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******WESTERN ORDER. Please do not change names to Japanese ordering.-->
******WESTERN ORDER. Please do not change names to Japanese ordering.-->
{{seealso|List of minor Sailor Moon characters}}
{{seealso|List of minor Sailor Moon characters}}
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Moon (character)|Usagi Tsukino]]'''|月野 うさぎ|Tsukino Usagi}}: The main character of the series, called Serena in the [[English language|English]] anime (nicknamed Bunny in the English manga). Usagi is a carefree schoolgirl with an enormous capacity for love, and transforms into the heroine called Sailor Moon. At the beginning of the series she is portrayed as an immature crybaby who hates having to fight evil and wants nothing more than to be a normal girl. As she progresses, however, she embraces the chance to use her power to protect those she cares about.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Moon (character)|Usagi Tsukino]]'''|月野 うさぎ|Tsukino Usagi}}: Also known as '''Sailor Moon'''The main character of the series, called Serena in the [[English language|English]] anime (nicknamed Bunny in the English manga). Usagi is a carefree schoolgirl with an enormous capacity for love, and transforms into the heroine called Sailor Moon. At the beginning of the series she is portrayed as an immature crybaby who hates having to fight evil and wants nothing more than to be a normal girl. As she progresses, however, she embraces the chance to use her power to protect those she cares about.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Tuxedo Mask|Mamoru Chiba]]'''|地場 衛|Chiba Mamoru}}: A student somewhat older than Usagi, called Darien in the English adaptations of the series. As a young child he was in a terrible car accident that robbed him of his parents and his knowledge of [[amnesia|who he is]]. During the series he has some [[precognition|precognitive]] ability, including dreams that inspire him to take on the guise of Tuxedo Mask and fight alongside the Sailor Senshi. After an initially confrontational relationship, he and Usagi remember their past lives together and fall in love again.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Tuxedo Mask|Mamoru Chiba]]'''|地場 衛|Chiba Mamoru}}: Also known as '''Tuxedo Mask'''A student somewhat older than Usagi, called Darien in the English adaptations of the series. As a young child he was in a terrible car accident that robbed him of his parents and his knowledge of [[amnesia|who he is]]. During the series he has some [[precognition|precognitive]] ability, including dreams that inspire him to take on the guise of Tuxedo Mask and fight alongside the Sailor Senshi. After an initially confrontational relationship, he and Usagi remember their past lives together and fall in love again.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Mercury|Ami Mizuno]]'''|水野 亜美|Mizuno Ami}}: A quiet [[Bibliophily|bookworm]] in Usagi's class, called Amy in the English adaptations of the series. She is hugely intelligent, with a rumored [[Intelligence quotient|IQ]] of 300,<ref name="vol2">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon Volume 1 |chapter= Act 2 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= [[July 6]] [[1992]] — [[September 5]] [[1996]] |id= ISBN 4-06-178721-7}}</ref> can transform into Sailor Mercury, acquiring power over all phases of [[water]]. Ami's shy exterior masks a passion for knowledge and for taking care of the people around her. She hopes to be a [[physician|doctor]] one day, like her mother, and tends to be the practical one in the group. Secretly, she is also a fan of [[pop culture]] and [[romance novel]]s, and becomes embarrassed whenever this is pointed out.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Mercury|Ami Mizuno]]'''|水野 亜美|Mizuno Ami}}: Also known as '''Sailor Mercury''' A quiet [[Bibliophily|bookworm]] in Usagi's class, called Amy in the English adaptations of the series. She is hugely intelligent, with a rumored [[Intelligence quotient|IQ]] of 300,<ref name="vol2">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon Volume 1 |chapter= Act 2 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= [[July 6]] [[1992]] — [[September 5]] [[1996]] |id= ISBN 4-06-178721-7}}</ref> can transform into Sailor Mercury, acquiring power over all phases of [[water]]. Ami's shy exterior masks a passion for knowledge and for taking care of the people around her. She hopes to be a [[physician|doctor]] one day, like her mother, and tends to be the practical one in the group. Secretly, she is also a fan of [[pop culture]] and [[romance novel]]s, and becomes embarrassed whenever this is pointed out.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Mars|Rei Hino]]'''|火野 レイ|Hino Rei}}: An elegant [[miko]] (shrine maiden), called Raye in the English versions. Because of her work as a [[Shintō]] priestess, Rei can sense and dispel evil even in civilian form. When she transforms into Sailor Mars, she can also manipulate [[fire]]. She is very serious and focused, but although easily annoyed by Usagi's flightiness, cares about her very much. Rei is portrayed as boy-crazy in the early anime, but is uninterested in romance in both the manga and live-action series. She attends a private [[Catholic school]], separate from the other girls.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Mars|Rei Hino]]'''|火野 レイ|Hino Rei}}: Also known as '''Sailor Mars'''An elegant [[miko]] (shrine maiden), called Raye in the English versions. Because of her work as a [[Shintō]] priestess, Rei can sense and dispel evil even in civilian form. When she transforms into Sailor Mars, she can also manipulate [[fire]]. She is very serious and focused, but although easily annoyed by Usagi's flightiness, cares about her very much. Rei is portrayed as boy-crazy in the early anime, but is uninterested in romance in both the manga and live-action series. She attends a private [[Catholic school]], separate from the other girls.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Jupiter|Makoto Kino]]'''|木野 まこと|Kino Makoto}}: A [[tomboy]] who transfers into Usagi's school, called Lita in the English versions. Very tall and strong for a Japanese schoolgirl, she can transform into Sailor Jupiter, attacking with [[lightning]] and with some control over [[plant]]s. Both Makoto's parents died in a plane crash years ago, so she lives alone and takes care of herself. She cultivates her physical strength as well as more domestic interests, including [[housekeeping]], [[cooking]], and [[gardening]]. She wants to marry young and to own a flower and cake shop.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Jupiter|Makoto Kino]]'''|木野 まこと|Kino Makoto}}: Also known as '''Sailor Jupiter '''A [[tomboy]] who transfers into Usagi's school, called Lita in the English versions. Very tall and strong for a Japanese schoolgirl, she can transform into Sailor Jupiter, attacking with [[lightning]] and with some control over [[plant]]s. Both Makoto's parents died in a plane crash years ago, so she lives alone and takes care of herself. She cultivates her physical strength as well as more domestic interests, including [[housekeeping]], [[cooking]], and [[gardening]]. She wants to marry young and to own a flower and cake shop.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Venus|Minako Aino]]'''|愛野 美奈子|Aino Minako}}: A perky dreamer who acted on her own as ''[[Codename wa Sailor V|Sailor V]]'' for some time. Called Mina in the English versions, she has a companion cat called [[Cats (Sailor Moon)|Artemis]] who works alongside Luna in guiding the Sailor Senshi. Minako transforms into Sailor Venus, Soldier of [[Love]], and is the leader of Sailor Moon's four inner guardians. She also dreams of becoming a famous [[singer]] and [[teen idol|idol]] and attends [[audition]]s whenever she can. At the start of the live-action series, she is already these things, but has poor health and separates herself from the other Senshi.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Venus|Minako Aino]]'''|愛野 美奈子|Aino Minako}}: Also known as '''Sailor Venus''' A perky dreamer who acted on her own as ''[[Codename wa Sailor V|Sailor V]]'' for some time. Called Mina in the English versions, she has a companion cat called [[Cats (Sailor Moon)|Artemis]] who works alongside Luna in guiding the Sailor Senshi. Minako transforms into Sailor Venus, Soldier of [[Love]], and is the leader of Sailor Moon's four inner guardians. She also dreams of becoming a famous [[singer]] and [[teen idol|idol]] and attends [[audition]]s whenever she can. At the start of the live-action series, she is already these things, but has poor health and separates herself from the other Senshi.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Chibiusa]]'''|ちびうさ}}: A little girl from 1,000 years in the future, called Rini in the English versions of the series. She comes to the 20th century on several occasions, whether to seek help or to be trained as a soldier, and learns to transform into Sailor Chibi Moon (or, in the English anime, Sailor Mini Moon). Chibiusa co-stars with Usagi in certain story arcs, though they sometimes have an adversarial relationship. She considers herself much more mature than Usagi, and wants to grow up and become a lady in her own right.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Chibiusa]]'''|ちびうさ}}: ''' A little girl from 1,000 years in the future, called Rini in the English versions of the series. She comes to the 20th century on several occasions, whether to seek help or to be trained as a soldier, and learns to transform into Sailor Chibi Moon (or, in the English anime, Sailor Mini Moon). Chibiusa co-stars with Usagi in certain story arcs, though they sometimes have an adversarial relationship. She considers herself much more mature than Usagi, and wants to grow up and become a lady in her own right.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Pluto|Setsuna Meioh]]'''|冥王 せつな|Meiō Setsuna}}: A mysterious woman, called Trista in the English anime. She is first revealed as Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time, whose duty is to protect the [[Space-Time]] Door from unauthorized travelers. It is only later that she appears on Earth, living as a college student. She has a distant personality and can be very stern, but can also be quite friendly and helps the younger Sailor Senshi when she can. After so long at the gate of time she carries a deep sense of [[loneliness]], although she is close friends with Chibiusa.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Pluto|Setsuna Meioh]]'''|冥王 せつな|Meiō Setsuna}}: Also known as '''Sailor Pluto'''A mysterious woman, called Trista in the English anime. She is first revealed as Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time, whose duty is to protect the [[Space-Time]] Door from unauthorized travelers. It is only later that she appears on Earth, living as a college student. She has a distant personality and can be very stern, but can also be quite friendly and helps the younger Sailor Senshi when she can. After so long at the gate of time she carries a deep sense of [[loneliness]], although she is close friends with Chibiusa.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Neptune|Michiru Kaioh]]'''|海王 みちる|Kaiō Michiru}}: A talented [[violin]]ist with some precognition, called Michelle in the English anime. She is a year older than most of the other Sailor Senshi and can transform into Sailor Neptune, channeling the power of the [[ocean]]. She worked alone for some time before finding her partner, Sailor Uranus, with whom she fell in love. Michiru is elegant and personable, already well-known for her music as well as her [[painting]], but has given up her own dreams for the life of a Senshi. She is fully devoted to this duty and willing to make any sacrifice for it.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Neptune|Michiru Kaioh]]'''|海王 みちる|Kaiō Michiru}}: Also known as '''Sailor Neptune''' A talented [[violin]]ist with some precognition, called Michelle in the English anime. She is a year older than most of the other Sailor Senshi and can transform into Sailor Neptune, channeling the power of the [[ocean]]. She worked alone for some time before finding her partner, Sailor Uranus, with whom she fell in love. Michiru is elegant and personable, already well-known for her music as well as her [[painting]], but has given up her own dreams for the life of a Senshi. She is fully devoted to this duty and willing to make any sacrifice for it.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Uranus|Haruka Tenoh]]'''|天王 はるか|Ten'ō Haruka}}: A good-natured, masculine-acting girl, called Amara in the English anime. Haruka is the same age as her partner, Michiru, and transforms into Sailor Uranus, Soldier of the [[Sky]]. Before becoming a Sailor Senshi, she dreamt of being a racer, and is skilled at driving. She tends to [[Crossdressing|dress]] and, in the anime, speak [[Androgyny|like a man]]. She is so friendly and genial that nearly everyone she meets is attracted to her. When it comes to fighting the enemy, however, she distrusts outside help and prefers to work solely with Sailor Neptune and later Pluto and Saturn.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Uranus|Haruka Tenoh]]'''|天王 はるか|Ten'ō Haruka}}: Also known as '''Sailor Uranus''' A good-natured, masculine-acting girl, called Amara in the English anime. Haruka is the same age as her partner, Michiru, and transforms into Sailor Uranus, Soldier of the [[Sky]]. Before becoming a Sailor Senshi, she dreamt of being a racer, and is skilled at driving. She tends to [[Crossdressing|dress]] and, in the anime, speak [[Androgyny|like a man]]. She is so friendly and genial that nearly everyone she meets is attracted to her. When it comes to fighting the enemy, however, she distrusts outside help and prefers to work solely with Sailor Neptune and later Pluto and Saturn.


;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Saturn|Hotaru Tomoe]]'''|土萠 ほたる|Tomoe Hotaru}}: A sweet, lonely young girl whose name is unchanged in English (though pronounced slightly differently). Daughter of a possessed [[mad scientist]], she is sickly and weak as the result of a terrible [[laboratory|lab]] accident in her youth. After overcoming the darkness that has surrounded her family, she is able to become the Soldier of [[Silence]], Sailor Saturn. She wields forces of [[destruction]] so powerful that she is rarely called upon to use them, and unlike the others, her Senshi and civilian personae seem somewhat disconnected. She is often pensive, and as a human has the inexplicable power to [[healing|heal]] others.
;{{nihongo|'''[[Sailor Saturn|Hotaru Tomoe]]'''|土萠 ほたる|Tomoe Hotaru}}: Also known as '''Sailor Saturn'''A sweet, lonely young girl whose name is unchanged in English (though pronounced slightly differently). Daughter of a possessed [[mad scientist]], she is sickly and weak as the result of a terrible [[laboratory|lab]] accident in her youth. After overcoming the darkness that has surrounded her family, she is able to become the Soldier of [[Silence]], Sailor Saturn. She wields forces of [[destruction]] so powerful that she is rarely called upon to use them, and unlike the others, her Senshi and civilian personae seem somewhat disconnected. She is often pensive, and as a human has the inexplicable power to [[healing|heal]] others.
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Revision as of 03:53, 28 June 2008

This article is about the franchise as a whole. For other uses, see Sailor Moon (disambiguation).
Sailor Moon
The major characters of the Sailor Moon anime
GenreAdventure, Magical girl, Romance
Manga
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon
Written byNaoko Takeuchi
Published byJapan Kodansha
MagazineJapan Nakayoshi and Run Run
United States Mixxzine and Smile
DemographicShōjo
Original runFebruary 1992 – March 1997
Volumes18
Anime
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (SM, SM:R, SM:S, SM:Supers, SM:Sailor Stars)
Directed byJun'ichi Satoh, Kunihiko Ikuhara, Takuya Igarashi
StudioToei Animation
Released March 7 1992 – February 8 1997
Films
Musical series

Sailor Moon musicals (Seramyu): 25 stage shows based on the Sailor Moon franchise were released between 1993 and 2005.

Live-action series

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).

Video games

Quite a few Sailor Moon video games have been released, mainly in Japan, with very few ever being translated into other languages.

Related series

Sailor Moon (美少女戦士セーラームーン, Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn, officially translated as Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon) is the title of a Japanese media franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi. It is generally credited with popularizing the concept of a sentai (team) of magical girls, as well as the general (re-)emergence of the magical girl genre itself.

The story of the various metaseries revolves around the reincarnated defenders of a kingdom that once spanned the solar system, and the evil forces that they battle. The major characters—called Sailor Senshi (literally "Sailor Soldiers"; frequently called "Sailor Scouts" in the North American version)—are teenage girls who can transform into heroines named for the moon and planets (Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, etc). The use of "Sailor" comes from a style of girls' school uniform popular in Japan, the sērā fuku (sailor outfit), after which the Senshi's uniforms are modeled. The elements of fantasy in the series are heavily symbolic and often based on mythology.

Creation of the Sailor Moon manga was preceded by another, Codename: Sailor V, which centered around just one Sailor Senshi. Takeuchi 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.[1] When Sailor V was proposed for adaptation into an anime, the concept was modified so that Sailor V herself became only one member of a team. The resulting manga series was a fusion of the popular magical girl and sentai genres of which Takeuchi was a fan,[2] 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 games, and a live-action (tokusatsu) series. Although most concepts in the many versions overlap, there are often notable differences, and thus continuity between the different formats is limited.

Story

The protagonist of Sailor Moon is Usagi Tsukino, who lives as an ordinary middle school girl until she is found by a talking cat named Luna. Through Luna, Usagi learns that the world is about to be attacked by a Dark Kingdom that had appeared once before, long ago, and destroyed the kingdom of the moon. Her dormant powers are then awakened to defend the Earth against the coming onslaught, and she is led to a number of friends who join her in the battle.

Usagi fights using the identity of Sailor Moon, and as the story progresses she learns more and more about the enemies which face her and the evil force that is sending them. Gradually she discovers the truth about her own past life, her destined true love, and the possibilities for the future of the Solar System.

The plot spans five major story arcs, each of which is represented in both the manga and anime, usually under different names. These are the Dark Kingdom arc, the Black Moon arc (Sailor Moon R), the Infinity arc (Sailor Moon S), the Dream arc (Sailor Moon Supers), and the Stars arc (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.

Characters

See also: List of minor Sailor Moon characters
Usagi Tsukino (月野 うさぎ, Tsukino Usagi)
Also known as Sailor MoonThe main character of the series, called Serena in the English anime (nicknamed Bunny in the English manga). Usagi is a carefree schoolgirl with an enormous capacity for love, and transforms into the heroine called Sailor Moon. At the beginning of the series she is portrayed as an immature crybaby who hates having to fight evil and wants nothing more than to be a normal girl. As she progresses, however, she embraces the chance to use her power to protect those she cares about.
Mamoru Chiba (地場 衛, Chiba Mamoru)
Also known as Tuxedo MaskA student somewhat older than Usagi, called Darien in the English adaptations of the series. As a young child he was in a terrible car accident that robbed him of his parents and his knowledge of who he is. During the series he has some precognitive ability, including dreams that inspire him to take on the guise of Tuxedo Mask and fight alongside the Sailor Senshi. After an initially confrontational relationship, he and Usagi remember their past lives together and fall in love again.
Ami Mizuno (水野 亜美, Mizuno Ami)
Also known as Sailor Mercury A quiet bookworm in Usagi's class, called Amy in the English adaptations of the series. She is hugely intelligent, with a rumored IQ of 300,[3] can transform into Sailor Mercury, acquiring power over all phases of water. Ami's shy exterior masks a passion for knowledge and for taking care of the people around her. She hopes to be a doctor one day, like her mother, and tends to be the practical one in the group. Secretly, she is also a fan of pop culture and romance novels, and becomes embarrassed whenever this is pointed out.
Rei Hino (火野 レイ, Hino Rei)
Also known as Sailor MarsAn elegant miko (shrine maiden), called Raye in the English versions. Because of her work as a Shintō priestess, Rei can sense and dispel evil even in civilian form. When she transforms into Sailor Mars, she can also manipulate fire. She is very serious and focused, but although easily annoyed by Usagi's flightiness, cares about her very much. Rei is portrayed as boy-crazy in the early anime, but is uninterested in romance in both the manga and live-action series. She attends a private Catholic school, separate from the other girls.
Makoto Kino (木野 まこと, Kino Makoto)
Also known as Sailor Jupiter A tomboy who transfers into Usagi's school, called Lita in the English versions. Very tall and strong for a Japanese schoolgirl, she can transform into Sailor Jupiter, attacking with lightning and with some control over plants. Both Makoto's parents died in a plane crash years ago, so she lives alone and takes care of herself. She cultivates her physical strength as well as more domestic interests, including housekeeping, cooking, and gardening. She wants to marry young and to own a flower and cake shop.
Minako Aino (愛野 美奈子, Aino Minako)
Also known as Sailor Venus A perky dreamer who acted on her own as Sailor V for some time. Called Mina in the English versions, she has a companion cat called Artemis who works alongside Luna in guiding the Sailor Senshi. Minako transforms into Sailor Venus, Soldier of Love, and is the leader of Sailor Moon's four inner guardians. She also dreams of becoming a famous singer and idol and attends auditions whenever she can. At the start of the live-action series, she is already these things, but has poor health and separates herself from the other Senshi.
Chibiusa (ちびうさ)
A little girl from 1,000 years in the future, called Rini in the English versions of the series. She comes to the 20th century on several occasions, whether to seek help or to be trained as a soldier, and learns to transform into Sailor Chibi Moon (or, in the English anime, Sailor Mini Moon). Chibiusa co-stars with Usagi in certain story arcs, though they sometimes have an adversarial relationship. She considers herself much more mature than Usagi, and wants to grow up and become a lady in her own right.
Setsuna Meioh (冥王 せつな, Meiō Setsuna)
Also known as Sailor PlutoA mysterious woman, called Trista in the English anime. She is first revealed as Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time, whose duty is to protect the Space-Time Door from unauthorized travelers. It is only later that she appears on Earth, living as a college student. She has a distant personality and can be very stern, but can also be quite friendly and helps the younger Sailor Senshi when she can. After so long at the gate of time she carries a deep sense of loneliness, although she is close friends with Chibiusa.
Michiru Kaioh (海王 みちる, Kaiō Michiru)
Also known as Sailor Neptune A talented violinist with some precognition, called Michelle in the English anime. She is a year older than most of the other Sailor Senshi and can transform into Sailor Neptune, channeling the power of the ocean. She worked alone for some time before finding her partner, Sailor Uranus, with whom she fell in love. Michiru is elegant and personable, already well-known for her music as well as her painting, but has given up her own dreams for the life of a Senshi. She is fully devoted to this duty and willing to make any sacrifice for it.
Haruka Tenoh (天王 はるか, Ten'ō Haruka)
Also known as Sailor Uranus A good-natured, masculine-acting girl, called Amara in the English anime. Haruka is the same age as her partner, Michiru, and transforms into Sailor Uranus, Soldier of the Sky. Before becoming a Sailor Senshi, she dreamt of being a racer, and is skilled at driving. She tends to dress and, in the anime, speak like a man. She is so friendly and genial that nearly everyone she meets is attracted to her. When it comes to fighting the enemy, however, she distrusts outside help and prefers to work solely with Sailor Neptune and later Pluto and Saturn.
Hotaru Tomoe (土萠 ほたる, Tomoe Hotaru)
Also known as Sailor SaturnA sweet, lonely young girl whose name is unchanged in English (though pronounced slightly differently). Daughter of a possessed mad scientist, she is sickly and weak as the result of a terrible lab accident in her youth. After overcoming the darkness that has surrounded her family, she is able to become the Soldier of Silence, Sailor Saturn. She wields forces of destruction so powerful that she is rarely called upon to use them, and unlike the others, her Senshi and civilian personae seem somewhat disconnected. She is often pensive, and as a human has the inexplicable power to heal others.

Adaptations

Manga

Main article: Sailor Moon (manga)
See also: List of Sailor Moon chapters

The Sailor Moon series began as a manga written and drawn by Takeuchi, the series' creator. It was an evolution from her earlier Codename: Sailor V idea, expanding the concept into a team of five girls rather than just one.[1] Recurring motifs include astronomy,[4][unreliable source?] astrology, Greek myth,[5] Roman myth, geology,[6] Japanese elemental themes,[4][unreliable source?] teen fashions,[5][7] and schoolgirl antics.[7]

Only one story arc was originally planned,[8] and the storyline developed in meetings a year prior to publications,[9] but after it was completed Takeuchi was asked to continue. Four more story arcs were produced,[8] often being published simultaneously with the five corresponding anime series. The anime series would only lag the manga by a month or two.[9]The complete original manga spans 52 issues, known as Acts, as well as ten separate side-stories. Its main series was serialized in Nakayoshi, Kodansha's shōjo magazine, from 1991 to 1995; the side-stories were serialized in Kodansha's Run Run.

The entire series has been published in book form by Kodansha. The first edition came out as the series was being produced, from 1992 until 1997, and consisted of 18 volumes with all the Acts and side stories in the order in which they had been released. The second edition, called the shinsōban or "renewal" edition, began in 2003 when the live-action series was running. The individual Acts were redistributed 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 story volumes and two separate "short story" volumes.

Anime

Main article: Sailor Moon (anime)
See also: List of Sailor Moon episodes

The Sailor Moon anime was produced by Toei Animation, and 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 magical girl anime series. The anime sparked a highly successful merchandising campaign of over 5000 items,[5] which contributed to 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.[10][11]

Strictly speaking, Sailor Moon is an anime metaseries. It consists of five separate series averaging around 40 episodes each, often referred to as seasons by North American fans because of the over-arching storyline. 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 three theatrically-released movies, as well as four special animated shorts. The series saw many adaptations into other languages, but not all episodes were always included, such as with the English-language releases.

Music for the series was written and composed by numerous people, including the series' creator. All of the background musical scores were composed and arranged by Takanori Arisawa, who won several awards due to the popularity of the various soundtracks in Japan and other countries. Over 40 Japanese-language music albums based on the series were released, as well as some 33 CD singles. In North America, only three CDs albums were released.[12][unreliable source?]

Traditional animation techniques were used throughout the series. The series was directed first by Junichi Satō, then by Kunihiko Ikuhara and later by Takuya Igarashi. Character design was headed by Kazuko Tadano, Ikuko Itoh and Katsumi Tamegai, all of whom were also animation directors.

Musicals

Main article: Sailor Moon musicals

The 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" albums.[12][unreliable source?]

Musicals ran twice a year, in the winter and in the summer. In the summer, the only venue for the musicals was the Sunshine Theatre in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo; however, in the winter it went on tour to the other large cities in Japan.

The final incarnation of the series, The New Legend of Kaguya Island (Revised Edition) (新・かぐや島伝説 <改訂版>, Shin Kaguyashima Densetsu (Kaiteban)), was staged in January 2005. After that show, the series went on a hiatus. There have been no signs that the show will continue.[13][unreliable source?]

Live-action series

Main article: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

A tokusatsu (live-action) version of Sailor Moon was broadcast from October 4 2003, through September 25 2004. The series is known officially as Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (usually abbreviated to PGSM by fans), and it is the first series in the franchise to have a complete English-language title. It lasted a total of 49 episodes, and the broadcast originated from the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Numerous other television stations in Japan retransmitted the series.[14][unreliable source?]

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.

In addition to the main episodes, there were two direct-to-video releases after the show ended its 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.

Video games

Main article: Sailor Moon video games

Numerous Sailor Moon console and arcade games were released in Japan, all based on the anime series. They were primarily made by Bandai and a Japanese game company called Angel, with some being produced by Banpresto.[15][unreliable source?] The early games were side-scrolling fighters, whereas the later ones were unique puzzle games, or versus fighting games. Another Story was a turn-based role-playing game.

The games mainly saw release on the Super Famicom, with the first side-scroller being ported to the Sega Mega Drive. Two side-scrolling adventure games were produced for the Game Boy (Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R), and a side-scrolling game was also produced for the Game Gear (Sailor Moon S), as well as a game for the PC Engine. A final versus fighting game was released for the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation. The last Sailor Moon-related game to date was released in November 2001 - Happy Chibiusa World. There was a rumored game for the Wii console in development by NAMCO with the working title of "Sailor Moon" but this turned out to be just a rumour.[16]

The only original Sailor Moon game to be released outside of Japan was the Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon game developed by Angel, released in France as "Sailormoon" in 1994.[15][unreliable source?] The other games are hard to find in any other country, unless downloaded from the internet as ROMs, some of which have been translated into languages other than Japanese.

A handful of games were produced in North America, including "The 3D Adventures of Sailor Moon".

English adaptations

Main article: Sailor Moon (English adaptations)

English-dubbed anime

The English adaptation of Sailor Moon was produced in an attempt to capitalize on the success of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.[7] After a bidding war between Toon Makers, who wanted to produce a half live-action and half American-style cartoon version,[17] and DiC Entertainment, DiC (which at the time was owned by The Walt Disney Company)[18] acquired the rights to the first 72 episodes of Sailor Moon, consisting of the entire first series and two-thirds of Sailor Moon R. Through the omission of 6 episodes and the merging of two, the total episode count was reduced to 65, the minimum number of episodes required for strip syndication on US television. The remaining episodes were each cut by several minutes to make room for more commercials, to 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 remaining 17 episodes of Sailor Moon R were adapted later, and were treated in much the same way.

The English adaptations by Optimum Productions for Cloverway of Sailor Moon S and Sailor Moon Supers (the third and fourth series) stayed relatively close to the original Japanese versions, and no episodes were skipped or merged.

During 1996-97, a total of six VHS tapes, each containing two key (nonconsecutive in most cases) episodes of the series, were released by Buena Vista Home Video . These tapes were originally available exclusively through Toys 'R' Us stores, but later saw wider distribution in other chains. In 1998, a VHS boxset containing all thirteen episodes of the "Doom Tree" storyline (the first part of R) was released, also through Buena Vista.

Pioneer Entertainment (now Geneon Entertainment) had the rights to release Sailor Moon S, SuperS and the movies on Region-1 DVD and VHS, both in the dubbed and uncut versions. In 2000, ADV released the English dubs of Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R in a 20 volume VHS series.[19] During 2001, Pioneer had released Sailor Moon in four different stock-keeping units, and released a box set of the movies in that October.[20]

The fifth and final series, Sailor Stars, has never been licensed for adaptation into English. As of May 2004, the rest of the metaseries has officially gone off the air in all English-speaking countries due to lapsed licenses which have not been renewed.[21]

English-language manga

The manga was translated into English in 1997 by manga publisher Mixx (now renamed Tokyopop). The manga was initially syndicated in MixxZine but was later pulled out of that magazine and moved into a secondary magazine called "SMILE."[22] The US comic was released as three series: Sailor Moon, which collects the first three arcs (the Dark Kingdom, Black Moon, and Infinity arcs), Sailor Moon Super S, which collects the Supers arc, and Sailor Moon Stars, which collects the Sailor Stars arc. They feature all of 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 the series' creator.

As of May 2005, Tokyopop's license to the Sailor Moon manga has lapsed, and the English-language manga is out of print.[23]

Reception

The Sailor Moon anime was originally planned to run for only six months, but was extended repeatedly due to its popularity, concluding after a five-year run.[24][unreliable source?] In Japan, it aired every Saturday night in prime time,[5][25] getting TV viewership ratings around 11-12% for most of the series run.[5][26][unreliable source?] 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.[10][11] The anime series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1992.

Sailor Moon has also been popular internationally. The first dubbed version was made in France, premiering on Club Dorothée in December 1993.[27][unreliable source?] Other countries followed suit, including Italy, Spain, and China (Hong Kong), before it was picked up for a North American adaptation. It is credited as being the beginning of a wider movement of girls taking up shōjo manga.[28][29] 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.[30]

The anime series has been commended for its portrayal of strong friendships,[31] as well as for "memorable characters", "charm", and an ability to appeal on a wide level.[32][unreliable source?] It 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.[33] In contrast, Sailor Moon is also sometimes considered campy and melodramatic,[32] and has been criticised for its use of formulaic plots, monsters of the day,[34] and stock footage.[35][unreliable source?]

In the West, Sailor Moon is sometimes associated with the Girl Power movement and with empowering its viewers.[28] As such, it has been compared both favorably and unfavorably[clarification needed] with Barbie,[36] Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,[5][31] Buffy the Vampire Slayer,[37] and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.[38]

Despite the series' apparent popularity among Western anime fandom, the dubbed version of the series received poor ratings in the United States and did not do well in DVD sales in the United Kingdom.[39] 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.[7] 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.[40] 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.[39] In English-speaking countries, Sailor Moon developed a cult following amongst male university students,[5] and Drazen considers that the Internet was a new medium that fans used to communicate and played a role in the popularity of Sailor Moon.[37] 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".[41]

The manga won the Kodansha Manga Award in 1993 for shōjo.[42]

