Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Well in keeping with the Sequel arc I give you one of my most requested animes, Sailor Moon Crystal S3. Man, was this an anime I put off watching. If you’ve read my review of the first season of Crystal, you would know that I didn’t like it all that much. A lot of people didn’t like it with some getting pretty pissed about it. I know it seems odd to get mad over a series that was intended for the female audience and as a male I really shouldn’t care that much about it but here’s the deal. Sailor Moon was like the female equivalent of Dragonball Z for girls/women in the 90s. Just like Dragonball Z helped get a lot of men into anime, Sailor Moon helped get a lot of women into anime. It was the story of a young girl realizing that she was destined for something great in the world, got the hot guy, and play the hero who saved the day. It’s no exaggeration when I say that without Sailor Moon the anime fandom in the west would look a lot different (I’m pretty sure it be a complete sausage fest or IHOS as I like to call it). It’s because of this that I have a great amount of respect for Sailor Moon and believe that it deserves to be treated with respect and care like other big animes today (i.e Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia). In 2016 Toei Animation (One Piece, DBZ, and Sailor Moon) announced that the series would be returning along with a few changes such as a new director (one who actually gives a crap) and would be adapting the Death Buster arc that doesn’t get that much attention from fans. Let’s see if Toei can redeem themselves from the tragedy of the first season. This is Sailor Moon Crystal S3.
Opening and Ending Themes
The opening is “New Moon ni Koishite” by Etsuko Yakushimaru/ Mitsuko Horie/ Momoiro Clover Z. I really liked this song. Unlike Moon Pride which never really clicked with me, this song did and that because the instrumental is good, the animation is very good as well, and the singers are great. While there are three versions of the song I enjoyed the Etsuko version the most as she just sounds so cute and is enjoying herself.
For this season we got three endings. The first is “eternal eternity” by Junko Minagawa and Sayaka Ohara. It’s nice, I like the blend of royalty, majestic, and techno within the song and the singers work off each other well. This is obviously being sung by the VAs of Sailor Uranus and Neptune and this was a good way to establish them within the anime.
The second song is “Otome no Susume” by Misato Fukuen. This the weakest out of all the endings. It’s not a bad song, it’s cute and perfectly encapsulates Chibi-Usa’s character. She’s a young girl still growing and trying her hardest to as good as the people she looks up to. While she’s not entirely what she wants to be she knows that she wants to follow the same path as the people she looks up to. She knows it’ll be a difficult road but she’s prepared to walk it and work hard. The problem is the song just feels out of place in this arc. Couldn’t they have saved this song for the Dream arc where she’s a central character?
The final ending is “Eien ga Futari wo Kakeru” by Kenji Nojima. Hands down my favorite ending in the season and the best ending of 2016 in my opinion. A quick spoiler, Tuxedo Mask barely does anything this season so what better way to use Kenji than by having him sing one of the ending songs where Tuxedo just sings a heartfelt song about his worries and love for Usagi. The song is just so 90s. It gives off Yu Yu Hakusho vibes and even sounds Mystic Eyes from Escaflowne. It’s start off silly but quickly turns to hot and charming. Great song and a great use of the voice actor.
