Why Was the Sailor Moon SuperS Anime So Different From the Manga?

Sailor Moon SuperS: What Went Wrong?

Sailor Moon SuperS: What Went Wrong?

In all my years of writing about Sailor Moon, I’ve found that Sailor Moon SuperS seems to be the odd duck of the series. Some fans swear by it as peak Sailor Moon while others recommend skipping it entirely.1 And yet I hear none of these complaints levied against the manga. In fact, it’s generally well-loved among fans — which I suppose bodes well for the upcoming movies!

The reason for all this, of course, is due to the peculiar decision to take an extreme departure from Ms. Takeuchi’s storyline and try new things with the anime.

But that’s not good enough for me. I want… nay, need answers! Why did the anime production staff decide to deviate from the manga story? Why did they cut so many characters? And why did the story take such a comical turn?

Today we’re going to take a look into what the anime staff were thinking and the reasoning behind their changes. Sit back, grab a coffee, and read on — things are about to get Super!

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Why Was the Sailor Moon Eternal Movie Delayed?

Sailor Moon Crystal Eternal -- Coming to Theaters September 11, 2020

Sailor Moon Eternal — Coming to Theaters September 11, 2020 January 8, 2021

Three years. Three very long years have passed since the initial June 30, 2017 announcement1 of the continuation of Sailor Moon Crystal. As we sped toward the third anniversary from the announcement, we found ourselves less than 100 days away from the long-awaited theatrical debut.

That was, of course, until the surprise June 18 announcement that the movie would be pushed back until January 2021.2

So how did we go from Sailor Moon‘s editor-for-life Fumio “Osabu” Osano announcing that we were moving full steam ahead toward a September 11 release3 to a 4 month delay, all in the span of a little over a week?

Today we’re going to take a deep dive into this troubled production and look into this most recent development. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the 90s anime of a Sailor Moon Crystal devotee, there are some interesting insights for everyone!

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Who Is the Most Powerful Villain in Sailor Moon?

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?

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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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Are Each of the Sailor Moon Villains More Powerful Than the Last?

Power Level: > 9,000

Power Level: > 9,000

When you consider the fact that Sailor Moon is a story of growth and progression as these young girls fight against the forces of evil, all the while navigating life’s challenges, it’s easy to see their story as Sailor Soldiers similarly — as one of one-way, linear progression.

After all, they fight and struggle against each series of enemies, only to be granted new powers and transformations each time around in order to cope with these new threats, so it makes sense that each enemy must be more powerful than the last… right?

Today we’re going to take a look at how each of the enemies stack up against each other, and whether or not the Sailor Team’s progression is really as simple as it seems. I hope you stick around!

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Where Did the Dead Moon Circus’ Lemures Get Their Names? (Part 3)

The Amazoness Quartet

The Amazoness Quartet

Well, here we are! We’ve finally made it to the exciting climax (??) of the three-part series into where the Lemures get their names.

Today, we’ll be talking about the Lemures that served under the Amazoness Quartet and, I have to admit, the names are quite a challenge to describe!

Since we’ve got a lot to discuss, let’s just dive right in!

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Where Did the Dead Moon Circus’ Lemures Get Their Names? (Part 2)

♪ It's the eye of the tiger ♪ It's the thrill of the fight ♪

♪ It’s the eye of the tiger ♪ It’s the thrill of the fight ♪

If I were to compare the Lemures in Sailor Moon SuperS to any of the other Monsters of the Day, I’d say their closest match about probably be the early Dark Kingdom youma.

What do I mean? Well, the Lemures felt a lot like just lower-ranking members of the Dead Moon Circus, like they were simply lower on the corporate ladder than the Four Kings, who had already managed to secure positions as supervisors through long days at the office, countless unpaid overtime, and a little bit of corporate schmoozing.

Contrast that with the Cardians, Droids, and Phages, and you can see their role is pretty different.

But that’s not what we’re here to talk about, now is it? We’re here to continue taking a look into where the Lemures get their names from. Stick around as we continue with Part 2 of this series!

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