Sailor Moon, Vol. 7: Fight to the Finish (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:

• Betrayals
• Spooky "twins"
• Yet more evil

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

My Advice: Get it if you know what’s good for ya

Every otaku knows the importance of Sailor Moon to the success of anime in the West, as well as to the tradition of anime in general. But have you seen all of it? If not, you’re missing lots of action, tension, humor, and all the other plot elements that make an anime fun and satisfying.

In "Tuxedo Unmasked," the Scouts must face their former ally Darien as an enemy for the first time. His black rose attack, the antithesis of his former heroic white rose interventions, distresses them almost as much as the knowledge that he is attempting to recapture the former Rainbow Crystal holders for Queen Beryl. In "Fractious Friends," the Scouts use the press to spread the rumor that Serena is leaving the Scouts, hoping that Malachite will attempt to recruit her. They hope to use this situation to rescue Darien. Next, in "The Past Returns," the Scouts attempt to find a path to Beryl’s palace, but they are instead transported to the moon, where they meet Queen Serenity and learn the tragic history of the Moon Kingdom and themselves. In "Day of Destiny," we finally have the final battle with Queen Beryl and her Gloom and Doom Girls. Will the Scouts have to make the ultimate sacrifice to help Serena have enough power to win? And will Darien never remember the truth? After the final battle with Beryl, we may believe that the Negaverse has been defeated, but as we have already seen, there was someone pulling Beryl’s strings.

As Sailor Moon R begins, we meet Alan and Ann, who are collecting energy from humans to feed their Doom Tree. As an added twist, none of the Scouts remember their past lives as Scouts, so what will Luna and Artemis do? In "The Return of Sailor Moon," Luna has no choice but to bring Serena back to knowledge of her true self. Finally, in "So You Want to Be in Pictures," the girls feel deja vu when they meet each other, and their combined powers might be needed once again, as mysterious monsters continue to plague Tokyo.

This disc builds up to answering many fan questions in the episode "The Past Returns," which is a pivotal episode to the greater Sailor Moon plot. We learn a great deal about how important Serena and Darien really are, as well as how the Scouts were reborn in modern Tokyo and what Queen Beryl really wants. The plot was always satisfyingly layered and complex, but now many of our long-term questions have been answered in a very rewarding and interesting, not to mention creative, way. Every episode is filled with dramatic action, character development, lovely images, and just plain fun. After the defeat of Beryl, the action doesn’t stop, and there’s the additional complication of morality: is it right to remind the Scouts of who they really are, just when they are finally happy and able to lead normal lives? Luna and Artemis’ choice is not an easy one.

The audio and video quality are fine on this disc--not the most beautiful of digital restorations, but a bit better than you might expect from a decade-old TV series. The art itself is quite attractive, and all the characters look interesting, different, and appealing. A particularly nice touch is the way Darien’s Dark Moon uniform plays off his Earth knight uniform, as well as the way Alan and Ann are recognizable in both alien and human forms.

Alas, while this disc translates us from the Sailor Moon sequence to Sailor Moon R, there are still no features on the disc. Even a measly timeline or character profiles would have been nice, not to mention a bundled soundtrack or an episode comparison with the uncut versions.

In short, every anime fan should have Sailor Moon in his or her DVD library, and if you thought you loved the action and creativity before, you’ll love the Doom Tree saga even more. There is non-stop action, a bit of angst and distress, and bad guys galore to shake things up. Will Serena ever be able to just sleep in and have a big breakfast?