Scribble Kibble the Animation Show.
Paws Out!
Miraculous Ladybug is a French 3D animated kid’s show that I only recommend if you’re
like me and have a taste for pathetic romance where the two main characters go round and
round in circles about their feelings for each other for who knows how many seasons.
Let’s get to the true reason I wanted to talk about Ladybug.
I’m really dang curious about how this ended up looking like this.
It’s the most extreme difference between a concept and a fully realized show that I’ve
seen.
Was Miraculous Ladybug conceptualized for an older audience?
Did it have a darker side?
The more I dig, the more that seems to be the case.
Thomas Astruc’s first sketches of Ladybug were inspired by a desire to make a Marvelesque
superhero, but with a French basis.
She incorporated the violence, sensuality, and inner struggles of the superhero genre.
And she was a huge risk.
When these drawings were made, superheroines were not popular.
But when Astruc showed the drawings to others, they loved her.
The simplicity of her costume design is so striking and unique.
Ladybug’s development team grew, and the hybrid influence of American comics, French
culture, and Japanese anime turned into an animated pitch that was never supposed to
be seen by the public.
It included Ladybug’s first Cat Noir partner, a character that no longer exists.
His name was Felix.
A cold-hearted aristocrat cursed to never be able to remove the ring that infuses him
with bad luck.
The only thing that will break the curse?
A kiss from Ladybug.
But this series wouldn’t sell.
An uncaring guy who rejects Marinette and is only interested in removing the ring to
be normal didn’t make a good superhero.
Anime does not sell well to the markets Ladybug was meant for, and animating all of the spots
on her costume by hand was a major problem.
But the killing blow to this dark version of the story was the project’s funders were
not interested in another edgy teenage story: where they saw the real potential was a superheroine
very young kids could enjoy that could be merchandised.
That is how you go from this to this.
So bear witness: if you ever end up developing a major show for international broadcast,
your idea is no longer yours.
It will change.
Well, now that I’ve done a bunch of research and know too much about Miraculous Ladybug’s
origins, there are a number of canon side-cartoons and comics that are pretty interesting.
The 2D chibi series is cute and it’s all on YouTube.
The official comics are kind of bizarre.
I mean I like it, but it’s weird.
Maybe that’s why I like it.
To briefly summarize my thoughts on the main series, the 3D animation is actually good.
The French setting is fulfilling.
The premise of two superheros who LIKE-like each other at the wrong time provides for
endlessly entertaining story ideas.
But the show is hamstrung by its refusal to ever advance the plot.
It’s so formulaic.
When you hit season 3 by making the heroes face stronger versions of the same villains,
that’s painful.
I know the show is written this way because it makes it possible to watch any episode
in any order without missing anything.
But come on!
Are we going all the way to Season 5 with the protagonists still clueless about each
other and still fighting Hawkmoth’s flunkies?
Oh well.
If it’s not satisfying enough, you can always dip your toes into the fanfiction.