There's a countless amount of millennials that complain about modern kid’s television. I’ve heard accounts of people saying the shows nowadays are dumb, meaningless, and they just aren’t as good as they once were. I can half agree with this. I can point out shows for days that I find absolutely ridiculous for kids. Modern TV shows such as "Uncle Grandpa", "Clarence", "Dog With A Blog", even the new seasons of "Spongebob Squarepants" are absolutely atrocious. However, there are some really good ones that can be quite enjoyable for millennials. For this article, I’ll talk about one of them, which is Zagtoon’s original cartoon "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir".

I know what you’re probably thinking, “A cartoon? At our age?” It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you enjoy Disney movies or comics, you may enjoy "Miraculous". Let me give you a brief synopsis of the show’s storyline.

Enter modern-day Paris, France where two teenagers, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste both reside. Marinette goes to school and helps out in her parent’s bakery. Adrien is Marinette’s classmate, who is also a famous fashion model of a clothing company owned by his father. They lived simple lives until one day, both of them separately meet their own personal kwamis. These kwamis are little sprite-like characters who give the two teens their very own miraculous, an item that transforms them into crime-fighting superheroes. Marinette transforms into Ladybug, while Adrien transforms into Cat Noir. Neither of them know of each other’s true identity. As a dynamic duo, Ladybug and Cat Noir fight against the evil schemes of Hawkmoth who is out to get their miraculouses.

If the show still doesn’t peak your interest from just a plot summary, allow me to give some reasons why I am personally in love with this show.

1. The Interesting Production Story

The show went through lots of concepts. The inspiration came from a French animator Thomas Astruc, who originally wanted to make it a comic book series. It wasn’t until he met with Jeremy Zag, who fell in love with the idea and wanted to make it a cartoon. Toei Animation, including other major companies, banded together to work on the international project that was "Miraculous". If you wish to go more in depth into the production, I highly recommend reading here. The full story of how this show came to be is so fascinating to me.

2. The Diverse, Unique Characters

Artwork by angiensca via tumblr

Each and every character has their own unique design in a way that really sticks out to me. I can tell how passionate the designers were when wanting to make something diverse and one of a kind. From the big things to race and body diversity, to a character having a mole on her forehead while another has rainbow dreadlocks, I find it very impressive. It definitely makes the show stand out when comparing it to other modern day cartoons.

3. Magical Girls and Super Heroes Combined

Imagine Sailor Moon and Spiderman in the same universe. That’s what Miraculous is. It’s the perfect mix of the magical girl and comic book elements. Because of this, the show isn't targeted toward one specific audience. Comic books fans, magical girl fans, cartoon fans, and possibly other kinds of fans can enjoy this show for it's one-of-a-kind genre.

4. One New Villain Per Episode

Each episode delivers something new, especially new villains. Hawkmoth, the main villain in the entire series, searches out citizens of Paris who are upset or angry. He uses that negative energy to create a dark butterfly called an akuma, which he sends flying to the victim to transform them into a villain to get Lady Bug and Cat Noir’s miraculous. Thus creating the conflict of the episode.

5. A Teasing Love Square

Here is my personal favorite aspect of the show. Marinette, when she’s not Ladybug, has a huge crush on Adrien. Adrien, as Cat Noir, has a huge crush on Ladybug. Neither of these teens know of their true identities. The show teases the idea of them being a couple throughout the entire show. Trust me, it’s absolutely frustrating, but it keeps you engaged and makes you wonder when they will ever know who is under those masks.

6. A Relatable Protagonist

Marinette is another favorite aspect of mine. She is extremely relatable towards young girls. She is kind, clumsy, happy, generous, and cheerful. Her hobbies include writing in her diary and fashion design. She struggles with self-confidence and self-esteem. She's quick to get nervous, awkward, and she panics when there is an important situation. In the show, the majority of these situations involve her communicating to her crush, Adrien. She also cares deeply about the people around her, and puts their feelings and interests above her own. However, despite all this, she becomes a completely different person when she is transformed into Ladybug. As Ladybug, she is confident and calm during an important situation. She always finds a way to fix a problem efficiently. I find her to be a great role model for the young viewers.

7. Really Nice CGI Animation

The new generation of animation has been absolutely phenomenal with it's detailed, fluid CGI. "Miraculous" is another one of those shows that delivers this kind of animation. It may not be like Disney's highly detailed CGI, but it is still highly appealing and fluid. Fun fact: the show was originally going to be a 2D anime-style show. However, Zagtoon was worried about the marketability of 2D. There were also complications with the animation process, with Ladybug's red and black polka dot suit causing strobing effects.

8. A Catchy Theme Song

9. Enjoyable Tropes

Usually, tropes and plot holes in media make it difficult to enjoy a show or film. "Miraculous" does feature a handful of tropes and some plot holes. However, they are enjoyable and fun rather than irritating. I personally find myself laughing and enjoying the show for what it is rather than complaining and asking myself why a certain situation didn't go towards a more logical outcome.

10. Lots of Puns

I've noticed that this generation is all about making the corniest pun possible. The writers of "Miraculous" seemed to catch onto that, because there are plenty of bad puns in this show. A lot of them come from Cat Noir, who is an enjoyable, corny character all around.

This has become one of my favorite cartoons. I hope these reasonings behind why it is so, possibly peak your interest in giving it a shot. If cartoons aren't your thing, then it's the perfect show to introduce to any young ones you're babysitting or your younger siblings.

The show airs on Nickelodeon. You can also view full episodes on the official Nickelodeon website.