Uranus ♅ Troposphere ♅ Stratosphere
Thermosphere ♅ Exosphere ♅ Outer Space


Her Genius

There have been places I've seen where people think Haruka is not all that great in academics. Maybe it is the "dumb-blonde" theme of the series or the fact that she seems like a "jock" almost and they are going into stereotypes.

Where this comes from, I have no clue. Therefore, I'm making lists and personal notes of her mental and physical capabilities in the anime, manga and musicals.

Sailor Moon S Season

In the anime she is one of many talents and shows culture, wisdom, restraint, discipline, maturity and knowledge. The following shows examples of her strengths from physical to emotional to mental.

In episode 92 "A Beautiful Boy? The Secret of Haruka Tenoh" Haruka gives a taste of her genius racing skills in the arcade when racing against Minako. She later shows amazing skill and strength in handling her motorcycle by managing to shift it to riding the side of a wall when chasing after a Daimon. That takes a good deal of calculation and experience.

While not as knowledgeable as say Michiru, Haruka does seem to appreciate classical music in episode 93 "Usagi's Idol! The Graceful Genius Michiru."

Haruka and Michiru both seem to know mythology of Catholic religion, showing both are quite cultured. Usagi commented that Haruka knew "a lot of things" after telling her knowledge of symbolic acts of kisses in episode 94 "Protect the Pure-Heart! A Three-Way Battle."

Episode 95 "Leave it to the Moon for Love Aid" gives indication that she can sing well since she and Michiru won the "Karaoke Contest."
Haruka often integrates English into her speech without faltering or having to think upon how to say it. In the same episode there is a "Confess Your Love Game." Haruka begins smoothly saying "Show is over." She sounds like she could be in the ranks of Ami and Minako in the ability of knowing English. In the episode previous to this she says "bye" to Usagi before going for a ride on her motorcycle rather than the typical “sayonara”. When greeting Makoto outside her school, she starts with a simple "hi" in episode 96 "Cold-Hearted Uranus? Makoto in Trouble."

Haruka shows she is very perceptive of others in episode 97 "The Labyrinth of Water! Ami the Targeted." She saw, before Michiru, that Ami was the type who lacked confidence and unconsciously avoided confrontation when she raced against Michiru at the pool. She didn't even have to watch to understand such. Michiru meanwhile had been right there beside Ami at the time.

In episode 98 "Save Friends! Moon and Uranus Join Forces", Haruka shows even more of her amazing skills at handling a motorcycle. She participates in a Grand Prix race and wins, beating all the other racers who happen to be, with the exception of Yamada, sexist men. Usagi notes there was a large distance between her and the rest and Mamoru comments her riding technique is superior.
Later on when disgruntled racers try to "teach her a lesson" she easily takes care of them by sending them to the ground using well formed kicks. They realize her formidable skills in fighting and run off.
When alone again, Haruka inspects her motorcycle. She displays that she has knowledge to how it works rather than knowing how to simply drive it. She was able to identify that the problem was with the spark plug. Most people, even vehicle fanatics, need to have professionals look after such things to know what the matter with their vehicle is.
When it is time for her to battle a Daimon, as Uranus, Haruka displays even more amazing physical abilities in dodging with a backhand spring, running faster than the Double Tiren Daimon, launching into a triple tucked flip and landing perfectly on an oversight of rocks.

While I must say that it wasn't much of a match, in episode 99 "The Kindness of a Man! Yuichiro, Heartbroken by Rei?” Haruka easily sidesteps every move Yuichiro makes at her. She shows she is level-headed, mature and understanding in the whole situation. Lesser opponents might have egged Yuichiro on, beat him up simply because they could, et cetera.

In episode 101 "Usagi in Tears! Glass Shoes for her Birthday", the recurring theme of her and Michiru having tea together is present. While drinking tea is common in Asian cultures, she and Michiru take it similar to the British way, I'd say, with tea sets ranging from common (episode 92), decent (episode 94) to fine china (episode 101).

In episode 103 "The Arrival of the Tiny Pretty Soldier" Haruka displays her great ability to use carefulness and quickness in the goldfish scooping game by getting a fish on her first try. Poi, the scooper, is made of paper that can break easily in water so moving it quickly through the water brings higher risk of breaking it. She knows the technique well, by not chasing fish and aiming at one that was near the wall. Interestingly, she doesn't put the whole poi into the water softly. She only puts half, which isn't the right thing to do. Despite that the paper did not break. I think that gives a sort of emphasis to her capabilities. Even Usagi said, "They look so sharp, no matter what they do!"

