The are a group of fictional characters in the Sailor Moon manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. They are introduced in the fifth and last arc of the series, called Stars in the manga, Sailor Moon Sailor Stars in the original anime adaptation, and Sailor Moon Cosmos in the second anime adaptation. The Starlights debut in chapter #43 "Stars 1", originally published in Japan's Nakayoshi magazine on March 28, 1996.
The group itself is composed of Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Maker, and Sailor Star Healer; when in civilian form they go by the pseudonyms Kou Seiya, Kou Taiki, and Kou Yaten respectively. They are from the fictional planet Kinmoku, which has been destroyed, and disguise themselves as male idols, , in order to hide their true identities as they search for their lost princess, Kakyuu.
Profiles
The Starlights come from Kinmoku, a planet from another star system whose ruler, Princess Kakyuu, left to escape Sailor Galaxia's assault and heal her wounds. They tracked Kakyuu to Earth and then Japan, where they disguised themselves as the male pop star group The Three Lights and embedded their music with a telepathic broadcast to attract her attention. They attend Jūban High School along with Usagi Tsukino and her friends. Eventually, they manage to reunite with Kakyuu; however, while headed to the Galaxy Cauldron, Galaxia's henchwomen Sailor Chi and Sailor Phi kill them.
In the original anime adaptation, the Starlights were given a major role. On Earth, they physically change into males in their civilian forms and become women again when transforming into Sailor Guardians, as opposed to their manga counterparts, who disguise themselves as men as civilians. As Starlights, they distance themselves from the other Sailor Guardians, deeming that Earth is not their responsibility. They survive several direct battles with Galaxia herself, and help Sailor Moon defeat Chaos to save Galaxia.
The Starlights are featured in several of the Sailor Moon musicals (Sailor Stars, Eien Densetsu, and their revised editions, as well as Ryuusei Densetsu, Kakyuu-Ouhi Kourin and Le Mouvement Final). Despite being portrayed by women, it is meant to be ambiguous as to whether they take on male forms or cross-dress, though their personalities reflect the former. Their story also combines elements from both the manga and the anime; for instance, they travel to the Galaxy Cauldron as in the manga, but survive the battles against Galaxia as in the anime. The pairings with the Sailor Guardians from the anime are also featured in some musicals.
Sailor Star Fighter , also known as , is the lead vocalist of the Three Lights. In general, Seiya acts arrogant and tends to be, at least on the surface, confident in her own abilities.
Seiya becomes the star player of their local high-school American football team and the school's star athlete, upsetting Haruka Tenoh, who was the previous star athlete on the track and field team. Eventually, Seiya raises the suspicions of the Sailor Guardians as to her identity. In the anime, Taiki and Yaten consider her to be prone to bouts of childishness, such as when she shows off her basketball skills before the school, but generally follow her lead.
Seiya develops strong feelings for Usagi, calling her odango, like Mamoru does, with Seiya's attempts to forge a bond with her providing the primary romantic tension of the season. The two go on a date at an amusement park, which is interrupted when Sailor Iron Mouse attacks. Seiya makes her interest in Usagi clear when they spend time together practicing softball, telling her, "I like your light." However, her feelings are not reciprocated and she acknowledges the one-sided romance.
The relationship between Sailor Star Fighter and Princess Kakyuu is slightly ambiguous. In the anime, when Seiya daydreams of the Starlights' home planet, she think of an image of Kakyuu, which is suddenly superimposed by an image of Usagi, much as Usagi had seen Seiya's image overlaid by Mamoru in previous episodes. In the image poem released for her CD single, however, she suggests that her feelings for Usagi are because she is "carrying the heart of a boy" and because she was attracted to Usagi's light.
In the band, she has the role of lead vocals, guitar and lyrics, but was also shown also playing the drums in the Starlights' hideout because she believed Kakyuu had not heard her yet. According to Takeuchi, when she created her, she was meant to be a combination between Haruka and Mamoru, and was modeled after Jenny Shimizu.Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Original Picture Collection Vol. V | Manga Style!
In Japanese, she was voiced by Shiho Niiyama in the original series in one of her final roles before her death and by Marina Inoue in Sailor Moon Cosmos. In English, she is voiced by Melissa Hutchison in the Viz dub. In the musicals, Seiya has been portrayed by Sayuri Katayama, Chinatsu Akiyama and Meiku Harukawa.
Sailor Star Maker , also known as , is the most intellectual and cool-headed of the trio. Her abilities rival that of Ami, though she considers Ami's romantic notions foolish. However, in the anime, Ami's appeal for her to see the good in dreaming does begin to have an effect. In combat with a phage, Star Maker is the first of the Starlights to willingly allow Sailor Moon to heal the monster rather than trying to kill it herself, because it had been a teacher who Ami respected. Later in the series, as she is beginning to lose hope in finding Princess Kakyuu, she visits a sick girl named Misa in the hospital. She shows Taiki a drawing of the Princess that she sees when she listens to the Three Lights' song, giving Taiki renewed hope.
