Flashback Friday: 002

First, let me apologize. I've been pretty busy this week, and I completely spaced about Flashback Friday... But never fear! I've put together a quick post. Today, we're flashing back to...

SAILOR MOON




(Admit it. You know every word to that theme song!)

You guys remember Sailor Moon, right? Maybe the guys don't--but every girl reading this blog should remember fantasizing about running around in those gorgeous outfits, fighting evil, winning love, and all that good stuff. When I was just a Little Kaye, I remember watching Sailor Moon religiously. I also have a vivid memory of walking into the video store with my mom and nearly having an aneurysm when I spotted a VHS copy of one of the Sailor Moon movies. Seriously, I freaked out. My happiness was complete.

I remember being crazy about Sailor Jupiter, because even a kid, I loved tough, independent girls. Sailor Mars had a special place in my heart because I was jealous of her long, flowing hair. Sailor Venus was just so beautiful. I kind of wanted to be here. Sailor Moon was buckets of fun, and I more or less in love with her boyfriend. That Tuxedo Mask... *fans self*

But Sailor Mercury (Amy) was always my favorite. Especially as a Little Kaye, I was drawn to short-haired girls. I've always had short hair, but I barely ever saw girls with hair anything like mine in movies--likely because long hair is such a traditional symbol of femininity. (Think about: Mulan is really the only Disney girl with short hair--and her hair is still long enough to pull up into a bun!)

(Also, this is probably part of why I connected so strongly with Ghibli girls like San, Kiki and Nausicaa. I could immediately identify. From the fist moment i saw those characters, I instinctively knew that they were more like me than other characters I'd been presented with in movies and TV.)

Back to Sailor Mercury. I loved her hair--not just the length, but also the color. I've long been fascinated with hair dye. My fondest wish has been to dye my hair blue, but due to a series of strange occurrences (which I'll talk about in another post someday), I've had to settle for purple and red. I think I also connected with that character because she was very smart and bookish, much like me as a child.

Aside from just being really fun, Sailor Moon was something little girls could watch on Saturday mornings that provided them with a group of really excellent female role models. The Sailor Scouts were so varied in their personalities--some were smart and bookish, some were more social creatures, some outgoing, some were shy, some were "girly girls," some were more "tomboyish," and so on. The message I took away from Sailor Moon is one that I think needs to come back in pop culture today: There's no wrong way to be a girl!

As I sign off, allow me to leave you with another Sailor Moon tune: