Sailor Moon Crystal Recap: Act 1- Usagi- Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon Crystal is a new adaptation of the beloved graphic novel series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi. The first animated adaptation of the property aired in its home country of Japan from 1992 to 1997, spanning a total of five seasons. As Sailor Moon, it was partially broadcasted in the United States from 1995 to 2000. The new series is being broadcast all over the world online through sites like Hulu, Crunchyroll, Nico Nico, and Neon Alley. New episodes are being released every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. The Lunafix will faithfully recap the episodes on Sunday as long as I don’t sleep through my post deadlines.

Naoko Takeuchi/PNP, Kodansha, Toei Animation, Hulu

In Act 1- Usagi-Sailor Moon, we are introduced to fourteen year-old Usagi Tsukino. Arriving late to class and earning a failing grade all within her first few minutes on screen, our heroine is quickly shown to have a bit of an underachieving streak. It’s not hard to question Luna’s judgement, then, when she gives Usagi a magic compact and the magic words that transform her into Sailor Moon. In case you didn't know, Luna is a talking cat with a crescent moon patch on her forehead. She’s on a mission to assemble a team of guardians that will help her find and protect a missing moon princess. In this first episode, Luna doesn't reveal much information about the moon princess or herself really. We just have to go with it like Usagi who has reluctantly accepted her role as a sailor-suited guardian.


Luna’s plans to locate the princess are complicated by a shady cult-like group stationed on Earth in search of the Legendary Silver Crystal. The mysterious group sends one of its creepy foot soldiers to OSA P Jewelry Store where said monster proceeds to take the identity of the shop’s owner. Upon receiving the magical compact, Usagi sets out as Sailor Moon in the middle of the night to OSA P where her best friend Naru Osaka has been cornered by the creepy monster. Naru is particularly vulnerable in this case because the monster is impersonating her mother, the shop owner. To rescue her best friend, Usagi has to face the monster and a horde of possessed shoppers. Seeing how she is a fourteen year old with no viable crime fighting skills, she breaks under pressure and begins to cry.

Naoko Takeuchi/PNP, Kodansha, Toei Animation, Hulu

To Luna’s credit, the Sailor Moon suit has a neat feature that makes use of Usagi’s crybaby nature. The red clips in her hair buns amplify the sound of her voice and produce supersonic waves when she cries. The waves distract the horde long enough for Luna to do her job and teach Usagi a useful, life saving skill. It turns out the tiara that adorns Usagi’s head can be used as a weapon. Calling out the command “Moon Tiara Bommerang!,” Usagi tosses the tiara at the monster and proceeds to save the day. The monster basically explodes after the attack instantly releasing the entranced shoppers. Vanquishing monsters is apparently easier than passing English. Go figure.

During the scene in the jewelry store, another character comes into play. The dashing Tuxedo Mask pops in for a brief second for seemingly no reason at all. He witnesses the events that take place in the shop and offers some words of encouragement. After things cool down, he flies away like a shimmering, tuxedoed butterfly. Unfazed by the mysterious stranger's get up that includes an oversized masquerade mask, a top hat, and a cape, Usagi deems him crushworthy. We’re left with a parting shot of Sailor Moon looking off into the distance dreamily.

Knowing that this new adaptation is supposed to follow the the plot of the graphic novel more closely, I’m surprised how by similar Act 1: Usagi- Sailor Moon is to first episode of the first series, The Crybaby: Usagi’s Beautiful Transformation. Some sequences almost feel like shot for shot remakes. I understand and accept where the similarities are coming from. Both episodes are very faithful to the first chapter of the comic. So much so, it makes me wonder why anyone ever decided to launch SMC as a re-telling when there is plenty of demand for brand new stories.

Naoko Takeuchi/PNP, Kodansha, Toei Animation, Hulu

Tonally, SMC is more serious and doesn’t employ the comedic devices that made SM so charming. Now, I’m not saying that a serious SMC couldn’t work. The source material can be plenty dark and there are plenty of beautifully executed, serious story arcs in SM. I wonder if maybe this time around, the animators are so focused on making their product visually stunning and unique that they are letting certain elements fall by the wayside.

Take for example the soundtrack. SM’s discography, featuring a spectrum of jazzy compositions and early 90s power chords, was lovingly made and paired with the animation. The SMC soundtrack, on the other hand, is less deliberate and well crafted. SMC’s theme song, Moon Pride by Moimoro Clover Z, while fun and youthful, doesn’t even capture the elegant and classical elements of the musical cues used in Act 1. Toei, guys, SMC is either a Forever 21 or a Nordstrom. It can't be both.

All that aside, I am fully enjoying SMC. I'm excited to catch the new episodes despite the fact that I am seeing the early plot lines twice by catching the re-release of the first series on Hulu. I will admit that it is a tiny bit exhausting to revisit the the sailor guardians' intro plots in such a short time frame. The Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars episodes rehash the guardians' respective intros, the hacked cram school and the haunted bus. The Sailor Jupiter should be a nice change of pace, though. Her intro in the comics hasn't had a straight adaptation like the others have. The same is true for the rest of chapters SMC aims to cover, so most of the series should be fresh. Jupiter's episode is slated for the first Saturday in September. While you wait, check out the recaps for Acts 2, 3, and 4. In the following episodes, Luna continues to assemble her team and starts investigating the shady group that keeps settings monsters loose around the city.

Other Impressions

• Having the monster turn into a pile of ashes after being struck by the Moon Boomerang is a nice touch.
• I would appreciate it if Usagi’s long limbs didn’t often make her look like Betty Spaghetti.
• The Sailor V video game gets a neat update! Can Toei partner with Nintendo so I can play the game on my 3DS?
• Tuxedo Mask is a lot sparklier than I remember. I wonder if this has anything to do with a certain sparkly vampire movie we all love and know.
• Fun Fact: The jewelry store in this episode is named after Naoko Takeuchi's editor Fumio Osamu, who is known to some as "Osappi."