There was a variety of ages in attendance on the current Fairly Guardian Sailor Moon: The Tremendous Stay present on the New York’s Palladium Instances Sq. theatre. Whereas loads of youthful Sailor Moon followers had been in attendance, there have been additionally many followers who had been there again within the mid-‘90s, when DiC’s adaptation of the anime basic aired on North American tv.
For me, it was pure nostalgia.
Fairly Guardian Sailor Moon: The Tremendous Stay covers the key first arc of the sequence, which is often known as the “Darkish Kingdom Arc.” To be clear, that’s a whole season of anime, on stage, in track, in 90 minutes. As such, having some familiarity with the story helped fill in among the gaps within the stage present’s plot. In spite of everything, they couldn’t cowl every thing in such a short while body.
The present was full of quite a few callbacks to the unique anime, my favourite of which being the examination with a distinguished purple “30” on high. It’s canon in all realities that Usagi Tsukino was not an ideal pupil.
That mentioned, I had forgotten how usually characters died in Sailor Moon. Or maybe it wasn’t that I had forgotten, however relatively, it hits in a different way seeing them die on stage. I don’t wish to say that it was too violent for kids; the present wasn’t gory in any respect and we don’t see the characters undergo. It’s simply price realizing about upfront. In spite of everything, demise and rebirth could be very a lot a theme all through the sequence.
Fairly Guardian Sailor Moon: The Tremendous Stay choreographer Satomi Toma was tasked with making ready each dance routines and fight for the present. I’m happy to say that she did a masterful job in each regards. The battle scenes had been genuinely entertaining, and the dancing was stable. Specifically, I wish to commend Queen Beryl’s minions, who had been performed by Ayano Nagasawa, Ayumi Sagisaka, Minami Watanabe, Izumi Niihashi, Kana Yanagihara, and Suzuka Osawa.
The unbelievable choreography was enhanced by the impression the solid made by their costumes. Queen Beryl’s minions had been carrying what I can solely describe as plum-colored Ghillie fits with a glow up for the stage. They labored effectively in individual. Queen Beryl, in the meantime, was carrying her basic purple costume and tiara.
Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako, in the meantime, all appeared of their guardian uniforms, in addition to trendy outfits for his or her college garments. I ought to observe that, whereas the viewers was clearly hoping to see Sailor Moon in her Serenity Gown, it was to not be. Maybe within the 3.0 model of the present.
As standard as Usagi was with the viewers, she was not the character who acquired the loudest applause. That honor went to Tuxedo Masks (Riona Tatemichi), who naturally was clad in his signature tuxedo with a white bow tie. Basic.
As regards to the plot, Sailor Moon’s first season is, at coronary heart, a love story. Usagi loves Mamoru. Mamoru loves Usagi. Queen Beryl loves Prince Endymion (Mamoru). Author and director Kaori Miura did an ideal job in adapting this to the stage, making it clear that it wasn’t a lot that Queen Beryl (Sayaka Okamura) was thirsty for energy. She was, greater than something, simply thirsty.
Queen Metalia was undoubtedly hungry for energy, although.
Fairly Guardian Sailor Moon: The Tremendous Stay was promoted as a “2.5 Musical Leisure,” and Queen Metalia is the place the two.5 nature of the present labored greatest. She was solely considered on display, which gave her a galactic sense of scale when in comparison with the stay performers.
Luna was equally additionally solely seen on display. And as a lot as I might have preferred to see a live-action speaking cat, this was most likely the correct transfer for the present.
As regards to the soundtrack, I assumed Go Sakabe and KYOHEI did a high-quality job with the rating. Naturally, Moonlight Densetsu was the most important hit with the viewers. By way of the opposite songs, although, Queen Beryl’s track, “Burn Up The Dance Flooring,” would most likely be my alternative for the most effective stay efficiency within the present. There was not plenty of exposition delivered by dialogue, so each track needed to maintain transferring the plot ahead. And, actually, I felt that the present did a very good job in that regard.
It’s sort of unusual to say it, however the most effective a part of the present could have been the thirty minutes of post-show track and dance. Riko Tanaka (Usagi/Sailor Moon), Kanon Maekawa (Ami/Sailor Mercury), Rei Kobayashi (Rei/Sailor Mars), Kisara Matsumura (Makoto/Sailor Jupiter), and Marin Makino (Minako/Sailor Venus) all shone brightly all through the efficiency, and the sunshine stick dance routine was distinctive.
Additionally, a shout out to Sailor Venus for her breathy pronunciation of “love.”
From a fan’s perspective, Fairly Guardian Sailor Moon: The Tremendous Stay was a smashing success. The children liked it, and the technology that grew up with Sailor Moon liked it in equal measure. A great time was had by all, and that’s attending a present like that is actually about.
Header picture: Kisara Matsumura, Kanon Maekawa, Riko Tanaka, Rei Kobayashi and Marin Makino, Photograph by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
