Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon
Cover of the first volume of Sailor Moon, featuring the titular character
美少女戦士セーラームーン
(Bishōjo Senshi Sērāmūn)
GenreMagical girl
Manga
Written byNaoko Takeuchi
Published byKodansha
English publisher
MagazineNakayoshi
English magazine
DemographicShōjo
Original runDecember 28, 1991February 3, 1997
Volumes18 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Other media
icon Anime and manga portal

Sailor Moon (Japanese: 美少女戦士セーラームーン, Hepburn: Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn, originally translated as Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon[1] and later as Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon[2][3]) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's shōjo manga magazine Nakayoshi from 1991 to 1997; the 60 individual chapters (later reorganized into 52), along with several side stories, were compiled in 18 volumes. The series follows the adventures of a schoolgirl named Usagi Tsukino as she transforms into the eponymous character to search for a magical artifact, the "Legendary Silver Crystal" (「幻の銀水晶」, Maboroshi no Ginsuishō, lit. "Phantom Silver Crystal"). 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 manga was adapted into an anime series produced by Toei Animation and broadcast in Japan from 1992 to 1997.[4][5] 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 simulcasting 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 for an English language release in North America and by Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand.

Since its release, Sailor Moon has received universal acclaim, with praise for its art, characterization, and humor. The manga has sold over 46 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series, as well as one of the best-selling shōjo manga series of all time.[6] The franchise has also generated $2.5 billion in worldwide merchandise sales.

Plot

One day in Juban, Tokyo, 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 guardian destined to save Earth 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 shrine maiden 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. 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, those 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, destroying 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 two characters in a romantic relationship, car-racer Haruka Tenoh and violinist Michiru Kaioh, who appear as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. Their duty is to guard the Solar System against external threats. Physics student Setsuna Meioh, Sailor Pluto's reincarnation, joins Sailor Uranus and Sailor 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 exploits the Guardians' deepest fears, invades Elysion (which hosts the Earth's Golden Kingdom), and captures its high priest Helios, 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 from the Planet Kinmoku, 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, 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, after working on the 1991 Nami Akimoto manga Miracle Girls, 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.[7] 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.[8] When Codename: Sailor V was proposed for adaptation into an anime by Toei Animation, Takeuchi redeveloped the concept so Sailor Venus became a member of a team.[9][10] The resulting manga series became a fusion of the popular magical girl genre and the Super Sentai series, of which Takeuchi was a fan.[11] Recurring motifs include astronomy,[8] astrology, gemology, Greco-Roman mythology,[12] Japanese elemental themes,[13]: 286  teen fashions,[12][14] and schoolgirl antics.[14]

Takeuchi said discussions with Kodansha originally envisaged a single story arc;[15] the storyline was developed in meetings a year before serialization began.[16]: 93  After completing the arc, Toei and Kodansha asked Takeuchi to continue the series. She wrote four more story arcs,[15] which were often published simultaneously with the five corresponding seasons of the anime adaptation. The anime ran one or two months behind the manga.[16]: 93  As a result, the anime follows the storyline of the manga fairly closely, although there are deviations.[17] Takeuchi later said because Toei's production staff were mostly male, she feels the anime has "a slight male perspective."[17]

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.[18] 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.[18]

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 1995 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.[19] Sailor Moon's civilian name, Usagi Tsukino, is turned into Serena.[19] The love interest of Sailor Moon, Mamoru Chiba, is turned into Darien Shields.[20] Other examples of westernization (or Americanization) referenced by Sailor Moon's audience included 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.[21] According to Bandai America, 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".[22]

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.[7] The side-stories were serialized simultaneously in RunRun—another of Kodansha's manga magazines.[7] The 52 individual chapters were published in 18 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha from July 6, 1992, to April 4, 1997.[23][24] In 2003, the chapters were re-released in a collection of 12 shinzōban volumes to coincide with the release of the live-action series.[25] The manga was retitled Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and included new cover art,[26] and revised dialogue and illustrations. The ten individual short stories were also released in two volumes.[27][28] 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.[29] The books have been enlarged from the typical Japanese manga size to A5.[30][31] 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.[31]

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.[32] Pages from the Tokyopop version of the manga ran daily in the Japanimation Station, a service accessible to users of America Online.[33] 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.[34][35] In May 2005, Tokyopop's license to the Sailor Moon manga expired, and its edition went out of print.[36]

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.[37] They published the twelve volumes of Sailor Moon simultaneously with the two-volume edition of Codename Sailor V from September 2011 to July 2013.[38][39][40] The first of the two related short story volumes was published on September 10, 2013;[41] the second was published on November 26, 2013.[42] At Anime Expo 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.[43][44] The first Eternal Edition volume was published on September 11, 2018;[45] the tenth and final volume was published on October 20, 2020.[46] On July 1, 2019, Kondasha Comics began releasing the Eternal Editions digitally,[47] following an announcement the day before about the series being released digitally in ten different languages.[48] In November 2020, Kodansha Comics announced plans to re-release the Sailor Moon manga again as part of their "Naoko Takeuchi Collection".[49] The company described the new edition as a "more affordable, portable" version of the Eternal Edition. The first volume was published on April 5, 2022.[50]

