The act starts with Luna stating that they will leave for the Moon during the next Full Moon. This is another example where Naoko writes something that doesn't literally make sense, but does make some emotional/symbolic sense. It'll become apparent later the Senshi don't NEED the Moon to be full to make this travel, but it feels symbolically resonant that they go when the Moon is full.
The next day at the arcade, Ami gives Usagi a science lesson about the Moon
Ami is surprised and wonders if it will really be easy as that. It once again focuses on creating a feeling, specifically a contrast of the spiritual, symbolic, sometimes irrational meaning and signifigance the moon has both in real life and in the story with the scientific rationalist viewpoint of the Moon and traveling to it represnted by Ami. Ami and Makoto are happy Usagi seems to be returning to normal.
Or at least she is on the outside. On the next page we go back to Usagi's internal ruminations and it's clear she's putting on a brave face. Usagi comments on watching the Moon getting fuller and fuller and that it parallels her being consumed by her feelings, she hopes the time comes soon to learn of her past and more of all to rescue Mamoru. This is what I meant earlier at the beginning, Naoko is interested in creating a moon and using the moon's phases to reflect Usagi's internal emotional state.
What follows is a pretty cute, funny sequence. Kenji, Usagi's father, returns revealing Usagi gave her father the Silver Crystal to be put on a necklace for her to wear, which in itself, is pretty funny given how important the Silver Crystal is. I guess Usagi just thinks that without its usual power, the Dark Kingdom won't be after it. Kenji notices how much Usagi seems to value it, and asks jokingly if it's a present from some guy she likes. When Usagi answers "yes, something like that." to her father Kenji gets all angry and indiginant as overprotective papas are prone to doing in this series. Usagi however looks outside at the moon all serenly, and indeed looking more mature. Meanwhile Luna is adorably snuggling up in Ikuko's lap when Kenji comes in saying sometimes Usagi looks like a completely different person, that she's quickly growing up and will soon leave but Ikuko protests that no matter how old she gets Usagi will always be their little girl.
It's a great sequence. Obviously it has humorous and cute elements on the surface but once again Naoko ties it so well into the theme of the arc. Both Kenji and Ikuko present a parental feeling, and neither are wrong because both reflect a fundamental truth; we are in some way constantly growing and changing, sometimes far too fast, and yet we are also in some way the same person we've always been. It ties so well into other points of the narrative established so far I don't know what to even address. Mamoru says the reason he love her is that she always seems to show a new face, sometimes becoming so strong and brave, wondering what her "true self is." Usagi cries over Mamoru's body she hasn't shown him yet her true self. Usagi fearing she's losing herself becoming the tragic Princess Serenity. Usagi trying to assert to her father that she's Sailor Moon and him just not believing her. Usagi wanting to become a cool heroine like Sailor V. All of this links together with the scene... Usagi is a normal everyday girl, and to her parents that's all she is, but internally she dealing with a seemingly unstoppable feeling that she's losing her identity, that she's falling into fated tragedy eternally, even as she strives and on occassions shows who she wants to be her true self, a perfect hero. It can be looked at from so many angles, it makes my head spin. Obviously it's a clear coming of age theme, that much is made explicit here, that it's a metaphor for the confusing experience of progressing from childhood to maturity. It can be looked at through gendered lense, that Sailor Moon doesn't want to be the tragic helpless princess as people allow and expect from girls but wants more then anything to be the strong hero of justice that can rescue her man. It's also just broadly looking at the theme of identity, an analysis that the identity others see from us is barely looking into the surface of our soul as we struggle with both our fears and our dreams. It also relates to me the general mystic or the general romantic's journey, seeming normal to the outside but really struggling with seemingly unstoppable forces penetrating into the depths of the psyche but pervading the cosmos.
The Guardian Senshi begin making preparations as the Moon is almost full, and finally the time comes, with the Senshi gathering at the park. Usagi thinks wistfully to herself about seeing Mamoru here, feeling guilty about how they had bickered early on and how much she misses him but resolving herself to rescueing him. Ami comments that the Moon is age 15, meaning that it's full. Rei comments symbolically that a full moon is best for starting a new journey, which speaks to my point earlier as the reason they wait is less for literal reasons and more for a symbolic reason. Minako implies that the white light of the Moon gives them power which...actually is consistent with something from Sailor V where Minako had to charge her magical items in moonlight.
