How do you really feel about NaruxNephrite?

[Chiibihime]

Watching the unedited dub...I'm sad all over again. I really wish they could have stayed together. And for people who have an issue with "the age gap"; guess what; Usagi and Mamoru have the exact same gap in the 90s anime so hush xD

I honestly DO think he cared about her but he's NEVER experienced that feeling before so he was confused. (like a child, almost).

But he was totally ready to accept her invitation...and he also saved her life a COUPLE times.

This ship totally had potential....and then they go and TITANIC it...so cruel. it would have been more interesting if he had stayed alive and became a really useful ally to the senshi. Not like Beryl would ALLOW that...but...ugh....you know...I like to think about 'what could have been'.

and how come the senshi just stood and watched!? COME. ON. USAGI.

I also don't like the UminoxNaru pairing...because it's treated like "replacing a goldfish". Ugh. There was NO hinting towards it or building towards it. Other shoujo series do a great job with 'Second Love' but this one....no...this was awful and random. That's just my opinion.

 

[Slowpokeking]

It's easy to see Naru was bored of her ordinary life, so she wanted something exciting. Nephrite was her dream.

Being dangerous made him even more attractive in her eyes, she wanted to risk her life for him.

Nephrite, unlike many villains, he got a human ego, tried to see human lives and exploit it. But he also found such warmness is not something he would find in Dark Kingdom, so in the end he chose to protect Naru.

 

[saintfighteraqua]

I like that part of the story, but I don't like them together.
I don't think Naru knew what she was getting into. I think these episodes drove home that Naru isn't more mature or stable than Usagi at 13-14.
Maybe she was right at the beginning, but here we see how fast Usagi has grown up in comparison.
Naru was being groomed and abused (not sexually but still abused.) She fell in love with her abuser and put everyone around her in danger to be with him. I don't think it was meant to be romantic.

If he was how old he was in the manga he was around 19 (at least physically). But I'm pretty sure that info was given later and he acts like a man at least 5-10 years older in the anime.
Yes, he changed and did the right thing. I don't think the romance was both ways, though. I really think had he lived and stuck around he would have ended up more of a father figure or big-brother to Naru, but not a boyfriend.

Don't get me wrong, I think this was a very interesting plotline, and I know it's just a fantasy. I just don't find it romantic.
It is tragic and beautiful in it's own way.

Contrast this to Zoi and Kunzite though and the age gap is even worse if they are their manga ages (16 and 27.) I'm just not sure the manga ages apply in the 90s anime since they were revealed in the Material Collections a few years later.
This also depends on whether or not Beryl's generals were reincarnated, that's never touched on in the anime whereas in the manga we know at least Beryl was.

 

[SailorStarsFan]

I don't really care. I never really think about it.

 

[Slowpokeking]

Naru was being groomed and abused (not sexually but still abused.) She fell in love with her abuser and put everyone around her in danger to be with him. I don't think it was meant to be romantic.

Because she wanted to have something exciting and dangerous.

In her mind it was something like "NO, he must got his reason, and he needs my help, I can save him!"

Many girls got such dream: Redeem the dark and handsome guy.

 

[Chiibihime]

Many girls got such dream: Redeem the dark and handsome guy.

Pfft it's so true....look at Beauty and the Beast same story but with a happy ending.
(ok, so the Beast never tried to kill her but still) It's the ultimate female wish fulfillment story.

Contrast this to Zoi and Kunzite though and the age gap is even worse if they are their manga ages (16 and 27.)

Lmao this IS an evil organization...they probably don't have "morals" like that xD They kill humans (and each other) without a second thought, Beryl brainwashes Mamoru to also make him hers and that definitely files under 'r*pe'. So these guys definitely don't give a damn about age differences.

 

[saintfighteraqua]

Pfft it's so true....look at Beauty and the Beast same story but with a happy ending.
(ok, so the Beast never tried to kill her but still) It's the ultimate female wish fulfillment story.


Lmao this IS an evil organization...they probably don't have "morals" like that xD They kill humans (and each other) without a second thought, Beryl brainwashes Mamoru to also make him hers and that definitely files under 'r*pe'. So these guys definitely don't give a damn about age differences.

I agree, but I don't find it romantic.
Mamoru should have frequent flier miles for the amount of times he's been kidnapped by villains.

Maybe we should have a certain someone join in and give us their analyses on the Dark Kingdom men being toxic.

 

[Chiibihime]

Mamoru should have frequent flier miles for the amount of times he's been kidnapped by villains.

Lmao...it's kinda refreshing though...to have the GIRLS rescue a kidnapped guy. I think that's what Naoko was going for. And even when female characters are kidnapped, it's still usually more female characters who rescue them.

I think the only time Usagi got kidnapped and rescued by Mamoru was....THE BLACK MOON ARC?? wow...was that it?

 

[saintfighteraqua]

Lmao...it's kinda refreshing though...to have the GIRLS rescue a kidnapped guy. I think that's what Naoko was going for. And even when female characters are kidnapped, it's still usually more female characters who rescue them.

I think the only time Usagi got kidnapped and rescued by Mamoru was....THE BLACK MOON ARC??wow...was that it?

Yes, meanwhile he was kidnapped by: Beryl, Fiore and Nehelennia. Then killed by Galaxia because she was apparently into lingerie girls, not tuxedoes.
I do think it was awesome he rescued her from Demande (I hate that spelling for Diamond/Dimante). I wonder where he got a hang glider?
I always appreciated how Mamoru showed up to buy time for her and inspire her, but let her do most of the fighting.
People talk about him being useless in the anime...but that's wild.
He gave her room to breathe and time to grow into the person she became by the end of season 1.

