Setsuna Meioh
Encyclopedia
is one of the central fictional character
s in the Sailor Moon
metaseries. Her human name is , a college student who can transform into one of the series' specialized heroines, the Sailor Senshi
.
Sailor Pluto first appears as a Senshi in the second major story arc, and her civilian form is not shown until the third. She is unique among all the characters in that she is stationed at the Door of Space-Time
, with the specific duty of forbidding anyone to pass through it without permission. She has powers that relate to both time and the underworld.
After the events of the second story arc
, she leaves the gates of time to temporarily live as a human being, joins the rest of the Outer Senshi, and becomes a university
student
studying physics. The exact nature of how she leaves her post differs between versions; in the manga, she is reincarnated in present day by Neo-Queen Serenity after sacrificing herself during the second arc, while in the anime Neo-Queen Serenity allows her to leave. Even in her civilian form, Setsuna is the oldest of the Sailor Team, around her late teens or older. Her personality has been described as distant and somewhat lonely, however she does consistently display warmth and affection for Chibiusa. When she reincarnates, she becomes more friendly, but is still not very emotional, although there are moments in the manga where she expresses much more emotion than the anime. She later cares for Hotaru along with Michiru and Haruka.
Unlike the other Senshi, it is questioned whether she is fully human—she has been described as "a goddess, eternally guarding the Portal of Space and Time". She was born under the sun sign Scorpio, the equivalent for Pluto.
Sailor Pluto's precise abilities and knowledge of the past and present are only vaguely defined, although a common theory is a form of omniscience
, possibly due to her portrayal in the anime. For example, she was presumably aware of the two sailor soldiers carrying the mystical objects they were hunting for, but did not inform them and allowed various people to be attacked. (This differs greatly from the manga, and may be a simple continuity
error.) This omniscience is represented as being able to watch through the gates of time, and such.
Sailor Pluto appears in just a few TV episodes. Unlike Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, she is sympathetic toward the Guardian Senshi, and assists them on several occasions. During the second story arc, she allows them to travel through time even though this is not ordinarily allowed. In the third story arc, she often extends help or advice to Sailor Moon and her companions even when Sailors Uranus and Neptune want the two groups separate. Later, Setsuna joins the Guardian Senshi in investigating the true identity of ChibiChibi. In the manga, she is an inspiration to Ami, and her relationship with Ami gives Sailor Mercury additional strength to power-up to her Super form.
Sailor Pluto has additional, less cited influences and spheres of dominion in her manga incarnation, influences that are vaguely suggested in the anime, but never made explicit. Sailor Pluto is much darker in her initial form in the manga, identified as the "Guardian of the Underworld" with very dark skin and a black sailor uniform. She is also stated to be the daughter of Chronos
, god of time. She is a ruthless soldier who follows rather exacting laws, executing any intruders who dare violate the underworld in search for the Gates of Time. She nearly kills Sailor Moon before realizing who she is, stating that "all who break the taboo must be eliminated". Luna
also states to the others that no one is to even know that she (Sailor Pluto) exists, due to her dominion and nature, and that to her knowledge no one has ever seen her. Luna calls her a "lone warrior," noting the sadness in her eyes.
In the manga, Pluto's death scene vaguely implies a romantic interest in Endymion, though this is never explored again. In the Sailor Moon musicals
, Sailor Pluto has an unrequited love
for King Endymion. It is explicitly mentioned in Eien Denetsu and Shin - Densetsu Kourin, in the song Onna no Ronsou ("Woman's Conflicts"). In the manga, it can only be inferred from depictions of Pluto blushing while around King Endymion, her reaction when he runs to comfort her during her death and in artwork depicting Neo-Queen Serenity, Pluto, and King Endymion. Various situations in the musicals have shown Pluto's unrequited love; for example, Tuxedo Mask's actor, Yuuta Mochizuki being leaned on by the actress of Sailor Pluto, Rei Saitou, and commenting on his new year's resolution: to be by Pluto's side.
