Oooh, I’ll actually take this ask and twist it just a lil bit, I need an excuse to talk about my thoughts on this and this is the closest I’ll get to an opportunity.

Instead of which animal they would be I’ll give which animal each of the girls represents (in the same way Usagi is often a bunny, Rei has her bird and Mako her dragon). Given Makoto, not ALL of these animals actually exist, but it’s close enough.

Usagi is obviously a rabbit. Often associated with the Moon, innocence, new life and good luck/positivity. We already knew she was going to be a rabbit.

Chibiusa I’d actually say an hare, still very similar to the rabbit, but different in specific ways. Growing up tougher on the exterior, but still sharing that heart of gold like her mother.

Mamoru I think an asian black bear, bears being a symbol of protection, strength and resilience. The Asian black bear in particular also sports a cute lil crescent moon shape on its chest.

Ami is the snake wrapped around the black tortoise. This follows the myth of the 4 symbols of the Chinese Constellations, from which two of the inners were clearly taken inspiration from (Jupiter being the Azure dragon of the east and Mars the vermillion bird of the south). Ami has two animals but they do align pretty well with her, the tortoise and snake both being a symbol of healing, medicine and divine wisdom. Although the tortoise stands for her patience and stability, the snake stands ready to strike as a sign of cunning and danger. I think the Indian star tortoise and the rosy boa fit her well.

Rei is the phoenix (Vermillion bird). A symbol that has been associated with her in multiple canons. Everlasting hope, resilience, and virtue, but also an omen of future and past destruction.

Makoto is the eastern dragon (Azure dragon), again shown in canon even if only once. The eastern dragon associated with strength and power, but also being often depicted as a loyal and benevolent guardian bringing prosperity and fertility.

Minako follows the 4 symbols once again, being represented by the white tiger. A symbol of bravery, individuality, authority and duality. It is also often associated with success, it’s basically a walking achievement and I think it fits Minako perfectly. I would say a white Siberian tiger.

Haruka I would actually say a brown pelican. Pelicans being tied to self sacrifice, nurturing, piety and charity under the view of Christianity. Born by the myth of the pelican wounding itself to feed its own young. Pelicans are also very social creatures, unlike a lot of other bigger birds, along with being extremely agile, fast and powerful.

Michiru is a common octopus. The octopus being a symbol of intelligence, resilience, awareness, versatility but also selflessness. A creature often associated with the deep darkness and unknown, but also healing and regeneration.

Hotaru is an owl, more specifically an eurasian eagle owl. Owls having been associated as an omen of death and rebirth, they are thought to represent a connection to the afterlife, but also are a symbol of deep hidden knowledge. Despite their connection, they are almost never regarded as a danger, but rather a symbol of a new beginning. A mysterious, yet benevolent omen of the inevitable passage all must face.

Setsuna was by far the hardest but I truly believe the moose fits her really well. Often being the symbol of elder wisdom and knowledge, along with unwavering independence and resilience. A strong, larger than life figure standing tall and with grace and authority. Sometimes being depicted as a source of guidance during times of uncertainty.

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Hello! You’re all good, I actually don’t think I ever answered this question directly, no.

I do like their friendship! It’s very cute and prob the best thing the series has done with Chibi. I just don’t tend to think about them much because I never implemented time travel in any narrative I think of or write.

My fav Chibiusa and the Chibi I would be the most interested in writing would be the Chibs that grows up in Crystal Tokyo, there, given the circumstances are right, I think she’d be wonderfully close friends with Hotaru. Like inseparable.

They make a great duo as senshi as well and not to spoil too much about anything I’m working on behind the scenes, but you’ll see more of the two of them from me in the future.

Now, I lastly wanted to mention my thoughts of them as a ship. They are cute, but it’s personally not my thing, not because I don’t think they’d work, but just because I just tend to default think of them as children. It’s a me thing 100%. I support the ship. I really do, but unlike the other senshi where I do have them in scenarios where they’re grownups, I don’t really ever do that with chibs or Hotaru, so I’m less comfortable/interested about thinking of the romance aspect for their characters.

Since we already know a bunch of the girls’ hobbies form canon, I’ll give one for each of them that isn’t (hopefully) one of the obvious ones.

Usagi: drawing. Specifically drawing characters and art for manga/anime series she likes. She makes some bomb Sailor V fanarts.

Ami: writing poems. This is a little bit of a cheat because I actually don’t see her picking up this hobby till much later in her life, but it’s her artistic outlet of choice as an older woman.

Rei: calligraphy. Of course Rei the perfectionist would adore this hobby, it’s basically made for her. It’s such a fun aspect of Rei that a lot of her hobbies revolve around practicing mindfulness, meditation and discipline.

Mako: reading romance novels. This is probably the most obvious one I’ll choose, but it is an often overlooked aspect of Makoto’s character. Mako likes to read. I actually easily envision books as her preferred storytelling medium to engage with.

Minako: watching baseball and volleyball games. Given how competitive of a person Mina is, I could see her enjoying some games here and there. Perhaps it could also be one of the few seamless bonding experiences with her dad, and to a lesser extent her mom.

Haruka: rock climbing. Once she chills a bit from the events of S and acts like a normal human person, I could see her giving other physical activities a shot outside of running. I don’t know, there’s no opponents or competition in rock climbing, there’s just you and your goal. I think it fits her.

Michiru: traveling. This might be the most cliché ‘rich person hobby’ I could choose, but I do believe Michiru very thoroughly appreciates experiencing and educating herself about different cultures. Michiru is incredibly intelligent and educated, in some ways way more than Ami. For her traveling is as much about enjoying quality time with her loved ones as is an opportunity to enrich her own ever-expanding library.

Hotaru: watching and collecting Japanese b-grade horror movies. It just fits her so well. From the little we know of Hotaru we see she’s a bit of a nerd, so her showing interest not only in horror, but a very specific and niche type of horror seems up her alley. You know she also remembers all the directors and will tell you all the facts about the production, the actors and special effects while watching the movie with her.

Setsuna: people watching. It’s fascinating.