The TRUE meaning of "she’s just a friend"… Adrien is in DENIAL! |Video Essay🐞✨|

[@tuong-vannguyen9926]

Plot twist, you read the twitter thread of Cartoon Hotspot's thoughts on the complexity of the love square... Ngl, I think Marinette fell in love for who Adrien really is, when Adrien's more Chat like side comes out she embraces it, albeit when it came out in Dark Blade she was kinda confused by it. When Marinette is 'simping' over Adrien, it's more the idea of him, the perfect persona that Gabriel Agreste curated for marketing. At some points she glorifies him (imo it's a coping mechanism, although it calms her down as much as it stresses her out), she is very much aware of his conventional attractiveness, but girl Aspik. When she spends time with Adrien she definitely likes him for who he is, although a little awestruck. I'm gonna get a little controversial now, Marinette projected how she perceives Adrien onto Luka, gentle, kind, pacifist, but the reason she could never really fall in love with Luka was because Luka lacked the 'Chat Like Charm™' that Adrien has. Luka was in a way almost too laid back, too calm, and too nice. Regardless, Marinette is in love with Adrien. Hot take, in M. Pigeon 72, Marinette was not setting up Kagami and Adrien because of Kagami, she wanted them together for the more selfish reason of taking her mind off of him, she explicitly states this in the quote 'Out of sight, out of mind.' However, as we know she admits she's in love with Adrien, it's just more healthy this time, less debilitating.

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

YESSS let’s get controversial here I LOVE IT!🥰 and tbh i low-key agree with you on the part about Luka!

[@tuong-vannguyen9926]

@@TheCartoonHotspot I know people sometimes ship Luka and Kagami together, but I think they do because of how they are literally written to be foils of Adrien and Marinette, people always talk about Kagami and Ladybug but never Adrien and Luka, weird...

[@strawberrychocolate9383]

I agree, I also think that Marinette glorifies Adrien because she doesn't know him that well yet. To love someone = to understand someone. Marinette only understands aspects of Adrien that are found in magazines because they don't spend enough time with each other. Adrien has a busy schedule and isn't aloud out of the house often. On the other side, she does love Adrien's Chat Noir side because they spend so much time together fighting akumas and patrolling. She understands Chat Noir fully and trusts him with her life. She doesn't put Chat on a pedestal, because she sees his positive and negative aspects while she only knows Adrien's positive ones that are reflected in tabloids. That is also why she is scared to talk to Adrien because she thinks that she can't mesure up to him.

[@eleishadolbey6889]

Yes!!!! I 100% agree with this about Luka!!!!

[@eleishadolbey6889]

@@strawberrychocolate9383 this is where I think MariChat is such an important ship!! We know from truth that Ladybug loves Chat's sense of humour, now we need need her to show that to Chat AS MARINETTE, I think this would help Adrienette develop for him to know that she accepts his Chat Noir side

[@fayerugs4343]

you can see that marinette didn't like adrien at the start, seeing him as selfish and rude and not as the son of Gabriel Agreste. In the umbrella scene you can see when marinette falls in love with darkens personality, seeing his vulnerable side and true personality.

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

🥺❤️

[@kathleen2449]

Ig she likes honesty

[@Nazaninzahara]

I think adrien knows she likes him because in chat blanc episode when he found out that marinette is ladybug he remembered the time that ladybug told him she loves someone else and he said me so he knows that marinette likes him

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

Yep! It can’t be a coincidence🥰

[@crazycrafts5945]

OMG I TOTALLY MISSED THIS THAT'S SO TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@SoulForevaaa]

Yea but the only reason he figured that part out was because of the gift with her name and the heart embroidered on it. He put two and two together.

[@coachcorrina]

The only person who remembers Cat Blanc is Marinette. When she did her Miraculous Ladybug, she went back to before Adrien found out. Bunnyx would also know, but no one else.

[@josnaakhter1717]

Yea and you all forgetting the scene in Chat Blanc episode where Adrien told Marinette he always felt like she was more than just a friend. That means in the deep down inside Adrien always liked Marinette. And I don’t know why ppl not noticing the last scene of season 3 episode 5, Stormy Weather. Adrien telling plagg that besides there’s Luka. If Adrien really didn’t like Marinette back, then why would he said "besides". Because he thinks that Marinette sees him as a friend and he Does like her and he knows it. That's the reason I always say in the comments Adrien isn’t blind. He is just afraid to show that he likes her back bcs he thinks Marinette will not like him for who he is like Kagami.

[@RodrigoSilva-hd2ig]

I think Adrien and Marinette's real self is a mixture of their civilian and hero's personality. Marinette is definitely in love with the more "perfect" side of Adrien. However, in truth she admitted to love CN's humour, pointing to her also liking Adrien's "clown" side, even though she doesn't acknowledge them to be the same person. This is why i think the reverse of the love square is super important. Marinette needs to fall in love with CN and openly admit it. More than just that, it should become obvious through her actions in the show she is in love with her hero partner. Adrien's love for Marinette needs to be present in the show. This way, both of them will unknowingly love both sides of each other. The conflict that has been building up is the perfect trigger for this. CN realises LB lied and broke his trust so he pulls away, getting closer to Marinette, a friend who always trusted him. LB realises she cared for CN in a way that is beyond friendship as he gets further from her.

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

Agree 100%!

[@mal_starfire7]

I think Marinette is truly in love with Adrien. Its kinda hard to miss. The way she always stumbles upon her words and around him and blushes. Ends up tripping and becoming extra clumsy when he's around. She has already planned their future too.

[@elizaandreadaki9942]

Idk, I think she's more obsessed than she is "in love". She has no particular reason to actually be in love with him other than the origins episode. Adrien is in love with Ladybug because she's his one and only true friend who he can truly trust no matter what and who will always be there for him (ofc he's starting to doubt that now but still). On the other hand, Marinette went off the one time he was nice to her and looked cool. If she were in love with Chat Noir, I'd call it love, but not with Adrien. At least not until she actually becomes connected with him emotionally and escapes out of the perfect fantasy she has of him. For now she's just an obsessive fangirl who happened to live a Y/N moment by going to the same school as her now idol

[@amberpasta9379]

@@elizaandreadaki9942 I think she fell in love with him and that’s where she things are wrong usually when you fall in love with someone you’re so wrapped up in the falling part that you miss out on the development of genuine love.. and there is a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone.. just being in love is mainly about the physical presence of a person and what they do for you (like infatuation or obsession) but loving someone goes beyond that because you chose to love them and you accept their good and their bad… love should be a choice not a need

[@nuhii.2795]

@@amberpasta9379 she isnt really inlove more likr obsessed because she literally invades his privacy and if u were inlove with someone you would respect their boundaries.

[@quietopinion9637]

@@nuhii.2795 But the same can be said about Chat Noir in earlier seasons, but ya know character development is a thing!

[@nuhii.2795]

@@quietopinion9637 i dont think smelling someones bed and stalking them while also stealing their belongings is that easily forgivable. Its a plain out crime and shouldnt be normalised.

[@smartcookie1806]

Personally, I think that the biggest barrier between Adrien understanding how he truly feels for Marinette is simply how she acts around him. We obviously know that Adrien admires Marinette’s compassion for others and how helpful and sweet she is *most* of the time, but Adrien has never had the chance to really see the confident, brave, daring side of her that is present in Ladybug. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think in a lot of ways, Ladybug is the essence of who Marinette is as a person. Behind her lack of emotional control and her insecurities in some ways, there’s a girl who wants to help others and who can put her flaws behind her when push comes to shove, and that’s what encompasses her character perfectly. Adrien’s feelings for Marinette are obviously there, though incredibly latent, but nothing has happened thus far in the show that has allowed for those feelings to really be pushed to the next level (the level where it’s undeniable and impossible to hide from them). Once Marinette truly embraces the Ladybug in her more often in her civilian life, Adrien will begin to develop even stronger feelings for her, finally seeing the side of her that he already fell in love with, her true essence, merge with the side that is sometimes insecure and very imperfect.

