Can the writers give Marinette a damn break? God forbid a 14 year old girl with lots of responsibilities and problems be upset or angry on the worst day of her life; impossible, unacceptable!
Like, I get it. She’s Ladybug. It would really be throwing a spanner in the gears of justice. But she is a CHILD, and I don’t see anyone else getting flak for being akumatised. The akuma caught Marinette by surprise; otherwise, she would have fought them all off like Alya and Chloe were doing. Furthermore, it makes zero sense that she wouldn’t fight it in the slightest, especially since we know she has before — and if Chloe can do it and Mlle. Bustier can at least delay it, Marinette sure as hell can. And even if she chose to let it happen, she’s a bloody genius! She wouldn’t hand the earrings over just like that.
Tikki giving her an earful about it was completely unecessary and only goes to show that, in the writers’ opinions, Marinette isn’t allowed to behave like a normal person simply because a responsibility that should be given to an adult has been forced upon her (because, despite Origins, she didn’t really have a choice. Was she just supposed to leave Alya there, trapped? Let Chloe be flung to her death? Honestly). Marinette isn’t a proper protagonist; they play at Girl Power while the Agreste Show slowly but surely takes over the whole plot. She’s just there to do all the work for Chat Noir until Angst Time arrives so we can feel sorry for Sad Boy Adrien.
Season 1 had it all; Marinette doing fashion and design, hanging out with her friends, babysitting, baking, going to school, her crush on Adrien, standing up to Chloe — properly fleshing out her character and relationships with others and hobbies and dreams. Notably, this is when we don’t know Hawkmoth is Gabriel as well; so, before the plot started revolving entirely around the Agreste Circus.
But from then on we see less and less of that besides the occasional reference to her designs for Plot Relevance purposes only (Silencer because they had to be stolen, Reflekdoll because of Juleka’s storyline; it only comes up when it’s for the story, not because she happens to be doing something related to her literal career aspirations). When was the last time it was mentioned that she’s Class President? When does she hang out with Alya without it turning into Adrien Talk? Aside from a handful of episodes, the whole thing is all Adrien this, Adrien that, without Marinette getting anything back from anyone, and then she’s expected to just carry on as if nothing happened? Adrien tells her he loves someone else — nothing changes. Luka tells her he loves her — no change there either.
It’s just annoying that we’re supposed to believe that she’s the main one and that Adrien is just the secondary protagonist when the entire plot revolves around him. Marinette has absolutely no part of the angst that’ll begin when the Big Reveal happens aside from “ouch, my crush’s dad and a famous fashion designer who I look up to is a terrorist”. And she’s the main character. This kind of dramatic irony in a Magical Girl style show usually directly relates to the main character, at least in some way.
It could be so easy; for example, Gabriel chooses her to be an intern or apprentice after she wins the hat competition. There, that’s something — her mentor who she greatly respects (skirting over the fact that they ALL KNOW he neglects his son but go off) turns out to be the terrorist they’ve been fighting all along! Sacre bleu! And, oh, what’s this? Adrien’s mother is in a coma in the mansion’s basement! His mother who was missing! And who Marinette has learned more about ever since she became Gabriel’s apprentice, since she spends more time in the mansion and thus sees all the paintings and photos and one day asked Adrien about and he opened up about his feelings in relation to that whole mess (skirting over the fact that he too largely shows not the slightest curiosity about his mother’s disappearance at all? It’s just so weird)! And, oh, Natalie is in on it too! Natalie, who watched over Marinette and gave her pointers and made her feel better when Gabriel was too harsh, and who Marinette thought watched over Adrien in his father’s eternal absence and helped him see his friends and go to school and such by convincing Gabriel! The betrayal! Adrien and Marinette look on in shock, both very upset and conflicted; not quite equally hit with the Angst Train (since Gabriel is Adrien’s dad. Like. Ouch) but certainly both hit!
Now, is that really so hard?
As usual I’ve gone really far off from my original point, but it all still stands. Let Marinette be the REAL protagonist in her own show, with REAL, PERSONAL stakes in the conflict, and not just the Strong Female Character Representation whose life is entirely molded by a white man and his white son.
THANK YOU
The tea is scalding today
