I like Moon Sailing. A lot...

For sure!

Ppfft.. I don't know, man

Any tips on drawing the senshi? Like how do you manage to draw them in a simplistic style while keeping core designs?

I do have some tips!

In fact I can walk you through some of my notes and design insights I lean back on when I'm looking to stylize or break down these characters for super simple doodles.

Before I start I wanna say: this is my personal approach for the way I draw and stylize these characters. You do NOT have to follow my approach, this is not meant for you to memorize to a tea. I'm just going through my process to show how I apply certain principles to give characters different features. For example, I associate Makoto heavily with round and square shapes, if you don't like that or think something like triangles and squares would work better, go for it! This post is headcanon heavy! :)

I'll say for the girls' designs there's 2 main things you wanna look for to differentiate them from one another and give them extra quirks/personality: eyes and hair!

(counting you're not doing colored illustrations for the sake of this argument given how that is a whole 'nother major thing)

The girls DO have canonically different eye shapes, even if they tend to be somewhat inconsistent across animation directors (Ami and Rei are the most prominent and easy to spot).

You can look at the canon designs and break down the shapes to exaggerate or stylize certain features. Shapes are the fundamental of character design, so remember:

Circles are associated with friendly, harmless and innocent characters

Triangles are associated with dangerous, angry and dynamic characters

Squares are associated with stable, strong and reliable characters

Let's talk about eyes!

I'm not going to talk about all the characters equally. Characters I don't go as in depth in are ones I'm still figuring things out for, keep this in mind throughout the whole post. I'm still playing and experimenting with most of these.

Also the eyes shapes down below were for another project, I did not make these for this post, so that's why some things are off.

(Like why some have wrinkles, or why Haruka is not there or even why Venus has a different eye shape than the one above, it's all for the sake of lore reasons for the project. But I still felt it was good at illustrating my point so I added it)

You might ask yourself: what do more realistic/complex eyes got to do with a post asking about drawing the senshi in a simplistic style?

Well, if you see the shape and understand the main focus of what you're going for with the character, you can apply that same logic to both the realistic AND the simple drawings.

For example: Rei, is often very irritated. Her eye shape is more triangular, naturally reading as more "aggressive" or "fierce" by default, you can use that principle and apply it to super simple doodles. I like drawing her often with tighter "pissed off" eyes and dots for irises, keeps the idea, but makes it MUCH easier to draw on a whim.

Another example: Mako! She's generally a very laid back character. If you're doing a simple doodle, drooping cartoony closed eyes fit her well! It's VERY easy to draw but it still conveys her chiller attitude in most situations, she's not worrying about much at the moment, she's happy but she's not jumping or grinning like Usagi or Minako. (idk if this makes sense but hopefully it does at least a lil bit)

As I wrote in the post, if you like the Ami with glasses hc I HIGHLY recommend drawing her with glasses. It's a GREAT cheat for having her simple design instantly pop out, like "Oh, round glasses! That's Ami!" (you also don't have to worry about drawing her eyes if you don't want to or want to keep the doodle simple. Win/Win!) Also I recommend keeping her glasses fully round, but up to you. I find it much easier to draw and again, it goes back to the shape thing.

Let's talk about hair!

Goes back to the shape idea: Ami, circles; Rei, triangles.

And again, don't stick exactly with what I do, a lot of stuff I do goes against of what is presented in the show. Ami in the show is most often not drawn with a 'cowlick', I like adding it because it makes her hair a bit messier and fluffier. Contrasting her with Rei's very slick style, but not making it as messy as Usagi. Little additions like that do a lot for conveying hair texture, the character's grooming habits, etc..

Fun fact about Usagi's bangs: the right bang is ALWAYS shorter than the left one in the 90's anime. I'm not kidding, someone made a full thread about it and once you see it you CAN'T unsee it.

This is where I go back, again, to the "you don't need to copy what I do" thing cause I draw Minako with curly hair. She has straight hair in the show, I just took that idea of Minako having hair that is not as straight as say Rei or Setsuna's and pushed it to make her more unique fo my design.

Also another thing about Mina, but you can use her bow to accentuate emotion in doodles and simple art! Is she excited? Have her bow perk up! Is she sad? Have it lightly sag! It's good for readability and effect.

Don't forget Mako's side bangs those are super important and, not as important, but Makoto's bangs on her forehead are not in the same pattern as Ami and Usagi's! Theirs all curve towards the center, while Makoto's all curve towards her ear (if in a 3/4 angle, if front usually it's towards the right).

Hotaru's is definitely the design I pushed the most, but I'm really happy with it. I'm not the first one to draw her this way! I've seen at least a couple artists draw her with this type of stylized vibe and I loved it!

