Sailor Moon Crystal, also known as , is a Japanese anime series based on the Sailor Moon manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. Produced by Toei Animation, Crystal commemorates the original series' 20th anniversary, and serves as a reboot by faithfully adapting the original manga by omitting much of the original materials from the first anime series. Set in Tokyo in the 2010s, the story focuses on Usagi Tsukino, a middle school student who transforms and fight as the titular character, and searches for Princess Serenity and the Silver Crystal with her fellow Sailor Guardians. The first two seasons, directed by Munehisa Sakai, streamed worldwide on Niconico from July 5, 2014, to July 18, 2015, with each episodes released twice a month, and the Blu-ray updated version aired on Tokyo MX between April 6 and September 28, 2015. The third season, directed by Chiaki Kon and based on the Infinity arc of the manga, aired on Tokyo MX between April 4 and June 27, 2016.
The first episode had an advanced screening on June 30, 2014. In May 2014, Viz Media licensed Crystal for an English-language release in North America, simulcasting the series on Neon Alley and Hulu to coincide with the worldwide streaming. Crunchyroll also simulcast the series in a separate contract with Toei Animation. Viz premiered the first episode as part of their "Sailor Moon Day" celebration at the Anime Expo Convention in Los Angeles.
A sequel two-part film, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie, based on the Dream arc of the manga, was released in 2021, with the first film released on January 8 and the second on February 11, followed by another sequel two-part film, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie, based on the Stars arc of the manga, which was released on June 9 and 30, 2023.
Plot
Dark Kingdom Set in Tokyo in the 2010s, Usagi Tsukino, a fourteen-year-old middle school student, meets Luna, a talking black cat that tells her that she is Sailor Moon, a Sailor Guardian destined to fight a group of villains called the Dark Kingdom. Luna also instructs Sailor Moon to find her four fellow Sailor Guardians, the long-lost Princess of an ancestral kingdom on the Moon, and a legendary artifact of supreme power known as the Silver Crystal. On her journey, Sailor Moon meets her fellow Guardians Sailor Mercury (Ami Mizuno), Sailor Mars (Rei Hino), Sailor Jupiter (Makoto Kino), Sailor Venus (Minako Aino), and a mysterious masked man called Tuxedo Mask (Mamoru Chiba), to whom Usagi is attracted. Later, Usagi and the Sailor Guardians discover that in their previous lives they were members of an ancient Moon Kingdom in a period of time called the Silver Millennium. The Dark Kingdom waged war against them, resulting in the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. It turns out that Sailor Moon herself is Serenity, the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, and that she alone has the power to make the Silver Crystal appear and to use its incredible mystical powers to overcome the forces of evil.
Meanwhile, Tuxedo Mask is revealed to be Endymion, the first crown prince of the Earth and Serenity's lover in his previous life. After defeating the Four Kings of Heaven (who turn out to have been Prince Endymion's loyal knights in the past) and killing their leader Queen Beryl, the Sailor Guardians confront a brainwashed Endymion and the ruler of the Dark Kingdom — Queen Metaria. To prevent Queen Metaria from spreading darkness all over the Earth, the Guardians sacrifice their lives. Using the power of the Silver Crystal, Sailor Moon destroys Queen Metaria and reunites with Mamoru and her four friends upon returning them to life.
Black Moon After Sailor Moon restores the Earth to normal and prepares to live a normal life again with Mamoru and her friends, a little girl falls from the sky, claiming to have the same name as Usagi, but nicknamed as "Chibiusa" by Usagi and the others. A group of villains called the Black Moon Clan, led by Prince Demande, initiate a series of operations which lead to the abductions of Sailors Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter while looking for Chibiusa and the Silver Crystal. Chibiusa is revealed to be Sailor Moon's and Tuxedo Mask's daughter from a distant future that has been decimated by the Clan, and is searching for Sailor Moon and the Silver Crystal in order to save her mother. Sailor Moon and her friends accompany Chibiusa to the future, and they meet the Guardian of Spacetime and Chibiusa's friend, Sailor Pluto.
After being captured herself, Sailor Moon then rescues Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter, and they escape from the planet Nemesis, the Black Moon Clan's headquarters. Chibiusa is manipulated by Prince Demande's advisor and true mastermind of the Black Moon Clan, Death Phantom, and transforms into Black Lady, who brainwashes Tuxedo Mask as well. During an intense battle, Demande manages to obtain the Silver Crystals of the past and the future and tries to bring them together to destroy the universe in a time paradox. Sailor Pluto stops time to prevent this from happening, leading to her own death. Black Lady is shocked to see her friend die and reverts to her true self, transforming into Sailor Chibi Moon. Demande dies protecting Sailor Moon from Death Phantom, but the latter is destroyed by the combined powers of Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi Moon. Neo-Queen Serenity, the future self of Sailor Moon who had also awakened, gives the four Sailor Guardians new Planet Powers and gives Sailor Moon a new brooch, as her old one was destroyed defeating Death Phantom. Sailor Moon and her friends say goodbye to their future selves and return to the past. Chibiusa stays in the future, but returns to the past shortly afterwards to train as a Sailor Guardian.
Death Busters After students from the prestigious Mugen Academy become victims of a group of villains called the Death Busters, who transform them into Daimons, Usagi and their friends meet two Mugen Academy students: tomboyish car racer Haruka Tenoh and violinist prodigy Michiru Kaioh. Haruka and Michiru are the civilian identities of two new Sailor Guardians: Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, who are initially reluctant to work with Sailor Moon and the others. Chibiusa befriends a mysterious girl named Hotaru Tomoe, daughter of Mugen Academy founder Professor Tomoe, who is later revealed to be a key figure of the Death Busters.
Sailor Pluto is revived and reborn as university student Setsuna Meioh, and she joins Sailors Uranus and Sailor Neptune. Using the power of all nine Sailor Guardians, Usagi evolves into Super Sailor Moon. The Sailor Guardians learn that Hotaru's body is host to Mistress 9, partner of the leader of the Death Busters, Master Pharaoh 90. At the same time, Hotaru is also the lookalike reincarnation of the Sailor Guardian of Silence and Destruction, Sailor Saturn, who has the power to destroy the whole world. For this reason, Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto fear her. In the climactic battle, Pharaoh 90 begins to merge himself with the planet, but the newly awakened Sailor Saturn uses her full power to send him back to his dimension, the Tau Star System, sacrificing herself in the process. As Neo-Queen Serenity, Usagi restores the city and resurrects everyone that was killed in the final battle, including Hotaru, who is immediately reborn as an infant alongside Saturn's spirit within her once again. Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna vow to be Hotaru's family (as Professor Tomoe was killed by Sailor Moon) and leave the city, with the promise to rejoin Usagi and her friends someday.
Production and broadcasting
Seasons 1 and 2 On July 6, 2012, Kodansha and Toei Animation announced that it would commence production of a new anime adaptation for a simultaneous worldwide release in 2013 as part of the series' 20th anniversary celebrations. The idol group Momoiro Clover Z would perform the opening and ending theme songs. In April 2013, it was announced the new anime had been delayed. On August 4, 2013, it was confirmed the new anime will be streamed late in the year.
On January 9, 2014, it was announced the anime would premiere in July, and on the same day, executive producer, Atsutoshi Umezawa announced that the new anime is not a remake of the previous anime, but a reboot by adapting Naoko Takeuchi's original manga from scratch. On March 13, 2014, the new anime's official website was updated to show a countdown beginning on March 14 for an announcement due to occur on March 21. That day, its official website showed an image displaying the key visual art, synopsis, and staff for the new anime. It also revealed the anime would be called . The series was directed by Munehisa Sakai at Toei Animation, Yūji Kobayashi handled the series' scripts, Yukie Sakō handled the character designs, Takashi Kurahashi and Yumi Hosaka oversaw the background art and Yasuharu Takanashi composed the music.
In an interview with director Munehisa Sakai and character designer Yukie Sakō, Sakai also revealed that the series this time around was aimed at grown-ups who've either read the manga or watched the previous anime series, and wanted to portray the realistic girls' drama. Therefore, when Sakō was chosen, her approach for the art style for the series was a balance between creator Naoko Takeuchi's recent illustration style and modern anime style, with approval from Takeuchi herself. Sakai added that the transformation sequences will be shown in 3DCG to broaden the range of expression and camera angles.
In April 2014, new cast members were announced: Hisako Kanemoto was cast as Ami Mizuno / Sailor Mercury, Rina Satō as Rei Hino / Sailor Mars, Ami Koshimizu as Makoto Kino / Sailor Jupiter and Shizuka Itō as Minako Aino / Sailor Venus, with Kotono Mitsuishi reprising her role as the titular character. The same month, Kodansha and Toei Animation confirmed the series would run for 26 episodes and streamed worldwide on the video sharing Niconico website with subtitles in 12 languages on the first and third Saturdays of each month. In June 2014, the cast members for the Dark Kingdom were announced; Misa Watanabe was cast as Queen Beryl, and Daisuke Kishio, Kōsuke Toriumi, Masaya Matsukaze and Eiji Takemoto as Four Kings of Heaven: Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite respectively, and Ryō Hirohashi and Kenji Nojima was cast as Luna and Mamoru Chiba / Tuxedo Mask respectively the same month. It premiered on July 5, 2014, and ended on January 17, 2015.
On November 8, 2014, it was announced that the latter half of the 26 episode-run will be the second season, covering the Black Moon arc of the manga. During a special screening of the Dark Kingdom finale on December 27, 2014, the new cast for the second season were announced: Misato Fukuen was cast as Chibiusa, while Ai Maeda as Sailor Pluto. In January 2015, the cast for the Black Moon Clan was unveiled: Mamoru Miyano was cast as Prince Demand, Tsubasa Yonaga as Blue Saphir, Houko Kuwashima as Green Esmeraude and Hiroki Takahashi as Crimson Rubeus. In March 2015, Japanese talent Shoko Nakagawa was cast as Diana.
The second season debuted on February 7, 2015, and ended on July 18, 2015. The final episode ended with "À bientôt" message, with the official Sailor Moon website and twitter account thanking the fans for watching the online stream of the series, along with director Sakai and character designer Sakō announcing their departure. The Blu-ray updated version of the first and second season aired on Tokyo MX between April 6 and September 28, 2015.
Season 3