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美少女戦士セーラームーン [Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon] #2
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon – Livro 2
Usagi conseguiu reunir as três aliadas e frustrar os planos do Reino das Trevas, uma organização maligna que rouba a energia vital dos humanos com o objetivo de ressuscitar o seu grande soberano. Num ataque a Tóquio, surge a Sailor V, que revela ser a reencarnação da Princesa Serenidade do extinto Reino da Lua, e que as Sailors são as suas guardiãs! Mas será ela quem realmente diz ser?
Chegou a hora de as Sailors recuperarem as suas memórias para desvendarem os últimos mistérios e finalmente saberem se o belo Tuxedo Mask é ou não um inimigo perigoso…
Chegou a hora de as Sailors recuperarem as suas memórias para desvendarem os últimos mistérios e finalmente saberem se o belo Tuxedo Mask é ou não um inimigo perigoso…
244 pages, Paperback
First published September 22, 2003
About the author
Naoko Takeuchi
198 books2,154 followersNaoko 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 892 reviews
September 5, 2017
3.5 stars.
As the story gets more detailed and we finally get into a sort of plot I am really enjoying it a lot more! I still have major issues with Usagi and the art style but the story is really intriguing me now.
As the story gets more detailed and we finally get into a sort of plot I am really enjoying it a lot more! I still have major issues with Usagi and the art style but the story is really intriguing me now.
March 18, 2017
El drama y los feels que me causa esta historia. Me encanta el arte de Naoko, es hermoso y la manera es que está todo distribuido *-*
Espero que el próximo volumen salga pronto <3
También me dio ganas de ver Sailor Moon Crystal... ¿debería?
Espero que el próximo volumen salga pronto <3
También me dio ganas de ver Sailor Moon Crystal... ¿debería?
January 13, 2014
Another favorite shoujo and anime series is Sailor Moon. If you haven’t read this yet? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR IT’S LIKE THE BEST THING EVER. I’m slowly making my way through the new manga as they release them and let me just say that the colored pages are AMAZEBALLS. Also, SWEET NOSTALGIA. This was my face after I found out they were re-releasing the manga and rebooting the anime series:
August 26, 2017
Omg, the nostalgic feelings this brings me are to die for. I need to purchase the next ones and binge reread the rest
November 24, 2020
please tell me other people have a slight crush on tuxedo mask...
April 28, 2021
I know very little of the anime, as I avoided pretty much all Japanese cartoons before getting into Pokémon during the summer of 1999. Maybe I should check it out...though, if I do, it will definitely be the American version, for reasons that should be obvious if you know the kind of content the original anime has. (Let's speak no more of that.)
Still, I've had a blast with this manga; it's a fun fantasy/adventure with admirable heroes and heroines, not to mention despicable villains. I'm glad my local library has several volumes of this on the shelf.
Still, I've had a blast with this manga; it's a fun fantasy/adventure with admirable heroes and heroines, not to mention despicable villains. I'm glad my local library has several volumes of this on the shelf.
July 31, 2021
En este segundo tomo, ya con las cinco sailors unidas, se empieza a desvelar el misterio de donde vienen y quienes son el énemigo. Me ha gustado un pelín más que el primero, aunque lo sigo viendo un pelín apresurado.
April 23, 2019
A lot of what I said in my review of volume 1 still applies here, but I did feel like the second book was a tad more focused. It's still all very silly and campy, and the mythology that gets introduced here is verging on the ridiculous, but it all somehow works. The art in the second volume got a bit tighter without losing its dreamy, airy quality, and I really like it. Oh, and I gobbled the entire volume up in about half an hour without putting it down, so that also says something. I still can't say Sailor Moon is a great read, but it sure as hell is entertaining in a guilty pleasure kind of way.
December 7, 2018
4.5 stars
This was a very strong sequel where lots of things started to happen. I was delighted by the reveals too and can’t wait to continue with the series.
Once again the artwork and attention to detail was wonderful, although at times, I did get confused between Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus because they look incredibly similar!
RTC
This was a very strong sequel where lots of things started to happen. I was delighted by the reveals too and can’t wait to continue with the series.
Once again the artwork and attention to detail was wonderful, although at times, I did get confused between Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus because they look incredibly similar!
RTC
May 29, 2020
I am so glad I am re-reading this series, it is a fantastic series. In this one we finally have memories being unlocked (and I still found it hilarious no one thought Sailor V was part of their group and I found it even more hilarious that they thought she was the princess due to what Artemis said). We go to the moon. And oh lord, I cried quite a few times during this book. How everything ended for the Moon Kingdom, and how things seem to repeat again. The villains were awesome, but very very evil. I did feel sorry for the four soldiers and their memories.
