FIGHTING EVIL, BY MOONLIGHT! WINNING LOVE BY DAYLGHT! NEVER RUNNING FROM A REAL FIGHT, SHE IS THE ONE NAMED SAILOR MOON!

YO.

Lemme just say that reviewing the new Sailor Moon movie is an HONOR.

I’d like to dedicate this review to Childhood Me; her endless obsession with Sailor Moon + her power of love and justice finally came to purpose. She was my first, my favorite anime and she will always hold a special place in my heart.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal follows the storyline of the Sailor Moon Crystal reboot; I actually haven’t been watching that one, but I have been watching the new dub of the original 90’s version. So far, it doesn’t look like the story is completely different, mostly the animation. However, according to the Sailor Moon Crystal Wikipedia page, the reboot scraps a lot from the original and is a more “faithful adaptation to the manga.” The two part film takes the whole Dark Moon Circus arc + turns it into a two part movie. Which, can be a good thing and a bad thing, depending on what details you’re looking for.

Part I centers around Sailor Moon, or Usagi Tsukino, and her friends Ami (Sailor Mercury), Rei (Sailor Mars), Makoto (Sailor Jupiter) and Minako (Sailor Venus), getting to know each of their dreams + what they desire in life after their viewing of a solar eclipse that brings in a new enemy known as the Dark Moon Circus. Part 1’s B-side story centers on Usagi’s future daughter, Chibiusa (Sailor Chibi Moon; who came back to the past back in the Witches 5 season before) and how she comes face to face with a Pegasus who seeks her help. It also includes Usagi’s future husband + partner Mamoru, who comes down with a strange condition that may be deadly.

Part II brings in outer Sailor Scouts, Haruka (Uranus), Michiru (Neptune) + Setsuna (Pluto), who join the fight with Hotaru (Sailor Saturn) to help the OG Sailors defeat the Dark Moon Circus + their leaders Zircon + Queen Nehelenia in their universal domination.

Personally, I was excited because I didn’t get to see the end of the Dark Moon arc when I watched it as a kid. Back then, my regular Sailor Moon viewing was from buying VHS tapes + DVDs with like 5 or 6 episodes on it. In fact if I’m remembering correctly, my first ever watch of Sailor Moon was borrowing a tape from the LIBRARY of all places. And anyone remember Blockbuster? How old do we feel right now? Or… is it just me?

I’m re-watching it now on Hulu and I still haven’t gotten there, I do remember reading some of story in the manga tho, but that was again…back into time…

*looks off into the distance*

Anyway, because I’m a fan, I don’t feel there’s a lot I can say without accidentally spoiling it. I grew up with the English dubbed Cartoon Network cut, which they never got to complete, so I felt a lot of questions were answered that I’d like to talk details. Especially since the original author of the manga, Naoko Takeuchi, was involved in the process as chief supervisor of the movie’s production.

Definitely check out Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal: The Movie now on Netflix if you haven’t already!

First off…IT WAS AMAZING. The way my inner child connected with this movie I- (teary)…don’t look at me.

But seriously, I loved seeing the whole team united together, I loved seeing characters I’d only seen in pictures and manga, I never was able to watch Sailor Moon from beginning to end; and this was a great experience all in one. I’d always adored the overall celestial roots that the show invoked in story and this film was no different. There’s theme of fear and how it blocks your dreams, the insecurities that come when you have a big purpose or when you have to be a leader, talking about other worlds on planets and protecting the light of the earth. Isn’t that deep af for an anime about a 14 year old goofball girl in a pleated skirt? I swear you have to have soul to watch this shit.

Like Sailor Moon Crystal, the animation in the movie is updated; a 2D-3D mix, kinda like how old Disney movies used to. You remember watching Aladdin and seeing the animation of the cave of wonders? And how it was different than the 2D animated people? It’s almost like that, with a dash of the strange pattern visual from Chowder.

That being said, remember what I said about details? Well, there’s a a lot of it. Plenty of story, names, details, the whole shebang. And for this movie they mashed up a whole season- which in the original was damn near 40 episodes- into two 81 minute long parts. So there were a few times that I felt like the pacing was…different. Moments where it felt it was stagnating in one place but then moving too quickly in another. It wasn’t enough to stop me from enjoying the film, but it certainly is something that stood out when I you think about the cons. But according to the Sailor Moon Crystal Wikipedia page, that pacing is something that also stands out to critics.

NOW FOR SPOILERS!!! (Exit the chatroom now, please.)

I was VERY excited for Sailor Saturn, who I rarely see except for at the end of the Witches 5 arc, so the anime nerd in me was satisfied. I didn’t get to see her much, but she ended up being a favorite of mine just by her overall mystery. Very strong, but viewed more from her alter-ego, Hotaru Tomoe, who was more timid + sickly. I remembered that she was reborn at the end of Witches 5 as a baby, but I didn’t know if Sailor Saturn ever returned after that.

Okay, I gotta say it… HARUKA, MICHIRU + SETSUNA ARE MARRIED? THEY’RE A THROUPLE?!? IS THAT EVEN CANON?

Forgive my shock, but in the original 90’s Japanese anime, I remember it was known that Michiru + Haruka were a couple; I also remember, in the English dub, they were “cousins,” which wasn’t even believable because of how affectionate they were, despite no kissing. However, while Setsuna later came into the picture as a regular, her being involved with them romantically was never said. Ever. But the film specifically highlights this showing the three women each with their own wedding ring!! Holy shit. I’m here for it.

With Naoko’s involvement, I wonder if the coming out of more polygamist throuples encouraged her to finally be open with that choice. I could be wrong, but I doubt that wasn’t her intention back then because of how close Setsuna was to the two of them. But who in the hell was talking about polygamy in the early 90’s? It just makes sense when you put puzzle pieces together.

I finally got to see what happened with the Amazoness Quartet. In the OG 90’s version, the Amazon Trio came first but their souls were whisked into protection by Helios in his Pegasus form after their death. In Sailor Moon Eternal, they’re used as dark ploys to lure in each OG Sailor Scout in vulnerable moments of insecurity and fear. Remember, they’re teenagers, they can easily drown in those deep, dark emotions. I appreciated them reverting everyone back to their original genders, cause you know how America is so sensitive about sexuality. bUt WhAt aBoUt tHe ChILdReN?? Just stop.

Finding out the Quartet were Sailor Chibi Moon’s future team brought everything full circle. I had no idea, I was tearing the fuck up. Seriously this shit is deeeeeep and so damn detailed. Please please please please I pray they continue to the Sailor Stars. I’ve only read about that season online or seen a couple clips on Youtube in Japanese and I can’t take it anymore, I NEED IT. Childhood satisfaction, sue me. (IT’S ON HULU IN THE 90’s ANIME!! *cries*)

Y’all… I hope Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal: The Movie gave you the feels as much as it did for me. SUCH A TREAT. Thank you Netflix. Thank you Naoko.

And thank you Sailor Moon. You were my first feminist. You’ll always be number one to me.