Hi, everyone.^^ You might be wondering (or not) where all the old thoughts went. Well, like I said somewhere else, my old 'thoughts' were more like rants--not well written, very obnoxious, and just bad over all.-__-;; So I'm redoing them, and reposting them as new ones later. That one below was a more recent one, and wasn't too bad, so I'm leaving it as is because I don't have a lot of time to redo everything.^_^
1/2/00-What's with Sailor Moon?:
What is it with Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon anyway? What about this manga makes it so incredibly attractive? Has anyone ever wondered about these questions as they sit, hopelessly engrossed in the books (as I do...^^)? Well, let me give my opinion, and you can agree with it, argue with it, do whatever you like. Just remember, this is my opinion, don't cry over it.^_^
It can't be the storyline, because in that aspect, Sailor Moon is sadly unoriginal. Think about it, everyone. Consider the plot. A young girl suddenly finds out she's a superheroine, destined to save the Earth from certain destruction, and become the wielder of some magical weapon only she can use. As she battles each villian that comes her way, she becomes more and more powerful, going through various transformations and new, flashy weapons. Pretty soon it's clear that she's the Chosen One, whatever that means, and the *only* one who can destroy this, or defeat that, or have the power to do this, etc., etc.. Add some lovable sidekicks (someone with a bad temper, someone with brains. . .) Plus a true love, and voila! We have a typical shoujo manga plot, so incredibly overused it's a wonder there aren't holes in the "fabric" of it.
It certainly isn't the arrangement of the story either, consider Naoko Takeuchi-sensei seemed to simply create bad guys, toss them in there, and come up with a final tie-in at the end of the series. She also has a bad habit of forgetting completely about the more minor characters. (Such as the Starlights!!!) Of course, I'm not saying she's the only one who does this, so don't take offense.
So what is it already?! You yell impatiently as you read this long thing. Well, after contemplating this question and flipping through the manga, I have come to a remarkably simple conclusion—it's the characters. Yes, the marvelous, unique, and colorful characters make the entire Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon completely worth it. (Worth the money, worth the time, worth the bad translations. . .^^) A whole new world of possibilities open up in the face of those characters. Even the minor ones (Elios, Starlights, Kakyuu, Amazon Quartet/Sailor Quartet, etc.) leave a definite, lasting impression on their few, but devoted, fans. The vague power of these characters make an otherwise mundane manga explode to life and become some sort of legend. Ironically, Takeuchi-sensei's major fault--forgetting her minor characters--also keep the series alive and bring spice to her creations. Now, an aura of mystery surrounds those "forgotten ones" and readers find themselves inexplicably attracted. Even the characters she doesn't forget have a certain magnetism which holds the fans. You might argue that it's the same for all other series, but I would have to disagree. There are some manga which have not-so-remarkable characters, but their marvelous plot just keeps us reading. (I do have examples. . .unfortunately I don't know their Japanese names.^_^;; Sorry.) No, Sailor Moon's main greatness is the lasting, living quality of it's characters, who somehow gather this magical charisma around themselves and remain in our memories. (Maybe it's the sailor crystals!^^)
So, Sailor Moon fans, thank the characters--from Starlights on Kinmoku to Elios in Elysion--because without them, BSSM would not be a series every shoujo manga-lover should know. Takeuchi-sensei's creation would fade into total oblivion (!!!) if it weren't for the remarkable, almost 3-D, characters that make the series "work."~YKH signs off.
