AU where instead of being forced to live in her mom's shadow in EVERY aspect of her life & having nothing of her own, Chibiusa inherits her papa's Earth powers and gets to be the first official Sailor Earth.

who did it better

It’s the age-old debate, granted I’m a little bit late to the party but my thoughts are not. It’s the Who Did It Better? Sailor Moon Edition! The epic battle of moon versus moon! Now keep in mind no matter what I say it is just an opinion, I don’t expect everyone to agree with it, this is Sailor Moon after all, not science. Disagree but be civil alright? Before I start this I was watching Sailor Moon Classic and reading the Sailor Moon manga roughly side by side. When I say I was reading the manga I mean not the manga that you know as manga but little comic book versions that were done chapter by chapter. I want you to also know that I was watching the Classic dubbed version and the errors in the dubbed version translated to the comics as well so at least it was consistent. When I watched the Classic subtitled version I was also reading a better and truer version of the manga (and it was actually a manga) alongside it. So why bother telling you this? I want you to know that my assessment of Sailor Moon Classic and Sailor Moon Crystal are not coming from a place of 90s nostalgia. That’s what a lot of people tend to argue in these debates, and because Crystal follows the manga for what it’s worth I can’t be accused of having that 90s nostalgia for Classic. So let’s break down the categories. Story Art Music Mythos Character likability Character development Ability/Power Growth Pacing I think I have hit most of the categories that tend to come up in a lot of these debates so let's go through them one by one. In terms of story, Sailor Moon Classic takes this category. The reason why Classic takes it over Crystal has everything to do with the fact that Crystal’s story is little more than a regurgitation of the manga and not a very good one. I’d almost rather read the manga for the extra bits that Crystal leaves out, it might not seem important but those little bits add up when telling the story of Sailor Moon. The first story arc of Crystal was already rough, but it turned into a dumpster fire when they tried to execute the Shitennou romance with the Inner Senshi. Classic told it’s own story and I think the execution overall is much better, Crystal felt like it was all over the place, especially in the first two seasons. The third season was better by miles, but it tripped out of the gate when it should have come sprinting out of the gate making it feel like a weak cash grab. No doubt it is, much like it’s shounen brother Dragon Ball Super. In terms of art Sailor Moon Classic also takes this category. Okay so it is not always consistent and it is not up to present-day standards, but that would be an unfair comparison. Sailor Moon Classic came out in the 90 and Sailor Moon Crystal came out in the 20-teens. They ought to be judged based on the standards for their own time right? If I judged Classic against the manga then yes the manga would win, but this is anime vs anime here and the quality for Crystal was just far below what it should have been, the inconsistency is way more jarring than in Classic, and the CGI transformations were cheap and they took me out of the moment. Even season to season they have a hard time staying consistent with the animation, granted season 3 was again an improvement over one and two, but my understanding is that there will be more changes with season 4 (the movie releases). For the music category, Sailor Moon Classic takes it yet again. The only thing I like about Sailor Moon Crystal as far as the music goes is some of the orchestrated stuff, I think that is better than Classic, but overall none of the songs are memorable, none of the transformation music is memorable, most people immediately think Moonlight Densetsu when they think of Sailor Moon and I can honestly say that there was maybe one song I personally enjoyed from Crystal and that was Eternal Eternity. The rest of the OP and ED songs were just forgettable honestly. In the mythos category, finally Sailor Moon Crystal takes it home for the win with the help of the manga because I did think the mythos in the manga was handled better than in Crystal, but Crystal tried. We actually understand our enemies, we know their history, we know their real motivation. Just looking at the first arc of each story as an example in Crystal we learn that Beryl wasn’t just some evil entity without a cause for the sake of being one like in Classic. We understand why she was so enamored by Endymion, where it wasn’t really clear before. She was a witch from Earth who was in love with Endymion and heart broken when he fell in love with Princess Serenity. We learn that the Shitennou were once loyal to the Prince Endymion, but their minds were poisoned against him. We get to see the darker side of Serenity’s anguish over losing Endymion. And one thing I liked was when they actually went to the moon in order to learn all of this history as opposed to being ejected into a different dimension by Kunzite which was just strange. I also like that we learn that all of the Senshi are princesses in their own right and get their powers from their respective castles and they have their own gowns which are awesome and I hope to one day see in Crystal. So congrats to Crystal and the manga by extension for the mythos.   For character likability, Sailor Moon Crystal also takes this category (Crystal might be catching up). For whatever reason so many characters in Classic had their personalities altered to either extreme levels or shitty levels. Mamoru was a total dick and I can see why so many people dislike him, the Classic version of Mamoru was a real jerk especially in season one where he would make fun of Usagi’s weight and he was just borderline verbally abusive...well maybe not borderline, he was. Mamoru in the manga and in Crystal would never talk to Usagi or anyone that way, he may have teased her, but he was never cruel to her and you could see that he loved her much more in Crystal than you can see it in Classic. Usagi, don’t get me wrong I love Usagi, but it’s almost like she reboots every season, just about. We see her grow in one season and she’s just as immature, childish, and insecure in the next season. She’s far more mature in Crystal, even though she is clumsy and a bit of a crybaby at times, though when she grows she grows. Rei is just a straight up bitch in Classic and Chibi-Usa never stops being annoying, the only seasons I liked Chibi-Usa in were the seasons when she wasn’t there. She’s so much better in Crystal and in the manga, she and Usagi have a stronger bond and they care more for each other, and Chibi-Usa does what she can to cheer Usagi up as well. They are not opposing forces as much as they are in Classic. Michiru and Haruka are also woefully changed from the Crystal and manga version. In Crystal they want to work with and to the same ends as Sailor Moon and the others, Haruka desperately loves her princess and you can see how heartbroken she is when she can’t save her or when she fails her (especially in the manga). In the Classic they treat Sailor Moon and the others like they are in the way like they have to earn their respect, they often have different agendas from the Inner Senshi, and they come off as double agents too. Character development. Sorry, I have to hand this to Sailor Moon Classic, this is what I was dreading with Sailor Moon Crystal and anyone who has read the manga and is being honest with themselves should agree that the characters in Crystal and the manga are very much underdeveloped. Their histories, their personalities, their quirks are watered down and when you think you’ve gotten to know one character half a dozen more characters pop up to push them to the back burner. The Inner Senshi are quickly pushed aside when the Outer Senshi show up and you have even more Senshi show up in later arcs that the only characters you really get to know are Usagi, Mamoru, and Chibi-Usa. The others barely get a moment to shine. Ability and power growth goes to Sailor Moon Crystal. I always felt like the other Senshi were constantly lagging behind Sailor Moon in abilities, power growth, and transformations in Classic whereas they grow when Sailor Moon grows in Crystal so we get to see more abilities, transformations, and powers. Even Mamoru gets to be badass in a way that he wasn’t in Classic with his roses, he gets Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber which is pretty badass looking in spite of the name. Pacing is a tie! The pacing is pretty shitty for both of the shows, we can all agree on this much I think. Sailor Moon Classic was running alongside the manga so it kind of had an excuse, it had to have fillers so the manga could catch up. Still, it was stuffed with fillers, some of them I liked and they were fun, some of them were unnecessary and added nothing. Sailor Moon Crystal blows by really quickly, so fast you feel like you don’t get to know the characters very well, you don’t get a flushed out story, in fact, pacing contributes to the reason why Crystal fails in other categories and it kind of has the manga to thank for it. The Overall Winner is! Sailor Moon Classic!  

