WELCOME TO SEPTEMBER MOON!
I can't believe it only now just occurred to me:
Has it really been a decade since I last read and reviewed these 'Sailor Moon' manga? Even longer than that if I read them all the way through in 2014 or 2015? No wonder I'd forgotten a lot of the details.
And in the case of the Death Busters arc, and 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 7' in particular, it turns out there is a lot of detail that went over my head.
It is a very heavy manga with a great deal going on. Volume 7 may also the darkest volume yet.
Let's dive into this:
The Death Busters are alien mad scientists from the Tau Star System, in another dimension in space. They are looking to take over Earth as the giant corporation/conglomerate/cult/industrial complex Mugen, from a triangular Sankakusu/Mugenzu in the middle of Tokyo. They are possessor aliens who take over human host bodies via eggs, and they steal human "Hostes", or souls, or life force, and survive as "Vessels" on Earth, and produce monstrous Daimons as a result... that may or may not be de-evolved human states (I know, it's complicated, it's best to just roll with it). They have the Taioron Crystal as their life source, but now want the "Legendary Silver Crystal", as it's proven by Sailor Moon to be much more powerful. The Taioron Crystal is the amulet that's been "helping" young Hotaru with her sickness.
The Death Busters do not want destruction, as that would spell death to their invaded planet, with Tokyo/Sankakusu as the "Omega Area", that has attractive light and life energy, so they do not want to gather the three talismans (I presume it was Kaolinite's water mirror that revealed to them the talismans' existence in the first place?). They only want to kill the Sailor Guardians, the "Planet Guardians" with their "radiance", because they are in the way of their plans.
Magus Kaolinite is apparently a witch, with her Witches 5, despite being an alien in a host body (I think...?), and it's shown a single time that she receives power by ripping out a bat's heart (!?). Professor Souichi Tomoe, Hotaru's father, isn't really an alien possessing a human body, but a psychopathic, unethical and corruptible human with a god complex. He experimented on his own daughter, treating her like a doll, after an accident left her body fatally damaged - it was just the meal ticket he wanted. At the end of the volume it is revealed he'd turned himself into a Daimon, or as he puts it, a "super life form" and "alien-human hybrid" (a super-soldier, basically), and he calls himself "the Germatoid" (!!!???).
I've barely scratched the surface. To say the Death Busters' plot is convoluted would be an understatement.
I want to move on to the other big thing in the seventh volume: The Sailors Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, who have "awakened" and are now together; Uranus is the Guardian of the Sky and protector of the Planet of Wind, Neptune is the protector of the Planet of Seas, and Pluto is the protector of the Planet of the Underworld (no longer the guardian of space-time? In this incarnation, anyway?).
They are the Outer Sailor Guardian trio, who since ancient times have watched over Silver Millennium/the Kingdom of the Moon, and served Queen Serenity and Princess Serenity from afar, and have been reborn on Earth in the present like everyone else. Most importantly, they possess the three talismans - Uranus with the Space Sword, Neptune with the Deep Aqua Mirror, and Pluto with the Garnet Orb (part of her Garnet Rod...?). When together, and activated, these talismans awaken Sailor Saturn, the Guardian of Silence and protector of the Planet of Ruin, aka "The Deity of Destruction", the "ultimate enemy", whose existence means a planet's death and nothingness (she lay waste to the original Silver Millennium after the war with the Dark Kingdom and Earth - she caused it to "fall to ruin"... as if the Dark Kingdom, and Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia, weren't enough... and it's not like Sailor Saturn blew up the moon or anything, so... what did she do to Silver Millennium to make it worse than it was? Made sure it was extra
dead? Good job there, it was revived at the end of that arc!). So it is the duty of the Outer Sailor Guardians to stop her rebirth and summoning... but they are together, by choice, and so are their talismans, by choice, and the talismans summon Sailor Saturn, or they warn the Guardian trio of her impending awakening... in the wake of a doomed planet, and they will try to prevent it, or else kill her outright... it's confusing again.
The long and short of it is that the Outer Guardians' mission is to stop the invading alien Death Busters on their own, claiming the Inner Guardians are not strong enough to fight against this enemy... including Sailor Moon, their powerful and revered future queen...?... AND they will kill Sailor Saturn before she awakes and brings about Earth's destruction and ruin.
Sailor Saturn is, big surprise, Hotaru. She is a Sailor Guardian who is not allowed to be awakened, for she is a guardian of death. The Outer Guardians want to kill her before that happens, and of course Sailor Moon and the Inner Guardians - and Chibi-Usa/Sailor Chibi Moon especially - will not stand for murdering a child who is innocent and as of yet knows nothing.
