/I\ c.e [@}} v s . s e a ++ water goddesses
What exactly is a "genius"? Is it based on smarts, talent, or invention? It's difficult to define. Yet, it is a term that is commonly applied to both Ami and Kaioh Michiru / Sailorneptune. Takeuchi subtly asks this question in her creation of two identifiably "intelligent" women; and both are associated with water and its different properties. Many fans debate over "who's smarter" or "who's better," but no one has quite come to a definite conclusion. But is it really a battle of water queens or natural intelligence vs. learned intelligence (nature vs. nurture)?
Considered to be the "perfect soldier," Kaioh Michiru is a popular
character to hate. She is the exact recipricol of the BSSM protagonist,
Tsukino Usagi: elegant, graceful, talented, sophisticated; but many people
think of her as cold, b*tcy, and "full of herself." Could they be more
wrong? Michiru may seem a little heartless sometimes, but it only because
of her dedication to her mission; she won't let anything get in her way. On
a lighter note, Michiru is quite intelligent and has 
a unbelieveable intuition; her smarts even challenge that of
the "genius girl" Mizuno Ami! Michiru most prominent quality is her keen
sensibility to emotions. It's this gift that's allowed her to find her
partner, sense the presence of danger, and detect the innermost feelings of
others. Few believe it, but Michiru is emotionally and deeply connected to
Tenoh Haruka; they are lovers who fight side-by-side.
As Sailorneptune, she is a popular member of the Outer Senshi. Her attacks easily blend with Uranus's and Pluto's and very recognizeable with fans. However, offense is not her only skill. Neptune appears to have a bit of learning in the martial arts and has amazing agility and speed that keep her at the same level as her partner, SUranus. The two are usually seen jumping from place to place or quickly running ahead. Her attacks are very accurate and rarely ever miss, making her one of the most effective senshi in the Sailor Team. Neptune's abilities harness the power of the ocean and waves, not just "water." Unlike Sailormercury, she cannot freeze opponents or change the status of the area, but she does incapacitate enemies in a wall of sea water stopping all outward movement. Neptune's strength is mostly offensive, but she does have atleast one defensive ability. However, what sets this senshi apart from the others is her talent to use her violin as a weapon to control the waters. She, like Uranus, mixes two natural elements to create a substantial amount of force: music and the seas.
Michiru and Ami are both considered to be quite intelligent. Although
Michiru's IQ is never actually stated, it's usually inferred from her sharp
intuition and perception. However, some fans believe Michiru is much
smarter than Ami. Many point to the fact that Ami constantly studies and
works to get her grades while Michiru is "naturally born" with it; the
whole "nature vs. nurture" debate comes in. Naturally, both women seem to
have been born with an inclination to learn and adapt. Ami's interpretation
is shown through her record-breaking scores on test. Michiru's is displayed
through her talent in music and the arts. On the nurture side, both women
study in their fields and achieve their "greatness." Many Michiru-fans
neglect the fact that she wasn't born just knowing how to play the violin;
she must have worked at it and studied somewhere with someone. If you
notice, she is always practicing (musically "studying") on her technique,
tone, and memorization.
There's also a similar athletic ability inside the water goddesses. In
Episode 97, 
Michiru and Ami race twice in a public swimming
pool. Ami even impresses her with her speed and agility. The two end in a
tie both times. Now, Michiru does notice - in the first race - Ami's little
self-confidence and how she slows down to "let" Michiru win. In the second
race, she does swim with her all and ends up breathless. Some can argue
that Michiru never raced to her full extent and only wished to build up
Ami's confidence, but it's a bit hard to prove. Nevertheless, the general
consensus is an equal swimming talent between the two. Episode 170
pitted Ami's racing and running speed against Michiru's. She runs with
SUranus to try to find the other senshi. I was impressed myself with the
pace she keeps with Haruka. Ami doesn't quite run side-by-side with her but
stays at a very distance with her. Yes, she is out of breath when they
stop, but she shows that she has some kind of running talent that almost
matches Michiru's.
Nonetheless, fans almost always pull out the power card. It's an accepted fact that Mercury is the "weakest" soldier (in terms of offense and strength). But it raises the question: who has the more workwhile techniques. Examining Neptune's attacks, she focus more on completely isolating her enemy and attacking from all sides (drowning, submerging); but, her attacks must hit the target first - and they usually do. Mercury's, however, focus on finding weaknesses and stopping enemy movement (freezing, confusing); yet, her accuracy is not shown on the same level as Neptune's. To me, it's very difficult to compare. I do lean towards the defensive and efficient water/ice attacks, though, but I definitely see the advantages of the "surrounding ocean." It's hard. It's really hard! Basically, I think is just a matter of idiosyncracies rather than outright fact. I mean, if you like the offense, go with Nep; if you like the defense, go with Merc - it's up to your preference. Just remember that both skills are equally important in winning any battle, real or not.
Even through all this debating and genius vs. genius challenges, Michiru
and Ami don't seem to compare themselves to each other. There's a mutual
respect and probably admiration for each other. Referring back to
Episode 97, Michiru comments on how she felt sorry for Ami's self-
doubt and even enjoyed racing against her. As soldiers, they've never
really fought together, but it probably wouldn't be hard for them to figure
out a good plan. Together or separate, "frozen seas" is a deadly
combination filled with grace, beauty, knowledge, and know-how. And anyway,
who doesn't like water?! ^_^