Sailor Moon (anime)
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Image:SMReyecatch.jpg The Sailor Moon anime series (美少女戦士セーラームーン Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn?, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon) was produced by Toei Animation. It is based on the manga series of the same name, and in fact started airing only a month after the first issue of the manga was published. It is the best-known component of the Sailor Moon franchise.
With 200 episodes airing between March 1992 and February 1997, Sailor Moon is one of the longest magical girl anime series.<ref>See Ojamajo Doremi, which holds the record at 201 episodes.</ref> The anime sparked a highly successful merchandising campaign, 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.
Strictly speaking, Sailor Moon is a metaseries. It consists of five separate television series, which are often incorrectly referred to as seasons by English-speaking fans. Each series roughly corresponds to one of the five major story arcs of the manga. There were also three theatrically-released movies, as well as four special animated shorts.
All of Sailor Moon was animated traditionally. It was directed at different times by Junichi Satō, Kunihiko Ikuhara, and Takuya Igarashi. Character design was headed by Kazuko Tadano (first three series), Ikuko Itoh (fourth series and part of fifth), and Katsumi Tamagai (fifth series), all of whom were also animation directors. Other animation directors included Masahiro Ando, Hisashi Kagawa, and Hideyuki Motohashi.<ref>Hitoshi Doi - Sailor Moon staff information. Retrieved on 2006-10-14.</ref>
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[edit] Release information
- For detailed information on specific episode titles and air dates, see List of Sailor Moon episodes.
[edit] Sailor Moon
The original series, given no unique name, covered the first 46 episodes of the metaseries. Like the manga, it is sometimes referred to by fans as the "Dark Kingdom" arc, a reference to the major villain group which features in the story. It has mostly the same plot as the first story arc of the manga, as well as the more recent live-action television series. When it was translated into English by DiC, five episodes were cut and two merged, making the final episode count 40.
This first arc introduces the major characters Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and Tuxedo Mask, as well as the guardian cats Luna and Artemis. Recurring minor characters include Usagi's family and classmates, as well as Queen Serenity.
[edit] Sailor Moon R
The letter R in this series title, according to the Memorial Sox Box booklet, can be expanded into "Return" or "Romance." It is divided into two sub-arcs. First are the 13 "Makaiju" episodes (47-59), which were used as filler while the creators of the anime waited for Naoko Takeuchi to conclude the manga version of the first plot arc. The remaining episodes (60-89) roughly match the plot as contained in the Black Moon arc of the manga (named for the story's primary villains, the Black Moon Clan).
All in all, the R series has 43 episodes. Only one was cut from the 1995 English dub, but the first version of the dub stopped 17 episodes before the end. These episodes were not adapted into English until 1997. The break in the adaptation was halfway through the Black Moon arc, at no particular point in the plot.
New characters introduced include the Makaiju aliens (Ail and Ann), Chibiusa, and Sailor Pluto, as well as the possible future of all other characters in a utopic city called Crystal Tokyo.
[edit] Sailor Moon S
In the animation before and after commercial breaks, the letter S in this series' title is pronounced "Super" ([súːpā]). This name probably reflects the introduction of Super Sailor Moon. It covers 38 episodes (90-127) and follows the same general story as the third manga arc, Infinity, fighting against a group called the Death Busters. It was not dubbed into English until 2000, this time by Cloverway Inc., and no episodes were cut. In fact, English episodes 83-89 do not exist; at the start of S, the dubbed episode numbers were adjusted by YTV (which first broadcast the show, in Canada) to match those of the original Japanese version.<ref>YTV at http://web.archive.org. YTV - Shows - Sailor Moon. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.</ref>
Newly introduced characters include Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Saturn.
[edit] Sailor Moon SuperS
The fourth series name, SuperS, is pronounced "Supers" ([súːpāzŭ]). It probably reflects the powering-up of the four "Inner Senshi" and Sailor Chibi Moon in ways similar to what Sailor Moon had experienced in the previous series. It spans 39 episodes (128-166) and follows the same general story as the fourth manga arc, Dream, although none of the four Outer Senshi appear at any time. The English dub did not cut any episodes.
New characters include Pegasus/Helios, Diana, the Dead Moon Circus, and the Amazoness Quartet.
