Sailor Moon Crystal: Season III

Episode 27

I realize that it might be too early for a celebration, but it really looks like the third season of Sailor Moon Crystal is going to be far superior to the first two. Really – not only does it flow more naturally while still remaining highly faithful to the manga, but it also has slightly softer, updated (but recognizably Takeuchi) character designs and a total lack of craptastic CG in the transformations. In fact, the transformations are returned to what they ought to be in a magical girl show: fascinating and magical with flowing effects and glowing lights. Once again, this is pulled off with a recognizable faithfulness to both seasons one and two and the classic Sailor Moon TV series, but with small changes that work; in this case, mostly angles are just slightly changed to give us a different, occasionally sexier perspective and there's an overall floating quality that makes them feel pleasantly unreal. In large part this is likely due to two big changes in the staff – Chiaki Kon has taken over as director and Akira Takahashi is the new character designer. Takahashi also did the designs for a few series in the PreCure franchise, which does show in the fluffier, more flowing hair and slightly noodly legs, but on the whole the visuals feel greatly improved. Even Sailor Mercury's oft-mocked ending pose has been tinkered with just enough so that she now looks cute instead of like she desperately has to pee. (This was accomplished by keeping her thighs a bit apart instead of clenched.) Also interesting in terms of visuals perhaps owes less to the new staff and more to the progression of the overall story: Chibi-Usa looks calm and happy now, the tension that held her together during season two gone in favor of someone secure in her world.

Of course, that's not going to last long.

This third season is following the Death Busters arc, and the show opens with narration by the Big Bad of the season, Pharaoh 90 and a glimpse of Kaolinite, his accomplice. As usual, Pharaoh 90 appears to be searching the galaxy for just the right place and energy, and he thinks he's found it in Tokyo, specifically the Mugen district. To this end, we imagine, he has released monsters in pellet form who take over people and cause them to turn into ravening beasts, pretty much just like all of the villains before him. But this time the Sailor Guardians are prepared – the minute Usagi's broach alerts her to something, the girls leap into action and unleash a barrage of attacks previously unseen in the anime. (I've always been a fan of Jupiter's Coconut Typhoon.) Just what this means for anyone is still unknown – we don't see any major reactions from the bad guys and the Guardians are still largely uninformed. But Mamoru, Rei, and the still unintroduced Hotaru are all having frightening visions of the future, so you know it isn't likely to remain this easy for long.

The Death Busters arc is famous in part for introducing the remaining Outer Senshi, Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn, and Sailor Moon Crystal definitely wants to let you know that they're coming. As I said, we do see Hotaru briefly this week, and we meet Haruka and Michiru almost immediately. They clearly know who Usagi and Mamoru are – Michiru even lets her mirror talisman be seen by Mamoru as she makes unsubtle comments about him having been a prince in a previous life – but don't seem to be in a rush to introduce themselves. It feels more like they're gearing up to it than actively avoiding it, as if they're waiting to be really sure that revealing themselves to Sailor Moon and the Inner Senshi is fully unavoidable before taking that step. It's cautious rather than off-putting, and it definitely does let us know that these two are much more wary than Usagi and her circle when it comes to getting things done.

Speaking of “revealing,” there's an interesting moment this week when, as the monster of the week appears, Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako all speak openly about transforming in front of Naru and Umino. Mamoru says that he'll take care of them while the Guardians fight pretty much right to their faces, which seems a bit much. Even if the other two know for certain, the rest of the city sure doesn't, so the mid-town transformation (right on the sidewalk in front of the game center) is remarkably unsubtle. It's easy to write it off in the excitement of realizing that the transformations look good now, but it's also still a stretch of logic that feels odd.

On the whole, this is a very promising start to the new season. The new opening theme is interesting to watch, and if it lacks the girl power vibe of “Moon Pride,” it also feels like it fits the show better, while Haruka and Michiru fans should be really happy with the ending theme that revolves entirely around them. It's a little strange how hard they're pushing the fact that the two are lesbians with plenty of yuri-tastic imagery, but given that these were the two who made a lot of people feel they weren't alone and different back in the 90s, it is understandable. I for one am pleased to see them get an improved Crystal treatment, and I'm tentatively hopeful that this will be the season that Sailor Moon Crystal finally truly gets it right.

Rating: B+

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal: Season III is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, Viz.com and Hulu.