by Garath the Shadowshifter » Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:48 am
Well I finally did it. Took me many years to track down and watch the missing seasons, but I finally got to do just that.
Sailor Moon had a rocky start with me. So it's funny how this all ends.
Long ago a local TV station near my house use to play random cartoons and other shows. The station was called C43 and let me enjoy such great shows like Mighty Max, and Ronin Warriors. I first came upon it when a random episode of Ronin Warriors was playing. To which I became an instant fan. I watched it till it ended and restarted, giving me a chance to catch all the episodes I had missed.
But then one day Ronin Warriors was replaced by Sailor Moon. A show obviously aimed at girls. I was outraged. Pissed that this girly show had taken the place of my belovid Ronin Warriors. I refused to watch even one episode.
Fast forward a year or two later, and the USA Network was playing it's 'Cartoon Express' in which I would catch (or record) to get such great shows like Gargoyles and another chance at seeing Mighty Max. Well somewhere in between these they'd play Sailor Moon.
Knowing it was silly to hate it just because it took the place of Ronin Warriors, and that it wasn't taking the place of anything in this block. (Well that and I was a bit curious) I decided to let an episode be recorded and watch it for myself.
I laughed at the sillyness of it all. I can't really remember which episode I started with (only that at one point the road get torn up) but I couldn't believe the rediculasness of the name Tuxedo Mask. (which I first thought was Tuxedo Man)
But hey, it was entertaining silly, so I continued to record and watch it.
I still don't know when it began to happen. But as time went by, I began to look forward to Sailor Moon. The story was something that grabbed me almost instantly. The characters were so well played that I couldn't help but see them as real people. Everything about the show began to truly appeal to me. Tuxedo Mask stopped sounding silly and became needed. I'd never be able to see him named anything else, or be any different then he was.
It was the same for every character. They were they way they were because it just felt right. Time moved on for them, and with it they grew.
The show started my first ever crush. That of Sailor Mercury aka Amy Mizuno (who oddly enough I found out MUCH later shares my birthday.) Even though I felt stupid to have a crush on an animated person who obviously wasn't real. There was no stopping it.
I also began to feel a strong connection with Serena aka Sailor Moon herself. I didn't like her in a romantic sense, or even a crush. I just liked her. Everything about her. Her flaws were part of her charm, and I'd not have her be any other way.
In time the show began to awaken something in me. Weither it was hope, or belief in myself. It made me grow along with it. I found myself loving the show more then any other anime I'd ever seen, or have seen to this day.
Serena was someone I respected and looked up to. No matter her flaws, she had a heart of gold, and no matter what crisis she faced, she'd always have the will to come out strong in the end. I was truely inspired by her.
I know I became obsessive with the show at some point. Knowing things about it that your casual fan never would. I've sought out and found all I can about Sailor Moon. I despertly waited for the next episode of the series. Getting pissed that I could never find past a certain point in the Sailor Moon R season.
Course later I found out it was because the USA never got the last few episodes. Not untill Toonami showed them. I recall at the time I had no cable where I was staying, so I FORCED a friend to record the episodes for me so I could finally complete the season.
For the longest time that was all I had. I discovered about the final three seasons, but watching them seemed hopeless. DiC had never dubbed them and it wasn't possible they ever would.
But since Sailor Moon had been so popular on Toonami, I had hope, and it paid off. Sailor Moon S, and Sailor Moon SuperS finally made their way to the airwaves. Dubbed by cloverway, this allowed me to continue the saga of Serena and her friends.
Though the cloverway dub took away one of the things that made me fall so madly in love with the show. I still remained a fan, and could still feel the warm feeling the show had awakened in me, ever since I had first found it.
The change if you are wondering, was the music. DiC had redone the music to most of the show, giving it a much different feel then the Japanese music did. Though most people preffer their anime uncut and undubbed. With Sailor Moon, I'll always be a full dub supporter. For the DiC versions anyway. I love the music DiC gave the show. I still to this day think it fist the series better then the Japanese music ever will.
I of course also felt bad about the voices being changed. The characters just didn't sound the way I had enjoyed them to. But it couldn't be helped. That's what happens when a new company dubs something.
Unfortantly for me Sailor Moon S was the last season I ever saw. Shortly after it's run I lost cable again and was never able to get it back for any of Sailor Moon SuperS.
My only other Sailor Moon fix after that was from the movies, which were a bigger surpise then I'd have thought.
Though thinking back, I believe the movies came BEFORE Sailor Moon S was dubbed, it was still just what I had wanted from Sailor Moon. The orginal voices, the orginal music DiC had given it. Everything was just as I remembered, and though R (The movie) was a little shaky (I've chalked it up to the VA's getting use to the roles again) and SuperS (the movie) Just wasn't all 'that' great. Sailor Moon S the Movie remains my second favorite movie of all time. I really doubt that'll ever change.
The years went by, and while I still loved Sailor Moon. That was all I was able to see. At one point I got about half of Sailor Stars fansubbed on VHS (borrowed from someone in an anime club I was in for a short time. He only had half of the series then nothing else) But it was a nice little treat. I was kinda glad I didn't get to finish it at the time, being I had to skip SuperS.
Well about four or so months ago, a friend of mine got a DVD set of SuperS from a friend and let me borrow it. The cloverway dub soon began to play on my TV, and the missing season of Sailor Moon was finally complted by me. All that was left was Sailor Stars.
I had all of it via fansub and the internet for a while, but a friend gave me DVDs to watch (most likely these are malasian cut together DVDs, made to sell for a quick buck, but they work...) So I had the final season of Sailor Moon all ready for me.
