"Shikamaru Gets A Free Pass On His Revenge While Sasuke Doesn't. Konoha Was Unfair To Sasuke."

"Shikamaru gets a free pass on his revenge while Sasuke doesn't. Konoha was unfair to Sasuke."

What are your thoughts on this claim by some Sasuke Stans?

Is that Konoha or Kakashi??

Usually they would always blame Kakashi for this because he actively discouraged Sasuke from pursuing Revenge but volunteered himself for Shikmaru's Revenge. They literally call him an hypocrite. 

Anyways, Let me explain for both.

Sasuke revealing his life-goal of Killing a certain man (Read: Itachi) during Team 7 Introduction. Kakashi was kind of expecting it rather than opposing or discouraging it.

"In that case, You can never defeat Itachi"

During his Chidori Training, Kakashi was asking Sasuke to not give into Hatred or otherwise the Cursed Seal would flare up and due to that, his growth would be stunted. He doesn't seem to be discouraging Sasuke's revenge in this instance. In fact, he is actually guiding Sasuke.

"I was trying to honor this boy's feelings"

Here, Jiraiya (Just like Kakashi) seems to respect Sasuke's revenge and his valid feelings... So, he let Sasuke to fight Itachi (which ended up in a situation where Sasuke got hurt. For which Jiraiya regrets a lot).

"That's divine punishment! The destiny of someone who accomplished such evil deeds!"

Some random Konoha shinobis are grateful about the fact the Itachi got his punishment from his own little brother.

I don't think this Argument of "Konoha was unfair to Sasuke's revenge" holds any truth. In fact, everyone (Kakashi, Jiraiya, Villagers) were validating Sasuke's actions/feelings in a positive way. Until they don't. Well, to be specific.... Kakashi.

Keeping that aside for now (will come back to that later),

Let's look at Team 10's Revenge. Not going to explain much. Just few panels.

I think this is very self-explanatory.

Shikamaru lost his sensei. He devised a plan and a smart plan at that. He let Kakashi to act as Captain, then He got his Revenge. Over.

It's very simple.

Now, How did Sasuke conducted himself when Itachi came to the Village?

Firstly,

Firstly, he didn’t let anyone in his Revenge... Not Jiraiya... Not even Naruto. He was even being very dismissive about Tsunade’s help. As well as other Konoha Boys’ help.

Whereas Shikamaru was glad that Kakashi Joined them. 

Well, you could say, “Itachi must always be dealt by Sasuke alone... No one has any business in it. Whereas Kakashi, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji were all related to Asuma in some way. Like they all have a stake in this Revenge and hence Shikamaru allowed everyone”.

If that’s the case, Why did Sasuke formed Team Hebi to achieve his Goal???? Instead, he could’ve killed Orochimaru and looked out for Itachi, Right???? 

So, Sasuke did know it inside him that he needed a 4-man cell to catch a strong opponent like Itachi. 

Secondly,

Sasuke after meeting Itachi, he straight up attacked him out of pure impulsiveness. There was no plan or tactics... On top of that, he doesn’t want help from any of them either. 

Whereas Shikamaru was explicitly mentioning to his teammates (including Kakashi) that they have to do the Simulation in their mind for atleast 3 times. So, there was already a clear and formulated plan that was laid out by Shikamaru. 

Why couldn’t Sasuke do that??? 

If Naruto acts on his impulse, it’s totally understandable... Because that was his inherent nature. But Sasuke???

During the Bell Test, Sasuke was so smart to observe Kakashi’s abilities first rather than straight up fighting head on like Naruto....

During Chunin Exams, Sasuke was so clever enough to create a lengthy password in order to draw in that Snake monster... 

Why didn’t Sasuke do the same here??? Like being clever, patient and take the help from other people... And then fight Itachi with a clear head????

Well, That’s why he formed Team Hebi 

Where is that calculative Sasuke who analyzes the enemy before plunging into the fight????

Oh, That’s why during Itachi vs Sasuke Battle, Sasuke was very calculative without letting his emotions get the better of him.

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Anyways, the comparison (Shikamaru Vs Sasuke) I made above has nothing to do with why Kakashi discouraged Sasuke from pursuing Revenge... Because Kakashi was already knocked out by Itachi’s Tsukuyomi and hence, he weren’t there in that Kidnapping scene. 

I made this comparison to simply show that in Part 2, how Sasuke became level-headed in his battle with Itachi after got easily defeated by him once in Part 1. (Point to note: Sasuke also learnt how to overcome Itachi’s Tsukuyomi in Part 2 after receiving a cruel one in Part 1)

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The Real Reason why Kakashi discouraged Sasuke from pursuing or obsessing with Revenge was 

1. Sasuke starting to Hurting Himself

Right after he pinned Sasuke to the tree, his first gaze was towards his Cursed seal.

Didn’t Kakashi advised Sasuke earlier that to not succumb into Hatred and not to depend on the power of the Cursed Seal???

Gaara taunted Sasuke with his Lack of Hatred

And he ended up succumbing into Hatred that led the cursed seal to flare up at the wrong time and rendered him immobile throughout the Battle. And the source of all this inconvenience was his Hatred and Revenge....  

