Tag Archives: Kotono Mitsuishi

[Lunar Logs] Kotono, Aya, and Michie Discuss Their Roles as Usagi, Ami, and Rei

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Filed under Ami Mizuno, Anime, Articles, Interview, Lunar Logs, Rei Hino, Usagi Tsukino
October 1992 Animage Interview

October 1992 Animage Interview

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 was conducted in Fall 1992 with Kotono Mitsuishi (Usagi), Aya Hisakawa (Ami), and Michie Tomizawa (Rei) on their thoughts regarding how they portray their characters, their thoughts on prospective love interests, and even Umino (??)!1

Read on for the interesting behind-the-scenes character development and an inside look at the respective soldiers’ views of romance and their possible love interests!

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[Lunar Logs] Kotono’s Struggles With Usagi’s Character Growth

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Filed under Articles, Interview, Lunar Logs, Usagi Tsukino
Kotono Mitsuishi, Toru Furuya, and Masako Katsuki strike a familiar pose

Kotono Mitsuishi, Toru Furuya, and Masako Katsuki strike a familiar pose

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 we’re taking a look at a roundtable discussion held with the voice cast behind Sailor Moon‘s power couples, Usagi (Kotono Mitsuishi) & Mamoru (Toru Furuya) and Michiru (Masako Katsuki) & Haruka (Megumi Ogata).1 I’ve already covered the aspects of the interview that pertain to Michiru & Haruka’s relationship in the past, so today we’re going to look at some of the difficulties Kotono faced with portraying Usagi’s character growth.

Read on for the interesting behind-the-scenes character interactions and enjoy some lovely 90s style clothing while we’re at it!

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Is Sailor Moon No Longer Meant for Kids?

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Filed under Articles, Interview, Real World
What do you mean "not for kids"?

What do you mean “not for kids”?

Walk into any toy store or shopping center in Japan and you’ll find yourself faced with many of the “evergreen” titans of the anime industry: Ultraman, Dragon Ball, Pokémon, and more.

Yet, despite it’s massive resurgence in recent years, Sailor Moon is suspiciously missing from the toy aisles. Instead, you’re more likely to find this 90s kids’ entertainment colossus relegated to the stationary section, hobbyist stores, or even lingerie shops!

Today we’re going to look at a 2013 interview with chief manga editor Fumio ‘Osabu’ Osano and Sailor Moon’s voice actress Kotono Mitsuishi1  as they discuss how this transition happened along with some of their favorite memories from years gone by!

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How Did Idol Culture Contribute to Sailor Moon’s Success?

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Filed under Articles, Inner Senshi, Musical, Real World
Did someone say 'idol'?

Did someone say ‘idol’?

While many would associate Japan’s fascination with idol groups with the meteoric rise to popularity of AKB48 and the many other groups, anime, and games that have spun off from the concept since then, Japan’s fixation on love for school-aged sweethearts actually goes back several decades.

But what does that have to do with our favorite Sailor-suited guardians of justice?

Well, as it turns out, idol culture played a pretty role in engaging fans and keeping them hooked. Today we’re going to take a look at the idols that created Sailor Moon as well as the idols the series in turn created!

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6 Sailor Moon Seiyuu Alumni That Came Back for Crystal

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Filed under Anime, Articles, Crystal, Lists, Making Of, Real World
Two faces, one voice

Two faces, one voice

Ever since the initial announcement of Kotono’s triumphant return as Usagi in Sailor Moon Crystal, there’s been one question that I haven’t quite been able to shake: Why is she the only cast member to come back?

Be it scheduling conflicts, concerns over whether the other cast members still “fit” their characters, or simply the belief that fans would be unwilling to accept anyone else as Usagi, there are a lot of different directions to attack this question from.

What I learned through the course of my research, though, is that Kotono isn’t the only cast member to come back from the 90s anime at all — in fact, she was just one of six 90s Sailor Moon alumni to come back to Crystal.

Today we’re going into the recording booth to introduce some of the unsung heroes and heroines that voiced our favorite characters not once, but twice!

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What’s the Current Status of the Sailor Moon Eternal Movie?

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Filed under Articles, Crystal, Interview, Making Of
Sailor Moon Eternal (September 11, 2020)

Sailor Moon Eternal (September 11, 2020)

In spite of all the different anime, manga, musicals, live action TV dramas, and even novelizations that retell the same story, it’s probably safe to say that Sailor Moon Crystai is probably the most divisive adaptation within the Sailor Moon franchise.

But regardless of which side of the fence you sit on in this never-ending debate,1 I think we can all agree that it’s been way too long since the story left off a full three and a half years ago.

Fortunately, that wait is almost over.

Today we’re going to see what the cast and crew behind the Sailor Moon: Eternal movie have to say about the upcoming release and see what we can uncover! You may want to grab some popcorn, because it’s going to be a long ride ahead!

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How Did the Voice Cast React to the End of Sailor Moon?

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Filed under Anime, Articles, Interview, Making Of, Real World
The five Inner Senshi the week before their last recording session (flowers from Ms. Takeuchi)

The five Inner Senshi the week before their last recording session (flowers from Ms. Takeuchi)

As a wise person1 once said, “all good things must come to an end.” Sailor Moon was no exception to this rule, and aired (what would then be) its final episode on February 8, 1997. Even though the series would live on in the form of musicals, a live action TV series, and even a second anime series, that final airing marked the end of a five year journey for the talented actresses and actors that brought our beloved characters to life.

Today, I’d like to take a look at how the Sailor Moon cast felt about the series they gave five years of their life to, their respective characters, and their favorite scenes — all courtesy of a “Sailor Moon Graduation” commemorative interview conducted by Animage magazine.2

Grab a box of tissues, because there are going to be a lot of tears shed before we’re done!

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