Okay, so, I have seen a lot of discussions and comments about Sera Myu and so far, from everything I've observed, you either love the old Myu and hate/dislike the new ones or you love the new ones and have no knowledge of/dislike the old ones.

And I'm just wondering if I'm the only person who enjoys both? I mean, granted, Myu isn't my favorite adaptation and I'm probably not as hardcore about it as some other people are, and that may allow me to be more... open(?) to enjoying variations of it. Are people who prefer either camp biased because they see their respective Myu first? Dare I use the nostalgia goggles reasoning? (I have also often wondered if most people love Anza solely or at least largely in part because she's the first/original Moon, but that's a debate for another time. My point is people tend to view the original version of something as the ultimate or best version, whether subconsciously or not).

I do agree that the old Myus have a certain kind of charm that's difficult to explain. Their songs were better. Infinitely. That's one argument that I would not contest, because I absolutely love the old Myu songs. Thing is, though, I think the new Myus use a different style where they kind of mesh dialogue and song together or sing their dialogue right out (I'm sure there's a theater term for this that I'm completely ignorant about) and that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it'd be unfair to compare if it is indeed a specific style because then you're comparing apples to oranges.

Another good point about the old ones is they have strong supporting characters played by veteran and beloved actors. And I absolutely love their original stories (well, I'm not as big of a fan of the Dracul trilogy because at some point I just got REALLY confused by everything, but Kaguya Shima remains my absolute favorite).

But I think both versions have their weaknesses and strengths. I think the new Myus have excellent characterization and excellent actresses for the inner senshi. I have never met a group of Inners I am more in love with, and it's especially notable because they pretty much got it right on the first try. With the old Myus, I usually like one or two or three actresses in particular, but the good ones are usually scattered throughout various musicals and not one strong, cohesive group. It's been a while though, so I could very well forget. But I think the new group is really good at their roles, and there are so many amazing details that are each unique to their characters. Characterizations are shown in little things, every little gesture and dialogue and subtle movements. Maybe it's because we don't have the Outers yet, but I feel like every Inner got equal spotlight, unlike in the old Myu where it's usually just Usagi plus one or two other senshi while the rest kind of meld into the background.

Costuming of course is another good point - I really love these new costumes and they've got to be my favorite.

It's probably difficult to judge a musical as good when the music is so weak, so this may be another reason why most people dislike the new ones? And yeah, Satomi definitely can't sing, but I think she embodies Usagi really well.

Anyway, these are just some pros and cons, but tl;dr: I really do enjoy both the old and new versions, and I'm just wondering if I'm a lone weird specimen.

You are not alone! I agree with everything you've said.

As someone who has been a part of musicals/plays before, I understand how much work and effort a production can take, and this is just on a smaller scale. I cannot imagine how much time, effort, and dedication must be put into the Sera Myu productions.

I didn't start with the New Myu, I actually started with the first musical when it was being Livestreamed on GC. I fell in love instantly. I loved the actresses, the music, the costumes, the stage, everything. Then I saw La Reconquista, and I fell for the New Myu just as hard. There are flaws in both areas, but there are also lots of amazing things about both. I am definitely in love with both

I agree that Satomi can't sing but am I the only one that thinks the music in the old myu isn't that great? (Don't hurt me Brit. )  Honestly, I find the music in the new myu more memorable for some reason. Overall, I do like the new myu better. I really like all the actresses, feel like they really understand their characters and portray extremely well which is important to me. 

However, I do like how the old myu took risks and had very unique plots. Some of them were kind of a miss for me while others were spectacular and really well done. 

At the end of the day I agree with Miss Moon Rose, they all have their strength and flaws.

I actually really like the music in both versions! I really like Line Up!! 5 Women of the White Moon  I find myself singing it all of the time  But the songs in the Old Myus have beautiful construction and the harmonies make me happy

I agree with you. When I say I don't think it's that great, I don't think the songs are bad...I'm just indifferent. I guess they didn't meet my expectations? I had heard multiple times that the songs in the old myus were a lot better than what was in LR so I was really looking forward to hearing them yet none of the songs in the old myus have really stuck out to me so far. Although I do want to say that I've only watched a couple of myus so there is plenty of time for me to eat my words and find songs I do really like.

