#pgsm ep 17

[real-life-senshi]

Happy Birthday Hino Rei!

I rarely work ahead enough to do any celebratory illustration, and I only memorized Rei, Minako and Usagi's birthdays somehow in my time loving PGSM. lol But working on all the PGSM 20th anniversary posts back in October 2023, and resuming fanfic writing really rekindled how much I love the grumpy lesbian that the live-action gave us.

Going on the themes of PGSM appreciation for the 20th anniversary, I thought I'd compile a list of my fave/memorable character analyses I've done on Rei in my liveblog sessions so far. (I don't want to just reblog them coz then I'm just spamming followers. lol)

Just Rei being Rei

Act 3: Rei intro

Act 4: Rei and Ami

Act 5: Rei with Usagi and how that impacts Ami

Act 6: Usagi says Rei's the person to go to when in trouble

Act 7: Rei and the weird turtle guy

Act 8: Rei vs Makoto (and this, and this, and this, AND THIS... Act 8 was a gold mine on Rei and Makoto both.)

Act 11: Rei being done with Usagi and Makoto (Part 2)

Act 18: Mars and Venus's argument

Act 18: Rei and Minako's one-up attempts

Act 18: Mars being badass and Venus's minder

Act 18: Mars and Venus fighting together

Act 19: Rei brooding, while being smart and astute

Act 19: Rei & Luna discussion

Protective and empathetic Rei:

Act 5: Rei and Usagi's talk re Ami

Act 10: Rei and Usagi

Act 15: Rei and Ami, and then again at the end of the ep

Act 16: Mars and Mercury (part 2 here)

Act 17: Rei and Minako

Act 17: Mars and Venus

Act 18: Mars saving Venus

Act 18: Mars confronts Venus, claiming she's Venus's protector

Act 19: Rei worried about Minako

My liveblogging of PGSM rewatch is paused on Act 19. So hopefully I can add to this list in the future. (If I remember.)

#hino rei #sailor mars #pretty guardian sailor moon #pgsm #sailor moon live action #did this quickly right after work lmao #pgsm appreciation #character analysis

[keyofjetwolf]

It’s only arrogance if it’s not true!

Meanwhile, LOOK MORE ENAMORED MINAKO OH WAIT YOU CAN’T

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #that may be the biggest smile we've seen minako have yet congrats rei

[sailormoonandme]

I think my approach to the anime vs. manga miracle romance is that it's done well enough in both versions, but both versions are ultimately unrealistic. PGSM is imo the only realistic depiction of their romance (at least comparatively realistic).

In the manga they like one another before they regain their memories but I think there is also an implication that their past lives are subconsciously influencing them whenever they meet. That's how I justify them falling in love so quickly because it isn't like they're spending loads of regular social time together. I still believe they would've fallen in love because as pointed out it seems like their past life selves were more or less the same. In fact my headcanon is that, when Mamoru lost his memory as a child it meant that his mind or soul or whatever kind of defaulted to Endymion's, hence he was compelled to wander the streets in a tuxedo seeking the crystal.

In the anime, Mamoru states he finds kind and brave girls who do the right thing attractive in ep 17. In ep 46 Usagi says her ideal man is someone who will always protect her. So they in truth fall in love in their super hero identities. From Mamo's POV Sailor Moon is incredibly brave and from Usagi's POV Tuxedo Mask is always there to protect her. For both characters, with their SilMil AND their 20th century lives it makes sense they'd find those traits attractive. Usagi in the 20thC is a scaredy cat and in the SilMil her BFFs were her body guards. For Mamoru, as a prince he likely valued kindness, bravery and justice as they were important interlinked values to being a responsible ruler. Modern day Mamoru likely found that attractive because he grew up lonely and felt vulnerable as a child (his first memory waking up would've been traumatic for sure) so a part of him would've probably loved to have had someone like Sailor Moon looking out for him. Combined with fighting together for so long SM and TM were already in love, even if usagi and Mamo were not. Of course, it's still faster than would be real life and runs on 'super hero' logic. 

On the other hand, I very much believe that it is in times of crisis that you see people's true faces, what they are truly made of. So I'd argue that Usagi's best self, her true inner nature, comes out when she is Sailor Moon and the same applies to Mamoru as Tuxedo Mask/Moonlight Knight. So instead of getting to know one another and gradually uncovering those inner natures, Usagi and Mamo in the anime basically got to see those sides to one another off the bat. And it is those inner natures that Serenity and Endymion possessed. In truth we have only one episode to judge Serenity and Endymion on (ep 44) and that's them under extenuating circumstances. 

