Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Neptune
Sailor Moon may punish evil in the name of the moon, but she needs all the help she can get. Luckily, she's not only got the handsome and mysterious Tuxedo Mask, but her friends the Sailor Scouts, including the elegant Sailor Neptune.
Tuxedo Mask, aka Mamoru Chiba, is strangely drawn to one Usagi Tsukino, aka Sailor Moon. He's not sure why, but he has to protect and help her--at first, whether he wants to or not, because he has no way of controlling when he turns into Tuxedo Mask. Later, he learns why: in a former life, he was the Prince of Earth, and fell in love with the Princess of the Moon...whose reincarnation is none other than Usagi herself. (That red thread of destiny, always messing with things.) Luckily, Mamoru gets his transformations under control, and seeks his destiny disguised as the tall, dark and enigmatic Tuxedo Mask, dispersing help and advice where needed to Sailor Moon and her friends. He may be destined to end up with her, but it's going to be one interesting journey along the way.
Sailor Neptune, aka Michiru Kaio, joins the Sailor Scouts with her...er..."cousin," Sailor Uranus (Haruka Teno), as part of the later introduction of the "Outer Scouts." Michiru is a violinist of some skill, and lives a life devoted to the arts. When evil rears its ugly head, however, Michiru becomes Sailor Neptune, and can bring the powers of water to bear on her opponents--and if you think water is a poor power, you've never been hit by a tidal wave. Moreover, Neptune's precognitive--she can see the future--and her talisman, the Deep Aqua Mirror, can always tell the truth.
I can't say as I'm a big Sailor Moon fan, but the series itself fascinates me for the effect it had on anime in general and its American popularity in particular. It was one of the first anime to arrive in the States in the mid-1990s, and had a huge impact--though Sailor Moon is a shojo title meant for teenage girls, it became popular with boys as well, with an excellent story and deep characterization. This isn't a cartoon where the girls stay at home and the boys do the fighting!
Interestingly, one of the most controversial changes to the Sailor Moon series came as a result of Sailor Uranus and Neptune. As written, Haruka and Michiru are lesbian lovers. This was far too controversial for North American and European anime distributors, so various excuses were made for their close relationship--the most infamous being that they were cousins. The mid-1990s just weren't ready for lesbian Sailor Scouts.
When my friends Kristen and Marlesa dressed up as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Neptune on the last day of GFGR 2014, I most definitely had to get a picture. Kristen was posing up a storm in her letter-perfect Mamoru cosplay, so I ran back to my hotel room and got my camera. By the time I got back, Marlesa had arrived as Sailor Neptune. The lighting's not perfect, but I love the pose. The fact that both are wonderful people and fantastic cosplayers doesn't hurt in the least.
Evil better watch out, in daylight or otherwise.
Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Neptune
Sailor Moon may punish evil in the name of the moon, but she needs all the help she can get. Luckily, she's not only got the handsome and mysterious Tuxedo Mask, but her friends the Sailor Scouts, including the elegant Sailor Neptune.
Tuxedo Mask, aka Mamoru Chiba, is strangely drawn to one Usagi Tsukino, aka Sailor Moon. He's not sure why, but he has to protect and help her--at first, whether he wants to or not, because he has no way of controlling when he turns into Tuxedo Mask. Later, he learns why: in a former life, he was the Prince of Earth, and fell in love with the Princess of the Moon...whose reincarnation is none other than Usagi herself. (That red thread of destiny, always messing with things.) Luckily, Mamoru gets his transformations under control, and seeks his destiny disguised as the tall, dark and enigmatic Tuxedo Mask, dispersing help and advice where needed to Sailor Moon and her friends. He may be destined to end up with her, but it's going to be one interesting journey along the way.
Sailor Neptune, aka Michiru Kaio, joins the Sailor Scouts with her...er..."cousin," Sailor Uranus (Haruka Teno), as part of the later introduction of the "Outer Scouts." Michiru is a violinist of some skill, and lives a life devoted to the arts. When evil rears its ugly head, however, Michiru becomes Sailor Neptune, and can bring the powers of water to bear on her opponents--and if you think water is a poor power, you've never been hit by a tidal wave. Moreover, Neptune's precognitive--she can see the future--and her talisman, the Deep Aqua Mirror, can always tell the truth.
I can't say as I'm a big Sailor Moon fan, but the series itself fascinates me for the effect it had on anime in general and its American popularity in particular. It was one of the first anime to arrive in the States in the mid-1990s, and had a huge impact--though Sailor Moon is a shojo title meant for teenage girls, it became popular with boys as well, with an excellent story and deep characterization. This isn't a cartoon where the girls stay at home and the boys do the fighting!
Interestingly, one of the most controversial changes to the Sailor Moon series came as a result of Sailor Uranus and Neptune. As written, Haruka and Michiru are lesbian lovers. This was far too controversial for North American and European anime distributors, so various excuses were made for their close relationship--the most infamous being that they were cousins. The mid-1990s just weren't ready for lesbian Sailor Scouts.
When my friends Kristen and Marlesa dressed up as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Neptune on the last day of GFGR 2014, I most definitely had to get a picture. Kristen was posing up a storm in her letter-perfect Mamoru cosplay, so I ran back to my hotel room and got my camera. By the time I got back, Marlesa had arrived as Sailor Neptune. The lighting's not perfect, but I love the pose. The fact that both are wonderful people and fantastic cosplayers doesn't hurt in the least.
Evil better watch out, in daylight or otherwise.