Makai Tree Arc

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#1
Anyone else here a fan of this arc?
Although filler this is actually one of my favorite arcs from the original sailor moon anime and it's everything a filler arc should be. It's short (13 episodes) and has a lot of character building episodes that are among the best in the series. I even loved the fact that Ail and An just wanted to survive by collecting energy and it had nothing to do with wanting to take over the universe like other villains.
I actually prefer this over the main Black Moon arc from the R season and I always look forward to seeing this arc again when I re-watch Sailor Moon.
 
Likes: blondibear_17
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#2
I like that we as fandom (including myself) refer to it as filler because it’s anime-exclusive but without it there’s no context for Usagi’s new transformation and cutie moon rod or the girls and Mamoru getting their memories back.

I like the arc. Not only is it short it kept the Black Moon portion short. Wish S and and SuperS had also done sub arcs independent from the main story
 
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#3
I enjoyed it. Ann/Al were great villains and gave us a different feel since they were able to interact with everyone in civilian/alien mode. Everyone had a secret.
 

Neon Genesis

Solaris Luna
Oct 31, 2015
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#4
I also enjoyed the Doom Tree arc. It was also great because we got to see a lot of moments of Usagi and Mamoru as just ordinary people and working out their relationship differences apart from all the Moon Kingdom drama. I always loved the Inners' original anime only attacks and I wish they got used more often. Especially Supreme Thunder Dragon, which I always thought looked really cool, but only got used for one episode for some reason. But least Mercury got to use Bubble Spray Freezing again at least once in the Black Moon arc. There were also a lot of great episodes where you found out more about the Inners, like the episode about Makoto's friend or Rei's school festival episode that I really enjoyed. The episode where Usagi gets the Moon Rod was always one of my favorite moments and I always loved that Usagi got to have one more touching reunion with Queen Serenity and that Queen Serenity even helped her daughter out in the battle by giving her the Moon Rod. It's too bad we never got to see more of Queen Serenity in the anime after that but at least we got to see her in a major role in the Doom Tree arc.
 

Greyman-X

Luna Crescens
Oct 1, 2017
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#5
The Makai Tree arc has a couple of my favorite episodes. Namely, the one where Seijuro/Ali was briefly suspected of being Moonlight Knight, and the one where Ann and Usagi both got detention. Filler episodes, sure, but DAMN FUNNY filler episodes. Also, there's a part in the former that I use as an example about how Kotono Mitsuishi will always be the best VA for Usagi. Just the SIGHS as she slumps away from the school after detention are funny and cute.

Oh yeah, and then there were the attacks that only appeared in that arc. Shabon Spray Freezing, Fire Soul Bird and Supreme Thunder Dragon. It was great to see Ami finally get a wicked offensive move. And for the rest of the series, I kept wondering why the Senshi never thought a giant electric dragon head that could bite an enemy into oblivion would be useful again.

I also like Ali and Ann themselves. It sucks they never showed up again, not even in Another Story, even when FIORE did (for ten seconds).
 

Neon Genesis

Solaris Luna
Oct 31, 2015
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#6
Speaking of which, why don't we have any Ali and Ann merch during this 25th anniversary thing? I think the only Doom Tree arc merch we've got was one Moonight Knight plushie from GE but that's about it. I wish GE could at least make plushies of Ali and Ann as I feel like they're vastly under-represented in Sailor Moon merch.
 

Greyman-X

Luna Crescens
Oct 1, 2017
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#7
Speaking of which, why don't we have any Ali and Ann merch during this 25th anniversary thing? I think the only Doom Tree arc merch we've got was one Moonight Knight plushie from GE but that's about it. I wish GE could at least make plushies of Ali and Ann as I feel like they're vastly under-represented in Sailor Moon merch.
Guess it'll be quite a wait until we get SH Figuarts versions of them, huh?

Also, speaking of Ann, think maybe her character design inspired an anime-exclusive character in another series? Namely, Nova from Magic Knight Rayearth?
 

Kerochan no Miko

Knight Radiant
Staff member
Site Admin
Feb 29, 2004
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#8
Also, speaking of Ann, think maybe her character design inspired an anime-exclusive character in another series? Namely, Nova from Magic Knight Rayearth?

They both have pink hair (though An has blue streaks in hers) and pointy ears and...that's pretty much it. Seems like a bit of a stretch, to me, given how many pointy-eared and pink-haired anime characters there are.
 

Neon Genesis

Solaris Luna
Oct 31, 2015
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#9
It's possible CLAMP might have been influenced by Ann's design in some way but I think Nova is based more on series director Toshiki Hirano's earlier OVA series, Fight! Iczer One.
 
Sep 6, 2014
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#10
The Makai Tree arc has a couple of my favorite episodes. Namely, the one where Seijuro/Ali was briefly suspected of being Moonlight Knight, and the one where Ann and Usagi both got detention. Filler episodes, sure, but DAMN FUNNY filler episodes. .

I never did get why filler episodes get such a bad reputation. I mean sure in shows like Dragon Ball Z or Naruto or Bleach or Yu-Gi-oh where the filer is so [deleted] stretched out and uninspired but I don't think filler should be considered awful as a rule.


[Edited by KnM for language.]
 
