Customer Reviews

Sailor Moon S - The Complete Uncut TV Set

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I bought this DVD set at Best Buy after remembering that I watched Sailor Moon on Cartoon Network when I was seven. I had always wondered when all the planets were going to be represented, and now I know. I'm guessing that Cartoon Network showed the first and second seasons (completely dubbed and out of human control, not that I noticed, since I was just a kid).
Anyway, this season is great, because all of the plot twists (they were also predictable at the same time, but a few of the crucial things were a complete surprise to me). Almost all the episodes are the same, as the Sailor Senshi deal with the Death Busters (or Bureau of Bad Behavior, as in the English version) and their evil plot to steal the pure hearts from good people, usually friends of the Sailors and the Sailors themselves. The professor in charge of the Death Busters calls forth Kaorinite, and all of the Witches 5: Eugeal, Mimet, Telulu, Byruit, and Ptirol (Individually, of course, just to stretch out the season). This is also the season where Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn (Saturn doesn't appear until much later in the season) are introduced, and Pluto comes back halfway through the season. The normal Senshi don't know if Neptune and Uranus are fighting with them or not.
I really like the Japanese version better than the English, because it just makes a lot more sense and the voice acting is SOOOOOOOOOO much easier and less frustrating to listen to. I hate the English voices for the normal sailors, because they just don't match. The outer planet soldiers' voices match better, but I just can't stand listening to the others. But because these episodes were made in the 90's, everything was recorded in mono...which I didn't really notice until I switched between the English and Japanese.
This season is probably the best out of all 4 that I have seen (I haven't seen StarS yet, but I will soon) because it has the best plotline and villains, and it gets to the point without an insane number of filler episodes...the best episode is "Glass Shoes for Her Birthday! Usagi in Tears!" -It's Usagi's birthday and her friends act like it's nothing special and...well...you should see for yourself!

This to my mind is the best of the 5 seasons of Sailor Moon, so I was eager to get the DVD box set. I'll divide this review into *detailed* info about the characters/story and the translation/packaging.

Characters/Story:
If you've only seen the first two seasons of Sailor Moon, this one may come as a bit of a shock, since it takes quite a different turn in theme, especially in the latter half (in this set, the 2nd half of disc 4, plus discs 5 and 6).

To make an analogy, Sailor Moon S is the "Empire Strikes Back" of the Sailor Moon series: it comes in the middle of the series, but more than that, it also alters the tone of the series; the other seasons surrounding it are much more light-hearted. S is significantly darker, with more mature themes (the emphasis on world destruction is prominent), and the addition of new characters adds new blood to the series. These new characters and their personalities (to my mind) are more interesting: they have a more serious agenda, more strength and more evolved personalities; this tempers the sometimes-annoying aspects of the younger Usagi and friends (and Chibiusa). The manner in which Uranus, Neptune and Pluto play off of the original Sailor Soldiers helps to add depth to the characters of Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Sailor Moon. Each of the original characters gets at least one "personalized" episode focusing on their own obstacles, as does Haruka/Uranus (in which Michiru/Neptune plays a big part, as one would expect).

There is still some silly stuff (the Daimons in the early part of the series are all pretty goofy) but as the season progresses the intensity of the enemies and the issues increases.

This particular season is also where the tide turns from being a kid-friendly cartoon into something rather more serious. Again, despite some silly enemies and friendship-oriented storylines, the increased focus on destruction, "The Silence," and a child whose possessed father has twisted her into a force of evil with apocalyptic powers certainly has the potential to freak out a lot of kids. As viewers may or may not be aware, in Japan this wasn't really meant as a kids' show (as is the case with many anime programs), which is why some of the characters/plotlines had to be manipulated to make them fit the audience to which the show was ostensibly marketed when it was aired on U.S. tv (i.e. children). This box set recommends that the show is suitable for ages 13+, which sounds accurate to me based on the content of this season.

Also, less-than-liberal-minded folk might be distraught over the fact that Haruka and Michiru are a lesbian couple. In the dub [more on that in a minute] they are said to be "cousins," though one would have to suspend disbelief quite a bit to buy that story, considering the events of various episodes. In my opinion, their relationship is much deeper, and sweeter, than the oft-cloying one of Usagi and Mamoru. Uranus and Neptune's combined powers also make them a well-matched team during battle sequences, as do their personalities in their everyday surroundings. They also work side by side, unlike Tuxedo Kamen (Mamoru -- whose very name means "to protect" or "guard"), who usually swoops in to save Sailor Moon when something has gotten too hard for her to handle, though he isn't consistently present.

