#moon 188

[pikaclan]

Moon 188

SplinterClan

Accessory!

Mates!

Deirdre joins the Clan; she is intact

A mysterious outbreak of yellowcough breaks out

[lloydfrontera]

"... okay." I can do it. I want to do it. Getting old. For some people, it might just be something they don't like. But is there any other hope more desperate than that for someone who is deathly sick? A life of growing old normally, slowly fading away in the arms of one's family like a simple candle. I want to be like that too. Someday, in the distant future, I want to sit down with my children and grandchildren and close my eyes like that. I want to grow older. I want to grow old. I want to complain and pat my back and knees, which are becoming increasingly uncomfortable every year. Like that, I want to be normal.

evil and twisted as fuck to do this actually. like. goddamn. making your protagonist go the entire plot wishing for more time, just one more day, wanting to grow old and peacefully pass away in the arms of his family... and then making him immortal so he will never grow old, he will never die, he gets as many days as he wanted and so, so, so many he didn't, doomed to see the people he loves grow old and die and leave him behind. holy fuck.

[erinptah]

pluralstories: draft submission for Moon Knight (Comics)

A writeup of the Moon Knight comics for pluralstories! I’m posting a draft here first, so I can share it around with other fans and get feedback. Because with 40+ years of issues to go through, the odds that I’ve forgotten or misremembered something are…high. Specific things to look for: Things to warn for? There’s no formal list of required warnings, and I’m assuming “canon-typical superhero…

[chaos-cauldron]

[raiynnah]

Outsider POV

@wolfstarmicrofic - word count: 188

“Shut up!” Sirius shouts through his giggles, batting away Remus’ hand. Remus looks both smug and smitten at having Sirius’ attention all to himself. They often act like this, James has noticed, caught up in their own little utopia. Despite Sirius practically being his brother, sometimes he’s a bit jealous of their friendship.

“Never,” Remus whispers into Sirius’ ear, pushing a black lock of hair behind it. There’s an unidentifiable glint in his eyes.

“You’re impossible, Moony,” Sirius says, his smile dripping through his voice and wrinkling at the corners of his eyes. He reels Remus in by his Gryffindor tie, whispering something back. Remus’ face flushes. Despite their best efforts, it seems like he still can’t receive compliments, even if they come from his friends.

“You’re too sweet, Pads.”

“Only for you, Moons.”

James glances over to Peter, who looks incredibly done for some reason. He must’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed or however the saying goes. James isn’t sure, he only just learned it from Lily. No matter, they’re all such good friends that Peter will be forced to cheer up immediately!

[pokemonheritageposts]

Top 10 mimikyu please? :)

something about this funky lil guy makes tcg artists go ham

10. Mimikyu (illus. Saya Tsuruta, Sun & Moon Promo #163)

9. Mimikyu (illus. Mitsuhiro Arita, Sun & Moon Promo #29)

8. Mimikyu (illus. HYOGONOSUKE, Sun & Moon - Cosmic Eclipse 96/236)

7. Mimikyu VMAX (illus. Naoki Saito, Sword & Shield - Brilliant Stars TG17/TG30)

6. Mimikyu (illus. Ligton, Sword & Shield - Lost Origin 80/188)

5. Mimikyu (illus. Mitsuhiro Arita, Scarlet & Violet Promo #75)

4. Mimikyu (illus. Yuka Morii, Sun & Moon - Cosmic Eclipse 97/236)

3. Mimikyu (illus. You Iribi, Sun & Moon - Cosmic Eclipse 245/236)

2. Mimikyu V (illus. saino misaki, Sword & Shield - Brilliant Stars TG16/TG30)

1. Mimikyu (illus. Hasuno, Sun & Moon Promo #289)

[wisteriaiswriting]

Hello could I request headcannons of the Hazbin Hotel Crew/Staffs and maybe others reactions to a batman or moon knight like hero appearing in hell and somehow drastically taking down its crime. (Let's just say they got the information from the news or word of Mouth)

Justice in Hell

Words: 188

He is very interested as soon as he hears the news.

“Someone down in hell, doing good? That’s new.”

It’s likely the first time you meet is when you try to take him down.

He won’t let you, but really enjoy this ongoing game of ‘cat and mouse’ or as he’d rather call it, ‘bat and deer.’

Might’ve heard of you around, but mainly from Valentino, who stormed into the studio ranting about some ‘Bat freak getting a hit on him!’

