DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ActionBishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
ANIME ActionBishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S
MANGA DramaBishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
MOVIE ActionBishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R: THE MOVIE
ONA ActionBishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Crystal

REVIEWS

• 

  infinitely

  78/100
  A good continuation to the classic series - has cooler fights+better antagonists, but also some divisive new teammates

  Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R

  Series experience:
 I read the manga, and saw the first series so far

  Short review: Sailor Moon R is a strong addition to the series, and invests the watcher further into the franchise. With more nuanced antagonists and stronger memorable fight scenes and solo episodes, Moonies will be excited to see the third season after seeing R.

  Full review:

  I tried to make it as spoiler free as possible, but this will spoil the first season

  Sailor Moon R picks up right where the first season left off. The senshi don’t remember each other after returning to normal student life, but we pretty much know they’ll be guardians again soon. The second season is composed of a filler arc and the second arc of the manga, with some changes and a lot of expanded backstories, similar to the first season. Similar to a shonen battle anime, our main cast gets power ups and new enemies, but it basically follows the format of the first arc.

  The filler arc is honestly, not bad, and it wasn’t too long as to make one disinterested in the rest of the series. The two new antagonists, Ail and An (alien haha get it?) are likable and are actually given personalities to make the watcher interested in what happens to them. Though their powers aren’t that different from the villains of the first season, the monster of the week shenanigans they pull give a little more spotlight to the personalities of the inner senshi.

  The new member of the family introduced in the second season is what divides most opinions on the second half of the season, the Black Moon arc. Chibiusa is the new addition to the team, and she is given a lot of spotlight compared to the other senshi. If Usagi can be childish and petty, Chibiusa is that times ten. Having her become such an important character puts off some people. Personally, I also do not like her that much, which is why there were some moments in this season that are hard for me to watch. Fortunately, the other new characters introduced here are interesting and fleshed out enough to make up for this. (I'm sad that Diana is not in this season to accompany Chibiusa too)

  The antagonists are once again given a lot of spotlight, but what sets Sailor Moon R apart from Sailor Moon, is that this time, most of the villains are given more personalities than being evil and manipulated. They are interesting and become important to the senshi even after their big battles. Speaking of the fights, there’s a little shift in tone to the battles, giving them the effect of being grander and more epic than the ones in the first season. It’s great to see the senshi take more action and have more fight in them than before. In any case, having more villains in the Black Moon clan vs. the Dark Kingdom added a sort of variety in the fights with the senshi, and we ended up having more episodes that do not revolve around only Usagi, which is great. I loved the Minako-themed episodes, and of course, the episodes featuring the other senshi are lovely as well. Mamoru and Usagi’s relationship takes a unique turn in this season, which is another subplot that people contend upon a lot, but personally, it shows us more of Usagi’s compassion and Mamoru’s actual concern, which is a nice touch to this arc.

  Similarly to the first season, a lot of the manga’s canon content is crammed into the last seven or so episodes of the anime, but it works better in this season as we already got hints of what the climax of the season would be all about. The characters exclusive to this arc are given satisfactory endings, and the ones we are going to see more of are given enough teasers for us to be curious about seeing them again.

  There isn’t much difference from the first season in terms of animation and music, apart from some cooler looking battle scenes and and new transformation sequences/special attacks - it still holds up for the 90s anime standard.

  Overall, Sailor Moon R keeps the ball rolling, upping the stakes, adding interesting characters, and furthering the lore of the Sailor Moon universe. The first season explored the past lives of the Sailor senshi, but Sailor Moon R opens up a fresh new world our heroines live in. I’m quite excited to watch the next season!

  Plot 7.5/10

  Animation 8/10

  Characters 8/10

  
Overall personal enjoyment 8/10

  Top 3 fave characters (apart from the ones I mentioned in my S1 review)

  Sailor Pluto - her design is just so cool and a lone senshi is just so mysterious, her appearance gives us the notice basically that [there are others] and guardian of the gateway of time and space? what a badass
  Berthier - make way, Elsa ???? she’s so pretty ummmm and I like her dynamic with the senshi and her sisters
  Minako Aino/Sailor Venus - I loved her solo episodes here!! we get a teeny bit of Code Name Sailor V and are reminded that even though she’s similar to Usagi she still is the de facto leader of the senshi. season 1 is kind of a rip off for Sailor V fans because she just gets absorbed into the team oddly compared to the other senshi, but she’s given time to shine here, and shine she does!

  Others: Rubeus, Saphir, Ail, Black Lady (she is…. interesting, to say the least)

  

  Thank you for reading!

  Review for the previous season: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Review

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• 

  KrenZane

  50/100
  Entertainment brainwash pizzazz were insufficient and lackluster to cover its blemishes, simply put

  !! SPOILER-FILLED !!