The Sailor Senshi transform and teleport into Outer Space and giving Naoko the chance to draw the Earth from space
it's one of those classically beautiful type images, and one that is to my personal tastes. There's a silent beauty to the image, something evocative to make you wonder one's purpose in the universe.
The Senshi reach the Moon and Luna, who somehow also came, expresses that they are to head for "Mare Serenitatis." The Sea of Serenity. This is a real part of the Moon irl and the imagery of the name suits the Sailor Moon universe's lunar symbolism well. Minako comments how strange it feels that it's pitch black and dead silent...which does sort of beg the question how they can see and hear each other, but given they're superheroes it's just sort of a trope.
rabbit of the moon.
There's a bit more atmospheric building as Usagi marvels at the feeling of the moon and they come upon the ruins of the Moon Castle, nothing but desolate ancient stone. She brings them to the ruins of the prayer room which only the Queen could enter, and the heart of the Castle, the Crystal Tower.
In Greek Mythology Selene was the Titaness representing the Moon, the Titans being a race of elder deities predating the current rulers of the cosmos during the Golden Age of Earth....most famoued tale of Selene is she fell in love with the beautiful mortal Endymion, coming down from the Moon to visit the Earthly lover, accounts differ but as a common motif Endymion ends up in eternal slumber visited by the Moon herself... Naoko represents Selene both in the old god queen of the Moon, Queen Serenity, and her daugher Princess Serenity, representative of the Moon who sneaks down to Earth to see her mortal lover the beautiful mortal Endymion, with Endymion eventually ending up in "sleep" seeing Serenity again only in dreams. Naoko doesn't include mythological influences that often in comparison to her other inspirations, but the way she does is sometimes absolutely beautiful and evocative. It's both respectful and reverent to the traditional while also feeling modern and new. The account of the myth Selene applies to Sailor Moon in several ways, not as a direct recreation, nor as a vague allusion or usurping of the tale to express contemporary morals over it.
Sailor Moon and Queen Serenity meet again for the first time. It's rather sweet seeing the two of them address each other as "mother in my past life" and "Serenity...I can see you again." Ami is shocked Serenity is capable of responding to their words, assuming it was some form of holographic projection. Queen Serenity clarifies that through the advanced computer system of the old Moon Kingdom, she was able to leave her will within, being a ghost in the machine. It's science-fantasy to the utmost degree and yet another example of Sailor Moon's versatility as a series that I love that Naoko takes elements and inspirations from wherever she damn pleases creating feelings both familiar and new. Queen Serenity continues saying she put Luna and Artemis into a deep sleep so they may lead the Senshi to her, and have watched over them to this day.
She begins to speak wistfully of the old Moon Kingdom. There once was a great beautiful Moon Castle under an artificial dome. Yet it's beauty was artificial and the Princess Serenity longed for the real plants and wind of the Earth, sneaking down onto the Earth despite the protestations of her guards, the Guardian Senshi. Thereupon that world of realness and danger, she found the Prince Endymion and fell in love. Queen Serenity describes that they were lifeforms of long lives sent to watch over the Earth, to guide its evolution in a positive description, but that a time came when "their father" the Sun burned with a strange radiation, plunging into frantic erratic activity, turning dark.
This description of the Moon Kingdom given here sticks in my brain and it's hard to express why. I have expressed before that I have an omnipresent awareness of the fact that all things apparent in the world are shaped by and appear before me by the actions of countless hidden forces I can never know of. There is a mystery and a magic in mundane reality. These forces are innocuous and non-sapient? Almost certainly, but it doesn't erase the feeling of wonder at daily phenomena. This tale spun by Queen Serenity plays on the impulse, talking of an ancient long-lived race guiding the evolution of Earth from the distant Moon, symbol of strangeness which already is said to cause both mundane and magical was things upon the Earth. It's almost cosmic horror, with the sole distinction between that the other kind are benevolent. Various religions speak of spiritual "powers", metaphysical intellects guiding people, and this gives the same tingling in my brain. I also just think as is Naoko's norm, it's a very evocative image, the idea of a fey-like people residing in the moon, in the stillness and living artifical lives apart from the ways of the world to guide humanity, only for their princess to fall in love symbolically with reality itself. Just as humans are mesmerized by the fae lands, should not a fae be mesmerized by reality? Reference to the Sun as "Father Sun" is interesting....symbolically the sun and moon are often associated with the parents, but it does aid to the impression that this is an alien people with a strange occult worldview.