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.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Takeuchi, Naoko (2003). Sailor Moon Shinsouban Volume 2. Kodansha. ISBN 4-06-334777-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ McCarter, Charles. "Public Interview with Takeuchi Naoko" (Q & A Interview). EX:CLUSIVE. www.ex.org. Retrieved 2006-11-30.
  3. ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (July 6 1992 — September 5 1996). "Act 2". Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon Volume 1. Kodansha. ISBN 4-06-178721-7. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Miller, Ian Andreas. "Introduction to DIES GAUDII". DIES GAUDII. Retrieved 2006-04-27.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Grigsby, Mary (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
  6. ^ Drazen, Patrick (2002). Anime Explosion! The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. pp. p.286. ISBN 1-880656-72-8. OCLC 50898281. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e Allison, Anne (2000). "A Challenge to Hollywood? Japanese Character Goods Hit the US". Japanese Studies. 20 (1). Routledge: 67–88. doi:10.1080/10371390050009075.
  8. ^ a b Takeuchi, Naoko (1999). Materials Collection. Kodansha. ISBN 4-06-324521-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ a b Schodt, Frederik (1996). Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. pp. p.93. ISBN 978-1880656235. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  10. ^ a b "TV Asahi Top 100 Anime Part 2". Anime News Network. 2005-09-23. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  11. ^ a b "Japan's Favorite TV Anime". Anime News Network. 2006-10-13. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  12. ^ a b "The Compleat Sailor Moon CD List". Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  13. ^ "eternal.legend". Retrieved 2007-03-06.
  14. ^ "Sailor Dream". Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  15. ^ a b "Ken Arromdee's Sailor Moon FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-03.
  16. ^ "Sailor Moon (Working Title) (Japan Version) - GAME - NAMCO - Free International Shipping". Games. YesAsia.com. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  17. ^ Arnold, Adam "OMEGA" (June 2001). "Sailor Moon à la Saban: Debunked - An Interview with Rocky Solotoff" (Q&A). Animefringe. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  18. ^ "DIC Entertainment". Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  19. ^ "ADV Press Release re: Sailor Moon, Announces Dirty Pair Flash DVD". Anime News Network. 2000. Retrieved 2008-06-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |day= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  20. ^ "Sailor Moon Explained, Plus Fushigi Yugi, Cardcaptors, More". ICv2. 2001-08-12. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  21. ^ Oppliger, John. "AnimeNation News - What's the Current Status of Sailor Moon in America?". AnimeNation. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  22. ^ "Mixx Controversies: Analysis". Features. Anime News Network. 2008-08-14. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
  23. ^ "Tokyopop Out of Print". Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  24. ^ "Animazement Sailor Moon Voice Actors 2005". May 2005. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
  25. ^ Johnson, Dany (2001-04-21). "Q & A Rocking the Boat". Akadot. Digital Manga, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-23. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  26. ^ Doi, Hitoshi. "Hitoshi Doi". Retrieved 2007-02-23.
  27. ^ Homme de Verre (August 19 2006). "Sailor Moon". Fiches de Séries. Planète Jeunesse. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ a b Yang, Sandy (2000-10-25). "Girl Power Make Up—The Beginning of Shōjo in the US". Akadot. Digital Manga, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  29. ^ Deppey, Dirk (2005). "She's Got Her Own Thing Now". The Comics Journal (269). Retrieved 2008-06-22. Scratch a modern-day manga fangirl, and you're likely to find someone who watched Sailor Moon when she was young.
  30. ^ "ICv2 News - Sailor Moon Graphic Novels Top Bookstore Sales - Demonstrates Shoujo's Potential". ICv2. 2001. Retrieved 2008-06-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |day= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  31. ^ a b Allison, Anne. "Sailor Moon: Japanese Superheroes for Global Girls". In Timothy J. Craig (ed.). Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 259–278. ISBN 978-0765605610. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |origdate= (help); Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help)
  32. ^ a b Harcoff, Pete (2003-05-26). "Sailor Moon R: The Movie Review". The Anime Critic. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  33. ^ Ross, Christina. "Sailor Moon". THEM Anime Reviews 4.0. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  34. ^ Bertschy, Zac (2003-08-10). "Sailor Moon DVD - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
  35. ^ Merrill, Dave (2006-01-17). "Sailor Moon Super S TV Series Complete Collection". Anime Jump. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
  36. ^ Barry, Dave (1995-04-09). "Forget about Sailor Moon; we love Barbie!". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Journal Communications. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  37. ^ a b Drazen, Patrick (2002). Anime Explosion! The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. pp. p.281. ISBN 1-880656-72-8. OCLC 50898281. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  38. ^ Yoshida, Kaori (2002). "Evolution of Female Heroes: Carnival Mode of Gender Representation in Anime". Western Washington University. Retrieved 2008-06-22. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  39. ^ a b Cox, Gemma (Spring of 2006). "Anime Archive: Sailor Moon - The Most Popular Unsuccessful Series Ever?". NEO (18). Uncooked Media: 98. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ Clements, Jonathan (2001-09-01). The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 (1st ed. ed.). Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. pp. p. 338. ISBN 1-880656-64-7. OCLC 47255331. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ Allison, Anne (2001). "Cyborg Violence: Bursting Borders and Bodies with Queer Machines" (PDF). Cultural Anthropology. 16 (2): 237–265. doi:10.1525/can.2001.16.2.237. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  42. ^ Joel Hahn. "Kodansha Manga Awards". Comic Book Awards Almanac. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
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