Monthly Archives: August 2018

Who Is the Most Powerful Villain in Sailor Moon?

Posted
Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Villains
Spoilers ahead...? Nah!

Spoilers ahead…? Nah!

Though the battles in Sailor Moon may not be as action-packed as the ones you see in the likes of Dragon Ball or the Gundam series, the scale of what they fight for isn’t all that different: the Sailor Soldiers are generally all that stand in the way of the forces of evil enslaving, or even outright destroying, the people of Earth.

But have you ever stopped to wonder about which of Sailor Moon’s enemies came closest to winning?

Today we’re going to take a deeper look at the villains of the series and see if we can answer this important question. After all, there’s nothing more exciting than thinking about just how close the world has come to certain doom, right?

Continue reading →

5 Lessons Learned From Sailor Moon

Posted
Filed under Articles, Lists
Sailor Moon Says...!

Sailor Moon Says…!

I’m sure it sounds really contrived to say this, but Sailor Moon left a large impression on me growing up. In addition to being a fun show/manga about magical school girls who triumph over the forces of evil, but it was full of all sorts of lessons that ultimately would have a direct impact on my life well into adulthood.

What makes this topic all the more fascinating, at least to me, is there there is no “right” or “wrong” answer to what fans can take away from the series. Depending on one’s culture, values, and life circumstances, the lessons that any given fan walks away with will be completely different from other fans.

Today I’d like to take a look at some of those lessons I took away from Sailor Moon and about the impact the series had on my life. And, while I’m at it, I’d like to invite you to share your stories about the effect the series has had on yours.

Continue reading →

How Old Would the Sailor Senshi Be Today?

Posted
Filed under Articles, Characters, Real World
This was literally decades ago

This was literally decades ago

While I’m painfully aware that the world and characters of Sailor Moon are not actually real, the time and effort that Ms. Takeuchi went through in order to help you suspend your disbelief is truly impressive. From setting her story smack dab in the middle of Tokyo’s Azabu-Juban to making liberal use of real world history and mythology, there’s just enough there that you almost feel as if just maybe you could exist in the same world.

And when confronted with a story so heavily based on the real world, it’s only natural that you start asking questions about how the characters’ lives would have really played out — whether it be about how much money they make, what jobs they’d grow up to do, or even how old they would be today.

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the characters’ ages, what years they were (… or should have been) born in, and how old they would be today. Like all things in Sailor Moon, nothing is quite as easy as it seems, so you might want to keep a calculator handy!

Continue reading →

What Is the SuperS Movie’s Three O’Clock Fairy Song Referring To?

Posted
Filed under Articles, Language, Movie, Music
ChibiUsa is very unimpressed

ChibiUsa is very unimpressed

While the Sailor Moon series is generally a challenge in its own right to translate in such a way that not only gets across what’s being said, but the style and nuance as well, my heart truly goes out to those who are tasked with translating the lyrics to the series’ music.

As a wise person (me) once said (right now): 80% of the meaning of music cant be found in the words that go unspoken.

Today we’re going to take a look back at yet another Sailor Moon lyrical mystery, as we try to uncover just what this fanciful song about fruits, pies, and kidnapping children is all about!

Continue reading →

Does Sailor Moon’s Naru Have an Osakan Accent?

Posted
Filed under Articles, Language, Naru Osaka
Naru "That's Molly to You" Osaka

Naru “That’s Molly to You” Osaka

Aah, the venerable Osakan/Kansai accent. Whenever a content creator needs a fun, boisterous, obnoxious, or otherwise non-conforming character type, this seems to be the go-to accent. Whether we’re talking about Card Captor Sakura‘s Kero-chan (voiced by none other than Aya Hisakawa, voice of Ami Mizuno!) or Azumanga Daioh‘s aptly-named Ayumu “Osaka” Kasuga, this accent is a Japanese media mainstay.

Considering the accent’s popularity, it should come as no surprise that Usagi’s staunch defender and occasionally bossy friend, Naru Osaka, should fall into this category… right?

There’s just one small problem: it’s not exactly clear if Naru even has the accent all.

Nande ya nen?!1 Stay tuned while we tackle the long-time rumor of Naru and the existence — or lack thereof! — of her Osakan accent!

Continue reading →

Who Is the Real Princess Kaguya in the Sailor Moon S Movie?

Posted
Filed under Articles, Language, Making Of, Movie
Won't the real Kaguya please stand up?

Won’t the real Kaguya please stand up?

The nice thing about writing a blog covering a series that went off the air over 20 years ago is that it’s not like there’s any chance that I’m going to be spoiling the story for anyone. Even with the recent U.S. screenings of the Sailor Moon movies, I’d be willing to bet that the majority of those in the audience had already seen the movie, or at least knew what it was about.

So with that said, I really don’t feel too bad about dissecting story of the Sailor Moon S movie, or peeling back the layers to take a deeper look at the Japanese folktale Ms. Takeuchi based her story on.

If you’ve ever stayed up late at night wondering who the heck Princess Kaguya is, this one’s for you!

Continue reading →

What Were Director Shibata’s Inspirations for the Sailor Moon S Movie (Part 2)?

Posted
Filed under Articles, Interview, Making Of, Movie
Closing out the story on Sailor Moon S

Closing out the story on Sailor Moon S

Whether you love the Sailor Moon S movie or think that it is a lackluster performance in an otherwise excellent brand, I probably won’t be changing your mind through this series. But regardless of which side of the fence you fall on, I think it can be immensely helpful — and even entertaining — to get a little insight into just what the creative minds behind a movie were thinking as they made it.

Today we’re going to continue our journey through Hiroki Shibata’s1 commentary regarding his directorial debut in Sailor Moon‘s theatrical universe. If we’re really lucky, we might even learn something new by the time we’re done!

Continue reading →