Romance is one of the biggest themes in magical girl epic, Sailor Moon. Much of the plot, story, and character development ties into the central romance between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. The writing of the characters and romance in the series is so strong that many of the love stories between supporting characters and villains are also compelling.
Many Villains Have Romances Sailor Moonsome being one-sided and unrequited, and others including life-altering relationships. And while Tuxedo Mask belongs in the central romance, there is another character besides Sailor Moon who serves as a compelling love interest for him. This love interest is also part of what makes the series a pioneer in depicting queer romance.
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The first Sailor Moon movie is incredibly romantic
Sailor Moon R: The Promise of the Rose has two beautiful love stories
Sailor Moon has some of the best filler arcs. While they don’t always contribute to the epic central plot, these filler arcs contain many key character moments. The first film of the 90s animated series, Sailor Moon R: The Movie, The Promise of the Rosesets the tone for the filler and standalone movie arcs, and it’s a fan favorite. The film picks up right after the end of the first season, when Usagi and Mamoru remember their past lives and how they had a forbidden romance on the Moon Kingdom just before the fall of the Silver Millennium.
Usagi and Mamoru begin dating in their current lives on Earth, both remembering their past relationship and creating new memories as their current selves. They are in a liminal space where everything about their relationship feels new, old, and destined all at once. It is then that a key person in Mamoru’s past comes looking for him after years of separation.
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Naoko Takeuchi didn’t work much on the first one Sailor Moon movie, but the series creators filled a gap in the backstory very convincingly by creating Fiore. Mamoru is a very independent person who had to grow up quickly because he lost his parents at a very young age. This is partly why he is the more mature and established half of his and Usagi’s relationship, despite being only two years older than her.
The “R” in Sailor Moonthe second story arc of the series, represents romance, and The promise of the rose fulfills the promise of this premise. Not only does it explore Usagi and Mamoru’s first romance and have a heartfelt emotional beat between them in the finale, but it explores Mamoru’s first love. Fiore is more than just an entertaining filler character: he plays an important role in Mamoru’s story and identity.
Sailor Moon has many romantic rivals for the tuxedo mask
Several recurring and filler characters want Mamoru
Tuxedo Mask is a dashing and handsome character who leads with the heart. He’s a bit mysterious, especially to Sailor Moon, as he goes in and out of battles, and he doesn’t have a mentor like Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus in Luna and Artemis. Mamoru acts on instinct when he transforms into Tuxedo Mask, following his desire to be near Sailor Moon and help her.
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Such a mysterious and fashionable ally inspires a lot of swooning, and not just from Sailor Moon. Mamoru is also handsome and dashing as a civilian – he even has a modeling past. Other hero characters, like Sailor Mars (Rei Hino) in the 90s anime, also have a crush on Mamoru. Rei even goes on a few dates with Mamoru.
Although Mamoru and Usagi were destined to be together, Mamoru did not come into existence the second he met Usagi in his current life. He’s had quite a history leading up to moonlighting as Tuxedo Mask and joining the Sailor Guardians. Tuxedo Mask is a damsel in distress and a recurring object of affection for many romantic rivals, but he’s also a fleshed-out character with a history that shapes him as a person.
Villain romances are a key plot point in Sailor Moon
Fiore is one of the most complex villains
Villain romances work in different ways in Sailor Moon. A villain with a great love story will always captivate the audience. Romantic love shows a softer side of the villain. Their heart tends to be their greatest vulnerability, and sometimes it humanizes them. In the 90s anime, the Shitennou Zoisite and Kunzite have a villain/villain romance. They are everyone’s guiding motivation. Kunzite is a dour and powerful threat, but his mannerisms completely change when he and Zoisite are alone. The relationship between Kunzite and Zoisite highlights their characters and makes them incredibly likeable.
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Tuxedo Mask has several villains who either lust after him or really like him. Most villains who want it don’t have sympathetic reasons, and their love only raises the stakes for Sailor Moon. The first Tuxedo mask – Sailor Moon – wicked love triangle in the series involves the main antagonist of the first season, Queen Beryl. Queen Beryl’s unrequited love is not very pure: it is obsessive. She would see him dead before seeing him with anyone else, which partly explains the fall of the Moon Kingdom.
