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themattress · 6 years

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Sailor Moon Story Arcs - Opinion Ranking

My opinions on the story arcs of Sailor Moon from the manga, original anime, and Crystal - and I am discounting the live-action show and musicals because of how different they are.

15. Nehelania (Anime) - Wow. This arc was bad. It has no excuse even existing and has little to do with the rest of the Stars series it’s in - all it does is wrap up all the loose ends the anime team found themselves left with because they couldn’t follow the manga. Chibi-Usa was still around at the end of Super S but she leaves by that point in the manga - best get her out of here in this arc, then! Oh, Sailor Saturn plays a role again in the manga? But we baby-fied her at the end of S and kept Professor Tomoe alive to raise her again! Quick, take her away from him and re-age her! But the absolute worst part of this arc would be everything about Nehelania herself, which not only pisses on her excellently dark characterization and fate from Super S, but tries so hard to make her a sympathetic villain that it crosses into downright patronizing. We are expected to believe that Haruka and Michiru, who were so coldly pragmatic that they were willing to kill a child in order to save the universe, would break down in tears over how oh-so-saaaaaad poor Nehelania’s lonely childhood was!? And that after all the horrible, heinous things she did, Nehelania gets a free pass to Heaven!? Seriously!? Ugh, I really fucking hate this arc. There are no redeeming qualities to it, at all.

14. Stars (Anime) - As the final arc of the anime, you’d expect something big and new and epic, something truly fitting as a conclusion. But nope! It’s just more of the same formula and elements we’ve already seen done before and done better in other arcs, plus stuff that wasn’t done well the first time (more forced angst regarding Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship!), and the largest butchery of the source material to date - Shadow Galactica is the weakest villain group of all when it should be the most formidable, Sailor Galaxia’s entire backstory and motivations are changed for the worse, Chibi Chibi is drastically changed as well to weaker effect, many characters and elements are absent altogether, and the Sailor Starlights go from peripheral characters to main characters, a huge mistake given how horrifically unlikable they all are. And do I even need to bring up the Usagi/Seiya “romance”? Most notably, after a drawn-out and boring finale, it just ends on a mundane kiss between Mamoru and Usagi. That’s fine for a season finale, but for the whole series? Weak, just like the whole damn arc.

13. Dark Kingdom (Crystal) - What a disappointment this was. A new Sailor Moon anime that is more faithful to the original manga, and it looks like shit! But even putting the animation aside, this arc’s big problem is that it didn’t know whether it did want to be truly faithful to the manga, or if it wanted to veer off into its own direction. And as a result, they try to play it both ways, to have their cake and eat it too, and it just doesn’t work. Maybe it could have worked if they had spread the arc across the 26 episode order they had, allowing them time to flesh things out. But instead, they kept things the same length as the manga, splitting the 26 episodes between the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon arcs...to the detriment of the former.

12. Black Moon (Crystal) - The second arc of Crystal was better than the first, if only by a margin instead of a mile. This would mainly be because this time around the staff decided to just stick to the manga exactly rather than try to have their cake and eat it too like before. There might be minor alterations here and there, such as giving the originally evil-to-the-end Prince Demande a more “redemptive” death (more in line with how he became known in the anime and musicals), but for the most part it’s scene-for-scene accurate. It would rate higher if not for the continued problem with the animation, which looks incredibly stiff and restrictive.

11. Dreams (Anime) - A 39-episode arc, and how many episodes are truly relevant to the plot? 15. So yeah, that’s a big problem right there. Other problems include the overtly light and childish tone, overfocus on Chibi-Usa at the expense of everyone else, and the demeaning power upgrade for Sailor Moon that means she has to rely on Pegasus in order to get anything done. It’s not all bad - the villains are great, and the 6-part finale is excellent. But on the whole, it was clear at this point that Ikuhara needed to just go make Utena already.

10. Infinity (Anime) - The first half of this arc was pretty damn solid. The new trio of Sailor Uranus, Neptune and Pluto was interesting, Chibi-Usa’s return as Sailor Chibi-Moon was late but still welcome, the dark undertones and Holy Grail mythology were done perfectly, and we had two of the best villains the anime has ever had in Professor Tomoe and Eudial. But things go off the rails along with Eudial’s car, with Infinity Academy, Hotaru Tomoe / Sailor Saturn, Mistress Nine and Pharaoh 90, the rest of Witches 5, Sailor Pluto’s belated death, and even a resurrected Kaolinite all thrown in haphazardly, causing the pace to crumble and the quality to decline. It all ends with an almost incomprehensible finale, which is followed by two more episodes even though the main conflict has already wrapped up! The arc even ends on the exact note that the manga’s Black Moon arc did, which just further hammers home what a mess this all was. Many people think S was the best season, but sorry, I just can’t agree.

