The Best Version of Each Attack

[saintfighteraqua]

I thought it would be fun to discuss our favorite versions of each attack used in each version of the franchise.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, see your comparisons and anything else regarding it whether screenshots or clips.
For me personally, I won't be using the versions used in the video games (at least not for now) but feel free to use whatever you like to show off your favorites (or your least favorites, I don't care.)
I think some are pretty objectively better than others, but I know each person has their own opinions.

Attacks discussed so far:

Rolling Heart Vibration
Sabao Spray
Sparkling Wide Pressure
World Shaking

 

[saintfighteraqua]

It isn't one of my favorites, but I wanted to start off with
"ROLLING HEART VIBRATION"

In the manga it's pretty much what you'd imagine:

It's honestly not that memorable, but it's very Venus. I do like how it looks, it's just bland.
The attack is useless (and like most manga attacks, we never see it again) .
This was her true power-up attack during the Black Moon Arc, since she already had Love Me Chain in the manga before reaching "Star Power."
I'm almost certain that Love & Beauty Shock was adapted from this.
There's not much else to say about it, here.

Appearance: 5/10
Effectiveness: 1.5/10
Manga Rating: 3.25/10



In PGSM, it looks pretty good and almost like it's useful.

That Yoma looked like it almost got obliterated and had to power itself up. I love the way it looks in PGSM, and sadly we never see it again.
I love the movements here, simple and effective.

Appearance:7
Effectiveness: 7.5
PGSM RATING: 7.25/10



Then we have Crystal:

Eh, it's pretty, I guess. But why is it so small? And it does nothing. Like, what was it even supposed to do? It reminds me how in Stars, Venus couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with Love & Beauty Shock.
I don't hate it, but what a lot of build up for NOTHING. This was a scene that could have used some added time, have her turn it back and at least strike Berthier...it would have also been nice if it had at least helped or gotten used again.
I do like that it has a metal look, but something about it feels like...hmmm, I don't know how to say it.
I am not a fan that it starts out small, makes it almost appear to grow then when it flies through the sisters' ghosts it's so tiny. I can't imagine it having hurt them even if they were struck.

Appearance: 5
Effectiveness: 1.5
Crystal Rating: 3.25/10

The clear winner for me is PGSM with a score of 7.5.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

In PGSM, it looks pretty good and almost like it's useful.

That Yoma looked like it almost got obliterated and had to power itself up. I love the way it looks in PGSM, and sadly we never see it again.
I love the movements here, simple and effective.

Appearance:7
Effectiveness: 7.5
PGSM RATING: 7.25/10

It's also part of the choreography for this Minako song:

^ "Baby, baby..."

 

[tux67]

Definitely PGSM for Rolling Heart Vibration. It's literally useless in the manga and Crystal.

 

[YuYu Yuichiro]

It isn't one of my favorites, but I wanted to start off with
"ROLLING HEART VIBRATION"

In the manga it's pretty much what you'd imagine:

It's honestly not that memorable, but it's very Venus. I do like how it looks, it's just bland.
The attack is useless (and like most manga attacks, we never see it again) .
This was her true power-up attack during the Black Moon Arc, since she already had Love Me Chain in the manga before reaching "Star Power."
I'm almost certain that Love & Beauty Shock was adapted from this.
There's not much else to say about it, here.

Appearance: 5/10
Effectiveness: 1.5/10
Manga Rating: 3.25/10



In PGSM, it looks pretty good and almost like it's useful.

That Yoma looked like it almost got obliterated and had to power itself up. I love the way it looks in PGSM, and sadly we never see it again.
I love the movements here, simple and effective.

Appearance:7
Effectiveness: 7.5
PGSM RATING: 7.25/10



Then we have Crystal:

Eh, it's pretty, I guess. But why is it so small? And it does nothing. Like, what was it even supposed to do? It reminds me how in Stars, Venus couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with Love & Beauty Shock.
I don't hate it, but what a lot of build up for NOTHING. This was a scene that could have used some added time, have her turn it back and at least strike Berthier...it would have also been nice if it had at least helped or gotten used again.
I do like that it has a metal look, but something about it feels like...hmmm, I don't know how to say it.
I am not a fan that it starts out small, makes it almost appear to grow then when it flies through the sisters' ghosts it's so tiny. I can't imagine it having hurt them even if they were struck.

