The final two-part film in theSailor Moonreboot series,Sailor Moon Cosmosis now available on Netflixand its high-quality production and storytelling beg for moreSailor Moonadaptations.The purpose of theSailor Moon Crystalseries is to provide a modernized anime adaptationthat is truer to Naoko Takeuchi’s manga. While the original trilogy ofSailor Moonfilms are not all adaptations of storylines from the manga, they are an easy avenue to continue creating within theCrystaluniverse.
Debuting in 2015,Sailor Moon Crystaltells the story of Usagi Tsukino, an immature schoolgirl by day, and the titular hero fighting for love and justice by night. The first three seasons ofCrystalvary in quality, but the two-part films,Sailor Moon EternalandSailor Moon Cosmos,are polished, well-paced, and faithful to the source material.
Now thatCosmos' production studio, Toei Animation, has nailed the formula with its finale to Takeuchi’s original story, they shouldcontinue the momentum by remaking the original trilogy ofSailor Moonfilms as side stories.
Sailor Moon R: The Movie Is One of the Most Romantic Sailor Moon Stories
Fans Old and New Would Surely Appreciate a Remake of This Movie
The originalSailor Moonanime’s comedic tone is much lighter than the manga’s, and relies on a monster-of-the-week format to tell the bulk of each arc. The accompanying trilogy of films exists asan opportunity for the Sailor Guardians to have a more serious adventurein a limited timeframe, which means the formula established withEternalandCosmoswould work well for the material.
10 Best Sailor Moon Manga Covers
Naoko Takeuchi’s airy, ethereal, and bright manga covers bring the Sailor Moon series to life, making some incredibly striking shojo manga covers.
RemakingSailor Moon R: The Moviewould bethe perfect chance to revisit the beautiful love story between Usagi and Mamoruafter they were separated for most ofCosmos.InSailor Moon R: The Movie,the Sailor Guardians face an alien man named Fiore, who wants to drain humanity’s life force to feed an otherworldly plant known as the Kisenian flower.
The plot, characters, and evil flora bear a striking resemblance to the Makai Tree Arc created specifically for the 1993 anime series, whichCrystalomits during its run.Therefore,the story would feel quite fresh forCrystal’s audience, and Fiore’s story could be expanded to connect to Ail, An, and the Makai Tree, since neither alien story is considered canon.
Sailor Moon S: The Movie Is the Franchise’s Holiday Movie
A Different Story That Doesn’t Put Usagi and Mamoru at the Center
Sailor Moon S: The Movieadapts “The Lover of Princess Kaguya”,a side story from the manga, which makes itthe most logical choice for aCrystalremake. While the film already boasts some of the originalSailor Moon’s most beautiful animation and well-choreographed action scenes, it would still benefit from today’s innovations in animation andCrystal’s gorgeous character models.Sailor Moon Sis also one of the few instances where Usagi and Mamoru are not at the center of the love story, allowing side characters to shine.
The 1994 film takes place over Winter break, as an asteroid carrying Princess Kaguya is on a collision course with Earth, where it will trigger a second Ice Age. Sailor Moon and the other Guardians must find a way to stop the ice princess' plan, while Luna falls in love with a handsome astronomer tracking the asteroid’s path. Here,Luna is seen in her human form for the first time, which was one of the most fun elements ofSailor Moon Cosmosas well.
Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie Continues the Theme of Dreams from the SuperSAnime
An Original Story Inspired by a Classic Folk Tale
Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movieis the third and final of the originalSailor Moonfilm trilogy, and it is alsothe most original story of the three. Whereas the previous two films have similar plots revolving around villains threatening to destroy the Earth with an asteroid,SuperStells an original story inspired by “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”. Evil Queen Badiane sends her henchmen to hypnotize and lure young children to her castle, where she harvests their sweet dreams to power her Black Dream Hole.
Even though the animation ofSuperSstill looks great to this day, the same cannot be said for the CGI used to depict the Black Dream Hole itself, something easily remedied by modern technology. The 1995 film, as well as its two predecessors, would also benefit from an extended runtime, asSuperSwastes much of its potential to explore the cast’s hopes and dreams for the future. Whether the three original films are remade, or new stories are written to continueCrystal,it’s clear that there’s a strong appetite for moreSailor Mooncontent.
