NOTE: The following blog may contain spoilers based on pre-existing source material, and isn't suited for viewing by less-than-jaded fans trying to get into the franchise. If you fit this criteria, continue to enjoy the episodes and conserve your suspense... trust me, it's gonna be awesome.
As for everyone else, welcome to my humble Sailor Moon Crystal Season 3 review and impressions for Act 27: Infinity, Part I. And without further ado, let's get started!
As everyone knows by now, Sailor Moon Crystal's inception was a result of the 20th anniversary celebration of the globally beloved Sailor Moon franchise, and is mainly about a bun-headed high-school student who - upon meeting four unique friends, two talking cats, and an older male student who she is destined to be together with - is revealed to have been the heir to Silver Millennium, a kingdom rumored to be inherited by successors of the moon goddess Selene. Her four close friends are revealed to be princesses of their own respective planets of the Milky Way as well as the guardians of their planet called Sailor Guardians, sworn to defend Silver Millennium and its heirs.
Now reincarnated in the present, they have overcome the Dark Kingdom ruled by Metallia, and the dark planet Nemesis which Death Phantom merged itself with. And so a new evil runs astir... that evil is none other than the Death Busters, ruled by Pharaoh 90.
The episode opens up with said new antagonist narrating his intentions and making his objectives clear to his subordinate magus, Kaorinite. (Surprisingly, Tayaka Hashi's performance for Pharaoh 90 sounds a lot like Arago from Samurai Troopers / Ronin Warriors). Then it cuts to Hotaru's bedroom, with a voice beckoning her to "awaken" because a great destruction is coming. We see brief shots of Sailor Pluto and two new Sailor Guardians carrying a mirror and a long sword (Neptune and Uranus, no doubt), and then it cuts to Mamoru and Usagi waking up, which heavily implies more than one person is having the same dream simultaneously.
The next morning Usagi wakes up late as usual, with Chibiusa already having her fill of breakfast thanks to their mother Ikuko. Usagi rushes to see Mamoru, and Chibiusa follows, giving her the lunch she forgot to take. Meanwhile, the scene cuts to an upper floor of a tall building, where an aqua-haired girl can be seen taking a casual swim by the pool in a white one-piece swimsuit. Upon exiting the pool, she checks her cell phone and gets ready to board her helicopter, the Kaiohmaru. Elsewhere, the scene cuts to a racing derby, where a young man (or is he?) named Haruka Tenoh is scolded by the pit team that he's straining the new car's engine too much. Brushing it off casually, he boards a second helicopter called the Tenohmaru.
The show cuts back to Usagi hanging with her friends at the Crown plaza, where a racing game fancies her curiosity. Suddenly, Haruka enters the scene unnoticed, showing off his skills with the arcade game, much to Usagi's frustration. However, Haruka comforts her in almost a flirtatious manner, encouraging her in a way by saying she may be cut out to be a racer someday. Meanwhile, the aqua-haired woman (now identified as Michiru Kaioh) is in a brief intervention with Mamoru, strangely telling him his eyes give a regal aura about him, as if he were a prince in his past life. Haruka meets up with Michiru and they both leave for a school called the Mugen Academy - a gathering of elite students destined for greatness in the world.
Incidentally, there were reports of a monster attack, and the very monster goes to possess a girl from the Mugen Academy. Luckily, Usagi and the gang were on the scene, and in typical fashion, they transform into the mighty Sailor Guardians we know and love, with new (and VASTLY IMPROVED) transformation sequences and roll calls. The fight is briefly wrapped up when Sailors Venus and Jupiter perform their newest attacks - the Wink Chain Sword and Coconut Cyclone, respectably - to defeat the parasitic monster and restore the girl to normal. The gang finally deduces that their new enemy is connected to this elite school and will stop at nothing to defeat them.
While this episode only tells half of a single chapter in the manga - whereas in the past they told the full chapter as an episode - the fact that this new staff direction improved the overall quality of the episodes - particularly in animation - was more than enough to hold me over to want more. The prologue was dark and gripping, and the pacing was what I had come to expect given this is faithful to the manga (so far). The characters don't seem to have dry expressions and seem to be closer to the lovable 90s anime. Junko Minagawa's performance as Haruka Tenoh was the premiere standout voice talent, and has already proven to be more than enough to match - if not surpass - her predecessor Megumi "Aniki" Ogata, whom gracefully approved her to carry on the iconic role in her absence.
But what really caught my eye for this episode is the transformations. OH GOD, THE TRANSFORMATIONS. They're beautiful, just beautiful. I'd dare say this is not only the best we'll see for this remake of a series, but the best yet in the series' history. Gone is the CGI transformations that many believed to be out of place with the otherwise 2D environment. What we get instead is tried-and-true 2D animation which is a sight to behold at 1080p. Add some inspiration from Pretty Cure, and you got a labor of love that just shows you that Toei takes its constructive feedback from fans VERY SERIOUSLY. This, my friends, is what stole the show for me this episode, along with the beautifully animated Wink Chain Sword and Coconut Cyclone attacks. And the show can only get better from here if the animation remains this consistent, unlike its previous seasons.
Luckily for us, we won't have to wait 2-3 weeks for another episode. That's right! Every Monday for what I believe will be the next 3 months we'll get a new episode. And even better, next week you'll be formally introduced to the Witches 5 as well as Neptune and Uranus.
Scores are pointless to me, so I'm gonna instead give this a "Worth Watching", if only for the transformations and improved action alone. It brings back the spirit of the 90s anime while still being its own thing. This is the Sailor Moon Crystal we deserve. An essential season to keep on your radar.
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