When Sailor Moon Crystal first aired, we got our first glimpse of Queen Serenity, Usagi’s mother from her previous life as the Princess of the Moon. I had been thrilled to see how Crystal would interpret the elder Serenity, because she had always been a much beloved character for me when I’d grown up on the series, though I’m not really sure why. Though looking at my lists of favorite characters these days, it’s a bit less surprising since I’m almost always drawn toward mother and motherly characters. Especially ones that have to balance their role as mother with something much larger.
Then we got our first glimpse of the new Serenity in the final moments of Moon Pride, and I was deeply disappointed.
For some reason, they had changed Serenity to the same blonde, blue-eyed girl as Usagi. She had become a carbon copy of Usagi in Queen Serenity’s dress. I fixated on this that first episode, and I’ve quietly seethed on it every episode since. It just nagged at me because it just felt so wrong for Serenity. The silver hair and darker eyes she’d had in the first anime gave her age and wisdom and a regal quality to Serenity that the change really took away from her. Queen Serenity is not the shining, innocent girl her daughter is. She doesn’t have the impulsiveness, the sudden spark of adventure and romance. Queen Serenity is past that time in her life. She’s got the moon’s gentle glow, an old wisdom. She is patience and serene love.
This week, six episodes later, they have completely redrawn Serenity, to not only give her back her original color-scheme, but to correct the full drawing itself. This isn’t a mere recolor of the Usagi!Serenity into her proper colors. This is swapping out Usagi and putting in the Serenity that I have been waiting for.
Please compare Usagi!Serenity to actual Serenity. Aside from just the obvious change to her hair and eye color, which is probably the biggest deal here, it’s really important to note that they didn’t just recolor Usagi!Serenity and call it a day, which they could have and I would have been plenty satisfied.
But look at the care and detail with which she was entirely redrawn for Moon Pride. Her expression has changed from a calm sadness, to awe. Her eyebrows, instead of furrowed slightly in worry, are now arched in surprised. The folds of her dress now fall properly over slightly wider hips. Her shoulders are a little more defined. The scallop of her wings aren’t as perfectly even, and are more transparent. You can see extra lines at her breast and where her arm meets her shoulder. Her jewelry sparkles. Her line weight even fluctuates slightly in places.
This is my Queen of the Moon, and I am thrilled to see her, and what it will be like to see her in action when we finally reach the episodes in which she appears.
Brand New Love Song 