Bishôjo Senshi Sailor Moon

If you're a fan of the Sailor Moon manga or anime you will love this television series. It was a bit cheesy at first and it still is at times but it's so much fun to watch. It really captures the mood of the manga. However, I don't like some of the things they changed. For instance, Luna is now a talking stuffed animal. Thankfully she's not around too much. Crown Arcade is now a karaoke center. Usagi doesn't seem to have a father. And Minako is a popular teen idol. What's with that?! Anyway, I highly recomend it despite those things. You can find fansubbed versions online.

First let me say that I am a great fan of the anime; in fact, my wife and I have been re-watching it recently. But somehow depicting characters in three dimensions makes them more "real" to the viewers.

Everyone in the show is perfectly cast, even if the characters are not portrayed in ways that newcomers who have only seen the anime might expect!

Usagi Tsukino is much the same, actually, except that she doesn't cry at the drop of a hat. She whines and gripes, but she only really turns on the waterworks when there's a good reason to. Miyuu Sawai, who plays her, does an excellent job of portraying the many moods of Usagi/Sailor Moon, the sweetness and naiveté of Princess Serenity, and the coldness of the porcelain-faced Princess Sailor Moon, an uncomfortable and ultra-powerful amalgamation of Serenity and Sailor Moon.

Contrary to what you may have heard elsewhere, Chisaki Hama is the perfect Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury; quiet, shy, insecure, but full of love and compassion, and, once transformed into her Sailor self, bold and confident in battle. Miss Hama also is quite chilling in the story arc which shows Mercury being turned into an agent of evil. Her former sweet smile becomes a frightening leer, and it's quite a relief when she is brought back from the "dark side."

Keiko Kitagawa is the toughest, sternest, most pouty-lipped Rei Hino/Sailor Mars ever seen, and where the Reis of the manga and the anime had a burning ambition to be a pop idol, their live-action counterpart claims vehemently that she even hates karaoke. An amusing love-hate relationship grows up between her and Minako when Mina hoodwinks Rei into becoming-- a pop idol!

Mew Azama IS Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter. Of all the girls, she is undoubtedly the best cast. She's tall, built, brown-haired, and pretty. Her character underwent very few changes from the original version; she's strong, loyal, and brave, and also has a very soft, feminine side. It's hilarious when she's revealed to be just as ga-ga over getting to meet Minako as Usagi is-- mind you, she's a little cooler about it.

The person most different from her anime/manga depiction is Minako Aino/Sailor V/Sailor Venus, portrayed by Ayaka Komatsu, who, with her big round eyes, tiny mouth, and slim frame looks just like an anime character brought to life. In the manga and the anime, Minako can be serene and wise, but most often she's a happy, laughing, carefree klutz who can even surpass Usagi in ditziness. In the live-action series, she's a dead serious character who smiles very infrequently, and until very much later in the series, she stands apart from the other Sailors.

Of course, the fact that she has a fatal illness in this version of the story would make her a very different person. A little of the sillier Minako shows through, however, when she plays the occasional joke on her cat guardian Artemis and when she and the other girls take part in a wacky game show which finishes up with them hitting each other with padded clubs and finally falling into a laughing heap of arms, legs, and smiling faces.

The only shortcomings this show has are some of the sillier monster costumes and the seemingly limited availability of locations; certain areas of Tokyo, one office building in particular, crop up a lot as battle sites.

But overall, it's well-produced, brilliantly acted, and tugs very effectively at the heartstrings, the most heartbreaking episode being the one in which Minako finally succumbs to her illness and dies. But of course, in the Sailor Moon-iverse, no good person ever stays dead.

In summation, I believe that "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon" is one of the best examples of a live-action superhero show ever made.

My sister first told me about the Live Action series when she got back from visiting Japan over the summer. She brought me back a sketch book with Live Action Sailor Moon on it. I found it interesting cause I've loved the anime series since like 3rd or 4th grade, so i looked it up on the internet and read a few transcripts and looked at some of the pictures. Next thing I knew I bought all the ep. on DVD over Ebay!! I even got my sister into it!!! It IS addictive!! Like subliminal messages or something!! But it's totally awesome and I liked how it followed more to the manga, and I thought it was neat that their hair changed when they changed as well. Very cool I love it!! Wonder if they'll come out with a S or SuperS version? I want to see what Neptune Uranus, Pluto, Saturn and Chibi-Moon look like!!! I give it a 10 out of 10!!!!

