Sailor Moon Crystal!

[Stormlight]

Also very excited for this! Been watching the revamp of the original on Hulu. So many fond memories of this show. It's what got me into anime which, in turn, is what got me into BJDs. lol And memories of the Sailor Moon fanfiction mailing list I used to be on, and the fellow fans I still talk to online to this day (we have a facebook page now). I've been going through all my old Sailor Moon fanfiction and am thinking to celebrate I may re-edit and repost a lot of them on ff.net. I have SO many one-shots. I used to write so much back then!

Tomorrow! The first Crystal episode will air tomorrow! Excited!

[Stormlight]

Soooo, I just watched the first episode of this. Oh, this show is LIGHTYEARS beyond the old version. Everything about it was just ... better. The animation, and the music, is amazing (I'll be looking for soundtracks to this version; never was too much impressed with a lot of the music in the original). The first meeting between Usagi and Mamoru was SO fantastic. She hits him with the paper, they squabble, but then their eyes meet and BAM they have this MOMENT... *siiiigh*

Yeah, you can find this show on Hulu and other sites. Next episode is in two weeks. Gah, I'm so eager for it to come out. It's like I've discovered the series all over again!

[werepuppy]

Okay, so I've just watched the first episode. I don't have as many memories of the original anime as most do to hang my nostalgia on - though rest assured, if they ever reboot Cardcaptor Sakura I'll be there with the feels - but I do have some great feelings for the show. (Though, admittedly, when comparing the original anime to the live-action that was brought out in 2004, I ... actually like how the live-action handled the friendship between the girls much better. Plus Princess Sailor Moon and Dark Mercury)

Okay, but yes, I am not entirely sure on where I stand with the new art style. While it is stunning I feel like Usagi is a little too ... pointy. I know, I know, such depth of expression in my language, but I can't really think of another way to describe it. Also transformation being in CGI is another 'not sure how I feel' point, but that one's not as promiment because it was very pretty.

They are sticking closer to the manga, and that's very clear. So that means... Yeah, we're gonna have some fun with this anime. I did enjoy the episode - when Nico would finally play for me (UK viewer, cannot access Hulu or Crunchyroll) - and I'm looking forward to the next because my Ami will appear. Darling girl.

So... yeah, I think I'll enjoy this.

[Kd_Bunchanumbers]

I've actually binge watched the English dub in the first two seasons to hype myself up actually.

Anyways, I just watched the first ep of Crystal, and oh man I love the fact it feels like a Manga being animated with all the sparkles and water colours and soft shading happening because there is a huge difference between how a manga and Anime can turn out. I loved how unironically 90s Japanese it was and I'm happy they're trying to make it as distinct and unique it is to the old Anime.

That being said though, the noodle limbs really bug me, as does the sometimes glassy eyed expressions in the characters since it is kind of off putting and distracting. I think it's at its worst with the transformation sequence since the bizarre angles really emphasise how noodley she is and she sometimes stares straight into you.

But wow I'm happy overall with how its turning out since it promises to be a fresh look at a beloved character. And I'm so excited to see Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus being introduced.

[SetsunaKou]

Just watched it a few hours ago and it REALLY is just the manga being animated.

Which, in my opinion, isn't really a good thing. Takeuchi-sensei's art was never that good and to make it 'move' and 'animated' just doubles the odd look, rather than static manga pages. They were tolerable but animating them----eek, everyone is so gangly, awkward, disproportionate, and the faces have that blah pinched look, especially around the mouths. The eyes as well-----I know a lot of people liked the manga look, but there were also many of us who disliked it quite a bit. Too rough looking and unfinished.

I guess, though, it's good in a way, because it makes the series the 'manga' version rather than just a remake.

I did like the flowery sparkly intro scenes everyone got! That was so girlish and pretty and seemed to suit the series well. ^^
Her new transformation scene was....interesting. Again, the poorly done too gangly arms and legs leave a lot to be desired but the angles were neat to see.

I also immediately recognized Jadeite's voice actor, Kishio Daisuke! He's one of my fav seiyuu (We even made a 1/3 portrait bjd of him) from La Corda d'Oro. (He's Yunoki!) As Jadeite, he's using his 'evil' voice. My sis doesn't think it quite suits Jadeite (guess we're used to his more high pitched, nasally tones) since it's so low but, still...he's Daichan!!!

It will be interesting to see how closely they follow the manga story. I would imagine so, to keep is disparate and distinct from the anime series, but we'll see.

So far, this first episode was pretty close to how the 1st episode of the 1992 anime began.....

[Stormlight]

Eh, I always liked the slender, "noodly" look of anime characters myself. lol And I find the misty, ethereal look of the animation quite beautiful, overall. Quite a difference from the harsher lines and bold colors of the original version. I never got to read the manga (at least not past the first couple of volumes) so I really hope Crystal does follow it as closely as they say it will. I'm sure it will. No point in animating an entirely new version of the same old anime, especially since the original is also being re-released on Hulu and Blu-ray and such.

[DollyKim]

Gangly and long has a history with Swan which was one of the first major Shojo manga. It set a lot for the looks and tone for those that followed.

[SetsunaKou]

Oh, I love the long and slender Shoujo anime look best of any genre but the Sailor Moon manga/artbooks long and slender isn't very well done to my eyes. It's okay, has some lovely profiles but I still prefer the older anime's more finished design (particular the S-Stars seasons) which was much more proportionate and pretty/beautiful compared to the manga look, where almost all the characters look identical with the same eyes, mouth and face shapes. 0_o I like the more varied looks of the original anime series.

However, I do agree that I'm glad this is following the manga closely in story and look, so that it's like another version of Sailor Moon and not just a remake/redo anime.


Sailor Moon is so popular it can have 3 versions of full series!

[Lamia of the Dark]

I watched the first episode, and while I did like it for the most part, the transformation was derpy as hell...

[DollyKim]

The transformations in Magic Girl type manga and animae usually stand for puberty so they're allowed to be derpy.