Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Sailor Moon S: The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 5, 2019

There are usually two routes for TV shows to take when spinning off into a movie: most will either improve the franchise by adding more world and character depth and detail or destroy the franchise by trying too hard to make the transition into something different and spectacular when drastic shifts in course aren't necessary. Sailor Moon S: The Movie gravitates towards the former, finding an enticing balance between world and character building by way of an offbeat story that fits right into the now well-established universe. And it doesn't hurt that the film is little more than an extended episode in terms of structure: it introduces a couple of new characters, including a love interest and a new enemy, and the Guardians fight to dispatch of said enemy. But the film thrives on its greater focus on characterization with the opportunities afforded to it by the generous (though obviously short by cinema standards) hour-long runtime. The film focuses almost entirely on Luna, relegating even Sailor Moon and the other Guardians to background supports as the feline falls in love with an unusual companion.

It might seem strange to make Luna, a cat, the protagonist of a love story, but it curiously (which doesn't kill the cat) works. As the film opens, a sickly Luna leaves the Guardians, and a lovelorn Artemis, behind to go home to rest and recover. En route, she falls further ill, feeling dizzy and weak and unable to get off the street. A car barely misses her thanks to the quick thinking and cat-like reflexes of her human savior, a man named Kakeru, to whom she takes an immediate, intimate, and romantically bent liking. Luna’s path to discovering what love truly is will lead her to understand the steadfast nature of love and the sacrifices necessary to make true love truly work, all the while the Guardians are forced to battle a chilling new foe.

Love, in all its configurations, in all of its power, is the overreaching theme that runs throughout the Sailor Moon universe, and Sailor Moon S: The Movie maintains and builds upon the staple theme while exploring it from a different perspective and without falling into cliché. Luna's crush comes swiftly and fully, but so too does her realization that it can never work come much more quickly than were Luna a human. Artemis fills the gap as the familiar, steady, lovelorn figure in Luna's life but is shaped with enough depth so as to avoid the trap of secondary character cliché. He is instead willing to wait Luna out, for her to come to her senses and realize that he's the one that has the most to offer her. Meanwhile, Luna's love interest, Kakeru, deals with his own complications in his relationship with an astronaut named Himeko while the Guardians once again find themselves in conflict with an enemy that tests their own bonds of love and friendship in the face of possible -- probable -- defeat and devastation.

Sailor Moon S: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sailor Moon S: The Movie arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer framed at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. There's a little opening title wobble, some dirt splotches appear from time to time, and the image is a bit jittery in places, but it's obviously an entirely different animal than its season counterparts (part one, part two). For one, the aspect ratio is shifted to 16x9 rather than 4x3. Second, the animation is much more crisp, sharp, and stable. Whereas the season sets feature unsightly artifacts and processing remnants, the movie offers a very firm, accurate reproduction. It's enjoyable, which is not a word associated with the season sets. While lines are not always absolutely firm and crisp, they're clean enough to satisfy, Details are stable, whether character models or static backgrounds. Colors are bold and lively, finding perfectly impressive saturation on hair, clothes, furnishings, and environments.

Sailor Moon S: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sailor Moon S: The Movie contains several different soundtrack+subtitle options, all in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless configuration: English, English with English subtitles, English with Songs and Signs, English with SDH subtitles, and Japanese with English subtitles. Most of them are self explanatory; "Songs and Signs" includes on-screen translations of critical Japanese text elements.

The two-channel configuration in both English and Japanese is fine, if not a bit underwhelming in places. Music lacks total aggression and the absence of a subwoofer channel limits its low end potential, leaving it sounding a little flat. Essential instrumental clarity is good, though. Environmental details satisfy in baseline clarity but without surround channels there's no feel for absolute immersion into the locations. Action effects suffer from the absence of both subwoofer and surround speakers; limited physical range stymies such scenes, and even the most active moments that intermix music with action never really get off the ground. Dialogue is sufficiently clear and images seamlessly to a front-center location. The track is by no means bad, but its limitations are apparent from the outset. The Japanese language track is not dramatically different, if at all, in terms of dynamic range, clarity, and the inherent limitations of the two-channel setup.

Sailor Moon S: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sailor Moon S: The Movie contains a couple of interviews, English language credits, and trailers. A DVD copy of the film is included with purchase. A digital code is not. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Interview with Michelle Ruff (1080p, 12:18): Ruff, who voices Luna for the English translation, discusses her role and influences on her acting style. Ruff talks about the line between advising and nagging, how Luna's character developed into a "Big Sister" role, and how she was able to add some sarcasm to the role. Ruff discusses the new arc for the movie and how her character changed and grew throughout the film. She also discusses Luna's possible origins and relationships with the Sailor Gaurdians and Artemis.
• Interview with Chris Hackney (1080p, 11:04): Hackney, the English voice of Kakeru Ohzora, discusses his knowledge of the franchise, his favorite characters, and how he got his start in voice acting. He also covers the developing relationship between his character and Luna and how his character changed and developed. Hackney also discusses his take on the film and its overarching themes.
• English Theatrical Credits (1080p, 2:04): The film's credits in English.
• Trailers (1080p, 11:21 total runtime): Included are Sailor Moon Limited Edition Part 1, Sailor Moon R Limited Edition Part 1, Sailor Moon S Limited Edition Part 1, Sailor Moon Crystal Limited Edition, Sailor Moon Crystal Season II Limited Edition, and Sailor Moon Crystal Season III Limited Edition.
• More from VIZ (1080p, 1:27 total runtime): Ads for Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha The Final Act.

Sailor Moon S: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sailor Moon S: The Movie is both familiar and full of surprises. Its focus on Luna, a cat who falls in love with a human, is certainly unique, but it's absolutely Sailor Moon at its core: structurally, thematically, and visually. At an hour long it has more the feel of a double length episode than a feature film, and the story isn't quite compelling enough to warrant too much separation from the main series, but it's very well done in series context and is a must-see for franchise fans. The video and audio qualities are imperfect but largely fine. A few extras are included. Recommended.