is a Japanese
manga
Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...
series written and illustrated by
Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in
Kodansha's
''shōjo'' manga magazine ''
Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18
volumes. The series follows the adventures of a schoolgirl named
Usagi Tsukino as she transforms into Sailor Moon to search for a magical artifact, the . She leads a group of comrades, the Sailor Soldiers, called Sailor Guardians in later editions, as they battle against villains to prevent the theft of the Silver Crystal and the destruction of the
Solar System
The Solar System Capitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar ...
.
The manga was adapted into
an anime series produced by
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch,'' '' GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Sl ...
and broadcast in Japan from 1992 to 1997.
Toei also developed three animated feature films, a television special, and three short films based on the anime. A live-action television adaptation, ''
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'', aired from 2003 to 2004, and a second anime series, ''
Sailor Moon Crystal'', began
simulcast
Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simult ...
ing in 2014. The manga series was licensed for an English language release by
Kodansha Comics in North America, and in Australia and New Zealand by Random House Australia. The entire anime series has been licensed by
Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
for an English language release in North America and by
Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand.
Since its release, ''Sailor Moon'' has received acclaim, with praise for its art, characterization, and humor. The manga has sold over 35 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling
''shōjo'' manga series. The franchise has also generated in worldwide merchandise sales.
Plot
One day in
Juban,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, a
middle-school student named
Usagi Tsukino befriends
Luna, a talking black cat who gives her a magical brooch enabling her to transform into Sailor Moon: a soldier destined to save
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surf ...
from the forces of evil. Luna and Usagi assemble a team of fellow Sailor Guardians to find their princess and the Silver Crystal. They encounter the studious Ami Mizuno, who awakens as
Sailor Mercury; Rei Hino, a local
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...
shrine maiden
A , or shrine maiden,Groemer, 28. is a young priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. were once likely seen as Shamanism, shamans,Picken, 140. but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained ...
who awakens as
Sailor Mars; Makoto Kino, a tall and strong transfer student who awakens as
Sailor Jupiter; and Minako Aino, a young aspiring
idol who had awakened as
Sailor Venus a few months prior, accompanied by her talking feline companion
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. ...
. Additionally, they befriend Mamoru Chiba, a high school student who assists them on occasion as
Tuxedo Mask.
In the first arc, the group battles the
Dark Kingdom, whose members attempt to find the Silver Crystal and free an imprisoned, evil entity called Queen Metaria. Usagi and her team discover that in their previous lives they were members of the ancient Moon Kingdom in a period of time called the Silver Millennium. The Dark Kingdom waged war against them, resulting in the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. Its ruler
Queen Serenity sent her daughter Princess Serenity,
reincarnated as Usagi, along with her protectors the Sailor Guardians, their feline advisers Luna and Artemis, and the princess's true love Prince Endymion, who in turn was reborn as Mamoru.
At the beginning of the second arc, the Sailor Guardians meet Usagi and Mamoru's future daughter
Chibiusa, who arrives from a 30th-century version of Tokyo known as "Crystal Tokyo", which is ruled by Neo Queen Serenity, Usagi of the future and has been attacked by the group of villains known as the
Black Moon Clan. During their journey, Sailor Moon and her friends meet
Sailor Pluto, Guardian of the Time-Space Door. During the climactic battle of the arc, Sailor Pluto dies trying to save the sailor soldiers and Chibiusa was brainwashed by the enemy and turned into the Black Lady, but was eventually reformed and awakens as a Guardian herself—Sailor Chibi Moon.
The third arc introduces car-racer Haruka Tenoh and violinist Michiru Kaioh, who appear as
Sailor Uranus and
Sailor Neptune, whose duty is to guard the Solar System from external threats. Physics student Setsuna Meioh, Sailor Pluto's reincarnation, joins Uranus and Neptune in their mission to kill a mysterious girl named Hotaru Tomoe, whom they identify as the Guardian of Destruction
Sailor Saturn. However, when Saturn awakens she joins the final fight against the main antagonists of the arc, the
Death Busters, sacrificing her life in the process. With her newly obtained powers as Super Sailor Moon, Usagi restores the Earth and Hotaru is reincarnated as a baby.
