Adventures in Anime #5: Sailor Moon, Part 2

It's time for more Adventures in Anime! My best friend Rachel & I team up for this collaboration where we pick out an anime, watch it together and then answer a series of questions about it for the blog. Since we've been alternating between anime shows that are new-to-us and shows we've seen before, we decided on a whim to embark on our most ambitious adventure yet - a rewatch of the entirety of Sailor Moon, including the films! I'd like to note that we watched the original anime, though I'm definitely planning on watching Sailor Moon Crystal as well.

Since this is the longest series we've committed to watching for this collab (5 seasons and 3 films, to be exact), it seemed only right to split up our thoughts into two posts. On Monday, we both shared our thoughts on each season and film. Today, we're sharing our series favorites!

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Favorite episode per season? Please note that the episode numbers refer to the episode's number overall, and not specific to the season it's tied to.

• Episode #45-46 (Season 1) - I couldn't pick between the last two episodes, so I'm giving myself permission to pick both. It was emotional and satisfying to see the culmination of the journey Usagi and her friends had been on since their abilities were awakened.
• Episode #88 (Season 2) - This is the second series finale that I'm including as a favorite! I really liked how everything wrapped up for this particular plot with Wiseman and Black Lady. And much like the previous series finale, I got very emotional about how it all ended!
• Episode #125 (Season 3) - This is the third and last series finale that I'm going to be including on my list of favorite episodes, and I had to because it's also extremely well-done. I really love the way things wrap up for this season, particularly when it comes to the characters. (I've got to give a bonus shoutout to E106, which is the episode where you first see the transformation sequences for Uranus and Neptune!)
• Episode #151 (Season 4) - This, honestly, is the season I struggled with most when it came to picking a favorite episode because it was my least favorite season. But I did really enjoy this episode because it centers around Ami and has a music-related plot.
• Episode #172 (Season 5) - Before anything else, I have to mention that Episodes #167-171 deserve a shoutout for being a beautiful set-up for my favorite episode. This episode isn't the season finale, but it ends the initial six-episode arc of this season on an incredible note. I loved this entire arc in general, and will say with certainty it's my favorite of all of them. But I just thought the way it all came to an end was so well-done, and I definitely shed way more tears than I expected to watching this episode in particular!

Favorite quote(s)? I was surprised that I had more than one to pick from (at least based on my notes while we were doing our rewatch), so I'm going to share three. Mind you, this is obviously based on the translated subtitles!

• "The future is something you create yourself. If you give up, nothing will change. If you just believe in yourself, you can create any fate you want." - Sailor Mercury
• "If you love someone, you can find the courage to overcome anything." - Sailor Jupiter
• "People should go all out on the things they love." - Sailor Venus

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Favorite version of Sailor Moon's moon stick? While it was fun to see how the moon stick transformed itself from season to season as it upgraded in power and abilities, I still have a soft spot for the original moon stick from season one. It just feels so classic, and I love how it looks.

Favorite Sailor Senshi transformation sequence? This was actually surprisingly hard for me to decide on! I'm definitely a big fan of the original "Moon Prism Power Makeup" sequence for Sailor Moon, but I ultimately have to pick the "Neptune Planet Power Makeup" for Sailor Neptune. I love everything about this transformation - the movement, the background, the music and the end pose.

Favorite Sailor Senshi move? I also had a very hard time picking this one, because I do have a soft spot for the moves the Outer Senshi perform ("World Shaking" and "Deep Submerge" will never not make me fangirl scream). But I settled on Sailor Mercury's "Aqua Rhapsody" because it's both visually appealing and a water-based move and tied to a character I adore.

Sailor Senshi uniform you'd want for yourself? You'd think, considering I love the color blue, that I would gravitate towards Sailor Mercury's uniform. But based on the overall look from head to toe, it's Sailor Neptune's uniform that I love the best! I'm especially fond of the shoes.

Sailor Senshi ranking? It was really interesting to discover that I felt a little bit differently about the Sailor Senshi during this rewatch, especially as I could discuss them in detail with Rachel. While I will always have a soft spot for every single one of the Sailor Senshi for a variety of reasons, I did eventually end up settling on the ranking you're about to see.

#10 - Chibi-usa / Sailor Chibi Moon

#09 - Hotaru Tomoe / Sailor Saturn

#08 - Setsuna Meiou / Sailor Pluto

#07 - Minako Aino / Sailor Venus

#06 - Rei Hino / Sailor Mars

#05 - Michiru Kaiou / Sailor Neptune

#04 - Makoto Kino / Sailor Jupiter

#03 - Ami Mizuno / Sailor Mercury | Ami was my favorite in my younger years and she still managed to make it into my top three! She reminds me a lot of myself as a teen, shy, sweet, loyal, always concerned for her friends and content with burying her nose in a book. I also love that, no matter what she has to face, she always stays as true to herself as she possibly can.

#02 - Haruka Tenou / Sailor Uranus | As an adult, I fully recognize that I have favorite types of characters and Haruka fits perfectly into one of those. She's smart, stubborn and strong-willed, but also very charismatic and brave. She's extremely protective of the people she cares about, and loyal to the ones she loves. She's very much a lovable, flirty rogue, and I was living for any scene she was in.

#01 - Usagi Tsukino / Sailor Moon | It was impossible, in the end, for me to choose anyone outside of Usagi for this spot (and granted, the series is majorly focused on her character's journey in particular so she's the one we get to know most intimately). She starts off completely unsure of herself, but as the seasons continue, she really comes into her own in a lot of ways. I did both love her silliness and personality quirks, though at times it did come across a touch childish. But Usagi is, at her core, a genuinely good person. She cares deeply for the people she loves and absolutely isn't afraid or hesitant to do whatever it takes to protect them or make things right. I really admired her firm belief in the goodness of other people, her empathy for the people she encounters (villain or not) and her desire to express that understanding in the way she thinks is right. Watching her become this force to be reckoned with, no matter how many times she's beaten or hurt, was so incredible.

If you're a fellow Sailor Moon fan, feel free to share your favorites in the comments!

Don't forget to check out my thoughts on each season and film.