They’re Baaaack! VIZ Media Scores With Sailor Moon Anime

They’re Baaaack! VIZ Media Scores With Sailor Moon Anime

VIZ Media pretty much stole the show, and won the weekend with fans at their panel at Anime Central in Chicago when they announced that they got the license to re-release all 200 episodes of the original Sailor Moon anime series (which aired in Japan from 1992-1997 as Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon Super S and the never available officially in English Sailor Moon Stars) PLUS the English language rights to the new Sailor Moon Crystal series, the much-anticipated reboot that’s debuting this summer in Japan, on July 5.

Here’s the trailer that they showed that day that got every Sailor Moon fan squealing across the interwebs:

To kick things off, VIZ started airing new versions of the old Sailor Moon series on Hulu.com, Neon Alley, and VIZAnime.com, with 4 episodes to start, and promising two new episodes each week. The subtitled version of the anime will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray sets with the dub version available later in 2014.

Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus

Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, from Sailor Moon © Naoko Takeuchi / PNP, Toei Animation

What makes the return of Sailor Moon especially noteworthy is that VIZ’s new edition of this classic and much-beloved anime series will be uncut, and will feature new English subtitles and later this year, a new English dub version. What does that mean? Well, Usagi and her boyfriend Mamoru will retain their original Japanese names in this new translation, vs. the Americanized names of Serena and Darien that was featured in the first English release of this show, back in the 1990’s. Sailors Neptune and Uranus will no longer be coyly referred to as “cousins” and will instead be portrayed as most definitely girlfriends in a romantic relationship. (While most fans cheered at this development, not everyone was happy about this)

Anime News Network scored an exclusive interview with Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager of Animation Marketing for VIZ Media and Josh Lopez, the producer who has been working on VIZ Media’s new releases of the series. Regarding VIZ Media’s handing of Sailor Neptune/Uranus relationship, Ingram had this to say:

I’m really excited about Haruka and Michiru’s relationship, and keeping it true to the original. I think we’re living in a really exciting time where that won’t be seen as scandalous. I think it’ll just be seen as a beautiful romance. I’m happy that it’s not just “Oh no, there’s lesbian characters, scandal!” It’s like “No, these are two people that love each other and they make sacrifices for each other, isn’t that beautiful no matter what gender they are?”

To celebrate the arrival of Sailor Moon Crystal, VIZ Media has big plans in store for Anime Expo on July 5, 2014, with the announcement of the English dub cast and what they hope will be the biggest Sailor Moon cosplay gathering, ever!

Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary

Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary © Naoko Takeuchi

This past year marks Sailor Moon’s 20th Anniversary, with a new live-action musical running in Japan, and numerous merchandising tie-ins popping up over the past few months.

While much of these 2oth Anniversary festivities and special promotions and merchandise have been, until now, largely only focused in Japan, it’ll be interesting to see if some of it will make its way to North America.

Now, after many years of being out of print and unavailable, Sailor Moon will now be readily viewable and purchase-able, both the anime and the manga. The 12-volume Sailor Moon manga series was released by Kodansha Comics, in its entirety as single volumes and as two boxed sets, including sister series, Codename: Sailor V and two volumes of short stories), and presented just as its creator originally intended.

Hopefully, VIZ Media’s announcement of the anime release will also spur along more Sailor Moon related news in the coming months, including perhaps a firm release date for the much-delayed Sailor Moon art book, due to be published by Kodansha Comics.

What other joy will this summer of Sailor Moon bring? Well, we’ll just have to stay tuned to find out! Have you been watching the new old episodes of Sailor Moon? If so what do you think? Add your comments below!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *