Sailor Moon Eternal Edition

For many of us, Sailor Moon has formed the backdrop of Shojo manga for most of our lives. Making a debut in 1991 (I first discovered manga in 1993) the twintail silhouette of Usagi, aka Sailor Moon, has been a constant.

The story of a young girl's dalliance with destiny as one of the great sailor senshi is an absolutely classic tale. The initial adventure has Usagi befriending talking black cat Luna and taking on the forces of Queen Beryl and her Four Kings of Heaven. Together they seek a silver crytsal with which to awaken an even greater evil, Queen Meteria. 

During the course of her adventure, Usagi would awaken other sailor soldiers, such as Sailor Mars, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Venus, while discovering that they are all reincarnations of their past selves, when they were guardians of the Moon Kingdom during a time known as the Silver Millenium. Now they must bring their battle to the present day and protect the world once again. Adventure, danger and even romance beckons (Tuxedo Mask looking as dapper as ever) and it's all in a day's work for Sailor Moon.

Honestly, the specifics aren't important here, as many will know the story already. What really matters is just how the material holds up today.

Thankfully, in 2018, the manga has lost none of its charm. Naoko Takeuchi's delicate and slender figures dance across the page with beautiful, expressive poses and delicate features. Usagi's ditzy personality coupled with her now iconic sailor fuku are a real pleasure to see in this beautifully presented "Definitive" Eternal Edition.

Resplendent with a sparkling cover, oversized printing and some glorious splashes of colour, the book is a real pleasure to read. The story and pacing are uniformly excellent and even as a man in my *cough* very, very late 30's, I can see how this would appeal to younger female readers.

For anyone who has ever fallen for the Sailor Scouts, this is an essential re-packaging of a timeless story, rivalling even the recent Alita Deluxe volumes in terms of care and presentation. It's very clear that Kodansha is planning to treat their key licenses with the respect they deserve, and this Eternal Edition is another winner for the Japanese publisher.