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Biography
Good articleTwo other uses|the media franchise|the title character|Sailor Moon (character)Infobox animanga/Header| name = Sailor Moon| caption = The first cover of the Sailor Moon manga as published by Kodansha on July 6, 1992 in Japan. Title translates to Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon .| ja_kanji = ????????????| ja_romaji = Bishojo Senshi Sera Mun| genre = adventure (genre)|adventure , magical girl , romance novel|romance , comedy , drama , fantasy Infobox animanga/Print| type = manga| author = Naoko Takeuchi | publisher = Kodansha | publisher_en = Canada, United States: Kodansha Comics USA | demographic = Shojo manga|Shojo | magazine = Nakayoshi , Run Run | magazine_en = Mixxzine , Smile (magazine)|Smile | first = 1991| last = April 1997| volumes = 18| volume_list = List of Sailor Moon chaptersInfobox animanga/Video| type = tv series| director = Junichi Sato | writer = Sukehiro Tomita| music = Takanori Arisawa | studio = Toei Animation | network = TV Asahi | network_en = Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC , Seven Network , Network Ten , Fox Kids (Australia)|Fox Kids Canada: YTV (TV channel)|YTV , Global Television Network|Global
Ireland: Disney XD (UK & Ireland)|Fox Kids
New Zealand: TV2 (New Zealand)|TV2
United Kingdom: Jetix (UK)|Fox Kids , ITV
United States: USA Network , Cartoon Network , Television syndication|Syndication | first = March 7, 1992 | last = February 27, 1993 | episodes = 46 | episode_list = List of Sailor Moon episodes (season 1) Infobox animanga/Video| type = tv series | title = Sailor Moon R | director = Kunihiko Ikuhara | writer = Sukehiro Tomita | music = Takanori Arisawa | studio = Toei Animation | network = TV Asahi | network_en = Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC , Seven Network , Network Ten , Fox Kids (Australia)|Fox Kids
Canada: YTV (TV channel)|YTV , Global Television Network|Global Ireland: Disney XD (UK & Ireland)|Fox Kids
New Zealand: TV2 (New Zealand)|TV2
United Kingdom: Jetix (UK)|Fox Kids , ITV
United States: USA Network , Cartoon Network , Television syndication|Syndication | first = March 6, 1993 | last = March 12, 1994 | episodes = 43 | episode_list = List of Sailor Moon R episodes Infobox animanga/Video| type = tv series | title = Sailor Moon S | director = Kunihiko Ikuhara | writer = Yoji Enokido | music = Takanori Arisawa | studio = Toei Animation | network = TV Asahi | network_en = Australia: Fox Kids (Australia)|Fox Kids Canada: YTV (TV channel)|YTV
New Zealand: TV2 (New Zealand)|TV2
United States: Cartoon Network (United States)|Cartoon Network | first = March 19, 1994 | last = February 25, 1995 | episodes = 38 | episode_list = List of Sailor Moon S episodes Infobox animanga/Video| type = tv series | title = Sailor Moon SuperS | director = Kunihiko Ikuhara | writer = Yoji Enokido | music = Takanori Arisawa | studio = Toei Animation | network = TV Asahi | network_en = Australia: Fox Kids (Australia)|Fox Kids
Canada: YTV (TV channel)|YTV
New Zealand: TV2 (New Zealand)|TV2
United States: Cartoon Network (United States)|Cartoon Network | first = March 4, 1995 | last = March 2, 1996 | episodes = 39 | episode_list = List of Sailor Moon Supers episodes Infobox animanga/Video| type = tv series | title = Sailor Stars | director = Takuya Igarashi | writer = Ryota Yamaguchi | music = Takanori Arisawa | studio = Toei Animation | network = TV Asahi | first = March 9, 1996 | last = February 8, 1997 | episodes = 34 | episode_list = List of Sailor Stars episodes Infobox animanga/Other| title = Films | content =
Infobox animanga/Other| title = Musical theatre|Stage musical series | content = Sailor Moon musicals| Sailor Moon musicals (SeraMyu): 25 stage shows based on the Sailor Moon franchise were released between 1993 and 2005. Infobox animanga/Other| title = Tokusatsu|Live-action series | content = Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon : a 49 episode live action series directed by Ryuta Tasaki ran from October 4, 2003, to September 25, 2004. There were also two direct-to-video releases: a sequel (Special Act), and a prequel (Act Zero). Infobox animanga/Other| title = Video game s | content =
Infobox animanga/Footer Sailor Moon , known in Japan as Nihongo| Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon |????????????|Bishojo Senshi Sera Mun|officially translated "Pretty Soldier Sailormoon"cite album-notes |title=Pretty Soldier Sailormoon Series Memorial Music Box |year=1998 |publisher= Nippon Columbia|Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. or "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon"cite web|url= http://www.randomhouse.com/book/212662/sailor-moon-1-by-naoko-takeuchi|title=Sailor Moon 1 by Naoko Takeuchi|publisher= Random House |accessdate=September 21, 2011, is a media franchise created by mangaka|manga artist Naoko Takeuchi . Fred Patten credits her with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girl s, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself.Sailor Moon redefined the magical-girl genre, as previous magical girls did not use their powers to fight evil, but this has become one of the standard archetypes of the genre.
The story of the various metaseries revolves around the reborn defenders of a kingdom that once spanned the Solar System , and around the evil forces that they battle. The major characters — the Sailor Senshi (literally "Sailor Soldiers"; frequently called "Sailor Scouts" or "Guardians" in many Western versions), Adolescence|teenage girls — can transform into heroines named for the Moon and planets. The use of "Sailor" comes from a style of girls' school uniform popular in Japan, the Japanese school uniform#Sailor outfit| sera fuku ("Sailor outfit"), on which Takeuchi modeled the Sailor Senshi's uniforms. The elements of fantasy in the series are heavily symbol ic and often based on mythology .
Before the Sailor Moon manga appeared, Takeuchi had written Codename: Sailor V , which centered around just one Sailor Senshi. She devised the idea when she wanted to create a cute series about girls in outer space , and her editor suggested she should put them in sailor fuku . When Sailor V was proposedBy whom|date=May 2010 for adaptation into an anime , the concept was modified by Takeuchi so that Minako Aino|Sailor V herself became only one member of a team. The resulting manga series merged elements of the popular magical girl genre and the Super Sentai|Super Sentai Series which Takeuchi admired, making Sailor Moon one of the first series ever to combine the two.
The manga resulted in spinoffs into other types of media, including a highly popular anime, as well as musical theatre productions, video game s, and a tokusatsu series. Although most concepts in the many versions overlap, often notable differences occur, and thus continuity (fiction)|continuity between the different formats remains limited.
Story
The protagonist of Sailor Moon , Sailor Moon (character)|Usagi Tsukino (Serena Tsukino in the English dub), an ordinary, ditzy, 14-year-old girl — or so she thinks — discovers a talking cat named Luna (Sailor Moon)|Luna , who reveals Usagi's identity as "Sailor Moon", a special warrior with the destiny of saving the planet Earth, and later the entire galaxy. Usagi must now find the Moon Princess and protect Earth from a series of villain s, beginning with the Dark Kingdom that had appeared once before, long ago, and destroyed the Kingdom of the Moon.
When the dark nemesis attacked the kingdom, the Queen sent the Moon Princess, her guardians and advisors, and her true love into the future to be reborn, as a result Sailor Moon must help Luna awaken members of the court of the kingdom of the moon, and the people dedicated to protecting it. As Usagi and Luna battle evil and search for the Moon Princess, they meet the other Sailor Senshi, incarnations of the Moon Princess' protectors, and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask.
As the series progresses, Usagi and her friends learn more and more about the enemies they face and the Chaos (Sailor Moon)|evil force that directs them. The characters' pasts are mysterious and hidden even to them, and much of the early series is devoted to discovering their true identities and pasts. Luna, who teaches and guides the Sailor Senshi, does not know everything about their histories either, and the Senshi eventually learn that Usagi is the real Moon Princess. The Moon Princess' mother had her reborn as a Sailor Senshi to protect her. Gradually Usagi discovers the truth about her own Reincarnation|past life , her destined true love , and the possibilities for the future of the Solar System .
The plot spans five major story arc s, each of them represented in both the manga and anime, usually under different names:
# The Dark Kingdom Arc ( List of Sailor Moon episodes (season 1)|Sailor Moon ) # The Black Moon Arc ( List of Sailor Moon R episodes|Sailor Moon R ) # The Mugen/Infinity Arc ( List of Sailor Moon S episodes|Sailor Moon S ) # The Yume/Dream Arc ( List of Sailor Moon Super S episodes|Sailor Moon SuperS ) # The Stars Arc ( List of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episodes|Sailor Moon Sailor Stars )
The anime added an additional minor arc at the start of the second series, and spent the first few episodes of Sailor Stars wrapping up the plot from the previous series. Taking place before the manga timeline, its sister series Codename: Sailor V tells the story of Sailor V, Minako Aino and her adventures during the year before Sailor Moon itself starts. Many characters from Codename: Sailor V return in Sailor Moon , including Sailor V herself (under the name "Sailor Venus"). The musicals added several extra storylines, including an extended version of the Stars arc, including revivals of past villains, the revival of the Dark Kingdom, a trip to Kaguya Shima (Kaguya Island), a group of villains from Nibiru and the Dracul Series.
Characters
Main|List of Sailor Moon charactersThe series features an extensive cast of characters. Initially, the main protagonists are title character Sailor Moon (character)|Sailor Moon , her love interest Tuxedo Mask , and the Guardian Senshi (Sailors Sailor Mercury|Mercury , Sailor Mars|Mars , Sailor Jupiter|Jupiter , and Sailor Venus|Venus ). They are later joined by Chibiusa , Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's daughter from the future, and the Outer Senshi (Sailors Sailor Uranus|Uranus , Sailor Neptune|Neptune , Sailor Pluto|Pluto , and Sailor Saturn|Saturn ).
Each major arc of the manga and its anime adaptation features a different group of villains: the Dark Kingdom (in the Dark Kingdom arc of the manga and in the List of Sailor Moon episodes (season 1)|first season of the anime ), the Black Moon Clan (in the Black Moon arc of the manga and in List of Sailor Moon R episodes|Sailor Moon R ), the Death Busters (in the Mugen/Infinity arc of the manga and in List of Sailor Moon S episodes|Sailor Moon S ), the Dead Moon Circus (in the Yume/Dream arc of the manga and in List of Sailor Moon Super S episodes|Sailor Moon SuperS ), and Shadow Galactica (in the Stars arc of the manga and in List of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episodes|Sailor Moon Sailor Stars ). The first episodes of Sailor Moon R feature a filler arc that introduces the Makaiju , two aliens that arrive to Earth to find energy to collect for an alien tree, and that the first six episodes of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars re-introduce Dead Moon Circus#Queen Nehelenia|Queen Nehelenia from the Dead Moon Circus.
Supporting and recurring characters in the series include Luna, Artemis, and Diana (three cats that act as advisors to the Sailor Senshi), the families and friends of the Senshi, the Sailor Starlights and their Princess Kakyuu , and the mysterious Chibichibi , among others.
Production
Before the Sailor Moon manga , Takeuchi published Codename: Sailor V , which centered around just Sailor Venus . She devised the idea when she wanted to create a cute series about girls in outer space , and her editor asked her to put them in sailor fuku .cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | authorlink = Naoko Takeuchi | title= Sailor Moon Shinsouban Volume 2 |publisher= Kodansha |year= 2003 |month= September |isbn= 4-06-334777-X When Sailor V was proposed for adaptation into an anime , the concept was modified so that Minako Aino|Sailor V herself became only one member of a team. The resulting manga series became a fusion of the popular magical girl genre, the Super Sentai|Super Sentai Series , of which Takeuchi was a fan.cite web | last = McCarter | first = Charles | title = Public Interview with Takeuchi Naoko | work = EX:CLUSIVE | publisher = www.ex.org | url = http://www.ex.org/3.6/13-feature_takeuchi.html | format = Q & A Interview | accessdate = 2006-11-30 Recurring motifs include astronomy , astrology , Greek mythology|Greek myth , Roman mythology|Roman myth , geology , Classical element|Japanese elemental themes ,cite book |last=Drazen |first=Patrick |title=Anime Explosion& #33; The What? Why? & Wow& #33; Of Japanese Animation |year=2002 | month=October |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |location= Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-72-8 |oclc=50898281 |page=286 teen fashions, and schoolgirl antics.
Talks between Takeuchi and her publishers originally envisaged only one story-arc, and the storyline developed in meetings a year prior to publications, but having completed it, Takeuchi was asked by her editors to continue. She issued four more story-arcs,cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Materials Collection |publisher= Kodansha |year= 1999 |month= October |isbn= 4-06-324521-7 often published simultaneously with the five corresponding anime series. The anime series would only lag the manga by a month or two.cite book | last = Schodt | first = Frederik | authorlink = Frederik L. Schodt | title = Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga | publisher = Stone Bridge Press | location = Berkeley, CA | year = 1996 |page= 93 | isbn = 978-1-880656-23-5 Takeuchi has stated that due to the largely male production staff of the anime, she feels that the anime version has "a slight male perspective".cite web|url= http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/05/27/sailor-moon-101-pretty-powerful-and-pure-of-heart/ |title=Sailor Moon 101: Pretty, Powerful, And Pure Of Heart |publisher=Geek-news.mtv.com |date=2011-05-27 |accessdate=2011-12-27
Media
Manga
See also|List of Sailor Moon chaptersThe complete original manga spans 52 chapters, known as Acts, as well as ten separate side-stories. Its main series appeared in serial form in Nakayoshi , Kodansha 's shojo manga magazine, from 1991 to 1995; the side-stories were serialized in Kodansha 's Run Run . Kodansha has published all the chapters and side-stories in book form. The first edition came out as the series was being produced, from 1992 through 1997,cite web | url = http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp? b=1787217 | title = ???????????? (1) | publisher = Kodansha | language = Japanese | accessdate = June 23, 2009cite web | url = http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp? b=1788582 | title = ???????????? (18) | publisher = Kodansha | language = Japanese | accessdate = June 23, 2009 and consisted of 18 volumes with all the chapters and side stories in the order in which they had been released.
The second edition, called the shinsoban or "renewal" edition, began in 2003 during the run of the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon|live-action series .cite web | url = http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp? b=3347761 | title = ???????????? ???(1) | publisher = Kodansha | language = Japanese | accessdate = June 23, 2009 Kodansha redistributed the individual chapters so that there are more per book, and some corrections and updates were made to the dialogue and drawings. New art was featured as well, including completely new cover art and character sketches (including characters unique to the live-action series). In all, the new edition consists of 12 main volumes and two separate short-story volumes.
By the end of 1995, the thirteen Sailor Moon volumes then available had sold about one million copies each, and Japan had exported the manga to over 23 countries, including China, Mexico, Australia, most of Europe and North America.cite book| last = Schodt | first = Frederik | authorlink = Frederik L. Schodt | title = Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga | publisher = Stone Bridge Press | location = Berkeley, CA | year = 1996 |page= 95 | isbn = 978-1-880656-23-5
The revised manga is being re-released in North America by Kodansha Comics USA, though Random House acts as distributor, with the first volume being released in September 2011, the second volume was released in November 2011, with further volumes to follow bimonthly.cite web|url= http://www.randomhouse.com/book/212662/sailor-moon-1-by-naoko-takeuchi |title=Sailor Moon 1 by Naoko Takeuchi - Book |publisher=Random House|date=2011-09-13 |accessdate=2011-11-13
Anime
See also|List of Sailor Moon episodesThe Sailor Moon anime, co-produced by TV Asahi , Toei Agency and Toei Animation , started airing only a month after the first issue of the manga was published. With 200 episodes airing from March 1992 to February 1997 on TV Asahi, Sailor Moon is one of the longest-running magical girl anime series. The anime sparked a highly successful merchandising campaign of over 5,000 items, which contributed to Supply and demand|demand all over the world and translation into numerous languages. Sailor Moon has since become one of the most famous anime properties in the world.cite web |publisher= Anime News Network |title=TV Asahi Top 100 Anime Part 2 |date=2005-09-23 |url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-09-23/tv-asahi-top-100-anime-part-2 |accessdate=2007-01-18 cite web |publisher= Anime News Network |title=Japan's Favorite TV Anime |date=2006-10-13 |url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-10-13/japan's-favorite-tv-anime |accessdate=2007-01-18 Due to its resurgence of popularity in Japan, the series returned to the airwaves on September 1, 2009. The series also began rebroadcasting in Italy in autumn 2010, receiving permission from Takeuchi, who released new artwork to promote its return.cite web |publisher= ANIMAX |title=???????????????9??????! ??????·?????????????????!|url= http://www.animax.co.jp/feature/index.php? code=NN10000804 |accessdate=2009-08-22dead link|date=November 2011
Sailor Moon consists of five separate arcs. The titles of the series are Sailor Moon , Sailor Moon R , Sailor Moon S , Sailor Moon SuperS and Sailor Moon Sailor? Stars . Each series roughly corresponds to one of the five major story arcs of the manga, following the same general storyline and including most of the same characters. There were also five special short subject|animated shorts , as well as three theatrically released movies: Sailor Moon R: The Movie , Sailor Moon S: The Movie , and Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie .cite web|url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ayumi/1994.html|title=??????????? 1994?|publisher=Sailormoon.Channel|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-07-21|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090425183710/ http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ayumi/1994.html |archivedate=2009-04-25cite web|url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ayumi/1995.html|title=??????????? 1995?|publisher=Sailormoon.Channel|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-07-21dead link|date=November 2011
The anime series uses traditional animation techniques throughout. It was directed by Junichi Sato|Jun'ichi Sato , then Kunihiko Ikuhara and later Takuya Igarashi in succession. Character design was headed by Kazuko Tadano , Ikuko Itoh and Katsumi Tamegai, all of whom were also animation director s. Other animation directors included Masahiro Ando, Hisashi Kagawa, and Hideyuki Motohashi.cite web | url= http://www.usagi.org/doi/smoon/staff/index.html | title=Hitoshi Doi - Sailor Moon staff information | accessdate=2006-10-14
The series sold as twenty "volumes" in Japan. By the end of 1995, each volume had sold approximately 300,000 copies.
There were noticeable differences between the manga and anime, including the radical personality change of Rei Hino, the toned-down focus on Mamoru Chiba in later seasons, the large emphasis on the Sailor Starlights in the final arc, the notable asbence of the four Outer Senshi during the SuperS season (while they were present during the forth story arc of the manga), the removal of several characters including Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon and Sailor Kakyuu, the break-up sub-plot between Usagi and Mamoru and the inclusion of an extra 'arc' in Sailor Moon R sometimes referred to as the 'Makaiju arc', Diana's late introduction in the anime,or|date=October 2011 the homosexual relationships between Zoisite and Kunzite, the personalities of the Ayakashi Sisters and the Witches 5, and the removal of Sailor Cosmos.or|date=October 2011
Art books
Kodansha released special art book s for each of the five story arcs, collectively called the Original Picture Collection . The books contain cover art, promotional material, and other work done by Takeuchi. Many of the drawings appear accompanied by comments on how she developed her ideas, how she created each picture, whether or not she likes it, and commentary on the anime interpretation of her story.cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume I Original Picture Collection |publisher= Kodansha |date= August 1994 |isbn= 4-06-324507-1cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume II Original Picture Collection |publisher= Kodansha |date= August 1994 |isbn= 4-06-324508-Xcite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume III Original Picture Collection |publisher= Kodansha |date= September 1996 |isbn= 4-06-324518-7cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume IV Original Picture Collection |publisher= Kodansha |date= September 1996 |id= ISBN ISBN 4-06-324519-5cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume V Original Picture Collection |publisher= Kodansha |date= August 1997 |isbn= 4-06-324522-5
Another picture collection, Volume Infinity , appeared in a strictly limited edition after the end of the series in 1997. This self-published artbook includes drawings by Takeuchi as well as by her friends, her staff, and many of the seiyu|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, as well as for some characters who never appeared. Each drawing is surrounded with notes by Takeuchi about the specifics of various costume pieces, the mentality of the characters, and her particular 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. At the end, the Parallel Sailor Moon short story is featured, celebrating the year of the rabbit .cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Materials Collection |publisher= Kodansha |date= September 1999 |isbn= 4-06-324521-7
Stage musicals
Main|Sailor Moon musicalsThe musical stage shows, usually referred to collectively as SeraMyu , were a series of live theatre productions that played over 800 performances in some 29 musicals between 1993 and 2005. The stories of the shows include anime-inspired plotlines as well as a large amount of original material. Music from the series has been released on about 20 "memorial" album s.cite web|url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/video/02.html|title=??????? ???·DVD????|publisher=Sailormoon.Channel.|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-07-19dead link|date=November 2011 The popularity of the musicals has been cited as a reason behind the production of the live action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon TV series.
Musicals ran twice a year, in the winter and in the summer. In the summer, the musicals showed only in the Sunshine City, Tokyo|Sunshine Theatre in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo; however, in the winter they went on tour to the other large cities in Japan, including Osaka, Fukuoka,cite web|url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/musical/01.html|title=?????????? 93?????????????? ???????????? ?? ???·????????|publisher=Sailormoon.Channel|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-07-21dead link|date=November 2011 Nagoya, Shizuoka, Kanazawa, Sendai,cite web|url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/musical/04.html|title=?????????? 94??????????????????????????S???·???????|publisher=Sailormoon.Channel|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-07-21dead link|date=November 2011 Saga, Oita, Yamagata and Fukushima.cite web|url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/musical/06.html|title=95???????????????? ????????????S ??·?????????(???|publisher=Sailormoon.Channel|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-07-21dead link|date=November 2011
The final incarnation of the series, Nihongo|The New Legend of Kaguya Island (Revised Edition)|?·?????? |Shin Kaguyashima Densetsu (Kaiteban), went on stage in January 2005. Following that show, Bandai officially put the series on a wikt:hiatus|hiatus ,cite web|url= http://www2.uol.com.br/ohayo/v2.0/eventos/materias/maio24_sailormoon.shtml|title=Musicais do OhaYO& #33; – Parte 2|last=Lobão|first=David Denis|date=May 24, 2007|publisher= Universo Online |language=Portuguese|accessdate=2009-07-24 although the productions have not been revived since 2005 leading many fans to speculate that the series has been, for all intents and purposes, canceled.
Live-action series
Main|Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Tokyo Broadcasting System and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting screened a tokusatsu (live-action) version of Sailor Moon from October 4, 2003 through September 25, 2004. The series, titled Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (often shortened to "PGSM"), used an entirely English-language title for the first time in the Sailor Moon franchise. It lasted a total of 49 episodes.cite web | url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ayumi/2003.html | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070806114404/ http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ayumi/2003.html | archivedate=2007-08-06 | title= Sailormoon.Channel - History of Sailor Moon | accessdate=2009-03-10cite web | url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/jisha/storylist_01.html | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070617052042/ http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/jisha/storylist_01.html | archivedate=2007-06-17 | title= Sailormoon.Channel - Sailor Moon Live Action TV Corner | accessdate=2009-03-10 Almost one thousand people applied for the parts of the five main characters.cite web|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3270/is_200311/ai_n7968222/|title=Sailor Moon gets live action.(Animation Action)|accessdate=2009-07-21Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot
The series' storyline more closely follows the original manga than the anime at first, but in later episodes it proceeds into a significantly different storyline from either, with original characters and new plot developments.cite web|url= http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/2004/05/feature/02.php|title=Sailor Soldiers, Saban Style|last=Font|first=Dillon|date=May 2004|work=Animefringe|accessdate=2009-07-20cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/pretty-guardian-sailor-moon|title=Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon - Review|last=Mays|first=Jonathon|date=April 6, 2004|publisher= Anime News Network |accessdate=2009-07-20
In addition to the main episodes, two direct-to-video releases appeared after the show ended its broadcasting|television broadcast . These were the "Special Act", which is set four years after the main storyline ends and which shows the wedding of the two main characters, and "Act Zero", a prequel which shows the origins of Sailor V and Tuxedo Mask .cite web|url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/video/top.html|title=???DVD(TV????)|publisher=Sailormoon.Channel|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-07-23dead link|date=November 2011
Video games
Main|List of Sailor Moon video games More than 20 Sailor Moon Video game console|console and arcade game|arcade games have appeared in Japan, all based on the anime series. Bandai and a Japanese game company called Angel (unrelated to the American-based Angel Studios, as of | 2010 | lc = on known as Rockstar San Diego ) made most of them, with some produced by Banpresto . The early games were Beat 'em up|side-scrolling fighters , whereas the later ones were unique Computer puzzle game|puzzle games , or versus fighting game s. Another Story was a turn-based role-playing video game .cite web | url= http://www.gamefaqs.com/search/index.html? game=sailor+moon& platform=0 | title=Game Search - GameFAQs | accessdate=2009-03-11
The only Sailor Moon game produced outside of Japan, 3VR New Media's The 3D Adventures of Sailor Moon , went on sale in North America in 1997.cite web | url= http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/home/943983.html | title=The 3-D Adventures of Sailor Moon for PC - GameFAQs | accessdate=2009-03-11
A video game was released in Spring 2011 for the Nintendo DS, called Sailor Moon: La Luna Splende (Sailor Moon: The Shining Moon) .cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-01-05/new-sailor-moon-ds-game-to-ship-in-spring-in-italy |title=New Sailor Moon DS Game to Ship in Spring in Italy - Interest |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2011-09-16 |accessdate=2011-09-20
English adaptations
Main|Sailor Moon (English adaptations) The English adaptations of both the manga and anime series became the first successful shojo title in the United States .cite book|first=Jason|last=Thompson|title= Manga: The Complete Guide |page=309|publisher= Ballantine Books & Del Rey Books |location=New York|year=2007|isbn=978-0-345-48590-8 The anime adaptation of Sailor Moon attempted to capitalize on the success of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers .cite news|url= http://news.google.com/newspapers? id=VHEVAAAAIBAJ& sjid=C-sDAAAAIBAJ& pg=6716,7966764& dq=sailor+moon+power+rangers|title=Female superhero shoots for the marketing moon|last=The Washington Post|date=May 31, 1995|work= Eugene Register Guard |pages=3D|accessdate=2009-07-23 After a bidding-war between Toon Makers, who wanted to produce a half live-action and half American-style cartoon version,cite web | last = Arnold | first = Adam "OMEGA" | title = Sailor Moon à la Saban: Debunked - An Interview with Rocky Solotoff | publisher = Animefringe | month = June | year = 2001 | url = http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/01.06/feature/2/index.php3 | format = Q& A | accessdate = 2008-06-22 and DIC Entertainment , DiC — then owned by The Walt Disney Company cite web |url= http://www.dicentertainment.com/corporate/ |title=DIC Entertainment Corporate |publisher= DiC Entertainment |accessdate = 2008-06-22 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20071219211247/ http://www.dicentertainment.com/corporate/ |archivedate=2007-12-19 — and Optimum Productions acquired the rights to the first two seasons of Sailor Moon ,cite news|url= http://news.google.com/newspapers? id=COcyAAAAIBAJ& sjid=vgcGAAAAIBAJ& pg=1971,3417888& dq=sailor+moon& hl=en|title=Move over, Power Rangers. Here comes Japan's Sailor Moon.|date=February 18, 1995|work=The Free Lance-Star|work= Charlotte Observer |page=27|accessdate=14 March 2010 from which they cut a total of six episodes (five from the first season and one from the second season) and merged the final two episodes of the first season into one. Editors cut each of the remaining episodes by several minutes to make room for more commercials, to Censorship|censor plot points or visuals deemed inappropriate for children, and to allow the insertion of "educational" segments called "Sailor Says" at the end of each episode. The second season, named Sailor Moon R in Japan, was dubbed solely as Sailor Moon with the "R" removed from the logo.
The English adaptations of Sailor Moon S and Sailor Moon Super S , produced by Optimum Productions and Cloverway , stayed relatively close to the original Japanese versions, without skipping or merging any episodes. Some controversial changes were made, however, such as the depiction of Sailors Uranus and Neptune as cousins rather than lesbian lovers.cite news | last =Sebert | first =Paul | title = Kissing cousins may bring controversy Cartoon Network juggles controversial topics contained in the "Sailor Moon S" series | work = The Daily AthenaeumInteractive | date= 2000-06-28 | url = http://www.da.wvu.edu/archives/002806/news/002806,07,01.html | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070329040225/ http://www.da.wvu.edu/archives/002806/news/002806,07,01.html | archivedate = 2007-03-29 | accessdate = 2007-02-21
Toei has never licensed the fifth and final series, Sailor Stars , for adaptation into English. As of|2004|5, the rest of the media franchise has officially gone off the air in all English-speaking countries due to lapsed and unrenewed licenses.cite web |last= Oppliger |first=John |url= http://www.animenation.net/blog/2005/12/02/ask-john-whats-the-current-status-of-sailor-moon-in-america/ | title=AnimeNation News - What's the Current Status of Sailor Moon in America? |publisher= AnimeNation | accessdate=2007-03-15
The manga publisher Mixx (later Tokyopop ) translated the Sailor Moon manga into English in 1997. The manga initially appeared as a serial in TOKYOPOP (magazine)|MixxZine but was later pulled out of that magazine and made into a separate monthly comic to finish the first through third arcs. At the same time, the fourth and fifth arcs began printing in a secondary magazine called " Smile (magazine)|SMILE ".cite web | title = Mixx Controversies: Analysis | work = Features | publisher = Anime News Network | date =2008-08-14 | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/1998-08-14/5 | accessdate = 2007-01-24 After its initial publication, the entire series was reprinted in the smaller volume format known in the beginning as "Pocket Mixx" before Mixx became Tokyopop. In total, the series was collected into 11 "Sailor Moon" volumes, 4 "Sailor Moon Super S" volumes, and 3 "Sailor Moon Stars" volumes. The volumes included extra stories that were not run with the monthly comics. Sailor Moon collects the first three arcs (the Dark Kingdom Mixxzine 1-1 to 2-1 + Comic issues 1-7, Black Moon8-19, and Infinity arcs 20-35). Sailor Moon Super S collects the Super S/Dream arc Smile 1.1-2.6 and Sailor Moon Stars collects the Sailor Stars arc Smile 2.7-3.10. They feature the content from the original manga collections (though the names of characters introduced in the first two story arcs were changed to those used in the English anime), as well as the occasional new sketch and "thank you" commentary from Takeuchi.
The Tokyopop English-language manga officially went out of print on May 2, 2005 after the license expired,cite web|url= http://www.tokyopop.com/corporate/biz_dev/447 | title=Tokyopop Out of Print | date=2007-10-13|accessdate=2009-09-10|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20071013221414/ http://www.tokyopop.com/corporate/biz_dev/447|archivedate=2007-10-13cite web | title = Why was Sailormoon dropped? | publisher = Tokyopop | date =2007-12-09 | url = http://messageboard.tokyopop.com/forums/showthread.php? t=11240 | accessdate = 2010-07-06 Dead link|date=July 2011 but was later revived by Kodansha Comics USA in association with Random House . The new English editions are based on the 2003 deluxe Japanese editions, and features a total of 16 volumes (12 for the main Sailor Moon manga, 2 volumes of short stories, and 2 volumes of Sailor V ). The first volumes of Sailor Moon and Sailor V were released on September 13, 2011 with later volumes are being released bimonthly.
Music
See also|List of Sailor Moon soundtracks |List of Sailor Moon English-language soundtracks Listen|filename = DALI - Moonlight Densetsu.ogg |title = Moonlight Densetsu |description = Original Japanese theme |filename2 = Nicole & Bynne Price - Sailor Moon Theme.ogg |title2 = Sailor Moon Theme |description2 = English theme |type = music |pos = right |header = Sailor Moon opening themes
Numerous people wrote and composed music for the Sailor Moon metaseries, with frequent lyrical contributions by creator Naoko Takeuchi . Takanori Arisawa , who earned the "Golden Disk Grand Prize" from Columbia Records for his work on the first series soundtrack in 1993, composed and arranged the background musical scores, including the spinoffs, games, and movies. In 1998, 2000, and 2001 he won the JASRAC International Award for most international royalties, owing largely to the popularity of Sailor Moon music in other nations.cite web|url= http://www.arizm.com/profile/profile-e.html |title=Takanori Arisawa Profile(E) |publisher=Arizm.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-13
Most of the TV series used for an opening theme Nihongo|"Moonlight Densetsu"|????????|Munraito Densetsu|lit. "Moonlight Legend", composed by Tetsuya Komoro with lyrics by Kanako Oda. It was one of the series' most popular songs. "Moonlight Densetsu" was performed by DALI as the opener for the first two anime series,cite web|url= http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/lineup/tv/sailor_moon/ |title=/ ??????? |publisher=Toei-anim.co.jp |date= |accessdate=2008-10-13cite web|url= http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/lineup/tv/sailor_moon_r/ |title=/ ??????? R |publisher=Toei-anim.co.jp |date= |accessdate=2008-10-13 and then by Moon Lips for the third and fourth.cite web|url= http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/lineup/tv/sailor_moon_s/ |title=/ ??????? S |publisher=Toei-anim.co.jp |date= |accessdate=2008-10-13cite web|url= http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/lineup/tv/sailor_moon_ss/ |title=/ ??????? Supers |publisher=Toei-anim.co.jp |date= |accessdate=2008-10-13 The final series, Sailor Stars , switched to using "Sailor Star Song" for its opening theme, written by Shoki Araki with lyrics by Naoko Takeuchi and performed by Kae Hanazawa.cite web|url= http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/lineup/tv/sailor_stars/ |title=/ ???????????? ???????? |publisher=Toei-anim.co.jp |date= |accessdate=2008-10-13 "Moonlight Densetsu" made its final appearance as the closing song for the very last episode, #200. "Moonlight Densetsu" has been covered and remixed many times by artists such as the punk supergroup Osaka Popstar , Kitade Nana and Tsuji Nozomi . It is believed that the song's melody was inspired by "Sayonara wa Dance no Ato ni" (Goodbye at the End of the Dance), performed in the 1960s by Chieko Baisho .
:''I'm sorry I'm not straightforward, : I can say it in my dreams : My thoughts are about to short circuit, : I want to see you right now
: Fighting evil by moonlight, : Winning love by daylight, : Never running from a real fight, : She is the one named Sailor Moon
All three versions of the series also make use of insert themes, battle music, and image song s, with the original being much more prolific. Over 40 Japanese music albums were released for the anime alone, many of which were remixes of the previous albums in jazz style, music box , French, etc. In addition, 33 different CD single s were released, many of them centered around specific characters. The second most prolific country in terms of Sailor Moon music releases was Germany, which produced some fifteen albums and singles, including five by the pop music|pop band Super Moonies . In North America, only Sailor Moon soundtracks (USA)|three albums were released . These numbers do not include the CDs from the Musicals, which were only released in Japan. At least one CD was released per musical, as well as various collections, such as Villain Collections or many songs sung by a single actor or actress. Various CDs were also released for the live action adaptation as well.
Moonlight Densetsu was released as a CD single in March 1992, and was an "explosive hit".cite web |url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ayumi/1992.html |title=??????????? 1992? |language=Japanese |publisher=Sailormoon.Channel.or.jp |accessdate=2009-07-21 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090228142108/sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ayumi/1992.html |archivedate=2009-02-28 |deadurl=yes "Moonlight Densetsu" won first place in the Song category in Animage 's 15th and 16th Anime Grand Prix.cite web|url= http://animage.jp/old/gp/gp_1993.html |title=?15????????? [1993?5??]|publisher=Animage.jp |language=Japanese |accessdate=2009-07-19cite web|url= http://animage.jp/old/gp/gp_1994.html |title=?16????????? [1994?5??]|publisher=Animage.jp |language=Japanese |accessdate=2009-07-19 It came seventh in the 17th Grand Prix, and "Moon Revenge", from Sailor Moon R: The Movie , came eighth.cite web|url= http://animage.jp/old/gp/gp_1995.html |title=?17????????? [1995?5??]|publisher=Animage.jp |language=Japanese |accessdate=2009-07-19 "Rashiku Ikimasho", the second closing song for SuperS , placed eighteenth in 1996.cite web|url= http://animage.jp/old/gp/gp_1996.html |title=?18????????? [1996?5??]|publisher=Animage.jp |language=Japanese |accessdate=2009-07-19 In 1997, "Sailor Star Song", the new opening theme for Sailor Stars , came eleventh, and "Moonlight Densetsu" came sixteenth.cite web|url= http://animage.jp/old/gp/gp_1997.html |title=?19????????? [1997?6??]|publisher=Animage.jp |language=Japanese |accessdate=2009-07-19
Reception
The manga won the Kodansha Manga Award in 1993 for shojo .cite web | url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/kodansha.shtml | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20071021040252/ http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/kodansha.shtml | archivedate=2007-10-21 | author=Joel Hahn | title=Kodansha Manga Awards | work=Comic Book Awards Almanac | accessdate=2007-08-21
Originally planned to run for only six months, the Sailor Moon anime repeatedly continued due to its popularity, concluding only after a five-year run.cite web | title = Animazement Sailor Moon Voice Actors 2005 | month = May | year = 2005 | url = http://www.fansview.com/2005/may2005/052705b.htm | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061022001527/ http://www.fansview.com/2005/may2005/052705b.htm | archivedate = 2006-10-22 | accessdate = 2007-01-18 In Japan, it aired every Saturday night in prime time ,cite article | last=Grigsby | first=Mary http://www.yorku.ca/jjenson/4303/readings/comics/sailormoon.pdf “Sailormoon: Manga (Comics) and Anime (Cartoon) Superheroine Meets Barbie: Global Entertainment Commodity Comes to the United States.” The Journal of Popular Culture, 32 (1998): 59–80. doi|10.1111/j.0022-3840.1998.3201_59.x Web. Retrieved 20 October 2011.cite news | last =Johnson | first =Dany | coauthors = | title = Q & A Rocking the Boat | work =Akadot | pages = | language = | publisher =Digital Manga, Inc. | date =2001-04-21 | url = http://www.akadot.com/story.php? id=31 | accessdate =2008-06-23 getting TV viewership ratings around 11-12% for most of the series run.cite web |authorlink=Hitoshi Doi |first=Hitoshi |last=Doi |url= http://www.usagi.org/doi/smoon/episodes/index.html |title= Hitoshi Doi |accessdate= 2007-02-23 Commentators detect in the anime adaptation of Sailor Moon "a more shonen tone," appealing to a wider audience than the manga, which aimed squarely at teenage girls. The media franchise is one of the most successful Japan has ever had, reaching 1.5 billion dollars in merchandise sales during the first three years. Ten years after the series completion, the series has featured among the top thirty of TV Asahi 's Top 100 anime polls in 2005 and 2006. The anime series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1993. Sales of Sailor Moon's fashion dolls overtook that of Licca-chan in the 1990s; Mattel suggested that this was due to the "fashion-action" blend of the Sailor Moon storyline. Doll accessories included both fashion items and the Senshi's weapons.
Sailor Moon has also become popular internationally. Spain and France became the first countries outside of Japan to air Sailor Moon , beginning in December 1993.cite web|url= http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ayumi/1993.html|title=??????????? 1993?|publisher=Sailormoon.Channel|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-07-21dead link|date=November 2011 Other countries followed suit, including Australia, South Korea , the Philippines (which became one of Associated Broadcasting Company|its carrier network 's main draws to become the third biggest network in the country), Poland, Italy, Peru, Brazil, Sweden and Hong Kong , before North America picked up the franchise for adaptation.cite book |last=Drazen |first=Patrick |title=Anime Explosion& #33; The What? Why? & Wow& #33; Of Japanese Animation |year=2002 | month=October |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |location= Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-72-8 |oclc=50898281 |pages=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.cite web|url= http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/625.html|title=ICv2 News - Sailor Moon Graphic Novels Top Bookstore Sales - Demonstrates Shoujo's Potential |date=August 14, 2001|publisher=ICv2 |accessdate= 2008-06-22 In Diamond Comic Distributors 's May 1999 "Graphic Novel and Trade Paperback" category, Sailor Moon Volume 3 ranked #1 in sales out of all of the comic books sold in the United States." http://web.archive.org/web/20001029221527/ http://www.mixxonline.com/mixxonline/company/press_releases/pr_990618_sailor_tops.html MIXX'S SAILOR MOON MANGA IS THE NUMBER 1 GRAPHIC NOVEL OR TRADE PAPERBACK IN AMERICA!" Mixx Entertainment . June 18, 1999. Retrieved on August 21, 2011.
