Comments on the Article

Sailor Astera sent me an e-mail message that contained some comments about my article.  (I was given permission to reproduce the text):

You mention the 'phantom crystal' in the mineralogical sense and explain that it "'occurs where the growing environment of the gemstone changes and there is a color change or some other shift in the crystal that makes the crystal faces of the younger crystal visible INSIDE the present crystal'," and that "those inner crystals can be called phantoms."  The first thought that struck my mind was that the Ginzuisho is in a way a internal part of and then in a way 'inside' Usagi.  I just thought that it would be interesting to consider Usagi to be a sort of crystal on her own that contained another phantom crystal - the Ginzuisho - inside.

I responded:

I like that idea.  The adjective "crystal" has to do with clearity, and Usagi herself is a symbol of purity and clearity (the Latin word "serenitas" can refer to clearness).  "Crystal," when it is an adjective, can also mean "relating to or using a crystal."  I can see how one could connect "phantom crystal" to the idea that the Silver Crystal is in a way a internal part of Usagi (in a sense that her inner powers are contained in the crystal).

Hikari no Tenshi sent me a message.  (I was given permission to reproduce the text):

I recently read your article on the name "Maboroshi no Ginzuishou" and it's translation as "Phantom Silver Crystal"…

Whilst I did note that you mentioned that the crystal doesn't necessarily need to be a "phantom crystal" (maboroshi no suishou) to take the name, I matched something earlier in your article with a post on a forum I read recently…

At the start of your article you mention that:

A phantom crystal “occurs where the growing environment of the gemstone changes and there is a color change or some other shift in the crystal that makes the crystal faces of the younger crystal visible INSIDE the present crystal”

Well, this forum post,
http://www.sailormoon.ws/forum/viewtopic.php?t=874, looks at the nature of Sailormoon's crystal, and the constant change in colour related to it, be it from usage, or position (inside or outside her brooch)…

Even though we cannot guarantee that it is a direct link, as we know Takeuchi-san didn't have all that much say in the creation and direction of the anime series, I thought it might have some sort of link, maybe the anime creators took the idea of the colour change…

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