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This article is about the artbook. You may be looking for another Ladybug.
Ladybug PV (46)
Non-Canon Information
This page is for a concept/character/etc. that didn't become, isn't considered, or hasn't been confirmed canon in the Miraculous Ladybug Quantic Universe continuity.
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Reason: Add information about Ladybug's inital 2D design and the interview with Thomas Astruc that's mentioned in the book. Also, fix the quote if there's something off about it. The quote is taken directly from a photo of one of the artbook's pages, but part of the text in the photo got cut off when it was taken.

Thomas [Astruc], the director of Miraculous Ladybug, has always created a world of great heroes since he was young. He started the Ladybug project at a studio where he met a coworker wearing a ladybug-patterned T-shirt. They exchange pictures of ladybugs and share ideas and drawings. Then one day, Thomas drew a girl wearing a ladybug suit. “Huh!? This character would be really good, right? Would it work? I should try making something with this!” And, from then on, inspired by Ladybug and the other heroes around her, the world of a ladybug hero was formed.

—The Art of Miraculous

The Art of Miraculous (also known as the Ladybug Artbook) is an official concept artbook for Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. It was first announced by SAMG Animation on October 19, 2016, after it opened a crowdfunding campaign project on Tumblbug.[1][2]

After the campaign project became a success, the artbook was later officially released exclusively in South Korea in December 2016.[3]

Introduction[]

"Marinette and Adrien are special high school students. They have been selected and given an important mission to save Paris from villains. They must catch Hawk Moth, who turns ordinary people into villains. These two students become superheroes. Marinette is Ladybug, Adrien is [Cat Noir]. However, Ladybug and [Cat Noir] do not know each other's identities. Marinette doesn't know that under [Cat Noir]'s mask is her secret crush, Adrien. Adrien also doesn't know that Ladybug is actually Marinette, one of his classmates."

Overview[]

Note: This section contains information from the artbook that is roughly translated from Korean to English. The translation may not be 100% accurate to the original text. If there is a name that is in italics, that means the actual translation for the name is unknown and the name that is written on this article page is based on the Korean hanja.

Ladybug[]

The artbook introduced the reader to Ladybug. It included her character description as well as information about her costume, earrings, and yo-yo from the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir TV series.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng[]

The artbook provided information about Marinette, Ladybug's civilian identity. It included her character description, her home life with her parents, her purse, her schoolbags, her feelings for Adrien Agreste, her friendship with Alya Césaire, and her relationship chart from the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir TV series.

Early Ladybug[]

Shopping Friends Paris Concept Art

According to the artbook, Miraculous Ladybug was initially planned to be animated in 2D before switching to being CGI-animated. The main characters (Ladybug and Cat Noir) used to have different personalities and abilities during early development. The initial setting of Ladybug was said to be "more like a teen drama", but after repeated meetings during the development process, the production team decided to "choose a route that reduced teen drama elements and strengthened the heroic elements of Ladybug and [Cat Noir]".

Ladybug's initial setup[]

Ladybug Early 2D Character Sheet

"Marinette, who thought that she always brought misfortune to herself, happened to pick up a set of earrings one day, and inside those earrings have hidden the power to become a hero called Ladybug. Ladybug's ability is a huge superpower. It is said to bring good luck, such as when it rains when a fire breaks out, or when someone falls from a high rise, a truck carrying a bed happens to pass by.

Marinette is an ordinary student during the day, and at night she transforms into Ladybug and protects Paris from the villain [organization] Perg, who is threatening Paris, along with [Cat Noir]. Marinette has a crush on Félix, but she doesn't know that [Cat Noir] is Félix in disguise. Marinette possesses kung fu skills and fights for justice wearing Ladybug's "bug suit." She carries a variety of weapons in the bag she wears on her waist."

Ladybug's early weapons[]

Ladybug Yo-yo old concept art

Concept art of the Twinbug.

Ladybug was originally able to use her yo-yo "in more dynamic and diverse ways", unlike the final version. The artbook featured five weapons that she could summon with her yo-yo: "Twinbug", "Bugstick", "Bugshield", "Bugsaber", and "Bugbomb". Ultimately, the crew decided to "focus more on the functionality of the magic yo-yo itself" instead of using "potentially sensational motifs, such as swords and shields".

Bugstick Concept Art

Concept art of the Bugstick.