Critics have commended the anime series for its portrayal of strong friendships, as well as for its large cast of "strikingly different" characters who have different dimensions and aspects to them as the story goes on,cite book|last=Allison|first=Anne|coauthors=Gary Cross|title=Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination|publisher=University of California Press|year=2006|pages=156–157|isbn=978-0-520-24565-5 and an ability to appeal to a wide audience.Poitras, Gilles (2000-12-01) Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know Stone Bridge Press, ISBN 1-880656-53-1 p.44 Writer Nicolas Penedo attributes the success of Sailor Moon to its fusion of the shojo manga genre of magical girl s with the Super Sentai fighting teams.cite book | first= Nicolas | last=Penedo |page=464 | editor=Nicolas Finet | title=Dicomanga: le dictionnaire encyclopédique de la bande dessinée japonaise | publisher=Fleurus | language=French | location=Paris | isbn=978-2-215-07931-6 | year=2008 According to Martha Cornog and Timothy Perper, Sailor Moon became popular because of its "strongly-plotted action with fight scenes, rescues" and its "emphasis on feelings and relationships", including some "sexy romance" between Usagi and Mamoru.Cornog, Martha; and Perper, Timothy (March 2005) http://www.corneredangel.com/amwess/papers/non_western_sexuality.pdf Non-Western Sexuality Comes to the U.S.: A Crash Course in Manga and Anime for Sexologists Contempory Sexuality vol 39 issue 3 page 4 The romance of Usagi and Mamoru has been seen as an archetype where the lovers "become more than the sum of their parts", promising to be together forever.cite web|url= http://www.uni-marburg.de/fb03/ivk/mjr/pdfs/2010/articles/barkman_2010.pdf |title=Platonic Eros, Ottonian Numinous and Spiritual Longing in Otaku Culture |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2011-12-30 In contrast, others see Sailor Moon as camp (style)|campy and melodrama tic. Criticism has singled out its use of formulaic plots, Villain of the week|monsters of the day ,cite web | last = Bertschy | first = Zac | title = Sailor Moon DVD - Review | publisher = Anime News Network | date =2003-08-10 | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/sailor-moon/dvd | accessdate = 2007-02-17 and stock footage .cite web | last = Merrill | first = Dave | title = Sailor Moon Super S TV Series Complete Collection | publisher = Anime Jump | date =2006-01-17 | url = http://www.animejump.com/index.php? module=prodreviews& func=showcontent& id=721 | accessdate = 2007-02-17 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060510021154/ http://www.animejump.com/index.php? module=prodreviews& func=showcontent& id=721 |archivedate = May 10, 2006
Drazen notes that Sailor Moon has two kinds of villains, the Monster of the Day and the "thinking, feeling humans". Although this is common in anime and manga, it is "almost unheard of in the West".cite book |last=Drazen |first=Patrick |title=Anime Explosion& #33; The What? Why? & Wow& #33; Of Japanese Animation |year=2002 | month=October |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |location= Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-72-8 |oclc=50898281 |page=284 Despite the series' apparent popularity among Western anime fandom , the dubbed version of the series received poor ratings in the United States when it was initially broadcast in syndication and did not do well in DVD sales in the United Kingdom.cite journal | last = Cox | first = Gemma | title = Anime Archive: Sailor Moon - The Most Popular Unsuccessful Series Ever? | journal = Neo (magazine)|NEO | issue = 18 | page = 98 | publisher = Uncooked Media | date = Spring of 2006 Anne Allison attributes the lack of popularity in the United States primarily to poor marketing (in the United States, the series was initially broadcast at times which did not suit the target audience - weekdays at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 pm). Executives connected with Sailor Moon suggest that poor localization played a role.cite journal | last = Allison | first = Anne | title = A Challenge to Hollywood? Japanese Character Goods Hit the US | journal = Japanese Studies | volume=20 | issue = 1 | pages = 67–88 | publisher = Routledge | year = 2000 | doi = 10.1080/10371390050009075 Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements go further, calling the dub "indifferent", and suggesting that Sailor Moon was put in "dead" timeslots due to local interests.cite book |last=Clements |first=Jonathan |authorlink=Jonathan Clements |coauthors= Helen McCarthy |title= The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 |date=2001-09-01 |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-64-7 |oclc=47255331 |page=338 |edition=1st The British distributor, MVM Films , has attributed the poor sales to the United Kingdom release being of the dub only, and that major retailers refused to support the show leading to the DVD release appealing to neither children nor older anime fans.
Both the manga editorial vid and the anime series were released in Mexico twice in a quite accurate translation in Imevisión (what is now TV Azteca ), which also aired almost complete versions of Saint Seiya , Senki , Candy Candy , '' Remi, Nobody's Girl , Card Captor Sakura and Detective Conan ''. With quite a success and in the U.S. censored version in the Cartoon Network that was very quickly taken off the air due to the lack of viewers being lackluster compared to the original version; due to sensitive or controversial topics a Catholic parents' group exerted pressure to take it off the market, which partially succeeded - but after the whole series had been aired once from Sailor Moon to Sailor Stars and some of the movies.McHarry, Mark. http://www.guidemag.com/temp/yaoi/a/mcharry_yaoi.html Yaoi: Redrawing Male Lovedead link|date=November 2011 The Guide November 2003
Due to Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea|anti-Japanese sentiment , most of Japanese media other than animated ones was banned for many years in South Korea. A producer in Korean Broadcasting System|KBS "did not even try to buy" Sailor Moon because he thought it would not pass the censorship laws, but as of May 1997, Sailor Moon was airing on KBS 2 without issues and was "enormously" popular.cite book|author=Seung Mi-Han|coauthors=Harumi Befu, Sylvie Guichard-Anguis|title=Globalizing Japan: Ethnography of the Japanese Presence in Asia, Europe, and America|publisher=Routledge|year=2001|page=200|chapter=Learning from the enviable enemy: the coexistance of desire and enmity in Korean perceptions of Japan
In his 2007 book Manga: The Complete Guide , Jason Thompson (writer)|Jason Thompson gave the manga series 3& nbsp;/& nbsp;4 stars. He enjoyed the blending of shonen manga|shonen and shojo manga|shojo styles, stating that the combat scenes seemed heavily influenced by Saint Seiya , but shorter and less bloody, and noting that the manga itself appeared similar to Super Sentai television shows. While Thompson found the series fun and entertaining, the repetitive plot lines were a detriment to the title which the increasing quality of art could not make up for; even so, he still states that the series is "sweet, effective entertainment". Thompson states that 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 states that fight scenes are not physical and "boil down to their purest form of a clash of wills", which he argues "makes thematic sense" for the manga.cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2011-03-03 |title=Sailor Moon - Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2011-03-03 |accessdate=2011-09-16
When comparing the manga and anime, Sylvian Durand first notes that the manga artwork is gorgeous, but that the storytelling is more compressed and erratic, and that the anime has more character development. Durand felt "the sense of tragedy is greater" in the manga's telling of the "fall of the Silver Millennium", giving more detail on the origins of the Shitennou and on Usagi's final battle with Beryl and Metalia. Durand feels that the anime leaves out information which makes the story easier to understand, but judges the anime more "coherent", with a better balance of comedy and tragedy, whereas the manga is "more tragic" and focused on Usagi and Mamoru's romance.cite journal|last=Durand|first=Sylvain|date=March–April 1996|title=Sailor Moon: Manga vs Animation|journal= Protoculture Addicts |issue=39|page=39
For the week of 11 September 2011 - 17 September 2011, the first volume of the re-released Sailor Moon manga was the bestselling manga on the List of The New York Times Manga Best Sellers| The New York Times Manga Best Sellers list , with the first volume of Codename: Sailor V in second place.cite news |url= http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2011-10-02/manga/list.html |title=Best Sellers |work=The New York Times |date=October 2, 2011 |accessdate=September 29, 2011 cite web |url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-09-23/new-york-times-manga-best-seller-list-september-11-17 |title=New York Times Manga Best Seller List, September 11–17 |work=Anime News Network |date=September 23, 2011 |accessdate=September 29, 2011 The first print run of the first volume sold out after four weeks.cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-10-14/kodansha/sailor-moon-1-reprinted-after-50000-sell-out |title=Kodansha: Sailor Moon 1 Reprinted after 50,000 Sell Out - News |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2011-10-14 |accessdate=2011-11-13
Legacy
The anime has been cited as reinvigorating the magical girl genre by adding dynamic heroines and action-oriented plots. After its success, many similar titles immediately followed. Magic Knight Rayearth , Wedding Peach , Nurse Angel Ririka SOS , Revolutionary Girl Utena , Fushigi Yuugi and The Vision of Escaflowne all owe much of their basis to the popularity of Sailor Moon .cite book|first=Jason|last=Thompson|title= Manga: The Complete Guide |page=199Poitras, Gilles (2000-12-01) Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know Stone Bridge Press, ISBN 1-880656-53-1 pp.31-32Sailor Moon has been called "the biggest breakthrough" in English dubbed anime up until 1995, when it premiered on YTV (TV channel)|YTV , and "the pinnacle of little kid shojo anime".cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/editorial/1999-01-01/2|title=Anime and Teen Culture... Uh-oh. |last=Sevakis|first=Justin|date=January 1, 1999|publisher= Anime News Network |accessdate=2009-07-19 Matt Thorn notes that soon after Sailor Moon , shojo manga began to be featured in book shops, as opposed to fandom-dominated comic shops.cite web |url= http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/5432-matt-thorn-returns-to-translation-.html |title=Matt Thorn Returns to Translation |last=Alverson |first=Brigid |date=17 February 2009 |work= Publishers Weekly |publisher=PWxyz, LLC |accessdate=27 December 2011 It is credited as the beginning of a wider movement of girls taking up shojo manga .cite journal |last=Deppey |first=Dirk |authorlink=Dirk Deppey |year=2005 |title=She's Got Her Own Thing Now |journal= The Comics Journal |issue=269 |url= http://www.tcj.com/269/e_own1.html |accessdate=2008-06-22 |quote=Scratch a modern-day manga fangirl, and you're likely to find someone who watched Sailor Moon when she was young. |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080531153057/ http://www.tcj.com/269/e_own1.html |archivedate = 2008-05-31 Gilles Poitras defines a "generation" of anime fans as those who were introduced to anime by Sailor Moon in the 1990s, noting that they were both much younger than the other fans and also mostly girls.
Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a Super Sentai -like team of magical girl s,cite web|url= http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/nov02/ao_1102_1.shtml |title=Sequential Tart: Atsukamashii Onna - Taking One for the Team: A Look at Sentai Shows (vol V/iss 11/November 2002) |publisher=Sequentialtart.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-13Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews by Fred Patten page 50 and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical girl genre itself. Paul Gravett (2004) Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics (Harper Design, ISBN 1-85669-391-0) page 78 The series is credited with changing the genre of magical girls—its heroine must use her powers to fight evil, not simply to have fun as previous magical girls had done.cite web | last = Ross | first = Christina | title = Sailor Moon | publisher = THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 | url = http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php? id=405 | accessdate = 2007-02-16
In the western culture|West , people sometimes associated Sailor Moon with the feminist or Girl Power movements and with empowerment|empowering its viewers,cite news | last = Yang | first = Sandy | title = Girl Power Make Up—The Beginning of Shojo in the US | work=Akadot | publisher = Digital Manga, Inc. | date = 2000-10-25 | url = http://www.akadot.com/story.php? id=30 | accessdate = 2008-06-23 especially regarding the "credible, charismatic and independent" characterizations of the Sailor Senshi, which were "interpreted in France as an unambiguously feminist position." Although Sailor Moon is regarded as empowering to girls, and feminist in concept through the aggressive nature and strong personalities of the Sailor Scouts,cite journal | last=Newsom | first=Victoria http://www.femspec.org/samples/sailormoon.html “Young Females as Super Heroes: Superheroines in the Animated Sailor Moon.” Femspec, No. 5.2 (2004): 57-81. Web. Retrieved 20 October 2011. it must be noted that it is a specific type of feminist concept where "traditional feminine ideals are incorporated into characters that act in traditionally male capacities". Whilst the Sailor Scouts are strong, independent fighters who thwart evil (which is generally a masculine stereotype), they are also ideally feminized through the transformation of the Sailor Scouts from teenage girls to magical girls which heavily emphasizes on jewellery, make-up, and their highly-sexualized outfits (cleavage, short skirt, and accentuated waist). The most notable hyper-feminine features of the Sailor Scouts (and most other females in Japanese girls’ comics) are the girls’ thin bodies, extremely 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. Male characters generally have smaller eyes and do not contain a sparkle or shine in them like the eyes of the female characters. 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 , as well. Thus, Sailor Moon emphasizes a type of feminist model by combining traditional masculine action with traditional female affection and sexuality through the Sailor Scouts. Its characters have also been described as "catty stereotypes", with Sailor Moon's character in particular being singled out as less-than-feminist because her favorite class is home economics and her least favorite is math.cite news|url= http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/18644199.html? dids=18644199:18644199& FMT=ABS& FMTS=ABS:FT& type=current& date=Jul+27%2C+1996& author=By+Louise+Brown& pub=Toronto+Star& desc=Sailing+the+Internet+It%27s+a+treasure+trove+of+trivia+for+Sailor+%27Moonies%27|title=Sailing the Internet It's a treasure trove of trivia for Sailor 'Moonies'; Final Edition |last=Brown|first=Louise|date=July 27, 1996|publisher= Toronto Star |pages=SW.65|accessdate=2009-11-06 The series creator has said she based Usagi on herself, and is meant to reflect her reality.
Sailor Moon has also been compared with Barbie ,cite news | last =Barry | first =Dave|authorlink = Dave Barry | title =Forget about Sailor Moon; we love Barbie& #33; | work =The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | publisher = Journal Communications | date =1995-04-09 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ,cite book |last=Allison |first=Anne |authorlink=Anne Allison |editor=Timothy J. Craig |title=Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture|origdate= |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |isbn=978-0-7656-0561-0 |pages=259–278 |chapter=Sailor Moon: Japanese Superheroes for Global Girls|year=2000|month=June Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer ,cite book |last=Drazen |first=Patrick |title=Anime Explosion& #33; The What? Why? & Wow& #33; Of Japanese Animation |year=2002 | month=October |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |location= Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-72-8 |oclc=50898281 |page=281cite web|url= http://www.animerica-mag.com/features/buffyvsmoon.html |title=Animerica: Animerica Feature: Separated at Birth? Buffy vs. Sailor Moon |publisher=Animerica |date=2004-04-07 |accessdate=2010-10-28 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20040407170022/www.animerica-mag.com/features/buffyvsmoon.html |archivedate=2004-04-07cite web|url= http://www.animerica-mag.com/features/buffyvsmoon_02.html |title=Animerica: Animerica Feature: Separated at Birth? Buffy vs. Sailor Moon |publisher=Animerica |date=2004-04-07 |accessdate=2010-10-28 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20040407172915/www.animerica-mag.com/features/buffyvsmoon_02.html |archivedate=2004-04-07 and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)|Sabrina, the Teenage Witch .cite journal | last = Yoshida | first = Kaori | title = Evolution of Female Heroes: Carnival Mode of Gender Representation in Anime | publisher = Western Washington University |year=2002 | url = http://journals2.iranscience.net:800/mcel.pacificu.edu/mcel.pacificu.edu/aspac/home/papers/scholars/yoshida/yoshida.php3 | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071111070234/ http://journals2.iranscience.net/mcel.pacificu.edu/mcel.pacificu.edu/aspac/home/papers/scholars/yoshida/yoshida.php3 | archivedate = 2007-11-11 | accessdate = 2008-06-22
James Welker believes that Sailor Moon's futuristic setting helps to make lesbianism "naturalized" and a peaceful existence. Yukari Fujimoto notes that although there are few "lesbian scenes" in Sailor Moon, it has become a popular subject for yuri (genre)|yuri parodic dojinshi . She attributes this to the source work's "cheerful" tone, although she notes that "though they seem to be overflowing with lesbians, the position of heterosexuals is earnestly secured".Welker, James (2006) "Drawing Out Lesbians: Blurred Representations of Lesbian Desire in Shojo Manga" in Subhash Chandra e.d., Lesbian Voices: Canada and the World: Theory, Literature, Cinema New Delhi: Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd ISBN 81-8424-075-9 p.177, 180.
