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[nothingtherefornow]

Well this Remake only makes me want to watch the original movie again

I just rewatched the original Lilo and Stitch movie and honestly was not expecting to find out that Stitch has to be one of the biggest victims of a decade long flanderization.

I also forgot, and honestly I think most people, that stitch has so much character like he’s not just a ball of chaos, he's also very much a smart ass and makes jokes. And is angry and curious and a little bit of an asshole. You just don’t really get that in the live action or really most iterations of him. He’s reverted back to one.

Like Stitch in the movie is really smart. And he doesn’t just make noises as they will have you believe it’s actually pretty implied that he’s bilingual and was actively learning English (and not talking because Dog cover) and that’s why it was all stilted and kind of broken and unsure. He sounds much smoother and natural speaking in his alien language that Jumba understands. I don’t think the live action movie really got this.

And through out the movie he is not unstoppably causing chaos he’s just angry, confused, and curious and not gentle with things and so things just go wrong around him. The only thing he actively destroys out of a want to destroy is the mini San Fransisco he built and that was copying a movie scene he saw. Stitch destroys things because it’s how he knows to interact with the world around him by the end of the movie he does very little destruction and more just general goofing off (granted with a true lack of understanding on like property damage)

Hell Jumba goes good because he’s been observing Stitch and his struggles to become more than he was made to be. How stitch reacts in a situation where he can no longer perform his primary objective. Jumba pities him like a robot without a job but Stitch evolves to more than he was meant to be and it’s that evolution that flaw in his programming that allows Jumba to switch sides (even if it is played for laughs and never mind that despite his creations Jumba honestly was never even that bad a guy to begin with I mean obviously it’s a kids show but when Jumba lists Stitches objectives they are are inconveniences at best frustrating and mild property damage at worst)

But like the idea that like Stitch is actually just another burden that Nani would need to take care of is laughable when by the end of the movie it is explicitly shown him doing household chores. He makes their lunches escorts Lilo to the bus, bakes her birthday cake, does the laundry and does it well. Hell he practically even has a job. Never mind that Jumba and Pleakly are also there and also pitch in. Plus Cobra. Nani had so much support by the end of the movie that ofcourse she could continue to raise Lilo she wasn’t doing it alone.

The new ending just feels like the makers didn’t have faith in the original concept like they didn’t believe that anyone would believe that Lilo would be okay in the care of aliens we have to replace them with people or else it doesn’t make sense. It’s just weird like they didn’t trust the audience to garps that these silly little aliens are not in fact children that also need supervision but beings capable of taking care of lilo and contributing to the family. And honestly I don’t blame them because people did accept it. And it’s so fucking sad.

We’ve talked a lot about Nani, Lilo and Jumba and their blatant mischaracterization . But not enough about the flanderization of stitch and it’s just sad honestly.

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I really really don't regret having not seen the Remake then

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I'm so glad I didn't go see that Remake then

That’s It.

I’m tired of seeing everyone repeat the same four points: “1) Nani gives Lilo to the state! 2) Hawaii has a better marine biology program than San Fransisco! 3) Jumba doesn’t get redeemed! 4) Pleakley’s not wearing a dress!”

Those are not the only things that were bad about this remake. You could easily tell it was going to be all that and more beforehand, but most people’s reaction to the trailer was “it’s surprisingly good!” and now they’re acting all surprised. If you didn’t see this coming, enough to purchase a ticket, you’re part of the problem and you don’t get the original movie any more than the people who made this remake did.

So I’m done being quiet, this is the Lilo & Stitch 2025 Takedown Post.

And as usual the only good thing about an attempted-remake is that it gives people a reason to think about what made the original so good.

Let’s go in order. But just scroll down to the Heading you Care About if you don’t want to read all this.

1. Cobra Bubbles

In this movie, Cobra Bubbles is a secret agent hunting for aliens and they have a new character take his place as the state social worker.

The Problem They Were Trying to Solve With this Change: “We shouldn’t have a black man or a government worker feel like an insensitive antagonist to Lilo’s family.”