A small quirk occurs in continuity between the manga and anime. Sailor Pluto (temporarily) expires in both, but at different times; her death
in the manga occurs much earlier and reawakens the good side of the possessed Chibiusa. However, for all intents and purposes, in the manga the technicality of Sailor Pluto existing outside of time means she is able to be reincarnated as a normal woman while still existing back at her post at the Time Gate.
era and the 30th century, Setsuna gains multiple aspects and aliases as the series progresses.
and garnet
, and in its first iteration has no sleeves and a jewel hanging from the choker; her appearance (including height and exact hairstyle) changes somewhat throughout the series because, due to time travel, different "versions" of her are present at different times. She is given specific titles throughout the various series, including Soldier of Change, Soldier of Revolution, Soldier of the Afterlife, and, most commonly, Guardian of Time. Her personality is not noticeably different when she is a civilian, although certain powers seem to be unavailable to her in that form.
Sailor Pluto has power over both time and space, and is ordinarily stationed at the Space-Time Door (a time-travelling gate) to prevent its use. When charged with this duty by Queen Serenity, she was given three "taboo
s", rules which she was forbidden to disobey: she must not travel through time, she must not abandon her post at the Door, and she must never cause time to stop. If she does stop time, her life is forfeit. Throughout the course of the series, Sailor Pluto breaks all three of these rules. She wields the Garnet Rod, a key-shaped staff which is topped by the Garnet
Orb, one of three talismans carried by the Outer Senshi. In the manga, she sometimes wears a chain of keys around her waist.
As she grows stronger, Sailor Pluto gains additional powers, and at key points her uniform changes to reflect this. The first change takes place in Act 39 of the manga, when she obtains the Pluto Crystal and her outfit becomes similar to that of Super Sailor Moon. She is not given a new title. A similar event takes place in Episode 167 of the anime, and she is given the name Super Sailor Pluto. A third, manga-only form appears in Act 42, unnamed but analogous to Eternal Sailor Moon (sans wings).
, Sailor Pluto was also the Princess of her home world. She was among those given the duty of protecting the solar system from outside invasion. As Princess Pluto, she dwelt in Charon Castle and wore a black gown—she appears in this form in the original manga Act 41, as well as in supplementary art.
Setsuna is not shown using any special powers while in civilian form. She must first transform
into a Sailor Senshi by raising her hand or a special device into the air and shouting a special phrase, originally "Pluto Planet Power, Make-up!" In the manga she eventually gains her Pluto Crystal and this phrase changes to evoke Pluto Crystal Power. In the anime, although she does upgrade to Super Sailor Pluto, the Crystal is never mentioned and her transformation is not shown on screen. When it is used, her transformation sequence involves a sand-like circle that rises up and washes over her, leaving her in her uniform.
Sailor Pluto's powers over time and space are somewhat tied with the destructive power of Sailor Saturn for astrological and mythological reasons. The names of Sailor Pluto's attacks include frequent reference to the Underworld
, which was the province of Pluto
in Roman myth; this is evident in her first named power, Dead Scream, which is her primary attack throughout the anime series. Unlike any other attack in the series, its name is whispered rather than shouted when she uses it.
Although her attacks all have English names (like those of the other Sailor Senshi
), each is also given kanji
in the manga to denote the meaning to Japanese readers. For example, Dead Scream is given kanji which translate to and , with the intended English pronunciation
given in furigana
. In the manga, Sailor Pluto demonstrates a few other named powers, including Chronos Typhoon and the defensive forcefield Garnet Ball.
Sailor Pluto has enough power over time to stop it entirely, and although she is forbidden to do so, she uses this power one time each in the anime and manga. In the manga and musicals Tanjou! Ankoku no Princess Black Lady and it's revision Tanjou! Ankoku no Princess Black Lady [Kaiteiban] - Wakusei Nemesis no Nazo, she uses it to stop Prince Diamond
from touching the Silver Crystals of the past and future together, which would destroy the universe in a time paradox. In the anime, she uses this power to allow Sailors Uranus and Neptune to escape from a helicopter
explosion. In each case, she sacrifices herself to unnamed punishments as the keeper of time, but is reinstated later in the series. Time Stop also appears as an offensive move in various of the Sailor Moon video games, seemingly without any penalty.
In addition to these powers, when the Space-Time Door has been misused, Sailor Pluto is able to close off passage to other worlds. At the end of the manga's third story arc, Sailor Saturn asks her to seal off forever the gateway to the world Pharaoh 90
had come from. This is done with .
