Sailor Moon
Reviewer: Hanako
Artist/Composer: Various
Record Label: Kid Rhino
Year of Release: 1996
Genre: Trite, cliche kiddie showtunes
Parental Advisory: No
Avaliability: Domestic

When I was about 12 years old I saw this fantastic show on Fox one morning after the other Saturday cartoons had finished. It was obviously Japanese, and that was COOL because there weren't many Japanese shows on American television outside of the weekly run of Robot Carnival and Vampire Hunter D on the Sci-Fi Channel. I was excited, but they never aired it again. I was disappointed. Then they started showing it on UPN every morning at exactly the time I would be heading to school every morning. So I taped it. And enjoyed it. This show would change my life. This show is Sailor Moon.

Now that you've stopped laughing I would like to take a little time to review this neat little soundtrack that came out when I was 13. I first saw this obnoxiously pink collection while walking through Best Buy during Christmas. I got it as a present from my parents*, and there was much rejoicing. True, I was not a huge fan of the music from the show, but hell, it was a bona fide Sailor Moon soundtrack with cool pictures in the booklet! It was immediately chucked into my Uncle's CD player to be played for three hours straight. My family was downstairs and my cousin was off getting drunk at some dude's house, so I wasn't bothering anyone. It was exciting! I think the only time I really listened to this CD was during that three hour period. Then about an hour ago I had this extreme craving to dig it out and listen to it.

The first track is the opening. I never liked the opening. It annoys me. The next track is "I Wanna Be A Star." That song is annoying, too. Next track.

Track three is "My Only Love." I really really like this song. The fake midi instruments and crappy vocals really aren't that bad. Maybe it's the lyrics or maybe it's the chord structure, but for whatever reason this song kind of touches me and makes me sad. The little guitar riff in the middle is nifty, too.

Just to let you all know I bumped my elbow really hard on my chair and I am now in excrutiating pain.

"Call My Name (And I'll Be There)"... you realize right off the bat that this song totally smacks of the Rembrandt's "I'll Be There For You", or "That Song They Play on 'Friends'." The content is totally the same song, the melody and chorus are all similar and it is a total knockoff. But it's cute and makes me happy.

Following that delightful ditty is "Oh Starry Night." I think it's the Sailor Mars image song or something. It's really boring. "It's A New Day" comes after it. It's cute and happy and is from the last episode of season one. I like it.

A cool guitar riff heralds the entrance of the next track, "Carry On" which has to be my favorite song on the entire CD. I like the tune, I like the lyrics, and the scene it comes from has to be my favorite in the entire 200 episodes of the series. Princess Serenity stands alone against Queen Beryl, and when it seems that all hope is lost the four dead Sailors join Serenity to support her. With their powers combined, they defeat the evil Beryl and all is good and right with the world!

"Rainy Day Man" is tied with "My Only Love" as the second best song on the album. It is just a good song. It is a Sailor Jupiter image song, and it's very sweet. I think every girl has her rainy day man.

Rainy day man / On your shoulder I cried / When my first brush with love / Left me shaking inside

Now, if anyone has seen the episode "Mercury Moving On", she will realize that the version of "Only A Memory Away" on the soundtrack is definitely not the one they use in the show. I don't know why they changed it. Maybe legal problems, I don't know. All I know is the one in the show is better and not-boring-country-sounding.

Okay, so another song comes tied for my second favorite song. "She's Got The Power" is fun and exciting and sung by a DUDE. It's a tune used for a standoff between Sailor Moon and Rubeus. The scene is exciting. The song is even more so. A nice rocking rhythm and cool guitar intro make this song fun. And this dude's voice is really cool. Well, it's a welcome change from the sugary kiddie vocals used in every other song.

The last track is basically the opening, just chopped up. I never liked the opening. It annoys me.

Overall I like this album because it's one of those 'brings me back to my childhood' things, kind of like how Cap'n Crunk reminds me of preschool. This is a nice gift for your Toonami-addicted brother. He will appreciate it forever. I know I appreciate it. I think I will listen to it again, as a matter of fact.

* Of course my cousin got the Smashing Pumpkins singles collection, The Aeroplane Flies High, but I am not bitter at all because she is married to an enlisted navy guy and that's just damned hilarious.

Track List:

1. Sailor Moon Theme
2. I Wanna Be A Star
3. My Only Love
4. Call My Name (And I'll Be There)
5. Oh Starry Night
6. It's A New Day
7. Carry On
8. Rainy Day Man
9. Only A Memory Away
10. She's Got The Power
11. Sailor Moon Theme (Reprise)