FINAL VOLUME! The guardians in sailor suits return in this definitive edition of the greatest magical girl manga of all time! Features all-new cover illustrations by creator Naoko Takeuchi, a glittering holographic coating, an extra-large size, premium paper, French flaps, and a newly-revised translation!
Ages 13 and up.
Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she's never gotten good grades, and, well, she's a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon! Experience the Sailor Moon manga as never before in these extra-long editions (about 300 pages each).
Naoko Takeuchi (武内直子) born March 15, 1967, a manga artist (mangaka), lives in Tokyo, Japan. Takeuchi's works have a wide following among anime/manga fans. She has become a well-known mangaka worldwide. Her most popular work, Sailor Moon, rose to become one of the most recognized manga/anime figures to date.
Takeuchi is married to Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of the YuYu Hakusho series and Hunter × Hunter series.
Please note that anime related books are listed under Kōdansha.
This goddamn series is so wild. I can't believe this was written in the 90s. All the genderfluidity, homosexuality, all-female main cast, completely useless male characters, the unabashed love for all things girly and feminine (and the Starlight trio's outfits) just exist in the Sailor Moon verse – no questions asked. Love.
In the final installment, all the silly oh-no-we-want-ur-crystals-shenanigans escalate into pure angst (15-year-old Usagi goes through trauma so severe she blocks it out of her mind) and a GREAT philosophical superhero dilemma (again, 15-year-old Usagi has to decide whether she destroys all sentient beings in the universe so that the universe can be in harmony and in peace at last OR whether she allows all beings to be reborn, knowing that this will again and again lead to the presence of evil and strife).
Hell yeah.
Also, Takeuchi's artwork is impeccably gorgeous and the work she's conducted for intertextual references to Greek/Roman mythology and into jewels and flowers in a pre-Wikipedia era is INSANE.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
So after finishing the Stars Arc it was an arc that probably was the weakest of all the arcs BUT showed how much Usagi cares about all her friends and will stop at nothing to get them back. So even though it was a really depressing, I mean it really was it was so sad, it showed just how strong Usagi is and even though she’s a crybaby how much she’s matured from the beginning. It was a nice full circle with a very satisfying ending to a truly amazing series.
Rating/review not specific to this volume, but the series overall:
Series Ws -absolutely no regard for the gender binary (obvs Uranus and the Starlights, but also the Amazon Trio and others. Even Artemis being a boy cat is kinda fun) -the Outer Senshi -Usagi's chaotic bi energy -the watercolour art -the creative (and pretty deeply researched) fusion of different mythological and magical traditions -Chibi-usa with a pistol -the horror elements were actually pretty grotesque! -shows that dentists were the real bad guys all along -Minako says ACAB
Series Ls -the bad guys in the different arcs were basically the same, and pretty two-dimensional -classic 1990s fatphobia randomly appears -Chibi-usa wanting to boink her dad, and then kissing a horse (also the horse just drops out of the story entirely after that) -the age dynamics are kind of cursed across the board (Chibi-usa only looks like a third grader! She's actually 900 years old). Relatedly: the Grade School Cosplayers. Holy mother of Christ. -the translation notes are a fun addition but they really needed to be proofread
Nearly thirty years from the time I first watched Sailor Moon on TV (and not to completion), I’ve finally finished the main manga series. The feeling is bittersweet.
The storytelling and artwork in this final volume felt rushed, imo, just as the previous couple volumes had. None of which surprises me. Naoko Takeuchi was still early on in creating the series when Sailor Moon rose to fame, and so instead of having all the time in the world to focus on finessing her manga, Takeuchi’s time was likely split between working on the anime, continuing the manga, and tending to other professional obligations. Mangaka tend to have tight enough schedules even when they don’t have an anime to work on, so again, none of these rushed aspects surprised me, though they did make me sad. I would’ve loved to have experienced this final arc as Takeuchi might have told it had she had more time.
