Welcome all devoted Sailor Moon cult followers—the
Japanese-version purists, the oblivious DIC adaptation Americans, those who
grew up watching the show, and those who want to know what the hell all the
hoopla is about—to the new age of Sailor Moon, commemorating the 20th
year anniversary of the original series.
Sailor Moon is a cult-phenomenon that I shall dare say is
comparable to that of Pokémon—in the girl realm that is. It follows the life of
Usagi Tsukino, a passionate, immature, lazy middle-schooler who despite her
usual clumsy panic, preservers thanks to her incredibly spirited heart. Her
goal, induced by Luna—a perceptive black cat with a crescent moon symbol on her
forehead—to assemble all the other Sailor Scouts, find the Legendary Silver
Crystal, and protect the Moon Princess. Oh yeah, add androgynous male
adversaries, a bitchin queen of the Dark Kingdom, and a masked man in a tuxedo
for Usagi to fawn over, and you basically have the dream series for any
prepubescent girl, obsessed with the concept of an unrelenting love.
If my introduction didn’t scare you off, I will say that
despite it all, despite this series screaming and oozing Shōjo manga (a
Japanese comic book targeted at “little girls” if we take the direct
Romanization), I still find my boyfriend excited to watch the new episode with
me every other Saturday. And no, he is not among the many androgynous men you
will encounter in the series, but a man (a very manly man I assure you) that is
captivated by the mesmerizing character developments, the breath-taking art
design, and the kick-ass Sailor Scout “Make-Up” transformation sequences. But
is a reboot of this series warranted, or simply a scheme to steal you of your
bankroll with all the outpour of irresistibly cute Sailor Moon merchandise? I
am already a victim, read on to find out if you should be one too!
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| Top left: Sailor Moon Manga. Top Right: Sailor Moon Animé. Bottom: Sailor Moon Crystal |
What You Need to Know
Sailor Moon is an animé adaptation of the popular manga (comic
book) series, just like many animés originate from. The original story was
written and illustrated by the mangaka (comic book writer/artist) Naoko
Takeuchi. Now, if you’ve ever watched the Sailor Moon American adaptation
licensed by DIC Entertainment, then boy are you in for a treat! There is no one
named Serena, no Darian, nor any other of the Americanized names that you might
be accustomed to. Surprisingly, that is not at all a big deal, as Usagi and all
the other names are fairly easy to get used to and have the cutest translations:
Usagi means bunny for example. Oh, and
that Dark Kingdom Commander DIC Entertainment tried to pass off for a woman?
Actually a man… in love with another man! (I love how ahead Japan was for its
time). I won’t spoil anymore surprises like those, but aside from the butchered
censorship of the series in the United States, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, as
the series was originally known as in Japan, roughly went along with the
original manga storyline besides having filler episodes (episodes made up by
the production team of the animé to allow further development to the manga
series). Sailor Moon Crystal, or Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal as it’s
known in Japan, will be a more direct adaptation of the manga. In my opinion,
filler episodes usually sully the storyline, flow, and thrill of a series,
usually causing disinterest from fans, poor ratings, and even sometimes
cancelation (can you say, Rurouni Kenshin? Still praying for the day that there
will be a reboot of the animé). In other words, filler episodes are the devil! And
although I’ll miss seeing the Doom Tree Aliens filler story arc, I know I’ll
appreciate the fluid storyline and the lack of overused plot fillers of random
villains wanting to steal energy for whatever purpose (an exploited tactic
constantly found in the old animé).
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| Doom Tree Aliens |
The Production
The animation for the series is just beautiful! If you
didn’t think their eyes could get much bigger well then you were wrong! The
character designs are directly in tune with those of the original manga,
meaning bigger eyes, longer limbs, and less “gag” faces. Usagi is innately
silly, clumsy, lazy, and sleepy, so it was to my dismay that I noticed a lack
of her dramatic expressions, replaced with a monotonous expressionless face
that everyone in the series is donned with. Bummer.
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| Left side: Old animé. Right side: New animé |
Aside from that, I have no other qualms with the changes for
the new adaptation. Commercial breaks are intermediated with beautifully
decorated still frames of a silhouetted Sailor Moon. Save the kick-ass intro
song, the music is nice and appropriate, but not memorable. There are rare
times you encounter stiff character movements (usually during voice-over
scenes), but more often witness brilliantly choreographed poses and attacks.
And the transformation scenes of the Sailor Scouts are seriously something to
look forward to. Similar to the transformation sequences of the past, watching
them transform never feels tiring or boring, even more so now that it’s done purely
in CG! Since this reboot is directly taking the story from the manga, it feels
adequately paced, revealing just enough every episode to understand the
underlying purpose of protagonist and antagonist alike, while avoiding the
enigmatic plot contortion that so many an animé fall victim to.
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| Sailor Moon Make-Up transformation |
Story
Sailor outfits, talking cats, and moon power, oh my! If that
alone isn’t enough to at least win you over and give this series a try, pay
close attention to the subtitles for the intro song and you’ll discover this
series is also about empowering women! Leaving behind the memories of the
lyrics “Fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight,” you move on to
an intro song erupting with killer guitar riffs, and professing lyrics from “We
will fight on our own, without leaving our destiny to the prince,” to “We are
not helpless girls that need men’s protection.” Do I have your attention ladies
and gentlemen? How cool is that?!
