Anime Hajime Review: Eden of the East

Series Synopsis

Saki Morimi (voiced by Saori Hayami) is visiting Washington D.C. over her college graduation trip. She makes a stop at the White House and because of a misunderstanding is approached by the police. Before getting into trouble, a naked man (voiced by RyoheiKimura), carrying only a cell phone and a handgun, starts making a scene.

The man is able to lose the cops and Saki gives him her coat as thanks for the intervention. The two separate but Saki quickly realizes that her wallet and passport were in her coat pocket and she runs after the man, who along with not having clothes has no memory of who he is. 

In an attempt to get any sort of clue about his identity, he makes a call on his highly advanced phone. The person who picks up introduces herself as Juiz (voiced by Sakiko Tamagawa) and tells him where he's staying and three strange pieces of information.

First, the man need only call Juiz and she can make anything happen. Second, the man’s memory loss was a result of his own doing. And third, he still has 8.2 billion yen (roughly $70 million US) in digital money left to spend.

Arriving at the location given by Juiz, the man discovers a small hoard of guns and many different passports; he settles on a Japanese identity, Akira Takizawa. It is at this moment that Saki manages to catch up with him.

Akira manages to convince Saki to let him join her on the plane back to Japan. The past few hours may have been strange, but what comes next almost defies imagination.

At the airport, a news bulletin comes on saying that Tokyo had been hit with a missile attack. Saki is stunned and speechless that something like this could happen…again. A year earlier, ten missiles struck Tokyo on a single day. However there were no victims and thus whole event, dubbed Careless Monday, sort of drifted into obscurity.

Regardless, Akira and Saki are now on a mission to discover who Akira is as well as the true purpose of the mysterious organization known as Selecao.

Saki

Series Positives

I got a little excited to watch this show solely because of its premises; strange events, mystery, conspiracy, what’s not to look forward to. Having now seen it, I’ve got say…I'm quite disappointed.

Akira

Eden of the East does have an interesting hook, not to mention is visually appealing, but it lacks anything more to go with it. I’ll get into the negatives briefly because there is one thing that this show manages to do well.

Constant Intrigue

If there was one positive I had to say about this series, it would be that it never gets to the point where you stop caring about what’s going on.

I’m talking about the big questions, mainly what the hell is Selecao and what does it want to do? Don’t expect to get these answers in this series. I hope that they will be revealed in the two, yes two, movies that followed this show.

Despite me not liking Eden of the East, I am compelled to take a look at these films. That may not be the most stellar of highlights a show could have, but it’s still a highlight none the less.

The story is all over the place and makes no sense, the characters aren’t that compelling, and the answers we do manage to get are underwhelming at best. With all that being the case, Eden of the East does have enough to it to keep you around. Granted it’s not because of a need to know desire, but more of an “I’ve come this far” mentality.

Series Negatives

The first thing I want to say is to the person who though this was a good idea. While it is true that a person’s Johnny is indeed a reference to a penis, it isn’t as common as you think it is and defiantly not as common as this show makes it out to be. I heard this phrase be used more times in this series than I have in the past ten years combined.

I just had to get that out of the way.

Oh...and more thing before going into more details. Whatever sense of threat or seriousness Eden of the East wanted to create, it’s all undone by the surprising amount of anime bull s@#$ present. It wasn’t needed, it wasn’t called for, and it was completely misused.

The Characters

Akira is way too easy going despite his circumstances, Saki serves no function, and everyone else is f@#$ing boring. That sums up the characters of Eden of the East.

Akira, holy s@#$, for a guy who woke up butt naked with no memories, and not to mention in possession with some rather damning evidence of him being a potential terrorist, he’s pretty okay with the situation. This isn’t as if it started raining and you forgot your umbrella or some other minor inconvenience, its f@#$ing problem; show a little more concern.

In fact I can say that about every character in this show. I don’t believe for a second that anyone fully understood that there were literally thousands of people’s lives at stake should they fail. Actually this series gives me a much better example.

Saki and her group get strong justification to believe that one of their friends was captured by the serial killer known as the Johnny Hunter. So that we're clear on the gravity of the situation, because no one else seems to be, the Johnny Hunter’s victims die from blood loss after having their penis cut off. 