That’s a stupid surface-level one-dimensional misread of the character from the original…and it wouldn’t have been hard, at all, for a child to explain to the 2025 filmmakers that Cobra is not an insensitive antagonist in the original.

Cobra Bubbles is not insensitive and he is not in any way portrayed as a bad guy in the original. Nani sees him that way, Nani sees him as antagonistic, because he’s the representation of Lilo being taken away.

But Nani is wrong about him and learns that she is wrong about him by the end of the movie.

Can we please make a list?

Cobra’s first interaction with the caretaker of the child he was being sent to protect was that she ran out into the road, yelled at a complete stranger, and dented his car.

Then he found her locked out of the home and threatening the child inside with a hammer in her hand.

Then he found out the stove was on while she was out, and she’d left a 7 year-old alone.

The 7 year-old made comments about being disciplined with bricks and a pillow case.

The 7 year-old looks like she might be more than a little emotionally unbalanced because she’s figuring out how to put voodoo spells on her friends to punish them.

He still gave that pair of sisters three days to straighten the ship. When in actuality, in 2002, under HRS §587-73, (don’t play with me) the social worker would’ve been well within his rights to remove the child from the home right then. But instead he gives her three days to fix it. THEN

The 18 year-old loses her job.

The family gets a “dog” who he is implied to know is an alien, right off the bat.

The alien is violent and wreaks havoc across town.

The 7 year-old almost drowns while they surf instead of find a job.

He lets the child and caretaker have one more night together to say goodbye, but when he’s on the way to get her he gets a call that she’s being attacked by aliens, hears a chainsaw, and finds the house on fire.

Do you understand what I’m saying.

Cobra Bubbles had NO BUSINESS being as BIG A SOFTIE AS HE WAS for all of the original movie. He was not only well within his legal rights to take Lilo away from Nani immediately, but he was actually required by law, it was his DUTY, to remove her immediately. But he didn’t do that. Why?

Now listen to me very carefully.

Lilo and Stitch is a movie about how “Family chooses to love and commit to one another selflessly, no matter what the other person can do for them or how hard they make it.” The fancy way they say it is just “Ohana means family: family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

Did you catch that? “No matter how hard they make it.”

Cobra Bubbles was a CIA agent before this. A CIA agent who saved the planet, by doing what? Convincing an alien race to leave them alone. Oh, he didn’t fight them off? No. How? He “convinced” them? He talked it out? Sounds like a pretty compassionate guy, for all his tough exterior. How did he do that?

He could’ve picked any animal that’s actually endangered. The filmmakers chose to make him the guy who convinced aliens to value mosquitos.

MOSQUITOS. Creatures that give nothing, only take. Ugly little bloodsucking monsters. That’s the creature he convinced them to care about enough to save the planet.

NOW do you have any trouble understanding why this is the specific social worker who would give an alien-infested dumpster fire of a dangerous home a chance when two sisters are about to be torn apart?

Do you see that Cobra is just another example of the grace that the movie is always talking about? The love that transforms someone from bad to good simply because it refuses to give up even when it gets nothing out of it? I’m repeating myself because I want you to see why he was a well-done character who NEEDED NO CHANGE.

Cobra Bubbles’ character is not an insensitive monster who doesn’t care who his actions hurt as long as he gets the job done. But you know who that does sound like?

2. Gantu

Gantu is not in the remake at all.

The Problem They Were Trying to Solve With This Change: “It’s going to cost us upwards of 1.5 millions of dollars to design, sculpt, rig, animate, and render a character this big in addition to finding a suitable voice actor to play the part.”

This is a really dumb choice for several reasons. A. Without Gantu, there is no “stakes-raiser” to Lilo and Nani’s story. The movie has no climax without him. For the first and second acts of the movie, it’s about a grieving pair of girls trying to prove themselves to a social worker while the story-equivalent of Beethoven the Destructive St. Bernard wacky Jumba & Pleakley antics get in their way. But when a 40-foot tall alien stomps into their lives and abducts Lilo & Stitch in a spaceship that careens around the island during an explosive sky-chase scene, now you have a high-octane, somebody-could-die climax.

