I don't know if the thread like this exits, but it's something I'm curious about after reading a story.

We know that as the girls transform, they can literally be in front of someone, and that person can watch as they transform, such as Mamoru did in the manga.

The transformation consists of a background and the clothes literally melting from their bodies, their skin and all glowing a different color and their magic surrounding them in order to change their appearance. The same as the disguise pen(compact for Venus in the manga).

This seems to require a ritual of movements that almost seem dance like. It's so pretty! 

Sometimes even enemies witnessed the transformation.

Which leaves the question... why don't they attack while this is happening? Are they somehow rendered paralyzed? Has time essentially frozen, but the mind is left unfrozen? Does the space around them warp? We see the transformation up close, but from far away what would it look like? Could you see this red or green or blue sphere around them as they transform but the rest of the scenery is still normal or are they in a window of another dimension of sorts, untouchable but view-able?

Discuss.

I think it is "instant", but the artists add in all the transformation mumbo jumbo just to pizzazz the entire ideal. In the case of Mamoru seeing Usagi transform and making several comments during the process, I like to think of it as the artists showing everything running through his mind at once. Basically showing in slow motion his mind, like when you are in an accident and everything happens very slowly when in reality it happens in the blink of an eye.

I think it's definitely instant transformation. The whole sequences are just for artistic purposes and for chewing up time of the show.

I feel like we've discussed this a few times in random other threads but we haven't had a specific thread? Its a common topic talkd about amongst sailor moon fans so oh well. xD

But yeah what saturn said. It is really just an instant transformation. You don't see it often in the anime (because the transformations are kind of like the highlights of the show) but there are some instances of them transforming and not the whole "doo doo wee ooo" shebang happens (in stars for example when the outers are confronting the starlights).

Also in PGSM, there is a good balance of showing transformations for emphasis and them instantly transforming. They use the instant transformation thing quite a lot and it works really well!

You can see instant transformation as early as S with Chibiusa dropping to the ground and BOOM, instant transformation. The rest is just slowed down to make the girls go, "Ooh, pretty!" and the boys go, "That's hot--! AHH! CHIBIUSA! NOOOOOOOO!"

Oh i forgot all about ChibiUsa's first transformation! You are quite correct sir!

I'm glad it has a proper thread now but what are the other threads it was discussed, I'd like to see what was said?

But does instant mean fire rings don't encircle Rei, and Ami isn't in a bubble, and that it's not a magical surreal moment or that those things just happen faster than the speed of light, to mimic the instant? 

In this scene, Mamoru stands in the elevator, and then as she transforms, it's like he's floating in a black void, but the fire burning the wire's is still visible.




And how did the fire suddenly just shoot up? Sailor Moon doesn't really have a power that can just do that, at least that's the one time she's managed something like backfiring an attack away like that, normally she just runs and dodges.

I know it's easier to write it off as fluff for the series because it's a magical show and that's the one explanation, but the same thing could be said for why no one ever notices who the senshi are despite them having the same looks, same for not recognizing who Princess Serenity is, and why the senshi can't see past a poorly disguised enemy like the Witches 5 or the animates. 

The instant transformation could be explained that way, but it could also have times where it's shortened like in the movies where their moves from their normal attack is changed like in R when their on the comet, where Mars swirls the fire around her, Venus uses her beam in a wide circle and in the Black Dream Hole movie where Super Sailor Moon just throws her Tiara at the BonBon Baby thing and Mars just waves her arm and throws a blast of fire, and the others did similar shortened and different versions of older attacks?

But that's no fun, so what are your theories for the purpose of it instead of the writer and producers reasons?



EDIT



An idea on Chibiusa's original flash transformation could be explained as a power thing, since later on she gets her own flashy one despite not upgrading to Super yet. Kinda like in some games, you have to hold down on the buttons for a minute to power up a specific attack or it won't work as well. Lol, or who knows lol just a fun idea

We've actually discussed why no one can identify senshi when they transform; it could be kind of like a big cloaking mechanism, like a mask sorta.