Appearance: 5
Effectiveness: 1.5
Crystal Rating: 3.25/10

The clear winner for me is PGSM with a score of 7.5.

There's also this one form the arcade game

 

[Lady Pen]

Live Action one is the best version of this attack.

 

[saintfighteraqua]

Next up is:
"SABAO(SHABON) SPRAY / MERCURY AQUA MIST"
I'm a little torn on whether to lump this one together with "MERCURY AQUA MIST" because while they are analogous, they're also quite a bit different and I'm kind of heavily biased towards Sabão Spray because it is just iconic.
However, there are just not enough variations to compare otherwise.


Manga: Mercury Aqua Mist
First, in the manga, Mercury originally didn't call this anything, it just happened when she transformed. Then when she used it as an attack, she didn't call it anything. I know this was probably before Naoko had decided to name the attacks, but it was underwhelming.
I don't blame her for going back and naming the attack in the updated manga, I just wish she'd have chosen something different. She did this to align it with the live action, but it still feels underwhelming. I think the attack name is good, but when lumped with all of the other "Mercury Aqua" attack names we got, it makes Ami's attacks kind of plain in comparison to the variety the other girls have.

Either way, while I guess this image is serviceable, it doesn't impress me much. It does do what it advertises.


Appearance: 3/10
Effectiveness: 5/10
Manga Rating: 4/10

First anime: Sabao Spray
I'm not going to include the slightly superior version from the S film, since I think the version from the anime series has the better effect.
I'm also not distinguishing it from Sabao Spray Freezing or other variants that used the same animation.
The version used in the arcade game is the same animation.

I love this one, it's iconic, and I think one that even most casual fans remember.
It's versatile and effective as a strategic attack. So many people like to hate on it or pretend its useless when it was absolutely vital early on in the series and even got pulled out a few times later because it remained useful.


Appearance: 8/10
Effectiveness: 8/10 (It does what it does)
Anime Rating: 8/10

PGSM: Mercury Aqua Mist
In the live action, it's an offensive move. I'm by no means against Mercury having offense, but imo, I don't care for this being offensive...much less a finishing move!

I don't think this one has aged well. While it's clear they were going for their own version of Sabao Spray, it ends up being a generic attack with a water effect. However, I do find it charming and the actress makes it work, somehow. What does save it is the finishing animation when the monster burst apart. I think that was done well.


Appearance: 5/10
Effectiveness: 8/10 (maybe too effective, lol)
PGSM Rating: 6.5/10

Crystal Season 1: Mercury Aqua Mist
There were a few variants of what I assume to be this attack during season 1. But it's hard to say if what she was using to battle Zoisite counts or if that was just a generic water attack. The same can be said with the opening sequence version, which I'm also not counting.

While I can appreciate that this version was one of the real time attacks, I hate the design. Why does it look like she's holding blue flames? The pulsing/swirling fan like effect that spreads the fog is nice. But overall, the fireballs nearly ruins this for me. I've tried to justify it as being moisture and not water orbs, but still, that's just flame shaped.


Appearance: 4/10
Effectiveness: 8/10
Crystal Rating: 6/10

Crystal Season 3: Mercury Aqua Mist
This one is an improvement visually while retaining the same concept, but it also keeps those stupid flame shapes. It just makes me think of will o' the wisps or ghost fire. I just don't understand the reasoning. It doesn't look like she's drawing moisture in.

However, I think this is one of the better looking attacks from the new series, probably because it's so quick. But the model looks good and the effects are nice if kind of generic modern anime stuff.
I was just happy they gave the girls a bit of variety this season and actually remembered they had other attacks, which season 2 had no time to do and the films completely dropped.


