Reviews Anime / Sailor Moon Crystal

Third Arc is Completed

So, Third Arc wrapped up recently, if it's really adapting the whole manga it's going to go up to the fifth arc.

As everyone, both people who love it and people who hate it will tell you, Sailor Moon Crystal is VERY faithful to the original Manga as opposed to the 90s Anime which was definitely was not.

I personally love the Sailor Moon Manga and so love Sailor Moon Crystal. In fact most of my complaints about Sailor Moon Crystal are about the few things they DID change from the manga (Though Tuxedo Kamen punching Zoisite in Crystal will forever be hilarious to me). I hear about Crystal's animation being bad....honestly the animation has never really been a thing I care much about and the claims seem exaggerated anyway.

I personally am rather enjoying it though, I think Crystal is really good. It's hard to compare to the 90s Anime because it's just much shorter obviously (39 episodes compared to 127). Just in first 3 arcs, the 90s Anime had bigger highs then Crystal (Nephrite and Kunzite Sub-Arc Conclusions, Season 1 Ending, Battle with Saphir and Demando, Certain episodes in Season 3) but also had lower lows (The Horrible Break-Up arc between Usagi and Mamoru, the Makaiju Arc which I found dull, the seemingly endless filler, The End of Season which is one of the most blatant deus ex machinas I have ever seen) etc.

Crystal is more consistent I would say. It has it's highs (Last few episodes of each season in particular) and it's lows (killing the Shittenou all at once, ....that's about it really). It's quality doesn't ebb and flow as much as the 90s Anime does.

I know a common complaint is that the Guardian Senshi don't do anything or have character which I strongly disagree against. I have read the Manga many many times and there is character development for them and they do in fact do things, it's just these are much more subtle in Crystal due to less time.

The other complaint is that it's somehow against feminism. As a Female Anti-Feminist, I'm sure you can guess how much water that holds with me, but nonetheless I really don't see even from a feminist lense what is so wrong with it. God Forbid Usagi not be a perfect demigoddess that needs no man. (Of course people are also calling Usagi a Mary Sue I don't even know what to make of that).

Overall I rather like Crystal, my only request would be it stick closer to the manga. I am excited for Fourth Arc and am SUPER excited for Fifth Arc (Fifth Arc is my favorite arc in every version). I like it about on par with the 90s Anime, comparing just the first 3 arcs. I also think critics are more vocal then supporters right now, as while I keep hearing about the complaints, I don't think I've spoken to a Moonie that doesn't like....meh.

4/5