B. Without Gantu, Stitch looks weaker. The climax gave Stitch a reason to come out of the wackadoo puppy he’s been posing as and suddenly remind everybody that he’s a lethal weapon who can survive thousand-foot drops, lava, and astronomic explosions—and a giant alien’s Thanos-dwarfing fist. Take him out and who do we have as a match for Stitch to go up against, even for a moment, and prove how much he’s changed to be willing to risk his freedom and fight?

C. Without Gantu you have no villain to reflect that STITCH is no longer a villain. (So they substituted Jumba.)

But the reason this character is really worth millions is, again, the theme.

I told you Cobra Bubbles was a character who did not put “duty” or even “convenience” or “position” over the real lives of Lilo and Nani. He saw that there was love there, and in his own way, he gave it a chance. And even when he chose to take Lilo away, he did it carefully; he gave them time to say goodbye.

GANTU IS THE OPPOSITE OF COBRA BUBBLES.

Gantu is the insensitive, uncaring, unyielding Captain whose commitment to duty turns into rage and cruelty. Not Cobra.

Nani thinks Cobra is walking in a threatening to tear apart their family in a display of government judgement. But that’s what Gantu literally does.

His first reaction to Stitch is to call for his destruction. Without even waiting to see if “it can be reasoned with” like the Grand Councilwoman suggests. He’s merciless. He mocks Stitch when Stitch is captive. And he knows that he caught Lilo, a human, along with him. He doesn’t care. He even suggests that Stitch eat her as a snack.

There are only two other characters who laugh at others’ misfortune in the movie. One is Stitch, the original villain. Then love changes him. The other is Jumba, who made Stitch. Then love changes him. But Gantu never gets changed. He’s only concerned with his job, and with personally annihilating the flaws he sees in Stitch.

Gantu is unyielding, ungracious, and cruel. And he’s big and powerful enough to be a test for Stitch to prove he’s changed. For the benefits he brings to the story, he’s worth 1.5 million and more. But they cut him anyway.

3. Jumba

In the new movie, Jumba is a villain through-and-through with designs on overthrowing the Galactic Council using Stitch, and instead of being redeemed, he’s sentenced to prison.

The Problem They Were Trying to Solve With This Change: “We can’t spend money on our real villain so we’ll just keep Jumba evil.”

The reason this is dumb is obvious. They created their own problem, and the ‘fix’ makes the movie weaker, not stronger. But here’s how.

In the original, Jumba is introduced as trying to self-protect. He’s on trial, and he lies. But when Stitch is revealed, he’s genuinely passionate about the thing he’s created. And he cares about image. He prefers to be called “evil genius,” and he hates the headlines labelling him “idiot scientist.”

You have to remember he’s part of “Galaxy Defense Industries.” They had him making weapons of destruction anyway. He just got too into it with his genetic Experiments, went a little insane.

I’m not downplaying the fact that Jumba is evil at the start of the movie. He is. It is evil to be outcasted from society and then respond to that with, “well, if they’re going to treat me like an idiot, I’LL SHOW THEM, I won’t care about anything except my passion for mad science!” That’s evil.

But it also explains a lot.

I said it in another post. Jumba’s whole utility as a character is that he knows who and what Stitch really is, better than anyone. He made him to be a monster who can’t belong and wreaks havoc on everybody else’s ‘place of belonging.’ Jumba is the audience’s insider’s perspective on what is going on in Stitch’s head, at first.

But when he’s redeemed, it happens fast. And why? Because that’s how plain and simple Stitch is, as a character. Jumba knows Stitch is a disgusting little monster with nothing inherently loveable about him, and no “greater purpose.” So when his disgusting monster is loved by someone? When his disgusting monster is willing to ask him, Jumba, for help? Something totally outside his programming, totally not what Jumba thought he’d ever be capable of?

That proves to Jumba, in an instant, that there’s love out there that transforms. And creates a place of belonging.

There were already germs of that, a desire to belong, a compassion, in Jumba after he reached earth.

He doesn’t try to get Nani fired, he offers an explanation for Pleakley’s swollen head.

He claims he won’t hit Lilo (why would he care about collateral damage?)

