During the 90's, a light-hearted, cutesy anime aimed at young girls became a household name in the West. With a story that attracted both the young and the young-at-heart, "Sailor Moon" became one of the definitive titles that almost single-handedly created a legion of anime fans worldwide.
Despite (or perhaps, due to) the anime's extreme popularity, the plot of the 90's series, as well as the ones that succeeded it, diverged quite significantly from the manga. The source material of the anime, after all, was more of a coming-of-age tale of a young girl who eventually realizes that her destiny far extends into both her past and future, far from the campy, monster-of-the-week approach that the anime adopted.
Thus, back in 2014, a remake of the classic anime was released, this time staying very close to the manga's storyline. As much as the plot was improved, several aspects of the remake, such as the low-budget feel and the inconsistent quality of the animation, failed to impress longtime fans of the series.
Sadly, its manga-centric approach was not able to attract younger fans.
Indeed, it is no secret that the first attempt of "Sailor Moon Crystal" was largely unsuccessful. This year, however, the remake is set to get another chance.
According to the official "Sailor Moon Crystal" website, the third season of the remake, dubbed "Sailor Moon Crystal: Death Busters" is scheduled for an April 4 release. The episode will premiere on Tokyo MX, taking the 11:00 p.m. local time slot.
The third season will not be exclusive to Tokyo MX, however, as it is also set to be aired on other broadcasters such as Sun TV, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting, TV Hokkaido, TV Aichi and BS11.
What is particularly interesting with the upcoming third season is the notable change in the production team's lineup. For one, Akira Takahashi, who worked on the previous two seasons as the animation director, will take the role of character designer for the third season. Chiaki Kon is set to helm the project.
From what could be deduced from the third season's first promotional art, the third season will introduce the Outer Senshi, which is pivotal to the greater story of "Sailor Moon." The series' most iconic homosexual couple, Sailor Uranus and Neptune, are featured prominently as well.
With the change in staff and with the plot of the third season set to take on one of the manga's best story arcs, the third season of "Sailor Moon Crystal" might very well be the remake that old and new fans ultimately deserve.
