HIROMI MATSUNO:


click for larger version Hiromi Matsuno is a young animator who appears in episode 021. She and her best friend Kazuko Tadashita work together at Studio Dive. They are currently working on a new Sailor V anime under the direction of Asatou. In the beginning of the episode, Hiromi confesses to Kazuko that she struggles to understand Asatou because he often speaks in very abstract terms. She recalls a recent meeting with him in which he told her that in one of her drawings, Sailor V's leg was lacking a certain "passion." She actually accused Asatou of wanting to make Sailor V sexier, although he became embarrassed and denied it. Later, Hiromi begins working extremely hard on her anime drawings. Even after most of the animators in the studio have gone home for the day, she remains, working on her drawings. She feels that she is unable to depict Sailor V with any "love and passion." She becomes frustrated and throws away the drawings she has been working on, then goes to Kazuko's desk to inspect her friend's work. She finds that her friend's drawings are incredible, and resolves to work harder than before. She goes back to her desk and takes out a pencil case with a bow on it, which she is apprehensive about using. She thinks back to the day when she got the pencils, which are designed for professional animators. She and Kazuko went to the XX Department Store together before going to work at Studio Dive. They decided to buy the pencils, despite the fact that they were incredibly expensive. They bought one pack of pencils and divided them into two matching boxes. Then they decided to only use them for special occasions, only when they "draw the finest anime that will never disappoint the dreams of children." The boxes had ribbons on them, so the girls agree to ask each other's permission before untying the ribbons.

In reality, Hiromi has used them often without telling her friend, and when she opens her case, she finds that she only has one small pencil left. Just then, Mastoto Sanjoin (who is really Nephrite in disguise) enters the room. He has decided that Hiromi will be his next target for collecting energy. He tells her that he is a fan of hers, and that he wanted to see where she worked. He quickly picks up the pencil from her desk and marks it with his evil crest. After Nephrite leaves, Kazuko returns to the studio with dinner from the convenience store. Hiromi gives her a strange look, but the two are interrupted by Ami, who has come to return some paperwork the girls dropped earlier in the day. Kazuko thanks Ami, but Hiromi does not speak to her. Kazuko apologizes for her friend, saying that she has been working very hard lately and is under a lot of pressure. She invites her to come back some other time to be thanked properly. Ami immediately notices that something is wrong; Nephrite has definitely done something. Hiromi's attitude worsens, and she begins working even harder. Asatou responds to her new productivity positively, and even asks her to work on the final scene of the anime. Unfortunately, because Nephrite's influence has caused Hiromi to become angry and volatile, she tells the director that she has decided Sailor V will be killed in the final scene because "that's the kind of thrilling story children want these days." Asatou is outraged, but when he calls to discuss things, Hiromi hangs up on him. She leaves the studio and walks up the fire escape to the roof. Kazuko, Usagi, Ami, Rei, and Luna follow her. On the roof, she has begun to glow with a strange aura, and angrily addresses her friend, "You're so uppity, just because you have a little more talent than me. But I'll be better than you from now on, as long as I have this pencil!" She holds the pencil in the air, and it begins to glow. At this point, Hiromi has reached her peak energy output, and the youma Castor and Pollux are released from the pencil. Hiromi's energy is immediately drained, and Kazuko faints. Fortunately, Castor and Pollux are quickly defeated by the Sailor Senshi, and Hiromi's energy is returned. Her friendship with Kazuko is restored.

Hiromi was based on the real person Hiromi Matsushita, who was one of the animation directors for the Sailor Moon anime. In this episode, Hiromi's seiyuu was Miyako Endou


See also:
Castor
Director Asatou
Episode 021 - Protect the Childrens' Dream! A Frienship Tied by Anime
Kazuko Tadashita
Miyako Endou
Nephrite
Pollux
Studio Dive