Translation/Packaging:
Like many other viewers, I prefer the subtitled version [this is the case for anything foreign that I watch, really], and once you've seen it in the original format, the dub comes across as pretty dreadful, but in this case part of that is due to the changing of the characters' relationship (Haruka and Michiru) and how some episode plots were tinkered with to accomodate the idea that they are supposed to be "cousins" rather than partners. (If you want to see the difference between the real story and how it's been changed in the dubbing process, when you're on the menu page at the beginning of any of the discs, go to the Setup section and choose English language with subtitles On; this way you are watching the dub but with the subtitles from the original Japanese version, so you can follow along and see what was warped during the translation. This is particularly enlightening for the episode "The Distant Days of Uranus.")

Though I prefer the subtitles, there were a couple of strange discrepancies, such as name spellings, between discs; in one, the name of the first of the Witches 5 is spelled "Yujiel" and thereafter it's "Eugeal." Not a big deal, but a little editing would have helped continuity.
Also, as others have mentioned, the translation of "odango atama" (dumpling head -- a reference to Usagi's hairdo) to "buns-head" is just plain wrong. (One line in particular in a subtitled episode comes out really badly with this translation...I'll let you find it.) Even "meatball-head" from the dub would be preferable to this.

As to the physical aspects of the box set, the slimline packaging doesn't bother me, though some other people don't seem to care for it. It was easy to get the DVDs out of their plastic holders within the cases (which isn't always true!), and the thick cardboard slipcase seems like it will be durable, which are the most important elements to me.

I do wish that there were some special features with these DVDs! That may be the biggest disappointment.

Overall, this is a great season and a decent set. Enjoy it!

Not ever being a big fan of anime, Sailor Moon caught me off-guard several years ago. Even thought the show is very "little girl oriented" I fell in love with it instantly.

Sailor Moon S is the third of five seasons of Sailor Moon. It is also my very favorite. This season introduces Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn while giving Sailor Pluto a more important place with the Sailor Soldiers.

Sailor Moon S is also the darkest of the five seasons of Sailor Moon. The deaths of the villains (Witches 5)are also very entertaining.

If I were to recommend a cartoon/anime to pretty much anyone, I would definitely recommend Sailor Moon S

[As an added hint, watch the English dub with the subtitles for the Japanese version. This may help you uncover information that is unclear in the English version.]

this is not a review of the series. there are plenty of those. this is an aesthetic review of the packaging.

i purchased the thin pack box set to replace my original pioneer release dvds so i'm able to compare the two side by side. if you're looking to save space, this is a good substitute. if you're looking for dvds that look really cool, go with the original releases. although these thin dvds do not have the tacky red "geneon signature series" stripe at the top, the backs of all 6 have the same picture and the dvd discs all feature the same image. they do not include chapter inserts in each case and do not have the reversable covers.

as far as the video and audio quality i can't really tell a difference. apparently the entire sailor moon series was recorded in mono because every company who has released the show has done it in mono.

With the defeat of the Black Moon, peace has returned to the earth once again, and the Sailor Senshi are now living out their oridinary lives, studying for their high school entrance exams. Unfortunately, the peace doesn't last long as new enemies known as the Death Busters have appeared. Led by the sinister scientist Professor Tomoe, the Death Busters send out their evil monsters, the Daimons, to search for the heart crystals which are found inside the bodies of pure-hearted people. There are three heart crystals which posses special powers which, when combined, can form into the legendary Holy Grail, and depending on the heart of the person who uses it, the Holy Grail can be used to either save the earth or destroy it. The only one powerful enough on the forces of evil who can use the Holy Grail's powers is the Messiah of Silence, and the only one powerful enough on the forces of justice that can use it is the true Messiah. Two new mysterious Senshi, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, have appeared also searching for the talismans in order to save the world. But they know that once the talismans have been found, those heart crystals cannot be returned to their original owners and they will die. Uranus and Neptune are willing to take all risks to get the Holy Grail, but Usagi, naturally, doesn't want anyone to be hurt. So, now the race is on. The Sailor Senshi must find the Messiah who can save the earth from evil while trying to prevent the talismans from falling into the hands of both the Outer Senshi and the Death Busters, but can Sailor Moon really save the world on her own? Who are the holders of the talismans and just who are these new Sailor Senshi? Who is Sailor Saturn, the Senshi of Ruin, and what is her connection to Tomoe Hotaru, the mysterious daughter of Professor Tomoe?