The fourth arc explores the Sailor Guardians' dreams and nightmares when the villainous group
Dead Moon Circus
The are a group of fictional characters from the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. They serve as the main antagonists of the fourth arc, called ''Dream'' in the manga, '' Sailor Moon SuperS'' in its first anime adaptation, ...
exploits the Guardians' deepest fears, invades Elysion (which hosts the Earth's Golden Kingdom), and captures its High Priest
Helios
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; grc, , , Sun; Homeric Greek: ) is the deity, god and personification of the Sun (Solar deity). His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyper ...
, who turned into a Pegasus and tried to ask Guardians for help. This storyline also addresses Mamoru's relevance as protector of the Earth and owner of the Golden Crystal, the sacred stone of the Golden Kingdom. Mamoru and all ten of the reunited Guardians combine their powers, enabling Usagi to transform into Eternal Sailor Moon and defeat Dead Moon's leader, Queen Nehelenia.
In the final arc the
Sailor Starlights
The ''Sailor Moon'' manga series features an extensive cast of Fictional character, characters created by Naoko Takeuchi. The series takes place in Tokyo, Japan, where the , a group of ten magical girls, are formed to combat an assortment of ant ...
from the Kinmoku system, their ruler
Princess Kakyuu, and the mysterious little girl
Chibi-Chibi join Usagi in her fight against
Shadow Galactica, a group of both corrupted and false Sailor Guardians and led by
Sailor Galaxia
are a group of fictional characters in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. They are the villains of the series' fifth and final story arc, called ''Stars'' in the manga, '' Sailor Moon Sailor Stars'' in the first anime ad ...
, who have been rampaging across the galaxy and killing other Sailor Guardians to steal their Star Seeds, Sailor Crystals—the essence of their lives. After Mamoru and all of the main Solar System Guardians are killed by Shadow Galactica, Usagi travels to the Galaxy Cauldron, the birthplace of all Star Seeds of the Milky Way, in an attempt to revive her loved ones and to confront Chaos, the source of all strife in the galaxy.
Production
Creation of ''Sailor Moon''
Naoko Takeuchi redeveloped ''Sailor Moon'' from her 1991 manga serial ''
Codename: Sailor V'', which was first published on August 20, 1991, and featured Sailor Venus as the main protagonist.
Takeuchi wanted to create a story with a theme about girls in outer space. While discussing with her editor Fumio Osano, he suggested the addition of
Sailor fuku.
When ''Codename: Sailor V'' was proposed for adaptation into an anime by
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch,'' '' GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Sl ...
, Takeuchi redeveloped the concept so Sailor Venus became a member of a team. The resulting manga series became a fusion of the popular magical girl genre and the ''
Super Sentai'' series, of which Takeuchi was a fan.
Recurring motifs include
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
,
astrology
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...
,
gemology
Gemology or gemmology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. It is a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy. Some jewelers (and many non-jewelers) are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identify ...
,
Greco-Roman mythology,
Japanese elemental themes,
teen fashions,
and schoolgirl antics.
Takeuchi said discussions with Kodansha originally envisaged a single story arc;
the storyline was developed in meetings a year before serialization began.
After completing the arc, Toei and Kodansha asked Takeuchi to continue the series. She wrote four more story arcs,
which were often published simultaneously with the five corresponding seasons of the anime adaptation. The anime ran one or two months behind the manga.
As a result, the anime follows the storyline of the manga fairly closely, although there are deviations.
Takeuchi later said because Toei's production staff were mostly male, she feels the anime has "a slight
male perspective."
Takeuchi later said she planned to kill off the protagonists, but Osano rejected the notion and said, "
'Sailor Moon''is a
''shōjo'' manga!" When the anime adaptation was produced, the protagonists were killed in the final battle with the Dark Kingdom, although they were revived. Takeuchi resented that she was unable to do that in her version.
Takeuchi also intended for the ''Sailor Moon'' anime adaptation to last for one season, but due to the immense popularity, Toei asked Takeuchi to continue the series. At first, she struggled to develop another storyline to extend the series. While discussing with Osano, he suggested the inclusion of Usagi's daughter from the future, Chibiusa.
Westernization
After the ''Sailor Moon'' anime was released in North America and dubbed in English, fans and academics alike noted that the dub had westernized ''Sailor Moon'' from how it had been released in Japan. In the 1990s English version of ''Sailor Moon'', the westernization of the characters is seen in how a majority of the character names are changed from Japanese to English names.
Sailor Moon's civilian name, Usagi Tsukino, is turned into Serena.
The love interest of Sailor Moon, Mamoru Chiba, is turned into Darien Shields. Other examples of westernization referenced by ''Sailor Moon''
's audience were things like flipping scenes of traffic to have cars drive on the right side of the road along with the English dub changing any conversations between characters that contained lesser-known (in the United States at the time) Japanese cultural references. According to
Bandai America
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
, the company in charge of Sailor Moon merchandise in the western hemisphere, the approach to advertising ''Sailor Moon'' was to make the show and super-heroine "'culturally appropriate' for the American market".
LGBTQ+ censorship
The 1990s ''Sailor Moon'' anime also faced censorship internationally of characteristics regarded as LGBTQ, or not "heteronormative".
Censorship in various countries ranged from changing a character's gender to removing gender fluidness in characters, or editing romantic pairings into close relationships between family members. English Professor Diana Burgos of Florida Atlantic University identifies that the 2014 remake of ''Sailor Moon'' titled ''
Sailor Moon Crystal'' retains a lot of the central themes about gender and sexual identity that is showcased within both the manga and Japanese ''Sailor Moon'' anime, but removed from the 1990s ''Sailor Moon'' dub.
Sociology professor Rhea Hoskin specifies that the removal of homosexual and gender-fluid characters in the 1990s ''Sailor Moon'' highlights the exclusivity of what was otherwise representation of LGBTQ in a female-lead superhero show. For more specific details on the differences between the 1992 dub and Japanese version, refer to the
editing section on the ''Sailor Moon'' TV series.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by
Naoko Takeuchi, ''Sailor Moon'' was serialized in the monthly manga anthology ''
Nakayoshi'' from December 28, 1991, to February 3, 1997.
The side-stories were serialized simultaneously in ''RunRun''—another of Kodansha's manga magazines.
The 52 individual chapters were published in 18 ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese term for a book that is not part of an anthology or corpus. In modern Japanese, the term is most often used in reference to individual volumes of a manga series: most series first appear as individual chapters in a weekly or m ...
'' volumes by
Kodansha from July 6, 1992, to April 4, 1997.
In 2003, the chapters were re-released in a collection of 12 ''shinzōban'' volumes to coincide with the release of the
live-action series.
The manga was retitled ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' and included new cover art, and revised dialogue and illustrations. The ten individual short stories were also released in two volumes. In 2013, the chapters were once again re-released in 10 ''kanzenban'' volumes to commemorate the manga's 20th anniversary, which includes digitally remastered artwork, new covers and color artwork from its ''Nakayoshi'' run.
The books have been enlarged from the typical Japanese manga size to A5.
The short stories were republished in two volumes, with the order of the stories shuffled. ''Codename: Sailor V'' was also included in the third edition.
The ''Sailor Moon'' manga was initially licensed for an English release by Mixx (later
Tokyopop) in North America. The manga was first published as a serial in ''
MixxZine'' beginning in 1997, but was later removed from the magazine and made into a separate, low print monthly comic to finish the first, second and third arcs. At the same time, the fourth and fifth arcs were printed in a secondary magazine called ''
Smile''. Pages from the Tokyopop version of the manga ran daily in the Japanimation Station, a service accessible to users of
America Online
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo (2017 ...
. The series was later collected into a three-part graphic novel series spanning eighteen volumes, which were published from December 1, 1998, to September 18, 2001.
In May 2005, Tokyopop's license to the ''Sailor Moon'' manga expired, and its edition went out of print.
In 2011,
Kodansha Comics announced they had acquired the license for the ''Sailor Moon'' manga and its lead-in series ''Codename: Sailor V'' in English.
They published the twelve volumes of ''Sailor Moon'' simultaneously with the two-volume edition of ''Codename Sailor V'' from September 2011 to July 2013. The first of the two related short story volumes was published on September 10, 2013; the second was published on November 26, 2013. At
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first ...
2017, Kodansha Comics announced plans to re-release ''Sailor Moon'' in an "Eternal Edition", featuring a new English translation, new cover artwork by Takeuchi, and color pages from the manga's original run, printed on extra-large premium paper. The first Eternal Edition volume was published on September 11, 2018; the tenth and final volume was published on October 20, 2020. On July 1, 2019, Kondasha Comics began releasing the Eternal Editions digitally, following an announcement the day before about the series being released digitally in ten different languages. In November 2020, Kodansha Comics announced plans to re-release the ''Sailor Moon'' manga again as part of their "Naoko Takeuchi Collection". The company described the new edition as a "more affordable, portable" version of the Eternal Edition. The first volume will be published on April 5, 2022.
