ML Watchthrough | S1E8: Copycat
This episode aired on September 15th 2015 on South Korea's EBS1, and was written by Sébastien Thibaudeau and Pascal Boutboul. You might recognize Boutboul as one of the people who made Galactik Football.
South Korea calls this episode "Two Black Cats". Turkey goes with "Imitator Cat" ("Taklitçi Kedi"), which the ML wiki translates back into English as, get this, "Copycat Cat". Hilarious.
Saudi broadcaster MBC3 didn't air this one because of censorship. What happened in this episode that it needed to be censored, I could not tell you.
Tikki does the same thing Alya did in Stormy Weather. I guess Marinette has that effect on people.
I mean, she'd still be hearing his voice, so I doubt the blindfold would help.
In French, Tikki doesn't mention Marinette being blindfolded. She just says that the only way Marinette won't babble around Adrien is if she doesn't see him, which makes a lot more sense in context.
Marinette immediately assumes Alya has Adrien's number. I guess this must be happening after Evillustrator, since that's when Adrien and Alya spent a lot of time together. Y'know, off screen. Boo.
You know, in hindsight, this should've been a sign of off screen things to come.
That guy in the back left is a character model that definitely should've been used more often. It actually looks kind of nice.
"But all the teachers say I don't sound natural when I read." I have never in my life come across a teacher who cared about that.
"Don't improv," Alya says, as she forces Marinette to improv.
Then again, Marinette is the type that keeps finding excuses to put things off until the opportunity is completely lost. Waiting for her to be ready is a bottomless pit, because she'll literally never feel ready enough. Anxiety does that to you.
"Hello, Adrien's Voicemail." Why is that so funny?
I mean, you're still foaming at the mouth, stupid phone or no.
Here's an idea, girls: why not just send him a text?
Yeah, you know your story idea is bad when all it takes to tear it apart is a single sentence.
The English automatic voice sounds like Nathalie. I guess Théo isn't the only one who has a million jobs in this series.
Théo always has a lollipop in his mouth, most likely because that's commonly used in cartoons as a G-rated stand-in for a cigarette. This is also why Jet from A:tLA was always chewing on a blade of grass.
Why don't you hit 2, Alya? You're way less likely to spazz than Marinette. Then again, if you did, the rest of the episode wouldn't have happened.
"I called him Hot Stuff." Marinette. Honey. That is just about the least egregious thing you've done where Adrien is concerned.
Gotta love how this girl can be so mortified about doing normal relationship things, and yet simultaneously have zero qualms about barging into his life uninvited. Speaking of which...
O hai, Marinette's Adrien chart. I really didn't want to be reminded of your existence.
Look. Personal schedules are, y'know, supposed to be personal. How the heck did Marinette even get her hands on it? Did she hack Nathalie's tablet or something? Some people have said that she's got everyone's schedules on that thing, but I'd really love to hear where these people got that from, because that is nowhere ever mentioned. Seriously, episode title and timestamp or it didn't happen.
I'd have no problem with this if they implied that Marinette just heard things from Adrien about when he has certain activities and put that on the chart, but neither she nor Alya say that. Instead, Alya goes, "You are seriously insane.", which Marinette doesn't deny.
Not to mention, if Marinette was really that infatuated with Adrien, she wouldn't even need the chart.
Anyway, for all your timeline purposes, Adrien has Chinese on Mondays, basketball on Wednesdays and fencing on Fridays. No, I don't know when his piano lessons are.
Honestly, I can't see Adrien playing basketball, but w/e. It is what it is.
The chart also seems to put Timebreaker, which I'm assuming is what "Roller Time!" is referring to (then again, I could be wrong) on April 6th, so Alix's birthday and Tom and Sabine's wedding anniversary must also be on the same date. Since I do see Alix as an Aries, I have no problem with this date.
A lot of people have blamed Alya for the events of this episode because it was her idea, but like. Marinette didn't have to do that just because Alya said it; Alya wasn't holding a gun to her head. She could've done literally anything else.
He just knocked that guy down. I'm pretty sure that's not how you fence.
"And it's my honor that's at stake!" Marinette just turned into Zuko.
"It's only proper for Paris to pay homage to those who protect us from evil... I'm running out of alliterations." — André, probably.
