| |||
|
| Usagi: Maturing from a Girl into a Woman |
|
When we first meet Usagi, she seems like your normal teenager: late for class, voracious appetite, and very boy crazy. But within a few moments, we learn of her compassionate nature hen she saves a cat in trouble. From this moment on, destiny and fate take control of Usagi's life. We learn she is not *just* a normal teenager, but Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice. She is also revealed to be the Moon Princess, a future Queen of the earth, and one day, the hope, and light of all the universe. At first, Usagi does not take her job as Sailor Moon very seriously, but she soon learns how important she is to keeping the world safe, and saving lives. One of the biggest factors of her increasing maturity, is her relationship with Mamoru, her one true love. Their love was forged back when both were
Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion of the Moon kingdom. Reunited on earth, they struggle to keep their love alive. Usagi's desire to be a better girlfriend, and one a day a bride, to Mamoru motivates her to be more mature, to study harder, and to be a better fighter. Realization of her powers, and her love for Mamoru, propelled Usagi to face her fears, her weaknesses, and battle evil, often at the loss of her own life. This shows great maturity, because once, Usagi would have rather hid in her room than face danger. The best thing about her, though, is that she *does* face danger, even when her spirit is broken, as when she and Mamoru broke up. Despite her tears, she did what was needed, and it showed her strength, courage, and maturity. In the anime, Usagi takes longer to mature than in the manga. Her reluctant, 14 year old persona undergoes tremendous shocks, more shattering than any female her age should have to face. Usagi has to be a leader, a fighter, a lover, and still try to be her own unique self. How many of us could say we'd still be sane and strong, after going through all of that? Usagi is just THAT strong a character. She undergoes so much in a short time, yet rises to every challenge, and defeats evil. Especially at the end of the series, defeating Galaxia and bringing peace to all. Beautiful, strong, and powerful, Tsukino Usagi is one of the most amazing characters of anime ever, and will remain so,forever. Tsukino Usagi never asked to be Sailor Moon, or the Moon Princess, or the future Queen of Crystal Tokyo. Usagi just wanted to be a normal teenager, pigging out on food, and hanging out with friends. Yet, when fate knocked on her door, Usagi had no choice but to accept her destiny, and fulfill it.In the process, she learned more about herself, and discovered inner strengths she did not think she had possessed before. From that moment on, she is Usagi by day, and Sailor Moon by night. As her destiny progressed, she acquired new powers, and new identities, each more powerful than the last. Her first attacks were moon healing and scepter elimnation (according to the NA dub). Her attacks became stronger when she became Super and Eternal Sailor Moon. With the power of the Silver Crystal and the Holy Grail, Usagi remains the strongest and most powerful of all the senshi. Some may argue that her powers don't really come from her, just her weapons, but she is the ONLY one who can control the Silver Crystal and who has a heart pure enough to use the Holy Grail. She earns the use of those powerful weapons and is THUS, the most powerful senshi. What makes Usagi so strong, though, isn't just her ability to use her weapons, but rather her ability to see the goodness in others, to help them, and thus, destroy the evil. Her strongest powers will always be her pure heart and inner goodness. Her last incarnation is Sailor Cosmos, who is the emobidement of all the hope, goodness, and love that Sailor Moon and the universe is. She is the light of hope, the Messiah. Sailor Moon, Usagi, Cosmos, all one and the same, is one of the most beautiful, most good hearted, and definitely, the most powerful senshi in the universe. |
| Royal Destiny: from princess to Neo-Queen |
|
From the Silver Millenium, Usagi was destined to be a ruler. The manga and anime both reveal that she was following in the steps of her mother. Yet, before her role could be fulfilled,
Queen Beryl and Metallia unleashed their minions and, in the process, took the young Princess' life. Reborn on earth as Usagi, she learns of her past life, as Princess Selenity of the Moon Kingdom, and is called to defeat Beryl and Metallia once and for all. She becomes Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice and defeats the evil forces. She wishes now to only liein peace with her Mamochan and her friends (in the anime they all lose their memories but in the manga, they never do). But our lovely Princess' tale does not end here. We learn of a little girl from the future, who is revealed to be the future daughter of Usagi, and her true love, Mamoru. The little girl's name is Chibi Usa (or Rini to NA dub watchres). We learn that she came back in time to find Sailor Moon and get the Silver Imperium Crystal, in order to help her mother, Neo-Queen Selenity. This Neo-Queen is Usagi's future self in the 30th Century. In the manga, she rose to power age 22, giving birth to Chibi Usa, and according to the anime, became queen when she saved the earth from a frozen sleep with the crystal, making the earth a utopia. Some people of the earth rebelled against her rulership, and were sent to a far corner of the universe where Nemisis (Wiseman) turned their hearts evil. They came and attacked the utopia on earth - known as Crystal Tokyo. The Queen was saved by being protected in a crystal case, but could not come out. Chibi Usa and Usagi (as Sailor Moon) defeat Wiseman in the with double the power of the crystals, defeats Wiseman (anime). In the manga, she never changes into Neo-Queen but is there as herself and it is through her future self's help that she is able to save the world. Because of her role as a leader/Princess/Queen, Usagi must take on GREAT feats to conquer evil. The challenges and responsibilities Usagi faces from her many royal lives, force her to mature faster than most females her age. She is the most powerful senshi, becomes very wise, and earns her role as Neo-Queen Selenity. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders and that is tough for any 14-16 year old to come to grips with. |
| The Heart of Usagi |
|
Throughout this shrine, I may use the North American and Japanese names interchangeably. I fell in love with Sailor Moon through DIC but then found the MANGA and now love Usagi as she was originally intended to be. So Who is She?
