There are a multitude of potential directions this could take, and I would like to have a bit of a discussion about what exactly will be done with it. My problem is not so much that I don't have any ideas for where to take it forward. It's more like I have too many ideas! Therefore, there aren't really going to be spoilers in this post. More a discussion on the various possible directions this thread could take.
There are plenty of thoughts for where this could potentially go. One is a little on the cliche side, and has been covered to an extend within the addventure already. This broadly comes down to three possibilities: Hero, villain, civilian.
The first major possibility for the "hero" option is that Naru winds up building her own team of magical girls using the power of titnosis to enhance various non-senshi female characters. Most of whom are pretty much one shots. Why not go for Usagi? Perhaps a misguided attempt to keep her out of what she perceives as dangerous situations, though I can see plenty of potential logical problems with that depending on how the issue is handled (so Naru. You give superpowers to people you barely know, and leave your oldest and closest friend utterly defenseless. Didn't think that through, did you?) but then again, it may not come down to a logical decision at all. Maybe she feels a bit squicked out about the whole thing? The reasoning isn't important at this point
In keeping with the heroic theme, Naru instead adopts a secret identity to assist the Senshi from the shadows. After all: Her breasts count as a hypnotic weapon that could certainly be used to help the Senshi in many, many ways.
As another alternative, Naru could try to make some monster attacking her into a brainwashed bodyguard. Forces it to adopt a human disguise and pose as a new friend. This could cause plenty of problems down the line, which is the main point that makes it different from the first "heroic" option.
Then there's the villain route. The power gets to her head and - in an attempt to make the monsters stop - she tries to take over the world. Each of the options for hero can thus be completely subverted so that she becomes villainous instead. She seduces characters to help her out with the promise of power. She corrupts the Senshi one by one. Or she steals away monsters from some other big bad to build up her own resources.
As for the civilian route, this is probably the most boring. Naru decides she'd be better off trying to get on with her life and only use this new power as a last resort. Only when her life - or the life of someone nearby - is in danger and there's no other way out. Only then will she flash her tits. But the allure is still there, and she winds up balanced on the edge. Neither hero nor villain. Just a girl trying to get on with her life.
Another big problem is picking which option to take to continue this from. Whichever direction I choose to take the thread will inform this choice, but only a little. I do kind of want to have her end up in her room thinking about what to do and ultimately deciding that she should at least read the book to learn more about what she's gotten herself into. But that's probably the end of the episode. I can still have her deal with another monster attack or return home to find the place is still crystalised and the Senshi are still fighting the creature responsible, or - Whatever.
If you have any thoughts regarding this, or any particular preferences please make them known. Thank you.
I personally prefer the first hero option. One possible twist on it would be that Naru does use her powers on the senshi to help them along, but due to disguise magic she can't tell that the Senshi are Usagi and her friends. It leaves it open for all sorts of shenanigans as changes she makes carry over and keeps her from having control over everything going on.
ReplyDeleteSo at the basis, hero definitely seems the best way. Not because she'd want to organize a vigilante team, but because she gets into trouble all the time, and so why wouldn't she put on some mask and possibly even hypnotize the scouts into not being able to connect her and her poorly masked persona. I mean the youma ruin her schedule all the time by attacking wherever she's going to go. It sucks!
ReplyDeleteI suppose I'm not suggesting a go out of her way heroine, so much as this is Naru, convenient target of villains everywhere. She'd be a civilian if they just stopped wrecking everywhere she wanted to go, but since they are doing it, she doesn't want them to track her home.
Forming a group seems odd, both from a lack of female non-hero cast in the canon to draw from and from there already being a vigilante group out there in it. You could go crossovery. That'd be kinda cool, but widescale. You could go OC, but what does having a group add here? I suppose someone other than Usagi to help out.
I agree with mc2rpg that it'd be kind of weird that she doesn't share her find with Usagi (maybe I'm misreading his post). The disguise magic seems like an excellent opportunity for shenanigans, and why wouldn't she have very different things she might tell Usagi when sharing the book to help protect her best friend and the other senshi and moon at different times. Perhaps she even insists Usagi use the skill to protect herself, since she wouldn't know Usagi has magical powers too. Does this lead to Sailor Moon trying to Titnosis enemies? Does it have Naru confused, and thinking the sailor scouts were made by using this magic too?
I do like the idea of Naru helping the senshi as well from the shadows. And there being confusion, though I think it'd be really weird for her not to share her findings with Usagi. Perhaps including a "Don't tell anyone else" for a reason why none of the other senshi know.
I also favor having Naru go the hero route, even though given the previous episode it would be easy for her to go evil out of frustration over all she has been through. In my mind she's a pretty stalwart member of the forces of good.
ReplyDeleteSo, if the good guys get a massive (pun-intended) power-up, I would favor at this point introducing an antagonist for Naru to have to fight against. Similar to the 'Zeppo' episode of Buffy, the Sailor Scouts could be saving the world against the Negaverse while unaware that Naru Osaka is fighting at the same time against other forces. Umino would make a good matching villain, but given the wizard's final warning, I think it makes the most sense to make the villain another titnosis user. Maybe Zoicyte?
Alright, it looks like the hero option is the prevailing preference. To that end, I must now ask what the best way to start the next episode might be: Does Naru head straight home? Get attacked by another monster? Or does she find that the fight over her home is still being waged?
ReplyDeleteI think I might prefer to use the last. In which case, I intend to consider a way in which she can assist the Senshi without them noticing. Perhaps she just goes and flashes everyone, then after realising what she has done orders them to forget that she did that.
How does that sound?
Yeah, the third option seems good.
ReplyDeleteI like the third choice. I also like the idea of Naru always making people forget what she did, so none of the senshi know why their bodies and desires are changing so suddenly.
ReplyDeleteMimete would be a good choice. She not only wants to be a star, and have adoring fans. There is actually an episode where she nearly gives up being a villian for acting, but it's implied the outers make sure she loses. She almost got the job, and did it all honestly. One does have to wonder how she rationalizes her actions?
ReplyDeleteEugeal would be another good choice. She's highly intelligent, and tacticlely minded. To make matters better she knows who the senshi are, and is never shown to die in the anime.