Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu Musicals

Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu Myus are sometimes said to be overshadowed by the original Kaguyas but the opinions of the fans vary greatly. These two musicals have the same main plot as the original Kaguyas which might make them seem less original as the same plot is now used for the third and fourth time. This is most likely the biggest reason why some people say that they cannot be as good as the originals. Regardless, I think that Shin Kaguyas offer just plain awesome elements that are not seen in the original musicals and that they do have a lot of originality.

Shin Kaguyas have changed the theme of the actual island by surrounding it more with a Pacific Ocean elements rather than following the traditional tale of the Bamboo Cutter (The Story of Princess Kaguya). Some of the characters have revised roles in the plot (Dark Menorah) and a part of the original characters' cast has been given more development than earlier (Loof Merrow anyone???)

What I enjoy most about the Shin Kaguyas are the pieces of originality the plot has, new songs like Toraware no Artuqa, Ice Doll, Gesshoku no Crime, Junketsu no Narcissism, Yakusoku no Uta, Chibiusa no Umi, Haha no Ketsumyaku and Moonlight Justice and the character development of Loof Merrow and her pirate crew. I also greatly enjoy the fact that both Maki Aizawa and Hiroko Mori played Loof Merrow's role in their own way.

Shin Kaguya Shima musicals' story also flows very smoothly making it balance the jokes and more serious plot and meaning beneath the surface very well. And do not let me even get started with the costuming, Loof Merrow and Selkie got some of the most beautiful dresses ever seen in Myus. Two words: THOSE DRESSES.

The choreography of Shin Kaguya's is just plainly great and Junketsu no Narcissism's epic live performance is amazing in both versions. All in all I am extremely glad that Kaguya musicals got new revised versions and the loss of these musicals would have been very heavy; all the character development of Loof and her crew, songs, emotions and themes... Here are some videos to show off the greatness these Myus have. (these do include spoilers)

Shin Kaguya and Shin Kaguya Kaiteban Clips:

I do want to point out that I also like the original Kaguyas very much and making a decision between the old and new ones is pretty much impossible for me since I love both versions. For me they are all different and that is why I do not want to start comparing them with each other too much but decided to focus on Shin Kaguyas only.

Discussion and comments are greatly welcomed .

I agree with you completely I love both of them equally.

Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu holds a very special place in my heart because that was the first Myu I was able to get a hold of and watch. Again like I mention in the 2013 SeraMyu thread, what I really loved about the third stage was the basic, yet unique set. The set design was beautiful.

Since I watched Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu before I watched Kaguya Shima Densetsu and it's Kaiteiban, what I did notice right away was that there wasn't much character development with Loof Merrow and her crew. Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu and it's Kaiteiban did a better job with that for sure and I liked that a lot. They were more of a family than just a crew. The balance of joke and serious was nice as well.

Favorite scene of all was when both the Outers and Inners didn't know the others were looking for jewels and when they had to count off in their group, Haruka and Usagi realize they're busted. That was a perfect reaction between them.

With Kaguya Shima Densetsu, it a was a good first run, but to be honest when I watched that I was nodding off quite a bit. It was their first time with that story so they had kinks to work out, I get that. Only thing I really appreciated from Kaguya Shima Densetsu was Haruka being more in her "papa" role with Hotaru through the musical. There wasn't much "Haruka-Papa" and "Michiru-mama" moments through many of the Myus. It was usually Haruka/Michiru and Hotaru/Setsuna or all four of them, but not much of an interaction of the Outers being the family they created.

Kaguya Shima Densetsu Kaiteiban was a huge improvement! Having the mini scene set in Crystal Tokyo helped make it flow better with why King Endymion was back in the 20th Century. The musical itself flowed better and was exciting the whole time. When I watch Fumina-Moon's musicals I didn't know anything about Takagi Nao or Asami Yuuka, so I didn't feel as influenced by them as being the best UraNep pair in the musicals, but I caught the interaction and found it was stronger than in Kaguya Shima Densetsu.

They did feel like Haruka and Michiru, in the past musicals it felt more of Haruka and Michiru is just arm candy (that's my own personal opinion!). Only other time Michiru didn't feel like just arm candy to me was at the end of first stage.

I can't really say I liked one version over they other because they are two different interpretations of the same plot like Neptune (Mod) said, Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu is set in the Pacific Ocean elements and Kaguya Shima Densetsu is based around the Bamboo Cutter tale.

If I had to rank them one which I did like best to least:

1. Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu [because it was my first Myu]
2. Kaguya Shima Densetsu Kaiteiban
3. Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu Kaiteiban
4. Kaguya Shima Densetsu [like I said I was nodding off watching this one]

Oh yes, it was definitely wonderful to see Loof Merrow and her crew being more like a family, especially thanks to Selkie coming in as the fourth pirate crew member. I think that she made a wonderful addition to the pirate group. What I also liked a lot was how Loof Merrow comments her earlier life since even though the scene was a bit comical because of her acting, it pointed out few facts rather well, two of them being what her life was like before Artuqa's kingdom was swept away and how she and her crew members had no chance to live normal lives for thousands of years.

