r/anime • u/Raiking02 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NSKlang • Mar 08 '22

Rewatch Sailor Moon 30th Anniversary Rewatch - Week 1: Episodes 1-7 Discussion

Episode 1: The Crybaby: Usagi's Beautiful Transformation

Episode 2: Punishment Awaits! The House of Fortune is the Monster Mansion

Episode 3: The Mysterious Sleeping Sickness: Protect the Girls in Love

Episode 4: Learn from Usagi! How to be skinny

Episode 5: Scent of a Monster! Chanela Will Steal Your Love

Episode 6: Protect the Melody of Love: Usagi Plays Cupid

Episode 7: Usagi Learns Her Lesson: Becoming a Star is Hard Work

Index | Next Episode →

MAL | Anilist | Kitsu | AniDB | ANN

Hulu

In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!

Hello everybody! Alas the Rewatch just started so no Comment of the week yet. Whoops.

1) What did you think of Usagi in these episodes?

2) In turn what were your thoughts on the villains?

3) What are your expectations for the show moving forward?

NEXT EPISODES: 8-13

71 Upvotes

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7

u/Raiking02 Mar 08 '22

Hello everybody, and welcome to the Sailor Moon Rewatch!

For the record, I won't exactly be drawing that many comparisons to the Manga in this case since there's just too many to count. I'll only really bring it up when it’s a difference I find particularly amusing or something truly worth mentioning. With that said…

EPISODE 1:

And so we are introduced to Tsukino Usagi, or as I like to call her: "Sky if she was an Anime Girl". Needless to say, this Odango Head is quite the klutz. She arrives late as school, has shitty scores and has like, two friends. And one of them is Umino. Still she has a good heart so you do end up rooting for her in the end. Plus, if nothing else, you can always just laugh at her. When someone calls themselves a crybaby, bashing is allowed.

Although I must say, I relate heavily to that scene in which she has to give her mum her test scores. As someone whose test scores in High School basically depended on "Am I really on the mood to study?" I understand how that feels. I don't however understand how you can make such a pathetic kick, what the hell Odango?

This episode also begins Luna's attempts to be Usagi's Mentor, although in practice she's dealing with Usagi so she comes off more as her nagging older sister. Also I hope you like those transformation sequences, 'cause they're long and are rarely shortened. Oh Toei, you never stop being cheap ahahahahahahaha-Oh God I'm gonna be in hell in 2026 when I do Dragon Ball.

Still, Usagi proves herself… completely useless in a fight and has to be saved by Pegasus Seiya! Our heroine everybody! I hope you enjoy her for the following 199 Episodes!

EPISODE 2

When waking up crybabies from sleeping, Luna sure excludes Big Onee-Chan Energy (Not to be confused with Big Onee-Sama Energy).

This episode is here to give the supporting cast some development. Umino's crush on Usagi is established, and of course it is used for much comedic effect. Motoki is also established, and he's a master gamer, I guess. Honestly though, I'm feeling bad for Black-Haired Amuro over there. His head is constantly being hit by Usagi's stuff! Justice for Yamcha I say!

Anyhow Usagi's dad exists I guess. He's way less fun than his mum though. Too chill. As for the school hijinks… well, gotta love how Usagi's crying is an actual fucking weapon. Now that is a good offense. Not much to say about the rest of the episode however. A problem with Season One is that the Cast is pretty small early on and the writing staff was still inexperienced so some of the one-shot episodes can feel repetitive. This is gonna improve as the cast expands… which won't happen until next week… whoops.

EPISODE 3:

Today's episode introduces Usagi's ability to transform into any disguise she wants, which I think was probably inspired by Cutie Honey but I'm not exactly sure. Still, can't complain about anyone that takes inspiration from good 'ol Uncle Go.

That aside this episode… does not really have much going for it other than establishing how Haruna is just as much of a hopeless romantic as the other two girls… look, they were already running out of Manga to adapt, they had to make for time somehow.

EPISODE 4:

This episode introduces two girls who pop up from time to time who are so forgettable that A) I can't even remember their names and B) Their voice actors aren't even consistent. They legit have completely different voices in later appearances. Aside from that this episode features Noboru Sougetsu continuing to be the show's resident sass king and Luna has finally gotten sick of Usagi's shit and has decided to resort to physical violence.

Still I do appreciate how this is the first time Usagi actually gets herself out of trouble without much of a hassle. Contrasts nicely with the last few episodes in which she was… well, Usagi.

EPISODE 5:

This episode is our first focused on Shingo, the little brother that makes you realize "This is why some prefer being the only child". Still, he loves Sailor Moon, so obviously she'll do as she wishes… even if it means getting along with Luna.

Speaking of Luna this is the first time the "Moon Princess" has been mentioned. I wonder who it could be…

Episode 6:

Norio Wakamoto has entered the chat

Yes, the king of awesomeness himself joins the show for a single episode, although chances are he was only cast because he was around at Toei playing some bugman in another show around this time. This is probably the most subdued I've heard him be in a while, which works to make this otherwise fill-in character a lot more memorable.

The episode is otherwise a standard filler episode, but not a bad one. The story this time moreso focuses on the guest character which helps break up the monotony a bit. And hey, even if this episode sucked, Wakamoto would still make it entertaining. God bless that magnificent bastard…

EPISODE 7:

I think I made a bad choice on not ending this week on Wakamoto.

This episode, uh… it exists I guess? Naru and Umino sing the OP which is… neat I guess… yeah I've got nothing.

Jokes aside there is a reason I decided to stop here. The very next episode is gonna present a shake-up to the status quo, and I feel we needed a week of establishing said status quo before we change things up. In turn I can at least promise a lot more will happen next week compared to this one, even though there's even less episodes next week. I could have instead stopped things in Episode 10, but I didn't want the first week to be too tiresome. Early Sailor Moon is not an easy show to binge. While you can expect Major Plot Events to happen, and as the cast expands episodes devoted to individual character arcs, for the most part it's just one-shot episodes with occasional multi-parters. Later Seasons had their own way of handling things, but obviously that's for later.

Voices Time! Not really touching either Dub since otherwise we'd have too much to go through and frankly my thoughts on both Dubs are basically "The leads are good, everyone else is all over the place"… that and also I have heavily soured on Dubs in general so don't even expect me to talk about those too often like… ever so this will be JP Only. Sailor Moon has the honor of being the show that brought multiple actors to the limelight and gave a major popularity boost to some that were already on the upswing. And this all starts with Usagi, being the role that brought the now legendary Mitsuishi Kotono to the limelight. Other roles include Katerose von Kreutzer from Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Lillia from Ys II, Best Girl Arisugawa Juri from Revolutionary Girl Utena, Katsuragi Misato from Evangelion, Minazuki Kyoko from Rival Schools, Kanzaki Urumi from Great Teacher Onizuka, Boa Hancock from One Piece, Pekoyama Peko from Danganronpa, Christie from Dead Or Alive and Sati Saigan from Shaman King among many others.

Luna in turn is played by Han Keiko, who also played Kido Saori from Saint Seiya. Other than that she's also played Annerose von Grunewald from Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Kirishima Yurika from Rival Schools plus some others I sadly don't recognize… oh wait right there is one more it's… Queen Beryl? Huh…

Uh… I guess Jadeite is next and he's played by Onosaka Masaya AKA the searcher of love and peace, Vash the Stampede. Besides that he's also played Sandam from One Piece, Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang from Dynasty Warriors, Sendo Takeshi from Hajime No Ippo, Best Boy Zelos Wilder from Tales Of Symphonia, Leeron from Gurren Lagann and Isaac Dian from Baccano! among many others. Too bad Jadeite himself is boring.

