Okay so before I begin I want to say that could be spoilers in this thread. So if you aren't caught up with the recent episode of Crystal you have been warned. Read at your own risk!  

Also let's not talk about the Crystal hate here. Forget those people and let's focus on our opinions and have a civilized conversation.   


So we're four episodes into the new series and now we have a grasp on the series as a whole. Usually in animes the viewer can decide if the series is for them by the third or fourth episode. My question for everyone is what are your thoughts with Crystal thus far?

As for me. I am disappointed with Crystal. I knew I would be when they announced that it would follow the manga.  I'm a not huge fan of the manga because of the fast pace and most of the characters got little development. I know Naoko was under a time crunch and she did her best. So when she said Crystal was her chance to improve her story, I had hope.  That hope is slightly gone. One reason why I haven't given up on the show are the Shitennou. Kind of sad since they're not the main characters. The girls should be grabbing my attention.  

We're basically getting panel by panel. While it is cool to see some of the panels come to life I don't think all them should. There are doing some minor tweaks, but not much. 

Another reason I haven't given it up on the show that it's 26 episodes long. There are has to be filler some time right? I hope we get some filler before Venus joins the group. It would make sense for her to allow the others to grow on their own before joining the team.

My thoughts are that Crystal could be better. Jadeite not dying has given me some hope that they might put a new twist on the original manga, but we'll just have to wait and see. I do find the writing at some points to be pretty bleh, and I dislike several of the character designs and find that many don't really suit their character (Usagi looks too old..... Serenity and her mother are blonde....... Don't even get me started on Rei.....) and I wish the animation was more consistent, but hopefully it'll be fixed for the DVD release. ^^

I personally don't care about the animation, but it does bother me that I can point out mistakes. To me the writing of a show is the most important thing. Crystal isn't impressing me in the writing department. :/

Yeah even if the animation could be better and makes me cringe at times, writing is the utmost of importance to me. I'm sure some people are happy with getting something that's basically just like the manga, but I like to see fresh material. If I want the manga, I'll go read the actual manga. Animes can follow their manga counterpart without seeming cookie cutter.

Exactly! Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood for an example. It followed the manga, but it didn't feel cookie cutter at all.

As fans I think it can be really difficult to separate what we know about Sailor Moon from what's shown in the anime, and that can make it feel like it's lacking.

I'm personally really enjoying the quick introduction of the characters. I'm assuming they're going to develop them more through filler episodes (if they don't, then I'll have a problem!) and I'm really looking forward to seeing all of the girls together.

I also really felt like they made Rei's personality a lot more like she was in the manga. She doesn't seem so harsh and quick to anger (yet at least), she's really embodying that beautiful and tough shinto girl persona I remember.

I agree with Henshinyo. The anime came out 22 years ago... Its not easy to take something we've spent over a decade used to and throw something entirely new into the mix.
I personally adore Crystal. I'm just happy to have my hero back.

I do however wish they'd putore into their animation quality...

It'll be interesting to see how they handle the 26 episodes. If they will be filler or Black Moon. Probably filler since it is mentioned its a remake of the dark kingdom arc. I can dream right? XD

To be fair we have gotten new versions of Sailor Moon within the 22 years. The musicals and the live action so most fans should be use to seeing a new version of Sailor Moon. The thing with Crystal it's trying to follow the manga. It's trying to do something new, but following the manga is holding it back.

That's true! I definitely have a limited perspective since I've only ever delved into the manga and anime. As for me, I just feel I won't truly be able to judge the series until we're about halfway in. Then we'll know for sure just how strictly they're planning on following the manga. I am enjoying the ride to the halfway point for sure though!  

Personaly, when I heard that Crystal was going to be closer to the manga, I wanted a basically panel by panel version.  The manga has always been my top favorite version. I have been very happy with it so far.

As far as possible fillers go, I am thinking they will rush to get the team together and then work on developing the girls.  Venus had so much less screen time in the first season of the classic anime and I think they aregoing to try and equal it out more.

I personally love Crystal. The first 4 episodes of the 90s anime made me bored and wanna close the screen since we had so many fillers but the only thing that made me keep going into the dark kingdom arc was the fact that I just wanted to see Usagi and Mamoru reveal their identities to each other.

In crystal we have already have 3 soldiers and I don't feel like throwing a roll of duct tape at Rei anymore either. The manga was always my favourite version because it was just so awesome!!! It made sense why there even was a Sailor V in the first place, romance was better, the whole backstory with Beryl, the generals having their souls incased in rocks so that Mamoru can call him whenever he wants to and Venus stabbing Beryl with a sword was just nice to watch.   Also I liked how Minako got some goofy moments in the dark kingdom arc and that Serenity had a silly side in the past.