The yo-yo can be divided into two so that it can become the "Twinbug". Ladybug can use the Twinbug "as a small bomb, blown up and used as a string, or attached to wheels or attached to the back to express dynamic movement".

If Ladybug splits the yo-yo in two and joins them together, it becomes a long rod shape called the "Bugstick".

Bug Weapons Concept Art

Concept art of Bugshield, Bugsaber, and Bugbomb.

The "Bugshield" is similar to the current yo-yo where Ladybug can spin her yo-yo rapidly to strongly deflect an enemy's attack. However, the "Bug Shield" can be used in emergency situations.

If Ladybug makes the yo-yo into the shape of a ladybug, she can use it as a sword-shaped weapon called the "Bugsaber" which can cut anything.

The yo-yo also functioned like a grenade called the "Bugbomb".

Ladybug's Initial 2D design[]

To be added

Cat Noir[]

The artbook introduced the reader to Cat Noir. It included his character description as well as information about his costume, ring, and staff from the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir TV series.

Adrien Agreste[]

The artbook provided information about Adrien, Cat Noir's civilian identity. It included his character description, his home life with his father, his schoolbags, and his friendship with Nino Lahiffe from the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir TV series.

Cat Noir's initial setup[]

Cat Noir Expression concept art

"[Cat Noir], who protects Paris with Ladybug, brings misfortune, unlike Ladybug, who brings good luck. The magical power emanating from the ring causes misfortune to the enemy, such as blocking the enemy's retreat or digging traps to tie the enemy's feet. When Ladybug's luck and [Cat Noir]'s misfortune meet, any incident can be solved.

[Cat Noir] likes Ladybug, but he doesn't know that Ladybug is Marinette, who likes Félix, his detransformed version of himself. [Cat Noir] needs Ladybug's kiss to cut off the cursed ring, but he is not particularly interested in saving Paris and is only researching how to get Ladybug to date".

Black Hole and Black Storm[]

Cat Noir Black Storm and Black Hole concept art

Concept art of "Black Storm" and "Black Hole".

Cat Noir was originally going to have two additional powers: "Black Storm" and "Black Hole".

According to the artbook, his "initial abilities are largely divided into" these two abilities which "utilize the power of the ring". Through these abilities, Cat Noir can "disrupt, destroy, and bring misfortune to his enemies".


Félix[]

Felix Agreste concept art

"Behind [Cat Noir]'s mask is Félix. Félix is Marinette's classmate and is popular with girls. Marinette has a crush on Félix, but Félix is ​​not interested in Marinette. He falls in love with Ladybug, whom he meets when transforms into [Cat Noir], but he does not know that Ladybug's true identity is Marinette.

His specialties are athletics and boxing, and he can transform into [Cat Noir] by turning the ring. Felix is ​​much more cheerful when transformed into [Cat Noir]."

Tikki & Plagg[]

The artbook introduced the reader to both Tikki and Plagg. It provided their character descriptions from the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir TV series as well as concept art of them from the Ladybug PV.

Hawk Moth[]

The artbook introduced the reader to Hawk Moth. It provided his character description from the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir TV series.

Villainous organization Perg initial setup[]

Ladybug PV character designs

Concept art of the main duo and the three members of the villainous organization from the Ladybug PV.

"Papillion, Hawkmoth's early model, is the head of the villainous organization Perg. Papillon's real name is Richard Sphinx, and he has insight into the future with the help of the fairy Null's magical powers. As the owner of enormous wealth and eloquence, he is obsessed with wealth and the desire to dominate in order to forget the pain of his missing wife. Papillon's fairy, Null, is planning to return the world to nothingness, and Tikki and Plagg are trapped in a set of earrings and a ring, respectively, because of Null.

Unlike Hawk Moth, who currently acts alone, he operates as an organization and is accompanied by a capable assistant named Poker Face. Poker Face's real name is Adoni Duseo. She has the ability to make all the emotions of people in the world disappear. Poker Face loves Papillon, but understands that this feeling cannot be fulfilled, and acts as Papillon's loyal secretary."

Mr. Pigeon[]

"An ornithologist who believes that pigeons are the smartest. He invents various weapons that can control pigeons, and the most powerful weapon invented by Mr. Pigeon is using pigeon droppings to corrode objects. He has the ability of Besil, a fairy who symbolizes foolishness."

The Mime[]

"As a mime artist, all performance art performed by a mime turns into a real event. For example, if a mime pretends to pick up a hammer, he actually gets hit by the hammer. He continues to commit evil deeds with the help of Mimic, a fairy with the ability to mime."