Episodes 1-4
So, the new season starts off on the right foot with a brand-new animation style which beats the old animation style by a long shot (only one second in and this season is already better than the first season). After admiring the new animation style, we dive into our story where Rei and Mamoru each see a small vision where the world is doomed. We then cut to Usagi waking up late again for school while Chibi-Usa watches the news with her grandfather where we see a student mysteriously turned into a monster as a result of reversion according to the news reporter (I love how the news reporter is keeping her cool while reading the story. It’s as if this whole thing isn’t a big deal in Japan and is just a common everyday occurrence). After that, the episode kind of serves as a recap reintroducing the characters as well as introducing new characters such as Haruka aka Sailor Uranus voiced by Junko Minagawa (Yun from Akatsuki no Yona) who is a talented race car driver that everyone thinks is a boy because of her looks (the reverse trap appears) and her girlfriend Michiru aka Sailor Neptune voiced by Sayaka Ohara (Erza from Fairy Tail) a talented violinist. These two go to the prestigious Mugen Academy (so after his travels in Samurai Champloo, Mugen opened his own school. Very shocking). Usagi and the Sailor Scouts meet Haruka in the arcade while playing a racing game where Makoto and Minako fall for her still believing she’s a boy (scene here: https://youtu.be/0HL_3NjtXIs, they want the D but they’re unknowingly getting the V). After playing the arcade they head out where one of the students from Mugen Academy turns into a monster (so in the past humans were monsters? Man, evolution is more wrong than I originally thought). The girls transform (where the transformation scenes are not only better but they’re reminiscent of the original anime’s transformation scenes. My God they actually listened to the fans. Scenes here: https://youtu.be/zA14itP0ctA and https://youtu.be/XgDx7_KnFGU). They manage to defeat the monster (without Sailor Moon having to do nothing. They’re getting better) and save the girl however they have no idea where this monster came from. Since this is the second student from Mugen Academy to get turned into a monster, Luna believes that the source of these monsters must be located there, and the girls decide to investigate the academy.
In episode 2 Usagi uses her pen to disguise herself as a student of Mugen Academy to infiltrate the school and past the guards (oh yeah, let’s not ask for student ID or anything right?). While that’s going on Chibi-Usa goes to an amusement park with her friends near Mugen Academy with Mamoru chaperoning them. Chibi-Usa loses her hat (who wears a hat on a rollercoaster?) and goes to find it with Mamuro going after her. Back with Usagi she infiltrates the school where she along with the other scouts and Mamoru hear someone playing a violin (man is she hooked up to the speakers or something? I mean I can understand Usagi hearing it because she’s in the school, but the other scouts and Mamoru are outside so how are they hearing this? I’m pretty sure that school had the money to sound proof their school. You know, to make sure nobody hears their screams of agony). Usagi sees that the person playing the violin is Michiru who stops and warns Usagi to stay away from the academy. Haruka also appears in front of the other scouts and warns them to stay away as well (where the hell did she come from? No seriously, she just jumped from out of the sky and landed right in front of them). While all of this is going on Chibi-Usa finds her hat but also runs into a girl behind the school who seems to be in pain. She tries to help her but the girl says she’s fine (right~) and when Usagi appears onto the scene to help out (scene here: https://youtu.be/NAiXWfT5sXw) they get attacked by another monster (well there is something definitely going on at this school). All the scouts reunite and with their combined powers manage to defeat the monster (that’s good). However, that girl from earlier saw Chibi-Usa and Usagi transform so now she knows their identities (that’s bad. Now we have to kill her. Get your rifle Isis) but it seems she too has mystical powers as she’s able to heal Chibi-Usa’s wounds (cancel the rifle Isis. (Isis): Awwwwww~). As the scouts watch this they sense someone watching them and sure enough it’s Sailor Uranus and Neptune who watched their fight and take their leave with the scouts wondering if they’re friends or foes.
In episode 3 we find out that the girl who healed Chibi-Usa is Hotaru voiced by Yukiyo Fujii (Rebecca from Lupin the Third Part IV), the daughter of Mugen Academy’s founder Dr. Shoumei who apparently likes to wear an eyepatch in the shape of the moon and stars and who was booted out of the academic world for reasons (hello obvious villain). The scouts return to their cave where they’re not sure whether Neptune and Uranus are friend or foe and they also decide to keep an eye out on Haruka and Michiru. We learn a little more about the enemy such as them being witches led by Magus Kaolinite serving their leader Master Pharaoh 90, Mugen Academy is their main base (alright, the school must be destroyed) and apparently they’re looking for the three talismans which will destroy them or something. Mamoru and Rei also see a vision of the three talismans but aren’t entirely sure what it means. As the episode goes on the scouts go to the mountain to celebrate Rei’s birthday (scene here: https://youtu.be/v8gDMbxUrC8, may your legs continue to get sexier and seduce men for years to come) where the temple that they’re staying at is next to Mugen’s training school where they here Haruka doing judo in a building nearby (my God how sharp are their ears?) and Makoto challenges “him” to a match and loses (scene here: https://youtu.be/ghuJDV7p5_Y). Later that night while the girls are sleeping Rei and Makoto sneak out when they see the students of Mugen Academy doing a witch ritual led by one of the apprentice witch who’s trying to brainwash them to be loyal servants to the school. Rei and Makoto transform to stop the ritual and then a fight breaks out between the scouts and witch with the scouts winning (the power of the moon compels you). Sailor Uranus appears and Sailor Moon chases after her where she catches up to her and receives a kiss after being warned to stay out of her way.
Nothing much to say about episode 4. All the scouts and Mamoru keep having the same dream about finding the talismans before something bad happens (and then what, do we destroy them or protect them?). Haruka begins flirting with Usagi (despite already being in a relationship with a professional violinist. Well that’s celebrities for you) and gives her tickets to Michuru’s violin concert being held on the same day, the same venue, and same time as this popular idol named Mimi who is also a witch (yeah, we need to seriously burn Mugen Academy down. Also, this is terrible booking. Why would you have two concerts being held at the same time and in the same location? Imagine if this happened during the Monday night wars between WCW and WWE). In another part of the story, Chibi-Usa goes to return Hotaru’s handkerchief where they chat for a bit until Hotaru starts having pain spasms caused by an accident she had when she was younger. Chibi-Usa uses the Silver Crystal to heal Hotaru where she says the creature they fought the other day might have come from her dad’s lab (and that is all the proof I need to burn the school down). Hotaru begs Chibi-Usa not to tell anyone about this and in return she won’t tell anyone that Chibi-Usa is Mini Moon. They both agree to keep each other’s secret and Chibi-Usa leaves where she gets a ride home from Haruka and Michuru in a helicopter (walking is for the poor and cars are for jabronies). The next day everyone goes to see Michuru’s concert except for Minako who sneaks off and goes to Mimi’s concert (man they’re really doing a 180 on Minako’s character. Not that I’m complaining, it’s adding more depth to her character) where Mimi begins to brainwash the crowd to give their souls to Mugen Academy. Minako alerts the others and they spring into action where the scouts rescue Sailor Venus from the monsters and Neptune and Uranus take out Mimi (scene here: https://youtu.be/lnXMSRCtabM. Finally, a fight where Sailor Moon doesn’t steal all the glory at the end).
Episodes 5-9
Episode 5 opens up with Sailor Uranus and Neptune attacking the scouts where we find out that Neptune’s mirror is one of the talismans they’ve been seeing in their dreams all this time. Sailor Moon gets knocked out and wakes up back in the Sailor cave (girl, you got knocked the fuck out) where the scouts decide to label Uranus and Neptune as enemies. The next day Usagi runs into Haruka where Usagi figures out Haruka is Uranus by her scent (quite the fetish you have their Usagi) but is still unsure if Haruka is a boy or a girl (you really think any man worth his pride goes around dressed in a sailor scout uniform?). Usagi tries to reason with Haruka but she doesn’t listen and gets up close and personal to Usagi where Mamuro walks in to see it (scene here: https://youtu.be/nqMC9Ot6dbw, ohh~ lets watch the sparks fly). This causes Mamuro to be upset with Usagi that he doesn’t talk to her. Luckily, they have an annoyingly cute daughter from the future who sees the rift in their relationship and fixes it by having the two help her with her art project. This brings the two together where they openly apologize to each other saying they were both jealous of the relationships they were having with Haruka and Michuru (yeah but in Mamuro’s defense he didn’t kiss Michuru unlike a certain someone who kissed Haruka and liked it. Scene here: https://youtu.be/hTigbu5mDF4). After this Ami gets invited by another witch named Yuki to partake in Mugen Academy’s prep test practice program which she accepts as a way to gain access into the academy and do her own investigation. Once in the academy, she sees that the tests are really just a way to steal energy and brainwash students (no different than regular tests if you ask me) and finds evidence which proves that the witches and demon busters all come from Mugen Academy (wasn’t that obvious? Students turning into monsters, monsters appearing around the academy, and evil rituals being performed in the mountains. These are all hints that something is definitely wrong with this academy). Ami calls for the others and save her just in time as Uranus and Neptune appear once again where we get to see their transformation scenes (another callback to nostalgia. Scene here: https://youtu.be/7hv9Ai_9_WY) and see the second talisman is Uranus’s sword which she uses to destroy Yuki (scene here: https://youtu.be/k-I2rYJnH_Y, alright two talismans down only one to go and I think I know who has the third one). Also, in a cool event at the end of the episode we get to see Sailor Pluto aka Setsuna a first year college student studying theoretical physics (scene here: https://youtu.be/Bgj_1UwT_hE, she’s alive).
We start episode 6 on a rainy note with it raining and Shoumei and Magus Kaolinite talking to Master Pharaoh 90 who says he needs more power so Magus Kaolinite tells another witch Tellu to gather more energy. After that the episode goes rather slow as we cover a lot of events (I mean they cover quite a bit this episode). Chibi-Usa’s teacher tells the class to give the items they made to someone special to them so Chibi-Usa goes to give her holy grail to Hotaru as a symbol of their friendship and Usagi joins her (about time she did something motherly and responsible). While there Usagi runs into Shoumei and we see Hotaru develop a split personality and wants Chibi-Usa’s silver crystal (and there it is, causing trouble once again. https://youtu.be/inurD24S944, that crystal was forged by Lucifer himself). The next day Makoto discovers that Mugen academy is using plants to steal energy and tells the others at the train station where Usagi sees Haruka (wearing women’s clothes. Looks like her identity crisis phase is over) and Michuru and chases after them all the way back to Haruka’s apartment where she says they shouldn’t be fighting against each other and takes her leave (you’re like halfway in love with her aren’t you Usagi?). After the scouts go to Mugen academy to take out the plants they get into a fight with Tellu who absorbs all of their attacks and transforms into a stronger monster where she’s about to kill Chibi-Usa (woah going for the child. Usually it’s Sailor Moon) but she gets saved not by Sailor Uranus or Neptune but by the forgotten planet herself Sailor Pluto (scene here: https://youtu.be/85BKWjEFRzk, welcome back).
At the start of episode 7 Sailor Moon transforms into Princess Serenity where the outer planets pledge their alliance to their princess (scene here: https://youtu.be/fZTHlWUA5y0, where was this 5 episodes ago? Seriously, you guys played that whole mysterious loner card and tried to breakup Usagi and Mamuro for no apparent reason and now you decide to pledge your alliance to Usagi? What the hell?). They then explain the creatures their fighting are Death Busters (who you gonna call?) aliens from the Tau Star system who have come to invade Earth and if they’re not stopped soon they’ll take over the world (https://youtu.be/1W7c8QghPxk). The outer planets say they’ll take care of the Death Busters and refuse the help of the other scouts because they don’t want to put them in danger especially Uranus who doesn’t want to put Sailor Moon in harm’s way (scene here: https://youtu.be/HvHRfQY6anU, so are you like in love with Sailor Moon and trying to get her into a threesome with you and Neptune? Because if so I am all for this). So, the next day the scouts decide to investigate Shoumei and have Chibi-Usa spy on Hotaru who invites Chibi-Usa on a playdate but she doesn’t show up so Chibi-Usa goes to visit her and walks in on her where we see her arms and legs are robotic due to a terrible fire accident that happened when she was younger. Chibi-Usa runs away after seeing this and now Hotaru is afraid their friendship is over now that she knows her secret (scene here: https://youtu.be/CZy23NZKp3c). As this is going on Cyprine the final witch of the Witches 5 tracks down Haruka and tries to destroy her (wow, she’s dead. That’s like the worst idea of all time. Why go after possibly the strongest of the outer planets?). The other scouts come in to help where Cyprine hypnotizes the scouts (besides Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon) and the outer planets to fight each other (scene here: https://youtu.be/-9n_onTClLA. Finally, a smart idea on the villain’s part). Not wanting to see all her friends fight but not having the power to stop them Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Chibi Moon take out the holy grail hoping that the love they poured into making it will reach them.
