Welcome to Sailor Moon Revisited! Here is where I watch the original Sailor Moon anime episodes every Mondays on Hulu (2 episodes each week for free) which I recap on Tuesdays.
For those of you who aren’t familiar, Sailor Moon aka by its original title Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon is a Japanese cartoon (anime) based off the shojo manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It aired during the 90’s and became a solidified hit both in Japan and here in the US. It was one of the first anime that I ever watched. I watched the english dubbed and I didn’t get to finish the show so that’s part of the reason I’m rewatching it. Plus Hulu has put on the full uncut version with subtitles!
The anime follows a 14-year-old schoolgirl named Usagi Tsukino who is tasked with protecting Earth from the forces of evil. Altogether the series has a total of 200 episodes and is one of the longest-running magical girl anime series. Starting in July, a new anime adaptation titled Pretty Sailor Moon Crystal will debut and I’ll recap each episode here on my column. This version will stick much closer to the books than the 90’s version did.
If you want to learn more about the history of Sailor Moon, head over to TheMarySue.com where writer Victoria McNally breaks it down. And now without further ado here are the recaps for episodes one and two!
Episode 1: “The Crybaby: Usagi’s Beautiful Transformation”
The story begins in the bedroom of our main protagonist Usagi Tsukino. She’s a 14 year-old schoolgirl who’s a crybaby and a klutz. And she’s late for school. She gets up rushes to get dress and almost forgets her lunch as she heads out the door. Walking to school she sees a group of kids bothering a cat. Rescuing the cat she takes the bandaid off its forehead revealing a crescent moon.
Arriving at school Usagi is reprimanded for being late (again) by the teacher and she has to stand outside the classroom. Later in the day Usagi, her best friend Naru and their friend Umino discuss the mysterious vigilante Sailor V (who is someone you definitely want to remember for future reference) who recently stopped a robbery. It’s obvious that the trio are very intrigued by this heroine. After school Usagi and Naru to Naru’s mother’s jewelry sale to check out the sale.
Unbeknownst to them, sinister things are being plotted. The scene moves to a dark realm where a creepy angler fish hangs in the background and on the throne sits Queen Beryl who’s looking into a crystal ball (at what exactly I’m not sure) on a staff which floats. She asks her minions if they’ve found the Silver Crystal to which all of them say “No. One minion named Jadeite comes forth promising that he’ll find the crystal and collect dark energy they need for the unnamed big baddie to whom they all serve. Apparently his plan includes Naru’s mother, who’s at the store trying to sell Usagi something that she can’t afford due to being broke and she can’t ask her parents since she failed her English test. Luckily for her, Usagi leaves and runs into a tall and handsome dark-haired guy named Mamoru. He calls her bun-head which makes her upset and she walks home followed by the cat she helped earlier.
When she gets home, Usagi shows her mom her test no thanks to Umino which results in mom locking Usagi.
Curse you Umino!
We meet her younger brother who has just arrived home and makes fun of his sister. Later mom lets her daughter back in and Usagi is ready not for homework but for a nap. She’s interrupted by Luna who tells her that she’s tasked with finding the Princess Serenity and protecting the earth from evil forces. Look if a talking cat came into your bedroom and told you that would you believe them? Usagi only believes after Luna produces a broach after doing a flip and tells Usagi to say the magic words which are:
“MOON PRIZM POWER MAKE UP!”
And we get that cool transformation sequence and boom! Usagi is now Sailor Moon.
Badass pose.
Ya think Usagi?
Evil is never far away for in that moment, our heroine hears the cries of her friend and makes her way to her. Which reminds me…
Who am I? Who the hell are you?
What the hell is going on here? Is Naru’s mother trying out for the part of Regan McNeil? I mean eesh! Thankfully, this isn’t Naru’s mother, she’s safely in the basement but both her and Naru are still in danger. But Sailor Moon is here to save the day or the evening in this case. All that stands between her are the mind controlled women who are ready to kick her behind (one of them broke a glass bottle for goodness sake!) and her fear. I mean Usagi doesn’t know how to fight. She’s not Ponyboy she’s never been in a rumble. Being a crybaby might be a bad thing, but it did help Sailor Moon out as her loud sobs broke the mind control and the women are now unconscious. And with the aid of a mysterious man who throws a rose and encourages her, Sailor Moon is back on her feet. With Luna’s help, she throws her tiara and the day-I mean the evening-is saved by Sailor Moon! Way to go girl!
Episode 2: “Punishment Awaits: the House of Fortune is the Monster Mansion”
A new trend has hit the town as everyone wants their fortune read…except a conspicuous bad guy named Jadeite who has come up with a new plan to gather dark energy for his Queen Beryl and their mysterious baddie. Meanwhile, our heroine Usagi is once again late for school. I love how she attempted to sneak into the classroom. She would have done it too had it not been for that meddling Umino! And as a result, they’re both standing outside the classroom. Later we find out that Umino has a big crush on Usagi and Naru advises him to get his fortune told. Unfortunately he goes to the wrong own and gets a personality adjustment. Usagi does the smart thing and gets her fortune told by the old sage man who tells her that someone has a crush on her.
We feel you sir.
Instead of going straight home, Usagi goes to the local arcade Motoki and meets the cute owner whom she believes his her crush (hey I don’t blame her. I mean he’s a cutie!). Leaving the arcade, she returns to the teller to ask more about her crush only to find him gone home for the evening (he probably cut his hours due to loss of customers). In attempting to tell her own fortune, she throws her shoe in the air only for it to land on-wait for it-Mamoru’s head. Like before the two have a little spat and Usagi finally heads home bumping into her dad along the way.
How’s it going ladies?
Umino arrives at school in a new suit and a new attitude-a bad one to be exact. He lifts up the teacher’s skirt and then disrupts the class, throws rocks through the windows of the school, and forcefully tries to kiss Usagi. Thankfully, her cries scares him and his new gang away. Usagi puts two and two together with Luna and it’s once again time for her to save the day err evening (it’s Sailor Moon, Tali. Sailor Moon!). Our heroine tracks the gang back to the shady fortune teller place. Realizing the gig is up, the fortune teller whips her hair Sedusa style and orders her boys to attack. They turn green and almost look like zombies (I guess in a way they are).
Why do you even show up?
A rose interrupts the ruckus and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask appears to give Sailor Moon encouragement and then fades away into the night (is that all he does?). Through the power of her tiara once again the day err night (damnit!) is saved and the next day Umino is horrified by his behavior. I wonder if he got suspended?
And that is your Sailor Moon Revisited for this week. Hope you enjoyed it and I’ll return next week with another recap. I leave you with this Sailor Moon – Saturday Morning Slow Jam. Until next time!