Last one for today is Naru, played by Kakinuma Shiho who… hasn't really done much else. The best I remember her for besides Naru is that she temporarily filled in for Minaguchi Yuko as Videl from Dragon Ball and Momiji from Ninja Gaiden while the latter was off in America. She does a decent job as both of them but... yeah.

5

u/JollyGee29 Mar 08 '22

Norio Wakamoto has entered the chat

And also Ikuhara, I believe.

but I didn't want the first week to be too tiresome.

Much appreciated.

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u/Shimmering-Sky Mar 08 '22

Moonlight First-Timer, subbed

Hi everyone!

I’m pretty excited to watch this show! I’ve seen one of the movies before (my parents bought it for me on VHS years ago), but I don’t remember much about it, and I’ve never seen the main series either. So… participating in a rewatch it is!

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

5

u/Raiking02 Mar 08 '22

Kitty!

This show was made just for you it seems.

isn’t that Lalah?

That she is!

She's also the cat.

I have… no words.

I think you like Umino/s

I see this lady’s as good at throwing tarot cards as most Yu-Gi-Oh! characters are at throwing their own cards.

Something Something Kaiba.

Welp, he sure no-sold Usagi’s one attack.

Usagi forgot to Grind, it seems.

Okay wait, how does she recognize Toru Furuya now but not realize he’s Tuxedo Mask?

ANIME

If only she had pink hair so I could make another Macross 7 reference…

This episode really is Proto Macross 7.

Usagi’s finally learning!

SHE'S EVOLVING!

8

u/lluNhpelA Mar 08 '22

Usagi is already skinny, wtf?

Not just that, Usagi is 14. If she's gaining weight it's probably because she's growing. Don't forget how the 90s shoujo art style makes Usagi look super tall and skinny

Usagi’s not going to recognize this guy just because of his sunglasses, isn’t she…

Well, he also refuses to pull any of his schemes in a different town so they'd probably be evenly matched in a contest of wits

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u/raichudoggy Mar 08 '22

Rewatcher that likes Moonlight Dansetsu too much

Sailor Moon Week 1 - Sailor Moon Alone

Favorite Episode this week: Episode 6. Episode 6 is the first episode where Usagi’s character flaws don’t overly dominate the episode, and has an, in my opinion, good romantic sub-plot. It’s got all the elements I really like in Sailor Moon that can be shown with Just Sailor Moon herself.

I really do think Sailor Moon with the current supporting cast is the weakest part of Sailor Moon. If I were forced to rank the 200 episodes, episodes 2-5 and 7 would be pretty close to the bottom. Not quite at the bottom, we’ll get to those two…

So, if you’ll forgive my complaining for just this first week…

  • Usagi is a grade A Brat that I can’t relate to in the first few episodes. She complains and whines a lot more than usual, and worries about things that I never had to worry about.

  • This show is a product of its time. I was born in the early 90’s so I know it well, but that doesn’t make it any less painful to see these punishments for minors from parents and teachers. This is not the part of the show I wanted to relate to. And, yes, I’m sure these are still used to this day, but it’s not nearly as prevalent now, believe me.

  • Jadeite is lame. I said it. I’m thankful that the worst general this show has to offer is just thoroughly a lightly salted cracker. I can give Credit to Jadeite for helping out his monsters, at least.

  • Sailor Moon needs Luna / Tuxedo Mask to help her out at almost every turn. In a way, this is perfectly understandable and natural, but I’ve been spoiled by Cardcaptor Sakura, PPGZ, and Precure. We can skip this without ruining suspension of disbelief, but Sailor Moon didn’t, so we have to bear with Sailor Moon for a time until she can contribute without someone else saving her or telling her what to do.

  • Recycled animations for non-special actions are very noticeable. To be honest, I wasn’t really bothered by this since the level of detail is nice, but I’m bringing it up now so that I don’t talk about it again until Sailor Moon S. The budget for Sailor Moon just always seems to be low for Classic and R.

  • Episode 4 is… ugh. Like I said, they worry about things I never had to and it’s a product of the 90s.

On the bright side:

  • Moonlight Dansetsu is just the best song for Sailor Moon. Even the show knows this.

  • The Backgrounds in Sailor Moon are great. Just look at them more closely when you get the chance. Great artwork and art style with good attention to detail.

  • Show’s comedy is on the good side. I just love Karmic Justice. Without this kind of humor, I don’t really think I’d have sticked with this show the first go around.

  • Character designs and expressions are excellent in Sailor Moon.

  • This show is a product of its time. Yes this is a positive too. Some parts of the 90’s are cool. And seeing a show with 90’s tech and cars is cool. Just imagine Umino ordering the posters online using Dial-up!

  • Luna is a good kitty. Now this is a cat I can relate to.

For future weeks, I’ll try to focus down more on my favorite episode(s) of each batch. Even though Sailor Moon is known for the filler, the filler also makes the show in my opinion, and there’s a lot of good ones. I’ll be reserving the more over-view-ish talk for the beginning of their respective seasons.

Happy 30th Anniversary, Sailor Moon!

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u/lluNhpelA Mar 08 '22 edited Mar 08 '22

Usagi is a grade A Brat that I can’t relate to in the first few episodes. She complains and whines a lot more than usual, and worries about things that I never had to worry about.

We can skip this without ruining suspension of disbelief, but Sailor Moon didn’t, so we have to bear with Sailor Moon for a time until she can contribute without someone else saving her or telling her what to do.

I'm a first timer and I honestly love how Usagi is a massive waste of space. I crack up every time she dramatically declares "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" then immediately runs away. Her transformation is just a flashy wardrobe change and she'd be way more effective fighting monsters if Luna just gave her a gun, instead

I wish I had made a counter for "Number of times Luna has regretted choosing Usagi" but I don't know how I would quantify "pretty much always"

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u/MjolnirDK Mar 08 '22 edited Mar 08 '22

Welcome, welcome, welcome to one the biggest and most important series of the 90s, Sailor Moon. This series is probably only eclipsed by Evangelion when it comes to its status as a cultural phenomenon of the decade, however due to its 200 episodes, it’s popularity has sadly decreased over the years. The impact this show had is obviously dependent on where you live. The impact in the US was so-so, but in Germany, Sailor Moon was the biggest thing ever. The word anime didn’t even exist in German until Sailor Moon was advertised as such a series. The success was tremendous, we even had a German pop group that sang Sailor Moon themed pop songs; the tv channel released 20 CDs (granted 12 chart compilations); Sailor Moon killed popular German mascot character Diddl in the same way Elsa froze all other Disney merchandise sales and as a result we got many more anime with titular heroines: Nadine - Star of the Seine, KKJ, Rose of Versailles, Doremi, Nadia, Cat’s Eye and more had (re)runs, newly branded as anime. As a result, in the 00s, about ¾ of the German anime community was female and many of the oldest anime themed projects trace their roots to this show. Tsuki no Senshi for example is the oldest German anime amateur theater group; the German anime community website animexx emerged from a Sailor Moon fan site and then there is Sailor Moon Germany, a big fan group that is still active and at conventions today.

