Sailor Moon Crystal Act 6, Tuxedo Mask, Review

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 6 - Shirtless Mamoru

The latest episode of Sailor Moon Crystal, Act 6 – Tuxedo Mask, is now available for viewing on
Crunchyroll, Hulu and Niconico. The episode was released on September 20th in Japan and worldwide. This week’s it’s all about Tuxedo Mask as we finally see Mamoru with his shirt off, just like we did in the manga and original anime. How does everyone like shirtless Mamoru in Sailor Moon Crystal?

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 6 - Shirtless Mamoru

One noticeable change in this episode is that the intro has been modified. Most of the changes are relatively minor, like changes to shading or colouring, but some are more significant such as Sailor Mars’s pose at the end of the intro or Queen Serenity’s hair and eye colour. In the original manga and anime Queen Serenity, Sailor Moon’s mother on the Moon, had white or silver hair. In the intro for streaming episodes 1 to 5 she has blonde hair. This has been updated, most likely because she will be appearing in the series soon and her hair colour will be white. With the DVD and Blu-Ray release coming up on October 15th it’s likely that this intro will be used for those, but we won’t know for sure for a few weeks.

Sailor Moon intro - Queen Serenity with white hair

There are minor changes in this episode compared to the manga. It was otherwise as always mostly faithful. When Luna explains the power of the Silver Crystal, she says it has the ability to destroy a planet while in the manga it has the ability to destroy a star. Did the Silver Crystal get a downgrade in power? It never really did either so perhaps it’s not that huge a deal. Tuxedo Mask has a great moment in this episode where he explains to Sailor Moon that her true power is about making her friends happy and bringing out the best in them. This has always been what I like about Sailor Moon. Her strength is her kindness and compassion, not in her sheer power to destroy a planet or star. Luna finally explains to the girls that she’s from the Moon, a shocking revaluation indeed. She also speaks of who she thinks the enemy is and we see and image of Queen Metalia, the evil energy which is controlling the Dark Kingdom. When the plot progresses Luna also shows the girls their awesome headquarters hidden under the Crown Game Center. Slightly more impressive than the Karaoke room from the live action series!

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 6 - Headquarters under the Crown Game Center

This episode has Mamoru asking the public to find the Silver Crystal, followed by Zoisite doing the same, but while dressed as a woman. It’s certainly nice to see this series showing someone cross dressing after last week’s episode. Usagi was meant to transform into a groom in act 5 but this sequence was removed from the series. When Zoisite appears on TV asking people to find the Silver Crystal it looked very similar to a scene in the live action Sailor Moon series in which reporters are urging people to tell them to look for the Crystal and the broadcast is similarly shown to a group of people on a large outdoor TV in downtown Tokyo. Unlike most scenes that have a similarity to the original anime or live action series, this one was not lifted from the manga as those TV broadcasts were only shown on small TVs.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 6 - Zoisite dressed as a woman

Live action Sailor Moon episode 9 - News broadcast looking for the Silver Crystal

Sailor Moon finally gets to use her new Moon Stick in this episode, as she learns a lesson from the Sailor V game. While at the arcade she notices how Sailor V is using a weapon which bears a striking resemblance to her new Moon Stick. It’s by following what Sailor V does in the game that she is able to use her new attack Moon Healing Escalation which she uses to heal the town which has had it’s energy drained by Zoisite.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 6 - Moon Healing Escalation

On top of her appearance in the Sailor V game we also get a live look at Sailor V in this episode. The girls speculate a bit about who she might be, and if she has a civilian identity. We also see Artemis along with her. If the manga is any indication, and it has been to date, we should be seeing Sailor Venus at the end of the next episode.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 6 - Sailor V and Artemis

Act 7, Mamoru Chibi – Tuxedo Mask, will be available Saturday October 4th. We see a bit more of Mamoru in this episode as Usagi wakes up at his place and has learned that he’s Tuxedo Mask. In the original manga story the Dark Kingdom uses VHS tapes to brainwash the people of Tokyo. I have a feeling this might be updated for a 2014 audience just a little! Be sure to check that out in two weeks.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 7 - Usagi discovers Mamoru is Tuxedo Mask

Keep reading for more screenshots from this episode.

