Setting:
(5/5) Set in Tokyo, Japan, the book is about the "Sailor Scouts". They are guardians who protect people against a group who are trying to find the Legendary Silver Crystal, which apparently has a lot of power. We aren't given much information about the Sailor Scouts or the evil group except that they are both looking for the Legendary Silver Crystal and the Sailor Scouts are supposed to find and protect the "Moon Princess" as well. I'm positive more will be revealed in the next volume.
Story:
(5/5) Usagi Tsukino helps a strange cat with a crescent moon symbol on its forehead. Unexpectedly, the cat finds her later and tells her that she is a Sailor Scout, Sailor Moon, and her duty is to gather the other Sailor Scouts, and find the Legendary Moon Crystal and the Moon Princess, who they much protect. The chapters in the volumes mostly involve Usagi finding the rest of the Sailor Scouts and their fight against a group who are also trying to find the crystal. I grew up with the Sailor Moon anime and although I kind of remembered it, I thought I forgot it for the most part. However, as I read through the manga, each episode started to come back to me.
Artwork:
(5/5) I love the artwork! I love the old style and how every page is detailed and you can see a lot of effort was put into it. Plus I like the new covers of this renewed edition because each volume focuses on one of the Sailor Scout and I prefer when manga focus each cover on an individual character:
Main Character:
(4/5) Usagi is a cry-baby, on the slow side, and loves to eat and laze around (that's something we have in common). But she's kind and means well and in the end charming in her own way. I believe she'll grow more mature as the series progresses, she's already starting to cry less and relying on her own power. The anime I believe exaggerated many of Usagi's traits and sometimes she was just downright irritating, it's safe to say that Usagi was not annoying in the manga.
Characters:
(4/5) The other characters were pretty good too:
Tuxedo Mask:
The mysterious masked stranger that helped Usagi a number of times and also seems to be looking for the crystal. He's drawn to Usagi and Usagi to him. Something that is yet to be revealed is drawing them to one another and I'm curious to find out what it is (although I know, but still, I don't remember the anime really well and I'm excited for the revelation).
Luna:
The cat that guides Usagi and the other Sailor Scouts. Like Tuxedo Mask, there is much we don't know about her.
Ami:
A genius and the first Sailor Scout Usagi finds. She was my least favourite character and was kind of boring.
Rei:
I really like Rei but I was confused with how the author portrayed her. In the first chapter she's introduced as a quiet and reserved girl but in later chapters you see she's more fiery and has a bit of a temper (I like the later Rei better). It just didn't feel like the same person to me but either way I like the later Rei better.
Makoto:
She's very tall and physically strong and although she appears to be a tomboy she has a girly heart (which I liked better because it was less stereotypical).
Originality:
(5/5) Well, if Sailor Moon isn't original, I don't know what it is. It popularized and added more depth to the Magical Girl genre and it introduced people in North America to anime and manga.
Other Comments:
This new edition remains more faithful to the Japanese edition. It keeps the Japanese names, right-to-left reading, has new covers, coloured pages and a more accurate translation.
Overall:
(28/30) If you're a fan of Sailor Moon, then you need to get these new editions. If you're like me and feel nostalgic about the series from your childhood, then you should also get this and if you're new to the series this manga is the perfect place to start! The idea of the Sailor Scouts, the plot and the art are what I've always loved the most about Sailor Moon!