''Sailor Moon'' has also been licensed in other English-speaking countries. In the United Kingdom, the volumes are distributed by Turnaround Publisher Services. In Australia, the manga is distributed by Penguin Books Australia.
The manga has been licensed in Russia and
CIS for distribution by XL-Media publishing company, a subdivision of
Eksmo publishing company. The first volume was released in 2018.
Anime series
Overview
''Sailor Moon''
Toei Animation produced an anime television series based on the 52 manga chapters, also titled ''Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon''.
Junichi Sato directed the first season,
Kunihiko Ikuhara took over second through fourth season, and
Takuya Igarashi directed the fifth and final season.
The series premiered in Japan on
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Com ...
on March 7, 1992, and ran for 200 episodes until its conclusion on February 8, 1997. Upon its release, the show quickly rose to be Toei Animation's highest ranked TV series. Most of the international versions, including the English adaptations, are titled ''Sailor Moon''.
''Sailor Moon Crystal''
On July 6, 2012, Kodansha and Toei Animation announced that it would commence production of a new anime adaptation of ''Sailor Moon'', called ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal'', for a simultaneous worldwide release in 2013 as part of the series's 20th anniversary celebrations,
and stated that it would be a closer adaptation of the manga than the first anime. ''Crystal'' premiered on July 5, 2014, and new episodes would air on the first and third Saturdays of each month.
New cast were announced, along with
Kotono Mitsuishi reprising her role as Sailor Moon. The first two seasons were released together, covering their corresponding arcs of the manga (''Dark Kingdom'' and ''Black Moon''). A third season based on the ''Infinity'' arc on the manga premiered on Japanese television on April 4, 2016, known as ''Death Busters'' arc in this adaptation.
Munehisa Sakai directed the first and second season, while
Chiaki Kon directed the third season.
Films and television specials
Three animated theatrical feature films based on the original ''Sailor Moon'' series have been released in Japan: ''
Sailor Moon R: The Movie'' in 1993, followed by ''
Sailor Moon S: The Movie'' in 1994, and ''
Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie'' in 1995. The films are side-stories that do not correlate with the timeline of the original series. A one-hour television special was aired on TV Asahi in Japan on April 8, 1995.
Kunihiko Ikuhara directed the first film, while the latter two were directed by Hiroki Shibata.
In 1997, an article in ''
Variety'' stated that
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
was interested in originally acquiring the rights to ''Sailor Moon'' as a live action film to be directed by
Stanley Tong &
Geena Davis set to star as Queen Beryl. After Disney put the project into
turnaround,
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
acquired the film rights.
In 2017, it was revealed that ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal'' anime's fourth season would be produced as a two-part theatrical anime film project, adapting the ''Dream'' arc from the manga.
On June 30, 2019, it was announced that the title of the films will be ''
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie''.
The first film was originally to be released on September 11, 2020, but was postponed and released on January 8, 2021, and the second film was released on February 11, 2021.
Chiaki Kon returned from ''Crystal''s third season to direct the two films.
In 2022, it was announced that a sequel to ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie'', covering the ''Stars'' arc of the manga would also be produced as a two-part theatrical anime film project, titled ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie''. Tomoya Takahashi is directing the two films, and will be released in Summer 2023.
Companion books
There have been numerous companion books to ''Sailor Moon''. Kodansha released some of these books for each of the five story arcs, collectively called the ''Original Picture Collection''. The books contain cover art, promotional material and other work by Takeuchi. Many of the drawings are accompanied by comments on the way she developed her ideas, created each picture and commentary on the anime interpretation of her story.
Another picture collection, ''Volume Infinity'', was released as a self-published, limited-edition artbook after the end of the series in 1997. This art book includes drawings by Takeuchi and her friends, her staff, and many of the voice actors who worked on the anime. In 1999, Kodansha published the ''Materials Collection''; this contained development sketches and notes for nearly every character in the manga, and for some characters that never appeared. Each drawing includes notes by Takeuchi about costume pieces, the mentality of the characters and her feelings about them. It also includes timelines for the story arcs and for the real-life release of products and materials relating to the anime and manga. A short story, ''Parallel Sailor Moon'' is also featured, celebrating the
year of the rabbit
The rabbit ( 兔) is the fourth in the twelve-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rabbit is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 卯.