Borne from that Dark Sun was a being Queen Serenity describes as evil itself, the enemy of all living things, and all creation who saught to take the beautiful planet Earth and the Silver Crystal to rule over the entire cosmos. She manipulated people from the darkness residing in their hearts, to attack the Moon, with only Prince Endymion resisting her manipulation. He tried to protect the Princess Serenity but was struck down and, in despair, the princess took her own lfe.
Yes, Sailor Moon has the main character commit suicide by stabbing herself with a sword.
Queen Serenity managed to seal away Metaria, but not before Metaria turned the Moon to dead stone, and the Earth was devastated, having to start its entire evolutionary history over again. Now why would the Earth be damaged if the fight happened on the Moon? Surely that won't come back much later...
Queen Serenity explains that after losing Princess Serenity her heart was weak and the seal she made on Metaria was imperfect allowing the monster to escape after all this time. Thus the only one who can stop it is Sailor Moon. After the situation with the Silver Crystal is explained, Queen Serenity expresses that Sailor Moon's will must have gone into Prince Endymion as she willed him to not die, however all is not lost for the Silver Crystal is linked to Sailor Moon's heart, relying entirely on that. Endymion will not have died so long as Usagi's will has died, and that the Silver Crystal is powered by Usagi's convinction and love.
I think this was a really clever idea of Naoko's, to tie the Silver Crystal's power to Sailor Moon's internal psychological state. Firstly, it allows Usagi's character development to be linearly translated to her power development under the basis that as she develops in love and confidence, she can draw more power from the Silver Crystal. It allows for easy drama as you know Usagi's power level can fluctuate depending on her emotional level, and it ties into the theme, as the theme of love calling even a normal person to rise into heroism is represented by the Silver Crystal literally giving her more power in response to her emotionally rising to a challenge. In some other versions of Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity and especially the Silver Crystal are something alien to Usagi, but in the manga it's more complicated and, in my opinion, more interesting, because they're all parts to the same being, and it can use the relation between them to show Usagi's emotional developments.
Queen Serenity's time begins running out as her power depletes. She asks the Guardian Senshi to watch over their princess and tells Usagi to remember above all she was reborn as a normal girl. This part touches me...symbolically Usagi's greatest strength is the power of femininity; compassion, empathy, the power and courage those grant are one and the same with the magical powers she gets from the Silver Crystal. It's a sweet expression that Queen Serenity's wish that her daughter can live the life of a normal girl that she wanted upon the Earth, made even more meaningful when you remember this is the same act that has Usagi's other mother Ikuko say no matter how old she gets or how distant she seems, Usagi is always their little girl. Symbolically it reiterates that the audience that even if they feel like just a normal girl, that very fact is what gives them the ability to be the heroine. This is the symbolic heart of Sailor Moon the series; love can ennoble and even someone unreliable and abounding in flaws, for the ones they love, can become a champion of love and justice.
Queen Serenity disappears before Sailor Moon is ready and she cries that the Silver Crystal is supposed to work based on her heart, so why if she's in such distress is it so helpless now?
The Sailor Senshi casually travel back to Earth which supports my prior point that they weren't waiting for the Full Moon because they needed it to travel to the Moon, but because Naoko just tries to make things symbolic even it means things doesn't always make literal sense. Back upon the Earth, Usagi says the Earth is unlike the Moon, it's abounding in life citing the omnipresent sounds, the shining seas, the winds carrying the scene of the flora and that they of the Moon were just observing the Earth but they were dreaming and wishing for a planet like that. It's a subtle allusion to why Princess Serenity was so enraptured by the Earth, a world full of life and activity. It's an interesting point to me she doesn't say that this is what "she" was doing, she makes the statement for the entire Moon Kingdom. It suggests for all the stuff making the Moon Kingdom seem an idyllic paradise, that there was an air of discontent; that their long-lived lives were nontheless empty in their silence guardianship over the Earth, a theme that will be repeated later with the Outer Senshi.
