#mlb is a sore spot and i pull no punches with my feelings on it

[just-honey-dewd]

Miraculous Ladybug: Spoilers for Perfection (Part 1)

I’m dead.

Warning, I’m quite critical in this review/ramble. MLB spoilers for S5 E12, cuz screw chronological episode releases. Part 2 will cover Emotion (cuz I had to stop it halfway to process the madness).

Fun fact. I feel like the jump in development between these two episodes actually speaks to the amount of episodes you could skip if you wanted to see what this show would be like if it went through a more “Show don’t tell” angle. If anyone has come up with a definitive “show-don’t-tell” cut of the show once it’s finally finished, pls send me a drive or a recommendation list, or I’ll have to do it myself /hj

For realskies, I….? Perfection was middle school secondhand cringe I suppose. The “I love” “moo” thing is self-aware, but still cringe nonetheless. Wondered of a funnier variation of her trying to say “ew” instead in reaction to Adrien’s established camembert stench like she keeps holding up a picture of camembert each time to try to get herself to say “I love (ew)” — but never even considers the correlation with that stench and Plagg. I’m actually curious btw about the french variation as a non-french speaker. Je taime? Right? Idk how the cow card would play into this.

Also mad props to MLB for tackling miscommunication and issues like fear of rejection, fear of failure, golden child syndrome with more care between the Marinette and Kagami, and having that translate into an akuma — screw you I could care less what they’re actually called now — that wasn’t just blindly destructive to everyone around em. More self-destructive, which I find to be more common for people irl. The ratio of people who’d use their negativity to lash out on others is hard to gage, but I know it’s been way too late in the game for there to be only this one akuma who’d rather sit and wallow in their lonliness. More people would rather crawl in a hole and die than inconvenience a stranger.

That desire to want to sit in isolation for days on end is quite relatable. More so than the manbaby temper tantrums you’d see from Mayor Bourgeious, the Ice cream guy, or Gabriel Agreste ffs. One can argue that Hawkmoth intentionally seeks out powerhungry hateful individuals: but that requires assuming Gabriel wasn’t just blindly choosing anyone with shallow grievances, with his powers amplifying them to be stupidly destructive. So I think the less complicated conclusion is Gabriel doesn’t seek out the strongest of negative emotions, (the baby akumas shoulda been a dead indicator), but he’ll take anything. Still doesn’t take away from the fact that aside from “Perfection”, there hasn’t been any other akuma who’s emulated what it’d really feel like to have your deep negative feelings of inadequecy be amplified. Or maybe I’m just projecting, which in that case, my bad 😋

On a separate note, this show had the potential to explore the deeply tragic misuse of the butterfly miraculous — that capacity to empathise with others, recognise their sadness beneath the anger —it really coulda been a good eye opener for mental health in society. But ehhh I already shot myself in the foot long ago for even insinuating MLB would ever try to reflect or deeply respond to modern-day issues. It really isn’t more than what its premise surmises. Aside from also being an anti-rich, soap opera, pre-teen angst monstrosity. But I digress.

Overall, Perfection is not for my age demographic but the sentiment comes across. Also, Adrien attempting to sing a dramatic ballad, and it being overshadowed by Marinette and Kagami’s shared feelings of inadequecy in their relationship to each other was both disheartening but also hilarious to me. “No worries, Adrien can always come up with another song from the heart off-screen! Besties come first!” Slay honestly. (Actually I take that back, Kagami don’t follow Lila’s IG!!!—)

Thanks for reading!