9. Dreams (Manga) - While certainly better structured than the Dreams arc of the anime, I can’t help but find the Dreams arc of the manga to be its weakest. Not only is a chapter short of what the two arcs before it and the arc after it were, but aside from further character development for the main characters, there wasn’t much to offer compared to all the other arcs. The Dead Moon Circus was the weakest villain group in the manga, the twist of the Amazon Quartet being pre-destined Sailor Senshi who were brainwashed was weak and took away from their characters, Helios is one of the least memorable characters the series has to offer, and the whole Elysian, mirror, fairy tale mumbo-jumbo was just weird and didn’t quite fit with the usual tone. Again - better than the anime, but it still feels almost as much like filler.

8. Dark Kingdom (Manga) - The first arc of the original manga, and originally all that Naoko Takeuchi planned to make. It’s a pretty solid story, with a tragic Romeo and Juliet-style background to the reincarnation romance that’s at the center of it, and retroactively becomes even stronger with the full Sailor V manga attached to it. The main downside is the lack of strong characterization for the characters who aren’t Usagi and Mamoru . Of the Senshi and Shitennou, only Sailor Venus and Kunzite receive any significant development. The cats, Luna and Artemis, and the main villain, Queen Beryl, are also portrayed fine. But the rest of the Senshi and Shitennou, not to mention the entire supporting cast, are all very thinly drawn and don’t leave much of an impact. If you aren’t invested in the central romance, then you’re probably not going to get much out of this story arc. But I still think it’s fine as a debut outing.

7. Stars (Manga) - The final manga of the arc. Unlike its anime counterpart, it is a fitting, epic conclusion to the series, with Sailor Moon fighting a fierce war against the forces of Shadow Galactica, losing all her loved ones in the process, and being taken all the way to the source of all life in the universe, the Galaxy Cauldron, and her ultimate enemy, Chaos. The main problem with this arc is that, at only 10 chapters, there are so much new characters and ideas packed into it and not enough time for them to breathe and have the full impact that they should. Toward the end, things get downright confusing. But the emotions still come across very clearly, and an emotional send-off to Sailor Moon is really all I could ask for.

6. Makai Tree (Anime) - Now this is how you do a “filler arc”. For starters, it’s not entirely filler since it bridges the gap between the anime’s Dark Kingdom and Black Moon arcs. It’s also the perfect length - 13 episodes - with very clearly defined beginning, middle and end sections. And lastly, the villainous duo of Ail and En are great characters, walking the line between being credible threats and being goofy, and their development in having to learn what love really is and see the error of their selfish ways is very well-done and touching. The only real problem is the Moonlight Knight, who is just plain irritating. Tuxedo Mask he ain’t.

5. Infinity (Manga) - Magic and space have been part of Sailor Moon from the beginning, but science, a natural compliment to them, had been largely absent outside of Sailor Mercury’s skills. Takeuchi changed that with her third arc, where a science academy was the chief antagonists, with their plan mixing magic and a distant galaxy for good measure. Add to this the introductions of all the rest of the Sailor Senshi - Uranus, Neptune and Saturn - and we have one of the manga’s best arcs. In fact, the manga arguably reached its peak right here.

4. Infinity (Crystal) - Why is the Crystal version above the manga’s even though it’s basically the same? Because it has 13 episodes as opposed to 10 chapters, which means that the story and characters get more time and expanded depth. And with the animation finally looking good thanks to Chiaki Kon, this stands as the definitive version of the Infinity arc.

3. Black Moon (Manga) - This arc is the best one in the manga, IMO - it’s when Takeuchi really came into her own when it came to plotting, with a story that’s more interesting and less generic than the previous one. And in a manga where only one or two villains per arc tend to be really fleshed out, this arc has four - Demande, Safir, Rubeus, and Esmeraude - who feel like full characters with real depth, history and motivation behind them. It also uses the concept of time travel well, which is very hard to do. Add to this some good character development for the main characters, a heroic death that isn’t reversed by the end, and a truly intense final battle, and you have the arc that really proved Sailor Moon’s staying power.

2. Black Moon (Anime) - It was a really close call between the Black Moon arc of the manga and the Black Moon arc of the anime. But despite the three big shortcomings of the anime version (a lack of the titular Black Moon, that horrendous Usagi/Mamoru break-up subplot, and the notorious dinosaur filler episode), I feel the three big improvements it made over the manga make up for them. First of all, it actually keeps Sailor Mars, Mercury and Jupiter around for the entirety of the arc and allows the ensemble dynamic that made the series such a hit to stay in place. Second, I prefer the way Chibi-Usa’s development is handled and concluded here, with the big climactic moment not relying on Sailor Pluto and instead putting the focus where it be should be, on her parents Usagi and Mamoru. Finally, while a lack of Nemesis is a shame, the Black Moon Clan and their Malefic Black Crystal actually making it to Tokyo in the present day for the finale actually ups the stakes dramatically - it’s not just the future in danger anymore, but everything and everyone the Sailor Senshi hold dear right now. The manga may have peaked with the Infinity arc, but the anime definitely peaked here.

