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akinoameThis specifically pertains to the first anime adaptation of Sailor Moon. While it's taken for granted that Haruka and Michiru are a couple in the manga and Crystal, they don't have the development that their anime 1 counterparts did. And as much as I bitched about how the first anime was so scared to admit that they were girlfriends—not until their appearance in Stars came along, they at least gave them one hell of a relationship.
This, admittedly, focuses mostly on Haruka because she gets the bulk of the characterization. Michiru doesn't develop much beyond her manga origins, although she does have a playful side and doesn't mind teasing boys when she knows it's going to scare them off, and she saves her genuine emotions for Haruka. We learn that they weren't originally lovers, but introduced to one another by a third girl, Elsa if I'm remembering right (apologies for not trawling through hundreds of episodes to find a one-episode character's name), who may or may not have been dating Michiru herself. Haruka, then, just wanted to run, knowing subconsciously that she was running away from her destiny and mission. Michiru, in turn, wanted to protect her from it when she had to defeat one of Haruka's racing crew who had turned into a monster. She was defeated, and the Uranus Lip Rod appeared in front of Haruka. She warned Haruka that she would never be able to return to a normal life if she transformed. But still, to protect Michiru, she did, and she learned that if she managed to defeat the monster in time, it would revert to a human.
But that wasn't always going to be the case. In order to save the world from the Silence (no relation), Haruka and Michiru would have to sacrifice three people in order to extract the Talismans from their pure heart crystals—someone who goes too long without their heart inside their body would, of course, die. This is a departure from the manga, where they just HAVE the Talismans and are able to summon the Holy Grail, and Setsuna just having the Garnet Orb still comes out of nowhere, but for the rest, it's pretty high-tension.
Enter Usagi. Haruka flirts with her and teases her, but it's clear that she's drawn to her to some degree, since she admires her innocence and wants to protect it. This is the opposite of her reaction toward Sailor Moon, whose likewise innocence is seen as dangerous naïveté when they're trying to save the world. An attack on Usagi tests Haruka's resolve when a bright light comes from her heart crystal, and she's relieved that it won't be Usagi she has to kill to save the world. Similarly, she's relieved to see that Usagi only appears to have a costume replica of Sailor Moon's transformation compact, when Minako appears in a Sailor Moon disguise—this preserves her illusions about Usagi as an impossibly innocent and pure maiden. Sailor Moon constantly wants to try to be friends, but Haruka holds herself back, since she knows that Sailor Moon won't do what's necessary and kill three people to save nearly 6 billion.
The Witch Eudial then reveals that Haruka and Michiru themselves hold the Talismans in their pure hearts and sets a trap for them. And here is where the anime can't even pretend that they don't love each other, because both walk willingly into that trap to save one another. Usagi's identity is revealed to them, and while Haruka does feel a little betrayed, she goes out of her way to avoid making Usagi kill her and extracts her own heart crystal after Michiru's is taken. This releases both the Space Sword and the Deep Aqua Mirror, which join powers with Setsuna's Garnet Orb and summon the Holy Grail so Usagi can become Super Sailor Moon, which also returns their heart crystals. At first, Haruka and Michiru think that Usagi is the Messiah they've foreseen, who will save the world from the Silence, but Usagi's exhaustion from using so much energy disheartens them, and they continue to refuse to work with them. A further rift develops when they suspect that Chibi-Usa's friend, Hotaru, is Sailor Saturn and will destroy the world with her powers, and Haruka and Michiru are gung-ho on killing her before she can awaken. Usagi continues to stand in the way, even when it's revealed that Hotaru is hosting Mistress 9, the Messiah of Silence, and will end the world anyway. When Hotaru breaks free and becomes Sailor Saturn, Haruka especially rages against Usagi for letting it happen, but Usagi manages to save the world without killing anyone, somehow convincing Saturn not to destroy everything, and allowing Hotaru to be reborn again and have another chance at a better life. Haruka and Michiru then take Hotaru to her father in the hospital, recognizing a second chance when they see one.
They do end up taking care of Hotaru themselves after a while, and as she grew, she began to call Michiru and Haruka her Mama and Papa, while they doted on her. As Stars moved into the Galaxia arc, Haruka became very suspicious of Seiya and their interest in Usagi, particularly because she suspected correctly that they were Sailor Star Fighter, and as Sailor Uranus, she was supposed to protect the solar system from outsiders...and because apparently there's only room for one genderqueer lesbian with an interest in Usagi. I never actually got through the whole season, since it is extremely aggravating, but Haruka and Michiru decide to go undercover and betray the other senshi, stealing Hotaru's and Setsuna's star seeds...which still doesn't sit well with me, even knowing that they are able to do unpleasant things in order to save the world. But this is their adopted daughter and her third parent—to be honest, I can't tell if Setsuna is also their lover, even in the manga, since she doesn't have as many affectionate moments with them—and you'd think that Usagi got through to them. But whatever. Their plan fails when they realize they can't defeat Galaxia by stealing her star seed, and she kills them for their sudden but inevitable betrayal. But of course, Usagi manages to revive everyone because this is '90s Sailor Moon, and if the season doesn't end with someone dying and being reborn, you're doing it wrong.
