Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

Sailor Moon Eternal: 5 Ways The ’90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

Sailor Moon fans can feel conflicted when comparing the ’90s anime to the reboot, Crystal and Eternal. What does each series do better than the other?



You Are Reading :Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

When news broke about Sailor Moon getting a reboot, fans were torn. On one hand, the new anime was a faithful adaptation of the source material, Naoko Takeuchi’s manga. The comparisons between both animated series were inevitable, however, and the fanbase was vocal.

The ’90s anime is beloved all around the world, so Sailor Moon Crystal had a lot to live up to. And in several ways, the newer series outshines the original. Meanwhile, it can also be said the classic anime still holds up better in other regards.

10 ’90s Anime: Filler Episodes

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

While fans might complain about the excessive amount of filler episodes in the original anime, those are also some of the more memorable, too. When an episode isn’t plot-driven or too wrapped up in the overarching story, the writers are allowed to flesh out the characters’ personalities and relationships more.

Crystal, however, has no filler episodes because the manga does not have any. The manga is far more streamlined, so there is no chance for storyline padding. Thirty-nine Crystal episodes so far versus 200 in the ’90s series sounds a lot easier to digest, but it leaves little room for getting to know the supporting characters and their nuances. Usagi’s friendships just feel more substantial and organic in the classic anime.

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9 Crystal: The Art Is More Consistent

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

The first two seasons of Crystal suffer from ONA (original net animation) issues, but the character designs remain far more consistent than those in the ’90s anime series. Toei’s first adaptation saw a multitude of different animation studios work on the 200-episode show, so it only makes sense there was a disparity in quality and aesthetic. Yet, the changes were jarring as almost no two consecutive episodes looked the same in terms of characters.

On the other hand, the third season of Crystal vastly improved on the art and animation issues of the first two seasons, and overall, looks more polished.



8 ’90s Anime: The Villains

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

With more episodes, the ’90s anime had little choice but to flesh out its many recurring villains. This meant enemies from the manga, who essentially died after one or two appearances, lasted longer in the anime. This gave way to better characterization and development for foes like Nephrite, the Ayakashi Sisters, and the Amazon Trio.

Since Crystal follows the manga so closely, it sustains the disposability problem previously mentioned. The Shitennō live longer in the reboot, but they remain as flat as they did in the manga. The Ayakashi Sisters are a blip, and the same can be said for the Witches 5. Their existences are to further the main plot and nothing more.

7 Crystal: Mamoru Is Closer to Usagi’s Age

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

The ’90s anime felt the need to age Mamoru up so he’s a college student, yet Usagi is still only 14 years of age when the two destined characters meet. Many fans have expressed how odd it is for a man Mamoru’s age to randomly show up and harass a teenage girl on the street.

In the manga as well as Crystal, Mamoru is introduced when he is sixteen and still in high school. This reads better for fans who might not like the ’90s show’s age change.

6 ’90s Anime: Rei Has A Distinct Personality

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

Rei, or Sailor Mars, is a demure character in the manga. She is far more mature than Usagi there, and unlike her ’90s anime counterpart, she has no discernible or obsessive interest in men. Rei’s maturity does not translate well in Crystal only because it comes off as boring and one-note. This is especially true when the reboot becomes plot-heavy and there is no time for anything else.

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Rei’s ’90s anime personality is controversial; she and her manga equivalent are like apples and oranges. Some fans find this Rei overbearing and abusive towards Usagi, and others appreciate her fiery passion and intense, if not complicated, friendship with Sailor Moon.

5 Crystal: Chibi-Usa Is Better Written

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

Chibi-Usa in the ’90s anime is detested by many fans because of how petty and bratty she is. When she wasn’t arguing with Usagi, they were fighting for Mamoru’s attention. This led to numerous squabbles that were especially hard to ignore in the fourth season, SuperS, because Chibi-Usa was essentially the main character at that point.

Crystal portrays Chibi-Usa like her manga parallel; a child but more sensible and less prone to disputes with her mother, Usagi. In addition, Sailor Chibi-Moon is a better Sailor Guardian who isn’t just a punchline during battles. It’s Chibi-Moon who delivers a destructive blow to Mistress 9 when the other Guardians couldn’t.

4 ’90s Anime: Uranus And Neptune

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

Any kind of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune interaction is good to see, but the ’90s series does a better job of treating them as a couple. By that, they are actually shown to be affectionate with one another, and they don’t spend all their time flirting with other characters like in the manga.

Crystal often showed Haruka romantically entangled with Usagi, and Michiru was seen toying with Mamoru. This causes a small rift in Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship, too. The classic anime goes to great lengths to prove how devoted Haruka and Michiru are for each other, whereas the couple’s romance is too sanitary and glossed-over in the reboot.

3 Crystal: Sailor Pluto

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

Sailor Pluto has a major character arc in the manga; she sacrifices her life to save everyone during the Black Moon story. Fans get the chance to know her as more than the mysterious Sailor Guardian of Time who stands at the Space-Time Door. She has feelings and thoughts that have little to nothing to do with her sacred duty, and seeing her risk her life for Chibi-Usa and the others is one of Crystal’s most emotional moments. After the second season, Pluto experiences the same fate as other supporting characters; she is merely there to progress the story and doesn’t have much of a personality outside of her Guardian position.

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In the ’90s anime, Pluto didn’t do anything as momentous in Sailor Moon R. In fact, she was not even part of the final showdown between the other Guardians and Death Phantom. It’s a missed opportunity to shed some light on the most mysterious Pluto.

2 ’90s Anime: More Unique Attacks And Transformations

Sailor Moon Eternal 5 Ways The 90s Original Anime Is Better (& 5 Why The Crystal Reboot Is Better)

The first two seasons of Crystal came up with attack sequences that are exclusive to the reboot. There was a lot of real-time action footage, as well. The transformations heavily reference those in the classic anime, but otherwise, they looked unique.

Starting in the third season of Crystal, the attacks and transformations were virtually carbon-copied from their corresponding ones in the ’90s anime. This is a way to appeal to nostalgia for the first anime, but at the same time, it comes off as uninspired. The new show lost its chance to come up with some truly original sequences for attacks like Moon Spiral Heart Attack and Uranus and Neptune’s transformations.

1 Crystal: More Faithful For Manga Fans

It should go without saying, the ’90s anime is really its own thing; the showrunners were inspired by the manga, but they took creative license with the source material most of the time. This resulted in many good moments and developments, yet for fans of the manga, it’s understandable why they might not appreciate the first anime adaptation.

With Crystal and the Eternal movies, the manga’s many adorers can now see how Naoko Takeuchi envisioned Sailor Moon to play out.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/sailor-moon-eternal-original-reboot-better-anime-reasons/

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