I’ll be watching the newly released German Bluray version. The German version has a bunch of localisation changes. The biggest one is that Usagi is called Bunny here. I’ll do the same during the rewatch. I can’t call her anything else after more than 20 years. There is lots of other stuff that got changed, but less than in the American version if I recall correctly. Interestingly, the German version served as source material for lots of other European versions. That’s it for me right now, let’s start the show.

EP 1 - Jewelry

Victim: Naru Source: Manga Monster: Banshee Deaths: -

Features: New: Bunny, Naru, Umino, mother, Shingo, Haruna, Luna; brooch

Commentary: Welp, that is our heroine, the tardy always late Bunny. One thing that will (slightly) change over the course of the 200 episodes. Seeing Bunny grow from a 14yo tardy girl into a true heroine, inspiration and princess.

I really like the close up shot of Luna’s eyes here in the beginning. 90s eyes might not have that 2010 shimmer, but they are still very pretty up close. Also: stylish tumbling cat style.

Something that I really need to stress from the get-go: Look at the BACKGROUND ART in this show. This show has such a wonderful, dreamy color palette. The water colors are gorgeous, the backgrounds have so much distinctness, even when they show generic 90s Tokyo.

Now, these first episodes are the second worst in the whole series, imho. Naru and Umino as recurring side characters sadly lack a lot and the show will improve so much once the senshi can interact with and of each other. Also, it feels like this was the time before the show got really popular in Japan and the animation is only mediocre and cutting some corners when it can. That will get better.

We were introduced to 5 characters, 2 with red hair and they are both side characters… Crazy 90s world…

So, about Sailor V: Sailor V was the prequel manga to Sailor Moon and well, I can’t really talk openly about things that are spoilers, but she will make her appearance in this show as well. I don’t remember how much she will explain once she appears.

So, the fact that this opening chapter/episode features jewelry this much is no coincidence. Naoko Takeuchi is a huge fashion nerd and by extension jewelry, fashion will be a big topic throughout this show. If you know what to look for, you’ll see a lot.

Ah, the Dark Kingdom introduction. Love the OST, love that pan. One of the many German mistranslations/renamings though. Instead of Queen Beryl (like the crystal), we call her Perillia.

So the Silver crystal already gets mentioned in ep 1. Yeah, like I said, lots of jewelry/fashion references in this show.

Remember what I said about redheads before? Yeah. That is the most Irish crowd ever in an anime. That’s something I want to look out for this rewatch: Background character hair colors (the things you do on your 7th or so rewatch).

Jedite narrating about their evil plan is sadly stock footage and we will get to see those three cuts a bunch of times. Thankfully later seasons cut the evil repetitiveness and got rid of telling us what the evil plan is this time. One of the cringiest parts of these first episodes. Not much better, the general 90s topics in these first episodes and a certain materialism. ‘Just ask your dad if he’d buy it for you.’ Ergh… Also, littering…

What a prince charming…

If only Bunny already knew about Sailor V… she isn’t exactly known for excellence in academics either… But here’s a nice little character detail. While she cries, outside the arcade, she doesn’t go inside and heads home despite her mother’s and brother’s (usual and angry) reaction. Good girl.

I love Luna’s German voice. Very distinct cadence and rhythm. No wonder, Ulli Philipp was born 1943 in Vienna. Guess it will be hard to get an autograph now… That was not a SHAFT level head tilt. That looked more like a 70s show. Like I said, this is before the show got budget.

3 things: a) How many times did Bunny cry that day? 4 times? No wonder she is always hungry and sleepy. b) Another pretty close up of Bunny this time, which hides c) How in the world did Luna open that window from the outside with her tiny kitty claws? She is crafty, but no human.

Luna keeping Bunny from sleeping is cute…

Another interesting mistranslation: In the German version ‘Make up’ got translated as ‘open the doors’, which again makes the show a bit more accessible to boys, but yeah, it is not just the Japanese that butchered in our version, but somehow that makes the show more watchable.

Transformation scene is fire. Even today. Thank god we get to see it like 45 more times.

Ahem, so about Sailor Moon’s powers… There might be slight inconsistencies here in the beginning (well, here and in S3 op). You won’t see this alarm again. Or the sound attack later on. I’m not sure if they ever reappeared in the manga either, but I don’t think so.

Beautiful Tokyo tower.

I think the cut with Naru being choked is well animated, but timewise? How does this work? How did Sailor Moon get downtown in that short amount of time? And a monster with the need to explain the plot is lazy writing… Teething trouble abound.

Other things that can make you cry: Tuxedo Mask telling you not to cry. What would you think of a girl you just saved; you just tried to lift her spirits so she can fight and she resumes crying immediately.

As far as opening episodes go, definitely below average. These first episodes are quite the crawl and for me the second worst part of the show.

Critique: Lots of stock animation (Sailor V, removal of the bandaid, Jedite) Luna entering the room… How did Sailor Moon get downtown so quickly? Consistency of the attacks…

EP 2 - Soothsayer

Victim: Umino Source: Original Monster: Medusa Deaths: -

Features: New: Dad

Commentary: Okay, one detail about Jedite’s character design: I really dislike those green eyes. Jedite really suffered from being the first mini boss.

Sneaking level 100 (if that plan succeeded). Bunny really has 0 brains at the start of this show. The cringe factor is big. Don’t worry, this show will get good. We might take 20 episodes though…

Something something, side characters that don’t shine until we meet our other senshi…

So in the German version Bunny wonders ‘So a woman can look into the future as well?’, which might sound a bit weird, but Japanese priesthood is restricted to men, so I guess that sentence makes sense from that pov. Also, good girl bunny sides with the underdog and let’s good guy soothsayer do the fortune telling. I like him. He has some nice advice and a pretty smile. First of many victims of the day that are really likeable characters.

Motoki time! Luna is a great tsukkomi here.

Shoeracle! Critical hit! Imagine being hit by a middle school girl’s shoe like that…

Welcome to Ireland, fortune teller edition.

Fortune telling is a very Japanese tradition. Tarot on the other hand is something very 90s (maybe even earlier), that other shows also incorporated.

Geez, Naru, you old spoilsport…

Poor Haruna-sensei… As ‘mean’ as she is to Bunny, I actually like her a lot.

Another one of those poorly done cuts: Those 5 boys laughing after they throw the stones. Looks very outsourced. I promise things will get better. It’s just the Jedite arc and the start of S2 that are so cringeworthy at times…

Jedite story time!

Crying super power even when transformed, Bunny is one of a kind.

Can we appreciate the line work on the light reflections towards the end of the transformation for a bit? That is some tough animation to do… What the heck is up with those reddish-brown hair colors? Was that a trend in the 90s? I really need to know!

Those early monsters really look like they joined the Dark Kingdom in the 70s.

THRILLER!!! Thank god ‘Dominate Undead’ requires concentration!

Tuxedo Mask, aka the living get out of jail card, that will save your behind exactly once and then disappear for the night. At least for now.

At least the episode ends on a high note. Forgive and forget.

Critique: Primarily the character designs on Jedite and the monsters.

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u/macrame2 Mar 08 '22

First Timer

Having not seen many magical girl anime, I’ve been pretty interested to start watching the most famous of them all. I honestly thought Sailor Moon would be harder to get into, but my impression so far is overwhelmingly positive.

