HaruMichi

HaruMichi is the femslash ship between Haruka Tenou and Michiru Kaiou from the Sailor Moon fandom.

Sailor Moon S
Before Haruka met Michiru, she did not want to be tied to the responsibility of being a Sailor Soldier, in fear that everything would change, including her dreams. She started having nightmares where a world of destruction was brought before her, with Sailor Neptune making an appearance. No matter how much she tried to ignore it, somewhere in her mind and heart, she knew what was to come, but was only escaping her destiny. The time came when everything started to change, and it was because of a woman named Elza Gray. Elza was a famous track star in High School, but she was always in Haruka’s shadow in the races. Standing out amongst the rest, Elza introduced her friend Michiru to Haruka. The moment their eyes locked, they felt something. Haruka was afraid of these sudden emotions, and tried to avoid the situation. Not only was she being harsh and rude towards the new person she had just met, but refused to be used as a model in a painting Michiru wanted to make. However, this encounter was love at first sight. Haruka knew Michiru was the Sailor Soldier in her dream.

Some time later, Michiru invites Haruka to see her perform her violin on a cruise. After the show, Michiru confronts Haruka, trying to explain to her their destiny as a Sailor Soldier and the destruction they saw in their dreams, is a reflection of reality. Michiru then hints to Haruka that there was a girl in her school who wishes to cruise along the beach in her car with her. The conversation concludes and Haruka has no more to add.

Soon, Haruka finds herself witnessing a horrific attack by a creature who possessed another student from her school. A strange rod appears before her, but before she can touch it, Michiru appears and warns her. If Haruka touches it, her life will be changed forever, and she does not want her to have the same fate as she does. Michiru transforms into Sailor Neptune and jumps in front of Haruka to take the damage from the creature and is severely injured. Here, Sailor Neptune explains how she felt knowing Haruka was a Sailor Senshi, and how she did not want her to be. And yet, when she realised that she was the chosen one, she was happy she was her destined partner. Michiru’s words touch her, and she accepts her duty as Sailor Uranus, to fight alongside her. Michiru had her eyes on Haruka for a while now, and admits she always wanted to ride in her car along the beach. Haruka quips, “I’m not letting you go home tonight!” as they drive off into the sunset, while Haruka tells Michiru that she has no regrets because she met her.

In episode 92, Usagi and Minako “stalk” Haruka to the gaming arcade, because they both think she is cute. As the three of them are talking, Michiru appears and apologizes to Haruka for keeping her waiting, as rose petals fly around her, with a romantic music playing. Haruka says goodbye to Minako and Usagi, as both of them blush, and tells Usagi that they should go racing together. As she walks away with Michiru, she asks Haruka if she has become friends with them. Haruka just chuckles and asks Michiru if she's jealous of them, to which she replies that she probably is. To this, Haruka calms her and tells her that they are just kids. Usagi, who was watching them walk away in awe, saying that they look perfect together. This clearly shows a development in their romantic relationship, and some strong feelings from the two of them.

Later, both Minako and Usagi follow the couple to a nearby café, where they are discussing their plans, and from outside, Usagi notes that it seems like the two of them are a couple. Usagi and Minako keep following the couple, and when Haruka finally discovers them, they start bombarding her with questions about Michiru. Minako asks her if Michiru is her girlfriend, to which Haruka replies that she is more than that.

In episode 95, a Daimon planted itself in this heart lamp, and when Haruka and Michiru sense a disturbance in the force, they opt to enter the PDA Contest, a contest for couples, where the winning couple gets to light a heart-shaped lamp monument in the local park. The other Sailor scouts also attend the contest and when they see Haruka and Michiru, they start wondering if they really are a couple, once again, noting how good they look together. During the first game, the contestants have to guess which hand is their girlfriends’, who are behind a door, with only their hand sticking out. Haruka is quick to choose Michiru’s hand. The Scouts get impressed by this, and Ami says that Haruka and Michiru are probably an established couple, which shocks the other Sailor Scouts. When the MC asks her, Haruka reveals her girlfriend’s name is Michiru, revealing to the audience that she is behind the door. The two of them keep winning all the games, achieving first place, and when it finally gets to the point where they have to withdraw from the competition, Haruka admits that they were only doing this for fun and that “victory should go to someone who needs their partner to know just how pure their love is”, since the two of them already “have that down”.

In episode 98, when Tiren attacks and ties Michiru up, Haruka runs to rescue her, while Usagi follows her. As Michiru tells Haruka to run away with Usagi, Tiren grabs Michiru with her hair and throws her down a waterfall. Despite Haruka’s horror and pain from this, she runs away with Usagi, taking her to safety. Usagi is confused and asks Haruka why she did not save Michiru. Haruka tells her that Michiru and her promise each other to not let their feelings about one another cloud their judgement when it comes to following their mission. That if one of them were to die, the other would move on. Later on, however, Haruka goes to great lengths to find Michiru again and when she does Michiru thanks her for risking herself to save her.

