<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/2015-07-22tumblr_nqqdcuKnfG1ssmmeao1_500.jpg">
<b>topic_title by darkstorm</b>
With the world in danger and backed into a corner with no choice left, Sailor Pluto commits the third and final taboo – stopping time. Although the Legendary Silver Crystals are now in safe hands, Pluto dies as a result of her actions, leaving a despairing Black Lady to face up to her emotions and become, finally, Sailor Chibi-Moon.<br>\r\n\r\nAt the time of writing there’s still no confirmation on whether <em>Sailor Moon Crystal</em> will continue beyond this point; the ‘See You Soon!’ message at the final frame and the ending of Episode 26 being the same as the manga (paving way for the Infinity arc) give hope that it can. But if we treat this as a series finale, <em>Crystal</em> ends on a strong note. Is it powerful enough to erase the problems that have been hovering the series since mid-way through the Dark Kingdom arc? Sadly not; the inner Senshi continue to be pushed aside for a large chunk of time. They get to shine the most in Episode 25, with all the Senshi fighting alongside each other being a beautiful sight to behold and something that the series could have used more of. However it doesn’t carry enough weight to counteract their lack of presence in the final episode, where they’re explicitly told by the future Neo Queen herself to do nothing and let the real heroes Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Chibi-Moon finish the job. They all receive new power-ups and brief stills of them returning to their normal lives, but it all feels more like an afterthought.<br>\r\n\r\nThe pacing of the final episodes also prevents the villains from having a proper finishing blow. Like Metaria before him, Nemesis/Wiseman is wiped out in one blast to allow the majority of the episode to be dedicated to the wrapping of the arc. The one who comes off best is Demande; he’s true to his maniacal plans to get what he feels owed till the very end; using his powers to save Sailor Moon from a deadly blast, he fails obviously and his passing could have done with more of an actual reaction from the characters to give it more dramatic weight, but he does get his final moment in the spotlight before his final breath.<br>\r\n\r\nOne of the strongest aspects of the second arc has been Chibi-Usa’s and Pluto’s relationship, which comes full circle in Episode 25 with an incredibly well animated and touching scene with Pluto’s last words before passing, backed up beforehand by her sorrow at seeing Chibi-Usa warped into the monster she has become. Pluto’s sacrifice is to not only save the world but also to bring Chibi-Usa to her senses; it resonates with Mamoru’s sacrifice to save Usagi in the first arc but has a stronger emotional impact as not only does Chibi-Usa manage to break from Wiseman’s grip on her mind, but she also transforms into Sailor Chibi-Moon for the first time. Chibi-Usa’s struggle in this arc is being unable to pull herself from her mother’s shadow, trapped in a child’s body with no Guardian powers to call her own, whilst also suffering from lack of warmth and love from the parents who should have been giving her the support she needed. Her tear-filled words over Pluto’s body, asking her to look at her new Senshi form, are heart-breaking and really hit home how much they meant together despite the drastic age differences and life experiences. Although we don’t have the inner Senshi shining through in the final battle, Sailor Chibi-Moon does get her first major victory by working alongside her mum to finish off Nemesis once and for all; which concludes her arc perfectly and draws the two Moon Princesses closer than ever before.<br>\r\n\r\n<em>Sailor Moon Crystal’</em>s heavier focus on the romance continues into the final moments of the series. The moment Mamoru regains his senses from Black Lady’s spell is cut short but for the better as it would have taken away from the impact of moments between Pluto and Chibi-Usa which work far more effectively. Instead we get plenty of scenes where he supports his other half in battle, giving his power to Sailor Moon and we’re rewarded with more kisses across Episode 26 than for most of the second arc. He speaks of being reborn to help Usagi (something he said at the end of the first arc) and continues to have her back; she responds by saying she feels she can be ‘herself’ around him, knowing her power comes from their love. It’s the continued and unwavering support between the pair that makes their relationship in the manga held close to fans' hearts. Whilst the original anime had some of this, it also had a habit of drawing drama from them splitting up and constantly fighting to drive the series along. On the other hand, the original manga knew how to portray a loving, mutually supportive relationship, the kind that those in any long-term healthy relationship can identify with, where both parties grow and become better people together not just for their partner but also for themselves, regardless of obstacles they face. This is why in the manga the relationship is often praised over the original anime as this kind of relationship isn’t so widely shown in fiction, at least not without a lot of heartache (most common, death) in the process. <em>Crystal</em> does try to make this flourish on screen, and their moments within the final battle fighting side by side are nice to see; however it’s marred by the glaring writing and pacing issues leading up to this point, and, as a result, scenes play out like a jab the inner Senshi (Usagi doesn’t need them to be strong – just her boyfriend!) rather than a declaration of true, everlasting, deep love.