Digressing back to the main premise of the series, it’s
basically the assembling of the five Sailor Scouts whose memory of their Moon
Kingdom has been repressed, and now they’re leading the lives of ordinary
middle school girls. Luna, the intuitive talking black cat, is at first shocked
to find that a frivolous girl like Usagi Tsukino is the Sailor Scout known as
Sailor Moon. Although succumbing to silly blunders (Usagi has a knack for
crying out in fear during scary battles), thanks to the guidance of Luna, Usagi
ultimately finds the will to become Sailor Moon and protect all her friends
from evil. What peaks my excitement at first glance for this series, is the
actual amassing of each individual Sailor Scout. The first few episodes lead
you in the direction of a new Sailor Scout, with unique abilities, interesting
personalities, and fierce resolves.
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| Starting from the left: Sailor Mars, Sailor Venus, Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury |
Sailor Mercury is the first you encounter, a shy, genius,
bookworm named Ami Mizuno, who offers an intelligent, perceptive cunning during
battles paired well with her power over water. Next comes Sailor Mars, a Shinto
priestess with estranging powers that nullify evil, named Rei Hino. Formerly
portrayed in the original anime as a short-tempered friendly rival to Usagi’s
simple ways, she is now characterized by her elegance and fierce sense of
control, which supplement her power over fire. Although Sailor Jupiter has yet
to be revealed, she is probably the fan favorite, representing the force of
strength within the Sailor Scouts with her control over thunder. Her name is
Makoto Kino, the fourth Sailor Scout to be introduced, skilled from everything
to cooking, housekeeping, gardening, and being a kick-ass hand-to-hand combatant.
Last is Sailor Venus, a celebrity known as Sailor V whom Usagi looks up to. Her
name being Minako Aino, the first Sailor Scout to have her powers awakened,
accompanied by a white cat with a crescent moon on his forehead named Artemis.
Her abilities derive from the concept of love and beauty, with her main weapon
being a beautiful gold-linked chain called a Wink Chain Sword. Let’s not forget
Tuxedo Mask, a mysterious figure who always dons a tuxedo, and is somehow
always involved in the battles concerning the Dark Kingdom, much to Luna’s
suspicion. It’s yet to be revealed whether he’s friend or foe, but he does seem
to show interest in the likes of Sailor Moon, constantly bumping into her
during battles as a motivating force in eliminating the enemies.
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| Tuxedo Mask helping Sailor Moon |
Speaking of enemies, the antagonists of this series serve
brilliantly to build upon the remembrance of the illusive Moon Kingdom. The
Dark Kingdom makes up the first arc of the story, comprised of the Four Kings
of Heaven Commanders, their minions, and the ruler whom they all serve and
fear, Queen Beryl. Together, they create the main source of conflict for the
Scouts, attempting to curb the union of the Sailor Scouts and garner the power
of the Legendary Silver Crystal, all while harvesting life energy from innocent
people. An apparent theme in Sailor Moon is the enemy’s use of stealing energy
to reach their goal, an action that does get a little old, but is invigorated
by the different types of enemies, their hidden purposes, and the peculiar ways
they go about stealing the energy.
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| Queen Beryl |
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| Dark Kingdom Commanders |
Although there is much to be revealed, I will say that this
series has a lot of heart, with compelling character backstories, a romantic
storyline, and riveting character developments. The most intriguing part being
that there is a world way beyond Sailor Moon and the four Sailor Scouts,
encompassing many new characters with many new conflicts! More Sailor Scouts means
more Make-Up transformation scenes; my heart can barely contain the joy!
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| Sailor Moon and Luna |
Should You Watch?
If you’re suddenly feeling a testosterone deficiency upon
reading my review, then maybe Sailor Moon isn’t for you. And you know what I
have to say to that; maybe Sailor Moon doesn’t need you either! I am usually
not a fan of shōjo, finding most of them embellished in sameness. But something
about Sailor Moon brings the spirit of the young girl I once was—enamored with
the romanticism of growing friendships, fighting evil, and finding love—to
life! Is it the best series ever? No. But it is an absolute must-watch for all
existing Sailor Moon fans that will definitely get a fresh breath of how the story
should have played out. To the newly intrigued fans, captivated by the constant
encounters of Sailor Moon figurines, necklaces, charms, and memorabilia, now’s
your chance to enlighten yourself with the actual story! If you’re apprehensive
yet mildly curious about the Sailor Moon universe that has been a
cult-phenomenon for 20 years now, the series definitely deserves at least a
three-episode watch. Catch a few Make-Up transformation scenes, encounter at
least two new Sailor Scouts, and if you’re still not engrossed with the series,
then you can hold your head up high and say you tried. As for me, I’ll be
reliving my childhood with some memorable narratives, and defining my current age
with fresh ones. There are still surprises to be had with Sailor Moon Crystal,
and that’s why my nostalgia-driven passion for this series evolved into
something larger—the tingling excitement and enthusiastic-craving for
discovering a world still unbeknownst to me.
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