This is exactly what Kakashi wanted to prevent from happening to Sasuke. To not let his student to get hurt and lose himself in Revenge. 

This is also the reason why Naruto confessed Sasuke about feeling Pain whenever Sasuke was hurting himself in Chapter 698.

Shikamaru never hurt himself for the sake of Avenging Asuma. Even Kakashi said that he was going with them to not let them do unreasonable things...

“This way, If I go with them, I can keep an eye on them... I won’t let them do anything unreasonable”

The other reason why Kakashi discouraged Sasuke was

2. Sasuke started to Hurt Others.

Naah, I am not talking about feelings getting hurt. 

This is about Sasuke physically starting to hurt other people in order to taste his Revenge. 

No matter how much you argue, Sasuke was the first one to instigate that Rivalry Battle in the Hospital Rooftop (not blaming him for doing it but that’s not the right way either) and he would’ve ended up doing something he regret for his whole life if he had his way... Out of sheer impulsiveness. 

Sasuke kidnapped Killer Bee.

Sasuke planned to Destroy Konoha.

Sasuke stabbed Karin.

Sasuke tried to kill Sakura by going behind her back while she was making up her resolve to kill him. 

Now all of these incidents are something Kakashi knew or saw from first hand. 

When his Target was just Itachi... He ended up attacking Naruto.

When his Target was just those 3 Elders... He ended up kidnapping Killer Bee, killing those Samurais, stabbed Karin and planned to destroy Konoha as a whole. 

In order to achieve his Goal, he is starting to inconvenience and hurt irrelevant people who don’t have anything to do with his Goal. 

Did Shikamaru hurt anyone for his Revenge???? 

Nope.

That’s why, Kakashi asked Sasuke to stop obsessing with Revenge. Because he is hurting himself as well as hurting other people.

Could all these have been avoided from Sasuke’s side???

Yes, Definitely.

Instead of planning to destroy the Entire Village, had Sasuke decided to confront and kill those Elders... Wouldn’t Kakashi/Konoha have helped him out??? 

I guess they would.

Here Kakashi was helping Naruto to beg forgiveness for Sasuke’s sake. Even though, Danzo, the Hokage had announced that Sasuke would be executed. He literally gave Jackshit about the fact that Sasuke killed Danzo.

This is what Tsunade feels about that 3 Advisors... Not going to explain any further. 

“The Mission Orders are still in effect, Right??”

“The Mission to Hunt down Akatsuki is still going on, Right?”

In both the scenes, Naruto and Shikamaru uses the Mission to Hunt Akatsuki as the reason to fulfill their Goal... In Naruto’s case, it was to bring Sasuke back. In Shikamaru’s case, it was to avenge Asuma. 

Don’t you think, had Sasuke stayed in the village... and if he had used the same ‘Akatsuki Hunting’ as the reasoning to pursue his Goal of killing Itachi using a bunch of Good Shinobi from the Village... Wouldn’t Tsunade have allowed it??? 

She would have. 

All the context of Kakashi, Tsunade or his Konoha 12 members helping out with Sasuke’s revenge is right there. It’s just that Sasuke was hell-bent on not taking it. Not only he started to reject/cut everyone but in the process he was starting to Hurt himself and Others... That’s why Sasuke’s revenge was discouraged whereas that’s not the case with Shikamaru.

No, Adrien and Félix are not sentimonsters. They are twins

          A popular theory among the Miraculers is that Adrien could be a sentimonster. After the episode “Gabriel Agreste,” Félix was included in it, which gained force after the Season 4’s final episodes: “Risk” and “Strikeback.” Ambassador Feri González’s declaration about “having known about ‘Senti Adrien’ since Season 2” strengthened the conviction of the idea’s defenders.

          Despite its many arguments, the thesis about Adrien has many holes, which are enough to completely refute it. The same goes for the hypothesis about Félix. Supporters of the theory are so attached to it that they ignore an idea that is simpler and makes more sense: Adrien and Félix are identical twins, and Gabriel stole one of them in the maternity ward. To better understand this subject, this text will address all the arguments presented in the discussion and show why Adrien and Félix are indeed twins and not sentimonsters.

(Note: The text is NOT intended to attack or hurt anyone, only to contribute to the debate.)

1- There are no “identical cousins,” only identical twins

          Félix was introduced in Miraculous Ladybug as Adrien’s cousin. They look exactly alike (even Amelie says they look like twins). That fact is very curious since cousins can’t be born identical. Even if two identical twins (like Emilie, Adrien’s mother, and Amelie, Félix’s mother) marry two identical twins, their children are not born alike (although they have many similar genes). Those who want to understand better can read the article “If twin brothers marry twin sisters, will their children be identical?” by Luiza Andrade (web link in sources), which has the book The Human Body as its reference. Thenceforth, the theory that Félix is Amelie’s son with a possible identical twin brother of Gabriel, or even Gabriel himself (if that were so, all siblings, twins or not, would look the same) is discarded.