Well I hesitated for a few weeks, getting ready for other stuff, but I fnally sat down this week to watch it all. (Including the episodes I had seen already, because it was 2000/2001 when I last watched Stars. I remembered little)
Tonight at 12:30pm almost excatly I finished watching the FINAL episode of Sailor Moon ever.
Well... I feel sad.
Back when I was still trying to find the last two seasons (or more of the season of SuperS as I had Stars) I always knew that more Sailor Moon awaited me. It wasn't over for me yet.
But now it is.
There is no more Sailor Moon. Nor will their ever be again. I'll never be able to see Serena and the gang again unless it's via the past through repeating what I've already seen.
I know they are just cartoon characters. Trust me I do. But they had become so much more to me at some point. I just can't believe I'll never meet them again.
Of course those who have REALLY talked to me know of my secret with Sailor Moon.
So obsessed did I once become with the show, that I despertly wished I was part of it. But not just to find myself in the world. I had created an entire history of myself to fit in.
I wanted to be Serena's brother. I wanted it -BAD- Even to the point as to recall a dream I had so long ago, that I may have forced myself to believe that it had Sailor Moon in it.
The dream for those I've never told: [It dealt with me being at school (back in elementary. I was like first grade, maybe second) I remember looking out my classroom window, and instead of seeing the row of houses that were suppose to be right by my school, I saw a large place of ruins. The building looked to be of roman design with the broken white pilars and everything. Much like what was on the moon kingdom for those who've seen them. I remember a women calling to me from these ruins. So of course I ran to find her. She came to me from the darkness of the inside. I don't recall really what she looked like, but she had a very warm glow. My mind wishs me to remember her as Queen Serenity aka Serena's Moon Kingdom mother. But I'm not sure if she really did, or as stated, I made the memory become that way.
I do know what happened next however: She told me that she had been searching for me for a long time. That there was someone who had wanted to meet me for a long time. She told me that I had a sister. One who I had lost long ago. She took me into another room and inside that room was a small girl with blond hair. She was looking up into a crack in the cealing. Her hands and arms against her chest in a prayer. The light from the clealing rained down upon her, causing her to shine brillantly. Now my memory is a bit fuzzy here too. While I'm sure her hair wasn't in the style Serena always wears hers in, I think she was dressed in white. Possibly even the Moon Kingdom Dress Serena wears.]
I recall nothing else of the dream. But if it's true that it was Sailor Moon and Queen Serenity in that dream. Then I had the dream a good many years before Sailor Moon was even BROUGHT to america. Not only that but a good few years before there even WAS an anime. Possibly even manga. There is no chance I saw anything of Sailor Moon before that dream. So to this day I wish I could see it clearly, because it baffles me.
It however, lead me to the creation of my story. It changed many times over the years, and probably still will.
Thanks to MSF, a large part of it actually came to be, and I have to thank this place ever so much for helping in the creation of something that has had such a HUGE effect on my life to date.
Long ago, when Sakura still ruled the boards, she decided to have mods be called "Princess's" I'm sure most of you know this, or have been told of it before. Garath was at first known as an 'ArchDuke' being I still didn't care to pretend to be a girl when I really wasn't. But finally I ended up giving in, and Miyuko was born.
Miyuko in time became much more then just a false persona I'd take upon the MSF boards. She eventually became what I'd see myself as in the Sailor Moon universe.
Miyuko is the twin sister of Serena herself. (Not identical twins, fraternal twins) While Serena was to be Princess of the Moon and controll the Silver Millenium Crystal. Miyuko was the 'balance' to Serena. The Princess of the Dark Side of the Moon. She held the power of the Dark Millenium Crystal. A Crystal that while it shown brightly with dark light. It was in no way evil.
However, it was still more easily influanced by evil, and so when Queen Beryle with the power of the Negaverse, began to make plans to overthrow the moon. She orginally tried to get Miyuko on her side. Miyuko though could feel the darkness trying to take control, and so stole away with the Dark Millenium Crystal. Attempting to use it's power to free herself from the infecting evil, she ended up doing something else entirly. Being un-trained in the use of it's power, she lost control and caused her body to be destoried. Her soul to be resserected elsewhere along with her crystal.
The Queen (Serenity) Devistated by the loss of one of her daughters. Decided to seal away the memory of her from her subjects untill she may find a time reclaim her lost daughter. That and it was this event that tipped her off to the approcing danger that lead to Serena and Daren's dance. (I recall Serena being worried of the rumors of war or whatnot)
Unfortantly as we all know, the Silver Millenium was ended soon after. Miyuko being lost to the cosmos.
The way the story works is that the soul collided with a being known as a Shadowshifter, who had already taken on it's male form. The ShadowShifter being unable to deal with such a soul set to re-birth itself, was overwhelmed and became the new vessil for said soul. To explain more of this would require me to explain what ShadowShifters are, and that's not the topic of this thread.
It's been a long thread, and if you stuck around to read it all I'm truely gratefull.
While I know that Miyuko isn't real, I'm not going to become Serena's long lost sister, or even get to meet her as she's not a real person, and the Sailor Moon Universe is not a real place. I'll never be able to stop wishing. I still dont' know everything about Miyuko. I know she has a gaurdian cat, but gender and name still escape me to this day.
Though thanks to Sailor Stars, I FINALLY know what Miyuko transforms into: Silver Sailor Moon.
I've traveled with Sailor Moon to look forward to for a good portion of my life now. But from this day on, that ends.
It's going to feel a bit more lonely now that I have to walk this path without being able to look forward to more adventures with the girl I see as my sister.
Perhaps if I'm lucky. I'll enjoy a dream with her sometime. ^_^
Thanks for reading everyone. Sailor Moon remains as one of the biggest influances upon my life. I'm really sad to see it end, and yet glad I was able to be here when it did.
This Party's Getting CRAZY! LET'S ROCK!!