Sailor Moon's name in the original Japanese anime and the American DIC dub, it is Serena. She is the most powerful senshi because of her power of rebirth (next to Hotaru/Sailor Saturn who has power of destruction). She is the reincanration of Princess Selenity and the future Neo-Queen Selenity - Queen of Crystal Tokyo. Usagi's 14 at the start of the manga and 16 when she jumps into the Galaxy Cauldron. At the end of the manga she is approximately 21 years old. Please see The Facts for further explanation of her age. My Favorite Senshi Usagi is my favorite Senshi. Why? Because of her strength. I've seen way too many sites describe the story of Sailor Moon as 'It's the story of a 14 year old clutzy, ditz, crybaby...' Blah, blah, blah! Yes, our beloved Usagi was very immature and at first unmotivated but as a true fan will see, throughout the series, she grows up and matures quite a bit. Usagi's strength comes from deep within her and she's sometimes surprised herself. She has shown her true worth time and time again when there is a crisis. She has, twice,sacrificed her life for her friends and for the world. Examples of Her Strength When she and Mamoru/Darien broke up, I admired her strength of character and how she always kept up hope. Her belief in love and goodness prevailing helped me when my own boyfriend of 4 years and I broke up. While fighting with Fiore, in Sailor Moon R, the movie, even as he was killing her, she kept being sweet to him, telling him, 'you're not alone'. The power of Usagi's heart and her goodness is what saves the world, and her friends every time. Even when Galaxia was going to kill her in the final episode of Sailor Moon (200) Usagi kept showing love for Galaxia and told her she knew there was goodness still in her. Because of Usagi's warmth and love, she won and saved the world. She is the most giving and forgiving of all the Senshi. But She's Such a Klutz and Seems So Ditzy! Usagi is who she is - the sweet, gluttonous, playful, cheerful, and yes, clumsy girl who is Leader of the Senshi. Her destiny has always been to be a leader, from the time she was Princess Serenity, to the future as Neo-Queen Serenity. The Anime plays up these qualities but the Manga focuses on how she matures and stops being so clumsy, really applying herself and becoming a strong senshi. The Princess vs Usagi - Is There a Difference?In a word: NO. In the manga, we're shown how Usagi was JUST as playful and mischeivous on the Moon as she is on Earth. For example when she runs away from the Moon to be with Endymion on Earth and she sticks out her tongue at Sailor Venus. The anime, however, practically gives Usagi and the Princess 2 different personalities, even changing their voices to have an accent. The manga never hinted at any big difference between Usagi and her past as Princess Selenity, and with what we DO see, and the fact that her own Mother, Queen Selenity remarks that she is just as curious as ever, the evidence points to similarities rather than differences. Why We Love Usagi?If Usagi wasn't the person that she is, with her inner goodness and cheerful nature, she wouldn't have won the battles and she wouldn't be the leader. The Sailor Moon world would have suffered greatly. So for all of you who think she's an incredible crybaby, a wuss, and annoying - you overlook her greater qualties for those of her lesser, still developing persona. She is an example of what we all want to be - beautiful, strong, courageous, surrounded by excellent friends, and in love with a man who loves her back heart and soul. Plus she's fun, and not conceited, and just the kind of friend we'd want! :) WE LOVE YOU USAGI-CHAN!!!! :) |
