When one thinks of a classic anime, nothing comes to mind faster than Sailor Moon. Originally airing in 1992, Sailor Moon is one of the most beloved and classic anime of all time. From 1995 to 2000 it introduced and popularized the magical girl genre to American and Canadian audiences, and many of the children who watched it are now full-grown adults. When a more true-to-manga adaptation, called Sailor Moon Crystal, was announced to be released in 2015, the now grown-up fans were ecstatic to feel nostalgia with a new twist on their beloved series.
Yet, seven years later the anime has failed to gain recognition. With the recent release of the Sailor Moon Eternal movies, they easily overshadowed what was the Crystal series. So, what exactly went wrong with the initial reboot? What failed to capture the nostalgia factor that the original fans yearned for?
Change in Art Style
The change in art style divided fans, otherwise known as Moonies, everywhere. The art style in Sailor Moon Crystal does stay truthful to the manga, and there are some beautiful animation moments within the series. This doesn't cover the fact that there are stills floating around that are just... downright disappointing though. At least the original anime is consistent in its animation, and the more pastel palate added to the charm of it all. It is also obvious that a huge shift in style can be seen from seasons 1 and 2 versus season 3 of Crystal. This was because seasons 1 and 2 aired as web specials with a lower budget, while the third season was made for TV and could afford higher quality work.
Inconsistent Proportions and Pacing
Seeing inconsistencies with proportions is disheartening, especially for an anime like Sailor Moon that many hold dear to their hearts. In the first and second season especially, some stills that fans have collected are pretty disappointing, to say the least. Toei Animation, who produced the first two seasons, are notorious for having inconsistencies with their animation quality and unfortunately, Sailor Moon is no exception. Luckily, as the series goes on it is much more palpable to watch if one ignores the horrid pacing.
Simply put, there's a LOT of material to cover within Naoko Takeuchi's world of Sailor Moon. The original anime had 200 episodes across five seasons to cover everything, and that's with the original anime straying from the source material. Sailor Moon Crystal stays true to the manga, but the pacing is way too fast. Viewers don't have time to get to know each Sailor Scout individually, and instead are thrown across each major story arc trying to make sense of what's going on. Compared to the original anime, this adaptation has little to no fillers and is all action all the time, which for an anime like Sailor Moon can get dull, quick.
Lack of Filler Episodes
A huge part of what made the original Sailor Moon series so charming was the number of wholesome filler episodes that allowed for proper character development for each Sailor Scout. Viewers really got to know each girl outside of the team and how they used their individualities to make such a great team. These filler episodes gave the anime a slice-of-life feel and allowed for fans to connect with each girl. This was something that at the time was not seen for a widely popular anime "made for girls." In contrast, Crystal lacks the charm and replaces it with too much information and action at a time that can be overwhelming to new viewers.
Although Crystal failed to live up to expectations, the success of Sailor Moon Eternal can mean a whole new breath of life for the franchise. Still, if choosing between watching the original anime and Crystal, most veteran fans would probably stick to the original series. Both can be found and streamed in their entirety on Hulu, while the Eternal movies can be found on Netflix.
