Currently Reading - Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

Act 1: Usagi, Sailor Moon

Picked this up from work a few days ago instead of shelving it. I recently watched with ami-angelwings the first episodes of Sailor Moon Crystal and the original series. The story there was surprisingly disappointing, in contrast to what I’d been hearing about the manga and about the new series compared against the old. In the old show, Usagi’s presentation seemed just enough more already heroic and engaged to be jarring and disappointing against the new. This surprised me because I had formed the impression the manga, and thus the more faithful Crystal series, were comprehensively superior.

Then I was surprised further to see that this chapter is just about beat for beat identical with the first episode of Sailor Moon Crystal. Clearly I’d slipped into thinking it must be an unfaithful adaptation after all.

It’s only a first chapter. I want to see where it goes further before deciding to read or not read further volumes. Mostly, I’m worried I won’t like Usagi; I tend not to like heroes who are disinterested in the world they find themselves in, or who prevail primarily because destiny and not because of any effort or interest they put into their achievements. Usually these characters are boys (like in Ben 10) accompanied by diligent anti-fun girl stereotypes. I’m hoping that isn’t the best comparison I’ll be able to draw here.

Also worried at the romance since so far it seems to just be Usagi getting starry-eyed when she looks at Tuxedo Mask while their ‘civilian’ selves have a growing antagonism and I don’t like that sort of romance as a rule.

On another level, with this and my thoughts on Aunt Dimity and The Duke I’m worried it will seem that I just do not like romance whereas increasingly I have been regarding myself as someone who does often enjoy romance as a non A-plot in stories. There’ve been a few cases where the romantic side has ended being a large part of what held me to mediocre adventure series, mainly superhero-featuring so far.

But, I suppose what appeals in romance is often as individual as what appeals in smut, and if that’s the case then by analogy it may be almost impossible for me to find takes I really like without writing them myself.