Was the Sailor Moon manga popular/influential enough to warrant Crystal?

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Was the manga popular enough to warrant Crystal’s existence?

  • Yes

    Votes: 31 77.5%
  • No

    Votes: 9 22.5%

  • Total voters
    40

NJ_

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Oct 31, 2009
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Clow

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No, animation isn't complained about. It's the storyline and pacing. Plenty of people say it's boring and so sweet it's giving them cavities. :lol:
I agree.

My educated guess is that they didn’t have a fully developed story to tell when the first episodes aired. They probably wanted to promote the new manga, sell merch & celebrate the anniversary.

The Clear Card anime doesn’t feel like CCS until episode 20 and then it ends on episode 22… and the first season ends on a cliffhanger!
:twisted:


Episode 22 was the best episode I watched and the only episode that I recommend because it felt like a genuine CCS episode.

Thankfully, the story of the manga got better and better and my assumption is that they will animate the best chapters of the manga.

Bring the ghost of Sakura’s mother, tell us who & what Momo is, unveil all the mysteries.

I don’t think Cardcaptor Sakura fans should feel angry because they have a manga and a new original story that is actually good. It starts slow, yes, but I genuinely love the new chapters I have read, to date. I beg people to give the Clear Card arc a chance.
 

saintfighteraqua

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City of the Four Kings, Isle of Avalon
Yes, it's ugly and boring that's why fans are going gaga over the latest spin-off - Rerise of Poseidon that adopts Kurumada's retro style or neither it's like Next Dimension helmed by Kurumada in full color is one of Akita Shoten's best sellers at 40k each volume during it's first week sales so much that other mangakas started to complain that he was given the honor to do a full color publication and has since then been in full color once it tankobon form.

But sure it's on the same level as Sailor Moon in Japan.

And if Sailor Moon never breaks the Top 100 again then what's the use of those endless re-editions - it's simple, a desperate attempt to keep the Sailor Moon manga relevant since Takeuchi doesn't want to write or allow spin-offs.

How are they going to be able to announce on Twitter - 'A new Sailor Moon manga is soon going to be out! Please look forward to it!!!' Simple - new edition.
Sincerely, how many members of this forum have ALL of the editions complete collection?
Never said it was on the same level. Just said it was ugly and boring (most of the time). I'm also still a fan of it. I'm pretty sure if we can hate on Sailor Moon on a Sailor Moon fan site, we can also critique Saint Seiya.
 

kasumigenx

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Kinda explains why Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card is apparently getting a second season due to the 25th anniversary to the OG anime... 5 years after the first season.
It's probably an out of contract obligation. I happen to know a lot of fans of CCS, but not a single one that actually liked Clear Card in animation. It's a situation apparently worse than Crystal within the SM fanbase.
If you don't like TRC, you won't like Clear Card either...
 

kasumigenx

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Bandai seems biased in favor of CLAMP, they gave them the best Studios that animate their work until Beetrain ruined Tsubasa, compare that to Takeuchi who they seem to have treated lowly and her other work like Cherry project never even got animated, heck, TOEI, and Bandai even treated Arina Tanemura better than Takeuchi.
 

Clow

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Bandai seems biased in favor of CLAMP, they gave them the best Studios that animate their work until Beetrain ruined Tsubasa, compare that to Takeuchi who they seem to have treated lowly and her other work like Cherry project never even got animated, heck, TOEI, and Bandai even treated Arina Tanemura better than Takeuchi.
I wonder why CLAMP trusted Beetrain.

Not that I don’t like the anime that Beetrain delivered (personally, I do), but the OVAs were infinitely better.

Also, if Nanase Ohkawa was responsible for the screenplay, as she usually is, why would the studio clash with her? She obviously knows what she is doing.
 

kasumigenx

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I never saw any “Magic Knight Rayearth” merchandise produced by Bandai? Back in the day, MKR merch had the SEGA logo. :orly:
Sega and Bandai produced MKR merchandise and sponsored the MKR anime, however, Bandai remained to produce CLAMP merchandise and Bandai helps to produce the majority of CLAMP's animes, the Blueray of the MKR anime was even distributed by Bandai Visual and the Clamp Campus Detectives was also sponsored by Bandai, so I think CLAMP is a Bandai darling in the 90s.

