Wrestling is a large a part of Mercedes Varnado’s profession, having gained notoriety as Sasha Banks for the WWE earlier than crossing over as Mercedes Moné for the AEW. However her followers could not understand she can be an enormous Sailor Moon fan. The skilled wrestler, who lately jumped to appearing for The Mandalorian, has a deep appreciation of the basic magical woman fantasy anime based mostly on Naoko Takeuchi’s 1992 manga. Followers of each wrestling and anime know she donned a Sailor Moon-inspired outfit in the course of the 2022 Royal Rumble. So it’s no shock that she’s brazenly campaigned to play Sailor Jupiter in a live-action adaptation of Sailor Moon, if that ever occurs.
Polygon caught up with Varnado throughout this yr’s Crunchyroll Anime Awards, so naturally we needed to ask: Given her love of the anime, which sailor scout does she assume would make the perfect skilled wrestler?
“I might say Sailor Mercury,” Varnado advised Polygon. “She’s such a badass; she has such perspective. I really feel like Usagi would at all times be a bit late to the ring, she would most likely slip throughout her matches a bit bit.”
Picture: Toei Animation
Launched within the eighth episode of Sailor Moon season 1, Sailor Mercury is the primary Sailor Guardian that Usagi discovers and the primary to hitch her trigger preventing the forces of the nefarious Queen Beryl. Mercury’s true id is Ami Mizuno, a shy bookworm with an abnormally excessive I.Q. who is thought for her expertise for arithmetic and computer systems. Although initially timid, Ami goes on to change into the chief strategist of the Sailor Scouts and has a optimistic, resilient perspective each time confronted with a problem.
The 1992 Sailor Moon anime would go on to run for a complete of 5 seasons. The collection’ mixture of tokusatsu-inspired motion and romantic melodrama is credited with revolutionizing the style of Magical Lady anime, with the mixed recognition of the anime’s assorted dwelling releases and movies contributing to the comedian’s standing as one of many best-selling Japanese manga of its time. In 2014, Sailor Moon was later tailored into one other anime collection referred to as Sailor Moon Crystal, in commemoration of the collection’ twentieth anniversary. Sailor Moon Crystal is a reboot of the unique anime that extra carefully follows the story of Usagi Tsukino and co. because it was advised in Naoko Takeuchi’s authentic manga.
Apart from the collection’ recognition, nevertheless, Sailor Moon has had a serious influence on followers (significantly women) who grew up watching the anime, and that features Varnado herself. “I nonetheless return and watch Sailor Moon to get my life classes, to get my power,” Varnado advised Polygon. “So she nonetheless evokes me to at the present time.”
Sailor Moon is accessible to stream on Hulu. Sailor Moon Crystal is accessible to stream on Crunchyroll.