As for Mamoru being in a dark void, I like to think of it as everything is melting away and reflecting that Usagi is the prominent thing he (and we) are focused on. Like nothing else exists. This is a huge moment for Mamoru.

Fire suddenly shooting up, you never know -- it could be alluding to Sailor Moon's power. *shrug*

And like others, I think the transformation is instantaneous too, otherwise there'd probably be detailed manga scenes of it or something. Plus, do you know how easily you could take them out while they're transforming if they really took like 30 seconds to transform? :bunnynarroweye    It's just for fluff, I agree. To help make the magical girl more magical. Everything is instantaneous, from transformations and attacks. If they really did this whole show for an attack or transformation, they'd get nowhere.

But are you saying that those scenes don't actually happen at all or just that it happens faster than the eye can see? Because Moon ad Chibimon have ribbons when the transform, and when that transformation is compromised, like in the R movie and the Black Dream hole movie and one of the last episode those ribbons are visible and they are stuck inbetween being transformation so those moments seem to HAVE existed and it's not just writer fluff but never took place, so in what way are you theorizing instantaneous? That it's just a silly thing for the show so it's not able to be a theory or that it is just faster than the eye can see?

I think they don't really happen at all. Like everything is instant. Nothing flashy except for maybe a flash of light. And like when Usagi was transforming, yeah you didn't see her transform from Mamoru's perspective, you saw like, a shining light. And they slowed it (the instantaneous transformation) down so you could see his thoughts that happened all at once.

Sailor Moon for example could not bend around, stick her foot up in the air, kinda "glide", etc. in her transformations in the span of the a second or in a "faster than the eye can see" sort of way. There's no way.
And if she took forever spinning around and going like "Raaaaaaainbooooooooooooooowwwwwwwww mooooooooooooooooooooooooon heeeeeeeeeeeeeearrrrrrrrrrrrrt aaaaaaache" the enemy could probably get away in that time span or attack and hit her, etc.

So for the attacking they just say the attack and boom. Done deal.

I would have to say that, yes, the transformation does actually happen with ribbons and such, though probably a little quicker than the displayed transformation sequence that we see. The reason enemies don't attack them mid-transformation is a combination of the (possibly semi-blinding) light that surrounds/emanates from them as they do it, and maybe dimensional phasing while it takes place. Kinda like episode 118 where Mimette makes that daimon with all those games, and it causes the Tomoe residence to fall into an alternate dimension, right when that first happens you see these flashy colors and such.. I think they ever so slightly step into an alternate layer of reality, just skimming the surface, thus immune to attacks during their transformations, but not enough to where they get stuck on the other side.

A very clear example of an outsider's view on the transformations is Michiru's transformation in episode 106.



It does seem to imply that they happen instantaneously. The actual sparkly effects and ribbons and whatnot always seemed to me to represent the "feeling" of the henshin happening (disregarding stock animation reasons and similar technical aspects). Like with the various elements surrounding the girls, and them even merging with them, the rushes of fire, wind, water and the like. All there to bring across to the viewer what the girl in question actually feels as she transforms.

World Shaking wrote:

A very clear example of an outsider's view on the transformations is Michiru's transformation in episode 106.



It does seem to imply that they happen instantaneously. The actual sparkly effects and ribbons and whatnot always seemed to me to represent the "feeling" of the henshin happening (disregarding stock animation reasons and similar technical aspects). Like with the various elements surrounding the girls, and them even merging with them, the rushes of fire, wind, water and the like. All there to bring across to the viewer what the girl in question actually feels as she transforms.

Ooo thank you for this ^^

Yes, as I mentioned before, I think that yeah, the ribbons and whole transformation scene is to give it a more "magical girl" feel. But that's really not what is actually going on when they transform. That's just effect for us. I mean Naoko didn't draw them transforming; it was instantaneous.