The two of them keep fighting alongside each other and are together all the time throughout the following episodes. In episode 107, Haruka is the one to get jealous of Michiru and she teases about it. A little boy in her painting class gives her roses that she then puts on a vase. When Haruka sees them she jokingly asks Michiru if they are from a boyfriend to which she teasingly replies yes, asking Haruka if she is jealous. Haruka then affirms she was not jealous that she just cannnot allow Michiru to “look at anyone else besides me”. Michiru laughs and says that she was “absolutely jealous”.

After their identities get revealed to the others, the next day, Michiru is laying down beside the pool in her shared apartment with Haruka, with a conch shell pressed against her ear, listening to “the ocean”. Just as she was looking as if she was dreaming, Haruka’s voice cuts in: “How cruel of you to off into your own world. Don’t leave me here…” They give each other a long look with hazy lighting and silence between them that is filled with meaning, a look so powerful with love and trust. Michiru gives an enigmatic smile, and begins to talk about a dream she had this morning, one that she “feels still, even while I’m awake. I’ve never felt this way before”. Haruka admits she had the same dream, and says that there is no mistaking that a Talisman will appear.

While Michiru is drying herself with a towel in her swimsuit, Haruka is staring out the window, when Eudial leaves a voice message on her phone saying that she knows of their secret identities and that if they wants to join her, that they should meet her at the location she sent them through fax. Michiru tells her that she thinks Eudial is telling the truth and that they should go, to which Haruka agrees. At that moment, she watches her hands and thinks that they have gotten “dirty” a long time ago, there is no turning back. Michiru approaches her and gently and slowly intertwines their hands together in a very intimate moment. Then, Michiru tells her that everything will be alright, and that no matter what, she will always love her hands.

Later, both of them head to the marine cathedral where Eudial has set up a trap for the two of them, capturing Michiru in the process. Upon seeing her, Haruka rushes to save her, only to be severely injured by another trap Eudial has set. Michiru, barely awake and weak, calls her name. Eudial points the heart-extracting weapon at Uranus, revealing that she too is a holder of one of the talismans. Seeing her lover in danger, Michiru breaks free and runs to save Haruka, gravely injuring herself in the process by Eudial’s trap that starts stabbing her from all angles. Michiru tells Haruka that she refuses to let her die, and although she keeps being attacked by Eudial’s trap, she advances closer and closer to where she is with Haruka. In a struggle for the gun, Michiru’s Pure Heart is removed and turned into a mirror. As she sees this, Haruka starts getting flashbacks of her lover’s soft smile, and of that time they intertwine their hands together.

At that exact moment, Usagi arrives and sees that Michiru is injured, so she goes to save her. As she was going to do that, Haruka tells Michiru that she cannot believe she was going to her own world without her, and goes to kill herself. Usagi quickly stops her, but she pushes her away and does so anyway. Later, Sailor Pluto returns their talismans to their bodies, and revives the both of them.

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars
When Haruka and Michiru are killed in the final battle against Sailor Galaxia, they reach their hands to each other and hold tightly, as they slowly fade away.

Children
After the events of Mugen Academy, in act 38, after Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn defeat the enemy, Haruka and Michiru start hearing a baby’s crying. Michiru picks the little baby in her arms and says that Haruka and her, alongside Setsuna, would now be the baby’s mothers. So the couple starts living together with Setsuna to help raise baby Hotaru. In act 44, now Hotaru is a little girl, grown out and not a baby anymore. And she has been lovingly raised by her mothers. Michiru buys some flowers for Haruka to celebrate her 6th marriage anniversary. Then they go back home to Setsuna, who was avidly working until Hotaru starts crying. Setsuna tells Michiru about how much knowledge Hotaru seems to be acquiring, and fondly talks about how fast she was grown. Haruka smiles too and says that every day really is a dream for them to what Michiru agrees.

Hotaru calls Michiru and Haruka Michiru Mama and Haruka Papa respectively.

Moments

 * In episode 110, Haruka is about to get her talisman taken, and Michiru, who is stumbling across the bridge, says “Haruka, I won’t let you die”.
 * In the first episode of Sailor Stars, the two are in a tall building looking at a tank of fish. Haruka asks Michiru if she likes it there, to which Michiru replies that just looking makes her feel relaxed, and that she could stay there for hours. Haruka thinks she is talking about the fish (and not about her, as Michiru actually is) and responds that she would be more comfortable behind the wheel of a car. Michiru giggles and says “I wasn’t talking about the fish, silly”, meaning that she enjoys looking at Haruka.

Quotes
"Maybe you misunderstood... A world without Haruka isn’t a world worth saving."

- Michiru

Behind the Scenes
In an interview from the Italian magazine Kappa #51 (September 1996), Takeuchi said, “The relationship between Haruka and Michiru is quite special. I think the most important feeling in the world is friendship. The friendship between them is so strong that it becomes love. There’s not only heterosexual love, but there also can be a homosexual love, in this case between two girls.”

