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sparklyaxolotlstudent · 4 years

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Break that Lesson!

Miraculous Ladybug edition

Known as “Broken Aesop” in TVTropes, this happens when the media where a lesson is given, then proceeds to break it by doing the contrary of that lesson and showing positive results. Example: “Violence is never the answer” in a show with a Monster of the week format, where they always defeat the baddy using violence.

SO!

Good People have to Stand Up Against Evil… unless is inconvenient for the plot.

The Origins Episode, we are shown how Marinette was before becoming Ladybug, and what motivated her to become a Hero: “All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing”. This is said by Alya, and later repeated by Marinette, not to mention is completely approved by the narrative

The we get to Chameleon… and Adrien…

Adrien: Are you going to tell everyone?

Marinette: 'Course I am. Lila is—

Adrien: (interrupting) A liar. Yes, I know. But do you really think exposing her will make things better? If you humiliate her, she'll just be hurt more. Making a bad guy suffer has never turned them into a good guy.

Marinette: So we just stand by and let her lie?

Adrien: As long as you and I both know the truth, does it really matter?

Marinette: You're right, maybe it's not such a big deal.

You might try to explain this all you want, but the matter of the fact is that they’re going against their own lesson. Chloe’s actions are fought at every point, but Lila gets to go scot free because otherwise they would neutralize her only plot.

“But Lila can turn that against them” Maybe. Maybe they won’t believe Marinette, but they have no reason to doubt Adrien’s word. They have no reason to doubt Ladybug.

Lying is Bad... For Marinette, anyway.

This one is a prevalent lesson in the series, especially after Lila became more or less regular. Lying is Wrong and bad and evil and only wrong and bad and evil people do it… Except is part of Marinette’s (And Adrien’s) every day having a secret identity. She has to constantly lie to go out and save the world. But instead of “Some lies are necessary”, Marinette outright states she hates liars, and Tikki herself admonishes her when she lies, yet her lies to become Ladybug are never addressed.

A different part of this occurs in two different episodes. Alya is praised for her ability to take care of Manon when she tells her she is a princess unicorn in disguise (A lie, unless we’re not told something of Alya). In a later episode, Marinette is punished by the narrative when she tells Chris that she’s one of Santa’s helpers. So again, is wrong for Marinette to lie, but everyone else can do it whenever they want.

Take your job seriously!... If you want to.

Again, no particular episode, but the implicitly is that Marinette has to take her job seriously as Ladybug, as she’s the only one who can purify Akumas. Remember, she almost gave up in Origins when she failed to do so, and in Reflekdoll is explicitly said that Ladybug’s responsibility is much heavier than that on Chat Noir… And then Gamer 2.0 comes and says she should chill.

And It’s not broken by the narrative, but in Reflekdoll Adrien gains a new appreciation on how hard being the Ladybug Holder is… yet the episodes set after this he’s still his goofy self. (Yes, Oblivio is 90% his fault they got hit)

Bullies feelings matters… more than the people being bullied.

The general attitude of the show, especially with Adrien never being wrong, is that bullies feelings take precedence over the people they are bullying. He has seen first hand how mean she is… hell, he himself has been victim of her (When the whole school had to clean up when she made a fake call to the firefighters) yet when people are happy she will be gone, he acts as if they’re the ones being cruel. When Lila successfully gets Marinette expelled, instead of him calling her out, he manipulates her in a way that she will still be causing trouble… And doesn’t tell Marinette.

Miss Bustier also promotes this. When Chloe vandalizes the gift that Marinette gave her, she takes Marinette and tells her to set an example to Chloe.

SPECIAL META MENTIONS!

Do as I say, not as I do

Racism is bad.

Kung Food episode, which I think, breaks the record for breaking the lesson in the same episode it is brought up.

Chloe is called out for asking sushi (A Japanese dish) from a Chinese chef. She is rightfully called out when her answer is that she doesn’t care. Even Adrien is appalled by her attitude, even when he usually lets it slide as “Chloe being Chloe”.

The akuma of the Episode is, of course, called “Kung Food”. For starters, the civilian is a chef, not a martial artist, but ok, they gave him the name for the pun… but then decide to base his looks on Goku from Dragon Ball Z, a japanese anime (which to be fair, is inspired by Journey to the West, but very very loosely) . So conflating to Asian cultures is wrong when Chloe does it, but A-ok when they do it.

Stealing designs is bad.

The whole point of “Mr. Pigeon” (besides the akuma) is the hat competition and how Chloe is a horrible human being for stealing the design from Marinette and then trying to make it seems like Marinette was the one who stole the design. And Marinette is able to prove is her design, so Chloe gets her comeuppance! YAY!

…

And then in the 2020 Toy Fair they show us a new doll with a design copied from a fan artist. Not even “inspired by” or “Somewhat similar”, but it’s literally the same oufit, just with wings and Ladybug’s hair down.

Of course, Alya’s “A good reporter always check her sources” while not checking her own sources deserve it’s own special mention, as it breaks the lesson even as she is speaking.

Those are all of the top of my head. I’m pretty sure there are even more broken lessons scattered through the show. (Chat Noir harassing Ladybug Vs Felix harassing Ladybug is also one)

#miraculous ladybug #ml salt #Broken Lessons

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