I think it’s safe to say we all think season 3 of Sailor Moon Crystal is a step up from the first two installments of the series.

As an intense fan of the 90’s cartoon, Infinity was hands down my favorite arc. The love between Neptune and Uranus, the stakes of the return of Sailor Saturn, Super Sailor Moon, and the fun moments with the inner senshi. It was the season that perfected what made Sailor Moon great.

Now, before the judgement, I still LOVE season 3 of Sailor Moon Crystal. I think it’s great! There’s such a respect to the source material while also remembering the fans of the 90s. However, that comes with a price of course.

With such a lower episode count compared to the 90’s arc, there’s less time to explore things that made it so lovable back then. We don’t have much time to explore the relationship between Uranus and Neptune. Truly, we have very little time to explore Neptune at all!

The inner senshi, despite best efforts, have fallen back into the senshi that really can’t do much on their own and always need the help of the outers at every witch confrontation. I will say it is a massive improvement from the last two seasons and they actually feel like individual characters this time around, but I see it happening again as we approach the end.

Now, as we come to the last three episodes of Infinity, I find myself heartbroken that my favorite season of the 90’s will be leaving us and then comes the season I hated the most…Dream.

Why? The outers were gone, it felt very monster of the week, the subject matter seemed to retrogress into lighter stuff, and it just wasn’t as kick-ass!

Ironically, the Dream arc of the manga has to be one of my FAVORITES and I’m beyond excited for this faithful adaptation. Here’s why:

1-Weight to the Senshi Acts- In every arc there is a focus episode on one of the inner senshi. in Black Moon it ended with each of them getting kidnapped (except Venus) and in Infinity they had to share their episode with a highlight of an outer Senshi. Their last real moment to shine was in the first arc where they were introduced and even then they didn’t get to look so kick-ass because a. the animation was poor and b. they didn’t kill their shitennou! The creators wanted to keep them around to ultimately serve no purpose. In the upcoming arc they not only get great focus episodes, but they get their crystals, new attacks, and get to shine brilliantly in what is ultimately their last big display of the series. For those who have read Stars, you know what I’m talking about…

2-Super Forms and Attacks- Let’s highlight the fact that BOTH inner and outer senshi will go super in this arc and we will get to see brand new animations for new attacks…and speaking of attacks…

3. Act 45….- Something I really hoped for with this Infinity Arc was to see major outer senshi action. Do NOT get me wrong. This has focused heavily on the outer senshi and we have seen two transformations and each one got a nice attack. However, none of it compares to what we get to see in Act 45. It feels like the biggest fan service to the lovers of the four outer senshi. World Shaking, Deep Submerge, Dead Scream, Space Sword Blaster, Submarine Reflection, Silence Wall, and Silence Glaive Surprise ALL in one act in their super forms….The anticipation for the action packed episode is one of the key reasons I’m anxious for the next arc.

4- Pluto AND saturn transformations- I was also really hoping for Saturn and Pluto transformations this season but I now understand and accept why they won’t be present. In that very Act 45, we get to see Pluto AND Saturn transform into their super forms. This means the Dream arc will give us something we’ve never gotten to see before. I am worried for act 45. This season has been consistent and faithful to the the manga in all the right ways. My hope is that they won’t pull their punches when it comes to this epic episode.

5-Eternal Sailor Moon- It’s a big piece of the story. The cross over of Sailor Moon to become Eternal Sailor Moon. That comes to us in the later acts of the Dream Arc making it another positive moment to anticipate. The arc will also give us eternal senshi but (just my opinion) I’m not a fan of those looks for them for reasons that have to do with not just the look but substance in the story as well…

6- Saturn Chibimoon Time- We got to see their friendship blossom in this arc but Dream is going to give us Saturn and Chibimoon in super forms, no one is sick, no one is in a coma, and they’re running around like super friends doing their thing. It’s a small element to the arc, but I’m pumped.

7-Last Arc With The Senshi…Pretty Much- At the end of Dream and the beginning of Stars, the Sailor Universe becomes, well, crowded. I don’t MIND the Stars Arc of the manga but for an arc that still gave significant attention to the supporting characters in the anime, the manga REALLY puts them in the back seat to make room for the Starlights. Therefore, I appreciate Dream as a final hoorah for the inner and outer senshi even though it is not the end of the story.

8-Squad Goals- No more introductions. Infinity needed to spend some episodes slowly teasing the outer senshi, Hotaru’s plot, the relationship between the two teams, and the constant emphasis on the talismans. By the time we get to Dream, that’s over with. We get to just see all ten senshi doing their thing and participating (somewhat) equally in the arc.

So therefore, Infinity was my favorite 90’s anime arc and Dream was my least favorite but when it comes to Crystal, Dream is the moon chalice of my eye. What are your thoughts? Excited for the Dream Arc for Sailor Moon Crystal?