SAILOR MOON GEMSTONES & MINERALS: SAILOR SATURN

By ~ Mamoru Chiba

Sailor Saturn was born on Saturday, January 6th under the Zodiac sign of Capricorn. Belated Happy Birthday, Hotaru Tomoe! Since it is Sailor Saturn’s fate to be regularly reborn whenever she uses the Silence Glaive, her year of birth can change at any point! She was 12 years old during the S season, when Usagi was 15, then went back to being as a baby and was about 4 and 5 in the Stars season.

NAOKO-SENSEI’S TRAINING IN MINERALS & GEMSTONES: The reason we do this feature is because Naoko Takeuchi named most of her villain characters and associated each of the Senshi with a gemstone or mineral. Takeuchi-sensei studied chemistry in university in preparation to become a pharmacist, and as a result got to know all the lore behind a large variety of minerals and gemstones.  See, she had promised her Dad, if this manga drawing idea didn’t work out, she could always fall back on working in a drug store! ☺  And as you will see, the mineral/gemstone knowledge did NOT go to waste, when that Sailor Moon manga thing worked out in a big way!

CAPRICORN: Hotaru was born on January 6th, under the Zodiac sign of Capricorn.  The ruling planet of Capricorn is Saturn, the Teacher.  The person born on January 6th is known as *The Philosopher* for their spiritual, idealistic, naive and honest approach to life. Their natural gentleness and shyness makes most people dismiss them as childlike and naive, and it is the rare person, like Chibi Usa, who can spot the Capricorn Hotaru’s underlying tremendous energy and intelligence, and value them as friends.