And I really like Line Up! Women of the White Moon too! Stairway to the Moon is my favorite though. <3

I have actually only seen a couple Myus as well, but my knowledge of the music is based on the bajillion songs I listened to trying to win Guess the Song and the ringtones I've collected on GC XD

Sailor Mercury wrote:

Okay, so, I have seen a lot of discussions and comments about Sera Myu and so far, from everything I've observed, you either love the old Myu and hate/dislike the new ones or you love the new ones and have no knowledge of/dislike the old ones.

Not necessarily. Actually, I have friends who love both versions. So yeah, you're not alone.

Sailor Mercury wrote:

Are people who prefer either camp biased because they see their respective Myu first? Dare I use the nostalgia goggles reasoning? (I have also often wondered if most people love Anza solely or at least largely in part because she's the first/original Moon, but that's a debate for another time. My point is people tend to view the original version of something as the ultimate or best version, whether subconsciously or not).

I wouldn't say that. I mean... where does nostalgia start? As for myself... It hasn't been THAT long since I've seen Sera Myu for the first time (about 6 years). And Anza is my favorite Moon, but wasn't my first Moon. Personally, I'm generally not the person to think "What was first has to be the best" because honestly, the starting point is where you improve from. It can't be the best, from a logical standpoint. And honestly, Gaiden and Ai no Senshi had lots of things that were pretty bad xD

Sailor Mercury wrote:

Thing is, though, I think the new Myus use a different style where they kind of mesh dialogue and song together or sing their dialogue right out (I'm sure there's a theater term for this that I'm completely ignorant about) and that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it'd be unfair to compare if it is indeed a specific style because then you're comparing apples to oranges.

But just because they are different, it doesn't mean that you can't say you prefer one No really, that is a very personal thing. There's people who are glad for every line of singing and some who like it more when the dialogue is mostly spoken. I'm more the "Don't stop the music!"-type, I don't like it when they just pause the songs for a while and then just pick them up as if there was no break.

Sailor Mercury wrote:

With the old Myus, I usually like one or two or three actresses in particular, but the good ones are usually scattered throughout various musicals and not one strong, cohesive group.

Eh, I wouldn't say that. Miyuki sure had some pretty strong groups around her (Anza too). But then again, this is also personal taste because I like for example Team Miyukimoon, Chiecomercury, Erimars, Ayumivenus and Yurikojupiter a lot, but I've also seen people who hate Eri or don't like Chieco's Mercury etc.
And while I do agree that the Inners in the new Myus work well together, I would still not see them being at the same level. The Mercurys never stood out to me and honestly, Satomi was overall decent, but she had some incredibly week moments too. Her voice was shaking so often from excitement in the first performance, I wish that they'd given her some valerian to calm the poor girl down (know that from own experience. Not being able to control your voice makes you even more nervous). She did improve, but I still don't consider her a very strong singer.
Mars, Jupiter and Venus are the strongest in the current cast imho. But then again, Jupiter and Venus are also the eldest and most experienced.

Sailor Mercury wrote:

Costuming of course is another good point - I really love these new costumes and they've got to be my favorite.

I don't like the new costumes as much as the old ones, but they do look good, no question.

Sailor Mercury wrote:

It's probably difficult to judge a musical as good when the music is so weak, so this may be another reason why most people dislike the new ones? And yeah, Satomi definitely can't sing, but I think she embodies Usagi really well.

Music is really subjective. There's so many people who love the new music, but I just can't get into it. Especially not the songs from Pétite Étrangère. Chronos Guardian is still my least favorite Pluto song ever- but there's people who absolutely love that one. That's how different tastes are.

One of my major problems isn't even Satomi. Casting-wise, my pet peeve sure is Yuuga as Tux. I've stated that often in discussions, I even got in a fight because some Yuuga-Fangirl actually tried to sort of convert me (by constantling whining how horrible she thinks Amano, my favorite Tux is- even though I complimented Yuuga in the first place!). It's not that I think she's bad, because she isn't. She's pretty good in everything she does. I just don't like her portrayal of the character. At all. And I don't like the other female actresses playing males either- just because of the way they do so. I was fine with Hikari Ono and others, while Miki Kawasaki for example didn't convince me either as Kunzite. I don't like the stage design as I think it just looks too sterile overall and I don't like the action scenes in songs, because... I miss the actual fighting. It looks more like a dance-off than a fight.

