Why Does Sailor Moon Use a Kaleidoscope in the Dream Arc?

Kaleidomoon Scope? Moon Kaleidoscope? Who knows!

Kaleidomoon Scope? Moon Kaleidoscope? Who knows!

… and why does it look nothing like a kaleidoscope??

After watching season after season and following Sailor Moon’s adventures from one story arc to the next, we cheered along as our sailor-suited hero fought the forces of evil with various sticks, rods, and… well, more rods. It’s a simple idea with an even simpler naming scheme, so I never really thought much of it.

Well, except for the naming travesty that is the Moon Stick, but let’s put that aside for a second.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at Sailor Moon’s fourth wand — and the first one belonging uniquely to Super Sailor Moon — the Kaleidomoon Scope. While it may seem to make little sense on the surface, once you peel back a few layers, the puzzle starts to come together.

Stick around, things are about to get colorful!

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Why Can Makoto Wear Her Old Uniform at Azabu-Juban Junior High?

Makoto will NOT change for anyone

Makoto will NOT change for anyone

If I had to go on record and choose only one thing that made Makoto such a great character, it’d probably be the fact that she manages to so perfectly balance on that line between being a rough-and-tumble tough girl, all the while maintaining a delicate side to her.

And Makoto’s school uniform, worn defiantly in the face of her teachers and fellow classmates without even a hint of shame, is a perfect example of Makoto’s self-assuredness and determination. She doesn’t have time for stupid little rules, but when it comes to helping her friends, she’ll be the first one there at your side.

So in honor of Makoto’s school uniform, today we’re going to talk about just exactly how she got away with this act of defiance, and whether it’s just an anime myth, or if there’s some real world truth behind it.

Grab your lunch boxes, we’re going on a field trip!

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Was Sailor Moon One of the Most Popular Anime of the 1990s?

Did anyone actually watch this show?

Did anyone actually watch this show?

As an anime fan living in the west, it’s always been difficult to get a sense for the actual popularity of a given series is from one continent to the next. I remember when I first came to Japan — nearly a decade ago, mind you — and tried to explain what some of my favorite anime were to my new Japanese friends, I was met with blank looks.

Didn’t everyone know about the greatness of Tenchi MuyoSerial Experiments Lain, and Project A-ko? Apparently not.

While we (I assume…) all know, love, and adore Sailor Moon, I think it’s about time that we take a step back and see just how the series stacked up against its anime peers back in the best decade known to man: the 1990s.

Put your Titanic CD in, grab a Fruit by the Foot, and be sure to feed your Tamagotchi — where we’re going, we don’t need roads.

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Where Did the Members of Shadow Galactica Get Their Names?

Just going out flying with the girls

Just going out flying with the girls

While admittedly not the most exhilarating topic out there, I really enjoy digging down into the names of the various characters, items, attacks, and villains in the Sailor Moon universe. Not only is it an interesting intellectual exercise, but it also gives you some insight into what Ms. Takeuchi had in mind when she was sketching out and creating the characters’ personalities.

Speaking of which, it’s pretty impressive just how much she was able to research when you consider that the series was created in an age before the internet had really hit its stride.

Today we’re going to be turning our magnifying glass to the members of the Shadow Galactica, and where the inspirations for their names come from. Stick around, this is gonna get interesting!

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This Week in Sailor Moon (February 25 – March 3, 2018)

Time for some Sailor Moon news!

Time for some Sailor Moon news!

You know, it feels like just last week that I was here, writing about the latest in Sailor Moon press releases and talking what’s happened on these dates over the past quarter-century. That’s probably because it was just last week.

But I digress.

Once again, I’m here for our weekly wrap-up in the goings-on in the real world, as it pertains to the Sailor Moon franchise! What we may be lacking in quantity of updates this week, we make up for it in the sheer audacity of some of its business partners. But I’ll talk about that in more detail below.

Buckle up, it’s time for our trip down memory lane!

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Where Is the Supporting Cast of the Live Action Sailor Moon Today?

Remember kids: do NOT mix friend groups... ever

Remember kids: do NOT mix friend groups… ever

I don’t know about you, but I think that my favorite underdog of the Sailor Moon series would have to be live action sentai-inspired tv show from the early 2000s. Though I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s my favorite retelling of the story — that’s really a toss-up between the anime and the manga, depending on my current mood — but I still love how the characters were portrayed. It’s just fun!

One of the things that fascinates me about the series is that, unlike the anime, even when the series ends, the actors and actresses who brought these characters to life on the small screen continue on, living out their own careers. Seeing the Sailor Moon cast appear seemingly at random from time to time online is like seeing an old friend.

So with that in mind, we’re going to follow up on my previous article, Where Is the Cast of the Live Action Sailor Moon Today?, with a look at some members of the supporting cast!

Grab a cup of coffee — it’s gonna get interesting!

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