Relationships mean so much to the much to the January 6th person that they tend to give too much to friends and lovers and have to learn to take as well as to give. Thus the shy and lonely Hotaru was overwhelmed with happiness at Chibi Usa’s friendship and didn’t know how to respond.

January 6th people are fragile and easily hurt when their input isn’t valued or they’re not taken seriously. Hence, Hotaru is tremendously hurt when Kaolinite is rude to her, but her personality is too gentle to fight back.  However, January 6th people are a slow burning fire of resentment which can cause them, when hurt, to rebel fiercely and exhibit irresponsible behaviour. Consider that the gentle person being hurt is a person with the awesome destructive powers of Sailor Saturn, and you will conclude it could be a VERY dangerous thing to be unkind to Hotaru!

Apparently January 6th people do finally settle down from their spells of cathartic anger and rebellion around the age of 45. So the Messiah of Silence could settle down and mellow out when she reaches her 40’s? Except, she won’t! Sailor Saturn is reborn and goes back to childhood every time she uses her Silence Glaive of Rage and Chaos. So she’ll never likely reach her 40’s! Good thing she seems to retain her previous memories each time she reincarnates and she grows up fast each time!

Capricorns need to find a place to express their wild side and need to channel their vast inner energy into sport or work or study, preferably surrounded by supportive intelligent friends. This, Hotaru finds, by becoming a Sailor Senshi and by having Chibi Usa as her best friend and having Sailor Pluto, who is also ageless, as her mentor, and, I would argue, her Eternal Timeless Mother.

JANUARY GEMSTONE POEM – THE GARNET:

By her who in this month (January) is born No gem save garnets should be worn; They will ensure her constancy, True friendship, and fidelity.

RED GARNET, PRIMARY JANUARY BIRTHSTONE (TRADITIONAL & MODERN): Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn share one other thing: the gemstone Garnet is special to both of them. I have previously discussed Setsuna’s use of the Garnet as a Talisman in her Garnet Rod, her garnet earrings, and her green garnet hair. Garnet is also the traditional and modern birthstone for the month of January. So we may be sure that Sailor Saturn really likes Pluto’s choice of her favourite gemstone. For more information on the gemstone Garnet, please see this link to the Sailor Pluto gemstone post: https://www.facebook.com/sm.mooniverse/photos/a.795022530564377.1073741918.383581028375198/1266348420098450/?type=3&theater

RED ZIRCON OR JACINTH, JANUARY BIRTHSTONE (ITALIAN OR RUSSIAN CALENDAR):

Zircons stimulate sluggish energy to move, and can have a dynamic effect on your health. They can help a person born in January to let go of feelings of depression and anxiety, which Hotaru might feel after the events of the emergence of the Mistress of Silence, when she recalls losing first her mother, then getting severely injured, and eventually losing her beloved father. I hope that Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru together would be able to help Hotaru let go of the past and look towards a brighter future where she is a respected member of the Senshi team and will in time, be the chief aide to the future next generation Neo Queen Serenity, Chibi Moon. The Sailor Quartet will also be the Next Senshi generation.

The Jacinth stone is a sophisticated orange sparkler that is said to instill wisdom, attract great riches and possess medicinal properties.

[REFERENCES: http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/zircon-crystals.html http://gloriousgiftideas.com/2012/06/19/jacinth/ ]

EMERALD, JANUARY BIRTHSTONE (TIBETAN CALENDAR): For more information on Emeralds, please see Sailor Jupiter’s Gemstone post here: https://www.facebook.com/sm.mooniverse/photos/a.795022530564377.1073741918.383581028375198/817648721635091/?type=3&theater

LAPIS LAZULI, SATURN PLANETARY STONE, FOR CAPRICORN: Lapis Lazuli, a beautiful blue stone often found with lovely gold veins of Pyrite and white patches of Calcite, is associated with the Planet Saturn and with Ambition, Focus, Direction, and Practicality.  Since Saturn is a planet associated with intense focus, and the Silence Glaive is symbolic of the Grim Reaper’s Scythe of Saturn, dealing with death, this gemstone is very appropriate. You’ve heard the Spider-Man slogan, With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility? Well, Lapis Lazuli is the “Be Responsible” Stone.  