So in the most convenient moment of the series, Sailor Moon takes the holy grail and uses it to gather the powers of all the scouts there where she drinks from it and becomes the legendary Super Sailor Moon (scene here: https://youtu.be/5d2-WlG16v0. My God the legends were true. They said it was a myth but it’s true. The legendary Super Sailor Moon is real). With her new form Sailor Moon (I refuse to add super to her name) defeats Cyprine and both sides agree to a ceasefire for the moment where they return to the ruined apartment (scene here: https://youtu.be/8Vu-qzkvqIQ) and Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto tell them their mission as well as the purpose of their talismans. You see during the destruction of The Moon Kingdom Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto weren’t allowed to leave their post thus they were forced to watch the destruction of their homeland (if it’s any consolation, the destruction was pretty quick and painless). During the destruction their talismans began to activate, and they were all teleported to each one where the talismans awakened Sailor Saturn the final scout from the planet of Ruins who should never be awoken. With her powers she destroyed the kingdom and now that they’ve been reborn, the outer planets sense that Sailor Saturn’s awakening will happen once again and when it does Earth will be destroyed (so Armageddon comes at the hands of a girl? I am surprisingly okay with this). And who is Sailor Saturn you ask? Well think about it, who’s the only girl outside the other scouts who’s been given enough screen time for character insight and development, Hotaru. That’s right, our darling Hotaru is Sailor Saturn and before she can awaken the outer planets plan to kill her (doesn’t that seem a little bit intense? I mean yeah, I get saving the world and everything but still this is straight up murder). The other scouts don’t like this plan especially Chibi Moon but Neptune says Hotaru really doesn’t have much time left anyway. Because of the accident in the past a majority of her body was severely damaged (yeah I saw that. Not for the whole family) to the point that she had to get mechanical body parts and even those are slowly killing her. The only way to save her life is if she transforms into Sailor Saturn (and in the process destroy the world) and the outer planets won’t let that happen. Whether it’s against the orders of their princess and if it means being hated by the other scouts the outer planets are determined to complete their mission and save the world. They take off with Chibi Moon somehow beating them to Hotaru’s room where Hotaru transforms into her adult version (they grow up so fast) and snatches the silver crystal away from Chibi Sailor Moon (scene here: https://youtu.be/ORa0KiQqg5w). Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask arrive onto the scene just as Chibi Sailor Moon has become unconscious and unresponsive (she dead).
In episode 9 sure enough Chibi-Usa is dead (oh man the future Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are gonna be pissed when they find out what happened to their daughter) and only Usagi shows emotions (seriously, not even Setsuna sheds a tear at her death. Weren’t you guys best friends?). Well technically she’s still alive. You see when Hotaru who we find out transformed into Mistress 9 (what is with all these numbers? What happened to the other mistresses and pharaohs? I can’t be the only one questioning this) took Chibi-Usa’s silver crystal she also took Chibi-Usa’s soul thus resulting in her going into cardiac arrest and by medical knowledge dying. She’s still alive but unless they return her soul soon she’ll die for real and according to the outer planets the only way to save Chibi-Usa is to kill Mistress 9 and retrieve the crystal with her soul (it’s either that or awaken Sailor Saturn and we all know that’s not gonna happen). Usagi is still hesitant on killing one of her friends but Mamuro tells her to believe in herself and the impossible will become possible (you can be so cheesy at times Mamuro). They take Chibi-Usa back to Mamuro’s place (the hospital allowed you to take a dead body with you? What the hell Japan?) and forms a link with her where he transfers his life energy into her to keep her alive. So the scouts go to Mugen Academy once again which now has giant thorns covering the place (I like what you’ve done with the place). Koalnite has been tasked with defeating the scouts once and for all so she resurrects the Witches 5 (you can do that? Why didn’t you that when they each died in the previous episodes? (Episode writer): Quiet fool! You’re pointing out all the plot holes) and traps them inside the infinite labyrinth where the witches 5 trap the scouts inside their ideal fantasy worlds. Well except for Sailor Moon where they try to get everyone she loves to kill her but she snaps out of the illusion and takes on the Witches 5 by herself where she beats them all.
(Chibi Isis): Really?
(Nitsuj): Of course not this is Sailor Moon we’re talking about here. She’s like kid Gohan from DBZ. Whenever he’s in danger Piccolo comes to save him and the same can apply for Sailor Moon in this arc. Who’s always there to save her?
