There will be now though! Some of you may have heard they are re-releasing Sailor Moon soon. This was great for me because this is the second Anime I ever saw (first being Ronin Warriors). Therefore I’m going back and watching them all then I’ll give you my two pennies.
The way I’ll be doing this is by villain, not season. Some of the seasons are longer than others, due to this I’ll be going by big bad guy and which subordinate they sent out to fail epically. For starters in the first season the evil queen sends out Jadeite, so I’ll go over his “I’ll please you my queen” fail first and so on and so forth.
Once I’m finished with each big bad guy I’ll then do the comparisons to the manga. Which are already fairly large in Sailor Moon, you SM fans out there reading this can feel free to jump in and comment or even correct me on anything at anytime. It’s been a good ten years since I last watched this show and I’m sure I’ll get several things wrong.
Name: Sailor Moon, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon
Year: Season 1 March 7th, 1992 – Feb. 27th, 1993
Genre: Adventure, magical girl, romance, comedy, drama, fantasy
Writter: Naoko Takeuchi
Studio: Toei Animation
Season One is typically called The Dark Kingdome Arc. The first villians we meet are Queen Beryl and Jadeite (Jedeite in dub), who are out to get two things. The Imperial Silver Crystal, a great ancient power that could destroy the Earth. As well as harvesting energy for Beryl’s boss, Queen Metalia, so she can gain more power.
-Queen Beryl
-Jadeite
During the time Jadeite is attacking humans, we are introduced to three of the heroines. Usagi (Serena in Dub), who becomes the leader of the group, despite being a chicken and cry baby. Amy (Ami), a smart girl who’s at the top of her class and wants to become a doctor like her mother. And Rei (Ray in dub), a temple priestess with a bad temper and strong sixth sense.
These three become known as the Sailor Scouts:
Sailor Moon
Sailor Mercury
Sailor Mars.
The Sailor Scouts have a teacher named Luna who is a purple cat with a crescent mark on her forehead. Luna can talk and often gets mad with Usagi for being so lazy.
There are a few other characters you should know about right now too:
Motoki (Andrew) works at the Crown Arcade, he’s a really nice guy and Usagi has a crush on him
Mamoru (Darin), a friend of Motoki who constantly teases Usagi, even calling her Dumpling Head (Meatball Head in Dub.)
Usagi’s Mother, a house wife who greatly loves her two children.
Usagi’s Father, we don’t see much of him at first because he’s a busy business man.
Shingo (Sammy), Usagi’s little brother. He teases his sister as only a little brother can, but he really does love her.
Naru (Molly in dub) is Usagi’s best friend. Her mother owns a jewelry store.
Umino (Melvin in dub) the smartest guy in class, he’s a big crush on Usagi.
Grandfather is well… Ray’s grandfather. He’s the head priest at the temple, practically blind, and a bit of a perv.
HISTORY LESSON! Back when Sailor Moon was first airing in America, they cut out some episodes believing the target audience of young girls didn’t need to see some things. Nothing bad really, funny as heck by my standers, but not by big cooperates. So as I review the Jadeite part of this if there is a (*) by a title that means it was cut out of the dub so you’ll only see it subbed.
Jadeite is in the first episode of Sailor Moon, “A Star is Born”, along with Queen Beryl, Luna, Usagi and her family. Usagi saves Luna from a small group of kids on her way to school, which makes her late to class. During lunch break Usagi finds out Naru’s mother is having a huge jewelry sale, they both go to the store after school. On her way home Usagi accidentally throws her crumpled math test into the face of a guy named Mamoru, who criticizes her about the test score. After getting home and showing the test to her mother, Usagi is locked out because of the bad grade. Once she’s finally let back into the house, Luna shows back up. She tells Usagi that she has a duty to find the other four Sailor Scouts, the Silver Crystal, and the Moon Princess. Usagi becomes Sailor Moon, thinking she’s having a dream, and goes out to save Naru from a monster that impersonated her mother. Sailor Moon gets helps from someone called Tuxedo Mask.