I wouldn't say I HATE the new musiclas per se (though I do hate Pétite Étrangère because it gave me NOTHING and that was incredibly frustrating). La Reconquista was okay. I did have a time where I was more negative about it, but I kinda arranged myself with it, once the initial disappointment was gone. I always try to give the new musicals a chance, but they are just not my cup of tea. If people like them, it's great. Tastes are different and everyone should prefer what ever they like best. ^^

Suzu wrote:

Personally, I'm generally not the person to think "What was first has to be the best" because honestly, the starting point is where you improve from. It can't be the best, from a logical standpoint. And honestly, Gaiden and Ai no Senshi had lots of things that were pretty bad xD

By that logic, though, do you not have higher expectations for everything that follows, because you expect things to be better as you go along? That may be why people excuse or forgive a lot when it comes to first adaptations or the first of everything. I know Crystal got ridiculously high expectations, and I know it is also weak on a very objective level, but I'm sure the higher expectations doesn't help either. I'm not saying that's what happens with you or most people specifically, just that it's something to consider.

I do agree about Tuxedo Mask in the new musicals, though. I don't buy her as a male either, wherein Hikari could effortlessly play a convincing Demand. That face is just too pretty, lol. And I don't really care for the characterization they did with Mamoru in the new musicals either. I feel when they're trying to play him up as a straight up cool guy he loses all the interesting and endearing things about him. My favorite Mamoru personally was whoever was in the original Kaguya Shima. I really enjoyed it when he got scared by bats in the cave even more than Usagi xD

Suzu wrote:

I don't like the stage design as I think it just looks too sterile overall and I don't like the action scenes in songs, because... I miss the actual fighting. It looks more like a dance-off than a fight.

I haven't seen many of the old Myu musicals, so excuse me if I'm wrong, but based on my knowledge of theater and musicals, the dance-offs are supposed to be there. If you wanted to see a legitimate fight, then I wouldn't look in a musical for it. Have you ever seen West Side Story? High School Musical? There are countless musicals that do this exact same thing, because it's entertaining! Dance-offs themselves are entertaining - stick them in a plot and they're icing on the cake. I love the dance-offs in the new Myus, because they add excitement and more opportunities for the actresses to show off their character.

Ohh, that reminds me. I once made a gifset about a dance-off scene from the old Black Lady musical. They definitely did that as well.

Evidence A (Click here)

Well not quite. Just because I say there is room for improvement, my expectations aren't astronomical. Especially when there's long gaps between certain releases- it's more like staring over from zero then.
It's more like: You CAN improve from there, but that won't always happen. And doesn't have to. Sometimes stagnation can be a good thing too.

The original Kaguya Shima Tux was Amano Kousei, which is my favorite Tux too. I think Amano was one of the best at combining the cool guy with the goofiness as well as the gentleness Mamoru has. Though Mochi, for example, did a really good job at that too.
Yuuga is also a bit too showy for my taste. Whenever she takes the stage, it feels like everything revolves around her- which just doesn't feel right. I love Mamoru, but Usagi is still the star of the show.

Miss Moon Rose:
I think you're misinterpreting my post a bit here. I don't talk about straight out action scenes without dancing. And yes, I do have seen other musicals. (High School Musical is not quite the best musical to talk about fight scenes, don't you think? I think The Lion King or Les Misérables would be somewhat better examples here as they have actual fight going on)
What I'm talking about here is how the action was handled in the old musicals. The fighting was a part of the dance. There is actual confrontations between both groups, some that looks like actual fighting and some that is a bit softer, more with a dance focus. In the newer musicals, the action lacks those moments that create the illusion of actual fighting going on. They are just dancing. And that's a pity imho, because the old musicals felt more intense in that regard.

I don't remember much about the fight from Petite Etrangere, but I do remember there being some actual fighting in La Reconquista especially during the Moon Kingdom flashback (I particularly love how they actually reenacted this on stage) with the girls holding swords while still in their dresses. That part stuck out to me because it was a powerful moment.

