5 Sailor Moon Rumors That Just Won’t Die

Seriously, why are these rumors still a thing??

Seriously, why are these rumors still a thing??

While I’m generally more interested in expanding on less discussed aspects in the Sailor Moon universe, every once in awhile I find it hard to resist the urge to confront some of the crazier fan rumors running rampant across the internet in a (probably ill-conceived) effort to set the record straight.

By the nature of how these things work, it unfortunately leaves me in the unenviable position of trying to prove a negative (i.e., Bigfoot isn’t real, but it is impossible to provide evidence that it doesn’t exist),1 so if you strongly believe any of the following, I probably won’t be changing your mind any time soon.

However, if we’re lucky, at the very least least I hope to open up some dialogue on how these rumors came to be, and why they continue to be repeated throughout the Sailor Moon fandom.

Following in the footsteps of the immortal Doctor Beckett,2 join me on my journey as I strive to put right what once went wrong — Sailor Moon style!

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5 of the Most Bizarre Sailor Moon Products and Tie-Ins

Sailor Moon hawking her curry (YouTube)

Sailor Moon hawking her curry (YouTube)

The Sailor Moon franchise is definitely no stranger to marketing tie-ups. From medicated eye-drops to tabletop D&D-inspired RPGs, and even including fully-immersive theme park rides, it seems like there’s almost nothing that they won’t slap the Sailor Moon name on.

And I love it.

No, really, I do. I spend entire train commutes to and from work reading up on obscure Sailor Moon products that no one in their right mind could possibly care about.

And that’s why I’ve decided to share some of my favorite with you, my dear valued reader, so that way we can both enjoy some of these memorable pieces of Sailor Moon together. If you’re prone to collecting random merchandise, you may want to put away your credit card now. Some of these can get pricey!

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(Gekka 7) Visiting Tokyo’s All-Sailor Moon Doujinshi Expo

Gekka 7 Promotional Pamphlet

Gekka 7 Promotional Pamphlet

When I learned that there was a Sailor Moon-only doujinshi event being held in Tokyo, it was pretty much a given that I would definitely be there. No matter what I had to do to make it happen, I absolutely needed to be surrounded by the epitome of Japanese Sailor Moon fandom.

In addition to the obvious selfish reasons, this also was a great opportunity for me to introduce the Japanese fan community to readers in the west, who may not have as much exposure to what it’s like to be a fan of Sailor Moon in the land where it originated.

So today I’m going to take you along on my trip to 月華遊星 (Gekka Yuusei; lit. Alluring Moon & Planets),1 an annual by-fans-for-fans Sailor Moon event held in Tokyo. Stick around — there are a lot of pics here you won’t want to miss!

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4 Absurd Things 90s Sailor Moon Fans Fought Over

The Moonie Wars were a tough time for all

The Moonie Wars were a tough time for all

And no, I’m not talking about whether Sailor Moon or Goku was more powerful (and yes, that was a thing). What I’m talking about here are the different causes that early Sailor Moon fans were up in arms over back in the late 90s and into the early 2000s. These were debates that could quite literally figuratively tear fan communities apart and that… well… are all pretty absurd when you have 20 years’ worth of hindsight to work with.

Whether you’re an old-time Moonie or a newcomer to the series, I think  it’s worth taking a look back at how the fandom has evolved over the years into what is (hopefully…) a better and more caring Sailor Moon community.

So listen up, kids! As a proud veteran of the Great Moonie Flame War of 1998, I have some interesting stories I’d like to share. And you better pay attention! You know what they say about history: those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.1

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Prism Power: Exclusive Interview With Sailor Moon Series Director Junichi Sato

Prism Power: 173% Funded on Kickstarter and Counting!

Prism Power: 173% Funded on Kickstarter and Counting!

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined when I started this blog two and a half years ago that not only would I be writing a book about Sailor Moon, but that I would be sitting down for coffee to chat with those involved in bringing the series to TV.

The world apparently works in mysterious ways, however, and that’s exactly what’s happening.

I’m incredibly pleased to announce that the Prism Power book will be featuring an exclusive interview with Sailor Moon series director and critically-acclaimed anime veteran, Junichi Sato!1

Click here to check out the Kickstarter campaign! (ends on June 29, 2018)

Unlike the other stretch goals — including the 悪霊退散 (Akuryo Taisan) bookmarks printed on Japanese-style washi paper and the oh-so-close-to-being-funded illustrated map of Sailor Moon‘s Azabu-Juban — this exclusive interview with Junichi Sato will be joining the anime episode and manga act reviews as a part of the book itself.

If this is something that interests you, there’s more information available in today’s Kickstarter update, including some of the questions I plan on asking, and an opportunity for you to submit your own! It’s not every day that we get to ask why certain choices were made to someone who personally had a hand in Sailor Moon‘s creation, so I’m hoping to make the most of it!

In closing, I just want to say how immensely thankful I am to all of you who read Tuxedo Unmasked, and have even turned this personal project of mine into an exciting two-way dialogue. None of this would be possible without you.

Prism Power Book Kickstarter Now Live!

"Prism Power" now live on Kickstarter!

“Prism Power” now live on Kickstarter!

Update: 320% funded! (199 backers)

After months of preparation, I’m incredibly excited to announce that the Kickstarter campaign for Prism Power: A Fan’s Guide to Sailor Moon is finally live!

Exclusive Kickstarter extras include:

Click here to check out the campaign! (ends TODAY, June 29)

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Tuxedo Unmasked Book Gets a Name and Announcing Other Exciting Projects

"Prism Power" (cover design not final)

“Prism Power” (cover design not final)

Picking a name for my upcoming Sailor Moon book was surprisingly much harder than I ever expected it to be. After all, I had quite the opposite experience with this blog. I actually already had the name “Tuxedo Unmasked” picked out before I even knew  what I wanted the blog to be about. After two or three false starts, I settled on what you see here today.

But! I’m happy to announce that the name issue is finally behind us now.

Prism Power: A Fan’s Guide to Sailor Moon is now starting to take shape! I’ve hammered out the direction a bit better, and the slow, painful exciting drive toward writing all of the content continues to chug along.

I’ve got a few more announcements about the book — including the Kickstarter launch date and details on that — and about some other new Sailor Moon-related projects I’m hoping to start up soon.

Stick around, I’ll try to keep this interesting!

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