(Note: The case of identical twins Brittany and Briana Deane, who married identical twins Josh and Jeremy Salyers and had identical children, Jett and Jax, is reported sensationally in the media. Although very similar, having virtually sibling DNA, the little boys will show their differences more clearly as they grow up. It’s harder to notice them in babies.)

Félix and Adrien in “Félix”

          Félix’s origin is linked to the first concept of Cat Noir, which was discarded by Thomas Astruc as a cliché. The series creator repurposed the character and put him in another context. That is one of the reasons why Adrien and Félix are identical, but it’s not the only one. As explained before, there are no equal cousins ​​in real life. Even in fiction, it’s not very common. One example is the TV show Hannah Montana, which introduced Luanne Stewart as an identical cousin of the protagonist Miley Stewart. However, there is a big difference between the two cases. Luanne is an irrelevant character to the show, created to appear in just one episode. Therefore, that unreal element does not affect the reasoning of the central narrative. Félix, on the contrary, is central to several Miraculous Ladybug’s arcs, such as the Agreste family’s and the Hawk Moth’s. Therefore, he’s a character that requires development and attention, and his resemblance to Adrien cannot be a mere chance.

Félix's original version

2- Identical twins with different personalities are common in fiction

          Although equal in looking, Adrien and Félix have very different personalities. Adrien is friendly and naive, while Félix is introverted and clever. Countless stories (of varied genres) have identical twins with opposite mentalities and “switch places.” That is what happens, for example, with Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuuga, from Naruto: Hizashi is wise and brave, while Hiashi is stubborn and, in some ways, coward (strong to face enemies but weak to fight the injustices of his clan). Hizashi even goes so far as to impersonate Hiashi to save his brother’s life.

          The concept of “good twin and evil twin” is so common it can even be considered cliché. Stories like the book and movie The Man in the Iron Mask, the soap opera Deceptions (La usurpadora), and even a special Halloween episode of The Simpsons all bring that element. So far, Félix can be considered the “evil twin” and Adrien the “good twin,” but it depends on what are Félix’s real intentions. For now, he has shown evil, but many fans (myself included) believe he may be tricking Gabriel* to defeat him later. Remembering that Félix is very smart and, as a Graham of Vanily, not just doesn’t trust Gabriel but considers him an enemy for having taken possession of his family’s rings. That mistrust, for sure, increased after Félix discovered Emilie’s dead body in the Agreste Manor’s basement. Then, he may have given that ring to his uncle as a retreat to later advance his plan to defeat him.

(*This possibility of Félix’s double-play furthers my theory that he could form a couple with Zoé. Learn more in “Why Lukloé won’t happen, but Lukagami will.”)

Félix and Adrien in “Risk”

          Therefore, Adrien and Félix being twins would not be surprising in Miraculous Ladybug, as it addresses a common idea in fiction. Despite that theme being somewhat dramatic, the series has a history of approaching mature subjects, especially from Season 4.

          The creation of Félix from a discarded idea’s relocation is the starting point of his development, which allowed another mystery to be inserted in the Agreste family arc. Félix and Adrien are yet another representation of yin-yang, an element very present in Miraculous Ladybug (the other being Cat Noir and Ladybug themselves and their miraculouses). They are antagonistic and simultaneously complement each other. Félix develops from Adrien and Adrien develops from Félix. Since even simple details aren’t inserted in an audiovisual series at random, it would be no different with an interpersonal characteristic that dialogues so much with the show’s theme.

3- Gabriel is fully capable of kidnapping a child

          Gabriel Agreste has proven to be one of the most perverse villains in fiction. He simply has no scruples and goes to great lengths to achieve his goals, no matter the consequences. In light of that and the previous explanations about Adrien and Félix being twins, it is possible to imagine that the Butterfly Miraculous holder is responsible for the “emergence” of “identical cousins.”

          Gabriel’s interest in the Graham de Vanily Twin Rings is curious. In “Félix,” Amelie clears that they must stay with the family. Therefore, it is strange that the Grahams of Vanily “authorized” Emilie and Gabriel to wear them as wedding rings, knowing that she would become an Agreste. Amelie’s insistence on taking them back after her sister’s death proves that the family doesn’t accept that they are with third parties, including their members’ spouses. Even aware of this, her brother-in-law feels entitled to keep the rings with him. We note that Gabriel has a habit of taking possession of things that don’t belong to him (the miraculouses and the rings), and he uses people for this. Nathalie got the miraculouses for her boss, and Emilie may have taken her family’s treasure at her husband’s behest. From what he did to Nooroo in “Sandboy” (having made Kwami’s mouth close momentarily with a snap of his fingers) and the hints in “Gabriel Agreste” (Nathaniel’s drawings), it is clear that Gabriel is, in fact, a wizard. Therefore, he may have bewitched Emilie to steal the rings. Knowing that the stylist likes to take what is not his, the theory about the true origin of Adrien and Félix comes into play.

