Usagi Tsukino is your typical Middle School Girl who
dreams of love and having fun with her friends.
All of that changes when a talking Cat named Luna appears and unlocks
Usagi’s true destiny. Now armed with the
powers of the Moon Kingdom, Usagi becomes the chosen one who will face off
against Queen Beryl and the forces of the Dark Kingdom. She’s the Pretty Guardian in a Sailor
Suit. She is the one named Sailor Moon.
Next to Mobile Suit Gundam, Sailor Moon might be the
series I’ve spent the longest time with so far at the Gundam Anime Corner.
Between Summer 2022 and all of 2023, I’ve
looked at all 200 episodes of the classic 90s legend and it’s three feature
films.
So, of course, I can’t call
myself a completionist without looking at Usagi Tsukino’s most recent Anime
iteration (and by recent I mean it’s been over 10 years since Crystal first
dropped).
Which brings us to today, the
start of our annual Extended Summer Series Review at the Anime Corner.
As promised seven months back at the
conclusion of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars, we’re gonna tackle Sailor Moon Crystal
and see how it compares to the original and still beloved adventures of Sailor
Moon and the Sailor Senshi.
And as we
kick things off today it’s a bit of a mixed arrival.
Cause is it me or do Usagi and the girls
look…different?
Yes, we cant delve into the story changes without first
talking about the big elephant in the room when it comes to Sailor Moon
Crystals first season (at least): the animation and character designs.
The artstyle tries to look brighter and more
elegant than other Anime at the time and, in effect, feels like its trying to
hard.
This is ever obvious with the
nightmare inducing transformation sequences that feel less like the much loved
90s Anime and more like Fortnite test running models for a Sailor Moon DLC
Pack.
As for the character models in
regular animation, I get that, much like the overall structure of the new show,
the animators are trying to adhere closer to the original designs of Naoko
Takeuchi’s Manga.
But there’s being
faithful and there’s being too faithful.
Usagi and the girls look taller, thinner and more doll like than their
90s counterparts.
It’s even harder to
believe these girls are in Middle School after Magical Girl Anime like Precure
and Madoka Magica have showed us more of what Middle School Magical Girls are
kind of supposed to look like.
Thankfully the characters themselves help push past the not so enticing
aesthetic, which I cant help but say is a detriment to starting the show off on
strong footing.
There’s other things to gripe about but let’s talk about
what is working with Crystal so far.
This is set to be a more straightforward adaptation and that means
cutting down the whopping 200 episode count from the 90s series to just shy of
40 for Crystal (I think it’s 38 but we’ll find out when we get there).
That means no time for filler, which means
when Crystal hits the ground, it does so running.
Usagi, Luna, Mamoru, Ami and Rei are all
introduced in the first three episodes along with Queen Beryl and all four of
her henchmen.
There’s no time for filler
even with a Monster of the Week formula still prevalent.
Still, Crystal isnt sacrificing character for
speed.
Usagi might still be a bit of a
crybaby in her first fights as Sailor Moon but she’s even more likeable and
charming as her normal self.
Her first
scenes with Ami and Rei showcase how easy it is to let Usagi into your life and
feel it becoming brighter just by having her around.
In short: Usagi is still the best, Sailor
Moon or not.
Ami and Rei also get their
own intro arcs to shine with Ami still being a shy bookworm and Rei feeling ostracized
because of her supernatural skills.
The
chemistry between the girls is still the best part of the series, though I do
miss Usagi and Rei’s bickering.
There are, naturally, things about this new approach to
Sailor Moon that either don’t work or are going to be disappointments down the
line.
One such matter is fan favorites
from the original series Naru and Umino returning in their usual supporting
roles.
Of course it’s good to see them
again but I feel like theyre going to fade into the background even faster than
before because of the episode count.
This goes double for poor Naru, who I always felt got the worst deal
after Usagi met the rest of the Senshi and she was almost quietly dismissed as
her best friend.
Same goes for the rapid
intro of Beryl’s four Generals.
If Naru
doesn’t have a lot of screentime will Nephrite lose his important arc and will
we get to even glimpse Zoicite and Kunzite’s romance?
You can say what you will about padding out
five seasons of Sailor Moon to 200 episodes but a lot of that did offer good
character development and plotlines.
And because this is a Sailor Moon review from yours
truly, I cant let it go by without a good ol round of bashing my favorite
punching bag: Mamoru.
NOW, credit where
it is due: he doesn’t come off as antagonistically insulting and I think they
closed the age gap between him and Usagi a bit…still doesn’t excuse the High
Schooler trying to romance a Middle Schooler though.
Just like with Usagi and Rei, Usagi and
Mamoru have none of their childish arguments with each other.
Instead, the two are immediately attracted to
one another and Usagi can find no wrong with Mamoru at all.
It’s a bit too creepy fairy tale romance for
my taste.
And as Tuxedo Mask, Mamoru is
still just as, if not more useless.
He
seems set for action but instead just chills out once Sailor Moon and the team
take over and just observes, classic.
Plus, as Tuxedo Mask, Mamoru is even more cringe.
I mean they guy steals a kiss from a sleeping
Sailor Moon and we’re supposed to be enamored by this?
That’s all kind of RED ALERT wrong and I’m
happy Luna calls the creeper out on it.
It may be a full on reboot but my distaste and disgust for Mamoru Chiba
is still as strong as ever and I’m ready to dish out more.
While the presentation and pacing are cause for much
concern, Sailor Moon Crystal at least succeeds in reminding old fans and
newcomers just how awesome Usagi and her friends are as legends of the Magical
Girl genre.
Plus, given how quickly Ami
and Rei were introduced after Usagi, and with Makoto’s arrival teased at the
end of this set, here’s hoping they don’t wait til right before the end of this
first season to get Minako into the mix like in the original series.
It’s not a stellar start but there’s enough
comfort in it to get me settled for a nice long revisit with my favorite
girls.
See ya back here Friday for more
Sailor Moon Crystal right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.
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