Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 4, by Naoko Takeuchi

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5-3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Publish Date: March, 2012

Volumes: 12 +2 short story collections

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf!

Goodreads Synopsis:

A new group calling themselves Black Moon is after Usagi and the rest of the Sailor Guardians, wielding a new power known only as the Malefic Black Crystal. Chibi-Usa may be the key to it all, but to find the answers and rescue her kidnapped friends, Usagi will have to journey through time to the 30th century and discover what fate has in store.
This new edition of Sailor Moon features:
- An entirely new, incredibly accurate translation
- Japanese-style, right-to-left reading
- New cover art never before seen in the U.S.
- The original Japanese character names
- Detailed translation notes

Review:

I really, really want to like this series. I mean, I liked it at the beginning. I was even a little impressed. But I’m really not enjoying it anymore, and will probably be giving it an indefinite break.

It took me forever to read this volume. I mean, I think I got it last year, even. And then when I told myself to finish it seriously, it still took me several weeks to do so. Because I was just not enjoying it.

The art is fine. I like some of the characters, like Tuxedo Mask and Sailor V, and maybe some of the other Sailors if I could get to know them better. The storyline is interesting, when it’s serious and we’re not moving from minor villain to minor villain for a three page kill.

But then the characters freak out and cry and get kidnapped over a villain, the villains have minions who they send out one by one, all confident and muahahaha, only for them to be killed within a couple pages of battle. The villains aren’t scary or intimidating or believable. They’re up to some evil thing, but I know the Sailors are going to save the day at the last second, even if they get kidnapped along the way. Maybe I’m not the right demographic, and I’ve moved beyond this at this point? I mean, I probably would have loved this when I was younger.

And don’t even get me started on Sailor Moon/Usagi (or do, because I’m going to talk about her, either way). She’s so whiny and selfish, always crying about something, and getting jealous over her kid in the future because Tuxedo Mask is paying attention to her. When the girl is a child, her own child, it’s not like her boyfriend is going to run off with her or something. She’s jealous and upset every time the girl is around, and it drove me crazy every time. 

I think I’m kind of done with this series. Maybe I’ll pick it up in the future, if I change my mind or want to give it another try or find it for a good price, or if I hear something really good about it. But for now, I’m taking a break.