Sailor Moon has also been licensed in other English-speaking countries. In the United Kingdom, the volumes are distributed by Turnaround Publisher Services.[51] In Australia, the manga is distributed by Penguin Books Australia.[52]

The manga has been licensed in Russia as well as the CIS for distribution by publishing company XL Media. The first volume was released in 2018.[53]

Anime series & Movies

Overview

No. Title Episodes Originally aired / Release date Director
First aired Last aired
Sailor Moon
1 Sailor Moon 46 March 7, 1992 February 27, 1993 Junichi Sato
2 Sailor Moon R 43 March 6, 1993 March 12, 1994 Kunihiko Ikuhara, Junichi Sato (#1−13)
Movie Sailor Moon R: The Movie December 5, 1993 Kunihiko Ikuhara
3 Sailor Moon S 38 March 19, 1994 February 25, 1995
Movie Sailor Moon S: The Movie December 4, 1994 Hiroki Shibata
4 Sailor Moon SuperS 39 March 4, 1995 March 2, 1996 Kunihiko Ikuhara
Movie Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie December 23, 1995 Hiroki Shibata
5 Sailor Moon Sailor Stars 34 March 9, 1996 February 8, 1997 Takuya Igarashi
Sailor Moon Crystal
6 Season I: Dark Kingdom 14 July 5, 2014 January 17, 2015 Munehisa Sakai
7 Season II: Black Moon 12 February 7, 2015 July 18, 2015
8 Season III: Death Busters 13 April 4, 2016 June 27, 2016 Chiaki Kon
Movie Sailor Moon Eternal -Part 1- January 8, 2021
Movie Sailor Moon Eternal -Part 2- February 11, 2021
Movie Sailor Moon Cosmos -Part 1- June 9, 2023 Tomoya Takahashi
Movie Sailor Moon Cosmos -Part 2- June 30, 2023
Total 239 + 7 films March 7, 1992 June 30, 2023 -

Sailor Moon

Toei Animation produced an anime television series based on the 52 manga chapters, also titled Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon.[4][5] Junichi Sato directed the first season, Kunihiko Ikuhara took over second through fourth season, and Takuya Igarashi directed the fifth and final season.[54] The series premiered in Japan on TV Asahi 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.[55] 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 the 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,[56][57][58] and stated that it would be a closer adaptation of the manga than the first anime.[59] Crystal premiered on July 5, 2014, and new episodes would air on the first and third Saturdays of each month.[60] New cast were announced, along with Kotono Mitsuishi reprising her role as Sailor Moon.[61] 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.[62] 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.[63] 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 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, along with Winona Ryder & Elisabeth Shue planning to star in the film.[64] After Disney put the project on turnaround, Universal Pictures acquired the film rights.[65]

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.[66] On June 30, 2019, it was announced that the title of the films will be Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie.[67][68] The first film was originally to be released on September 11, 2020,[69] but was postponed and released on January 8, 2021, and the second film was released on February 11, 2021.[70] Chiaki Kon returned from Crystal's third season to direct the two films.[66]

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. The two films are directed by Tomoya Takahashi, and was released on June 9 and 30, 2023.[71][72]

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.[1][73][74][75][76] 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.[15]

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.[77]

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.[78] The popularity of the musicals has been cited as a reason behind the production of the live-action television series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.[79]

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 area of Tokyo. In the winter, musicals toured to other large cities in Japan, including Osaka, Fukuoka,[80] Nagoya, Shizuoka, Kanazawa, Sendai,[81] Saga, Oita, Yamagata and Fukushima.[82] The final incarnation of the first run, New Legend of Kaguya Island (Revised Edition) (新・かぐや島伝説 <改訂版>, Shin Kaguyashima Densetsu (Kaiteban)), went on stage in January 2005, following which, Bandai officially put the series on a hiatus.[83] On June 2, 2013, Fumio Osano announced on his Twitter page that the Sailor Moon musicals would begin again in September 2013.[84] 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 film & series

Cancelled Disney film adaptation

During the 1990s, Disney was going to adapt Sailor Moon into a film under the Walt Disney Pictures banner but it was cancelled immediately.[85][86][87][88][89][90][91]

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.[92][93] Toon Makers produced a 17-minute proof of concept pilot and a two-minute music video, both of which were directed by Rocky Solotoff, who also worked on the pilot's script.[94] 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.[95] 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.[96] 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.[95]

The project was rediscovered in 1998 when the music video was screened at the Anime Expo convention in Los Angeles,[97] where it was met with laughter by onlookers.[98][99] A congoer recorded the music video and the audience response, which would later resurface on video sites such as YouTube.[100] The pilot and the music video would go on to be discussed at conventions such as the 2011 Gen Con and 2012 Anime Expo.[101][102] 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.[103][104] 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.[96][105] 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.[96]

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.[96]

In August 2022, the proof of concept was showcased for the first time on YouTube 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 in Washington, D.C..[106]