He sounds sorry for Nani when she’s upset about losing Lilo, and tries to keep Stitch from bothering her.

My point is, Jumba’s redemption isn’t important because it’s cute or because we need to set up the big happy found-family trope everybody loves.

Jumba’s redemption is important because it is just one more PROOF that what’s happened to Stitch is so incredible. The love Jumba finds transforming his monster is enough to transform Jumba, too.

But sure, fine, whatever, make him a soulless one-dimensional talking head. Whatever.

4. Stitch’s Design

In this movie, Stitch is cuter than he is ugly, and he’s half Lilo’s size.

The Problem They Were Trying to Solve With This Change: “Ugly-cute doesn’t come across as well in ‘live action’ animation. And all the Wal-Mart moms remember Stitch as ‘cute.’ Plus we’ll save about 15% in rendering the animation.”

This is crippling to the characterization of Stitch.

Stitch is supposed to be an echo of who Lilo could become now that she’s lost her parents and may be losing Nani. This scene:

Where Jumba points out that Stitch has nothing, and destruction is his only purpose, is the evidence for that. But Chris Sanders, who made this whole story, also point-blank said it. Stitch is a future Lilo, if she loses her family.

So that’s reason number 1 that he should be her same height. But also, practically, no iconic pair of best friends, yin and yang, have visuals where one is smaller than the other. Especially not if one of them is supposed to be disguised as a pet.

The point is, Stitch is not LILO’s pet. He is her best friend, her other half. But between the muzzle-muscles they worked into his upper lip and the darkened dog nose and the butt-scooting across the floor, the remake is trying to make him more pet-like in relation to Lilo.

That’s not what he is.

I said this in another post. But Stitch is supposed to throw food to the back of his head like a gator—his lips are not designed for forming words. His gums and teeth are supposed to look like a shark’s. His nose is supposed to be too big, stamped into his face. His ears are supposed to be like bat ears, not bunny ears. He hunches forward, instead of bending at the waist like a toddler. His eyes can narrow to lizard slits.

He has to look like he can believably be a disgusting monster. Yes, he can also be cute. But he has to first look like a monster. Because that’s what he really is, in the story. If he isn’t, then LILO’s love for him doesn’t look as powerful.

It is easy to love a cat even if it scratches you, because it’s cute. It’s harder to love a life-sized spider that keeps knocking you down and eating your prized possessions and laughing when you get hurt. Stitch is supposed to be closer to the second one, so that Lilo’s love shines brighter.

But also, practically:

She can’t look him in the eye for emotional shots when he’s that short. He’ll always have to awkwardly be standing on a box or a chair or a bed.

How is he going to scoop her up, hero-style, and leap off of an exploding spaceship with her in his arms, when he’s half her size? He could do it: it’ll look stupid, though. So they just don’t have that part in the movie.

She can pick him up. That alone is demeaning and again, the visuals are silly. Not what we’re going for.

5. Lilo’s Personality

In this movie, Lilo doesn’t like weird stuff, and she screams when she first meets Stitch. There’s no problem that this solves. It’s just laziness and a lack of care about the characters.

I would like to remind you that the original Lilo:

Made her own doll that looks like a shrunken head and pretended a bug laid eggs in her ears.

Makes up stories about a fish that controls the weather and actively deep-sea dives to bring it peanut butter sandwiches.

Has a knee-jerk reaction of using practical voodoo spells on friends who wrong her.

Listens exclusively to Elvis Presley.

Fills baby bottles with coffee.

Believes Nani’s manager is a vampire.

Has fishing nets and seashells in her room for decoration.

takes safari pictures of overweight bleached tourists.

meets a social worker and her first impulse is to ask if he’s killed someone.

Nails the door shut when she’s mad at her big sister.

She’s not friends with pound dogs in that original movie; when they first get there she acts like she’s never been in the kennel before, and originally wants a pet lobster.

I know that we all love that little girl they got to play Lilo, but if you were really being objective, you’d acknowledge that she’s a little girl. She’s not Lilo. She’s a cute little girl.

They did not write Lilo into the 2025 movie. They wrote any old little girl.

