Anime Character Appreciation Thread Week 2 - Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon [Archive]

ohtori_akio

03-08-2006, 05:15 AM

Much like in the previous thread (which can be found here (http://forums.animeondvd.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1292121&page=0&view=colla psed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1)):

As I've been watching and enjoying more animes, I've noticed that there are quite a few characters be they main or secondary who either go unnoticed or underappreciated within the fandom.
I thought I would create a thread that would redeem that as we could discuss why we like/dislike a certain charcater and why we think they go unnoticed/underappreciated...

I will focus on one series per week and pick a different character from the series each day. They will have their own colour so please answer in the same colour to make things easier. If you feel I've missed someone who deserves a mention PM me.

Here they are:

Chibi Usa/ Sailor Chibi Moon

 Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen 

Makoto/Sailor Jupiter 

 Haruka/Sailor Uranus 

Artemis

Jadeite (First villain from Season 1)

Ail and En (Doom Tree villains)

Please post your opinions in the same colour as the one attributed to the character so it's easy to follow when more characters are added to the list.

Njr Scrawl

03-08-2006, 01:32 PM

Chibi Usa/ Sailor Chibi Moon

Poor Chibi. In Super S she is at her cuteist - but at the same time seems to eclipse Usagi who seemed dumbed down to almost supporting role in that season.

I almost felt sorry for her when Nehelenia captured & was electrocuting her. But 2 whole earlier series of Chibi's brattier personality also gave me a slight sadistic satisfaction at seeing her suffer.

Chibi comes across more as a younger sister or cousin, than daughter of a possible future Usagi. Some of the cosiest moments are when she & Usagi are cuddled up together.

Sorry I can't appreciate Chibi-Usa more than this. Her adult version had more appeal.

jecca-neko

03-08-2006, 03:02 PM

Sailor Chibi Moon has Pink Sugar Heart Attack and it's the silliest attack in the entirety of Sailor Moon IMO. Thus, Chibiusa is great for that reason. But ONLY for that reason. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

LimePie

03-08-2006, 03:39 PM

Chibiusa is actually my favorite character in the entire Sailormoon series.

I think most of the reason a lot of people dislike her is because of her behaviour in the R series. Quite frankly, Chibusa acts like a brat. People see that, but don't look deeper to find the reason why she is acting that way. Her rudeness is a defense mechanism; Chibiusa fears that if she gets close to someone, they'll end up getting hurt.

In the manga, on top of all of this, Chibiusa has to deal with the gossip about why she stopped aging, and whether her powers will ever awaken. Some even question if Serenity is actually her mother. It's hard to be over 900 years old, but stuck in the body of a kindergartner.

Isuzu Inugami

03-08-2006, 04:15 PM

She fulfills the absolutely necessary function of tormenting Usagi. I don't understand the dislike people have for her. However, lately I myself have grown somewhat impatient with her fickleness. Does she want a lesbian relationship with a girl who wears black nylons, or a bestial relationship with a talking horse? It seems like it shouldn't be such a difficult choice.

ohtori_akio

03-09-2006, 03:00 AM

Time for character no.2 and we're going with.....:

 Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen

vtr9kvictor

03-09-2006, 03:12 AM

Well, Chibi-Usa certainly has a lot of spunk. You have to give her that. But I never really warmed up to her, ever.

As for Tuxedo Mask, I liked him even less. Though the Rose Throw thing was cool. And he had Impeccable Timing.

Njr Scrawl

03-09-2006, 01:28 PM

Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen

He could have been a lot cooler, if more dashing in a Zorro way. Or even had a slight sense of mischief.

But Mamoru is such a square. True he is loyal & brave, but sooo boring. His Arabian persona in R was actually better than the tuxedo one. In R also, in its final arc, as the king, he is better as a tragic figure.

Still Usagi needs a rock-like husband, being such an airhead herself.
Best Mamoru series is Stars /images/graemlins/devil.gif

Shsway

03-09-2006, 03:25 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Wrath of the Njr said:
But Mamoru is such a square. True he is loyal & brave, but sooo boring. His Arabian persona in R was actually better than the tuxedo one. In R also, in its final arc, as the king, he is better as a tragic figure.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have to find the time to rewatch R, to properly give this some thought, but in general Tux is amusing. I like his dashing hero image, and interesting or messed up anecdotes. What I never liked was how often he had to be the rescuer, but anywho...

