Kijin Shinokawa

Kijin Shinokawa is a junior high school student who won a the prestigious Japan Picture Grand Prize for his photography skills. He appears only in episode 017. Usagi’s classmates show her an article about him, which states that he attends Gohongi Number 1 Junior High School, which is near Rei’s school, T*A Girls’ School. After school that same day, Kijin is accosted by several reporters who ask him a variety of standard questions about his photography. Usagi, Naru, and two of their classmates run up to attempt to get an autograph from the boy, who appears to be nice and somewhat shy. Later, Kijin goes to the coast to take scenic pictures of the ocean. He slips on a rock and almost falls down a cliff, but a a stranger grabs his wrist to prevent him from falling. The stranger, who is really Nephrite, picks up Kijin’s camera and stealthily marks it with his evil crest, causing it to become possessed by a youma and increase Kijin’s energy output. He leaves and tells the boy to keep up the good work. Later, at his hidden mansion in the forest, Nephrite consults the stars for his next victim: Kijin Shinokawa. By photographing young women, Kijin’s energy output will increase to its peak. Afterwards, at Kijin’s home, the boy’s personality has taken a turn for the worse. He laughs evilly as he works on his camera, feeling that his imagination is “getting really fired up.” He has become obsessed with taking “explosive” pictures of girls, no matter who they are.

Usagi soon finds out that there is a photo shoot taking place at the New Japan Hotel, and the photographer is Kijin Shinokawa. Hundreds of girls are selected, including Usagi, Naru, and Haruna Sakurada. When she arrives at the hotel for the photo session, Kijin Shinokawa tells all of the girls to wait in their assigned rooms because he doesn’t want to be disturbed while taking pictures. Luna is hidden in a basket, and as Usagi walks to her room, she tells the girl that something doesn’t seem right: Kijin is behaving completely differently than before. Later, Luna sneaks into the photo shoot area near the pool. She sees that Kijin is taking photographs of the young girls, and he is acting very strangely. When he takes a picture of the girls, the flash zooms forwards… and when it hits the girls, they disappear! Luna is shocked! Luna lures Usagi to the pool area, where the photo shoot is taking place. Naru and Haruna are posing with two other girls. When Kijin takes their picture, they disappear! Usagi and Luna run forward and demand to know what Kijin is doing. He says, “Art is self expressions! I don’t care who she is! I’m going to snap pictures of girls!” Just as he is about to take Usagi’s pictures, she says, “You’re wrong. You don’t care who it is, as long as she’s a young girl? Anyone who takes photographs with an attitude like that is a third-rate photographer! You’re supposed to be a photographer who understands the beauty in this world! Please wake up!” Kijin shoves Usagi aside and says, “Back off!” She then quickly transforms into Sailor Moon and says, “You can’t judge how beautiful a girl is just by how she looks! You have to look at our hearts and our love of justice!” She introduces herself and challenges the youma possessing Kijin to come out. Kijin laughs and attempts to take pictures of her. She dodges the flash from the photos and uses her “Sailor Moon Kick” attack to knock the camera into the pool. Kijin is knocked unconscious and the youma Cameran appears nearby. The youma immediately photographs Kijin with an eye in the center of her hand, causing a flash to shoot forth. When the beam hits Kijin, he disappears. Anyone caught in the flash will be trapped in the picture. After Cameran is destroyed by Sailor Moon’s Moon Tiara Action attack, everyone whose picture was taken reappears, and Kijin returns to normal.

The Tsukino family later sees Kijin on television, who says that he has decided to take a break from photography for a while. He says in an interview that someone taught him a lesson - that a woman’s true beauty is not about how she looks, but what’s in her heart and her love for justice. He says that when he learns what that truly means, he will take up photography again. He refuses to say who the person was, just “a wonderful girl.”