He may seem like a glorified cheerleader, but he did pretty good.

 

[Slowpokeking]

Pfft it's so true....look at Beauty and the Beast same story but with a happy ending.
(ok, so the Beast never tried to kill her but still) It's the ultimate female wish fulfillment story.
.

To be fair, Nephrite didn't try to kill Naru after realizing she is not Sailor Moon, he threw her back rather than taking her hostage.

He is evil but not without standards.

His death is also the first tearful moment of the show.

 

[Chiibihime]

To be fair, Nephrite didn't try to kill Naru after realizing she is not Sailor Moon, he threw her back rather than taking her hostage.

He is evil but not without standards.

His death is also the first tearful moment of the show.

Those are all true!!

Why didn't the senshi help him...why the hell did they just leave the thorns in, dammit!?
I really think if they ALL pulled, it'd be enough strength to get them out. even Naru by HERSELF was able to move them!!

 

[Chiibihime]

He may seem like a glorified cheerleader, but he did pretty good.

I think it's fair to say "He's Usagi's emotional support". It's kinda like role-reversal, again; in battle shounen of the 90s, girls were the hero's emotional support (like Kaoru was to Kenshin and Keiko was to Yusuke) but since this is shoujo where girls are the powerful ones, Usagi and Mamoru have switched the roles around.

And that's really quite okay. Emotional support is extremely important; it is what gives the hero/heroine the inner strength to fight. When you take that support away, they become very vulnerable!! They lose hope.

Every time Usagi gets scared or finds herself in a bad spot, he always steps in to encourage her or protect her. And it always works.

 

[saintfighteraqua]

I think it's fair to say "He's Usagi's emotional support". It's kinda like role-reversal, again; in battle shounen of the 90s, girls were the hero's emotional support (like Kaoru was to Kenshin and Keiko was to Yusuke) but since this is shoujo where girls are the powerful ones, Usagi and Mamoru have switched the roles around.

And that's really quite okay. Emotional support is extremely important; it is what gives the hero/heroine the inner strength to fight. When you take that support away, they become very vulnerable!! They lose hope.

Every time Usagi gets scared or finds herself in a bad spot, he always steps in to encourage her or protect her. And it always works.

Yeah, I agree. I never really have a problem with those types of characters.
I know a lot of shonen female characters unfairly get a bad rap because people see them as weak and discount how much of an impact they have to the hero.
Mamoru is like that, just a guy.

 

[Chiibihime]

I know a lot of shonen female characters unfairly get a bad rap because people see them as weak and discount how much of an impact they have to the hero.

[insert me defending 90s female characters from the thirsty BL-hungry fujoshi who bashed them or drew art of them being killed in horrible ways]
(yes, they did that long ago)

 

[YuYu Yuichiro]

I also don't like the UminoxNaru pairing...because it's treated like "replacing a goldfish". Ugh. There was NO hinting towards it or building towards it. Other shoujo series do a great job with 'Second Love' but this one....no...this was awful and random. That's just my opinion.

I actually really like Umino and Naru. I thought they were sweet together. By SuperS they even developed better communication with Naru letting Umino know what was going on with Tiger's Eye and asking if he was ok with it.

Also, I thought this was hinting towards it [The next time they appear two episodes after Nephrite's death]

[The next time they appear Umino's also happy to take her home and talks about how he feels he's fallen in love again]

 

[aelectric]

Watching the unedited dub...I'm sad all over again. I really wish they could have stayed together. And for people who have an issue with "the age gap"; guess what; Usagi and Mamoru have the exact same gap in the 90s anime so hush xD

As a child I felt sad seeing Nephrite die. As an adult I'm disgusted the adults involved added the plot to the show, because I'm aware they definitely knew better. Basically any adult that has tried to socialise with a teenager knows better than to think that's okay.

Them adding the other age gap doesn't help - it makes it extra weird, almost like they're doing it on purpose.

Sorry, you asked how I really feel

 

[Maraviollantes]

Because she wanted to have something exciting and dangerous.

Exciting, dangerous, red, and with "Ferrari" logo on it.

 

[Chiibihime]

As a child I felt sad seeing Nephrite die. As an adult I'm disgusted the adults involved added the plot to the show, because I'm aware they definitely knew better. Basically any adult that has tried to socialise with a teenager knows better than to think that's okay.
Them adding the other age gap doesn't help - it makes it extra weird, almost like they're doing it on purpose.

These are just tropes in Japanese media though; Sailor Moon isn't the only one that does it. FAAAAAAR from it. Lol. You should look up Glass Mask.

 

[doctorwho29]

I think it was an interesting little story arc. Something the viewers probably never saw coming. I think it's very fitting for this show that a villain was redeemed through love. True, they didn't really yet know each other but I imagine a relationship could have developed and been neat.

Having said that, I do also really enjoy Naru and Umino.

 

[aelectric]

These are just tropes in Japanese media though; Sailor Moon isn't the only one that does it. FAAAAAAR from it. Lol. You should look up Glass Mask.

I mean, of course Sailor Moon is one of the lesser offenders (though Naoko having been a young woman herself, should know better) but IMO letting media off the hook because it's Japanese is racist. Like people in Japan can't know better lol. It's icky