Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal (Season One)

After a chance encounter with a talking cat, 14-year-old Usagi Tsukino is transformed into the superhero Sailor Moon. She is charged with defeating the sinister Dark Kingdom alongside her allies Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus, while also looking for the mysterious Moon Princess and the mystical Legendary Silver Crystal. Along the way she meets the dashing Tuxedo Mask, an enigmatic figure whose motives remain unknown.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal is the 2014 anime reboot based off of the manga series by Naoko Takeuchi. Its first season consists of 14 episodes and features the voice talents of Kotono Mitsuishi, Hisako Kanemoto, Rina Sato, Ami Koshimizu and Shizuka Ito.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal is the most faithful adaptation that’s been produced from Naoko Takeuchi’s seminal manga series. It adapts the original story chapter-for-chapter, using the dialogue and panel work from the first arc as its blueprint. This works wonderfully in order to set the tone and create a consistent pace. Tonally, Crystal is more dramatic than its predecessor and comedy is seldom utilized. At times this hinders the first season, particularly as it hinders character growth, but it also keeps things cohesive. It is also much darker in its imagery and finer plot details, particularly as we see the destruction caused by the enemy. This contributes to a feeling of maturity within the series, thus allowing audiences to take the characters more seriously and increasing the stakes and tension.

The narrative of the first season of Crystal unfolds seamlessly and without interruption or unnecessary subplots, unlike its filler-riddled predecessor. In the first episode, Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon in order to save her friend Naru from a monster. From there, Ami (Sailor Mercury), Rei (Sailor Mars) and Makoto (Sailor Jupiter) are introduced in rapid succession. This moves the plot along at a brisk pace and allows the audience to warm to these characters quicker. Their mission is clear from the onset as well – they must find the Moon Princess and the Legendary Silver Crystal. The Sailor Guardians don’t waste copious amounts of time merely reacting to enemy schemes nor do the villains embark on assignments that only serve to decelerate the plot. The original anime was most frequently caught in a monster-of-the-week storytelling formula that created uneven pacing and saw the introduction of numerous (often inane) villainous subplots. Where it took 34 episodes in the original to reveal the identity of the Moon Princess and the location of the Legendary Silver Crystal, it takes a mere nine in Crystal. This does mean that Crystal benefits from being binge-watched, since it is purposely plotted so that each episode leads into the next and not a second is wasted on filler. By following the manga more closely and through the benefit of retrospect, the first season of Crystal plays out like one long film. This is further emphasized by its explosive (stock footage-free) action sequences and timeless orchestral score.

While Crystal is very faithful to its source text, it also deviates in ways that help the series to feel fresh and new. For instance, many of the hyper stylized comical character reactions have been excised in favour of portraying the characters more realistically. The biggest change though is that the Shitennou are not killed off individually early on in the story. Instead, they survive the attacks lobbed at them by the Sailor Guardians and remain as a unified team until close to the season’s finale. This helps to contrast them against the versions we’ve seen in both the original anime and the live-action, where they were prone to in-fighting and never quite managed to work in unison. Crystal also makes canon the notion that the Shitennou and the Sailor Guardians were lovers in their past lives, which adds an interesting layer to their backstories. Additionally, it complicates matters for the Sailor Guardians. In their past lives they loved these men, but are now forced to do battle against them. Another change, which I found to be less effective, was made to Queen Beryl’s demise. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that I prefer her (rather gruesome) death in the manga rather than the somewhat contrived one she’s given in this series.