[@dew__drops7844]

YES

[@akgwriting9481]

Assuming the writers get rid of the stalking and yandere parts of her first

[@smartcookie1806]

@@akgwriting9481 They have already gotten rid of the unlikable aspects of Marinette’s love for Adrien. And aren’t yanderes people that are obsessed with others to the point where they’ll kill those who get close to the person they love or even the person themselves? The worst Marinette has done is try to get out of participating in an event with Kagami who was her only real rival (and maybe try to pull her away from Adrien in Animaestro). And Marinette would have to follow and spy on Adrien constantly for her to be considered stalking. There’s only one instance where it even hinges on that (Chat Blanc) and one time occurrences like that can be passed off as small pieces of bad writing.

[@dew__drops7844]

@@smartcookie1806 yeah! In season 4 she’s being pretty mature and NOT stalkerish about it

[@kainightshade5033]

If Adrien got disowned by his father, lost all his money, and was written off the famous model stage would Marinette still love him? Would Kagami still love him? Would Lila still love him? Would Chloe still love him? My answer? Marinette would still love him. Lila and Chloe aren't even viable options so we can cross them out. That leaves us with 2 girls: Kagami and Marinette. Let's start with Kagami. Kagami, UNLIKE Marinette, is/was in love with the IDEA of Adrien. Kagami only saw Adrien for what he was, not who he was. He expressed his true side to her and was rejected in favor of a PERCEIVED perfection Kagami saw or wanted to see. From there, Adrien felt like he could no longer be honest with her so that's when he started avoiding her and not telling the truth about the lucky charm. That's what a lot of people have missed. Adrien didn't avoid her right off and I feel like his interest in her was genuine. It didn't stay that way though because, yet again, he was forced to hide his true self. That led to their relationship ending. If Adrien were to lose everything and be his true self I feel like Ultimately, Kagami would dump him. On the other hand, though Marinette doesn't know the real Adrien, I feel like she WANTS to know more about the boy and it frustrates her that she can barely speak to him. That's why she was willing to let him go in favor of Kagami because she knew that if she couldn't talk to him, he was lost to her anyway. Why not let him go, it served no purpose to be jealous-hearted or possessive over someone who wasn't hers and in her mind would never be hers. As she gets to know Adrien more, I feel like if he lost EVERYTHING and was nothing...she'd be beside him 100% because she loves him. Not his status, his fame, his money...but him. Now in season 4, she's becoming more comfortable with herself and therefore, more comfortable with interacting with Adrien which is AWESOME! As the creators have said, Adrien and Marinette are going to learn more about each other so I'm excited!

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

WONDERFULLY explained! Loved reading this!😭❤️

[@toogayforyourdrama4606]

Amazing!! This is something I never even noticed but now I whole heartedly agree.

[@EcoHuron]

I hope Adrien realizes (with the inevitable lady noir confrontation) that Marinette NEVER leaves Adrien out. She’s always thinking about him and never oppresses him when he shows her his chat noir side.

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

I hope so too!💕

[@dew__drops7844]

Yes!

[@giorga6217]

I’m probably restating something that’s been said before. But I think Marinette feel in love with Adrien based off of his personality but she got wrapped up in the concept of him being a model. And therefore views him as kind of untouchable. And Adrien has been deprived of social contact with other kids of his age so his idea of different kind of relationships with kids his own age is underdeveloped.

[@stockholmstyles]

I just NEED for Ladybug to admit feelings/fall in love with Cat Noir to be completely satisfied with this love square. I know deep down she cares for him and maybe has a crush on him, but I need her to realize it. Then I believe everything will fall into place in their love story because everything else is there. Adrien does love both sides of Marinette and Marinette needs to love both sides of Adrien.

[@quietopinion9637]

I haven't really seen Adrien admit to his feelings about Marinette canonically, so I say they both need too!

[@stockholmstyles]

@@quietopinion9637 that's true, although I only said that because his feelings for Marinette are much more obvious than Ladybug's for Cat Noir but yeah ofc we need to see Adrien admit his feelings for Marinette as well ♥️

[@wowsjjs2046]

EVERYBODY KNOWS ADRIEN LIKES HER BACK. He's just hesitant because that might be too arrogant to assume the possibility of marinette having a crush on him. All he needs is an okay sign from marinette for him to actually pursue her. I lowkey predict adrien to be as flirty as chat towards marinette when the reverse love square happens.

[@dew__drops7844]

Yess

[@cecycarter2697]

Exactly!!

[@jehlanramseyjr.1763]

She loves him completely. I feel like she wouldn't mind seeing all his sides, I'm like screaming rn

[@beli5043]

Kind of unrelated but is anyone else’s biggest fear that season 4 will end on a cliffhanger? Like it ends just as Marinette and Adrien open their eyes after de transforming. 😭

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

That is my biggest fear😭 imagine s4 ends on a cliffhanger and we have to wait 1year for s5💀

[@stockholmstyles]

No bc I literally tell my sister this all the time. I just feel like we're gonna be left on a cliffhanger and it's going to absolutely DESTROY me.

[@alonii.]

I literally thought of that exact same thing last night.

[@kainightshade5033]

@@TheCartoonHotspot I will find a bat, find the producer's addresses, and proceed to teach them a lesson in proper manners! 💀

[@toogayforyourdrama4606]

"I will probably definitely die."

[@kitty915]

I think in a lot of ways Marinette really does put Adrien on pedestal. This is why she seems incapable of seeing Adrien as Cat Noir. Alya literally said Adrien and Cat look alike and Marinette was like "no way". She doesn't really know the real Adrien. That being said Marinette truly loves him not just the idea of him. We can tell because of all the genuine moments these two have shared. For example, the New York special moonlight dance, the dance at Chloe's party, and the umbrella scene.

[@-thestorypurrincess-]

I agree

[@iiris9391]

I just love how this is a kids show while kids won't even understand how deep this is

[@LauraaAndCharlotte]

So ya think he’ll argue with ladybug, maybe not loose love for her but not be attracted to her at that moment, which will bring marinette in the light/ attention

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

He’ll still have so much love for ladybug but he’ll be open to appreciating Marinette even more than he already does🥺🥰

[@cecycarter2697]

Exactly!! This could be a great opportunity for the Adrinette development of the Adrinette!!!

[@ames8209]

I also think another reason that Adrien is afraid to show his natural chat noir side is because of what happened in lies with Kagami, he tried to show her his chat noir side and she immediately disliked it and made him feel awful inside because of course it’s gonna hurt, your at the time girlfriend not liking your true self which now probably makes him more afraid of showing Mari that side because deep down he loves her and doesn’t want her to react like Kagami did and not like his true side which of course we know she won’t dislike it but after that whole ordeal it might take him longer to show not only Marinette but anyone his goofy chat noir side :( someone needs to tell this sunshine boy he’a always wonderful🥺

[@midnight_bellatrix521]

This is quite long but Here are a few theories I believe are A POSSIBILITY.. 1. I feel like chat blanc will create chat blanc…… Because when cat noir keeps asking about why they can’t be together or something ladybug will just explain how their love cause the end of the world and he would be so mad and upset bit would just cause an akuma that creates the next chat blanc, but i don’t think that adrien would be akumatize because after all we know Gabriel is his father and he isn’t THE BEST, but would he put his son in that much risk ? 2. I feel like this is unlikely but what if Marinette confess her feeling to adrien but instead of her confessing she just tells cat noir. 3.we already know cat noir is going to get tired and I feel like he will find Marinette in the balcony or somewhere and they will have a conversation I don’t know what they would tell each other but it sure will be juicy… and maybe cat noir will just say how ladybug is making him feel left out and then. Things MIGHT get better… 4. Pretty unlikely but we know cat noir can be really pushy sometimes and what IF when he realizes Rena rouge know ladybug identity he keeps asking why and then ladybug would respond with something like “we are close in real life” or “we know each other” and now that adrien/cat noir knows Rena rouge identity he might put some pieces of the puzzle together and suspect girls from his high school that would lead to Marinette been one of his suspects. As I said this are just dumb theories I shared but thanks if you read the whole thing 😊😊

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

I think all of that is very likely! Especially the 4th theory!🥰💕

[@crazycrafts5945]

I reeeeaaaaaaally want #2 to happen!

