Sailor Moon Box Set 2 (Vol. 7-12) Paperback – October 29, 2013

Sailor Moon as a story: If you've read the first 6 books, obviously you'll want to finish them! Do not read these without reading the first ones. It is not a story you can just jump into.Translation: FINALLY! Why did it take until 2013 for a reasonably good translation that stays as true as possible to the original?! There are some parts where the translation reads a little odd, but it makes enough sense. I also really appreciate that the translators wrote Translation Notes for each book, where they explain the different ways they could have translated a word or explain the full meaning of something. Naoko used quite a few puns that only make sense in Japanese, and those puns are explained well (such as Tin Nyanko's entire name being a giant pun.)Quality: Many people complain that the paper quality is not as good as the individually published books. This is true, but in all honestly, it's not a big deal! The pages are not flimsy, they're just not as strong as the individually published books. Yes, the books are also slightly smaller. If superior quality is what you care about, then buy them individually. If you just want an economical way to buy the entire Sailor Moon manga, then buy this set! The only complaint I have is that there were a few pages where the print job was obviously lacking to some degree, because if you looked really close you could see faint detail that should have come through a lot better.This version compared to 90's Tokyo Pop/ Mixx Comix translation:Mixx Westernized the series as much as possible. They took out all the Japanese (even faint Japanese on building signs in the background.) They flipped all the art so you could read the story from right to left, like a normal English book, where as Japanese reads the opposite (left to right.) They gave all the characters the same names as the Canadian dub of the Sailor Moon Anime did (they did not have a habit of doing this with other series, like Magic Knight Rayearth, where the Anime dub left the character's names the same.) Basically, long story short, Mixx copied the English dub perfectly, and the English Dub drastically changed the Anime. While the quality of Mixx Sailor Moon comics were quite good (my books still are in great condition after 15 years and the art doesn't look photo copied,) they're not enjoyable to read. Kodansha didn't do anything to "Westernize" the manga, except translate the actual words. Whenever there is background noise spelled out, it's still in Japanese. You read the story from right to left, like the Japanese books. The names were not changed. The story was not altered to be more "kid-friendly." This is Sailor Moon left untouched, except for the words that were translated.Any fan of the series, even if they haven't read or watched it for years, will love Kodansha's translation!

This set was released in October and i bought just now for almost half the price. Now as I read it, it has all aspects of the Japanese version! Pros were:1) Reads as an authentic manga, and if you flip back to the back cover, it warns you that you are reading it wrong so that you don't spoil it for yourself!2) Has all Japanese phonetics like -sama, -chan, etc. These are all explained carefully at the end, and explains why they are used. Very helpful!3) has previews of the next book IN ENGLISH!!! Once you finish reading, it gives you a preview of the next book and then it has ads at the back of the book.4) Comes with adorable stickers with chibi versions of the front covers of each book!5) All the books have special paper in the front with amazing art, and has a table of contents(sometimes a spoiler alert)Cons:1) none, really....This is a must get series and definitely worth reading! If you haven't bought set 1, then you should. It's a series that you shouldn't read the second set of books until you have finished the first. Other than that, great series and a must have for any Moonie!!

As I've said on volumes 1-6, this set is definitely worth having, and I don't regret the price or owning the entire collection.Let me just start by saying the art box encasing the 6 volumes is as very beautifully done as the first set, and the pictures the two form together make me thrilled beyond belief. Honestly, as silly as it sounds, I love how they look sitting side-by-side on my shelf.As I said before on the previous box set, the manga itself is perhaps the best English version I've encountered to date. None of the names have been translated or Anglicized, and everything stays true to the original feel of the original Japanese manga. The manga still contains its bonus content as well, so absolutely nothing was shortchanged or skimmed in re-releasing these volumes. Of course, the manga art and story are as amazing as they ever were. The paper and books themselves feel like the quality of your average manga, so I don't feel as though anything was cheaply made or shortchanged.This is the absolute best English version of the manga I've come across so far and I'm thrilled to add it to my library as a now-completed set!

I’ve been dieing to get my hands on the second box set and now I finally have it! Of course I have already read all the books before but now I acutally OWN my own share of copies and its like a dream come true! The art is absolutely stunning and the story is quite the page turner! At parts It’ll kept you on the edge of your seat in wonder, others in tears, and laughing at the adorable humor!It’s sad to see some of the translations be mixed up but it shouldn’t keep anyone from enjoying the true story! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good plot and breath taking art! It even comes with some adorable stickers!

I've waited nearly two decades to get these, and I am glad I did. I ordered both the first and second set at the same time. Both came as described - 6 books in each set and a set of stickers with each box. Both box sets were wrapped in plastic and handled with care. There was no damage to the outside of the box and all of the books are in perfect condition. One set of stickers was slightly curved due to placement in the box, but a heavy set of books flattened them back out. Overall, I am happy with this order and would recommend both sets for any Sailor Moon fan - beginner or decades long fan like myself.