This only makes him more curious, as there are so many people who enjoy hurting or killing Valentino, but have never gotten a hit.

Asks around for any information he can get, which includes sending others to find you.

No matter what he will flirt with you.

She is so happy that there's someone else actually doing good in hell!

But she’s not so glad at the way you go about it.

Would be willing to look past your tactics for… certain demons. (Cough* Valentino)

Will be very happy to welcome you into the hotel, ignoring what the others say.

Is slightly surprised when he notices the recent lack of crime.

Even more shocked when he gets told the fact it’s one person successfully doing it.

He tries to not get in your way in case you try to attack him. (He doesn’t have the… best past.)

Also silently admires you. (Also questions why, there’s not really anyone worth saving as it is hell.)

Is another one shocked at the news.

He does everything to avoid you and anything that involves you.

I can not say the same for his eggs though.

They will be all up in your business whether you want them to or not.

[mikufunfacts]

miku what is your opinion on gillion tidestrider, champion of the undersea, hero of the deep, etc etc?

miku fun fact #188

miku may or may not be a fan of Sir Gillion Tidestrider

, Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, Pigeon Lord, The One, Warrior of Rock and Roll, Singer/Songwriter of Gillion and the Tidestriders' hit single "The Hole in Your Heart", Moisture Master, Horse Tamer, Defenestrator of the Adulterous, Friend of Dugon, Dugon's Best Friend, Dugon's Pal, Walking Fish, Fish, Dirt Eater, Chum of Chibo and Chums, Co-Captain Gill of the Riptide Pirates, Co-captain of the Albatross, Companion of Pretzel, Paramount Champion, Knighter of Julian That One Time, Pretzel Carrier, Leviathan Tamer, Serpent Rider, Brother of Dugon, Healer of the Sick, Friend of Duke D Dukem Duke of Dooke, Eater of Grass, Beater of Ass, Grandma's Good Boy, Dismantler of Evil, Eater of Shit, Capitalism Hater, Royalty Assassinator, Sufferer of the Spice, Weed Eater, Slayer of Evil, Loffinlot Liberator, Fruitninja, Eater of Sand, Juice Enjoyer, Rescuer of John, Fishy, Bitcoin Miner, NFT Purchaser, Driplord, Grandmillion, The One Who Will Change The World, Roller of Tens, Grimm Slayer, In Need of a Dad, Goblin Gobbler, Lime Lord, Tuber, Chip's Nightmare Fuel, Monsoon And Moon Son, Eater of Ass, Pretzel Seeker, Vibe Master, Pussy Slayer, Murderer of Vice Admiral Kuba Kenta, Gillion Mother-fucking Titty-sucking Tidestrider, Egg Hater, Bong Obliterator, Baby signer, Babygirl, The Red One, Skillion Liedsneaker, Fishy Boy, Tidestrizzer, Rizz Reverent, Jort Storm, Hero of the Hour, Popper of Sacks, Tree Hugger, Summoner Rider, Brother of Lucy and Gilly!

[du-sailarar-nerilia]

Alagaësia Lore And Headcanons Series, Part 1: The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka

Not sure how exactly this series would be structured just yet, but in this post I will try to compile all the information we have on the Ra'zac and my personal headcanons about the species

-mod Mist

Appearance and Behavior

The species has three known forms - eggs, which are blue-black and "pitted like sandstone", the "pupae" - the Ra'zac, and the adults, the Lethrblaka. The existence of a fourth form is strongly implied (more on that later).

The Ra'zac have a vaguely humanoid bipedal posture with hunched backs. Though distinctly strange, they seem to be able to fool humans for quite long - the imperial soldiers under their authority in Eldest must have worked with them for at least weeks and did not seem to recognize them as non-humans.

Their appearance is probably best described in Eldest, p. 185: "A hideous, tortured face screamed at him. The skin was shiny black, like a beetle carapace. The head was bald. Each lidless eye was the size of his fist and gleamed like an orb of polished hematite; no iris or pupil existed. In place of a nose, mouth, and chin, a thick beak hooked to a sharp point that clacked over a barbed purple tongue."

Another description comes from Inheritance (p. 196), of a newborn Ra'zac: "The Ra’zac had a deep, ridged chest that made it look as if its ribs were on the outside of its body, not the inside. The creature’s limbs were thin and knobby, like sticks, and its waist was narrower than any human’s. Each leg had an extra backward-bending joint, something that Eragon had never seen before, but which accounted for the Ra’zac’s unsettling gait. Its carapace appeared soft and malleable, unlike those of the more mature Ra’zac Eragon had encountered. No doubt it would harden in time."