I loved seeing Usagi turn to princess, though that moment was ruined when Mamo was kidnapped right before her eyes. Poor Usagi. She is finally finding out all about everything in her previous life and what she is now, and then this happens. I do like that she is a bit more mature at times. Yes, she is still a klutz, but she does show she can be mature and a leader. I cannot wait for the next volume, though I am also worried as I know that Chibi-Usa (the worst character in the franchise) pops up. :|
I loved seeing Usagi turn to princess, though that moment was ruined when Mamo was kidnapped right before her eyes. Poor Usagi. She is finally finding out all about everything in her previous life and what she is now, and then this happens. I do like that she is a bit more mature at times. Yes, she is still a klutz, but she does show she can be mature and a leader. I cannot wait for the next volume, though I am also worried as I know that Chibi-Usa (the worst character in the franchise) pops up. :|
March 19, 2024
Awesome book. The cover looks very pretty. I love the illustrations
February 21, 2018
Man, I love reading through these so much. I missed these characters more than I remembered!! I want to just keep reading these, I’m loving this.
June 23, 2017
¡OMG! ESTE FUE MIL MILLONES DE VECES MEJOR QUE EL ANTERIOR *O*
(btw, estoy por terminar la tercera temporada del anime de los 90 y ya soy fan de la vida)
(btw, estoy por terminar la tercera temporada del anime de los 90 y ya soy fan de la vida)
February 22, 2018
Sailor Moon Vol. 2 continues right from the ending of volume 1. The dark kingdom is relentless in their search for the silver crystal and energy to resurrect the dark queen. Not only that, but they’ve taken a hold of Tuxedo Mask’s mind and are using him against Sailor Moon!
How rude.
The love Usagi has for Chiba is so swoon worthy. Even as a kid I knew I wanted a love like theirs. It brings me to tears just thinking they might not be together (even though I know how it ends HA).
I know the third volume is going to be explosive with the finale of the first story arc. I want the scouts to bust out and use their powers to dominate. I feel like that’s the one big difference from the anime. In the manga they don’t seem so cool and powerful, but in the anime they kick-ass and unapologetic about it. I just hope they get explored more!
I highly recommend if you are a huge fan of Sailor Moon like I am, to read the original manga. You won’t regret it.
How rude.
The love Usagi has for Chiba is so swoon worthy. Even as a kid I knew I wanted a love like theirs. It brings me to tears just thinking they might not be together (even though I know how it ends HA).
I know the third volume is going to be explosive with the finale of the first story arc. I want the scouts to bust out and use their powers to dominate. I feel like that’s the one big difference from the anime. In the manga they don’t seem so cool and powerful, but in the anime they kick-ass and unapologetic about it. I just hope they get explored more!
I highly recommend if you are a huge fan of Sailor Moon like I am, to read the original manga. You won’t regret it.
July 23, 2024
Der Band war viel besser als der erste, mehr Erklärung, mehr Drama, mehr Emotion. Mochte ich. Und der Zeichenstil ist einfach toll!
December 28, 2016
How can it end there?! I need to know what happens next. It's interesting because some of this I watched in the dubbed anime but some is completely new (like most of this volume).
August 23, 2018
5/5 estrellas.
QUÉ MARAVILLA. Definitivamente la historia se va desenvolviendo de una manera muy fluida y atrapante, sumándole que el diseño de personajes de Naoko Takeuchi me tiene re idiota 💖
PD: CADA VEZ SON MÁS EVIDENTES TODOS LOS GUIÑOS Y SIMILITUDES QUE APARECEN EN CRÓNICAS LUNARES, ESO ME TRAE RE LOCAAA 😍💖
Estoy enamorada. Ya me perdieron.
QUÉ MARAVILLA. Definitivamente la historia se va desenvolviendo de una manera muy fluida y atrapante, sumándole que el diseño de personajes de Naoko Takeuchi me tiene re idiota 💖
PD: CADA VEZ SON MÁS EVIDENTES TODOS LOS GUIÑOS Y SIMILITUDES QUE APARECEN EN CRÓNICAS LUNARES, ESO ME TRAE RE LOCAAA 😍💖
Estoy enamorada. Ya me perdieron.
September 2, 2026
2026 REREAD:
WELCOME TO SEPTEMBER MOON!
Where I (re)read a 'Sailor Moon' manga volume a day.
In the name of the Moon (and the Silver Millennium, and the "Mare Serenitatis" or "Sea of Serenity"), let's do this!