Gabriel bewitching Nooroo in “Sandboy”

          Adrien’s stories and photos indicate that Emilie was a good person. Although naive, the boy notices the true nature of people (e.g., he limits himself to saying that his father is “protective,” as it’s not possible to say anything good about him, and he does not fall for Lila’s lies). Then, she may have wanted to be a mother. On the other hand, Gabriel perhaps planned to have an heir who would guarantee his wife’s inheritance (depending on the marriage regime, he would only manage such an inheritance if he had a child with the deceased one). Félix and Adrien are the same age, so Amelie got pregnant at the same time as her sister.

          The theory goes that Emilie and Gabriel’s child didn’t survive birth, while Amelie gave birth to twins on the same day and in the hospital. Both childbirths were difficult, and the sisters passed out during the procedure. Needing an heir, Gabriel bribed or bewitched the doctors and hospital staff to exchange his stillborn child for one of Amelie’s babies. In this way, it would appear that she had dizygotic (non-identical) twins, and one of them didn’t survive. It would be a plausible explanation since births of twins are usually more complicated). Because they were unconscious, Emilie and Amelie wouldn’t know anything and would accept the children with the versions given by the hospital. In Miraculous Ladybug, characters tend to be more perceptive of personalities than physical appearances. Then, neither Adrien nor Felix or Amelie having suspected why the “cousins” look like the same wouldn’t be a surprise.

(Note: It is known that the Graham of Vanily family live in London and the Agrestes in Paris, but nothing prevents Emilie and Amelie from being in the same city when they are having their children.)

Amelie, Félix, and Adrien in “Félix”

          Some fans might argue that a newborn theft from the maternity ward would be too heavy a topic for a children’s cartoon. However, there are two points to consider. First, that subject has already been addressed in other works aimed at children: it’s what moves the plot of the children’s soap opera Accomplices to the Rescue (Cómplices al rescate). Second, Miraculous Ladybug has already addressed mature and controversial issues. The episode “Truth” brought up the theme of parental abandonment by revealing that Jagged Stone is Luka and Juleka’s biological father. Although avoided by children’s stories, that is sadly the reality for many children, and Miraculous Ladybug promotes inclusivity by portraying it in an episode. Gabriel himself keeping Emilie’s dead body in his basement is pretty macabre for a children’s show, yet it is shown. By the same line of reasoning, having sentimonsters in significant roles in the story (one of them as the protagonist) seems much more bizarre for a children’s animation than having human twins separated at birth.

4- Signs that strengthen the twins’ theory

          In an audiovisual work, nothing is inserted at random. There is always a reason behind it. Speeches, costumes, colors, references, everything has a purpose. Two big signs feed the theory that Adrien and Félix are biological brothers. Both are in the episode “Félix.”

          When Gabriel and his son are in the Agreste Manor’s hall waiting for their visits, the door opens, and Adrien is surprised by Amelie, calling her “Mom.” Then, after a few moments, the boy realizes that she is his “Aunt Amelie.” As the scene is the first time the character has appeared, it’s clear that it was created to shock viewers into believing that it’s Emilie at the door. However, in the context of the series, Adrien knows that his mother is dead* and that she has an identical twin sister (mother of the cousin he is very close to). Then, as shaken as he was at that moment, it makes no sense that Adrien would believe his mother was “resurrected.” It was, in fact, his unconscious calling her “Mom,” rescuing a memory of when he was inside her.

(*Even though Emilie is referred to as “missing” in some episodes, like “Queen Wasp,” Thomas Astruc confirmed that it’s public knowledge that she is dead, including having a funeral.)

Thomas Astruc confirming the note above

          Shortly after, Adrien hugs Félix and Amelie says: “they look just like twins.” Such a statement was not inserted into her speech at random. Even if she doesn’t realize it, her unconscious knows that they are twins. Additionally, Amelie reveals that Adrien and Félix had Gabriel and Emilie fooled for a whole weekend by switching places but doesn’t say if she and her husband haven’t noticed the difference. Parents recognize their children by the tiniest details. Parents of identical twins know who is one and who is the other. If Emilie and Gabriel took long to realize that it was Félix instead of Adrien, they don’t have the same parental sense as Amelie and her husband, the boys’ true parents.

          There are many mysteries about the Agreste and Graham de Vanily families. It is a fact that Emilie’s biological family feels enmity toward Gabriel. Such sentiment would be maximized if they found out that the stylist stole one of Amelie’s children and kept him away from the family since Emilie died (as evidenced by Gabriel’s refusal to let Adrien go to Félix’s father’s funeral).

5- Refuting the arguments of Adrien being a sentimonster theory

a) Argument: Adrien is perfect (Thomas Astruc himself jokes that his middle name is “Perfection”)

Answer: Actually, Adrien is not perfect. Thomas Astruc made this joke because the character is handsome and kind, a great combination. Adrien does have flaws. He is naive, dumb, jealous, and a cheapskate. Besides, played with Kagami’s feelings (by dating her while in love with someone else). He also was dishonest with Luka (by confiding to Marinette that he doesn’t know how to play guitar instead of admitting it out loud so that Jagged Stone would know and then accepting Luka’s guitar instead of directly suggesting to Marinette to indicate the guitarist). That doesn’t mean Adrien is evil, but he’s not perfect either.

b) Argument: There are no Adrien’s photos as a baby or child

Answer: There is a drawing made by Adrien as a child that appeared in “The Collector.” Also, Chloé is a childhood friend of his, and Félix seems to have known her since that time too. If Adrien were a sentimonster, Chloé wouldn’t have known him since they were kids, as sentimonsters are stationary.