Him I like. Mamoru, not so much. The guy is "just there" to me most of the time, obnoxious through the first season and for a lot of the second, as I recall. Once he "settles down" with Usagi, either at the end of R or sometime in S, he's a better character, even offering better comedic opportunities.

ohtori_akio

03-10-2006, 03:47 AM

3rd character is surprisingly an inner senshi. She tends to be the one with the least episodes on her and seems to have a lot less dedicated fansites than her colleagues, so here we are:

Makoto/Sailor Jupiter

Njr Scrawl

03-10-2006, 05:39 AM

Makoto/Sailor Jupiter

Sadly underused, & with so much potential. Personally I like Emi Shinohara, her seiyuu as well, who has a good singing voice too.

Makoto had a couple episodes about her past, in her previous school when she was defending another girl which is her best of all 5 seasons. Probably, no definitely the most fun character of the 5 to be with in real life. Active, intelligent enough, good-hearted, genuine, brave & can cook.

If a Minako & a Rei episode or 3 had been given to Makoto, I'd have been happy

Isuzu Inugami

03-10-2006, 12:20 PM

Pony tail for the win!

She's sort of got this conflict between a rough tomboy nature vs. her desire for a more conventional femininity, expressed in her cooking skill. But it's sort of just there, and we don't often get to see it actively troubling her, even though we get a sense of her sometimes being uncomfortable in her own skin.

Her tendency to cast a very diverse spectrum of boys as being just like her senpai, her mysterious failed relationship of the past, manages to be a bit endearing and a bit creepy at the same time....

And while there isn't really anything to substantiate pairing her with Ami, they would make a cute couple. /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

EmperorBrandon

03-10-2006, 02:18 PM

I've never had a problem with Chibiusa, though it may have been my first experience in the anime with her was in Sailor Moon S and SuperS, where she was less bratty and mean than in R. She's really cute and involved in several amusing moments throughout the series (like with her Pink Sugar Heart Attack in S), so I'd say she's one of her favorites.

I actually like the coupling of her with Anshar in the Sailor Moon: Another Story game (since Anshar liked her from the start and is a bit more sympathetic in my mind) than I do with Helios, Perle, and others.

ohtori_akio

03-10-2006, 11:56 PM

From a tomboy to a full blown lesbian, the next character is:

Haruka/Sailor Uranus

Njr Scrawl

03-11-2006, 03:24 AM

Haruka/Sailor Uranus

The lesser of the yuri 2 in Sailor Moon. In S Haruka is a one dimensional bossy bitchy hardnosed character, but in Stars she is much much better & more sympathetic. In Stars she respects & sympathises with Usagi & the others. In Stars are her greatest moments & lines - both comic & serious. And also the revelation about how Mishiru discovered her & is physically her superior, vol.2 IIRC.

Haruka's seiyuu is Megumi Ogata, the same lady who does Shinji in Evangelion, Kurama in Yu Yu Hakusho, Izumi in Full Moon. She has 4 other Sailor Moon characters, though small ones - Chibi Mamoru in R movie, Petz & Seireen in ep.54, Vampiiru in ep.47 (all according to ANN)

lilgumba

03-11-2006, 09:22 AM

Sailor Jupiter, former second favorite until Pluto replaced her, she is the strong and caring soldier. I don't think they focused on her a lot because she seemed more like the mother to the other soldiers. I don't know about you but younger people have the tendency to not think about their moms problems or life really. You know it is there. If something goes terribly wrong you'll be concerned but usually you don't pay attention to it. I think Makoto gets that treatment. I remember several times were Makoto would observe the others noticing their problems. Occasionally she would take them to the side and let them know that she sees them.

As far as her being good at feminine things, I believe it is all a major complex. She knows she has this super strength but to cancel it out she'll do really feminie things. It's like she's a yin yang. I kind of wish they had more time on her struggles to keep the balence but I guess the rest, heck even Ami, was more interesting. /images/graemlins/cry00000.gif 

Sailor Uranus. You know...I really can't stand her bossy attitude. Sometimes you need to get off your high horse and listen to others and be a follower. Despite that, you have got to love her protectiveness. If you were in trouble she wouldn't think twice about sacrificing her life to save your butt. In those cases I think I like the "Haruka" personality than the "Sailor Uranus" one. Haruka seemed more sweet, caring, cool, and protecting. (All the things Mamoru SHOLD be. Yes I'm not a Mamoru fan anymore.) I can see why Michiru would love her so much. It's that side that attracted every girl and their mamas to her. But then she goes into Uranus mode and it's like she's a stick up your anus. All her good traits melt away into that bossy, not listening, sacrifice everyone to get the job done your way person.

