"Guiltrip" suffers from a lot of the same issues that other episodes of season 4 do. Ignoring the animation (because let's be real here; everyone already knows it hasn't gotten better since season 3), "Guiltrip" has several issues.
I understand that Miraculous isn't the kind of show that takes itself too seriously, and that because each episode only lasts for 22 minutes, it doesn't have the time to showcase realistic, deep interactions over longer periods of time. Every episode depends on the same formula: there must be a conflict, there must be an akuma, there must be a battle, and there must be a resolution. In "Guiltrip", there is the additional unnecessary (but cute) Adrienette interactions, as well as two or three uninteresting Shadow Moth monologues. Therefore, the characters' emotions and thoughts aren't shown on a deeper level, nor are they prioritized over the aforementioned formula.
Everything is thus very fast-paced, rushed, and irritatingly disjointed, to the point where "Guiltrip" just feels like you're going from point A to point B without much to hold onto on the way.
HOWEVER: The focus on the adorable Rose and Pigella greatly redeems parts of the episode. In my opinion, the focus on Rose in "Guiltrip" exceeds multiple of the character studies from previous episodes, in that Rose's story feels more in-depth and mature than, say, the focus on Nino in "Anansi" or Luka in "Truth", which in comparison feel rushed and weak.
Sadly, though, "Guiltrip" overall lacks the flair and intrigue of episodes from season 1, 2 and 3, which usually had episodes ranking 7-8/10. It's not a bad episode, but perhaps one of the most lacking this series has produced thus far.
I understand that Miraculous isn't the kind of show that takes itself too seriously, and that because each episode only lasts for 22 minutes, it doesn't have the time to showcase realistic, deep interactions over longer periods of time. Every episode depends on the same formula: there must be a conflict, there must be an akuma, there must be a battle, and there must be a resolution. In "Guiltrip", there is the additional unnecessary (but cute) Adrienette interactions, as well as two or three uninteresting Shadow Moth monologues. Therefore, the characters' emotions and thoughts aren't shown on a deeper level, nor are they prioritized over the aforementioned formula.
Everything is thus very fast-paced, rushed, and irritatingly disjointed, to the point where "Guiltrip" just feels like you're going from point A to point B without much to hold onto on the way.
HOWEVER: The focus on the adorable Rose and Pigella greatly redeems parts of the episode. In my opinion, the focus on Rose in "Guiltrip" exceeds multiple of the character studies from previous episodes, in that Rose's story feels more in-depth and mature than, say, the focus on Nino in "Anansi" or Luka in "Truth", which in comparison feel rushed and weak.
Sadly, though, "Guiltrip" overall lacks the flair and intrigue of episodes from season 1, 2 and 3, which usually had episodes ranking 7-8/10. It's not a bad episode, but perhaps one of the most lacking this series has produced thus far.