In the Vietnamese zodiac and t ...
.
Novels
''Sailor Moon'' was also adapted for publication as novels and released in 1998. The first book was written by
Stuart J. Levy. The following novels were written by Lianne Sentar.
Stage musicals
In mid-1993, the first musical theater production based on ''Sailor Moon'' premiered, starring
Anza Ohyama as Sailor Moon. Thirty such musicals in all have been produced, with one in pre-production. The shows' stories include anime-inspired plotlines and original material. Music from the series has been released on about 20 memorial albums. The popularity of the musicals has been cited as a reason behind the production of the live-action television series, ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon''.
[
During the original run musicals ran in the winter and summer of each year, with summer musicals staged at the Sunshine Theater in the ]Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits. It is considered the second larges ...
area of Tokyo. In the winter, musicals toured to other large cities in Japan, including Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
, Fukuoka
is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center ...
, Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most p ...
, Shizuoka, Kanazawa
is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
Overview Cityscape
File:もてな ...
, Sendai
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the ''daimyō'' Date M ...
, Saga, Oita, Yamagata and Fukushima
may refer to:
Japan
* Fukushima Prefecture, Japanese prefecture
**Fukushima, Fukushima, capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
*** Fukushima University, national university in Japan
*** Fukushima Station (Fukushima) in Fukushima, Fukushim ...
. The final incarnation of the first run, , went on stage in January 2005, following which, Bandai
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine ...
officially put the series on a hiatus. On June 2, 2013, Fumio Osano announced on his Twitter page that the ''Sailor Moon'' musicals would begin again in September 2013. The 20th anniversary show ''La Reconquista'' ran from September 13 to 23 at Shibuya's AiiA Theater Tokyo, with Satomi Ōkubo as Sailor Moon. Satomi Ōkubo reprised the role in the 2014 production ''Petite Étrangère'' which ran from August 21 to September 7, 2014, again at AiiA Theater Tokyo.
Live-action series
Unrealized American adaptation
In 1993, Renaissance-Atlantic Entertainment, Bandai and Toon Makers, Inc. conceptualized their own version of ''Sailor Moon'', which was half live-action and half Western-style animation. Toon Makers produced a 17-minute proof of concept
Proof of concept (POC or PoC), also known as proof of principle, is a realization of a certain method or idea in order to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle with the aim of verifying that some concept or theory has prac ...
pilot and a two-minute music video, both of which were directed by Rocky Solotoff, who also worked on the pilot's script. Renaissance-Atlantic presented the concept to Toei, but it was turned down as their concept would have cost significantly more than simply exporting and dubbing the anime adaptation. The companies' work is believed by Solotoff to have been handed over to Raymond Iacovacci, one of the producers on the project, who stored the pilot script and animation cels in a storage facility. The logo created for the pilot was kept for the English dub, and Bandai released a "Moon Cycle" as part of its merchandise for the show, based on vehicles designed for the pilot.
The project was rediscovered in 1998 when the music video was screened at the Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first ...
convention in Los Angeles, where it was met with laughter by onlookers. A congoer recorded the music video and the audience response, which would later resurface on video sites such as YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...
. The pilot and the music video would go on to be discussed at conventions such as the 2011 Gen Con and 2012 Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first ...
. It was given the monikers of "''Toon Makers' Sailor Moon"'' and "Saban Moon" despite having no connection with Saban Entertainment save for Renaissance-Atlantic Entertainment, which worked with the company on ''Power Rangers
''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise '' Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS ...
''. The proof of concept video was widely considered to be lost media and director Solotoff reported that he was frequently contacted by people searching for the pilot. In 2012 multiple animation cels from the pilot, along with the script, surfaced on the internet after a storage locker, believed to be the one owned by Iacovacci, was sold.
In 1998, Frank Ward, along with his company Renaissance-Atlantic Entertainment, tried to revive the idea of doing a live-action series based on Sailor Moon, this time called ''Team Angel'', without the involvement of Toon Makers. A 2-minute reel was produced and sent to Bandai America, but was also rejected.
In August 2022, the proof of concept was showcased for the first time on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...
in a documentary by Ray Mona. Ray Mona obtained both the pilot and its music video, as well and its related materials, from the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The librar ...