Appearance: 6/10
Effectiveness: 7/10
Crystal Rating: 6.5/10

Are there any versions I left out?
At any rate, I believe the original 90s anime wins this one hands down for being versatile, effective and iconic.
With a score of 8

 

[Starlight]

There's also this one form the arcade game

This one's the best, hands down.

 

[saintfighteraqua]

There's also this one form the arcade game

I wish we'd seen this in the anime with the backgrounds and all. I was aware of it, but I chose not to include the game attacks since that would take some digging and there are so many.
However, in my opinion, this one is the best animated.

 

[foenyanko]

I think I like Crystal S3's Mercury Aqua Mist the most.

PGSM's version (aside from the silly spinning) isn't half-bad, but there's a disconnect between how gentle it seems when she starts the attack and what it can end up doing to the baddy.

Shabon Spray was always one of the most boring attacks in the original anime to me. It's weak, yes, but it's also that the animation just... holds in places. The forming of the orb, then making the orb bigger... I like what they were trying for with her indicating pressure/stress as she tries to make the ball bigger, but it was handled a lot better with the other girls, like Mars' Fire Soul or even the part of Supreme Thunder where Jupiter crunches her body into a reverse semi-fetal position.

Crystal S1's is a mess. Not that interesting visually, and the fog has already clearly finished forming despite her having barely completed the attack - but the animation as a whole was terrible at that point so IDK.

As for the "blue flames" of Crystal's take on Shabon Spray/Aqua Mist... I can understand why that's off-putting, but the way I look at it is that she's the senshi of ice/cold water. If you think of those blue puffs as being like the blisteringly-cold fog that comes off of dry ice, it doesn't look as awkward and flame-like.

 

[saintfighteraqua]

I think I like Crystal S3's Mercury Aqua Mist the most.

PGSM's version (aside from the silly spinning) isn't half-bad, but there's a disconnect between how gentle it seems when she starts the attack and what it can end up doing to the baddy.

Shabon Spray was always one of the most boring attacks in the original anime to me. It's weak, yes, but it's also that the animation just... holds in places. The forming of the orb, then making the orb bigger... I like what they were trying for with her indicating pressure/stress as she tries to make the ball bigger, but it was handled a lot better with the other girls, like Mars' Fire Soul or even the part of Supreme Thunder where Jupiter crunches her body into a reverse semi-fetal position.

Crystal S1's is a mess. Not that interesting visually, and the fog has already clearly finished forming despite her having barely completed the attack - but the animation as a whole was terrible at that point so IDK.

As for the "blue flames" of Crystal's take on Shabon Spray/Aqua Mist... I can understand why that's off-putting, but the way I look at it is that she's the senshi of ice/cold water. If you think of those blue puffs as being like the blisteringly-cold fog that comes off of dry ice, it doesn't look as awkward and flame-like.

I agree with most of that.

I also used to think Shabon Spray was bad (the missing glove threw me off once I saw it), but over the years I've come to appreciate its simplicity. Mercury used to bug me for several reasons, the shorter henshin, the weaker attacks...but I made my peace with it, I still love her.

I didn't think of the PGSM version that way, but you're right...she's like: "Here's a gentle rain" and then "BOOM!!" they explode in a blast of water.

Yeah, I kind of get what they're going for with the "flames", I just think they animated it wrong. They had a concept but then didn't really portray it well. I do like the idea of her sucking the heat out of the air and releasing it as cold.

 

[foenyanko]

I agree with most of that.

I also used to think Shabon Spray was bad (the missing glove threw me off once I saw it), but over the years I've come to appreciate its simplicity. Mercury used to bug me for several reasons, the shorter henshin, the weaker attacks...but I made my peace with it, I still love her.

I get that. She's not my favorite character, but as a senshi I learned to appreciate her. I criticized her transformation once as a kid and someone pointed out to me that even though it's quite short, she does that elegant upper-body flip halfway through while everyone else primarily just turns in a circle.

Not to mention... OG Mercury's Shine Aqua Illusion is perfection.

I didn't think of the PGSM version that way, but you're right...she's like: "Here's a gentle rain" and then "BOOM!!" they explode in a blast of water.

Maybe she floods their body with so much water their cells burst apart.

