MovieChat Forums > Sailor Moon (1995) Discussion > The Character(s) that Mature Usagi

The Character(s) that Mature Usagi

posted 9 years ago by Takedi21
3 replies | jump to latest

I feel like in every season of Sailor Moon there's that one character who matures Usagi.

In season 1 Usagi was an immature, whiny, little crybaby. She gradually got used to the job of Sailor Moon during the course of season 1, but what had matured her was the character Mamoru. After the whole "Moon Princess reveal, Phantom Crystal's finally appeared, past lives memories slowly coming back, & Queen Beryl kidnaps & brainwashes Mamoru" climax of season 1 Usagi realizes just how much she has loved Mamoru (underneath the surface of their bickering) all along & how much he truly means to her after he's been revealed to be Tuxedo Mask all along & has been kidnapped by Beryl. This is what matures Usagi most of all in this season, even in her civilian life.

In season 2 Chibiusa was that one character who had matured Usagi. I once read a comment online a really long time ago made by a teenage mom who was a fan of that season who had said that the relationship between Usagi & Chibiusa all throughout R had reminded her of her own relationship that she had with her own 4 year old daughter. She also said that taking on the responsibility of being a parent & taking care of a young, innocent life's well-being is the most biggest and important responsibility that any person can ever have (even moreso than saving the world in the case of Sailor Moon). That comment had stuck with me for years, and it really made me appreciate the Chibiusa & Usagi relationship for what it had done for Usagi's character in terms of growing up.

In season 3 Hotaru was that one character who had matured Usagi. Granted Hotaru was her daughter's best friend rather than her own, but still Usagi had treated Hotaru like she was her own daughter nonetheless. Hotaru had brought out the Jesus in Usagi, as Usagi was absolutely not willing at all, at any cost, to sacrifice the life of this poor, innocent, tragic young girl in exchange for the lives of others. Usagi doesn't believe in sacrificing good people's lives for the greater good. Her choice turned out to be the right one in the end, and even earned her the respect of Sailor Uranus & Sailor Neptune in the end too as well.

In seasons 4 & 5 however...I feel like that one character who matures Usagi (and also shows fans of the series just why it is that Usagi of all people is the leader & why we love her character Sailor Moon so much) doesn't exist?

In season 4 if anything I feel like Chibiusa gets that character for her. Chibiusa's character matures a lot through her relationship with Helios. Granted Chibiusa was already maturing last season through her friendship with Hotaru, but Usagi was still the main star & main character of the show. In season 4 it feels like Usagi's character takes a backseat & Chibiusa became the star of the show. Usagi felt like an important supporting character (Chibiusa couldn't transform without Usagi & Usagi needed Chibiusa in order to finish off the MoTD), but really it was Chibiusa's show.

In season 5 I don't remember any one character that helped mature Usagi's character even further?? Seiya perhaps? Chibi Chibi?? I dunno?

[–] IkuharaKunihiko 9 years ago

Very interesting post. Though rather speculative and evasive, since I can easily include Seiya as the one who matures Usagi in season 5 (she obviously falls in love with him, but stays true to her Mamoru) or simply say that after season 1 no character improves her anymore, since the finale there made her who she is. Hotaru, for instance - she had more effect on Chibiusa than on Usagi - but I get what you are trying to say and it is a clever observation.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MyloMan30 9 years ago

Usagi rarely ever wants to fight and I think that theme stays strong throughout the entire anime.

Against Galaxia, she refused to fight. At one point, even Chaos says something along the lines of, "Now that you've given up your pride as a Senshi" and she only stabbed Chaos by accident. She saved Galaxia, and didn't even completely kill Chaos, because it's something that can't be killed.

Against Nehelenia, she again refused to fight for the most part and was more saddened for Nehelenia, then angry with her. She didn't kill Nehelenia in SuperS(locked her away) and in Stars, she essentially had her "reborn" as a little princess.

Against Mistress 9 she didn't to fight Hotaru because it would cost Hotaru her life. This even causes Uranus and Neptune to confront her at the end of the season because they didn't think she would have the resolve in future battles. Against Pharaoh 90, she fought, but it was in order to save Sailor Saturn.

In R, she tried to save the "people" who were controlled by Doom Phantom but yes, she did officially kill him, same with Beryl.

I think it has to come down to whether or not the entity she is fighting is really "evil" or just someone who is being controlled by evil. She has essentially ALWAYS tried to save the person who is being controlled by evil, and would only truly fight if the entity she was fighting was the evil itself.

To the topic at hand.

I don't feel like Usagi matured much during R till the very end. I say that it was Chibiusa that matured her through R and S and SuperS(Hotaru had some influence, but it's still mainly her interaction with Chibiusa). In R and most of S, you almost got a "sisterly" vibe between the two of them. Sure Usagi had "control" over Chibiusa, and her actions, but it was more of an older sister control, not a motherly control. It was in SuperS where I started to see Usagi taking a more motherly role and connection to Chibiusa. Usagi's growth throughout SuperS is the ONLY redeeming factor of that season for me.

In Stars, I think it was her separation from Mamoru that matured her the most.