The Adrigami Breakup Was Hot Garbage.
This is the episode where Adrien and Kagami break up. The reason why they broke up is because Adrien is Cat Noir and will always have to hide things from Kagami, and she's not having it. It's an episode about how the job of a superhero demands sacrifices, about how Adrien lost his girlfriend to his duties.
But this entire thing falls apart due to both Adrien and Kagami acting from out of character to infuriating. Adrien isn't actually shown to face these struggles as Cat Noir. We don't see him "being a responsible superhero" he's just goofing around and getting Ladybug's attention.
Adrien: Finally! Free at last! Plagg, claws out!
And here when Ladybug doesn't show up to their daily patrol:
AdriCat: So, Mr. Banana! Life's peachy, huh? *gets ignored*Peachy? Banana? Get it?.. Forget it.
AdriCat: So! Mr. Ramier! It's been a while since you were akumatized, right? Kinda miss being Mr. Pigeon? You haven't been feeling depressed? Or desperate? Or angry? Annoyed maybe? Not even a little perturbe?
Mr. Ramier: Thank you for asking Cat Noir but I am in the best of spirits, really!
This is the face Adriem makes after he says he's feeling good and isn't gonna get akumatized:
AdriCat (disappointendly): Well I guess I'm out of here then.
Mr. Ramier: Say hello to the lovely Ladybug for me!
AdriCat: Sure thing! If I ever see her.
Literally, this entire first act is establishing that Cat Noir is sad and lonely without Ladybug to the point where he wants people to get akumatized. Like go back and watch the episode this is insane.
Only after that we get to Kagami. And the relationship is.. off. Kagami lies to both their parents to buy her and Adrien time alone in the art room. She asks him to pose for a sketch, he makes a couple model poses, and the bullshit begins.
Kagami: These are all modeling poses. Try something that's more neutral, more you.
Adrien: What about – meow! *Makes a Cat pose* I mean, now? *nervous chuckle*
Kagami: No. You're not at all neutral.
Adrien: Yes I am, I promise. This is me.
Kagami (intensively): No. That's you when you're being silly.
She's downright rejecting his true self and being a control freak. Where did this come from? They used to crack jokes and have genuine fun together (ie Desperada). This is extremely out of character. But it's not over..
Adrien: What if when I'm being silly, I'm really me?
Kagami: *Gets up closer to gently make him pose*
Adrien's expression is.. um-..
Kagami: There. This, is really you.
Adrien: Do you really think..
Kagami: Yes. You're... perfect. *Leans for a kiss*
What does this scene tell us about their relationship? It tells us that it's toxic, that Kagami is controlling, doesn't care for Adrien's boudries and refuses to see who he really is. Which as I mentioned, goes against her characterization in previous episodes.
After whatever that was Adrien keeps getting called to his duity as Cat Noir. This back and forth continues for a while. But as we established, it's not a meaingful sacrifice to leave Kagami because being a superhero is just professional (and not so proffesional) playtime for him. And the episode keeps on reminding you that all throughout. We cut from Kagami being alone at a party they were supposed to go to together, to this:
AdriCat: Ma'lady, it's been a while since I had this much fun.
Ladybug: *Laughs* If battling a super villian with 3 eyes and a giant monster budy is your idea of fun, I can't imagen what your other days are like.
And in the same conversation:
AdriCat: You can count on me, and my jokes, Bugaboo!
Ladybug: Well, you don't have to over-do it.
AdriCat: The truth is, I only ever have this much fun when I'm with you.
And then he comes back straight to Kagami like nothing's wrong. She confronts him about his lies to her and gets akumatized.
Even when he fights Akumatized Kagami to save her, they still make a point at showing you he's having fun.
AdriCat: I can't wait to see what you're gonna do with a drone.
And his reaction after Ladybug confronts him about sacrificing himself:
Ladybug: Seriously you've got to stop doing this to me!
AdriCat: Yeah, but I can't resist this angry little pout of yours when you bring me back.
Excuse me?
And then, I am not kidding, while still being with Kagami, this happens:
Adrien: *Stares into the sky* Oh, Ladybug...
Plagg: Aww how romantic! I get it, even if I do love every cheese on the plate, I always come back for my favorite.
After fencing class they have the conversation. The break up is caused by Kagami not being not being able to trust Adrien. And this is how thw show, including Adrien himself, frames it too.
AdriCat: You know the difference between us and the rest of the world, ma'lady? We can't be completely honest with each other. We keep secrets, and sometimes we have to lie.
Okay, let's sum everything up:
He emotionally cheats on Kagami and is willing to admit it out loud with no shame.
He loves that subject of infatuation so much to the point where he's openly sad about monsters not attacking Paris.
Shows no remorse to leaving his girlfriend every time they are together, and very explicitly enjoys his time with another girl he's in love with.
At the end of the episode him and the writers push all the bs under the rug and claim Adrien is just following his duties.
....Wow. I remembered Lies being a terrible episode for Adrien but it wasn't until I watched it again that I've realized how much Adrien sucks. I am trurly baffled. Top tier character assassination.
And let's not forget Kagami. What the hell was that? Why did she act like that? Why all the sudden she's toxic and controlling?
Well, all of this nonsense is done to serve a very obvious not-so-hidden hidden agenda: Ladynoir good, Adrigami bad. The writers pretended to tell a genuine story about the duties of being a superhero but couldn't help but sneak in this horseshit. They essentially wanted you to subconciously pick up on what this episode is really trying to say: Kagami doesn't know Adrien's true self, she forces him into the "perfect role" and is incompatible to him. While Ladybug knows his true self. Therefore, Adrien can only be happy with Ladybug.
Kagami isn't controlling and incompatible to him. But that didn't matter to the writers, they have a message to put out. They had retcon her characterization to create a contrast that didn't really exist.
And this applies to Adrien too. He needed to be happy to leave his girlfriend to push the... "message". He needed to emotionally cheat on her like he did to push the message. He sacrificed himself so it would show his so-called love for Ladybug. He wanted people to get akumatized so he could be his true self with his beloved Ladybug. But all of these things don't make him to be compatible with her and destined to be with her, they make him an a$$hole.
And I'm not gonna buy into this message they snuck in there with retcons and infuriating behaviors.
