Author’s note: This article contains spoilers for the manga Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and the new anime series Sailor Moon Crystal.
I woke up this Sunday morning, the 12th of June, with the full intention of spending a quiet day reading and writing a little and just generally relaxing. But as I was lying in bed, slowly waking up, and checking my email, my Instagram feed, and eventually Twitter, I soon found out the news of another mass shooting in the US—this time, as I’m sure you’re already aware, it was at a gay nightclub in Orlando.
There is very little I can say that hasn’t already been said about this horrible tragedy. The horrific violence that occurred in Orlando sickens me to my very core, it makes my hands shake, my stomach reel, and makes me feel incredibly sad. While horrendous events like this often get many people talking—about gun control, Islamophobia, homophobia, and many other discussions that are very important to be having—I find myself collapsing into myself when hatred leads to such horrific violence. Luckily, many other people have already written or spoken more eloquently and in a more informed way than I could ever write about this. Since initially writing my feelings out on the 12th, there have already been a number of actions taken by different groups in response to Orlando as well, including the Democrats conducting a sit-in in the House and demanding a vote on gun control measures, Flame Con in New York changing its weapons policy, and Pride events all over the country going strong even in the face of this hatred, to name only a few.
I know why these things happen, and I want to fight against them, and yet, I also feel as if I don’t understand anything at all. How can people be so hateful toward others? Why would anyone resort to such violence? And why can’t we love one another as we love ours, just as we are taught to do when we are children?
I think that the people who know me the most would say that I’m a fiery sort of person who stands up for my beliefs and for the rights of others. But lately, I feel as if my fire is burning out a bit; I’m tired of terrible things happening to the people that we love. And I find myself hiding away from it all and escaping the horrors of the modern world by immersing myself into some of my favorite stories. I’ve read more novels lately than I have in a while, as well as watched more television shows than I usually do, and while anime hasn’t been as fun for me lately as it usually is—I talked about this a little bit in an article for Women Write About Comics—I’ve found some satisfaction in a couple of shows, including the new season of Sailor Moon Crystal.
Thus far, this season has been much better than the first two. The animation is tighter and the story is exciting, particularly because the Outer Senshi are now part of the show. Fan favorites Haruka Tenou (Sailor Uranus) and Michiru Kaiou (Sailor Neptune) have a large role in this season, as well as one of my favorite characters Setsuna Meiou (Sailor Pluto).
This article was originally supposed to discuss the positive representation of LGBT relationships in Sailor Moon, since this is our Pride Issue, and I especially wanted to talk about Haruka and Michiru’s relationship. And while I’m still going to touch on that by saying that their relationship has been and continues to be very important to so many fans, I want to talk about it more in the context of how the Sailor Senshi accept and love one another for who they are and how this message is so important, especially when horrific things like what happened in Orlando occur.
Stories are important. All human beings can appreciate a good story. They teach us lessons, and they help us learn about and build empathy toward others. But they are also like microcosmic worlds in which our hopes and ideals can play out.
So far this season, we have not seen too much of Haruka and Michiru’s relationship; more depictions of their love for one another will come later. But we have seen how much the Sailor Senshi love and care about one another overall. We’ve seen them fight for one another time and again, and we’ve seen them have important conversations about themselves, about their lives and their dreams, and over and over again, they accept one another for who they are.
Sailor Neptune, Sailor Pluto, and Sailor Uranus in episode 33 of SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL.
One such important scene occurs in Sailor Moon Crystal episode 33, Act 32, when Michiru says, “Uranus is both a man and a woman, who is a guardian with both sex and both strength.” Translations of simulcasts on Crunchyroll and other places to watch anime aren’t always completely accurate, at least that’s the impression I get, and I think that the translation of this line from the manga makes the scene a little clearer. As Michiru says in volume 7 of the manga, “Uranus is like a man and a woman in one. She has the strengths of both genders, it is her special advantage as a solider.”
This scene is important, not only because it discusses Haruka’s gender identity (if you’re interested in this topic, please see this thorough article in The Art of (Overanalyzing) Animation by SailorSoapbox), but because it is the first time that Uranus and Neptune have completely revealed themselves to the Inner Senshi. Although viewers undoubtedly knew the identities of Haruka and Michiru, the Sailor Senshi weren’t completely sure who these two new characters were, and now they know. Haruka and Michiru also tell the Inner Senshi that the fight against the Death Busters is their own, but the Inner Senshi want to fight alongside them—especially Sailor Moon, who becomes close to Haruka.
I think that the Sailor Senshi see one another as family and believe in helping one another no matter what. In the next episode, Act 33, the hope and love that Sailor Moon feels for all of her friends culminates in her transformation, as well as the transformation of the other Senshi into their Super forms. “I wished all our hearts to be combined,” Super Sailor Moon says as she explains how she just transformed. “We all wished to help everyone and beat our enemy. We all shared the same feelings.” She later says, “Because we’re all the same Sailor Guardians. We’re all friends.”
In the end, the Sailor Senshi all come together to fight against the Death Busters, and even if you haven’t reached the end of the season, you can be sure that they’ll overcome the evil that once again threatens the earth. The Sailor Senshi love one another, and although Usagi and the Inner Senshi sometimes seem naïve and have much to learn about the world, they completely accept and embrace Haruka and Michiru for who they are.
This story, this message, is what I’ve gotten from the series so far, and while there are many messages one could interpret within Sailor Moon Crystal, for the moment, this is the one that I’m cherishing the most. And while we shouldn’t use media as an escape from the so-called real world, media is an incredibly important and striking way to tell and teach one another. The positive representation of LGBT relationships, the close friendships of a strong group of women, and the acceptance of one’s friends for who they are may seem like trivial stories to some people, but in actuality, we need more of these powerful stories in the world, for these stories are another way to combat the violence and hate that lead to events like what happened in Orlando. These stories help bring people together who may not otherwise meet, they help us to find others who have the same hopes and ideals, and they give me hope that people can and will change and learn to love one another no matter who they are or who they love.
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Rine Karr is an Anime Writer at Girls in Capes. She’s a writer and aspiring novelist by moonlight and a copyeditor by daylight. Rine loves good food, travel, and lots of fiction, especially novels, anime, manga, video games, and films. She’s also the Chief Copyeditor and an occasional contributor at Women Write About Comics.
