Category Archives: Characters

Does ChibiUsa Come From an Alternate Timeline in Sailor Moon?

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Filed under Articles, ChibiUsa, In-Universe Lore
There can only be one!

There can only be one!

ChibiUsa has always interested me not only for her character — which is certainly enough to win you over in its own right! — but also for what she represents in the series. Her very existence proves that Usagi and Mamoru’s magical romance works out, the Sailor Soldiers will ultimately win, and if your parents leave you crying in the rain, you’re justified in turning evil.

Except for one small, tiny, little catch:

Her existence may not actually prove any of those things.

How’s that? Well, dear reader, I’m glad you asked! Today we’re going to be exploring the possibility that the ChibiUsa we know and love may not be one, but several different ChibiUsas coming from several different timelines.

I hope you have a pen and paper handy, because things are gonna get a complicated!

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How Many Sailor Plutos Are There in Sailor Moon?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Setsuna Meioh
Won't the real Sailor Pluto please stand up?

Won’t the real Sailor Pluto please stand up?

While some may refer to Sailor Pluto as the Guardian of Time, I find myself typically referring to her by a very different name: the Soldier of Convenience.

It’s not that I don’t like her character — quite the opposite, in fact! — but more that it seems like so little thought was given to her background and motivations that she winds up just filling whatever plot hole the series is dealing with at the time.

As if that wasn’t confusing enough, we also need to contend with the fact that there are actually multiple Sailor Plutos within the Sailor Moon timeline!

… I mean, you knew that there were multiple Sailor Plutos, right?

Well, dear reader, it looks like we have an interesting conversation ahead of us. I hope you’ve had your coffee, because you’ll want to be awake for this!1

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What Power Is Sailor Mars Invoking with Burning Mandala?

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Filed under Real World, Rei Hino
The mandala, it burns!!

The mandala, it burns!!

It certainly does seem like we keep coming back to Sailor Mars, time and again, in our effort to answer yet more Sailor Moon mysteries.

And it’s not like we don’t have a good reason for it, either.

While I’m certain that most fans the world over are perfectly capable of figuring out what a “Supreme Thunder” is, or parsing out the meaning behind a “Love and Beauty Shock,” Sailor Mars is something of a different story for the western world. Steeped in Shinto tradition, and yet having nearly no Shinto-inspired powers, the attacks wielded by the Sailor Soldier of fire have a surprisingly deep and convoluted background.

Join me as we dissect the Burning Mandala, and figure out once and for all what those symbols she’s summoning up actually mean. You may want to grab a snack, because this is gonna be quite a ride!

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Are the Outer Sailor Senshi More Powerful than the Inners?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Inner Senshi, Outer Senshi
Now girls, no need to fight...

Now girls, no need to fight…

As odd as it may sound, some of my favorite questions to answer on this blog are the ones that seem so obvious that they aren’t even worth asking. Take, for example, the fact that the Outer Senshi are much more powerful than their Inner counterparts. Done deal, right?

Well, kinda.

Taken in context of Sailor Moon, it’s a fair argument to make. Though, when you try to scratch below the surface, it quickly becomes apparent that there are never any specific references to back this up.

What do we mean by “more powerful”? Is this true throughout the entire series, or just when the Outers first appear? And how do the Sailor Soldiers stack up against each other, anyway?

Today we’re going to take a closer look at this issue and see if we can finally answer these questions once and for all!

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What Does Rei’s Akuryo Taisan Chant Mean?

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Filed under Articles, Real World, Rei Hino
The Magnificent Mars Mantra!

The Magnificent Mars Mantra!

While Sailor Moon definitely had its fair share of character stereotypes, I think that was actually one of the points where the series truly shined. Rather than just sticking with common tropes, it built upon them to make each of the characters into people that stood out on their own merits and that the readers/viewers could really relate to.

One such character, for me at least, is Rei — and especially the Rei that we see depicted in the anime. Though a haughty, strong-headed, and competitive 14 year old girl in her day-to-day life, she somehow manages to make this work with her spiritual side without ever feeling like either depiction of the character is shoehorned in.

Today, I’d like to take a moment to explore a little more of Rei’s spiritual side, and specifically about what some of her chants actually mean. If you happen to be an evil demon, you may want to skip this article. For the rest of you, read on!

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Is Sailor Stars Really a Story About Flowers?

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Filed under Articles, Language, Real World, Shadow Galactica
Eternal Sailor Moon also likes flowers

Eternal Sailor Moon also likes flowers

Right from the moment that you first read the series’ title, it should be apparent to even the most casual observer that Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon likely has something to do with space.

As you read/watch more of the series, it continues to drive this home as new space-themed characters are added and the story leaves the boundaries of Earth to travel to the Moon, asteroids, and beyond.

With all that in mind, you’d think that the climax of the series — named Sailor Stars no less! — would practically be a love letter to all things space-related. And you’d be right.

… kind of.

Today we’re going to talk about the less-discussed flower-themed imagery hidden within Sailor Moon Sailor Stars. You may want to put on some gardening gloves, because we’re about to get dirty!

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Are Phobos and Deimos Sailor Soldiers in Training?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Rei Hino, Supporting Cast
Sailor Mars with Phobos and Deimos in the background

Sailor Mars with Phobos and Deimos in the background

From the moment that Phobos and Deimos first appeared in the series, I think that many fans got the sense that there was probably something deeper lurking within Rei’s bird companions. They had Mars-themed names, after all, and time and again we would find ourselves introduced to talking cats throughout Sailor Moon‘s run. So why not talking birds?

And yet, it took four long years before we ever learned any more about them… in the manga, at least.

Who are Phobos and Deimos really? What is their role in the series? And is it true that they’re also Sailor Soldiers in training?

Stick around, because today we’ll be taking a look at these questions and more as we discuss Sailor Mars’ feathered companions!

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