That being said, Miraculous is definitely not without flaws. It's clear the creator was inspired by older anime classics such as Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor sakura, and Phantom Thief Jeanne, which some will appreciate. Also, those who are fan of Japanese animation will notice the references and similarities pulled from the magical girl genre: we have the magical transformations, the cute sidekicks, Japanese "akumas," etc. The music is nothing short of stunning, and the Paris-inspired soundtracks will easily get stuck in your head! I usually prefer hand drawn animation but the CGI here blew me out of the park. The animation is gorgeous and the action scenes are very smooth. It should be noted at how impressive the animation is as well: a product of four major animation studios coming together, Miraculous boasts an 12 million dollar budget and it clearly shows here. The supporting cast consisting of Marinette's classmates are interestingly developed mostly through inferences and vague symbolism. We see that these kids have real flaws and are extremely relatable. There is a natural progression of events without using contrived plot elements such as deaths, love triangles, cheesy friendship drama, etc. And while Marinette has a loving family and is sweet, kind, and pure by nature, she is also is shown to have her flaws, being cocky, selfish, and judgmental. We learn about Adrien's troubled past and why it justifies his current actions. Additionally, the series focuses on Marinette and Adrien's struggles with their families and friendships. This love-quartet serves as the basis for the central theme of the series as their feelings for each other (and their alter egos) change and develop immensely. And to Adrien, Marinette is just a girl in his class. Adrien is madly in love with Ladybug (not knowing that she is Marinette), whose heart only beats for Adrien in real life (also not knowing he is Cat Noir). But there is a catch: the both of them are forbidden in revealing their true identities while working together. He also has a similar experience and can transform into Cat Noir, Ladybug's polar opposite and her partner on this mission to destroy Hawk Moth. However, the series gets largely complicated with the introduction of the deuteragonist (and Marinette's crush), Adrien. Hawk Moth is the villain behind this phenomenon and it is her ultimate mission to stop him. The premise itself is fairly cliché for the genre: a klutzy, happy-go-lucky girl named Marinette finds a magical pair of earrings and begins a quest alongside a cute creature that gives her the power to transform into "Ladybug," a superhero with the powers to seal "Akumas," demons that pray upon wounded hearts. It has such a high enjoyment value that you will forget that you are watching someone fighting monsters every week, but rather, live through the experiences of a not-so- typical high school girl whose life has been changed forever. At first glance it may appear like a typical magical girl/lame superhero program, but do NOT let the kiddy ladybug image fool you. Combing a plethora of genres, from action, to comedy, to fantasy, and romance, "Miraculous" is an example of a series that is not afraid to take risks and defy common conventions of the genre in order to maximize quality, something that has been absent from modern television for a decade. As a rabid lover of animation since the 90's boom of TV animation, I can tell you right now that it is perhaps one of the most phenomenal cartoons I have seen in an extremely long time. There is a lot to love about Miraculous Ladybug.
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