Some Thoughts on Sailor Moon
I was watching a Sailor Moon AMV to Katy Perry's Firework and it made me realize a few things that I don't think that I'd ever noticed before about the Sailor Moon series. And maybe this seems self-explanatory to some of you, but it was something I'd never thought of. I mean, I get the whole woman's power thing, that was always really obvious, but this stuff I didn't realize until now.
1. I think one of the main reasons that Sailor Moon is so popular is because you have a group of girls, in the Inner Senshi, who are outcasts. This seems rather obvious but I never really thought about it until now. These are women that other people in society didn't care about, that they cast aside. These are women that had no friends and were on there own. And then, they weren't. Suddenly, they had this group of women who were willing to stand together and fight for what they believe in. Suddenly, they were the strongest people in the world. The things that had kept them separate from the "normal" people, were now things that were their greatest strengths. And isn't that what every single outcast or nerd or geek or anyone who has ever felt even vaguely different, anyone who has ever been made fun of for being who they, isn't that what you want to hear? That some day you're going to find people that not only appreciate and love those weird things about you, but will also help you learn, as you'll help them, to make those weirdness into strengths instead of into weaknesses?
2. Friendship, I can't imagine anyone would argue otherwise, is a core point in Sailor Moon. But I never realized the symbolism before, of how all these outcast women in society became stronger because of this friendship. Literally, these women become friends and are then granted magical powers.
3. In watching the AMV I realized that whenever the final battle goes down, or at least the majority of the time, Sailor Moon doesn't finish the fight as Sailor Moon. She finished it as Serenity (Either Princess or Neo-Queen). And I thought that this was rather interesting. A soldier doesn't win the day in Sailor Moon. Oh, soldiers are important, no doubt, because Usagi wouldn't have survived until that final battle without Senshi. But, when it comes down to fighting the baddest of the bad, it's not a soldier that finishes them off. No, it's a princess or a queen. And isn't that an interesting commentary? Fighting can only take you so far; those final steps to peace, those steps have to be taken with love and compassion.
1. I think one of the main reasons that Sailor Moon is so popular is because you have a group of girls, in the Inner Senshi, who are outcasts. This seems rather obvious but I never really thought about it until now. These are women that other people in society didn't care about, that they cast aside. These are women that had no friends and were on there own. And then, they weren't. Suddenly, they had this group of women who were willing to stand together and fight for what they believe in. Suddenly, they were the strongest people in the world. The things that had kept them separate from the "normal" people, were now things that were their greatest strengths. And isn't that what every single outcast or nerd or geek or anyone who has ever felt even vaguely different, anyone who has ever been made fun of for being who they, isn't that what you want to hear? That some day you're going to find people that not only appreciate and love those weird things about you, but will also help you learn, as you'll help them, to make those weirdness into strengths instead of into weaknesses?
2. Friendship, I can't imagine anyone would argue otherwise, is a core point in Sailor Moon. But I never realized the symbolism before, of how all these outcast women in society became stronger because of this friendship. Literally, these women become friends and are then granted magical powers.
3. In watching the AMV I realized that whenever the final battle goes down, or at least the majority of the time, Sailor Moon doesn't finish the fight as Sailor Moon. She finished it as Serenity (Either Princess or Neo-Queen). And I thought that this was rather interesting. A soldier doesn't win the day in Sailor Moon. Oh, soldiers are important, no doubt, because Usagi wouldn't have survived until that final battle without Senshi. But, when it comes down to fighting the baddest of the bad, it's not a soldier that finishes them off. No, it's a princess or a queen. And isn't that an interesting commentary? Fighting can only take you so far; those final steps to peace, those steps have to be taken with love and compassion.