Meanwhile in the Dark Kingdom, Kunzite is wondering at what to do, the other Heavenly Kings are naught but gemstones now, and the Prince lays there dead. Kunzite notices Queen Beryl stealthily watching him and plays an UNO reverse card, sneakily following her as she goes further below to Metaria. It's clear Kunzite is unused to this place, wondering what's so far underground and commenting on the foul odor making it hard to breathe.
Kunzite sees Metaria and in fear wonders how she has become so substantial already, noticing a strange black diamond has appeared on her forehead. Beryl confesses to Metaria that the energy of the Silver Crystal that went into Endymion seems to be gone, his body gives no reactions. Metaria responds basically that they have no use for a corpse and that Beryl should re-focus her efforts on gaining the Silver Crystal but Beryl protests she still has a purpose for Endymion's body as Kunzite won't be around much longer. Metaria allows this but commands Beryl to hurry as the princess has awoken.
Beryt goes to Endymion's body, creepily rubbing his face possessively when she is confronted by Kunzite all prior loyalty absent. He reminds her of her promise to resurrect the other Heavenly Kings, impossible now that their bodies are reduced to gemstones, and demands to know what she seeks to do with the prince's body. It doesn't last long, but it's nice to see villains in this series show some complexity like this. Beryl in response just raises her hand and forcibly controls Kunzite, telling him now that he's sworn her his allegiance, he and the other Kings are bound to her will no matter how many times they're reborn.
The brainwashed Kunzite goes back on the assault, freezing Tokyo turning it into an "icy wasteland."
Back at the base, Luna says she's been tracking a heat increase going on underground near the North Pole, and that recently there's been an increase in tectonic activity, suggesting roughly the location of their enemies' base. The conversation is interrupted by the realizaton that the city's been frozen. The Senshi go out to fight, finding the newly brainwashed Kunzite. Now with the knowledge that the enemies are localized around the North Pole, Sailor Moon correctly guesses Kunzite is trying to turn Tokyo into a new North Pole, the ideal climate for Metaria.
Sailor Moon thaws the city and she and Kunzite come to blows, flying up into space
I do really like these sort of ultra-high power type characters like this. It just seems really cool.
Sailor Moon demands Tuxedo Kamen but Kunzite agrees to trade him for the Silver Crystal. While it's obviously just trash talk, I do find it funny that this is further evidence of Kunzite's brainwashing given his natural loyalty to his prince.
The Guardian Senshi follow Kunzite and Sailor Moon, where Kunzite asks them if he thinks their attacks will be effective in outer space, though Sailor Venus says that it's actually their second time in space together. I don't think this part really makes sense. Kunzite's objection is kind of interesting given that none of the Senshi elements would be affected by the vacuum but they were originally guardians for Princess Serenity. On the Moon. and Sailor Venus' response also doesn't really explain it given they didn't fight at all earlier in the act. Plus the whole thing is introduced and resolved in literally two panels. I think Naoko just did as she does and wanted to add everything she could to make it seem dramatic and an insurrmountable challenge like she did with Zoisite reflecting Mars and Jupiters' attacks to knock them out when they had no reason to attack.
The Guardians combine their power to blast Kunzite. Sailor Venus calls for Sailor Moon to make a barrier but she protests they don't have Tuxedo Kamen yet. Despite this, the Guardians launch a combination attack which kills Kunzite
Sailor Moon is unharmed from the blast physically but is distressed she still has no more information on Tuxedo Kamen's whereabouts....though little does she know, that will soon change.
Back at the Dark Kingdom, Beryl notes that the Four Kings have all been destroyed, and asks Metaria for power, the power of resurrection, and Mamoru's eyes open again. Beryl is happy, as Endymion is finally under her control and commands him to return to the surface, to kill Princess Serenity and steal her Silver Crystal
Thus begins the Dark Endymion section of the manga. The Dark Endymion arc is one of the influential sections of the series, it becoming a trope in many magical girl series including every single version of Sailor Moon that the main Magical Girl will be confronted by her lover under some type of dark control and have to "free" him. There's a generally common trope in fiction aimed at women of the love of a good woman healing a broken or malevolent man turning him good, to the point of sometimes being seen as the inverse of the trope of the male protagonist rescueing a damsel in distress who becomes his love interest. The reasons for that is complex and debated, but I can talk about ir more specifically in the context of the magical girl genre or in Sailor Moon. In Sailor Moon specifically it's been an ongoing idea in the plot that forces move to push Usagi to get into conflict with Mamoru; with them being after the same target, with Luna telling her that he is not to be trusted but Usagi felt herself growing in love with the strange man that kept saving her, trusting that he had to be a good guy. This is the ultimate extension of that, as Sailor Moon is literally forced into conflict with Tuxedo Kamen against either of their wills, and it raises the question of how far Usagi's love in Mamoru can go.
