[Review/Recap] Miraculous Ladybug Season 2 Episode 13: "Zombizou" (SPOILERS) · 5:21am May 5th, 2018
(Note: This will be the final daily installment of this feature, because as of this blog, I'm caught up with episodes that have aired. Allegedly, episode 14 will air in Spain sometime later today; if that turns out to be the case, I'll review it tomorrow after I find a fansub of it. Otherwise, I'll review it when it airs in the UK next weekend. Also, episodes 15 and 16 are slated to air in Spain next weekend, so again, once I've had a chance to watch it, I'll review it.)
The kids in Ms. Bustier's class are finally fed up with Chloe's selfishness and hatefulness to the breaking point; Ms. Bustier's sunny nature is corrupted by Hawk Moth, unleashing a plague of kissing zombies.
It's Ms. Bustier's birthday. The most beloved teacher in school, her homeroom class goes all out to give her gifts, most of them handmade, that tell her how special she is to each of them. Ms. Bustier is far from your average homeroom teacher. She does all sorts of above-and-beyond things for her class, like conflict resolution, a meditation group, and promoting harmony in her class by having her students say nice things to each other before class each day.
Everyone has brought a present for Ms. Bustier...except Chloe. Chloe is frustrated and embarrassed by this, so she decides to deface the handmade makeup bag Marinette made for her. As the class reacts, erupting into angry protests over Chloe's selfish, bratty behavior, Ms. Bustier calls for order, then asks Marinette to join her outside, leaving Alya in charge.
Hawk Moth senses Marinette's anger and frustration and prepares an Akuma, sending it out.
Outside the classroom, Ms. Bustier talks to Marinette--not to punish her, since she did nothing wrong, but to tell her that Chloe's antics simply aren't worth losing her temper over. Her calm, soothing words ease Marinette's temper, and the Akuma withdraws, having nothing to lock onto. Hawk Moth, furious, orders it to get closer, and it flaps around while Ms. Bustier is talking about how people like Chloe just need to be given a chance to change and become better and less selfish, and it's up to people like Marinette to show them the way. Just as this little crisis is resolved, Ms. Bustier notices the Akuma and, panicking, tries to drive it away before it can corrupt yet another of her students. Hawk Moth decides he can work with this--he can corrupt Ms. Bustier's protective emotions into something twisted. The Akuma possesses the lipstick Marinette included with Ms. Bustier's gift. Ms. Bustier resists Akumatization as long as she can, struggling to drive Hawk Moth out of her mind, but eventually he overpowers her, transforming her into Zombizou.
Zombizou spreads a zombie kissing plague throughout Paris. Everyone infected by her kiss becomes a kiss-crazed zombie, and everyone THEY kiss becomes a kiss-crazed zombie. Ladybug and Chat Noir shepherd the surviving students of Ms. Bustier's homeroom across Paris, with the ultimate goal of protecting Chloe from Zombizou. One by one, they're all picked off, even Chat Noir, until all that's left are Ladybug and Chloe, who face down Zombizou at the very top of Eiffel Tower. Throughout the episode, the survivors repeatedly suggest throwing Chloe to the wolves, and the entire episode is a great big spoof of zombie movies and TV shows like The Walking Dead. As the battle reaches its climax, Chloe realizes that everything that's happening is her fault, shows actual remorse for the situation, and heroically throws herself in front of Chat Noir to protect Ladybug.
Once Zombizou is defeated, Ms. Bustier is mortified over having been Akumatized, distraught at the notion that she hurt people...but Chloe apologizes, taking the blame for everything that happened.
Chloe. Apologized. Chloe.
Later, Alya tries to force Chloe to apologize to the entire class, but Chloe has returned to normal now that the danger is over and acts like her usual bratty self...but she leaves a present on Ms. Bustier's desk when nobody's watching.
This. This right here. This is where Chloe begins her path to redemption that justifies her receiving the Bee Miraculous later.
Zombizou is an amusing villain with an interesting design. One of the best moments of this episode is Adrien's fake-zombie act to split from the group so he can transform. Also, there's a funny moment at the end where Ivan and Mylene, who have been making out the entire time they've been zombified, are purified by the Miraculous Ladybug cure, stop for all of three seconds as they come back to their senses, then go right back to making out.
Also, the thing EVERYONE points out about this episode is that Hawk Moth's post-defeat rant seems to solidify the prevailing theory about his motives.
Interesting that this episode came close to debunking the popular fan theory that Miraculous holders can't be Akumatized. This does raise an important question, though: would it have worked? Would the Ladybug Miraculous have protected Marinette from the Akuma? Would an identity reveal have been forced right there in the hall, if Tikki had had to act quickly to purge the Akuma before it corrupted Ladybug? Maybe we'll find out more about this in the future...and more to the point, this sets up the possibility of Adrien being Akumatized, which would be...interesting given recent developments in his relationship with his father.
The thing that bugs me most about this episode is how they play the zombie apocalypse trope ramrod straight to the bitter end...except nobody's actually turned into an undead rotting corpse, they're just shambling around mindlessly trying to kiss everyone who hasn't been kissed yet. It kind of makes the heroes' and survivors' reactions to the "zombie plague" more than a little absurd.
Aside from those things, this was a pretty average episode. 8/10, I guess. Smoochies, my poochies!
Rose Canonically kissed Juleka on the lips...
also, the amount of Pressure Marinette is put under, with everyone constantly saying "you are the only one who can fix this"
and its nice to see Paris doing something now that Akumas are a part of life.
they are drawn to negative emotions after all...
Love how this one actually lampshades Chloe being directly or indirectly responsible for causing about half the akuma villains. Speaking of which, it will be very interesting if Marinette or Adrien CAN be akumatized. Heck, given how often they've relied on Ladybug's Lucky Charm power to defeat the villain, Marinette getting akumatized would be disastrous...
Anyone else notice the part where Sabrina says Chloe forgets Birthdays just like her mom, meaning Chloe’s mother probably forgets her birthday? It makes me wonder if Chloe’s mom is going to be shown to be responsible for Chloe’s mean behavior, like Diamond Tiara.
Really need to watch this show. It is on Netflix, I have no excuse to not at least watch what is there.
So, I'm just going to put this whole next thing in one big spoiler because it just looks really stupid being half spoiler.
Crazy thoughts from someone who hasn't watched the show yet but has read every review MythrilMoth has done as well a lot of other reviews and other information about the show:
Anyways, since we know that Chloe gets the Bee Miraculous at a later point in time, and we've seen that Master Fu is willing to, at least temporally, hand out more Miraculous when the need is great I'm guessing that the tipping action that sets into motion Chloe getting Bee would likely be either Adrien or Marinette getting Akumatized. More likely the former than the latter but even if it is the latter then Tikki knows who Chat Noir is and can lead him to Master Fu.
And Adrien being the one to go to Master Fu also gives a reason for not just having Alya pick up Fox again, unless Alya gets taken out early or is otherwise unavailable.
From everything I've heard I just don't see Marinette giving someone like Chloe a Miraculous, but I think Adrien might.
Just, radon theory. Based on what has happened over the past few episodes because foreshadowing son.
I think I'll go start watching what is on Netflix now.
I just couldn't help but laugh when it was said that Chloe was responsible for Akumatizing half the people in Paris.