(Chibi Isis): Hmm~, Sailor Uranus?
(Nitsuj): Correct. Sure enough Sailor Uranus along with Neptune and Pluto come in to save Sailor Moon and the other scouts because it doesn’t matter how much they try to fight it or deny it they all want to fight side by side with Sailor Moon and the others. They’re drawn to each other. With their powers combined they summon the holy grail and Sailor Moon drinks its essence to become the legendary Super Sailor Moon. They finally reach Kaolinite where she transforms into this monster (I found you hotter as a witch) and beat her in typical Sailor Moon fashion. The episode ends with Mistress 9 eating the silver crystal.
Episodes 10-13
Alright, so in episode 10 Mistress 9 absorbs the silver crystal but Hotaru manages to stop her from going full power and protects Chibi-Usa (it’s confusing just roll with it). Not knowing where Mistress 9 is the scouts split into two teams. Sailor Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter search the upper floors while Sailor Moon, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto search the basement where they run into Dr. Shoumei and we get his backstory. We find out the reason he was banned from the science community was because he was trying to play god by creating super humans. Of course everybody thought he was crazy and kicked him out but despite this he still continued his research including turning his own daughter into his experiment. On the night that he was about to perform surgery on his daughter, Pharaoh 90 came crashing in turning Kaolinite into a witch and saying he was going to turn this world into his second home. After being promised power both Shoumei and Kaolinite pledged their alliance to Pharaoh 90 (really? Just like that? An alien creature comes out of nowhere and you just decide to join him because he promised you power? What did your mothers do to you?). They fight against Shoumei where Sailor Moon has no choice but to destroy him (scene here: https://youtu.be/XbLHjyjFqdU, so you just killed a friend’s dad. Man, this season is dark). After that the whole place erupts as Pharaoh 90 and Mistress 9 raise the sacred sanctuary. Sailor Moon and the others get to safety, but Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter aren’t so lucky and get caught in the blast where something happened to them causing Sailor Moon to revert back from super mode.
Episode 11 starts with us seeing Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus okay but captured by Mistress 9 who tells them that the world is ending. Soon Master Pharaoh 90 will fuse with the planet and turn it into his very own planet (not how I imagined the world ending. I always thought it be more of cuckoo kind of way like Gravity Falls). Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto create a barrier to contain Master Pharaoh 90 that works (I’m actually shocked by that. Usually these barriers fail). Mistress 9 tries to break out of Hotaru’s body but Hotaru keeps holding down while also keeping the silver crystal, Chibi-Usa’s soul, and the soul of the other scouts’ safe. Using her powers, she’s able to send all the souls back to their original body (*chuckles* could you imagine what would happen if they all wound up in the wrong body? That would have been funny~) and returns the silver crystal to Chibi-Usa (scene here: https://youtu.be/mDHOBJM7WH8). Just when everything seems to be going their way Mistress 9 finally manages to break out of Hotaru’s body and in the process kills her (scene here: https://youtu.be/50uwpSTT8qk. Well on the plus side we won’t have to worry about Sailor Saturn destroying the world. Nope, that honor now goes to Master Pharaoh 90). Chibi-Usa and Tuxedo Mask join the battle (where Tuxedo Mask still does nothing. Man, he just got the shaft this arc didn’t he? Was Naoko having some kind of argument with Yoshihiro around this time and she transferred that anger into her writing?). The scouts use their hearts to give Sailor Moon the power to transform into a super scout and Chibi Moon also receives a chalice and uses that to become a super scout as well (scene here: https://youtu.be/hbW24Wi-t8E, so now we have two super scouts? The rest of you better stop slacking and become super as well).