To Saki and the rest its no big deal right. NO! It’s a big f@#$ing deal, your bro’s about to have his dick lopped off; a little hustle would be appreciated.

Moving on, and since I did mention her, what's Saki doing here? I honestly have no idea; she doesn’t do anything. Her sole function appears to be serving as the romantic interest of Akira; why? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a love sub plot, but the show does nothing with it.

All of the events are out of her control, she isn’t critical to anything getting done, she doesn’t even screw anything up, she’s just there for ride; and she’s the lead female character. I’m not even going to mention anyone else because they do even less then her.

If this is the alternative to having an annoying cast, I guess I would rather have this. But this is a damn mystery series. It doesn’t matter how good the mystery is, if it isn’t happening to people we give a crap about there’s nothing to latch onto.

The Story

Things happen and the heroes save the day. How you ask? Well like if was for Saki, I don’t know.

The entire lead up to the show’s climax is nothing but questions. As I said, none the big ones are answered, but some of the smaller ones, such who Akira is and why he wiped his memory, are…technically. There not good answers and they certainly don’t justify the amount of build up to them. Then there's how the show’s climax is resolved.

I’m going to spoil what happens for two reasons. First, I'm giving nothing away; literally nothing. Second, if you do watch this show, you may catch something I missed.

A bunch of naked guys use a phone app to target incoming missiles so the military can shoot them down. How it got to that point, I have no f@#$ing idea.

The phone app by the way is that thing that, you known, gives this series its title. It has nothing to do with the bigger picture and it feels like it was meant to belong to another show and was shoehorned into this one.

This was a f@#$ing mess.

Final Thoughts

I’m not going to recommend this show, but I am going to watch the movies.

The characters are not engaging, the story is twisted to no end, and it all boils down to a waste of a potentially good idea; an idea that may blossom in the films.

With all the things Eden of the East fails at doing, it does manage to create and maintain a long lasting mystery. I do want to know what happens and what is really going on. However if the rest is just like this show, I’m having trouble seeing how it's going to be worth it in the end. 

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Anime Hajime Review: Punch Line

Series Synopsis

Yuta Iridatsu (voiced by Marina Inoue) has found himself in the middle of a bus jacking. Held at gunpoint, the situation seems dire when suddenly the hero known as Strange Juice arrives on the scene. The masked fighter, with glowing hair and superhuman strength, easily defeats the culprits and everything seems to have been defused.

However the mastermind of the high jacking reveals himself and gets the advantage over Strange Juice. Yuta is at a loss of what to do when he accidentally gets a glimpse of a female passenger’s panties (stay with me on this). This triggers a transformation within Yuta, giving the same bright hair and strength of Strange Juice. Yuta is able to put an end to the conflict by throwing himself and the mastermind out of the bus.

The two go crashing into a nearby river where Yuta is saved by Juice. The triumph is short lived because a strange beam of light shoots down from the sky and Yuta’s spirt is thrown out of his body.

Waking up the following day, Yuta finds himself back at his apartment, the Korai House. Still dazed by what has transpired he is greeted by a spirit cat that calls itself Chiranosuke (voiced by Yuri Yoshida). The cat says that someone has taken over Yuta’s real body and the only way to change back is with a mysterious book that is hidden somewhere in the apartment complex.

Begrudgingly, Yuta begins his search for the book. While doing so, he also starts to take up the role as guardian for his four neighbors.

First is Mikatan Naruginoa (voiced by Sora Amamiya), a member of the idol group Seas May and who appears to be guarding some kind of secret. Next is the recluse gamer, Ito Hikiotani (voiced by Minako Kotobuki) who has recently been through a volatile moment in her life. The third is the landlord Meika Daihatsu (voiced by Rie Kugimiya) who has a special knack with machines. And finally is Rabura Chichibu (voiced by Haruka Tomatsu), an exorcist who doesn't believe in the supernatural what so ever.

With the dawn of the New Year a little more than a week away, Yuta and the other members of Korai House become involved in a series of strange occurrences that all seem to be leading to an event of apocalyptic proportions.

Series Positives

If you think my synopsis comes off as completely random, it’s because Punch Line goes so far down the rabbit hole. I can recite, verbatim, every action and event for the first half of this series and you would still have no idea what direction it would be going in.

