The first season of SailorMoon introduces the main concept of the entire series. It brings forth the first four Sailor Senshi, and gives the background for the story. It revolves around the Sailor Senshi as they battle their first enemy, the evil Dark Kingdom. They must battle with Queen Beryl's minions to save the world from being taken over. While it is generally not considered the best season of the five, it does have a semi-complicated plot with twists and some good story arcs. (This is personally one of my favorite seasons... )
In it's opening scene, we are introduced to the main character, Usagi Tsukino. She is a 14 year old school girl with less than perfect habits. While on her way to school, she sees a group of kids messing with a cat. She makes them stop, and then removes a bandage on the cat's forehead, reveiling a cresent moon symbol. Soon we meet Naru, Usagi's best friend from school. On Usagi's way home, she happens to run into a guy named Mamoru. They don't get off to a good start, and throughout the early part of the season, and they seem to enjoy disliking each other. When Usagi arrives home, the cat that she rescued comes to her. It begins to talk, calling herself Luna. She says that Usagi is a soldier called Sailormoon, who's mission is to protect the world from evil and find the moon princess. She is given a transformation brooch and transforms into Sailormoon.
Soon she is off to her first battle, and Usagi is less than thrilled to fight. During the battle a strange caped man called Tuxedo Mask, comes to Sailormoon's rescue. He says that he will always come to her aid in battle, which proves to be true through out the series. Usagi eventually gets used to the idea of being Sailormoon, although she does not take the responsibility as seriously as Luna would like. Luckily for Luna, Ami Mizuno and Rei Hino are soon discovered to be Sailormercury and Sailormars, respectively. Ami is a brilliant girl who is at the top of her class, and Rei is a Shinto shrine maiden. At first, Ami was suspected to be an evil enemy by Luna.
Soon we learn about the Dark Kingdom, the evil force that is trying to take over the earth. It is lead by Queen Beryl, who's generals are Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Kunzite. The senshi continue their quest for the moon princess, as well as finding the silver crystal which belonged to the royal family of the Moon Kingdom. Soon they learn of the rainbow crystals, which are fragments of the silver crystal hidden inside 7 people of Earth. During this new development, they find Sailorjupiter. Jupiter is the other identity of Makoto Kino. The Dark Kingdom also wants the rainbow crystals because they have the Dark Kingdom's strongest youma trapped inside. Tuxedo Mask also fights for these crystals, because he believes they are a clue to his forgotten past.
At this point, the Dark Kindom generals consist of only Zoisite and Kunzite. Soon all of the crystals are found; The Sailor Senshi have 1, Tuxedo Mask holds 2, and the Dark Kingdom has 4. The senshi soon lose their crystal to Zoisite. Kunzite and Zoisite set a trap for the senshi so Tuxedo Mask will come and they can get his crystals. It is almost successful until the Sailors are saved by the one and only Sailor V! She then re-introduces herself as Sailorvenus, one of the Sailor Senshi!
During this, Queen Beryl discovered Tuxedo Mask's identity as Mamoru Chiba. Zoisite goes after Mamoru for his crystals, and it is soon revealed to Mamoru & Usagi that they are Sailormoon and Tuxedo Mask. The senshi soon arrive, and they get an even bigger suprise: Sailormoon is the Moon Princess, Princess Serenity! (for a more indepth summary of this episode, go to Moon Kingdom 3 page)The silver crystal is reveiled and it places itself in Sailormoon's moon stick. She remembers bits of her past and realizes that Mamoru was Prince Endymion of Earth, her love from their past.
Tuxedo Mask is taken by Kunzite to the Dark Kingdom. Zoisite is soon killed by Queen Beryl, and Tuxedo Mask is brainwashed to become an accomplice of the Dark Kingdom. Together he and Kunzite try to find the identity of Sailormoon through different traps. (only Zoisite saw that Usagi was Sailormoon, and was not given the opportunity to reveal it to anyone.) Kunzite tries to destroy Sailormoon (and Tuxedo Mask for that matter...) while Tuxedo Mask always saves her despite being on opposite sides.
The senshi have a final confrontation with Kunzite, and they are zapped to the moon to learn about the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. They learn that Metallia and Beryl had attacked and destroyed the Moon Kingdom as well as Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. Queen Serenity used the full power of the silver crystal to seal away the evil and send everyone to the future to start a new life. Once they return to the present, the senshi destroy Kunzite, and begin their journey to battle Queen Beryl.
On their way to the Dark Kingdom, they are met by Beryl's youma who eventually kill each senshi except for Sailormoon. Overwrought by all of this, Sailormoon falls to the ground not wanting to continue. Then the spirits of the senshi return to give her encouragement. She decides to continue on, and is brought to the Dark Kingdom by Queen Beryl. Beryl tells to Prince Endymion to attack Sailormoon, and he does. Just as he is about to use his sword on her, Sailormoon uses her tiara and strikes him in his stomach. She holds out the locket that he had given her, and he touches it, bringing back his memories. Beryl sends a crystal spike at them, and Tuxedo Mask throws a rose. It slices through the crystal and stabs Beryl in the chest. A crystal fragment hits Tuxedo Mask. Beryl sinks into the ground to her master, Queen Metallia. Tuxedo Mask dies.
Queen Metallia takes over Beryl's body and goes off to battle. She and Sailormoon meet, and Metallia sends a blow to Sailormoon, encasing her with ice. Then the top of the ice opens to reveal Princess Serenity! She fights Metallia with the silver crystal, but can't do it alone. Soon she is joined by the spirits of the 4 dead senshi, and together their power blasts Metallia for good. Then, after using the full force of the crystal, Sailormoon dies. The crystal's light grows until everything is engulfed in it. We hear Usagi's voice say she wishes she could just have a normal life.
Soon we see Usagi running late to class, Makoto running by her. Usagi runs past Rei and Minako, and goes to school to find Ami Mizuno has the top scores on the last exam. Her score is a 30. Then we see Usagi walking home... She throws her test paper backwards and it hits Mamoru... End of Season 1 ^_^