[@cecycarter2697]

I really love #2 and #4 although I think there're more chances for #4 to hsppen :)

[@alonii.]

I noticed when he said the “just a friend” but then he said once after: besides, there’s Luka. He looked a bit sad when he said that. Who knows what Adrien thinks, but my honest opinion is that he likes Marinette, but he just doesn’t even know it because he’s too in love with ladybug. Season 4 can change everything though since ladybug is leaving chat noir out, chat noir/Adrien might start thinking “why do I even like her if she can’t even remember about me or care about me” so then he starts to see Marinette *more* than just a friend and realize it.

[@Christodophilus]

You know what I would find interesting? If Adrien showed to Marinette, what he did with Kagami, in Lies. When she said to Adrien, be himself, as she drew his different poses - none of which she liked, he finally did his Cat pose. Kagami said he was only being silly, but he claimed he was actually being himself. So I desperately wonder what Marinette would do, if Adrien let his Cat side out with her? Would it confuse her, or would she find it endearing?

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

I think it’d confuse her at first and then it’d be awkward😭😭 but then she would giggle so that his feelings won’t get hurt🥲

[@MsAurora21]

I honestly think Marinette is in love with Adrien but in also the ideas of a perfect relationship. She sees him as this perfect guy just like how he is sees ladybug, this perfect person but they really don’t know each other. I also think that slowly she will fall for Chat Noir like Adrien will with Marinette because he knows she’s honest, brave, clumsy etc. I agree that they mirror each other and I think he needs confirmation that Mari is Ladybug. I think if and when they get upset with each other, that will only make them stronger and start thinking they need each other because they pick each other up. Look at Oblivio, he knows he love that girl even with memory loss, giving the thought that he has feelings for her.

[@naviro6672]

Thats exactly the reason oblivio is my undoubtable number one favorit episode... There wasnt the confusion of the love square because they didnt know at the beginning... That allowed them to act like their true selfes... Marinette still is clumsy and shy but also a quick thinking person with the reflex of helping others and creativ ideas plus the lack of confident that she shows too often imo... Adrien on the other hand is so much more outgoing but basically adrien... Kind, helpfully, clever and trusts in the good side of someone which is his main "mistake" as adrien... Nevertheless he is charming, funny, and confident like his chat noir... They go so well together as a couple and a team in this episode that i thought we saw a glimps of how it could and should be if the reveal finally (helpfully not literally) comes... They simply support each other in every single situation... What it needs in a real time line to happen? Well i guess adrien needs to come out of his perfect behaviour much more often... I celebrate every situation he shows his chat noir... So does Marinette by the way... On the other hand chat noir needs to calm down a little because too much is too much of the good... Whenever he is more analyticall he impresses his lady and these are the few moments lb blushes for cn... Lb btw should acknowledge cn more often... The poor cat is driven in the corner right now and that will cause big trouble... Therfore i absolutly dislike that she told alya everything... It ruins more than it helps because cn feels more and more disrespected, overgone and untrusted... CHANGE THAT And Marinette at last need to be able to talk fluently in front of adrien... Whenever she does adrien stars smiling and got even a bit clumsy himselfe in mr. pigeon 72... So you see they love each others true selfes but cant show it because they stick in the idea of the love to each other... Bad Situation...

[@critterwhisperer5821]

4:53 this part reminds me of kagamis insinuation of adrien being “perfect”, when he was showing her his more cat noir like side. And she rejected it.

[@maeswan7085]

Ok so in my opinion, I think Marinette is in love with Adrien and the idea of Adrien. She did fall for Adrien in the umbrella scene but since he really shows his model side which is not him, that is what she loves. She sees him as perfect as shown in Lies. For example: when someone brings up the idea of Adrien being Cat Noir, she shuts it down. It's like she doesn't want him to be Cat Noir because she knows how Cat Noir acts. I think she doesn't want to believe that Adrien is like that.

[@marinarasauce7585]

@Antoine Gédéon I definitely agree with you on how she doesn’t want Adrien and Chat Noir to be the same person. However, I will say that in season 4, she seems to admire Chat’s charm such as his humor and confidence. I think that she still can’t put the pieces together because Adrien still needs to find a balance where he can be both Chat Noir and Adrien and not separate them like he often does. When that happens, than Adrienette will actually become something much more reasonable to become a relationship. It’ll also reduce how highly Marinette views Adrien.

[@alonii.]

But in lies she also reveals she likes chat’s side (I forget exactly what)

[@farsyed5126]

@@marinarasauce7585 yea exactly. He would prob need to get comfortable with being his true self so Marinette would realize that he has many sides of him just like Chat Noir and NOW she would prob believe that Chat and Adrian are the same ppl I believe. At first she didn’t like the fact that Adrian could be chat noir since Adrian only shows his model self instead of his true self oof

[@zuzannakopysc3136]

That's true

[@naviro6672]

I disagree... Imo she doesnt want them to be the same bc then she needs to admit that she rejected the boy she loves... Plus adrien is really good in separating his personalities... But whenever he shows something of his other side this girl blushes as lb AND Marinette... Well she doesnt love the current cn but cares deeply for him mentaly and physically... But lb starts to loose her focus since alya knows too much... I hope the key to all of that is nino... Adrien needs to tell his best friend just like Marinette did... And knowing nino he will acidantlly tell alya and the square might start to crumble...

[@nikimicky5325]

We also know that Adrien thinks Marinette is in love with Chat Noir, and that might make him more attracted to Marinette. He might think shes the only one who likes his "true side" and that he can open up more to her. Also, Marinette is the only one with a crush on Adrien who denies it. Chloe, Kagami, and Lila are very upfront with Adrien and how they feel towards him.

[@dew__drops7844]

Omg! You’re so right!

[@allersalster457]

Adrien... Alya and marinette. both just friends, yeah? Now two different things. In sentibubbler, when you figured out that alya might like you, you dont want that. At all. You even go confront her about it. Some might say it's because shes Nino's gf and it's TRUE and likely. Now in puppeteer pt 2, you figure out marinette might not like you. Then you become sad and want her to like you? Idk but I'm pretty sure that marinette and luka were like a thing, maybe. But he still wanted her to like him. Nino and luka are both Adrien's friends but he still wants Marinette to like him. 😑 excuse me agreste? What. Also some might say it's because he thought she didnt wanna be friends but there were other episodes that he wanted marinette to like him. Adrien SUS

[@Avishi995]

The point that he wanted marinette to like him was not in that way he wanted her to like him as a person as we can see in pupetter he thought she didn't even like herself to be around him that means that she does not likes him as a person also and it's usually normal to want that everyone likes to be around you that was the same Adrien wanted

[@beulize1380]

I kinda disagree, his best friend is with alya and he saw that nino was mad. He wanted to make sure that alya didn’t like him for ninos sake. It would most likely not care if nino wasn’t. And for puppeteer i think its since mari is on of his only friends and he doesn’t know what Luka would do, maybe he thought luka would stop them from being friends or something.