Reply 1: Emilie may have created one Adrien a year for him to “grow up,” and thus overused the damaged miraculous and died.

Rejoinder 1: Adrien’s drawing shows the boy with his parents in Tibet, where Nathalie found the miraculouses and the spell book. Having the Peacock Miraculous in her hands when her son was already born, Emilie couldn’t have created Adrien from an amok.

Reply 2: Adrien may have been created by another Peacock Miraculous wielder before Emilie

Rejoinder 2: How did he get to Emilie and Gabriel then? How did the Agrestes get the amokized object to control him? That would open another arc and make the series very confused. I believe those responsible for Miraculous Ladybug don’t want that.

Reply 3: The original Adrien may have died, and Gabriel and Emilie created a sentimonster just like him.

Rejoinder 3: Then there’s no reason for Gabriel to resurrect Emilie. Just create a sentimonster just like her.

The drawing Adrien made in his childhood

c) Argument and hypothesis: Gabriel seems too old to have biological children, so he resorted to the Peacock Miraculous used by his wife to have a child

Answer: Even older men can have biological children (e.g., Mick Jagger’s youngest son was born in 2016, when the singer was 73). Gabriel has enough money to invest in methods like IVF. He doesn’t need to create a sentimonster to be a father.

d) Argument and hypothesis: Gabriel doesn’t show affection for Adrien, probably because Emilie used the damaged Peacock Miraculous too much to keep the sentimonster as an ordinary child and died

Answer: Not receiving affection from his father doesn’t mean Adrien is a sentimonster. Gabriel is not a caring person. Having raised Adrien for so many years, he was supposed to have, at the very least, an affection for the boy, even if he wasn’t his biological son. But Gabriel is very selfish and unable to be affectionate. That goes for everyone.

e) Argument: In “Ladybug & Cat Noir (Origins - Part 1)”, Gabriel tells Adrien: “you are not like everyone else.”

Answer: That’s what any parent says when their kids try to convince them of something because “everybody” does. The phrase is more a confirmation of Gabriel’s parental authority than anything else.

f) Argument and hypothesis: The episode “Optigami” revealed that sentimonsters can use miraculouses, so Master Fu could have entrusted the Cat Miraculous to Adrien even realizing he is a sentimonster

Answer: Yes, sentimonsters can use miraculouses, but that doesn’t set Adrien up as one. He lacks many of the fundamental characteristics of sentimonsters, such as physical stability and absolute subservience. Also, knowing that sentimonsters are creatures controlled by whoever holds the amokized object, Master Fu wouldn’t risk handing a miraculous as powerful as the Cat to a sentimonster, as it’s unknown who can control it later.

g) Argument: Adrien is totally obedient to Gabriel

Answer: That’s not true. Although not confronting Gabriel, Adrien questions his father’s decisions and sometimes disobeys him. In “Ladybug & Cat Noir (Origins - Part 1),” he runs away to study at a school against his father’s order to be homeschooled. In “Frozer,” he asks the bodyguard to take him to the skating rink, even though Gabriel thinks he is going to school to train in fencing. In “Desperada,” Adrien goes to Luka’s boat instead of his fencing class. Sentimonsters never rebel against whoever holds the amokized object that controls them. For them to have freedom, the amokized thing must be given directly to them, as seen in “Ladybug.”

h) Argument and hypothesis: Thomas Astruc said that if a sentimonster is created to be a human, it is human, not a human-shaped creature; therefore, it’s possible that Adrien has a will of his own and makes his own decisions even though he is a sentimonster

Answer: Gabriel is very controlling, even wanting to isolate his son from the rest of the world. Why would he create a human sentimonster with a will of its own? The episodes “Ladybug” and “Sentibubbler” show that whoever decides how a sentimonster act is who controls it. So, even if Emilie had created Adrien as a human sentimonster with his own will, Gabriel could take away that autonomy when he got the amokized object. For his plans, it’s not good to have an independent Adrien. If the boy is like that, he isn’t a sentimonster.

(Note: As well-remembered by the Toujours Miraculous post (web link in sources), Adrien has a hot body and is allergic to pigeon feathers. These traits are entirely human. It wouldn’t make sense for a sentimonster to be created with allergies (even if it was to give it a human character), as this kind of condition isn’t something immediately noted. Gabriel wants to show the world that Adrien is perfect. If the boy were a sentimonster, he would have been made without any allergies or unfavorable conditions. At the very least, Gabriel would eliminate them when controlling him.)

i) Argument and hypothesis: Gabriel stirs his ring to make Adrien obey him, as seen in “Ephemeral” and in “Strikeback;” it may contain the amok which created Adrien

