In 1991, at the suggestion of her editor (Osabu), Naoko Takeuchi writes a one-shot manga story about a middle school girl who transforms into a sailor-suited superheroine.
- She gives her heroine a talking cat sidekick named Artemis (after the Roman goddess of the moon) who has a crescent moon mark on his forehead.
- She likewise gives her heroine (post-transformation) a crescent moon mark on her forehead, and features crescent moons on her choker, gloves, and shoes.
- She equips her heroine with a crescent moon-shaped compact that must be kept charged by moonlight.
- She has her heroine use this compact to attack with "Mikadzuki (Crescent) Boomerang" and "Crescent Beam."
- She has her heroine also use this compact to disguise herself with "Mikadzuki (Crescent Moon) Power Transform!"
- She gives her heroine a transformation pen that bears a crescent moon, and which she uses to transform into her superheroine identity by calling out "Moon Power Transform!"
And what does she call this heroine?
Sailor Venus.
My question is: WHY? If Naoko was so determined to create a superheroine with a lunar motif, why not call her "Sailor Moon" from the beginning? Or, if she did want to create a superheroine named "Sailor Venus," why not use Venus symbols and heart motifs?
Is there any rational explanation for this, or is this just another example of Naoko being a weirdo?
- She gives her heroine a talking cat sidekick named Artemis (after the Roman goddess of the moon) who has a crescent moon mark on his forehead.
- She likewise gives her heroine (post-transformation) a crescent moon mark on her forehead, and features crescent moons on her choker, gloves, and shoes.
- She equips her heroine with a crescent moon-shaped compact that must be kept charged by moonlight.
- She has her heroine use this compact to attack with "Mikadzuki (Crescent) Boomerang" and "Crescent Beam."
- She has her heroine also use this compact to disguise herself with "Mikadzuki (Crescent Moon) Power Transform!"
- She gives her heroine a transformation pen that bears a crescent moon, and which she uses to transform into her superheroine identity by calling out "Moon Power Transform!"
And what does she call this heroine?
Sailor Venus.
My question is: WHY? If Naoko was so determined to create a superheroine with a lunar motif, why not call her "Sailor Moon" from the beginning? Or, if she did want to create a superheroine named "Sailor Venus," why not use Venus symbols and heart motifs?
Is there any rational explanation for this, or is this just another example of Naoko being a weirdo?
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