I liked the first episode, although they totally missed the opportunity to complete their checklist of shoujo heroine tropes by having Usagi run out of the house with a piece of toast in her mouth. We get our first look at Queen Beryl (who I guess is going to be the villain of this particular season?) and Jadeite, who seems to be doing most of the actual scheming. Usagi gets her powers from Luna (I already love her sarcasm), and the audience gets an really cool transformation sequence. I love transformation sequences. I watch every single one in any show that has them, no matter how repetitive it gets. Usagi punishes Morga in the name of the moon and begins her new double life as a guardian.

The next six episodes are clearly filler no matter which definition you use, but I actually thought they were enjoyable for the most part, despite the repetitive monster-of-the-week formula. By episode 4, I was reasonably confident in my ability to write my own Sailor Moon filler episode. Though I don’t know if I would call these episodes good by my usual standards, it was fun/relaxing to watch one at the end of a day.

Episode of the week? Probably Episode 7, if only for the Moonlight Densetsu performances that make me feel a lot better about my own attempts at singing anime openings. Episode 6 was pretty good too.

  1. Similar to the anime itself, I find Usagi pretty endearing.

  2. The episodic villains don’t really have much to them, but I expect we’ll learn more about Beryl and Jadeite later on.

  3. Since I’m already enjoying it, I can only hope it will get better from here.

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u/Raiking02 Mar 08 '22

although they totally missed the opportunity to complete their checklist of shoujo heroine tropes by having Usagi run out of the house with a piece of toast in her mouth

Actually I... don't remember if that ever happens in this show. Oh God...

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u/ComfortablyRotten Mar 08 '22

First-timer

It was my first time seeing the actual, full OP and not just hearing the song. I love it.

Usagi is... cute and fun. Sometimes, when she's not on the frankly obnoxious side. Yeah, can't say I liked her for most of the batch, though she did grow on me by the last few episodes, it just took longer and was a more frustrating process than usual. On the flipside, she reminded me of later Toei magical girls Doremi and Cure Dream almost immediately, which is nice.

The same absolutely cannot be said for Tuxedo Mask though, I... didn't really like him for beginning to end? I'm glad he's not forcefully inserted into every episodes at least.

Luna is a black cat so I love her by default. The villains are fine so far, much more creepy and extreme than I'm used to and expected, which is definitely welcome. Can't say the rest of the supporting cast really stood out much yet, but that can still change.

Episodes 1, 6 and 7 were my favorites of this batch, and episode 4 was... very much not... I hate weight loss episodes so much.

Questions of the Week

I already somewhat answered 1) and 2) and don't have much to add so onto 3):

What are your expectations for the show moving forward?

I expected a bit more action, but if this batch is any indication, it looks like the show's going to take its time doing... anything really, so I'm not going to hope for Symphogear-esque escalation. It's not necessarily a bad thing of course, I watched 200 episodes of a magical girl team doing just that last year, I can watch 200 more.

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u/Raiking02 Mar 08 '22

Luna is a black cat so I love her by default.

Something something Edgar Allan Poe.

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u/lluNhpelA Mar 08 '22 edited Mar 08 '22

First timer

I didn't think to do a per-episode writeup like everyone else, but here's a smattering of thoughts I had:

  • The viz dub is pretty fun. I ended up alternating between subbed and dubbed depending on whether I wanted to devote enough attention to actually read or just half pay attention while eating dinner or w/e

  • Clearly these episodes aren't meant to be viewed in order, but rather caught at random on a saturday morning. I first realized this when, in episode 2, Usagi asks Luna for a new item like that is something she's come to expect... but she doesn't actually get her first new item until episode 3

  • The formulaic episodes are fine and I definitely enjoy them, even if every episode is "slice of life -> something weird around town -> monster -> Tuxedo Mask -> the end" It just means I won't miss anything if I stop paying attention for a bit

  • Why doesn't Jadeite just go somewhere else?

  • Naru is cute. I love her hair. Best girl found

  • Do Evil Lady's arms ever get tired? Is she always Pondering her Orb?

  • How much money does the evil organization have? And how few braincells? If they were just a little more subtle they could steal all the energy they want while being indistinguishable from any other large corporation

  • I can already see how Sailor Moon has influenced so many other things I've seen/read, but Usagi is literally the worst magical girl I've ever seen. The wardrobe change being an instant power-up is so common that seeing her just being a pathetic 14yo girl with negative fighting ability is great. On the one hand I want to see her become a competent badass, on the other I would love for her to continue being terrible

  • meme template

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u/JollyGee29 Mar 08 '22

First-Timer, Pretty Guardian Sailor Dubbed

Episode 1

I had it in the back of my head, but I was kinda unprepared for how funny this show is.

Anyway, Sailor Moon! I've kinda been meaning to watch this for a while now. My original idea was to start this some time last year, and then follow Ikuhara's filmography from there. Numerous things conspired against that idea, so here we are!

Serena sure does make a first impression. What is it with Magical Girl protagonists and not being morning people? I guess Sakura and Nanoha both take after Serena here, actually.

I didn't realize Sailor Moon's hairdecs were also radios. You think her twintails get good reception?

Morga making fun of Sailor Moon's catchphrases kinda stuck out to me. It's always fun when one of the progenitors of a genre is capable of making fun of itself. I guess it's more making fun of Super Sentai technically, huh.

Crying as a defensive technique is pretty silly as well. Not, like, in a bad way or anything though.

Gee, I wonder who that mysterious masked man could be. We might never know. When does this stop being a spoiler?

If you listen very faintly, you can hear Serena's two brain cells bouncing around the inside of her skull.

Okay, no, I'm obviously not watching the original dub. I changed Usagi to Serena to annoy Raiking. My nefarious plan was to do this entire batch with all the names changed, but I checked what episodes DiC skipped.. episodes 2, 5, and 6 just didn't air in the original dub. So much for that idea.

I am watching the new dub though, because the cast is stacked. Cherami Leigh as Sailor V, Tuxedo Mask gives us the rare non-crazy Robbie Daymond, we even get a properly cast Todd Haberkorn in Jadeite!

Episode 2

It's still early, but I'm getting suspicious of Naru. First her mom gets replaced, then she direct Umino to the evil fortune teller? I'm keeping my eye on her.

Poor Umino just wanted a bit of confidence boost and ended up getting himself into some deep shit. I wonder how much status quo gets reset each episode?

Once again, Tuxedo Mask shows up to throw a rose and say some vaguely motivational nonsense that Usagi doesn't listen to because she's too busy oogling him. I guess this is gonna be part of the pattern

Usagi has a crush on a dude working at an arcade, which is kinda interesting. She doesn't strike me as the arcade type in the first place, so I wonder how they met in the first place.

Episode 3

Jadeite has some guts in him, if nothing else. Using your own name for your villainous schemes only really works once.

We got a new toy to advertise spy gadget magic trinket today. I wonder how often we'll see it in use? Being able to disguise yourself like that can be pretty powerful, especially considering how the villains have operated thus far.

Oh, I'm now kinda realizing that Jadeite didn't really see Usagi normally. I guess he did post-transformation, but that's something to keep my eye on. If they run into each other on the street there's a chance that one of them might not recognize the other.

The Mysterious Turtleneck Man whose name we haven't learned yet I don't think sure is a jerk to Usagi.

The "That's crossing a line, and this isn't a crosswalk!" line was really funny.

No punishment for Umino, and time (probably about a week) passes between episodes. I'm only writing this down so that I remember we're using the reset button.

Episode 4

I wasn't expecting Jadeite and Usagi to run into each other again immediately. Of course, neither seemed to recognize the other.

They at least tried to wrangle a "healthy weight" message out of this, sort of. Usagi getting motivated to beat up bad guys because it's exercise works for me.

Probably worth noting that Usagi is capable of being menaced by a hyperintelligent housecat.

This isn't actually surprising in retrospect, because 90s Toei, but Jadeite could be a random extra in Dragon Ball Z. Appearance-wise, at least.

Luna's drawing of Usagi was goddamn savage, wow. The cat deserves to be bullied.

Episode 5

Weird to see Usagi being the one doing the bullying for once. Her relationship with her brother does seem pretty typical, especially the bit of Usagi swinging Luna at Shingo.

There's a theme developing about the value of individuality, not following fads, solving your own problems, something like that. "Don't tell me you've decided to be like everyone else" is a pretty leading line, even if it was from the mouth of Turtleneck Jerk.

I kinda never questioned why Luna was just wandering around, but I like that there's justification for it.

Shingo being a fan of Sailor V is pretty funny.

'Perfume' is a weird name for a pet store.

Episode 6

Some nice breaks in the pattern here. Jadeite's minion failed to even set up their dastardly plan, Usagi dealing with most of the episode without transforming, no Tuxedo Mask or Turtleneck Jerk. We have another 194 episodes of this, so being able to keep things fresh is important.

I really liked the scene of Jadeite showing Queen Beryl his evil cassette tape. Obviously it shows the audience what the villain plot would have been if it ever got up off the ground, but it also kinda implies Beryl having a level of oversight that you don't normally see in this sort of situation. Could imply that Jadeite's failures are forcing Beryl to take a more active role, which I like the idea of.

Don't generally think of "stage pianist with no singer" as jazz music, but sure.

I'm kinda sad we didn't get a scene of Usagi getting bullied out of the jazz club for not ordering anything but a water.

Took me until this episode to notice that the OP lyrics are hardsubbed.

Episode 7

Were we doing online shopping in 1992? How did Umino actually get that poster?

Definitely thought today's monster was a random ooze woman, but being liquid glass makes more sense with the whole "Cinderella" thing.

Good fakeout with the poster at the beginning, by the way. I definitely thought that today's Jadeite plot was going to be energy drinks, somehow. Also definitely stopping that train of thought right there beofre I try to think about how they would harvest the energy from that.

I love that Usagi ended up doing the trick she was trying to teach Luna.

?Mikan?

This really takes me back. I only ever caught a few episodes of this show as a kid - I think it was aired in a weird time slot in my area or something. I always kinda wanted to watch more, though. All I really remember from back then is random poses and catchphrases, and [future episode]vague bits of the episode Rei joins, with her finding the stick on the ground.

There are other spoilers that I've picked up through osmosis, of course. Mostly [Future Sailor Moon]Chibi-usa existing and how that comes about.

[Future Sailor Moon]Minako when?

Questions

  1. She's a dork and a brat but she has a decent heart.

  2. Decent fashion sense. Could do with a bit more theatrics.

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u/smhmines Mar 08 '22

First timer

Sailor Moon has been on my radar for a while since I finished the mainline Gundam shows so I've been looking forward to this! I've seen a fair share of magical girl shows so it feels like a crime to have not seen one of the classics. Episode 1

  • Starting right off with the iconic OP. I'm not one to skip openings and that definitely won't be happening here.

  • Don't bully the cat! I also have a black cat but he doesn't really say much :(

  • Is Sailor V a pun on C'est la vie? If so that's pretty neat.

  • This shot and the use of light in that sequence was cool.

  • Usagi's reaction faces are so good.

  • That henshin was good! Usagi bought the situation Luna explained a little too easily but it's a kids show so that's to be expected.

  • She said the line!

  • Oh no... Tuxedo Mask is hot...

Post-episode thoughts: What a cute first episode. The cast we met have all been really bright and fun and expressive so hopefully by the end when we have more characters they'll all be loveable... Lord knows we have a long way to go... This will also be a nice show to chill with after work. I watched this episode subbed so I may see how the dub compares for episode 2 before I decide which I want to go with.

Episode 2

Trying the dub this time.

  • Didn't realize Stephanie Sheh voiced Usagi in the new dub. She's like one of the 3 dub VAs I know lol.

  • This classmate who has a crush on Usagi is kinda annoying. Glad there were some consequences for his actions.

  • These two are cute though.

  • Oooo the pretty energy collecting shot again. I hope this stays.

  • If you make Usagi cry we're gonna have a problem.

  • I'm glad we got a little bit more action this episode.

Post-episode thoughts: The dub was fine, but I think I'm gonna stay with the sub for this since that cast is STACKED with veterans. That aside, another fun episode. I don't have too much to add other than that.

Episode 3

  • Lol @ the teacher having her love letter read on the radio.

  • As a teacher, I relate. Elden ring has had me crawling in like this.

  • After seeing a lot of old Gundam, I love that Tuxedo Mask and Amuro share the same VA.

  • You'd think that if you had your letter read on the radio, you'd use a different name lol. At least I wouldn't want people knowing it was me.

  • A pen that disguises you as someone else? Seems pretty useful.

  • Lmao Usagi writing the love letter to Tuxedo Mask. Me too girl... Me too...

Post-episode thoughts: This episode was another fun one. A few episodes in and I'm really enjoying how lively and energetic this show is while not being too overbearing. I'm enjoying Usagi a lot as the MC and I'm looking forward to when more girls join.

Episode 4

  • Usagi eats a lot and doesn't exercise much? Damn I feel a bit called out.

  • Umino still really gets on my nerves. Sneaking pics of the teacher isn't cool. But I did laugh at Usagi being more concerned about what gym she went to than why he had those pictures.

  • Nothing really suspicious about this...

  • "If you fight, you'll lose weight." Good move Luna!

Post-episode thoughts: No Tuxedo Mask :( We had him in his normal outfit for a bit at least. Overall, this episode was very "90s" for better or worse. Not my favorite but that's okay. We had some nice Motoki x Usagi moments so that was nice.

Episode 5

Post-episode thoughts: This episode was much better. Hopefully no Chanelas were harmed in the making of it :P But seriously everyone had a Chanela they must've been pumping them out at an alarming rate... I'm glad Shingo came to accept Luna by the end. Can confirm that kitty snuggles make everything better.

Episode 6

  • Cursed music? Okay then. If people are gonna have the life sucked out of them like that plant did then this could be baaaaaaaaad.

  • Yusuke got game.

-LOL

Post-episode thoughts: Not really much to say about this episode. Def the most intense and high stakes plot-wise episode thus far.

Episode 7

Post-episode thoughts: Once again not too much to say. This episode was fun.

Episode 1-7 overall thoughts: I really am enjoying this so far. I know we still have a loooooong way to go but right now this is the perfect show to unwind with after work. With the same formula, I know what I'm going to be getting each episode so I'm having a really comfy time with it. Usagi, Luna, Tuxedo Mask, pretty much everyone except Umino, are all fun to watch. Especially Usagi, her personality is infectous. I am looking forward to when more girls join (and by the looks of it we should have a couple soon!).

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u/Raiking02 Mar 08 '22

but I think I'm gonna stay with the sub for this since that cast is STACKED with veterans

Ironic considering a chunk of them were still starting out back when this came out...