Answer: If Adrien were a sentimonster, it would be impossible for Gabriel to need to move the amokized object to increase control over him, as Adrien wouldn’t even show signs of disobedience. It wouldn’t be possible for the boy to react against his father’s domination if the amokized object were under his control and not someone else’s (who could give him autonomy). It’s more likely that the Graham de Vanily Twin Rings have a spell that controls people.

j) Argument: The episode “Wishmaker” showed that Adrien had no childhood dreams and that he wants to be what his parents want him to be

Answer: Not all children dream of the future. Many of them answer “I don’t know” when asked what they want to be when they grow up (I’ve met some of them myself). Adrien may have been an insecure child and saw his parents as his desired protection. Soon, he felt comfortable fulfilling Emilie and Gabriel’s wishes and couldn’t imagine doing anything they didn’t plan.

k) Argument: Feri González said she has known about “Senti Adrien” since Season 2

Answer: Actually, when asked on the internet how long she had known about “Senti Adrien,” Feri González replied, “Since Season 2”. That answer has two meanings. She may be confirming that Adrien is a sentimonster and that she would have been warned about this during Season 2. However, she could also be implying that she’s been aware since Season 2 of a theory that Adrien is a sentimonster. It is different saying “Joseph loves Mary” than saying “I heard that Joseph loves Mary.” They asked what Feri González knows, and she answered literally. That feature is often used to mislead without telling lies. The Miraculous Ladybug staff doesn’t like when fans try to discover the show’s secrets before the revelation episodes. Proof of that is Thomas Astruc’s ironic, even rude, reply to a fan who asked if Luka and Juleka were Jagged Stone’s children based on their looking. The cartoon’s creator hinted that such a suspicion was absurd, but the episode “Truth” proved it correct. To prevent fans from suspecting what’s going on in the Agreste family, Feri González may be giving them literal answers to throw them off track and keep them away from premature discoveries. She misled fans before when she said that Adrien should “take care” as Luka would enter Marinette’s love life, and so far, not only has Adrien remained intact in Marinette’s heart, Luka got very frustrated.

Thomas Astruc doesn’t like the Sherlocks Holmes on duty

l) Argument: Adrien is practically a copy of Emilie, having no trace of Gabriel

Answer: Indeed, Adrien bears no physical resemblance to Gabriel, indicating that he is not his biological son. However, he is also not a copy of Emilie, as although he has his mother’s eyes, nose, and mouth, his head shape is different (and not the same as Gabriel’s). His hair is also a more saturated shade of blonde than Emilie’s. At the same time, the lack of resemblance between the boy and Gabriel doesn’t explain how Adrien is identical to Félix. It is most likely they are identical twins, and what they didn’t get from Amelie, they got from her husband.

Remark: In “Feast,” Mayura felt the presence of the sentimonster created by Master Fu. She was in the same ambiance as Cat Noir in “Ladybug” while using the Peacock Miraculous and didn’t feel anything different.

6- Refuting the arguments of Félix being a sentimonster theory

a) Argument: In “Gabriel Agreste,” Gabriel threatens to snap his fingers to make Félix disappear; Sentimonsters are freed from reality when their creators snap their fingers

Answer: Nathalie’s plan of Shadow Moth creating a sentimonster in Gabriel’s shape to fight his nephew while the villain tries to akumatize him had a clear objective: to prevent Félix from suspecting that Gabriel is Shadow Moth. If Félix were a sentimonster and would be freed from reality with a snap, Gabriel’s threat would confess that he is Shadow Moth. Then, the plan would no longer make sense (he would be doing what needed to be avoided). Although Gabriel isn’t always that intelligent, that’s a huge mistake that he would never make, especially with someone as smart as Félix. The threat to make the boy disappear in a snap contains a metaphor for death and one for speed. Félix was scared because, even knowing that his uncle is mysterious and dishonest, he wouldn’t have imagined that he would be capable of committing murder (and this had to be implied smoothly, as it’s a children’s cartoon). Gabriel, in response, would not back down from the threatening tone to increase fear in Félix and allow his akumatization. However, he didn’t count on his nephew’s cunning and endurance.

Senti-Gabriel threating Félix in “Gabriel Agreste”

b) Argument and hypothesis: Nathalie stints the ring given by Gabriel to control Félix, who pretended to be Adrien; each of the bands can contain an amok (one that created Félix and one that originated Adrien)

Answer: If Félix were a sentimonster whose amok would be in one of the rings, Gabriel would have no problem controlling him, and Félix wouldn’t confront him like he did when they were alone in the studio. Even his uncle could take away the sharp intelligence that seriously threatens the villain’s plans. Félix is a great actor (proven in “Félix,” “Gabriel Agreste,” and “Risk”), and he knows the Graham de Vanily Twin Rings well. Soon, he may learn of the rings’ hidden power and theorize that Gabriel uses it to control Adrien. To maintain the cover at that moment, he should act like his cousin, therefore not resist the ring’s control when activated. An indication that the rings only control Adrien is the dialogue between the cousins in “Risk:”

F: Freedom is something you make, Adrien. For starters, you gotta stop doing everything your father tells you to.

A: I can’t disobey him.

F: You can’t, but I can.

