Sailor Moon, Vol. 9: The Return of the Doom Tree (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:

• Irritating child
• Tree abuse
• Lost love

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: Get it, and get it now.

With this disc, we have the introduction of Rini, which a few Sailor Moon fans see as the series jumping the shark. On the other hand, Rini’s bratty behavior does improve a bit in time, and it also shows that such precociousness runs in the family. If you can get past how terribly annoying Rini is, then these are genuinely cleverly plotted and interesting episodes.

In "Food Fetish," Serena has forgotten her lunch at home, and Lita decides, upon hearing him play, that she should share her gourmet meal with Alan. Given that he doesn’t eat human food, the results, and Jupiter’s new power, are interesting. Next, in "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall," the school puts on the play Snow White with Ann as Snow White and Darien as Prince Charming. Will Ann ever get her awakening kiss? Then, Serena and Ann spend some quality time together in "Detention Doldrums," explaining to Ann what a friend really means. "Secret Garden" brings Serena to Ann and Alan’s house, where she gets a small piece of a mysterious tree in what should be Alan’s bedroom. In "Treed," Darien and Serena are captured by the Doom Tree, and viewers learn the Tree’s history, including the pasts of Alan and Ann and how they came to be what they are. Finally, "Serena Times Two," we meet Rini, a mysterious child from the future with a fixation on Darien and finding Serena’s Moon Crystal. Who is this child, and will Serena kill her for coming between her and Darien?

The audio and video quality are solid, with few fuzzies, pops, or other problems. While this is the original, un-retouched TV stock, it still looks pretty good for its age and original quality. The art was attractive and unique enough to stand up over time and still please the fans of today. The transformation sequences and the animation of the new powers, like Jupiter’s Thunder Dragon, are particularly nice and worth a look.

Actually, those sequences that are often repeated in various episodes would have been a nice "extra." The producers would not have had to pay any extra for licensing or to interview the creators (as splendid as that would have been) to simply extract things like "Shine Aqua Illusion/Mercury Ice Storm Blast" out of the shows and let us view them separately. Another great feature would have been to have close ups of the Sailors’ power sticks and Sailor Moon’s brooch, tiara, and crescent.

In short, get this disc and see what Serena and the other Scouts are up to next. With the Doom Tree taken care of, what could possibly go wrong now? This continues to be one of the most interesting series in anime. The action never stops, the characters have depth and individuality, and nothing is ever quite what it seems. The villains are complex and interesting, especially now, and the show just keeps looking better with each passing episode. If you haven’t seen a real episode yet, then give this disc a shot, and you’ll be charmed by Amy, Raye, and the rest.