The lethrblaka are much larger and winged, also described in detail in Eldest, p. 188: "Their bodies were naked and hairless—like newborn mice—with leathery gray skin pulled tight across their corded chests and bellies. In form they resembled starved dogs, except that their hind legs bulged with enough muscle to crush a boulder. A narrow crest extended from the back of each of their attenuated heads, opposite a long, straight, ebony beak made for spearing prey, and cold, bulbous eyes identical to the Ra’zac’s. From their shoulders and backs sprang huge wings that made the air moan under their weight."

This description, at least to me, strongly brings to mind old outdated art of pterosaurs that are often depicted as grey, emaciated bat-like monsters:

Rhamphorhynchus, W Francis Phillips

Quetzalcoatlus, William Stout

Pteranodon, Zdeněk Burian

According to Oromis, a Ra'zac will shed its exoskeleton on the first full moon of the twentieth year since its hatching (Eldest, p. 357). This would mean the Ra'zac also have a whole endoskeleton underneath their exoskeleton, or that the endoskeleton forms later and is possibly not made of bone.

The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka both feed on humans. While the Lethrblaka can feast on anything, the Ra'zac prefer human flesh. Based on the frequency of offerings by the priests of Helgrind, a Ra'zac needs to feed at least thrice a month (Brisingr, p. 5)

The Lethrblaka (and presumably the Ra'zac as well) have metallic blue-green blood. This sounds a lot like their blood is based on hemocyanin similar to insects, or some other similar substance (since hemocyanin is more transparent blue).

In Eragon (p. 64), Brom expresses bewilderment at the Ra'zacs' ability to replicate human speech. Since they have beaks, it is likely that they mimic speech the same way corvids and parrots do using their syrinx, which erases the issue of lacking lips. Though the Ra'zacs' voices are notably hissy (the way they are shown in dialogues), they likely struggle with sibilants or possibly replace these sounds with hisses as the nearest equivalent. Lethrblaka seem to lose the ability to mimic human language.

Their own langauge, which they share with lethrblaka, is a series of clicks, hisses, whistles, warbles and other sounds that are described as similar to either birds or insects.

In Brisingr, while debating making a pact with Eragon, the last Ra'zac makes a series of noises to himself. This may be either simply him talking to himself or alternatively, a way to express his emotional state. In other passages of the books, the Ra'zac react with hisses and screeches when angry or frustrated. It is possible that due to their hard exoskeleton, lidless eyes and stiff beaks, they make up for their ability to show their mood via facial expressions by expressing their feelings with different noises.

The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka seem to form close bonds among themselves - the Ra'zac show great respect to their parents, and the last Ra'zac seems to mourn his "hatchmate" enough to wish to disobey Galbatorix and avenge her death by killing Eragon.

Abilities

They are shown to be much stronger, faster and able to jump higher than humans. It's a question whether they are weaker, equal to or stronger than elves.

Their physical strength also makes them formidable swordfighters. It is possible they forge their own weapons, since their swords are described as unique in Alagaësia.

They have highly acute senses, most notably their eyesight, which lets them see perfectly under low-light conditions including near total darkness, and their sense of smell. Smell seems to be their primary sense, they are said to be able to track prey like a bloodhound and to never forget a smell.

They possess an "evil breath" that presumably contains toxic fumes that reduce the ability to think clearly, to the point of paralysis. This is the most effective on humans, barely affects dwarves and does not affect elves at all (Eldest, p. 357).

In multiple scenes they are also shown to have some kind of power over humans merely by looking at them. It is not certain whether this is strictly the effect of their poison breath or if they can use some sort of hypnosis.

The Ra'zac are described as "cunning and full of guile" (Eragon, p. 64) but "narrow-minded" (Eldest, p. 359). The Lethrblaka on the other hand "have all the intelligence of a dragon. A cruel, vicious, and twisted dragon" (same page).

They use Seithr oil, but it is unlikely that they produce it, since its creation requires magic (Eragon, p. 100).

Weaknesses - according to Oromis they are terrified of water since they cannot swim. Their highly developed eyesight also makes them vulnerable to sunlight and any other sharp light, which seems to be strong enough to cause physical pain.

