#ml twig

This review is dedicated to @bugoutreviewgirlie, whose ML liveblogs I’ve always enjoyed… and who inadvertently tipped me off about this episode’s early release. I wasn’t expecting this one to drop until Wednesday, and I would have missed it if I hadn’t chanced upon her post announcing that the episode was up on .to and she was getting to work on her review. That was my signal to do likewise.

Okay, hold up. Last episode, Marinette dropped the letter in quantic space because she knew that neither she nor Adrien were ready to handle disclosure of the contents. Now she’s gonna do the exact opposite? Whatever happens next better do a damn good job of explaining why she’s suddenly reversing herself. Oh, and Mari’s operating under the assumption that Adrien won’t dropkick her once he realizes she was hiding the truth, like she’s been afraid of all this time. And, of course, I want to know how Anansi of all people is responsible for this development.

The title screen made me think Anansi had an appointment with Dr. Psiquat, and the hair makes me think Brandy’s related. Nevertheless, I love his character design: the curly hair, the freckle explosion, the floral peace sign embroidered on the jacket, all of it. Brandy’s a fine man, and what a good boyfriend he would be.

If you’re blanking on Kuki, he was the victim du jour in “Transmission”, the season 5 episode where Scarabella and Kitty Noire had to step in for LB and CN because they were too verklempt about their secret identities interfering with their relationship. Kuki also received a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference in “Illustrhater” way back at the start of this season.

The moment Alya mentioned “Cook Fu”, I knew Uncle Wang was involved. Perhaps, as Kung Food, he invented the practice.

Marinette devising a convoluted plan to get two people to express their romantic feelings for each other?

I always thought Nino had a close shave cut… or did he have waves all this time, and the new animation engine is rendering it as Nathanaël Bronn originally intended?

Cotton candy looks solid and well-structured, but since it’s spun sugar, it falls away to nothing the moment it’s exposed to moisture or heat. Plus, its exotic colors are the result of food coloring. It’s a surprisingly on-point metaphor for sweet deceptions that don’t hold up to scrutiny.

Anansi thinks the game is pointless, but even she recognizes the inevitability of Marinette. Welcome to “Fib or No Fib”, where the rules are made up but the points matter.

Alya’s sudden and unbothered explanation about her family history does more than explain why Anansi doesn’t resemble her sisters in looks or temperament. It symbolizes how easy it is to think you know everything about someone, except you don’t. Later on, it explains why Alya has this thing about the truth at all times and all costs… and maybe why she was briefly in therapy, as revealed in “Wreckless Driver”.

Oh shit, it worked?!? Until later on, we find out it didn’t, although it wasn’t Marinette’s fault.

Everyone needs a friend like Alya in their life to snap them out of self-deception, provide some outside perspective, and call them out on their bad behavior when necessary. But that’s what makes it so tragic that Marinette can’t tell Alya everything... or rather, she feels like she can’t. And everyone needs a friend like Tikki with whom you can talk about your problems over a little tea.

Marinette’s drawing this portrait to make Adrien feel a little better before she breaks his heart, but what’s the point if she’s just going to do the latter anyway? Is this gesture really for Adrien… or really just for herself, a futile attempt to assuage her guilty conscience? Is she right to blame Gabriel, or is the problem Marinette’s obligation to Gabriel?

Was Gabriel a good father, or was he a monster? Yes. And any portrait or representation of Gabriel that ignores both the light and the shadow doesn’t tell the whole truth. In the end, Marinette realizes that if she keeps lying to Adrien, even with the best of intentions, she’ll be just like Gabriel. Her excuses and self-deceptions are paper-thin… or at least not as strong as that portrait paper. (I’m guessing it’s 100% cotton rag if it tolerates all those erasures without ripping.)

At this point, an akumatized villain showing up was like a fresh summer breeze. Oh, and she’s just knocked over the Eiffel Tower! How quaint, really takes me back.

If this akuma scenario seems familiar, it’s basically the flipside of “Zombizou”, only with hatred and aggression (a Rage Virus) rather than affection.

Once again, Alya’s good at calling people’s bluff.

I couldn’t immediately tell what the akumatized object was. It wasn’t until the end of the ep that I realized it was a radish rose.

Sometimes love is awkward. Sometimes it’s downright frightening. Not everyone is ready for it when it shows up, especially if you’ve been burned before. But turning your back on love entirely hurts even more than heartbreak.

Okay, at least now I understand Marinette’s decision. And she understands that she’s in for a bad time, but it’s the right thing to do. It always was. This secret is killing her. Maybe Adrien won’t be as mad at her when he realizes why she lied, how much it hurt her to do it, and that telling him the truth was an act of love.

I admire Alya’s attempt at a crime scene diorama. She’s close to sussing out the truth about the night in question. The trouble is, what will she do when she has eliminated all which is impossible and discovers the improbable truth?