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.[107][108] Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon featured Miyuu Sawai as Usagi Tsukino, Rika Izumi (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.[79][109] In addition to the main episodes, two direct-to-video 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 and Tuxedo Mask.[110]

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.[111] 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.[112] A video game called Sailor Moon: La Luna Splende (Sailor Moon: The Moon Shines) was released on March 16, 2011, for the Nintendo DS.[113]

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.[114][115][116]

Theme park attractions

A Sailor Moon attraction, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Miracle 4-D, was announced for Universal Studios Japan.[117] 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.[118]

In January 2022, a new attraction was announced titled Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Miracle 4-D ~Moon Palace arc~ Deluxe. The attraction features the same storyline as the last and feature the Sailor Guardians in their princess forms. It ran from March 4, 2022, to August 28, 2022.[119]

Ice skating show

An ice skating show of Sailor Moon was announced on June 30, 2019, starring Evgenia Medvedeva as the lead.[120] 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 the Sailor Moon Crystal anime series to voice their individual characters. Takuya Hiramatsu from the musicals was to write the screenplay, Yuka Sato and Benji Schwimmer were to be in charge of choreography, and Akiko Kosaka & Gesshoku Kaigi were to write the music for the show.[121] 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,[122][123][124] and finally cancelled on February 23, 2023, due to an "unstable world situation", following the Russo-Ukrainian war.[125]

Idol group

A Japanese 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. The group was officially debuted in July 2022 at Anime Expo and is co-managed by LDH Japan Inc. and Three Six Zero.[126][127][128] On March 1, 2023, SG5 released their debut single "Firetruck" on streaming platforms alongside a music video with references to the manga.[129] The group made their debut under the name F5ve with the single "Lettuce" in May 2024 while celebrating Pride Month.[130][131] Their follow-up single, "Underground", was released in July 2024 through Three Six Zero Recordings.[132]

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.[16]: 95  It has been described as iconic.[133] By the series's 20th anniversary in 2012, the manga had sold over 35 million copies in over fifty countries,[134] and the franchise has generated $2.5 billion in worldwide merchandise sales as of 1996.[135] By 1995, Sailor Moon toys used to bring in more than $250 million per year in Japan.[136] The manga won the Kodansha Manga Award in 1993 for shōjo.[137] The English adaptations of both the manga and the anime series became the first successful shōjo title in the United States.[138] The character of Sailor Moon is recognized as one of the most important and popular female superheroes of all time.[139][140][141][142]

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.[143] 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.[13]: 10–11  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.[144] 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.[145]

Academic Timothy J. Craig attributes Sailor Moon's international success to three characteristics. 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 that the main superhero was female, something which was still rare in pop culture in countries like the United States during the 1990s.[146]

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, 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."[138] Thompson said although the audience for Sailor Moon is both female and male, Takeuchi does not use 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.[147]

While comparing the manga and anime, Sylvain Durand thought that 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.[148]

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.[149][150] The first print run of the first volume sold out after four weeks.[151]

In English-speaking countries, Sailor Moon developed a cult following among anime fans and university students.[12] Patrick Drazen says the Internet was a new medium that fans used to communicate and played a role in the popularity of Sailor Moon.[13]: 281  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.[152][153] 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.[154]

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, Saint Tail, Cyber Team in Akihabara, Corrector Yui and Pretty Cure, emerged.[138]: 199 [155] Sailor Moon has been called "the biggest breakthrough" in English-dubbed anime until 1995, when it premiered on YTV,[13]: 10–11  and "the pinnacle of little kid shōjo anime".[156] Cultural anthropologist Rachel Thorn said that soon after Sailor Moon, shōjo manga started appearing in book shops instead of fandom-dominated comic shops.[157] The series are credited as beginning a wider movement of girls taking up shōjo manga.[138][158] 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.[155]

Historian Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a Super Sentai-like team of magical girls,[159][160] and Paul Gravett credits the series with revitalizing the magical girl genre itself.[161] 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.[162] The series has also been compared to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,[12][163] Buffy the Vampire Slayer,[13]: 281 [164][165] and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.[166] Sailor Moon also influenced the development of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, W.I.T.C.H., Winx Club, LoliRock, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Steven Universe, and Totally Spies!.[167]

Sailor Moon is associated with the feminist and Girl Power movements and with empowering its female viewers,[168] especially regarding the "credible, charismatic and independent" characterizations of the Sailor Guardians.[169] Sailor Moon is regarded as empowering to women and feminism in concept, in particular through the aggressive nature and strong personalities of the Sailor Guardians.[170] It is a specific type of feminist concept where "traditional feminine ideals [are] incorporated into characters that act in traditionally male capacities".[170] 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.[12]

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.[12] Eyes are commonly known as the primal source within characters where emotion is evoked—sensitive characters have larger eyes than insensitive ones.[170] The stereotypical role of women in Japanese culture is to undertake romantic and loving feelings;[12] 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 through the Sailor Guardians.[170]

Merchandise

Since the early 2000s, Toei Animation has collaborated with various different brands to create merchandise outside of children's demographic.[171] On February 20, 2020, ColourPop released a Sailor Moon inspired makeup collection.[172] 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.[173] In honor of Sailor Moon's 30th anniversary, brands like Sanrio, Uniqlo, and Maison de FLEUR launched a collaboration in January 2022.[174][175][176]

