Sailor Moon Crystal Recap: Act 4 - Masquerade

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, Viz, Hulu

Act 4 is the last of the repeat plots. Thank goodness! To be fair, this one feels a little more fresh than the others. Two years ago, when I picked up volume 1 of the comic reprint, I could have sworn I didn’t know the story at all. It turns out the masquerade ball is the plot of episode 22 of the first animated series. It’s titled “Romance Under the Moon: Usagi’s First Kiss” and it’s on Hulu, if you want to compare the episodes.

In a lot of ways, it feels like a filler story. The Kingdom of D stops by Tokyo to unveil their most coveted treasure. Luna and the sailor guardians use the power of deduction to conclude this treasure could be the Legendary Silver Crystal. (It’s not.) Shenanigans ensue as the sailor guardians, the Dark Kingdom, and Tuxedo Mask all flock to the party to get their hands on the treasure.

Sailor Moon Crystal Recap: Act 3

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, Viz, Hulu

So, I’ve fallen behind on my Sailor Moon Crystal Recaps. Act 3 was another repeat plot, so I probably wasn’t totally excited about covering it. This episode marks the debut of Sailor Mars in Sailor Moon Crystal. SMC was marketed as being a more faithful adaptation of the comic, so episode is a pretty big deal. Sailor Moon fans have been pretty vocal about what they think is an unsatisfying portrayal of Rei in the first animated series. In the comic, Rei is mature and aloof. If she seems abrasive, it’s because she is often put off by her friends’ childishness. This personality trait was twisted in the first animated series where they made her a loud, hotheaded nag. They also made her a bit boy crazy to add some extra drama to the mix. A lot of fans see this as the most unforgivable misstep. The real Rei has a lot of unresolved issues with the male figures in her life and has forsaken dating. She’s pretty hardcore for a shrine maiden. That was the point of her character. The question is, did SMC deliver on their promise of a true Rei?

Sailor Moon Crystal Recap: Act 2 - Ami - Sailor Mercury

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

Word around Juban Public Middle School is that Ami Mizuno from Class 2-5 is perfect. She has an IQ of 300, gets perfect scores on every test, and studies during breaks. The funny thing is, she doesn’t seem to have any friends. On paper, she’s the spiritual opposite of our slacker heroine, Usagi Tsukino.

The show is set in Tokyo, so the scenes that take place in Juban Public Middle School give you a glimpse at the academic life of Japanese students. Students’ test scores are posted in public spaces, sort of how cast lists for plays would be in an American school. It’s a tool that contributes to the rigorous and competitive academic culture in Japanese schools. Imagine how this public scoring system would affect your self-esteem and your social status. Everyone at JPMS is painfully aware of the fact that Ami is the school’s top student. She’s achieved the position that they are all dying to have. Most students see Ami sitting by herself all the time and interpret that as her way of saying that no one is good enough to be her friend. Her classmates automatically distance themselves from her without question. Usagi is the only one that reaches out to her.

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.