Sailor Moon, Vol. 6: Adventure Girls (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:

• Girl power
• Bad hair
• Manners and etiquette
• More 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 already

Six more episodes of pretty sailors! First up, in "A Reluctant Princess," Serena attempts to cope with the aftermath of Darien’s death at the hands of the Negaverse, and the subsequent theft of his seemingly lifeless body. Next, in "Bad Hair Day," the Negaverse has a plan to find out the identity of Sailor Moon, and Darien begins his brainwashing at the hands of Queen Beryl. "Little Miss Manners" has a slightly recovered Serena taking "princess lessons" from a Negaverse front, while Darien, in a snazzy new uniform, swears allegiance to Beryl. In "Ski Bunny Blues," the Scouts go on a much-needed vacation, but Raye and Serena are stranded together for a while; can they avoid killing each other before help arrives? Chad really shines in this episode. In "Ice Princess," Lita gets to show off her skills on ice skates, while the Negaverse attempts to find Sailor Moon. Then, finally, in "Last Resort," Serena’s family goes on vacation near a supposedly haunted lake. Is that really Darien that Serena sees, and if so, whose side is he really on?

Several of these episodes were rather funny, especially the scene where Lita, not much of a delicate female, lifts her male skating partner above her head. This group of episodes also does a great job of letting some of the Scouts take turns starring--a wonderful way to let the audience learn more about these interesting girls, while not forgetting about the torture of Darien in the Negaverse.

My quibble with this disc is about the packaging, not the content. For some reason, the write-ups on the back of the discs seem to be trying to sell these discs to children who want a light-hearted tale of wacky adventures and fun, whereas the only thing that’s really "childish" about the actual episodes is the occasional goofiness of the monster-of-the-week. Sailor Moon as a series may not be as serious as something like Grave of the Fireflies, but then most of the time, we don’t want that. What this series does have is just as good for adults, as well as for kids: death, life, sacrifice, revenge, finding the power within ourselves, brainwashing, freedom, pain, royalty, and issues of control and evil. Does that sound like a light-hearted romp for five-year-olds? Didn’t think so. Adults could love this title and really bring this series the acclaim it deserves, but it’s sold as a title for kids alone, so only preteen girls buy it, making the rest of us afraid to admit to liking it in a room full of more serious otaku. That’s a shame and does Sailor Moon a grave disservice, and of course the gratuitous removal of violence and homosexual elements don’t help, but I’m sure that’s more a marketing decision than anything else. Too bad, though.

Overall, this continues to be a great series that most any anime fan will love. It has comedy, drama, adventure, fascinating, diverse characters, and far-reaching plots. The war with Queen Beryl is getting more and more intense, and the climax cannot be far away.