The first of the two is, not surprisingly, an illustration of protagonist, Usagi Tsukino. Usagi is illustrated holding her Moon Wand in her right hand, and some sort of celestial, or perhaps galactic matter, gracefully ascending from her left hand. Her sailor uniform boldly pops with the red, blue, and white contrasting the deep space background. Takeuchi elegantly draws the figure of Sailor Moon with deep, compassionate eyes, her flowing golden hair, slender arms and torso, and seemingly perfect legs complimented by her short navy skirt. Usagi defines the feminine heroine, but also exudes a presence worthy of respect, as well as power. Truly, the one worthy of reigning over the Moon Kingdom.
The second illustration is of Sailor Scout, Ami Mizuno, or Sailor Mercury. Besides having an IQ of 300, Ami is known for her ability to generate and manipulate water in any state of matter, which Takeuchi beautifully illustrates in this drawing. Ami is drawn with a bubbly, aquatic background, where she is seen holding a bubble within a bubble in mid-air with captivating arms, as well as showing off her appealing and enchanting legs. The blues of her uniform are boldly accentuated, while her hair appears to be swaying slowly from side-to-side, perhaps meant to mimic that of some kind of sea vegetation. Ami's eyes are mostly concealed, but her femininity is clearly emphasized in this illustration as well, making her as beautiful and elegant as any mermaid.
The new editions of the manga are expected to be released in Japan later this fall, sporting a slightly larger size than the previous edition of Sailor Moon manga (2003-2004). There will also be 12 volumes in this set, as was the case with the previous editions. Perhaps, more artwork by Takeuchi will be released in the coming weeks, though I am thankful we have actually received something (the new anime being a completely different story). But, I think congratulatory dues should be paid to Ms. Naoko for a beautiful job done on these illustrations!
Feel free to comment and tell me what you think about the artwork, or suggestions maybe of something you would like to see on this blog. I am willing to consider anything. (: Until next time, peace and good fortune, Moonies!
-Rei Hino
