This semester led to Sailor Moon, for no particular reason at all. Well, considering the fact that I only ever watched three animes probably didn't help the odds, and the new SM anime that was supposed to come out this summer probably subconsciously influenced my decision.
But for a manga/anime franchise that is around 20 years old, there is still so much fun, beauty, and relevance in its story arcs, themes and characters. I realize there are imperfections (what show doesn't): it's extremely corny, follows the exact same narrative structure for each episode, and I've always been uncomfortable with how the show gives Usagi all the power. And the English Dub-- I cannot watch a single Sailor Moon episode in English because all the emotions are so contrived- everything's been forced into a soap opera (that's why I refer to the characters by their Japanese names because that's all they'll be in my head).
But there is so much to love about the series... I love the way they encourage young viewers to be themselves, the way the entire series revolves around the power of friendship, and how important it is to love.
There's so much diversity in the characters, and not just in sexual orientation or body shape, but in their personalities and dreams. All of the senshi are completely round characters, and they each house these intense conflicting qualities, like in real life, but the dichotomy is accepted and appreciated in the series-- they are more than the senshi they transform into, and they are more the students that they transform out of.
Take Makoto, for instance. Sailor Jupiter. She's introduced in the series as this physically menacing figure who transferred schools after beating people up. Makoto transfers to Usagi's school, where they become friends, and she is revealed to be Sailor Jupiter and the audience gets to learn much more about her-- in reality, she is an immensely soft, romantic and feminine character, who loves to cook, and dreams about a "senpai" to marry and be housewife to. Such a difference from her outward appearance, and such a powerful figure, both physically and internally.
Passing over outward appearances, we often see the inner senshi (Makoto, Minako, Ami, Rei, Usagi) idly gossiping, going shopping, hanging out at the Crown, just generally doing normal teenage girl things; they like to be in their depowered forms. It should be noted that they always stay in their civilian forms until the last possible moment (usually the behest of the cats, or when they're in "grave" danger), and how they keep the identities so separate from each other, only addressing each other by "Sailor ____" instead of their actual names. It should be noted that when Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask "re-awaken" in episodes 45-whatever, they refer to each other as "Usagi" and "Mamoru", not "Endymion" or "Serenity" from their past lives or even worse, "Tuxedo Mask" or "Sailor Moon"-- their love is for each other, as people, and not for their past identity or their facade. There is this dichotomy of having two people living inside one body, like a superhero, but there's always the question of whether the identity is the disguise or if the disguise is identity. I know multiple people have heard me made the argument that Bruce Wayne is Batman's disguise, but we see here that the Sailor titles are truly these girls' disguises, and that they value their persons more than their powers.
But we still see the senshi completely embracing their other civilian and senshi identities, often discussing their enemies while in civilian form, or even being their goofy selves as senshi, especially with Usagi. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I've always had the uncomfortable feeling of having multiple identities/masks (the one you show to the public, the one to the private, etc.) and being sometimes unsure of which one is the real one. The seepage between their various masks comforting because it infers that your personality, your "you" is a mix of all these identities together-- you are not just one mask. You are many. And that's okay.
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| They're still complete goofballs |
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| Regardless of form. |
The series is focuses so intensely on the idea of friendship, and the ties that bind. There are so many instances through the entire series that really highlights how this love saves these characters from themselves and help each other. The most notable example would be Usagi, obviously, for the four inner senshi, in that she adds to their lives and helps them find happiness (especially seen in all those cut scenes in the first Sailor Moon movie when the inner senshi are thinking of how much Usagi really means to them as a friend). When I was younger, I always thought the show was unfair in that the show's limelight was always given to Sailor Moon, and that she was the one who was got to use the cool weapons and had the best powers, but she requires the entire cast (both the powers of the inner and outer senshi) to create the Grail to become Super Sailor Moon.
Emotionally, Sailor Moon is utterly useless without her supporting cast. In every single occurrence where she was required to defeat the enemy, she was only able to do it if her friends were with her, emotionally or physically, or if it's to save one of her friends (reference the last episode of the first season, or when she goes into the crazy fucking maelstrom where Sailor Saturn goes to sacrifice herself). I personally always enjoy the episode where all the characters are interacting together and we are able to see the interplay of relationship and differences in personality-- that's another reason why I always like Super S, because it literally is a giant family having fun. The power of their friendships are what give each other physical power.
Anyways, I'm off to give in to my urges and watch the S Movie (Hearts in Ice). I might pick up on the subject again later.
Do you have a favourite childhood program that really speaks to you?
A.
P.S. My favourite senshi is Haruka Tenou (Sailor Uranus).
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