A few days ago, I got a chance to go see Sailor Moon R in theaters, again for the 2nd time. The first time that I saw it, they were showing the Sailor Moon R English Dub, which I reviewed here. The dub was good, but I always prefer to watch my anime subbed, because quite often so many things get changed when they dub an anime. Even though, this time it was “uncut” there were still some changes that I noticed.
This review is going to be a little bit different. I’m going to start by pointing out the changes between both versions, some thoughts on the overall experience of each version, and then, my more traditionally formatted review near the very end. Hope you enjoy my review; and if you get a chance, go watch this at the theater. It’s a once in a lifetime experience for you as a fan, and it may help to bring us more Sailor Moon movies, series, and merchandise!
Onto the changes between each version.
For starters, there’s a scene where the girls are sitting around planning their next move and Usagi is feeling nervous about the nature of Mamo and Fiore’s friendship. In both the Dub and the Sub the girls begin to tease Usagi. However, in the Sub, they also begin to tease Ami and it’s a very cute moment. In the Dub that Cuteness is Lost. Here is an overview (from my memory) of how it goes in each version.
Dubbed Scene:
Usagi: “Am I overthinking things?… But they sure seemed like more than friends to me”
Ami: “I guess Mamo is popular with the guys too”
(I think it was ) Mako: “Well I guess it’s fine if you’re born that way”
(I think it was) Rei: “There’s even a few couples like that at my school”
(I think it was) Mina: “What, Really?!”
Subbed Scene:
Usagi: “Am I overthinking things?… But they sure seemed like more than friends to me”
Ami: “I guess Mamo is popular with the guys too”
Rei: “Ami! I can’t believe you just said that!”
Mako: “That’s not like you Ami”
Ami: “That’s not what I meant.. Just…”
Mina: “Ami, you’re blushing!”
Rei: “There’s even some couples at my school who are like that”
Ami: Nervous Laughter (and she is blushing) “Guys come on, that’s really not what I meant!”
Ami was really super cute in this scene in the Subbed version. Ami rarely breaks from her serious character, and she said this without thinking. Immediately, you can see the look on her face when she realizes what she has said; even SHE can’t believe she just said that either. Then she shyly tries to backpedal on what she meant. And the other girls have playful fun teasing her for it too.
Although the scene in the dub is very similar (They kept 3 or 4 of the lines verbatim), for some reason they chose to just have the other girls agree with Ami and add their own thoughts, instead of being so shocked that she of all people would bring up a topic like that. It loses some of the cuteness by changing or removing just those few lines.
The other big change was that in the new dubbed version, Sailor Jupiter swears about 4 to 5 times during the fighting scenes. Now, I was watching for my own enjoyment, and not super analyzing things for this review since I’m just a hobby blogger, so maybe I just missed it, but pretty sure this was not part of the subtitled version. It’s possible it was there, and just didn’t stand out as much since I was “reading” and not “hearing” what was being said.
As I mentioned in my review of the dub here, hearing swear words in Sailor Moon was so shocking that it stood out like a big sore thumb; so in the dubbed version, I began counting the number of times she swore. I feel they could have done without this. It adds nothing to the film. It could have been replaced with a Haaa or Yaaaaaa fighting sound or a simple click of the tongue like Tch sound to replace the 1 syllable swear word.
Did they do it to make Mako sound tough? Or to make the anime “cool” and “edgy”? The thing is though, yes, Mako is a bit “rough” but she’s also extremely concerned with being feminine, so she wouldn’t swear. The reason she wears her skirts so long and her rose earrings, and probably the reason she curls her hair, is because she’s self conscious of her height. Yes, she has a bit of a temper, but she’s always trying to appear more feminine, which is why she begins cooking, etc.
So by making those seemingly “small” changes like that to the dub, they somewhat changed the basis of her character, by ignoring the fact that Mako is actually very feminine, despite being physically the strongest, and tallest, of the girls.
The other big difference in watching it subbed was the interaction from the audience. The dubbed audience had way more FUN! While watching the dub, the theater was more crowded AND filled several times with UPROARIOUS laughter so loud that you couldn’t even hear parts of the film.
In the subbed version, there was some hushed chuckles here or there, but largely, the movie went by with almost no reactions from the audience.
This in part, was because the dub was cheesy, and some of the voice actors were unbelievably over dramatic, turning suspenseful, touching, or sad scenes, into comedy gold.
The one part that both audiences laughed at though was when Chibiusa was trying to wake Usagi after being saved during a fight. Watch for this near the first fight sequence. It’s one of the best jokes in the film lol.
In the dub, Fiore’s voice actor, and the lines he had to read, combined to create some rather cheesey dialog in the final fight. Also I did notice an odd choice in translation here as well. In the sub, Fiore says “My flower’s seeds shall rain down on the earth”. In the dub I believe he says something closer to “My seeds shall rain down on the earth” — which of course, people’s minds went to the gutter with that one. Que more laughter.
In BOTH versions he does say “It’s all over now, Mamo has thrown a flower at me” — For some reason, only in the dub did people laugh… and laugh… and laugh… and laugh…. To where I was glad I did get to see it again cuz I couldn’t hear the next several lines. In which he asks Mamo if he intends to leave him all alone again. (aww so sad 🙁 ).
There were many more instances within the dub where the audience would just burst out laughing. Actually I’ve only been to maybe 2 other movies where people have laughed this much. I liked the “energy” of the audience a lot more at the dub.
I also think maybe it’s because of the “types” of people who prefer dub, vs the “types” of people who prefer subs. Most people who want to watch it subbed are older, more mature, more artsy, intellectual types, compared to the younger, more loud, outgoing, off the cuff types of otaku who watch more mainstream stuff.
The “experience” of seeing Sailor Moon on the big screen was more fun during the dub because of the audience’s reactions. Of course, I know plenty of people who don’t want to join anime clubs, or even watch anime with their friends, etc, because they dislike comments/laughter/remarks etc from the audience and just want to focus on watching their anime.
So this just comes down to a personal opinion. Either way, seeing Sailor Moon on the big screen is a once in a lifetime, unforgettable experience!
The final difference, was that the English dubbed version was prefaced by about a 15-20 minute exclusive interview with the English dubbed cast asking about their characters and how they feel the characters have grown or evolved from season 1 to the start of the new film, whereas the Subtitled version jumps directly to the Mini-Cartoon after the previews end and then follows directly to the movie.
Now, finally, onto the review – You will notice some things are the same in both my reviews for the dub and sub, and a few things are different! :). You’ll see our score for the Sub ranks only very slightly higher than that of the Dub. It moves from a B- to a B+.
Title: Sailor Moon R the Movie (Subtitled Version)
Release Date: January 2017
Publisher: Toei Animation, Eleven Arts, and Viz Media
Geeky: 5/5 
High points for Nostalgia, and excellent animation for the date/time of the film.
Sweetie: 4/5 
I gave the dubbed version 3/5, but the subbed version 4/5. Both are weaker on character development than the TV Series; however, in both versions, seeing Mamo, Fiore and Usagi as little kids, as well as the comedy and certain romance scenes, earn it 3 hearts. The additional 4th heart on the subtitled version comes from different (cuter) dialog choices, such as the scene I pointed out where the girls are teasing Ami.
Overall: 48/55 87% B+ Very Good Anime for Girls
Concept: 8/10 Seeing Sailor Moon on the big screen is awesome no matter how good or bad the movie itself is. It’s something I’ve literally dreamed of doing ever since I was a child. And, as the English cast points out, rarely do you see anime in a US theater, especially anime that is now, nearly 30 years old. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience… and judging by how many tickets the theater sold, perhaps Viz and Eleven Arts will treat us to re-releasing the other Sailor Moon movies in theater format in the future as well. I had given the dub 10/10 here, but the interaction from the audience also weighed heavily on that experience. Without the cheesiness that the series is known for, and a more straight forward, literal translation, it loses a tiny bit of the “overall experience” here to me. (but makes up for it in other ways!)
Story: 8/10 There is a lot of action and almost no character development in this film. Also, unless you’re a fan of the series (but then again, who isn’t a fan of Sailor Moon?), you may feel a little lost or confused even with the inclusion of the Mini-cartoon that re-introduces the scouts and explains their strengths and weaknesses and about the silver moon kingdom and their rebirth on earth. — And although Chibiusa is included in the Mini-cartoon and actual movie, her past and history and relationship to Usagi is actually not explained at all.
The story gives you a unique look at Mamoru’s childhood. Also, in this uncut version, they more clearly explain Mamoru’s relationship with the new villain. I remember when the movie was announced a few months ago, I got into an “argument” with someone on facebook who made a comment when I shared the news post. They argued that the relationship was more than platonic, and I counter argued, that they were just close childhood friends… but after seeing the uncut version, I have to concede, and agree, the relationship is definitely 100% romantic.
The Sailor Scouts even joke about the questionable nature of the relationship, quipping things such as “I guess Mamo is popular with the guys too” “There’s even a few couples like that at my school” and Usagi is stressed/worried and says to herself “It sure seemed like more than friends”. Which comes as no surprise, because by the next few seasons, almost everyone in the Sailor Moon universe is openly exploring their sexuality, with Uranus x Neptune, Uranus x Moon, and Chibiusa X Saturn… and that’s not even mentioning Sailor Stars, which are essentially gender-neutral, or transgendered Women who were born in Men’s bodies when they re-incarnated and transforming back to female when they take their Sailor forms. So Sailor Moon is no stranger to dealing with these topics. It was actually quite revolutionary for its day and time, back in the 90s, when even live-action TV shows were still shying away from tackling such relationships.
If your favorite part of Sailor Moon is the action and fighting scenes you will probably really enjoy Sailor Moon R the Movie. It is way more action heavy compared to the TV Series. It opens right away with a lengthy and fairly violent fight sequence within the first 10 minutes or so of the film.
The story is also full of comedy… Shortly after that fight sequence, there’s a scene with Usagi and Chibiusa that builds and builds the same joke for what seems like forever, but it was effective. I don’t laugh out loud easily… and even that elicited a chuckle from me.
Despite, at the core, the story being about Mamo and Usagi and the new Villain, it’s actually not very Romance laden. They are on a date at the opening of the film, but once again comedy comes in to foil any chance of romance for the two of them. We do get a little taste of romance at the end though.
Characters 9/10: I had given the dub 8/10 here, but I think the Subbed version comes much closer to capturing the true character of each scout, showing Ami in an unusually vulnerable light, and removing some things that felt off to me about Mako’s dialog in the dub throughout the final fight.
As mentioned, character development is really pretty much non-existent. You could easily skip watching this film and not miss anything earth-shattering in developing the scouts or Mamo as characters. You’d miss out a lil on Mamo’s backstory but it’s mostly stuff that’s been glossed over briefly by the series anyways.
The scouts are featured heavily in the film and so if you’re the type who complains that one of the weaknesses of Crystal is how it’s all about Mamo x Usagi, (this seems a common complaint), then you’ll like how prominent each of the scouts are in this film, and a decision that Usagi makes near the end of the movie, showing how much she loves and cares for the other scouts. Though this too is not surprising if you’ve seen the 90s TV series you know the focus was more on Usagi and the Scouts and less on the Reincarnation / Romance bits.
If however, one of your primary draws to Sailor Moon is the character development or romance, this movie may very well disappoint you.
But you should still go see it, because it’s Sailor Moon :). How long have we waited to see this cast of characters on the big screen? And if we want to see the other movies, a re-run of the dub, or airing of the new Viz dub, or a new season of Crystal, or perhaps a continuation of the series even beyond Stars, or more Sailor Moon merchandise and collectibles, then, you know as they say “Money Talks”.
Also, as you know, the characters in Sailor Moon are very diverse, with almost someone for EVERY girl out there to look up to. How many TV shows or Movies can claim such a wholesome cast full of role models for young women?
Sailor Moon teaches us about friendship, love, respect, and kindness. Moon is the quintessential loud/ditzy/friendly outgoing girl, Mercury is the smart/brainy/shy girl, Mars is the mysterious/quiet/serious/beautiful girl, Jupiter is the “tomboy” type girl (who also secretly has a soft side and loves to cook, and falls in love easily), Venus is the “best friend” or “girl next door” type of girl.
With so many different personalities, there’s bound to be a superhero that your kids can look up to, which I think is one of the reasons for the series continued success and popularity.
Artwork: 4/5 This is the old 90s style animation, and it shows… There’s some really bad CG effects later on in the film… and the characters have that unique 90s style to them… However, I was surprised by how bright and vivid the colors were and how crisp, clean, and clear all of the animations looked. There are also some lovely backgrounds too.
Music: 5/5 I had given the dub 4/5 here for some scenes where the Japanese music didn’t fit and caused a strange mismatched and disjointed feeling (like when it was actually the characters themselves singing). But that problem doesn’t exist in the sub, because the characters are both speaking and singing the same language now.
The music in the film was quite enjoyable, adding to the suspense, action, and drama of the film. The soundtracks to Sailor Moon have always been among my favorites. I owned many of the imported Japanese CDs, as well as some of the English cassette tapes and equally loved both the Original Japanese music, as well as the old 90s stuff too.
Voice Acting 5/5 –The Japanese voice actresses and actors just sound more cute, energetic, youthful, and emotional in their performances. Also as mentioned throughout this article, several creative liberties were still taken with the dub despite it being so-called un-cut. These changes ultimately changed some scenes, or even characters’ personalities. So it was definitely nice to see the sub and the original dialog and scenes. The changes were VERY slight, and understandably done to appeal more to an American audience, but there were still differences none the less, which is why I still prefer watching subbed anime. We’ve come a long way from the rampant censorship of the 90s, but still, I prefer the little nuances and charms of the original voice cast.
Overall: 48/55 87% B+ Very Good Anime for Girls
Overall, the experience of seeing Sailor Moon on the big screen, the hundreds of moonies who turned out for the event, and the movie itself, made for an enjoyable and nostalgic night of entertainment.
Both the dub and sub are worth going to see on the big screen. Depending on your own personality and preferences, you’ll clearly enjoy one version more than the other. If you enjoy a lot of audience interaction, fun, laughter, and a little bit of over the top cheesiness, the dub is the version you should see. If you’re more reserved, quiet, or just want to enjoy the movie in peace and quiet OR if you prefer a more literal translation that’s more “accurate” to the original script, then go see the Sub.
Either way, you do not want to miss this once in a lifetime experience to see Sailor Moon in theaters.