Then Félix mentions that he and Adrien used to switch places in childhood (which Amelie had already revealed in “Félix”). If they were sentimonsters, they couldn’t have had a childhood, as they would be static. They wouldn’t even have memories of that time and still mention them when alone (without the person who would control them). If they were replaced year by year to “grow up,” the current versions could have no memories of what the old ones lived through. Even if they were created with the power to grow up like any other humans, they would still be subject to Gabriel’s control. That one, as mentioned earlier, would soon turn Adrien and Félix into submissive beings without autonomy of thought.

c) Argument and hypothesis: Although he apologized in secret, Félix didn’t hesitate in betraying Ladybug’s trust and gave the miraculouses to Shadow Moth; therefore, he should be apologizing to the Strikebacks for not being able to do anything for them, who were being thrown into the Sun, and felt sorry for them because he is also a sentimonster

Answer: It makes no sense for Félix to empathize with the Strikebacks. Even if he were a sentimonster, he would have been created to be a human, unlike the Strikebacks, made to be robots. In other words, even sentimonsters, Félix and Strikeback would be of totally different types. It couldn’t have empathy that made sense. It’s more plausible that Félix was actually regretting betraying Ladybug’s trust. He looks fondly at the portrait of his Aunt Emilie (when he is alone, without needing to fool anyone), gets horrified to see her dead body hidden in the Agreste Manor’s basement, and has a strong sense of family. It is seen in his relationship with his mother and with the traditions of the Graham de Vanily. Then, the boy is not a psychopath like Gabriel, and he has a good side. At the same time, he is too clever and managed to find out in one episode what Ladybug and Cat Noir are four seasons without discovering: the identity of Hawk Moth/Shadow Moth. Therefore, Félix may be skeptical of the heroes’ competence in fighting the villain and knows that his intelligence will help him defeat him faster, bringing justice to his family, Paris, and the world. Unfortunately, he would have to take two steps back to succeed in his plan: betray Ladybug’s trust and give the recovered ring to Gabriel. Therefore, he was sad, but he knew it was for a good cause. He would be pretending to be what he isn’t to help the ones he loves, just like Zoé does. If Félix was so mean as to not care about Ladybug’s reaction to his betrayal, he would also not be able to see himself as similar to the Strikebacks to feel sorry for them.

Reply 1: Félix, as Flairmidable, asked Ladybug where the heroes would send the Strikebacks and looked astonished when she replied that it would be a place where they couldn’t hurt anyone; still, the images of Flairmidable and the Strikebacks were shown interspersed.

Rejoinder 1: Interspersing images indicate the simultaneity of events. While the heroes defeated the Strikebacks, Félix prepared to leave the scene. Furthermore, Flairmidable may have been surprised at the genius of Ladybug’s plan, and so he realized that she would not be as incompetent as he had thought when he came up with his original plan. However, it would be too late to turn back, and he had to go on, regretting betraying her trust.

Reply 2: Félix demanded the Peacock Miraculous specifically, and he seemed fulfilled when he finally got his hands on it

Rejoinder 2: That proves nothing. Felix may have a plan in mind that includes using the Peacock Miraculous. It could be something like Nathalie’s idea in “Optigami,” and in this case, he would spy on Gabriel.

Reply 3: Amelie confessed that she wanted to give the rings to Félix because he was fascinated by them; perhaps she wants to free him by handing him the object that controls him

Rejoinder 3: If that were true, Amelie would have had to have owned the rings before Félix was born. By that time, the bands were with Gabriel and Emilie, utilizing them since marriage. At the same time, Amelie sees Félix’s fascination with the bands as his admiration for his family’s traditions. If he were a sentimonster, he wouldn’t notice it himself (because he would be made to be human), and she would have to tell him. From the mother-son conversation in “Félix,” it’s clear that there is no sentimonster involved.

Reply 4: In “Strikeback,” Félix easily gave up the ring to exchange it for the Peacock Miraculous; he may be trying to find a way to transfer the amok from the ring to another object

Rejoinder 4: If it were possible to transfer akumas and amoks, Ladybug would never be able to purify them. Hawk Moth/Shadow Moth and Mayura would immediately place them on other things and keep the akumatized and sentimonsters. When an amok leaves its object, the sentimonster is automatically undone. If Félix were one of those creatures and planned that, he would be committing suicide. It makes more sense that the surrender of the ring is a strategic retreat by Félix. The episode “Gabriel Agreste” shows that he is always one step forward from his uncle.

d) Argument: Miraculous Ladybug’s episodes from Seasons 1 to 4 are named after akumatized or sentimonsters, and Adrien’s cousin’s debut episode is called “Félix.”

Answer: The change in episode naming pattern from Season 5 onwards shows that the naming depends heavily on the staff’s plans. Félix is ​​a substantive character for Miraculous Ladybug, but he wouldn’t be akumatized in his debut. Therefore, the episode could not have a name from her akumatized form like “Volpina,” Lila’s debut. At the same time, perhaps “Punishers Trio” would not be as appealing a title as “Félix,” as it would highlight the akumatized ones (recurring) more than the debuting character who will influence the series’ course. Whatever Felix’s true intention in posing as Adrien to hurt his cousin’s friends was, the fact is that he was an antagonist in the story, then he maintained a pattern of naming episodes from Seasons 1 to 3 as antagonists. Even though the sentimonster Ladybug switched to the side of good in “Ladybug,” it played an evil role when it was under Mayura’s control. The pattern continued through Season 4.