All of Sailor Pluto's attacks require the use of the Garnet Orb, which is one of the three Talismans carried by the Outer Senshi. The orb rests at the top of her staff, the Garnet Rod, which is shaped like a giant key as a symbol of her stewardship over the Door of Space-Time. In the manga, she also wears a chain of keys around her waist, one of which is stolen by Chibiusa in order to travel back in time at the beginning of the second story arc. The Pluto Crystal is perhaps her most important possession, as it is her Sailor Crystal and the source of all her power, which becomes especially important in the fifth story arc
. It is given to her by Sailor Saturn.
, which tracks with her stated college major in theoretical physics
; and the love of green tea
attributed to her is common among Japanese people. More incongruously, however, she is listed as skilled in sewing
, with a dream of becoming a fashion designer. These interests are never spoken of in the actual story, although creator Naoko Takeuchi
drew concept art of Setsuna in outfits worn by real-life supermodel
s. Likewise, Setsuna is never actually shown to enjoy shopping
, nor to dislike cockroach
es, eggplant, or the study of music
, yet all of these things are delineated by Takeuchi well after the character's introduction. In fact, almost nothing about her personal life or interests is ever revealed. It is not even clear whether she has a civilian history at all, as time travel and multiple deaths and reincarnations complicate any backstory. Her devotion to the life of a Senshi, too, may have cut her off from worldly dreams, as it did with Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Also, according to Naoko Takeuchi's notes in the various artbooks, she mentions that "Setsuna-sama wears hotpants as well at home, but basically she also likes long skirts" and that she believes "Setsuna-sama should forever wear white clothes"
The kanji
of Setsuna's surname translate as and . Together, they constitute most of the name of the planet Pluto in Japanese: . Her given name
is in hiragana
and so its meaning is not inherent, but the word itself means "moment" . The name Setsuna has the same pronunciation of a Japanese Buddhist term セツナ meaning "split second" which was imported from China (in Chinese character
format: 刹那 chànà) and originated in India (in Sanskrit
: क्षण ksana). It can also be taken as a derivative of , meaning "painful."
According to the English-dubbed anime's executive producer
, Janice Sonski, the choice of her English name, "Trista," was based on the latter interpretation. Trista derives from the Latin
triste, meaning sadness. The packaging of Irwin
dolls released in Canada
in 1998 called Setsuna by the name Celia.
Amongst English-speaking fans, her existence was discussed as one of the mysteries of Sailor Moon after the English dub stopped airing before she had been properly introduced to the audience. A doll bearing her likeness was sold in Canada prior to her official introduction to the audience.
. In the English-language dub, her voice is provided first by Sabrina Grdevich
(in the R series and movies), and in the S series (as "Trista Meioh") by Susan Aceron
.
In the stage musicals
, Setsuna has been played by eight actresses: Miwa Hosoki, Rei Saitou, Yuki Kamiya, Seiko Nakazawa, Teruyo Watanabe, Yuko Hosaka, Yukiko Nakae, and Miho Yokoi. In one show, Usagi * Ai no Senshi e no Michi, she appeared only as a silhouette and was portrayed by Noriko Kamiyama, the Sailor Jupiter
for that musical.
Setsuna does not appear in the live-action series
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s in the Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
metaseries. Her human name is , a college student who can transform into one of the series' specialized heroines, the Sailor Senshi
Sailor Senshi
A appears as a type of heroine in the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. The name comes from sailor fuku, a type of school uniform, and senshi, which can mean "soldier" or "warrior". Naoko Takeuchi, the manga artist who originated the series, coined the term by fusing English and Japanese elements,...
.
Sailor Pluto first appears as a Senshi in the second major story arc, and her civilian form is not shown until the third. She is unique among all the characters in that she is stationed at the Door of Space-Time
Spacetime
In physics, spacetime is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single continuum. Spacetime is usually interpreted with space as being three-dimensional and time playing the role of a fourth dimension that is of a different sort from the spatial dimensions...
, with the specific duty of forbidding anyone to pass through it without permission. She has powers that relate to both time and the underworld.
