Sailor Moon Crystal Episode 1 Screenshot Comparison

This isn’t a thorough analysis of the differences in the first episodes of the Sailor Moon animated series. I’m sure others will write something like that. This is a lazy approach: showing screenshots of some of the same scenes from the original and new Sailor Moon animations.

Warning: Image heavy post.

Usagi oversleeping.

Usagi running downstairs and putting her hair up. Or putting her hair up and then falling down the stairs.

Ittekimasu! Off to school with lunch in hand.

Encountering Luna. The original series gave some time with kids tormenting Luna, whereas Crystal instead gives time elsewhere to hint at Usagi’s past life.

Checking on whether Luna’s all right, after being picked on by little kids. Or stepped on.

What’s that, kitty? Are you trying to say something? (Not that cats can talk or anything.)

Off with the bandage.

Let’s see how you like being stepped on, human.

That intimidating Luna stare.

School bell tolls.

Juuban junior high school.

Standing out in the hall. A bit hard to see by the different sized thumbnails, but Usagi’s gotten quite a bit taller in 22 years. (Maybe Crystal’s character designs should have been saved for “Sailor Moon: The College Years”?)

A rumbly in the tummy.

Setting down the book bag.

Itadakimasu!

Clearly Haruna-sensei expected something like this. Love how Crystal Usagi’s hiding her bento.

Twenty-two years later, she still can’t score better than 30% on that English test.

Let’s talk this over outside. Or inside will do.

She couldn’t help it. She skipped breakfast, after all.

Twenty-two years of worry.

Retro Umino has messy hair. Crystal Umino spikes it with hair gel.

See what happens when you slack off on studying?

Wait, Retro Umino’s test looks different from Retro Usagi’s test. Clearly Retro Usagi was given a harder test to convince her she’s not smart. No excuse for Crystal Usagi, as the new animators made certain to give them the same test. At least this Usagi has very neat hand-writing.

Hang in there, Naru-chan!

Tell us about Sailor V, please, Umino-kun.

Welcome to Osa-P. Brought some more friends this time. Nice use of depth of field here in the new series.

With all the hairstyles and outfits getting lighter and pasteler, Osaka-kaasan has taken her wardrobe over to the darker side.

Her expression, too.

Not going to convince the parents to buy marked-down jewelry with a score like that.

I’m surprised Crystal shows Usagi from the back while she crumbles the paper. It’s a dynamic scene expressive of Usagi’s character in the original.

Toss and hit.

That’s not 30%, that’s 30 points out of 25 questions. Extra credit! Yeah, I don’t think he’d buy that.

Taking off my shades? That’s so 1990’s. These days, it’s all about peering over the shades.

Brief visit to the arcade. Not as brief as 22 years ago.

Naturally Usagi’s time playing the Sailor V arcade game means it’s darker when she gets home this time around.

Love how Usagi’s name is the only one not in kanji. うさぎ looks much better than 兎 would. Although one has to wonder how many people passing by might think this family listed their pet rabbit on their name plate.

I wonder if Minako ever had problems with her mother hearing about tests from Amano-kun.

Handing over the test. I’d ask what a “zissai” is supposed to be, but maybe I should learn that kanji first (question/answer number 4).

Time for a little tough love.

And sibling rivalry.

In Retro Naru’s time, everyone is still at the store when they start to collapse. For Crystal Naru, everyone’s gone home, allowing her to discover her mother’s secret accidentally.

Nothing like a good tantrum to wear someone out.

And to make someone hear voices. From a cat.

“It spoke! The cat spoke!”

Gotta say, I love Retro Usagi’s “Oyasumi!” more.

If a plea for help won’t work, then by golly, I’ll bribe this girl with gifts.

Repeat after me: ムーン・プリズム・パワー・メイクアップ！

I planned to show a comparison of the transformation every step of the way, but nah, I’ll cut it short. I spent too much of my life sitting through Sailor Moon transformations.

Post transformation scene, a call for help arrives in a soon-to-be-forgotten manner.

Interesting tidbit. In the original, Naru is being held low while being choked, the Youma is shown, then Naru is shown being held up higher while being choked (same as shown below). For the DiC dub, they replaced the second choke animation with a repeat of the first. And yet a moment after that, the next scene is the Youma holding Naru up in the air, so why hide that she was being lifted in the dub? Okay, I’m just amazed they left the choke scene in the dub at all.

Help arrives just in time. Although Retro Naru might have liked help a few minutes sooner.

In the name of the moon…

“Sailor Moon? I’ve never heard of you.”

Retro Youma: “Rise, my minions, from your positions lying on the shop floor!” Crystal Youma: “Rise, my minions, from your homes, and hurry over to the store in 15 seconds tops!” This bugged me about the manga, as well, that everyone reached the store so quickly. Couldn’t Crystal have slipped in a scene where all the ladies who bought jewelry stand outside their houses, gather into a circle, and use “Dark Kingdom Teleport”? (I’m only half-joking.)

I actually like the use of background in the old series during this portion of the episode. I don’t remember if they kept it up with future youma encounters.

Cute Crystal Luna alert!

Is it too late to note how Crystal strongly lacks expressiveness in the characters’ actions and reactions? Just look at Usagi’s face when she hit the ground above, and just below.

Retro Tuxedo Mask felt the need to make his presence known sooner (had to get that rose tossed). I’ve rearranged the screenshots from the old series to match Crystal, as this post is comparing same/similar imagery.

Take your tiara and say, “Moon Tiara Action!” Or “Moon Tiara Boomerang!” if you’re a manga-purist.

I find I prefer Retro Usagi’s freebie-toss pose over Crystal Usagi’s.

The way Crystal Youma falls over then turns to dust with her turning-into-dust hands and head falling over the counter is at the same time both disturbing and a nice touch. Retro or Crystal, I prefer both over the manga’s.