You should have known, from the moment she first sees Stitch and her reaction is to scream in the trailer, that THAT IS NOT LILO.

Lilo had a very specific set of characterizations. She was a character with a personality that exploded out of the screen. Every other character in the movie meets Stitch and reacts with disgust.

But not. LILO. She’s the only one to react to him like THIS:

She is literally not like anyone else. She’s doesn’t care that he’s ugly. Or weird. Or blue. Or even bat an eye when he can talk with all those shark teeth.

From Moment One, Lilo chooses Stitch. She chooses to love him. Regardless of what he can do for her. Regardless of how many times he pushes her over or rips up her house or makes her relationship with Nani harder. That is the number one thing about Lilo.

She is desperate for people to stay, but she chooses to love Stitch even though he’s a monster. And she tries to make him better. And her love succeeds in transforming him when nothing else could.

Lilo’s personality traits all mean something in the story. (I.e. she likes Elvis because she’s clinging to the past, she snaps pictures of tourists like they’re safari animals because they’re inherently people who LEAVE and she has issues with LEAVING, etc.) But the thing I think that was so obvious that the moviemakers missed for 2025 is she has to be weird. If she’s not weird, there’s no reason for her not to have friends. And if she has friends, what does she need Stitch for?

But also, Lilo’s personality in the new movie is just boring. Cute. But boring. Cute’s not that great of an accomplishment; any 7 year-old is cute.

6. Nani

I don’t think you guys need to know this. It’s not just that Nani leaves. It’s that “take care of yourself” is the exact opposite of the selfless message of the movie.

In the beginning, Lilo literally argues with Nani after being told she’s “such a pain,” and goes, “why don’t you SELL ME and buy a RABBIT INSTEAD?”

And then breaks down and cries at the thought of Nani wishing she had a rabbit instead of Lilo, later.

Because Lilo is afraid of people leaving. But Nani won’t leave her. Nani loses her job, her own life, because of Lilo. But she’s desperate to keep Lilo anyway, because she loves her. Don’t you understand? The message of the movie was about self-sacrificial love. A love that doesn't care what I get out of the relationship.

Nani starts it. But you know what, David loves her like that, too. And then Lilo transfers it to Stitch, who shows it off to Jumba. It’s a chain reaction, but Nani is spearheading it.

You realize that when their parents died, Nani already would’ve been in high school? With a whole life of her own? Her own friends, her own potential boyfriend, a job she went to, surf competitions (the trophies are in her room.) Lilo would’ve been well aware that that was the status-quo: Nani has her own life. And even a seven year-old can see that that life is being put on hold, but maybe the big sister wants to go back to it, at every turn.

The fact that Nani never does that, never expresses a desire for that, only ever expresses a desire to keep Lilo with her, is huge. It’s the core of the movie.

I don’t think that needs any more explaining.

We could talk more. Like about how Lilo needs to see that Stitch is an alien, because that’s the ultimate test: he’s one of the monsters who destroyed her house, he’s been lying to her and using her as a human shield, he’s a criminal—but she still winds up giving everything up to protect him.

Anyway. My neck hurts and I don’t want to type anymore. But we could talk about the music, the social worker, the grand councilwoman—it just doesn’t matter.

Ya’ll had more than enough details in the trailer to be able to not go see this movie because it was obviously going to ruin everything. But instead you chose to make this twisted corpse “the highest-grossing movie of any Memorial Day.” You bought tickets because they ruined a perfect movie and slapped together an uglier package for you.

Whatever. It was my favorite movie today, it’ll be your Treasure Planet or Tangled tomorrow. Keep riiiight on giving them your money, and keep letting influencers regurgitate the same four obvious facts to you over and over, because they paid Disney to make a talking-point for their content benefit. Whatever.

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The “Anti-Bug” team/Lila’s Butterfly community:

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Someone said to me the other day, “It took Hojo about 14 years to brainwash and condition Sephiroth to be a heartless killing machine but all it took was one hug from Glenn to undo it all” and I can’t stop thinking about that ._.