Yuuta

The first episode introduces the series as if it was a light hearted comedy. That’s accurate, but it’s also completely not the case. Punch Line is funny, but also sad, terrifying, intense, uplifting, heartfelt, and really any emotion you can think of would be a good fit.

Where this show ends up is a universe away from where it started. And it’s so fun the whole way through.

Mikatan

The Story

Ito

Think of an hourglass. When you start one it’s obvious that it’s moving, but in those beginning moments any visible progress is negligible. As time goes on, the sand starts to move faster and faster, smoother and smoother. The closer it gets to the end, the clearer the decent is. That’s essentially Punchline and I don’t know about you, but I find hourglasses to be irrationally enthralling; which is again Punchline.

Meika

Everything starts off simple, with only a hint or two of anything unusual. That balance quickly gets over turned. The first half of the show builds the mystery and the intrigue. It’s able to do this while still managing to be funny and comical, but never losing the sense of urgency or threat.

No action is a mistake, but rather a deliberate choice. Seeing it all come together in the second half is both well done and satisfying; everything fits together and makes sense. Having the many roads congregate into a single point was what made the show worth it.

All of this leads to a finale that is equally happy and sad. The absolute ending is a little bit of a copout and begins to fall apart, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Yuta

Rabura

All of the residents of Korai House defiantly do their part in making this series as good as it is, but it’s Yuta that I want to focus on because it’s his progression that made me really like Punch Line.

Chiranosuke

Yuta became a hero. In the beginning he's portrayed as an accidental pervert who always seems to end up in a compromising position. This happens a lot because this is how he gets his powers and yes it's annoying at first. This entire plot thread makes Punch Line come off as an excuse to have girls in their underwear.

It defiantly does that and exploits it to no end, but as the show goes on it becomes more and more secondary and it doesn’t come up when it absolutely shouldn’t; particularly in the climax.

This is where Yuta and the show pull out all the stops. It’s surprisingly big and unpredictable, thus making it absurdly tense and gripping. Getting to this point, we get to see Yuta become a much better character. He comes to understand what he needs to do, how he needs to do it, and why. There's a lot on the line, but ultimately it comes down to him saving the people he has come to care deeply about.

Yuta doesn’t become the hero because the story says so. He had to go through quite a bit and prove that he truly was the only one that could make everything happen. I want to go into more detail, but this is such an important, series making process that I dare not say more.

Series Negatives

This show does goes against an ideal in storytelling that I whole heartily believe in. It’s something that's needlessly risky and has no true benefit. To Punch Line’s credit, it has a strong enough story to abate it, but not avoid it; the Complexity Trap.

All of the best anime I have seen have spawned from simplicity. This includes comedies, romances, and mysteries.  It's simplicity that allows for the greatest creativity because it allows for the greatest adaptability. A story shouldn’t be bogged down with rule after rule after rule. The simpler the premise, the simpler the idea, the more there is to work with.

Again, Punch Line does have a lot going on and it does a great job balancing them, however it’s not perfect. There are three things that this show is constantly struggling with.

Details

With everything that’s going on and with them all seemingly important to the story in some form, it all needs to be explained. This doesn’t happen in a few areas. The main, and maybe most important one, is how and why Yuta has the powers that he has.

This is an important answer because it is also the answer to why everything is taking place. What the show goes with is basically because he does. Okay I guess, but really that’s all we get? Sure this does allow for some cool action scenes, but it feels like there should be more to it than that. I say this because along with the details that are glanced over, there are also details that are irrelevant.

Strange Juice for instance, why is she a thing? It’s fine that there’s another person with the same powers as Yuta, but what’s with the hero route? The existence of Strange Juice doesn’t serve the story in any way.

Another example is with Yuta himself. If he were to see a girl’s panties twice in quick succession, his power level would become so great than an asteroid would come crashing down to Earth, killing everyone. This doesn’t come into play at all except for a joke in the first episode. It’s just another rule that exists for the sake of existing.

Instead of having all these pointless details, the show could have focused more on the back story and why these events are taking place.

Conveniences

This isn’t a full blown problem, but it is something that should have been avoided.

Overall, the transition from event to event is smooth and makes sense. However on a couple of occasions, it feels like it’s making up rules as it goes along. This usually involves Yuta in his spirit form.

