The Miraculous Ladybug, The Newest CGI Animated Heroine

If you haven’t heard yet, Paris is about to be painted red… with black spots. You heard me right: we’re talking about the upcoming French-Japanese CGI animated series: Miraculous Ladybug!

It’s already the buzz around social media, and people have started drawing fan-art for it. That’s because Miraculous Ladybug’s first episode just aired in Korea today (Wednesday, Sep 10, 2015). Co-produced by Zagtoon, Method Animation, Toei Animation, and SAMG Animation, distributed by PGS Entertainment, and even having Bandai as a chief partner for toy production, it’s no secret that a lot of people are working hard to make sure Miraculous Ladybug becomes a success!

In the ZAGtoon Ladybug Teaser video, the creators said the original concept was created by Thomas Astruc, and they began the series with the idea of a character, a heroine, who would have the power of luck.  Throw in some cute pigtails, and a bright smile, and ta-da! Ladybug was born. Set in Paris, the series is about the lively and bubbly Marinette Cheng who by night transforms into a superhero.

“Ladybug is a super hero with an American look but with Japanese powers.”
-Jeremy Zag, CEO and Co-Founder of ZAGToon.

The creators describe Marinette as clumsy, kind, and they attempted to make her a character that girls could easily identify with. By day, she’s into fashion, and even makes her own accessories. “But when she transforms into Ladybug, she’s very self-assured and powerful. And this is what makes her character so spicy” said Nathanel Bronn, Artistic Director of ZAGToon.

But what’s a Ying without a Yang? No worries there, because Marinette isn’t going to be fighting bad guys alone in Paris. Our Ladybug has a rather unusual partner. If Ying is to Yang then Ladybug is to… Cat?

Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir

Our Miraculous Ladybug also has the very handsome, very charming Adrien by her side. (You may start swooning here.) Adrien, while cool and charismatic, changes completely once he’s his alter-ego Cat Noir or Black Cat. Completely opposite to his Adrien-self, Cat Noir brags and boasts in an attempt to catch the attention of Paris’ mysterious Ladybug, whose identity is unknown to him. This, according to the team, makes up a lot of comical situations for the characters and the story. Oh, and if you didn’t notice it yet, Black Cat has the power of… that’s right! Bad Luck! Completely contrasting to Ladybug’s powers of Good Luck! Plus, Adrien’s blonde hair and cat ears makes him a good candidate for “Animated Boys I Had a Crush On” for the young kids who’ll get to see this series.

ZAGToon also takes pride in their portrayal of the beautiful city of Paris in this show. Aside for a new superhero to love, ZAGToon also promises a lot of culture, history, and to have captured the splendour of Paris in itself from the architecture to the sights and sounds. The start of the main production stage of the series was in October 2014, and it’s slated to air 26 episodes. No date has been announced yet, but it has been planned to air in the United States, Brazil, Europe and Asia.

“It’s a series that unites all the key elements of success: Romance, Friendship, and suspense.”
-Caroline Guillot, Brand Manager and Method Animation

I’m excited. Are you excited? Why aren’t you excited? Agh…why don’t I live in Korea? Can I fly to Korea for a day just to be able to watch the first episode? Well, if you’re like me, you can always keep re-watching the Official The Miraculous Ladybug Trailers on Youtube and Vimeo. In fact, let me start you off: