Sailor Moon (anime)
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| Sailor Moon | |
|---|---|
 This eyecatch illustrates Sailor Moon's bright visual style. Center: Sailor Moon. |
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| Genre | Magical girl, Romance |
| Creator(s) | Naoko Takeuchi |
| Opening theme | See Music |
| Ending theme | See Music |
| Country of origin |  Japan |
| Language(s) | Japanese, various dubs |
| No. of series | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 200 + Various Specials and 3 movies (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | ~30 Minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TV Asahi |
| Original run | March 7, 1992 – February 8, 1997 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon |
| Links | |
| Official website | |
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 co-produced by TV Asahi, Toei Agency and 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 from March 7, 1992 to February 8, 1997 on Japan's TV Asahi, Sailor Moon is one of the longest magical girl anime series.[1] 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 Andō, Hisashi Kagawa, and Hideyuki Motohashi.[2]
Contents |
[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.[3] 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 Song 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.[3] 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)[3] 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.[4]
Newly introduced characters include Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Saturn, as well as Chibiusa's Sailor Senshi form, Sailor Chibi Moon.
[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)[3] 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).[3] 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.[5] [6] 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, Russia, Latin America and the Philippines.
[edit] Movies, specials and memorials
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).
- Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon R: The Movie
- Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S: The Movie
- Pretty Soldier 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 Dreaming Moon, The Wonderful World of Sailor Moon S[1] the three Sailor Moon SuperS specials, and Sailor Moon SuperS Plus: Ami-chan no Hatsukoi (Ami's First Love). There has also been memorials for each series: Sailor Moon Memorial, Sailor Moon R Memorial, Sailor Moon S Memorial, Sailor Moon SuperS Memorial, and Sailor Stars Memorial.
[edit] Music
- Moonlight Densetsu (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Japanese theme
- Sailor Moon Theme (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- English theme
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
Music for the Sailor Moon metaseries was written and composed by numerous people, including frequent lyrical contributions by creator Naoko Takeuchi. All of the background music, including the spinoffs, games, and movies, was composed and arranged by Takanori Arisawa, who earned the "Golden Disk Grand Prize" from Columbia Records for his work on the first series soundtrack in 1993. In 1998, he won the JASRAC International Award for most international royalties, owing largely to the popularity of Sailor Moon music in other nations.[7]
The opening theme for most of the TV series was "Moonlight Densetsu," composed by Tetsuya Komoro with lyrics by Kanako Oda. It was one of the series' most popular songs and the title literally translates to "Moonlight Legend". "Moonlight Densetsu" was performed by DALI as the opener for the first two anime series, and then by Moon Lips for the third and fourth. The final series, Sailor Stars, switched to using "Sailor Star Song" for its opening theme, written by Shōki Araki with lyrics by Naoko Takeuchi and performed by Kae Hanazawa. "Moonlight Densetsu" made its final appearance as the closing song for the very last episode, #200.[8]
"Moonlight Densetsu" has been covered and remixed many times by artists such as the punk supergroup Osaka Popstar. 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.[9]
The English-language dub of the anime series used the melody of "Moonlight Densetsu," but with very different lyrics and instrumentation. The Japanese theme is a love song based on the relationship between Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba ("born on the same Earth"); its first verse, translated into English, is as follows:[8]
- I'm sorry, I'm not gentle
- I can say it in my dreams
- My thoughts are about to short circuit
- I want to be with you right now
The English "Sailor Moon Theme" is more of a superhero anthem. Its first verse is written:
- Fighting evil by moonlight,
- Winning love by daylight,
- Never running from a real fight,
- She is the one named Sailor Moon
Both versions of the series also make use of insert themes, battle music, and image songs, 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 singles 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 band Super Moonies. In North America, only three albums were ever released.[10]
The following songs were used as closing music for the Japanese anime. The English dub used a short reprise of the opening theme.
