Why ‘Miraculous’ is worth watching

By Kristina Birt

“Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir” is a French anime created by Thomas Astruc that takes place in modern-day Paris. The original idea for the show contained darker themes and was targeted toward adults. It ended up being more cutesy and targeted toward children ages seven and up. 

The universe of “Miraculous” has a lot of lore that is introduced in episodes “Origins: Part 1” and “Origins: Part 2.” Part 1 begins by showing a miracle box, a box that is full of miraculous. A miraculous is a piece of jewelry that can give a person special powers. 

When a miraculous is given to someone, a creature called a kwami appears, like a genie in a lamp. To activate the kwami, the human has to be wearing the miraculous and say the activation phrases, such as “scales slither,” “shell on” and “let’s fetch.”  All of the miraculous give general powers like strength and agility as well as a specific power. Once that power is called on, the holder has five minutes before they transform back into their normal human form.

There are three central characters in the series: Ladybug, Cat Noir and Hawkmoth.

Ladybug is thirteen-year-old Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette gains her power through the Ladybug earrings. Her kwami’s name is Tikki, who gives Ladybug the power of creation. When Ladybug says “Lucky Charm,” she is given an object that she uses to solve a problem. Even though Marinette is Ladybug, she does not know the true identity of Cat Noir, her superhero partner. 

Cat Noir’s true identity is thirteen-year-old Adrien Agreste. Adrien is a model and the son of famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste, and is in the same class as Marinette. His miraculous is the ring of the black cat, which is powered through his kwami, Plagg. Plagg gives the power of destruction, called “cataclysm”, giving Adrien the power to touch an object to destroy it. 

Hawkmoth is the villain of “Miraculous.” He is the owner of the butterfly miraculous, which lets him transmit power to another person. In “Origins: Part 1,” Nooroo, Hawkmoth’s Kwami explains that when a person has both the ladybug earrings and the black cat ring, they are able to make one wish come true. Throughout the series, Hawkmoth uses his power to try to get these items from Ladybug and Cat Noir. 

Two of my favorite things about “Miraculous” include the characters and their friendships and romances. The different students in Marinette and Adrien’s class are so unique. From their ethnicities to their appearances, the characters have so much to give to the show. None of the characters are alike, including siblings who have unique appearances and personalities. There are many scenes throughout the show that have cute friendships and romances between the characters. 

Miraculous teaches about many issues that adults, specifically college students, can relate to, including broken families, heartbreak and responsibilities. I was introduced to this show in the summer of 2020. It’s taught me that I do not have to hold onto negative emotions. I get to choose if my negative emotions control me, or if I process them and let them go. “Miraculous” is not only a show that can teach kids to do the right thing but to remind adults that their circumstances do not have to overtake them and that there is hope.

While the first three seasons may seem a little mundane, as they have similar episode structures, season four and the first half of season five are much more exciting, forcing viewers to ask if Ladybug and Cat Noir will succeed. Each season has exciting final episodes, making you ask for more and excited for the beginning of the next season. 

You can watch seasons one, two and three on Netflix and season four on Disney+. Season five is currently airing. 

Kristina Birt is a junior Business Management major and an A&E writer for Cedars. In her free time, she likes to read, paint and write fiction.

Images courtesy of Zagtoon