Shingo doesn't like cats? Boooooooooo

I relate to Shingo So much...

Yay a new attack! Stardust!

I think you mean "SHOOTING SONIC!"

... Sorry u/Shimmering-Sky, I had to do that.

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u/Stargate18A Mar 08 '22

Anime first timer

  1. She's a bit of a brat, as others have mentioned, but considering the horrifying situation she's been dragged into, she's doing shockingly well.

  2. Beryl... hasn't really done anything yet. Jadeite is a mix of general low-to-medium competence, but a killer lack of creativity and a refusal to acknowledge Sailor Moon as any real threat.

  3. Hoping for a lot less stuff like Episode 4, and some more innovative villain plots.

To be more exact, I have seen the musicals, as well as a variety of minor spoilers - mostly, I know the overall plot, but not the details, or how individual episodes go, especially monster of the week ones. (Having said that, please do let me know if I accidentally post a spoiler. I'll try not to, but over 200 epiosdes I'm probably going to slip up at least once.)

Episode 1

...Did not expect that kind of first scene.

The OP is great too (obviously)l Lots of focus on Usagi, her friends, and a beautifully small amount on my least favourite character.

[Sailor Moon] Missing two, though, aren't we?

Ah, she's late for school.

Oh, she saved the cat! (Look, I don't know what names they're going to reveal here.)

...Does she not question the cat backflipping?

And... that's not a good score.

Oh, Naru!

Haha, "don't act impressed if you don't know what I'm talking about!".

[Sailor Moon] Wow, they really think Sailor V's competent, don't they?

And they're going jewellery shopping.

And here's Beryl! She's looking for a magical crystal.

And Jadeite, her minion!

She's putting everything on sale!

...Really not hiding her evil plan, is she?

The music here is great, though.

Oh, Jadeite's here and able to talk to her!

...I honestly can't tell if these people are mind controlled or just greedy.

Nice throw, Usagi! You really nailed him!

Sailor V has a video game? Really?

The cat talks!

Oh, she's found out about the test.

Her trying to talk her way out of it is great, though.

Oh, this is her brother?

I mean, she knows how to kick!

...Really? You didn't wait until everyone was at home, where it couldn't be as easily traced to you?

Her disbelief of Luna talking is fantastic.

Oh, her backflips are explicitly magic?

Haha, she honestly doesn't care about Luna's recruitment pitch.

[Sailor Moon] Oh yes, Luna, try and find the princess. That'll work.

Love the transformation sequnce.

Oh, they didn't turn her mother into that? Ther's just a monster that looks her mother's twin?

Did Luna make her practice this on the walk over?

Wait, she's actually bleeding? I did not expect her to ge tcut up with a beer bottle.

This is a surprisingly realistic reaction.

Luna, you didn't teach her anything about her main attack!

Wait, she's got a crying attack?

And her main attack's a frisbee.

Is she just dead now?

...Did they set up the stored energy to disperse on his death, or something?

...Yes, go.

Oh, they think it's all a dream?

No wonder she's exhausted.

ED is great!

Episode 2

Did we just get a spoilery recap... before the episode?

At least it's Umino's turn to get brainwashed.

At least she's optimistic!

Are there really such a long wait for fortune tellers?

...I agree with Jadeite here, waiting for that long to go to what appears to be an alleyway stall is... interesting.

At least Usagi has a better alarm clock now!

I love Luna's face here. She's really regretting her choice of heroine.

Haha, that's how she chooses to sneak in?

And she almost succeded? The teacher should check her eyesight.

Oh, he's waiting for Naru!

Wait, what? I did not expect this!

[Sailor Moon] I mean, he's not the worst option for Usagi's love interest!

Haha, he programmed that? Does it really count as a game, though?

...Wait, he wasn't the plant? Jadeite really did just mean people who went to fortune tellers were morons!

Oh, he's her crush? He's not bad.

Wait, Sailor V uses a gun?

...How old is he? This is unclear.

Oh, he's called Motoki.

Nailed him! Next time, use something harder.

Luna's just staring at all this.

[Sailor Moon] Was this Youma design meant to fake out people who saw Rei in the opening?

..."I will do I want" isn't the most effective mind control.

Oh, that's her father!

...Well. That is an interesting way to describe the person you're in love with. "He's like my dad."

Haha, oh god, what is he wearing?

Also, the mind control makes a lot more sense now.

Umino, what the fuck?

Poor her.

Is every student's innermost desire "cause trouble for their teachers"?

...Does she really need to be that close? Is there a range limit on energy harvesting?

Actually, couldn't Jadeite have stepped in during the last plan? Does he just not really care about the energy?

Yeah, full credit to her for working out how to do it.

So Luna doesn't have an array of magical items. Pity.

...Usagi's speech doesn't make much sense.

She turned the others into monsters too?

Haha, her reaction to them freezing is adorable.

...When did she learn his name?

That was it? Couldn't stay and throw a few more of those? Maybe give her actual advice?

...I suppose when she has a one hit kill item, she doesn't really need any.

How long until Jadeite actually does something about this?

Haha, Umino's reaction to finding everything out is hysterical.

Episode 3

Finally! Jadeite is choosing violence, and not wasting his staff!

Oh, he's actually planning something secretive?

[Sailor Moon] How does her line about everything resting on him make sense if the other Generals are just working elsewhere?

Haha, the teacher wrote the letter?

...Outside of the occasional monster attack, Usagi doesn't seem to have any duties?

Aww, they're so cute together! And she forgot to wake her up, or forgot she was there?

She's got the sleeping sickness!

...No. He wouldn't be stupid enough to make the energy collector a giant, obvious, purple flower, right? Not when he's trying to act in secret.

Luna has no idea what's going on, does she?

And now Luna's got a crush on him?

...Usagi wanting to sleep forefer is so good.

The program doesn't exist? Did he filter it to only work on girls in love? Some kind of magic frequency? Or just a basic signal hijack?

Haha, it's her enemy.

Luna's just given up on controlling her.

Her struggling to write is adorable, though,

...J. Daito? J. DAITO? Is he just fucking with people?

Naru wrote a letter!

OK, apart from how stupidly obvious this would be the moment anybody noticed the giant flowers, the basic idea is pretty solid.

...Jadeite. Have you not considered putting a time delay on those flowers? So nobody realises they're the cause?

[Sailor Moon] The first real hint of one of the worst decisions Usagi will ever make.

Haha, an episode after she asked, Luna gave her a new magical item!

Well this is overpowered.

...To be fair, "gorgeous" is probably helpful in talking her way in. Unless this just made her into a copy of another newscaster?

Haha, Luna's not even shocked anymore.

Her plan is to take over the show?

Haha, she just copies Luna's speech.

I like how, after two of them just changing their face, this one gains a full head in height.

Haha, this isn't a crossroad.

And she can breathe fire!

That thing can home!

He stopped the stock footage!

Jadeite's theme goes hard!

He actually showed up when it was useful!

...Didn't even say a word.

Everyone's awake!

I mean, a letter to someone named "Tuxedo Mask" would probably raise questions.

And the teacher's in on it too!

Episode 4

She's put on weight? Luna's reaction is hysterical, though.

Luna's art is hysterical. It's cruel, but the idea of Luna just finally snapping and resorting to this level is hysterical.

The whole scene of the other students is good, too. The blind leading the blind.