Théo is voiced by Brian Beacock, who also voiced Monokuma. Bryce was probably cackling when he found out.
Adrien, what the fuck?
Seriously, I have no idea what the heck Adrien's deal was this episode. Like, my dude, a random fan wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of actually getting with Ladybug, especially not over her literal partner. You're making a big deal out of nothing.
Honestly, going off of that thing about Théo making Cat Noir's statue shorter, I'd understand if the conflict was more about Théo disrespecting Cat Noir and implying he's lesser than Ladybug, but it's not, so... mnyeh.
Actually, I should probably include this in the big rewrite.
"You don't deserve her! I do!" Yyyyyikes. Why do Adrien salters feel sorry for this guy, again?
Speaking of yikes, how old is this dude? Looks aside, because I'm aware early bloomers exist, he has his own studio in an expensive place like Paris and he was chosen by the Mayor to create a statue of the city's superheroes. He should be in his late 20s at the very least.
Then again, this show loves to go way over the top at every possible opportunity. Like, no, you guys, Théo can't just hold a small exhibit in an obscure art gallery only Nathanaël and three other art nerds have heard about, oh no—he has to be comissioned for a gigantic statue in the middle of the city. Anything else just isn't going to hit people.
Also, fun fact, "Théodore" and "Nathanaël" mean literally the same thing, it's just that one is Greek in origin and the other is Hebrew.
Honestly, I would love to see a Cat!Nathanaël version of this episode.
On the subject of "How old is this dude?", I've seen princess-of-the-corner and a few others headcanon that Théo sees himself as the younger one, what with that thing about Ladybug being 5000 years old. This episode would have to come after "The Pharaoh" for this to work, but the timeline of this show is jank-city anyway, so it's perfectly plausible.
"The very thought of it makes me purr." SHUT UP!
What are you looking at me for? I didn't eat it. I swear!" I freaking love him.
One thing I both love and hate about Marinette's anxiety graphics is that the art style is often way better than the show's actual art style.
Seriously, 3D animation really doesn't fit this show.
"I'll spend the rest of my life in jail and, worse, I'll never get to go to the movies with Adrien!" Same energy as "We'll get killed, or worse, expelled."
"Oh, Marinette, you really need to get your priorities in order." THANK YOU, TIKKI!
French Tikki tells her "You know we're not in a movie, right?" Boring!
"Some days it feels impossible to balance being Marinette and being Ladybug." Marinette, Tikki was talking about how you said not going to the movies with Adrien is worse than spending your life in jail. Being Ladybug had nothing to do with this. What the hell are you smoking? Did I miss a scene?
Also, maybe this is just me, but this line would have felt way more natural coming out of Adrien than Marinette. His busy schedule would naturally get in the way of being a superhero, while Marinette's own scheduling conflicts often come down to plot contrivance and her being cripplingly unable to keep her life in order.
This reminds me. I fail to find that post again, but I've once seen someone say that the show should be more like Kim Possible, with the villain fights being the B-plot and Marinette's rivalries with Chloé and Lila being the real focus of the show. I have no idea what version of Miraculous Ladybug that person's been watching, because this is what the show does already, and that's 95% of the reason why it's so bland. Honestly, I'd make more sense if the writers left the civilian conflicts to Adrien and made Marinette's superhero life her top priority.
See, Adrien's grown up isolated and this is his first time attending school with other children, so it's natural for him to not exactly have the best social skills. This serves both as a good basis to generate hijinks and a good vector for him to learn lessons relevant to the target audience. This isn't even getting into the fact that the main villain is his father—when Hawk Moth is defeated, it's Adrien's civilian life that will implode on him. The lessons he learns throughout the show can thus help prepare him for when that time inevitably comes.
As for Marinette, her whole thing is that she's a "normal girl with a normal life". Her parents are bakers, she goes to a public school, and she spends the rest of her time either babysitting or sewing. There's just not much you can do with her, short of throwing celebrity connections at her that no "normal girl" her age is ever going to have, or putting her through the wringer for no reason. This is why she's always learning the same lessons, and why most of them feel so pastede on yay. Most of the complications in her life come from being Ladybug, and that's where her character development should come from, too.
"Don't mind me, just stealing this painting. Go about your business." Okay, I freaking love him.
Why's that dude cross-eyed?
"This painting is the cat's meow!" SHUT UP!
