From: keith987@juno.com   
      
   Chris Kern wrote...   
   > Episode 126 - A new life! The fate of the stars, the time of parting   
   >   
   >   
   > 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 can think of two more points that suggest it's Sailor Moon. First, back in   
   ep. 107 (Chibi-Usa's art class), Chibi-Usa mentions she saw a picture of the   
   cup in her mother's room. I don't think Neo-Queen Serenity would display   
   such a thing if she believed it was meant for someone else. Second, if you   
   look at the detailing on the cup, it is adorned with crescent-moon shaped   
   baubles and ornamentation. That doesn't seem like something that was meant   
   for the "Sailor of Destruction".   
      
   > 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.   
   >   
   > 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).   
      
   Eliminating Sailor Saturn may have seemed like the right thing to do from   
   most people's perspective, but Sailor Moon seems to have a knack for sensing   
   the good side of a potential enemy. Her defense of Hotaru was not just   
   idealistic dreaming - she knew in her heart that Hotaru was not evil and was   
   willing to sacrifice her own life to save her. The other inner Senshi have   
   learned to trust this instinct, but to U&N, who are unfamiliar with Sailor   
   Moon's abilities, it was all emotional foolishness. If there is a message in   
   SMS, I think it would be to trust your feelings, and not let anyone try to   
   make you do something that goes against those feelings.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)