Continue reading

First look at the Sailor Venus Pullip doll

Sailor Venus Pullip doll

The first image of the upcoming Sailor Venus Pullip doll was released on the Sailor Moon official site which prompts us all to ask “Where is Sailor Mars?”. Sailor Venus is the fifth Sailor Guardian to appear yet she’s the third Pullip released! Sailor Moon was released in July and Sailor Mercury will be released in October. Sailor Venus will be shown at a Doll Show coming up on Monday September 15th. Pullip dolls are highly detailed collectible somewhat creepy dolls with disproportionately large heads.

Sailor Mercury as Ami Mizuno Pullip doll

For those looking for the Sailor Mercury doll they can pre-order it from Premium Bandai to get an exclusive school uniform. The normal version is 16,000 yen (about $150 US) while the exclusive version is 19,000 yen (about $178 US). The exclusive for Sailor Moon was Luna. Perhaps the exclusive for Sailor Venus will be Artemis! No specific release date or pricing has been announced for Sailor Venus but she will likely be sold for the same as Sailor Moon and Mercury.

Sailor Moon content added to the Line Play mobile game

Sailor Moon in Line Play - Sailor Moon Crystal room

Sailor Moon Crystal content has been added to Line Play. What’s Line Play? It’s an avatar based mobile game where you can dress up your character, buy furniture for your house and interact with other players all while doing menial tasks (or paying money…) to get gems to buy more items. I’d never heard of this game when this news was announced on the Sailor Moon official site so I downloaded it to see what it was all about.

Sailor Moon in Line Play - Sailor Moon Crystal room

Line Play is a Japanese game but there is an english version. It is available in the iTunes store for iOS devices and the Google Play store for Android devices. I have heard people had issues getting the iOS version in English speaking countries but I had no issue installing it on my Android device. To say the game isn’t really for me would be somewhat of an understatement but it seems to appeal to some people. The Sailor Moon content is interesting enough. You can add Sailor Moon Crystal as a friend and after doing so you can travel to Sailor Moon Crystal’s room which is totally filled with cool Sailor Moon Crystal gear! Sailor Moon themed furniture and decorations as well as costumes. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get some of these items for yourself? Indeed you can! Using the “Gacha” in the Sailor Moon Crystal room you can use 2500 gems to get a random Sailor Moon item. With the 10000 gems you start with you can get four such items. You gain gems at a slow rate while playing or, naturally, you can pay real money to buy some!

Sailor Moon in Line Play - Serena School Uniform

I played all of my gems and got four items. First I got two copies of Usagi’s school uniform which is called “Serena School Uniform”. This is a curious choice of names given Serena is the name from the old English dub, not that used in the English adaptation of Sailor Moon Crystal or for the new dub of Sailor Moon which will soon be released by Viz. Still, many fans of the series from back in the day may be used to that name and so she is referred to as Serena. Next I got Serenity’s dress, which is a rare item. Both of these are clothing items which can be equipped through your closet. Next I got a Moon Stick Chair which is a furniture item you can place in your house. Finally I got Luna which is a fashion accessory which can be placed on your head.

Sailor Moon in Line Play - Serenity Dress

While playing Sailor Moon also took a number of baths. So scandalous!

Sailor Moon in Line Play - Usagi taking a bath

Keep reading to see more images from the game.

Continue reading

Sailor Moon episodes 31 and 32 are now available on Hulu

Sailor Moon episode 31 - Rhett Butler

The latest two episodes of the original Sailor Moon anime have been added to Hulu and Neon Alley. As with every Monday two new episodes, subbed by Viz, are added online. This week we have episodes 31 and 32 which are two of the funniest episodes of the series.

