Sailor Moon Crystal Set 1 (DVD)

As an avid Sailor Moon fan for nearly 20 years it's been a long (and often frustrating) journey trying to obtain even the most basic merchandise in North America. Now, having only recently emerged from a full decade of licensing famine, the world is in the middle of a fully fledged Sailor Moon renaissance. Wave after wave of every conceivable type of new merchandise has been flowing out of Japan as if sourced from the silver crystal itself. The classic anime has been re-licensed across the globe and given a fresh, uncut dub for the English speaking world. That's something most people never thought would happen. And at long last, this shiny new anime is in production. In short- there's never been a better time to be a follower of the Moon Princess than right now.But I'm here to talk about Crystal. Oh- Sailor Moon Crystal! First announced 4 years ago during the Summer of 2012 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sailor Moon franchise, it would be a full two years until the final product would grace our screens via a number of internet streaming services. Immediately touted as a fresh adaptation which would adhere closely to the original manga and utilize the latest technologies to bring the story to life, the as-yet untitled project quickly became the most anticipated anime in recent memory. Indeed, the new series generally succeeds in both of these areas. Individuals like myself who have worn out their various copies of the manga over the years will appreciate the almost religious adherence to the source material along with the generally gorgeous animation. Though not without the occasional deviance, most episodes play out like a 1:1 adaptation of each issue or "act" as they are called. Gone here are the filler episodes of yester-yore. Gone are the "Rainbow Crystals" and all other plot elements fabricated for the classic series in order to increase the episode count. And yet this is mostly a good thing. What we are left with is pure story and a heaping amount of action.One aspect I found particularly fun is that instead of being bombarded with (albeit beautifully animated) stock animation sequences, we're now treated to a mixture of real-time combat along with the attacks we all know by heart. This was something I found sorely missing from the original and have found immensely satisfying in this new incarnation. That's not to say Crystal has arrived without its share of controversies. In example, the new senshi/guardian transformations are rendered in cell shaded CGI to give an overall 3D effect. It's mostly lovely but also a jarring departure in style from the rest of the series. Another chief complaint is that without the copious amounts of filler episodes we're accustomed to, our main characters have less time to believably develop as both individuals and close friends. It's true, the supporting character-focused episodes are sorely missed. And despite the fact that we're still given a strong grasp of each senshi's background and personality traits, I can't help but feel my emotional investment in these characters still stems in large part directly from my history with the original show. Perhaps the main flaw of Crystal, however unusual, is that it's almost *too* plot focused. Events move at such a fast pace that it's somewhat to the detriment of all characters not named Usagi Tsukino. But only somewhat. At the end of the day it's important to remember that this is her story and thus she takes center stage. Rightfully so.Now on to the elephant in the room. After the initial premiere of each episode in the first season, some viewers were quick to point that certain shots looked rushed or at times even slightly unfinished. Unfortunately in the world of anime production deadlines take precedence over all else. Delivering the episode on time is understandably #1. Because of this the final product can indeed suffer. This affects all animated series, especially a special effects-laden extravaganza like Sailor Moon Crystal. To be clear the premiere versions did not look terrible. In fact no matter how you look at it Crystal is a gorgeous show. But in the age of HD displays even minor errors can stick out like a sore thumb to astute viewers. Fortunately I'm happy to report that what you will see on this blu-ray release is a drastic improvement over anything currently streaming online.Prior to the blu-ray release Toei went back to each and every episode with a fine toothed comb to give this series the final polish it so richly deserves. Countless shots have been re-animated and dramatically refined. Unfinished visual effects have been corrected and replaced. A show that has become infamous over the past two years for its wonky character close-ups now shines even brighter under scrutiny. Don't take my word for it, there are comparison guides galore across the web which can give you an idea. Truthfully though it's mainly in motion that the improved visuals really shine and there's no better way to experience that than on HD blu-ray. This is the finished package with an excellent transfer. Any complaint that I may have had from an animation quality standpoint has gone right out the window.Audio is presented in uncompressed 2.0 stereo for both the original Japanese and the excellent English dub. For a stereo track it's a powerhouse, but I must admit to being slightly disappointed with the lack of a 5.1 option that takes fuller advantage of blu-ray's capabilities. Not worth subtracting a star because what's here is truly excellent - however it does feel a bit like a missed opportunity for such a new production. My one minor quibble with this set.Set one comes housed in a beautiful foiled-embossed chipboard box that looks absolutely stunning in person. Also in the box is a very nice series guidebook filled to the brim with detailed character and item designs, background layouts, interviews, episode summaries, and more. Definitely worth reading all the way through. Finally, we have a set of glossy character cards for each senshi, Tuxedo Mask, and Princess Serenity. This is a true collector's piece that reflects the look and design of the Japanese blu-ray sets. Speaking of those Japanese sets, at around $75 per set they were relegated to a mere 2 episodes each. Insane. This made the entire first season a cost prohibitive venture for most. But here we receive the first 14 episodes in their entirety for a fraction of the cost. That's the entire Dark Kingdom story arc!Bottom line: Sailor Moon Crystal is a great show for both longtime fans of Sailor Moon and newcomers. Fans won't be disappointed with the deluxe treatment Viz Media has provided in this gorgeous blu-ray release. The transfer is excellent and the limited edition packaging is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Get the box set now as once it's gone, it's gone forever. This release comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Definitely happy with what I have and it’s a hard cover holder and comes with lots of extras. And good quality definitely worth the money and ship right on time.

