Sailor Moon, Vol. 12: The Wrath of Emerald (1996)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Based upon the original manga by Naoko Takeuchi
English Adaptation by Mycheline Tremblay
Directed by Junichi Sato and Roland Parliament

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Venus plays "Hello, Nurse"
• Rini opens her mouth
• Darien still being a dweeb to Serena

Released by: ADV
Region: 1
Rating: NR, safe for all audiences
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: Buy it.

The war with the mysterious powers of Prince Diamond and his ally Emerald is heating up, and the villains are coming faster now; the Scouts and Tuxedo Mask will need to use all of their tricks to win this time, and it just might be up to Rini in the end...a possibility that scares us all.

This disc brings us another six episodes of action, colorful characters, and just plain fun. "Rubeus Strikes Out" lets Sailor Moon once again show how important her friends are to her and the real source of her power. Viewers also get their first look at the enigmatic Prince Diamond. "The Secret of the Luna Sphere" introduces a new character who will become more and more important as the Sailor Moon R season wears on. "Emerald Bakes Up Trouble" has Emerald taking an active hand herself and trying to use the focus power of a sweets shop to conquer the Scouts.

In "Promises Fulfilled," Emerald tries using curse-charm bracelets to sneak Dark Moon power into Tokyo, and Serena has the same disturbing dream that Darien has been having. Now that she knows why he has been cold to her, will she be able to break through his desire to protect her? Then, in "No Thanks Nurse Venus," Emerald places a dark crystal shard in a hospital, just as several of the Scouts get sick. Finally, "Dog Day for Artemis," Artemis finds a dark crystal shard in a restaurant, and it’s up to him, Luna, and Serena to figure out why and how to disable it. But will Luna ever really care for Artemis and respect him like he wants her to?

We get to meet a new Sailor Scout on this disc, the enigmatic friend of Rini, known to her as Luna P, but known to viewers as Sailor Pluto, she who holds the keys to time.

The art seems to just get better as the series wears on, but I know it’s really the same good quality it always was. The characters show more emotion on their faces than many other titles from this period, and the backgrounds are detailed enough to add to the mood of the scene without distracting from the character action or driving up the production costs exponentially. There is an overall beauty and grace that characterizes shoujo anime, and it’s out in full-force here in this title.

Of course, if you love magical girl anime or Sailor Moon in general, then you will need to have this disc. If you’ve enjoyed such titles as Cardcaptors or Fancy Lala, or just like titles with cool plots, truly detailed characters, and interesting interactions, then you should give this disc a view. This is one of the most important titles in the history of anime and shouldn’t be missed by anyone who aspires to the term "otaku." Get it today.