Yuta wants to do something that will help his friends, but is unable to do so because of some rule that wasn’t mentioned beforehand. Like when he needs to possess someone in order to communicate. To do this there needs to be someone who has a strong connection to the spirit world. Surprise there is one. However, Yuta’s spirit power isn’t strong enough to do this. Luckily, he can get a boost if there's cinnamon in the air. Why cinnamon; f@#$ if I know. But it’s okay because there happens to be cinnamon. Ah but one more thing, Yuta can only possess someone for seven minutes and we only learn that after the time is up and he gets kick out. It’s a never ending cycle.

I say this is not a huge problem because more unfortunate rather than annoying. It’s this kind of thing that separates a good story from a great story.

Paradox

To get my point across effectively, I will have to mention a detail that can be construed as spoiler-ish. Therefore I will be issuing a SPOILER WARNING, but this is a detail that you learn early in the first episode.

There’s time travel. That right there is probably enough for you to guess what it is I’m about to say.

Time travel is such a tricky thing to pull off and it only becomes harder with a series as complex as this one. It leaves so many opportunists for plot holes and paradoxes. That and it gives you one hell of a headache when you start to think about them.

Punchline is able to avoid it, until pretty much the last minute. I can’t say anymore because it would a series spoiler, but needless to say I still haven’t fully made sense of it yet.

Final Thoughts

Punchline is good. I may have got a tad wordy with the negatives, but this is a good series; I had a lot of fun with it.

Thought the story is on the complex side, it is well told and it mitigates much of the fallout. It’s able to do this because all the things I did mention in the negatives were never the focus and they never took away from the focus.

There is an end goal to all of this craziness and it never loses sight of it. A thousand things may be happening, but the story never strays from the path. Because of this, Punchline manages to be a really solid series.

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Anime Hajime Review: D-Frag

Series Synopsis

Kenji Kazama (voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi) is a delinquent, and proud of it. Seeking to become the strongest there is at his school, he already made quite the reputation for himself. However, his ascension to greatness hits a unexpected hurtle.

Seeing smoke from a classroom, Kenji quickly jumps in to put out the fire. Unfortunately, he unwittingly waked into the meetup room of the Game Creation Club who are desperately, and I mean desperately seeking new members. Refusing to join by conventional terms, Kenji is forced into signing up and becomes the newest addition to the eccentric group.

First there is first year Sakura Mizukami (voiced by Mikako Takahashi), the water elemental who is an unpredictable tomboy who is usually seen caring around a water bottle. Minami Osawa (voiced by Ami Koshimizu) is the club’s perpetually tired faculty advisor and lighting elemental due to the fact that she always has a taser. Chitose Karasuyama (voiced by Chiwa Saito) is not only a member of the club, but also the terrifyingly influential student body president, as well as the Earth elemental.  These three are…unique to say the least, yet they don’t hold a candle to the president of the Game Creation Club, Roka Shibasaki (voiced by Kana Hanazawa).

Despite her small stature, Roka is considered the strongest person at the school. Upon introduction she claims that her element is fire, but this is only a cover for her true element, darkness. Her signature attack involves covering her opponent’s head with a bag…that’s it, there’s nothing more to it.

To his chagrin, Kenji finds himself in the middle of these girls’ over the top antics. However he slowly begins to warm up to the strangeness and will defend the club from anyone seeking to disband it; which is actually a common occurrence.

By doing this, Kenji often becomes the center of whatever outlandish situation the club finds itself in or creates themselves.

Series Positives

D-Frag is an interesting show. As a comedy set in high school, it has many of the elements you would expect from such a series. On more than once occasion, D-Frag becomes indistinguishable from any other anime with a similar set up.

Yet what makes this series interesting is how it doesn’t follow a lot of the expected troupes. D-Frag, while not to a fantastical extend, is one of the more unique comedies I have seen in some time. It certainly has its own feel which usually plays into the show’s favor.

D-Frag is great fun.

Kenji

One of the troupes that I was ecstatic to see dropped was with Kenji. For most other characters in his position, they have a tendency to be complete push overs and/or total perverts. Anime is so saturated with these types of leads that it’s hard to see past the dullness, even for the better ones.

Kenji doesn’t fall into this category. He has confidence, is reliable, and he doesn’t let other characters dictate what he does or does not do; I say that knowing that he was heavily strong-armed into joining the Game Creation Club, but he did put up a commendable struggle. There’s more to him then just being the nice guy.

Kenji doesn’t get the romantic attention from all or even most the girls which is refreshing in its own right, but you can easily see where the girls that do develop feelings for him are coming from. Takao (voiced by Shizuka Ito) is the best example of this.

The president of the Real Game Creation Club, which is a different story all together but another highlight, her affection towards Kenji continues to grow throughout the show and for tangible reasons. Kenji has a strong sense of loyalty, but can see many sides to an issue. Even if forced into a situation, he takes it in stride and follows it to the end. He doesn’t rely on occasionally saying the right thing at the right time.

Kenji is also a perfect straight man for his group; nearly on par with the likes of Takatoshi from Seitokai Yakuindomo. However as character as great Takatoshi is, he wouldn’t work in a series like D-Frag.

Seitokai Yakuindomo uses a slower pace and fits well with Takatoshi’s drier delivery. D-Frag is much faster and it’s over the top nature is more situational based, rather than sexual. Therefore, you need a straight man that can be calm and dejected when need be, but also able to instantly match the energy level at any given moment; traits that Kenji has.

He is the perfect fit for this series.

The Game Creation Club

D-Frag is at its funniest when it is focusing solely on the actions of the Game Creation Club. Kenji, Roka, Chitose, and Sakura, as well as Takao are great together. I’m not adding Minami here because of her being an actual teacher she cannot participate in some of the more outlandish antics of the group without having to set in; a shame since she’s funny too.

This is another series that gets the group mentality down, but focuses it in a different direction. There is a strong sense of connection between them however their main goal is simply dicking around for the lack of anything better to do. It really seems like its just friend hanging out, but they will throw down when push comes to shove.

The last few episodes of this series illustrate this point the best and it’s not surprise that this is also the best part of the show.

Series Negatives

It got way better near the end, but in the beginning, and especially the first episodes, D-Frag­ would drag on. Where an episode should probably end, it keeps going. It comes off as if the show ran out of ideas and didn’t have enough material to meet the required time.

Also there are so many side characters that don’t do a damn thing. The show tries to turn this into a joke by constantly commenting on how these are minor characters with no purpose to the story. Instead of this being funny, it's a constant reminder that these characters have nothing to do with the story.

Before moving on, I said that most of the time D-Frag’s deviation from normality worked in its favor. When it doesn’t though, it’s rough. This series does go for unexpected, over the top, wild humor. Unfortunately, and even painfully sometimes, this shatters out of insanity into the-f@#$-are-you-doing territory.

Jumps the Shark

There's a point in the show where Kenji is challenged to a duel. This escalates and quickly involves the members of both the Game Creation Club and the Real Game Creation Club. As this was getting set up, I was getting into it because this seemed like it could lead to something pretty good; except it never came.

Instead it keep getting bigger and bigger, longer and longer, until eventually turning into a two episode waste of time. The show spends so much effort creating this elaborate scenario only to result in a damn boob joke causing Kenji getting knocked the f@#$ out. And since Kenji was the center of it all, we don’t get to see the events of the subsequent tournament.

D-Frag took a versatile concept and simply got greedy. What makes it more annoying, since the show wasted its time doing this and similar s@#$ like it, other aspects of the show get ignored; like some main characters for example. Sakura and Minami hardly get any screen, and these were characters D-Frag took quite a bit of effort, not to mention tons of in your face exposition, to introduce.  

This is why I said that D-Frag was at its best when it focused on the Game Creation Club because this is what the focus should have been. All this other bull crap is secondary and cannot work when there is basic build that has not been satisfied.

Final Thoughts

Despite a tendency to go overboard, D-Frag is still worth checking out.

It fits well within in its genre while also managing to separate itself in a positive light. It has a good main lead, a fantastic main group, and it’s also really funny when it hits home. Even when it’s not at its best, it’s still quite good. There are lots of good ideas left in series and a second season would be more than justified and welcomed.

D-Frag is not perfect but does a lot of things right that makes it an easy recommendation.

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A message from LofZOdyssey

Dear reader,

On February 21, 2015 I posted Seitokai Yakuindomo, my first anime review. One hundred reviews later, a year has now passed. I’m proud to say that I’ve managed to publish two reviews a week, every Monday and Friday, without fail and plan to keep doing so for as long as I possibly can; or until there’s nothing left to review, whichever comes first. However here at my one year anniversary, I must break this consistency to say something that is long overdue.

