luna-whiskers:
schloomp:
kay, unpopular opinion time.
sailor moon is not punk, in fact, is pretty corny. I feel frustrated when I see everyone trying to make sailor moon super punk, when is not. I know i’m nobody to say what people can or can not imagine and do with their fandom, I’m not going there. What I mean is I get frustrated when I see sailor moon becoming an icon for what she’s not.
I feel like people are trying to make her a symbol for things she doesn’t even think of. From what I’ve seen from it (and I’ll say now I’m a Sailor Moon fan) Sailor Moon fights for love and stuff that involves dependance on another person and, in most cases, the love of a man. So she can not be an icon for independence and self love and all that stuff cause, even loving her like I do and being a follower of the series since I was a kid, I think she talks a whole lot of bullcrap.
So if you’re looking for a fucking badass icon with a pussy I think you meant TANK GIRL.
Hmm, I think it’s a lot more complicated than that, mostly because the anime can be a little inconsistent in its message on that front, but overall I think it does counter what you are saying.
In the media, absolutely there is way too much emphasis on women requiring a romantic relationship. Women are portrayed as not satisfied unless they are with a man, and their ultimate goal, even if that woman is a businesswoman or a superhero or a magical elven creature, is to find romance. Sailor Moon does not fully challenge this notion, because from beginning to end, the romance between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask is a major aspect of the plot.
However, love does not equal romantic love, romantic love does not equal dependence, and wanting love of any kind does not overshadow the desire to save the world from total destruction.
Love =/= Romantic Love. Usagi’s love for her friends is constantly emphasized in the series. The friendships honestly dominate a large portion of the anime, more than the relationship with Mamoru. Her love and the love that she fights for is repeatedly shown as extending to everybody she knows or ever meets. It is pure love for humanity as a whole.
Romantic Love =/= Dependence. Sailor Moon may seem dependent on Tuxedo Mask if you rely only on how battles look in many filler episodes. She gets into a tight spot, he appears with a toss of the rose, and with his encouragement she defeats the monster. But she is the one with all the power. She is the one who ultimately defeats every villain. She is the one who has to repeatedly rescue him from death or capture. Tuxedo Mask’s role, at best, is moral support.
And honestly, as a character, she grows in independence over time. In the beginning she is a terrified 14-year-old girl who would rather cry and hope for rescue than try to defeat a scary thing on her own. In the end she is a solitary figure who continues to fight even when everybody she loves has been killed. She stands alone against the person who killed everybody she knows, including the man she loves, and still offers that person complete acceptance. Ultimately, she is independent in every possible way.
And you know what, I don’t think we’d be having this kind of conversation about any male superhero. Nobody asks whether Lois Lane makes Superman weak and dependent. Rather, the love interest acts as extra motivation for the hero to do what needs to be done. The hero saves the day and gets the girl as a reward. That’s how this shit works. Only in Sailor Moon, it’s reversed.
like I don’t understand why people are like “it doesn’t emphasize independence!!!” like of course it doesn’t
the focus in Sailor Moon is largely community and find strength with the community of women around you
that’s like, the entire message
that doesn’t mean self belief and self love isn’t also emphasized. The whole idea is people are stronger when they have people to fight for. Usagi is stronger because she has people she works with and people to fight for. She believes in herself because people need her and believe in her, both men and women.
yeah there is absolutely nothing about believing in yourself and your power here we just pulled that out of nowhere.
like i don’t know anything about tank girl other than it’s super edgy was created by a dude and probably is not something little girls would read. But people probably like Sailor Moon for a symbol of empowerment and subversion because she grows up to rule the world with a cadre of cool ladies havin’ her back and her boyfriend willingly being her househusband and that’s kinda way cool and stuff.
(Source: ambotas)
