REVIEW: Sailor Moon Crystal 39
After thirteen episodes and reviews, we have reached the end of what I believe to be the best arc of Sailor Moon Crystal. But before I review the good, the bad, and the Pretty Guardians, let's talk about the ending of the Infinity Arc.
Last week’s episode ended with Sailor Saturn ready to destroy both Master Pharaoh 90 and the Earth. The only person who can stop her is Super Sailor Moon. But Super Sailor Moon is dead, right? Of course she isn’t - she emerges from the depths of 90’s evil gooey cloud after Chibiusa calls for help. Like much of the season, this episode gave the most attention to Usagi, Chibiusa, and Hotaru/Sailor Saturn. With a wrench thrown into her plans to destroy - I mean, renew - the world, Saturn shows her softer side. No one ever seems to acknowledge that she also carries the power of rebirth, and that her decisions aren’t always absolute. Once she realizes that Usagi can still heal the world, Saturn chooses to sacrifice herself instead.
After Usagi rejuvenates the world, the Outer Senshi disappear with a reincarnated baby Hotaru, with whom they are destined to form the cutest family ever. Somehow Usagi gets into high school, and the Inner Senshi have their brief moments in the sun while they are making fun of her. Mamoru is now said to be a university student, the first recent, gross reminder of the age and maturity gaps between him and Usagi.
The ending matches the events in the manga, which I was kind of expecting, but the show ends on a cliffhanger even vaguer than the manga’s cliffhanger. It is time for Chibiusa to return to the 30th century, but first she and her parents watch a solar eclipse together. As the moon slowly obscures the sun, Chibiusa and Usagi hear the sound of beautiful bells. And then the episode ends. What? No unicorn?
Okay, now let's look at the what this season does right and wrong. Of course, the highlights of this season include the superior animation quality and upgraded character designs, which make the show go from “barely watchable” to “usually aesthetically pleasing.” Sometimes the purple miasma during fights and some of the other backdrops look out of place, and several instances of distance and full body animation seemed off. But the Senshi actually looked their age! Speaking of the Senshi, they all feel a little more developed, though the most attention (outside of Usagi) goes to Saturn and Uranus. The female bonds and the well-presented lesbian relationship between Michiru and Haruka (and the early tension between Haruka and Usagi) are gracefully handled and remind us Moonies why Sailor Moon still feels so relevant.
Another improvement is that Chibiusa goes from an obnoxious plot device to an absolutely adorable and important character. Seriously, I think she was my favorite character this season, and she deserves respect for many reasons. She is shown to be a gentle child with great inner strength and kindness like her mother. She is also often more mature than her mother, but not in an annoying, know-it-all sense.
The music used throughout the season definitely cemented my emotional attachment to the show, with arrangements ranging from thematically appropriate to heart-wrenching. The opening themes were not particularly exciting, but all of the ending themes were a joy to watch and re-watch. It was like Toei knew exactly what I was looking for: cutesy Chibiusa stuff, Tuxedo Mask fan service, and a gorgeous, Utena-style ending featuring Haruka and Michiru; the latter ending was used for both the first and last episodes this season, showing a level of planning or at the very least clever thinking.
This season was without its own questionable moments, however. The Infinity Arc is loved by fans, but this is mostly because it focuses on the Outer Senshi. It is definitely not because of the villains in it, who are rather forgettable. The Witches 5 were only satisfying to watch while they were being killed, Kaolinite dies way too easily, and Master Pharaoh 90’s battle is anti-climactic – I mean, it isn’t really a fight at all. Hell, no one else even needed to die in that fight; Saturn could have just let the evil cloud go back to the Tau Star System to die alone but she chose to escort him to Hell instead. The best things about the bad guys were Hotaru’s connection to them and her creepy father. Hotaru’s internal and familial conflicts matter much more than the physical ones that gave us lackluster fights.
The Inner Senshi became increasingly useless throughout this season - the gang suffer from serious Dragon Ball Z Syndrome and are being pushed further into the background. With the exception of a couple amazing spotlight fights (Mercury’s episode being the most memorable), the girls were more or less only used to give Usagi her power-up as Super Sailor Moon. Speaking of which, Crystal kept many of the plot holes and flaws of the manga, including the lame backstory for Dr. Tomoe and the inexplicable appearance of a second Holy Grail. The latter is explained away simply by someone saying, “Oh, I guess Chibiusa just wanted to power up so badly that the Universe just created a second chalice.” Even in a show like Sailor Moon, that notion is ridiculous.
If (or rather, when) there is a season 4 of Crystal, it will focus on the Yume/Dream arc, which was the source material for Sailor Moon SuperS. This upcoming arc is the one that I am least familiar with, but it is often considered by fans to be the worst arc. How will this more lighthearted arc compare to Infinity, and what could it mean for Crystal’s current forward momentum? Well, if it is as disappointing as I have heard (and I always did hate that unicorn in the 90s anime), then it may undo all of the greatness that the Infinity Arc achieved. But if this season of Crystal has taught me anything, with some time and feedback this production team can work near-miracles.