  ---

  With Sailor Moon R, the franchise has split itself into a sibling of younger age who, although shares characteristics with the elder we're familiar with, fails to fix her problem traits or dress it up with fresher blooms. Watching in an already worn out state (keyword: uni) wore me down further like wear and tear from its stagnant gait when hopes naturally lie on self-improvement in sequels. Instead, hackneyed performances beam glaringly in the eye as I look upon this tree branch so distant to its purpose of birth that the sheer sameness it has with its prequel became a disconnect to the forest of the Sailor Moon series, apart from the disconnect per se that comes from the feeling of this installment not necessarily linking with the expansion of the foundation of its universe. There does not seem to be an overarching narrative because of that; it's like they're slapping on a sibling show rather than evolving its own self. The only new things gathered are the advancement of Usagi and Mamoru's relationship, truly the biggest deal out of all, some additional abilities from the Sailor Soldiers which are still not used to their full potential, and knowledge of the future world which I sorely hope will be utilized in the following sequels for much-needed character development and worldbuilding intrigue. Within 43 long episodes, the positive impacts from what the anime is doing to itself can scarcely be felt, and the episodic runs of recyclable progressions weren't handled with enough entertainment brainwash pizzazz for the deficiencies of its framework to hide under the modern lens.

  It could be argued that the cast, specifically the Sailor Soldiers apart from Usagi, have had their time for glory early on as they gain new special moves during the Makai Tree and the Ayakashi Sisters arcs, signifying a pivotal point, as well as during the final confrontation with the Sisters. However, how do these new colors of strength even manifest after that? Contrary to the tight dependence of Crystal Tokyo on the events of the present, the influence of these specific episodes doesn't really lead anywhere.

  One major issue I had is how the other Senshi were more of a collection of background supports instead of outstanding characters of their own. Their personalities pretty much only stick out during banter and casual scenes. During the many conflicts, each person does not really play a "role" in battle, making the fighting elements much less interesting because of how they're melded into this one unit who have to fail to do their job and find out that nothing works against the enemy in order for the scenes to progress--for a while on Season 1 they did, such as Mercury acting as the brain, Venus being more of a precise fighter, Mars with identifying the enemies and contributing to firepower, and Jupiter being a powerhouse. Meanwhile, in R, all of that was lost, and they all simply used their forces in random succession to throw at enemies instead of being strategic about it, ultimately making it the job of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask to wrap it all up.

  Why couldn't Ami figure out the opponents' weaknesses? Why couldn't Minako use her extensive experience to navigate the situation on the spot? Why do Rei and Mako not deal as much damage to the stronger enemies anymore? Mamoru's rose has done so much more than literal thunder, fire, beams, and a surge of water combined. And I love Usagi a large deal. Elevating her position does me better than the opposite. But in seeing the bigger picture, the gulf is astounding. When the gap is not as wide as it normally is, their shine is a mere glimmer. I sound like a Battle Shounen meathead by focusing on this aspect, but I I believe these are elements that constitute a significant portion of the salient qualities that make combat series naturally entertaining--plus, this season is laden with a ton of combat. And about the Talk no Jutsu strewn all over, it does not really cause this season any further ruin. Although Usagi's final face-off with Prince Dimande and his death by Wiseman were a hot mess, like many other things, the fact that the Prince's mind was changed through (brief) dialogue about love and trust from Usagi's lips shows how the author did not forget to associate this integral moment to the division of ideals of the societal factions in the Neo era--there is justifiable meaning to the chosen conflict resolution method. With this, the clash between love and life and darkness and nothingness as children of humanity is progressed.

  It is so lovely how, after the ordeal between the present and the future, Usagi's love for the world evolves because of her knowing Chibiusa, her own daughter. I've heard that her mere existence is divisive, but I found this little running ball of conflict to pose such an important reminder to Usagi about her own growth as a person. As a future all-powerful queen, as a future wife to a king, as a future creator of new life: as a mother, teenage Usagi needs to have a lot to go through all things considered. Throughout the season her patience and maturity are challenged. She is destined for perilous trials, and her breaking down from it, much like how she lost her will to fight back in Season 1 upon learning that she is Princess Serenity, is an honest portrayal of a realistic human, something which still gives me pleasant sentiments. While Neo-Queen Serenity exudes grace and self-togetherness, we are still stuck with a Serenity that cannot be as reliable yet. Presenting the journey of a protagonist as they did--placing destiny upon her chest and consequently subjecting her to the grueling path towards the eventual ascension of strength she rightfully deserves to be a figure of while falling here and there on the way--is a magic I find special in the Sailor Moon series, and a magic I could not help but cry out to be harmonized by its many other spells.

  Sailor Moon R, for the most part, fundamentally does not feel as different as its prequel, which, in essence, turns itself into something significantly worse. Although it presented another facet of love, introduced Chibiusa into the picture, made villains who are a tad bit better, and made the main story conflict peer over timelines and dimensions on the sky's ceiling and walls with a piercing look, effecting as a true battle against hopelessness, the framework from which found not much improvement made Sailor Moon R appear to stand on an unsteady, crumbling structure. Only right now can I phrase the experience of watching older anime which have evident issues made clearer due to time: it is like arriving at a spot laden with nostalgia (though one you've never been to prior, i.e., armed with anemoia) and finding out overtime that that place is more of a relic than an antique treasure, and the mere wistful existence of the past in and of itself cannot always carry everything, cannot always make rosy the differences in conditions.

  
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