This past Monday, I finally finished my epic journey with
the original Sailor Moon 90s Anime Series.
And while I had a very divisive reaction to the Series Finale (which you
can check out here: ), overall Sailor Moon Sailor Stars was by far the best and
most enjoyable of the shows five seasons.
It somehow managed to tell the most compelling, character driven
narrative complete with fun new characters, some characters getting a more
likeable overhaul, and expertly balancing drama with humor that Sailor Moon did
so well in it’s first three seasons (the less said about Season 4 the
better). Well seeing as how I did the
same for every other season this year, I figure why not close out the Year of
Sailor Moon by giving my last Top 5 Wednesday of 2023 to my Top 5 Best Moments
from Sailor Moon Sailor Stars.
Unlike the bulk of Sailor Moon SuperS which steadily
regressed Usagi from a mature but still silly heroine to the crybaby brat she
was in the beginning of the series, Sailor Stars used the humor to a
surprisingly heartbreaking effect.
Sure
Usagi being a klutz and goofball is an endearing part of her character but
Sailor Stars had her using it to mask her growing state of sadness and
depression due to Mamoru’s radio silence (she didn’t know he was dead
yet).
So when Seiya throws a rose out to
distract a Monster from Usagi, the mere sight of her love’s signature flower
finally breaks Usagi’s heart completely.
It’s one of the most powerful moments in the series as Usagi finds her
rock bottom and cant handle Mamoru not being able to talk to her.
Hey, I hate the guy but I know how much he
means to Usagi and it always hurts seeing her cry, especially in this scene.
#4-Seyia resolves their feelings for Usagi
For Seiya and Usagi, it was love at first sight, for
Seiya.
Seiya risked a lot for Usagi
throughout Sailor Stars, so much that it brought them into constant conflict
with their fellow Starlights, Taiki and Yaten, who just wanted to focus on
finding their Princess and gtfo.
Sadly,
as much as I wanted this to happen, it was a one sided love and eventually
Seiya would have to accept that.
And
they did towards the end of the season.
Short of saying “I love you”, Seiya confessed their feelings for Usagi
but resigned themselves to the fact that Usagi’s heart belongs to Mamoru and
always will (for reasons beyond my understanding).
It's a good moment for Seiya, showing their
not only the best and most selfless of the Starlights but also that they can
still love Usagi even if that love isnt reciprocated the way they’d want it to
be.
#3-Usagi Tsukino’s House Party
Sailor Stars brought a number of firsts for the series,
especially when it came to the battlefield the Senshi found themselves on, like
in a plane above the city.
But the one
place Sailor Moon had never staged a battle until Season Five was Usagi’s own
home.
When the presence of a stalker
leads the Inner and Outer Senshi and the Starlights to all end up at Usagi’s
place to keep her safe, a Phage is unleashed in Usagi’s dining room.
This proves to be one of the funniest
episodes of the entire series as everyone tries to keep the Starlights from
unleashing attacks that could damage something in Usagi’s house.
It really is just one giant cluster of comedy
gold that is easily one of the high points of the season and series itself.
#2-Rei Whistle
I have never laughed so hard at any moment in Sailor Moon
til this one.
When Usagi’s Star Seed
becomes a prime target for Galaxia, Mako, Minako and Ami all band together to
protect their girl in school.
Ami
provides Usagi with a bag of nifty defensive gadgets, including a peculiar
whistle.
Before Ami can stop her, Usagi
blows on it.
A rumble is heard from
their school and we see something thundering throughout the entire city.
Finally, Rei shows up at Usagi’s classroom
door, out of breath.
Not only is it gut
bustingly funny Rei has a summon whistle, it’s also a nice illustration of how
far she and Usagi have come since Season One.
While she still teases and butts heads with her, Rei considers Usagi her
dearest and best friend and isnt afraid to call Usagi out when she needs to, as
well as leap into the heat of battle to protect the person who matters most to
her.
Next to Seiya, Rei should really be
Usagi’s true love.
#1-The Revenge of Queen Nehelenia
The biggest hurdle Sailor Stars had to overcome was its
very beginning.
Sailor Moon SuperS ended
on a cliffhanger, a first for the series, which meant it had to be resolved
before the Starlights even showed.
Given
how terrible SuperS was, I braced for the worst.
Instead, I found myself watching a six
episode sequel with epic production quality, from animation to music to
character work, I could have been watching a Sailor Moon Movie.
Not only does this sequel arc continue the
promise shown in the SuperS finale when it came to Nehelenia’s character, it
made her the true ultimate foe for Usagi, the one with the biggest grudge who
would stop at nothing to destroy her.
This arc also worked to correct many issues I had with previous seasons,
especially with Haruka and Michiru.
Also, unlike the Series Finale, we get to see ALL of the Senshi in
battle together and in nice pairings too (Mercury and Uranus; Maris and
Neptune; Venus and Pluto).
Many have
called this the high point of the Sailor Moon 90s Series and it isnt just a
high point, it’s a total triumph that much of the rest of Season Five was able
to match until the home stretch.
Honestly though, THIS is what Sailor Moon SuperS should have been in the
first place.
No comments:
Post a Comment