Sailor Moon episode 31 - Rhett Butler rescues Luna

In episode 31, Love and Chased: Luna’s Worst Day Ever, we meet Rhett Butler, a fat alley cat who falls in love with Luna. The search for the last Rainbow Crystal is on and leads Zoisite and the Sailor Guardians to the house of a young girl, but it’s her cat who’s actually the final Rainbow Crystal carrier! Rhett Butler choses to protect Luna from all of the stray cats in Tokyo. Their adventures take them deep into the sewers and ultimately back to the surface where Rhett Butler turns into the monster Bakene who is still able to keep his wits and protect Luna despite his monster status, a feat that none of the human Rainbow Crystal carriers were able to do. Like many of the romances early in the series, this one is short lived and the reasons are simply because there are other plans for some characters. Artemis will be showing up in just a few episodes and so there’s just no room to keep Rhett Bulter around beyond the scope of this episode, but in the final moments it’s quite clear that Luna and Rhett Butler shared a great love.

Sailor Moon episode 32 - Tuxedo Umino Kamen

In episode 32, Umino’s Resolve: I’ll Protect Naru, we see Umino’s protective side as he suits up and becomes Tuxedo Umino Kamen. Now that Usagi has new friends it’s long overdue that Naru and Umino hook up with each other so that we don’t have to feel bad about how neglected they are! Umino is of course completely socially awkward and has no idea how to win over Naru so he asks Usagi who describes what she is into as qualities attributed to Tuxedo Mask. Umino naturally decides to dress as Tuxedo Mask and protect Naru, which is met with some apprehension but is ultimately fairly successfull. They go on a date together to see Red Man, and when Zoisite misses Naru he ends up making a monster of the Power Ranger style character who attacks everyone in site, forcing Umino to step up as protector. Once again Umino isn’t terribly effective, but his heart is in the right place, and that’s what counts. This is one romance that isn’t about to get sidetracked by some inconvenient destiny as Umino and Naru are set to have a long and happy relationship.

Sailor Moon episode 32 - Tuxedo Umino Kamen and Naru

And here’s a funny still from episode 31:

Sailor Moon episode 31 - Sailor Jupiter looks at Sailor Mercury's butt

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 4, Masquerade Dance Party, Review

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 4 - Usagi and Mamoru dancing

The 4th episode of Sailor Moon Crystal became available on Saturday August 16th. You can watch it on Crunchyroll, Hulu or Niconico. Act 4, Masquerade Dance Party, has everyone crashing a party put on by the D Kingdom in order to steal their jewels, hoping to find the Silver Crystal. While this is an early story in the manga it is somewhat similar to episode 22 of the Sailor Moon anime, Romance Under the Moon: Usagi’s First Kiss.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 4 - Jadeite lives

The episode largely follows act 4 of the original manga with one major exception, Jadeite is still alive. In the manga Sailor Mars kills Jadeite at the end of act 3 however in the last episode it was unclear if Jadeite actually died during the fight. Indeed Jadeite is still alive which is the biggest change to the story we’ve seen to date. Perhaps this change will lead to more differences down the line, as all of the Shitennou are still alive at this point leaving things open for different stories. In act 3 Jadeite made comments about how beautiful he thought Sailor Mars was, which may be related to a past and future relationship between the two of them. Manga art from the final Dark Kingdom story shows pairings between the Shintennou and Sailor Guardians during Silver Millennium. Sailor Mercury was with Zoisite, Sailor Mars is with Jadeite, Sailor Jupiter was with Nephrite and Sailor Venus was with Kunzite, a relationship which was also alluded to in the Sailor V manga. This may seem odd to anime fans who have only seen the Shintennou as villains however in the manga they were all friends of Endymion and good people from Earth prior to being corrupted by Queen Metalia. While we’ve followed the manga closely to date this may not last forever. By act 4 of the live action series we were still following the manga episode by episode but major changes were just around the corner.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 4 - Newspaper from the future showing Sailor Moon doing Moon Twilight Flash

Sailor Moon gets a new tiara and attack this week! Her last tiara was destroyed by Sailor Mars as she burned Jadeite and so she gets a new upgraded one and with that has a new attack which she uses to destroy Nephrite’s shadow. The attack she uses in the manga is Moon Twilight Flash, seen frequently in the live action series, though the attack is not named in this episode. Strangely enough an image of Sailor Moon using this attack is seen in the newspaper on the morning before she gets her tiara upgrade and is first able to use this attack.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 4 - Creeper Umino