Got the regular DvD because you know some of us are on a budget but even the standard quality is still pretty great! This has episodes 1-14 the first season adapted from the Manga. Wheater you like the art style or the remake is subject to each and everyone's opinion. Great product!

This is a significantly re-written, updated version of the classic magical girl anime series. It is a more serious treatment of the original material, with much of the silliness and many of the repetitious plot devices removed. That said, there is still a considerable amount of comedy bordering on and occasionally becoming slapstick. The characters are still the same iconic collection of five sailor guardians (Mercury, Venus [or V], Moon, Mars and Jupiter), two cats (Luna and Artermis), Tuxedo Mask (Prince Endymion, Mamo-Chan or whichever you prefer) and the various denizens of the Dark Kingdom.The individual episodes are tighter, with stronger and more logical plot progression, and the entire series holds together better. The conflicts are much the same as in the original but again without much of the silliness. Conclusion is heart-warming and satisfying.The tone of Crystal is more sober and even a bit dark at times, while retaining the entertaining nature of the original. However, this might not be entirely appropriate for very young viewers. Parental guidance is strongly recommended. In all, this comes off much more as a main-stream story than as a children's fairy tale, although it still remains such.Can't wait for the next installment of Crystal. My highest possible recommendation for fans of anime and/or romantic comedy.

Just finished this. I watched the English DIC versions growing up as a kid and knew I had to watch Crystal.The two obvious things are that the episodes are MUCH shorter and there isn’t a lot of light-hearted comedic moments like all the episodes made for the US. I never read the manga so while some portions might find familiarities, some of it might be new. The characters and the story are portrayed with a LOT more seriousness and emotions. I also think it goes into the story and history in a bit more depth and I can see why some of it was “watered down” in the English versions of the original Sailor Moon cartoons catered to North America. But I felt a lot more goosebumps from this version than I did the DIC version.The animation and the transformations are absolutely stunning.I think girls like me who grew up with the silliness and light-heartedness of Serena/Usagi and the Sailor Scouts, who are now adults, can fully appreciate the more mature aspect of Sailor Moon Crystal while also having a strong sense of nostalgia.

Arrived in good shape, undamaged, to Tenerife, Canary Islands. Only thing, it wasn't clear that it is region locked so I would need a player that can read those discs.

Had trouble getting my package at first thanks to the US Postal service incompetents but thanks to a Good Samaritan I was able get my package. And I had a good time watching the first season of Sailor Moon Crystal, wish it was bit longer but overall I’m satisfied and the product came out completely unharmed. More Sailor Moon please :)

Me encanto el diseño, trae targetas del tamaño del bluray de todas las sailor y un librito con el arte, muy buen boxset

Gorgeous visuals, engaging, more-to-the-point storyline, beautiful artwork cards, and an adorable box to keep it all in! This collection features the original Japanese audio and English dub (the same cast as the classic anime re-dub). The major animation mistakes that were seen in the original streaming of the episodes have been fixed. As much as I love the classic anime series (make no mistake, I've watched it for 22 years and I adore it still!) I like the relationship between Usagi and Mamoru more in "Crystal". Not only is Mamoru now the right age (only 3 years older than Usagi, making him 17 instead of somewhere in his 20s), their connection and want to be together seems more natural and real as who they are in their "real" lives as "Usagi" and "Mamoru", not just as "Sailor Moon" and "Tuxedo Mask" or because of who they were in their past lives. Rei/Sailor Mars also has a completely different, true-to-the-manga personality- a quiet, strong, and dignified one, the opposite of her loud, rude, superior-but-loyal one from the classic series. (For the record, I like both versions.) I highly recommend this collection and series for fans of the manga storyline (which it strongly follows), and for all true Sailor Moon fans in general. I loved it, despite some flaws (there are some minor plot holes, and there is less time to get to know the characters, but I honestly don't feel that it is that much of a problem, especially for those who have seen/read the series before... and no series is perfect, after all). It's a great addition to the Sailor Moon anime legacy, and goes great alongside the re-release of the classic series.I look forward to the release of seasons 2 and 3! (Here's hoping there's a fourth season coming!)

First off, realize that this is a reboot of the Sailor Moon story. It is not quite the same as the Sailor Moon series you may have watched as a child. The animation is much closer to the manga style and the dialogue is much closer to Japanese dramatic sensibilities than North American.Having said that, this series is worth following. The story is still Sailor Moon and the gathering of the Sailor Scouts. The visual is fairly crisp and beautiful on blu-ray; the audio is completely top-notch.

Excelente primera temporada muy fiel al manga buenos dibujos y musica vale mucho la pena! Altamente recomendada para los fans de sailor moon que querian una version mas reciente y fiel a la historia original

I’m not sure who I got this for, me or my kids 😅😂 it’s just like I remember! Arrived in great condition! Thank you