u/ThePuddle47

I mean, getting attached to the characters and relating to all their aspects is a core element of a story, I don't reject that. But honesty we've reached a point where within fandoms, the boundary between fiction and reality has been totally obliterated, the level of fan entitlement having reached enormous heights in recent years.

For those who don't know about the controversy, if I try to remain as objective as possible, a fan on Twitter (X) asked Thomas Astruc about the current age of the characters given the ongoing new arc. Astruc responded (quite harshly I admit) by stating that their age didn't matter, as long as they were already established as teenagers.

Aside from the tone, the debate started heating up with fans mocking and calling out this decision. And we all know that Thomas is very defensive about his work and choices. It went to the point where he explicitly stated that birthdates, astrology signs, blood sign, precise height... Every single little detail like such are useless and insignificant to the overall story.

Another tweet he made later caused more controversy where he state that a professional writer will know what to add if this allows the story to progress. But a bad writer will focus on every single little detail and the plot will become saturated with it. And honestly, the fandom went wild. (If there are any details I have omitted or points I have not fully or properly developed, please don't hesitate to let me know).

Between the numerous insults and harsh criticisms Thomas has received in the meantime, fans absolutely hated the fact that this specific writing point was dismissed, especially since other works, particularly those from the Japanese animation sphere, take great pleasure in specifying absolutely every detail surrounding their characters.

And that brings us back to the point I mentioned above: Fans have become too much attached to the characters that even not knowing their birthdate can be considered as terrible writing.

On one hand, I know it's to contribute to the attachment we have to the characters, but objectively speaking, Thomas is right on a point. Why dwell on it if it won't impact the story? It doesn't mean the characters don't have birthdays anymore as they are still celebrating them.

It just means we don't know the precise date because it's not what matters to the plot of the day (Similarly, it could probably cause some inconsistencies given the rather messy timeline of the series but once again, it's a kid's show).

The same logic can be applied with the other small details being stated as long as they contribute to the plot (Marinette and Kagami revealing their astrological sign in Ikari Gozen for example was relevant because it was a marker of their newly formed friendship back then).

But I agree that he really could and should have talked about that in a less condescending and rude manner.

But as you know, social medias are social medias. No need to say more. So here I am, making a post here before I can't stand the ongoing ambiance (and the insufferable, obnoxious people involved in that drama). But that's my take on the situation.

Forgive my digression, but to return to my initial point, I don't know guys but I sincerely feel that fandoms have become far too much entitled and possessive of the show they are watching, especially the characters. As a result, we're seeing some serious temper tantrums when informations, confirmations, narrative decisions or just lack of information doesn't work in their favor. We've seen it with TADC. We've seen it with Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss. We've seen it with the Toby Fox fandom. We've seen it with a huge number of fandoms lately. And Miraculous also belongs to that long list.

Seeing how heated this controversy has become from my point of view, and seeing how people have freaked out because Marinette and Adrien don't have an official birthday, It really reminded me of the point I attached above. While it's perfectly normal to become attached to a character, let's face it, we've humanized them so much in our minds that we forget that they are, first and foremost, works of fiction evolving inside a story, and that they are subject to rules and logics very far from our reach. And this alone, should not be a reason to bully creators and fans who do not agree with other's

ideas.

And I'm also taking this opportunity to throw spikes at fans who allow themselves to insult and harass Astruc and other creators like they were your buddies or they killed your grandma. Not excusing some of their behavior (even though I think they shall have the right to act like jerks sometimes when they have to deal with toxic fandoms — like Hideki Kamiya for example) but resorting to online bullying, tons of insults (some of them being genuinely concerning) and acting like total fools because they were rude or didn't do/give/say what the fans wanted...

Let me tell you guys, you're not even a iota better than them, if not worse in some cases.

Alright, we know that Roland wasn't that really great of a person for having cut ties with his son and his family for a genuinely over the top reason ("BAKING BREAD BY USING RICE FLOUR INSTEAD OF WHEAT FLOUR, THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S DONE!!!").

Yet, the refusal of the rice flour was supposedly a metaphor about Roland rejecting his son marrying an Asian woman (Sabine) and then began living as a hermit for he couldn't accept this reality.

That's apparently what really happened.

We know that Miraculous, as well as many other kids' shows cannot address racism head-on (They are still heavily regulated by multiple audiovisual authorities and given how much political and social sensitivities increased over the last decades, the controversy is never too far away) so some of them relies on metaphors in order to be able to approach them.

But In all honesty guys, is using an Asian cultural element — in this case turned into a stereotype (the rice) a good way to assume that Roland was a racist man? Even with all the justifications in the world, I personally find this assumption even more racist than all the accusations fans are making against Marinette's grandpa.

The show never confirmed that affirmation explicitly, because, as far back as we can recall, Roland never said anything remotely bad towards and about Sabine.

Thomas Astruc never confirmed that argument in his social medias (and I so wish he could do that).

All we know about Roland, is that he was a VERY conservative man, extremely attached to his past and his traditions, and unable to innovate and experiment on new things like his son did, leading him to lock himself inside his house for 20 years until his granddaughter came and fix the problem.

It's literally like the whole controversy that surrounded Quilin years ago. And no, that episode wasn't talking about racism (The controller was genuinely a horrible person as shown in some future episodes, and Officer Roger didn't take any perspective on the whole situation and had simply blindly carried out his duty).

The message of the episode ("Always take a step back and use your heart when doing justice.") would have gone over better if Sabine hadn't been a Chinese woman, which monopolized the attention on something that was not the subject of the episode and had triggered a major controversy when France censored its premiere.

In the end, can we just accept that the reason he isolated himself was THAT absurd instead of forcing to apply some unnecessary social realism? Your right if you dislike Roland. Me too I have my issues with his character. But hating him on things that you assumed, I just find it absurd.

My apologies if I sound rude but I'm honestly tired with fans overanalyzing stuff and interpreting their own headcannons as an absolute truth. It's genuinely exhausting.