Sailor Moon manga or anime

[The Count]

Hmmm...

No, I don't think you gave us the identity of Sailor Venus when she first appeared.
Would like to know more about the D&G Girls team.
Monster cards eh? Hmmm, now where have I seen those before... Must be some other animated series.
Wonder if one of the questions I have will be answered in this sequel story arch. Oh well, just wait and see/keep reading.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Just before I commence my reviews for disc 8 I thought I'd say something I pointed out to my friend earlier before we had started watching the new storyline. Even though they said in the prologue that the Negaforce was bringing the new enemy to Earth that is really not true.
Strictly speaking the Negaforce was truly destroyed along with Queen Beryl but the people who made the English version had the idea that Alan and Anne should also be "in the negaverse" somehow.
So they have the Scouts talk about fighting the Negaverse in this new threat, but if this really were so then you'd expect to see Alan and Anne talking to the Negaforce every once in awhile like Beryl did. But they never even talk about the Negaforce. All their attention is centered around their Doomtree. My friend was thankful I pointed that out. He said it was very helpful to know

 

[MartyMuppets]

And now here are my comments for the first two episodes on disc 8.

Darian still doesn't have his memory back and for some reason Luna can't or won't use the power of her mind to restore them unto him like she did with the Scouts.
Alan and Anne are still sending a different card-monster each episode to gather energy from humans to feed the Doomtree and the Scouts are opposing them strongly.
Towards the end of the first episode a mysterious person dressed in a white Arab robe appears. He throws roses like Tuxedo Mask only they are white instead of red and his face is concealed by a white mask covering his mouth with only his eyes showing. He calls himself the Moonlight Knight and he helps the Scouts defeat the monster and mysteriously disappears. Serena is positive that he must be Darian but cannot understand why he has taken on this new identity.
But in the second episode, Darian turns out to be present when the Moonlight Knight shows up. She cannot believe it. And on top of that her tiara doesn't work properly. The other Scouts are able to help Moonlight Knight destroy another monster and Alan and Anne leave vowing to destroy them next time.
Afterwards Serena says to Luna at home who would have ever guessed Darian and the Moonlight Knight weren't one and the same, and indeed. Who would have thought so?
So the big question is, if he isn't Darian, then who can he be?

Points of interest is the wonder about where did Alan and Anne come from anyway? And why are their lives dependant upon the life of the Doomtree which they are desperate to sustain or else they die as well?
My friend said that they don't really seem to be completely evil but they are definitely far from good. If they defeated the Scouts they would become dictators. They would be benevolent dictators, but dictators never-the-less. And they're not really very intelligent in the sense that they're losing these cards with monster pictures they bring to life one-by-one. You'd think after losing the first two they'd be wanting to keep a close eye on their remaining ones and step in to prevent them being destroyed if they possibly can. After all once they're gone how will they fight against the Scouts and get the energy to keep the tree alive?

Anyway people don't actually worry about logic of things too much in a fantasy, do they?
The next installment of my reviews to come soon.

 

[MartyMuppets]

I'm finished with disc 8 now.

Significant mention in the first episode is that Melvin and Molly are still nurturing their relationship and they are attacked by another one of Alan and Anne's monsters in the park and have to have urgent medical attention.
The Scouts realize this has been happening to several people in the park and go to investigate. Serena's tiara fails again to destroy the monster and she is sucked through a ground portal along with Luna who tries to help her, leaving the other girls trapped and being sucked of their own energy.
In this strange dimension Serena and Luna meet Queen Serenity, Serena's royal mother once again. Earlier it became apparent that Serena had lost the Crescent Moon Wand with the Imperium Silver Crystal attatched to it and Serenity returns the Crystal to her installing it inside her locket that was given to her 1000 years ago by her sweetheart Darian. So my friend was relieved to see her get the Crystal back.
And when she transforms into Sailor Moon she has renewed power to fight her battles, though her tiara attack isn't restored. But she is given a Moon Scepter with which to fight from now on instead. Luna is commended by Serenity for taking good care of Serena and they are returned back to the scene of battle where Sailor Moon uses the power of Moon Scepter Elimination to destroy the monster and save her friends including the other talking cat, Artemis.

In the other episodes the alien couple persist in attacking innocents to find energy to feed the Doomtree including pre-school children and even babies. But Sailor Moon always defeats the monsters they send with her new scepter with the encouraging help of the Mysterious Moonlight Knight who regularly appears in every episode.
Alan often makes advances towards Serena in his human appearance which infuriates Anne. But Darian appears in one episode and she has no qualms about flirting with him, though neither Darian nor Serena particularly respond to the advances in return. It's a very hilarious situation with Alan and Anne both criticizing each other for being less than faithful to their own relationship while that's precisely what both are being with no stricken consciences

Well it's onto disc 9 with the questions. When will Darian get his memories back? What will happen to the Doomtree and subsequently to Alan and Anne in the end? And just who is the Moonlight Knight?

 

[MartyMuppets]

The first two episodes on disc 9 are very significant.

Lita and Amy have been wondering about the identity of the Moonlight Knight and actually wonder if it could be Alan.
Lita decides to try to find out and at school invites Alan to share her lunch with her. He accepts and Anne is furious with jealousy. After school when Alan is chatting with Lita some more she attacks her. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury appear and Moon threatens to destroy Anne, but Alan transforms into his alien self and rescues her summoning up a new card-monster. Lita transforms into Sailor Jupiter but they are temporarily defeated until Mars and Venus plus Moonlight Knight show up and another monster is destroyed. Alan and Anne quickly escape and Lita asks Moonlight Knight to tell them who he is.But he says that for now it is enough for them to know that he is a true friend to them and disappears. They all wonder if they'll ever know who he is.

Darian has an important role in the next episode. He's putting on a play of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for the theater and he's also playing Prince Charming. All the Scouts want to play Snow White but Anne craftily gets that role for herself by drawing rigged strings. She says the red-tipped string has to play the wicked queen. Serena goes first and to her dismay draws the red one. The other girls all draw blue-tipped strings, meaning they have to play one of the Dwarfs.Anne's string is also blue but she rips it in her hands and makes it a white tip so she can play Snow White.
Lita, Amy, Mina, Raye, Molly and Melvin are 6 Dwarfs. Anne asks Alan to be the seventh Dwarf but he only wants to be Prince Charming so Anne says in a huff that they'll just have to do the play with 6 Dwarfs then.

On the night of the play Anne hopes to steal a kiss from Darian but as it is beginning the stage is attacked by another monster sent by Alan to gather energy from the audience. Anne is sent flying and knocked out cold when she tries to stop it and so are Darian, Melvin and Molly. The Scouts all transform and once again the Moonlight Knight appears to give them help and encouragement. After vanquishing the monster he tells them all to bow in front of the cheering audience and they are all so very happy to be in the spotlight.

But Anne is bitterly upset and complains to Alan back at their home. He tells her to remember they're supposed to be gathering energy. She goes to her room and throws herself onto her bed crying about how she only wanted to play Snow White, kiss her prince and fall in love. And Alan who is listening at the door thinks to himself about how he only wanted to be Prince Charming.
But at one earlier point of the episode he was dreaming to himself wishing that he could be Prince Charming with Serena as Snow White. He is still the pot calling the kettle black.

Easily the best Alan and Anne Sailor Moon story by far, but more is still to come.

 

[The Count]

Hmmm... Interesting. Could there be trouble in doomed paradise between Alan and Ann? Well, let's keep tuning in to these reviews and find out.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Just bumping my thread up to say I've not long gotten back from staying overnight Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day coming home after Roast evening meal.
But I'm eager to continue my reviews so I'll be watching more Sailor Moon tomorrow. I fully intend to finish what I've begun.