1. Dark Kingdom (Anime) - To my dying day, I will always maintain that Sailor Moon was never better than it was in its original anime arc. The show’s first season took Naoko Takeuchi’s concept for the manga, which was being serialized co-currently with the anime, and perfected it. The writing, the pacing, the atmosphere, the characters, the music, the animation - just about everything is excellently pulled off. Oh, and the arc’s finale puts the manga’s to shame, being dark, gut-wrenching, heartfelt and powerful in all the right ways.

This moment right here? It can never be topped.

#Sailor Moon #Opinion #Analysis

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maboroshiwatch · 5 years

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Episode 61 - Huge Shock for Usagi! Mamoru Declares a Break Up

Abbey

poor usagi, not gonna be able to touch a cute dude's butt

oh man it's the sweatsuit

Jess

IT'S SO HIDEOUS

HIS FASHION SENSE

IT'S THE WORST

Abbey

so hideous

but they're so cute

Jess

yes :)

Abbey

THEY'RE KISSING, CATMOM

let them kiss a little!

usagi deserves some kisses

Jess

aww, chibiusa...

Abbey

poor chibiusa

Jess

AGAIN REVERSING IT

Abbey

WEIRD

Jess

THAT SHE SAYS PAPA FIRST IS RELEVANT.

awww, mamoruuuu.

Abbey

such a good dad!

Jess

that he got down on her level for her

Abbey

AWWWWWW

Jess

and was so gentle

awwwww

awww the way he's holding her is sweet.

Abbey

so cute

usagi is PISSED

Jess

HAHAHA usagi. jealousy ain't cute.

HAHAHA CHIBIUSA

SUCH A FUCKSHIT

Abbey

no, he's your DAD

oh usagi

Jess

usagi!!

hahaha

i feel like

Abbey

USAGI!!!

Jess

for chibiusa

Abbey

because it's CUTE, chibi-usa

she must be so lonely, poor kid

Jess

this is, you know? appropriate. she's a little girl. that's little girl behaviour.

yeah :(

this show is so full of lonely girls...

Abbey

and she has no one! just luna-p (is that her name?)

haha usagi hasn't introduced her boyfriend

whoops

Jess

the problem is that a lot of viewers mistake it as a mutual thing, when mamoru is always appropriate with her. :/ he just recognizes she's a little girl, and takes care of her like she's a little girl

Abbey

they both look SO WORRIED

Jess

AWWW YOU POOR FUCKIN KIDS

yeah luna-p. which is a ROBOT. so...

Abbey

yeah, it's not creepy! it's just very appropriate and caring

jerk-brother haha

Jess

she also has sailor pluto, which is mega sweet; you'll see later

yeah :)

haha

oh mannnnn

UH OH

Abbey

wonk

uh oh

poor chibiusa

Jess

chibiusa calles sailor pluto Pu-chan, like the element for plutonium. SO CUTE.

uh oh

Abbey

wonk

Jess

hypno-brella

Abbey

even catmom for a second there

dang catmom

dang

Jess

hahaha chibiusa's grin

TUNED HER FAMILY AGAINST HER

Abbey

what a brat haha

Jess

hahaha

Abbey

she's such a brat, similar to the ways usagi is a brat, haha

Jess

yay crystal tokyo~

hahaha it's true. usagi doesn't really see that tho

Abbey

i can see why they're butting heads though! they are so alike in a lot of ways

Jess

yeeeep

Abbey

GO AWAY, JERKS

GO FIX YR MAKEUP AND FUCK OFF

Jess

oh no mamoru :(

Abbey

STOP TRYING TO FUCK WITH USAGI AND HER LOVED ONES

oh no mamoru

Jess

AND THE FIRST PERSON HE WORRIES ABOUT IS USAGI

ALSO

HE'S CALLING HER USAKO NOW

Abbey

awwwww

Jess

EEE

OMG THAT WAS SO CUTE

Abbey

i know! so cute

awww usagi.

Jess

awww :(

mamoru that is not how you solve this problem.

Abbey

omg poor usagi is so confused

that is not a good solution

poor usagi

cuties you are not enough to take away the tears in my eyes

Jess

INAPPROPRIATELY TIMED CUTIES LOVE TIMING THEMSELVES INAPPROPRIATELY

Abbey

haha they really do

my reaction is more like "cuties. :("

Jess

poor usagi :(

Abbey

awww girls

Jess

minako, that is not really the kind of dude he is...

AMI.

AMI KNOWS WHAT'S UP

lol

EXAMS

Abbey

AMI

haha

awww ami! you so cute

Jess

awww, REI!!

OMG THIS IS SO CUTE

Abbey

geez i just want all these girls to be my girlfriends haha

awww this is v sweet

oh no

Jess

haha i understand

Abbey

usagi

Jess

oh, usagi :(

Abbey

omg usagi

you are breaking my heart

OH USAGI

Jess

oh god

Abbey

her face.

Jess

you can see how this is hurting him too, right?

Abbey

yeah, i can!

Jess

like omg don't make me say it again this sucks

Abbey

this is just breaking my heart for both of them

Jess

*heavy sigh*

Abbey

and her face

Jess

oh god. usagi's face...

usagi...

Abbey

OH!

USAGI.

Jess

:'(

THE WAY HIS HEAD DARTS OVER WHEN HE HEARS HER CRY

Abbey

poor kids.

i know

Jess

you poor kids :(

Abbey

like everything about that

Jess

JUST TALK TO HER ABOUT IT

Abbey

was heartbreaking

Jess

SHE IS FUCKING SAILOR MOON

Abbey

i'm crying.

Jess

SHE CAN FIX ANYTHING

oh god :(

Abbey

her love saved everyone

OMG

Jess

oh no… :'(

Abbey

USAGI

Jess

usagi… :(((

Abbey

THAT WAS HER FIRST THOUGHT

AND NOT ABOUT HERSELF

IT WAS "I'M SORRY MOM"

Jess

that's our usagi… :(

Abbey

YOU ARE DESTROYING ME

Jess

PLEASE SELL MY EVIL COSMETICS

Abbey

OH SHIT YOU DO NOT FUCK WITH THE SACREDNESS OF MAKEUP

I'M GONNA FUCK YOU UP

IF THE GIRLS DON'T FIRST

Jess

BUT

HOW FUCKING AMAZING IS THIS, REGARDLESS

THIS SHOW

Abbey

YES

Jess

WEAPONIZED FEMININITY ON ALL SIDES

ughhhh usagiiiii

i just want to give her such a hugggg

Abbey

i wanna hug all of them

Jess

yes

but usagi the most right now :(

Abbey

yes, agreed

oh poor usagi

oh no

Jess

OH MY GOD

Abbey

oh usagi.

Jess

Abbey

usagi

that's right

USAGI I LOVE YOU

Jess

Abbey

FUCK YEAH YOU TELL HER

GO CATMOM

CATMOM YOU SO BRAVE

SHE'S GONNA KICK YOUR ASS

SHE DON'T NEED YOUR MAKEUP. SHE'S GOT POWERFUL TRANSFORMING MAKEUP

Jess

lol

Abbey

you're telling her about your plan

GAH

Jess

PUT ON HEAVY MAKEUP

hahahaha

Abbey

oh no

OH NO

poor catmom!

Jess

omg catmom flattened

:((((((

Abbey

OMG

Jess

DON'T COME HERE

Abbey

Jess

NOT WHEN YOU ARE BREAKING USAGI'S HEART

THAT ISN'T FAIR

Abbey

NOT FAIR

Jess

Abbey

oh usagi, you are so strong <3

omg

haha

Jess

i'm making a face like i just smelled something REALLY BAD and it's making me sad

LOL OMG WHAT EVEN

OH MY GOD

WHAT

Abbey

drawing on her EYES

good work usagi

Jess

...:(

Abbey

you two

Jess

COLD.

Abbey

the way she's standing

and her hopeful face

and his hand

Jess

yes

Abbey

and just everything about this

SHE IS NOT WEAK

Jess

A WEAK GIRL IS THE LAST FUCKING THING THAT THAT GIRL IS

Abbey

and he couldn't even look at her

Jess

yeah :(

coudln't make himself say it to her face

oh god

usagi...

Abbey

omg usagi

Jess

*heavy sigh*

Abbey

you are so strong. stronger than anyone realizes or gives you credit for

so strong and selfless and BRAVE

Jess

haven't these two been through enough already? it just isn't fair.

Abbey

NOT FAIR

JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY

otome no policy isn't enough to make me happy right now

i'm gonna need ice cream

Jess

understood. :(

Abbey

also i am going to have to fix my makeup. :(

Jess

you are going to have one hell of a time with the last season, honey...

Abbey

awwww

Jess

oh no ami… :(

Abbey

ami :( :(

Jess

AMI EPISODE THO. MEANS I GET A LOT OF MAKO. (have you noticed how they are usually shown on screen together in group shots even, yet? like when all of the girls are together, ami and mako are usually shown next to each other)

abbey needs to fuck up the black moon clan because they messed up her eyeliner

hehe

Abbey

yeah exactly

AND my mascara

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