Friends and Villains[]

The artbook has a subchapter dedicated to nearly all the akumatized villains in the first season. It includes brief character descriptions for both their civilian and akumatized forms. The order of the akumatized villains is shown based on the episodes released in South Korea. Except for both Mr. Pigeon and The Mime who were already featured based on their concept in the Ladybug PV, the only akumatized villains from the first season not featured in the artbook are The Pharaoh, Rogercop, Darkblade, Animan, Kung Food, Pixelator, Guitar Villain, and Simon Says.

Other characters[]

Adults concept art

The artbook has a subchapter dedicated to other characters appearing in the first season. It provided brief character description for Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's bodyguard, Mr. Damocles, Miss Bustier, and Ms. Mendeleiev.

Quantic Kids[]

"Ladybug initially had other allies besides [Cat Noir]. Just as the villains in the initial setting formed a group with each fairy's abilities, it was designed to give each hero a fairy and a story so that various stories could be told. But the possibility disappeared."

Backgrounds[]

The artbook also featured concept art of the settings featured in the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir TV series. Notable locations include Marinette's bedroom, Boulangerie Patisserie, Adrien's bedroom, the Agreste mansion, Collège Françoise Dupont, Miss Bustier's classroom, Ms. Mendeleiev's classroom, the principal's office, Hôtel de Ville, Le Grand Paris, the Louvre, and the TVi studio.

"Santa Claws"[]

Santa Claws design

Concept art of Santa Claws.

The artbook provided a brief description of the then-upcoming Christmas special. It also included concept art of Santa Claus, his akumatized form, the cast's winter attire, and the backgrounds.

Thomas Astruc interview[]

To be added

Trivia[]