[@SonVictor33]

I have like a little theory for Adrian to start liking marinette one he open his eye and use his brain or number 2 they can do marichat because they you can see Adrian and mariette when there both there’s real self because if they built marichat that would be the best ship in the show by far and maybe with this teaser we got do you think there a chance that Adrian/chat noir might visit here in her balcony like in the episode glaciator

[@alonii.]

Good point

[@quietopinion9637]

I definitely think Adrien is in Denial BECAUSE of how Marinette acts around him. You can see he actually wants to open up to her more especially with that end scene in Evillustrator where he outright asks "What did you think about Chat Noir?" because he saw a more confident side of her around his Chat Side otherwise why would he ask her specifically? And she replies with basically saying how she thinks him being Adrien is just as awesome. Like I know Adrien seems confident and happy on the outside, but he suffers from a lot of insecurities as Adrien, so as Chat Noir he is able to explore one side of him but he doesn't have enough faith in himself as Adrien. So because he trusts Marinette's opinion so much he does his best to listen to her thoughts about him in secret so he can improve on his romance skills since his blind about that stuff thanks to Daddy Agreste. It's pretty clear his type of woman is confident yet whitty, so when Marinette starts being more bold around him he will change his opinion too because he does value her opinion on all of him as evidenced in Frightingale too! Before Marinette became Ladybug she wasn't as confident as she is now & I wish the show touched on that side of her more instead of making fun of her anxiety issues every damn episode. She very clearly has signs of anxiety and self doubt which can be linked to Chloe's constant bullying of her and I believe no one until alya was able to stand up for her. So why would she stand up for herself? I think that's what connects Adrien and Marinette is that they were both friendless for separate reasons, so naturally neither will understand the difference between how to act like a friend and how to act as a romantic interest. And I agree to extent that she idolises him because I believe she see's a lot of herself in him if that makes any sense, but doesn't like confronting him directly about it. She understands how isolation feels because Chloe isolated her a lot. It's also natural for her idolise models since she's a fashion designer. In comparison to Adrien's type, Marinette says she's not really into guys who are too cocky like Chat Noir, which explains why she started liking Luka. He's safe and doesn't expect her to be confident all time, which I think she's scared of being like that around Adrien/ Chat Noir because she's insecure like him. Also thanks to Daddy Agreste Adrien barely has time to spend with his friends as it is, same with how busy Marinette is with School/ Ladybug/ Babysitting and Bakery duties, so it's hard for them to really understand one another if they have a limited amount of time to even be open with their feelings!

[@mooimavundla6625]

There's just no way in the history of history that I'm going to miss this premiere!

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

🥰💕

[@dew__drops7844]

Guys… if she was in love with the IDEA of adrien, that also includes things like “OMG HES RICH OMG HE’S HOT OMG HES A MODEL-“ She doesn’t love those sides of him (but it’s a factor for why she thinks he’s out of her league) She loves HIM. Period.

[@rebiscorafa]

I think she's very much in love with Adrien and would embrace all sides of him but she becomes obsessive at times (Puppeteer 2). I think the writers have already begun giving her development with her obsessive behavior lately which probably means they're setting up Adrienette to happen soon. But I feel like Marinette would openly accept Adrien's Chat side. I also feel like Adrien and Marinette will find comfort in each other when LadyNoir has their eventual argument. Mari getting to know more of Adrien and her loving him even more for it. And Adrien realizing how much Marinette means to her. Maybe they have a scene where they talk about love and what love truly means, Marinette talking about Adrien and Adrien realizing that all the things Marinette's describing love os how he feels with her (IF THEY ACTUALLY ADD THAT I WILL DIE)

[@ally-yx2vp]

Before we actually decide whether Marinette is in love with Adrien or the idea of Adrien, we have to take a closer look into what exactly the idea of Adrien is. I mean he’s the son of her favorite fashion designer, he’s handsome, a bunch of girls are in love with him, he’s just overall he’s just the type of person many people would fall in love with. The thing is, he was still all of those things the first day he walked into Ms. Bustiers class. Marinette wasn’t exactly warmed up to him at the time. Once he proved he was a kind, humble, and vulnerable person (his true self) Marinette instantly fell in love. As the series goes on, Marinette gets to know him better and you see much progression in her feelings towards him. Even Adrien/Chat Noir said himself, “To know me, is to love me.” Marinette really does get to know him better, and gets a glimpse on who he really is. I think that Marinette loves Adrien for who he truly is, not who he is perceived to be by the public or who is father wants him to be.

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

Love this explanation!

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

He didn't have to prove nothing to her she was the one who was rude because she thought he was with Chloé and Sebria who put that chewing gum on her seet and that umbrella scene would not be enough to convince me that Marinette loves Adrien and that form season 4 episode 4 didn't have the same impact

[@endzi1248]

Both I think she's genuinely in love with Adrien but not the real Adrien. Just the part Adrien shows to her mixed with her own fantasies of the idea of him. So part of her love is for the side of Adrian she knows and part of it is powered by pure fantasie. She needs to get to know him fully before falling in love with him fully. She's obviously not in love with his Chat part meaning she's not there yet.

[@quietopinion9637]

The "real selves" theory has been debunked ages ago by Thomas himself, so Adrien is also as real as Chat Noir!

[@endzi1248]

@@quietopinion9637 Yes that's why i said "the part of Adrien he shows to her". I think there was a misunderstanding so i apologies for not explaining things clearly. I did not say "adrien is a fake personality while chat noir is real so she doesn't love him" cause that's not true and kind of impossible. Adrien as she knows him is PART of what Adrien actually is. The other part is Chat Noir. But since she only loves PART of him it's not really loving the hole Adrien which is the real Adrien cause it would be all of him. She would need to love both sides to love the real Adrien. But that would be kind of impossible without a reveal cause only then would Adrien mentally be able to act as himself fully without limiting himself. Adrien limits which of his own personality traits and behaviours he lets people see in either forms himself so it's not really Maris fault that she thinks she knows everything about him when she only knows 1 side but at the same time can you actually fall in love with the real person if you only know 1 side? You can just fall in love with part of them which is valid on its own but not in the same way. Even if she was only in love with the part of him that he shows her while being Chat I still wouldn't call that the real Adrien cause he's limiting himself and not showing her who he is as a person fully. Does that make sence? I apologise of it doesn't

[@endzi1248]

@@quietopinion9637 She's in love with him just not fully yet.

[@miareyestoriz6886]

We all call him blind and dumb but it makes sense. He lost his mother and doesn't want to lose Marinette since she is very important. Or maybe he says that she is just a friend since he doesn't want to admit his feelings for her bc he is in love with Ladybug. By admitting he has feelings for Mari it would make things so much more complicated for him since he has NO ONE to talk to about his feelings since his father barley pays attention to his existence and his mother is "missing".

[@Soomi.kk1]

Marinette is truly in love with adrien bc In season 1 in the origins she did not care about him at first when she met him but then in the umbrella when he was being honest towards her she felt feelings for him and bc of his kindness and his personality

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

🥺❤️

[@dew__drops7844]

@@TheCartoonHotspot yes exactly! 💔

[@snatchingcareers4681]

I think if Adrien showed Marinette his “Cat Noir side” she would be more comfortable with him as well. Hopefully after the Shadowmoth Last Attack episodes Adrien will stand up to his father and be who he wants to be.

