Kino Makoto - Opinion Piece
| Opinion on Kino Makoto Makoto ("Lita") was actually my favorite Senshi when I first was introduced to DiC's dub of Sailormoon (mainly since I hated DiC's portrayal of "Raye"), but as I got to know her and the other Senshi better and watched more episodes, she became my least favorite Inner Senshi (along with Usagi). I don't hate Makoto (I think it's stupid to waste hate on an anime character *L*) but she irritates me since she's just perpetuating that straight-guy fantasy, that tired old stereotype of anime tomboys: they're all big and aggressive and self-sufficient on the outside but deep down inside they're just as dependent on guys and male approval for personal happiness as some other girl who might be considered more feminine, who might not bother to hide her insecurities behind an aggressive facade. One of the stereotypes in anime is that no matter how independent and self-confident a girl seems on the outside, she still is a one-dimensional, boy-crazy ditz who only loves to cook and clean on the inside. Makoto perpetuates that stereotype, and that's why I don't like her. And yes, for all you Ranma fans, this means that I don't like Akane or Ukyou either. There's nothing wrong with people who are tough on the outside and softer on the inside, but most anime gives the impression that when girls are being strong it's always just a facade and they really just want a man to make their problems go away, and that stereotype is not always true. Opinion on Mako's Transformations and Attacks I think Rei and Makoto have the best transformation sequences out of the Inner Senshi (though I like Rei's better ^_^). As for Makoto's attacks, "supreme thunder" is pretty cool, but that antenna bugs me (I wonder how many channels Mako gets with that thing *L* :p), and I like the phallic aspect of "fire soul" better. "Sparkling wide pressure" was the worst attack sequence ever, and "Jupiter oak evolution" was too odd... like I said at Rei's opinion page, seeing Mako act like Super Ballerina and shoot out leaves didn't really strike a chord in my heart. *L* ;_; Opinion on Mako's Duds I think it would have been cool to see Makoto in a different dress besides her school uniform. As the tomboy of the Inner Senshi she was typecast into pants almost all the time when she wasn't in her school uniform, and that was annoying. I prefer Makoto's Super Sailor Jupiter outfit to her Sailor Jupiter outfit because the Super Sailor Jupiter outfit is drawn better and is more clean/sleek looking. |