I first heard about the new anime two years ago and promptly lost my shit. It was exciting enough for me as a fan when they re-released the manga in English enabling me to read the entire series from start to finish. Then new merchandice started trickling in. Suddenly, instead of my choice of over priced dolls on ebay from the original anime to pick from, I had my choice of a big wide wonderful world of new stuff.
I'd watched the live action, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, back when it aired in 2004 and liked it enough. It took the show in some interesting directions but it was nothing compared to the master piece that was the anime. Sailor Moon Crystal was everything I hoped it would be: awesome animation, new and improved music, and a more faithful adaption of the manga.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and hopefully seeing some awesome manga moments come to the screen: Venus's sword, the flashbacks to the Moon Kingdom, and Usagi's wand lengthening into a big staff in her final fight with Beryl. There were some things about the anime I did not like: the mouths are funny, I don't like the new design of Jedite (although it was not as bad as the stupid wig the poor guy had to wear who played him in the live action...)
One thing I loved, loved, loved about the new anime was its theme song Moon Pride. I know a lot of people were disappointed they did not go with Moonlight Destiny but I'm glad they did something new and took a risk. The song is awesome. I particularly like the bit that says "We are not helpless girls who need men's protection!"
FUCKING.AWESOME.
Seriously...we need more shows like Sailor Moon that have messages like that for little girls. I have a little girl now and I get pissed off in the shops when I see spider-girl costumes that come with a tutu. Spider-girl does NOT wear a tutu so why is there one on this stupid outfit!?! Does everything for girls have to be cute? Don't get me wrong I love buying cute stuff for my daughter but girls can sometimes want to kick butt too and you can't do that in a tutu.
Which I guess does bring up a point about Sailor Moon's outfit being super impractical for fighting crime...hahaha...yeah, that's true, but the bit about them not needing men's protection is still awesome. I love how Sailor Moon is not always brave, she falls and gets hurt, but gets up again and defeats the bad guy. And then goes for ice cream.
Side note: if I was going to be a super hero I would have the Pink Ranger's costume from the first season. It's the most practical female super hero costume ever: it has a helmet to protect your head, it's pink, light weight, has sensible fighting boots and a little skirt. It's a little bit sexy while being light weight enough to do back flips in and ride a motorcycle too and from crime. I've always hated how female super heroes (yes even Sailor Moon) are always made to have really sexy outfits when in reality the last thing you want to do is fight crime in a mini skirt and go go boots.
Some of the comments about Sailor Moon Crystal on the internet made me roll my eyes. I hate the people who think that everything should send a positive message to kids. People think that Usagi is too skinny now and complained that unlike in the manga and original anime she did not have a bit of toast in her mouth as she ran out the door on the way to school. I read one comment that said if she'd be shown with the toast it would have sent a positive message to kids about the importance of eating breakfast.
Oh for god's sake. Pull that stick out of your butt and just enjoy the damn show.
Then there were complaints about Usagi being made to stand outside her classroom door for being late (HOW WILL SHE IMPROVE IN HER STUDIES?!?) and her mother kicking her out of the house for an afternoon for failing a test (SHE IS ONLY FOURTEEN WHERE WILL SHE GO?) In answer to the last one, she was kicked out for an afternoon, not forever. Jesus. Lighten up. Take a breath.
There were comments about Tuxedo Mask walking around in a tuxedo. Yeah, granted, he's not trying super hard to get his identity a secret and Usagi is a bit dumb to not connect the dots sooner. But I get annoyed when people call him a pedophile for his relationship with Usagi. Yes, she is fourteen, but the age of consent in Japan is 13 and Tuxedo Mask is supposed to be 16-18 in the manga. The age difference between them is not that extreme.
I hope their relationship is shown in a more flattering light in this new anime than in the last one. In the manga they have a really healthy sex life and it'd be great if they show that in later seasons tastefully. The manga also showed that they had an interest in each other before they found out about their past lives. The anime sometimes made it come across that they were only together because they were in the past and had to remain together or else Chibi-Usa would not exist one day.
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