My refreshed and renewed thoughts on 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2' are as follows:
The plot thickens, and develops to a tremendous climax. The stakes are astronomically high, and things are darker, and more dire and dangerous than ever, and it is sad, bittersweet, yet beautiful, with the wonders of the moon, the cosmos and the known universe, and the inner lives and friendships formed between Sailor Moon and her Guardians. They are loyal and devoted to one another, past lives influence or not. Female friendships are their own magic, rivalling and defying the Big Bang.
It is not all about Usagi pining for Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru; finding out the truth about the Moon Kingdom/Silver Millennium and her past life, and finding out more about herself and who she really is - a normal teenage girl? Sailor Moon? A champion of love and justice? The Moon Princess Serenity, heir to the destroyed Silver Millennium and inheritor of the '"Legendary Silver Crystal"? - and protecting the "Legendary Silver Crystal" (it's always said in quotations), these take priority. It's an identity crisis and a universe-saving crisis.
The part where a concerned Sailor Jupiter/Makoto pats a grieving and depressed Usagi on the head, just before the Sailor Guardians transport to the moon, and the ruins of Silver Millennium, is another understated moment that's so human and loving. They are true friends.
The number of times "Legendary Silver Crystal" is said in this arc could rival the number of times "Carol Anne" is said in 'Poltergeist III'. I know it's a very important MacGuffin, but the repetition of its name in quotation marks is almost comical.
So Sailor V and Artemis were behind the Sailor V arcade game, and the formation of the command center - literally behind it, as in, the center is hidden behind the game - the whole time, and Luna just... stumbled upon it? Or she knew it was secretly training the Guardians, but nothing else about it? It seems pretty mean that Sailor Venus/Minako and Artemis kept her in the dark, even blocking her memories, no matter the reasons, before the identity of the Moon Princess is revealed, and she is "awakened".
Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite, the minions of Queen Beryl of the Dark Kingdom, are called the Earth's "Four Kings of Heaven", and they were Earth Prince Endymion/Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask's guards in a past life, like the Sailor Guardians were Princess Serenity/Usagi/Sailor Moon's guards in said past life. They were eventually reborn like the Sailors, and the prince and the princess, on Earth, but were seduced by Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia (the big bad "great ruler") before they could remember and fulfil their true destinies. When the four of them die again, their namesake stones remain, and Mamoru, brainwashed by Beryl, takes them. What significance do the stones hold? Do they possess power? Energy? The souls of the Earth Prince's Four Kings of Heaven?
The masks are off now, literally and figuratively.
The moment where Usagi hugs and cuddles Luna one morning at home, and tells her she loves her as reassurance, gets me every time. Poor Luna needs to know she is appreciated for all her hard work and (deliberately) limited resources. She receives poignant character development in this volume. And at the end, the depressed and confused Usagi finds the courage and resolve to fight as Sailor Moon again when Luna is hurt by the enemy - I'd forgotten how many touching and meaningful moments are in the 'Sailor Moon' manga.
The Sailor Guardians' trip to the moon, to the truth of their past lives, is treated with the prep, tension, gravitas, awe and reverence it deserves. So is meeting the computerised ghost, or "memory" and "will", of Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity's mother. Very sad and tragic.
Wait, the prehistoric Silver Millennium had computers!? The "Eternity Main System in the Moon Castle", what?!
Is the sword in the stone on the moon, that ends up with Sailor Venus, the same sword that Princess Serenity used to kill herself in the ancient moon's past? Or it's "a sacred, legendary sword to protect the princess... that she used to take her own life"? Or was it originally Prince Endymion's? It's not clear yet.
Can the Sailor Guardians fly? They totally fly here, and hover beside buildings, even individually, and not so apparently in a protective magic moon circle. Why is this never acknowledged, let alone remarked upon?!
Makoto is such a great friend to Usagi. An example of this, besides the one I've already given above, is when Usagi falls asleep during an important meeting, and the big sister Sailor Guardian says, "There's also her worries about Tuxedo Mask. She also met her mother in a previous life, the queen... she's got a lot going on. I'll bet she's just exhausted from the stress." It's a pity that Makoto is easily hypnotized by evil - twice in this arc.
Rei's crows, Phobos and Deimos, have a presence still. I remember their significance well.
Artemis is barely a character yet, compared to Luna.
More buildup and time needed to be spent on the introduction of Sailor Venus's identity as ordinary schoolgirl Minako. Let's actually see her at Usagi's school, at least. I like her as the assured and serious Sailor Venus, and as the goofy, happy-go-lucky Minako. It's unexpected and cool, in the grand scheme of things, especially to people who have not read 'Codename Sailor V'. Complex, multilayered heroines abound in 'Sailor Moon'.
