Bring On the Mentors!

Every good hero team has a mentor, right? The Power Rangers had Zordon initially and every subsequent team has had a mentor of their own—even if Ninja Storm’s was trapped as a talking hamster. Of course, he was a human originally. Here in Sailor Moon, our mentors are talking cats. From the moon!

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t rag on the talking hamster from Ninja Storm.

So, let’s see how Luna and Artemis are!

APPEARANCE

Anime: Luna is a black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead. When we first see her, she is surrounded by young boys trying to place a band aid on her moon, thinking it is a wound. Artemis looks like Luna, only is white.

Live action: Luna appears first as a plush cat that Usagi finds one day. She mostly stays in plush form, though when she is alone with the Senshi, she will talk. In some cases, Luna becomes CGI—especially when she moves. She resembles anime Luna, so it is likely someone took merchandise and used it. Artemis is portrayed in the same way, though not much is seen of his CGI form.

Luna in the live action series also takes human form. She does so to help the Sailor Senshi, becoming a scout herself. When she is in human form, she is but a child. (For those familiar with later episodes of the anime, she probably takes the place of Sailor Mini Moon). She has dark purple hair in pigtails. She wears a yellow skirt with a purple shirt and boots. When she transforms, she gets a poofy yellow skirt on her sailor uniform and cat ears, plus a tail. She uses a cell phone to transform into Sailor Luna. Artemis does not take a human form.

POWERS

Anime: Luna has a few powers, including the ability to produce transformation items from thin air. She can also use something called a Luna Mind Meld to beam information directly into someone’s mind—she mostly does this after the fight with Beryl to remind the girls about their roles as the Sailor Scouts. Artemis, presumably, has the same powers but hardly uses them.

Live action: As a cat, Luna has some of the same powers as her anime counterpart. Artemis shows no powers during the series. As Sailor Luna, her powers revolve around childish things. Her main attack is Sucre Candy Attack. She also uses a giant fan as a weapon.

PERSONALITY

Anime: Luna is the mother of the group. She pretty much has to stay on top of Serena to get her to stay focused. She also is a source of advice. Artemis, while he can be serious, is the more light-hearted of the group. Sometimes, Luna can’t believe how laidback he can be.

Live action: Luna is less strict with Usagi and not so much a mother figure. She is also slightly less informed than her anime counterpart. She takes orders from Sailor Venus, believing her to be the Moon Princess. As a human, she acts much like a child. She is easily distracted and hyper.

RELATIONSHIPS

Anime: Luna lives with Serena and her family. She takes on a motherly role toward Serena, genuinely caring for the girl’s well-being. She also cares about the other girls and seems to be close to Amy, but that may be because the girl not only focuses on being a scout but because she is smart. She also has a romantic relationship with Artemis, who mostly has a relationship with Mina as he lives with her.

Live action: Like the anime, Luna lives with Usagi and her family. Unlike the anime, she takes on less of a mothering role and more of a mentoring one. Even in child form, she has no problem mentoring or chiding Usagi. The same can be said for the other Senshi, with whom she forms a bond with. Once again, she bonds with Ami as well—first over the girl’s search for the princess and second when Ami spends most of her time in their hideout. Artemis hardly interacts with the other girls at all, except to enlist Rei’s help with Minako. With Minako, Artemis serves as primary caregiver and confidante. They both tell each other they love the other as the series winds down.

PLOT CHANGES

The main plot change is of course, the addition of Sailor Luna. I do believe she was added for younger viewers to identify with as the other scouts are listed as 14 (but read more like later teens). Artemis’ main change is, of course, his relationship with Minako.

Luna and Artemis (Anime)

Luna (Live action)

Artemis (Live action)