There’s more on my account, but those are the ones I wanted to share. I also have some fics that are unpublished because I’m not sure how people would respond to some of the controversial things I’ve chosen to write about.
We are all overwhelmed by Marinette’s reaction to Chat Noir giving up his Miraculous, but she’s not the only one who lost someone. So did Plagg.
Look at his face! He did not want Adrien to do it. He was devastated. In “Sandboy,” Plagg said Adrien was the best Chat Noir he ever had. And in “Syren” as well. When Adrien threatened to give up his ring, Plagg didn’t want to lose him then either. Adrien isn’t just his owner, he’s his friend.
And look how happy he is to be back with Adrien later. Of course he down play quickly, but that’s just him. He’s never one for mushy stuff. But Plagg’s still glad Adrien took his Miraculous back.
I may be looking too deep into this, but after watching Marinette and Adrien getting stuck behind automatic doors and having a few laughs, it occurred to me that this could be taken as symbolism to their current friendship status.
Automatic sliding doors are simple; easy to get through. Everyone can do it. Why is it so hard for them to pass by, other than being a comedic scene from the special?
It’s because they’re stuck in a limbo. Their friendship isn’t progressing into something more because Marinette is trying too hard to be good enough. Waves of failed attempts to confess, impress, and making elaborate plans to grab Adrien’s attention, showing him her affections that she likes him as more than a friend but being unsuccessful.
Even though she does have his attention, more often than not, she just needs to tell him without backtracking and slamming into that barrier face first to repeat the process all over again.
She jumps the gun and puts her all into letting Adrien know how she feels, full throttle; while being super anxious, overthinking, tense, and ready to sprint headlong into something that would be easy to get through, if she just took a step back and breathed. To just go with the flow and let it happen.
Meanwhile, Adrien is there watching her attempts, being polite and concerned for her when she slips up, ready to catch her without thinking. We’ve seen in the show that when she calms down and doesn’t let her worries plague her, (the what-ifs and what could happens) that the doors to success of what she wants to achieve open and let her move forward. But if she keeps up with this constant cycle…
…they might both get stuck in an endless loop of opportunities opening and closing on them.
I have read a theory online that the rain scene when
Marinette and Adrien ended up at the hotel at the same time is a call back to
the umbrella scene (and Chat Blanc) when they first met in season 1 but the roles
have reversed!
The rain in all scenes were meant to symbolize their newfound feelings for each other in times of emotional distress. Almost like a confession, but they only use body language or little conversation to express it.
In the beginning of the special, Marinette has given her
all to Adrien so he can have the opportunity to join her and their classmates
to the New York excursion, which was a similar gesture to when Adrien went out
of his way to apologize to Marinette for unintentionally hurting her feelings
and then offers an umbrella to keep her dry from the rain.
The audience already knew that Adrien’s heart was pinned to
Ladybug after their first battle as superheroes, however, it didn’t matter as
for the umbrella scene, it was their ‘love at first sight’ moment. Marinette
may have been the first to realize it that rainy day, and that Adrien was
delusional to romantic feelings despite finding his new friend (that he made on
his own for the first time) special, it was the beginning of a strong
relationship for the two protagonists without them ever realizing it!
Starting with Adrien, when asked about his feelings for
Marinette, he was quick to dismiss those feelings by calling Marinette ‘just a
friend’. However, there were many clues that Adrien had slowly developed a
crush on Marinette throughout the show. Like in the Frozer episode of season 2,
Adrien was questioned about why he decided to go for Marinette rather than
staying with his date. Adrien calls her that she’s ‘just a friend’, but the way
he delivers his statement was hesitant as if he was unsure if he sees her as ‘just
a friend’ or ‘more than a friend’.
In Chat Blanc of season 3, when he makes a
connection that Marinette and Ladybug are the same person, he had a positive
reaction and admitted that he always felt something more for her until now (this was
before Adrien’s memories were erased ‘cause knowing each other’s identities is
dangerous apparently).
In the NY special, we are hinted that Adrien is starting to
feel the same way, maybe because he has accepted the fact that Ladybug won’t be
returning his feelings as Cat Noir no matter how hard he tried (it’s been five
years, chile with the pursuing bro). But Marinette cannot accept the signs
because now, it is her turn to move on from her crush, and it is her turn to
call Adrien ‘just a friend’. Adrien showing signs that he likes her is making Marinette feel conflicted.
However, before getting inside the car to get back home, Adrien
tells Marinette that he wouldn’t mind spending a little more time in New York
with ‘a friend like you’. Adrien has gone from ‘just a friend’ to ‘a friend
like you’. Marinette is very important to him now. As I have implied in the first paragraph, the rain scene in the NY
special is a reverse call back to the umbrella scene from season 1, where
Adrien went out of his way to offer a simple gesture to Marinette where
Marinette also realizes that she has fallen for him.
I think Adrien has vaguely confessed
his true feelings to Marinette, and Marinette cannot reciprocate because she
was forcing herself not to. Adrien was waiting for her to tell him to stay, but
she didn’t because she was convinced that she can move on even though she really
wanted him to not go. What makes this scene work is that both characters, as
their superhero counterparts, has lost each other. As civilians, they don’t
want to lose each other too, because both identities of each other are very important
to them. So when Marinette realizes that she couldn’t lose Adrien too, it was
too late. And that’s what makes the rain scene at New York a complete 180 to
their umbrella scene from season 1.
I have probably left some stuff out on this post but yeah, anyone reading this feel free to add on your observations here. ciao! and enjoy this plagg gif hehehe
EDIT: for some reason my gifs dont work so sorry for the inconvenience rip 💀
So I really want to add to this because I have my own theories as well but please forgive me if this is a mess:
So this scene is them both coming back after returning to their civilian form and Adrien renouncing plagg, and since they were both hurt from the previous situation, when they meet up in this scene, I can’t help but also feel like they *know*. As the OP said they are both important to each other in both forms, so of course its hard for them both to leave each other in either situation, i feel like the eye contact they made with tears in BOTH of their eyes they *know* deep down inside them what just happened was with the other one. Its like the little Ladybug is calling out to Chat Noir right then saying “Don’t go.” And obviously marinette to adrien.
Deep down inside they know who the other is in either form but hasn’t really figured it out?