Bandai made sure that the anime adaptation of Angelic Layer would fit the mold of a Sailor Moon/Super Doll Rika competitor, Angelic Layer was basically a work of CLAMP that is a reaction to Sailor Moon, the anime staff particularly chose the guy who resembles Mamoru to be Misaki's partner instead.

I wonder why CLAMP trusted Beetrain.

Not that I don’t like the anime that Beetrain delivered (personally, I do), but the OVAs were infinitely better.

Also, if Nanase Ohkawa was responsible for the screenplay, as she usually is, why would the studio clash with her? She obviously knows what she is doing.
Bee Train was famous in their Yuri and other mature anime, the issues in Tsubasa were not their doing but NHK's issues.
 
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Talentless Fool

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So I was listening to Moon Revenge and considering it's basically the girls sympathizing with Fiore and singing a love song about Fiore's unrequited love towards Mamoru, I guess that didn't help Takeuchi in feeling any less that the movie was 'tarnishing' her vision of her work...
 
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Isn't Sailor Moon a collaborative project? I thought Toei owned the copyright to the series. To be fair, Toei can create their own stories about Sailor Moon since they had to do something similar when the manga was being produced but I believe someone said Naoko brought rights or something or whatever so they probably can't do much now with the anime, so who knows.

I don't think they care though really. Pretty Cure has pretty much taken over that spot (at least in Japan). I just read they are releasing Adult Manga of Pretty Cure for the girls who are grown up now (adult as in more mature perspective..nothing violent or sexual) to celebrate the 20th anniversary or whatever. It will be covering different seasons of course. It will focus more on the particular Cure's goals, dreams, emotions, and what not from a mature perspective.

Honestly, I forgot Pretty Cure is old as hell too...it's been going on for eons....

Aside from that....I just have one question for Naoko. :creeper:


What does she think about Pretty Cure? Does she have a favorite season or a favorite Cure. I have been waiting for her to be in a rare interview and someone ask, "Do you watch Pretty Cure? What do you think about it? Do you have a favorite season? Do any remind you of Sailor Moon?" :pokeball:
 
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Nadia

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Given that I haven't even bothered with Crystal since Season 3 ended (I don't have Netflix and I refuse to sail the high seas), I probably shouldn't vote, but, no, I don't think based on the popularity of the manga, it deserved an adaptation. The old anime has always been what people think of when they see the words "Sailor Moon."

That said, the manga did deserve a proper adaptation since the 90's anime, as much as I like it, was far too loose of an adaptation to look at as anything but its own thing. From an artistic standpoint, Crystal was necessary because the manga that spawned the anime deserved to have its story told.
 
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@Tsundereshipper
So I was listening to Moon Revenge and considering it's basically the girls sympathizing with Fiore and singing a love song about Fiore's unrequited love towards Mamoru, I guess that didn't help Takeuchi in feeling any less that the movie was 'tarnishing' her vision of her work...
I’m wondering if she would have this same energy of distaste if it were a female character in unrequited love with Mamoru… Probably not considering she made her own Beryl and Setsuna in love with Endymion.
 
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Isn't Sailor Moon a collaborative project? I thought Toei owned the copyright to the series. To be fair, Toei can create their own stories about Sailor Moon since they had to do something similar when the manga was being produced but I believe someone said Naoko brought rights or something or whatever so they probably can't do much now with the anime, so who knows.

I don't think they care though really. Pretty Cure has pretty much taken over that spot (at least in Japan). I just read they are releasing Adult Manga of Pretty Cure for the girls who are grown up now (adult as in more mature perspective..nothing violent or sexual) to celebrate the 20th anniversary or whatever. It will be covering different seasons of course. It will focus more on the particular Cure's goals, dreams, emotions, and what not from a mature perspective.

Honestly, I forgot Pretty Cure is old as hell too...it's been going on for eons....

Aside from that....I just have one question for Naoko. :creeper:


What does she think about Pretty Cure? Does she have a favorite season or a favorite Cure. I have been waiting for her to be in a rare interview and someone ask, "Do you watch Pretty Cure? What do you think about it? Do you have a favorite season? Do any remind you of Sailor Moon?" :pokeball:
My understanding is they wanted to adapt one Naoko stories.I think it was Sailor V.Toei wanted a group of girls.So Naoko then made sailor moon .She created the characters and plotline.Also according tuxedo Kevin in a interview.That Osa P did asked the staff to not go too farhead from the manga.
 
