Miraculous Ladybug: Episode Articles/Plots

The Bubbler

Plot

Marinette and Tikki are asleep in Marinette's room when Marinette's phone alarm begins ringing. Cheerfully, Marinette remembers that it's Adrien's birthday, practicing saying "Happy Birthday" and even accidentally saying it to her mom as she leaves the house.

At the Agreste mansion, Plagg gives Adrien cheese as a birthday present, but, as it's a "filthy piece of Camembert", Adrien doesn't like it. Happily, Plagg eats it instead. While eating breakfast, Nathalie gives Adrien his schedule for the day. When Adrien asks if his father agreed to letting him have a birthday party, Nathalie responds that Adrien's father decided against it and wishes a saddened Adrien a happy birthday before leaving.

At school, at the beginning of lunch break, Nino and Adrien chat on the steps of the school, Nino blowing bubbles. Nino is surprised that Adrien's father won't throw him a birthday party, resolving to speak to Mr. Agreste during the lunch break. Meanwhile, Marinette and Alya hide behind a banister. Alya is encouraging Marinette to hand Adrien a gift that Marinette made, and Marinette is trying to gain the courage for the task. Marinette stands up, looks at Adrien, and immediately returns to hiding, terrified. Alya pushes Marinette out from behind the banister, and she stumbles in front of the boys. The boys immediately cease speaking, staring at her.

Chloé, while speaking to Sabrina, realizes she forgot it is Adrien's birthday. Extremely nervous, Marinette stutters and babbles, trying to say she has a gift for Adrien, but before she can spit it out, Chloé shoves her aside. Chloé walks up to Adrien, lies about getting him a present that failed to be there on time, and leaves, telling Sabrina to find him a present right away. Adrien leaves soon after that for a photo shoot, much to Marinette's and Alya's disappointment. Nino walks away to the Agreste mansion to talk to Gabriel.

In front of the gates of the Agreste mansion, Alya and Marinette stand there. Marinette tries to pry open the mailbox, but is unable to. Alya suggests ringing the doorbell, and, while Marinette is protesting, does just that. A camera immediately pops out of the wall focusing on Marinette. Stuttering, Marinette explains that she has a gift for Adrien. The mailbox opens and then swiftly closes after the present is placed inside, dismissing Marinette. Marinette does a little dance, hoping Adrien enjoys the gift. Alya asks if Marinette signed it, and Marinette freezes, realizing she did not.

Nathalie, who is sitting in a white room with a white desk, sighs, putting the present on the corner of her desk. When Gabriel Agreste calls her to ask who was at the gate, Nathalie explains it was one of Adrien's friends with a gift. This leads to Gabriel questioning why Nathalie has not yet given Adrien a gift for him. After Gabriel hangs up, Nathalie frets over not getting Adrien a gift before spotting Marinette's gift. She sees it and is relieved, deciding to claim it as a gift from Gabriel. Another person rings the doorbell; it's Nino.

Nino and Nathalie wait inside the Agreste mansion's foyer. Gabriel stands at the top of one set of stairs, assuming that Nino is there for Adrien. Nino says otherwise, stating that he is there to speak with Mr. Agreste. He attempts to persuade Gabriel into giving Adrien a birthday party, but his speech is littered with colloquialisms such as "dude", giving Gabriel a poor impression of him. Gabriel tells Nino to drop the subject, but Nino does not. Adrien walks in, hearing the tail end of Nino's speech. Gabriel reiterates that a birthday party will not be happening and banishes Nino from the residence. Nino angrily leaves, and Adrien tries to apologize for his father's strictness, but Nino doesn't believe it to be fair.

Nino sits on a bench in the park next to Marinette's house, blowing bubbles to calm down. He spots a crying boy being dragged away from the park by his father; the boy had chores to do and could no longer play. Nino grumbles over it, frustrated with parents. Hawk Moth, from his lair, senses Nino's frustration and sends an akuma to him. The akuma embeds itself in Nino's bubble wand, and, after Nino agrees to getting powers to get revenge on the adults and in turn taking Ladybug's and Cat Noir's Miraculouses for Hawk Moth, he turns into the villain the Bubbler.