Haruka is very cultured. Like Michiru, she is knowledgeable about the Japanese tea style "Yaburakoji" in episode 104 "Seeking Friends! Chibi Moon's Actions" and has a a great eye for spotting and identifying rare antiquities.

In episode 106 "The Bond of Destiny! The Distant Days of Uranus", it is revealed Haruka is a genius in sports all around. If she tries it, she'll conquer it. An example is shown from the time she participated in track-and-field. Back then she competed against Elza Gray, a girl who competed on National Championship levels. Even to the present day, Elza still knew she wasn't as fast as Haruka.
Not long after quitting, Haruka had already made it into motor sports and began conquering it as well, becoming quite famous for her prodigious abilities. Even after all that time, Haruka still had superior running skills, which was displayed against the Daimon Hurdler. The Daimon escaped all the Four Guardian Deity Soldiers' attacks by out running them. Uranus had been able to outrun the Daimon. With the same efficiency in quickness, she locks the Daimon into a steel hold and Neptune launches her Deep Submerge. Sailor Moon's team is certain Uranus will be killed, but like a specter, Uranus darts off just in time.

During the fighting scene of episode 107 "Art is an Explosion of Love! Chibiusa's First Love", Uranus and Neptune work in sync as usual. Uranus quickly analyzes their situation and decided they are at a disadvantage where they are. Thus, she and Neptune lead the Daimon away from the art room they were in. She shows her superior athletic capabilities with Neptune mirroring her as they both jump over the Daimon with a single tucked flip. They lead the Daimon into other territory more suited for battle.
Why I note this is to indicate her strategic mind and ability to analyze. She thinks as quickly as she acts, while most would simply say she jumps ahead without looking. You do not see the other Sailor Soldiers (Moon's group) doing that. They usually stay near one spot that the enemy chose itself.
Again, in sync, after the Daimon is defeated, they exit with a single tucked flip.

She is able to play the piano with enough talent that she and Michiru performed for a fancy party in episode 108 "Usagi's Dance, In Time to a Waltz." She is also shown to be an efficient dancer who was able to lead even Usagi into a graceful waltz. Much emphasis is put into this, because though there were many people waltzing, after witnessing her and Usagi, many women and men wished to dance with Haruka. Also there is greater indication that she knows the English language possibly as well as Minako or even better, considering the party was full of exchange students that speak English.

In episode 111 "The Grail's Divine Power! Moon's Double Transformation" as Uranus, Haruka shows her great mental powers with how she manages to keep conscious, lucid and able to tell the others about the mission. With her will, she stays conscious much longer than anyone without their heart crystal yet seen. It likely took a great deal of concentration. If she had it there, who's to say she doesn't apply that in other things… like studies? She has a strong mind and is determined.
Now that their main mission has been completed, Haruka and Michiru fade a bit in the series to give more time to Hotaru. Still, one can observe how Haruka works as Uranus to see her great intellect.

In episode 115 "Shadow of Silence!? The Pale Glimmer of a Firefly" she picks up easily on Hotaru when the last name Tomoe is mentioned. Haruka does her research and gets far. All the Outer Solar System Soldiers do. I think those abilities are instilled in them from the past as well as come rather naturally. When Haruka wants to achieve something, she obtains it - as noted in previous episodes. She knows how to get information and resources that go beyond the everyday.

Haruka's keen instincts are proven in episode 116 "Sunny Skies After a Storm! A Friendship Dedicated to Hotaru." It took a while for Michiru and Setsuna to believe her talk about a foreboding presence circling about Hotaru. It was until they felt it first hand did they take Heruka's words seriously. Therefore, it isn't just Michiru who has intuition on her side.

Being great at sports to begin with, in episode 117 "Higher, Stronger! Cheers by Usagi" Haruka of course has great knowledge about a track star like Shun Hayase. All in speculation, I think it was Haruka that got them into the reserved track. After studying him, Setsuna says in an almost agreeing tone, "An athlete of that caliber might be sought after the Death Busters."
It was in that episode did the three Outer Solar System Soldiers witness Hotaru's powers at work. By then Michiru and Setsuna seem to completely agree with her "hunch" after the passing of two episodes.

In episode 120 "Invasion from an Alternate Dimension! The Mystery of Mugen Academy" Mamoru researches on Professor Tomoe for the others. They find out he is a professor as well as the owner of the school Haruka and Michiru attends. They talk about the school. Makoto informs them it is an elite school with strict standards and full of geniuses. That alone tells of Haruka's intelligence.
Though many would say "genius" is likely only referring to people who excel at one or more things be it sports, arts, academics, et cetera considering it is a prestigious, high caliber school, grades are likely of utmost importance. The entrance exams were likely brutal.
Later on in the episode it is displayed that Haruka is efficient in researching when she and Michiru sneak into the general monitoring room to survey the place in search of the likely hideout of their enemies. After all, she is the one working the equipment. If she wasn't skilled enough, Michiru would have taken up the job for her.