At the 1998 San Diego International Comics Convention, Naoko Takeuchi confirmed that Haruka and Michiru were indeed intended to be seen as lovers.
 * The question “Are Uranus and Neptune lovers, and if so why did you make them gay?” came from a young fan who wanted a clear answer. Naoko-san answered that “Yes, they were a couple!”.
 * Naoko further commented that they had a relationship because they had “lots of time on their hands”.

Songs
Official
 * Unmei wa Utsukushiku (Fate So Beautifully)

Scene II and Michiru’s poem from Uranus-Neptune-Chibi-Moon-Plus. Performed by Katsuki Masako (Michiru’s seiyuu).


 * Initial U

Haruka’s Sailor Stars image song.


 * Eternal Eternity

The first end credits song for the third season of Sailor Moon Crystal. Sung by Sayaka Ohara (Michiru’s seiyuu) and Junko Minagawa (Haruka’s seiyuu).

Unofficial
 * Kaze Ni Naru (Becoming The Wind)

Sailor Moon Stars Song Collection; OST Memorial Song Box #4; Bonus Track 1; Unoffical Sailor Uranus Song; Ogata Megumi Original Song. Performed by Megumi Ogata (Haruka’s seiyuu).


 * Shiokaze ni nosete (Placed in the Marine Breeze)

One of two Haruka image songs written by Megumi Ogata (the other one being the previous song). She dedicated this song to Michiru. This song is track 7 on Ogata’s CD “MO” (her initials).


 * Moon Revenge

In this track, Ogata and Masako perform a duet covering Sailor Moon’s movie song.

Fanon
Haruka and Michiru have more than a very intimate friendship and form a highly empathetic couple. Although their relationship is not implicitly sexual until later in the series, their romantic relationship in all versions of the story is very soon mentioned and understood as such by other characters in the series. It was also explicitly confirmed by Naoko Takeuchi, the manga’s author, at a convention in San Diego in 1998.

Haruka and Michiru were one of the first and most prominent queer couples to appear in Japanese media at the time. The pair were not introduced to the series until Sailor Moon S, but they were immediate fan favorites. After making their debut in the 92nd episode of the series, they quickly became one of the more popular. According to some people, Haruka and Michiru were so popular that while the episodes with them were broadcast, the gay area of Tokyo was literally empty. For this reason, Haruka and Michiru were remembered by the audience the most, although they were not the only canon queer couple or characters in the anime.

All of this positive aspects of their love came with lots of censorship in different dubbed versions of the series outside of Japan, due to conservative Christians who felt offended by the existence of gay people in media. So much so that they would rather them being cousins than a couple in a committed and loving relationship. In places like Spain, the US, and Canada, their love was censored and they were portrayed as cousins, even going so far as to occasionally state this through characters who should not know such information. In Italy, they dubbed them as very close friends, almost as sisters. In France, they even portrayed Michiru as someone who only pretended to be Haruka’s girlfriend to protect their Sailor Scouts’ identities.

The censorship of their relationship is one of the most infamous episodes in Western-censored anime. Since the censorship was mainly dub, or more precisely, naming Haruka and Michiru “cousins”, it even became a kind of memetic, leading to the fact that in western anime fandom folks jokingly began to call cousins ​​any hidden gay relationship or even any ambiguous slash or femslash pairing. This also led to accusations of licensors of creating unintentional incest subtext, since by declaring the girls cousins, but changing only their dialogues, their relationship still remained frankly homoerotic.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

PIXIV

Trivia

 * Haruka and Michiru were the only two Senshi apart from Sailor Moon to be involved in a long-lasting relationship in the canon.
 * HaruMichi are often considered the model yuri couple among manga artists, and many yuri couples or pairings were inspired by them along with Utena×Anti. Especially Haruka, with whom any notable androgynous female characters are traditionally compared, especially in yuri.
 * When Megumi Ogata, Haruka’s voice actress, asked Kunihiko Ikuhara how she was supposed to portray Haruka and Michiru’s relationship, she was told to act as if they were a married couple.
 * Ogata says that she loves the relationship between Haruka and Michiru; so much so that she has dedicated many songs to the two of them on one of her music albums. In 2018, she even drew an illustration of Michiru for her birthday, expressing her love for the character.
 * Erica Friedman, president and founder of the Yuricon has described Haruka and Michiru as being “one of the most romantic, funny, and fun yuri couples, ever.” This ship is also one of her favorites, if not the most, in the yuri genre.
 * Haruka and Michiru seemed to own a helicopter and could pilot it themselves.
 * Viz Media and Studiopolis’ English-language redub of the series in 2016 would address the censorship issue by restoring any deleted scenes and preserving the integrity of the original Japanese scripts. In 2019, Viz Media released a new dub of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars, but in what they call a “translation error”, they refer to Haruka and Michiru in a booklet as “friends” rather than a lesbian couple. The company later issued an apology, in which they acknowledge that the two characters “are not friends, but in fact, partners.”