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

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

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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What Other Anime Have the Sailor Moon Cast Worked on Together?

Ready, set, ACT!

Ready, set, ACT!

When you’re confronted with such an amazing cast like the one in Sailor Moon, it’s easy to forget that there are voice actors behind bringing these characters to life. They seem to truly take their roles to heart, and it becomes nearly impossible to separate the voice from the face on screen.

That is until you hear them so expertly perform the role of an entirely different character in another anime… and yet again, they seem perfect for the role!

For awhile now, I’ve been wanting to discuss the Sailor Moon voice cast in some way or another, but hadn’t quite found the right angle to approach it from. So after far too many hours spent trawling the depths of the internet, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what other projects our favorite voice actors and actresses have worked on together.

I hope you have some free time on your hands, because you may end up unexpectedly getting drawn into some new anime series!

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What Did the Sailor Moon Voice Cast Think About Their Roles?

The voices of the five Inner Senshi

The voices of the five Inner Senshi

As I try to track down every bit of bizarre Sailor Moon trivia you could possibly imagine, I end up purchasing a lot of old magazines, books, and watching hours upon hours of long-forgotten commercials and promotional tapes.

And that’s the part of this job I love.

It’s not uncommon that, in my pursuit to answer one question, I end up coming across two or three more that I’ve love to look into. And today’s article is just one such case.

Today we’ll be looking at the responses given by eight of the Sailor Moon voice cast to a survey on what it’s like to work in the voice acting industry, and how they feel about their various roles. If you’ve ever been interested in getting a bit more insight into the people behind the characters, this one’s for you!

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