Is this true? Why is Sailor Moon so OP, and how can people know and measure that?
Okay so the thing about Sailor Moon is that she's basically Naoko Takeuchi's wish-fulfillment fantasy and a love letter to teenage girls everywhere. Usagi, a teenage girl, is the most powerful being in the universe and basically a deity who is capable of resurrecting and rebuilding the universe and everyone in it after it's been destroyed. She can vanquish evil beings and purify people who have been corrupted. She also literally creates a fairytale utopia on Earth with herself as the Goddess-Queen and gives everyone 1000 year lifespans.
And I think that's so beautiful and why Sailor Moon has impacted as many people as it has! In a world where male power fantasies are a dime a dozen, it's so refreshing to see a relatable, lovable young girl as the Chosen One.
And what makes Usagi even better is that she would rather use all of her vast power to heal and protect people. Usagi's greatest strengths- such as her empathy, ability to heal the hearts of others, and capacity to love and forgive- are things that are associated with traditional femininity. She would rather create than destroy.
If you ask me, that's why Sailor Moon is so incredibly OP and beats out male characters like the God-Emperor from Warhammer. Her greatest strength isn't her actual powers, it's her endless compassion, her ability to love, and her mental fortitude. She would rather befriend people and find a solution that works for everyone than fight.
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Saturday is Mao day and I enjoyed last weeks episode so much - Nanoka look so adorable in her PJs I wanted to give her a Mao plushie to cuddle in her sleep 😴
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I am BEGGING people to recognize that sometimes their favorite piece of media is Bad and Dumb, and that's okay! And good art can and does exist outside your comfort zone!! There really does seem to be an "all or nothing" attitude around art: either you like it, and therefore it is Perfection and Untouchable, or you dislike it and it is the Devil himself.
Like. I promise. You can love that 80's/90's nostalgic film to your heart's content and recognize that it's still dumb as a stump and/or problematic. And it's also okay to be Uncomfortable with a piece of media, but also recognize its merit and simply go "not my cup of tea." AND WHILE YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE A DISCLAIMER, it's still important to recognize it within yourself that some of your faves are Trash/Problematic/Dumb/etc, and employ critical thinking that does not automatically create an "us vs them" mindset.
It's okay. Watch your shitty movies. Read your trashy novels. Indulge in your shitty shows. Embrace the trash. Do not cast stones, blah blah blah. Be free.
Go check her out or I'll go to your house and sit on your chest.
Context for this piece under the cut. (In the form of an impromptu ficlet, kinda.)
Ochaco comes home from hero work one day and finds all the lights are out, even though Deku should be home from teaching by now. He is home, but he's in the bedroom, sitting on the bed... crying?! And not the heartwarmed fountain crying.
She takes off her visor and rushes to his side, asking what's wrong. He doesn't look at her as he answers, he stares down at the scars on his hands and forearms. Unbidden, his subconscious told him those scars are hideous. Evidence of his countless failures. The markings of a freak. A worthless, disgusting, unwelcome pariah.
Then his hero pulled him from the darkness with a kiss on the scar under his eye. She told him the truth. The actual truth, not the ravings of an abused psyche. She reminded him of all the people he supports, all the people he inspires and teaches. She reminded him of all the people he's saved. Of Eri and Tokoyami and Kota and All Might. Of her. She reminds him that she would likely not be there in that moment if it wasn't for him. She kisses another scar and tells him those scars are the marks of a hero. Of a man who would rather burn than let a child come to harm. Of a man who would give everything he has and would ever have just to give someone else a chance at happiness. She kisses another scar.
Of a man she loves with all her being. Of a man who saved her life, who she strives to be like every day, who never gave up on his ideals and whose iron will and pure heart changed the world for the better.
She looks at him and tells him a fact he knows and is still struggling to accept, even after all this time; she loves him. She loves him as he is and nothing will ever change that.
He begins to cry harder, not because he doesn't believe her, but because he does. He believes her and he feels her boundless, gracious love for him and what can he do but weep in the face of this angel who has blessed his life and all its days?
She kisses his scars as he sobs, as if to apply balm to his inner wounds. She knows she cannot take all the hurt away in this moment, but she will be there to comfort him all the same. Because she is his hero, just as he is hers.
