(implicitly queer characters in Miraculous Ladybug is still most of the teenage cast)

[alexseanchai]

The list of explicitly queer characters in Miraculous Ladybug now numbers, I believe, six. Show creator Thomas Astruc said on Twitter ages ago that Rose and Juleka are dating; he also said ages ago Nathaniel and Marc are dating, and confirmed the tweet from a genderfluid friend of his that Marc, being based on that friend, is genderfluid; and earlier today he tweeted that Max is ace and Alix is aro.

This revelation surprises approximately no one.

Comments

[mesotablar]

Wow! actually named representation for aces is still really so rare and aros are nearly completely absent from named representation!

[alexseanchai]

I know!

and there are gonna be people who say this doesn't even count because it's not stated in the show proper

but like

1) with as much fight as people had to put up to get the Korra/Asami handholding and the Ruby/Sapphire wedding and the [She-Ra spoilers redacted], and given that Astruc has clearly decided to prioritize differently and there's nothing wrong with that choice, resulting in the really onscreen obvious (and also Twitter-confirmed) f/f couple who are only ever stated in show to be BFFs? yeah no the ace and aro rep is not gonna be stated in the show proper

2) I refer you back to the part where this tweet surprises approximately nobody in the fandom

[mesotablar]

when creators actually name something though there is a serious potential for future change. I'm glad it surprised no one in the fandom, but now that the words have been said it seems to me at least that the characters have more chance of being adopted as representatives outside the fandom.

Maybe I'm just massively pessimistic about most entertainment media and their ability to undercut representation, but at least now the twitter announcement has 'locked in' specific representative character drives/traits. Complete lack of surprise in the fandom is a massive awesome thing, and so so so much better than a bad surprise.