References

  1. ^ a b Takeuchi, Naoko (1994). Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Original Picture Collection vol. I (1st ed.). Japan: Kodansha. ISBN 4063245071.
  2. ^ 美少女戦士セーラームーン新装版(1). kc.kodansha.co.jp (in Japanese). Kodansha Comics. Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  3. ^ 美少女戦士セーラームーン 完全版(1). kc.kodansha.co.jp (in Japanese). Kodansha Comics. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon DVD-COLLECTION Vol.1" 美少女戦士セーラームーン DVD-COLLECTION Vol.1. toei-video.co.jp (in Japanese). Toei Video. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon DVD-COLLECTION Vol.2 (End)" 美少女戦士セーラームーン DVD-COLLECTION Vol.2(完). toei-video.co.jp (in Japanese). Toei Video. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  6. ^ "「美少女戦士セーラームーン」30周年へ! セーラームーンがこの10年で開けてきた、6つの新たな"扉"を振り返る". Archived from the original on January 18, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Takeuchi, Naoko (2013). "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon ~Ten Years of Love and Miracles~". Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Short Stories. Vol. 2. New York: Kodansha Comics. pp. 196–200. ISBN 9781612620107.
  8. ^ a b Takeuchi, Naoko (September 2003). Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon shinzōban vol. 2. Kodansha. ISBN 406334777X.
  9. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (December 18, 1993). "Vol. 1". Codename wa Sailor V. Vol. 1. Kodansha. ISBN 4063228010.
  10. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (September 29, 2004). "Vol. 1". Codename: Sailor V shinzoban vol. 1. Kodansha. ISBN 4063349292.
  11. ^ McCarter, Charles. "Public Interview with Takeuchi Naoko". EX. Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Grigsby, Mary (June 1998). "Sailormoon: Manga (Comics) and Anime (Cartoon) Superheroine Meets Barbie: Global Entertainment Commodity Comes to the United States". The Journal of Popular Culture. 32 (1): 59–80. doi:10.1111/j.0022-3840.1998.3201_59.x.
  13. ^ a b c d e Drazen, Patrick (2003). Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1880656728.
  14. ^ a b Allison, Anne (August 4, 2010). "A Challenge to Hollywood? Japanese Character Goods Hit the US". Japanese Studies. 20 (1): 67–88. doi:10.1080/10371390050009075. S2CID 145517443.
  15. ^ a b c Takeuchi, Naoko (1999). Prety Soldier Sailor Moon Materials Collection. Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN 4063245217.
  16. ^ a b c Schodt, Frederik L. (1999). Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga (2nd ed.). Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 9781880656235.
  17. ^ a b Alverson, Brigid (May 27, 2011). "Sailor Moon 101: Pretty, Powerful, And Pure of Heart". MTV. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Takeuchi, Naoko (2003). "Punch!". Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 3 (Shinsōban ed.). Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN 4063347834.
  19. ^ a b Burgos, Diana (January 1, 2021). "The Queer Glow up of Hero-Sword Legacies in She-Ra, Korra, and Sailor Moon". Open Cultural Studies. 5 (1): 248–261. doi:10.1515/culture-2020-0135. ISSN 2451-3474. S2CID 245091754.
  20. ^ Craig, Timothy J. (2000). Japan pop! inside the world of Japanese popular culture. M.E. Sharpe. p. 272. ISBN 0-585-38331-6. OCLC 1295917706. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  21. ^ "A short history of 'Sailor Moon' and censorship in America". The Michigan Daily. January 26, 2022. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  22. ^ Craig, Timothy J. (2000). Japan pop! inside the world of Japanese popular culture. M.E. Sharpe. p. 265. ISBN 0-585-38331-6. OCLC 1295917706. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  23. ^ "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (1)" 美少女戦士セーラームーン (1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 20, 2004. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  24. ^ "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (18)" 美少女戦士セーラームーン (18) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  25. ^ "Sailor Moon New Edition (1)" 美少女戦士セーラームーン 新装版(1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 27, 2005. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  26. ^ "Sailor Moon New Edition (1)" 美少女戦士セーラームーン新装版(1):美少女戦士セーラームーン20周年プロジェクト公式サイト (in Japanese). Sailormoon-official.com. November 16, 2013. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  27. ^ "Sailor Moon New Edition Short Stories (1)" 美少女戦士セーラームーン新装版 ショートストーリーズ(1). kc.kodansha.co.jp (in Japanese). Kodansha Comics. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  28. ^ "Sailor Moon New Edition Short Stories (2)" 美少女戦士セーラームーン新装版 ショートストーリーズ(2). kc.kodansha.co.jp (in Japanese). Kodansha Comics. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  29. ^ "Sailor Moon full version (1)" 美少女戦士セーラームーン 完全版(1). kodansha.co.jp (in Japanese). Kodansha Comics. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  30. ^ Stephenson, Brad (January 23, 2012). "3rd Gen Japanese Sailor Moon Manga Shopping Guide". moonkitty.net. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  31. ^ a b Elly (October 10, 2013). "Sailor Moon Kanzenban + iPad Mini + Smart Phone Cases". Miss Dream. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  32. ^ "Mixx Controversies: Analysis". Features. Anime News Network. August 14, 2008. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
  33. ^ "MIXX ENTERTAINMENT COLLABORATES WITH CENTRAL PARK MEDIA TO PUBLISH SAILOR MOON AND PARASYTE COMICS IN THE JAPANIMATION STATION™ SECTION OF AMERICA ONLINE (AOL)". Mixx Entertainment. October 22, 1999. Archived from the original on October 29, 2000. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  34. ^ "Sailor Moon Volume 1". Mixx Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 7, 2004. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  35. ^ "Sailor Moon StarS Volume 3". Mixx Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 10, 2004. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  36. ^ "Tokyopop Out of Print". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
  37. ^ "Kodansha USA Announces the Return of Sailor Moon". Anime News Network. Press release. March 18, 2011. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  38. ^ "Sailor Moon 1 by Naoko Takeuchi – Book". Random House. September 13, 2011. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  39. ^ "Sailor Moon 1 by Naoko Takeuchi – Book". Random House. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  40. ^ "Codename Sailor V 1 by Naoko Takeuchi – Book". Random House. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  41. ^ "Sailor Moon Short Stories 1 by Naoko Takeuchi – Book". Random House. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  42. ^ "Sailor Moon Short Stories 2 by Naoko Takeuchi – Book". Random House. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  43. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (July 7, 2017). "Kodansha Comics Announces Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle, Fairy Tail S, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card in Print". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  44. ^ "Sailor Moon Eternal Edition Trailer is HERE!". Kodansha Comics. April 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  45. ^ Ressler, Karen (September 11, 2018). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, September 9–15". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  46. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (October 22, 2020). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, October 18–24". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  47. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (July 1, 2019). "ComiXology, Kodansha Comics Release Sailor Moon Manga Digitally in English". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  48. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 30, 2019). "Sailor Moon Manga Gets Worldwide Digital Release in 10 Languages Starting on July 1". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  49. ^ Hazra, Adriana (November 13, 2020). "Kodansha Comics Licenses New Manga by Ema Toyama, Kaori Yuki, More". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  50. ^ "Sailor Moon 1 (Naoko Takeuchi Collection)". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  51. ^ "Sailor Moon Vol. 1". Turnaround Publisher Services. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  52. ^ "Sailor Moon 5". Random House Australia. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  53. ^ "Издательство XL Media приобрело права на мангу Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon". XL Media (in Russian). May 24, 2018. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  54. ^ "Sailor Moon staff information". Usagi.org. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  55. ^ Craig, Timothy J. (2000). Japan pop! inside the world of Japanese popular culture. M.E. Sharpe. p. 260. ISBN 0-585-38331-6. OCLC 1295917706. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  56. ^ "Sailor Moon Manga Gets New Anime in Summer 2013". Anime News Network. July 6, 2012. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  57. ^ Zahed, Ramin (July 6, 2012). "New 'Sailor Moon' Reboot Arrives in 2013". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  58. ^ Mohajer-Va-Pesaran, Daphne (July 3, 2013). "Happy birthday, Sailor Moon!". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  59. ^ "New Sailor Moon Anime's Producer: Not Remaking 1st Anime". Anime News Network. January 9, 2014. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  60. ^ "Kotono Mitsuishi Leads New Sailor Moon Crystal Anime Cast". Anime News Network. April 27, 2014. Archived from the original on October 15, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  61. ^ "Kotono Mitsuishi Leads New Sailor Moon Crystal Anime Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  62. ^ "Sailor Moon Crystal 3rd Season's Premiere Date, Theme Songs Revealed - News". Anime News Network. March 6, 2016. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  63. ^ "Sailor Moon SuperS Special". Sailor Moon SuperS (in Japanese). April 8, 1995. TV Asahi.
  64. ^ Archerd, Army (May 15, 1997). "'Magoo' goes stunt-crazy". Variety. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014. Disney, which wanted Tong to create an international franchise with his direction of the "live" "Magoo," is also in the process of acquiring rights to the Japanese cartoon Sailor Moon, also for Tong to direct
  65. ^ "Sailor Moon Was Almost a Live-Action Disney Princess in the 1990s". CBR. November 17, 2019. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  66. ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 30, 2017). "Sailor Moon Crystal Anime 4th Season Revealed as 2-Part Film Project". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  67. ^ "1st Sailor Moon Eternal Film Opens in Japan on September 11, 2020". Anime News Network. October 21, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  68. ^ sailormoon-official (June 30, 2019). "劇場版「美少女戦士セーラームーンEternal」超特報映像/Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon Eternal The MOVIE". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  69. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (October 21, 2019). "Sailor Moon Eternal Film's 1st Part Hits Japanese Theaters September 11, 2020". Archived from the original on October 22, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  70. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 18, 2020). "1st Sailor Moon Eternal Film Delayed to January 8 With 2nd Film Scheduled for February 11". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  71. ^ Mateo, Alex (April 28, 2022). "Sailor Moon Manga's Final Arc Gets 2 Sailor Moon Cosmos Films in Early Summer 2023". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  72. ^ Davidson, Danica (April 11, 2023). "Sailor Moon Cosmos Shares Eternal Sailor Mars and Eternal Sailor Venus Trailer". Otaku Magazine. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  73. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (August 1994). Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume II Original Picture Collection. Kodansha. ISBN 406324508X.
