Of course he did. Watch the "Molly's Folly" and "Nephrite Dies" episodes (the last two where Nephrite appears) and pay attention. You'll see what I consider to be three often-overlooked but irrefutable pieces of evidence that he did love her. These are the same in both the Japanese and English-dubbed versions, so pick your favorite.

1. In the "Molly's Folly" episode, after Naru saves Nephrite from the Moon Tiara, Nephrite's Black Crystal begins to glow. The youma Yasha, sent by Zoisite, thinks it's the Silver Crystal and tries to take it from Nephrite. He drops it during the fight, and Naru, curious, picks it up. The youma directs its attack at Naru, and Nephrite attacks Yasha. You can argue that Nephrite was trying to protect his crystal. But when he releases his attack, he cries out Naru's name. He doesn't say anything about the crystal or how Zoisite isn't going to get away with this. His thoughts are for Naru.

2. In the "Nephrite Dies" episode, Nephrite has learned Sailor Moon's identity and is facing off against her and Tuxedo Mask. He appears confident that he can beat the two of them; he laughs as he raises his hand to fire off an attack at them. Then he hears Naru's cry for help. He could ignore her, and stay to fight the Dark Kingdom's greatest enemies. If he defeats them, and, again, he seems sure that he can, he'll be a big hero. Instead, he postpones the fight for later and goes to help Naru, even though there's nothing in it for him. His Black Crystal is safe in his pocket or wherever it is that bad guys keep their magical crystals, and while he may suspect that Zoisite has a hand in Naru's trouble, he apparently doesn't know that for certain. On the one hand, if he doesn't know that Zoisite's involved, that means that his going to rescue Naru has nothing to do with wanting to show up Zoisite. On the other hand, if he does know, or guess, he must realize that it's a trap for him, but he goes anyway, despite the danger. Is Nephrite really so eager to put Zoisite in his place that he would walk into a potentially deadly situation in order to do so? I doubt it; Nephrite seems to have a strong sense of self-preservation. I believe he does it because he cares about what happens to Naru.

3. A moment later, in Naru's room, Nephrite finds the ransom note demanding the Black Crystal in exchange for Naru's safety. What goes through Nephrite's mind is not thoughts of his Black Crystal (which, remember, is safely in his possession right now) or how much he hates Zoisite. What goes through his mind is an image of Naru, laughing and running towards him. Sure, in the Japanese version he calls Zoisite a fool for thinking he cares what happens to the girl. But by now it's pretty well established that Nephrite is a thoroughly skilled liar. Why should he be honest with himself? It wouldn't be the first time in the history of the world that a man has tried to deny his feelings for someone. What can't be denied is that, faced with Zoisite's demand, he thinks of Naru.

Now, I'm the last person who's going to argue that Nephrite understands what he's feeling. He has these feelings, these instincts, these thoughts, but he's been immersed in evil and solitude for too long to be able to put a name to them or to figure out what to do about them. I don't think he starts to understand until the few moments with Naru under the tree, before the youmas' fatal attack, or possibly not until he's dying in Naru's arms. But, given the look on his face and his gesture towards Naru, wiping her tears away and resting his hand on her cheek, I'm convinced that when he says (take your pick), "I'm glad I met you," or "Don't forget me, I just want you to know you're in my heart," he's really trying to say "I love you." Because he did love her.

(February 2001)