Parallel Hints Naoko Takeuchi's Parallel
Sailormoon originally debuted in 1999 with the Materials collection
artbook, but hints to the existence of Kousagi, Ami (Jr), Rei (Jr) Mako and
Mina exist throughout the series.
A majority of the hints have been collected for Quirkalicious,
but there are a few other hints alluding to the youngest batch of Sailor
Senshi and the timeline they live in.
Conspiracy or clever?
We
know the 19 page manga doesn't really go too far into the lives of the elder
Sailor Senshi, but now it seems that this timeline, different from the bleak
but pretty 30th Century future we originally saw, was always fated
to exist in the normal canon.
This is the first clue. Naoko Takeuchi added this to the fifth Sailormoon
artbook, chronicling the artwork she did for the StarS arc. Curiously, we
have Eternal Sailor Moon holding a variation of her original wand, the
Crescent Moon Wand, instead of the Eternal Tier. More curious? In the liner
notes for the book, Naoko asks people to purchase the Materials Collection,
and that this will be the cover ~ BUT ~ the Materials Collection wouldn't be
out until October 1, 1999.
This
was printed September 25, 1997. A full two years before the collection was
printed.
Was
she already sketching ideas for Kousagi back then? Or at least was she
sketching Usagi carrying on the good fight as Sailor Moon? We know that Moon,
Venus and Chibi Moon can always access their earlier transformations and
powers, could that explain further images of Eternal Sailor Moon with a new
Crescent Wand?
Another
curious item is the fabled Artemis-P. Now he was only used in this 1994 BanDai ad for a Sailormoon game, but Toei Animation did
animate this 15 second spot. Would he have been a mate for Luna-P? Could
Kousagi have gotten him?
Another
curiosity has much to do with Chibiusa and Chibi Chibi. In the anime,
Chibiusa has a cup set aside for her, with the name "CHIBI" on it.
"Chibi" is the nickname Parallel Chibiusa gave to Kousagi. It's
also the name Chibi Chibi gave to her doll.
Could this just be a harmless gag, because of the names "Chibi-usa"
and "Chibi Chibi" or was this a subtle nod to there being just one
more Tsukino Senshi?
And
of course, areas where the girls have had extra Odango have only fueled the
fire.
Leading us to this next mystery. On June 30th, 1997, just a few
months after the manga and anime ended, Naoko Takeuchi released another
artbook, Infinity. Originally debuting at Comiket, the book features tons of
new sketches and letters, not just from Naoko, but from her staff, other
manga-ka and even people working at Toei Animation. One of the many pictures
comes from Kumiko Kinjo, an assistant artist of
Naoko Takeuchi:
Look closely at the sweet photo. Usagi has double Odango, just like Kousagi.
And Chibi Chibi (holding a little bunny) and Chibiusa are both super close to
her stomach. She may not have been pregnant yet with Chibiusa or Kousagi when
this was drawn…. But then again…
In
1999, Toei artist YouichiFukano
drew an amazing picture of a royal Chibiusa:
Only, this is not the 30th Century Chibiusa we see in the anime. He
drew this and finished it as Parallel Sailormoon hit bookshelves. This is
based on an idea he had, of a future where Chibiusa is ruler, yet her parents
are still alive, and many of the changes to the timeline made during 30th
Century Chibiusa's time jumps has taken hold. A PARALLEL Chibiusa if you
will.
If you add up all of these little hints, Parallel Sailormoon is less a
parody, and more of a destiny.