Amazoness Quartet
Template:Sailor Moon villain group The Amazoness Quartet (アマゾネス カルテット)[1] is a group of characters from the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. The Quartet is introduced in the fourth major story arc of Sailor Moon, known as SuperS in the anime and Dream in the manga. It consists of CereCere, PallaPalla, JunJun, and VesVes, who work for the Dead Moon Circus. Their attacks are derived from circus skills, with each having a specific talent. In the English language adaptation, they are called the Amazon Quartet.
Origins
From left to right: Sailors Vesta, Pallas, Ceres, and Juno.
In the manga, they are actually the Sailor Quartet--commonly referred to in English as Asteroid Senshi, because they are named after the first four major asteroids to be discovered. They had been placed in a deep sleep, awaiting the time when they could become the future protectors of Sailor Chibi Moon, analogous to Princess Serenity's four soldiers (the Inner Senshi) and to Prince Endymion's four generals (the Shitennou). However, Queen Nehellenia woke them prematurely and forced them to work for her. At her defeat, they return to their true forms and to their long sleep. During the fifth story arc, they accompany Sailor Chibi Moon from the future to help in the fight against Sailor Galaxia.
In the anime, the Quartet are never Sailor Senshi, coming instead from Elysion, the land of dreams. They began working for Queen Nehellenia when she heard them playing and offered to keep them from ever growing old. She changed their dreams into the physical form of Amazon Stones, instructing them to use these to remove the "dream mirrors" of humans. They are dedicated to this task, but still generally spend more time playing than working. When this goes too far for Nehellenia's tastes, she drains their powers and in the end they help the Sailor Senshi and Pegasus. They part ways noting that it is possible that destiny will have them meet the Sailors again, even though they never show up in Sailor Stars.
CereCere
CereCere (セレセレ, Seresere; called Cele Cele in the dub) is the pink haired, and most mature acting member of the Quartet. She is a trapeze artist for the Circus and can manipulate flowers; she is known as the Flower Magician and is the leader of the Quartet. She has light skin and wears pink, but has a yellow ball. She is very feminine and tries to be mature compared to the others in the Quartet. Her Senshi counterpart is Sailor Venus, and her colors are pink and yellow.
Naoko Takeuchi has stated that CereCere is sexy and talks in a very aristocratic tone. She is also stated as being the eldest of the four sisters[2] which corresponds to the size of the dwarf planet she is named after, Ceres and the Roman goddess Ceres. Later in the manga it is revealed that she is actually Sailor Ceres, one of the four protectors of Chibiusa. At the time of her naming, 1 Ceres was considered an Asteroid.
In the anime, she tends to be arrogant and haughty, and chases after people that will highlight her perceived beauty for her, such as when she chased after an artist and asked him to repaint her. She also appears extravagant and outrageous while disguised and not in her circus uniform. However, there are moments when she breaks the mature mask and plays for fun. The other Amazonesses see her as lazy, and take every opportunity to call her such. She stated that she hates dried squid. She summons only plant-based lemures, a possible nod to her Roman namesake, Ceres, a goddess of vegetation and plants.
In the original anime, she is voiced by Yuri Amano.
PallaPalla
PallaPalla (パラパラ, Parapara; called Para Para in the dub) is the blue-haired, childlike member of the Quartet. She uses ball-based attacks. She is called the Magician of Balancing Balls. Her Senshi counterpart is Sailor Mercury, and her color is blue. She frequently speaks in the third person.
Naoko Takeuchi listed her as being a bimbo, crybaby and childish. She is the second eldest sister in the manga,[2] while in the anime she is the youngest.[citation needed] This corresponds to the size of the asteroid, Pallas. She was also named after the Greek goddess Pallas Athena. In the manga, it's revealed that she is actually Sailor Pallas, one of the four protectors of Chibiusa.[3]
In the anime, she speaks in third person and is equally childish as she is in the manga. Despite being chilidsh she has showed some signs that she is clever, such as pointing out that the arrangement of the curtains is wrong in one episode (when no one else saw it), setting up popular dentist office in another and using a doll to manipulate the Sailors in yet another. The others think she is also very dangerous; in one episode she ripped the head off her own doll as a cure for its toothache. She often summons ball-like lemures. Sometimes she uses dolls as part of her attacks, but this is not as prevalent as balls. She also likes to attack a group of people at a time rather than one at a time.
In the original anime, she is voiced by Machiko Toyoshima.
JunJun
JunJun (ジュンジュン, Junjun; name unchanged in the dub) is the green-haired tomboy of the Quartet. She is athletic and somewhat impulsive. JunJun is a tightrope walker in the Circus, referred to as the Magician of Acrobatic Feats. Her Senshi counterpart is Sailor Jupiter, and her color is green.
She is listed as vulgar, a Yankee, and uses very informal male speech. She is also said to have dark skin and is the third sister, which corresponds to the number and size of her asteroid. She was supposed to ride a motorcycle.[2] In the manga it is revealed that she is really Sailor Juno, named for the asteroid Juno and the Roman goddess Juno.