While its storytelling is on point, Crystal struggles with character development. On one hand, this series gives us one of the most organic and relatable versions we’ve seen of Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship. Usagi as a character feels much more tangible than other portrayals, as she grows tremendously from the first episode until the season’s conclusion. She’s not a walking caricature who vacillates from comic relief to fierce warrior at the drop of a hat. Similarly, Mamoru doesn’t come across as a one-note character whose sole purpose is to provide pep talks to the lead heroine. He’s a complex and tortured character, but he’s also warm and caring. Since both characters are portrayed more realistically, we’re able to take their relationship more seriously. As you can imagine, the scenes between these two characters are some of the best in the first season. On the other hand, every other character feels tragically underdeveloped. The dialogue and voice work do absolutely nothing to hint at distinctive personalities for the Sailor Guardians. Ami and Minako fare the best. Ami’s intelligence is utilized throughout, while we get to see Minako’s take-charge attitude and a bit of her goofy side. Even still, Crystal would have benefitted from injecting personality into their words and actions. This would mean making Makoto’s lines gruffer and having her be more impulsive in battle, while also emphasizing Rei’s distrust of men (which is mentioned in passing, but not elaborated upon) and playing up her cool girl demeanour. This personality problem is also relevant to the Shitennou. Since they’re given more screentime, it would stand to reason that the writers and producers would make more of an effort to actually flesh them out. Sadly, they don’t. They would have done well to heed Naoko Takeuchi’s character notes for them – Jadeite is the serious one, Nephrite is the emotional one, Zoisite is the manipulative one, and Kunzite is the quiet storm.

The elephant in the room when it comes to Crystal is its animation. Its rushed production seems to have translated into some rather rough work that does the first season absolutely no favours. The characters are so often awkwardly drawn that it makes it difficult to appreciate how good this first season is. It’s unfortunate since the aesthetic of the series is actually very strong and is far more cohesive than its predecessor. The character models are elegant and feminine while the overall look of the show is achieved through pale tones and more detailed settings, all of which help to contribute towards a whimsical feeling. The original anime was notable for featuring numerous animation directors, all of whom had very different styles, thus creating differing quality from episode to episode. Crystal has the same style throughout, but it’s undermined far too often by its aforementioned sloppy animation. As a side note, it also would have benefitted the animators to actually depict the Sailor Guardians with more meat on their bones. Naoko Takeuchi herself said she wished she’d depicted Usagi a bit chubbier and giving them larger frames would have actually fixed many of the awkward poses we see the girls in.

Overall, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal’s first season is massively entertaining and rather addicting to watch. I admire and appreciate its adherence to the manga, as no other adaptation has been this faithful before. It allows wider audiences the opportunity to appreciate Naoko Takeuchi’s hard work on her epic and poignantly romantic first arc. In doing so, Crystal has the best pacing and narrative structure of any other adaptation of Sailor Moon. It also smartly improves upon some of the manga’s weaker points as well. The manga’s rather weak action sequences are elaborated upon and transformed into high octane spectacles, while its quick disposal of villains is ignored in favour of keeping the Shitennou around for a much longer period of time. If I judging Crystal solely on its story, then I’d say that it’s the best adaptation we’ve got thus far. Sadly, its animation and poor character development are glaring flaws that cannot be ignored. The first season is pretty damn good, but it’s also not the best it could have been.

RATING: B+

Review: Sailor Moon Season One

14-year-old Usagi Tsukino is just an average schoolgirl until she discovers that she is Sailor Moon, a superhero who fights for love and justice. With her talking cat Luna by her side, Sailor Moon must battle the insidious Dark Kingdom while also searching for her fellow Sailor Guardians in order to protect the mysterious Silver Crystal from falling into enemy hands.

The Viz DVD and Blu-ray releases for the first season of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, collects the first 46 episodes of the iconic 1992 anime series.

I have been a fan of Sailor Moon for as long as I can remember. I was first exposed to the series in 1995 when it was aired in Canada, dubbed by the now-defunct DiC. I stuck with it through the Cloverway dub, but my obsession and affection for the series wouldn’t fully kick in until I watched (and re-watched) the original series in Japanese with subtitles. Now over 20 years later, I’m getting to re-visit the series thanks to the home releases from Viz Media. This couldn’t possibly be more exciting because this is the first time that the anime has been officially released to English speaking audiences in their native language uncensored and uncut. Not only do the characters get to keep their original names, but the storylines and dialogue appears to be untouched from its earliest state.

