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Sailor Moon S, the third season of the series, is arguably the weirdest and the best. Many of the episodes were directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara, the creative force behind Revolutionary Girl Utena, and they bear his distinctive blend of darkness and quirky humor. The five original Scouts (Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, and the Moon) meet up with the Scouts from the outer planets: Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto. The outer planet scouts tend to be older, more powerful, and more mature than the original girls. The conflict between the two sets of scouts adds tension, and suspense as to how they will confront the violent apocalypse that Sailor Mars has glimpsed in her dreams.
Similar in some ways to live action sentai shows like the Power Rangers, Sailor Moon focuses on the challenge of individuals working as a team. The girls represent common types often found in anime, but happily never quite slip into stereotypes. Usagi, or Serena in the US version, is the main character, Sailor Moon. Whinny, klutzy, and not overly bright, she'll never be mistaken for Wonder Woman. Her virtue lies in trying her best, and coming through when all seems lost. Rei is Sailor Mars, a shrine maiden at a local temple. Rei's irritation at Usagi's shortcomings is ill-concealed, and their subsequent quarreling makes for much of the show's humorous appeal. Sailor Mercury is Ami, a brilliant student and peacemaker of the group. Venus is the odd-scout out, having been schooled for much of her life in England, and having been the original Sailor Moon until Usagi's arrival. Makoto is Sailor Jupiter. Feeling ungainly at being so tall, she is touchingly insecure, and tends to respond to problems within the group in a maternal fashion. Added to the mix is Usagi's family: Chibi-usa, a hyper-cute daughter from the future, and Tuxedo Mask, current college student/boyfriend and future husband. Somehow, this eclectic crowd makes the show work. They are quirky enough to be interesting, rarely falling into the flat and easy caricatures of most American cartoons. It works because the interplay between the characters is sharp and true, and the side and back stories give depth to the characters. Most importantly, and again in contrast to the work of most American studios, the characters have integrity, and like their viewers are given respect. The Scouts are never the victims of parody or mockery by their creators, and there are no sly winks to the audience from patronizing animators or writers.
The outer Scouts are a curious lot. Sailor Pluto, like her planet, is cold and distant, yet shows a fondness for Chibi-usa. Saturn is labeled, "The Sailor of Death," and connects somehow to the coming apocalypse so horrifically depicted in Rei's visions. Finally, Sailors Venus and Neptune are opposites, and, as opposites often do, find themselves powerfully attracted to one another. For American viewers this is perhaps the most surprising element in the entire series, though the Japanese seem to take it all in stride. That a lesbian relationship between two high school students should be found in an American cartoon for young girls is unthinkable. But that this relationship should be treated seriously, without smirking or titillation, and that it should be an integral part of the plot, is inconceivable even in a regular US broadcast for adults. The love between Michiru, the artistic and elegant Sailor Neptune, and Haruka, the boyish but beautiful Sailor Uranus, is natural and heartfelt, and contrasts with the silly-serious crushes of the other Sailors. Indeed, the younger Sailor Scouts are swept away by the dashing Haruko, an attraction that lingers with some of them even after they discover she is a girl. For puzzled Americans, this is the stuff of dissertations and armchair psychoanalysis. For the Japanese, it seems, love is sweet, aesthetic, and beautiful to behold in whatever guise it magically appears.
Sailor Moon S doesn't shortchange the villains, either. From amusing office infighting to the tender relations between a father and his sickly daughter, the bad guys are interesting and sometimes sympathetic characters in their own right. There is a strong moral center in anime, but it is sometimes blurry and indistinct. Aspects of good and evil exist in all hearts; there are no moral absolutes in the human realm. There is a genuine sympathy for people, a refusal to categorize and pigeonhole the diversity of human experience. There is also a sense of the tragic that is lacking in most happy-ending American epics, cartoon or otherwise. In Sailor Moon, and much of anime, the main characters may fail and even die. Suspense is a staple of the medium because the viewer knows triumph is never without cost, and rarely certain.
Despite the format of the (often intentionally) silly monster of the
week, Sailor Moon S manages an exciting, mysterious plot and a surprisingly
sensitive touch with its characters. The animation is good for an older
show, and the writing and voice acting help establish the uniqueness of
the gaggle of characters. The uncut version from Pioneer is to be preferred,
as it does not change Mihiru and Haruka into "cousins," or cover
up death by dismissing absent characters as 'unconscious." That,
plus the superior voice work and lack of patronizing moral messages at
the end of each episode, allows viewers to see Sailor Moon as it was meant
to be seen. And that is a sight worth seeing.
- Studio: Pioneer
- Format: DVD
- Episodes in Series: 26
- Series Completed: Yes
- Number of DVDs: 6
- Audio Tracks: English and Japanese
- Subtitles: English
- Genre: Magical Girl
- Ages: 13+
- Cautions: Alternate lifestyles, some violence
- Reviewer: George
- Core Collection: High School, Gay and Lesbian
