Who Was Naoko Takeuchi Before Sailor Moon’s Debut?

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Filed under Articles, Interview, Making Of, Manga, Real World
Sailor Moon & her Sidekick: Super (Deformed) Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon & her Sidekick: Super (Deformed) Sailor Moon

Though it may sound a bit counter-intuitive, one of the things I love reading about most in interviews with Ms. Takeuchi is when she opens up about subjects other than Sailor Moon.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t love the Sailor-suite guardian of love and justice as much as the next strawberry Pop-Tart-obsessed Moonie. It’s just that it’s pretty rare to get some insight into not only the origins of Sailor Moon, but the person behind its creation.

Luckily for us, Ms. Takeuchi granted Puff, a magazine dedicated to the manga industry, just such an interview back in May 1994. Strap in for a trip down memory lane as we take a look into Ms. Takeuchi’s past, tastes in men, and other manga ideas she toyed around with!

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Is Sailor Moon No Longer Meant for Kids?

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What do you mean "not for kids"?

What do you mean “not for kids”?

Walk into any toy store or shopping center in Japan and you’ll find yourself faced with many of the “evergreen” titans of the anime industry: Ultraman, Dragon Ball, Pokémon, and more.

Yet, despite it’s massive resurgence in recent years, Sailor Moon is suspiciously missing from the toy aisles. Instead, you’re more likely to find this 90s kids’ entertainment colossus relegated to the stationary section, hobbyist stores, or even lingerie shops!

Today we’re going to look at a 2013 interview with chief manga editor Fumio ‘Osabu’ Osano and Sailor Moon’s voice actress Kotono Mitsuishi1  as they discuss how this transition happened along with some of their favorite memories from years gone by!

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Can the Sailor Moon Movies Fit Into the Anime Canon?

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Filed under Anime, Articles, In-Universe Lore, Movie
Fighting against the Sailor Canon

Fighting against the Sailor Canon

When you spend a significant amount of your time analyzing fictional worlds, exactly what is “canon” quickly becomes an massive roadblock you need to concern yourself with — and one you’ll generally keep coming back to over and over again!

In Sailor Moon‘s case, trying to find out how the three movies fit into the anime’s timeline has always been the source of an not insignificant amount of debate.

Today we’ll be going on a journey into the Sailor Moon Cinematic Universe and see who makes, and who breaks, our precious timelines!

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How Did Idol Culture Contribute to Sailor Moon’s Success?

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Did someone say 'idol'?

Did someone say ‘idol’?

While many would associate Japan’s fascination with idol groups with the meteoric rise to popularity of AKB48 and the many other groups, anime, and games that have spun off from the concept since then, Japan’s fixation on love for school-aged sweethearts actually goes back several decades.

But what does that have to do with our favorite Sailor-suited guardians of justice?

Well, as it turns out, idol culture played a pretty role in engaging fans and keeping them hooked. Today we’re going to take a look at the idols that created Sailor Moon as well as the idols the series in turn created!

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How Did Miyuu Sawai Feel About Playing PGSM’s Sailor Moon?

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Filed under Articles, Interview, Making Of, PGSM, Real World, Usagi Tsukino
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon cast at the July 31, 2003 announcement

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon cast at the July 31, 2003 show announcement

Ah… Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, the oft-overlooked cult classic of the Sailor Moon franchise– a status that’s certainly not helped by the fact that Toei does its best to never talk about the series.

While I’ve already spoken at length about where the talented actresses behind PGSM have gone after the series ended, that’s only half the story. What I’d love to know — and what we’re going to talk about today — is how these young starlets found themselves in these roles in the first place, and how it felt to be able to play their own favorite childhood heroes on the small screen week after week.

Today we’re going to begin our look back with an interview with Miyuu Sawai, PGSM‘s titular Sailor Moon and beloved crybaby, Usagi Tsukino. If you ever wanted to know more about how she felt about playing her role, what filming was like, and how she got along with the rest of the cast, then this article’s for you!

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Sailor Moon Eternal – A Spoiler-Free Review

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Filed under Crystal, Dead Moon Circus, Movie, Reviews
Sailor Moon Eternal (January 8, 2021))

Sailor Moon Eternal (January 8, 2021))

After a three and a half year wait — and an unexpected delay right before release — Sailor Moon has finally returned to the big screen after a 25 year hiatus.

Much like many other fans in the West who only learned of the series after it ended its run in Japan, the idea of ever seeing a new Sailor Moon theatrical release on the big screen seemed impossible.

And yet now that dream’s come true.1 This morning I sat down and watched magic unfold, and I’d like to share some of that with you.

Today I’d like to talk about my general thoughts and impressions of the movie while keeping all specifics to the absolute minimum. So without further ado, let’s dive right in!

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How Was Sailor Moon Initially Marketed to Audiences?

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Filed under Anime, Articles, Making Of, Manga, Real World
Gee, I wonder what this show's about?

Gee, I wonder what this show’s about?

Quick! Name another anime besides Sailor Moon that began airing in 1992!

Pretty tough, huh? Well, that’s probably because out of the forty anime series to debut in 1992, only six of them lasted more than a year — many surviving only a few months.1

While we all know Sailor Moon today as a global phenomenon, it’s easy to forget that the series was by no means a guaranteed hit. In fact, many of the parties involved in the series’ creation were so caught off guard by its success that they didn’t even have products lined up to capitalize on it!

So how did Ms. Takeuchi and co. manage to draw so many fans to Sailor Moon? And, possibly even more importantly, how did the critics react to the series?

Today we’re going to travel back to late 1991 to see what the manga/anime landscape looked like through the eyes of a budding shojo fan. Spoiler: even before the series aired, people were making fun of Tuxedo Mask’s name!

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