[Manga Comparison] Act 6 – Tuxedo Mask

Manga Comparison (Act 1)

Manga Comparison (Act 6)

What is the Manga Comparison Project?

Since its initial release in the February 1992 issue of Nakayoshi, the Sailor Moon manga has gone through four major reprints in Japan – the original Nakayoshi print, the compilation tankobon print (early 90s), the re-mastered ‘shinsoban‘ reprints (early 2000s), and the ‘kanzen‘ (early 2010s). What you may not know, though, is that Ms. Takeuchi has made changes to the art and text with each release.

This project is dedicated to compiling a list of what’s changed with each release to help us better understand how Sailor Moon has evolved over its past 25 years.

While many of these changes are minor, I think they’re worth pointing out since Ms. Takeuchi felt it was worth making these changes. Please note, though, that when a change is made in one version and is retained in the rest, I will only point out the version when the change is made.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Miss Dream for having taken the time and effort to scan all the various versions of the Sailor Moon manga. I couldn’t have done this without the great scans.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Continue reading

[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!

Continue reading

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!

Continue reading

Naoko to a T: An Analysis of Sailor Moon’s Creator’s Unique Signature

A sketch penned and signed by Naoko Takeuchi

A sketch penned and signed by Naoko Takeuchi

Naoko Takeuchi: a name — for readers of this blog at least — synonymous with love, justice, and unparalleled stories.

But have you ever taken the time to actually look at her name? At the way she composes the individual letters and expresses herself through them?

I know I never had. At least not until a few days ago, when I found myself faced with the challenge of trying to determine if a manga purportedly signed by the legendary author herself was legitimate or not. And from there I fell down the rabbit hole1 of analyzing every aspect of her signature.

If you’re as interested in learning everything there is to know about Naoko Takeuchi as I am, stick around! We’ve got a lot to talk about today, as well as some tips and tricks to make sure you don’t end up buying a counterfeit signature someday!

Continue reading

What Went Into Producing a Sailor Moon Episode?

The Sailor Moon voice cast (left to right: Michie Tomizawa (Rei); Rica Fukami (Minako); Kotono Mitsuishi (Usagi); Aya Hisakawa (Ami); Emi Shinohara (Makoto))

One thing I absolutely love about Sailor Moon is the multitude of reasons why fans love the series and the different routes that brought them into our shared fandom.

Probably like many of you, I was drawn in by the fantastic story, beautiful art, and relatable characters. Sounds familiar, right?

But what kept me sticking around over the past 20+ years was something a little deeper: a fascination with how this story came to be and a passion to learn everything I could about the Sailor Moon universe.

Today we’re going to take a “look behind the curtain,” if you will, and see exactly what went into creating a Sailor Moon episode from start to finish. If you’ve ever wanted to know how all these amazingly talented people came together to create perfection, read on!

Continue reading

Was Sailor Moon’s Moon Stick Created Just to Sell Toys?

Doesn't this make you want to buy one??

Doesn’t this make you want to buy one??

The story, at least according to Moonie lore,1 is that Sailor Moon’s licensed toys weren’t meeting Bandai’s sales targets. As one of the series’ major sponsors, they put the screws to politely asked Ms. Takeuchi to create something a little more toyetic to boost their profit margins, to which she responded with the beloved-yet-awkwardly-named Moon Stick.

Though a tad scandalous, it all sounds pretty par for the course when money-making enterprises are involved. What’s the problem?

Well, like many of the Sailor Moon facts we take for granted, the story isn’t quite as cut and dry as we’ve been led to believe. So today we’re going to travel down the rabbit hole2 and see whether Sailor Moon’s most iconic wand was really a money grab in disguise!

Continue reading

Sailor Moon Editor Fumio “Osabu” Osano Discusses the Series’ Creation (Part 3)

Sailor Moon: The Next Generation

Sailor Moon: The Next Generation

In this third and final installment, Ms. Takeuchi’s friend, editor, and partner-in-crime Fumio “Osabu” Osano goes deep and discusses the inspiration behind some of Sailor Moon‘s most pivotal scenes and the impact the series has had on society as a whole!

Don’t miss out on this rare behind-the-scenes look into the history of our favorite series!1

Continue reading