Sailor Moon: Stars is the three volume finale to the Sailor Moon series. Despite how many times I read the previous volumes, this read was my first time going through Stars. 

After the successful defeat of Queen Nehelenia, Usagi idly remarks, “After all, we’re made of stars.” What she did not know is that statement is quite literal. Inside each living person, animal, planet, star, and asteroid is a star seed. Think like the Force from Star Wars, dao from Daoism, or the gems from Steven Universe. Sailor Scouts have an additional Sailor Crystal, which is the source of their powers. All across the universe, star crystal-imbued Guardians protect their solar systems from Chaos. All this lore becomes abundantly clear when Sailor Scouts from other universes show up on Earth as refuges from the rogue Sailor Galaxia. This genocidal asshole collects Sailor Crystals for sport, obliterating entire planets and communities. When she sets her eyes on our solar system, Usagi and friends know they’re in big trouble. 

Sailor Moon: Stars is a surprisingly dark wrap up to the series. While main characters have died before, the act was not graphic and flew over my head for the most part. In the Stars arc, the characters literally explode in panel, and Usagi is so traumatized that she represses huge swathes of memories. As one can guess from my above summary, metaphysics plays a heavy role. Hefty world-building doesn’t gel well with Takeuchi-san’s typical fast-paced storytelling, so I looked up several elements on the Sailor Moon wiki to keep up. 

On the other hand, the art notched up its beauty, making every outfit, every idle look worthy of a poster. Every volume is queerer than the last. Rei and Mina declare Usagi as their true love. There are genderfluid Guardians. So very, very cool. While the previous series dealt with the past and imminent future, Stars occupies itself with legacy. What will Sailor Moon leave behind for the next generation? Will there be another generation? How do we keep going when the grief weighs heavy, and we long for the dead? What is the emotional toll of eternal battles, being the eternal Chosen One, and long, long life? I have no idea what was going on in Takeuchi-san’s life in 1996, but goddamn, she pulls no punches. As much as she kickstarted the Magical Girl genre, Takeuchi-san sends it to an almost dystopian end point. 

Having read the series completely, I’m filled with the urge to read it again, slower this time. As I grow older, I’ll no doubt take new meanings from the text. Sailor Moon is like that for me. With her, I’m never alone.

My review of the initial Sailor Moon series: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/fe810c82-313e-4b17-9261-dd628b7764e4

My review of the Sailor Moon Super S: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3cfb462e-aeca-465d-9857-3afe42b281bb