If you grew up watching the DIC or Cloverway dubs of Sailor Moon in the 90s, you probably remember Fish Eye as a high-pitched, feminine villain with a penchant for crop tops and dramatic flair. But if you jumped into the fan community later or watched the original Japanese subtitled version, you likely had a "wait, what?" moment. Fish Eye Sailor Moon isn't just another monster-of-the-week; the character represents one of the most significant instances of 90s localization censorship and, simultaneously, one of the most progressive portrayals of gender non-conformity in anime history.
Fish Eye is part of the Amazon Trio, a group of animals given human form by Zirconia to serve the Dead Moon Circus during the Sailor Moon SuperS arc. While Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye have their own charms, Fish Eye is the one people still talk about decades later. It’s because of the complexity. Most villains in the series are just... evil. Fish Eye is different. He’s a fish who wants to be a human, a man who presents as a woman, and a villain who actually develops a conscience.
Honestly, the character is a mess of contradictions, and that’s why we love him.
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The Great Gender Debate: Who is Fish Eye, Really?
In the original Japanese version, Fish Eye is a biological male who uses masculine pronouns (boku) but exclusively dresses in women’s clothing and pursues men. This was way too "edgy" for 1990s American broadcast television. To get around this, the English dub simply cast a female voice actor and referred to Fish Eye as a woman. Problem solved, right? Not exactly.
It created some weird plot holes.
See, the Amazon Trio's whole gimmick is targeting people with "Beautiful Dreams." Fish Eye’s specific targets were almost always handsome young men. In the Japanese version, this made him a groundbreaking gay/queer character in mainstream media. By changing Fish Eye to a woman in the West, the dubbers accidentally erased one of the first times a queer identity was handled with any level of nuance in a cartoon.
Cultural context matters
Kunihiko Ikuhara, the director of the SuperS season, is known for pushing boundaries. He’s the mind behind Revolutionary Girl Utena, so he wasn't interested in two-dimensional bad guys. He wanted Fish Eye to be "the most beautiful" member of the Trio. This wasn't just about drag; it was about the fluidity of identity.
In the manga, created by Naoko Takeuchi, the Amazon Trio are much more sinister and less developed. They’re basically just tools of the Amazoness Quartet. But the 90s anime gave them souls. Fish Eye, specifically, gets an entire arc where he realizes that he doesn't have a "Dream Mirror" because he isn't truly human. That realization—the "I am a fake" realization—is heartbreaking. It’s a level of existential dread you don't usually see in a show about magical girls hitting things with heart-shaped wands.
Why the Fish Eye Sailor Moon Arc Hits Differently
Let’s talk about Episode 149. It’s called "The Mirror of Carefree Youth: A Nightmare Borrowed" in some versions, but fans just know it as the one where everything goes south for the Trio.
Fish Eye discovers that Pegasus (Helios) is hiding in Chibiusa’s dreams. But instead of just reporting it to Zirconia, Fish Eye has a crisis. He looks at himself in a mirror—a literal, non-magical mirror—and has to confront the fact that his entire existence is a magical construct. He's just a fish in a tank that was given a human body.
He asks Usagi (Sailor Moon) if he can have a dream too.
It’s a heavy scene. Usagi, being the beacon of empathy that she is, doesn't treat him like a monster. She treats him like a person in pain. This interaction is the catalyst for the Trio’s redemption. When they eventually turn on Zirconia and sacrifice their "human" lives to save Usagi and the Dream Mirror, it feels earned. They aren't just villains who got defeated; they are characters who chose to become "real" through their actions.
The fashion of the Dead Moon Circus
We have to mention the aesthetic. Fish Eye’s design is iconic. Long, flowing teal hair, heavy blue eyeshadow, and outfits that would look at home on a 90s runway or a club in Harajuku. The character designers went all out. While Tiger's Eye was the "macho" one and Hawk's Eye was the "sophisticated" one, Fish Eye was the "avante-garde" one.
- He wears sequins.
- He wears fishnets (aptly).
- He’s frequently seen in bikinis or sheer fabrics.
This visual language signaled to the audience that the Dead Moon Circus wasn't just a group of aliens; they were performers. They were "circus folk." This theatricality allowed Fish Eye to move through the world in a way that defied the gender norms of the time. He could be a ballerina in one episode and a high-fashion model in the next.
Misconceptions: Manga vs. 90s Anime vs. Sailor Moon Eternal
If you’ve only seen Sailor Moon Eternal (the modern movie remake of the Dream arc), you might be disappointed by Fish Eye. In Eternal, which follows the manga closely, the Amazon Trio are barely in it. They appear, they fight, they die. There’s no redemption arc. There’s no deep exploration of Fish Eye’s gender or his desire to be human.
This is one of the rare cases where the "filler" of the 90s anime is actually superior to the source material.
The 90s anime gave Fish Eye a personality that was both catty and vulnerable. He was someone who would flirt shamelessly with Mamoru (Tuxedo Mask) one minute and then sit in the rain questioning his own soul the next. That complexity is missing from the manga version. In the manga, Fish Eye is much more of a literal monster—a fish that takes on a humanoid form to lure victims.
Wait, was Fish Eye actually gay?
Labels in 90s anime are tricky. In Japan, the concept of nanshoku (historical male-male attraction) and the shonen-ai tropes were well-established. Fish Eye fits into the "feminine male" trope often seen in Takarazuka theater. He isn't just a "man in a dress" for a joke; he is someone whose identity is fundamentally tied to a feminine presentation and an attraction to men. By modern standards, he’s often reclaimed as a trans-feminine or non-binary icon.
The Legacy of the Amazon Trio’s Youngest Member
So, why does Fish Eye Sailor Moon matter in 2026?
Because we’re still fighting the same battles over representation. Fish Eye was a pioneer. Even though he was a villain, he was allowed to be stylish, funny, and ultimately heroic. He wasn't a caricature. When he dies (and later gets resurrected by Pegasus to live in the Crystal Forest), the audience feels a genuine sense of relief.
He proved that you could have a character who didn't fit into a box but still resonated with a global audience.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into Fish Eye’s history or add him to your collection, here’s the reality of the market right now:
- Watch the Sub: If you’ve only seen the 90s dub, go back and watch the original Japanese audio for the SuperS season. The performance by Akira Ishida is legendary. He brings a softness and a sharp wit to the role that was lost in the English translation.
- Mercari is your friend: Because Fish Eye isn't a "Main Scout," his merchandise is rarer. Look for the "Petit Soldier" figures from the 90s or the more recent "Sailor Moon Eternal" Figuarts Mini. They tend to hold their value well.
- Read the Manga for Contrast: Don't skip the manga just because it’s different. Read Volume 8 of the Sailor Moon Eternal Edition to see how Naoko Takeuchi originally envisioned the character. It makes the 90s anime version feel even more special.
- Cosplay Considerations: Fish Eye is a favorite for cosplayers because the outfits are so varied. If you're planning a Fish Eye cosplay, focus on the wig—that specific shade of seafoam/teal is hard to get right.
Fish Eye remains a testament to what makes Sailor Moon so enduring. It wasn't just about the glitter and the attacks; it was about the idea that everyone—even a fish from a nightmare circus—deserves a chance to have a dream. He broke the mold in 1995, and frankly, he’s still more interesting than half the characters on TV today.
Keep an eye out for the re-releases of the SuperS Blu-rays. Seeing those hand-painted backgrounds and the fluid animation of Fish Eye's transformations in high definition is a completely different experience. It reminds you that before everything was CGI, there was a real artistry to how these characters moved through their world.