 

[MartyMuppets]

I'm now two thirds through disc 9.
There's a very unusual episode in which Serena gets detention with Miss Haruna for daring to eat in class and Anne is so tired from lack of energy that she also angers Miss Haruna and gets to share Serena's detention.
She leaves them behind to write an essay about why school is important to them while she goes off on a date with her boyfriend. Anne ends up challenging Serena that the one who writes the best essay will get to keep chasing after Darian, but she is still so tired. She tries unsuccessfully twice to steal a little bit of Serena's energy to give her strength though she doesn't even notice what Anne is up to.
Meanwhile Alan summons another one of their monster servants and seeing the guy Anne likes so much nearby, orders it to zap Darian's energy completely dry. But for some reason it doesn't seem to want to obey him and runs amok causing havoc and seldom getting much energy from people at all.
Back at the School Anne finally does get to syphon off some of Serena's energy just as the monster appears in the grounds below thrashing the other Sailor Scouts. Serena is alerted to the fight and transforms to help them. Alan has appeared and quietly explains to Anne he has no control over the latest monster, but they watch to see if it'll destroy the Scouts for them.
Sailor Moon doesn't feel up to fighting and Moonlight Knight appears just in time to explain that she's had some of her energy taken away but she can still win if she only believes in herself. She listens to him and destroys the monster with her magic scepter.
Afterwards she goes back to finish her essay. Anne has finished hers too and they decide they both have done equally well, so they both can keep going after Darian.
Interesting points is that Alan and Anne both desperately say that the Doomtree can't stay alive for much longer if the Scouts keep interfering with their plans, and if it dies, they also die. Furthermore Serena was earlier talking to Anne in the detention room in a friendly manner giving her compliments and Anne wonders to herself why is it that whenever somebody is nice to her she has visions of the Doomtree growing fit, strong and healthy?

In the following episode Alan and Anne are finally exposed for what they really are. Serena, Lita and Amy call on their apartment to find out how they are since they haven't been going to school lately. The truth is that the Doomtree is apparently dying despite all the energy they have stolen from people to feed it with and they don't know what to do. Serena is curious about a strange door. Alan and Anne tell her not to enter for they are keeping a secret science project in there. Actually it's where the Doomtree is housed.
The three girls leave, but Serena later goes back on her own on the pretense of being concerned. When she is alone she takes her chance to satisfy her curiosity about what is behind that door and is attacked by the branches of the Doomtree reaching out at her. The alien couple rescue her and while Alan is naturally very nice about it Anne tells Serena to get lost for being rude enough to poke around their home and she leaves thinking what a weird science project that must be.

A few days later, the Doomtree starts to bud again. Anne thinks it must be Serena's energy saving the tree and that they should feed her to the tree. Of course Alan is very loath to do such a thing and tries getting a monster to infuse the fresh growth with energy to make it grow, but to their horror it makes it shrivel up instead.
Meanwhile the Scouts have discovered a piece of the Doomtree inside Serena's hair and Artemis and Luna realize it sucks up people's energy. Everybody realizes that Alan and Anne are behind all those energy-sucking monsters but Serena is not ready to believe it. Despite everybody else's protests she goes back there again on her own to check things out. On the way she runs into Darian who is on his way to see Anne with flowers to cheer her up, because she helped him out so much when they were preparing the play about Snow White that was ruined. Serena isn't very happy about this and insists upon coming along.
Alan and Anne are both very happy to see Serena and Darian respectively and they serve a huge afternoon tea spread. After awhile Anne suggests to Alan that he take Darian out to the balcony while she has a little girl talk with Serena. Once alone Anne offers to show Serena the science project plant she was attacked by the other day. Serena is nervous, but she trusts Anne. So she goes with her. But as soon as the door is open Anne shoves her inside calling to the monster servant to drain all her energy and feed it to the Doomtree. Serena screams as she is seized but suddenly an anguished voice comes from the Doomtree itself crying "Enough. Stop it. No more. I have had enough."
Then the tree sends its branches crashing through the door into the apartment. Anne wasn't expecting this and Darian and Alan are also aghast. The Doomtree has just slammed the monster hard into the ground and has seized Serena tightly in its branches.
Luna and Artemis have brought the other Scouts. Jupiter tries to blast through the doors but without effect. They can hear Serena calling for help from inside and the episode ends upon this cliffhanger.

My friend thought that if Alan and Anne were defeated, then maybe the rest of the episodes on the remaining discs would be about the re-building of the Moon Kingdom. Well, naturally I didn't give away what those discs were all about. But first he had to see the last episode with Alan and Anne. Special review for that next time plus the secret at last of the identity of the Moonlight Knight, who comes upon the scene in the next episode.