So, at the start of episode 12 Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon (I still refuse to call them super) combine their powers to defeat Mistress 9 but it’s too late, she’s combined with Pharaoh 90 and have now become unstoppable. Everyone combines their powers trying to stop him (holy crap Tuxedo Mask did something. I’m sorry, that’s such a rare occurrence in this arc) but it doesn’t faze him, everyone loses powers, and he breaks the barrier (scene here: https://youtu.be/f41Q_VINYKY) where he begins taking over the world. In a last ditch effort to stop Pharaoh 90 Sailor Moon throws herself into him but it doesn’t work and she disappears on us (scene here: https://youtu.be/yLypwRPltBs, and we’re dead. Our deus ex machina is gone). As everyone cries at the loss of their leader the talismans begin to glow and Sailor Saturn finally makes her appearance into the world (behold, our new deus ex machina). She rambles about how she’s always an uninvited guest and how she came to be in this new timeline (who cares just stop the world from being destroyed). She manages to hurt Pharaoh 90 and prepares to swing down her glaive to destroy him as well as the world (man only onscreen for a few minutes and already she’s proven to be the most powerful scout. Oh yeah, Pluto can control space and time but it’s nothing compare to a loli who can destroy the world with just a swing of her weapon).
In the final episode as Sailor Saturn begins the destruction of the world as Chibi Moon calls out to Sailor Moon and she awakens rising from the goo of Pharaoh 90 and returning (scene here: https://youtu.be/qRBZM06akzk) opening up a portal to Pharaoh’s old home world where he will go to die. In order to make sure he goes Sailor Saturn goes with him and tells Sailor Pluto to close the portal so that he can’t get out (no you can’t die! We just got you and even though you’ve only been on screen for one episode everyone really likes you). Pluto closes the portal and Sailor Saturn and Pharaoh 90 are destroyed but wherever there is death there is rebirth and rebirth comes for Sailor Saturn and the world. In a wondrous moment Sailor Moon transforms into Neo Queen Serenity and revives the world (scene here: https://youtu.be/3Wz2vsnrVLc. I wonder if the Earth will be under imperial rule this time?) where Hotaru gets reborn as a baby and Sailor Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto decide to raise her as their own (scene here: https://youtu.be/a9hF-B7MPCw, this will make parent teacher conferences interesting). They take their leave vowing to one day to return (why? Just stay and we’ll all raise her, okay? Scene here: https://youtu.be/Cj830ZtnFeA) and we fast forward (I believe) to spring where Usagi and the others (besides Rei) will be going to the same high school (lucky you, I thought for sure she’d try and get into the same high school as Mamuro) and Chibi-Usa will be returning to the future now that her training is complete (what training, all you did was almost die. Worst training ever). As Usagi and Mamuro head to the park to see Chibi-Usa and Diana off they stop to look at the solar eclipse where Usagi and Chibi-Usa wind up in this dreamlike world (scene here: https://youtu.be/jcIJTzPt8Dw, and so it begins).
Final Thoughts
Now that’s what I’m talking about! That was amazing! That was awesome! This is the Sailor Moon that I wanted see and the one we deserved. The story is good. While it has a few plotholes, some things not explained all that well or pointless, and a few scenes portrayed better in the manga it was still good and easy to follow for the most part. The characters are way better as well. Each one has their own personality as opposed to coming across as lesser versions of Sailor Moon. Uranus and Neptune were done well and it was great seeing Pluto again. The only downside is they sacrifice character development for plot progression which while good I did want to explore these characters more and watch them interact off each other. I did feel bad that Tuxedo Mask got the shaft this season and did practically nothing except encourage Sailor Moon. The best aspect of this season has to be the animation. So, so much better than last season’s animation and very reminiscent of the 90s version except more up to date and brighter. The music has also been improved upon as the music is a lot more noticeable and matches up perfectly with the scene. You can tell everyone realized their mistakes from the previous season and changed their approach to make the series better and I’m happy to say they succeeded. There is a great amount of care, love, and attention put into this season. The love and respect for Sailor Moon can be felt throughout the season and bought a smile to my face to see such a great series get the treatment it deserves.
Is it better than the previous season
The answer is obviously yes. Watch the first episode of the previous season and compare it to the first episode of this season. You will see the differences instantly.
Final Score
The third season of Sailor Moon Crystal is a 7.5/10. A big improvement over the previous season and an enjoyable season to boot. With the Dream arc set to come out in the form of 2 movies later on this year I’m excited and can’t wait to see what they do next. Hopefully, they kept this team on board as they clearly know what they’re doing and respect this series. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
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