Yes, Adrikins, just say that within ear shot of your bodyguard, why don't you?
Yeah, there's no way the Gorilla doesn't know.
"Not only is this guy a fake, he's a terrible fake!" French Adrien is more direct and says "On top of being a thief, he makes terrible jokes!"
"And risk leaving fingerprints? No way!" I mean, you already left fingerprints, so...
"No way, you palmed his phone?" Alya didn't expect Marinette to actually steal the bloody thing.
Marinette, honey, I'm pretty sure Alya was only trying to calm you down.
Alya: Holy shit, you actually did it.
Marinette: Worldstar!
"Somebody robbed Cat Noir?" Yes, Marinette, you did. His phone that you stole is currently on your desk.
See, guys, things like this are why I keep coming back to this show.
French Marinette asks if someone kidnapped Cat Noir. Hilarious.
Marinette: Cat Noir is a lot of things, but he's no thief.
"Uh, thanks?" — Cat Noir, probably.
Adrien, you gullible dork.
"No, no, leave it to the experts, Ladybug, we've got it under control." Roger repeats the same line he said in Origins, so this must be soon after that episode. Wow, that makes Adrien's beef with Théo in this episode even worse.
Also, things said moments before disaster.
Called it! Seriously, Roger, the hell were you thinking trying to imprison someone who can get out of any cage you put him in?
Yes, Adrien, because assaulting police officers will definitely prove your innocence. Totally.
"Well, if you were wrongly imprisoned, wouldn't you run?" Good point, Marinette.
French Marinette says "If you were imprisoned, wouldn't you be mad?"
In the French dub, Cat Noir calls Ladybug "Buginette". "-ette" is a common diminutive ending in French, but it still makes it sound like he's calling her a combination of Ladybug and Marinette. Good job, writers. Have a cookie.
"Uh... I'll leave it to the experts." Savage. I love her, your honor.
Recycled Pixelator footage. Not even 10 episodes in and the crew are already starting to repeat themselves.
"Yours or his?" 'His or yours?' would have been a lot better. Like the punchline of a joke, the most important piece of information goes at the end.
I've seen people say that Cat is blaming Ladybug for Théo's akumatization, but... where? He's not saying "If you were here this morning, this wouldn't have happened." He's saying "If you were here this morning, you'd know what I was talking about.", which is a neutral statement of fact.
"No. This is between me and him. I got myself into this mess, so now I'm gonna get myself out." Responsibility. (ding!)
"You fell right into my trap" cliché.
Copycat is normally voiced by Brian Beacock, but for when he's imitating Cat Noir it switches to Bryce? Why didn't Bryce just voice him to begin with?!
In French, both Cats are voiced by Benjamin Bollen, which is a lot better.
Can't believe it took me until seeing that transition between Hawk Moth and Copycat's faces to realize Adrien actually looks a lot like his dad. I mean, they are father and son, but still.
Thus begins the saga of Marinette and her dislike of liars.
I bet Cat Noir is getting quite a view.
Huh. That's probably why Saudi Arabia censored this episode.
"Let's wrap this up!" French Ladybug says "I don't belong to anyone!"
Cat Noir could have done that himself, but go off I guess. Show, stop treating Cat like a toddler in constant need of Ladybug's guidance.
"You're going to change back before me." Wait, if Théo's transformation ran out, what would happen?
"But I'm better than both of you~" Shut up, Marinette~!
I gotta love how Adrien immediately goes for using the staff as a sword. I love it when shows pay attention to small details like this.
"Now you're both annoying me to pieces!" Marinette, they literally have different voices. What the fuck are you doing?
Yeah, this scene makes a lot more sense in the French dub.
I've heard people say Cat Noir is Ladybug's Pokemon. I'd argue that he's actually her Bakugan.
You could've literally just tied him up with your yo-yo and taken the photo from him that way instead of this convoluted nonsense, but go off.
Marinette's plans aren't smart, they're just overly complicated.
How does what she just said constitute "crushing your crush", dude? The fuck are you on about? Did I miss a scene?
Thibaudeau, why do your episodes feel like they were written by 5 drunkards communicating via Google Translate?
I'm pretty sure Kim saw that.
Cursed hatless Nino.
Also, Juleka is wearing white again. We're on a roll with the animation errors today, aren't we?
