We’re just a few days away from the premiere of the new Sailor Moon reboot Sailor Moon Crystal. A few weeks ago, we got the official trailer and it looks like today Sailor Moon’s new transformation sequence has leaked.
The sequence was uploaded in its entirety in a side-by-side comparison video with the original transformation from the classic 1992 anime. Skip to 0:44 if you want to watch just the new sequence.
The transformation is a perfect balance of old and new. It kept nostalgic elements from the original transformation that are now considered staples in the Sailor Moon fandom, such as focus on Sailor Moon’s nails, front bow, gloves, boots, jewelry, skirt, and tiara. The ribbon motif also remained, in addition to the psychedelic coloring of Sailor Moon during the beginning of her transformation.
But this new sequence also has a lot more flair. The advances in animation make it easier to zoom around Sailor Moon at different angles, instead of the shot being generally static in front of her. The new scene is also about 10 seconds longer than the original and, admittedly, it does feel a bit too long. Most likely the sequence won’t be shown in its entirety for most episodes.
However, it’s obvious a CG model was used for Sailor Moon for this sequence, which at times looks a bit bizarre. The new thinner, lankier character design also makes it look like she has spaghetti arms during certain parts of the sequence that is a bit unappealing. But overall, the sequence is stellar and just amps up our excited for the reboot of this iconic franchise after nearly a 20-year hiatus.
For North American fans, Sailor Moon Crystal will premieres July 5th at 6 a.m. New episodes will aire on the first and third Saturday of every month, Crunchy Roll, Hulu, or Neon Alley.
What do you think about Sailor Moon’s new transformation? Does this make you excited for Saturday when the series premieres?