  74. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (September 1996). Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume III Original Picture Collection. Kodansha. ISBN 4063245187.
  75. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (September 1996). Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume IV Original Picture Collection. Kodansha. ISBN 4063245195.
  76. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (August 1997). Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume V Original Picture Collection. Kodansha. ISBN 4063245225.
  77. ^ "Sailor Moon: The Novels by Tokyopop/SMILE Books". Miss Dream. October 19, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  78. ^ "Video DVD Corner" セーラームーン ビデオ・DVDコーナー (in Japanese). Sailor Moon Channel. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  79. ^ a b Font, Dillon (May 2004). "Sailor Soldiers, Saban Style". Animefringe. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  80. ^ "93 Summer Special Musical Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Gaiden Dark Kingdom Resurrection Hen" これまでの公演の紹介 93サマースペシャルミュージカル 美少女戦士セーラームーン 外伝 ダーク・キングダム復活篇 (in Japanese). Sailormoon. Channel. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  81. ^ "94 Summer Special Musical Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S way to the rabbit-love of the warrior" これまでの公演の紹介 94サマースペシャルミュージカル美少女戦士セーラームーンSうさぎ・愛の戦士への道 (in Japanese). Sailormoon. Channel. Archived from the original on April 29, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  82. ^ "95 Spring Special Musical Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S road to makeover Super Warrior (revised edition)" 95スプリングスペシャルミュージカル 美少女戦士セーラームーンS 変身・スーパー戦士への道(改訂版) (in Japanese). Sailormoon. Channel. Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  83. ^ Lobão, David Denis (May 24, 2007). "Musicais do OhaYO! – Parte 2" (in Portuguese). Universo Online. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
  84. ^ "Osabu Twitter" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  85. ^ "Sailor Moon: Todo lo que sabemos de la película live-action de Disney que fue cancelada". Tomatazos. May 14, 2020. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  86. ^ TIM, Televisa. "Sailor Moon estuvo a punto de tener una película por Disney". Canal 5. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  87. ^ "Sailor Moon y otros 9 anime/manga que no sabías que tenían adaptaciones extranjeras". Cultture. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  88. ^ "Disney tuvo en mente hacer una película live-action de Sailor Moon". Senpai. November 19, 2019. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  89. ^ "Disney estuvo a punto de hacer una película live-action de 'Sailor Moon' - El Mañana de Nuevo Laredo". elmanana.com.mx. November 19, 2019. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  90. ^ LR, Redacción (November 20, 2019). "Salior Moon: Disney iba a realizar live action con Winona Ryder de protagonista [VIDEO]". larepublica.pe. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  91. ^ G, Alex (May 12, 2020). "The Sailor Moon Movie That Disney Never Made". Looper. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  92. ^ Donohoo, Timothy (July 12, 2021). "Toon Makers' Sailor Moon Is the Strangest Thing in the Entire Franchise". CBR. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  93. ^ "About". www.toonmakers.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  94. ^ "Rocky Solotoff | Animation Insider – "Interviews about Animators by Animators"". February 6, 2012. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  95. ^ a b Johnston, Rich (December 29, 2016). "A Very American Sailor Moon". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  96. ^ a b c d "We Tried To Uncover The Long-Lost 'American Sailor Moon' And Found Something Incredible". Kotaku. July 19, 2018. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  97. ^ "The Mike Toole Show - Hey There, Sailor!". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  98. ^ Stefan (January 19, 2010). "The Cartoon Historian: The Cartoon Historian Lesson 6: Saban Moon". The Cartoon Historian. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  99. ^ Saban Moon: The Failed Project to Americanize Sailor Moon, July 12, 2019, archived from the original on August 23, 2022, retrieved August 23, 2022
  100. ^ "History of Sailor Moon, Part 2: Coming to America". The Mary Sue. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  101. ^ ""Saban Moon" Toon Makers' Sailor Moon panel planned for Anime Expo on July 6th | Sailor Moon News". June 29, 2014. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  102. ^ Gen Con Indy 2011 Program Book. August 4, 2011.