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I dream of the day someone will take over were the deceased Monty Oum left with Dead fantasy T_T

Dead Fantasy Kairi ⚔️

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Bless Monty Oum for making the Dead Fantasy ameuteur videos, and curse fate for robbing us of a such talented man before he even achieved this masterpiece T_T

Dead Fantasy Namine 🗡️

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Season 6 better gives us a good Felix episode. My bet is going to the episodes Vampigami and secret Protocole to have Felix play an important role

"They are the monsters".

This resonate very differently after watching 'El Toro de Piedra'. Why do I feel like Felix knows way more than he lets on? 😏

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OH . MY . GOSH !

CW: Blood, mental and physical abuse (kinda).

Nothing too serious or explicit, angst either way, enjoy.

Some interpretation of how Nathalie's childhood might have been. After El Toro de Piedra, my view of her completely changed from a Lara Croft to a Black Widow entirely, raised/trained in a "special orphanage" among others girls like her.

(took me like 2 FULL WEEKS to finish this thing, and I have stacks of ideas on the oven, waiting to be ilustrated).

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I'm a Marinette stan too then TvT

If being a "Marinette stan" means I can understand that Gabriel Agreste is the reason Marinette is lying to Adrien in the first place and that she would never have done that if Gabriel had not manipulated her and that Nathalie should be the one telling Adrien the truth and not the 15 year old child and that Marinette's lies are hurting Adrien and that is awful and a tragedy and OBVIOUSLY she shouldn't have lied but that Marinette is also a victim of Gabriel and that Marinette is doing everything she does out of her deep love for Adrien and not to intentionally hurt him and that Marinette is 15 and acting 15 and that sometimes main characters have to do bad things and make mistakes to have a story and that those mistakes don't make Marinette a bad person but a good person in a very very very bad position.........

Then I guess I'm a dirty filthy Marinette stan.

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Curse you Astruc for making us falsely beleive that Marinette managed to reach the last shred of good and humanity left in Gabriel's heart !!!

so he died with that peaceful smile on his face because he was confident that... Adrien should bring them both back at some point 👍

"thanks Ladybug, but I already have my solution"

yeah no shit he refused her help... Adrien was his solution... he wasn't just talking about his own wish. That line makes even more sense now. I assumed that in the last minute he gave up on his dream to bring back Emilie but no he just added himself to the list!!!

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1000 times YES !!!

Marinette is still only 15 years old in this season. And Let's remind everyone that the famous super hero Spider-man aka Peter Parker from earth 616, when he was an adult, also chose to hide to his best friend that said bets friend's father was a supervillain who murdered one of their friend.

Same thing in the Sam Raimi spider-man movies where Peter listen to Norman Osborn last dying wish that was for his son Harry to never learn that his father was a super villain.

That decision came bitting Peter in the ass later when it kinda ruined his friendship with his best friend for a while but I never heard fans blaming Peter so much for that decision.

So why can't Marinette be allowed the same understanding ?

I think people forget Marinette is like 14.

(Disclaimer; I only roughly know what going on in season 6 so, correct me if I’m wrong. )

Marinette was given the truly impossible decision of either A), telling her recently orphaned boyfriend, that his father, who just JUST DIED, was the super villain whose been terrorizing him and everyone he loves, for a year now. To make matters worse, he and his father had a very broken relationship, that he’ll never have the chance to fix, because he’s dead. Or B), Telling her orphan boyfriend, that his dead father, at least died a hero, but forever living with the burden of knowing that’s a lie.

To make matters infinitely worse, she has like an hour to decide. Plus, whichever she chooses she’ll have to tell both Adrien and the rest of the country HERSELF. So, of course Marinette, who’s used to lying to “protect” others, picks option B. Was it the right decision? Absolutely not. But she shouldn’t even have to make that decision, SHES A CHILD.

The two adults who knew the situation she was in, Tikki and Natalie, don’t even try to convince her to tell the truth. And her best friend, the only person she might’ve ever told she did this, Is (rightfully) PISSED with her, even though she also chose not to deal with the burden of knowing that when given the opportunity. Getting mad at your best friend for not saying and then also choosing not to say anything is wild (again correct me if im wrong about the situation, I haven’t seen the episode yet)

The fact Marinette hasn’t had an actual mental breakdown over this is insane. HER VILLAIN ARC WILL BE LEGENDARY.