The third season of Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon S, based on the Infinity Arc of the original manga, written and drawn by Takeuchi Naoko-san, is considered by many Sailor Moon fans to be the best out of the five seasons. Indeed, the S season certainly is the most exiciting season, with the introduction of brand-new Sailor Senshi and featuring edge-of-your-seat plot twists. Sailor Pluto and Chibi-usa also return for this season, as a senshi in training, Sailor Chibi Moon. Unfortunately, her powers are weak compared to the other Senshi's, and while this does make for some amusing comedy relief, it gets old fairly fast after awhile. We're also introduced to one of the newest and most mysterious of the Senshi, Sailor Saturn, who is actually a threat to both sides of the battle. This season also has a darker atmosphere than what the first two seasons had, but the show never loses its comicial moments that have always put a smile to its audience's faces. Unfortunately, Mamoru is reduced to nothing more than Usagi's perfect boyfriend this time around, which is one of the reasons so many fans hate him. The S season also continues to suffer from rocky-pacing, but it seems to have less filler-in episodes than the previous two seasons. The ending to this season is also exiciting and will have you coming back for more. The animation is a little different in its style than the first two seasons, but it's still quite lovely even with all the animation errors, and the music for the S season is excellent, as usual. Geneon's DVD release of Sailor Moon is also a huge improvement over ADV's. Fans don't need to worry about any errors with this release. The video quality on these discs look fantastic. The audio quality is also quite good, even if it is in monotone. While the episodes on Geneon's DVDs are actually presented in their proper order (the episode previews appear before the opening credits, for example), Geneon skipped the first two opening credits. The opening credit animation is supposed to change three times during the course of this season, and Geneon just skips to the third opening for reasons unknown. They did include the first two openings as bonus features though, and the next episode previews are still omitted on these DVDs, but those basically only showed clips of next week's episode, so their absence doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the actual show any.

Speaking of extras, while there's nothing particulary outstanding about them, Geneon actually took what little they had and made some fairly nice bonus features out of them. Basically, all you get on these DVDs are the textless opening/ending credits (with karaoke versions available, too) character profiles, and an art gallery. This may not be anything too thrilling, but it is nice that they actually took the effort to include them on here. While the first two seasons of Sailor Moon had sub-only DVD boxset releases, the S DVDs are bilingual, containing both the original Japanese version with English subtitles, and an uncut English dubbed version. Actually, the uncut dub on these DVDs isn't purely uncut. What Geneon did was they took all of the visual footage that Cloverway cut out from the edited dub and re-inserted it into the episodes, and recorded any new dialog that was required for the re-inserted scenes, but the rest of the show itself is identical to the edited dub. So, until Sailor Moon gets a proper uncut dub (which is highly unlikely to ever happen), fans are better off watching the Japanese version, which was thankfully included on the DVDs. While Geneon's Sailor Moon DVD release may be far from being perfect, they are a huge improvement over the first two seasons' DVD releases, and S is definetly a season Sailor Moon fans shouldn't miss out on. This is Sailor Moon at its best and is highly recommened to all fans. Sailor Moon S is rated 13+ for animated violence, strong language, brief nudity, and homosexuality.

Personally, I think Geneon did a better job at these DVDs than ADV. You have so many more options, like textless openings and endings, character information, and DVD credits. Plus scene access. Also, is you're a fan of both versions (dubbed & subbed) you should buy these DVDs. They have the subbed & dubbed versions of the show! And they're much cheaper than ADV and not as big. So, they don't take up as much space. And don't forget.. Sailor Moon S is the most popular versin of the show!!! *ADV did a good job at subbing the first two seasons...but Geneon did a better job.* Did I mention that the color and sounds are much better too?

Sailor Moon and the sailor soldiers may have ended the battle with Death Phantom. But now, they all must face a greater challenge: They're in 9th grade now, and have to study for the high school entrance exams! That, and face a mysterious, powerful new enemy that want to steal people's pure hearts. And they encounter two new mysterious soldiers, who apparantly don't want to be involved with Sailor Moon.

I first saw Sailor Moon S when it was aired on Cartoon Network, and I was really suprised with the improvements that they made with the dub. The original background music was used, and most of the new characters names had been retained. These were removed when Dic dubbed the first two seasons, but luckily, CWI took over to dub the third and fourth seasons.