Profile
Sailor Pluto is not introduced until late in the Sailor Moon R series. She is the soldier who guards the gates of time. She is first seen contacting Chibiusa through Luna-P. Sailor Pluto refers to Chibiusa as "Small Lady." Chibiusa usually calls Sailor Pluto by the nickname "Puu" (subtitled as "Plu" in the S season subs). She acts as Chibiusa's guardian.After the events of the second story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
, she leaves the gates of time to temporarily live as a human being, joins the rest of the Outer Senshi, and becomes a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
studying physics. The exact nature of how she leaves her post differs between versions; in the manga, she is reincarnated in present day by Neo-Queen Serenity after sacrificing herself during the second arc, while in the anime Neo-Queen Serenity allows her to leave. Even in her civilian form, Setsuna is the oldest of the Sailor Team, around her late teens or older. Her personality has been described as distant and somewhat lonely, however she does consistently display warmth and affection for Chibiusa. When she reincarnates, she becomes more friendly, but is still not very emotional, although there are moments in the manga where she expresses much more emotion than the anime. She later cares for Hotaru along with Michiru and Haruka.
Unlike the other Senshi, it is questioned whether she is fully human—she has been described as "a goddess, eternally guarding the Portal of Space and Time". She was born under the sun sign Scorpio, the equivalent for Pluto.
Sailor Pluto's precise abilities and knowledge of the past and present are only vaguely defined, although a common theory is a form of omniscience
Omniscience
Omniscience omniscient point-of-view in writing) is the capacity to know everything infinitely, or at least everything that can be known about a character including thoughts, feelings, life and the universe, etc. In Latin, omnis means "all" and sciens means "knowing"...
, possibly due to her portrayal in the anime. For example, she was presumably aware of the two sailor soldiers carrying the mystical objects they were hunting for, but did not inform them and allowed various people to be attacked. (This differs greatly from the manga, and may be a simple continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
error.) This omniscience is represented as being able to watch through the gates of time, and such.
Sailor Pluto appears in just a few TV episodes. Unlike Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, she is sympathetic toward the Guardian Senshi, and assists them on several occasions. During the second story arc, she allows them to travel through time even though this is not ordinarily allowed. In the third story arc, she often extends help or advice to Sailor Moon and her companions even when Sailors Uranus and Neptune want the two groups separate. Later, Setsuna joins the Guardian Senshi in investigating the true identity of ChibiChibi. In the manga, she is an inspiration to Ami, and her relationship with Ami gives Sailor Mercury additional strength to power-up to her Super form.
Sailor Pluto has additional, less cited influences and spheres of dominion in her manga incarnation, influences that are vaguely suggested in the anime, but never made explicit. Sailor Pluto is much darker in her initial form in the manga, identified as the "Guardian of the Underworld" with very dark skin and a black sailor uniform. She is also stated to be the daughter of Chronos
Chronos
In Greek mythology, Chronos in pre-Socratic philosophical works is said to be the personification of time. His name in Greek means "time" and is alternatively spelled Chronus or Khronos.Chronos was imagined as an incorporeal god, serpentine in form, with three heads—those of a man, a bull, and...
, god of time. She is a ruthless soldier who follows rather exacting laws, executing any intruders who dare violate the underworld in search for the Gates of Time. She nearly kills Sailor Moon before realizing who she is, stating that "all who break the taboo must be eliminated". Luna
Cats (Sailor Moon)
The Sailor Moon metaseries includes three different cat characters who act as advisors to their respective owners. Each has the power of speech, and bears a crescent moon symbol on his or her forehead...
also states to the others that no one is to even know that she (Sailor Pluto) exists, due to her dominion and nature, and that to her knowledge no one has ever seen her. Luna calls her a "lone warrior," noting the sadness in her eyes.
In the manga, Pluto's death scene vaguely implies a romantic interest in Endymion, though this is never explored again. In the Sailor Moon musicals
Sailor Moon musicals
The , commonly referred to as , are a series of live theatre productions based on Naoko Takeuchi's metaseries Sailor Moon. The series consists of 29 musicals which have had more than 800 performances since the show opened in Summer 1993...
, Sailor Pluto has an unrequited love
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
for King Endymion. It is explicitly mentioned in Eien Denetsu and Shin - Densetsu Kourin, in the song Onna no Ronsou ("Woman's Conflicts"). In the manga, it can only be inferred from depictions of Pluto blushing while around King Endymion, her reaction when he runs to comfort her during her death and in artwork depicting Neo-Queen Serenity, Pluto, and King Endymion. Various situations in the musicals have shown Pluto's unrequited love; for example, Tuxedo Mask's actor, Yuuta Mochizuki being leaned on by the actress of Sailor Pluto, Rei Saitou, and commenting on his new year's resolution: to be by Pluto's side.