Another fun moment has Umino acting like a total creeper when he reveals a photo of Princess D. Indeed Umino always having images of women at hand when needed is in itself creepy but something about the way he acts and speaks in this scene is particularly funny.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 4 - Tuxedo Mask kissing Sailor Moon without consent

And speaking of creepy, the final scene of the episode needs to be addressed. Sailor Moon, after a long day at the party, passes out. In the manga she does this after consuming alcohol. While unconscious Tuxedo Mask approaches her and kisses her, causing fans to swoon at this romantic moment. She is unconscious and unable to consent to his advances. This behaviour is completely inappropriate. Luckily Luna shows up and comes to Sailor Moon’s defence.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 4 - Makoto Kino

Unfortunately we have to wait 3 weeks for the next episode! We’ve gotten used to seeing shows every two weeks but Sailor Moon Crystal is released on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month, not every two weeks. The next episode will be available on Saturday September 6th. Act 5, Makoto – Sailor Jupiter, will introduce us to Makoto Kino who becomes Sailor Jupiter. We see a shot of her at the end of the episode and more of her during the next episode preview. This again follows the manga schedule with Sailor Jupiter appearing in act 5.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 5 Preview - Sailor Jupiter

Keep reading for more images from this episode and from the next episode preview.

Continue reading

The Tao of Meow and Teen Romance Comics Sailor Moon shirts today at The Yetee

The Tao of Meow Luna and Artemis shirt at The Yetee

There are two new Sailor Moon shirts for sale today and today only at The Yetee. These shirts are only for sale on August 6th for $11. The first shirt, “The Tao of Meow” has Luna and Artemis posed like a Yin and Yang symbol lying on top of a bed of roses and various Sailor Moon transformation and attack items. The second shirt, “Teen Romance Comics” has Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask in an old American comic type design.

Teen Romance Comics shirt at The Yetee

The Tao of Meow shirt is designed by artist Gilles Bone. More of his work can be found on his Redbubble, Facebook, Twitter, deviantART and tumblr pages.

The Teen Romance Comics shirt was previously sold at Shirt Punch. This shirt’s artist is DiHA. Check out the original piece that this shirt was based off of. Check out her RedBubble store, Deviant Art and Facebook pages for more of her work.

Listen to a bunch of new clips from Viz’s new Sailor Moon dub

Cricket Brown as Haruna having her skirt flipped by Umino

We’ve got four new dub clips to share from Viz’s new Sailor Moon dub. The first, uploaded to YouTube last week, is an exchange between Jadeite and Queen Beryl from episode 5, Scent of a Monster: Chanela Will Steal Your Love.

Two more clips have been added to Hulu’s Sailor Moon page. The first clip has Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars fighting Jadeite in episode 13, Girls Unite: The End of Jadeite. The next clip is an extension of the clip we already saw between Luna and Sailor Moon from the first episode, but this time includes her transformation and a short clip of Naru’s voice.

Finally we have more leaked footage, this time from San Diego Comic-Con. This fooage includes Umino from episode 2, Punishment Awaits: The House Of Fortune Is The Monster Mansion, acting evil under the influence of the fortune teller’s cards and interacting with Usagi, Naru and Haruna. We also see Usagi’s first meetings with Ami from episode 8, The Girl Genius Is a Monster: The Brainwashing Cram School of Horror, and with Rei from episode 9, The Cursed Bus: Enter Mars, the Guardian of Fire Several.

In these clips we hear the voices of Stephanie Sheh as Sailor Moon, Kate Higgins as Sailor Mercury, Cristina Vee as Sailor Mars, Michelle Ruff as Luna, Cindy Robinson as Queen Beryl, Todd Haberkorn as Jadeite, Ben Diskin as Umino and Danielle Nicole as Naru. Cricket Brown will be playing Haruna. This actress had not been announced previously. The actor voicing Rei’s grandpa is still unknown. Check out this link to see the rest of the cast.

The new Sailor Moon dub will be included on the upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray release coming November 11th. You can pre-order it from Amazon using the link below.