Though it initially took me some time to adjust to the new English voice cast, Viz did an excellent job matching the new cast to the original Japanese one. Kate Higgins captures the same sweetness as her predecessor Aya Hisakawa did while portraying Sailor Mercury, Amanda Miller nails the nonchalant tomboyish attitude of Sailor Jupiter just like Emi Shinohara, and Cherami Leigh’s slight husky tone compares favourably with Rika Fukami’s. I also have much praise for Stephanie Sheh, who plays the titular heroine. Unlike her predecessors, Sheh is not shrill or excessively loud. She brings tenderness and femininity to the role that was previously downplayed in favour of a more comedic tone. She’s cute and has moments of hilarity, but never veers into being obnoxious like Kotono Mitsuishi, Terri Hawkes or Linda Ballantyne often did. The actress that really slays it though is Christina Vee as Sailor Mars. She balances the attitude of the character in a way that places her right on par with Michie Tomizawa and Katie Griffin. Of course, I could be biased due to my unwavering affection for Sailor Mars.

For the most part, the anime follows the plot of its source text – the manga written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. Sailor Moon and her allies fight the forces of the Dark Kingdom while simultaneously searching for the Silver Crystal and the Moon Princess. Since the series aired while the manga was still being published, it means that the writers and producers of the series had to come up with new and creative subplots to fill the gap while Takeuchi came up with more material. As such, the series can be broken down into four distinct arcs.

The first arc deals with Usagi’s solo adventures as Sailor Moon, which segues into the introductions of Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars. These early episodes are formulaic and are pretty basic in terms of storytelling. The next arc sees the trio of Moon, Mercury and Mars facing off against the villainous Nephrite as he gathers energy from innocents. This is when the first season finally hits its stride, particularly when it comes to character development. The dynamic between the three protagonists is fantastic, with the feisty Rei constantly sniping at the unreliable Usagi while the diplomatic Ami is stuck in between. This arc is also notable for the development of a tragic love story between Nephrite and Usagi’s best friend Naru. Though it’s intended to be romantic, as an adult I realize that the plotline was actually really forced and that there are parallels to abusive relationships in the dynamic between the two. Admittedly, this arc goes on a little too long. From the time Sailor Mercury is introduced to the time Sailor Jupiter shows up, there are nearly 20 episodes of filler content. As such, the pacing drags a bit and only picks up when the love story between Naru and Nephrite reaches its conclusion.

The fourth arc in the first season features Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask and the Dark Kingdom vying for possession of seven mystical Rainbow Crystals. The devious Zoisite takes over as the lead villain, while Sailor Jupiter joins the cast of protagonists. This section of the season is brisk and fast-paced, while also featuring ample opportunity for character development. We get episodes that focus on Ami, Rei, the new girl Makoto and even Luna. For the most part, these episodes actually deal with introducing potential love interests for our heroines – with varying results. Urawa, Ami’s love interest, is the only one who I felt seemed like a viable option for one of our heroines.

Finally, the series concludes once Sailor Venus joins the cast and the Dark Kingdom scrambles to retrieve the Silver Crystal in order to awaken the evil Metallia. This collection of episodes varies in quality, particularly because it is bookended by important multi-part narratives that push the first season to its finale. There are four episodes where the Dark Kingdom attempt to draw out the Moon Princess, while another four seem to be given randomly generated filler plotlines that do nothing to move the story forward. This makes the final three episodes all the more jarring. Even still, these last three episodes are among the best that the series has to offer. In episode 44, Usagi and the others travel to the Moon to learn about their past. It’s beautifully animated and helps to underline what our heroines are fighting to prevent. The two-part finale, however, serves as a poignant and bittersweet conclusion to the first season. Fan-favourite animation director Ikuko Itō handles the art for episode 45. Her work is nothing short of brilliant. It’s gorgeous, dynamic, comedic and breathtaking.

