Sailor Moon

[FateAkemi05]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY USAGI-CHAN!

[Nemomon]

She will be thousands years old, wishing her "happy burstday" is pointless.

[Kor]

First episode up and subbed on Hulu. (If you don't live in the US like me, there is a way to get around the restriction).

So far it looks good. I don't have much to say about the content since the original anime's first episode was pretty much the same (minus Ami's appearance at the end).

I think my biggest gripe with the character designs is that I don't feel like they deliver the funny moments properly. Oh well, it's something to get used to.

The voice cast seems pretty good so far (besides extra teenage girl #2). I was kinda taken aback, though, when Luna first spoke cause this new voice gives a very different vibe. Another thing to get used to.

I kinda like the OP and the ED. The songs are pretty different from what we had before, but well, this is a different century, and it sounds pretty good, so yeah. The sequence in the OP was also pretty fun; it feels modernized, but still kinda similar (and the villain group shot was great too).

The soundtrack was okay-ish. It's better than what I thought it would be, but still not on par with the old soundtrack.

The only thing I truly didn't like about this so far is the transformation sequence. Why use crappy CGI?

Sorry if this post gave a vibe of "the original anime was better". It wasn't my intention when I started writing this post. It will be hard, but I'll try my best not compare between the two series too much.

[Jecka]

The only thing I truly didn't like about this so far is the transformation sequence. Why use crappy CGI?

That ruined part of the fun I was having in the first half of the episode

I agree with basically everything Kor said. The voices will take some getting used to, but I thought the animation was nice, even though I said I didn't really like it before. Guess it grew on me

[Nemomon]

So I watched the first episode too.

After hearing Usagi's and Mama's seiyus I had a very strong urge to stop watching the episode and never again coming back to it. The seiyus are terrible. Except male characters seiyus and Luna.

After looking at the opening, I thought that the characters designer saw far too many porns and tried to design the characters after the porn stars from these movies. Seriously, the Senshis look like a porn stars.

Similarly to the previous version, in this version we also get stupid and unreasonable actions like one second Usagi asks Luna what's her name, and the next second she calls herself a Sailor Moon. Even if she came all by herself with this name, she shouldn't ask for it Luna. That five seconds looked so unnatural that even flying on a skateboard Conan looks quite reasonable when compared. Or when that youma summoned her "allies". They appeared at a light's speed! Or maybe even quicker. From their own homes. Before Usagi was able to make her first step or say anything to the youma.

I liked the original Sailor Moon series, and consider it a part of my childhood. But I thought that this new series will at least fix some unreasonable shits the original series had. I guess I was wrong then.

My rating 3/10.

But I do liked the opening song, and the OST is also quite nice. Ending song wasn't that bad either, though I don't think I will want to see it again.

ABout the transformation. I only can complain about its length. Again we will have episodes in which all the transformation sequences will eat 1/3 of the episode. Other than that I think it is rather acceptable.

[Jecka]

._. Uhh, anyway..

After hearing Usagi's and Mama's seiyus I had a very strong urge to stop watching the episode and never again coming back to it. The seiyus are terrible. Except male characters seiyus and Luna.

Wait, but Usagi's VA is the same...did you not like it?

[FateAkemi05]

I agree that new style just was not able to deliver the funny moment as well as old anime... I don't know... I really laughed out loud in the funny bit but in this style ehh... I have no complaints on Voice acting and one thing that I am looking forward is how Rei ( Sailor Mars) is going to be portrayed because she had MASSIVE "transformation" from manga to 90's anime ( in the manga Rei was serious man-hating woman while in the anime she was hot-blooded tsundere.) From the opening I am willing to bet on the latter.... petty... I liked squabble Rei and Usagi had to each other in old 90's anime.

[Kor]

Second episode, and...

A huge step down in the animation from last week. This is Toei at its worst... no wait, Toei at its worst is DBK Buu arc, but this is still pretty bad and showcases Toei's bad habits.
Everything else was fairly decent. No real thoughts on Ami's VA.

[mangaluva]

Ami-chaaaaaaaaaan <3 This girl was my favourite as a kid.

I think the 3D animation during the transformation sequence is extraneous and unnecessary and makes it look like a video game cutscene, but other than that I don't hate the art style. I'm looking forward to Rei getting introduced next time, since she's my favourite at present.

[Jecka]

I think the only thing I liked about Ami's transformation was the water ripples

Yeah I really don't like the CGI transformations. I don't have much to say this week either :x

Ami's voice is somebody unfamous)) Second episode was decent(( 3d henshin was ugly! But other not so bad. Wait fot Rei-chan))

Pretty sure Aya Hisakawa wasn't that famous when she played Ami either.

[FateAkemi05]

Ami-chaaaaaaaaaan <3 This girl was my favourite as a kid.

I think the 3D animation during the transformation sequence is extraneous and unnecessary and makes it look like a video game cutscene, but other than that I don't hate the art style. I'm looking forward to Rei getting introduced next time, since she's my favourite at present.

I agree... the transformation scene makes it look like Ami/Usagi is a wood puppet and feels just unnatural... while in the original anime it looked so much more... alive and organic. I keep trying to see the little string that is pulling figures of Usagi and Ami...

[sonoci]

I haven't watched the second episode yet, but I did do a review type thing on the first one.

[mangaluva]

Though I am enjoying this anime, I have to agree with your criticisms. As someone who loves the manga and prefers its storyline to the 90s anime, I am enjoying it and am anticipating some of my favourite scenes being animated, but I have to agree that while the art style is pretty isn't not entirely... working in animation. Like, it looks nice in stills, I think, but in movement it can be, as you said, a little flat.

IMO, its first chapter was really never a strong point of Sailor Moon... it was more-or-less the same as the way that Sailor V started out, but I think it was better in Sailor V somehow. It's too bad, since the series as a whole ends up being pretty fantastic, and I hate going "just stick with it because it gets better later", but... yeah that's pretty much the case. While, as I said, I always preferred the manga to the 90s anime, in this case I wouldn't have minded a departure from the manga in the name of a better introduction.

I still hate the 3D-effect transformation sequences. THEY LOOK LIKE A VIDEO GAME TRANSFORMATION INSTEAD OF A HIGH-BUDGET ANIME.

Can't wait for Rei's introductory episode, though. I love Rei and her minimal tolerance for bullshit.

[Nemomon]

Seen the second episode. The seiyuus are really terrible. Honestly I even thought if I shouldn't mute the episode, but somehow I survived to its end.

[Commi-Ninja]

I need to start watching this...