Sailor Moon steals a kiss from Tuxedo Mask, as a warrior trying to tell him to get away from a battle. It's their first kiss! And it's her protecting him, for once, as she rushes into a fight. How did I forget that?
I guess Sailor Moon's Moon Stick ("Crescent Moon Wand" sounds better, tbh) is powered by the "Legendary Silver Crystal", too...? And the part about the 'Legendary Silver Crystal''s light/power being absorbed into Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru's body will come back, too...?
Will Mamoru having Usagi's handkerchief, as she has his pocket watch, ever come back...?
Another nice, understated touch is when Usagi's dad makes a chain for the "Legendary Silver Crystal", so Usagi can use it as a pendant to wear around her neck (he thinks it's a gift from someone she's in love with, which isn't wrong). Family is important to Usagi as well, and the manga shows her parents' love and concern for their growing, changing daughter.
Beryl calls herself "Princess Beryl" on the second-to-last page of the volume - right before calling herself "Queen of the Dark Kingdom". Is this a translation error? I know there are plenty of those in this edition, and typos.
That's all for now.
Next up, volume 3.
Happy September Moon!
Final Score: 4.5/5
Original Review:
I'm finally doing it. I'm reviewing each of the 'Sailor Moon' manga volumes. Bit by bit I'll talk about a Magical Girl series so dear to my heart. A girl power series I love so much - out of nostalgia and current analysis, because despite what's on the surface, Naoko Takeuchi's popular manga is deeper and more meaningful, touching, complex and dramatic than one might expect.
And the second volume is where things really get good.
Gone are a lot of the silly quirks (though there are still a few funny, heartfelt moments), and the repetitive monster-of-the-week formula. The plot gets going, and quick.
Rundown: Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba know each other's secret identities, and their relationship develops sweetly and beautifully from there, with no more secrets (Seriously, their love is swoon-worthy and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Even Tuxedo Mask is more tolerable to me as he develops). Like Mamoru, Usagi has an identity crisis. Who is she really - Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice? An ordinary, clumsy, sensitive schoolkid? Princess Serenity, the heir to the fallen Moon Kingdom? That's an awful lot of pressure to put on a fourteen-year-old. So yeah, to the surprise of no one Sailor Moon is revealed to be the missing Moon Princess (I know, shocker), and Tuxedo Mask her lover, Prince Endymion. Sailor V makes her grand debut outside of her own series, first acting as a decoy Moon Princess, and serving as a headstrong leader to the rest of the Sailor Guardians. Unlike the Sailors Mercury, Mars and Jupiter, Venus is already aware of her duty to protect the reincarnated Princess Serenity, plus the most powerful MacGuffin in the universe, the Legendary Silver Crystal, which the Dark Kingdom is desperate to find and take control of. But upon this discovery (it is explained throughout why it was kept from everyone beforehand, along with other important plot details), Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask is kidnapped and brainwashed by evil (the first of many times this happens in the series, it becomes funny). A bereaved Usagi/Sailor Moon is helped out of her depression by her friends the Sailor Warriors and Luna and Artemis. Then they are transported into space and onto the moon, where the Moon Kingdom - the Silver Millennium - once stood, and is now in ruins. A holo-Queen Serenity - activated by Sailor Venus pulling a sword from a stone - exposits all. The history of the Silver Millennium, its place in purging all evil on Earth while remaining distant from it, and our heroes' past lives - mainly Princess Serenity's and Prince Endymion's star-crossed love - and how they were met by war, are explained. Including the Moon Kingdom's destruction at the hands of Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. Queen Serenity tells everyone their destiny; specifically that Sailor Moon must use the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal to defeat the Dark kingdom once and for all. But it will only work from within her heart, where her hope lies. Oh, and Beryl's four male minions are revealed to have been Endymion's guards in their past lives. Nice parallels abound.
That's the gist of it.
There's no messing around here. Stakes are high; not a single page in this volume is boring or feels drawn-out. The structure, the character development, the emotion, the action, the gorgeous artwork, are all solid.
The story, and explaining of plot points, is rather cleverer than this magical girl gloss needed to be - even the moments of info-dump I can forgive due to the steady pacing, character interactions and pretty art. I give credit to Takeuchi-san for putting in that amount of effort.
The characters' personalities shine through stronger than in the previous volume. Usagi may act like a useless, overly-emotional wallflower for most of the time - like her past self, pining over Mamoru/Endymion - but with strong support from her friends, she will always try to do the right thing, without resorting to thoughtless violence. At only fourteen, she isn't perfect, nor is she ever expected to be. Sailor Moon's curiosity and amazing capacity to love and believe anything is possible in the face of danger are other overlooked attributes to her character arc. This only grows - there is no zenith - the more the series progresses; the more reason to love her.