Even though I'm mentioning the dub, I prefer the original Japanese soundtrack. And in this boxed set, the sound and video were clear. Those were the problems that I found most irritating in the previously released ADV boxed sets of the first and second seasons. My only critisizms on the boxed set itself is that it lacks the reversable covers that were in the original releases, and the cases are thin-packs. Other than those drawbacks, this is an excellent boxed set to an excellent season of Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. And I suggest that if you're a fan of the dub and the original version, you should definetely get this.

This is an awesome season, and I hope to see all the others straight on through. These get boring after awhile, especially the filler episodes. My favorite episode out of the entire season is The Arrival of the Tiny Pretty Soldier...but you have to watch the Japanese version of it or else it's not funny.
I first watched all the episodes in English and the went over again in Japanese. There is a huge difference between the two, since the English version totally screws up the original dialogue so it's basically makes it child-safe. If you're annoyed with the "childifiacation" of Sailor Moon, then just skip the English version completely...it will save you many headaches.

Yes, we all know Sailor Moon S is an amazing season. It's full of action, comedy, storyline(most important) and in-depth character development. So why the negative comments? Before I talk about Sailor Moon S and why it's great, let me counter everything the bashers and critics think.

Sailor Moon is, was and always will be a legend in the anime business. I don't know how people can evade this truth. There's no anime in the business more well known than Sailor Moon in the states other than Dragon Ball Z. I would say Speed Racer, but that's way before the common Otaku's time to enjoy. Also, I would say Pokemon, but it was a fad with a storyline that I fear will never end. Dragon Ball Z is the only anime that really stood with Sailor Moon in terms of legend status. The 90s were the golden years of anime, and these two were the biggest names out there that got people to like anime. Ranma, Tenchi, Slayers, Gundam Wing eventually fell into people's laps after fans of SM and DBZ started "experimenting" and you know it's true. I've heard this countless times from long-term Otaku for over 2 decades now.

Now which do I prefer? I saw Dragon Ball first back in the late 80s, but once again, didn't think much of it. It didn't really make me believe, it was just like any other show. It didn't help that I wasen't into anime yet. When I saw Sailor Moon in 1994, that was it, I fell in love with it. The story was moving, they had a new monster everyday(unlike modern day anime, where you see the same monster and enemy for 100 episodes) and it taught me alot in terms of respect, love, and friendship. You can't tell me an anime that "sucks" can reach out like that? Think before you say. The only things Full Metal Alchemist taught me is how to be down on myself. The only thing DBZ, Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto taught me is how to start fights. The only thing Fooly Cooly, Negima!?, and Neon Genesis Evangelion taught me is to ignore plot in anime and think it's cool anyway. The logic for modern day anime fans is thus: "I don't understand what the characters are doing/saying, nor do I care about them. But it was random and zany, and will make great pairing fanfics and deviant art so......YAY" OH! I forgot, that's most of you out there.

Sailor Moon was bashed on for being repeative and not as exciting as say....Trigun? Trigun came out during the golden years of anime *claps* good for Trigun. However, it's fans were always jealous of the stronger popularity that Sailor Moon has, and what a landmark it made. Trigun(to me) was slow, boring, insulting, and not my type of anime. The theme of the nature of morality is cliche and nothing new. After watching Dragon Ball Z, it's hard for any action anime to sell. In short, Vash is not Goku. DBZ had no plot either, and is probably the biggest filler anime in history. But at least it's action sold well and that's all that matters. Someone also mentioned Full Metal Alchemist? Please to the extreme on that one. Alchemist drags on and never appealed to me, period. Characters like Winry or Lust were nice, but they could never save the shipwreck of an anime from sleep powder boredom. I guess the Otaku of the modern day(all these 12-16 years olds getting into anime) are different and love what they see on TV which is targeted at the male crowd. More girls love Naruto and Alchemist than Doremi or Tokyo Mew Mew and that's a shame. Mew Mew and Doremi have the unrealistic "happiness" tone to it, guess we're growing into an angst world? Sailor Moon definately has the right messages in it's anime and manga, that really makes for good entertainment. But the common male, tomboy or fanboy doesn't wanna hear it. They want a hero that's ruthless and has a heart made of stone. A hero that can get out of control and cause destruction. Hell, they want a heroine that can murder countless millions and still be respected because she was never evil to begin with. I don't know about you all, but if anyone in my 20+ years of watching anime defines the term hero it's Usagi. By the way, Sailor Moon the weakest in the group? Watch closely, burn your eyes out until you've seen all 200 episodes. Then have the guts to tell me again, if Usagi is still the weakest. Fanboys have always played hide and seek from the fact that Usagi's CHARACTER is a crybaby and not very smart. She always does her routine with the weekly monster, but once provoked and once her 15 second "I'm scared" routine is over, you're dead. Sailor Moon is a walking plot device that can never lose, I don't care which character you bring up. That's how Goku earned his title of being the strongest male character in history. To reply to a older review, Uranus and Neptune KNEW they couldn't beat Sailor Moon if she got serious. After the crystal flash attack, they knew they were up against the true Messiah. It was a show of respect. What, did you expect Uranus and Neptune to blow up half the planet just to prove a point? Go to Studio 8, I think Vegeta is about to do something like that in a battle with Majin Buu. *sarcasm* Moron.