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And just with that episode and with Revelator, Gorilla became my favorite adult of this show XD

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Season 6 of ML is a direct reflection of Season 3: Here's why

Going into season 6, the writers claimed that this would be a new beginning, a reset on everything that has happened so far. And to a large extent it is.

No longer are we expecting serialized episodes, and have thus far been treated to several expositional episodes, where we are introduced to new and old characters and situations.

Some might consider this a "new season 1" a brand new beginning to welcome in arc 2 of the miraculous ladybug story. However, I think that this is a misrepresentation of season 6 as a whole. And I believe from what we've seen so far of this season, and what has been teased to us, that this season relates far more to season 3, than it does to season 1.

For starters, let's talk about the most obvious comparison the call-back to season 1 episode 1's Stormy Weather. While we have yet to see episode 1 of season 6, the weather-themed akuma "Climatiqueen" sounds to be a clear reference to the French name of Stormy Weather "Climatika".

In both these instances, the reference back to the first episode effectively functions as a reset. In season 3, "Stormy Weather 2" serves as an introduction point to the latter half of the season and a way to distance the more "frivolous" early episodes from the more important and high-stakes latter episodes. In season 6, it functions as a transition from what we saw in season 5 to what we are to expect in season 6.

There are a few more episode call-backs in season 6 to season three, but of all of them, this was the most convincing of intentionality on the part of the writers.

Next comparison we see is with Lila, and how she "changes targets". The episode Chameleon in season 3, is when we start to see a major shift in Lila, specifically in her focus from Ladybug to Marinette. While she still targets Ladybug after this episode, this is where we start to see a decline, until we get to season 5, and she's all but forgotten about Ladybug.

In season 6 too, we see her begin to shift again. While in episode 2, we see her obsessively watching Marinette and Adrien's date, this is ultimately in pursuit of Ladybug. The shift has begun. If my analysis is correct, we will see more and more of a preoccupation with Ladybug from Lila (Cerise?) and less of a focus on Marinette in Lila's antagonistic role

(Also wanted to point out this amazing call back to season 3 episode 1 "Chameleon it's very on the nose)

What's also important to note is that while season 3 might have been episodic, the information relayed in each episode was vital, and nearly all of it was brought up in subsequent episodes/seasons (re: new heroes, chat blanc, the statue scene TM). With season 6 so far, this appears to also be the case. The episodes are episodic, but I would hardly call them fluff. We've been told new lore, understood ever-changing relationships, and have been privy to the delicacy in which virtually all characters exist.

This frailty is something that we actually see a lot in season 3, especially in relation to secret keeping. In season 3, we have Kwamibuster, Desperada, Weredad, Chat Blanc, and Ladybug. All episodes that either reference, or center around issues relating to secrets and identities. In season 3, we actually see the most threats to secret keeping. Season 4 by comparison only has 3 (gang of secrets, wishmaker, and ephemeral).

Secrets are winding their way around the plot of season 6 as well, a threat that appears most pointed in the most recent episode "Revelator". The delicate tether of these secrets seem precarious to us viewers, just as they did in season 3. And just like season 3, they're bound to break at some point, in a catastrophic and calamitous way...

Which leads me to the whole reason I made this post and why I think the writers created this reflection...

The episode 22 slot.

Just to be clear on what I mean by that, here is the 22nd episode of season 3:

and here is the 22nd episode of season 6:

The tenterhooks of identities in season 3, eventually came to a head in the episode "Chat Blanc", an episode where we learn what would happen if they knew each others identities. An episode where we say Adrien get akumatized for the first time.

So far, every clue seems to point to Marinette being akumatized this season, right down to the name of this villain "Lady Chaos" seems perfect of a callback to Ladybug for me. And with the way this secret has intertwined with Ladybug's identity, relationships, and reputation, there's no shortage of reasons as to why she might get akumatized.

