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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
I have never read or watched Sailor Moon before, and I enjoyed this first volume so much! The art style is gorgeous and the characters are all so unique and lovely. I cannot wait to read more and delve deeper into the story.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Pleasantly surprised by how well this story withstands the test of time! The translators did an excellent job contextualizing certain phrases and cultural comparisons.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
There’s a reason that Sailor Moon has been an adored series and character since the early 90s, and now that I’ve read this first volume, I’m so happy to say that I know what’s so special about this story and its characters.
On the surface, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon looks like your usual magical girl story. And yes, it does carry many familiar tropes within its pages, however, that doesn’t mean those tropes are a bad thing! The Sailor Guardians have a strong chemistry that starts up almost immediately - without truly knowing each other yet, they care deeply about one another and work so well together.
Usagi as a lead, specifically, is a bit familiar within this genre - she’s a magical girl who is excitable and easily distracted by fun or by cute boys, and yet she’s so much more charming than many other magical girls who have similar tropes to her. There’s a responsibility and a maturity that comes through in each chapter, and so as a reader you become attached to Usagi incredibly fast and easily. The one critique I do have regarding characters is that the other Guardians are underdeveloped, at least as of the first few chapters. I hope that as the story goes on I’ll see more growth and development for the supporting characters.
One part of this series that I was pleasantly surprised by was the romance between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. Before reading this book, I already knew through pop culture that they would have a romantic narrative, but reading it was so much more delightful than I could have expected. As someone who doesn’t enjoy romance very much, I was so charmed by the way that Takeuchi wrote and drew scenes that these two characters shared. There was a dreaminess to the visuals and a yearning in the dialogue that had me hooked each time these characters were together or simply thinking about one another.
I also appreciate that the villains don’t feel wholly repetitive. Yes, one could argue that a lot of the villain encounters are standard fare for magical girl stories, but I appreciate that Takeuchi includes scenes of the villains in which we as readers can see what may be to come, and learn a little bit more about them with each chapter. This builds interest and anticipation for what the Sailor Guardians will have to face in the future, so those standard villain encounters don’t feel entirely repetitive and redundant.
For me, the strength of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon comes from its art. The story is well-written and well-paced, but Takeuchi’s art style takes everything to the next level. There is so much detail and care put into each panel, and there’s this overall dreamy and whimsy to the story that is a feast for the eyes. The visuals of this book really set it apart from similar stories, it feels so unique and other worldly. On rare occasions, I confused a couple of characters because they were so similar (or at least they looked similar to me), but I was always able to work out who was who, so I don’t see that as a big problem for me.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Very high 3 stars ***
Beforehand I knew nothing about Sailor Moon other than a crime fighter who wears a sailor costume and whilst this is still true I loved this series and am eager to carry on following Usagi's adventures.
Great recommendation for those just starting out in reading manga.
Beforehand I knew nothing about Sailor Moon other than a crime fighter who wears a sailor costume and whilst this is still true I loved this series and am eager to carry on following Usagi's adventures.
Great recommendation for those just starting out in reading manga.
This is obviously not my first time reading the Sailor Moon manga but Ive been collecting the Eternal editions and felt like doing a reread. This manga never fails to put me in a good mood. I love Usagi so much and this story of love and friendship means absolutely everything to me. This edition is CHONKY! I love the larger size as it makes it easier to read. Highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good magical girl story or if you’re a Sailor Moon fan!
I was given the manga as a Christmas gift. It has been so nice to revisit this story. I actually prefer this translation more than the one I read previously. The some of the translation notes at the manga were quite insightful. Others made me feel old lol.