A small quirk occurs in continuity between the manga and anime. Sailor Pluto (temporarily) expires in both, but at different times; her death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
in the manga occurs much earlier and reawakens the good side of the possessed Chibiusa. However, for all intents and purposes, in the manga the technicality of Sailor Pluto existing outside of time means she is able to be reincarnated as a normal woman while still existing back at her post at the Time Gate.
Aspects and forms
As a character with different incarnations, special powers, transformations and a long lifetime virtually spanned between the Silver MillenniumSilver Millennium
The Silver Millennium, a fictional kingdom in the Sailor Moon metaseries, lies on the moon. It provides a setting for the past lives and future selves of most of the series' major characters, and functions as a major driving force behind both plot and characterization.The series first shows the...
era and the 30th century, Setsuna gains multiple aspects and aliases as the series progresses.
Sailor Pluto
Setsuna's primary identity is that of a Senshi. Her uniform is colored in blackBlack
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
and garnet
Almandine
Almandine , also known incorrectly as almandite, is a species of mineral belonging to the garnet Group. The name is a corruption of alabandicus, which is the name applied by Pliny the Elder to a stone found or worked at Alabanda, a town in Caria in Asia Minor. Almandine is an iron alumina garnet,...
, and in its first iteration has no sleeves and a jewel hanging from the choker; her appearance (including height and exact hairstyle) changes somewhat throughout the series because, due to time travel, different "versions" of her are present at different times. She is given specific titles throughout the various series, including Soldier of Change, Soldier of Revolution, Soldier of the Afterlife, and, most commonly, Guardian of Time. Her personality is not noticeably different when she is a civilian, although certain powers seem to be unavailable to her in that form.
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
s", rules which she was forbidden to disobey: she must not travel through time, she must not abandon her post at the Door, and she must never cause time to stop. If she does stop time, her life is forfeit. Throughout the course of the series, Sailor Pluto breaks all three of these rules. She wields the Garnet Rod, a key-shaped staff which is topped by the Garnet
Garnet
The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
Orb, one of three talismans carried by the Outer Senshi. In the manga, she sometimes wears a chain of keys around her waist.
As she grows stronger, Sailor Pluto gains additional powers, and at key points her uniform changes to reflect this. The first change takes place in Act 39 of the manga, when she obtains the Pluto Crystal and her outfit becomes similar to that of Super Sailor Moon. She is not given a new title. A similar event takes place in Episode 167 of the anime, and she is given the name Super Sailor Pluto. A third, manga-only form appears in Act 42, unnamed but analogous to Eternal Sailor Moon (sans wings).
Princess Pluto
During the Silver MillenniumSilver Millennium
The Silver Millennium, a fictional kingdom in the Sailor Moon metaseries, lies on the moon. It provides a setting for the past lives and future selves of most of the series' major characters, and functions as a major driving force behind both plot and characterization.The series first shows the...
, Sailor Pluto was also the Princess of her home world. She was among those given the duty of protecting the solar system from outside invasion. As Princess Pluto, she dwelt in Charon Castle and wore a black gown—she appears in this form in the original manga Act 41, as well as in supplementary art.
Special powers and items
Henshin
is the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...
into a Sailor Senshi by raising her hand or a special device into the air and shouting a special phrase, originally "Pluto Planet Power, Make-up!" In the manga she eventually gains her Pluto Crystal and this phrase changes to evoke Pluto Crystal Power. In the anime, although she does upgrade to Super Sailor Pluto, the Crystal is never mentioned and her transformation is not shown on screen. When it is used, her transformation sequence involves a sand-like circle that rises up and washes over her, leaving her in her uniform.
Sailor Pluto's powers over time and space are somewhat tied with the destructive power of Sailor Saturn for astrological and mythological reasons. The names of Sailor Pluto's attacks include frequent reference to the Underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
, which was the province of Pluto
Pluto (mythology)
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Pluto was a name for the ruler of the underworld; the god was also known as Hades, a name for the underworld itself...
in Roman myth; this is evident in her first named power, Dead Scream, which is her primary attack throughout the anime series. Unlike any other attack in the series, its name is whispered rather than shouted when she uses it.