Remark: In “Strikeback,” Félix gives the ring to Gabriel, saying he won’t be needing it anymore. If Félix were a sentimonster and his amok were in the ring, he would never give the object which controls him to Gabriel. He knows his uncle’s nature perfectly.

7- Conclusion

          It’s more plausible that Adrien and Félix are identical twins than sentimonsters. Both don’t fit the profile of beings created by amoks. At the same time, they are compatible with the subject of identical twins with different personalities, common in fiction. Gabriel Agreste is Machiavellian enough to do anything for his goals, including stealing objects and children. There are many indications that the “identical cousins” are actually brothers, and they make more sense than the supposed clues that they are sentimonsters. Miraculous Ladybug is a bright show with a great line of reasoning and mystery, and it wouldn’t need to resort to absurdity to maintain its greatness. The best ending for Adrien and Félix would be that they discover the truth and live happily as brothers, free from the intrigues that Gabriel allowed to arise between them.

The same DNA, the same fraternal love

Sources:

“If twin brothers marry twin sisters, will their children be identical?” by Luiza Andrade (Super Interessante, August 22nd, 2016, updated in February 14th, 2020; in Portuguese; if you don’t speak Portuguese, use a translator)

Adrien being a sentimonster theory, posted on Miraculous Ladybug Wikia forum

“Why Adrien’s NOT a Sentimonster” by Toujours Miraculous

The knowledge that I acquired myself in college.

Artist: @Screw_0930

Art: 3 + 2 = ?

*Posted with permission // Do Not Edit 

About the Russian invasion - how is everyone feeling there? What can we do to help?

Thank you so much for asking!

A little bit of history: it's actually been 8 years since russia first invaded our country. But for the last years it was getting more and more quiet. And now BOOM again

Many people evacuated from the destroyed by war cities in 2014 and some still live there even though they support Ukraine. It's hard to leave your home. So it's emotionally different for everyone. There was a joke that people from Kyiv worry more than people from Eastern Ukraine. Because they have experienced a similar thing in 2014 and now they're more prepared than ever before.

Personally, I'm panicking from time to time, because, yup, it's stressful. Most people don't really speak about the war and evacuation because it's scary. But I feel like everyone's trying to be prepared for the evacuation or fighting. Every night does feel like a last one, after all.

Since the beginning of the war, our people have been giving money to military charity. One of the most famous military charities is "Return alive" (Povernysya zhivim). Many Ukrainians donate here every month. Here is a link for Facebook page of the charity, let me know if it translates to English or if i should make a post with translation:

There is also a charity that helps military. Yana Zinkevych, a Ukrainian politician and a commander of the Hospitallers Medical Battalion, leads this charity. In 2015 she was paralyzed during a mission and since then she has been using a wheelchair. She has personally saved more than 200 soldiers and she's awesome.

https://www.facebook.com/100020149602229/posts/914756185872693/

In her post here she makes a list of needed ammunition and the needed money.

I tried to write about the charities that Ukrainians trust in. They are famous, they have been trusted by people all these years, so as far as I am concerned, they can be trusted.

Here is a post by @everlasting-burnout who provided more links. They seem trustworthy.

Thank you so much for reading and I encourage to reblog. Just to remind you, I'm trying to tell about Ukrainian situation as objectively and as truthfully as I can

Kishimoto was pretty consistent towards drawing Sakura’s confessions to Sasuke and Sasuke’s reaction to Sakura. Sakura always whining or snotting it up. He always paid a lot of attention to drawing Sasuke, apparently his favourite character to draw. 

The thing to notice here is Sasuke’s body language towards Sakura every time she confesses to him. Always the same. 

Sasuke’s stance is always the same. His back to Sakura, telling her off in very straight terms over his shoulder. His expression towards her is always openly insulting, with either a glare or smirk. This is typically the body language for casual dismissal and feeling completely unthreatened. Shown towards someone unimportant and insignificant.

It happens again:

There:

And again: 

It also happens when Kakashi is talking to him about Sakura’s confession, but Sasuke doesn’t give a flying fig about Kakashi either. Can’t even bother to turn back and acknowledge the sentiment of these highly emotionally charged words. And so :

But when it comes to Naruto… : 

And….turn!

Again :

He would always acknowledge Naruto. No matter how overwhelmed, pissed off or angry he is, he would always listen to what Naruto has to say. He may not agree with Naruto, but he would make time. He would of course lie to himself that it doesn’t matter : 

But poor boy just can’t help himself :

And there he goes again..

He. Can’t. Help. It.

He wants to hear him out, no matter how much he might delude himself.

I keep hearing that Sasuke and Sakura’s dynamic was made to look bad in anime, but that in the manga they are pretty romantic.

Are they though? (Shakes head dejectedly..)

Anyway, Kishimoto knew what he was doing.