The Sailor Senshi are in Pittsburgh

[steriaca]

12 hours ago, Mark Rand said:

Akiko could be a very religious Orthodox Jew who lives with her grandfather, the rabbi of Congregation Poale Zedeck and attends the Jewish Community Day School.  Amy, on the other hand, is a not very religious Conservative Jew who attends B'nai Israel Congregation and lives in the Maxon Towers.  She uses the building's athletic facilities and keeps her bicycle in the building garage.

Just because there is not a real Shinto temple in Pittsburgh don't mean there is not one shinto worshipper in Pittsburgh. There might even be an unofficial piece of nature in the city they can label as 'holy' and preform some rights there (and be mistaken for 'asian wickens').

 

Then again, the lack of Shinto temples are not that surprising, considering that Buddism is a rare religion in the United States, Shinto doublely so.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Shinto is closely tied to Japan itself. That was one reason MacArthur tried to clamp down in it -- the nationalists and militarists wrapped their propaganda around Shinto lore. Of course the Americans had very little understanding of what Shinto practitioners believed, and really couldn't have cared-anyway.

 

Of course, there are many Shinto believers in the United States, but few active congregations. Shinto and Buddhism are closely linked in the Japanese psyche despite in contradictions, and many practice both. Buddhist places of worship are common in the US -- you can find at least two or three in any major metropolitan area.

 

 

[Mark Rand]

Since The Zen Center of Pittsburgh, a Zen Buddhist temple, is located near the Borough of Swickley, it's possible that a small section of a city, county, or state park has, with permission from the governing bodies, designated as a holy site.  Of course, those involved would have to follow the park rules and contribute to the park maintenance.

 

 

[Mark Rand]

As I think about this, I realize that a lot of the problems I'm having are caused by trying to convert a series designed for the Japanese into an American form.  While the powers easily translate, the characters themselves don't.  I may just create new characters to get the powers. 

[steriaca]

 

As I think about this, I realize that a lot of the problems I'm having are caused by trying to convert a series designed for the Japanese into an American form.  While the powers easily translate, the characters themselves don't.  I may just create new characters to get the powers. 

Please try to keep some symbolism in there names. For example, Mars' real first name could be a Yiddish word for "little fire", or Jupiter's family name could be Woods.

[Mark Rand]

I like your ideas.  I'm also planning to use some of the names from the DIC English dub.  Sailor Moon's civilian ID nickname is "Bunny".

[Mark Rand]

For now, Sailor Moon is Serena “Bunny” Thomas.  Sailor Mercury is Amy Anderson.  Sailor Mars is Raye Hino.  Sailor Jupiter is Hippolyta “Lita” Woods.  Sailor Venus is Mina Adams.  Tuxedo Mask is Darien Shields.

[Mark Rand]

With Pittsburgh's entire Golden Triangle (the Central Business District), Strip District, and near North and South Shores destroyed, it would be reasonable that foreign investors, including Japanese, took advantage of the tax credits that the federal government offered to rebuild Pittsburgh.  Shinto could've been imported, along with other Japanese cultural traditions.

[steriaca]

 

With Pittsburgh's entire Golden Triangle (the Central Business District), Strip District, and near North and South Shores destroyed, it would be reasonable that foreign investors, including Japanese, took advantage of the tax credits that the federal government offered to rebuild Pittsburgh.  Shinto could've been imported, along with other Japanese cultural traditions.

Yes. Go with that.

[Mark Rand]

Sailor Moon is a klutzy, lazy middle-school girl whose nickname is “Bunny”.  Her pet cat, Luna, is her advisor.  Her father, Ken, is a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Her mother, Iris, is a housewife, but may have a part-time job. Her younger brother, Sammy, is a Sailor V fan. 

 

Bunny’s best civilian friend is Molly, whose mother owns a jewelry store.  Molly’s best friend, besides Bunny, is Melvin, a nerd who wears thick glasses and sometimes gets hit for saying inappropriate things.

 

Sailor Mercury is a shy, kind-hearted genius who wears glasses in her civilian identity and lives with her divorced mother, a UPMC physician, in a condo.  She is a skilled athlete with a romantic side and a good dancer.

 

Sailor Mars is a hot-headed Shinto miko with psychic powers and a “front-line” Senshi.  She lives with her grandfather, a Shinto priest and has two pet crows, Phobos and Deimos, that live at Pittsburgh’s Shinto Shrine. 

 

Sailor Jupiter is a “front-line” Senshi.  Physically the strongest, with an Amazonian build, she lives by herself because her parents died in an airplane crash and enjoys feminine things.

 

Sailor Venus, also known as “Sailor V”, spent several years fighting crime in Europe.  Her pet cat, Artemis, is her advisor.      

 

Unknown to the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Moon is also Princess Serenity, the moon princess, who will become Neo-Queen Serenity.  The other Senshi are her guardians.  Since Sailor Venus is closest to her in appearance, she is Sailor Moon’s double and the leader of the guardians.