Queen Nehelenia’s obsession with Tuxedo Mask works the same way. The two evil queens also use Tuxedo Mask to hurt Sailor Moon. They kidnap him and brainwash him, robbing him of his autonomy and his life. Although Fiore is a villain who commits similar acts involving Tuxedo Mask, the reasoning is much more nuanced and much less evil than that of Queen Beryl and Queen Nehelenia. He thinks he’s helping Mamoru, and he only removes him from Earth when he wants to heal him of his serious injuries.
Why Mamoru and Fiore make so much sense as a couple
The Tuxedo Mask has a compelling love triangle
There are several reasons why Fiore is a love interest for fan-favorite villains. This is partly linked to nostalgia, as many Sailor Moon fans remember the very first film fondly. Fiore also has a beautiful character design as a human, in her true alien form, and in her Kisenian Blossom hybrid form.
The main reason why Fiore stands out from the rest of the villains, including those who want to be with Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask, is the depth of her true connection with Mamoru. Fiore knows Mamoru on a level that none of the other Sailor Guardians, including Sailor Moon, do. Even Mamoru’s friend Motoki Furuhata, who is very close to him, is on Fiore’s level. Fiore and Mamoru were best friends, and the only reason they were separated is because Fiore isn’t from Earth.
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Fiore loves Mamoru so much that he spent years thinking about him, returning to Earth and finding a way to keep his promises. The film’s title is a direct ode to Fiore’s promise to Mamoru. When Mamoru was orphaned as a young child, his bond with Fiore was the only thing that kept him going. The flower Fiore promises to give Mamoru is to reciprocate the rose Mamoru gave her as a parting gift.
Roses are the symbol of Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask. They represent his love for Sailor Moon and his confidence in her. He throws a rose onto the battle arena as his calling card, and he even uses them more than once as darts to deflect attacks against Sailor Moon, thus protecting her. Given this context, it is very significant that Mamoru gives Fiore a rose as a representation of his love. Fiore and Mamoru may not end up together when Fiore finds him as young adults, but that doesn’t mean Fiore’s love for Mamoru is one-sided. It’s very clear that his love is returned, which sets him apart from all of Mamoru’s other love interests except Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon has several thoughtful queer romances
Queer love interests are nuanced and sympathetic
Tuxedo Mask is a very popular shojo love interest; he was many anime fans’ first crush. He achieved iconic status not just because of his looks, nor because of his romance with Sailor Moon (as beautiful as she is). Naoko Takeuchi wrote Tuxedo Mask very intentionally, forcing it to break gender norms and expectations. He is an incredibly empathetic and caring lover. As a male lover, he is brave and charming, traditionally admirable traits, but he is also very in touch with his emotions. He is the most involved parent with his and Usagi’s child, Chibiusa. His main strength is not in combat, although he is brave and saves the day from time to time. Tuxedo Mask breaks the mold because of its emotional reach.
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Why Sailor Moon’s Queer Heritage Still Matters
Sailor Moon’s LGBT representation was revolutionary in its time and continues to influence the magical girl genre.
Sailor Moon also breaks the mold as it helped bring queer romances into more mainstream media for audiences around the world. The 1990s weren’t known for much queer media, much less nuanced queer characters and stories. Mamoru and Fiore’s relationship is inherently strange, as Fiore is clearly in love with Mamoru and they had a pure-hearted puppy love relationship when they were children.
It could be argued that Mamoru and Fiore’s relationship faces certain obstacles – like the bury your gays trope, because Fiore doesn’t live beyond the film’s finale. Another iconic queer relationship in the series, Zoisite/Kunzite, also fits into this morose stereotype.. But Fiore and Mamoru’s relationship is a positive step in queer media history in many other ways.
Fiore and Mamoru are more than a filler plot
Their relationship is a great addition to the series
Fiore and Mamoru’s relationship isn’t a one-dimensional vehicle for tacky fan service. It’s a fully developed complicity between two characters. Fiore is a bad guy, but he’s not a bad person. He’s far from a demonized gay character, because, like the other villains-turned-heroes in the series, he’s only an antagonistic force because a distinct character forces him to be. Kisenian Blossom, not Fiore, is the true villain of the film, and once separated from Kisenian Blossom, Fiore performs one of the film’s most heroic acts by reviving the fallen Sailor Moon. Fiore has her own complex set of fears and desires, and her love story with Mamoru stands on its own.
Sailor Moon R: The Promise of the Rose
A Mamoru’s friend from the past arrives on Earth to wreak havoc and the heroes must stop them.
- Release date
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December 5, 1994