Magic and True Names

The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka cannot use magic and their minds cannot be detected by magic users, as can be seen when they take Eragon and Saphira by surprise at Helgrind

There is also the reasons why they serve Galbatorix. According to the priest at Helgrind, he "stole their eggs and killed their young, and he forced them to swear fealty to him lest he eradicate their line entirely" (Inheritance, p. 192). Galbatorix prefers to control his servants through their True Names (such as Murtagh or the burrowing grubs from Vroengard he used to torture Nasuada), however, it seems that this was not the case since the last Ra'zac was able to disobey Galbatorix when attempting to kill Eragon in Brisingr.

All in all, some of the anomalous characteristics in terms of magic the Ra'zac possess are similar to the mutated species from Vroengard, such as the snalglí which seem to be immune to magical wards (Inheritance, p. 332)

This leads me to believe that the Ra'zac as a species somehow exist outside the framework of the Ancient Language and therefore lack True Names

We know that it is possible to give creatures a True Name (the sundavrblaka and íllgrathr, Inheritance, p. 532), but such thing is only possible using the Name of Names. Galbatorix is only shown controlling the grubs in Inheritance, after he has already learned the Name, which he had not known yet at the time of the death of the last Ra'zac in Brisingr.

Therefore, since they lack a True Name, are invisible to magic and cannot use it at all, it can be assumed they are not bound by the effects of the Ancient Language. This is somewhat supported by the fact that the name of their parents, Lethrblaka, is very clearly in the Ancient Language but does not seem to change anything about their ability (or inability) to be controlled. Ra'zac might also be "in the Ancient Language", but we will probably never know. In Eragon, p. 64, Brom says this about them: "They are called the Ra’zac. No one knows if that’s the name of their race or what they have chosen to call themselves." There is a chance that if they have indeed named themselves in the Ancient Language, the name would have no effect anyway.

Their existence outside the magic system of Alagaësia is also supported by what Saphira says first time Eragon mentions the Ra'zac: "Oaths betrayed, souls killed, eggs shattered! Blood everywhere. Murderers!" (Eragon, p. 44) As we know, for most races, even non-magic users, it is impossible to break an oath made in the Ancient Language. This might effectively make them the only sapient race capable of lying in the Ancient Language.

The Helgrind Cult

The cultists near Dras-Leona worship the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka, calling them the Old Ones and revering them by sacrificing their own flesh to them to "satisfy their desires". They also keep and protect the last (known) remaining Ra'zac eggs.

The high priest describes them as "the three-faced god—the hunters of men, the eaters of flesh, and the drinkers of blood". The three "faces" of the Ra'zac may be these listed three aspects of their species, or it may refer to their three distinct life forms.

According to Brom, the priests "spend much of their time arguing about which of Helgrind's three peaks is the highest and most important and whether the fourth - and lowest - should be included in their worship" (Eragon, p. 150).

They follow a certain Book of Tosk, presumably a human from the early history of human settlers in Alagaësia, a long enough time ago that the language of the Broddring Kingdom has evolved enough to make it incomprehensible to Eragon (Inheritance, p. 184)

Their goal seems to be to liberate the Ra'zac from Galbatorix and the Riders who have brought the species to near extinction shortly after their arrival to Alagaësia.

Origin of the Ra'zac

"They are the monsters in the dark, the dripping nightmares that haunt your race." “What manner of creatures are they?” “Neither elf; man; dwarf; dragon; furred, finned, or feathered beast; reptile; insect; nor any other category of animal.”

The most hints we get are from Oromis in Eldest (p. 357). He expresses the belief that they were the reason humans originally emigrated to Alagaësia from wherever their old homeland was.

From the way he describes them, the Ra'zac come off as almost otherworldly. Every species has relatives connected by a common ancestor. In Alagaësia even the dragons have distant cousins in the fanghur. The one-of-a-kind creatures of Vroengard seem to be easy to classify into categories of insects and birds. The Ra'zac seem to be the sole exception.

Oromis says "all areas where humans are weak, the Ra’zac are strong", and that they are the "nightmares that haunt your race". This is oddly specific. The Lethrblaka are said to hunt everything, but this might be simply a matter of finding enough prey to fuel their much larger bodies, or the Lethrblaka under Galbatorix's rule may have simply been instructed to seek other prey as not to draw attention to themselves.

These descriptions, the Ra'zacs' unusual abilities and complete separation from magic make it sound almost as if the Ra'zac were not a naturally evolved species, but rather created intentionally to hunt humans.

Theories

Who created the Ra'zac?

The Grey Folk - we have extremely little information on them except that they merged their language (the Ancient Language) with magic itself. They would certainly be capable of creating a brand new species. Problem is, the Grey Folk are said to have resided in Alagaësia (and were presumably native there) and after their magic ritual they faded away living among the "younger races" (it is not specified which ones, presumably elves and possibly humans after they settled Alagaësia). The Ra'zac arrived with the humans, so unless there were other Grey Folk living outside of Alagaësia this would make little sense.

The elves - they are said to have arrived to Alagaësia across the sea after a "terrible mistake" (this is a generally accepted fandom opinion, but I could not find any mention in the books). The problem with this theory is that elves and humans most likely do not come from the same place (elves are said to have arrived across the sea (Eragon p. 34), while humans came from "far to the south, beyond the Beor mountains" (p. 437))

Humans themselves - possibly an ancient civilization that intended to use them as population control/a force to keep citizens in line (this would make sense considering the juvenile Ra'zac are obedient to Galbatorix and "narrow-minded", meaning they would likely be easily trained), but the project went terribly wrong

Someone else

They are the result of random mutation similar to the creatures at Vroengard

What is their natural behavior?

The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka in the books are the last of their kind, their behavior and lifestyle cannot be considered a representation of their species.

There are four peaks at Helgrind and the cult of Ra'zac worshippers only worship three of them which are named, as well as describing the Ra'zac species as a "three-faced god". It is possible that there is a fourth form that is never shown, a rare one that was lost and forgotten in the times when the Ra'zac were decimated by Riders shortly after their arrival. Since the Ra'zac are very insect-like, there is a possibility this form may have been something like a matriarch, with the Lethrblaka being drones and the Ra'zac juveniles with different roles based on their size and maturity. This could be supported by the canon Ra'zacs' apparent sense of hierarchy. As for the last pair of Ra'zac being born from the Lethrblaka, to borrow from Dragonriders of Pern lore, it is possible that the Lethrblaka do not normally reproduce but may do so in the absence of a matriarch as a matter of preserving the species until the conditions for the birth of a new matriarch are met.

To go off of the previous theories, if the Ra'zac were indeed artificially created, the existence of a matriarch may have been sort of a failsafe to quickly reduce their reproductive rates in case the Ra'zac became too numerous. Unfortunately this failsafe did not work and humans were forced to migrate to Alagaësia. The Ra'zac that followed them had their own matriarch(s) among their ranks, but the Riders were able to kill them and therefore easily bring the entire race to the brink of extinction.

It is possible that the Ra'zac do not normally form the same close emotional attachments as they do in canon, and only do so due to the lack of companionship of an originally numerous species.

That would be it for now, I might add/change things later if I come up with anything that makes more sense

[vaporclan]

i dont think moon 188 ever got posted here? Unless its just a numbering error lol

Wait it didnt

How tf did I manage that

[pokemanix]

Official Cards featuring NPCs from the Pokémon TCG (Part 3)

Magnemite (51) - XY—BREAKthrough Ralts (68) - XY—BREAKthrough Cubone (77) - XY—BREAKthrough Zorua (90) - XY—BREAKthrough Granbull (99) - XY—BREAKthrough Floette (102) - XY—BREAKthrough Spritzee (105) - XY—BREAKthrough Axew (108 and 109) - XY—BREAKthrough Teddiursa (121) - XY—BREAKthrough Smeargle (123) - XY—BREAKthrough Charmander (RC3) - XY: Generations Charmeleon (RC4) - XY: Generations Charizard (RC5) - XY: Generations Gulpin (RC12) - XY: Generations Espurr (RC14) - XY: Generations Fletchling (RC25) - XY: Generations Wigglytuff (66) - XY—Fates Collide Snubbull (68) - XY—Fates Collide Ultra Forest Kartenvoy (188) - Sun & Moon: Unbroken Bonds Welder (189 and 214) - Sun & Moon: Unbroken Bonds Welder (189a) - Sun & Moon: Yellow A Alternate cards Welder (200) - Tag All Stars League Staff (153) - Sword & Shield: Vivid Voltage Adventurer’s Discovery (224) - Sword & Shield: Fusion Strike Adventurer’s Discovery (TG23) - Sword & Shield: Lost Origin Trainer Gallery Ciphermaniac’s Codebreaking (145 and 198) - Scarlet & Violet: Temporal Forces

[orviposition]

I didn't do any more Joongdok coded things bc I don't got any more shitpost ideas for it so have some half serious ones

