"Combining hearts and battling together is what it means to be Sailor Guardians!"
These new edition covers are gorgeous, aren't they? Sailor Uranus and all the other Guardians are beautifully drawn.
But anyway, there is a lot going on in Volume 7; a big chunk of pages for manga. The gist is:
More techno-babble, more of the Death Busters gathering hostes - or human souls - and creating human vessels for Daimons - all for a plan of conquering the world as their "second mother planet" from their own Tau Star System. Sailor Pluto has been reborn as a human, Setsuna Meioh. Has she been the Guardian of the planet Pluto, or of Space-Time, in her past life, or both? Are the two versions even the same person? It's not exactly clear. But she's back, and together with Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune they want to prevent each of their talismans from activating the awakening of the Goddess of Ruin, aka the Deity of Destruction, aka Sailor Saturn, aka the Guardian of Silence. Saturn is considered a taboo planet, and it's Guardian's existence means death to planets - such as with the Silver Millennium when it first fell into ruin. Hotaru Tomoe is Sailor Saturn reborn, and the cold and mature Outer Senshi plan on killing her before she fully awakens as a Guardian - thus preventing the end of the world. Sailor Moon and the rest of the Inner Senshi are naturally against this taking of a human life, and so the Inner and Outer Guardians refuse to be allies, much less friends; their ways of life and mission objectives are too different. However, Sailor Moon, always the loving and hopeful one, firmly believes that all the Guardians can work together. She is proven right when, in the heat of a terrifying battle with an enemy minion, Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi-Moon and Tuxedo Mask (who miraculously is one of the few characters not to get brainwashed in this arc) - a family of three - summon the Legendary Holy Grail. All the heroes' powers/hearts combine to fill this chalice. Brimming with light, it gives Sailor Moon new power - and she becomes Super Sailor Moon! Hotaru is a cyborg - after an accident years ago she was changed by her father, the eccentric, cold-hearted Death Buster member, Professor Soichi Tomoe, who cares nothing for humanity, and wants to do further genetic experimentation with Daimons. Hotaru’s secret state is discovered by Chibiusa, and she is left feeling depressed and alone. She is also revealed to be possessed by a Daimon of Pharaoh 90 - she turns into Mistress 9, and steals poor Chibiusa's Legendary Silver Crystal and soul! Now Chibiusa is dying, and the Guardians all must collaborate and fight the Death Busters at their source - their alien lair in the private, prestigious Mugen Academy.
Teamwork, friendship and magic combine! And with so many premonitions of death and destruction in their wake - adding up to the horrifying prospect of having to murder a child - this could well be the greatest challenge the Sailor Guardians have ever faced. Heck, Sailor Saturn's existence is also said to be an accident of fate; something not connected with the future of Neo-Queen Serenity and Crystal Tokyo. Timelines can alter, then. Constantly.
Sailor Saturn/Hotaru is a depressed and depressing character, but not in a negative way when it comes to storytelling and character development. Her whole existence is considered taboo - a mistake - and whose solitary role is supposedly to bring ruin and death to planets; leaving silence in her wake. There is an air of mystery and the ethereal macabre about her concept. Her civilian form is a Gothic, misunderstood and sickly child. When she fears losing Chibiusa, her only friend, Hotaru falls into a deep depression, finding no reason to live, to suffer through her pain anymore. This not only leaves further incentive for Mistress 9 to take over her body, but it could sadly be a subconscious self-awareness of her identity as the Guardian of Silence and Ruin. If the universe fates her to be alone and bring unto others death, maybe that's how she should feel, regardless of her mortal, bodily condition. It's really tragic. It would take someone like Sailor Moon to be friends with her and show her a life of hope and possible freedom from pain; giveth or taketh. Also a cyborg Guardian is cool - likely a left-over concept brought back by Takeuchi-san after scrapping the idea of Sailor Mercury being a cyborg to match her intelligence.
Sailor Moon continues to keep moving forward in the midst of impossible decision-making; all the while never losing sight of love, and understanding the importance of compassion, companionship and support. Like a true leader. It’s a test to prove she is worthy to be queen someday. She quite literally becomes a beacon of hope as Super Sailor Moon. As an ordinary civilian, Usagi starts using computers to research information about suspected enemies - she is growing stronger and smarter all the time! More resourceful, too, when coming up with plans to save everyone and stop evil. Even when she's uncertain, scared or confused, Sailor Moon's conscience remains pure. No matter the circumstances, she always strives to do what's right.
In this volume also is the strange statement by Sailor Neptune that Sailor Uranus is both male and female (the reader is given glimpses of those two partners engaging in great, humorous reactions and banter with each other, BTW). A translation error perhaps? Since Takeuchi-san has said that Haruka is and always has been a girl, and that only girls can be Sailor Guardians.
To conclude this long-ass review of a long-ass manga, Volume 7 is a high-octane, fast-yet-steadily-paced roller coaster ride. It might be the scariest edition yet, without being too uncomfortable, though it isn't for younger readers. This Magical Girl series can be really dark, and it delves into meaningful subjects, themes and symbolism. But when there is darkness, there shines a bright light which gives a promise of peace and hope. This is the role of Sailor Moon herself, overall, which is made more apparent here.
Enough for now. Moving on to Volume 8 - the conclusion to the Death Busters arc, and Hotaru's fate!
Final Score: 5/5
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