Yeah, I kind of get what they're going for with the "flames", I just think they animated it wrong. They had a concept but then didn't really portray it well. I do like the idea of her sucking the heat out of the air and releasing it as cold.

She's the most eco-friendly air conditioner in the world! (You're right, though. They could have done a better job with it.)

 

[Memelord_Yoshi]

I like it as a defense spell. Not the best but it's definitely better than Silent Wall.

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

I didn't think of the PGSM version that way, but you're right...she's like: "Here's a gentle rain" and then "BOOM!!" they explode in a blast of water.

It's her ploy to trick her enemies & make them lower their guards.

 

[saintfighteraqua]

I like it as a defense spell. Not the best but it's definitely better than Silent Wall.

I feel like this was the anime's answer to Hyperspatial Sphere Generate

 

[Memelord_Yoshi]

^ Too bad Naoko forgot it exists. It's perfect for saving lives with a nuclear bomb by moving it to another dimension. Girls are Justice League material. DCAU Star Girl would be so salty being next to the senshi.

It's a very powerful spell. Like a 10th level D&D spell Mystra would approve.

 

[foenyanko]

What's next?

 

[saintfighteraqua]

Next up is
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE"
or as the Dic dub called it, "Jupiter Thunder Clap" which was honestly clever enough, I guess. CWI went back to the original name and then some random others.
Again, I won't be using the game footage here, but I encourage others to do so if they wish, because I love seeing it and it's nice to compare it!


Manga:
In the manga, I believe she only performs this once (that's standard for the manga.)
I like the name. Even if it's nonsense, it sounds awesome and is fun to say and even more fun to hear Miss Emi Shinohara shout.

It's not that it's a particularly bad pose, it's just hard to tell what she's doing. Is she calling down lightning or getting ready to throw it like she does in the anime? The art here is not good, though. It's super sketchy to be a major attack scene and is wonky. Look at that skirt. What is going on? And the shin and boot? EW. Maybe Naoko was at a low point?
I wouldn't care if this was a multi-use attack, but what an afterthought it appears here. One of the worst drawn that I can remember in the manga.
The more I look at it the worse it gets. I'm honestly mad now.
I have to remember it's just a panel in a 90s manga. *breath, SFA, breathe.*


Appearance: 1/10
Effectiveness: 1.5/10 It seems to do zilch to the opponent, but that's Black Moon Arc, for ya.
Manga Rating: 1.25/10

90s Anime version 1
I won't be doing each version of this variant from the 90s, since it was reworked just slightly, I believe, on a few occasions. However, it does have multiple variations that have totally different animation so those will be below. If I miss one, please let me know and post it!

I don't believe TalentlessFool has broken this one down yet, correct me if I'm wrong. But if they have or when they do, check out the beauty of this move's opening and the simple but effective movements Jupiter makes afterwards. It's just perfect. The earring closeup, the expression, the power.

Absolute cinema, as today's kids would say. Not that they know what that is, the poor things.


Appearance: 8/10
Effectiveness: 8.5/10 (One of the few attacks from a non-moon senshi that KILLS
Anime Rating: 8.25/10

90s Anime version 2
This one is fast and a real time attack without a command. It was always fun when the girls would show off how they could just hurl elements on the fly. Both animes needed more of that.

Nothing to hate here as far as I'm concerned. But nothing truly outstanding.

Appearance: 7/10
Effectiveness: 7/10 (It misses, but we see later how it actually does damage these monsters when she gets a hit in.)
Anime Rating: 7/10

90s anime version 3:
One of the most awesome moments in S, in my opinion. I wish we'd gotten more of this kind of thing. The delay in the command is also a nice touch. I'm pretty sure this fight inspired the Iron Mouse sequence in Cosmos.

Appearance: 8/10
Effectiveness: 7/10
Anime Rating: 7.5/10

90s anime version 4...(and 5?)
This is the worst of the 90s versions, by far. Probably the worst overall, in animation form. But it did what it was supposed to. A lot of these last gen attacks were animated poorly in SuperS. Had to save that budget for the gorgeous new ones.