Even Usagi's parents and friend Naru get their own little moments, such as them noticing that young Usagi is changing; and this might be a sign she is growing up - not into a warrior or queen, which they don't suspect, but a more mature person all around.
Minako Aino/Sailor Venus is a tough, resourceful and serious leader, but in her civilian form she still retains some aspects of her old fun-loving, light-hearted and even clumsy self.
I'll talk about the other Sailor characters more in future reviews when I feel they each get their breakout moments to shine. But at this stage in the game, they're still great. Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako differ in personality, but a common thing they share is their unwavering friendship and trust in Sailor Moon, and in each other. They consistently try to be there for one another; and it doesn’t seem like it’s merely because it’s their destiny as guardians to do so. Romantic love is not the sole focus - how very noble, touching and progressive! It's one of the reasons I rate the 'Sailor Moon' manga over the anime, the latter of which has Sailor Moon not bond very well with the other Sailors - they are not together that often, and when they do team up they bicker a lot. Not only is it annoying, it makes their friendship feel a little forced. Probably this is so Sailor Moon can be saved by the not-that-dashing Tuxedo Mask some more.
There are loving moments and there are scary moments. 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2' is a great read overall. Stay tuned for reviews of further volumes!
Final Score: 5/5
P.S. At the end, Queen Beryl introduces herself as “Princess Beryl” to the Sailor Warriors, right before saying she’s the QUEEN of the Dark Kingdom. Uhhh...
WELCOME TO SEPTEMBER MOON!
Where I (re)read a 'Sailor Moon' manga volume a day.
In the name of the Moon (and the Silver Millennium, and the "Mare Serenitatis" or "Sea of Serenity"), let's do this!
My refreshed and renewed thoughts on 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2' are as follows:
The plot thickens, and develops to a tremendous climax. The stakes are astronomically high, and things are darker, and more dire and dangerous than ever, and it is sad, bittersweet, yet beautiful, with the wonders of the moon, the cosmos and the known universe, and the inner lives and friendships formed between Sailor Moon and her Guardians. They are loyal and devoted to one another, past lives influence or not. Female friendships are their own magic, rivalling and defying the Big Bang.
It is not all about Usagi pining for Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru; finding out the truth about the Moon Kingdom/Silver Millennium and her past life, and finding out more about herself and who she really is - a normal teenage girl? Sailor Moon? A champion of love and justice? The Moon Princess Serenity, heir to the destroyed Silver Millennium and inheritor of the '"Legendary Silver Crystal"? - and protecting the "Legendary Silver Crystal" (it's always said in quotations), these take priority. It's an identity crisis and a universe-saving crisis.
The part where a concerned Sailor Jupiter/Makoto pats a grieving and depressed Usagi on the head, just before the Sailor Guardians transport to the moon, and the ruins of Silver Millennium, is another understated moment that's so human and loving. They are true friends.
The number of times "Legendary Silver Crystal" is said in this arc could rival the number of times "Carol Anne" is said in 'Poltergeist III'. I know it's a very important MacGuffin, but the repetition of its name in quotation marks is almost comical.
So Sailor V and Artemis were behind the Sailor V arcade game, and the formation of the command center - literally behind it, as in, the center is hidden behind the game - the whole time, and Luna just... stumbled upon it? Or she knew it was secretly training the Guardians, but nothing else about it? It seems pretty mean that Sailor Venus/Minako and Artemis kept her in the dark, even blocking her memories, no matter the reasons, before the identity of the Moon Princess is revealed, and she is "awakened".
Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite, the minions of Queen Beryl of the Dark Kingdom, are called the Earth's "Four Kings of Heaven", and they were Earth Prince Endymion/Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask's guards in a past life, like the Sailor Guardians were Princess Serenity/Usagi/Sailor Moon's guards in said past life. They were eventually reborn like the Sailors, and the prince and the princess, on Earth, but were seduced by Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia (the big bad "great ruler") before they could remember and fulfil their true destinies. When the four of them die again, their namesake stones remain, and Mamoru, brainwashed by Beryl, takes them. What significance do the stones hold? Do they possess power? Energy? The souls of the Earth Prince's Four Kings of Heaven?
The masks are off now, literally and figuratively.