In episode no. two, “Punish Them! The House of Fortune is the Monster Mansion.”(*)
Late night radio becomes dangerous in “Mysterious Sleeping Illness, Protect the Girls’ Hearts in Love.” A new talk show that’s been on for only a couple weeks reads love letters on-air, then sends a special present out to the letter writer. This gift however is an energy stealing flower broach created by Jadeite and his newest youma (demon minion). Usagi learns it is infact the enemy at work after she herself tries to get on-air with the station. When she goes there, the station the talk show is hosted on, denies the show is really one of theirs. Later that same night both Usagi and Luna turn to the station and learn that it is in fact the right one. Using a new gadget from Luna called the Luna Pen, Usagi disguises herself and gets into the radio station. Calling the show out on-air, Jadeite becomes infuriated and a fight takes place. Usagi wins and everyone who received a flower broach is brought out of a sleep.
Luna finally becomes a member of the family in “A Monster’s Scent! Chanela Steals Love.”(*) There is only one problem; Shingo is VERY scared of cats because one bit his nose when he was a baby. The day starts out when Shingo wakes up to find Luna on his bed and freaks out! When Usagi asks Luna later why she was sleeping in Shingo’s room, Luna tells her she was tired and didn’t really know where she was going so it was an accident. Usagi tells Luna to get on Shingo’s good side, but Luna isn’t sure how to do that. Despite trying hard, she only makes it worse. Shingo tells a classmate he wouldn’t care so much if Luna wasn’t a cat, when his friend tells him about a new pet store. The pet store sells an animal called a Chanela (looks like a rabbit and a guinny pig mix) that smells like perfume, and steals energy-not that you say that to customers. After getting home, Shingo busts in Usagi’s bedroom and tells her to get rid of Luna because they are keeping the Chanela instead. Mom and dad say they’ll keep both pets. Usagi becomes really worried after Shingo refuses to go to school and just wants to be with his new pet, she also see’s it glowing. Luna stops Usagi from becoming a victim of the Changela herself, both decide it’s the enemy’s work! Sailor Moon goes to punish them in the name of the moon, when she’s attacked by the lizard-zombies the Chanela owners have become. Sailor Moon manages to save the children and defeat the youma, Shingo asks for her autograph thinking she’s Sailor V, only to find out she’s Sailor Moon. She tells him to be nice to Luna because Luna will bring him happiness.
-I’d like to not here that the Chanela is one of the few anime monster I really find creepy.
In “Protect the Melody of Love! Usagi is a Cupid,”(*) J-jazz music comes into the spotlight when the enemy accidentally loose a cassette tape that can steal energy. An upstart jazz musician is being chased by a new youma because he was the one accidentally given the tape and the youma is trying to get it back. Usagi meets the jazz pianist after he literally runs into her in the rain. He tells her a monster is following him so she and Luna decide to investigate. Sadly for Usagi the guy’s performing at a music club that won’t let young teens into, what does she do? Uses the Luna Pet of course! She uses it to become a “cool grown-up musician,” to get into the club easily and keep an eye on the pianist. The enemy takes back the tape, the musician (not knowing it’s the wrong tape) follows after the youma with Usagi. As the youma is about to put the tape in so it can be played on-air, Usagi and the pianist show up. Luna gets the tape away from the enemy then the pianist realizes that it’s not really his tape. The youma makes him give it back to her or she’ll kill a hostage, just as they swap, Luna knocks the tape away from the enemy again then breaks it. Luna and Sailor Moon then follow the youma to defeat it.
