Moonies rejoice! Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie finally has an international release date. Both Parts 1 and 2 are coming to streaming service Netflix on June 3rd. Here is Netflix’s official summary for the movie.
The Sailor Guardians’ latest set of adventures unfold in April, when the cherry blossoms of Tokyo are in bloom, and the Japanese capital is in a festive mood, as it celebrates the largest Total Solar Eclipse of the century. As the new moon obscures the sun and gradually dims its light, Usagi and Chibi-Usa encounter Pegasus, who is in search of the chosen Maiden who can break the seal of the Golden Crystal. At the same time, a mysterious troupe called the Dead Moon Circus appears in town, their nefarious plan being to scatter nightmare incarnations known as Lemures, to seize the ‘Legendary Silver Crystal,’ and to rule over the moon and earth, eventually coming to dominate the entire universe.
If you’re feeling a little confused by that, don’t worry. You still have time to get filled in before the worldwide premiere through Sailor Moon Crystal and the Sailor Moon manga.
For fans who haven’t kept up with the series since its original ‘90s anime, here’s what you missed. The Sailor Moon Crystal anime first came out in 2014 to commemorate Sailor Moon’s 20th anniversary, and it closely follows the manga’s plotlines. This means less of the filler we know and love, but more great manga-only moments in animated form.
So what does Sailor Moon Crystal have to do with Sailor Moon Eternal?
Well, rather than make the SuperS arc into a full season of Crystal, it was made into a two-part movie. So technically, Sailor Moon Eternal is the fourth season of Sailor Moon Crystal.
If you remember the original anime’s SuperS season, you might be less-than-thrilled to watch its movie counterpart. SuperS is widely considered one of, if not the worst season of the anime. But the SuperS manga is wildly different. It offers great character development for the Inner Sailor Guardians, fleshes out the relationships between Usagi, Mamoru, and Chibiusa, and actually includes the Outer Guardians in the story.
To best prep for Eternal’s release, you can watch the third season of Sailor Moon Crystal to get up to speed. Alternatively, consider reading the SuperS arc of the manga (also known as the Dream arc) to learn the story Eternal is based on.
You can watch Sailor Moon Crystal on Hulu and read the Kodansha reprints of the Sailor Moon manga physically or online. Check out the trailer for Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie here.