The ending scenes of Wishmaker had a lot of development and foreshadowing.
On the positive note, both Adrien and Marinette are moving on. The theme of the future isn’t as scary for them anymore. They feel ready to tackle it on even though they were so lost at the beginning of the episode.
Adrien (as he is looking a picture of him with his mom) : I may not remember my childhood dream, but that’s okay. It’s time to focus on the future and find my inner music like Luka said.
Adrien steps forward and while he accepts part of his past, he decides that what matters is what is ahead of him. He sets himself in a quest to find himself. Which contrasts with his scene with Kagami inside the art club at the beginning of Lies where he thought he knew himself.
Kagami : These are all modeling poses. Try something that is more natural, more you.
Adrien : What about meow! Err.. I mean, now.
Kagami : No. You are not at all natural.
Adrien : Yes, I am. I promise. This is the real me.
Kagami : No! It’s you when you are being silly.
Adrien : What if I’m being silly I’m really me?
Adrien has arrived at a point where he is questionning where he stands. He said so at the beginning of the episode. Both about his civilian and superhero sides of him.
Plagg : Don’t you want to continue to model?
Adrien : I don’t think so, Plagg. I’m doing it now because my father asked me to and I realize now I don’t know what else I want to do. I’ve never asked myself that question…
Plagg : What do you think of Chat Noir as a career?
Adrien : Well, since Ladybug keeps giving Miraculous out to other Holders, one day, she’ll probably won’t need me anymore.
Adrien realizes his life and role is either controlled or dependant of others because he personally doesn’t know what he wants for himself. And this is one of the reasons that lead for Chat Blanc’s akumatization to turn awry. Because he was torn and lost. Because the two most important people of his life were trying to influence him in opposite direction when he was in an extreme vulnerable mental state that didn’t allow him to think for himself. And because he lost control of himself, his powers went out of control too.
And in that timeline, because he was living a dream, CB!Adrien had never mentally prepared himself to find his own voice before the reality punch him in the face.
Now, it is too early to say that Chat Blanc has been fully avoided, because there is still a lot of work to do, but after Wishmaker (along with Optigami, Sentibubbler and Rocketear), Adrien is on the right path to find his voice and find what he truly wants for himself.
Marinette (facing the choices ahead of her) : You know what? I’ve decided I’ll do it all! I’ll be Ladybug. I’ll design clothes, jewelry, furnitures, space rockets! I’ll be Luka’s best friend and I will love Adrien!
Fluff : But how are you going to do it at the same time?
The choice of Fluff in this particular scene is very clever.
Fluff is the Kwami of Evolution and is heavily associated to time. Their Miraculous is a watch and their superpower allows their holder to time-travel.
But there is more to that. It is a recall to Timetagger. To a discussion Ladybug had with Bunnyx.
Bunnyx : You can always count on Ladybug. With her around, every problem has a solution.
Ladybug : How I ever get to be like that…?
Bunnyx : By growing up, Minibug.
This was how Marinette was. Unsure, overhelmed. But look at her now.
Marinette : I don’t know how yet, but yes, I can do this!
She is boasting with confidence. She is accepting herself how she is. She is most probably chasing two hares at the same time, but she also accepts she will drop it sometimes too. She is confident she can rebound. But while I love how determined she is and isn’t scared of the unknown variables (for now), I cannot help but notice she appears to have forgotten something.
In her enumeration, she forgets to count Chat Noir, her partner. I am a bit worry about this. Being Ladybug means many things to her, but I’m afraid she is solely focusing on the duty of her job and doesn’t realize she is lacking on the human relationship aspect of her job with her partner.
I mean, it’s great that Marinette loves herself now and feels she can face anything now. It’s a great step she has accomplished since the end of S3 and the show is not subtil about it at all xD Like…
Right after she has come to her conclusions, we get Fabulous Alec appearing on screen with the moral.
Alec : And now we are going to love one another, starting with everyone loving themselves! Because how are you going to love other people if you don’t love yourself?
And both Marinette and Adrien have accomplished that. They have evolved from the selves they were back at the end of Truth and Lies. But now, Adrien needs to build himself enough to face his father, but also to find his place in Ladybug’s team. And Marinette needs to have some important discussions with her partner.
And this is summed up in the ending card
Fabulous Alec is the manifestation of self-love and he reaches everyone with his light, shielding them from Shadow Moth. There are also music notes that creates a barrier. Because Luka’s music allegories have made an impact on both Marinette and Adrien.
Marinette has her music note and it is as if she owns it. Adrien doesn’t have any note nearby him because he has just begun his personal quest.
We see Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting together while being watched over by Luka who now knows both superherores’ secret identity.
Also, please note where Adrien is place in the picture. He is at the bottom right. And it feels like Adrien is leaving the frame completely. And to be himself, he may need to continue to distance himself in the process. But it also places him in the complete opposite direction where Shadow Moth is. Adrien is heading in a different direction that Shadow Moth AKA Gabriel AKA his father might want him to stay.
As for Marinette/Ladybug, she is not noticing the growing distance occuring.
theartofmadeline
yousharknotpass
titsay
izzy806