While on the subject of animation, the caliber varies greatly throughout the first season. Ikuko Itō is the standard with which everyone else is compared. Her style is incredibly expressive and detailed. In addition to episode 45, she also handles the direction for the emotional episode 24 and the hilarious episode 31. Another talented animation director for the first season was Hisashi Kagawa. He was responsible for the introduction of Sailor Jupiter in episode 25 and the Silver Millennium flashback-heavy episode 44. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s Masahiro Andō. His style is far more comedic and simplified, often to the point where characters all look like caricatures and hands look like formless blobs.

For fans of Sailor Moon, Viz Media’s physical releases of the first season are bittersweet. For the first time in years, the series is readily available for purchase on the English-speaking market and allows fans to rekindle their love for the sailor suited guardian of love and justice. Furthermore, Viz did an excellent job re-dubbing the first season in English. The new cast is stellar and the script closely matches the original Japanese version. Unfortunately, these releases are lacking in other areas. The video quality could be better, particularly since diehard fans know that Japanese audiences have been given crisper home releases. The extras and packaging are also bare bones. My biggest qualm, however, is the division of the seasons into multi-part volumes and the ridiculous price tag attached to the Blu-ray releases. The DVDs are far more affordable, but the fact that fans have to pay such exorbitant amounts for an incomplete release is questionable. All 46 of the episodes from the first season should be in one volume and that volume should be the same price as what is currently on the market. Regardless, I’m just happy to be seeing the series be given a more respectful and faithful treatment than DiC and Cloverway did previously.

Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal - Episode 11

After Tuxedo Mask is kidnapped by the Dark Kingdom, he returns brainwashed with a mission to uncover the Sailor Guardians' command centre. Meanwhile, the girls are eager to find out more about the mysterious sword they brought back with them from the Moon.

In "Act 11: Reunion," a brainwashed Mamoru weasels his way into working for Crown Arcade and plays with Usagi's emotions in the process. His newly acquired hypnotic powers make him dangerous, especially since his goal is to manipulate Usagi into telling him where their headquarters are. This evil Mamoru is understandably quite creepy, so it's a relief that Usagi doesn't give into him willingly (since previous versions of the character would have).

Aside from the scenes involving Mamoru and Usagi, this episode gives the other Sailor Guardians some much needed attention. We get to see them in a much more active role as friends and as heroes, which helps to flesh out their personalities. Early in the episode Rei expresses her embarrassment over Usagi's loudness, while later the girls surveil Mamoru at the arcade and interrogate Motoki's friend Reika regarding the matter. Another standout scene involves Sailor Venus dominating the battlefield with her clever whip technique, thus proving she's totally badass. By giving these characters an independent focus, it gives us a better glimpse of who they are and establishes them as heroines we can root for. That said, the glaring issues from previous episodes regarding these characters still stands. They're still relegated to being part of the supporting cast and they're way too easily bested in battle.

After the mess that was "Act 10: MOON," this episode is a breath of fresh air. The pacing is on-point, the characters are well-written and the direction is excellent. While the animation is awkward at times, "Act 11: Reunion" is one of the strongest entries thus far in the series. 

Top 10: Best Sailor Moon Villains

As the saying goes, a hero is only as good as his or her villain. When it comes to Sailor Moon, this billion dollar franchise has one of the most complex and devious rogues' galleries in fiction. This list counts down the ten greatest enemies Sailor Moon and her allies has faced off against over the years across all versions.

10. Vampir (Musicals)

As the primary antagonist in the 2000 Sailor Moon musical Transylvania no Mori, Vampir was the daughter of the famed vampire Dracula. After the death of her father at the hands of Sailor Moon and her allies, Vampir joins forces with a group of demons to exact her revenge on her father's killer.

Portrayed by fan-favourite Hikari Ono, Vampir was a layered character whose character arc revealed her to be more of an antihero than a straight-up villain. Combined with Ono's flawless performance in the role, Vampir has proven to be one of the most memorable creations from the musicals.