Tension and conflict between the Sailor Guardians rise from the Outers' refusal to work with the Inners, and from this dilemma.
The Outer Guardians are not coldhearted monsters, as they truly believe they are doing the right thing and saving the world. In one understated yet heartbreaking scene/page, they are shown to feel pity towards Hotaru, who is a victim in all of this.
No matter what anyone agrees to, Hotaru eventually awakens... as Mistress 9, partner to Pharoah 90, the big bad of the Death Busters arc. The poor girl, suffering through cybernetic implants in her sick and dying body, done to her by her insane father, after an accident that also killed her mother, had been the unknowing "Vessel" of Mistress 9 the whole time. Thanks to her stealing Chibi-Usa's "Legendary Silver Crystal" - along with her "Hoste", thus leaving her at death's door - Mistress 9 is fully awakened. She proves to be as much of a threat as Sailor Saturn would ever have been.
I want to take this opportunity to talk about what is, in my opinion, volume 7's biggest flaw. It's one that even surpasses the perplexing Death Busters plot and the three Outer Guardians' confusing and contradictory roles.
That flaw is: the bond between Chibi-Usa/Small Lady and Sailor Pluto no longer exists right after the two reunite and hug at the beginning of Act 32. Chibi-Usa's friendship and connection with Hotaru eclipses all else, and Sailor Pluto is practically a different character from how she was in the Black Moon arc. She now only exists for Sailor Uranus/Haruka and Sailor Neptune/Michiru, even in her civilian identity as Setsuna. She exhibits no emotion when Chibi-Usa's "Legendary Silver Crystal" and "Hoste" are torn from her; the little princess would be dead if not for Mamoru giving her his life force and healing properties. Pluto is not shown to care at all. Diana displays worry for her, why not Pluto, as well?!
I think Sailor Pluto's origin was retconned. She guarded the space-time door in its own space-time dimension... and the planet Pluto too in the ancient past, where she watched over Silver Millennium? Or was that a different Sailor Pluto? Her relationship with Chibi-Usa is gone as of Act 32, after the little girl's tearful hugging of her dead friend reborn.
This is maddening, when you consider how the two were one another's only true friend, and were lonely until they found each other, and it was Sailor Pluto's death at the end of the Black Moon arc which caused the devasted Chibi-Usa, as Black Lady, to awaken into her Guardian form, and gain her own "Legendary Silver Crystal", after 900 years.
Such a shame. What a loss of friendship.
However, I will end this ridiculously long rereview with positive observations and quotes:
The other friendship and family themes are not forgotten about. While the Outer and Inner Sailor Guardians flip-flop between loyalty and butting heads and fighting, at least in the end it is clear they will become permanent allies and friends with a shared goal of peace.
Sailor Moon deeply believes everyone should work together and be friends, and she never falters in her benevolent convictions. Her Legendary Holy Grail is activated using the power of all the Sailor Guardians (and the three talismans) - their light and hearts flow into it, and she drinks from the Grail, to become Super Sailor Moon. Now there's a highlight!
The fact that the Legendary Holy Grail appears when Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Chibi Moon come together in love, symbolising their bond that was foreshadowed in the previous volume, when Usagi and Mamoru helped to make Chibi-Usa her Legendary Holy Grail out of clay... absolutely brilliant.
Quotes from Sailor Moon, the guardian of love and justice, and friendship: 'You mustn't be misled! We must unite all our hearts and souls! Combining hearts and battling together is what it means to be Sailor Guardians!', '...I shall... unite everyone's hearts into one...!', "Do you see how united we can be? 'Cuz we're all Guardians, you know! And friends! We're all friends!", 'I want to bring back peace, so people don't have to feel this fear and anxiety anymore!', and 'Yes, everyone always... guides me... with their shining light! When it looks like we're going to get crushed... I always remember... that I have a light within my chest too! Which is everyone's hearts joined into one... All I have to do is believe, and in an instant, that light shines forth. I am... Super Sailor Moon!... the Guardian that shines with the power received from all the others...! I will become the light that will pierce this darkness! I will not lose to any darkness or illusion!'
Sailor Moon/Usagi is such a badass, and demonstrates intelligence, determination, and a pure, unswayed, uncorruptible heart. She possesses the true qualities of a queen and leader.
A thought from the Outer Guardians (it's unclear which one): 'For just an instant, all of our hearts did connect. We had a common desire to help everyone and take down the enemy.'
There remain plenty of touching moments in the manga, and quite literal guiding lights, to balance out the darkness and violence.