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Talentless Fool

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I’m wondering if she would have this same energy of distaste if it were a female character in unrequited love with Mamoru… Probably not considering she made her own Beryl and Setsuna in love with Endymion.
I have no idea why she would even complain about anything in the movie considering it has a much more mature, compassionate and bleak yet truthful message of love (in this case lonesome love that keeps eating someone on the inside till it destroys them) than anything edgy she has written.

I especially like the girls' solo parts in Moon Revenge each describing Fiore's pain and struggle - Moon Revenge is truly one of the lyrical masterpieces of the franchise.
The fact the later on she gave a love song towards Usagi for Haruka via Inital U as well as Michiru's song focuses on her duty as a soldier and protecting Usagi rather than a personal love song unlike her previous 2 character songs are further jabs (from my perspective) towards the anime characterization (or perhaps in her mind even character assassination considering her comments on HaruMichi), especially when we consider even back in the 90s HaruMichi was super popular.
So why instead of honoring the love people had towards HaruMichi, she purposefully goes and writes conflicting songs for these characters?
(You're not gonna tell me now that because she isn't a lyricist, she didn't know what she was writing about...)

I don't know if the rumours that Ogata not liking the lyrics and hence didn't sing it were true - still, I'm more inclined to believe that rather than scheduling conflicts considering today seiyuus have several roles, do character songs, attend events, have weekly radio shows, do drama cds etc all at the same time. Moreover Ogata went on and did 2 companion pieces - Kaze ni Naru & Shiokaze ni Nosete to Michiru's Ai Dake ga Dekiru Koto & Unmei wa Ustukushiku and even did a cover duet of Moon Revenge with Katsuki Masako.
Ogata clearly has a lot of love for Haruka and HaruMichi and I doubt she wouldn't have tried to do her last character song even with scheduling conflicts.
 

kasumigenx

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I have no idea why she would even complain about anything in the movie considering it has a much more mature, compassionate and bleak yet truthful message of love (in this case lonesome love that keeps eating someone on the inside till it destroys them) than anything edgy she has written.

I especially like the girls' solo parts in Moon Revenge each describing Fiore's pain and struggle - Moon Revenge is truly one of the lyrical masterpieces of the franchise.
The fact the later on she gave a love song towards Usagi for Haruka via Inital U as well as Michiru's song focuses on her duty as a soldier and protecting Usagi rather than a personal love song unlike her previous 2 character songs are further jabs (from my perspective) towards the anime characterization (or perhaps in her mind even character assassination considering her comments on HaruMichi), especially when we consider even back in the 90s HaruMichi was super popular.
So why instead of honoring the love people had towards HaruMichi, she purposefully goes and writes conflicting songs for these characters?
(You're not gonna tell me now that because she isn't a lyricist, she didn't know what she was writing about...)

I don't know if the rumours that Ogata not liking the lyrics and hence didn't sing it were true - still, I'm more inclined to believe that rather than scheduling conflicts considering today seiyuus have several roles, do character songs, attend events, have weekly radio shows, do drama cds etc all at the same time. Moreover Ogata went on and did 2 companion pieces - Kaze ni Naru & Shiokaze ni Nosete to Michiru's Ai Dake ga Dekiru Koto & Unmei wa Ustukushiku and even did a cover duet of Moon Revenge with Katsuki Masako.
Ogata clearly has a lot of love for Haruka and HaruMichi and I doubt she wouldn't have tried to do her last character song even with scheduling conflicts.
Which means that Harumichi is a temporary pairing for Takeuchi initially and making Harumichi permanent is Ikuhara's idea, so Harumichi being permanent in the manga and anime is thanks to Ikuhara.

Takeuchi wants Haruka as a part of Usagi's harem.

I think this might mean that Seiya and Galaxia are attempts of Takeuchi to write Haruka again.
 
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Talentless Fool

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Which means that Harumichi is a temporary pairing for Takeuchi initially and making Harumichi permanent is Ikuhara's idea, so Harumichi being permanent in the manga and anime is thanks to Ikuhara.