09. Nephrite (Anime)

In the 1992 anime Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Nephrite was Queen Beryl's second flunky in charge of collecting energy for the Dark Kingdom. Though he was initially just as manipulative and dangerous as his predecessor, Nephrite fell in love with Sailor Moon's best friend Naru and turned his back on his evil ways.

While Queen Beryl's henchmen were little more than cannon fodder in the manga at the time, Nephrite was an early example of how the anime fleshed out its villains in a creative and interesting way. His evolution from bad guy to good guy marked him as the very first reformed antagonist of the series. Additionally, his death scene goes down as one of the most gut-wrenching moments from the anime.

08. Fisheye (Anime)

As one third of the villainous Amazon Trio in Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon SuperS, Fisheye was a flamboyant cross-dresser who took on female disguises to ensnare his victims. Despite being quite flighty, Fisheye eventually uncovered Sailor Moon's identity and subsequently betrayed the Dead Moon Circus to protect her.

Much like Nephrite, Fisheye is a villain made sympathetic by his reformation. His complexity as a character is to be commended, especially given his status as one of the many queer characters in the series. Whether he's strictly considered a gay man who enjoys dressing in drag or whether he's an early example of a transgender character, Fisheye adds a bit of diversity to an already diversified cast of villains.

07. Zoisite (Anime)

As Queen Beryl's third general, Zoisite is renowned for his narcissism and deceptiveness. Over the course of Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Zoisite plotted the demise of Nephrite and was responsible for nearly killing Tuxedo Mask.

Zoisite had all the makings of the perfect love-to-hate character. From his catty remarks to his manipulative streak, this was one character no one wanted to cross. However, there was a soft side to this thorny villain. His loving relationship with Kunzite was an early example of the anime's groundbreaking inclusion of positive queer relationships.

06. Eudial (Anime)

The feisty Eudial made her debut in Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S as one of the Witches 5. Intelligent and enterprising, Eudial created a variety of weapons to aid her in her quest to find the owners of the mythical Talismans. Unlike most henchmen, Eudial succeeded in her task and proved herself as being more than just a bumbling foot soldier.

There is a lot to love about Eudial. She's smart and sassy, but also quiet tragic. Eudial is alienated by her peers and her loneliness serves as a reminder that villains are not above having their feelings hurt. Due to her clear superiority to the other members of Witches 5, Eudial was singled out and was subsequently killed by the manipulative Mimete to prevent her from completing her mission before the others got the chance to act.

05. Kuroki Mio (Live Action)

As a student and part-time pop idol, Kuroki Mio was a full-time pain in the ass for Sailor Moon in the 2003 live-action television series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Whether it meant lying, cheating or deceiving, she made it her personal mission to do everything it took to destroy the plucky superheroine.

No villain has ever been quite as mean as Kuroki Mio. While most villain were content to duke it out with Sailor Moon on the battlefield, Mio made it personal by nearly destroying Usagi's life outside of her identity as Sailor Moon. Mio was a sociopath through-and-through and was rarely punished for her evil deeds, which just makes her all the more dangerous.

04. Black Lady (Manga)

During the second arc of Naoko Takeuchi's manga, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's future daughter is transformed into the twisted femme fatale known as Black Lady. Since she is so filled with hate and resentment towards Sailor Moon, Black Lady uses the full extent of her dark powers to hurt her.

While Black Lady's characterization is fairly similar across all adaptations, her actions are far more disturbing in its original narrative. Of course, it is also how she transforms back into her former self that makes the character so compelling. Beyond that, Black Lady sets a precedent in the franchise for good girls turned bad. We'd later see this in the musicals and live-action with Sailor Mercury, as well as with Hotaru Tomoe being turned into Mistress 9.