Lapis Lazuli is the oldest of blue gemstones, discovered in ancient times before anyone had ever heard of Sapphires. Egyptian pharaohs and the rulers and heads of state of many other nations used Lapis Lazuli to help them bear responsibility and make life or death decisions. It is the gemstone of Purity and Nobility. Cleopatra is said to have used powdered Lapis Lazuli as blue eye shadow. When Sailor Saturn lowers her Silence Glaive, she holds the grave responsibility of planetary life or death in her hands, and so she must choose very very carefully.

The blue colour of the gemstone promotes truth, uprightness, clarity and honesty in communication, and in friendship, the need to take responsibility for what we do and say. It is the stone of Wisdom and helps you face the truth of situations, assess your resources, and do methodical long-term planning. What an excellent and beautiful stone for Hotaru to wear!

JET, OBSIDIAN & ONYX (CAPRICORN STONES): In addition to the gemstones mentioned already, there are certain gemstones that carry Saturn’s planetary power. So if you, like Hotaru, were born under the sign of Capricorn, you should carry dark stones like Jet, Mahogany Obsidian and Black Onyx when you need Saturn's unwavering, dogged determination in your corner.  

BLACK ONYX, CAPRICORN’S TALISMANIC BIRTHSTONE: Bestowing courage and power, a Black Onyx stone is so powerful indeed that the gemstone was assigned by ancient astrologers to the two most ambitious signs of the zodiac, Leo and Capricorn.  Capricorn is a very conscientious industrious sign, and Black Onyx keeps the person born under this Sign grounded as they realize their ambitions. Black Onyx, the Talismanic Stone for Capricorn, also helps you regain your physical strength after you’ve been ill and is very good for past life work. Black Onyx helps you heal old injuries that have their origin in past life trauma; a handy gemstone for the sick weakly young Hotaru, that may help her deal with the injuries she suffered as a young child and regain her past life memories as Sailor Saturn.  (Mamoru, a Leo, also had past life trauma as an injured orphan with amnesia to deal with, and also needed Black Onyx to help him.)

The black onyx stone is also thought to neutralize negative emotions and mental stresses, and stave off external negativity at the same time. Hence, Black Onyx makes a powerful charm both for self-mastery and self-protection.

Mahogany Obsidian may also be helpful in this regard, because it helps clear negative energy, provides protection against psychic attack, and removes psychic implants associated with past life issues (eg. Mistress 9). Jet allows you to draw on the Earth’s energies and channel this energy wherever you want it to go.

Jet, the black gemstone of sympathy, helps soothe pain and grief, an excellent gemstone for young Hotaru dealing with her loneliness and illness.

RUBY, TURQUOISE & BLUE TOPAZ (CAPRICORN STONES): For more information on Turquoises, please see Sailor Jupiter’s Gemstone post here: https://www.facebook.com/sm.mooniverse/photos/a.795022530564377.1073741918.383581028375198/817648721635091/?type=3&theater

For more information on Rubies, please see Sailor Mars’ Gemstone post here: https://www.facebook.com/sm.mooniverse/photos/a.795022530564377.1073741918.383581028375198/871013682965261/?type=3&theater

BLUE TOPAZ FOR TRUE FRIENDSHIP:

Blue Topaz is associated with loyalty and love; either romance or eternal friendship. We can be sure that Small Lady Chibi Usa and Hotaru will be the best of friends and two Senshi fighting as a team for the rest of their long lives. So maybe Chibi Usa can present a blue topaz as a gift for Hotaru to wear as a token of being Best Friends Forever!

[REFERENCE: http://www.jewelrynotes.com/blue-topaz-meaning/ ]

FLUORITE, HOTARU’S PERSONAL FAVOURITE GEMSTONE: 

Fluorite, a very exotic looking stone often with purple at one end and green at the other, helps stimulate your mental processes and have a more organized thinking approach. It is another gemstone associated with the Zodiac sign of Capricorn and Saturn. Fluorite will stimulate your psychic abilities and promotes psychic protection.

REFERENCES:

http://mp3mp6.com/numerology/january-6-birthday-horoscope-personality-the-%20philosopher/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthstone

http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/capricorn-birthstone.html

http://kamayojewelry.com/zodiac-signs-birthstones/capricorn-birth-stone/

http://kamayojewelry.com/gemstones-names/lapis-lazuli-stone-of-royalty/

http://www.starslikeyou.com.au/gemstones/lapis-lazuli/

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/saturn-symbol-meaning.html

http://kamayojewelry.com/gemstones-names/chalcedony-stones/the-black-onyx-stone-of-power/

SAILOR SATURN FAN ART SOURCE: https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=44528184

~ Mamoru Chiba