She's one of those love/hate characters. You know she means well but she can really screw things up.

jecca-neko

03-11-2006, 04:04 PM

I'm behind.

Tuxedo Kamen/Mamoru unfortunately got ignored later in the show, but he had his moments. The best times for him were the original series, R, and the R movie. Out of the those, I really liked him in the original series. When Queen Beryl got her hands on him and temporarily turned him evil, it was interesting to see Usagi's reactions to that, how she realized she must fight him but how she really didn't want to because she loved him.

Sailor Jupiter/Mako was an interesting character to me. Unlike Sailor Uranus, Jupiter was a tomboy that still knew how to be feminine. Like lilgumba said, she did a good job serving as like a sort of mother to the senshi. Luna sort of filled that role to a point too, but Luna was like a nagging mother. Jupiter was like a very kind, gentle mother. One of my favorite "motherly" scenes with her was in the SuperS movie when she was helping the others make cookies.

Sailor Uranus/Haruka is a interesting character to me. She sort of fills the "big brother" role for Usagi every now and then, protecting over her when she needs to but mostly watching over from afar. She may be a tough, masculine woman, but I think her relationship with Michiru is very sweet.

ohtori_akio

03-12-2006, 02:04 AM

The next character we are going for is one of the few males of the team and it is:

Artemis

Njr Scrawl

03-12-2006, 04:05 AM

Artemis

My favourite feline, although Diana is very cute. Luna is too much a nag. The best Artemis episode is in Super S, volume 1 or 2 IIRC, when Diana is discovered. Artemis, as the male, is almost instantly accused of being promiscuous, because he is a tomcat. Of course all the accusers are female. The really funny bit is Minako learns of Diana from Usagi on the phone, then interrogates poor Artemis who confesses to every calamity he has caused, but is completely clueless about Diana's parentage at the time (since Diana is from Chibi-Usa's future time). 

Artemis in season 1 is written intelligent, maybe more than Luna. But in the later seasons, he seems dumbed down more, though is still brave.

Shsway

03-12-2006, 11:53 AM

On Chibiusa - Well, I don't find her as annoying as others do, because I was exposed to S and, to a certain extent, Super S long before I saw what she was like in R. That seaso seems to have permanently established her place in the minds of many viewers. Her failed attacks are cute sometimes, as are her relationships with both Tomoe Hotaru and horsey boy (though the latter is also all kinds of weird). /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Kino Makoto/Jupiter - She's kind of grown on me. Not my favorite senshi, but I loooooove Shinohara Emi's voice. And yes, that one R image song, "Starlight ni Kisu Shite". /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Shimauma said:
And while there isn't really anything to substantiate pairing her with Ami...

[/ QUOTE ]

The thought certainly gives me the warm and fuzzies. /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

I do have to say that I really dislike the way that those earrings of hers clash with nearly everything she wears. And she should really let down her hair sometimes!

Tenoh Haruka/Uranus - I remember well the evening that a friend first tipped me off to the fact that Uranus and Neptune from Sailor Moon were a lot closer than friends. Later on, I actually happened to tune into the episode about the Marine Cathedral by chance, and was, like, "...". Remember, this was still only available dubbed to me, but even then I could tell something was wonky. A quick look on the internet just confirmed my suspicions.

She's definitely two big sides to a coin. Fun and flirty, but SO freakin' stubborn and single-minded! She's an enjoyable character, but no longer what one would call a favorite. She's just too stereotypically butch for my taste, though admittedly attractive at times. She definitely scored in getting Michiru as a partner, in so many words.

On Artemis: Not much to say here. He's very cool, funny, sometimes a wimp, yet often heroic. He certainly deserved better than Luna.

jecca-neko

03-12-2006, 08:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Shsway said:
On Artemis: Not much to say here. He's very cool, funny, sometimes a wimp, yet often heroic. He certainly deserved better than Luna.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. I especially felt bad for him in the S movie. She was fawning after the astronaut guy and poor Artemis was worried about her because she went missing. /images/graemlins/depresse.gif

ohtori_akio

03-13-2006, 02:22 AM

Next up is a baddie and a cute one too /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif :

Jadeite (First villain from Season 1)

And here's a treat! (http://www.soul-hunter.com/sailormoon/images/p_jadeite.jpg)

lilgumba

03-13-2006, 07:58 AM

Artemis I will always see as Minako's "boyfriend" Even though he will become Luna's baby's daddy he will still have that special bond with Minako. They went through too much together. I also saw that he lost his leadership role over the years. He became an official sidekick which is kind of sad. I think he could have been a very key player if he didn't get stepped on so much. 