Right now, in these early season 6 episodes, we are being provided the tools to allow her to finally get akumatized. Alya has a kwagatama and can reference Marinette to defeat Marinette. She also has been named Marinette's successor if necessary (and has a premade suit). Chat Noir has the ability to remove the memory of Ladybug's identity from anyone's mind. And most importantly, we have been provided a motive, over and over again.

After all, let's not forget this call back...

Akumanette is coming... the only question is what will remain in the aftermath

[nothingtherefornow]

I will say this and always say this, Marinette Dupain-Cheng deserves better

nonon i havent's stopped here

Because you stupid fucks forget Marinette was dumped EVERYONE'S SECRETS in like less than a week and had a stop a worldwide terrorist in the process

Did you all forget how Kagami and Felix, both KNOWING ADRIEN IS A SENTIMONSTER TOO, decided to do a (although beautiful) complexed fuck ass theater experience to Marinette so she, not them, SHE, had to save Adrien from his abusive father? They dumped a existential crisis on MARINETTE, revealed they knew she was Ladybug and were "you know, we don't have time to explain this to Adrien even though you know little about Sentimonster, so go and save your boyfriend because you care more about him than anyone else in the world, signed, Adrien's ex girlfriend and Adrien's cousin"?

Did you all forget how Gabriel preferred to KILL HIMSELF to avoid explaining his son all the fuck he did, having his comatose semi dead wife on THEIR BASEMENT and went "Marinette, you care more about Adrien than i do, explain this shit to him" and poofed himself of existence?

Did you all forget how Nathalie KNOWS the best all of this, how she still has videos of Emilie explaining stuff and is still not telling the truth to Adrien, even though she is now his canonically adopted mom? And an adult? But it's still letting Marinette fix Gabriel's mistakes?

Did you all forget all the times Marinette saw the universe destroyed just because her identity was revealed, how NO OTHER PERSON has that knowledge, and she has the need to work on the clock to fix everything or Bunnyx, AN ADULT BUNNYX, has to pop-out sometimes to ask a child to fix time paradoxes?

How do you expect HER to explain all of this to Adrien. How do you expect her alone to try and be the messenger of everyone's mistakes in Adrien's life. How do you expect a fucking child to carry the burden of everyone else's lies and not let her have her at least this one

[nothingtherefornow]

What can I say except that this analysis of this whole mess and this little critic about Alya is excellent

Okay, I have thoughts about the whole akuma fight and the Alyanette contention lemme cook for a minute.

[nothingtherefornow]

Late night musings

So, I've watched the most recent episode of Miraculous S6, Revelator, and it wasn't as awful as I was dreading. It honestly does raise an interesting moral and even philosophical debate.

Alya and Marinette present this debate. Is it better to share everything, no matter how harsh it may be? Or should you keep secrets for whatever reason? The thing is, there's no right or wrong. There is a fuck ton of gray with this debate.

Personally, I actually agree with Marinette. Shocker, I know. But in this instance of the debate, I do believe the truth is too harsh. I do disagree with Alya here that truth is essential for personal growth. It can help someone's personal growth, but it can also destroy a person utterly and completely. This was actually seen in the episode.

We see Alya take the initiative to share the truth about Vincent Truth, or whatever his name was. Morally, she was doing what she felt was right by exposing him, clearing Marinette's name, and what not. But what about the other end of the spectrum. Yes, Vincent was in the wrong by making up lies, his little stories, but how would that affect him? What are you destroying just to speak the truth?

Will the same happen if the world, and Adrien, learn the truth about Gabriel Agreste? We don't know, and that adds to the uncertainty of the decision. And it harkens back to a quote from Final Fantasy 13:

"Humanity's greatest frailty is that we prefer past happiness to future uncertainty."

Marinette has enough awareness to acknowledge that the truth will be devastating, it is her decision to make based on her own judgements. Should Adrien know? Maybe. However, I believe he is better off not knowing. Gabriel Agreste is dead. Let the dead stay dead. Some things are better left at the grave, not to be dug up again.

Truth can find a way, but it can be twisted. The line between truth and deception is thin. Always has, always will be. For what's true to one, may be false to another. The best kept secrets are the ones you never share.