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

When Adrien is Cat Noir he is not himself he just more like plagg if you don't believe me watch the 2 last episodes of season 1 origins there you will see it same as for Marinette who is just more like tikki when she is Ladybug if tikki was not with a miraculous holder

[@snatchingcareers4681]

@@alandkleijnjans2914 I beg to differ because in the Lies episode Adrien posed like Cat Noir to Kagami when she wanted to draw him and said and I quote “that’s the real him” I think the real him is like himself as Adrien but unhinged and more laid back and funny.

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

@@snatchingcareers4681 if he really is as Cat Noir himself it said (IN A BAD WAY) that he has to transform to apparently be himself rather be like that when he is just Adrien without trying to hide it, I would say that he just convinced himself that he is as Cat Noir himself while he don't even know how he really is when he is just Adrien

[@snatchingcareers4681]

@@alandkleijnjans2914 I like to believe Adrien does truly know who he is too! I think he uses Cat Noir to be free and act how he feels like acting. I just believe his real self is basically himself as Adrien but without having to worry about his image🤷🏽‍♀️

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

@@snatchingcareers4681 episode 18 of season 4 didn't prove your point but mine point that when he is Cat Noir or Adrien that he is not himself and he doesn't even know who he really is yet and I really thought that he wished that he could be himself all the time not only when he is Cat Noir like you and many people say it looks like just like Chloe they both don't know how they really are as themselves

[@M_00280]

Adrian KNOWS he likes Marrinette but just doesn’t know how to express it or bring it out. What I mean is that he already has a close relationship with her but since season four is mostly connected to ladynoir, then maybe the “argument” in the finale could mean something or their true colours that they haven’t been able to show for a long time now?

[@M_00280]

Or their true colours that they haven’t been able to show for a long time now will be shown?*

[@Life_W_Sarah]

I think Marinette's in love with the true Adrien because of the umbrella scene. She fell in love with his kindness and I think that's so sweet.

[@_husky_3043]

It's frustrating how the fandom just revolves Adrien's personality into the whole "she's just a friend" thing like bruh he has his reasons for saying that

[@Destiny-ro5rt]

I can't wait I'm going crazy right now

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

🥰💕💕

[@alonii.]

Sometimes I wish Marinette didn’t accept Adrien’s apology in the umbrella scene 🤭 Hear me out though. It would be Marinette liking Adrien more each episode/season. So like Marinette goes from hating to liking Adrien. And Adrien trying to get Marinette to like him lol. I read a fanfic once that was Marinette hating Adrien but it was a reverse love square that’s the only thing- I can’t live in a world where chat doesn’t like ladybug 😭

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

Wait… because I would LOVE to see this😭❤️ do you have any fanfic recommendations?💕

[@toogayforyourdrama4606]

what was the name of the fanfic?

[@marinetteagreste561]

Yeah. I wanna know too. Is something called "who needs love" or something? In this fanfic they are rival in their civilian and superhero selves. Also Chat can purify akuma. And there are two group. Team Ladybug and Team Chat Noir. Also its a reverse love square

[@preesha2702]

In season 4 I really REALLY want Adrien to start becoming aware of his feelings for Marinette. I think he’s gonna open up to her and they’re gonna become really close. This might just be wishful thinking though but i want it to happen so bad 😭

[@azm4273]

I think Marinette is truly in love with Adrien and she is open to getting to know all sides of him. When he’s goofy or clumsy she laughs and falls more for him and when he’s assertive and protective she completely embraces that as well (especially since he is usually being protective of her 😉)!

[@hikariuchiha977]

Side note I hate when people say Adrien is blind because he's not be just kind of chooses to ignore it just like his mari always shuts down the prospect of him being chat noir

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

I have not see that Adrien like Marinette for real and I wish they kept Felix as Cat Noir he at least would show her that he is not interested in her while with Adrien is less obvious that he doesn't like her

[@Midnight3Wonder]

I believe Marinette is actually in love with Adrien and not just the idea of him. Why? Well, because of the origin episode. When Marinette first learned that the son of her favorite fashion designer and teen model was going to be attending her school, she did get nervous. But not because she had a crush on him. It was more like a "Oh, my gosh! I'm going to be learning while in the same class as a celebrity!" kinda nervousness. Then she found out that Adrien was close friends with Chloe, which instantly turned her off from him, especially after the misunderstanding with the gum. That whole time, Marionette didn't care for his image at all and was more judgmental of him for it and the misunderstandings she initially had of him thanks to his relationship with Chloe. Then came the umbrella scene. Marinette first began to fall for him only AFTER he got the chance to just be genuine with her without any outside interference. He showed her how kind he truly is and was willing to show his vulnerabilities to her. He showed her his heart, not his image. Marinette didn't even realize it right away when she fell for him, questioning herself why she was suddenly stammering and so nervous around him. Tikki had to spell it out for her. Over time, Marinette got to know Adrien more and more right alongside him. Honestly, the fact that she's been granted the chance to learn more about Adrien right alongside him on his own journey of self-discovery just creates a stronger case that her love for him truly is genuine. If she was only in love with the image of him, Marinette would disregard Adrien's feelings if they don't line up with what she has already set her mind to. But she is willing to listen to him, help him through his problems, and stand by him when he needs her most, even when it goes against something she thought she had known about him. If I got any of my information wrong, I apologize. I watch the series through Netflix, so I'm stuck on what's on Netflix until it catches up with the series. Hope I can watch more of the series soon!

[@zooecia9940]

i think it’s a bit of both he’s perfect and that’s what ladybug is supposed to be so naturally she is attracted to someone who has the perfect image as this is one she desires but also she loves he shy ness and personality and that goes way more beyond his image

[@stephaniemeyer1702]

In the latest S4 episode you see Marinette accept both sides of Adrien. This shows deep down she DOES love him. And CAN love both. But what I got from the episode is that Adrian doesn’t love Marinette… (yet) I do believe he has feelings and I agree with you as to why. He’s given her several opportunities to tell her feelings, and she puts herself in that “friendzone” like you stated, he’s been rejected by ladybug and so even though he’s aware of his feelings for Marinette, he’s afraid of rejection once again. So he keeps her as a friend and doesn’t want to ruin it.

[@Christinasalloum]

I think we will get more Marichat scenes in season 4 as Cat noir doubts his relationship with LB and of course he turns to Marrinette as she also gives up her feelings for Adrien as seen in the ny special. I completely agree with everything you said with the last vid about this as Cat noir trusts marrinette when he can’t trust LB

[@emmet1628]

Marinette does love Adrien for Adrien since she fell in love with him in the umbrella scene where Adrien showed his kindness but if Marinette loved everything about Adrien, she would love Chat Noir but she doesn't. I believe what you said that Adrien doesn't show his cat side so Marinette can't see that side of him but I do also think that although Adrien wants Marinette to be Ladybug, Marinette doesn't want Adrien to be Chat Noir and maybe be disappointed. While Adrien seems more comfortable with the idea of Adrienette, Marinette seems to hate the idea of Ladynoir or Marichat so I think Mari loves Adrien for Adrien but not for Chat Noir yet.

[@yourlocaladrienagreste7639]

I- Um wait what I- NO you got it all wrong Marinette is just a friend 😳😳😳

[@suolucarim_]

Is she though…

[@paria1763]

Shush please. Do not torture me Adrien you like her and you know it. Besides, if you say she’s just a friends again I will steal your ring and cataclysm you. 😊

[@mal_starfire7]

Spoiler alert she's the lady of your dreams and the one beneath the mask 🐞

[@ShaikhKashfa09]

🤣🤣🤣🤣i don't know why wherever people see Adriens id in youtube insta they start telling him that marinette is ladybug and she loves u and hawkydady is your dad 🤣🤣🤣 like how the hell did he read it DUDE ITS JUST A FICTIONAL CHARACTER 😅✨✨✨🤷

[@yathux885]

Mari is definitely in love with the idea of adrien. Bc she doesn't really talk to adrien anymore and know his true side. She's taking a break from adrien now. And you can see in s4 that the chat noir on him has rised. So that means that he likes to stand up for people more and himself. So with Marinette being with adrien as a couple she would see adrien more as chat noir. And not adrien. So that's how she likes the idea of adrien as she didn't know he changed/gtowed more into chat noir.