Jadeite, not my favorite general but he was decent enough. I think if he wasn't so stubborn he really could have destroyed the first 3 soldiers. Unfortunately I think he was too immature to use that brain of his. At least he was good eye candy for that period of time in anime (until Nephlite came.)

Njr Scrawl

03-13-2006, 09:46 AM

True. Artemis is Minako's companion in the Sailor V manga as well.

EmperorBrandon

03-13-2006, 09:56 AM

Jadeite wasn't really all that interesting, but for what's it worth (and the short time that he has), he's a good opener villain and sets the stage for the all the future villains that the Sailor Senshi ruin. He's pure evil and made to be unsympathetic with his sexist attitude (heh, his final confrontation with the girls was pretty amusing). He's also voiced by Masaya Onosaka (one of his earliest roles, I think), which is pretty cool as well.

Njr Scrawl

03-13-2006, 10:18 AM

Generally what always makes Beryl's generals more villainous & dastardly than the female sidekicks of main villains in later series (until Stars), is that the generals did not hesitate to target groups of people regardless of age or sex. In fact they revelled in it.

IIRC the generals were with Beryl in the attack on Silver Millennium pre-dating Sailor Moon season 1. They then also had no qualms in targetting groups of civilians.

Nephrite has the distinction of being the first opponent to Sailor Moon & her senshi. Also being an adult male singling out & threatening a younger girl makes him seem more bad still. (Worse was to come in season 1)

Isuzu Inugami

03-13-2006, 11:15 AM

[ QUOTE ]
lilgumba said:

Sailor Uranus. [...] But then she goes into Uranus mode and it's like she's a stick up your anus. All her good traits melt away into that bossy, not listening, sacrifice everyone to get the job done your way person.

She's one of those love/hate characters. You know she means well but she can really screw things up. 

[/ QUOTE ]

 It's this hardnosed aspect to her that really intrigues me, though. She knows the stakes and is prepared to do anything necessary. She has no patience with Usagi's desire to understand and feel compassion for everyone, even her enemies--she regards it as foolish and dangerous. She makes a good foil to Usagi.

Njr Scrawl

03-13-2006, 11:26 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Shimauma said:
[ QUOTE ]
lilgumba said:

Sailor Uranus. [...] But then she goes into Uranus mode and it's like she's a stick up your anus. All her good traits melt away into that bossy, not listening, sacrifice everyone to get the job done your way person.

She's one of those love/hate characters. You know she means well but she can really screw things up. 

[/ QUOTE ]

 It's this hardnosed aspect to her that really intrigues me, though. She knows the stakes and is prepared to do anything necessary. She has no patience with Usagi's desire to understand and feel compassion for everyone, even her enemies--she regards it as foolish and dangerous. She makes a good foil to Usagi

[/ QUOTE ]

But in the process, she becomes inhuman & uncaring. Becoming more like the enemy. Usagi is about strength through love & compassion. Uranus is about raw power from weapons. Usagi's strength is her own personality.

LimePie

03-13-2006, 03:24 PM

Jadiete suffers from what I like to refer to as the "Jadeite Syndrome" (yes, I named it after him.) Said sydrome states that, "The first henchman will always have the most boring personality." He's not a bad villian; he just isn't all that interesting compared to the other generals.

Isuzu Inugami

03-13-2006, 03:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Ojamajo LimePie said:
Jadiete suffers from what I like to refer to as the "Jadeite Syndrome" (yes, I named it after him.) Said sydrome states that, "The first henchman will always have the most boring personality." He's not a bad villian; he just isn't all that interesting compared to the other generals. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, interesting idea. It makes sense... the first villain essentially has to set the tone for the bad guys to an audience not yet familiar with what's going on, so he's likely to be more a recognizeable stock villain figure, to make that task more intuitive. Also, from a writing perspective, you want the more intersting characters to be around longer, so you'll probably kill off the dullest first.