

In the anime series _Sailor Moon_ (or, _Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon_ ) the
senshi have a unique _henshin_ , or transformation sequence. Especially later
on, these are animated with the senshi receiving a manicure before the
transformation sequence begins.

Here's Sailor Mercury (Mizuno Ami) starting her henshin sequence by raising
her hand:

![mercury-star-power](https://i.stack.imgur.com/h98CV.jpg)

Then she gets her manicure and her star wand transformation pen activates:

![star wand](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BDvg1.jpg)

As you can see, her nails are clearly blue in the second screencapture. Yet,
at the end of her henshin sequence, she's clearly sporting gloves:

![henshin-complete](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ikx1T.jpg)

So: **Why do the Senshi receive a manicure before putting on gloves?**


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2012-12-12T17:25:09.253
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sailor-moon
Why do the senshi get a manicure before they get gloves?


I haven't heard of any official response to that, so we can only assume that
it's only to make the animation look cooler/more dramatic/more `insert praise
word here`.


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2012-12-12T17:38:13.250
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Well, the Guardians _do_ shout "Make up!" before properly transforming, so
manicures and lipstick fit the motif nicely of transforming into _Pretty_
Guardians.

Using Haruka Tenou/Sailor Uranus (Season 3 transformations that Anno worked
on, but still works) from the R2 DVDs as an example:

![Haruka's manicure](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XP6iO.jpg)

![Lipstick](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pzy3F.jpg)

![End transformation pose](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GFbUp.jpg)

I know I answered this quite some time after the question was asked, but I'm
sure it's helpful to someone out there.


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2014-04-23T23:45:07.203
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There is an official answer to this. Takeuchi Naoko, the mangaka seems to have
made this decision, not the animation staff. She points out the characters'
nail polish in the _Settei Shiryoushuu_ (Materials Collection) art book, and
on the Sailor Mercury page she shows her own 8-frame [frame-by-frame
sketch](https://i.stack.imgur.com/E2NTa.png)1 of Sailor Mercury's
transformation sequence, including the frame which includes her comment (fan
translation from the original Japanese): "6. 'Make Up!' Next, she covers her
face with her hands, and her nails become instantly manicured, shining bright
blue."

In Takeuchi's early concept art for the characters (also shown in the same
artbook), [neither Sailor Mercury nor Sailor Mars wore
gloves](https://i.stack.imgur.com/geirU.jpg)2 as part of their sailor soldier
uniforms so, in their cases, their manicures would have always been showing
(whereas Moon, Jupiter, and Venus were originally gloved).

The fact that Takeuchi wanted to highlight make-up in the series is the reason
that the characters use the phrase "Make Up!" - which was apparently important
enough to be specifically mentioned in the Sailor Moon Crystal opening theme
song "MOON PRIDE" by Momoiro Clover Z.

1 Source:
<http://gallery.missdream.org/albums/scanlation_smoon/smoon_materialscollection/materials007.png>  
2 Source:
<http://gallery.missdream.org/albums/scanlation_smoon/smoon_materialscollection/materials002.png>


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2014-09-06T13:08:13.623
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answer


Seijitsu's answer refers to [word of
god](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WordOfGod), so I won't go that
way.

I will assume the OP is male since his profile does not exist ATM.

Why go to the trouble of doing a nail job if it is going to be under a glove
is the same thought that makes me pull the first boxers out of the drawer and
put them on without even knowing its color. Same goes for socks most of the
time.

Yes, I am also male. But the other gender works differently.

Girls wear pretty lingerie nobody will see. It does not matter if their
wonderful nail job is hidden behind a glove, they know the nail job is there
and they feel good with themselves because of that.

Or if something might happen later in the evening. Narusegawa of Love Hina did
that: [in episode
5](http://www.type40.com/Shows/showEpisodeDetails.asp?EID=6417&ID=178), she
has to sleep in the same room as Keitaro. It did not matter that the poor boy
was bound and gagged, she got the nice lingerie "just in case".

The show is aimed at young girls. Tsukino is 14 when the series begin. The
target demographic is going through puberty, beginning to feel like adults.
Even though most of them already know how to do makeup
([link](http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/819083/What-s-the-right-
age-for-girls-to-wear-makeup)
[link](http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG10721046/Survey-
reveals-how-girls-start-wearing-make-up-aged-11.html)), they are at the age
their bodies are changing shape.

The showmakers are aiming at increasing identification between the
protagonists (Sailor Senshi) and the viewer (young girls). The principle at
work is the same discussed [in this other
question](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/2178/2808).


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