.
''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon''
In 2003, Toei Company produced a Japanese live-action ''Sailor Moon'' television series using the new translated English title of ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon''. Its 49 episodes were broadcast on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting from October 4, 2003, to September 25, 2004. ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' featured Miyuu Sawai as Usagi Tsukino, Rika Izumi
is a Japanese model, actress and singer. She formerly used the stage name when she was with Snow Rabbits Productions. After Izumi returned to the modeling world in 2008, she used both 泉里果 and 泉里香 as stage names; both are pronounced ...
(credited as Chisaki Hama) as Ami Mizuno, Keiko Kitagawa as Rei Hino, Mew Azama as Makoto Kino, Ayaka Komatsu as Minako Aino, Jouji Shibue as Mamoru Chiba, Keiko Han reprising her voice role as Luna from the original anime and Kappei Yamaguchi voicing Artemis. The series was an alternate retelling of the Dark Kingdom arc, adding a storyline different from that in the manga and first anime series, with original characters and new plot developments. In addition to the main episodes, two direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...
releases appeared after the show ended its television broadcast. "Special Act" is set four years after the main storyline ends, and shows the wedding of the two main characters. "Act Zero" is a prequel showing the origins of Sailor V
is a manga created by Naoko Takeuchi. The series revolves around the character Minako Aino, a cheerful schoolgirl who finds out that she has magical powers that she must use to protect the people of the Earth. ''Codename: Sailor V'' is the b ...
and Tuxedo Mask.
Video games
The ''Sailor Moon'' franchise has spawned several video games across various genres and platforms. Most were made by Bandai and its subsidy Angel; others were produced by Banpresto. The early games were side-scrolling fighters; later ones were unique puzzle games, or versus fighting games. '' Another Story'' was a turn-based role-playing video game. The only ''Sailor Moon'' game produced outside Japan, 3VR New Media's ''The 3D Adventures of Sailor Moon'', went on sale in North America in 1997, They were developed in association with DIC Entertainment, which held the rights to the game and the TV series. A video game called ''Sailor Moon: La Luna Splende'' (''Sailor Moon: The Moon Shines'') was released on March 16, 2011, for the Nintendo DS.
Tabletop games
The Dyskami Publishing Company released ''Sailor Moon Crystal Dice Challenge'', created by James Ernest of Cheapass Games and based on the '' Button Men'' tabletop game in 2017, and ''Sailor Moon Crystal Truth or Bluff'' in 2018.
Theme park attractions
A Sailor Moon attraction, ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Miracle 4-D'', was announced for Universal Studios Japan. It featured Sailor Moon and the Inner Guardians arriving at the theme park, only to discover and stop the Youma's plan from stealing people's energies. The attraction ran from March 16 through July 24, 2018.
The sequel attraction, ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Miracle 4-D: Moon Palace arc'', ran from May 31, 2019, to August 25, 2019. It featured all 10 Sailor Guardians and Super Sailor Moon.
In January 2022, a new attraction was announced titled ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Miracle 4-D ~Moon Palace arc~ Deluxe''. The attraction will feature the same storyline as the last and feature the Sailor Guardians in their princess forms. It will run from March 4, 2022, to August 28, 2022.
Ice skating show
An ice skating show of ''Sailor Moon'' was announced on June 30, 2019, starring Evgenia Medvedeva as the lead. The name for the ice-skating show was announced as ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Prism on Ice'', as well as the additional casts, with Anza from the first ''Sailor Moon'' musicals to play Queen Serenity, and the main voice actresses of ''Sailor Moon Crystal'' anime series to voice their individual characters. Takuya Hiramatsu from the musicals will write the screenplay, Yuka Sato and Benji Schwimmer are in charge of choreography, and Akiko Kosaka & Gesshoku Kaigi will write the music for the show. The show was set to debut in early June 2020, but was first postponed to June 2021, and later to June 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
Idol group
An idol pop group named SG5, short for Sailor Guardians 5, was announced in June 2022. Early plans to form the group began in 2020, with the official lineup and overall concept finalized in 2022. As part of the process, the group had to seek the approval of Naoko Takeuchi by performing in front of her and giving a presentation. Four of the group members, Sayaka, Ruri, Miyuu, and Kaede, had previously performed together as part of the idol group Happiness
Happiness, in the context of mental or emotional states, is positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishing and eudaimonia.