(So uh... that was not exactly what I had intended to write, but... well there you go! CHECK OUT ASUNYAN!)
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The most self-indulgent (and explicit) thing I’ve written is now on AO3 🫣
Description: When Inuyasha comes back cursed with amnesia, and Kagome has to deal with the frustrating ordeal of getting her husband to believe that they are married.
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Manga: 10 volumes
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Favorite Character: Ann, Ann's grandmother, and Asa
Favorite Pairing: Ann x Daigo
Pros: Gorgeous yet simple artwork, devastating emotions, and sympathetic characters even when they do or say terrible things.
Cons: ???? Honestly, the only real con was how damn difficult it's been to read the whole series! Hence, why I ended up buying it on eBay nfsngdf
Recommended for: Teens dealing with heartbreak, or 30+ something women (like yours truly lol) who had a devastating first love
~~~
This series..... took me fucking FIFTEEN YEARS to finish! But holy shit, it was 1000% worth it!! 😭😭😭
If Fruits Basket was my generation's devastating shoujo series, Sand Chronicles was my personal Roman Empire. Even after my "hiatus" in 2014 (aka, there was NO ONLINE SCANS of any volumes past 7!), it lingered in my mind. I can name manga that made me cry on just one hand; Sand Chronicles is on that list for good reason. It is an incredibly grounded series, no magic, no supernatural elements (not even implied ones like Kyoko's "demons" in Skip-Beat), no world-saving stakes. It is simply the journey of one girl's trauma and grief over losing her mother in the worst way possible.
Spoilers and trigger warning below the cut:
Losing a loved one to suicide is devastating, but to a 12 year old girl, losing her MOTHER to suicide is.... indescribable. Ann's trauma and guilt carves into her actions and desires throughout every step of her life thereafter. From clinging to her childhood sweetheart, to leaving her small town to stay with her estranged father, from breaking up with said sweetheart and rebounding with an old friend, from impulsively getting engaged to a cold man, to nearly attempting suicide herself in the end....
Ann's actions are never demonized, other than by herself. I felt her pain, her conflict, her trauma every step of the way, and it is palpable. She isn't a bad person, by any stretch, she is only painfully, heartbreakingly human. This manga does not hold back its punches; it reminds me of Fruits Basket that way, even so far as delving into other generational traumas of Ann's rich friends and the skeletons in their family's closet.
Ann also has the telltale signs of a people-pleaser, with how much she desperately tries to keep the peace and watch over her friends, even to the detriment of her health and other relationships. Again, it hearkens back to her mother's suicide: she feels guilty for unwittingly driving her mother over the edge (she didn't, obviously, but that's how she FEELS), and tries to atone by watching over her friends. And her friends are not guiltless either; Shika at one points baits her with suicidal comments, terrifying Ann to the point of a mental breakdown. Fuji pushes his feelings until she caves; and Daigo, her beloved first love, snaps when she broke down crying.
Everyone is flawed, but still so lovable. Ann is funny, kind, and supportive. Daigo is a big doofus, great with kids, and a determined worker. Fuji is self-reflective, reserved, and compassionate. Shika starts to self-sabotage when a family secret is revealed to her, but is still loving and kind in her heart, and learns to step away from the toxicity. All four are bond together, messy feelings and inter-personal relationships alike, and it is so beautiful and raw and real.
(Note: The manga is also genuinely HILARIOUS. Like Fruits Basket and Clannad, in-between all the angst and drama is hilarious shenanigans, comic relief, and quirky character moments.)
When I read this manga at 19, I felt compelled by this characters and their journeys; rereading and finishing it at 34, I felt SEEN and stripped raw of my emotions. It won't be for everyone; some people might even be turned off by how emotional and angsty these kids are. But for me, there's intrinsic value in stories like these. It's more than just relationship drama, it's more than just growing pains, even though those are also explored and given the spotlight. This is LIFE, and dealing with trauma and our parents' sins, and learning to find meaning and value even when we feel like we're groping in the dark.
Sand Chronicles left its handprint on my heart all those years ago, and now that I've completed it, it is forever cemented in my Top 10 Manga of all time. Cannot recommend enough.