Thank you.

Weather you’ve been here since the beginning or if this is your first visit, I sincerely and whole heartedly thank you.

This blog has always been and will always be a hobby for me, yet for a while now LofZOdyssey has been becoming something a lot more.

I don’t delude myself. This is nowhere near a massive site and the likelihood that it ever will be is slim to none. Still I would be lying if I said I never imagine what it would be like if it were to get to that point, but that’s never been the drive. I simply like anime. I like watching it, I like talking about it, I like writing about it.

Are my views and opinions the unquestionable truths of the medium, I certainly hope not. I’ve never tried animation, hell I’m not even what you would call a competent artist. I have absolutely zero idea what it takes to make a series or what any of the intricate goings on behind the scenes truly are. All I have is what I think works, plus the occasionally ability to craft a decently written sentence; Christ I sometimes can’t even manage to do that.

There has never been a review I have published that has been free from grammatical or spelling errors. There have been many times where days and even weeks have gone by before I catch a glaring mistake. For that I apologize.

That being said, I am always double checking my posts and scrutinizing anything I publish. However I only fix the syntax, never the meaning. I stand by every word, every opinion, everything I have said. When something is wrong in a show, I make sure to highlight it. Alternatively, when something is well done I make it a point to praise it. Experiences has shown that a series’ negatives are more fun to write about, but a series’ positives should be the focus; especially for the good ones.

This then leads to the question, what makes a good anime?

Unfortunately, my answer to that question isn’t that concrete. Certain elements of certain shows I have slammed and fumed over, while in other shows with similar elements I have let slide or even praised. To me it always comes down to execution. How does one series use topics or ideas, which might be the same as other series, in its own way?

This is not an exact science, and there really isn’t much consistency. Then again, there can’t be. Some series are just going to do some things better. This is the main reason why I don’t use a numbered rating system. I cannot confidently justify how one show’s arbitrary number is greater, less, or equal to another show’s arbitrary number.

I have said this in several reviews, but it holds true. The only person who can tell you if an anime is good is you. I am nothing more than a guide with his own preferences that may or may not line up with yours. This is why I can only give recommendations based on a show’s merits as I see them and that’s what I plan to keep doing.

So then where do we go from here?

The main purpose of this blog will always be to showcase any and all kinds of anime; slice of life, action, romance, horror, you name. There’s not an anime I’m unwilling to watch. But’s that’s not all there is, is it?

I want to expand my scope. More top ten’s, anime movie reviews, and perhaps animated shows from countries other than Japan. I can’t promise that they’ll be here right away, but some are certainly in the works (July 2016). I have many things I want to do with this site and I hope you’ll enjoy them.

There’s a lot of work ahead of me and I cannot wait to get started, but this isn’t a journey I really want to do alone. If I can be a little pretentious for a moment, what is it that you, the reader, can do to make this site better? The answer is and will always be the same; you never have to do anything.

If all you do is come back every now and again to see what’s up, you’ve done more than enough. Still if you’re compelled to, follow this blog or any of my social medias (links can be found at the bottom), share a post with a friend, or leave a positive or negative comment. If you do even one these, you’ll have gone above and beyond anything I could ever ask for.

As for me, I’ll always be here trying to provide bigger and better content for you.

And that’s where I’ll leave it today. Once again, thank you for all your support over this past year and here’s to hopefully many more.

Sincerely,

LofZOdyssey

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Anime Hajime Review: Sailor Moon (Part 6 of 6)

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Sailor Moon. Reader discretion is advised.***

Sailor Moon

We have finally reached the end. After looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each of this series’ five seasons, it’s finally time to answer that all-important question:

What was it that made Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon?

This show, without question, has served as a major influence for the entire anime medium since its release back in 1992. This influence has not just been restricted to the magical girl genre. Action, romance, coming of age, you name it, and this series did it.

Twenty years later, the impact of Sailor Moon can still be felt.

I cannot deny what this series has accomplished, or what it’s managed to become. However, I must ask:

Has this legacy been warranted?

