Reviews

The conclusion of my favorite arc of the series and a great side story, this is one of the best volumes yet. I enjoy the nostalgia trip and getting to expand on the animated series I loved so much as a child with the actual story and original manga format.

saramarie08's review against another edition

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5.0

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This is a mega-sized volume with the conclusion of the Death Busters arc, and inclusion of two side stories. Mistress 9 tries to use Chibi Usa's hostia and the stolen Mythical Silver Crystal to provide enough power to Master Pharaoh 90 to merge with Earth and make it their new home planet, However, Mistress 9 wasn't counting on her host's body being so difficult to control. And, after Mistress 9 awakened, no one thought the final Sailor Scout would awaken. The conclusion is sweet and wrapped up pretty tidy, but the final pages, of course, hint that the peace they just achieved is threatened again. There are also two side stories in this volume, contributing to its girth. Chibi Usa's second Picture Diary, "Beware of Tanabata," is a side-adventure where an enemy uses popular Sailor Moon watches to manipulate the emotions of young girls. The second side story is "The Love of Princess Kaguya." This beautiful story focuses almost entirely on Luna, and her falling in love with Kakeru, a human astro-physicist who saves her from being run over by a car. Kakeru and his childhood friend, Himē, both pledged to become astronauts and travel to the moon to see if the Princess Kaguya from legend really lives there. A new enemy manipulates Kakeru and puts his life in danger, while Himē is chosen for a NASA mission to save the Earth from a comet barreling towards it.
This volume contains some of the most elaborate and beautiful cover images, used here as chapter markers. The Death Busters' arc is also one of the coolest for introducing all the Outer Senshi and some more diverse characters (even if they were censored in America originally -- no, they are NOT COUSINS!), so its ending is a little bittersweet. "The Love of Princess Kaguya" is also a significant portion of this volume, and it's a beautiful story. The only strange part is that Luna and Artemis are really supposed to be an item, and here Luna is falling in love with a human. Poor Arty!

The Princess Kaguya story has some of the most detailed drawings from Takeuchi. She includes a space shuttle and several shots of the interior of the craft, including the various consoles and control panels.

Sara's Ranking: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12