In the anime, she often speaks with a hard edge. She tends to dress in biker outfits outside of her circus uniform even though she is never shown to ride a motorbike. She likes to let her targets attain their dreams before she takes their dream mirrors which may be an oddball reference to the mothering aspect of the goddess Juno. She always summons male lemures; the only one of the Quartet to do so.
In the original anime, she is voiced by Kumiko Watanabe. In the English-language version, she is performed by actress Mary Long who was also the voice of Molly and Catzi.
VesVes
VesVes (ベスベス, Besubesu; called Besu Besu in the dub) is the red-haired aggressive member of the Quartet. She is loud, brash, and somewhat violent. VesVes is the Circus' animal tamer, known as the Magician of Beasts. Her Senshi counterpart is Sailor Mars, and her color is red. She carries a whip.
She is listed as being a "Queen" and having a darker skin color than JunJun.[2]She is the fourth and youngest sister, which corresponds to the size and number of her asteroid (although in the anime, she is the second-oldest).[citation needed] In the manga it's revealed that she is really Sailor Vesta named after the asteroid Vesta and the Roman goddess Vesta.
In the anime, VesVes can appear to lack a sense of reality, rushing into things without realizing what she's doing. She once appeared on top of a levitating ball in a flight suit and failed to realize how this wasn't realistic. She is not as picky about her targets as the other three. She tends to command lemures that are animal-themed.
Junko Hagimori provides her voice in the original Japanese produced anime.
Special powers and items
As members of the Dead Moon Circus, the Quartet use items called Amazon Stones. In the manga, these are used mainly by PallaPalla, and include (in order of appearance):
- Crown Ball — Seals the world from interdimensional or time travel (Act 34)
- Summon Ball — Summons lemures (Act 34)
- Palanquin Ball — Grants human forms to animals (Act 34)
- Reverse Ball — Causes the opposite of what someone says to happen (Act 34). Specifically, it makes Usagi Tsukino a child and Chibiusa an adult; in the anime (Episode 158) this is what it does regardless of their words.
- Echo Ball — Creates a distorted reflection of a person's inner self (Act 36)
- End Ball — Finishes off what is weakening (Act 37)
- Hail Ball — Summons huge boulders (Act 38, 39)
- Vine Ball — Calls vines out of the ground (Act 39)
- Steel Ball — Creates and launches daggers (Act 39, used by VesVes)
- Natto Ball — Traps people in gooey natto (Act 39).
- Medicine Ball — Projectile attack of small pellets (Act 39, used by JunJun)
- Rattan Ball — Launches broken glass (Act 39)
In the anime, such attacks are used by all members of the Quartet and include:
- Ball Ball Attack — VesVes attacks with the ball itself. Used in episode 150.
- Colliding Ball — Used by the Quartet to remove a person's dream mirror. One of them hits the ball with a pool cue and knocks it off various walls before hitting the person. First used in episode 150. A variation appeared in episode 162, when Zirconia used her pet eyeball as a croquet ball.
- Tamasaka — Used by PallaPalla to try and restore a distorted photo in episode 151.
- Tamayura — Used by PallaPalla to change a doll house version of a dentist's office into a real one, and to cause cavities all over town. Used in episode 153.
- Rolling Ball — Causes the ball to become huge so as to try and crush the Senshi. It was first used by JunJun in episode 160, with assitance from CereCere, who rode on top to control the ball. It was used again episode 162 by PallaPalla, acting alone.
- Sealing Ball — Used to stop attacks; performed on Venus by VesVes in Episode 161.
- Pelting Ball — Creates many small balls to attack the Senshi; used by CereCere in Episode 161.
- Controlling Ball — Used by PallaPalla to create a doll to control the Senshi in Episode 161.
- Sticky Ball — Traps the enemy in a sticky substance.
- Eavesdropping Ball — Created by combining a ball with a telescope. Used to spy on Nehellenia in episode 163.
- Creating Ball — Used by PallaPalla to create a fake Chibi Moon in episode 163.
- Opening Ball — Used by CereCere to create a portal to Nehellenia's hideout in episode 163.
- Binding Ball — Used By PallaPalla to create a bridle for Pegasus and bind him in episode 163.
- Through Ball — A teleport move that JunJun uses to get out of a mirror that half of her body was stuck in. Used in episode 164.
- See-Through Ball — A viewing ball that VesVes uses to see what was going on in Nehellenia's lair, but was only able to see Zirconia fighting the Senshi. Used in episode 164.
The Quartet also possess a viewing mirror with which they watch the Senshi. As the Sailor Quartet in the Stars manga, the four attack with Amazoness Jungle Arrow, and with Pink Ladies' Freezing Kiss when joined by Sailor Chibi Moon. Template:Endspoiler
See also
References
- ^ This group-name is sometimes rendered as Amazones Quartetto by English-speaking fans, but the romanization of their name can be seen on Japanese merchandise.
- ^ a b c d Takeuchi, Naoko (September 1999). Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Volume V Original Picture Collection. Kodansha. ISBN 4-06-324521-7. - A translation is available at The Manga of Takeuchi Naoko
- ^ In the English adaptation of the manga, her name is misspelled as both Palis and Palus.
- The Oracle - Detailed information on all characters: CereCere, PallaPalla, JunJun, and VesVes
- The Tour - Information on dubbed version