[@Adawi876]

I think it's quite possible for Cat Noir to reveal his identity to Ladybug, just out of emotions, anger, loneliness and because of feeling left out. He might be thinking that this will be the decision HE will make. Can you imagine Marinette finding out who cat noir really is? She will freak out. Like she would be so shocked. There is no way she will reveal herself back. She would know how dangerous it is, so at least her identity will remain a secret. The show would still go on with Marinette feeling like wtf is going on 😂 And then she would probably focus more on cat noir side of Adrien, she would be more shy all of the sudden, like there would be so much for her to do and feel. It may lead to Marinette falling for all sides of Adrien. It would develop adrienette, ladynoir, marichat and ladrien as well, because Adrien already kind of loves Ladybug and Marinette. It's Marinette that needs to love them "both" and she needs to help Adrien to find his true self as he struggles to do so. The season 4 finale might be about Marinette already knowing chats identity and because of that she would want so bad to stop Adrien from leaving as she needs "both" of them. That's why she might be thinking of revealing her identity back. But she wouldn't. As it's not the time for Adrien.(Marinette basically developed as a friend, Guardian and person in general as she is getting more and more confident in all aspects of her life. Adrien on the other hand is getting more and more lonely and confused ) In all of that Adrien might actually be trusting Marinette and he would stay. I don't know how it would happen, but you get the idea 😁 yeah, English is not my first language so I hope it makes sense. Thanks to everyone who read all of that 🐞🐈❤️

[@unexpectedscepticism7203]

I really think the same, well done explaining it! This theory came up to my mind since Chat Blanc episode

[@Adawi876]

@@unexpectedscepticism7203 thank you! This theory is on my mind for quite a time now too. Recent episodes shows that it's quite possible to happen 😳

[@almostmybedtime]

The statue scene in S3 was really funny because in S1 when Nino had a crush on Marinette, Adrien told him "Marinette will never fall in love with a statue" 💀

[@quietopinion9637]

YEsss the subtle foreshadowing lol

[@random8163]

Can’t wait! 💕 your video essays are so insightful you’re too underrated🥺

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

🥺💕💕

[@agangelsstudio384]

I think Marinette is truly in love with Adrien but She's so obsessed with him that's not Healthy she needs to spend more time with Adrien to know him even more better

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

It better if she keeps her distance to make it not worse and I rather think she is more like a fan to him and she is one of the lucky ones who goes to the same school as him

[@michalelkin-bronner13]

@@alandkleijnjans2914 she isnt a fan of him she knew he was rich and famous but dint love him because she thought he was mean and he when he gave her his umbrella she knew that he was nice and honest and fell in love with him

[@michalelkin-bronner13]

@@alandkleijnjans2914 are you stupid or what

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

@@michalelkin-bronner13 I think you should watch all the seasons and episodes before you say that Marinette is in love with Adrien but if you have watch it all over again to see that she is just one of his fangirls while still not knowing how Adrien really is as a person then say that instead of her really being in love with Adrien

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

@@michalelkin-bronner13 of course not I see the cartoon for what it is not for what people want it to be A Fantasy

[@countryboyiloveu420]

Well I mean it makes sense considering they made me hate hearing that phrase

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

I think it is both. I agree that marionette only sees the one side he wants to show, but the more he talks intimately with her, the more she falls for him. The weird thing is when he does reveal some of his cat noir side, she barely notices it so I think she is still in that phase of only liking the perfect student model not him, but she is getting there.

[@crazycrafts5945]

This video almost made me cry! Their relationship is just so precious!

[@tj-py5co]

ALSOOOO in cat blanc Adrien said when he was confessing to Marinette he said “I’ve always felt like you were more than just a friend”

[@jazz_with_roses]

_casually turns on alert_

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

🥰💕

[@hikariuchiha977]

Adrian will never truly acknowledge it until she tells him explicitly how she feels only then can the be progression

[@cartooncottage2024]

I DON'T think Marinette is in love with Adrien at all. She still doesn't know him and is trying to get close to him. She is only in love with the idea of him. It's base level infatuation.

[@aromaladyellie]

Adrien repeatedly establishes he thinks she’s just weird though. So I don’t think he knows. I think he just thinks Marinette isn’t good at words. Even at a distance he sees her acting weird. Only occasionally is she able to act normally around him and I think he just thinks those are moments where she’s not jumbling her words. Like I really doubt he knows she likes him. I think their “real selves” are best on display when they’re Cat Noir and Marinette. Marichat.

[@Taylor-fj3vp]

I'm tired of them dragging the relationship out

[@efil.8793]

You analyzes ARE SO SO SO GOOD!!!! They are absolutely perfect and amazing! I'm a miraculous fan but you help me to appreciate MORE this great show!! You show us how deep the relationships in it are and prove that IT'S NOT JUST A KIDS SHOW!!!!😤😤 Thanks for being in the you tube!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥺🥺🥺🥺🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoy my videos😭❤️❤️

[@marinetteagreste561]

She/He is right. You are so good at it. Other people just keep saying that Marinette likes the perfect side of him and other stuff and that she's toxic and what not. But you're the only person who I can watch without toxicity. Keep up the good work 👍. P. S hope you reply to me. 😊

[@snatchingcareers4681]

I agree with the idea of not giving in to his feelings for Marinette because of not wanting to ruin what they have but also Marinette literally friendzones as well so why would he even try and change their friendship to an relationship.

[@anshuthapa9908]

its clear that adrien likes confident and smart girls thats why he fell in love with ladybug and sorta felt an attraction to kagami. In oblivio when they had lost their memories we can see how easily he fell for marinette for who she is. If marinette were to show her actually personality without being so obssesively in love with adrien then adrien would definitely admit he's in love with two girls (marinette and ladybug)

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

I agree! Marinette feels like she can only be confident as Ladybug and that’s what stops Adrien from seeing her beyond what she presents herself as. But in oblivio, she didn’t have the luxury of her superhero costume so she had to rely on her Marinette wits 🥺

[@anshuthapa9908]

@@TheCartoonHotspot yess

[@laibanadeem5074]

Marinette genuinely loves adrien for him but Adrien is 100% in love with the idea of ladybug. The episode ladybug proves it imo

[@angelrosie3227]

We don't even need any other proof to believe that Adrien actually loves Marinette cause Chat Blanc shows it all! It was his real feeling when he was so happy that Marinette was Ladybug and when he said that he always felt like it was more between them! It was a true feeling, it wasn't all made up just for that episode, he actually found out and actually confessed to her, but everything had to be stopped cause they can't know their identities YET! So by that we already know he loves her!

[@exinaplays400]

Adriens identity is the only one that remains anonymous, i find that so weird.