I'm not a fan, but since it was just a goofy moment, I don't really mind.
If it hadn't been for the longer ribbons and new brooch, we probably would have never seen it, at all.
That final scene as they dodge it is beautifully done, though.


Appearance: 5/10
Effectiveness: 2/10
Anime Rating: 3.5/10

 

[saintfighteraqua]

Then, in the reboot we have two versions (that I remember.)

Crystal season2:

It definitely looks powerful, and maybe it would have worked if she wasn't sick. But it's just so generic since she already has "Thunderbolt" & "Supreme Thunder", both which are similar...but this one is green. The animator tried to make sense of Jupiter's manga pose, so kudos to them.
It's still underwhelming when compared to the 90s version.
There are things I like, Jupiter flying as she performs it, the fact it is putting out a barrier or field of electricity. It's not bad it just doesn't impress. I will give them more credit for not copy pasting the 90s here and treating it as something different.


Appearance: 6/10
Effectiveness: 6/10
Anime Rating: 6/10

Crystal season 3:

Was fun to see it in the new style, was powerful looking...but was a shadow of the version it copied. It's also interesting that they kept the pose from season 3, you can see it in the thumbnails, even though it's obviously a different attack now.
I still like it as a quick anime attack, but I'd rather this was a real time attack since we never see it again.
As it is, it's just nostalgia bait.


Appearance: 5/10
Effectiveness: 6/10
Anime Rating: 5.5/10

I think the winner is the original 90s anime's first version, I give it an 8.25 out of 10.
What about you?

 

[Talentless Fool]

Woah! Woah! WOAH!
I thought I was the one who was supposed to be hard on Naoko!

It's not that it's a particularly bad pose, it's just hard to tell what she's doing.
One of the worst drawn that I can remember in the manga.
I have to remember it's just a panel in a 90s manga.

And another example of how Takeuchi fails as a mangaka and Osabu as an editor.

Yes, we have no idea what she is doing and I don't doubt Takeuchi neither did.
Speaking in anatomical proportions, I wouldn't say it's too bad however we can see here that Takeuchi never bothered to train her eye nor developped her drawing skills.

Drawing over and over faces and characters standing is super easy but when it comes to drawing original poses out of imagination? - She can't.

Just what is she doing?
Is she jumping? Is she bending down? Is she in the air? What are her hands even doing?
Again, I have no idea how Osabu allowed such a nonsense panel during the storyboard reviewing stage.
I have the feeling that if I go a read the manga, I would be saying that at each page!
0/10.

90s Anime version 1
I don't believe TalentlessFool has broken this one down yet, correct me if I'm wrong. But if they have or when they do, check out the beauty of this move's opening and the simple but effective movements Jupiter makes afterwards. It's just perfect. The earring closeup, the expression, the power.

Absolute cinema, as today's kids would say. Not that they know what that is, the poor things.

Already did
Sailor Moon Art Director motifs

90s Anime version 2
This one is fast and a real time attack without a command. It was always fun when the girls would show off how they could just hurl elements on the fly. Both animes needed more of that.

Nothing to hate here as far as I'm concerned. But nothing truly outstanding.

Notice that without preparation and concentration, the attack seems to gain in speed but loses in power (the orb is much smaller).
It's something that the movies imply that the choreography of the attacks is an important step to have a 'complete' attack.
Similarly, during the S movie, Michiru and Rei start to perform their attacks in real-time and undergo the steps shown in the stocks.

90s anime version 3:
One of the most awesome moments in S, in my opinion. I wish we'd gotten more of this kind of thing. The delay in the command is also a nice touch. I'm pretty sure this fight inspired the Iron Mouse sequence in Cosmos.

One of my favorite Sailor Moon moments!

That attack should have at least severely damaged the Daimon!
Also, it's a look into what Sailor Moon could have been if it had been a more 'Shounen'-like approach in the fights.

There's also another real-time SWP she uses during the assault at Mugen Academy.

Crystal season2:

Just what's the difference between this and the Jupiter Thunderbolt? She does literally the same thing... yawn.