And yet, looking at them in that episode... they don't seem to be particularly different to the Usagi and Mamoru we know and love. At least, not those characters under similar circumstances. Like sure, Serenity isn't being loud and scatterbrained but... Usagi wasn't always loud and scatterbrained either, if a situation was particularly serious or emotionally gripping for her she could be more reserved and together (e.g. her dance with TM at the masquerade, when TM gave her the locket). 

The only real differences between then lies in Serenity being less clumsy and more elegant than Usagi... but that's not really a matter of personality so much as it is about how she physically moves, so we're in truth talking about motor skills. It may well be that anime Serenity WAS like Usagi (as we see in the manga) but we just never got to see that because again there's just one episode of Serenity in the SilMil. Or, which I think more likely, Usagi's true self, her inner nature that comes out when she is Sailor Moon, those are the traits she has in common with Serenity. Those are the things she 'inherited' from her. And those are the traits Mamoru/Endymion fell in love with.

So the Miracle Romance is believable in both versions it just comes at the characters from different angles.

#Miracle Romance #Sailor Moon Meta #My Essays #Sailor Moon #pretty soldier sailor moon #pretty guardian sailor moon #bishoujo senshi sailor moon #bishojo senshi sailor moon #Tuxedo Mask #Tuxedo Kamen #prince endymion #princess serenity #tsukino usagi #usagi tsukino #Mamoru Chiba #Chiba Mamoru

[tokufandubseries]

Tokusatsu Fan Dub Series Characters I Voice (Changes Overtime)

Super Sentai:

Momoranger/Peggy Matsuyama (Himitsu Sentai Goranger) Kyutaro (Ep. 7-51) (Battle Fever J) Denzi Dog IC (Denshi Sentai Denziman) Yellow4 I/Mika Koizumi (Ep. 1-10) (Choudenshi Bioman) Mag (Choushinsei Flashman) Leh Näfel/Näfelura/The Nefuluss (Choushinsei Flashman) Wolk and Kilt/The Kiltos (Choushinsei Flashman) Blue Dolphin/Megumi Misaki (Choujuu Sentai Liveman) Colon (Choujuu Sentai Liveman) Arthur G6 (Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman) Tran (Ep. 1-36) (Choujin Sentai Jetman) Pteraranger/Lithia Tribe Princess Mei (Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger) Kibaranger/Kou of the Howling New Star (Ep. 17-22-28-31-33-37-38-42-50) (Gosei Sentai Dairanger) Akomaru (This also includes Kasumi O_O) (Ep. 17-22-31-37-42-44) (Gosei Sentai Dairanger) NinjaWhite/Tsuruhime (Ninja Sentai Kakuranger) Prince Buldont (Ep. 1-39) (Chouriki Sentai Ohranger) Picoto (Megaranger vs. Carranger) Fairy Bokku (Seijuu Sentai Gingaman) Krantz (Ep. 19, 25) (Seijuu Sentai Gingaman) Infant Demon Drop (Ep. 2-22) (Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive) TimePink/Yuri (Mirai Sentai Timeranger) First Spear, Furabiijo (Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger) Disciple of Dawn Lije/Kasumi/Messenger of Dawn Lijewel/DezumoLijewel (Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger) DekaPink/Umeko (Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger) DekaSwan/Swan-chan (Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger) Nai & Mea (Mahou Sentai Magiranger) Mele (Juken Sentai Gekiranger) Engine BearRV (Engine Sentai Go-Onger) Gokai Yellow/Luka Millfy (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger) Tiaraloid (Ep. 37) (Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters) Joyful Knight Candelilla (Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger) Funfilled Spy Luckyuro (Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger) Ticket (Ressha Sentai ToQger) Madame Noir (Ressha Sentai ToQger) Miss Gritta (Ressha Sentai ToQger) Kyuemon Izayoi (Shuriken Sentai Ninninger) Zyuoh Tiger/Amu (Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger) Chameleon Green/Hammy (Uchu Sentai Kyuranger) Raptor 283/Washi Pink (Uchu Sentai Kyuranger) Umiki Hayami/LupinYellow (Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patoranger) Tsukasa Myoujin/PatrenSango (Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patoranger) Kureon (Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger) Kirama Pink/Sayo Oharu (Mashin Sentai Kiramager) Secchan (Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger)

Kamen Rider:

Junko Tama (V3) Ryoko Mizuki (Ep. 1-8) (X) Kiriko Mizuki (Ep. 1-8) (X) Masahiko Okamura (Amazon) Doctor Kate (Ep. 27-29-30) (Stronger) Harumi Kusanami (Super-1) Staff Officer Witch/Majoringa (Ep. 24-48) (Super-1) Princess Yokai/Satan Doll (Ep. 24-46) (Super-1) Smart Lady (Faiz) Hana/Kohana (Den-O) Megumi Aso (Kiva) Natsumi Hikari/Kamen Rider Kiva-la (Decade) Kiva-la (Decade) ClayDoll Dopant/Wakana Sonozaki (W) Mezool Greeed (Human Form) (OOO) Yuki Jojima (Fourze) Tomoko Nozama (Fourze) Aquarius Zodiarts/Erin Suda (Fourze) Kamen Rider Nadeshiko/Nadeshiko Misaki (Kamen Rider Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max/Kamen Rider Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie War Ultimatum) Skydain/Shizuka Shiroyama (Kamen Rider Fourze the Movie: Everyone, Space is Here!/Kamen Rider Super Sentai Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z) Koyomi Fueki (Wizard) Kamen Rider Marika/Yoko Minato (Gaim) Mai Takatsukasa (Gaim) Kiriko Shijima (Drive) Yurusen (Ghost) Katchu Gamma (Ep. 21-22) (Ghost) Izu (Zero-One) Kamen Rider Sabela/Reika Shindai (Saber) Lovekov (Revice)

Metal Heroes:

B-Fighter Tento/Ran Ayukawa (B-Fighter Kabuto) Kabutack (B-Robo Kabutack) Robotack (Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack) Kakeru Yukiyanagi (Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack)

Toku Related:

Kure Kure Takora (Kure Kure Takora) Monro (Kure Kure Takora) Darunia (Akumaizer 3) Etsuko Shirakawa (Space Ironmen Kyodain) Bankid Dragon/Ryuuichi Uzaki (Enban Sensou Bankid) Bijinder/Mari (Kikaider 01) Robocon (Robocon Series) Robin-chan (Ganbare Robocon) Robiina (Morero Robocon) Princess Zerian/Midori Aoyama (Tomei Dori-chan) Robot 8chan (Robot 8chan) Mairodi (Robot 8chan) Nemurin (Dokincho! Nemurin) Kamitaman (Katteni! Kamitaman) Shinsuke Nemoto/The Nemotoman (Katteni! Kamitaman) Mari Nemoto (Katteni! Kamitaman)

Unrelated Media:

Luna/Sailor Luna (PGSM)

[keyofjetwolf]

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #internal dialogue screencap edit #'AND HERE I AM KNOCKED ON MY ASS' #'maybe she didn't notice' #'and if she noticed i'm sure she'll forget' #'and if she doesn't forget i'm sure she's too classy and considerate to ever bring it up again' #as it turns out rei should have stopped at 'hot'

[keyofjetwolf]

Thought One: Minako like, “LOOK AT THE SHINY AND LEAVE MY GIRLFRIEND SENSHI ALONE”

Thought Two: Nephrite would absolutely and immediately believe that this was in fact the ginzuishou.

Nephrite: But, my queen, it’s so ornate! Beryl: Is that how you measure value, Nephrite? Seeing precisely what is on the surface and no more? Nephrite: *has never had a thought or emotion that was not exactly one level deep in his life* Nephrite: I don’t understand the question.

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #pgsm naphrite is just a very affronted labradoodle

[keyofjetwolf]

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #i am usagi usagi is me

[keyofjetwolf]

I was about to point out that Usagi had a class in this, because for one moment, my brain completely dumped all information I have ever gathered about Usagi Tsukino and I expected her attendance in a class to mean knowledge was imparted.

THE FOOL IS ME

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #i'm sorry usagi sweetie i completely mischaracterized you for a second forgive me

[keyofjetwolf]

Minako’s henshin includes a glitter shower, a runway walk, and no less than a half dozen extra versions of herself, including tiny glowing Minakos to give her accessories, and is basically the most correct transformation in the entire magical girl genre.

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #there's this #and then there's minako's own henshin turning her on #which is the most correct thing the manga ever did #basically minako for the transformation win everyone else go home

[keyofjetwolf]

SCREAMING

THE SCENE SO GOOD THEY HAVE TO PLAY IT AGAIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT EPISODE

Where to even begin, hrrrng. Framing, maybe, which is great, but not too complicated. The last cap especially, which iisn’t innovate, but it IS effective. We have Rei on the far right, Minako on the far left, the two of them visually divided by the pulpit and (hilariously) spinning cross projection. The monster is gone, but the chaos remains with these two allies, previously shown to be in such harmony, now ready to face off.

The beginning of this conflict, too! Minako just TOWERING over Rei, berating her, absolutely furious that Rei would dare do what she’s been told she’s supposed to do. And it hurts! Rei didn’t do any of this for praise, but she sure as hell wasn’t prepared for condemnation, and getting slapped in the face with it stings and sucks the air out of Rei for a second.

BUT JUST THAT SECOND. Rei bounces back and leaps to her feet, putting herself on Minako’s level. Princess this, Guardian that, REI DOES NOT GIVE A SHIT. Had this been any one of the other girls, even Mako, I think they would have backed down, at least in this moment, in the face of the princess’s anger. But Minako can’t seize power here, because Rei absolutely refuses to yield it.

Which brings us to the absolutely hilarious situation Minako has put Rei in. REI CANNOT WIN HERE. Minako wants Rei to know what she’s thinking and planning without actually having to talk about it or actually acknowledge it, and gets pissed when Rei doesn’t accurately guess. “Your #1 top priority is to protect the princess at all costs, hi how are you I’m the princess, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TRYING TO PROTECT ME OH MY GOD THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU??!” Minako did not just seem to said BUT DOES IN FACT SAY. The next episode is yet more of MInako hip deep in her own hypocrisy, agreeing she needs to leave Rei alone while also being physically incapable of leaving Rei alone, and it’s such a brilliant series of continuing contradictory fuck-ups on Minako’s part, I adore that she’s trapped in this stupid space.

It’s only made more hilarious when you remember that she and Rei are in fact capable of this level of understanding! WE JUST SAW IT WITH OUR OWN EXCITED EYEBALLS. When things are direct and clear, when Minako isn’t trying to spin out subterfuge and misdirection, Rei’s totally there. It’s when Minako starts doing her manipulative bullshit that Rei loses the thread. That Minako has the balls to get pissed about that WHEN IT IS REI UPON WHOM SHE IS ACTIVELY PERPETRATING THE MANIPULATIVE BULLSHIT is only that much more hilarious and ridiculous, Minako you absurd golden graham.

So here we have Minako, doing what she’s been doing only doing it too well and getting pissed at Rei who has no realistic hope of winning a game when she has been given one single sentence out of the entire rulebook that Minako herself wrote, and so Rei does the only thing she really CAN do.

She gets to her feet, stares Minako down, and refuses to play the goddamn game.

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #IT'S A DAY AND I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS #AND I HOPE I SORT OF ARTICULATED THEM #I CAN'T TELL ANYMORE #ALSO I THOUGHT I'D MAYBE GET A FEW MINUTES INTO THE NEXT EPISODE TODAY #SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE I NEVER MET MYSELF

[keyofjetwolf]

“She’s HOT, Artemis!”

No, I LOVE THIS. The more Minako gets involved with the girls, the harder it is for her to stay detached and thinking of them just as pieces on a board. Sailor Mars isn’t just Sailor Mars now, she’s Rei Hino, who cares about puppies and accepts offerings of throat drops and is unique in all the world for neither knowing nor especially caring about Aino Minako: Pop Idol. There are a dozen reasons Minako shouldn’t get involved in what Mars is doing right now, all playing against what boils down to “I want to help her”. That want is so strong though, it’s overpowering all the tactical, logical reasons she shouldn’t, AND I LOVE IT SO SO MUCH.

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #IT'S ALL SO PERSONALLY FULFILLING IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANT HASHTAG BLESSED

[keyofjetwolf]

Is there some kind of parallel between Mako and Minako both buying high grade food? Just struck me as the phrasing is basically the same but if so, does that mean that Rei is Motoki? lol

Good catch! Completely slipped me by, that one. I don't think it's an intentional parallel though, since the purpose of each is so different. For Mako, it's a pre-planned peace offering, and she's pointing out the quality to make the peace all the sweeter. "LOOK HOW MUCH I CARE FOR KAMEKITCHI", which is of course the quickest way to get on Motoki's good side. Full points to Mako for nailing it after one interaction with Motoki, by the way. He didn't exactly play it close to the chest, but still, A+ observation skills.

MInako's declaration of high quality food though has nothing to do with a peace offering. THIS IS A DIRECT HIT ACT OF WAR. Minako's trying to show up Rei with both quantity AND quality, little realizing yet that you can't shame the shameless.

Minako: SMUG Rei: Mine was on sale. Minako: >:(

So yeah, I'm not really getting a good parallel or comparison here, not even really a contrast, since the scenarios and intentions are so different. Wonderful little bit of synchronicity, though.

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #perhaps mako and minako were at the pet store at the same time though #oh oh hey maybe we can make something of this after all! #consider minako and mako striking up a very brief semi-distracted conversation while in line #focused as they each are on the upcoming task #minako: oh hey what are you doing here? #mako (tinge of regret): i'm about to piss someone off. #minako (bursting with glee): ME TOO

[keyofjetwolf]

See? NEVER. GET. TO. STOP.

I don’t know that PGSM’s trajectory will/would take us to Crystal Tokyo, but if it did, I want Mako and Usagi to still be arguing about this. Like, every night, Usagi’s going to bed, and Mako’s “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY.”

Mamoru: I’m standing right here, Makoto. I’ve been standing right here for a thousand years or so.

Mako: SILENCE THIEF

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #if they don't have crystal tokyo plans #i still demand this exact scenario #just chop a couple zeros off the years

[keyofjetwolf]

I also assume Rei and Minako have just been doing cartwheels and donkey kicks and whatever the fuck else around this monster for the past six hours, and as it turns out, that’s just their mutual flirting language.

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #go ahead and try to form a compelling counterargument to that #i'll wait

[keyofjetwolf]

Wherever PGSM may ultimately be going with Rei and Minako, I don’t know, but it’s clearly SOMEWHERE. These two have never fought together. They’ve only barely MET each other. They are both consummate LONERS, for fuck’s sake: Rei’s first major bit of character growth was moving beyond her insistence that she didn’t need anyone, and Minako’s only JUST made the slightest effort to reach beyond the role and rules The Moon insisted of her thousands of years ago. If you were to pick two characters who are functionally strangers and have them play nice together, immediately and WORDLESSLY, you’d never pick either of these ridiculous loser atlas moths.

But we get one brief (ABSURD) cut-away, and when we come back, they’re flipping around the monster like it’s a practiced routine, and when Minako’s gaze snaps to Rei, Rei gives a single firm nod, and off they go!

I KNOW next episode brings every delicious morsel of contention between Rei and Minako, in every possible over the top unnecessary way, and I cherish it with my entire heart. But how much more poignant is their lost puppy slap fight, when this is its foundation, when the show has already built us this mutual instinctive understanding that leads them to trying to beat the other in the highly competitive realm of BUYING DOG FOOD.

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #i don't know where the show is charting a course to #but i know it has that chart #it has IDEAS and PLANS #and i cannot say enough about how EXCITED that makes me

[keyofjetwolf]

THEY EVEN HAVE ARTEMIS COME OUT AND TELL MINAKO DIRECTLY SHE CAN’T DO THIS AMAZING

His poor plushie cat ass off to the side, knowing damn fucking well what she’s about to do, trying desperately to maintain some semblance of control over this, and Minako not telling him to get fucked but also functionally telling him to get fucked.

I thought we were going to just have that second of Minako narrowing her eyes, I didn’t know we’d get all this. WHAT A FEAST. What a smorgasbord of choice, that does, to my surprise and delight, take this even further than Minako just being done. This IS about Rei specifically now, I think, even if just a little.

Of course, Rei isn’t the first Senshi we’ve seen Minako spend time with in a genuine way. There’s Usagi, too, but Usagi is the princess and so also doesn’t count. Minako blowing cover to save Usagi is a no-brainer, since if Usagi gets herself killed, it’s all over anyway. Mars, though? Sailor Mars has one job, and when you strip it down to its core, that job is TO DIE. If that happens at the hands of a monster of the week, Minako’s not really lost too much.

Except that’s no longer just Sailor Mars to Minako now, she isn’t just a resource to be deployed. She’s also Rei Hino, who is funny and cranky and possibly the only teenager in Tokyo with no fucking idea about Japan’s most popular idol singer. She has value outside of the Moon and all its duck fuckery, and boy is that NOT what Minako was expecting, WHICH JUST MAKES IT ALL A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER

#JW watches PGSM #pgsm ep 17 #minako is basically the embodiment of 'oh no feelings' #GLORIOUS