[@miraculouslover4158]

Here’s my take on if Marinette loves Adrien or the idea of him: I think that, at first, Marinette was in love with the idea of Adrien (she was lowkey kinda simping for him, an example being the infamous Adrien the fragrance ad in season 1). And after he opened up to her in the umbrella scene, showing his true colors and actually taking the time to prove himself to her, who wouldn’t catch feelings? Anyway, we all know what happens next (Marinette does normal crush things, i.e. blushing & stuttering a lot around him). But for me, what really sealed the deal on their relationship was the scene in The Bubbler when Adrien thinks Marinette’s gift was from his father. Marinette sees how happy Adrien is from thinking his father got him something other than a pen for once, and lets him think it was from his father. Thinking back on it, she probably could have told the truth, and Adrien might have believed her, but I think it works itself out either way. Ok, on to season 2. Marinette starts to learn new things about Adrien in episodes such as Gorizilla, and this is where she starts falling for him for real. The only weird thing about her crush is that it starts to become sort of obsessive when Kagami and Lila enter the picture again later on. She knows his whole schedule (est. in season 1 I believe) and the whole Volpina thing was an obvious abuse of power. And Kagami is unfortunately branded as a rival from the get-go, as well as Chloe in S1. Marinette doesn’t want any of these girls to “steal Adrien away from her”, and this mentality is not okay in the slightest. It shows how much Marinette has to mature, and S3 does her so dirty in episodes like Puppeteer 2 (we just…don’t talk about that). However, I think that with a touch of better writing, these mishaps can be cleared up and Adrienette can become wholesome once again. (And Marinette would get some meaningful relationship-type character growth!) Sorry for this really long rant. 😄

[@marinetteagreste561]

I agree with you. Marinette can be a obsessive when it comes to Adrien. But good thing she got some development in S3 finale. And let go of Adrien. But seriously S3 made her so creepy. Like Puppeteer 2. It was giving me second hand embarrassment. But good thing it changed in S3 finale. And hopefully in S5 adrien shows his chat side to him and I know Marinette won't scold him for being "imperfect". Can't wait for some more development in adrienette.

[@kelsiez]

The idea of this video is just so beautiful! And i love ur voice idk why 😄

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

Thank you so much!🥺❤️

[@DarkBoyJay]

2 Hours Before The Video Is Premiering : How Do You Expect Me To Wait Hours After Seeing The Thumbnail!!! Me Watching The Video Likes : 150 Likes n 0 Dislikes, This Is The First Time I've Seen No Hate In a KZbin Video, The LadyBug Community Is Too Good To Be True

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

😭🤣💕

[@Claws_yt]

I feel like they are all important except ladrien but as the show has gone on both Marinette and adrien are starting to show more of their other sides, adrien will see the ladybug side of Marinette and that will make him understand Marinette more, understanding is important to love without understanding it’s hard to learn who a person really is, how can you love someone without knowing who they really are, just like chatnoir in season 1, he knew nothing about ladybug, so how could they be in love, but as ladybug has grown to trust chatnoir (which is another important part) she is showing her Marinette side more and this is a key to love, that’s why adrien is falling Marinette because he is starting to see how similar the two are, and the growth works both ways, ladybug thought chatnoir was a flert but as we see in gladiator, Marinette starts to realise more about chatnoir and now she is starting to see the adrien side of chatnoir, so with growth, trust and understanding this can make the love happen between the two, and that’s one reason why marichat is so important, it’s a way for both of them to explore the other side of the person they fell in love with, to grow more as not just friends, or superhero team but as their love grows too, I also think Marinette is in love with adrien because she does have a bunch of pictures of him but to love someone you need to fall In love with their face to understand the person more, Marinette doesn’t talk about getting his autograph or about him being a model, this is shown in the episode felix, Marinette knows adrien would never say those horrible things and that’s because she knows how kind hearted he is and how he would never do something like that, also she hated adrien as you said, she didn’t fall In love with him because of his popularity because of so she would have just fell for his looks after the gum incident but no, she continued to hate him after finding out he is the model and son of her role model Gabriel agreste, she didn’t take advantage of him just so she can get her dream to become a fashion designer, this is not because she was to scared to say her feelings but because she knows it’s wrong and adrien being happy is all that matters, she let adrien get taken away by kagami and she knew it was the right thing to let him go, that shows it’s real love, so when she fell in love with him suddenly after the umbrella scene that was not because he is famous its because she fell in love with the kind hearted man who is compassionate and loving and cares about everyone and doesn’t judge people, that’s why she fell in love, I know that because she hated him before but after seeing who he really was it made her fall in love, also sorry for the long comment

[@sugar2cuube]

I think its actually a bit of both. We know she loves his kindness and how gentle he his and even though she has complimented his looks before thats not the only thing she has complimented him over for. In season four, in truth she says she likes chats humor and there are times were adrien has said some cat noir puns she likes the idea of him cause she deems him as perfect but she also really does truely love him for who he is when she notices him flaws

[@DuoCheeks]

I think she's in love with Adrian because the moment that she fell in love with him is when he gave her the umbrella during the iconic umbrella scene. At this moment she realized that he wasn't a spoiled rude typical rich kid and was kind. She loved Adrian for him. I hope that made sense.

[@-thestorypurrincess-]

@Antoine Gédéon the true self theory was debunked. Saying that she loves him because he's popular is completely wrong. If this was the case then she would not have hated him at first. She only liked him when he showed his sincerity and kindness. I'm pretty sure that if adrien wasn't rich she still would have liked him. She likes his kindness.

[@Bclle128]

Adrien doesn't know that Marinette and Luka has broken up so maybe there will be something???

[@jehlanramseyjr.1763]

I'm pretty sure he noticed that Luka barely comes around anymore

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

Where't Luke and Marinette just dating in episode 1 and 2 of season 4

[@Bclle128]

@@alandkleijnjans2914 yes

[@nozomiyumehara]

YES!! A VIDEO OF ADRIEN NOT BEING BLIND BUT BEING "IN DENIAL"!!!!!

[@sneaky_stalker]

Too bad I won't be able to watch the stream☹☹. I am gonna be asleep 😴at that time

[@LifeAsItIs478752]

I strongly suspect that Adrien loves Ladybug and likes Marinette. But his love for Ladybug isn’t necessarily the reason why he won’t try with Marinette. We do see that he is willing to date other people through his relationship with Kagami. However, the only reason why he really goes after Kagami is because she shows she’s willing to put in the effort, and I think in the end really was the only one putting in effort to their relationship. If Marinette were to finally grow the confidence and tell Adrien how she feels, I think he would be receptive to it and try something with her. But without her effort, Adrien isn’t going to try anything I don’t think.

[@dianeadkins1281]

It's easier for Adrien to let his feeling out with a mask to hide behind so that while Ladybug is rejecting Cat Noir she isn't rejecting his true self

[@jazz_with_roses]

I think Marinette is in love with a mix of who Adrien is and the idea of who he is. She didn’t fall for Adrien until she saw his, as you said, vulnerability and kindness. She realized she was wrong in assuming he was stuck up, and she fell. But at the same time, her idea of Adrien is a reserved, kind, sensitive, compassionate boy. She doesn’t see much of his outgoing Chat-ish personality, his humor, his flirty flare, or his dramatic side. Because she doesn’t see the Chat in him, she can’t fully be in love with who he really is. I have no doubts that when Adrien shows the other side of him she’d fall in love (again), but where Adrienette is currently I don’t think she’s truly in love with who he is. Not yet. She’s in love with the idea of who Adrien is, but she doesn’t have the full picture.

[@quietopinion9637]

imo she doesn't have the full picture because he doesn't show his Chat side if at all to anyone. Boy is pretty reserved in that aspect~

[@marinetteagreste561]

Yes. And also when he showed his goofy side to Kagami she told he was just being weird and that his model side is his real self.(Not hating on Kagami as she's one of my fav character just pointing out a point) And I think that lowed his self esteem. Also it doesn't help the fact that Nino told him that he found Chat Noir annoying. So it might take some time for Adrien to show his real side to Marinette because his afraid of her reaction. Since Marinette is one of his closest friends.