That line from Sailor Neptune about Sailor Uranus being "both male and female" and "a Guardian who possesses the strengths of both genders" - it's still weird and nonsensical. Is it supposed to be an explanation for why she is considerably the strongest Sailor Guardian? But they are still all girls, so...? However, nowadays the line could be interpreted as a descriptor of Haruka's genderfluidity. Though she is female-presenting throughout this entire volume, even untransformed. Sailor Uranus talks the most and is the most aggressive of the Outers, and seems to be their leader.
In the end, Sailor Moon, no longer so Super, is with the Outer Sailors, and the Inner Sailors are in distress. Again. The villains/Daimons are killed by Sailor Moon way too easily. But I can't wait for the final confrontation with Mistress 9. And Pharaoh 90 is there too, I guess, though he isn't nearly as interesting; he's yet another formless evil darkness, like Queen Metalia and Death Phantom/Nemesis. I also want to see exactly how Hotaru's disembodied spirit protects the dying Chibi-Usa.
Oh, and Usagi and Chibi-Usa meet the creepy Professor Tomoe and Kaolinite at Hotaru's house before any of the big, final battles happen - can't forget about that instance.
Sailor Jupiter/Makoto loves plants and flowers. An important character trait here.
PHEW! I don't wish to write anymore. I'm exhausted. Volume 7 is exhausting.
All of this was hard to express and put into the right words. Volume 7 is, as I've stated many times now, complicated and convoluted. I still enjoyed most of it, but it was rough overall. A bit much.
Hopefully volume 8 will be easier, breezier, and lighter.
Happy September Moon!
Final Score: 4/5
EDIT: OK, one comedic moment must be mentioned: Usagi uses a computer to research Professor Tomoe and Hotaru, and says she knows how to use one now. Surprise character development touches!
Original Review:
"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 its Guardian's existence means death to planets - such as with the Silver Millennium when it first fell to 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, coldhearted Death Buster member, Professor Souichi 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 must all 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 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 her 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 to 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-sensei 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-sensei 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; a point 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
The long and short of it is that the Outer Guardians' mission is to stop the invading alien Death Busters on their own, claiming the Inner Guardians are not strong enough to fight against this enemy... including Sailor Moon, their powerful and revered future queen...?... AND they will kill Sailor Saturn before she awakes and brings about Earth's destruction and ruin.
Sailor Saturn is, big surprise, Hotaru. She is a Sailor Guardian who is not allowed to be awakened, for she is a guardian of death. The Outer Guardians want to kill her before that happens, and of course Sailor Moon and the Inner Guardians - and Chibi-Usa/Sailor Chibi Moon especially - will not stand for murdering a child who is innocent and as of yet knows nothing.
Tension and conflict between the Sailor Guardians rise from the Outers' refusal to work with the Inners, and from this dilemma.
The Outer Guardians are not coldhearted monsters, as they truly believe they are doing the right thing and saving the world. In one understated yet heartbreaking scene/page, they are shown to feel pity towards Hotaru, who is a victim in all of this.
No matter what anyone agrees to, Hotaru eventually awakens... as Mistress 9, partner to Pharoah 90, the big bad of the Death Busters arc. The poor girl, suffering through cybernetic implants in her sick and dying body, done to her by her insane father, after an accident that also killed her mother, had been the unknowing "Vessel" of Mistress 9 the whole time. Thanks to her stealing Chibi-Usa's "Legendary Silver Crystal" - along with her "Hoste", thus leaving her at death's door - Mistress 9 is fully awakened. She proves to be as much of a threat as Sailor Saturn would ever have been.
I want to take this opportunity to talk about what is, in my opinion, volume 7's biggest flaw. It's one that even surpasses the perplexing Death Busters plot and the three Outer Guardians' confusing and contradictory roles.
That flaw is: the bond between Chibi-Usa/Small Lady and Sailor Pluto no longer exists right after the two reunite and hug at the beginning of Act 32. Chibi-Usa's friendship and connection with Hotaru eclipses all else, and Sailor Pluto is practically a different character from how she was in the Black Moon arc. She now only exists for Sailor Uranus/Haruka and Sailor Neptune/Michiru, even in her civilian identity as Setsuna. She exhibits no emotion when Chibi-Usa's "Legendary Silver Crystal" and "Hoste" are torn from her; the little princess would be dead if not for Mamoru giving her his life force and healing properties. Pluto is not shown to care at all. Diana displays worry for her, why not Pluto, as well?!
I think Sailor Pluto's origin was retconned. She guarded the space-time door in its own space-time dimension... and the planet Pluto too in the ancient past, where she watched over Silver Millennium? Or was that a different Sailor Pluto? Her relationship with Chibi-Usa is gone as of Act 32, after the little girl's tearful hugging of her dead friend reborn.
