Sailor Moon: Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Sailor Moon: Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Sailor Moon returns with a new and improved high-definition presentation.

Sailor Moon: Season 1 is the enchanting first chapter in the worldwide phenomenon. The series is one of the most cherished anime creations of all time. Produced by Iriya Azuma (Sailor Moon R, Cutey Honey Flash), Kenji Ōta (Immortal Grand Prix, Princess Princess), and Munehisa Higuchi (Sailor Moon R, Neighborhood Story), Sailor Moon is based on the beloved manga by Naoko Takeuchi and features animation produced by Toei Animation (Dragon Ball, Digimon Adventure). A must-see action-packed magical girl anime classic.

Usagi Tsukino (Kotono Mitsuishi) is a sweet and cheerful middle-school student with a bright outlook about the future – even if she sometimes oversleeps and finds herself getting into trouble at school (with bad grades being a particular problem). Yet when Usagi stumbles upon a mysterious black cat named Luna (Keiko Han) she becomes the pretty guardian Sailor Moon.

Given the power of the moon to fight evil, Sailor Moon battles villains like the mysterious Queen Beryl (Keiko Han). As the saga becomes more intense and complex, Sailor Moon is joined on her mission by Sailor Mars (Michie Tomizawa), Sailor Mercury (Aya Hisakawa), and Sailor Jupiter (Emi Shinohara). Meanwhile, Sailor Venus (Rica Fukami) also fights for justice along the way.

As the saga develops, Sailor Moon also finds herself in a romance with college bachelor Tuxedo Kamen (Toru Furuya). Despite their age difference, Tuxedo Kamen (otherwise known as Tuxedo Mask) has his own role to play to fighting the villains – and a destiny to fulfill with Usagi. As Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen unite to stop the Dark Kingdom, the stakes are higher than ever before. It takes all of the Sailor Guardians to stop the evil Queen Beryl!

The charm of Sailor Moon is due to the wonderful cast of characters. Sailor Moon is the jubilant hero of the story and the central protagonist. Sailor Moon is joined on her adventures by Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter. She is also occasionally joined by Tuxedo Mask. The entire team have exceptional abilities and skills. Each character has a wonderful personality and unique style. The characters even have unique color coordinated outfits.

An essential upgrade.

The animation is exquisite. Sailor Moon is one of the most beautiful anime series ever produced. The series art direction by Junichi Tanijuchi (Sailor Moon R) is first-rate and provides the production the necessary ingredients for a stunning experience. The hand-drawn cell-based animation looks great. Every animator involved in the series production added something compelling to the experience. The character designs by Kazuko Tadano (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal, Wedding Peach) are first-rate as well.

The score by Takanori Arisawa (Digimon Adventure, Digimon Frontier) is charming, delightful, and fun: the music imbuing the production with the needed ingredients for a great anime. The music of Sailor Moon is one of the most iconic elements. The score is energetic and breezy. The opening and ending theme music is great too.

Featuring scripts written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa (InuYasha, Dragon Ball), Shigeru Yanagawa (Ranma ½ , Sailor Moon R), and Sukehiro Tomita (Kimagure Orange Road, Yu Yu Hakusho), Sailor Moon is a great classic anime. The series writers did an excellent job adapting the original manga. Even when the series sometimes veers away from the manga a bit, the writers manage to bring something phenomenal to the table. The results are extraordinary.

Directed by Junichi Sato (Kaleido Star, Aria the Animation) and Kunihiko Ikuhara (Penguindrum, Sailor Moon R), Sailor Moon has withstood the test of time as one of the best anime series ever produced. Fans of classic anime won’t want to miss this important classic. An essential.

Sailor Moon: Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ Media, Sailor Moon: Season 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The release offers a new presentation of the season set. The original VIZ Media release for Sailor Moon: Season 1 was one marred by considerable controversy within the Blu-ray fan community for a mediocre upscale which included interlacing and artifacts. The encoding was also smeary and resolution wasn't impressive.

Returning to the Season 1 release, VIZ has upgraded the masters and the presentation is now more similar to what was available in Australia and Japan (from the Japanese upscale masters). Unfortunately, the series is still an upscale of native film and it won't look as impressive as a native high-definition scan would. Toei Animation didn't fund a complete and exhaustive restoration of the original film material, which would have provided an even more organic and immersive presentation (as many classic anime series have received).

The lack of a native high-definition transfer was likely due to budget considerations. This is quite unfortunate as many classic anime series have stunning restorations. Nonetheless, the new VIZ re-release is still a big improvement on the extremely flawed Season 1 release VIZ originally issued. The improvements in color, clarity, and detail (despite still remaining an upscale) are impressive. Without the same jarring interlacing and encoding anomalies, the set is a clear improvement and one which should be essential for Sailor Moon fans seeking the best presentation available.

Sailor Moon: Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release contains the VIZ produced English dub (and doesn't provide the original English dub used during its original U.S. television broadcast). There is a good reason for this, though – the original dub did not cover every episode of the television series.

Viewers should consider opting to experience Sailor Moon: Season 1 with the original Japanese audio presentation. Though the audio is perhaps not as crisp as modern productions, the lossless mix still preserves the soundstage. The stereo audio dynamics are worthwhile. There are no egregious issues with hiss, crackle, pops, clicks, and other audio-related anomalies.

Sailor Moon: Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 3:

Clean Opening & Ending (HD, 3:04)

Art Gallery featuring 15 click-through character illustrations.

Announcement Panel (HD, 13:38)

Fan Reactions (HD, 3:58)

Dub Recording Behind the Scenes (HD, 12:53)

Official Announcement Trailer (HD, 3:18)

Interview with Katsuyuki Sumisawa (HD, 5:10)

Disc 6:

Clean Opening & Ending (HD, 3:04)

Art Gallery includes 13 click-through illustrations.

Moonlight Memories Pt. 1 (HD, 8:47)

AX Sailor Moon Panel (HD, 25:57)

Official Cosplay Team Interview (HD, 10:44)

Sailor Moon Day Highlights (HD, 5:34)

More from VIZ (HD, 5:22)

Sailor Moon: Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sailor Moon: Season 1 is an entertaining start to one of the best anime series of all time. The series has exceptional animation, music, and storytelling. The filmmaking is top-notch and there are few anime series as charming and entertaining as this series achieves. The Blu-ray release from VIZ Media is a wonderful re-release featuring a brand-new presentation. The video quality is drastically improved (despite still being sourced from standard-definition material). The presentation is worthwhile. An essential release for fans. Highly recommended.