Who's Who in the Sailor Moon SuperS Movie

The names of the new characters in the SuperS movie always seem to give people problems. However, once they are put into perspective, they make more sense.

The names in the movie are based on the names of various French sweets, which is appropriate because of the large involvement of candy and sweets in the film. Many fans use the direct Romanizations of these names - the exact series of sounds used in the katakana. However, using this method is not consistent with the way other names in the series are written. For example, if we used said method, we would have to say "Kuntsuaito" instead of Kunzite, and "Aian Mausu" instead of Iron Mouse. Because the word "Kunzite" is not a native Japanese word, it must be approximated in Japanese as "Kuntsuaito," and the same is true with "Iron" and "Mouse."

It is best to use the actual words that are meant when writing Romanizations, rather than the Japanese approximations. The names of characters in the SuperS movie are French words, so it is best to use the actual French words (similar to the way we use the actual English words "Iron" and "Mouse") instead of the approximations.


Perle


click for larger version Perle's name seems to be one of the most often disputed among Sailor Moon fans. According to the Materials Collection, the romanization of Perle's name is literally "Peruru." is what we see in the Materials Collection. is "pe" and is "ru," so we have "Peruru." "Peruru" is the Japanese approximation of the French word "Perle," meaning "pearl." A word meaning "pearl" makes sense as Perle's name. In the Materials Collection, it tells us that pearls are one of the main attributes of the character. It says that "the idea is pearls, liqueur, and bonbons." He wears pearl earrings, has pearl-coloured hair and wings, wears pearl ornaments, and his flute has pearls inside of it.

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Queen Badiane


click for larger version According to the Materials Collection, the romanization of Badiane's name is literally "Badianu." is what we see in the Materials Collection. "Badianu" is the Japanese approximation of the French word "Badiane," meaning "Star Anise." A word meaning "Star Anise" makes sense as Badiane's name. In the Materials Collection, it tells us that "the idea is star anise," and says that star anise are attached all over her body as accesories. It says that they are attached directly to her skin, and that she wears star anise earrings.

click for larger version Star Anise (Illicium verum) is an exotic spice that is the fruit of an evergreen tree of the magnolia family. It is native to China and Vietnam, though today is grown almost exclusively in southern China, Indo-China, and Japan. It was introduced into Europe in the seventeenth century. It is used most often in Chinese cooking in sweets, but is also sometimes used as a substitute for European aniseed. It is shaped like a star, and has between five and ten points, but has an average of eight points. The hard sections are seed pods. It can grow up to 3cm long. The fruit is picked before it ripens, and dried. It is a red, rust colour and it has a liquorice-like flavour.

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Poupelin


click for larger version According to the Materials Collection, the romanization of Poupelin's name is literally "Pupuran." is what we see in the Materials Collection. "Pupuran" is the Japanese approximation of the French word "Poupelin." A poupelin is a type of French pastry that was popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is made with chou paste, cooked in a mold. During cooking, most of the paste spills out so that all that is left is a crust, which is then filled with cream or mousse. In some very old French texts, the word "poupelin" is sometimes used to refer to a child.

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Orangeat


click for larger version According to the Materials Collection, the romanization of Orangeat's name is literally "Oranja." is what we see in the Materials Collection. "Oranja" is the Japanese approximation of the French word "Orangeat," which is pronounced "O-ran-zha." An Orangeat is a type of candied orange peel made by drying the oranges, cooking them, and then coating them in sugar. It is used quite often in German cooking, particularly for holidays such as Christmas.

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Banane


click for larger version According to the Materials Collection, the romanization of Banane's name is literally "Bananu." is what we see in the Materials Collection. "Bananu" is the Japanese approximation of the French word "Banane" (sometimes 'nu' is used to approximate 'ne' in some French words). "Banane" is the French word for "Banana."

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