The moment where Usagi hugs and cuddles Luna one morning at home, and tells her she loves her as reassurance, gets me every time. Poor Luna needs to know she is appreciated for all her hard work and (deliberately) limited resources. She receives poignant character development in this volume. And at the end, the depressed and confused Usagi finds the courage and resolve to fight as Sailor Moon again when Luna is hurt by the enemy - I'd forgotten how many touching and meaningful moments are in the 'Sailor Moon' manga.
The Sailor Guardians' trip to the moon, to the truth of their past lives, is treated with the prep, tension, gravitas, awe and reverence it deserves. So is meeting the computerised ghost, or "memory" and "will", of Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity's mother. Very sad and tragic.
Wait, the prehistoric Silver Millennium had computers!? The "Eternity Main System in the Moon Castle", what?!
Is the sword in the stone on the moon, that ends up with Sailor Venus, the same sword that Princess Serenity used to kill herself in the ancient moon's past? Or it's "a sacred, legendary sword to protect the princess... that she used to take her own life"? Or was it originally Prince Endymion's? It's not clear yet.
Can the Sailor Guardians fly? They totally fly here, and hover beside buildings, even individually, and not so apparently in a protective magic moon circle. Why is this never acknowledged, let alone remarked upon?!
Makoto is such a great friend to Usagi. An example of this, besides the one I've already given above, is when Usagi falls asleep during an important meeting, and the big sister Sailor Guardian says, "There's also her worries about Tuxedo Mask. She also met her mother in a previous life, the queen... she's got a lot going on. I'll bet she's just exhausted from the stress." It's a pity that Makoto is easily hypnotized by evil - twice in this arc.
Rei's crows, Phobos and Deimos, have a presence still. I remember their significance well.
Artemis is barely a character yet, compared to Luna.
More buildup and time needed to be spent on the introduction of Sailor Venus's identity as ordinary schoolgirl Minako. Let's actually see her at Usagi's school, at least. I like her as the assured and serious Sailor Venus, and as the goofy, happy-go-lucky Minako. It's unexpected and cool, in the grand scheme of things, especially to people who have not read 'Codename Sailor V'. Complex, multilayered heroines abound in 'Sailor Moon'.
Sailor Moon steals a kiss from Tuxedo Mask, as a warrior trying to tell him to get away from a battle. It's their first kiss! And it's her protecting him, for once, as she rushes into a fight. How did I forget that?
I guess Sailor Moon's Moon Stick ("Crescent Moon Wand" sounds better, tbh) is powered by the "Legendary Silver Crystal", too...? And the part about the 'Legendary Silver Crystal''s light/power being absorbed into Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru's body will come back, too...?
Will Mamoru having Usagi's handkerchief, as she has his pocket watch, ever come back...?
Another nice, understated touch is when Usagi's dad makes a chain for the "Legendary Silver Crystal", so Usagi can use it as a pendant to wear around her neck (he thinks it's a gift from someone she's in love with, which isn't wrong). Family is important to Usagi as well, and the manga shows her parents' love and concern for their growing, changing daughter.
Beryl calls herself "Princess Beryl" on the second-to-last page of the volume - right before calling herself "Queen of the Dark Kingdom". Is this a translation error? I know there are plenty of those in this edition, and typos.
That's all for now.
Next up, volume 3.
Happy September Moon!
Final Score: 4.5/5
Original Review:
I'm finally doing it. I'm reviewing each of the 'Sailor Moon' manga volumes. Bit by bit I'll talk about a Magical Girl series so dear to my heart. A girl power series I love so much - out of nostalgia and current analysis, because despite what's on the surface, Naoko Takeuchi's popular manga is deeper and more meaningful, touching, complex and dramatic than one might expect.
And the second volume is where things really get good.
Gone are a lot of the silly quirks (though there are still a few funny, heartfelt moments), and the repetitive monster-of-the-week formula. The plot gets going, and quick.