My drawing of Haruka is flipped for the sake of fitting it into the page, that's why the parting is on the left and not the right.

The reason I like Michiru's hair to cut off at one length is because it is an intentional design for her as the Sailor Neptune and it's brilliant! Having her hair shorter and having that sort of cut-off is meant to make it look like an ocean wave when it's flowing in the wind! You can really see it well in this gif, this effect would not be possible if her hair was scaled. (also it makes her hair look different that Makoto's, i's much cooler this way imo)

Last note since some character do have similar-ish hair. This is how I work around it! For me it's just natural at this point but I've also been drawing the girls for like.. 6 years if not more so I'm used to spotting some differences.

This stuff all seems minor, but especially for a cast that doesn't have much in terms of body diversity, stuff like this is CRUCIAL for allowing yourself and others to tell them apart even when stripped to their most basic elements. It's just up to you to choose those elements, the ones that stick out to you the most and work best for each of the girls' personalities. (it's the same principle that allows you to see Mickey Mouse the character just by having two round black circles on top of a half circle. Very simplified explanation but that's what it is)

If you've ever seen AI images of the senshi and wondered "uh.. why does this look off?" even when they're 'relatively accurate' to the show, this is why. They don't get the bangs right, they don't get the eye shape right, they mix those elements amongst the whole cast and throw out an amalgamated garbage because it is unable to tell what small elements actually allow them to be distinguishable from one another.

I was going to put the whole thing here, but I think for the sake of formatting I'll make a separate post with notes and designs stuff that goes much more in depth.

And me being me, the first thought I had was:

WOW, I wish Venus used her love-me chain like this. This is exactly how I envision her using it!

Non-wholesome Romantic Asks: Makoami

I'll combine 1 and 6 cause I pretty much already answered them in the first makoami ask.

1-6. Do they actually love love each other? Has it changed over time? What made them become a couple? What keeps them together?

As I've described in my other ask, the reason behind the 'why' they started dating was actually rather superficial and unremarkable in the context of a romantic relationship.

Ami felt comfortable and happy when was with Makoto and wanted to find a way to keep and reinforce that closeness without making it weird for Makoto. At the moment it didn't go further than that.

Makoto felt a bit bad about the idea of rejecting Ami for simply asking to give her a shot. She found her physically attractive enough (not saying I think Mako didn't find Ami cute before actually dating, but yk, there's a difference between: I'd kiss this person and I feel a physical and sexual attraction to this person. It def developed too) and a VERY pleasant company, so she accepted. Literally 'no harm, no foul', but just because she had that trust in Ami previously instated while being friends.

It definitely changed over time, even if the basis of their relationship remained the same the whole time: two lonely people finding a deep sense of belonging and happiness in the company of one another. It can be that simple, honestly.

Unlike couples like Harumichi, Usamamo and Reinako, I don't believe the factor of "if the relationship is platonic or not" changes that basis much. If anything, strictly romantic aspects like sex are only more intimate ways for them to keep building upon that base.

Why does Mako cook meals for Ami despite the fact that she can barely afford food for herself? To make her happy and make her feel at home.

Why does Ami make time and attention for Makoto despite her extremely demanding schedule? To make her happy and make her feel at home.

Why do they have sex? 99.9% of the time: To make the other happy and to make them feel at home.

It is that uncomplicated principle that holds them so strongly together through highs and lows. It's not perfect, they aren't perfect. But being platonic or romantic, their bond is built upon an innate desire to please the other not only because it feels good for them to do it, but also because they know every thought and gesture is seen, appreciated and reciprocated.

15. Do they have doubts about each other? Are those doubts well-founded or exaggerated?

Yeah, I actually do think Mako has some doubts about Ami sometimes. I even based my fic on the concept of Makoto doubting Ami's trust in her and their relationship.

They aren't unfounded, but they are misguided. Ami does not open up to her enough, but it is not because she doesn't trust Makoto enough to do so. It's because it's a really hard thing for Ami to do with anybody.

In my opinion, Mako is fairly understanding of it all, she knows how much Ami has always struggled with great amounts of stress born from her overwhelming anxiety. Her brain does process things a bit differently and Ami could as well overthink herself to death (she likely will. Even despite everything I still think if CT isn't a thing and none of them die as senshi, Ami dies first amongst the inners. Simply from premature aging and early stress induced health complications), but also not everyone is strong the same way. To some people it comes more naturally, to others is much harder and takes more time, Makoto doesn't like to judge that level of tolerance for her loved ones to an extent.