Another example of an outsider's point of view in pgsm.

Yep! PGSM did a really good job balancing between full on transformations and quick ones.

I've been toying with the idea that a lot of the "magical" stuff happens in some sort of quantum / subspace / pocket dimension sort of place.

For starters their clothes disappear and then re-appear afterwards. Were they spirited away into some sort of pocket in space? Also their henshin wands disappear after they've transformed, making me ask the same question of those. And some of the senshi have weapons (Pluto & Saturn for example), and these seem to be able to be summoned at will.

Also while sometimes their fukus are torn in battle, the next time they transform it's whole again. Which also leads to a side theory of mine that the fukus are not just made of cloth but are somehow formed each time through some sort of energy process. Heck...maybe it's nano-technology! LOL

Anyway I think the transformation would be instantaneous however it would happen the way we see it on screen, just faster, and in a pocket of space not visible to anyone else.

I know, I'm showing my dork card.  But I like to try to make the magic make sense. ^-^

You know, the fanfiction Dungeon Keeper Ami had a similar explanation to how the outfits work. They may be entirely a magical construct, explaining how they repair themselves. That would also explain how the older outfits update themselves whenever power ups happen. The senshi probably have some kind of hammerspace access for their separate equipment like Rei's paper slips and Hotaru's glaive.

I think I read a bit of that fanfic once. Forgot all about it.  Sounds plausible to me at least. ^^

Sailor Mars wrote:

Sailor Moon for example could not bend around, stick her foot up in the air, kinda "glide", etc. in her transformations in the span of the a second or in a "faster than the eye can see" sort of way. There's no way.
And if she took forever spinning around and going like "Raaaaaaainbooooooooooooooowwwwwwwww mooooooooooooooooooooooooon heeeeeeeeeeeeeearrrrrrrrrrrrrt aaaaaaache" the enemy could probably get away in that time span or attack and hit her, etc.

Oh, but the mental picture of Sailormoon doing freaky contortions while gliding around in some typical average setting is too funny to pass up.

I always thought it would be funny to do a edit of her Rainbow Moon Heart Ache where she gets twisted up in her long hair. I mean.. knowing Usagi... that seems like something that had to have happened at least once.
 :lolz:

I also think the transformations are instant, or super fast. There's a scene in S, where Uranus de-transforms while walking away, and it only takes her a few seconds (we also get a shot of 'dat ass   '). I'm thinking it's something like that.

I think the ribbons do exist, because when Sailormoon is attacked in a few episodes, her brooch loses its power and her fuku de-converts back into ribbons again before turning into her usual clothing. It's outside of 'transformation vortex/time' or whatever, and taking place in real world time, so it makes me think they are real. We were talking about what we think the ribbons are made of on another forum, and someone mentioned pure energy, which I think is a pretty interesting theory that makes sense to me.

If the ribbons are real though, and are even waving around for even a few secs (especially in Supers Crisis transformation).. I wonder what would happen if someone ran over and yanked really hard on one... Would Sailormoon/Usagi get yoinked backwards? That's just too funny to imagine.

I think in one of the episodes chibiusa yells "Moon Prism Power Make up" but then trips over a rock and falls flat on the ground. Then on the ground she turns into chibi moon.  :lolz:

Sailor Lily wrote:

I think in one of the episodes chibiusa yells "Moon Prism Power Make up" but then trips over a rock and falls flat on the ground. Then on the ground she turns into chibi moon.  :lolz:

Yep! That happens in ep 104 (one of my all time favorite eps, so many funny scenes...)



I also thought it was beyond funny that the little boy target seems to have no issues with having Eudial pop his Pure Heart Crystal out.. he even opens his mouth in a smile at the exact instant.

Though nothing top's Minako's reaction in 109 to getting her's popped out (although she was trying to get attacked the entire episode, so it's justified... this little kid just seems.. freakishly happy about the entire experience.)