Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episodes 190 and 191 are now available on Hulu

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episode 191 - Usagi is Shinji

This week on Hulu and Neon Alley‘s new episodes of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars things get really emo! Seiya got hurt last week and we spend two episodes fixating on that and being all Shinji about it. Also a ton of video game references and inspiration from the Sailor V comic.

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episode 190 - Seiya sings for Usagi

Episode 190, Truth Revealed: The Star Lights’ Past, is all about how to scam a free concert. No actually it’s mostly about silly drama. Seiya got hurt helping Usagi and now the Three Lights don’t like the Sailor Guardians and then Sailor Uranus, Neptune and Pluto get into the mix. They confront Sailor Star Healer and Maker, and everyone seems to agree that it’s best for everyone to be hostile for no terribly good reason. Forced drama! So where the hell is Hotaru? I mean she still hasn’t had a transformation sequence and we never get to see her when her friends show up. She’s probably in bed at home alone without a babysitter. She should have stayed with her father. This anime doesn’t seem to like Sailor Saturn at all. Anyway it’s all about trying to cheer up Usagi while still keeping her away from Seiya which is ultimately what is making her miserable. Drama, drama, drama. Finally Seiya breaks his silience and asks Usagi to come to a live performance he’s doing, with two other guys who are intent on keeping her away. Too bad it’s sold out! But this doesn’t stop Usagi who for once can’t just use her contacts to see a free concert. She goes to the top of a Ferris Wheel to watch the concert from there! This reminds me of the Sailor V comic which has Amano, the Sailor V version of Umino, uses some sort of radio receiver to scam free music from a concert. For a comic and show that frequently features musical artists, they sure do like to teach us how to scam music! Seiya is able to see Usagi in that far off ferris wheel, and so it’s like he’s singing for her. This gives us cool backstory for the Sailor Starlights. We see their planet getting destroyed and them following their Princess to Earth. Seiya passes out from his injuries. The target this week is the amusement park manager who turns into Sailor Amusement. The bad guys are so bad at their job! Guess who shows up to fight?! Not Sailor Saturn!

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episode 190 - The Sailor Starlights planet is destroyed

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episode 191 - Cosplay Codename: Sailor V Volume 2 - Minako as a game character

Episode 191, Butterflies of Light: A New Chapter On the Horizon, continues with last episode’s Usagi/Seiya drama. Chibi Chibi is chasing a red butterfly which coalesces with others to form an incense burner. Full confession. At this point in the series, upon my first viewing in the 90s, I was convinced that Chibi Chibi was Princess Kakyuu. The Three Lights know that these butterflies indicate that their Princess is around. Back to the drama Usagi is crying on her bed while listening to her walkman. Total Shinji moment. Terrible. Chibi Chibi has a slipper that says Chibi^2. Witty! There’s a video game event and Taiki is going to be present! The gang go out in costume. Ami is dressed in a toga that somewhat resembles Palutena from the Kid Icarus games. Why is this relevant? In Kid Icarus Uprising for the 3DS and the Super Smash Bros. games the voice of Palutena is provided by Aya Hisakawa, the voice of Sailor Mercury. Of course she was cast in this role some 15 years after this episode aired, so the resemblance can’t be more than a coincidence. A lot of little video game references follow. A trophy thing that looks like Mario, fighting games that looks like Street Fighther and Virtual Fighter. