Final Thoughts on PGSM

[ladybug_archive]

Well, I still have Act 0 to watch, but eh, I'd say that's good enough to write up my thoughts. I'll just say above the cut that No, in the end I don't prefer PGSM over the anime after all.


Everything was seeming so good, and yet towards the end it all started feeling so rushed. The emotions Mars expressed in Act 47 were beautiful and heart-wrenching (and gave me a KH plunnie), but the episode was so vague. Why did Minako die? Did she have the surgery and it failed? Did she arrive for the exam and suddenly have a terrible spell and they realized that she was too far gone to attempt surgery? Why?! There was no explanation.

Nephrite turning up as a normal human after being stabbed. Again, why? And why did he stay dead after the planet was restored at the end? We never got to see him getting a thank you present for Ami! That pairing was starting to look so cute! I had never believed in it before I saw the show, because I thought people were basing it only on the five seconds of interaction between him and Dark Mercury. But when I saw the scenes of them interacting later on, it was so squee!

And the ending. Okay, so Usagi's past self keeps possessing her and wants to destroy the world if Mamoru/Endymion dies. That's intriguing and intense and I have no problem with that.

The world actually being destroyed before Usagi is able to take control and reverse it with the Silver Crystal? I do have a problem with that. Why couldn't the destruction be growing worse with everything shaking and Usagi trying to break free and panicking? They had a couple scenes with her talking to the Princess in her mind, so why didn't they do it again for the ending? Why didn't she take control and be panicked wondering what to do, and then Mamoru could come and tell her to use the Silver Crystal for good? I've never been crazy about reversing time/the situation after it's all said and done. It seems so hand-wavy.

Also, with all the emotion in 47, I didn't like how Minako was suddenly restored at the end, apparently whole and fine, and that was never really noticed. They all had a wonderful reunion with Usagi at the end, but since they were all remembering stuff then, they should have also remembered that Minako had been dead and have had the same kind of joyous reunion with her specifically.

But I think if they'd left it open for more at the end, I could even accept the way they handled the resolution. Instead, the special act makes it very clear that there wasn't anymore; shortly after the last battle they must have started going their separate ways. And don't get me started on Ami being a doctor at 18/19! WTH? Would that even be possible with a real-life prodigy? Being a doctor requires so much more extra schooling and training than some occupations.

Seriously, though, I think the fact that in the anime/manga you always knew the girls would be together as the Senshi really comforted me. A set of friends who won't be drifting too far from each other because of other things getting in the way? That's so wonderful. I loved the concept that they would always be needed and that even in the far distant future, they would be together. The fact that PGSM took that away honestly depresses me. And it kind of colors my whole view of the show. I think about most scenes and then the thought comes, "But it was all leading up to *that.*"

Also, it was really crummy that Mars didn't even get to join in with everyone in the battle in the special act! Why did they have her get injured early on so she wasn't there for the rest? Did the actress have time constraints? If that wasn't the reason, then they shouldn't have done it like that.

... I guess, though, if I really wanted to, I could pretend the special act doesn't exist. XD; I imagine that's what PGSM fanfic writers do when they want to write PGSM versions of other seasons? If it wasn't for the special act, I'd still be a little dissatisfied, but not downright disappointed and depressed by the way it ended.

The show, overall, is wonderful. The characters are amazing and well-rounded and the story is very interesting and creative. And I've gotta say, I love how Mars and Venus's friendship seems like KH Cloud and Seph. XD; With Venus using tough love to teach Mars and whatnot. But I guess in the end, the anime is still my favorite. I'm going to watch the two-parter that ended the first season anime now.

Comments

[amanechan.livejournal.com]

That all does sound like it would be disappointing. ._.; That really sucks, when something's great till you get to the ending.

Eeeeyeah, even if you were a crazy genius I don't think you could be a doctor at 18/19, at least not a successful one unless maybe you're Franziska von Karma *shot*.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeeep. XD; I hate when that happens. **now watching the anime and greatly enjoying it.**

LOL! Oh yeah. Phoenix Wright games throw logic out the window sometimes. Franziska a prosecutor at 13?!

[dai-atlas.livejournal.com]

Is PGSM that live-action Sailor Moon series? It sounds really weird. O_o

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's the live-action. It's actually really good ... but the ending and more especially the special act leave a lot to be desired, at least for me. XD;

[fs-playground.livejournal.com]

I tried to watch PGSM because of Dag's and your reviews, but I just couldn't force myself to watch it: the bad actors, stupid costumes (the sailor costumes look even more ridiculous on real actors), and ugliness of it scared me away. I found Mamoru more interesting than in the anime, though, when I watched a scene with him and Usagi on Youtube. He is more mischievous than the anime Mamoru.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

I thought the acting and costumes were fine, though the Youma and the Generals' wigs were ridiculous. XD I don't think I'd describe the series as "ugly", either. I'm curious as to why you'd actually refer to it as such. Unless you mean because of the Princess flipping and destroying everything. I originally thought the Silver Crystal reacted to her feelings and destroyed everything without her being able to help it, at least the first time. But from things she said later, I became unsure.

Mamoru was definitely more interesting than in the anime. XD He amused me, and I loved seeing how his and Usagi's relationship developed.