Anime Hajime Review: Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (Part 5 of 6)

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Sailor Moon Sailor Stars. Reader discretion is advised.***

Season Synopsis – Sailor Moon Sailor Stars

With the battle against Queen Nehellenia and the Dead Moon Circus now over, Sailor Moon and the rest of the Sailor Scouts take a well-deserved rest.

During hard-earned peace, ar new boy idol group, Three Lights, has been taking Tokyo by storm. To add to the excitement, the group’s three members, Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten Kou (voiced by Shiho Niiyama, Narumi Tsunoda, and Chika Sakamoto), enroll at Usagi’s school. Almost instantly, the leader of the trio, Seiya, takes a liking to Usagi.

With spirits high, it is merely the calm before the storm.

The Earth is invaded by Sailor Scouts from outside the Solar System, and they are searching for objects known as Star Seeds. At the same time, Usagi and her friends run into the mysterious Sailor Starlights -- Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Maker, and Sailor Star Healer. For Sailor Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, it is unclear if these new warriors are friends or foes.

Anime Hajime Review: Sailor Moon SuperS (Part 4 of 6)

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Sailor Moon SuperS. Reader discretion is advised.***

Season Synopsis – Sailor Moon SuperS

A buzz permeates throughout Tokyo with the arrival of a rare solar eclipse. Usagi and her friends, Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako, are joined by Mamoru and Chibiusa to witness this once in a lifetime event. Unfortunately, as the Earth is cast into momentary darkness, an enemy makes its move.

A large and ominous circus tent appears in the middle of the city. Coinciding with this arrival, Chibiusa has an odd dream.

Inside a mysterious forest, a voice calls out to the young princess. Chibiusa comes across a beautiful white horse with a pair of wings. The creature introduces itself as Pegasus (voiced by Taiki Matsuno) and warns of a coming danger – the Dead Moon Circus.

With the arrival of this new foe, Usagi and the other Sailor Scouts, including Chibiusa, stand ready to fight once again. However, there is little they can do against this enemy. That is until Pegasus arrives and provides the Sailor Scouts with his power.

Anime Hajime Review: Sailor Moon S (Part 3 of 6)

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Sailor Moon S. Reader discretion is advised.***

Season Synopsis – Sailor Moon S

After saving the future from the Black Moon Clan, life has begun to settle down for the Sailor Scouts. However, Rei Hino, Sailor Mars, keeps having a recurring nightmare of a pending cataclysm.

The Sailor Scouts soon encounter the creatures known as Daimons. Although they fight their hardest, the Scouts are unable to stand against this new enemy. Before they are defeated, the Scouts are rescued by two mysterious warriors.

The unknown pair makes short work on the Daimon, and they reveal themselves to be the reawakened Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune (voiced by Megumi Ogata and Masako Katsuki). The five original Scouts are overjoyed at the prospects of two new allies, but Uranus and Neptune have no intention of cooperating.

The duo says they are searching for three mystic talismans that make up a powerful relic known as the Holy Grail. They must complete their mission before the vile group known as the Death Busters use the Grail to awaken the Messiah of Silence, a being that will cover the Earth in eternal darkness. To Uranus and Neptune, their purpose is of the utmost importance, so much so, they are willing to let innocent lives die to prevent the Grail from falling into the wrong hands.

Anime Hajime Review: Sailor Moon R (Part 2 of 6)

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Sailor Moon R. Read discretion is advised.***

Season Synopsis - Sailor Moon R

With the Dark Kingdom defeated, Usagi and the Sailor Scouts no longer have any memory of who they are; allowing them to live normal lives once again. Sadly, these new peaceful days do not last.

From the deep reaches of space, lovers Ail (voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa) and An (voiced by Yumi Touma) have come to Earth in search of energy. Not for themselves, but for the ancient Hell Tree. The pair begins to wreak havoc, thus forcing the Sailor Scouts to return to battle.

Unfortunately, Ail and An are only the tip of the iceberg, for an even greater threat looms on the horizon.

One day, Usagi meets a child also named Chibiusa (voiced by Kae Araki). Chibiusa says she is searching for the Silver Crystal to save her mother. However, it appears she is not the only one searching.

The Black Moon Clan have come in pursuit of the person they call have dubbed the Rabbit. Their goal is not only to capture their target, but also destroy the Silver Crystal as well as the mysterious city known as Crystal Tokyo.