All of that said, this volume had drama, amazing fashion, and a truly powerful ending. Chibi Chibi and the new supporting cast were all welcome additions to the world, and the final showdown will stay with me for years to come.
Thank you for everything, Naoko, Sailor Moon. You literally changed my life.
Uno degli archi narrativi più oscuri, stratificati e belli. Finalmente Sailor Moon passa da ragazzina a guerriera consapevole ed esplora ciò che di più turpe c'è nella natura umana per comprendere la luce.
(Naturalmente ho ignorato nella recensione le short story finali che sono sempre molto cringe)
Reading the 10 volumes, newly translated, has been a huge pleasure. I do think it was a weird decision to put 2 extra one-shots /after/ the main story had ended, it felt weird to continue reading after the conclusion was so definitive.
Main Story = 5 Stars. Brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful, bittersweet ending. Whole Volume Including Extra 2 Stories = 4 Stars. I was annoyed by the last two gag stories and it took away from the overall impact of the volume. Still, I loved it overall. Definitely worth it, especially if you love Sailor Moon.
A fitting closure to the Sailor Moon saga. While it leaves it open to continue, it wraps things up nicely. I did also enjoy the alternate universe mini story at the end of this novel to talk about what the Sailor Scouts are like in their 30s.
Awe, it’s really over! I had such a blast finally reading through this series which is so dear to me. Needless to say, I’ve spent the past few weeks in a magical land of nostalgia. Naoko Takeuchi was truly a force and you can tell she had a blast designing all of these shining stars, dressing them in beautiful modern fashion.
There’s also just something wonderful about a science fiction action series where girls are shouting phrases like « Make up! » to battle, as well as characters who are just like, « who cares what my gender is? «
I found that Sailormoon S was my favorite part. It’s just really tough to top the outer Sailor Scout’s first appearance, as well as Saturn’s story. The art at this point is just phenomenal as well. Next in line would be early R area I think, with all the lovely time travelling romance and angst, and you know, minus the weird Chibi Usa jealousy stuff.
Finishing the comic also opened my eyes to how much heavy lifting the animated series did early on for developing the characters outside of Usagi, Mamo, and Chibi Usa. It’s wild that we don’t really get to know the other (inner) scouts very well until much later in the comic, and even then a lot of it is in short side stories. The same can be said for a lot of the villains as well.
Anyway, I’m out of things to say. Thank you so much Naoko Takeuchi for giving us this glorious series to grow up with. And for shiny-shiny Usagi’s sweet heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm glad that I read the Sailor Moon manga. It's a huge cultural touchstone for a reason! And there was a lot to like about it.
But... I don't think it was that *good*? It's... pretty baffling as a narrative. There's absolutely no breathing room in it - no time to get to know the characters, very few slice of life moments, scant character growth. It just feels like insane things keep happening and characters... they barely even *respond* to the insane things that are happening! They just briefly acknowledge it! It's infuriating !
It's just... it feels so hollow, in many ways? I feel like the most interesting part of the magical girl story is the balance between the personal life and the public life, but Sailor Moon only makes brief attempts at dealing with EITHER! How does this responsibility weigh on our soldiers? How does it impact their interpersonal relationships? How does their family feel about it? I dunno! None of it matters!
As negative as I am being, it is absolutely gorgeous to look at. And the LGBT representation is amazing, especially for the time period!