This concludes act 10. While a bit of a small step down from Act 9, Act 10 is still a great act. It has the backstory of the fall of the Moon Kingdom, which is one of the most iconic scenes in all of Sailor Moon, there's a lot of cool evocative images like the Senshi in space looking down upon the Earth, Sailor Moon commenting on the activity of the Earth compared to the Moon, the spirit of Queen Serenity appearing in the Moon Kingdom's old technology, Metaria turning the Moon to a cold stone planetoid, and the final fight with Kunzite.
The defining strength I would say about this act is that it's iconic. With the Senshi traveling into space twice, fall of the Moon Kingdom, the death of Kunzite, and the introduction of Dark Endymion, a strange mixture of science-fiction and fantasy focused on the grandeur of space, mixed in with many other cute and funny bits in a scant fast-paced 45 pages, Act 10 is one of the best examples of what the Sailor Moon manga is like.
A few points of this chapter I will admit don't fully make sense or being generous are left ambigiously half-explained like why the Sailor Senshi waited to travel to the Moon during the Full Moon. I've seen people critique Sailor Moon as having shallow world-building, and while I can sort of see where they are coming from, to me it seems more like Naoko was giving hints as to the world-building, relying on the audience to connect the dots in their imagination in a way that would be most satisifying to them. What was the Moon Kingdom like? Was it truly a paradise, or was it a society stifled in their artificality? Naoko seems to want to give us evocative hints and let us imagine with the answer realistically being somewhere between. With that said I do still think it's preferable for things to make sense within themselves first and then to hint at more rather then to just introduce a mysterious element and never resolve it.
With that said I consider that a pretty high-class problem. I love this act for it's distinctive iconic elements, its sheer sense of scale and interesting lore, and the sweet emotional moments about the love Usagis' parents have and Usagi speaking of the wonders of the Earth.
Holy Moly a lot happened this Act, i feel like I need to take a nap :D Seriously I know that technically all the sailor moon arcs are only 12 chapters long but imma tell you they all FEEL as long as the Chapter Black Arc in YYH, they probably have the same amount of events happening, but this is just so rapid fire. This Chapter had everything from 2 different trips to space, to civilian stuff with Usagi's parents, to Ancient Aliens lore to references to Greek and Arthurian legends! and honestly I think I may have been overwhelmed the first time I read it because Wow did you do a great job showing how it all ties together In ways I never knew. I like how you tied in the motherly parental theme of both Usagi's current and past life Mother loving her as their child and supporting her in her romantic feeling in different scenes, one as Usagi and the other as Serenity. Again this Chapter didn't hold back on the awesome and risque stuff from a dark backstory involving suicide, Mina getting the radioactive sword it was done with, Kunzite's honestly rather tragic fate, and Mamoru being taken over by dark forces are enough to make someone go DAMN. I would probably agree with you that this act wasn't as strong as the last overall. But for a chapter that is essentially setup for the final battle against the Dark Kingdom, it does a great job explaining the important history that cues us in to the scope of what is being fought for without taking away are ability to imagine it ourselves, and also raising the stakes by making the villains seem like an imposing force, and letting us know Usagi's headspace and symbolism!
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy how much Naoko Takeuchi was able to fit into 45 pages. There is just so much to analyze and talk about here, from the big lore drop regarding the moon to the brief scene with Usagi’s parents. I really like your analysis of the moon kingdom here; the idea that Queen Serenity’s views of earth may have been shared by many of her kingdom is a very interesting way of portraying this utopian society. I personally loved how Sailor Moon harmonized scientific and mythological views of the moon in general when reading through it. I think you are doing a great job putting Usagi’s arc into words, and your love for her story is always apparent. Seeing Usagi blossoming into a hero by fighting for the ones she loves is awesome. Also, the fact that Naoko had the main character commit suicide in a previous life was a pretty brave and hardcore story choice.
ReplyDelete