What Happened to the Sailor V Anime?

We were so close to an animated Sailor V, and yet so far...

We were so close to an animated Sailor V, and yet so far…

Rumors of the purported Codename: Sailor V anime have been with the fandom practically since the day Sailor Moon first hit the airwaves. And who could blame fans for the confusion? After all, even the Sailor Moon manga was confused about what its own title was in the lead up to the series debut.

Considering what a massive success the Sailor Moon franchise was proving to be — not only on TV, but in movie theaters, on stage, and in the manga as well — it seems like a spin-off series should have been a sure thing.

So what happened?

Today we’re going to take a look at what information we do know about the Codename: Sailor V anime, see how far it made it into production, and come up with a few theories of our own as to why it never saw the light of day. Put on your hard hats, ’cause we’re digging deep!

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[Lunar Logs] Naoko Discusses Love and Life Before Sailor Moon

Naoko opens up on her pre-Sailor Moon years

Naoko opens up on her pre-Sailor Moon years

Lunar Logs is a weekly series featuring full translations of interviews with Ms. Takeuchi and others — such as the directors, writers, voice cast, and more — responsible for making Sailor Moon into the massively popular franchise we know it as today. Though not every interview will directly address or even mention Sailor Moon, I find it an interesting look into the minds of these influential figures.

Today’s interview is with Sailor Moon‘s creator herself, Naoko Takeuchi, as she takes on such varied topics of love, life, and even a little-known manga she was working on prior to Sailor Moon‘s debut!1

Read on and learn a little bit about what series influenced Ms. Takeuchi’s early years and what kinds of Things That Make [her] Go Hmmmm!

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Why Was There No Fan Reaction to the Deaths of Uranus and Neptune?

There's absolutely no way anything is about to happen

There’s absolutely no way anything is about to happen

There is perhaps no greater proof out there about just how much of an impact Sailor Uranus and Neptune had on young fans than the fact that the Sailor Moon S episode showcasing their death still ranks within the top 5 Sailor Moon memories even 25 years later.1

And yet, in stark contrast to the swift response flooded in from concerned fans and parents after the traumatizing penultimate episode in Sailor Moon‘s first season, fans were surprisingly quiet in the first few days and weeks following the deaths of our favorite Sailor cousins partners. What happened, and what can this tell us about how the Sailor Moon fandom grew as the series progressed?

Fortunately for us, Megumi Ogata (voice of Haruka Tenoh) and Masako Katsuki (voice of Michiru Kaioh) joined Animedia’s reporter2 for a behind-the-glass conversation about what goes on in the recording booth, how episode 110 (“The Death of Uranus and Neptune: The Talismans Appear”) came to be and their reactions to it, and more!

If you’ve always wanted to know more about this famous episode, now’s your chance!

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Why Was Sailor V’s Origin Story Written Out of Order?

Codename: Sailor V (and Artemis!)

Codename: Sailor V (and Artemis!)

Despite being the font from where the whole sailor-suited magical girl genre got its start, the Codename: Sailor V always seems to find itself in the shadow of its more famous offspring, Sailor Moon.

While it probably is no surprise to most of you reading this that the series debuted prior to the latter’s creation — if only by a couple of months1 — what many don’t realize is that the Sailor V manga was originally written and released out of order, only to be recompiled in the proper order we’re all familiar with in the compiled tankobon releases.

Today we’re going to talk about these timeline mix-ups, the possible reasons therefore, and how Sailor V was branded in light of its connection with Sailor Moon!

Stick around — you’re going to want to read this one in order!

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Who Was Naoko Takeuchi Before Sailor Moon’s Debut?

Sailor Moon & her Sidekick: Super (Deformed) Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon & her Sidekick: Super (Deformed) Sailor Moon

Though it may sound a bit counter-intuitive, one of the things I love reading about most in interviews with Ms. Takeuchi is when she opens up about subjects other than Sailor Moon.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t love the Sailor-suite guardian of love and justice as much as the next strawberry Pop-Tart-obsessed Moonie. It’s just that it’s pretty rare to get some insight into not only the origins of Sailor Moon, but the person behind its creation.

Luckily for us, Ms. Takeuchi granted Puff, a magazine dedicated to the manga industry, just such an interview back in May 1994. Strap in for a trip down memory lane as we take a look into Ms. Takeuchi’s past, tastes in men, and other manga ideas she toyed around with!

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How Did Miyuu Sawai Feel About Playing PGSM’s Sailor Moon?

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon cast at the July 31, 2003 announcement

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon cast at the July 31, 2003 show announcement

Ah… Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, the oft-overlooked cult classic of the Sailor Moon franchise– a status that’s certainly not helped by the fact that Toei does its best to never talk about the series.

While I’ve already spoken at length about where the talented actresses behind PGSM have gone after the series ended, that’s only half the story. What I’d love to know — and what we’re going to talk about today — is how these young starlets found themselves in these roles in the first place, and how it felt to be able to play their own favorite childhood heroes on the small screen week after week.

Today we’re going to begin our look back with an interview with Miyuu Sawai, PGSM‘s titular Sailor Moon and beloved crybaby, Usagi Tsukino. If you ever wanted to know more about how she felt about playing her role, what filming was like, and how she got along with the rest of the cast, then this article’s for you!

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How Was Sailor Moon Initially Marketed to Audiences?

Gee, I wonder what this show's about?

Gee, I wonder what this show’s about?

Quick! Name another anime besides Sailor Moon that began airing in 1992!

Pretty tough, huh? Well, that’s probably because out of the forty anime series to debut in 1992, only six of them lasted more than a year — many surviving only a few months.1

While we all know Sailor Moon today as a global phenomenon, it’s easy to forget that the series was by no means a guaranteed hit. In fact, many of the parties involved in the series’ creation were so caught off guard by its success that they didn’t even have products lined up to capitalize on it!

So how did Ms. Takeuchi and co. manage to draw so many fans to Sailor Moon? And, possibly even more importantly, how did the critics react to the series?

Today we’re going to travel back to late 1991 to see what the manga/anime landscape looked like through the eyes of a budding shojo fan. Spoiler: even before the series aired, people were making fun of Tuxedo Mask’s name!

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