  • The artbook was first announced to be a tier reward for SAMG's Tumblbug crowdfunding campaign project on October 19, 2016. According to the project plan, SAMG opened the campaign to raise money to produce the artbook for Miraculous Ladybug fans in South Korea. The campaign lasted from October 19, 2016, to November 11, 2016.[1]
    • According to the campaign goal, SAMG wanted to raise ₩7,500,000 ($5,645.61 USD) so they could produce the artbook. After the funding period, the animation studio earned ₩19,916,000 ($14,991.85 USD) from 494 supporters.
    • During the funding period, supporters could earn the artbook as a tier reward if they donated ₩25,000 ($18.82 USD) or more. Three of the tiers also reward supporters with one or two Ladybug-themed diaries as a bonus.
    • It took three months for the SAMG crew to create the artbook. This meant gathering selected concept art created during the development of Miraculous Ladybug before opening the crowdfunding campaign.
    • Interestingly, the tier rewards referred to the artbook as "Ladybug artbook Volume 1". This indicates there were plans for more volumes for the artbook featuring the development of the second season and beyond.
  • While it was stated that the artbook would be released in the USA in late 2017, the physical book hasn't been released outside of South Korea yet. However, the official Miraculous Ladybug social media used to uploaded high-quality images from the book.[4]
  • There are two different cover editions of the artbook. Both covers featured promotional artwork from the first CGI promotional videos.
    • The first edition cover featured a close-up of Ladybug's face. It was released as a tier reward for the Tumblbug campaign project.
    • The second and current edition cover featured Ladybug crouching down on a rooftop at night. It was officially released in stores across South Korea.
  • The artbook was available for purchase at Seoul Comic-Con 2018.[5]
  • Despite the book being exclusively released in South Korea, sometimes the artbook would feature texts in English:
    • The names of the characters for each chapter page are written in English.
    • Because Cat Noir's name is known as "Black Cat" in the Korean dub, his name is written as "Black Cat" in the artbook.
    • One of the pages of the artbook featured screenshots from the first CGI promotional videos. The page also featured a quote in English that stated, "As [Ladybug] owns big powers, she has big responsibilities". This is a parody of a proverb famously associated with Spider-Man which is, "With great power comes great responsibility".
  • It's unknown if Félix is the son of Richard Sphinx in the Ladybug PV, just like Adrien is the son of Gabriel Agreste.
  • Instead of being called kwamis, the magical creatures are originally known as "fairies". The only known fairies mentioned in the artbook are Tikki, Plagg, Null, Besil, and Mimic. The artbook also confirms that Melodie, Kid Mime, Gavroche, and Sparrow of the Quantic Kids are all originally going to have fairies of their own.
    • Tikki and Plagg are the only known fairies who are based on animals. They are also implied to be the only known fairies along with the fairies belonging to the Quantic Kids who are genuinely good since the other fairies are implied to be antagonists who willingly work for supervillains.
    • While it's not mentioned in the book, it's implied that Poker Face also has a fairy of her own.
    • Tikki, Plagg, and Null are the only known fairies whose concept art is shown in the artbook. As a result, it's unknown what Besil, Mimic, and the Quantic Kids fairies look like.
  • Just like in the French dub of the TV series, the main antagonist's supervillain name is Papillon.
  • The artbook reveals a lot of information about the characters and premise of the Ladybug PV:
    • Both Tikki and Plagg are forcibly bound into their respective jewelry by Null. However, they are said to be the only fairies who are bound to their jewelry. This is unlike the TV series where there are a species of magical creatures called kwamis who are all bound into their respective Miraculouses.
    • Hawk Moth isn't the main villain in the PV. He is the leader of a villainous organization that is roughly translated as Perg.
    • Both Mr. Pigeon and the Mime are actual supervillains and are members of Perg. Instead of forcibly becoming evil via akumatization, they got their powers from their fairies and they chose to become evil alongside them. The name of Mr. Pigeon's fairy is roughly translated to Besil, the Fairy of Foolishness. While the Mime's fairy is named Mimic, the Fairy of Miming.
      • The idea of the Mime being an actual supervillain is slightly reused for Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie. Unlike Fred Haprèle in the TV series, the Mime in the movie is a separate character and is a criminal. However, the Mime in the movie became an akumatized villain after Hawk Moth broke him out of prison and akumatized him.
    • Gabriel Agreste was originally named Richard Sphinx. Just like the TV series, he has a deceased wife. But unlike Gabriel whose goal was to bring his wife Emilie Agreste back to life, Richard wants to forget the pain of losing his wife by "[obsessing] over wealth and a desire of [world] domination".
    • Richard Sphinx was also originally going to have a different magical companion. Instead of Nooroo who is a kwami of the Butterfly Miraculous and is forced into evil by Gabriel in the TV series, Richard has Null who is said to be the "Fairy of Nothingness" and was going to be the overarching antagonist. Despite Richard's goal for world domination, Null's goal is to "return the world back to nothingness". Null is also said to have the ability to gain insights into the future. However, unlike Nooroo, Null isn't connected to any jewelry since the concept of Miraculouses didn't exist during the development of the Ladybug PV until after the Quantic Kids concept idea was discarded. Instead, Null is the one who trapped Tikki and Plagg to their respective jewelry.
      • The idea of a magical creature wanting to destroy the universe is reused for Gimmi and the Ultimate Miraculous Absolute Power. However, unlike Null who wants to only destroy the universe, Gimmi can destroy the universe and recreate it to grant their holder's wish.
    • Instead of Nathalie Sancoeur, the name of Richard Sphinx's assistant is roughly translated to Adoni Duseo. She is also a supervillain named Poker Face. Just like Nathalie has a crush on her boss Gabriel Agreste in the TV series, Adoni has a crush on Richard.
  • Interestingly, the first season's akumatized villains featured in the artbook only included Manon Chamack and the students from Collège Françoise Dupont. Except for both Mr. Pigeon and The Mime, none of the adults who got akumatized is featured.
  • For some reason, Nathalie isn't featured in the artbook nor does she has a character description despite playing a major supporting role in the first season.

Gallery

Click here to view the image gallery for The Art of Miraculous.

Click here to view the gallery.

References[]


veBooks & Comics
Chapter book adaptations
Miraculous (American book series)Miraculous (French book series)Miraculous Fiction
Action Lab Comics
Miraculous Adventures
Issue 1Issue 2Issue 3Issue 4Issue 5Issue 6 (cancelled) • Issue 7 (cancelled) • Issue 8 (cancelled)
Miscellaneous
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (Action Lab comic series)
Cancelled series
Miraculous: Tales of Cat NoirMiraculous: Tales of LadybugTales of Miraculous
Mad Cave Studios
Papercutz imprint
Miraculous Chibi
Maverick imprint
TBA
Miraculous manga
Series 1
Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9
Series 2
Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14
Series 3
Chapter 15
Other books and comics
KwamisMiraculous: Les Aventures de Ladybug et Chat NoirMiraculous Ladybug (Panini comic)The Art of Miraculous
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