It’s super star fever Japan style! Usagi wants to enter a big talent competition in, “Usagi Learns a Lesson! The Road to Stardom is tough.” Famous superstar Mikan Shiratori is targeted by Jadeite because of her fame and all the energy the fans use around her. Meanwhile, Usagi and Naru decide to become superstars but have a fight after Usagi steps on Naru’s foot. Naru then gets Umino to become her partner and Usagi tries to make Luna do tricks. While all that’s happening, Jadeite sends a youma to impersonate a now unconscious Mikan, the fake announces a talent competition to pick the new superstar. Luna refuses to help Usagi, while on the way to sign up, and later Mamoru pokes fun at Usagi thinking she is going to do it, she tells him she won’t and goes home. A few days later, and performing to a fake audience, those who entered the competition have their energy drained into a disco ball (wtf?). Usagi sees all this and is scared off by the youma before she returns as Sailor Moon to save Naru. She gets covered in a glass-like gew then saved by Tuxedo Mask, who acts as a diversion for the youma so Sailor Moon and defeat it and save everyone. Luna then scolds Usagi and asks if she has learned not to goof off now.
-Side note, Jadeite is hot with glasses!
We make a new friend in, “Is the Genius Girl a Monster? Brainwashing School of Terror!” Before I get much farther let me tell you what a “cram school” is. Basically you go there to be tutored and cram school things in better. Moving on! Usagi’s in hot water with her mom for her grades and with Luna for not taking finding their Princess seriously. We also find out Luna has a contact at the Crown Arcade, they are talking about the possible identity of a new enemy, Ami Mizuno. Ami goes to the same school as Usagi and is at the top of her class, supposedly she has an IQ of 300, and she attends a top-notch cram school. Usagi decides to befriend her in hopes of learning her secret to being so smart, and after she finds Luna with Ami. Usagi starts really liking Ami though, even though Luna thinks she a youma. Usagi takes Ami to the arcade to play the Sailor V game, Ami has never played a game like that before but gets the all-time high score. Ami then remembers she has cram school and leaves after getting the high score, after she leaves Mokoto hands Usagi a disk that Ami dropped and Usagi say’s she’ll be sure to get it to Ami, but when she arrives at the cram school she runs into Mamoru gets mad and leaves. Luna suggests they go to the computer lab at school to see what’s on the disk Ami dropped. The disk turns out to have a brainwashing program on it. Usagi uses the Luna Pen to become a nurse and get into the cram school and tells the students to stop what they are doing. Ami tells her not to interrupt a class, Usagi turns into Sailor Moon, surprising Ami, then gets a surprise of her own when it’s revealed Ami is not the youma. She’s actually, unknown to her, Sailor Mercury! Luna gives Ami a small stick to transform into Sailor Mercury, she and Sailor Moon are able to defeat the youma. Usagi is ecstatic that Ami is a Sailor Scout and her new friend!
“Usagi’s Misfortune! Watch Out for the Rushing Clocks,” is funny! Jadeite plays on how we humans are victims of time. I’m not saying much more than that on this one because it’s funny enough I want you guys to watch it!
We get another friend in “Cursed Buses! Fire Warrior Mars Appears!” Jadeite is scolded for his repeated failures by Queen Beryl who opts to give him another chance, and orders him to kill the Sailor Scouts. Lately buses have gone missing near a temple bus stop and the buses are full of girls who went to the temple for a special charm. Usagi, Naru, and a few others decide to go to the temple to get amulets that ward off evil. A group of girls show up at the temple to buy special love amulets, Grandpa (the head priest) offers them part-time jobs them blesses them after they turn him down. Grandpa then runs into Usagi and co., offers them a job as part-time priestesses. Rei, his granddaughter, comes over and scolds him for bothering the guests. When Rei senses energy being stolen by an evil spirit, she puts a charm on Usagi. Usagi wakes up after hearing about a cute guy, Rei then apologizes for what she did. Luna starts thinking Rei might be the princess. Later on Ami and Usagi are on their way to the shrine to investigate when they see a bus full of girls with charms from the shrine vanish into a black portal. Usagi goes to the shrine the next day to talk to Rei about it, but Rei gets defensive thinking that Usagi is blaming her grandfather like so many. Luna leaves Rei a stick with the sign of Mars. Usagi gets onto the bus with Luna and ends up going through the black hole with Luna. Rei uses her powers to discover the new guy, Jadeite is the evil force she was sensing. She confronts him and he kidnaps her, the youma who was helping him uses Rei to try and make Sailor Moon surrender, but Rei gets free. Luna tells Rei to transform into Sailor Mars, she and Sailor Moon defeat the youma. As the black hole is closing Tuxedo Mask gets the two scouts and all the others back to the human world.
