I swear y'all, people really be hating on Marinette for making questionable choices as if she wants to do them and isn't dying on the inside because of the guilt of her actions and how she does everything because in every other scenario, everything goes to shit.

Yeah, it's not like Marinette has experienced the end of the world because of one of her mistakes and that the lesson she got from that episode was "The best kept secret are the ones you never share".

Why do you all think Marinette was asking the Bunnyxes if she has made the right call during the London Special?

Or that she had a nightmare the very next episode after trusting Alya with Trixx?

Marinette is scarred and scared. This mantra Marinette has is how she is making through it all. Keeping secrets is her sacrifice to spare her loved one but it comes at the price of isolating, burdening and burning herself with it. (See Gang of Secrets). It is a defense mechanism that has carried her so far... but it isn't healthy on the long term.

Also, Revelator sure wasn't subtle about with the moral here.

Like, they are advising Vincent, but Ladybug is also realizing that their advices apply to her too.

Marinette has to realize that Adrien isn't truly healing without knowing the truth. That was Rena Rouge's point. That one way or another, he will be hurt and she cannot always protect him from the truth and the pain. But at least, with the truth in hand, Adrien can actually start healing and grow. That is why he hasn't had new clothes yet this seasons unlike the rest of the heroes : his development is stalled, both figuratively and visually. Because of that one lie.

And no matter how mad you are about Rena having her memory wipe out of Ladybug's secret, the truth is Ladybug has to be the one to fix the problem she has caused when she covered the truth to Adrien about his father. Lying about Gabriel being a hero is also hurting Adrien. That's why we got that little discussion between Adrien and Nino at the beginning of the episode where Marinette couldn't hear it. She is unaware how her lie is truly affecting Adrien. She believes he is happier than if he had knew the truth. But in this case, she is wrong and she has to realize that.

All that to say, it will be a journey for our main character who doesn't know there is a clock ticking. That is why it is interesting. That is why it is part of the story for this new arc.

And the season has been screaming this every single episode (less currently to us than it should be, with the release schedule as it is, but this feels ESPECIALLY appropriate for something happening right around the halfway mark). "There's something about me that no one knows yet, because I've got a secret" isn't about being Ladybug anymore.

People wanna be like "if Marinette just made good decisions there wouldn't be any problems!" as if she hasn't been constantly punished for trusting people, constantly punished for wanting good things for herself, and constantly rewarded and validated for overly planning for everything and being absurdly mistrusting and paranoid.

Even IN THIS EPISODE, she wants to believe no normal person could be so malicious toward strangers, and she's proven brutally wrong. She lets Alya talk her into using their powers to benefit her personal life just this once when it's someone really being cruel, and it leads to him getting akumatized and utterly shattering her peace. The first person she ever trusted to know she was Ladybug learns THIS secret and is horrified, disgusted, and livid. And now any time Alya says "you can tell me anything", Marinette can no longer believe her.

She is HEARING the lesson at the end and she KNOWS she "should", but every single other factor is screaming that it's a dangerous idea. Having a character grapple between morality and safety, between peace and safety now versus making the active choice to allow misery and suffering and potentially even danger now for the sake of healing later...

AND ACTUALLY? Giving that conflict to the Creation and Order and Healing and Repair character, with the explicit bonus lesson this episode that sometimes to fix things you have to break them. That's PERFECT for this. It WILL hurt Adrien. It WILL destroy his peace and comfort. And it needs to.

And yeah, waiting is only making it worse, but she IS scarred and scared. And if protagonists always made good choices that prevented there from being any longterm problems, there wouldn't be much of a story, now, would there?

Let me be fully clear: I support Marinette Dupain-Cheng making mistakes and I love her for it. Yes even that one. And this one. And that other one. That one wasn’t a mistake she was right actually. That one there was justified. This one wasn’t but it was very funny. I support all of them.

Yes, in over 100 episodes there are some exceptions, and perhaps I may sometimes even talk about them. But in general, if I say „Marinette made a mistake here“, assume that I mean „and I think that’s really interesting to see“.

We need more Ladyfly representation 🦋🐞

people in my replies arguing for their fav white guy???

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS:

1. Do you think a post pointing out an issue with fandom racism and misogyny is an appropriate place to bring up your favorite white male character? Why or why not?

2. Did this post call you racist for relating to a white male character? If you thought or think so, consider why you got defensive.

3. Think about the disproportionate amount of art and writing about white male characters in fandom spaces. Do you think this is, across all boards, due to them being written better or more relatably than the POC protagonist?

a. If so, consider why you notice the writing of white male characters more often. Are white male characters written "better" than the POC protagonist, or do you have an internalized fear of relating to non-white characters that you need to work through?

b. If not, consider what ingrained biases might lead to this phenomenon in fandom spaces.

c. If you read a. and thought that white male characters literally just are usually or always written better than the POC and/or female protagonist, accept you are wrong and consider some self reflection.

4. Have you researched how to write and draw characters that are non-white and/or non-male? If not, does this limitation lead you to gravitate towards characters you feel "qualified" to make content about, therefore inflating the issue?

5. If people are telling you to reconsider your point of view in my replies section, did you stop to consider what they said apart from your human instinct to be defensive? Have you considered that arguing against those trying to educate you about fandom racism and misogyny, which can be difficult to see in yourself, in the notes of a post talking about fandom racism and misogyny, might be short-sighted and counterproductive?

6. If you are inclined to defend your favorite white male character, pause. Are all of your other favorite characters also majority white? Are they majority male? Are they either of these and NOT the main character of the show, movie, or game they originate from?

a. If not, this comic is not for you. Please move on and give it a reblog if you're feeling generous.

b. If so, consider this pattern. If you want to break it, ask someone for a reccomendation for characters or media similar to your favorites. Expand your horizons, and engage with your community rather than fighting against them.

Girly these eyelashes suit you so well 💅

so miraculous chat noir is terrifying. as it should be

bonus:

SHES SO PROUD OF HIM

Alya Césaire is best girl!!

This episode was so well put together in so many ways!!

But Alya really shines!! From giving good advice (about Vincent), but still respecting her friends enough to make their own decisions (and make their own mistakes). And then showing up right after to help pick up the pieces without so much as an I told you so!

The parallel of “the best kept secret is one never told” followed by “the truth always finds a way!” as the very next line!

Of Alya’s anger! Righteous anger! And yet, she wants to talk to Marinette! She wants to understand! And that she fought for Adrien! That he deserves to know! That he literally cant heal without it here.

How honest she was with the whole “I can’t keep this secret! I won’t!”

But turning to Chat and saying “hey, it’s fine! You CAN erase my memory because Ladybug should be the one to tell this secret! Ladybug should be the one to heal this hurt!”

And how much faith she has when she lets Chat’s power hit her. There’s no fear. She trusts Marinette to eventually fix this! The lover of truth was willing to let this truth go, so that Marinette can get that chance!

And at the end of it all when she DOESN’T remember really what happened, she knows that SOMETHING did. And she’s worried for the burden Marinette is holding alone! And she wants to help.

I already said it, but Alya is best girl!

The interview [pt. 1],[pt.2]

i loved this episode so much

i have at least two more posts coming i just have to draw hold on

guys i have another

THIS EPISODE MY GOD

ok i have ONE more but its serious and its gonna take me a bit so like hold on guys i hope nobody takes the idea before me

Chats power up and my ladynoir crumbs

Obligatory post of adrinette being extra cute.

Alya is fighting for her life with these two 😭

waiter waiter !! more ladynoir please !!