...
. The group will officially debut in July 2022 at Anime Expo and is co-managed by LDH Japan Inc. and Three Six Zero.
Reception
''Sailor Moon'' is one of the most popular manga series of all time and continues to enjoy high readership worldwide. More than one million copies of its ''tankōbon'' volumes had been sold in Japan by the end of 1995. It has been described as iconic. By the series's 20th anniversary in 2012, the manga had sold over 35 million copies in over fifty countries, and the franchise has generated in worldwide merchandise
Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more ...
sales as of 2014. The manga won the Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga
Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in ea ...
in 1993 for ''shōjo''. The English adaptations of both the manga and the anime series became the first successful ''shōjo'' title in the United States. The character of Sailor Moon is recognized as one of the most important and popular female superheroes of all time.
''Sailor Moon'' has also become popular internationally. ''Sailor Moon'' was broadcast in Spain and France beginning in December 1993; these became the first countries outside Japan to broadcast the series. It was later aired in Russia, South Korea, the Philippines, China, Italy, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong, before North America picked up the franchise for adaptation. In the Philippines, ''Sailor Moon'' was one of its carrier network's main draws, helping it to become the third-biggest network in the country. In 2001, the ''Sailor Moon'' manga was Tokyopop's best selling property, outselling the next-best selling titles by at least a factor of 1.5. In Diamond Comic Distributors's May 1999 "Graphic Novel and Trade Paperback" category, ''Sailor Moon'' Volume 3 was the best-selling comic book in the United States.
Academic Timothy J. Craig attributes ''Sailor Moon'''s international success to three things. First was the show's magical girl transformation of ordinary characters into superheroes. Second was the ability of marketers to establish the international audience's connection to characters despite their culture being Japanese. The third was the fact that the main superhero was female, something which was still rare in pop culture in countries like the United States during the 1990s.
In his 2007 book '' Manga: The Complete Guide'', Jason Thompson gave the manga series three stars out of four. He enjoyed the blending of '' shōnen'' and ''shōjo'' styles and said the combat scenes seemed heavily influenced by ''Saint Seiya
, also known as ''Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac'' or simply ''Knights of the Zodiac'' (translated from the French title ''Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque''), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. It ...
'', but shorter and less bloody. He also said the manga itself appeared similar to ''Super Sentai'' television shows. Thompson found the series fun and entertaining, but said the repetitive plot lines were a detriment to the title, which the increasing quality of art could not make up for; even so, he called the series "sweet, effective entertainment." Thompson said although the audience for ''Sailor Moon'' is both male and female, Takeuchi does not use excessive fanservice for males, which would run the risk of alienating her female audience. Thompson said fight scenes are not physical and "boil down to their purest form of a clash of wills", which he says "makes thematic sense" for the manga.
Comparing the manga and anime, Sylvain Durand said the manga artwork is "gorgeous", but its storytelling is more compressed and erratic and the anime has more character development. Durand said "the sense of tragedy is greater" in the manga's telling of the "fall of the Silver Millennium," giving more detail about the origins of the Four Kings of Heaven and on Usagi's final battle against Queen Beryl and Metaria. Durand said the anime omits information that makes the story easy to understand, but judges the anime as more "coherent" with a better balance of comedy and tragedy, whereas the manga is "more tragic" and focused on Usagi and Mamoru's romance.
For the week of September 11, 2011, to September 17, 2011, the first volume of the re-released ''Sailor Moon'' manga was the best-selling manga on ''The New York Times'' Manga Best Sellers list, with the first volume of ''Codename: Sailor V'' in second place. The first print run of the first volume sold out after four weeks.
In English-speaking countries, ''Sailor Moon'' developed a cult following among anime fans and male university students. Patrick Drazen says the Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a ''internetworking, network of networks'' that consists ...
was a new medium that fans used to communicate and played a role in the popularity of ''Sailor Moon''. Fans could use the Internet to communicate about the series, organize campaigns to return ''Sailor Moon'' to U.S. broadcast, to share information about episodes that had not yet aired, or to write fan fiction. Gemma Cox of ''Neo'' magazine said part of the series's allure was that fans communicated via the Internet about the differences between the dub and the original version.