03. Queen Nehellenia (Manga)

Queen Nehellenia was once the self-proclaimed ruler of the dark side of the moon. She was the dark counterpoint to the benevolent Queen Serenity and her resentment towards the people of the Silver Millennium led her to curse them. Though she was sealed away for her deeds, Queen Nehellenia escaped her prison and used her powers to invade the dimension of Elysion before setting her sights on destroying Sailor Moon.

While Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon SuperS is typically viewed as the anime's weakest season, its equivalent arc in the manga is arguably the strongest. Based partly off of Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty fairytale, Queen Nehellenia played the role of the evil fairy whose resentment towards those in power led her to curse a young princess. Her actions in the manga are despicable and she's easily one of the most evil villains Naoko Takeuchi had ever written. It's also worth mentioning that it is Queen Nehellenia who is truly responsible for the Silver Millennium's downfall due to her curse. Maleficent eat your heart out!

02. Sailor Galaxia (Musicals)

As the leader of Shadow Galactica, Sailor Galaxia's goal was to defeat the Sailor Guardians and become the ruler of all. Manipulative and ruthless, Galaxia picked off Sailor Moon's friends one by one and turned them against her. Noted for being the first person Sailor Moon ever truly hated, this flaxen-haired diva proved herself to be a truly formidable foe.

Galaxia appears in a total of seven musicals, making her one of the most frequently adapted foes in this medium. While her characterization remains similar to that of the anime, it is her brilliant mind and innovative schemes that mark her as being at her most interesting. Though she's nowhere near as evil as she is in the manga, Galaxia makes history by resurrecting Sailor Moon's past foes to help her in her mission for universal domination. If that weren't enough, she perfects gloating and mocking as well as rocking out to some of the most badass songs ever from the musicals.

01. Queen Beryl (All Versions)

Thousands of years ago, Queen Beryl was a peasant girl who fell in love with Earth's Prince Endymion. When he began seeing Princess Serenity, she turned to witchcraft to mend her broken heart. She would subsequently join forces with the dark entity known as Metallia to destroy the Silver Millennium. Years later, a resurrected Queen Beryl would return to wreak havoc on those who survived the destruction and became Sailor Moon's very first Big Bad.

Classics never truly go out of style and that really couldn't be more true in Queen Beryl's case. As the most frequently adapted Sailor Moon villain, this evil witch has been a continued thorn in Sailor Moon's side and has proven herself to be the most iconic antagonist from the series. Each version has offered something special and different, so it's difficult to really single out one as being better than the others. Truthfully, Queen Beryl is a boss ass bitch whether she's sitting on her twisted throne or singing duets with Sailor Pluto.

Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal - Episode 10

After the revelation that Sailor Moon is Princess Serenity, the Sailor Guardians travel to the moon to restore the memories of their past lives. On the moon they meet a hologram of the departed Queen Serenity who recounts the story of the downfall of the Silver Millennium. Back on Earth, the Shitennou have covered Tokyo in ice and are ready to battle the Sailor Guardians upon their return.

After the lacklustre execution of the past couple of episodes, "Act 10 MOON" promised to provide the exposition that had been hinted at from the series' debut. Through a narrated flashback from Queen Serenity, we finally get to see a fuller glimpse of life during the Silver Millennium. Sadly, she doesn't tell us much more than what we already know. One of the few revelations made is that Princess Serenity committed suicide after Prince Endymion's death. This is largely implied, which is in contrast to the manga where her death is quite graphic. The impact of her death is largely robbed of most of its meaning due to the rushed nature of the flashback. Unlike in the previous anime, this episode spends very little time on the Silver Millennium and doesn't give us an epic battle that leads to the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. In this case, Crystal does way too much telling and not nearly enough showing.

Once the curtailed sequence on the Moon is finished, the Sailor Guardians head back to Earth where they face off against the Shitennou. This sequence features a brief, but very effective four-against-four battle. A particularly memorable shot depicts Sailor Venus dodging a blast from Kunzite by scaling a wall. Tragically, the confrontation gets abbreviated much like the scenes on the Moon. It is here that Sailor Venus reveals that the Sailor Guardians loved the Shitennou, prompting her team to regain their memories of this fact. With this knowledge, the Sailor Guardians give up the fight out of love for their past loves. The problem with this isn't that they give up, but rather that the writers don't provide enough context for it. Yes they loved these men, but we need to emotionally connect with that to understand why. Once again, it's a case of telling instead of showing.