[@fbxbonilla8927]

i think he calls her a friend because he doesnt want to loose a good friend who he has shown matters a lot to him so i think like he says to Marinette in glaciator 2, he is scared that him flirting back with Marinette (like he does with ladybug) will cause all what you said of her being disaponted with who he really is and loosing her as a friend too

[@davidEU7]

Well... It's hard, cause the show is meant for kids so they don't show us, older fans, alot, kids are only interested in the fight so it's hard to make solid theorys but here is mine. Marinette IS in love Adrien for who he is, but because she is a model, that's the thing she is in love for who he is but she can't see who he is, because his strict father and the fact that she stutters alot around him and can't know more about his personality than she knows already, plus the fact that she doesn't know he is Chat Noir, and his Chat Noir self. In conclusion she is actually in love with Adrien, but doesn't know his full self (and other the fact that she is guardian, Marinette tries to give up on Adrien also cause she just doesn't know him that well cause she stutters alot, idk maybe just me)

[@just.me.4115]

Normal fans: just watch the show til the end Miraculous fans like us: analyze every second til the end

[@namehere6387]

After watching Determination and Elation, my mind came back to this video and by Adrien’s reaction I truly think you analysis on the topic was really accurate. Like Luka says “I think it’s because he’s a kind and generous person- he’s lost in a jungle of love,” and his reaction and lack of surprise in Elation after the ice cream scene pretty much proves that Adrien has been aware of Marinette’s feelings (at least by puppeteer 2). Personally I think miraculous has some strong and weak parts when it comes to their storytelling (great idea in mind, but not the same with execution) which side note omg, your video essays and research are amazing at dissecting the mess of a series it is, truly the calm compare to the fandom storm. And as much as I understand that this is a kids show, I think that the series should have one or two episodes of having a break or no battles which can help flesh out a lot of story elements and characters.

[@Justivy13]

The video I was die-ing to watch is FINALLY HERE

[@mimizdoodles]

I don't think that Marinette has fully fallen in love with Adrien in the umbrella scene, to be honest, yes her feelings for him surged at that moment, but it was simply the beginning she barely knew him back then, and plus later on, it became an obsessive crush, even Alix mentioned how it was kinda creepy. However, this second umbrella scene might be what will change their dynamic, with Marinette being more confident and starting to approach Adrian more so they can spend more time together. Like we saw in truth, ladybug likes the sense of humour of cat noir, so maybe, if he shows more of that side to her like he tried to do with Kagami in the episode lies, and Marinette responds positively and finds it charming, that would definitely be a game-changer for Adrianette, since now he would know that Marinette likes both sides of him, and a confirmation that now Marinette fully loves Adrien's personality traits.

[@lbcnforlifelb9479]

Another banger video from TCH👏🏼💕

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

💕💕

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

The only thing that is stopping him is also her because she keeps denying her feelings for him when he wants her to reveal them. Also she says no when he asks her out. Mixed signals dude.

[@dew__drops7844]

Asks her out?

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@dew__drops7844 in a way like when he offers rides home where they can kind if be alone together and sometimes to his house and then she gets all nervous again and flats out rejects him.

[@dew__drops7844]

Oh ok!

[@quietopinion9637]

But then again he also sends her mixed signals too especially in Frozer where he invites her on his date & he pays more attention to her but then straight up denies his feelings to Plagg.

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

@@quietopinion9637 true

[@dancerbranka]

This video is soo beautiful, you collected the cream of the cream best Adrinette and Ladychat scenes😍 And very well debated, good work👍

[@bryanawilliamson5772]

Omg I can not wait to watch this video the cartoonhotspot 😆😀🤗🙂

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

🥰💕

[@xuexxiong]

Marinette is in love with the idea of Adrien. The biggest tell tell of Marinette being in love with the idea of Adrien is when Ladybug gave him the snake miraculous. He told a joke and she laughed, but when Cat Noir told the same one, she didn't. I think Adrien also kinda thinks that, that's why he just considers her a friend.

[@quietopinion9637]

You do realise Chat isn't his true self right?

[@xuexxiong]

@@quietopinion9637 I think it is

[@quietopinion9637]

@@xuexxiong Well then you want him to be OOC because even Thomas has stated he's a mix of both lol

[@serenamalin9885]

I agree that Adrien knows that Marinette loves him! Since in the cat blanc episode he went to kissing Marinette straight away just after getting the beret and I don’t believe that Ladybug just saying they’re is another boy made him directly think about himself since she didn’t name him! It must have been because he knew that if Ladybug is Marinette it will explain why she gets so flustered around HIM thus making HIM « the boy » that Ladybug was talking about on the roof top!

[@broidekwhoiam]

I think Marinette is truly in love with Adrien. I'm pretty sure when they first met, she was like, 'Greaaat. Another Chloé.' (Note the sarcasm) But the umbrella scene happened and she realized that he isn't like Chloé but is a sweet, kind soul. Being adorable is a bonus. Plus the extra clumsiness and blushing and mix-up of words. But you know what she's missing out on? Hot Noir (Chat Noir)

[@Jesssssssssssssssssss_]

Goose bumps Adrienette is 🔑 Also Marinette is truly in love with Adrien. Because she wasn't in love with him at first after knowing that he is a model rich and her idols son. And the fact that after that she got angry with him shows that she really didn't care if he was a supermodel, she fell in love with the Adrien who showed his sensitive side who cared that she was mad at him and wanted to make it right, he was trying to help her after she accused him of something he didn't do, she fell in love with the Adrien that was sensitive and not the Adrien that was expected by everyone, she fell in love with the Adrien who was his real self..... Just for saying sake. Girl you are on fire, I loveeee this theory. I don't think Adrien is blind that way, I think he is blind not seeing Marinette is ladybug I mean you can tell that Nino is bubbler but not Marinette Ladybug like that is what he is blind in, but when you said that he might sorta know that Marinette is ladybug because he said "You are our everyday Ladybug" I was like Yesss that is so true....... Ok now I am just blabbering so great theory

[@agangelsstudio384]

I totally agree with you I also have a feeling that he knows she likes him like how can Everyone in Paris knows but he doesn't

[@shannonhaagsma7889]

Yeah its true marinette is still in love with adrien because he shows his kindness in the umbrella scene. However for adrien I don't think he knows that marinette loves him yet but I do see in his eyes that he does have feelings has feelings for her its just so blind to see it. I think marinette likes him because he is so kind not because his Gabriels son or because his a fashion model. She just likes him for his kindness and his an amazing person that's what I think. Like I said adrien is so blind because he can not admit that he has feelings for marinette its like come on man open your eyes for heaven sake. I did make a fan story on Facebook in one miraculous page I created a character that hits adrien alot because he doesn't realize that he has feelings for marinette like come on you want to hit him too because he keeps saying that marinette is just a friend so fingers crossed in this season hopefully he'll realize that she's more than just a friend and get into his head that his in love with her.

[@TheCartoonHotspot]

I agree with you! Maybe Adrien knows marinette has a crush but he doesn’t know she’s fully IN LOVE with him. Plus she denied it right in his face so many times (like the Puppeteer episode)

[@SHRlMP-TASTIC]

Mari is in love with him probably because of the side he showed.She stalked him…

[@borisspivak6998]

She is definitely in love with the real Adrien and not the idea of him

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

If that was so she would not have foto's of Adrien when he is at that time being a model but just doing his thing

[@borisspivak6998]

@@alandkleijnjans2914 STOP

[@alandkleijnjans2914]

@@borisspivak6998 I just see that see is a fan of Adrien, there is nothing wrong about it but she doesn't love and he doesn't love her for her but only her as ladybug what you can see in Cat Blanc

[@vanessachew_]

thank u so so much for analysing so deeply❤ i luv ur analysis idk y but i cries its so touching n sweet😭

[@agangelsstudio384]

Can't wait