Welcome back to our Summer Comics Binge of Naoko Takeuchi’s “Sailor Moon,” continuing with the second half of the third arc, ‘Infinity.’ Here, Professor Tomoe succeeds in his machinations to turn his daughter, Hotaru, into the host for Pharaoh 90’s partner Mistress 9, enabling him to bring his master to Earth. Let’s get into it:
Created by Naoko TakeuchiPictured: Uranus & Neptune
Art by Naoko Takeuchi
Translated by Alethea Nibley & Athena Nibley
Lettered by Lys Blakeslee[Official blurb is the same as the previous volumes. (“Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she’s never gotten good grades, and, well, she’s a bit of a crybaby…”) “Eternal” Vol. 6 actually collects chapters #34-38, as well as ‘Chibiusa’s Picture Diary’ #2, and ‘The Love of Princess Kaguya,’ which we’ll cover at a later date.]
‘Act 33. Infinity 7 – Metamorphosis: Super Sailor Moon:’ We didn’t go into the Holy Grail subplot, which saw Chibiusa recreate a chalice in her mother’s possession for art class, in our look at the first half of the arc last time. Here, Usagi, Mamoru, and her daughter use the chalice to resolve the conflict between the Inner and Outer Guardians, channeling their powers to transform our lead into a new form, Super Sailor Moon; it also gives the other Guardians heart-shaped brooches. It’s a funny combination of Christian iconography, and the typical, merchandise-driven redesigns in Japanese superhero franchises, that feel labeled because they have to make clear to children which toy this’ll be; it’s also interesting how this cup becomes magical solely because of Usagi’s faith in her friends, just as faith is believed to turn Communion wine into the blood of Christ.
Alas, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto make it clear their goals are irreconcilable, explaining Hotaru is the reincarnation of Saturn, the Guardian of Destruction, and that they must kill her before she reawakens. A distraught Chibiusa dashes off to protect her friend, but Mistress 9’s possession has taken root, and she responds by attacking her, taking her Silver Crystal for her own, and rendering her unconscious. Hotaru’s trademark bob cut grows eerily long, as if tentacles or a spider’s web were growing out of her head; it’s also a powerful example of how she’s been groomed into something she’s not, with Mistress 9’s wild and extravagant style being completely at odds with Hotaru’s shy, withdrawn nature and appearance.
‘Act 34. Infinity 8 – Labyrinth Mugen 1:’ The Outer Guardians explain Chibiusa’s soul was taken by Mistress 9, and that to free her they will need to kill Hotaru. Mamoru stays to look after his daughter, creating a psychic connection to her, while Usagi and the Inner Guardians head to Mugen Academy, which has been cocooned by the Daemons, and now has a portal hovering over it. They get separated by the Witches 5, who subject the girls to all kind of visions, both alluring and nightmarish, before sticking them on an unholy pillar. The Outer Guardians intervene, killing the Witches, while Usagi takes out Kaolinite, who bursts in and fully transforms into a Daemon. The two groups empower Usagi into her Super Sailor Moon once more — together.
‘Act 35. Infinity 9 – Labyrinth Mugen 2:’ Mistress 9 devours the Silver Crystal, but Hotaru’s consciousness prevents her from digesting it and Chibiusa’s spirit. Takeuchi walks a tightrope here, since she portrays both girls’ souls as being naked, which is certainly a cultural difference that feels strange to a non-Japanese reader; it’s the same case for the anime, where the girls are naked during transformation scenes, something the American dub had to tone down even though they appear in those as energy beings. Still, the manga avoids showing anything explicit, with Hotaru’s arms always covering her chest.
Usagi heads to the basement with the Outer Guardians to find Professor Tomoe, while the others head upstairs. She truly gets to bond with the new characters before more psychedelic illusions, and confronting Tomoe himself. Usagi and Haruka finish off the transformed professor together, while Hotaru’s spirit observes that her father actually died a long time ago. Upstairs, Mistress 9 captures the Inner Guardians (boy do they get undermined by the newcomers here), causing Usagi to lose her Super form.
Continued below‘Act 36. Infinity 10 – Infinite – Firmament:’ Mistress 9 attempts to absorb Mars, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter’s souls to stop Hotaru from interfering, forcing her to sacrifice herself to protect them, and return the Silver Crystal and Chibiusa’s soul to her. Mistress 9’s graphically erupts out of Hotaru’s body, and her true form is probably one of the weakest parts of this story, resembling an outline instead of a fully realized monster, curiously lacking shading that would make her look as three-dimensional as the other Daemons. A grieving Chibiusa reenters the fray with her father, and her own Holy Grail appears to transform her into Super Sailor Chibi Moon — the two Usagis are now fully ready to prevent Pharaoh 90’s arrival as mother and daughter.
‘Act 37. Infinity 11 – Infinite – Judgment:’ The battle goes south, as Pharaoh 90 pours his spirit into Mistress 9, and winds up being fed by Mamoru and the Guardians’ attacks. Usagi sacrifices herself, diving with the Holy Grail into the epicenter of Pharaoh 90’s body, in one last ditch attempt to kill him. All hope seems lost, when Saturn rises from the fiend’s head, as if she were Athena emerging from Zeus, and proceeds to banish him back to space, while bringing about the end of the world. This chapter features some of the cinematic pages in “Sailor Moon” yet, with a scope and scale of destruction that would not look out of place in a Godzilla film, and dazzling contrasts of black darkness and white light, including the blazing arrival of Saturn, whose graceful moves are some of the most detailed and beautiful drawings in the whole series.
‘Act 38. Infinity 12 – Infinite – Journey:’ Saturn sweeps Pharaoh 90 into the air, revealing Usagi’s alive, and that she had no intention of ending the world, because Usa is destined to remake it. Saturn leaps into space to escort Pharaoh 90 into the void, while Pluto tearfully seals the breach behind them, and Usagi uses her healing powers to undo all the havoc that was wreaked.
The Outer Guardians then discover Hotaru has been reborn as a baby, and decide to raise her as their own. Wow: and to think they began this story planning to kill her — it’s also amazing you couldn’t portray gay parents on American kids’ TV until roughly a decade ago, while here Saturn receives both a single mother, and a lesbian couple for parents, and it’s clear they will all raise her with the love she so sorely deserves.
The older girls bid Chibiusa goodbye, with Neptune leaving her her mirror as a promise she’ll see her again, before vanishing. Usagi, who clearly didn’t get enough closure, tries to find them, but they’ve already moved on, meaning she’s only left with the hope of seeing them again. Some time later, the Inner Guardians have all passed their exams, and Chibiusa is preparing to return to the 30th century. It’s the usual, happy-go-lucky ending, but the matured tone carries through to the cliffhanger, where Usagi and Chibiusa go to watch a solar eclipse with Mamoru, and receive a vision of a winged unicorn begging for their help.
See you all next week for the first half of the ‘Dream’ arc.
