Ladybug and Cat Noir – A Review of the New York Special

The show Ladybug and Cat Noir follows the adventures of two modern day Parisian teenagers with the ability to transform into superheroes using magical objects known as Miraculous. They are often called into action to fight the machinations of villainous Hawk Moth, who uses enchanted butterflies called Akumas to possess people and turn them into supervillains.

In this special, the pair are invited to New York to celebrate French-American Friendship Week. This is a major opportunity for Marinette to spend time with Adrien, who has been reluctant to leave Paris since the start of the series. However, he soon finds himself between a rock and a hard place when his father Gabriel Agreste insists that he travel to New York while Ladybug stays behind. He manages to convince her that he can guard the city while she’s gone by assuring her that he will use his Astro form to return to Paris whenever there is an akuma sighting.

During the trip, the team goes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where they come across an exhibit featuring the ancient eagle talon necklace worn by Marquis de Lafayette. This is a powerful symbol that could hold the secret to creating a super weapon that could rival the Cataclysm. However, the shady Dr. Plagg, who also holds a key role in this episode, is in hot pursuit of the talisman and has his own plans for it.

This special marks the first time that Ladybug and Cat Noir have visited America since the series began. New York City is a natural choice for the setting given that both other ZAG Heroez shows, Pixie Girl and Ghostforce, take place in the borough as well. The film makes full use of the Manhattan skyline, with scenes shot at various locations including the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, and Times Square.

While it might be hard for viewers to believe, the nine-spotted ladybug once thrived in New York. In fact, the state made it its official insect in 1989 after a fifth-grader lobbied for it to be so, but in the years that followed, they all but disappeared. There are a few theories on why this happened, but one of the main reasons is that they competed with foreign species for food and resources. They also interbred with seven-spotted ones, which have only seven spots instead of the ten of the nine-spotted variety. Then there’s the possibility that a deadly fungus brought in by foreign ladybugs played a role as well.

Fortunately, the native Coccinella novemnotata appears to be making a comeback in New York. In 2009, Leah Tyrrell, a NY Master Naturalist, discovered the species at Neto Hatinakwe Onkwehowe, an indigenous arts and cultural not-for-profit in Buffalo, New York. Tyrrell’s work has been dedicated to promoting and preserving the habitat of this rare coccinellid, serving as an LLP outreach and Coccinella novemnotata reintroduction specialist for the Greater Buffalo/ Thousand Islands region. In addition, she has worked with Allan Jamieson Sr., director of the Native arts and culture not-for-profit Neto Hatinakwe Onkwehowe in the Thousand Islands, on a project to reintroduce the insect to the area.