Planet Power Inner Attacks

[saintfighteraqua]

So now that we finally have all of the Planet Power attacks animated:
Mercury Aqua Mirage
Mars Snake Fire
Jupiter Coconut Cyclone
Venus Wink Chain Sword

I was thinking the other day about how different they are from what we saw in the Sailor Moon S intro (particularly the first version...it really gets cut down when Uranus and Neptune join in).
It's obvious these were intended to show them doing these attacks and it's such a shame they were never animated in that series (excepting Aqua Mirage, of course.)

In this opening, Aqua Mirage has such an amazing look, I wonder what it did? It submerges Ami then rushes out around her. I think I prefer this to what we got in the SuperS special and Eternal. It looks more unique compared to her other attacks.

Snake Fire looks vicious and lashes out. I do like the version we got in Crystal, but it's kind of underwhelming after the first use. I'd love to have seen a twisting dragon serpent of fire wind around Rei and strike her enemies.

Coconut Cyclone starts with some electricity then blasts an actual spiral of wind and leaves/petals in this version. It does make more sense (as much sense as this attack could) as a wind attack, but I think what we got in Crystal looks incredible. Seeing how dynamic Makoto looks performing it is great in both versions. I just wonder why they went with wind in the old anime (or would have) and pure electricity in the new one.

Venus' looks like Love Me Chain, just more violent. So I'm guessing they didn't know what to do with this attack back then either.

I wonder what made them decide not to give the inners a power up?
One of my theories is that because Ikuhara had to fight to get transformation sequences for Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto new animations for the inners were cut from the budget even though they'd been planned (the outers were initially only going to have sequences similar to Chibi Moon's from this season or the first version of the Sailor Starlights' from what I've read).
This is a shame. While I wouldn't trade the amazing outer henshin sequences, it is sad that Toei wouldn't budget for new stock animations for these four attacks (as well as Planet Power rods for the inners. This is probably also why we were shafted on Eternal suits and why we waited so long in SuperS to get a powerup)

Does anyone have any other theories or stories of why they were cut? I would love to know if there is a definitive reason out there.

 

[Star Angel Haruki]

It had to be because of the budget because there are episodes which the senshi could do them.

Episodes 96, 97, 99 and 100.

I always imagined Mars Snake Fire would be similar to Fire Soul from the R movie where she spins around to kill the Kisenian Blossoms.

Venus Wink Chain sword looks similar to how it would be performed in the video games, releasing a projectile of energy/ or striking the enemy and a tunnel of light engulfs them. I think Wink Chain Sword from Crystal looks okay but it would have made sense for the sword to be energetic and pierce the enemy after her chains secure it.

Jupiter Coconut Cyclone looks like a tunnel of spiraling energy fused with both petals and electricity which makes sense I suppose. The cyclone part makes sense since the energy spirals like a twister.

Mercury Aqua Mirage looks like a less powerful version of deep submerge (or a much larger Shine Aqua Illusion that erupts vertically) but as with her element, it probably freezes the enemy or as in her SuperS movies, captures the enemy in a seal of water and the pressure causes an explosion of some sort.

 

[Lady Pen]

Budget and Ikuhara might've thought they'd be unnecessary. Why? Because Mercury Aqua Mirage would've been similar to Shine Aqua Illusion, Mars Snake Fire effect like the Fire Soul one and Venus Wink Chain Sword similar to Venus Love-me Chain. The only one that seemed different was Jupiter Coconut Cyclone.

I know many would've wanted them to be animated like they were in Crystal, but if you think deeply it just the Inners throwing ice water, fire, thunderbolts and golden chains/beams at the enemy by shouting different names.

 

[ChampionOfNuggets]

It could have been a budgetary thing. Animating new transfor

Budget and Ikuhara might've thought they'd be unnecessary. Why? Because Mercury Aqua Mirage would've been similar to Shine Aqua Illusion.

eh?

 

[Star Angel Haruki]

The animation still looks really nice even to this day. The team did a great job.

I'd like to know why she only used it once though since they had the stock animation footage for it?

Same for other attacks in the R and SuperS movie.

 

[Lady Pen]

It could have been a budgetary thing. Animating new transfor

eh?

Just what I said... Sailor Mercury throwing ice water like Shine Aqua Illusion yet more dynamic. I understand why Ikuhara and the producers wanted to invest in the new Senshis (plus Sailor Moon) transformations and attacks.

 

[sailorvinicius]

It could have been a budgetary thing. Animating new transfor

eh?

Wow looks really cool, one of the best attack sequences ever

 

[saintfighteraqua]

All of them look pretty different in the intro except maybe Love Me Chain, so I don't know if it was a sameness thing. I'm more inclined to feel he'd have wanted to make the animation and Toei was like no time and no money so he chose to focus on the outers. Which I would have too, given the choice.
Plus I think Mercury attacks like twice the whole season, maybe, so I guess they didn't see the need.

I get that the attacks can seem similar, but with imagination, you can come up with all sorts of things to do with the elemental attacks.
We had the same attacks through R, S, and part of SuperS, it was disappointing when I was first watching S and kept thinking it was going to be a power-up episode and it never happened. Ah, to be young and naive in the year 2000 again.

I think they should have compromised. Fully animate the Outers and go cheap on the inners and just reuse the footage from the intro.
Think of the missed opportunity in toy sales! They could have sold four more Planet Power Lip Rods if they'd powered them up! Toei, what were you thinking!