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Neon Genesis

Solaris Luna
Oct 31, 2015
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#11
I think a lot of it is filler in that's done just to pad out the anime adaptation where it has no bearing on the plot or character development any versus filler in that is done to expand on the story and characters. But I'm not sure it's fair to classify the Doom Tree arc as filler in just because it's not in the manga because the arc still drives the plot and character development forward. Like if you skip the Doom Tree arc completely, you'll be completely lost as to how the Inners got their memories back or how Usagi got her new brooch and wand, so in that sense, I don't know we can say the Doom Tree arc is filler in.
 

MariaTenebre

Systema Solare
Jul 22, 2009
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#12
I personally loved the Makai Tree arc. I always wished that the Makai Tree arc would have been given it's own season. That way they could have devoted a whole season to the Black Moon Clan arc and they could have been one arc ahead with their stories which would probably have helped them adapt the manga arcs better.
 

Greyman-X

Luna Crescens
Oct 1, 2017
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#13
I never did get why filler episodes get such a bad reputation. I mean sure in shows like Dragon Ball Z or Naruto or Bleach or Yu-Gi-oh where the filer is so [deleted] stretched out and uninspired but I don't think filler should be considered awful as a rule.
Don't watch the first three, got out of the last one pretty quickly, so I can't really compare. But for reasons plenty of others have given, it seems Sailor Moon's Makai Tree arc is the gold standard for 'filler' arcs, the one you point to and say, "THIS is how it's done."

It's possible CLAMP might have been influenced by Ann's design in some way but I think Nova is based more on series director Toshiki Hirano's earlier OVA series, Fight! Iczer One.
Know where I can get that, hopefully on DVD and not some malware-infested site? I think I saw a bit of this thing called Iczelion once and it looked pretty fun.
 
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#14
Don't watch the first three, got out of the last one pretty quickly, so I can't really compare. But for reasons plenty of others have given, it seems Sailor Moon's Makai Tree arc is the gold standard for 'filler' arcs, the one you point to and say, "THIS is how it's done."
It's best points is that it doesn't over stay its welcome and it's well placed between two major story arcs it does its job of being a breather. Even though I listed it as an example of a show that's infamous for its filler Dragon Ball Z's Garlic Jr saga is another good example. It's only 10 episodes and it places itself after a loong story arc right before another.

A counter example is Yu-gi-oh's Virtual World arc which is long as hell, overstays it welcome, and just becomes very intrusive coming smack down in the middle of a story arc. If the Makai tree arc just happened in say the middle of the Chibi usa saga people may not be as fond of it.
 

blondibear_17

Lumen Cinererum
Mar 3, 2017
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#15
I feel like the slice of life aspect of the show is really strong in this arc because the villains infiltrated their school and I think exploring that stuff really makes for fun filler.
 

Nadia

Aurorae Lunares
Jun 30, 2010
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#16
I absolutely love this arc for most of the reasons listed in this thread. The aliens had a need to survive and also had to balance school lives with supernatrual ones. I also like how the supporting cast from Classic gets good treatment in this arc. Finally, I love how Ail and En played off against the rest of the characters, so much that I wish they didn't leave at the end of their arc, but stuck around, albeit severely depowered.

If the Makai tree arc just happened in say the middle of the Chibi usa saga people may not be as fond of it.
If the Makaiju arc happened in the middle of the Chibi-Usa arc, but before the "reveal" of her mother, I wonder how many people would see Chibi-Usa's pink hair and think she could have been En's future daughter...especially if Mamoru broke up with Usagi and decided to humor En by going with her on dates the way he did with Rei...

...no wait, just me? Never mind.
 
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Neon Genesis

Solaris Luna
Oct 31, 2015
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#17
Don't watch the first three, got out of the last one pretty quickly, so I can't really compare. But for reasons plenty of others have given, it seems Sailor Moon's Makai Tree arc is the gold standard for 'filler' arcs, the one you point to and say, "THIS is how it's done."
I would also say Cardcaptor Sakura does an overall solid job of balancing plot with character driven filler in episodes and I personally actually prefer the Cardcaptor Sakura anime over the original manga.



Know where I can get that, hopefully on DVD and not some malware-infested site? I think I saw a bit of this thing called Iczelion once and it looked pretty fun.
It looks like Media Blaster's rights to it have expired so there doesn't seem to be any official way to watch it. Your best bet if you want a DVD is probably eBay.
 
Sep 6, 2014
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#18
If the Makaiju arc happened in the middle of the Chibi-Usa arc, but before the "reveal" of her mother, I wonder how many people would see Chibi-Usa's pink hair and think she could have been En's future daughter...especially if Mamoru broke up with Usagi and decided to humor En by going with her on dates the way he did with Rei...

...no wait, just me? Never mind.
Depends if they still would have beat into our heads that Rini is Serena’s daughter
 

Greyman-X

Luna Crescens
Oct 1, 2017
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#19
I would also say Cardcaptor Sakura does an overall solid job of balancing plot with character driven filler in episodes and I personally actually prefer the Cardcaptor Sakura anime over the original manga.
Plus also have an anime-only character that's interesting in her own right. Another sin of the Nelvana dub. Meiling annoyed the crap out of me in the English version, but in the original I found her really funny, and then character development marched on.

Also, for the anime, weren't a boatload more cards added?

It looks like Media Blaster's rights to it have expired so there doesn't seem to be any official way to watch it. Your best bet if you want a DVD is probably eBay.
With OOP DVDs clocking in at around $25, because of course.
 

Sakuranbo

Aurorae Lunares
Feb 10, 2019
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#20
I like the Makai Tree arc and even though it's a filler arc, I still like to watch it. I am also a fan of Ail and An too since the both of them are very interesting characters and they are both my favorite filler characters too.