*pulls out list*

Staring at the void and it staring back? Definitely Joongdok coded

Blowing a kiss to the cold void knowing you will not feel a kiss back? *nodding* Joongdok coded

"We will meet again, and you will be just as beautiful"? I'm pretty sure that might be a quote from my OC but it's still Joongdok coded

The belief soulmates will always find each other? That's right Joongdok coded

Loving someone until the very end even though the cold steel making you bleed is held by them? I was rewatching Code Geass but y'know what? Joongdok coded

Seeing his smile amongst the stars? Yup that's them

Sun and moon analogy where the only reason the moon shines bright and is considered beautiful is due to the sun's radiance and love in giving the moon light to be perceived? You know who I'm thinking of

And lastly the last Joongdok coded thing for today

Implying Omegaverse shit but never confirming who's the omega (spoiler alert: it's not who you think) I'm still not over it

the way all this has canon ground im screaming!!

yjh mentioning he always felt someone's gaze to lsk and even later on before he in his yearning lets us know his story came to an end when the lone reader went away?? augh

"...Kim Dokja?" "Constellation 'Demon King of Salvation' doesn't exist in the Star Stream" 😞

"Let's meet again, Yoo Joonghyuk" -> "He came. i was so happy i wanted to call out his name"

tmyf aside, being a side story reader is not easy fr... they will always find and lose each other good god

the entirety of chapter 188

*the glint in his (kdjs) eyes when he recalls the story he loves* *yjh mentioning biyoo's starfilled eyes remind him of kdj* anw

joongdok being each other's first reader and protagonist 🥺🥺 yjh, in his wife chasing arc, understanding what it means to survive by reading about someone

and indeed i do think demon kings can self lubricate ur so real anon👌🏻👌🏻

[sailormoonandme]

Long Rant Incoming!

I am honestly just exhausted with how the Sailor Moon fandom so often bashes the original anime, in particular when they do so by presuming bigotry of any kind on the part of the staff members.

Sure, show me a quote or an interview where they definitively say something and I will listen with an open mind. 

But why does this fandom presume that, for example, AnimeRei’s interest in men was obviously changed from the MangaRei’s more negative attitude because of sexism?

Or that Usagi being naked in the last episode whilst Mamoru was in his Endymion armour was again rooted in sexism?

Or that old favourite that has now become oh so trendy again thanks to Cosmos, that the Starlights were physically male in the anime (as opposed to simply dressing as men and pretending to be men) because the anime staff were being homophobic. More specifically, that this change was implemented so that the UsagixSeiya relationship was ‘less gay’.

Let’s talk a bit about that shall we?

So....

The original 1992 Sailor Moon anime had two men explicitly in a relationship in season 1, Kunzite and Zoisite.

It had two women explicitly in a relationship in season 3, Haruka and Michiru.

It had a character in season 4 who, to my understanding (please correct me on this as I am not overly knowledgeable on the subject), was trans, Fisheye.

When you go beyond the explicit into merely very obvious subtext, Sailor Moon’s track record for LGBT representation gets even larger. The pair of female animators in episode 21. Fiore and Mamoru’s relationship in the R movie. The fashion designer and his assistant in episode 140. Sailor Lead Crow and Aluminium Siren’s relationship.

Not to mention the UsaRei ship:

Or the MakAmi ship:

It’d be weird for a show with this kind of track record (that was indeed a trailblazer in the context of the time) to suddenly got cold feet over another female-female relationship.

Now there are two counter arguments to this:

a) Most of the above doesn’t apply specifically to Sailor Moon herself, the UsaRei ship being subtextual for this very reason. In other words ‘its okay for side characters’

b) Sailor Stars was under new management. It is entirely possible said new management had very different attitudes towards female-female relationships

Let’s tackle a) first. 

It’s okay to portray side characters in same sex relationships

First of all, Usagi was attracted to Haruka in episode 92. Even after she discovered Haruka was (in her eyes at least) a cis woman she still regarded her as attractive and desirable, usually blushing whenever Haruka flirted with her and being all too happy to dance with Haruka in episode 108. 

Isn’t it a little weird to argue it would be bad for Usagi to be dating another woman when there wasn’t a world of difference between how Seiya in the manga and Haruka in the anime were framed and presented to the audience. 

The main difference was that in the manga Seiya was explicitly pretending to be male and therefore would not have corrected anyone’s presumptions that she was a man, which is exactly what Haruka did at the end of episode 92 when Usagi and Minako discover Haruka is not a cis boy. 

