Review of Sailor Moon: Vol. 11

Introduction

I remember first seeing this peculiar brand of animation to emerge from Japan in the late 1960`s and early `70`s in the form of `Speed Racer` and `Marine Boy`. (Man - I would have killed from some of that gum that let you breathe underwater!). Not much has changed. Japanese animators still favour extreme `round-eyes` (strange for a nation not known for this particular attribute), and a form of primitive animation that uses very little movement.
(For example, when someone speaks - just their mouth moves). Certainly break-through anime like `Akira` and `Metropolis` have worked to change this singular perception, but `Sailor Moon` is undoubtedly locked-in this particular groove.
The series originated in Japan in March of 1992 and is based on Takeuchi Naoko-sensei`s manga "Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon". It`s the story of five girls and two cats who protect the world from a Dark Kingdom. Though obviously, based on the episodes here, that`s a gross simplification!
In this set, Serena`s (Sailor Moon`s) obnoxious new cousin precipitates a whole series of trouble for her - not least losing the love of her life (Darien - Tuxedo Moon). The invaders from the Negamoon still keep up the fight to foil Sailor Moon and her scout buddies, and there`s still plenty of time for some valuable lessons to be learnt along the way.

Containing 6 episodes (see above), this seems reasonable value for the outlay. There`s plenty of teenage girl angst here, and the plot generally fluctuates between the incredibly simple (he doesn`t love me anymore) to the incredibly complex. (The Negamoons latest plot for supremacy). It`s a peculiar mix but one that my eight year old daughter seems perfectly at ease with. Whilst part of a whole (this is, after all, a series) the episodes are independently enjoyable as long as you don`t get too pre-occupied by the big-picture.

Some of the episodes here feel somewhat disjointed and it`s hard to tell whether this is as a consequence of the cutting that they`ve been through to convert them for consumption by children of the west rather than Japanese adults. Perhaps less palatable than this are the added `Sailor Says` sections where morals and lessons are drawn from each episode. These are clearly of American derivation. (e.g. too much sun makes you look old way early, especially now the ozone layers shrinking! OR `It`s what you are on the inside that counts, not the make-up you put on the outside`). Still, it`s good old-fashioned stuff and sure to appeal to the market for which these cuts were intended. "We are the Sailor Scouts and will right wrongs and triumph over evil". It could have been George Bush himself…!

These cut episodes have been the subject of some dissent from hard-core `Sailor` fans - and there are several websites dedicated to exposing this artistic scandal. (Check out http://www.smuncensored.com/ for more detail about this censoring from someone who obviously cares about it a lot more than I do!)


The theme tune is a winner though and will have you singing it in your head whilst you lie awake at night trying to shake it off.

Unless you`re a fan, there`s little to recommend this series. It`s no worse than a lot of other cartoon-based fodder, and certainly no worse than `Speed Racer` or `Marine Boy`. I guess the surprise is that, even after all these years, it`s no better.

Video

Unsurprisingly 4:3, these prints look occasionally washed out. This is unusual for animation where cells tend to be saturated in colour, so I guess this is either a consequence of processing or transfer.

Audio

Perfectly acceptable audio - as long as you find nasally female American voice-over artistes pretending to be 15 acceptable. It also seems to be impossibly low in volume, though cranking up the volume seemed to do the trick, without pumping up the background buzz too. Can`t figure this out though as it defies all known logic - but there it is.

Features

Couldn`t find any easter eggs or hidden extras as rumoured on the grapevine. In fact, there are no extras at all - but with six episodes on offer, that shouldn`t be too big a gripe.

Conclusion

Containing 6 episodes (see above), this seems reasonable value for the outlay - if you`re a fan of the `westernised / sanitised` versions of the original. (And before the hardcore `Moon` fans start scoffing, it`s worth remembering that the series first aired in the US in 1995, nearly ten years ago. That`s a lot of nostalgic appreciation from DVD buying 20-somethings…). This is typical Manga-style animation at it`s most primitive, with scarcely any movement throughout. It also features other Manga hallmarks (extreme round-eyes, school-girl heroes, and hair-brained plots). Perhaps its most redeeming feature amongst the more questionable ones is that the heroes here are mainly female, as are many of the strongest foes. In the genre, this makes for a refreshing change. It`s also diverting enough for children, though I suspect that Manga lovin` males over the age of 18 will buy up most copies of these DVD`s. Another of life`s imponderables…