The new Sailor Moon series will premiere worldwide in July. You already know that. Did you know that Hulu finally started putting up the original run of Sailor Moon, unedited and with accurate subtitles? That's pretty remarkable. I've watched the available episodes so far and they feel right.
See, Sailor Moon isn't just a silly series for kids. There is a good bit of depth there. It does go to dark places. The characters aren't perfect and the ever-expanding web of players adds some intrigue.
That first episode, warts and all, perfectly sets the tone for the series. Usagi Tsukino is introduced as a poor student who does what she can to help people throughout her day. She has no problem jumping to the rescue of a little black cat that some young boys are tormenting on her way to school. At school, she's routinely so tired from everything else she does that she sleeps through class.
Still, she has a tight group of friends. One of them invites her to the family jewelry store, where her mother is offering a massive sale on real diamonds. Usagi doesn't even have enough money for a ring so cheap the customers trash the store to get at it. She returns home, disappointed. Her disappointment grows to despair when here mother locks her out of the house for failing another test.
The little black cat, Luna, reveals Usagi's true potential as Sailor Moon. That's about the same time her best friend finds out an alien has locked her mother in the basement and shapeshifted to steal the life force from the greedy women at the jewelry store. Usagi chooses to accept the powers Luna offers just in time to receive word that her friend is in peril. She rushes to the store, only to find out she has no idea how to use any of her powers. Luna tells her what to do and she narrowly saves the day.
This is the true potential of Sailor Moon. Usagi's power comes from teamwork and a genuine desire to put everyone else above her own needs. As her team of Sailor Scouts grows, more powerful enemies arrive to take them down. And then there's the emergence of the dashing Tuxedo Mask, who also makes his first appearance in the original episode in and out of costume.
The US run was pretty much butchered when it aired on TV. Now, we can finally see the true vision of series creator Naoko Takeuchi, who herself has an even bigger say in the new series starting in a little over a month. Sailor Moon is poised to take over the world again and I couldn't be happier.
This post was part of AniMAY 2014. Click through for more great content.