Hey, readers! Long time, no see!
I’m eternally frustrated by my inability to maintain this blog on a regular schedule, but I’m trying a new approach. If I can’t think of a more substantive post, I’ll write some commentary about something elsewhere on the Internet that I like. This time, it’s this video that’s been floating around the Anime Internet, about Sailor Moon Crystal:
YouTuber CJ outlines why newbies to Sailor Moon should skip the reboot series, and stick with the classic anime and manga. It probably isn’t a surprise to anyone that I agree with her. I tried to be positive about Crystal at first, but ended up coming down pretty harshly on it as of my Twelve Days of Anime post about the franchise. There’s simply not much to recommend about it to newbies or diehard fans–or, really, anyone other than hardcore completionists. (Which might be me; I couldn’t finish the second cour, but it lingers on my Hummingbird “on hold” list.) Apparently there’s some disagreement in the fandom about that, though–not as much as I think she makes it out to be, but maybe we’re not hanging out in the same places. CJ does a great job of explaining her points while addressing those disagreements–such as the issues with the 1992 anime and original manga. They have them! That still doesn’t make Crystal good.
There are lots of posts about this around the Internet, though, so here are two specific things I really appreciated about CJ’s video:
- I love that she gives a good word for the live-action series. I don’t agree with her in recommending it to Sailor Moon newbies, or at least ones who aren’t already familiar with anime or live-action Japanese television. Its cornball acting and bad special effects are pretty big hurdles for people who aren’t expecting them. However, if you can get past that, there is some really strong writing in there. I wholeheartedly agree it’s probably the best version of the “Dark Kingdom” plot (the first arc of the anime and manga)–even if there’s none of my beloved Zoisite/Kunzite. All the Senshi’s full personalities and home lives are explored, making them and their episodes just as interesting as Usagi’s to a degree beyond even the original anime. It’s also the best version of the Usagi/Mamoru relationship, making them truly star-crossed lovers and integrating their romance into the central conflict. Sure, there’s also some silly stuff like the plushie cats and “Sailor Luna,” but at least it totally owns those. Highly recommended if you’re at all interested in Sailor Moon—and you know what “tokusatsu adaptation” entails.
- Other Sailor Moon fans will probably kill me here, but I enjoyed her recommendations of more modern magical-girl fare at the end. I haven’t seen Yuki Yuna is a Hero (and I’ve heard mixed things), but I loved Puella Magi Madoka Magica and, endless arguments about its “feminism” aside, it’s probably more relevant to the modern anime viewer than Sailor Moon is. It’s actually hard to know who to recommend Sailor Moon to these days. Even as someone with strong nostalgia for it, I can acknowledge even the best versions of the series still feel pretty dated. It’s a super-popular classic that every anime fan should probably have some familiarity with, and if you’re a credits-chasing sakuga type, it’s cool to see what Ikuhara, Junichi Sato, Enokido and co. were doing back in the day. But if you just want to get into the magical girl world, there are better places to start now.
What do you think about Sailor Moon Crystal and its merits/lack thereof? Which parts of Sailor Moon would you recommend for new fans? Let me know in the comments!
Rose's Turn 
I didn’t watch the video but I figured I’d leave a quick comment regarding your mention of how dated Sailor Moon is. I personally never watched the series and my friend recommended it as something we could watch online together so I’ve been doing that over the past few weeks and I really agree with you there. I can see the merits there but it can be hard to sit through sometimes after watching a veritable deluge of modern anime recently. Beyond just the animation quality, a lot of the trends in humor and structure seem very outdated and fall flat a lot of the time. I’m not far into it and I plan to continue if for no other reason than to check off a box on my “this is something I really should watch as an anime fan” list, but so far I’m not sure if I would recommend it for someone who didn’t have that motivation. Again, it’s not bad per se, just feels like a show whose time may have come and gone.
I think Sailor Moon Crystal is good for what it does (bringing people who never really knew about the series into the Sailor Moon fold and also updating and modernizing a series that is very, VERY much entrenched in the 1990s), but it is definitely inferior when compared to the original manga and anime.
That said, though, I’m really glad that it’s at least taken some part in the renewed interest in the series. The kanzenban / re-released version of the manga is great, and the artwork is beautiful (… at times). It definitely lacks that campy, humorous feel that the original anime had, though..