CV: I’m glad that they tackled it the way that they did. It’s true that they made some missteps, but it’s still refreshing that they didn’t make a huge deal out of it. They are who they are, and they were accepted as such. This season wrapped at such an important time. I hope that new viewers are excited about the Star Lights and that it helps push the new way of inclusivity not only in our media, but in our everyday lives as well.

AM: I think the jury’s still out on this one. I’ve heard firsthand how many LGBTQ kids were affected by seeing Haruka and Michiru’s relationship on-screen and it made them feel so represented and seen which was such a revolutionary thing for the 90s. Also Haruka (and to some extent Mako) was the first character I’d seen as a kid who modeled some form of bucking gender norms and being unapologetically like “sometimes I like wearing pretty skirts, other times I wear tuxedos and race cars, but you don’t get to label me or decide what I am, how I identify, or what I like.” So now that it’s released and more readily available to a broader audience, I’m excited to see how Sailor Stars continues to shape the conversation. But I think it definitely already says something about how far we’ve come as a society from 1996 when Stars first came out to now, that we’re finally in a place where we can dub it and not have to censor anything and leave the story and characters in their original format. More conversation still needs to be had certainly, but it’s definitely a sign we’re moving forward.

LL: You know, I couldn’t exactly say what kind of role Sailor Stars has had in the conversation/topic! However I truly hope it’s positive. I support the LGBTQ community, and I believe that the entirety of Sailor Moon has a beauty to it that can be shared with everyone.

EH: Well, I hope that the Sailor Starlights are viewed positively by LGBTQ+ fans, as we did our best to play them genuinely and honestly. To me, the Starlights are gender fluid and choose to present themselves as both men and women, depending on the situation. I really like that the show doesn’t make a huge deal about it once their identities are revealed, and the other characters seem to respect their chosen pronouns when they’re in either form. They’re treated normally, because they are normal. Sailor Moon was creating strong, honest characters long before the rest of the world caught up, and it is a real honor to give one of those characters a voice.

SW: I like that it was another voice in presenting LGBTQ issues and people as just a normal part of the story. From the Starlights to Neptune and Uranus and other examples throughout the show, it seemed like generally it was normal, without a lot of the prejudices you’d expect in the real world. Neptune and Uranus are together and the reaction is that they’re so wonderful and suited to each other. Haruka likes to dress more masculine on occasion, and no one bats an eye; if anything, she’s seen as cool and mature. The Starlights switching between civilian and Sailor Guardian form seems only shocking when the secret is initially revealed, but not really because they were switching between male and female forms. It was just how these characters were, and it was nice to see the cast around them accept them as such.