Is Codename: Sailor V a Canonical Prequel to Sailor Moon?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Manga, Minako Aino
Codename: Sailor V

Codename: Sailor V

If there’s one thing that the past several years of blogging about Sailor Moon has taught me, it’s that nothing is as simple as it seems, especially when it comes to the in-universe timeline.

While an amazing series in its own right, Codename: Sailor V (“Sailor V“) only seems to exacerbate this problem by squeezing a whole story line into the one year or so leading up to Usagi and Luna’s fateful meeting — all without ever addressing the implications her adventures have upon Sailor Moon‘s lore.

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the connections between these two  series and try to answer the question of whether we can truly consider Sailor V to be a prequel, or perhaps part of a parallel universe. You might want to take notes, because we’ve got a lot to discuss!

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How Sailor Moon Changed My Life

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Filed under Blog, Fandom
Sailor Moon Says!

Sailor Moon Says!

Outside of the occasional anecdote or relevant personal stories, I generally avoid focusing much about myself or life experiences here on this blog. At its core, Tuxedo Unmasked isn’t meant to be a blog about me, but rather an objective look at the world of Sailor Moon and an in-depth look at the amazing people who made it possible.

But every once in awhile, as I interact with other fans who’ve also grown to become just as — if not more! — passionate about this series as myself, I start to wonder what it is that drew people to Sailor Moon and keeps them coming back for more.

Today I’d like to share with you the story about how Sailor Moon came into my world and how it quite literally made me into the person I am today. My goal here isn’t necessarily to get my story out there, but to encourage a dialogue for others to share theirs!

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Did Sailor Moon’s Ikuhara Really Direct a Ninja Turtles Cartoon?

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Filed under Anime, Articles, Real World
Teenage Mutant Ninja Senshi?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Senshi?

As I’m sure many of you have already heard, the story about how famed anime Director Kunihiko Ikuhara — known for such works as Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and the recent smash hit Sarazanmai — secretly directed the one of the first episodes that turned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into a household name is hitting all the major anime news outlets and taking social media by storm.

In light of his spectacular portfolio and what a revolutionary series Ninja Turtles would become, the story certainly seems believable. What’s more, it’s even backed up by a statement by the story writer, David Wise, himself.

But is this really the case? Well, as they say, if something is too good to be true…1

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What Is Sailor Saturn’s Attack – Death Reborn / Ribbon Revolution?

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Filed under Articles, Hotaru Tomoe, Language
Death R_b__n Revolution!

Death R_b__n Revolution!

It never fails to amaze me just how popular Sailor Saturn is within the Sailor Moon universe despite how little “screen time” she gets in both the anime and the manga. While things played out for her a little better in book form, she is sadly one of the only members of the Sailor Team to have never make it into one of the movies. Poor girl.

And yet even with all that popularity and fan attention, we still find ourselves debating what should be the simplest of questions: what is the name of her ultimate attack, and what does it even mean?

Today we’re going to dissect Hotaru Tomoe’s one-and-done Infinity Arc attack, Death R_b__n Revolution, and settle this issue once and for all.1 If you’re a fan of the Mistress (9) of Death, you’ll want to stick around!

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When Did the Silver Millennium / Moon Kingdom Fall?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Real World
Sadly, these fireworks aren't going to last forever

Sadly, these fireworks aren’t going to last forever

Over the decades, many fans on both sides of the Pacific have tried to answer this seemingly simple question in a variety of interesting ways, ranging from a sheer commonsense approach (which, as we’ve learned time and again, doesn’t exactly work well with Sailor Moon) to in-depth analyses of the clothing the denizens of the Silver Millennium wear.

Unfortunately each of the answers I’ve heard thus far seems to fall short on one point or another, and I find myself wanting something just a little bit more concrete. Assuming that’s even possible.

Today we’re going to take a look at some of the popular theories surrounding the fall of the Silver Millennium and then take a stab at the question ourselves. If you’ve also been mulling this over for the past dozen or so years, this one’s for you!

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What Did Kazuko Tadano’s Interview Reveal About the Sailor Moon Crystal Movie?

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Filed under Crystal, Interview, Real World
Please, Super Sailor Moon, give us SOME information?

Please, Super Sailor Moon, give us SOME information?

At this point, I’m beginning to think that TOEI Animation simply enjoys toying with Sailor Moon fans’ delicate hearts. Just when you forget that they’re even supposedly making a fourth season to the Sailor Moon Crystal franchise in the form of a movie — bam! — there TOEI Animation is again with just enough information to get your hopes back up.

And that, my dear friends, is exactly where we find ourselves after the most recent release of the fan exclusive Pretty Guardian newsletter.

If it wasn’t enough to just drop the name of famed Sailor Moon character designer and animation director Kazuko Tadano, they also had to throw in just a few dazzling tidbits about Sailor Moon Crystal while they were at it.

Today we’re going to take a look at what she actually said in the interview, and see what information we can glean from it! Are you sitting down for this?

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Happy Birthday Rei Hino!

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Filed under Blog, Rei Hino
Happy Birthday Rei! (courtesy of Sweet Bee)

Happy Birthday Rei! (courtesy of Sweet Bee)

Whether you know Rei best as the cool, silent priestess-type from the manga or the bossy counterpoint to Usagi in the anime, this character managed to strike a very personal chord that still resonates with me today.

In honor of Rei Hino’s birthday, I’d like to take the opportunity to highlight five interesting facts about the high-heeled Senshi of passion and her role in Sailor Moon. Happy Birthday, Rei!

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