From: phoenix@mediaone.net   
      
   Chris Kern wrote:   
      
   >Episode 126 - A new life! The fate of the stars, the time of parting   
   >   
   >I like that they had this entire episode to wrap things up in the   
   >storyline. Most anime have the climax in the final episode and then   
   >cobble some sort of conclusion together in the last minute or two of   
   >the episode, but it never feels very satisfying.   
      
   Same here. I also disliked the idea that we're up to the very last   
   episode, the villain is at his/her peak of power and is not brought   
   down until the last few minutes. There have even been some series   
   where they had to use the credits, or even a brief scene following the   
   credits to show the aftermath. BTW, anyone ever see the end of Nurse   
   Angel Ririka?   
      
   >Obviously the major question is: who is the "true messiah"? The usual   
   >candidates that are advanced are Sailor Saturn and Sailor Moon. I   
   >don't know if it's possible to be completely sure. I have always felt   
   >that it's Sailor Moon. U&N almost certainly think this -- as they're   
   >leaving in this episode, Haruka says that it wasn't only Sailor Saturn   
   >that was saved by the Messiah, but themselves as well. This statement   
   >doesn't make any sense if Saturn is the Messiah.   
      
   I'm in the Sailor Moon camp myself.   
      
   >One other thing about Sailor Saturn -- it's interesting that even now   
   >U&N are still referring to Sailor Saturn as "the soldier of   
   >destruction" in a negative way.   
   >   
   >This episode is also controversial, mostly because viewers have a hard   
   >time understanding why U&N attacked Sailor Moon. It seems to me that   
   >they wanted to make sure that she really believed in what she was   
   >doing and wasn't just acting on temporary emotion. It's sort of an odd   
   >way for them to find out, but it seems to fit H&M.   
      
   I think it was more that they saw her as weak and spineless. To them,   
   the defeat of Pharaoh Ninety was pure and simple luck. Their metric   
   for strength is physical, not principled morals. They had to be   
   convinced that Sailor Moon was physically strong as well as morally   
   strong. In the end, SM broke Neptune's hold on her like Neptune was no   
   more then a child. At that moment, U&N realized that Sailor Moon could   
   mop the floor with them if she so chose and that brought their   
   respect.   
      
   >Now, looking back at the whole season, it's interesting that there are   
   >two competing views as to Usagi's ideals vs. Haruka and Michiru's   
   >viewpoint. Some people feel that H&M were way too quick to look for   
   >the easy way out (killing Hotaru) without even trying to see if there   
   >might be another way. Others support H&M's more realistic position   
   >more. Some felt that what they saw as the message of SMS was not good   
   >-- the idea of following your unrealistic ideals and you will succeed   
   >in the end (this is the perceived message).   
      
   Which might be valid if it was anyone other then Sailor Moon. ;)   
      
   --   
   Phoenix   
   www.phoenixanime.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)