Like Yaten, Taiki believes that Seiya should stay away from Usagi after learning she is Sailor Moon, despite her wish, shared by Princess Kakyuu and the Sailor Guardians, for them to work together. However, her views on Usagi change for the better near the end of Sailor Stars.
In the band, she has the role of background vocals, keyboards and composition. She also enjoys poetry and are part of the literature club at school. Taiki is meant to be a more-distant Setsuna Meioh.
In Japanese, Taiki is voiced by Narumi Tsunoda in the original series and by Saori Hayami in Cosmos. In English, she is voiced by Erika Harlacher in the Viz dub. In the musicals, Taiki has been portrayed by Hikari Ono, Akiko Nakayama and Riona Tatemichi.
Sailor Star Healer , also known as , is a lonely person who does not like to socialize or interact with others, preferring to focus on her mission. Her remarks are often sharp-edged and blunt, which further separates her from others, which the other Starlights mock her for as it may reduce her fanbase. Yaten is egotistical and nurses grudges, and hates injury. However, she and Luna get along well.
Yaten has the most spiritual awareness of the three and is able to tell when Star Seeds are taken by Galaxia. She views humans as untrustworthy and want to find Kakyuu so the group can leave Earth as soon as possible. After learning that Usagi is Sailor Moon, Yaten believes that Seiya should stay away from her, despite her wish, shared by Princess Kakyuu and the Sailor Guardians, for them to work together, a view shared by Taiki and Sailors Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. However, like Taiki, her views on Usagi change for the better near the end of Sailor Stars. In the anime, Yaten is shown to be physically stronger than Makoto Kino in her civilian form, and bonds with her as they share moments together.
In the band, she has the role of background vocals, bass guitar and song arrangement. She also enjoys photography, but does not belong to any school club, preferring to just go home.
In Japanese, Yaten is voiced by Chika Sakamoto in the original series and by Ayane Sakura in Cosmos. In English, she is voiced by Sarah Anne Williams in the Viz dub. In the musicals, Yaten has been portrayed by Momoko Okuyama, Mikako Tabe and Saki Matsuda.
Special powers and items
The Sailor Starlights share some traits with the Solar System Guardians, having transformation devices to change from civilians into their Sailor Guardian forms, as well as having signature attacks – although they do not represent proper elements like the Solar System Guardians do. Each member of the Three Lights use their own Sailor Change Star, which is a two-piece set of microphone and brooch, and respectively shout the phrase "Fighter/Maker/Healer Star Power, Make-Up!" to transform into Sailors Star Fighter, Star Maker, and Star Healer. Takeuchi explained in her own notes that the brooches contain their Sailor Crystals, which are perhaps their most important possessions, as they are source of all their powers. The original anime adaptation clearly shows how the Three Lights change from male bodies into female ones when transforming. As stated by Kakyuu, these male physical bodies are merely a disguise for the Starlights to work undercover during their mission to find her. Unlike most of the Sailor Guardians, whose transformation sequences went mostly unchanged from the first to the second anime adaptation, the Starlights' were completely altered to reflect the fact that the Three Lights remain female in their civilian forms, since Sailor Moon Cosmos follows the Stars arc of the manga closer than the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars season of the original anime.
In the original anime adaptation, each of the Starlights use an item called Star Yell (sometimes called the Sailor Star Yell), which are palm-sized star-shaped devices, to launch their attacks. Star Fighter's attack is Star Serious Laser – a focused light blast. Star Maker's attack is Star Gentle Uterus – an explosion of lights. Star Healer's attack is Star Sensitive Inferno – a circular blast of lightning. The only time the three Starlights combine their attacks occurs in the penultimate episode of the original anime adaptation, in which they join forces to launch a single attack on Sailor Galaxia, managing to physically injure her. In the musical Eien Densetsu, this attack is named Starlights Fusion Tempest, which is similar in name to Kakyuu's own Kinmoku Fusion Tempest.
Development Series creator Naoko Takeuchi originally designed the trio without their ponytails, but the ponytails were added after it was explained to her that short-haired dolls were difficult to make. Takeuchi designed a unified outfit for the three of them, using a set of navy blue breastplate, hot pants, and high heeled thigh-high boots. Only their necklaces, belts, and protector bracelets have different colors, which match their respective eye color: sky blue for Star Fighter, violet for Star Maker, and chartreuse for Star Healer. Takeuchi listed several attacks for each of the Starlights; however, only those she described as "main attacks" are featured in the series.
Takeuchi expressed surprise at Toei Animation's decision to make the Starlights lead characters in the original anime adaptation, but was even more shocked by their treatment of their sex. Rather than merely being females disguising as male pop idols as they do in the manga and other adaptations, the Three Lights were designed as physically male in the original anime adaptation, which contradicts Takeuchi's statement that only girls can be Sailor Guardians.
Their exact relationship to each other is unknown; according to the manga, they are not siblings. Their name "Kou" (光) has several meanings, including "light", making the name "Three Lights" a pun. In the original English manga, "Kou" was translated to "Lights" and was used as their shared family name.
Reception and influence