Haha. So much for not writing a novel.
This, admittedly, focuses mostly on Haruka because she gets the bulk of the characterization. Michiru doesn't develop much beyond her manga origins, although she does have a playful side and doesn't mind teasing boys when she knows it's going to scare them off, and she saves her genuine emotions for Haruka. We learn that they weren't originally lovers, but introduced to one another by a third girl, Elsa if I'm remembering right (apologies for not trawling through hundreds of episodes to find a one-episode character's name), who may or may not have been dating Michiru herself. Haruka, then, just wanted to run, knowing subconsciously that she was running away from her destiny and mission. Michiru, in turn, wanted to protect her from it when she had to defeat one of Haruka's racing crew who had turned into a monster. She was defeated, and the Uranus Lip Rod appeared in front of Haruka. She warned Haruka that she would never be able to return to a normal life if she transformed. But still, to protect Michiru, she did, and she learned that if she managed to defeat the monster in time, it would revert to a human.
But that wasn't always going to be the case. In order to save the world from the Silence (no relation), Haruka and Michiru would have to sacrifice three people in order to extract the Talismans from their pure heart crystals—someone who goes too long without their heart inside their body would, of course, die. This is a departure from the manga, where they just HAVE the Talismans and are able to summon the Holy Grail, and Setsuna just having the Garnet Orb still comes out of nowhere, but for the rest, it's pretty high-tension.
Enter Usagi. Haruka flirts with her and teases her, but it's clear that she's drawn to her to some degree, since she admires her innocence and wants to protect it. This is the opposite of her reaction toward Sailor Moon, whose likewise innocence is seen as dangerous naïveté when they're trying to save the world. An attack on Usagi tests Haruka's resolve when a bright light comes from her heart crystal, and she's relieved that it won't be Usagi she has to kill to save the world. Similarly, she's relieved to see that Usagi only appears to have a costume replica of Sailor Moon's transformation compact, when Minako appears in a Sailor Moon disguise—this preserves her illusions about Usagi as an impossibly innocent and pure maiden. Sailor Moon constantly wants to try to be friends, but Haruka holds herself back, since she knows that Sailor Moon won't do what's necessary and kill three people to save nearly 6 billion.
The Witch Eudial then reveals that Haruka and Michiru themselves hold the Talismans in their pure hearts and sets a trap for them. And here is where the anime can't even pretend that they don't love each other, because both walk willingly into that trap to save one another. Usagi's identity is revealed to them, and while Haruka does feel a little betrayed, she goes out of her way to avoid making Usagi kill her and extracts her own heart crystal after Michiru's is taken. This releases both the Space Sword and the Deep Aqua Mirror, which join powers with Setsuna's Garnet Orb and summon the Holy Grail so Usagi can become Super Sailor Moon, which also returns their heart crystals. At first, Haruka and Michiru think that Usagi is the Messiah they've foreseen, who will save the world from the Silence, but Usagi's exhaustion from using so much energy disheartens them, and they continue to refuse to work with them. A further rift develops when they suspect that Chibi-Usa's friend, Hotaru, is Sailor Saturn and will destroy the world with her powers, and Haruka and Michiru are gung-ho on killing her before she can awaken. Usagi continues to stand in the way, even when it's revealed that Hotaru is hosting Mistress 9, the Messiah of Silence, and will end the world anyway. When Hotaru breaks free and becomes Sailor Saturn, Haruka especially rages against Usagi for letting it happen, but Usagi manages to save the world without killing anyone, somehow convincing Saturn not to destroy everything, and allowing Hotaru to be reborn again and have another chance at a better life. Haruka and Michiru then take Hotaru to her father in the hospital, recognizing a second chance when they see one.
They do end up taking care of Hotaru themselves after a while, and as she grew, she began to call Michiru and Haruka her Mama and Papa, while they doted on her. As Stars moved into the Galaxia arc, Haruka became very suspicious of Seiya and their interest in Usagi, particularly because she suspected correctly that they were Sailor Star Fighter, and as Sailor Uranus, she was supposed to protect the solar system from outsiders...and because apparently there's only room for one genderqueer lesbian with an interest in Usagi. I never actually got through the whole season, since it is extremely aggravating, but Haruka and Michiru decide to go undercover and betray the other senshi, stealing Hotaru's and Setsuna's star seeds...which still doesn't sit well with me, even knowing that they are able to do unpleasant things in order to save the world. But this is their adopted daughter and her third parent—to be honest, I can't tell if Setsuna is also their lover, even in the manga, since she doesn't have as many affectionate moments with them—and you'd think that Usagi got through to them. But whatever. Their plan fails when they realize they can't defeat Galaxia by stealing her star seed, and she kills them for their sudden but inevitable betrayal. But of course, Usagi manages to revive everyone because this is '90s Sailor Moon, and if the season doesn't end with someone dying and being reborn, you're doing it wrong.
Haha. So much for not writing a novel.