seen the show to appreciate it - while still giving those three particular Avengers plenty of kickass moments. Status is nearly finished (it's on the penultimate chapter at the time I write this, with only the fallout from the main plot to wrap up).
And, well, can I just say how much I love these dorks?
I have an OTP. I have never had a true OTP before. The closest is usually along the lines of "Yeah, I think this couple works best," which isn't the same as the whole "I need these two to be together forever RIGHT NOW!" I'm currently feeling. I didn't think I could feel that way. And over a het pairing, no less!
I usually don't like het pairings because I can't stand the dynamics most people use. The few I have liked were battle couples (or battle groups in the cases of the ones I tend to prefer poly groupings for) because they're more likely to be equals. This one is definitely a battle couple, even if they're still working out the 'couple' part, with her just as likely if not more to rescue him as he does her. That helps. As does that it's so sweetly innocent that I could write the characters as hetero-romantic aseuxals and not have to change a thing. And the fact he's the Disney princess of the pair. Literally. Not only is this show being distributed internationally by Disney, but the creators have compared him to a Disney princess and have had the character do things like actually swoon.
It might also help that I find the love square hilarious. You see, these two adorkable idiots are madly in love with each other and not only haven't figured it out yet, they've managed to combine their civilian and superhero identities into an incredibly tangled love square. It takes special talent to pull off what normally takes four people with just two.
Most of all, I love that they've been set up as a legitimate example of what a good and healthy relationship is supposed to look like in a series whose main themes are abuse and consent.
Consent is obviously important to Adrien/Chat(Cat) Noir, probably because far too few people care about his. Since this is a child-friendly show, it shows up as less outright sexual harassment and more physical touch. In fact, it can be easy to miss if you're not looking for it, beyond a few obvious moments like Adrien flinching away from Chloé when she decides to be clingy. (We are not meant to like Chloé.)
The abuse is a bit more obvious, if only because the show is a bit more blatant about it. For one, the main shtick of Papillion/Hawkmoth (did I mention this is a comedy, because it is) is to possess emotionally vulnerable people with an evil, corrupted butterfly and turn them into the supervillain of the week, all while emotionally manipulating the hell out of the victim. And they are treated as victims, even though they do attack our heroes. Which is really important, I think.
Then there's the fact Adrien's obviously a bit too used to being treated like a pretty, posable doll with the unfortunate flaw of being alive. Hell, the poor kid's been isolated for so long that he literally doesn't know how to interact with his peers without posing. Doesn't help he's shy, either. His best friend might be the only one who knows what's up, and even then Nino, sweetheart that he is, probably has nowhere near the full picture. Adrien's mother is missing and his relationship with his father... Let's just say the man manages to combine neglectful with domineering in the worst possible way, at best. At worst, not only could you make a very solid argument for emotional/psychological abuse but, if the man isn't actually the story's big bad supervillain, then he's being set up as the biggest red herring ever.
For Adrien, being Chat Noir is freedom. Freedom from his room (with its disturbingly bar-like windows), freedom from isolation, freedom from relentless, utter perfection. He messes things up and delights in the freedom to do so, to make mistakes and know he's not disappointing someone and that his partner/friend/wishes-he-could-be-more-with won't denigrate him or be upset or leave him, like far too many people in his life.
Ladybug treats him like an equal and a partner and when he worries he's not good enough, she reminds him how much she needs him. In return, he helps support her and brings her down to earth when she makes her own mistakes. And she does makes mistakes. She's as much of a dork as he is. She's a Prince Charming still finding her feet. Literally. One of the reason's her best friend hasn't figured out her secret identity yet is because Marinette is a legitimate klutz. Oh, and her imagination spots are hilarious.
God, I love these two.
Oh, and because I haven't said it yet, it's called Miraculous Ladybug, aka Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. I nearly didn't watch it because I'm a bit of an animation snob and my first thought towards 3D animation for TV is not terribly kind. I only gave it shot after hearing that, despite being written in France, Toei was animating it. For the non-animation fans, they're basically who the anime people go to in order to make their anime good enough for a movie big screen. And, yeah, I can see where they did stuff to make it less expensive (reused clips, set pieces, etc) but they make up for it in high detail, gorgeous scenery, and very expressive characters.
For the interested who made it to the end of this ramble, I recommend the following:
YouTube:
The (infamous) Umbrella Scene from the Origins episode(s) - warning, spoilers!
Lucky Strike! AMV - a pretty good example of their battle couple antics - and what dorks they are.
Irresistible AMV - love square antics.
I'm Not Over AMV - more love square antics.
Castle AMV - features the villains and gives a pretty good example of the abuse theme inherent in the show. Warning, major spoilers!
Control AMV - like the previous one, villain and abuse-theme oriented, but considerably fewer spoilers.
Fanfiction:
Chasing the C/h/atwalk by Inkkerfuffle - The main characters are aged up a bit in this story, which is based off of Project Runway. I've never seen Project Runway and never care to, but this story makes it work in all the right ways and takes full advantage of Marinette's canonical dreams of being a fashion designer and Adrien's canonical job as a model. Story is complete.
Tendencies Series by KryallaOrchid - An AU after the first 13 episodes of the show but it has excellent world building, good plot and pacing, and a beautiful example of how a healthy relationship should build. Entire series is complete.
What the Cat Dragged In by Kryal - An Avengers/Miraculous crossover from the POV of Tony, Natasha, and Clint. Works extremely well as a loving introduction to the Miraculous/Quantic Universe - you don't have to have seen the show to appreciate it - while still giving those three particular Avengers plenty of kickass moments. Status is nearly finished (it's on the penultimate chapter at the time I write this, with only the fallout from the main plot to wrap up).