 

[The Count]

Whoa! Will be awaiting those reviews very muchly when next you post Marty.

 

[MartyMuppets]

Now the ending to the second story arch is very deep. Where to begin?

Well for starters we left the other Scouts outside but Mars touches one of the enormous roots blocking the entrance saying that the Doomtree is an intelligent creature and it wants them to help it. It opens its roots up and lets them and the cats enter. Once they're all inside they have to quickly flee upwards as it attacks them though Mars is positive her vision about it wanting their help was correct.
Meanwhile Alan and Anne have desperately freed Serena and Darian from the branches and are bitterly arguing with each other about their un-faithfulness to each other while they stubbornly refuse to admit that each of them is equally guilty as the other.
But once the Scouts appear they start thrashing them in battle. Serena takes the cue to transform to help them. Anne says they must destroy her but while Alan is shocked he is still reluctant to hurt Sailor Moon now that he knows she's Serena. And Darian's memory starts to come back and he affirms his love for Serena. Anne is so angry she starts to attack Darian. Moonlight Knight suddenly appears but she zaps him and he just disappears.
While Anne is fighting the Scouts she notices the Doomtree suddenly preparing to use the tip of one of its roots to stab Darian. At the last minute she intercedes to protect him and is fatally stabbed in the chest. Alan takes her in his arms and as she dies she admits that all the time she was flirting after Darian her heart really belonged to Alan all the time. Alan screams in grief for he now knows that he really felt the same way for her. He sees another root aiming its sharp tip at him and says he'll be with Anne very soon.
Sailor Moon screams for the root to stop and it halts just inches from Alan.
Then the Doomtree reveals to Sailor Moon and Alan that it can talk and that originally it was known as the Tree of Light. It had lived in the middle of the galaxy by itself ever since time began until one day it grew lonely and decided to create male and female creatures to keep it company. Alan says he now remembers being born from the pods of the tree.
It goes on to explain how they were all very happy until evil forces perverted the minds of some of the aliens and they made war upon the tree. It was a terrible battle with many casualties and the tree became so weakened it lost its voice and in desperation it fled with its few remaining loyal followers to try to find a happy place to live. They kept searching while the older grown-up aliens slowly died off until only the youngest of the children were left. Alan and Anne. Poor little children who had never experienced what love is. Only fear, hate and power. As twisted grown-ups the two of them had kept the tree alive by stealing energy to feed it with, but to really grow healthy it requires positive love energy. The negative fear energy has been stunting it. Alan is ashamed as he holds Anne's corpse in his arms but the tree tells him they just didn't know any better. They had no knowledge of true happy love until they finally realized at the moment of Anne's death how much they really meant to each other.
The tree requests Sailor Moon to purge it of all the negative energy it has been poisoned with and she blasts it with her scepter. It is vaporised and she fears at first she may have destroyed it but Moonlight Knight strangely re-appears to tell her she did not. She healed it instead and he removes the cover from his mouth to reveal Darian's face. Sailor Moon cannot understand for she sees Darian apparently lying un-conscious again behind her. The Moonlight Knight explains that when Darian lost his memory in the battle against Queen Beryl he knew sub-consciously that he had to protect his sweet Princess and he is the inner spirit of Darian called forth to fulfill that purpose. But now that his memory has come back he's no longer required so he says farewell and merges back inside Darian's body. Darian wakes up his memory completely restored and says how great it is to be back.
Furthermore Anne suddenly comes back to life in Alan's arms and the tree is re-born as a tiny plant shoot. Alan and Anne realize that they have a second chance and fly away into outer space in a capsule with the Tree of Light to build a world somewhere full of love to share and enjoy with their creator. Serena and Darian watch them go feeling confident that they'll make it this time and then the other Scouts appear wanting to know if they are a serious romantic couple now. And so the second storyline ends.

My friend agreed it turned out to be a real surprise twist and he loved it. Well I said now that that business is all over and everybody have their memories back what else can possibly happen to disrupt Serena and Darian in their romance?
That's a good question indeed and you'll see the answer to it when I begin reviewing the third story arch commencing with the final episode on disc 9