Sailor Moon, Vol. 5: Introducing Sailor Venus (1995)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

English Adaptation Written by Mycheline Tremblay, Gary Plaxton, and Lisa Lumby
Based on the manga by Naoko Takeuchi
Directed by Junichi Sato

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Death
• Betrayal
• Grief
• Angst

Released by: ADV
Region: 1
Rating: NR, safe for all ages
Anamorphic: N/A; episodes appear in their original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Buy it.

The plot of Sailor Moon is heating up in this next batch of six episodes. In "Too Many Girlfriends," Serena and Lita find out that the boy they have a crush on, Andrew, already has a girlfriend, Rita. Rita is on her way to Africa to study entomology, but before she leaves, Zoisite finds out that Rita bears one of the Rainbow Crystals inside her. Next, in "Grandpa’s Follies," Raye’s grandfather turns out to have a Rainbow Crystal of his own and turns into what is probably the coolest monster of the season. In addition, Chad joins the cast as another character to drive Raye insane. "Kitty Chaos" lets us see another side of Luna, as a rough-and-tumble alley cat named Hercules saves her from some other rag-tag strays out to ruffle that pretty moon fur...then he develops a crush on her and turns out to have a Rainbow Crystal of his own. "Tuxedo Melvin" has Melvin pretending to be Tuxedo Mask in order to get Molly’s attention, and of course he fails to be heroic, but succeeds in winning the hand of the fair maiden. Then, in "Sailor V Makes the Scene" the gorgeous Sailor V is found, but Malachite is masquerading as Sailor Moon. Finally, "A Crystal Clear Destiny" finally reveals the identity of the Moon Princess and the location of the Silver Moon Crystal, but the cost will be more than Serena can bear.

This disc ratchets up the emotional involvement of the audience. Not only are we asked to cope with great joy when the Princess is finally alerted to the true depths of her destiny, but we are asked to cope with the death of one of their own right at the moment of greatest triumph. Always a mixture of hope and danger, Sailor Moon as a series really shines here, and the DIC version doesn’t pull the teeth of the series as you might fear.

The characters in this series continue to get more and more rounded. Each Sailor Scout in some way represents the meaning of their planet in Japanese folklore, as do the villains with their gem and mineral names. This double symbolism of nature and astrology/astronomy layers yet more meaning on top of the already fine characterization of the show. Raye, for example, is a very different person than Mina or Amy. Darien is similarly more than the prototypical hero; though of course he is handsome and brave, he is also sarcastic, teases Serena, and isn’t quite sure he should take her seriously. They all have hobbies, likes, dislikes, strengths, and weakness, allowing them to come together to form a real team, not just a hero with sidekicks that have no real existence outside the battle or making the title characters look good. That fullness is just part of what makes this show so unique and worthwhile, even in the dub-only North American version.

In short, if you’ve been following the Sailor Moon storyline with Zoisite and the Negaverse, then you absolutely need this disc, as it all comes to a head. The final battle isn’t too far away, and now Serena and the Scouts know exactly what they’re fighting for. The team is finally complete, and their powers and emotions both are at their height. If you like whimsical action, truly interesting and deep characters, and celestial symbolism, then you will enjoy Sailor Moon. Again, don’t worry about the few scenes cut here and there. The story is still so filled with action, emotion, friendship, and fun that only a purist otaku will care.