<br>\r\n\r\nDespite being the finale, the animation never manages to elevate above average for these episodes; the most interesting scene is in Episode 25 when Sailor Chibi-Moon transforms…in 2D! Whether this was due to budget or simply an oversight doesn’t matter because it actually looks smoother and better than the 3D animations overall. However this is counteracted by Chibi-Usa’s ‘In the name of the moon’ speech, which had some very flat animation and lacks the very detailed flower imagery her mum has. The design of Wiseman as a giant floating head resembling the Asgard race form in Stargate SG1 was an interesting choice; he looks more ominous and mysterious in the original manga, so stripping the ‘shadowy’ aspect of his design removes the threat of the character as well. <br>\r\n\r\n<em>Sailor Moon Crystal </em>started off strongly but continued with pacing, animation and writing issues starting midway through arc one. The second arc proved however to be stronger than the first, with less deviation from the source material to weigh it down, giving the series a 'recommended' rating at least one watch overall. The show wasn’t what all fans wanted after years of waiting; it was more faithful to the original manga as advertised but it failed more often than not to be more than just lifelessly animated, panel by panel. If no more episodes should arise, then the series at least accomplished bringing Sailor Moon back into the limelight. If more come about, then hopefully they will take note of what worked in the first two arcs and continue to keep the magical girl classic alive in the 21st century. <br>\r\n\r\n<em>Watch the latest episode with English subtitles on the Nico Video site now;</em> <a href=\"http://ch.nicovideo.jp/sailormoon_English\">http://ch.nicovideo.jp/sailormoon_English</a><br>\r\n
<b>Final score: 7 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_25_attacking_nemesis-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_25_sailor_chibi_moon21-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_26_everyone_is_creating_time_paradoxes-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_25_sailor_pluto_dies-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_25_death_phantom-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_26_sailor_chibi_moon_and_neo_queen_serenity-1024x576.jpg">
<b>topic_title by darkstorm</b>
With the world in danger and backed into a corner with no choice left, Sailor Pluto commits the third and final taboo – stopping time. Although the Legendary Silver Crystals are now in safe hands, Pluto dies as a result of her actions, leaving a despairing Black Lady to face up to her emotions and become, finally, Sailor Chibi-Moon.<br>\r\n\r\nAt the time of writing there’s still no confirmation on whether <em>Sailor Moon Crystal</em> will continue beyond this point; the ‘See You Soon!’ message at the final frame and the ending of Episode 26 being the same as the manga (paving way for the Infinity arc) give hope that it can. But if we treat this as a series finale, <em>Crystal</em> ends on a strong note. Is it powerful enough to erase the problems that have been hovering the series since mid-way through the Dark Kingdom arc? Sadly not; the inner Senshi continue to be pushed aside for a large chunk of time. They get to shine the most in Episode 25, with all the Senshi fighting alongside each other being a beautiful sight to behold and something that the series could have used more of. However it doesn’t carry enough weight to counteract their lack of presence in the final episode, where they’re explicitly told by the future Neo Queen herself to do nothing and let the real heroes Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Chibi-Moon finish the job. They all receive new power-ups and brief stills of them returning to their normal lives, but it all feels more like an afterthought.<br>\r\n\r\nThe pacing of the final episodes also prevents the villains from having a proper finishing blow. Like Metaria before him, Nemesis/Wiseman is wiped out in one blast to allow the majority of the episode to be dedicated to the wrapping of the arc. The one who comes off best is Demande; he’s true to his maniacal plans to get what he feels owed till the very end; using his powers to save Sailor Moon from a deadly blast, he fails obviously and his passing could have done with more of an actual reaction from the characters to give it more dramatic weight, but he does get his final moment in the spotlight before his final breath.