  103. ^ "The Pilot Episode Of America's Bizarre Sailor Moon Remake Has Been Found". Kotaku. August 24, 2022. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  104. ^ "Renaissance Atlantic Entertainment". WorldCat. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  105. ^ Arnold, Adam "OMEGA". "Animefringe: Features: Sailor Moon à la Saban: Debunked". Anime Fringe. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  106. ^ Barsanti, Sam (August 21, 2022). "YouTuber Ray Mona uncovers unaired American Sailor Moon pilot". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 21, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  107. ^ "Sailormoon. Channel – History of Sailor Moon". sailormoon.channel.or.jp (in Japanese). Sailor Moon Channel. Archived from the original on August 6, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  108. ^ "Sailormoon. Channel – Sailor Moon Live Action TV Corner" 「美少女戦士セーラームーン」 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 17, 2007. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  109. ^ Mays, Jonathon (April 6, 2004). "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon – Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  110. ^ "Live-action plate DVD (TV series)" 実写板DVD(TVシリーズ) (in Japanese). Sailormoon. Channel. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  111. ^ "Game Search". GameFAQs - Video Game Cheats, Reviews, FAQs, Message Boards, and More. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  112. ^ "The 3D Adventures of Sailor Moon for PC". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  113. ^ Loo, Egan (September 16, 2011). "New Sailor Moon DS Game to Ship in Spring in Italy – Interest". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  114. ^ "Sailor Moon Crystal Tabletop Games Announcement". Anime News Network. April 26, 2017. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  115. ^ "Sailor Moon Crystal Gets 2 Board Games This Year". Anime News Network. April 27, 2017. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  116. ^ "Sailor Moon Crystal Dice Challenge". Dyskami Publishing Company. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  117. ^ "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Miracle 4-D". Universal Studios Japan. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  118. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (May 18, 2019). "Watch Web CM for Sailor Moon the Miracle 4-D: Moon Palace Chapter". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  119. ^ "美少女戦士セーラームーン・ザ・ミラクル 4-D ~ムーン・パレス編 デラックス~". Sailor Moon Official (in Japanese). January 7, 2022. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  120. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 30, 2019). "Sailor Moon Franchise Gets Ice Show, Café, Collaborations With Uniqlo & Samantha Thavasa". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  121. ^ Morrrisy, Kim (March 16, 2020). "Sailor Moon Ice Show Unveils Key Visual of Evgenia Medvedeva as Sailor Moon". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  122. ^ "「美少女戦士セーラームーン Prism on Ice」". Sailor Moon Official (in Japanese). April 16, 2020. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  123. ^ "「美少女戦士セーラームーン Prism On Ice」公演に関する重要なお知らせ". Sailor Moon Official (in Japanese). April 7, 2021. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  124. ^ Antonio, Rafael (April 7, 2021). "Sailor Moon Ice Show Postponed by Another Year to June 2022". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  125. ^ "Sailor Moon Ice Skating Show Canceled Due to 'Unstable World Situation'". Crunchyroll. February 23, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  126. ^ "Moon Prism Power Turn Up: Meet the IRL Japanese Girl Group Based Off 'Sailor Moon'". www.yahoo.com. June 28, 2022. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  127. ^ Chan, Tim (June 28, 2022). "Moon Prism Power Turn Up: Meet the IRL Japanese Girl Group Based Off 'Sailor Moon'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  128. ^ "SG5 Is the New Japanese Girl Group Debuting in Collaboration With 'Sailor Moon'". HYPEBAE. June 30, 2022. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  129. ^ "SG5 - Firetruck (Official Music Video)". March 2023. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  130. ^ "Girl Group Goes Viral As They Celebrate Pride Month". Koreaboo. June 4, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  131. ^ Murray, Madison (May 8, 2024). "'Lettuce' Introduce You To The Talented f5ve!". The Honey Pop. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  132. ^ Newton, Felicity (July 15, 2024). "Japanese girl group f5ve have released their high-energy new single, 'Underground'". Dork. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  133. ^ Gill, Katie (June 13, 2022). "Sailor Moon at 30: Looking Back at the Iconic Series". Tor.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  134. ^ "Happy 20th Anniversary to Sailor Moon!". Kodansha Comics. June 29, 2012. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  135. ^ "Rise and shine with Sailor Moon". The Boston Globe. May 15, 1996. p. 39. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  136. ^ Reid, T.R (July 24, 1995). "Superhero Moon on the horizon". Sun-News. p. 7. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  137. ^ Hahn, Joel. "Kodansha Manga Awards". Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  138. ^ a b c d Thompson, Jason (2007). Manga: The Complete Guide. New York: Del Rey Books. p. 309. ISBN 9780345485908.
  139. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (September 7, 2011). "Can Sailor Moon Break Up the Superhero Boys Club?". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  140. ^ "Sailor Moon superhero may replace Power Rangers". Ludington Daily News. February 14, 1995. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  141. ^ Misiroglu, Gina; Roach, David A. (2004). The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-book Icons and Hollywood Heroes (1st ed.). Detroit, Michigan: Visible Ink Press. p. 711. ISBN 9781578591541. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  142. ^ Comella, Anthony (March 24, 2013). "Grrrl Power: Why Female Superheroes Matter". Pop Mythology. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  143. ^ "Sailor Moon History 1993" セーラームーンのあゆみ 1993年 (in Japanese). Sailormoon. Channel. Archived from the original on July 15, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  144. ^ Flinn, Tom (August 14, 2001). "Sailor Moon Graphic Novels Top Bookstore Sales – Demonstrates Shoujo's Potential". ICv2. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  145. ^ "MIXX'S SAILOR MOON MANGA IS THE NUMBER 1 GRAPHIC NOVEL OR TRADE PAPERBACK IN AMERICA!". Mixx Entertainment. Wayback Machine. June 18, 1999. Archived from the original on October 29, 2000. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  146. ^ Craig, Timothy J. (2000). Japan pop! inside the world of Japanese popular culture. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 0-585-38331-6. OCLC 1295917706. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  147. ^ Thompson, Jason (March 3, 2011). "Sailor Moon – Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 12, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  148. ^ Durand, Sylvain (March–April 1996). "Sailor Moon: Manga vs Animation". Protoculture Addicts (39): 39.
  149. ^ Taylor, Ihsan (October 2, 2011). "Best Sellers – The New York Times". NY Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  150. ^ "New York Times Manga Best Seller List, September 11–17". Anime News Network. September 23, 2011. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  151. ^ "Kodansha: Sailor Moon 1 Reprinted after 50,000 Sell Out". Anime News Network. October 14, 2011. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  152. ^ Brown, Lousie (July 27, 1996). "Sailing the Internet It's a treasure trove of trivia for Sailor 'Moonies'". pqarchiver.com. The Toronto Star. ProQuest 437515836. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  153. ^ Matsumoto, Jon (June 19, 1996). "Fans Sending an SOS for 'Sailor'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  154. ^ Cox, Gemma (January 2005). "Shôjo Classic - Sailor Moon". Neo. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  155. ^ a b Poitras, Gilles (2004). Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know (4th ed.). Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. pp. 31–32. ISBN 1880656531.
  156. ^ Sevakis, Justin (January 1, 1999). "Anime and Teen Culture... Uh-oh". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 9, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
  157. ^ Alverson, Brigid (February 17, 2009). "Matt Thorn Returns to Translation". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz, LLC. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  158. ^ Deppey, Dirk (2005). "She's Got Her Own Thing Now". The Comics Journal (269). Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2008. Scratch a modern-day manga fangirl, and you're likely to find someone who watched Sailor Moon when she was young.
  159. ^ Sebastian, Trisha L. (November 2002). "Taking One for the Team: A Look at Sentai Shows". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  160. ^ Patten, Fred (2011). Watching Anime, Reading Manga 25 Years of Essays and Reviews. New York: Stone Bridge Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1611725100.
  161. ^ Gravett, Paul (2004). Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics (2nd ed.). London: Laurence King. p. 78. ISBN 1856693910.
  162. ^ Christi (c. 1992). "Sailor Moon". THEMAnime.org. T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  163. ^ Craig, Timothy J. (2000). "Sailor Moon: Japanese Superheroes for Global Girls". Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture. Armonk, New York: Sharpe. pp. 259–278. ISBN 9780765605610.
  164. ^ "Animerica: Animerica Feature: Separated at Birth? Buffy vs. Sailor Moon". Animerica. c. 1999. Archived from the original on April 7, 2004. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  165. ^ "Animerica: Animerica Feature: Separated at Birth? Buffy vs. Sailor Moon". Animerica. Archived from the original on April 7, 2004. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  166. ^ Yoshida, Kaori (2002). "Evolution of Female Heroes: Carnival Mode of Gender Representation in Anime". Western Washington University. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  167. ^ Saito, Kumiko (January 2, 2014). "Magic, Shōjo, and Metamorphosis: Magical Girl Anime and the Challenges of Changing Gender Identities in Japanese Society". The Journal of Asian Studies. 73 (1): 143–164. doi:10.1017/S0021911813001708. S2CID 162306735.
  168. ^ Newsom, Victoria Anne (2004). "Young Females as Super Heroes: Super heroines in the Animated 'Sailor Moon'". Femspec. 5: 57–81.
  169. ^ Penedo, Nicolas (2008). Nicolas Finet (ed.). Dicomanga: le dictionnaire encyclopédique de la bande dessinée japonaise (in French). Paris: Fleurus. p. 464. ISBN 9782215079316.
  170. ^ a b c d Newsom, Victoria (c. 2004). "Young Females as Super Heroes: Superheroines in the Animated Sailor Moon". femspec.org. Femspec. Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  171. ^ Givens, Dana. "The cultural impact of Sailor Moon: How a '90s Japanese anime inspired generations of fans and spun into a global merchandising empire worth billions". Insider. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  172. ^ De Leon, Pauline (February 20, 2020). "Colourpop is launching a 'Sailor Moon' makeup collection, and everything costs less than $20". Insider. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  173. ^ Pauly, Alexandra (April 17, 2020). "Take An Exclusive Look At KITH's New Collaboration with Sailor Moon". HYPEBAE. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  174. ^ "Sailor Moon Eternal x Sanrio Collab Officially Announced". Funimation - Blog!. January 19, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  175. ^ "UNIQLO UT 'Sailor Moon Eternal' Collection". HYPEBEAST. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  176. ^ "【Maison de FLEUR】セーラー戦士たちをイメージしたリボンがポイントのアイテム全30種・劇場版「美少女戦士セーラームーンEternal」とのコラボ!". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1|PR TIMES. February 16, 2022. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.