[edit] Sailor Stars
The fifth and final series was also the shortest, at 34 episodes (167-200). Its name is a recurring motif throughout the story and among the new characters introduced. This series begins with six episodes which reintroduce and then tie up a part of the previous season's plot (anime production having gotten slightly ahead of Takeuchi's drawing of the manga). The Outer Senshi also return. This series has not been released in English, and is unlikely ever to be.
Many new characters are introduced in this arc, which focuses largely on other Sailor Senshi from distant parts of the galaxy. These characters include Chibichibi, the Sailor Starlights, and Princess Kakyuu, as well as the evil Shadow Galactica, led by Sailor Galaxia and the ultimate enemy, Chaos.
Takeuchi was shocked by some of the changes made to the final series.<ref>Takeuchi, Naoko (September 2003). Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Original Picture Collection Vol. V. Kodansha. ISBN 4-06-324522-5.</ref> <ref>Manga Style!. Retrieved on 2006-08-25.</ref> The most infamous of these is the gender of the "Starlights", who in the manga were women that disguised themselves as men via crossdressing. In the anime, the female Sailor Starlights physically transform into male bodies to create their civilian alter-egos. This change is also largely cited as the cause for the last series being withheld from the English-speaking Western market. It has, however, aired in Germany, Spain, Italy (with alterations), Poland, Portugal, Latin America and the Philippines.
[edit] Movies and specials
There are three Sailor Moon movies, all of which have stories that are independent of the series. The movies fall in the general timeline of each of the three middle series (R, S, and SuperS).
- Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon R: The Movie
- Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon S: The Movie
- Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie (The 9 Sailor Soldiers Get Together! Miracle in the Black Dream Hole)
There are a few specials as well: Make Up! Sailor Senshi, was shown as a summary of the Sailor Senshi before the Sailor Moon R Movie. Later specials include Wonderful World of Sailor Moon S,[1] the Sailor Moon SuperS Special, and Sailor Moon SuperS Plus: Ami-chan no Hatsukoi (Ami's First Love).
[edit] English-language version
The North American version of the Sailor Moon anime was translated and distributed in 1995 by DiC Entertainment, initially airing on YTV in Canada and various television stations in the United States. Although the basic storyline remained the same, many alterations were made - the target age group was several years younger in America, and so censorship was often applied due to differences between Japanese and American views about what is and is not appropriate material for younger viewers.
The North American version was the first experience with Sailor Moon (if not anime in general) for many anglophones, and the differences between the two versions led to much confusion. However, many fans worldwide would never have known about the series had it not reached North America, and so many regard the North American version as a mixed blessing.<ref>Brad. Sailor Moon Anime Guide. MoonKitty.net. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.</ref><ref>Elizabeth Ann Carroll. DUB DEFENSE!. The Oracle :: BSSM Online Encyclopaedia. SoulHunter.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.</ref><ref>Robert Wheeler (April 3, 2002). Disliking Vs. Hating. Editorials. Sailor Moon Uncensored. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.</ref>
[edit] Trivia
- In the song "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies, Sailor Moon is mentioned.
- In a couch gag on The Simpsons, the family cosplays as anime characters. Lisa is seen as Sailor Moon. ('Tis the Fifteenth Season)
- In one issue of Nickelodeon Magazine, there was a puzzle with a picture that means the name of a slightly misspelled television show whose meaning is changed. One picture was a man making clothes with moons on them. The answer was "Tailor Moon".
- On the Thanksgiving 2006 episode of the Game Show Network (GSN) show "That's The Question," Sailor Moon was an answer to the question, "What popular Anime series does a fourteen year old girl transform into a mini-skirted crime fighter?" The contestant could not come up with the answer. The answer was scrambled, "OSOIMLNSARO".
[edit] See also
[edit] References
<references />
- Hitoshi Doi's episode guide. Retrieved on 2006-10-14.
[edit] External links
- Hitoshi Doi - A guide to supplementary "Anime Books" and other material released in Japan
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| Codename: Sailor V | Manga | Anime | Episode list | English adaptations | Musicals | Video games | Live action Actors | Story locations | Sailor Moon R movie | Sailor Moon S movie | Sailor Moon SuperS movie | Parallel Sailor Moon | |||||||||
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