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by Gemma Williams
After taking a break from the series, I finally got around to reading the volume I was looking forward to the most. Why was I most excited for #8? Two reasons: firstly, my favourite storyline from the TV show was introduced. Secondly, the colour scheme is the same as my favourite colour, so I just love looking at the gorgeous cover.
Sailor Neptune is our mascot for volume 8 in which we are given Acts 36 to 39. The city is in ruins and the guardians are struggling to upkeep their power for the battle. A new scout makes it on to the scene but are they friend or foe? Earth is in more peril than it has ever been before, but will the sailor guardians be able to protect it, and everyone and everything on it? Later, a new ally is introduced but very little is known about them and they are shrouded in mystery.
After taking a break from the series, I finally got around to reading the volume I was looking forward to the most. Why was I most excited for #8? Two reasons: firstly, my favourite storyline from the TV show was introduced. Secondly, the colour scheme is the same as my favourite colour, so I just love looking at the gorgeous cover.
Sailor Neptune is our mascot for volume 8 in which we are given Acts 36 to 39. The city is in ruins and the guardians are struggling to upkeep their power for the battle. A new scout makes it on to the scene but are they friend or foe? Earth is in more peril than it has ever been before, but will the sailor guardians be able to protect it, and everyone and everything on it? Later, a new ally is introduced but very little is known about them and they are shrouded in mystery.
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The story line is becoming more original now than in previous volumes. It still has its repetitive moments, when all of the guardians suddenly lose their power, are captured, or on the verge of death, only to be saved by Sailor Moon. This predictable formula is not doing the series any favours and feels like a waste of such potential. It is fast paced and perhaps not entirely suited to manga for that reason, as it can be hard to follow, but it’s a fast, entertaining read on the whole.
The hazard to Earth was a bit surprising as it is not necessarily who you were led to believe it was. Having said that, it was again highly formulaic, with the henchmen working below their leader, whose sole aim was to take over the planet. There is a twist toward the end of the arch though that redeems it slightly, even if it was fairly obvious.
Usagi seems to have less and less substance to her character. Is she a teenage girl or a queen, and either way, why has her personality dissipated? She repeats everyone’s names constantly and has little else to say. The protagonist of the story is being outshone by everyone else, especially the little girl she was once so jealous of.
The hazard to Earth was a bit surprising as it is not necessarily who you were led to believe it was. Having said that, it was again highly formulaic, with the henchmen working below their leader, whose sole aim was to take over the planet. There is a twist toward the end of the arch though that redeems it slightly, even if it was fairly obvious.
Usagi seems to have less and less substance to her character. Is she a teenage girl or a queen, and either way, why has her personality dissipated? She repeats everyone’s names constantly and has little else to say. The protagonist of the story is being outshone by everyone else, especially the little girl she was once so jealous of.
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Chibi-Usa is gaining a larger role now that she has sailor powers and can be included in the fights, however she keeps befriending characters who have the potential to be extremely dangerous. She has a sweet and naïve nature most of the time, but she is clearly aware of the threat and does nothing about it. She seems to be on the verge of taking over the series from Usagi, who’s becoming boring and is a pretty useless character, aside from always seeming to somehow magically fix the problem at the end of the day. Speaking of which, for anyone who has read this, did a particular scene with Neo-Queen Serenity remind you of a certain scene from a Buffy the Vampire Slayer finale?
This manga series is very easy to pull to pieces. There are a lot of problems that are consistent in each book, but they’re a quick, fun, guilty read. Of course, it would be a quicker read if I didn’t have to keep stopping to decode some of the frames as I try to figure out what they are meant to be, and what exactly is happening, where and with whom. This hasn’t been my favourite volume but it finished on a cliff hanger that makes volume 9 look like it will be a lot of fun.
This manga series is very easy to pull to pieces. There are a lot of problems that are consistent in each book, but they’re a quick, fun, guilty read. Of course, it would be a quicker read if I didn’t have to keep stopping to decode some of the frames as I try to figure out what they are meant to be, and what exactly is happening, where and with whom. This hasn’t been my favourite volume but it finished on a cliff hanger that makes volume 9 look like it will be a lot of fun.
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