The life that she mentioned living before the destruction of Artuqa was very different than the life she got to spend after she and her crew got free, unless she rebelled against the orders to get some freedom every now and then. (Which I can definitely imagine when I think about her personality)

And if I get to the costuming part, I must say that I loved how Merrow's dress was purple, just like her pirate clothes, representing her royal position together with the tiara she used. It gave a rather nice little hint about her bloodline in a bit different way than her original purple dress and crown from the Kaguyas did as now those elements were used more subtly and in the middle of the story rather than in the end of the Myu, only during the last song.

That jewel hunt scene has hilarious, I laughed a lot when I saw it the first time.
Here are few gifs I made of the scene:

Spoiler:

Yes, the costumes! I loved the costumes for the pirates. Both in their traditional costume and normal clothes. Absolutely beautiful. I screencaped a lot of the scenes with the pirates because I love their costumes.

When I saw Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu first, I love Selkie immediately. She, Loof Merrow, and Serpen were my favorites initially and I grew to love Kraken and Kern as well later. That was another thing the disappointed me when I went back and watched Kaguya Shima Densetsu Kaiteiban. No Selkie.

YES! That exact scene really made it for me the first time I watched Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu! Haruka's expression of "I can't believe she's here. I'm not sure whether I'm mad at her or myself for getting caught. CRAP!" Only with Haruka and Usagi could that scene work.

I just noticed that our rankings of the Kaguya musicals are actually the same Ayu ^^.

The costumes of Loof Merrow and her crew members, both normal clothes and their dresses, are just so awesome that I want to screencap all scenes the pirates are in... And for me, Selkie is definitely Endou Ado's best role since I felt like her character was written for her and her and Merrow's (especially Maki Aizawa's) interactions were so natural.

Shin Kaguya Myus give me so many feelings of Loof Merrow and her crew... They focused more on the pirates than the earlier two Kaguya Musicals and I loved their background stories and the scenes they were in. They were shown as much more developed characters who had heavy reasons to go against the main protagonists as their past was explained and I personally felt their scenes and story being the best and most emotional one of Shin Kaguyas.

And as some members who have talked with me know, I love Loof Merrow and Maki Aizawa is my favorite Merrow actress, as well as the one whose portrayal of Merrow was the best in my opinion.

Omg! I LOVE the Shin Kaguya musicals. I think people who don't think they are good just cause they seem like copies of the original needs to go home, shut up, and watch more Myu. I don't even understand that as a point for redoing musicals... Stars story is done like five times. Last Dracul is a remake of the Super musical, Usagi Ai no Senshi e no Michi. o.o A lot of Myu is about reusing and changing elements of previous stuff.

ANYWAY, I absolutely adore Loof Merrow and the pirates in this version. Ice Doll is probably one of the best songs of all the musicals along with Junketsu no Narcissism.

I think the only things I miss from the original Kaguyas is having King Endymion come to the past, the focus on Chibi-Usa learning a life lesson that hard way, and the way Sailor Moon transforms into Eternal Sailor Moon. In some aspects, Shin Kaguya is at times a better musical I think just because of the better character development of some of the characters, not to mention the costuming and choreography. I only wish the Myus hadn't stopped at the Shin Kaguyas.

Small Lady wrote:

Omg! I LOVE the Shin Kaguya musicals. I think people who don't think they are good just cause they seem like copies of the original needs to go home, shut up, and watch more Myu.

These are my exact thoughts when I see people who think that Shin Kaguyas are not good because they use the same storyline as the earlier Kaguyas >.> . Seriously, I can only sigh when I see people commenting these great musicals negatively like that since these musical deserve more recognition. A lot more recognition.

YES. Ice Doll is definitely one of the best songs of the Myus and gives me chills, it is just so very beautiful and Maki's voice... oh gosh, it fits this song perfectly. I just love that song and the entrie soundtrack of Shin Kaguya Myu so much. Junketsu is another one of the best Myu songs that were composed and the piano version of it is so sad...

I really do wish that Maki would have sung Junketsu in the Shin Kaguya CD version, as well and that she would have stayed in the Kaiteban of Shin Kaguya.

I also really liked the cast of these Myus and like Ayu mentioned, they had a lot of potential. And when it comes to Marina, I  could say that you have only seen the other half of of her if you have not seen her in Shin Kaguyas. Her voice and whole portrayal grew a lot and she has become my second favorite Moon at the moment.

I COMPLETELY agree with that about Marina! Watching her performance in the Shin Kaguya's really improved my opinion of her. I already liked her a bit, but not nearly as much as the other three Moons. I think she would have been really great had she the chance to continue after the Shin Kaguyas. Her performance of Junketsu completely blew me away. I fell in love with her and that song immediately.

I can really only give praise to the Shin Kaguyas. They are just excellent.