Whilst we might argue that the character of MangaSeiya would have presented herself differently had she not needed to disguise herself, from a narrative POV if the anime had stuck with Seiya being biologically female she would have had to maintain that disguise for the overwhelming majority of episodes anyway. In other words, she would have been presenting herself as a cis male the entire time outside of Sailor Senshi fights. 

Second of all, the anime was still explicitly shipping Usagi and Seiya even after the big reveal in episode 188 where the Senshi and Starlights discover one another’s identities. In fact, episode 189 has Minako explicitly state that the Starlights are in fact girls:

Now, whilst Minako regards this as a dealbreaker for her own romantic affections for the Three Lights, Usagi is still obviously conflicted about her feelings for Seiya. This culminates in episode 194′s famous “Am I not enough?” scene and their conversation in episode 195 where Usagi lets Seiya down backstage and he kisses her goodbye on her cheek.

Before episode 194 the show was going hard on this ‘star-crossed lovers’ imagery and ideas, with the Starlights and Outer Senshi trying to pull the pair apar. Seiya even communicated to Usagi at night whilst she is in her bedroom , which imo is deliberately evoking Romeo and Juliet. Moreover, the animation frankly framing the pair in a romantic light, with plenty of blushes and soft lighting liberally appearing all over the place. 

Sure, on screen you have a biological woman and biological man. But the show has explicitly stated that that Seiya is not a man, or at least from Usagi’s POV that isn’t the case. 

Now one could argue that this is nevertheless reductive. After all, you still have a female role assigned and a male role assigned in the relationship. But again...how different is this really from Haruka and Michiru who are present and as explicitly romantic as ever in Sailor Stars?

In terms of ‘presenting’ as male or female Haruka and Seiya are in the same boat 99% of the time (the 1% is for episodes involving bathing outfits or other forms of partial nudity). Most of the time Haruka visually presents as (for its day) typically masculine until she assumes her Senshi form where she presents as more typically (again, for its day) female. The only difference between the two characters is that the viewer intellectually knows that Seiya has a penis that becomes a vagina whereas Haruka always has a vagina. But since in both cases we never see those particular pieces of anatomy it is a moot point.

So the argument that ‘on screen’ Usagi is not being shipped with a woman is irrelevant. To all practical purposes, from a purely visual POV she might as well have been shipped with someone just like Haruka. It didn’t make it ‘more acceptable’ at all. In particular when you consider the show heavily implies that Seiya’s male body was nothing more than a guise assumed on Earth for the sake of their mission. So, had anyone been extrapolating forwards Usagi and Seiya potentially forming a long term relationship, Usagi would have been in a relationship with someone who was biologically female anyway. 

Third of all, the ‘side character’ argument falls apart when you consider HOW popular Uranus and Neptune were. In Animage’s 1995 poll episode 110 "Death of Uranus and Neptune!? Talismans Appear" was voted the most popular episode. A major reason why SuperS was so unpopular was because the Outer’s were absent, which is why the very first episode of Sailor Stars practically revolves around them. Hell, exempting Usagi, of all the Solar System Sailor Senshi, Uranus and Neptune are the last ones standing, dying in the third to last episode of the entire show. 

This isn’t even mentioning HOW prominent they were in season 3. Like, sure, they weren’t the MAIN characters, but until Hotaru shows up, they were by far and away the most important characters in the show just behind Usagi. Sailor Moon S as a whole is ostensibly one great big ideological debate between Usagi’s idealistic philosophy and Haruka and Michiru’s more hardline realistic philosophy. 

To codify them as ‘side characters’ in the context of season 3 is akin to describing Mamoru or Chibi-Usa as side characters in the manga. That is to say, the difference between them and Usagi is a matter of mere degrees. Are we in all seriousness arguing that those degrees make the difference between how okay it is to present characters as part of female-female relationships? That’s rather ridiculous isn’t it?

Let’s move on to point b).

The new management didn’t like same-sex relationships 

Yes. It is entirely possible that the new management had very different attitudes towards female-female relationships than the people in charge of the prior four seasons of the show. Thus the representation present in the prior four seasons doesn’t excuse season 5 of being homophobic in its decision to make the Starlights biologically male.

You know what else is entirely possible? That there were any number of other reasons for that decision apart from homophobia.

Again, I’m willing to listen with an open mind to anyone that has a statement or an interview or something like that from production staff members that might support the above interpretation. But in over ten years of being a Sailor Moon fan I have yet to see anything that implies this rather damning motivation on the part of the production staff. At which point why is anyone at all just presuming the worst faith interpretation?