I was more or less talking about the anime. Not including new versions which for some reason I keep separate from the anime. To me they just seem like alternate storylines.
But to get back on topic, another thing I love about Crystal is Moon Pride. When I first heard it I was iffy about it. I had the mindset that nothing would be better then Moonlight Densetsu. It has become one of mg favorite if not my favorite anime openings this season. I'm pretty impressed.

Well the original anime is its own storyline as well. To me each version of Sailor Moon is its own thing and can't be compared to the others. 

I love the theme song. I'm glad we didn't get the old theme song from the original anime. As much as I love the other theme it was time for a new one. Well if you count Stars then Sailor Moon has three opening themes.

I really love Crystal so far! I'm very curious as to what the writers are doing with the Shitennou, considering the changes they made. :3
However, I do hope that there will be some filler in-between some of the acts, though. I read one FAN-theory that the Black Moon Arc might end up being in Crystal, too. Because apparently the end of that arc is Chapter 26 or something? Idek.

While I have my doubts that that would happen, if it does I'd be a bit disappointed. I would love to see a few episodes focusing on the main characters' development and whatnot instead.

A lot people are talking about Crystal will cover the first two arcs or the whole series. For one thing it has been officially stated that it's just the Dark Kingdom arc. There will be filler. We're just going to have to wait to see when it happens. :/ Secondly I can see it could cover two arcs in 26 episodes, but not the whole series.

Ah, ok! Sorry for being so ignorant! >.<' I totally forgot that it was official that they were doing the Dark Kingdom arc only.

I never believed the "whole series" rumor though. There's just no way that could work out.

You're not being ignorant, sweetie.

Thank you! >//<

Sorry, but where was it confirmed officially that Crystal will be just Dark Kingdom?

Yamichan16 wrote:

The thing with Crystal it's trying to follow the manga. It's trying to do something new, but following the manga is holding it back.

Which is for me the main drawback of Crystal. So far the only major innovation is "Jadeite lives" and "Shitenou" together. And it's kinda ironic, since Generals are not my favourites, but now they became on my priority.

Rwar I can't find it! But I know it was mentioned when Crystal was officially announced. 

But this person debunks it:

http://codenamesailorb.tumblr.com/post/91708708783/do-you-think-the-dark-kingdom-arc-will-end-in-act-14

One thing that I am really hopeful for in Crystal is some awesome Silver Millennium story.  After the flashbacks in episode one and then the Moon Pride video, I would like to think that would be an area that is expanded upon.

I'm hoping for more Silver Millennium as well. ^^

definitely more development on the silver millennium. it wasn't mentioned as much in the original anime, it'd be cool to see how it's like as well.

Yamichan16 wrote:

Rwar I can't find it! But I know it was mentioned when Crystal was officially announced. 

But this person debunks it:

http://codenamesailorb.tumblr.com/post/91708708783/do-you-think-the-dark-kingdom-arc-will-end-in-act-14

But this just discussion. not official confirmation.

Yamichan16 wrote:

A lot people are talking about Crystal will cover the first two arcs or the whole series. For one thing it has been officially stated that it's just the Dark Kingdom arc. There will be filler. We're just going to have to wait to see when it happens. :/ Secondly I can see it could cover two arcs in 26 episodes, but not the whole series.

I don't think the episodes will be filler, because I think they will contribute to character and plot development that was missed out in the manga.

SMC will be 26 episodes? I read somewhere it will be 50 ._.

26 episodes are not enough to develope the manga...

@moonlight
I am aware of that. I seen a official conformation on that when Crystal was announced. I just can't find the source at the moment. The link I gave is a good arguement.

@magic
If an anime is based off a manga any episodes that did not happen in the manga is consider filler. There is good filler which builds on the world and characters. Then there's bad filler where nothing adds to the plot or characters. The oringal anime had both good and bad filler. Crystal should have good filler seeing how the manga lacks depth on both the plot and characters.

I won'tmind some filler add long as it isn't so formulaic.  As much as I live the fast pace of the manga I think some filler will help it translate into an anime better

I'd love to see some filler based off the information in the manga short stories, or maybe some insight into the backgrounds of the senshi's lives before the present, like learning about Rei's mother or Ami's father, or Makoto's parents some more. A day in the Silver Millennium would be good too though.

Before I was okay with Crystal but now I'm officially disappointed. In this interview from the new SMC artbook the guy says that "the number of episodes will also follow the original work" basically confirming that the Dark Kingdom Arc will be 13 episodes and the rest has to be the Black Moon Clan arc. Also it seems like the only "new" content is stuff between the senshi and the generals which I find incredibly disappointing. Like out of all the new stuff you can do...they choose to only do something around that? I'm going to watch it until the end but this is really disappointing.