This is maddening, when you consider how the two were one another's only true friend, and were lonely until they found each other, and it was Sailor Pluto's death at the end of the Black Moon arc which caused the devasted Chibi-Usa, as Black Lady, to awaken into her Guardian form, and gain her own "Legendary Silver Crystal", after 900 years.
Such a shame. What a loss of friendship.
However, I will end this ridiculously long rereview with positive observations and quotes:
The other friendship and family themes are not forgotten about. While the Outer and Inner Sailor Guardians flip-flop between loyalty and butting heads and fighting, at least in the end it is clear they will become permanent allies and friends with a shared goal of peace.
Sailor Moon deeply believes everyone should work together and be friends, and she never falters in her benevolent convictions. Her Legendary Holy Grail is activated using the power of all the Sailor Guardians (and the three talismans) - their light and hearts flow into it, and she drinks from the Grail, to become Super Sailor Moon. Now there's a highlight!
The fact that the Legendary Holy Grail appears when Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Chibi Moon come together in love, symbolising their bond that was foreshadowed in the previous volume, when Usagi and Mamoru helped to make Chibi-Usa her Legendary Holy Grail out of clay... absolutely brilliant.
Quotes from Sailor Moon, the guardian of love and justice, and friendship: 'You mustn't be misled! We must unite all our hearts and souls! Combining hearts and battling together is what it means to be Sailor Guardians!', '...I shall... unite everyone's hearts into one...!', "Do you see how united we can be? 'Cuz we're all Guardians, you know! And friends! We're all friends!", 'I want to bring back peace, so people don't have to feel this fear and anxiety anymore!', and 'Yes, everyone always... guides me... with their shining light! When it looks like we're going to get crushed... I always remember... that I have a light within my chest too! Which is everyone's hearts joined into one... All I have to do is believe, and in an instant, that light shines forth. I am... Super Sailor Moon!... the Guardian that shines with the power received from all the others...! I will become the light that will pierce this darkness! I will not lose to any darkness or illusion!'
Sailor Moon/Usagi is such a badass, and demonstrates intelligence, determination, and a pure, unswayed, uncorruptible heart. She possesses the true qualities of a queen and leader.
A thought from the Outer Guardians (it's unclear which one): 'For just an instant, all of our hearts did connect. We had a common desire to help everyone and take down the enemy.'
There remain plenty of touching moments in the manga, and quite literal guiding lights, to balance out the darkness and violence.
That line from Sailor Neptune about Sailor Uranus being "both male and female" and "a Guardian who possesses the strengths of both genders" - it's still weird and nonsensical. Is it supposed to be an explanation for why she is considerably the strongest Sailor Guardian? But they are still all girls, so...? However, nowadays the line could be interpreted as a descriptor of Haruka's genderfluidity. Though she is female-presenting throughout this entire volume, even untransformed. Sailor Uranus talks the most and is the most aggressive of the Outers, and seems to be their leader.
In the end, Sailor Moon, no longer so Super, is with the Outer Sailors, and the Inner Sailors are in distress. Again. The villains/Daimons are killed by Sailor Moon way too easily. But I can't wait for the final confrontation with Mistress 9. And Pharaoh 90 is there too, I guess, though he isn't nearly as interesting; he's yet another formless evil darkness, like Queen Metalia and Death Phantom/Nemesis. I also want to see exactly how Hotaru's disembodied spirit protects the dying Chibi-Usa.
Oh, and Usagi and Chibi-Usa meet the creepy Professor Tomoe and Kaolinite at Hotaru's house before any of the big, final battles happen - can't forget about that instance.
Sailor Jupiter/Makoto loves plants and flowers. An important character trait here.
PHEW! I don't wish to write anymore. I'm exhausted. Volume 7 is exhausting.
All of this was hard to express and put into the right words. Volume 7 is, as I've stated many times now, complicated and convoluted. I still enjoyed most of it, but it was rough overall. A bit much.
Hopefully volume 8 will be easier, breezier, and lighter.
Happy September Moon!
Final Score: 4/5
EDIT: OK, one comedic moment must be mentioned: Usagi uses a computer to research Professor Tomoe and Hotaru, and says she knows how to use one now. Surprise character development touches!
Original Review:
"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 its Guardian's existence means death to planets - such as with the Silver Millennium when it first fell to 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, coldhearted Death Buster member, Professor Souichi 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 must all 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 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 her 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 to 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-sensei 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-sensei 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; a point 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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