Rundown: Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba know each other's secret identities, and their relationship develops sweetly and beautifully from there, with no more secrets (Seriously, their love is swoon-worthy and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Even Tuxedo Mask is more tolerable to me as he develops). Like Mamoru, Usagi has an identity crisis. Who is she really - Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice? An ordinary, clumsy, sensitive schoolkid? Princess Serenity, the heir to the fallen Moon Kingdom? That's an awful lot of pressure to put on a fourteen-year-old. So yeah, to the surprise of no one Sailor Moon is revealed to be the missing Moon Princess (I know, shocker), and Tuxedo Mask her lover, Prince Endymion. Sailor V makes her grand debut outside of her own series, first acting as a decoy Moon Princess, and serving as a headstrong leader to the rest of the Sailor Guardians. Unlike the Sailors Mercury, Mars and Jupiter, Venus is already aware of her duty to protect the reincarnated Princess Serenity, plus the most powerful MacGuffin in the universe, the Legendary Silver Crystal, which the Dark Kingdom is desperate to find and take control of. But upon this discovery (it is explained throughout why it was kept from everyone beforehand, along with other important plot details), Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask is kidnapped and brainwashed by evil (the first of many times this happens in the series, it becomes funny). A bereaved Usagi/Sailor Moon is helped out of her depression by her friends the Sailor Warriors and Luna and Artemis. Then they are transported into space and onto the moon, where the Moon Kingdom - the Silver Millennium - once stood, and is now in ruins. A holo-Queen Serenity - activated by Sailor Venus pulling a sword from a stone - exposits all. The history of the Silver Millennium, its place in purging all evil on Earth while remaining distant from it, and our heroes' past lives - mainly Princess Serenity's and Prince Endymion's star-crossed love - and how they were met by war, are explained. Including the Moon Kingdom's destruction at the hands of Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. Queen Serenity tells everyone their destiny; specifically that Sailor Moon must use the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal to defeat the Dark kingdom once and for all. But it will only work from within her heart, where her hope lies. Oh, and Beryl's four male minions are revealed to have been Endymion's guards in their past lives. Nice parallels abound.
That's the gist of it.
There's no messing around here. Stakes are high; not a single page in this volume is boring or feels drawn-out. The structure, the character development, the emotion, the action, the gorgeous artwork, are all solid.
The story, and explaining of plot points, is rather cleverer than this magical girl gloss needed to be - even the moments of info-dump I can forgive due to the steady pacing, character interactions and pretty art. I give credit to Takeuchi-san for putting in that amount of effort.
The characters' personalities shine through stronger than in the previous volume. Usagi may act like a useless, overly-emotional wallflower for most of the time - like her past self, pining over Mamoru/Endymion - but with strong support from her friends, she will always try to do the right thing, without resorting to thoughtless violence. At only fourteen, she isn't perfect, nor is she ever expected to be. Sailor Moon's curiosity and amazing capacity to love and believe anything is possible in the face of danger are other overlooked attributes to her character arc. This only grows - there is no zenith - the more the series progresses; the more reason to love her.
Even Usagi's parents and friend Naru get their own little moments, such as them noticing that young Usagi is changing; and this might be a sign she is growing up - not into a warrior or queen, which they don't suspect, but a more mature person all around.
Minako Aino/Sailor Venus is a tough, resourceful and serious leader, but in her civilian form she still retains some aspects of her old fun-loving, light-hearted and even clumsy self.
I'll talk about the other Sailor characters more in future reviews when I feel they each get their breakout moments to shine. But at this stage in the game, they're still great. Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako differ in personality, but a common thing they share is their unwavering friendship and trust in Sailor Moon, and in each other. They consistently try to be there for one another; and it doesn’t seem like it’s merely because it’s their destiny as guardians to do so. Romantic love is not the sole focus - how very noble, touching and progressive! It's one of the reasons I rate the 'Sailor Moon' manga over the anime, the latter of which has Sailor Moon not bond very well with the other Sailors - they are not together that often, and when they do team up they bicker a lot. Not only is it annoying, it makes their friendship feel a little forced. Probably this is so Sailor Moon can be saved by the not-that-dashing Tuxedo Mask some more.
There are loving moments and there are scary moments. 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2' is a great read overall. Stay tuned for reviews of further volumes!
Final Score: 5/5
P.S. At the end, Queen Beryl introduces herself as “Princess Beryl” to the Sailor Warriors, right before saying she’s the QUEEN of the Dark Kingdom. Uhhh...
June 2, 2022
Me dejó más confundida de lo que ya estaba, pasa todo demasiado rápido, y aún no termino de acostumbrarme a los nombres de los personajes 😅😅, ya que en mi mente sigo con el chip del anime.
Voy a soltar spoilers por que a estas alturas no creo que alguien lea primero la novela, a la caricatura, así que lean bajo su propio riesgo por que no pienso volver a hacer avisos.
Ahora resulta que los generales de los 4 cielos eran buenos y los mata su lider justo cuando es encontrado La Princesa de la Luna y El Cristal de Plata.
Sailor V y esto no lo recuerdo, intenta hacerse pasar por Serenity y Luna lo sabía y no dice nada, estoy indignada.
Voy a soltar spoilers por que a estas alturas no creo que alguien lea primero la novela, a la caricatura, así que lean bajo su propio riesgo por que no pienso volver a hacer avisos.
Ahora resulta que los generales de los 4 cielos eran buenos y los mata su lider justo cuando es encontrado La Princesa de la Luna y El Cristal de Plata.
