keyofnik: OH HARUKA OH BLIND HARUKA I wonder what she thinks Ami’s actually doing here. At best guess, being a stationary target perhaps? That standing there and being easy prey will help save Haruka? Does Haruka think this is just more bleeding heart “gotta save everyone” Inner Senshi bullshit? I’m kinda thinking YES. Or that Ami is just literally standing there because she can’t figure out what else to do. And let’s marvel a that for a second. That Haruka on some level genuinely thinks that Ami is simply paralyzed and wracked with indecision. And this shit hurts, really. “Are you a Sailor Senshi?” In Haruka’s eyes, the very act of standing there and not fighting right now is Ami betraying everything they are. Let’s take a second to reflect back on this moment: How many times throughout S did the girls say some variation on, “We’re all Senshi, we should be fighting together!” How many times did Haruka essentially say “Don’t care, bye now”? As unpleasant as what she’s saying to Ami sounds, I actually take this as development for Haruka. This is acknowledgement that they ARE all part of a team. Different factions within a team perhaps, like the Army and the Marines in Haruka’s eyes, but still on the same team. And she takes PRIDE in that, there’s strength in it. It’s infuriating and incomprehensible to her that Ami is NOTHING like what a Senshi should be in her eyes. Because although Haruka is now on Team Senshi, it’s only in her very narrow and limited view. She’s found something to admire in the Inners and how they do what they do. She has faith in them. But because she’s Haruka, it’s only in the ways in which she sees herself, because she can’t fathom any other viewpoint. She knows there ARE other viewpoints. Michiru has them. Setsuna too. But Haruka doesn’t need to understand those other points because she feels she understands the people behind them. Rei, Mako, Minako, I think Haruka gets them in large part as well. But Ami, they have just no common ground whatsoever, and as I was saying before, from my interpretation of Ami’s heart crystal episode, Haruka’s coming from a place of little respect for Ami anyway. The end result is her basically saying “How are you even a Sailor Senshi?!” because that’s how utterly blind she is to all the amazing things that make up Ami. And I love that Ami doesn’t even flinch. The Ami of the first few seasons, these woulds would be devastating. Ami already feeling like she has trouble fitting in and belong anywhere, Ami so afraid she’s going to lose this spot and these people too because they’ll discover her for the sham she is. Here though? Ami’s being killed, and she doesn’t stop, doesn’t rush. There’s an answer to be found, and no matter what Haruka says, no matter how little Haruka understands, Ami knows exactly what it means to be a Senshi, and she WILL find an answer.
