‡ Tsukino Usagi...Rabbit of the Moon ‡
Well, if you're here, I assume you already know almost everything there is to know about Usagi......but I'll go ahead and fill you in on the basics anyway. (~_^) Usagi starts off as your normal 14-year-old girl, a little more crybaby-ish and clumsy than other girls her age but still pretty average. One day while running to school after waking up late (Usagi's ALWAYS late) she comes across a cat with a couple of band-aids stuck to her head. Being the sweetheart that she is, Usagi helps the poor "bald spot" kitty, and in doing so changes the course of her average, normal life forever!
Usagi lives with her Mother Ikuko, her father Kenji, and her little brother Shingo. Her name sounds like the phrase Rabbit (usagi) of (no) the Moon (tsuki), and her hair-style is referred to as "odango atama" which roughly translates into dumpling head.......If you have any idea about japanese myths and culture then you know her name and hair-do are meant as a pun. Most of us english-speakers know about the "man in the moon,".....well, japan has the "rabbit in the moon" who they think sits around making rice balls all day. I don't know where on earth they came up with such an idea but hey, it makes for a great manga story!
Of couse with Naoko Takeuchi being the excellent writer she is, there was much detail and attention given to Usagi's character. Her blood type is O, and people with that blood type are often associated with leadership (She IS after all the future queen of Crystal Tokyo) optimism, idealism, and are very enthusiastic in general. Even when Usagi faces her toughest enemies, she never loses sight of hope. You can't get any more optimistic than that! And of course there are all the little rabbit puns, like her great dislike for carrots and her love of those furry little woodland creatures! We often see Usagi with rabbits......on her bedsheets, in her little thought bubbles, in the background, i think there was one on her lunch box (bento) as well! Mamoru's pet name for her is Usako, which means something like "My Rabbit" or "My little rabbit"...I'm not 100% certain of the translation. But I'm sure you get my point. (^.^)
And of course there are many, many differences between the anime and manga versions of Usagi. In the manga Usagi does start off by crying and complaining about her duties alot, goofing off and such, but she quickly matures, and by the end of the first Volume it's almost completely gone from the rest of the manga. In the anime, however, Usagi's whining is very persistant and makes the anime slightly annoying, in my humble opinion. Many episodes are filled with almost nothing except her flopping around and panicking or sobbing uncontrollably. In the manga, Usagi is very graceful and even sacrifices herself sometimes to heal others (see volume 6 or 7!) I still love the anime, but it is my opinion that Manga Usagi puts Anime Usagi to shame.