In previous reviews, I have criticized Crystal for its slow pacing and lack of action. In this episode, it's the complete opposite. The writers rush through the entire episode, jamming a the Moon sequence in with a battle against the Shitennou. The pacing was so frantic that it disconnects the viewer from the content. In other words, the writers needed to spend more time developing life on the Moon and provide viewers with an extended flashback that would have pulled people into that world. Personally, I think it would have been wiser to make the entire episode a flashback and reveal the Shitennou and the Sailor Guardians' connections to one another that way. Sadly, Sailor Moon Crystal is not quite living up to its potential.

Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal - Episode 9

When Tuxedo Mask sacrifices himself in battle, it shocks Sailor Moon into re-awakening as Princess Serenity. This event leads to the emergence of the Silver Crystal and causes Queen Beryl to take drastic actions to secure the illusive jewel.

"Act 9 Serenity -PRINCESS-" picks up where the last episode left off. After a climactic battle against Kunzite, Tuxedo Mask jumps in front of a blast to save Sailor Moon's life. He falls in battle and Sailor Moon transforms into Princess Serenity. For the first time in an adaptation of Naoko Takeuchi's manga, the reveal of Princess Serenity and the Silver Crystal has not been dragged out and happens early on in this series. Ordinarily, this would be a good thing. Instead, it completely deflates the tension and creates melodrama.

This episode follows its corresponding act within the manga so closely that it actually re-creates panels from the source text. This form of tribute should be applauded, especially as these images are actually quite effective when translated to animation. However, this fidelity to the manga also poses a dilemma. This particular chapter in the manga was slow-burning and was a denouement from the previous one, with much of the narrative comprising of exposition and dealing with the aftermath of Serenity's awakening. This works when read, but when animated it's a little dull. The lack of action causes the narrative to drag. In fact, the entire episode is just build-up to the Sailor Guardians travelling to the moon.

Despite the revelations made in this episode, "Act 9 Serenity -PRINCESS" was a bit of a letdown. Its pacing is a mess and is overall a little boring. The animators are also to be chastised for Sailor Moon's transformation into Princess Serenity. It's such a crucial moment and yet it's over in just a few seconds. While this episode should be praised for its fidelity to the manga, it's still too dull and likely should have been condensed and combined with the tenth act of the manga.

Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal - Episode 8

When the Sailor Guardians are rescued by Sailor Venus, they learn that the enigmatic heroine formerly known as Sailor V is in fact the princess they've been searching for. After this shocking revelation is made, it becomes clear that this supposed princess is hiding something.

"Act 8 Minako -SAILOR V-" fully introduces the final member of the Sailor Team -- Sailor Venus. The episode cleverly interprets the character as a veteran to the superhero game who is not quite ready to work with the others too closely. She's hiding something and this mystery helps to heighten the tension in the series. She and her partner Artemis have full access to their memories of the past, whereas the other characters are still very much in the dark. This unwillingness to share the truth with the others makes for an uneasy alliance and Minako's stubborn independence highlights her dedication to her mission.

After stumbling through the past couple of episodes, the writers seem to be back on track with the series. Sailor Venus' portrayal thus far is spot-on and she's potentially being set up as a major player in the events of Sailor Moon Crystal. The mystery surrounding her character raises the sakes, while the final battle and cliffhanger of this episode served to heighten the suspense. Still, there was one glaring fault in this episode. During the fight scene, Sailor Jupiter is randomly able to generate a force field that enables the others to fly around with her. This sudden manifestation of powers went unexplained and created an unusual 'wtf' moment. Other than that, the plot is most definitely starting to thicken.

Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal - Episode 7

After learning that Tuxedo Mask and Mamoru Chiba are the same person, Usagi faces the difficult decision of whether she should keep his identity secret from her friends. Meanwhile, the Dark Kingdom has set their sights on Sailor Moon and are using mind control to encourage the citizens of Tokyo to search for her.

"Act 7 Mamoru -TUXEDO MASK-" picks up right where the previous episode left off. Usagi finds herself in a strange apartment and soon discovers that Tuxedo Mask is really Mamoru. She learns about his past and why he's so determined to find the Silver Crystal. His tragic background is meant to incite sympathy from the viewer, but Mamoru's actions are still questionable. Aside from his creepy behaviour in a previous episode, his asking Usagi to keep his identity secret is suspicious and places her in a very uncomfortable position. It makes it that much more difficult to sympathize with his character. He has nothing to lose from Luna knowing who he is and it's incredibly odd that he doesn't want to ally himself with the Sailor Guardians, despite his obvious affection for Usagi.

As with many of the previous episodes in Crystal, this entry follows the manga's plot very closely (with some minor alterations). As such, it moves the plot along quite nicely and leads to the introduction of Sailor Venus, which acts as the cliffhanger for this particular story. Even still, this episode still feels a lot like filler and the idea of a DVD rental store being popular doesn't translate well for modern audiences. The overall sense the episode leaves is that the first five minutes and the last five minutes were important, while everything in between was just fluff. Sadly, even the confrontation with Zoisite at the end was poorly executed. The Sailor Guardians are taken out almost immediately and Sailor Moon is held by Zoisite. It makes the Guardians seem incompetent and it makes Sailor Moon seem useless for not being able to break free from Zoisite's grip. Thankfully, Sailor Venus breaks up the nonsense of it all with her handy moon-shaped boomerang.

At seven episodes into the series, Sailor Moon Crystal is entering into a holding pattern. Its adherence to the manga's narrative is admirable, but the execution is starting to get a little wonky. By relying more heavily on Queen Beryl's Generals as primary antagonists in battle than the manga did, the Sailor Guardians are rarely victorious and it's typically a last-minute save that enables them to win. It's an unfortunate formula that doesn't match the pacing of the manga. After all, we can't root for the heroines if we know they're going to be defeated after one round of attacks. Still, Crystal is shaping up a whole lot better than the original anime. After all, it took eight episodes just for them to introduce Sailor Mercury in the original anime.

Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal - Episode 6

In a desperate attempt to secure the Legendary Silver Crystal, Queen Beryl's forces hypnotize the citizens of Tokyo and order them to search for the mysterious object. Meanwhile, Usagi struggles to find her place within the team of Sailor Guardians.

"Act 6 -Tuxedo Mask-" serves as the first questionable episode in Sailor Moon Crystal's flawless run so far. The plot itself is riddled with inconsistencies and plot holes. Despite Luna filling the Guardians' in on their mission and her backstory, there's actually not much to this episode. Usagi questions her usefulness and claims that she's 'powerless,' which comes across as being rather odd since we've seen her use her powers offensively before. Another major issue occurs during the climax of the episode. While the rest of the Sailor Guardians are duking it out with Zoisite, Sailor Moon is nowhere to be found. She's shown aimlessly walking around the city, which is puzzling since just moments before she was with the others at the arcade. Of course, there's also the fact that she's surprised that Tuxedo Mask knows who she is when she would have known this from the preceding episode's events.

Truthfully, the episode was a bit of a mess. The animation wasn't quite up to par, there were numerous plot flaws, and the overall narrative felt rushed. Nevertheless, there were some redeeming moments. The Sailor Guardians' battle against Zoisite is a standout moment, particularly since we get to see Mercury using her powers offensively. Another great part of this episode is Sailor V's cameo towards the end. Even still, "Act 6 -Tuxedo Mask-" was a bit of a letdown and felt like filler despite there being the presence of actual plot development.