This...was...wonderful!!!! I hadn't built up that much excitement for this because I love the original series and didn't feel a need for a new one and I love Disney more than Sailor Moon, but I am so, so happy we have this great new anime!!!
Okay, so the opening...was...phenomenal! The song can't beat Moonlight Densetsu, but it was really, really great, and had great girl power lyrics that fit the series so perfectly, and I prefer it's visuals to those of the original's opening (what the heck was with the originals weird city and all the roses and weird effects and backgrounds?).This opening was more chock full of moments from what will come in the series, some action, some romance, and so flowy and beautiful. Actually,
everything in this anime is more flowy and beautiful than the original, so the visuals are above those of the previous version, to me! I think there were far less static images than in the original. I actually prefer some of the music, too. I mean, the choral "oohs" and ahhhs" make the series so mystical and epic! The opening song really did fit the visuals so well, too. I loved how it turned from Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask (ir is it officially Tuxedo Kamen?) to Queen Beryl and her minions, with the change in key of the music. Nicely done! And seeing each senshi (Senshi? Guardians?) using their powers.
This episode was very much like the original series' first episode, but I guess that would be expected since they are the same story, huh? Lol. But this episode used, I felt, got right down to the important story, action, and character parts. I feel there was less filler. Well, except for the drawn out beginning. It set the mood, but it was too long, looking over vast space until we finally get to some action of the princess and prince coming together.
Usagi is so cute, I love this voice actress just like the old one, and I love this Usagi, perhaps even more than the original. I think this one's a little less annoying, maybe, lol. I love that she's still a crybaby, lol. She is kawaii. The coloring and details in the animation are just so much better than the old anime. I like the introductions to all the characters and Usagi's explaining them to the viewer. I liked that Luna, unable to be her sentient self, scratched Usagi, lol, just like in the manga I think. I actually can't find my mangas right now to compare, but I believe everything in this episode is closer to the original manga? But it has Usagi introduce Motoki and play the Sailor V video game and have the dream, too. That's all great.
When Usagi meets Mamoru, it is wonderful. I liked that when she first gets a good look at him, it is a romantic moment, instead of just comic with no romance like in the original series. I like how she said "My heart is still pounding". But then still calls him a show-off, lol. I just like when couples first meet each other that there is that spark of love there from the beginning. The only thing is even though I think he had his tuxedo on in the manga, I'd rather he didn't wear it outside of his super heroism. It just makes him so obvious. And now, the big moment we all have been waiting for...or I have...
Sailor Moon's transformation! Okay, first of all, what was with the way Luna gave her the Moon Brooch? It's just there. One static image of it and then Usagi gabs it from who knows where. It was much better in the original anime when Luna did a flip in the air and magically made it appear. Anyway, when it came to actual transformation...Oh...my...God! Okay, at first it cuts to a moon, which I didn't like, I wanted to see her throw her hand up in her surroundings, specific to where she was. But then it zooms out to the brooch, with stars, which is kinda cool, but I still don't like it. But then she throws her hand up...and it sparkles just like in the original! So even though I wanted to see the transformation with new ideas, I then hoped for them to keep the original's major detail of ribbons...and her hand gets colorized and she becomes naked, just like the oirginal, so I keep hoping for the ribbons, and then her hand moves. Moves! Much more flowy and connected than just cutting from her hand to her face as in the original, and then the brooch flashes, and then the ribbons
do appear!!! To my utmost happiness! I didn't like how you don't really get to see the ribbons become the sailor suit because it's zoomed into them too much, but I still loved it! I didn't like that you didn't see her skirt appear with any effect. It made no sense that everything appeared with a flash of light or ribbons but her skirt was just there when she and the camera turned around? But overall the transformation was stunningly gorgeous! Just
gorgeous! I didn't even know she was CGI until people online pointed it out (like here in the post above, lol)! I thought it was all hand-drawn! So
to them! It didn't bother me or look bad at all except for the very end where her hair looked too stiff. And yes, her arms were too skinny/spaghetti. I would have liked to see a different effect this time like rays of moonlight instead of ribbons, but I love the ribbons and am equally glad we have them! I think that overall with the beautiful music and visuals, I prefer this transformation to the old one. It's hard for me to decide that, because we hardly saw the ribbons form her suit and no light formed her skirt like in the original, but I think it overpowers that for me. I now like the moon, brooch, and stars in it, too! I liked how the stars made it glow.
So yea, what can you expect from Disney Duster but to gush about magical transformations? Anyway, I loved how Sailor Moon, who annoyingly didn't listen to Luna enough, finally ran to Naru's rescue, and came to realize who she was and say the speech. I loved her supersonic crying, it was cool that that aspect of her personality was one of her very powerful super powers, lol. I loved the way they did Moon Tiara Boomerang! It looked great and no stock animation when she takes off her tiara and when she hits the monster! And when the monster got hit, she was so creepy when she turned to like a skeleton and then disintegrated!
For the ending, I loved how they kept Usagi saying "Seems it wasn't a dream" when she wanted it to be, lol! I liked the ending credits, but the song was not anywhere near as good as the original's "Heart Moving". But I prefer this one's visuals. It's nice to see the princess and prince walking through space together. The only thing was what was up with water-like ripples in space? Makes no sense. Unless it's ripples of magic that allows them to walk through space? Why not. Though I thought they could maybe float or fly.
So all in all, I actually am preferring this anime to the original. I hope for less episodes and less filler for this series, if that's possible. Since they showed Ami Mizuno already, I'm betting it will be like that, thankfully. So, this will be fantastic!