Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon started life as a manga (comic) by Naoko Takeuchi, which almost instantly was adapted into an anime (animation) series that's well-known the world over. Whether it's because of the pretty artwork, the endearing characters, the great sense of humour, the intriguing, romantic stories, the cheesy battle scenes with attacks in poorly-worded English or the short length of the characters' skirts, Sailor Moon has been attracting fans of both genders, all age groups and all nationalities for over ten years. Not bad for something aimed at young Japanese girls!

In October 2003, the latest incarnation of Sailor Moon started - a live action adaptation. The Japanese title is still the same, but the new English translation, used in the show's logo, is Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. When this was announced, most Sailor Moon fans were horrified - it had every potential to be the worst thing to happen to Sailor Moon since the live action/animation clip that was not made by Saban. Non-Sailor Moon fans were even more horrified, but that's another matter entirely. However, the moment the costume designs were released, everyone was pleasantly surprised. Not only were they great representations of the original costumes, but they had elements of the manga costumes that weren't used in the anime. People started to wonder if this series could end up being more like the plot-heavy manga than the fillerish anime.

Once the first episode was aired on 4th October, the fans were divided, but for the most part it went down well. The first episode showcased the fact that this is an adaptation of the manga that keeps all the crucial parts, adds in a few elements from the anime, and adds in lots of new ideas and story elements - most notably some interesting modernisations. It even has intensely cheesy battle scenes with slightly dodgy CG effects - lots of fun!

Then came the preview for episode 2, which showed that instead of following in the footsteps of the anime by adding tons of episodes where nothing really happens, Sailor Mercury would be introduced in the very next episode, just like in the manga. Then came Mars in episode 3. The producers' desire to put more focus on the characters and their interactions with each other has also become evident: The girls' friendships and desire to work as a team already seem to be less instantaneous than in either the anime or the manga, and more of a development over time.

So far, the live action series has yet to disappoint me. Sure, we haven't got to the real meat of the story yet, but based on what I've seen, I have every confidence that it'll be handled well. That's another reason this series is great - it's brand new. Sure, it's yet another adaptation of the Dark Kingdom arc, but for the first time since 1997 there are surprises along the way even for people who have seen all the Sailor Moon there is to see.

And with that, I present to you my site about Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.