I really adore Mochi as an actor too, but the problem I've always had with him was the age gap between him and Usagi. When he first appeared as Mamoru he looked more like Usagi's uncle or something, lol. I think Eien Densetsu still manages to leave its mark by being the only musical with an actual kiss in it, and the chemistry by then is a bit more believable, but I've always liked him better as King Endymion. That additional wedding scene in the end was awkward as hell for me. It may just be me but Anza looked a bit uncomfortable, lol.

That scene with the swords wasn't part of a song though, if I remember correctly? I'm referring mainly to We Are The Pretty Guardian here. I think Line Up had some more action moments in it, but WATPG was more dance-heavy. And what bugged me about it was mostly that it was such a climatic moment. It lacked some impact and suspension due to that.

Yeah, Mochi felt more like King to me too. I think the problem with his and Anza's lacking chemistry was the age difference. From what I remember he's about 10 years older than her and honestly also seems much more mature overall. But then again, Mizuki Sano and Anza didn't look like a couple either.
The other Moon/Tux combination where closer together age-wise. But honestly, Amano/Fumina was still the best overall. Miyuki and Endo was more like friendship to me, same with Marina/Yuu and Marina/Gyo. Marina and Kenji felt a bit more like a couple, but not as much as Amano and Fumina. And with Yuuga and Satomi, I also feel that distance. Personally, I always felt like Yuuga was an older friend or distant relative lecturing her and Satomi had a school girl crush and admired her. But they didn't give me a real feeling of romance overall.

Oh yeah, I completely agree that there's no chemistry between Satomi and Yuuga. I think it's both that she can't pull off being male and the character direction they've chosen with her, which gives off the vibe of an older sibling thing. It's a shame really. Since she has tons of fans, they'll probably keep her around forever though... at this point she may even outlast the inner senshi and Moon since they're graduating with the next musical.

I much more like the old myus and I have to  agree that with the old ones, there was some chemistry with moon and mamoru, but then I also think and I love yuuga so this is no means meant to be a comment towards her, but the way Mamoru has been written for her comes across as very jerkish like Mamoru has is moments, but I just wish that there could have been more gentle. 

I also love the music more in the old myu's akiko koska is amazing. The music in the new myus isnt terrible and I do enjoy it, but you just can never go wrong with La Soldier or songs like innocent demand and broken mobues.


I love the costumes in both myus, I just love the craftsmanship in the costumes.

I am sad to see these girls go, I really love Venus, Mars and Jupiter, but am curious to see what they do next and who they bring in next, I do hope Satomi works to improve heself because she is like the cutest thing ever but yea, I do not think she is the best singer.

Suzu wrote:

Yeah, Mochi felt more like King to me too. I think the problem with his and Anza's lacking chemistry was the age difference. From what I remember he's about 10 years older than her and honestly also seems much more mature overall. But then again, Mizuki Sano and Anza didn't look like a couple either.

Maybe this is my bias talking here, but I kind of thought they had good chemistry? At least when they had a song together, their voices matched a lot better than some of them did. (Nothing against Miyuki or Edo by any means, but their version of Gondola no Koibito-tachi always sounds a little off to my ears in comparison to the Anza/Mocchi versions.) But then again, I think Anza had good chemistry with almost everyone she performed with.

And yeah, there's about a 9-10-year age difference there (he was 30 by Eien Densetsu), but that happens a lot in other things too; look at all the 20/30-somethings who try to play teens on TV/in the movies, after all.

Anyway, the topic at hand...I really can't give much of an opinion of it, because I haven't seen any of the new musicals yet, not even watched any clips or heard any of the songs. But at least on Tumblr, some of the opinions I've seen from some of the general Sailor Moon fandom there have really turned me off from wanting to see them. They often fawn all over these "new and shiny" shows like they're the best thing ever and the be-all end-all of Myu, but when it comes to the old Myu, they either seem to forget they exist/pretend they don't exist or trash-talk them as looking "old" or "cheesy" (kind of hypocritical when the manga and original anime are also from the same era!), and thus not worth their time. Sera Myu has such a rich and vibrant history, and it launched or enhanced the careers of so many talented individuals, many of whom are still doing great things to this day, so I feel that kind of mentality does a terrible disservice to everyone who paved the way for these new shows in the first place.

Although in a lot of the photos and such that I've seen from the new shows, I can't say I'm entirely impressed with a lot of the costumes or sets. They almost look a little too slick/polished to me, and I'm irrationally bothered by Satomi's Usagi wig in particular. The odango look too much to me like they're just balls plonked on there and almost have kind of a "Mickey Mouse ears" look rather than looking like a natural part of the hair, and something about that distracts me. A silly thing to be bothered by, I know, but I have a tendency to focus on certain details more than most people.

I'm more bias towards the new musicals since i haven't seen most of the old ones

Khandri wrote:

Maybe this is my bias talking here, but I kind of thought they had good chemistry? At least when they had a song together, their voices matched a lot better than some of them did. (Nothing against Miyuki or Edo by any means, but their version of Gondola no Koibito-tachi always sounds a little off to my ears in comparison to the Anza/Mocchi versions.) But then again, I think Anza had good chemistry with almost everyone she performed with.

I never said their voices didn't fit... because they absolutely did. But they felt less like a couple to me than for example Amano and Fumina. But then again, their romantic chemistry improved over the years. But as said by someone else before, Anza did seem somewhat awkward around him from time to time, but that might have various reasons. Actually, I'd love to ask both of them about how they felt playing a couple.

Khandri wrote:

Although in a lot of the photos and such that I've seen from the new shows, I can't say I'm entirely impressed with a lot of the costumes or sets. They almost look a little too slick/polished to me, and I'm irrationally bothered by Satomi's Usagi wig in particular. The odango look too much to me like they're just balls plonked on there and almost have kind of a "Mickey Mouse ears" look rather than looking like a natural part of the hair, and something about that distracts me. A silly thing to be bothered by, I know, but I have a tendency to focus on certain details more than most people.

Yeaaah, I know what you mean about the Mickey ears thing. I mean, someone said Usagi's hair looks like Mickey Mouse ears when I wore a regular anime wig, but Satomi's odangos are even higher and rounder than what I wore. And their shape is pretty unusual overall as well. They seem to be two pieces, sometimes flat, sometimes round. It's kinda weird.

I feel like I need to bring this thread back because I've accidentally kinda run into this issue again on Tumblr now that Nouveau Voyage is running and I've ended up kind of "shamed" for not being excited about it. (And what I said in my post from May still stands; I still don't have any interest in them right now, largely due in part to fandom attitudes regarding new Myu vs. old Myu.)

Yes, I blacklist the titles of the new Myu there. I do so not out of dislike, but because I'm just not interested right now. So what? But I posted a screencap of my dashboard where an entire page of the Sera Myu tag was blacklisted (and thus hidden) because it was about Nouveau Voyage, and then another blog picked it up and I got effectively shamed for it (even though I never meant for it to be seen beyond my blog).

And things like that...well, they don't really help my feelings or my desire to see them. I did do some damage control and tried to explain my point in a diplomatic manner, but I'm not sure how that might be received.

It's never been about the cast, the crew, or anyone else involved with the shows; even if I think some of the costume/wig designs look wonky to my eyes, that's not enough to make me avoid them. For me, my hangups with the new Myu lie squarely in certain parts of the fandom souring me on them. I'm grateful that people here can be much more civil in their discussions and criticisms, and that there's also a safe place here where I can show my love for the classic Myu without being shamed or ignored.

Some days not online and so many interesting new theards

I'm also a big fan of the old Myu or original Myu. I think I don't dislike the new ones but I really see them as a NEW Myu that has nothing to do with the old ones. When it comes to choreography and production and setting the new Myu seems ...cold.. to me. I really like the Inner cast but that's it. There are a few good songs but most are boring to me.

The old Myu had a ..heart .. it was warm and well thought and ... it had Mamo played by men xD Even though I'm definitely no fan of Marina every single musical from 1993 to 2005 had this Special Sailor Moon spirit which I miss at the new ones ... some kind of tradition   yup tradition is the right word.

I can't say I like both, because I accept the new ones in some strange way and I LOVE the old ones. But New Myu is OK to me