Takeuchi wants Haruka as a part of Usagi's harem.

I think this might mean that Seiya and Galaxia are attempts of Takeuchi to write Haruka again.
I remember really long ago, there were rumors that Haruka was originally planned to be male and not a Senshi but a Tuxedo Kamen-like character and her first scene of her donning a mask and cape are remnants of that aborted idea.

Michiru, in Infinity atleast, is simply a polar opposite to Rei -
Both have divination powers,
Rei manipulates fire while Michiru manipulates water,
Rei is Japanese culturally coded while Michiru is more European culturally coded,
Rei is the definition of Asian beauty - long silky thin hair while Michiru represents European mature beauty - her mid-length wavy hair with her forehead exposed giving an air of maturity.
Apart from the opening scene of Haruka hugging Michiru from behind, there isn't allusions that they are a couple in Infinity and can be yet another yuri fanservice.

It's possible that Haruka was meant to have a unrequited love for Usagi and Michiru was just her 'companion' of sorts.
It's also highly possible that both Michiru and Haruka were envisioned to die by the end of Infinity - Takeuchi wanted to kill off the remaining Inners in DK, Pluto (who wasn't considered a main character in the 90s anime by R) was likewise given the greenlight to be killed off after having an unrequited love for Endymion, it's not far-fetched that Haruka - when conceived - was planned to have a similar fate but the popularity of HaruMichi disabled Takeuchi from killing them off and making the Usagi X Haruka storyline impossible.
In the manga, up until Dream Haruka is in love with Usagi - all of her actions point to that.

The lyrics of Initial U are explicit -
I threw the white petals (Usagi) into the sea (Michiru)
Aiming for your shadow, I continue speeding forward
I'm entangled by your sweet hair
Your closed eyelids from that night are burnt into my mind
What I left on your lips is proof of my promise (UsaHaru kiss)
If I continue to run towards the end of the daylight
One day, your initials that you carved into my heart will shine of silver (= Usagi)
Why did you let go of my hand?
Your dried-up tears hold pieces of my dream
I let the silver mirror (Usagi) wash away into the ocean (Michiru - consolation prize)
Thus the future was decided upon
One day we'll get to be in each others arms again
I still believe that such a day will come
What I left on your lips is a kiss of promise
No matter what darkness may await me beyond the daylight
The Initial of U that both of us carved into my heart shines of gold

Haruka is basically saying she'll forever wait for Usagi and only Usagi dwells in her heart - no wonder Ogata would refuse to sing the song...
 
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I remember really long ago, there were rumors that Haruka was originally planned to be male and not a Senshi but a Tuxedo Kamen-like character and her first scene of her donning a mask and cape are remnants of that aborted idea.
So Manga Haruka being some type of genderfluid/non-binary wasn’t actually planned but was just Naoko trying to scrap/salvage her idea for a male Haruka?


Michiru, in Infinity atleast, is simply a polar opposite to Rei -
Both have divination powers,
Rei manipulates fire while Michiru manipulates water,
Rei is Japanese culturally coded while Michiru is more European culturally coded,
Rei is the definition of Asian beauty - long silky thin hair while Michiru represents European mature beauty - her mid-length wavy hair with her forehead exposed giving an air of maturity.
Reinako is meant to be the parallel ship to HaruMichi. (Minako = Haruka and Rei = Michiru)



I let the silver mirror (Usagi) wash away into the ocean (Michiru - consolation prize)
Goddamn Manga HaruMichi might just be the worst and saddest written ship in the entire franchise! This is why I always laugh when fans claim their relationship is so great and well-developed in the manga and that the 90’s anime “ruined” them. No, it actually made them a ship in the first place rather than just a bad taste rebound relationship.

How is the audience supposed to ship a pairing where one partner is clearly settling for the other?

The only good thing Manga HaruMichi brought to the table is that they’re at least implied to be married in the Manga/Crystal whereas we never get wedding rings for them in the 90’s anime.
 
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Clow

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The only good thing Manga HaruMichi brought to the table is that they’re at least implied to be married in the Manga/Crystal whereas we never get wedding rings for them in the 90’s anime.
Married, but only symbolically, sadly.

Japan doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions.