From: phoenix@mediaone.net   
      
   Chris Kern wrote:   
      
   >Episode 176 - The true figure of a fighter! A shocking super   
   >transformation   
   >   
   >This episode establishes pretty clearly (not that there was much   
   >doubt) that the Starlights are male in their civilian form and   
   >transform into girls. This is different from the manga, when they were   
   >just disguising themselves as males. This change supposedly upset   
   >Takuechi Naoko, but I don't think they had any choice -- it would have   
   >been hard to sustain the "disgusing themselves as girls" for the   
   >entire series.   
      
   This is true. And not only that, if Seiya were truly female in his/her   
   everyday role, it would interfere with the concept of Seiya playing   
   the new romantic interest for Usagi.   
      
   >There's a famous VKLL-ism in this episode ("burning myself   
   >perfectly"); the meaning is fairly clear, though, it just means to use   
   >all your effort and strength in doing things.   
      
   Despite that, Seiya was pretty heartless. Even though he respected the   
   director and even though Sailor Moon was right there and had already   
   demonstrated that she could heal a corrupted star seed, he was still   
   fully prepared to kill the phage the director had become.   
      
   Back at the cafe, Ami and Mako are split up again. Darn. :)   
      
   BTW, I'm not going to work terribly hard at switching pronouns for the   
   Starlights based on whether they are transformed or not. If I use   
   their civilian name, I'll use male, if I use their senshi name, I'll   
   use female regardless of whether they are actually transformed or not   
   in a particular scene.   
      
   --   
   Phoenix   
   www.phoenixanime.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)