Cultural impact and legacy
With their dynamic heroines and action-oriented plots, many credit ''Sailor Moon'' for reinvigorating the magical girl genre. After its success, many similar magical girl series, including '' Magic Knight Rayearth'', '' Wedding Peach'', ''Nurse Angel Ririka SOS
is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by music producer and television writer Yasushi Akimoto and manga creator Koi Ikeno. The manga was serialized in '' Ribon Magazine'' from January 1995 to June 1996, and subsequently collected into fo ...
'', '' Saint Tail'', '' Cyber Team in Akihabara'' and '' Pretty Cure'', emerged. ''Sailor Moon'' has been called "the biggest breakthrough" in English-dubbed anime until 1995, when it premiered on YTV, and "the pinnacle of little kid ''shōjo'' anime". Cultural anthropologist Matt Thorn said that soon after ''Sailor Moon'', ''shōjo'' manga started appearing in book shops instead of fandom-dominated comic shops. The series are credited as beginning a wider movement of girls taking up ''shōjo'' manga. Canadian librarian Gilles Poitras defines a generation of anime fans as those who were introduced to anime by ''Sailor Moon'' in the 1990s, saying they were both much younger than other fans and were also mostly female.[
Historian Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a ''Super Sentai''-like team of magical girls,] and Paul Gravett credits the series with revitalizing the magical girl genre itself. A reviewer for ''THEM Anime Reviews'' also credited the anime series with changing the genre—its heroine must use her powers to fight evil, not simply have fun as previous magical girls had done. The series has also been compared to '' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', and '' Sabrina the Teenage Witch''. Sailor Moon also influenced the development of '' Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir'', '' W.I.T.C.H.'', '' Winx Club'', ''LoliRock
''LoliRock'' is a French animated television series produced by Marathon Media and Zodiak Kids with the participation of France Télévisions and The Walt Disney Company France. It was created by Jean Louis-Vandestoc and written by Madellaine P ...
'', '' Star vs. the Forces of Evil'', and '' Totally Spies!''.
In western culture
image:Da Vinci Vitruve Luc Viatour.jpg, Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions, human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise '' ...
, ''Sailor Moon'' is sometimes associated with the feminist and Girl Power movements and with empowering its viewers, especially regarding the "credible, charismatic and independent" characterizations of the Sailor Guardians. Although ''Sailor Moon'' is regarded as empowering to women and feminism in concept, through the aggressive nature and strong personalities of the Sailor Guardians, it is a specific type of feminist concept where "traditional feminine ideals reincorporated into characters that act in traditionally male capacities". While the Sailor Guardians are strong, independent fighters who thwart evil—which is generally a masculine stereotype—they are also ideally feminized in the transformation of the Sailor Guardians from teenage girls into magical girls.
The most notable hyper-feminine features of the Sailor Guardians—and most other females in Japanese girls' comics—are the girls' thin bodies, long legs, and, in particular, round, orb-like eyes. Eyes are commonly known as the primal source within characters where emotion is evoked—sensitive characters have larger eyes than insensitive ones. The stereotypical role of women in Japanese culture is to undertake romantic and loving feelings; therefore, the prevalence of hyper-feminine qualities like the openness of the female eye in Japanese girls' comics is clearly exhibited in ''Sailor Moon''. Thus, ''Sailor Moon'' emphasizes a type of feminist model by combining traditional masculine action with traditional female affection and sexuality through the Sailor Guardians.
Merchandise
As of 2022, ''Sailor Moon'' has grossed $14.3 billion in global sales, with $13 billion coming from merchandise alone. Since the early 2000s, Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch,'' '' GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Sl ...
has collaborated with various different brands to create merchandise outside of children's demographic. On February 20, 2020, ColourPop
ColourPop Cosmetics, also known as ColourPop, is an American cosmetics brand based in Los Angeles, California. The company was founded in 2014 by siblings Laura and John Nelson. ColourPop products are sold through their website and at Ulta Beauty. ...
released a ''Sailor Moon'' inspired makeup collection. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of ''Sailor Moon'' in the U.S., streetwear brand KITH released clothing like hoodies and t-shirts with ''Sailor Moon'' graphics on them. In honor of ''Sailor Moons 30th anniversary, brands like Sanrio, Uniqlo, and Maison de FLEUR announced a collaboration in January 2022.
References
External links
Official Pretty Guardian ''Sailor Moon'' 25th anniversary project website
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at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Archived
from the original on February 10, 2017.
{{Portal bar, Japan, Anime and manga, Television, Film, 1990s, Solar System
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