- "HEART MOVING" by Misae Takamatsu (1-26)
- "Princess Moon" by Ushio Hashimoto (27-46)
- "Otome no Policy" by Yoko Ishida (47-91)
- "Tuxedo Mirage" by Peach Hips (92-127)
- "Watashi-tachi ni Naritakute" by Miwako Fujitani (128-140)
- "Rashiku Ikimasho" by Meu (141-166)
- "Kaze mo Sora mo Kitto" by Arisa Mizuki (167-199)
- "Moonlight Densetsu" by Moon Lips (200)
- "Moon Revenge" by Peach Hips (Sailor Moon R The Movie)
- "Moonlight Destiny" (Sailor Moon S The Movie)
- "Morning Moon" (Sailor Moon SuperS The Movie)
[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.[11][12][13]
[edit] Trivia
- The song "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies contains the line, "Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon 'cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes that make me think the wrong thing."
- In a couch gag on The Simpsons, the family cosplays as anime characters. Lisa is seen as Sailor Moon. ('Tis the Fifteenth Season)
- In an episode of the anime Excel Saga (a series notorious for it's parodies of many anime, and anime in general), the protagonist Excel is seen standing in front of a fake moon, with radishes connected to noodles atop her head to imitate Sailor Moon's hair, while she gives a dead-on clone of Sailor Moon's speech, even ending in "In the name of the moon, I shall punish you!" with Sailor Moon's signature arms cross, one hand pointing, other hand forming love sign pose.
- In the very beginning of the first episode of Puni Puni Poemy (a two episode OVA by the creators of Excel Saga), Sailor Moon is zoomed in on in a red battle setting, only to be shown being beaten down by the main character Poemy immediately after, as well as several other popular magical girls. The series is filled with several other parodies and references to Sailor Moon, and the magical girl genre, as well as anime in general.
- In Homestar Runner, the anime "20X6" version of Marzipan seems to be based on Sailor Moon. This can be seen on Menu Page 17 if the viewer places the mouse on the "characters" button.
- There is a brief crossover with Shin-chan during the Sailor Moon S series.
- The punk band Osaka Popstar did a cover of the English Sailor Moon theme song, which was featured on their first album.
- In the 2005 film War of the Worlds, the end of the English dub's Moon Gorgeous Meditation attack from Episode 123 is heard on television. At the end of the film, Sailor Moon's music composer, Takanori Arisawa, is listed in the credits.[14]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ See Ojamajo Doremi, which holds the record at 201 episodes.
- ^ Hitoshi Doi - Sailor Moon staff information. Retrieved on October 14, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e Hitoshi Doi's episode guide. Retrieved on October 14, 2006.
- ^ YTV at http://web.archive.org. YTV - Shows - Sailor Moon. Retrieved on October 15, 2006.
- ^ Takeuchi, Naoko (September 2003). Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Original Picture Collection Vol. V. Kodansha. ISBN 4-06-324522-5.
- ^ Manga Style!. Retrieved on August 25, 2006.
- ^ Cunningham, Patrick. SAILORMUSIC.NET - Biography of ARISAWA Takanori. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
- ^ a b Kurozuki.com. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
- ^ Bacon, Michelle. SAILORMUSIC.NET - Bonus tracks. Retrieved on November 10, 2006.
- ^ The Compleat Sailor Moon CD List. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.
- ^ Brad. Sailor Moon Anime Guide. MoonKitty.net. Retrieved on December 1, 2006.
- ^ Elizabeth Ann Carroll. DUB DEFENSE!. The Oracle :: BSSM Online Encyclopaedia. SoulHunter.com. Retrieved on December 1, 2006.
- ^ Robert Wheeler (April 3, 2002). Disliking Vs. Hating. Editorials. Sailor Moon Uncensored. Retrieved on December 1, 2006.
- ^ Soundtracks for War of the Worlds (2005). IMDb.
[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 | Stage musicals | Video games | Live-action | English adaptations | Actors | Story locations | Parallel | |||||||
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