UNA FINE DEGNA E MERAVIGLIOSA 💖🦋 meglio il manga dell'anime, sicuramente. questa storia è stata un viaggio meraviglioso, una storia con un filo logico ben costruito segnato dalle stelle e dal destino che collega tutti i personaggi, buoni e cattivi. La pecca è forse il fatto che con ogni nuovo cattivo la cosa si ripeteva perché Mamo o Usagi erano sempre in pericolo, ma alla fine si comprende come mai erano sempre attaccati, catturati o messi in pericolo: il potere nascosto dentro di loro era una forza così grande da attrarre le ombre nella galassia pronte a tutto per impossessarsi di quel potere e governare sull'universo. Ho amato ogni cosa, ho compreso più in fondo Usagi che all'inizio frignona com'era è diventata una donna forte e determinata, pronta a sacrificarsi per l'amore e per l'amicizia. Davvero, sono felice di aver acquistato questa edizione speciale e sono felice di aver rifatto un tutto nel passato e aver rivissuto le grandi avventure della famosa e bellissima Sailor Moon, Neo Queen Serenity 🤍
une fin d'histoire très intense et haute en rebondissements. La morale est enfantine, mais j'aime bien qu'on pousse le personnage loin dans ses retranchements. Je déplore le fait que les stars makers passent complètement à la trappe comparé à l'anime. vraiment, cette conclusion, ce tome n'avait RIEN à voir avec ce que j'ai vu. L'anime a ses avantages, mais le manga fait fois.
Globalement, Sailor Moon est vraiment une super licence avec une univers visuel hyper intéressant et attachant. Malheureusement, il y a certains points qui ont très mal vieilli (ça reste méga vieux), notamment la relation Mamoru/Chibi Usa, le fait que des gamines de 5-8 ans en fassent 16-17 parfois tu sais pas pourquoi, bref, toutes ces notions qui jouent sur le flou de l'âge sont vraiment VRAIMENT perturbante et le gros point noir de la série, j'essaie de passer au dessus mais c'est dur.
I guess I'll go rewatch the anime to fill the Sailor Moon void in my life since I reached the end of the manga. This one did hurt, but I loved seeing everyone come together at the end. What I would give to have that wedding in color pages! I will say that I would have liked to see more of their future after that. I know we got the parallel view, but I wish it was with the original story.
All in all, nostalgia wins every time and Sailor Moon will always be my favorite magical girl.
4.8 stars for a great ending! I really enjoyed Galactica and her minions, although I don't get why she was so angry. I wasn't really a fan of the last 2 bonus stories. The one with Chibi-Usa's friends was very irritating and the alternate universe one was very rushed. I think it would have turned out better if it was a few pages longer. But the main story was good and that's what matters! Now to collect and read the V-chan series!
E con questo ho ufficialmente recuperato tutti gli arretrati del 2021! Ho inserito tutto quello che ho letto durante l'anno appena passato. E non c'era niente di meglio che concludere con il mio adoratissimo Sailor Moon che, nonostante la veneranda età, rimane uno dei manga più belli che io abbia mai letto.
(12/14/2020) First, the short stories for Sailor Moon are all terrible. From the poor plotting, to the gimmicks, to the terrible dated messages (fatphobic, pedophilic, transphobic, and generally just terrible ideas being put forth) to the unnecessary nature of them all. There aren't even fun, they're just cringey and read like an old person rambling about nothing, and peppering in their bad takes.
So I read them first so that the last thing I read in Sailor Moon would be the actual story, and I'm glad I did, because I liked this arc a lot.
So, first to review the volume itself:
This is pretty freaking dark. I recalled as a kid reading this and being TRAUMATIZED.
I admit I wasn't on board with the world building of there being a bazillion sailors across the galaxy, but I liked the way this was dealt with.
I like that this volume was dark but, of course, ended with hope and joy. I think it really rounded the series and even tho uh, the end has tiny plot hole w the timeline, this was kinda perfect as an ending arc.
Overall, as a series (discounting the side stories) Sailor Moon ended very strongly, and thus, I can forgive the weaker arcs. It was a series I loved as a kid and also love as an adult. It's not perfect, I've mentioned my issues with the series, but overall I'm so glad I read this.
If you think about it, Naoko Takeuchi's work is insane. Writing Sailor Moon: something which was so wonderfully girly and did not portray it as a bad thing for even a second, strong women leads, genderfluid Sailors, and more.
Very dark still but I wish we had gotten more happy endings for everyone. There have been so many characters we have met along the way. It feels unfulfilling to not know what happens to them more in depth.