Here are some good faith interpretations for why the Starlights were biologically male:

- Making them biologically male could raise a bit of intrigue on the part of the viewers. Even if they figured magic was the reason how they could change from male to female, they’d still be enticed to watch to see the process in action. Which would be even more intriguing compared to four seasons of transformation sequences where girls simply put on new Senshi outfits.

- Making them male made it easier for writers to generate the show’s all important filler episodes and opened up more storytelling opportunities. 

If the Starlights are biologically female it would mean either scrapping episodes or scenes where the Starlights are involved in partial nudity. Case in point, episode 178 where Luna is revealed to have taken a bath with Yaten, episode 183 where the gang vacation at a lake and are in their bathing suits, episode 184 where the gang see Seiya getting out of the shower, or even episode 176 where the Starlights are in dance outfits which naturally are tight fitting and therefore do not leave much to the imagination. 

Perhaps these instances could have still happened with the Starlights as biological females, but it would have been trickier and required a lot more strategic thinking on the part of the overworked writers who were on a deadline. Making them male frankly just made their lives easier

- The anime staff might have simply believed that the idea of three women disguising themselves as men and maintaining such a secret amidst becoming super star idols, attending high school, etc was simply unconvincing, too big of a suspension of disbelief.

- Making them biologically male might have been a ‘creative flex’. What do I mean by this? Simply put it is not at all uncommon for people adapting a piece of media to throw something in of their own invention. 

This might happen out of boredom on the part of the people adapting the source material (it can potentially be dull merely replicating something) or it could occur due to ego (see the majority of modern MCU films and TV shows that change no end of things from the comic books). 

Ego, unfortunately is all too common amongst creative people, especially those who have made it professionally into the entertainment industry. There is a desire by many to put their stamp on a work, even if it is not a work of their own creation per se. 

This may well be the root of several other changes between the manga and the anime too, regardless of whether those changes have anything to do with gender, sexuality, female representation of other such issues. 

- Making them biologically males who transform into biological females, in the eyes of the production staff, might have been more avant garde and progressive towards the LGBT community as it rendered the characters as arguably trans or gender fluid characters. 

- And finally...it may well have just been a mistake. The manga and anime were produced simultaneously but also at very different paces, the manga releasing monthly vs the anime’s weekly schedule. 

Between Takeuchi’s busy production schedule, not to mention however else she was involved in the (by then massive) Sailor Moon brand, it is entirely possible that she either hadn’t decided upon, or simply miscommunicated her ideas for the Starlights, thus resulting in the anime staff misunderstanding her intentions or extrapolating them to be biological men in their civilian forms. 

Indeed, Takeuchi herself misunderstood the Starlights in the anime as she apparently missed the dialogue that implied they were biological females who used magic to become biological males for their mission on Earth. She instead got upset that they were men who were Sailor Senshi.

Now, I came up with the above off the top of my head and don’t have any hard evidence in support of any of it. Which means they all carry  just as much weight as the ‘obviously it was bigotry’ interpretation.

And, once again, I have to bring up the fact that Sailor Stars features Uranus and Neptune in a relationship and arguably even ramps up their flirtations compared to season 3. So, kinda weird that they’d include one female-female relationship in season 5 but would be apprehensive over another one. 

In conclusion

Can we as a fandom please just fucking STOP automatically presuming the worst of the original anime and its production staff?

Seriously, its really, really, really, really WEIRD!

More than weird though, it is simply unfair.

It is unjust. 

It is hateful, even.

Which is particularly ironic since this is a franchise literally built around a character who stands for...well...you know...

[chaos-cauldron]

[orch1dstar]

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[pokemonheritageposts]

can we just request things. top ten oddish cards please, if you’d enjoy doing that!

I'm only going to do so many of these since I don't want to clog up the blog with them, but sure, let's do the Oddish family!

10. Bellossom (EX Hidden Legends 16/101)

9. Vileplume (Aquapolis 43/147)

8. Oddish (Sun & Moon - Unbroken Bonds 6/214)

7. Gloom (Crown Zenith - 2/159)

6. Gloom (Sword & Shield - Lost Origin 2/188)

5. Oddish (Jungle 58/64)

4. Oddish (Team Rocket 63/82)

3. Gloom (Scarlet & Violet - Obsidian Flames 198/197)

2. Bellossom (Neo Genesis 3/111)

1. Oddish (Neo Genesis (68/111)