Although her attacks all have English names (like those of the other Sailor Senshi
Sailor Senshi
A appears as a type of heroine in the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. The name comes from sailor fuku, a type of school uniform, and senshi, which can mean "soldier" or "warrior". Naoko Takeuchi, the manga artist who originated the series, coined the term by fusing English and Japanese elements,...
), each is also given kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
in the manga to denote the meaning to Japanese readers. For example, Dead Scream is given kanji which translate to and , with the intended English pronunciation
English phonology
English phonology is the study of the sound system of the English language. Like many languages, English has wide variation in pronunciation, both historically and from dialect to dialect...
given in furigana
Furigana
is a Japanese reading aid, consisting of smaller kana, or syllabic characters, printed next to a kanji or other character to indicate its pronunciation. In horizontal text, yokogaki, they are placed above the line of text, while in vertical text, tategaki, they are placed to the right of the line...
. In the manga, Sailor Pluto demonstrates a few other named powers, including Chronos Typhoon and the defensive forcefield Garnet Ball.
Sailor Pluto has enough power over time to stop it entirely, and although she is forbidden to do so, she uses this power one time each in the anime and manga. In the manga and musicals Tanjou! Ankoku no Princess Black Lady and it's revision Tanjou! Ankoku no Princess Black Lady [Kaiteiban] - Wakusei Nemesis no Nazo, she uses it to stop Prince Diamond
Black Moon Clan
The ' is a fictional clan existing in the 30th century in the Sailor Moon metaseries. It comprises the antagonists of the second major story arc, which is called Black Moon in the manga and which fills the majority of the Sailor Moon R anime. In the dubbed anime they are called the Negamoon Family...
from touching the Silver Crystals of the past and future together, which would destroy the universe in a time paradox. In the anime, she uses this power to allow Sailors Uranus and Neptune to escape from a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
explosion. In each case, she sacrifices herself to unnamed punishments as the keeper of time, but is reinstated later in the series. Time Stop also appears as an offensive move in various of the Sailor Moon video games, seemingly without any penalty.
In addition to these powers, when the Space-Time Door has been misused, Sailor Pluto is able to close off passage to other worlds. At the end of the manga's third story arc, Sailor Saturn asks her to seal off forever the gateway to the world Pharaoh 90
Death Busters
The ' are a group of antagonists in the Sailor Moon metaseries. They are the primary villains of the third story arc, called Mugen in the manga and S in the anime...
had come from. This is done with .
All of Sailor Pluto's attacks require the use of the Garnet Orb, which is one of the three Talismans carried by the Outer Senshi. The orb rests at the top of her staff, the Garnet Rod, which is shaped like a giant key as a symbol of her stewardship over the Door of Space-Time. In the manga, she also wears a chain of keys around her waist, one of which is stolen by Chibiusa in order to travel back in time at the beginning of the second story arc. The Pluto Crystal is perhaps her most important possession, as it is her Sailor Crystal and the source of all her power, which becomes especially important in the fifth story arc
Sailor Stars
The following list of episodes of the Sailor Moon anime series covers , the fifth season of the series. Children's TV Asahi, Toei Agency and Toei Animation co-produced the episodes; Takuya Igarashi directed. The series originally aired on Children's TV Asahi between March 9, 1996 and February 8, 1997...
. It is given to her by Sailor Saturn.
Development
The statistics listed for Setsuna in the back of manga volume 10 are unusual in that most of them never come up in the series body itself. Her favorite school subject is given as physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, which tracks with her stated college major in theoretical physics
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
; and the love of green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
attributed to her is common among Japanese people. More incongruously, however, she is listed as skilled in sewing
Sewing
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...