Jill Frappier, the voice of Luna, is performing in The Importance of Being Earnest in Toronto from now until August 10th

Jill Frappier as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest

Jill Frappier, the actress best known to Sailor Moon fans as the voice of Luna in the English dub of the Sailor Moon anime, is currently performining in The Importance of Being Earnest. This production of the Oscar Wilde play has been running since July 17th and will continue until August 10th at the Guild Festival Theatre in Toronto. The play runs Wednesday to Sunday at 7:30pm with a matinee at 2:00pm on Sundays. It has gotten glowing reviews from Inside Toronto.

Jill Frappier portrays Lady Augusta Bracknell, an imposing upper class Victorian woman and the mother of Gwendolen Fairfax. Jill shared this news on her Twitter page earlier. You can buy tickets for the show at CTP ticketing.

Jill Frappier, the voice of Luna

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 2, Ami – Sailor Mercury, Review

Sailor Moon Crystal Act.2 Ami - Sailor Mercury - Sailor Mercury

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 2, Ami – Sailor Mercury, premiered July 19th in Japan and worldwide. It’s available to view on Crunchyroll, Hulu and Niconico. This episode marked the introduction of Ami Mizuno who we soon discover is actually Sailor Mercury. As with the first episode, this story follows the manga very closely. The episode where Sailor Mercury appeared in the original Sailor Moon anime was also fairly faithful to the manga, so fans of the old show may see some similarities there.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act.2 Ami - Sailor Mercury - Sailor Mercury and Sailor Moon

It would be easier to list the differences to the manga than the similarities. The main ones that come to mind are Ami seeing an image of Silver Millennium when she touches Usagi and Sailor Moon attempting to reuse her Supersonic Waves attack. Once again we see that this adaptation follows the newer version of the Sailor Moon Manga as the Crystal Disk is actually a CD Rom and not a 3.5″ floppy disk as it had been in the original publication of the manga and 1992 Sailor Moon anime. We can conclude by this that the series does not take place in the early 90s, but either some time later or in the present time.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act.2 Ami - Sailor Mercury - The Crystal Disk

The episode starts out with our introduction to the genius girl Ami, who’s scoring perfect in her tests, getting the best grades in her class. Her genius is in part attributed to the Crystal Seminar, a new cram school she and other students are attending. Luna is looking into Ami which leads her to have suspicions about the Crystal Seminar, which is actually a plot by the enemy to brainwash smart students into helping them find the Silver Crystal. Usagi befriends Ami who turns out to be a whiz at video games. Once her true identity as Sailor Mercury is revealed their new friendship moves to a whole new level.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act.2 Ami - Sailor Mercury - Ami at her comput

This episode also includes the introduction of the Disguise Pen which Usagi gets by tilting the Sailor V arcade game. She uses it to transform into a doctor in order to sneak into the Crystal Seminar. In one scene where Luna is investigating Ami with her computer we can see that she’s also looking into Tuxedo Mask. There’s also a silhouette of Rei with little info about her but her name is visible in the reflection of the screen seen in Luna’s eyes.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act.2 Ami - Sailor Mercury - Luna at her computer

The final scene shows us our first look at the Hikawa Shrine and Rei Hino, who will soon become Sailor Mars. The Niconico feed gives us a next episode preview for Act. 3, Rei – Sailor Mars which will be playing in two weeks, on August 2nd at 7pm JST, 6am EST and 3am PST. Once again we are following the manga with a story of the cursed 6 o’clock bus which introduces us to Sailor Mars. The preview shows us our first look at Zoisite who didn’t show up until much later in the original Sailor Moon anime. Will Sailor Mars kill Jadeite in the next episode like she does in the manga?

Sailor Moon Crystal Act.2 Ami - Sailor Mercury - Rei Hino

Keep reading for more screen caps of the episode and next episode preview.

Continue reading

Listen to Michelle Ruff as the voice of Luna from Viz’s new Sailor Moon dub

Luna trying to wake up Usagi

Viz has posted yet another clip of their new Sailor Moon dub. This one features Luna, as voiced by Michelle Ruff. This is the first scene where Luna talks, as she explains to Usagi that she is Sailor Moon. Usagi is voiced by Stephanie Sheh. Watch the full clip below.

The DVD and Blu-Ray including the new Viz dub will be released on November 11th.