#ml show

Tim: Hell, I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?

Marinette: Yes.

Marinette: I want to ruin you.

Movie!Gabriel: I was… but I went too far, I nearly destroyed Paris, killed countless people, and almost killed my baby boy. After that I stopped, I couldn’t… even if I brought emilie back.

Show!Ladybug: Wow… you are quite aware of your actions.

Movie!Gabriel: It’s part of a list of regrets, but at least I can see my son, try and rebuild the relationship that shattered. It’s hard… but I suppose beats any alternative.

Show!Ladybug: … For what it’s worth. I think you are a better father, for trying to do this.

Movie!Gabriel: Thank you, it means more than you know. Do watch over your universe’s version of my boy.

People that know Adrien is chat noir: Fu (pre memory wipe) Luka, Alix. (Total: 3)

People that know Gabriel is Hawkmoth/Shadowmoth/Monarch: Marinette, Nathalie, Felix, Kagami (potentially) Tomoe, Alya (potentially), Su han (Potentially), Lila (total: 8)

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People that know Marinette is Ladybug in the movie: Fu, Adrien, Gabriel (total: 3)

People that know Adrien is Chat noir in the movie: Fu, Marinette, Gabriel. (Total: 3)

People who know that Gabriel is Hawkmoth: All of Paris. (Total: 2,102,650+)

-And the criticisms for the movie ending are valid, Marinette/Ladybug’s conflict is a lot less personal (cause time constraints)

-Gabriel technically defeated himself

-There wasn’t enough build up for the climax to feel satisfying unless you knew the show.

-Marinette’s personal involvement felt minimal to nonexistent. (She never met Gabriel)

-The powers are inconsistent

The wrap up was too quick

And these are legitimate criticism, especially because we never have Marinette interact with Gabriel once. Something that should have happened.

I can understand how that ending could feel unsatisfying.

Then we have the season 5 finale, which has the opposite problem

-It involves Marinette so much that Adrien is completely sidelined as a response.

-Gabriel ‘Wins’ but according to the writers he lost. (I saw the commentary. I vehemently disagree with there interpretation)

-Adrien never finds out about any of this

-Lila feels shoehorned in as the season 6 badguy

So I thought about both sides more, rewatched the S5 finale and the ending with these new perspectives and… I still prefer the movie ending more than the finale.

But why is that? Objectively speaking The movie is much more flawed and has very littler personal investment of Ladybug vs Hawkmoth. Something that movies don’t often do.

While The show has built up this personal conflict between Gabriel/monarch and Marinette/ladybug

By all logic I Should prefer the show ending.

But I don’t, and it’s precisely BECAUSE of the reasons I listed.

Movie! Marinette’s lack of personal connection to fighting Gabriel allowed me to focus on Gabriel’s motive and his interaction with his son. His genuine care of his son being his downfall MADE sense. Marinette was focused on saving her partner than fighting a villain, which the movie showed to be more of the core of the movie. Even foreshadowing the “Save one Life, save the world” line. And it even fits the fairy tale theme ML tries to go for.

Meanwhile the Show’s ending had a really good fight at the core with Marinette and Gabriel clashing. The fight between Monarch and Bug noire is one of the best in the series… BUT it’s because of this conflict that the ending feels so GUT WRENCHINGLY awful. Because it’s just another case of Marinette failing to stop Gabriel from doing what he wanted. Gabriel may have changed his initial wish, but he still basically did what he always did, cease power and leave Marinette to clean up the mess.

Even taking Adrien out of the equation doesn’t help fix the ending. Because Gabriel still did what he wanted. Gabriel gets a statue, he gets to die seen as a hero that he never was. He is seen as a good man. And it leaves Marinette having to let Paris think that. We don’t see Marinette doubting this, we don’t see opposition or even a question on it. It’s Marinette once again doing what she always does, taking on the burden.

Ah but the difference is that ML still has more seasons. This could all be subject to change. People could find out the truth. The wish has consequences.

And that is correct. There are consequences. And do you know who will face those consequences? Marinette. Because she always does. That’s what the show Always does.

The movie ending also has a potential sequel, but at least there, Marinette and Adrien don’t have secrets, Fu is still there, and the weight of reality doesn’t hang on Movie Marinette’s shoulders only.

And I think that’s what it comes down to.

More Than One Secret

By: Tyshian

Ship: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne, Chloé Bourgeois/Tim Drake

Minor Ships: Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Ivan Bruel/Mylène Haprèle, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe

Status: Complete

Salt: Chloé Bourgeois Sugar, Adrien Agreste Salt, Alya Césaire Salt, Lila Rossi Salt, Caline Bustier Salt, MiracuClass Salt

Summary:

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has Secrets. Damian Wayne has Secrets. The pair together have Secrets.

In which: Hawkmoth and Mayura are beaten but they don't know it. Adrien is an obsessive limp noodle. Alya is an oblivious attack dog and Lila is screwed one way or the other, she just doesn't know it yet. Chloe finds her soulmate in a caffeinated Wayne. Damian learned about emotions from Marinette so he isn't the emotionally stumped little ball of anger he used to be. Marinette and Damian reveal what could be considered a years long prank of epic nature and break a few brains along the way.

The Wayne family and Bustier's class aren't going to know what hit them by the time Marinette and Damian are done with them.

We Should have Stayed in Gotham

By: skhwriter

Ship: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne

Minor Ships: Ivan Bruel/Mylène Haprèle

Status: Work In Progress

Salt: Chloé Bourgeois Sugar, Alya Césaire Salt, Lila Rossi Salt, Caline Bustier Salt, MiracuClass Salt

Summary:

The students of Gotham Academy were confused. It was International Friendship Week, and it was Gotham’s turn to host. Except no one wanted Gotham to host, not even Gotham! So the Directors of the Friendship Conference decided that it was in everybody’s best interest to skip the City of Crime and go straight to the City of Lights. Everyone thought that it was the perfect idea! Except for Paris. The Gothamites couldn’t help but laugh and scoff at the Parisians insistence that Gotham would be a much safer place than Paris, and nothing should change. And everyone, even one Damian Wayne, was thrilled when the petition went through, and they boarded the plane for Paris.

And then…a giant baby…tried to eat the Eiffel Tower…they should have stayed in Gotham.