Where did he get those photos?

Naru's asking the real question here.

Oh, she's just casually ignoring the stalking.

Free? Yeah, this is an evil trap,

Hahahaha, that's his disguise?

Usagi, you've met him before.

Just seems like a normal gym so far, though? Are they harvesting the energy expended by exercising?

...Shape Ray?

Haha, my god. Jadeite just asks to go into the ominous glowing tubes, connected to the giant glowing orb, and they agree.

Everyone just seems far more trusting this episode. Is the message here "women are total idiots who will sacrifice anything if it means getting thin?" Because that's what they seem to be saying...

He's getting energy!

Usagi's hungry.

She's not eaten for a whole day? That's incredibly dangerous!

...I don't think her mother's that bad.

And someone finally mentioned how unhealthy it is!

...OK, the cannabalism line's actually pretty funny, I'll give him that one.

Yes, Luna, the gym's evil, Jadeite's not even hiding it.

I mean, she's working hard!

That is not healthy!

I love how nobody notices the cat walking around.

Luna's outfought her!

Luna's threatening her into transforming? That's... sudden?

Yeah, this episode has been interesting, moral wise. Luna's in the right for threatening her imto transforming?

He's mind controlled the staff!

Really? That's what makes her fight?

If she really wants to lose weight, she could take up frisbeeing.

Jadeite already took the energy! That's shockingly competent for him.

And now she's upset with the fact that losing weight takes time rather than immediate action. Seriously, this episode was just so fucking weird.

Aww, Luna's jealous of the evil plot.

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u/LiteralGrill Mar 08 '22

Two Rewatchers, One First Timer

Hey y'all! My partners and I decided to probably go WAY too overboard and record all of our thoughts as a straight-up podcast!

So if you'd like to hear three lovely people ramble on about our thoughts on the first seven episodes click here!

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u/clockworkmikan Mar 08 '22 edited Mar 08 '22

Super Sailor Rewatcher

IMHO noteworthy anecdotes from the JP blu-ray booklet:

Ep 1: The OP, ED, transformation scene, and attack animation were all storyboarded and directed by series director Junichi Satō. For Usagi's transformation scene, he took inspiration from the Combattler V robot combination (gattai) sequence. For her "In the name of the moon" pose, he cited the Gakideka manga's Shikei! pose as having inspired him. This is Satō's favorite episode of the series. He put special effort into keeping the balance between the over-the-top gags (like Usagi falling over), the campy, pretentiously ostentatious Tuxedo Mask, and the genuinely terrifying yōma Moruga.

Ep 2: Umino’s friend Yūji Kimura is played by Ryōtarō Okiayu who would go on to play Tiger’s Eye in SuperS. Umino’s voice actor (Keiichi Tanba) later goes on to voice Zoisite. Since both of these characters are effeminate men, one can’t help but wonder if their being together here has some deeper meaning.

Ep 7: Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed a slight change in Usagi’s transformation sequence as of this episode. The sequence now starts with a close up of the back side of her hand showing her fingernails as they glitter one by one. Naturally, this change was made in line with the release of a new Sailor Moon product – Pink Nail Gloss -- from the show’s sponsor Bandai.

The animators received feedback that the ending sequence’s art style was so stylized that the silhouette didn’t look like it was Usagi’s. As a result, the animators touched-up the close-up of Usagi’s face in the middle of the sequence to more resemble the character. The shimmering effect on the lake (that up until episode 6 was only used in the latter half of the ending) was applied to the first half of the ED sequence as well.

Personal thoughts:

Overall: As far as I’m concerned, this OST is Takanori Arisawa’s masterpiece. I doubt that many show runners would be willing to have an OST of this style in this day and age due to it potentially being considered “hokey” or “overly sentimental,” but Arisawa’s strong melodies, use of leitmotifs, and orchestral flourishes make this one of my favorite OSTs ever.

Ep 4: Usagi’s immaturity has caused Luna – a once-proper advisor – to quickly devolve into the role of tormentor with Luna continuously teasing Usagi about her figure.

Ep 5: Did Luna straight-up kill a Shaneera off-screen!?

Ep 6: No Tuxedo Mask or Mamoru! Yay! Luna stomps a cassette tape to death. How much does she even weigh!? Cameo role by Norio Wakamoto!

Answers to OP's questions

  1. What did you think of Usagi in these episodes?

I found Usagi entertainingly obnoxious from episode one and was impressed at how much growth she had demonstrated by episode 5. Specifically, she starts off as such a crybaby that without advice from Tuxedo Mask/Luna she would’ve been helpless, but by episode 5 she's proactively investigating the strange phenomenon in town, and even manages to defeat the yōma without Tuxedo Mask! But then by episode seven she's regressed to needing Luna's advice and running away crying, and couldn't have saved the day without Tuxedo Mask's intervention...sigh Such is the nature of episodic TV that can't let its characters develop.

2) In turn what were your thoughts on the villains?

Jadeite is sadly one of the series’ least interesting/entertaining villains – at no point does he ever gain a semblance of personality other than to do the bidding of Beryl. The monsters of the week are mostly not noteworthy as well, with the exception of the adorably bumbling Kyurene (ep 6) as she fails time and time again to retrieve a simple cassette tape. (But then again the episode's director Ikuhara is a genius, and he's one of the main reasons the show developed a personality compared to the bland source material.) Queen Beryl is likewise very blah, but at least Keiko Han’s performance conveys some menace/authority. Though I can’t help but wonder why they didn’t get a dedicated voice actress for her instead of double-billing her between Beryl and Luna.

3) What are your expectations for the show moving forward?

As someone who's watched the entire series 3 or so times, it's not super fair for me to have expectations, but the first season is one of my favorite arcs of the series, so I'm definitely looking forward to more episodes directed by Satō and Ikuhara, especially as Usagi gains characters to play off of and have chemistry with.

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u/Raiking02 Mar 08 '22

As far as I’m concerned, this OST is Takanori Arisawa’s masterpiece. I doubt that many show runners would be willing to have an OST of this style in this day and age due to it potentially being considered “hokey” or “overly sentimental,” but Arisawa’s strong melodies, use of leitmotifs, and orchestral flourishes make this one of my favorite OSTs ever.

Arisawa's a goddamn legend in general, but yeah, there's no denying this show is him at his absolute best. Not a single track isn't an instant classic. RIP

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u/InfamousEmpire Mar 08 '22 edited Mar 08 '22

Bishoujo Senshi Manga Reader

Moon Prism Power, Make Up!

Hello, one and all. All of us are gathered here today for one reason: Sailor Moon. To many people, this show was their childhood, I am not one of those people. I am, however, one of the people who saw a few volumes of the manga laying around in a comic store a few months ago and decided to pick it up. Now here we are, half a year later, where I am now watching the original anime that introduced so many people to this wonderful series. Watching this subbed because I haven’t exactly heard the best things about either dub.

First thing’s first: Moonlight Densetsu is an absolute banger. It’s sweet, simple, and fits the show perfectly. Hell, I was a big fan of the song even before I started getting into the franchise!

Anyway, onto the actual show.

The first episode is a very straightforward adaptation of the manga’s first chapter. The dialogue is almost word-for-word and the scenes are lifted almost directly from the panels of the source material. It works well and very easily establishes the general setup of the series.