Sailor V y esto no lo recuerdo, intenta hacerse pasar por Serenity y Luna lo sabía y no dice nada, estoy indignada.
August 16, 2026
assim de repente aconteceu tudo ao mesmo tempo socorro
March 22, 2017
One of the cool things about the manga and anime boom twenty years ago is that publishers are putting out nicer editions of the most popular material today to feed '90s kids' nostalgia.
The Sailor Moon manga doesn't stand 100% on its own, in my opinion. From the beginning the manga story, serialized monthly in Nakayoshi, was set up as a companion piece for the anime which was aired in Japan at the same time, and much of the story here feels rushed. In these first couple volumes, we're introduced to each of the five Guardians, we're shown a bit of the moon civilization in the past, then off we go to the final battle of the first story arc.
This isn't to downplay the good things about the manga. The story is easy to follow (if more than a bit nonsensical*), the characters are cute and charming, it's girly as heck if you're in the mood for that kind of thing, and the dramatic moments have a surprising amount of emotional impact. Naoko Takeuchi's art has a lot of heart and character, and while I don't think that she's an artistic/technical powerhouse, the lack of over-commercial gloss is a benefit here.
*schooldays shenanigans and universe-wrenching conflict within panels of each other, a maiden's tear turning into a super-powerful mystical gem, instantaneous travel between dimensions or even planets? Just roll with it!
Recommended whether you were a kid in the '90s or not. It's so sparkly and fun.
The Sailor Moon manga doesn't stand 100% on its own, in my opinion. From the beginning the manga story, serialized monthly in Nakayoshi, was set up as a companion piece for the anime which was aired in Japan at the same time, and much of the story here feels rushed. In these first couple volumes, we're introduced to each of the five Guardians, we're shown a bit of the moon civilization in the past, then off we go to the final battle of the first story arc.
This isn't to downplay the good things about the manga. The story is easy to follow (if more than a bit nonsensical*), the characters are cute and charming, it's girly as heck if you're in the mood for that kind of thing, and the dramatic moments have a surprising amount of emotional impact. Naoko Takeuchi's art has a lot of heart and character, and while I don't think that she's an artistic/technical powerhouse, the lack of over-commercial gloss is a benefit here.
*schooldays shenanigans and universe-wrenching conflict within panels of each other, a maiden's tear turning into a super-powerful mystical gem, instantaneous travel between dimensions or even planets? Just roll with it!
Recommended whether you were a kid in the '90s or not. It's so sparkly and fun.
January 27, 2021
This is so good!! I need to start the next one ASAP!!
January 4, 2022
Okey but this was soo much better than the first volym. The plot twist and THE DRAMA..
February 20, 2026
Volume 2 is out and I've read it!!! The main group is all together now!!!
This book introduces Minako, which was so good!!! I didn't remember how we got from where we meet her to the truth... so that revelation was excellent!!! And I struggled a lot as a kid that I shared her name, Joana, and I could not identify with her any less, but now as an adult I'm curious to get to know her again, to see her cocky and superior personality, with feeling like the most beautiful person!!!
I also really like how this one expands the world, and we're learning where they come from and what's the goal for them in their life and story... and you have this merging of their young teen lives and their roles as Sailors, and how that impacts their lives...
This book is more grown up, you have less time for silliness and it's also less of an episodic story, instead it's all a big arc!!! Overall it was still excellent!!!
This book introduces Minako, which was so good!!! I didn't remember how we got from where we meet her to the truth... so that revelation was excellent!!! And I struggled a lot as a kid that I shared her name, Joana, and I could not identify with her any less, but now as an adult I'm curious to get to know her again, to see her cocky and superior personality, with feeling like the most beautiful person!!!
I also really like how this one expands the world, and we're learning where they come from and what's the goal for them in their life and story... and you have this merging of their young teen lives and their roles as Sailors, and how that impacts their lives...
This book is more grown up, you have less time for silliness and it's also less of an episodic story, instead it's all a big arc!!! Overall it was still excellent!!!
August 22, 2025
The author’s note at the end shocked me and that’s why this gets a 5. Those 2 pages really say a lot 😅
July 11, 2017
No puede terminar asiiiiiiii... mañana me compro el que sigue!
Read
July 15, 2025✨ nostalgia ✨
October 7, 2025
This 4-star review is carried by childhood nostalgia and my eternal love for magical girls
Also why did I not remember Tuxedo Mask getting revealed so early on?? And so many other things that I was certain happened a lot later??
Also why did I not remember Tuxedo Mask getting revealed so early on?? And so many other things that I was certain happened a lot later??
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