, with a dream of becoming a fashion designer. These interests are never spoken of in the actual story, although creator Naoko Takeuchi
Naoko Takeuchi
is a Japanese manga artist who lives in Tokyo, Japan. Takeuchi's works have a wide following among anime and manga fans worldwide. Her most popular work, Sailor Moon, rose to become one of the most recognized manga and anime products to date.-Early life:...
drew concept art of Setsuna in outfits worn by real-life supermodel
Supermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
s. Likewise, Setsuna is never actually shown to enjoy shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
, nor to dislike cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
es, eggplant, or the study of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, yet all of these things are delineated by Takeuchi well after the character's introduction. In fact, almost nothing about her personal life or interests is ever revealed. It is not even clear whether she has a civilian history at all, as time travel and multiple deaths and reincarnations complicate any backstory. Her devotion to the life of a Senshi, too, may have cut her off from worldly dreams, as it did with Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Also, according to Naoko Takeuchi's notes in the various artbooks, she mentions that "Setsuna-sama wears hotpants as well at home, but basically she also likes long skirts" and that she believes "Setsuna-sama should forever wear white clothes"
The kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
of Setsuna's surname translate as and . Together, they constitute most of the name of the planet Pluto in Japanese: . Her given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
is in hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
and so its meaning is not inherent, but the word itself means "moment" . The name Setsuna has the same pronunciation of a Japanese Buddhist term セツナ meaning "split second" which was imported from China (in Chinese character
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
format: 刹那 chànà) and originated in India (in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
: क्षण ksana). It can also be taken as a derivative of , meaning "painful."
According to the English-dubbed anime's executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, Janice Sonski, the choice of her English name, "Trista," was based on the latter interpretation. Trista derives from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
triste, meaning sadness. The packaging of Irwin
Irwin Toy
Irwin Toy Limited was a Canadian distributor and manufacturer of toys. It was Canada's oldest toy company and remained independent and family owned.- History :...
dolls released in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1998 called Setsuna by the name Celia.
Reception and influence
The official Sailor Moon character popularity polls listed Setsuna Meioh and Sailor Pluto as separate entities. In 1994, with fifty one choices, Setsuna was the thirteenth most popular character, and Pluto was fifth. In early 1996, with fifty one choices, Setsuna was the twenty-ninth most popular character, and Pluto was the twenty-first.Amongst English-speaking fans, her existence was discussed as one of the mysteries of Sailor Moon after the English dub stopped airing before she had been properly introduced to the audience. A doll bearing her likeness was sold in Canada prior to her official introduction to the audience.
Actresses
In the Japanese anime series and movies, Setsuna Meioh is voiced by Chiyoko KawashimaChiyoko Kawashima
is a former Japanese voice actress. She retired from voice-acting in 2001; her final role was that of Kusakabe Maron's mother in Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne.-Notable voice roles:*Candy Candy as Patricia O'Brien*Cat's Eye as Kazumi*Kaibutsu-kun as Utako...
. In the English-language dub, her voice is provided first by Sabrina Grdevich
Sabrina Grdevich
Sabrina Grdevich is a Canadian actress.Sabrina portrayed Dana Ballard in the 1999 made-for-TV movie Ultimate Deception with Yasmine Bleeth. Her starring roles include Mile Zero and Lola...
(in the R series and movies), and in the S series (as "Trista Meioh") by Susan Aceron
Susan Aceron
Susan Aceron is a Canadian actress known mostly as the voice of Sailor Pluto in Sailor Moon. She has appeared in Shaggy's music video for It Wasn't Me, as well as a number of movies and television roles. Her birthday is July 6...
.
In the stage musicals
Sailor Moon musicals
The , commonly referred to as , are a series of live theatre productions based on Naoko Takeuchi's metaseries Sailor Moon. The series consists of 29 musicals which have had more than 800 performances since the show opened in Summer 1993...
, Setsuna has been played by eight actresses: Miwa Hosoki, Rei Saitou, Yuki Kamiya, Seiko Nakazawa, Teruyo Watanabe, Yuko Hosaka, Yukiko Nakae, and Miho Yokoi. In one show, Usagi * Ai no Senshi e no Michi, she appeared only as a silhouette and was portrayed by Noriko Kamiyama, the Sailor Jupiter
Sailor Jupiter
is one of the central characters in the Sailor Moon metaseries. Her real name is , a strong schoolgirl who can transform into one of the series' specialized heroines, the Sailor Senshi....
for that musical.
Setsuna does not appear in the live-action series
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon metaseries originally created by Naoko Takeuchi. It is produced by Toei, the same company that produces the Super Sentai Series and the Kamen Rider Series and of which their animation firm Toei Animation, produced the...
.