Now that my Shinji type rant is over, now to explain why Sailor Moon S is probably the best season of Sailor Moon(next to Sailor Stars in my opinion)Sailor Moon S takes a new turn, with new and better animation. The girls are drawn way better than they were in Classic and R. It's common that as the series progresses, the animation gets better. The storyline definately hit me this time. After the defeat of Wiseman in R(and possibly a day after Fiore was defeated) we have a new enemy in Dr. Tomoe. Allow me to tell you what makes the DeathBusters different than previous enemies.

Dark Kingdom- Gathering Energy to revive Queen Metallia to conquer Earth. Later on, seek the Silver Crystal for a faster revival.
Ail and Ann- Gathering energy for themselves and the Doom Tree to stay alive.
Black Moon- Destroy the Past and Future of Earth, and most of all gain the power of the silver crystal, unaware that 2 silver crystals(from the present and future)exist.
Dead Moon Circus- After the holder of the Golden Mirror with Pegasus. Once captured, Nehelenia will use the Golden Crystal to conquer the universe and keep her beauty.
Galaxia- Conquer the last Galaxy, collect Star Seeds of humans(the ultimate source of energy in the universe) and later on, destroy the universe.

Man, I must be watching different anime each time because they all have different missions. So what makes the Deathbusters different? They're out to seek the pure hearts of human beings, that'll be used to awaken the Messiah of Silence. Once that's done, the Messiah will summon their master- Pharaoh 90. A God from the Tau Ceti Star System, who'll destroy Earth and everything in space. The main theme here is apocolypse, the Deathbusters want everything to die and be destroyed. Very dark stuff, very nice improvement over Wiseman's plans to destroy the future. Uranus and Neptune start things off by appearing, and searching for the Tailsman. Once together, the Tailsman will make the Holy Grail appear and whoever holds the Grail, becomes the Savior of the Universe, plus become immortal. The Deathbusters only need it for Pharaoh 90's summoning, since it has enough power to bring it to Earth. Haruka and Michiru cause quite a stir as well when Hotaru Tomoe is introduced. Hotaru who juggles a life between herself, Sailor Saturn, and Mistress 9 cannot control what she does and destroys anyone who provokes her. You can feel Hotaru's pain as you watch the last few episodes of S, her friendship with Chibi-usa is a tragic one. You have to see it for yourself. When I first saw this season, I was blown away......I'm not even here! Man, you should see Sailor Moon's face after the battle with Pharaoh 90, while holding the newly reborn Hotaru. Freaking legendary, what ever happend in the core of 90's body, Usagi knew she went to Hell and back for Hotaru's safety. Once again, a true hero.

Sailor Moon S is a great season for Moonies and Otaku in general. Take a trip to a time when anime was truely #1 and watch one of the greatest anime by the greatest storyteller(Takeuchi-sama), in the history of japanese animation.

Other recommended titles: Fushigi Yuugi(the drama), Noir(the storyline), SuperGals(comedy), My-Hime(the next Sailor Moon), Elfen Lied(the shock factor), Utena(the complexity), Angelic Layer(shorter than Pokemon, but more intelligent than that and Yu-Gi-Oh)

PS. For those who wanna give me bad comments and unhelpful "nos" the joke's on you for wasting minutes of your precious life reading my review. *har har*

This is my all time favorite Sailor Moon Season. The plot is great and a bit more mature than season 1 and 2. This is also the season where Sailor Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto make an apperance. Sailor Saturn is also in it for a couple of episodes. The storyline is amazing and somewhat alot of times emotional. Sometimes Sailor Moon educates me on things like friendship and love. You can acutally learn something from watching Sailor Moon... and its not just all entertainment. If you are a hardcore Sailor Moon fan then this Season of Sailor Moon is a MUST BUY for you!!! I know you will enjoy this season as much as I did. I got this for $40 but I would gladly bought it at the original price of $100 in stores. Trust me... this season is worth buying on Amazon.