Sailor Moon is still one of the most recognizable names in the magical girl genre, and anime in general. Though the franchise reached a peak in the '90s, it's as popular as ever today. Sailor Moon's last series installment, Sailor Moon Crystal, ended its third season in 2016, but enough fans still have Sailor Moon on the brain to make a two-part film, Sailor Moon Eternal, a success half a decade later.

Sailor Moon Crystal was an adaptation that followed the original manga more closely than the popular '90s anime did. Sailor Moon Eternal is a follow-up to the series, adapting a pivotal arc for the original manga in the place of a fourth season. Here's what the story of the upcoming Netflix release is about and where it fits in the established continuity.

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Sailor Moon In Front of Mirror

Sailor Moon Eternal is a two-part film that's based on the "Dream arc" of the manga. The plot involves Usagi and Chibiusa meeting a mysterious Pegasus after a solar eclipse. He requests their help just as a group called the Dead Moon Circus arrives to wreak havoc. They begin spreading physical nightmares throughout the city, hoping to use the ensuing chaos and destruction to take over the Earth and the Moon.

The budding relationship between Chibiusa and the Pegasus Helios is contrasted with Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask growing more and more distant, especially with the increasing danger of the trials that they face. This culminates in the Queen of the Dead Moon enveloping Usagi in her own nightmare, requiring the Sailor Scouts to dig deeper than ever before to save the day.

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usagi with her weapon sailor moon crystal

Sailor Moon Eternal is essentially the fourth season for Sailor Moon Crystal. That show was made as part of the franchise's 20th anniversary and originally premiered in 2014. The anime had quite a few characters and story differences from the more well-known '90s series due to its hewing closer to the manga. Because of these differences, instead of watching the '90s anime, it would probably be better to catch up on Crystal or read the manga to get ready for the movie.

On the other hand, those who saw the original or are at least familiar with the franchise's general mythos shouldn't be too lost when they watch Sailor Moon Eternal, so fans of the Pretty Guardian from any era should check the two-part movie out when it hits Netflix this June.

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