In English-speaking countries, Sailor Moon developed a cult following amongst various anime fans and male university students, and Drazen considers that the History of the World Wide Web|Internet 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, using it to organize campaigns to return Sailor Moon to U.S. broadcast, and to share information about episodes that had not yet aired, or to write fan fiction .cite news|last=Matsumoto|first=Jon|title=Fans Sending an SOS for 'Sailor'|url= http://articles.latimes.com/print/1996-06-19/entertainment/ca-16327_1_sailor-moon|accessdate=12 December 2011|newspaper= Los Angeles Times |date=June 19, 1996 In 2004, one study suggested there were 3,335,000 sites about Sailor Moon, compared to 491,000 for Mickey Mouse .cite news|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38441-2004Dec5.html|title=We're Playing Their Toons|last=Faiola|first=Anthony|date=December 6, 2004|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=2009-07-19 NEO magazine suggested that part of Sailor Moon 's allure was that fans communicated, via the Internet, about the differences between the dub and the original version.cite web |last=Cox |first=Gemma |url= http://www.neomag.co.uk/article.asp? IntID=9 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080101180249/ http://www.neomag.co.uk/article.asp? IntID=9 |archivedate=2008-01-01 |title=Neo Magazine - Article |publisher=Neomag.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2009-08-05 The Sailor Moon fandom was described in 1997 as being "small and dispersed".cite web|url= http://www.businessweek.com/1997/23/b353053.htm|title=The Novice Who Tamed The Web|last=Updike|first=Edith|year=1997|publisher=Business Week|accessdate=2009-07-19 In a United States study, children paid rapt attention to the fighting scenes in Sailor Moon, although when questioned if Sailor Moon was "violent" only two would say yes, the other ten preferring to describe the episodes as "soft" or "cute".cite journal |last=Allison |first=Anne |authorlink=Anne Allison |year=2001 |title=Cyborg Violence: Bursting Borders and Bodies with Queer Machines |journal=Cultural Anthropology |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=237–265 |url= http://culturalanthropology.duke.edu/Faculty_articles/CyborgV.pdf |accessdate=2008-06-22 |doi=10.1525/can.2001.16.2.237 |format=PDF |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070610022454/ http://culturalanthropology.duke.edu/Faculty_articles/CyborgV.pdf |archivedate = June 10, 2007
International revival
Toei regained control over the license to distribute Sailor Moon outside of Japan in 2004. On February 4, 2010, Toei began negotiations to re-license the entire series globally. In February 2010 the show returned to Albania in its original form.cite web|url= http://moon-chase.blogspot.com/2010/02/breaking-news-sailor-moon-already-back.html |title=BREAKING NEWS: Sailor Moon Already Back On The Air In A European Country& #33; |publisher=Moon Chase |date=2010-02-07 |accessdate=2010-05-04 As of March 1, 2010, a new remastered Sailor Moon has returned to Italian television. Toei has also stated if it is popular in Italy, an international revival will begin. However, it has yet to be announced if the English version will be re-licensed. It should be noted that the English version only consists of most of the 1st season as well as the entire 2nd, 3rd and 4th seasons (minus the SuperS TV special). In 2010, Toei offered 200 refurbished episodes of Sailor Moon at MIPTV.cite web|url= http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/17240.html |title=Toei Shopping 'Sailor Moon' Anime |publisher=ICv2 |date= |accessdate=2010-10-28 The anime is also scheduled to begin playing on TVB J2 channel in Hong Kong once more in August 2010. Sailor Moon has returned to Portuguese television in January 2011 and is going to make its way to Africa sometime in 2011.cite web|url= http://moon-chase.blogspot.com/2011/01/breaking-news-sailor-moon-hits-pay-tv.html |title=Moon Chase& #33; A Sailor Moon News Blog: BREAKING NEWS: Sailor Moon hits Pay TV in Portugal, and Makes Way to Africa for the Very First Time& #33; |publisher=Moon-chase.blogspot.com |date=2011-01-19 |accessdate=2011-09-16 Toei has started to license the refurbished Sailor Moon episodes to countries which the show has not been air before, like Israel, which began airing on January 2011. In December 2011 Sailor Moon was aired for the third time (after 1995 and 2000) in Poland. On January 23, 2012 ABS-CBN began re-airing the original series with new Tagalog dubbing, 11 years after its Philippine debut on Associated Broadcasting Company|TV5 . ABS-CBN airs it on its flagship station on a daily basis and on a weekly, marathon basis on its anime-themed Hero (TV channel)|HERO TV cable channel.
In 2009, Funimation announced that it was considering an entire re-dub of the Sailor Moon series and asked people to take part in a survey on what their next project should be. The re-dub of the Sailor Moon series was included. The results of the survey have not been released to the public.cite web|url= http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/16792.html |title=Worldwide 'Sailor Moon' Revival |publisher=ICv2 |date=2010-02-03 |accessdate=2010-02-28
In 2011, Kodansha USA announced that it would publish the Sailor Moon manga in English, along with the lead in series Codename: Sailor V , both were released on September 13, 2011.cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2011-03-18/kodansha-usa-announces-the-return-of-sailor-moon|title=Kodansha USA Announces the Return of Sailor Moon|date=2011-03-18|publisher= Press release |accessdate=2011-03-18 The manga will continue to be released bimonthlycite web|last=Takeuchi |first=Naoko|url= http://www.amazon.com/Sailor-Moon-Vol-Naoko-Takeuchi/dp/1935429752/ref=sr_1_2? s=books& ie=UTF8& qid=1316184967& sr=1-2 |title=Sailor Moon, Vol. 2 (9781935429753): Naoko Takeuchi: Books |publisher=Amazon.com |date=2009-09-09 |accessdate=2011-09-16cite web|last=Takeuchi |first=Naoko |url= http://www.amazon.com/Sailor-Moon-Vol-Naoko-Takeuchi/dp/1935429760/ref=sr_1_3? s=books& ie=UTF8& qid=1316184967& sr=1-3 |title=Sailor Moon, Vol. 3 (9781935429760): Naoko Takeuchi: Books |publisher=Amazon.com |date=2009-09-09|accessdate=2011-09-16cite web|last=Takeuchi |first=Naoko|url= http://www.amazon.com/Sailor-Moon-Vol-Naoko-Takeuchi/dp/1612620000/ref=sr_1_5? s=books& ie=UTF8& qid=1316184967& sr=1-5 |title=Sailor Moon, Vol. 4 (9781612620008): Naoko Takeuchi: Books |publisher=Amazon.com |date=2009-09-09 |accessdate=2011-09-16 with the next Sailor Moon and Codename: Sailor V volumes being released on November 15, 2011.cite web|url= http://www.kodanshacomics.com/releasedates.html |title=Kodansha Comics USA & #124; Release Dates |publisher=Kodanshacomics.com |date= |accessdate=2011-09-16cite web|last=Takeuchi |first=Naoko |url= http://www.amazon.com/Codename-Sailor-V-Vol-2/dp/1935429787/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c |title=Codename: Sailor V, Vol. 2 (9781935429784): Naoko Takeuchi: Books |publisher=Amazon.com |date=2009-09-09 |accessdate=2011-09-16
References
Reflist|30em
External links
Commons category|Sailor MoonWikiquote
http://sailormoon.channel.or.jp/ Official Sailormoon websiteJa icon
Category:Sailor Moon| Category:Adventure anime and manga Category:Magical girl anime and manga Category:1992 manga Category:Romance anime and manga Category:Romantic comedy anime and manga Category:Shojo manga Category:Tokyopop titles Category:Toonami Category:Winner of Kodansha Manga Award (Shojo) Category:1992 anime Category:Television series about the Moon Category:Japanese LGBT-related television programs Category:Fantasy anime and manga Category:Science fiction anime and manga Category:Supernatural anime and manga Category:Toei Animation Category:1992 Japanese television series debuts Category:1997 Japanese television series endings Category:TV Asahi shows