[fs-playground.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean that there is anything ugly in the plot (I didn't watch enough of it to say anything about the plot). But the ugly wigs scared me away. The sailors looked ridiculous to me, just as Tuxedo Mask (although he looks ridiculous in the anime, too). The sailor's long hair and short sailor skirts only look cute in the anime. I guess I couldn't stand seeing them on real people. XD (It's like Gin in the DC drama. I love his hair in the manga, but hate the long wig on the actor. *shudders)

I didn't like the acting in PGSM because there were no nuances. The actresses playing the Sailors tried to look childish and cute without being convincing. Everything was overdone for my taste. Usagi's facial expressions and smiles seemed extremely faked and artificial to me. I agree that Mamoru was much better than in the anime, though. He was even amusing (which anime-Mamoru seldom was).

[dagronrat.livejournal.com]

"Why did Minako die? Did she have the surgery and it failed? Did she arrive for the exam and suddenly have a terrible spell and they realized that she was too far gone to attempt surgery? Why?! There was no explanation."
The way I understood it, she did have the surgery and it failed, which is part of why Rei's anguish was so vibrant: she'd pushed Minako to have the surgery, but it was already kind of too late?
Overall I found the "unexplained-ness" quite positive and powerful, if I recall correctly.

"Nephrite turning up as a normal human after being stabbed. Again, why? And why did he stay dead after the planet was restored at the end?"
Watch the special act.(Oh wait, you did. :cO ...he really stayed dead?) I think they left it up to us to decide. Also, it may be simply based on what happened to them in the manga, since they became guardian pieces of rock, and Jadeite did stay as a rock while waiting to be revived with his powers. Maybe it's the best way Beryl found of punishing him? I need to rewatch anyway. D:
(And didn't he get Ami something ridiculously big? XD)

"I've never been crazy about reversing time/the situation after it's all said and done. It seems so hand-wavy."
Sailormoon is the God-Modding QUEEN.
And I think that's why a few of the PGSM fics I've seen try to poke holes into that, ie: give them powers again, for example...

"They all had a wonderful reunion with Usagi at the end, but since they were all remembering stuff then, they should have also remembered that Minako had been dead and have had the same kind of joyous reunion with her specifically."
God-modding. They recall that something is missing that they need, and MAGIC. They bring her back. Orzzz. The unpleasant stuff? Nevar happened. Rly. 8D

"Why did they have her[Mars] get injured early on so she wasn't there for the rest?"
So Venus could use both daggers like Mars did in the finale. Aka share the weapons. I think.

"I imagine that's what PGSM fanfic writers do when they want to write PGSM versions of other seasons? If it wasn't for the special act, I'd still be a little dissatisfied, but not downright disappointed and depressed by the way it ended."
I don't completely ignore it, I just find some other MAGICAL SWORD to do the job. 8D (Although I've yet to write the explanation into the fic in question. >_>)
Special Act is a bit of a gratuitious "encore" either way. ^^;

"And don't get me started on Ami being a doctor at 18/19! WTH? Would that even be possible with a real-life prodigy? Being a doctor requires so much more extra schooling and training than some occupations."
I think she was still in training? Also, mom's a famous Doctor, which is handy to give a shove up the ladder; family is rich, and in anime canon Ami does get offered the possibility of starting superior education as early as the end of secondary school? *shrugs* Didn't bother me that much, I admit.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

I was wondering if that was the explanation for Minako, but since she had just been going for an exam, I wasn't sure if they would have gone ahead with the surgery right then and there or not. XD; Admittedly I'm using the "unexplainedness" for my KH plunnie because it is powerful. But I can't help but wonder.

XD He was going to get her some really strange-looking thing, but then later he told Motoki that he still needed to get her something. The last we saw of him was when it showed everybody before the world was destroyed. And he was back to holding that ridiculous-looking thing. LOL. Then it showed him and the others talking to Mamoru in what I thought was the afterlife but I guess could have been an in-between place. So I thought all of them were dead and hadn't been restored with the world. Which, I admit, also brought up the question of how they suddenly appeared in the special act.

(As for Jadeite, I was never sure whether it was a punishment or not. XD It almost seemed that she may have trying to help him by conserving his energy. In any case, the rock thing is *weird* and makes me wonder what the heck it's about. I mean, were they rocks turned into humans and then given the names of their rocks? **headdesk.**)

That's very interesting if that's the reason why Mars wasn't there. I can't remember if Venus used both or not. XD;

It would be alright if Ami was still in training, but since Usagi actually said Ami was probably the youngest doctor, it sounded like she might not have been. That'd be pretty young for even an intern, though.

[rose-of-pollux.livejournal.com]

Aw, too bad about the ending... yeah, I've had similar experiences with stories/movies/anime arcs going great until the end... The "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy being the best example I can offer *has random fanfic idea where Sora and Riku try to find a way to free Will Turner from his new commitment (and I'll be vague in case there's anyone who hasn't seen the third movie)* ...that's why I love spoilers, so I know beforehand if I'm going to like the ending!
But I hope you enjoy the anime!
And at least you got a nice story idea! Hope that works well for you!

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, seriously, POTC3 seems so depressing because of that. XD; Sora and Riku trying to help Will would be great! LOL.

I love the anime. ^^ I had fun watching it last night. Though now I think my novel handled some of the Nephrite/Naru stuff than the anime did. LOL.

I'm reading dagron's PGSM fic now, which takes place after the special act, so that makes me feel a lot better. ^^

And I think I'll be getting the KH ficlit up soon. It's really sad, but I like the emotions in it.