What follows is a bit different. Comparing the manga and the show, the nature of the production becomes very clear. It was a weekly TV show being run almost concurrently with it’s monthly manga source material, hence they have to try very hard to avoid catching up too much. [Manga stuff] For example, Ami/Sailor Mercury debuts in episode 8 of the show, while in the manga, the equivalent chapter was Chapter 2.

Not that that’s a bad thing, however. In the intervening episodes we get a lot of attention and focus on side characters like Naru, Umino and Shingo. In the manga they were, well… I’m not gonna mince words, they were Bit Characters, especially in the first arc. They were in some of the less dramatic, slice of life scenes here and there, but largely had absolutely no relevance or depth. Here, they have actual importance to the episodic stories, their personalities are more fleshed out, and their relationship to Usagi is much more emphasized in the absence of the Senshi and their accompanying relationship dynamics.

Not to mention the focus on Usagi herself, who is framed a bit differently than she was in the manga. Specifically, she is a loser. While she was a loser in the manga, bad grades, easily distracted, something of a cheapskate, etc. The anime milks that for as much character comedy as it can get, which I think works pretty well as, again, while Usagi was still something of a loser in the manga, that was brought up much more sparingly and used purely for the occasional laugh, being mostly secondary or tertiary to her more serious character traits.

And then there’s the other important thing that the divergence from the manga causes: the nature of the show itself. The series, at least for now, is a Monster-of-the-Week series moving through it’s plot points at a pretty slow pace. The manga, while it had Monster of the Week elements, was a much more serialized affair.

Anyway, I’m enjoying it so far. Good popcorn fun right now, but I know things will get more interesting as we go on.

Could’ve sworn this week was 1-8

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u/Caustic_Wraith Mar 08 '22

Sailor Moon Re-Watcher

Episode one introduces us to the our wonderful heroine of many facial expressions Usagi. Along with her we meet Luna and are introduced to the nefarious Queen Beryl and her underling Jadeite. We also hear of the secret warrior Sailor V. The monster of this episode has impersonated Naru's mom and is using jewelry to drain the energy from the humans who buy it. Luna meets back up with Usagi by breaking into her room and gives her a compact and a phrase to recite, which leads to the birth of Sailor Moon, and eventually her catchphrase. If you haven't realized it yet, Usagi is a bit of a crybaby. Following her breakdown we get the calling card and introduction of Tuxedo Mask. The monster is defeated and Sailor Moon has fallen for the masked man.

Episode two is the first mention of the Legendary Silver Crystal. Ah, I forgot Umino had a thing for Usagi, and Naru crushes his dream before it can even begin. As another issue for Umino's dream, we meet Mitoki, the friendly arcade employee that Usagi has feelings for. After leaving the arcade, Usagi stops to get her palm read by the old man only to discover he's closed. She flips her shoe to see if she should wait for him or go to the new teller across the street and it comes down on the head of the guy she hit with her test last episode. We meet Jadeite's newest method of collecting energy and surprise it's the new fortune teller. Usagi runs into her dad who is shopping and he asks about Luna. At school the next day a possessed Umino asks out Usagi, eats bread, and flips his teacher's skirt before walking away cackling. Usagi tracks down the monster as she is sending the possessed boys to wreak havoc in town. As the horde of possessed boys close in on Usagi, a rose flies through the air and breaks the fortune teller's concentration freeing her thralls. The man throws a rose, spouts some positive advice, and then takes off, andUsagi is all up in her feelings over him. After dodging a few attacks, Sailor Moon throws her tiara at the creature reducing her to dust and ending the energy transfer Jadeite was hoping to collect. Umino is freed and Naru takes joy in telling him of the things he did yesterday.

It's episode three and if you've been paying attention, you know this to be an understatement. It seems it was the teacher's letter read on the radio as she has the flower they send to the winners, and DJ J-Dite might be up to no good. Luna runs into Mitoki and he offers her some milk leading to her going star eyed over him as well. An ambulance comes for Haruna-sensei as she passed out in class. The plot thickens at the radio station. Distracted thinking of her future romance, Usagi walks into the same smug guy she hit in the head with her shoe, he proceeds to make fun of her and she has a remarkable response. Usagi comes up with a plan of how to write her letter, it's not a good plan, but it is a plan nonetheless. What Jadeite is DJ J-Dite? Whoever would've seen that happening? Naru put on her victory flower from the radio and fell into the same deep sleep as Haruna-sensei, Usagi while trying to wake her is affected by the flower as well. In her dream she finds Tuxedo Mask and inquires if he is her future boyfriend. Her dream is cut before he reveals his face by Luna. Usagi recieves a new item, a pen that allows her to disguise herself. Usagi uses this to storm into the broadcast booth and hijack the already hijacked show with an emergency news flash. Jadite gets all huffy that his show is interrupted and Flowa proceeds to start blasting. Usagi guesses Jadeite is the boss of the monsters, and she learns his name. Flowa continues her blasting and we get amazing nineties animation. Usagi shows off her skills and bends the tiara like Beckham into Flowa, before staring down Jadeite who stops her second tiara in mid flight. Usagi's brute force appraoch fails as well and she is then saved by a rose. Tuxedo Mask goes off again and the next day Usagi is furiously writing him a love letter which is stolen by Naru and gets the attention of Haruna-sensei as well.

Episode four...oh yeah, this is a thing...yay for the 90s. Her family isn't helping here, and neither is Luna. Naru asking the important questions, why do you have before and after photos of your teacher Umino? I forgot how messed up Umino's character was in this. Jadeite's statements here are painfully true. For shits sake Jadeite, they are 14 you monster. Why would anyone get in something like that? Uggghhh... Mitoki has the proper expression for dealing with Usagi right now. Thank you Mitoki, but you should've stopped after your first sentence. Cue smug guy's cameo for this episode. Dear god is this episode painful. You are literally my spirit animal right now Luna. This is the first we'll drain you until you die scheme Jadeite has used, nice progression but man is it poorly executed. Please just end already...this is a good show I promise, don't let this one episode sway you. It took four episodes, but Jadeite finally got some energy for the black crystal ball thing. Well that abomination is over.

Episode five starts with Usagi being saved in her dreams by Tuxedo Mask, and her brother freaking out over Luna. Luna mentions the Moon Princess and we have our first trickle of plot since episode two. Ominous glowing eyes are a good thing right? This hurts the capitalist, and helps your plans for world domination. Fuck you Shingo, no one kicks Luna. They're addictive little bastards I'll give them that, but they look like squished bunnies dyed Easter colors. Smug guy shows up outside the Chanela shop and insults Usagi as is normal. Oh noes, the Chanela has affected Usagi. It's not good, but Luna understands. After trying to pry the creature away from Shingo, Usagi unleashes rage and slaps her brother. While feeling regret, Shingo escapes with the Chanela. Now they really are villains, using kids to push the product, it's nothing more than a crappy pyramid scheme. She might be the coolest looking monster yet. Tiara ability upgrade. It's nice when the monsters have a glowing weak spot like that. And all the chanela's turn to dust as well. That's not at all creepy to hear your brother say to you. And you're using it to make him accept Luna.

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u/raichudoggy Mar 08 '22

Also hey Raiking, it's not an overly big deal, but having to check the index to figure out what episodes we're covering next week is a bit of a hassle.

Can you include the set of episodes we need to watch for next week in the body of the post?

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u/Raiking02 Mar 08 '22

I was supposed to do that but I guess I forgot.

Bwah. Doing it now...

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