 

Tuxedo Mask is the reborn Prince Endymion, Princess Serenity’s beloved.  He often appears to give the Sailor Senshi encouragement and sometimes aides them in their fight.

 

Patricia Harris is a middle school teacher to most of the Senshi and is somewhat athletic.

 

Chad Kumada, who comes from a wealthy family, is an apprentice at Pittsburgh’s Shinto shrine.

 

 

 

 

 

[steriaca]

Nice retelling of what we already know.

 

By the way, in the Japanese manga/anime Ami breaks out in stress hives over love letters sent to her. It is up to you and Amy's player if Amy suffers from the same ailment.

 

And thoes glasses of Ami are there for a purpose. She needs them cause she suffers from farsightedness. This is corrected when she transforms into Sailor Mercury. This slight farsightedness can always be morphed into astigmatism.

[Mark Rand]

True, but by not naming their civilian identities, the players can choose them for themselves. 

 

My thought is that the Sailor Senshi would call Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood home.  I can easily add an elementary school, a middle school, and the private school Sailor Mars goes to in her civilian identity  to it.

[steriaca]

 

True, but by not naming their civilian identities, the players can choose them for themselves. 

 

My thought is that the Sailor Senshi would call Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood home.  I can easily add an elementary school, a middle school, and the private school Sailor Mars goes to in her civilian identity  to it.

Ok. No problems.

[Mark Rand]

As Sailor Mercury has to relay to her fellow Sailor Senshi what the GM tells her what information the computer gives her, it might be wise for her to be run by me as a PC.  In that case, I would consider her martial arts skills to be a combination of commando style and dirty infighting, both from rape prevention classes her mother had her take.   As far as her vision problems go, being nearsighted, she should be nearsighted, too.

[Mark Rand]

Here's something from Wikipedia that you might find interesting.

 

"The Bridges of Pittsburgh play an important role in the city's transportation system. Without bridges, the Pittsburgh region would be a series of fragmented valleys, hillsides, river plains, and isolated communities.   A 2006 study determined that Pittsburgh has 446 bridges, and with its proximity to three major rivers and countless hills and ravines, Pittsburgh is known as "The City of Bridges". The city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are the largest owners of great bridges in the country, in proper proportion to their size, with the possible exception of the City of New York, which is built on an island and surrounded by large bodies of water.

"

 

[Mark Rand]

Even though it seems like San Angelo is going to be home to the Sailor Senshi, Pittsburgh is still on my mind. 

 

With a number of Pittsburgh skyscrapers owned by Japanese companies, Shinto has enough followers to establish a shrine at the intersection of Beechwood Boulevard and English Lane and across English Lane from a playground famous for its blue slide.  A well-known sledding hill is also close by, as are Colfax Elementary (K-8) and Taylor Allderdice High School (9-12).  The Catholic school Sailor Mars goes to is also close by, as s the condo Amy /Sailor Mercury and her mother live in.

[Steve]

On ‎5‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 5:17 PM, Mark Rand said:

Akiko could be a very religious Orthodox Jew who lives with her grandfather, the rabbi of Congregation Poale Zedeck and attends the Jewish Community Day School.  Amy, on the other hand, is a not very religious Conservative Jew who attends B'nai Israel Congregation and lives in the Maxon Towers.  She uses the building's athletic facilities and keeps her bicycle in the building garage.

 

That statement raises an interesting point. How far can you stray from them their Japanese roots until they no longer feel like the Sailor Senshi?

 

The West Coast might be more advantageous in its having more Japanese in its history than the East Coast, so Bay City and San Angelo might need less work to adapt for that reason. San Angelo even has the Dragon's Gate area which could easily house places like a Shinto shrine. 

[Mark Rand]

6 hours ago, Steve said:

 

That statement raises an interesting point. How far can you stray from them their Japanese roots until they no longer feel like the Sailor Senshi?

 

The West Coast might be more advantageous in its having more Japanese in its history than the East Coast, so Bay City and San Angelo might need less work to adapt for that reason. San Angelo even has the Dragon's Gate area which could easily house places like a Shinto shrine. 

Yeah, however, the Dragon's Gate area is Chinatown and the Japanese, a minority, are somewhat resented there. In fact, the Shinto shrine that was there was burned.

[steriaca]

40 minutes ago, Mark Rand said:

Yeah, however, the Dragon's Gate area is Chinatown and the Japanese, a minority, are somewhat resented there. In fact, the Shinto shrine that was there was burned.

Remember, this IS fiction. The Shinto shrine might of burned down ONCE, but it might of been rebuilt in that world. And fences might of been mended. At least among the young as anime, manga, and Japanies popular media starts becoming a bit more popular among the youth of America. And this, understanding.

[Mark Rand]

I was, once again, giving thought to placing the Sailor Senshi (or Guardians, or Scouts) in Pittsburgh.  They would simply be normal teenage girls who have powers that need to be awakened before they start their heroic career.  Sailor Mars would simply be a clergyman's granddaughter.