Haruka and Michiru have searched for suspicious areas. In their search, it is noted they had been in an underground basement before in episode 122 "Believe in Love! Ami, a Kind-Hearted Soldier." They decided to go investigate it more while people are busy taking exams.
Haruka had managed to swipe an access card to an area they likely never were able to get into yet. Sly of her, no? It is there they discover Hotaru upon a throne giving off ominous dark energy.
Finally finding the heart of the problem, they intend to attack her full force and eliminate her, but Ami appears to stop them. Alas, Viluy shows up before they can do anything. When they try to, Viluy sends her "Mosaic Buster" attack and nearly paralyzes them with painful energy that is causing their bodies to try to break apart. Ami tells Viluy to stop. Haruka tells Ami not worry about them. She and Michiru display utter shock when Ami refuses. (Sad, isn't it?)
When Haruka and Michiru see the other soldiers in trouble and that Viluy's attention is away from them, they manage enough power to move and transform. Some of me wonders if they calculated and made an educated guess that Viluy's power would stop working on them when they transformed. I figure the power given off from their transformation blew it all away.

Episode 123 "Shadows of Destruction! The Awakening of the Messiah of Silence" begins with Mugen Gakuen students being drawn into the Academy by brainwashing techniques. Haruka and Michiru are not affected despite being in those settings for at least a year. I'd say it is due to their strong mental powers. They seem to be trained against such mental persuasions.
They later enter dressed in their uniforms, easily blending with all the brainwashed students. They don't have their heart crystals snatched like the students around them and from observing, Haruka suggests hitting the upstairs area. Perhaps it is the last place they had to look. It was a good deduction. In any case, they manage to enter the other dimension where the Death Busters reside.
Sadly, there was something not even the Outer Solar System Soldiers considered. Though they were correct about Hotaru being the reincarnation of Sailor Saturn, the Death Busters had her possessed by Mistress Nine. Awakened by Sailor Chibi Moon's heart crystal the dimension they enter soon collapses. Uranus is the first to realize this and tells everyone to get out before the dimension disappears.

In episode 124 "The Horror of the Approaching Shadow. Eight Soldiers in Tough Battle" Uranus displays her knowledge of working a helicopter. She seems to know how to work any sort of transportation, doesn't she? I say that is quite an achievement by age sixteen as well.
When Uranus and Neptune run into Professor Tomoe, it is here he says, "I wanted superior students like you to become bodies for Daimons."
He knew who they were and he knew they were both intelligent and brilliant. It is there however, do they realize that Souichi Tomoe had been possessed by a Daimon called Germatoid who decided then to leave Professor Tomoe's body.
While it is established, Uranus (like all the other Outer Solar System Soldiers) is granted with greater powers than Sailor Moon's Four Guardian Soldiers, she shows great physical combat abilities. Along with Neptune, they both put on quite a show with their acrobatic dodges and well conditioned attacks when fighting Germatoid's dolls. While they put up a good fight, they were out numbered and against creatures that regenerate form and reacted like unbreakable rubber.
When trapped, Pluto's presence, be it spiritual or otherwise, was noted. She simply said "talismans." Like a key, those words generated the Space Sword in front of Uranus and the Deep Aqua Mirror in front of Neptune. The power of the objects cut away the bonds that held them. With the upper hand of having a mirror that revealed Germatoid's true form and a Sword that could break through the body their usual attacks couldn't harm, they defeat him with amazing ease.

Once the deciding battle is over, Haruka and Michiru make sure all loose strings are tied before they leave in episode 126 "A New Life! Time for Separation of the Destined Stars." They look after Hotaru and return her to her father who is recovering in the hospital. Haruka meets with the doctor to know how Tomoe will fair and by guess they were the ones who likely checked the two in to be examined. In any case, it shows Haruka knows how to handle the affairs of an adult.

In conclusion, with how Haruka is portrayed in the anime, I see no indicators of lacking in intelligence or skills. While she may excel in sports, that doesn't mean she is automoatically an idiot. While she does have subjects in school that she does not like, that doesn't mean she fails said subject or any of the other subjects she studies. Even those with high IQ scores can have their weak points in academics and possessing a high IQ doesn't automatically mean studying is a breeze.