In “Usagi Vs. Rei? A Nightmare in Dreamland,” things just get weird. Jadeite uses an amusement park called Dreamland as a façade to get more energy. While Luna works on getting more information on the Princess, the three scouts investigate disappearances. Back in the Dark Kingdome, Queen Beryl once again scolds Jadeite for failing AND for letting another scout awaken. She warns him he’s running out of chances and even say’s she can replace him. While the girls are at the amusement park Usagi and Rei continue to butt-heads, they meet the Dream Princess who can control mechanical animals with an apple. Rei warns Usagi about the Dream Princess, but Usagi doesn’t listen. Rei’s hunch later turns out to be right, the Dream Princess is Jadiete’s latest youma, she stores energy in her apple. After Sailor Moon and Mars are saved from a false dream with Tuxedo Mask in it, by Tuxedo Mask, they rush off to get Ami who had gone into a trap. The three of them are able to work together to defeat the youma, but Usagi and Rei get into another spat at the end of the episode.
-Jadeite is a cute cop!
Next we find out not all is well on love cruises! “I Want a Boyfriend, Too! A Trap on a Luxury Cruise Ship.” Jadeite teams up with another youma, who’s got the hots for him, they decide to gather energy from couples on a cruise. Usagi wants to go on the cruise but doesn’t have a boyfriend. After Rei cheats to get tickets to the cruise she not only threatened to ask Tuxedo Mask, but invites Ami to go with her just to spite Usagi. Not to be outdone, Usagi uses the Luna Pen to disguise herself as a photographer and get on the ship. During the highlight of the evening, Jadeite and the youm began taking love energy from the passengers, save Rei and Ami. Sailor Moon shows up and is nearly killed by the youma when Mercury and Mars come to help her. The three of them defeat the youma and are about to battle with Jadeite when Queen Beryl summons him back, finally fed up with his failures.
Episode 13, “Girl Power! The End of Jadeite,” is just that. Queen Beryl gives Jadeite one more chance at gathering energy and destroying the Sailor Scouts, telling him if he should fail his punishment is Eternal Sleep. A fate worse than death, all you do is float around in darkness forever. Jadeite issues a challenge to the sailor scouts, telling them to meet him at Haneda Airport the next night or he’ll burn the city. The girls decide to go but they face the problem of the general public wanting to go see what all the fuss is about. The airport is crawling with cops, until Jadeite puts a spell on them so they fall under his control. When the girls arrive the officers chase them out onto the runway, where Mercury uses one of her gadgets and discovers the cops aren’t human but made of clay. Mars gets rid of the clay cops and then Jadeite tells the scouts that he found out their real identities. Jadeite sends airplanes after the scouts, until Tuxedo Mask stops them. He and Tuxedo Mask fight until they both end up in the ocean, Jadeite is the only one to resurface. The girls then work together to turn Jadeite’s plan against him, having an airplain run him over… which oddly enough doesn’t kill him. He returns to the Dark Kingdom and tries to save himself by telling Queen Beryl he knows the identities of the Sailor Scouts, but she is done with him and punishes him with the Eternal Sleep. Queen Beryl then issues a warning to her subjects to let Jadeite’s failure be a warning, and calls for Nephrite. At the end of this episode we learn that Tuxedo Mask is okay, but not who he really is.
I'll put links and whatnot up at the end of the season. Until next week! ^_^
