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darkabomination the Quantum Mechanic Since: Mar, 2012
the Quantum Mechanic
07/29/2016 11:48:57 •••

Cliches Aren't A Bad Thing

Miraculous Ladybug is nothing new. A Magical Girl with transformation, Fairy Companion, victims of the day with various aesops, identity mishaps, and so on. There isn't any deconstructions here, nor complex plots, or anything groundbreaking. So why watch this show?

Because it's a lot of fun. Cat Noir and Ladybug are goofy, likable leads with endearing personalities and powers. Cat/Adrien's entropy and decay is especially unusual. Being voiced by Bryce Papenbrook and Cristina Vee doesn't hurt, both bring a lot of energy to their performances.

Marinette is a quirky, likable ditz trying to balance her schoolwork, missions as Ladybug, and her dream of fashion designing and her crush on Adrien. The cat himself isn't half bad a guy either. He may be a model with a wealthy father, but the show makes clear that outside of school, he has no time for himself or friends, who only feels happy in his Noir persona. Their interactions are quite sweet, most of all in their crime-solving banter.

Both the main heroine's bishoujo antics and the frenetic action that takes up a hefty chunk of screentime are a lot of fun. If the villain and plot setup don't grab you in every episode, odds are good that the action setpieces and creative powers on display will. It's a lighthearted action show first, and the staff know what you've come here to see.

The animation is great for tv cg with good models, backgrounds of Paris, and especially particle effects in fights. The main theme and transformation bgm are catchy. Suffice it to say that if nothing else, critics can't deny the presentation is excellent.

The villains can be a mixed bag, but are usually varied from episode to episode that it's worth watching just to see what comes next. Some are downright silly from the Bubbler who, traps adults in bubbles, to a guy who's power is...controlling pigeons to cover the city in poop. Then you get some of the hammier types like a weather girl with forecast puns, an Egyptologist kid who thinks he's a Pharoah, and an honest to goodness robocop homage.

And occasionally you get interesting characters like the Evillustrator, who's reasonable with anyone other than his target of revenge, and tries not to hurt anyone with his Art Attacker powers for understandable if misguided reasons. Or Sabrina, one of the more sympathetic Betas to the Alpha Bitch I've seen in a while, who's surprisingly likable.

Above all, the creator seems to love the genre. It wares its Sailor Moon and comicbook influences on its sleeves, and that's not a bad thing. It's brimming with enthusiasm in a lot of superhero cliches, but does it well enough that you'll be entertained. You've seen it before, and odds are you will again, but here you get the feeling that the predictability isn't out of bad writing, but more like a trusted brand of candy. It's sweet while it lasts, and despite yourself, hard not to try just one more. It's good, clean and solid fun, and sometimes, that's enough.


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