Let's get one thing straight: this is by no means a masterwork. In fact, it's flawed in many ways: the special effects are bad, the production doesn't seem much more complicated than a DV home movie shot in various places in Tokyo, the costumes seem recycled from Power Rangers as does the action, and the acting needs a lot of polishing.

That having been said, it's an addictive show to watch, even for those far older than the target audience of... 4 to 7 year old girls?

The actresses, for better or worse, nail their characters. Usagi is a klutzy underachiever with no more ambition than going to the mall and singing karaoke. Ami is a super- genius who feels burdened by expectation. Rei is intense about her Shinto duties and wants nothing to do with anyone else. Makoto is a rough tomboy who hides her femininity and feels as if most people will eventually abandon her. The only one who seems different is Minako, a superstar, but for me I think it's only appropriate. For the most part, the charm of these first time actresses, picked from thousands in rehearsals, far outweighs their neophyte status.

I do understand there are many, many changes that upset some people but you have to understand that stuff that works in manga or anime form may not work in live action.

So, even though the show isn't great, why is it so fun to watch? I think it's mostly because of the charm and the heart of the show. Most people who are aghast about it haven't seen it and aren't interested in "getting it." But that's okay; it's not for everyone, certainly. If you do get it, however, it's a guilty pleasure and a very fun show.

This new version of Sailor Moon, as I comment, is only 13 episodes into the first season, and already, I can truthfully say, it has beaten the Anime version.

I have been a big fan of the Anime version of Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon since 1995. I have watched the show go from strength to strength, and have grown up with the characters.

Now, the new version; Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon comes along. Granted, I watch the first episode, and find myself thinking it is quite bizarre, but is deffinately worth watching again. I watch the 2nd episode, the 3rd episode, the 4th episode...I'm addicted.

I found there is much more character development, and a cleaner cut on-going story line (there is yet to be a filler episode, it seems something important happens in every episode). I can associate with the characters in this version much more then I could with the Anime version. I look at the characters, and their personalities, and see my friends aswell.

This version also keeps me guessing. Just when I think 'Oh yeah, in the Anime, this happened next, it'll happen like that here too', I tend to discover they do the complete opposite, and totally change the story arcs. It's a good thing! I never really wanted to see something I've already seen in 2 languages rehashed again.

The actors are very talented, and really do give it their all. I especially love Minako and Rei in this version.

Another thing; this version makes far more sense!! How many school girls do you see walking around the street with their pet cat in their arms? None. But, how many school girls do you see walking around the street with their stuffed-animal toy cat in their arms? Quite a few.

And to add to the sense-making-o-meter: When the senshi morph in this version, their hair totally changes color and style! This will deffinately help to keep their identities secret, as it was painfully obvious in the Anime who their identities were, they had simply changed clothes. In this they look totally different!

Now this series does have 2 low points:

MUSIC - Yes, the music in this series is quite catchy, but not much compared to the back ground music used in the Anime version. Alot of fans are upset over the loss of the original opening theme. That didn't bother me; the fact that we have 1 tune for fighting, 1 for the villains, 1 for the girls at school, 1 for Usagi at home, etc. We only have like 10 tracks, constantly reused. The Anime seemed to have an endless selection of tracks for background music! The live-action version fizzles here.

ACTION - The first episode's action had me confused. It was somewhat slow, and surreal. I didn't know what to make of it. As the season has progressed, I've come to notice there is virtually no action. All the Senshi do is twirl and dance about, while the monster ducks and jumps a bit. :S It looks rather silly, and I was really hoping the Senshi would kick major ass in this series, going by the way alot of people compare it to Sentai/Power Rangers, which is much more action packed.

Overall, I will say though, that Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is my favourite show at the moment. I cant get enough of it, ad I hope it has many more seasons then the Anime, as it is outdoing it for plot and character development.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon has alot of potential. Enough to be Japan's answer to Buffy in fact. It needs alot of polishing before it can get here, but it does have this sort of potential! Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is fun and enjoyable, and is the ultimate source of entertainment at the moment, in my opinion!

Watch and enjoy!