<br>\r\n\r\nOne of the strongest aspects of the second arc has been Chibi-Usa’s and Pluto’s relationship, which comes full circle in Episode 25 with an incredibly well animated and touching scene with Pluto’s last words before passing, backed up beforehand by her sorrow at seeing Chibi-Usa warped into the monster she has become. Pluto’s sacrifice is to not only save the world but also to bring Chibi-Usa to her senses; it resonates with Mamoru’s sacrifice to save Usagi in the first arc but has a stronger emotional impact as not only does Chibi-Usa manage to break from Wiseman’s grip on her mind, but she also transforms into Sailor Chibi-Moon for the first time. Chibi-Usa’s struggle in this arc is being unable to pull herself from her mother’s shadow, trapped in a child’s body with no Guardian powers to call her own, whilst also suffering from lack of warmth and love from the parents who should have been giving her the support she needed. Her tear-filled words over Pluto’s body, asking her to look at her new Senshi form, are heart-breaking and really hit home how much they meant together despite the drastic age differences and life experiences. Although we don’t have the inner Senshi shining through in the final battle, Sailor Chibi-Moon does get her first major victory by working alongside her mum to finish off Nemesis once and for all; which concludes her arc perfectly and draws the two Moon Princesses closer than ever before.<br>\r\n\r\n<em>Sailor Moon Crystal’</em>s heavier focus on the romance continues into the final moments of the series. The moment Mamoru regains his senses from Black Lady’s spell is cut short but for the better as it would have taken away from the impact of moments between Pluto and Chibi-Usa which work far more effectively. Instead we get plenty of scenes where he supports his other half in battle, giving his power to Sailor Moon and we’re rewarded with more kisses across Episode 26 than for most of the second arc. He speaks of being reborn to help Usagi (something he said at the end of the first arc) and continues to have her back; she responds by saying she feels she can be ‘herself’ around him, knowing her power comes from their love. It’s the continued and unwavering support between the pair that makes their relationship in the manga held close to fans' hearts. Whilst the original anime had some of this, it also had a habit of drawing drama from them splitting up and constantly fighting to drive the series along. On the other hand, the original manga knew how to portray a loving, mutually supportive relationship, the kind that those in any long-term healthy relationship can identify with, where both parties grow and become better people together not just for their partner but also for themselves, regardless of obstacles they face. This is why in the manga the relationship is often praised over the original anime as this kind of relationship isn’t so widely shown in fiction, at least not without a lot of heartache (most common, death) in the process. <em>Crystal</em> does try to make this flourish on screen, and their moments within the final battle fighting side by side are nice to see; however it’s marred by the glaring writing and pacing issues leading up to this point, and, as a result, scenes play out like a jab the inner Senshi (Usagi doesn’t need them to be strong – just her boyfriend!) rather than a declaration of true, everlasting, deep love.<br>\r\n\r\nDespite being the finale, the animation never manages to elevate above average for these episodes; the most interesting scene is in Episode 25 when Sailor Chibi-Moon transforms…in 2D! Whether this was due to budget or simply an oversight doesn’t matter because it actually looks smoother and better than the 3D animations overall. However this is counteracted by Chibi-Usa’s ‘In the name of the moon’ speech, which had some very flat animation and lacks the very detailed flower imagery her mum has. The design of Wiseman as a giant floating head resembling the Asgard race form in Stargate SG1 was an interesting choice; he looks more ominous and mysterious in the original manga, so stripping the ‘shadowy’ aspect of his design removes the threat of the character as well. <br>\r\n\r\n<em>Sailor Moon Crystal </em>started off strongly but continued with pacing, animation and writing issues starting midway through arc one. The second arc proved however to be stronger than the first, with less deviation from the source material to weigh it down, giving the series a 'recommended' rating at least one watch overall. The show wasn’t what all fans wanted after years of waiting; it was more faithful to the original manga as advertised but it failed more often than not to be more than just lifelessly animated, panel by panel. If no more episodes should arise, then the series at least accomplished bringing Sailor Moon back into the limelight. If more come about, then hopefully they will take note of what worked in the first two arcs and continue to keep the magical girl classic alive in the 21st century. <br>\r\n\r\n<em>Watch the latest episode with English subtitles on the Nico Video site now;</em> <a href=\"http://ch.nicovideo.jp/sailormoon_English\">http://ch.nicovideo.jp/sailormoon_English</a><br>\r\n
<b>Final score: 7 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_25_attacking_nemesis-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_25_sailor_chibi_moon21-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_26_everyone_is_creating_time_paradoxes-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_25_sailor_pluto_dies-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_25_death_phantom-1024x576.jpg">
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-07-22sailor_moon_crystal_act_26_sailor_chibi_moon_and_neo_queen_serenity-1024x576.jpg">