At the same time it is very fair for her to feel unfulfilled and even a bit betrayed by seeing Ami's walls constantly up all the time when it coms to show vulnerability. It is really the only aspect of their relationship where I see their initial strong basis I talked about before start to shake a little. Makoto is willing to be vulnerable with Ami for the sake of making her happy and making their relationship stronger, but Ami is acting on selfish means and not reciprocating with giving of her own.

After communicating I do believe it gets better over time, but never all the way and that's fine, because at least Makoto knows where the hesitation is coming from. She sees effort and she honestly appreciates that.

I don't believe Ami holds any doubts about Makoto, no. She knows how honest, loyal and trustworthy Mako is. She can be emotional and impulsive, but never to a dangerous or extreme extent outside of sailor business. Although that goes beyond the extent of their relationship and they know they can never hold any grudges or resentments when it comes to that aspect of their lives. They never voiced it out loud, but they're aware of the fact that their promise and loyalty to each other does not surpass the promise and loyalty they sworn to the team and to Usagi.

If she had any minor doubts, I guess they'd mostly stem from their financial stability. Between all the couples I see them as being the ones who struggle the most and even when they both work and live together, they're still the ones who live in modesty. Comfortable modesty, but still.. if CT doesn't happen, I don't know if they could afford buying a house in Tokyo. They'd probably buy a condo, Makoto wouldn't be thrilled but being able to buy an actually whole house near enough both of their jobs is out of the question with those prices and their salaries.

Fun fact: trauma surgeons (which is what I see Ami doing, but honestly any surgeon in general that don't own their own clinic) do not earn that much! And they work SO MANY FUCKING HOURS. The manga is just wrong sorry, there's no way for Saeko to be THAT rich just from being a doctor. Ami is definitely not fucking around with breaking any diamonds as an adult LOL.

They aren't poor per se, but especially when Ami was still studying full time and Mako was juggling between two stable part time jobs and some promising career opportunities here and there, there were some significant financial hurdles. Ami had to accept handouts from her mother to help pay rent. And Saeko does have decent money, she's happy to give her what she needs, but both Makoto and Ami are pretty insistent about being relatively financially independent from their families and friends.

Makoto starting her own business as a baker definitely took a massive hit on their savings and the initial uncertainty of their investments left Ami more than a bit worried for at least a year or two. Fortunately her soaring grades allowed her to leave school with a relatively low amount of debts, especially for her field.

It is never something that cause any serious turmoil in their relationship because they were always very open and honest with each other about everything on that front, but it was an additional factor Ami never found herself considering in her adult life. Maybe because she expected to marry another doctor or somebody of equal salary/affluence to her.

Non-wholesome Romantic Asks: Harumichi

17. Is there a secret that they don't dare tell the other? Why? Will they ever say it?

I don't believe there's a single thing Haruka Tenoh can keep secret from Michiru. Not because she doesn't want to, but because of how the nature of her true, honest and naïve character acts as the perfect open book for Michiru's endlessly perceptive mind.

Michiru might not know what the secret is at first, but she knows Haruka is keeping one and, as long as it's not something that could possibly be endangering herself or their relationship, she lets it be. She still finds out what it is, always, but she doesn't need to let Haruka know that she knows. She'd rather keep those illusive boundaries up for Haruka's sake as well as for the sake of her own image in Haruka's head.

I guess Michiru's secret is deeply connected to that thought; that image. She's terrified of the prospect of Haruka ever truly finding out just how obsessed (for lack of a better term) Michiru is with Haruka, how much indirect control she yields over her and over aspects of her life. Her blatantly selfish and even cruel self indulgence can manifest in multiple ways, ranging from something as simple as brewing feelings of bitterness and jealousy over the love Haruka holds for her admittedly terrible family members to being utterly disregarding of anything and everything if it guarantees Haruka's safety.

There's a certain naivety and denial Haruka holds for Michiru's character. Not only because she loves her, but because she genuinely sees Michiru as a good person, unlike herself. She knows what evil people look like, what they do, Michiru would never come close to that, even at her lowest moment. She never pondered much on the question of "what would Michiru do if I died?", she'd be distraught, yes, but things would turn out okay. People die, for how unfortunate and bleak, it's reality.

If she EVER asked Michiru that question in one of her more somber nights, it would be a question born from a desire to rest assured that Michiru would be safe. She WILL find another that will love her just as much because she truly deserves it, a woman so full of love.

"What would you do if I died?"

"What was that, dear?"

"I mean, if something happened to me? Could you find someone else?"

"Are you asking whether I intend to dedicate myself to a lifelong vow of mourning, service and celibacy?"

"N—No. I would like it if you were able to find happiness again."