“No weapons, no friends, no hope. What’s left?” “Me.”
Many people may recognize this quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and while it’s not a completely accurate fit, I still think the sentiment behind it speaks very well to the concluding volume of the Sailor Moon series. By the time this volume begins, Usagi Tsukino has lost her soulmate and her closest friends to Sailor Galaxia, and by half-way through she loses the last of her companions, Princess Kakyu and the Three Lights. She stands on the abyss, knowing that no choice she makes will be perfect, that one means never-ending battles and another means total destruction. This is the no-win scenario.
But Usagi still holds to hope. She is still there, and she makes a choice. She gambles and, predictably, she wins. Because this is Sailor Moon. Was there any doubt that Usagi would come through in the end?
So we come to the end. Usagi wins the day, her friends and Mamoru are restored to life (along with the numerous other Sailor Guardians whose star seeds were snatched by Galaxia at the behest of Chaos). And it’s around this point that things just get really confusing. As if things weren’t confusing enough.
So Chibi Chibi is actually Sailor Cosmos, who, as best as I can tell, is Usagi from a distant, distant (did I mention distant?) future. She apparently ended up stuck in a never-ending battle against one enemy after another, losing everyone she cared about. So, she decided that, rather than maintain the timeline, she would go back in time (someone else who seems to bypass the Gates of Time – Pluto will probably be furious when she finds out) and convince her past self to destroy the Cauldron and thus end the whole Sailor Guardian system. Only, Eternal Sailor Moon refuses to do so, because she still has hope.
So here’s my question – when Sailor Cosmos was Sailor Moon, I’m guessing that she still went through this whole trial, only there was no Chibi Chibi there along for the ride, and thus she handled the crisis without her? And then things happened over the eons, so she decided to go back and convince her past self to do things differently, which did not happen because Usagi still has hope that they can all be together and have the grand future they’ve been looking for? Am I getting this right?
And that wasn’t the only thing that confused me. I may be wrong, but in this final arc, Usagi is still about 16-ish years old, yes? So the story ends with her and Mamoru getting married. So, are the final pages meant to be an epilogue, a jump forward to when Usagi is finally an adult? I could be wrong or out of date on my information, but I think a girl has to be at least 16 to get married (and even then, she requires parental approval to marry until she’s 20). The wedding shows no sign of Usagi’s family, just the Sailor Guardians, all dressed to the nines for the occasion.
Of course, I may be reading too much into this. And hey, we also learn in the final pages that Chibi-Usa has been conceived and is on her way to start her extremely long childhood (good lord, to be in the body and have the mentality of a 5-year-old for 900 hundred years sounds like nothing short of hell to me).
So, as always, the artwork is nothing short of brilliant, even if the story gets a bit confusing in places.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars I didn't vibe with the end, but that's okay. I think it wrapped up nicely, however I wish Usagi's wedding was touched on a little more. I also wish the four heavenly kings reincarnated too, they seemed so cool. Especially since they were supposed to marry some of the inner guardians? Idk I wish that was touched on. I really enjoyed the format and evolution of Usagi and her powers, but I think Super Sailor Moon is my favorite. Sailor Cosmos had the prettiest outfit to me and Sailor Jupiter is 100% my favorite, with Sailor Pluto as a close second. I'm glad I read through this series overall and will cherish them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
“Sailor Moon. You will never burn out. You will be the star that shines brightest and most beautifully… for all of eternity.”
I’m crying!!! Such a beautiful ending to a beautiful series. I will always hold this series near and dear to my heart.
Overall thoughts on the series: 5 stars for sure!!! If you love magical girl power shojo, you will love this!
Overall thoughts on the Eternal Editions: I love these bigger books with all the gorgeous color pages and extra art!!! It’s worth the money!!! The only thing to worry about is how heavy they are, especially if you own all of them (and why wouldn’t you?) so it’s best to keep these beautiful babies on a bottom shelf!!!