The long awaited Sailor Moon Crystal finally made its appearance last week and boy, was I happy to see it!
There are many who have been pulling every single aspect of the show apart but I am among those who is appreciating the show for what it is.
That being said, the following review will be a bit biased since I liked the first episode that much ;)
The episode begins with beautiful shots of the galaxy as the camera comes closer and closer to Earth. The music is something I felt was overdone but eventually, we come to Earth.
Then, mostly the outline of a princess and her prince is shown but we all know who they are.
Cue the opening sequence, which I was incredibly pleased with. It did all the characters justice with some added scenes of Usagi and Mamoru. It was definitely more upbeat and interactive like many of the anime openings of this generation.
At this point, Usagi wakes and realizes she’s late. We don’t see her face until she meets Luna. Before that, she interacts with her mother, who has undergone design changes as well.
Personally, it seems that she looks much more like Usagi than the previous series. Her anger seems to be much more subdued in comparison to the previous, where it was completely exaggerated. It is still amusing when Usagi is kicked out of the house.
Naturally, after Usagi and Luna meet, the plot moves forward.
After they part, we are introduced to Usgai’s classmates and her opinion of each. Another character to undergo significant design changes is Haruna-sensei. Her signature suit is intact though albeit not as bright!
When Jadeite is introduced, the show took on a dark turn that the previous didn’t really offer as it was full of comedy. It’s at this point that I thought very highly of the show. Previously when the baddies came, it usually was combined with comedic stunts with a touch of malice.
The main conflict in this episode is the baddie taking over Naru's mother's jewelry shop in order to retrieve energy from them. This is under the orders of Jadeite.
After Usagi leaves, she bumps into Mamoru. When I watched the show at a younger age, the romance between these two specifically didn’t appeal to me in any way. I thought it was overplayed.
However, with this installment, the subtle hints and dream sequences are better played out. Usagi isn’t, yet anyway, drooling all over him with the hearts in her eyes. It suits my preferences.
Then came time for her to help her friends. Now, her transformation scene is something I wasn’t fond of and is the aspect that I liked better in the previous series. In this one, they used 3D effects and really showcased the spaghetti-fication of the characters.
As expected, when the battle comes, Usagi freaks out and begins crying.
Tuxedo Mask, not super impressed, guides her and her crush is formed. Near the end, while everyone talks about the new heroine, we see Ami walking away from the building.
Guess who’s going to awaken next?
Overall, I felt this episode met expectations with all of the hype. The characters actually look their age, the animation is much more fluid and the colour palette is great. Pacing was done well and covered enough ground to set up for the rest of the episodes. I also love the minute details that make the overall difference - Usagi's hair strands, facial expressions, etc. It's not as exaggerated but showcases some major talent on the animator's part as the emotions are conveyed.
The only major concern I had was of the relationship between Naru and Nephrite's relationship, which was my favourite. I truly hope it stays in the picture because it was so sweet.
That's it for now, until next time!
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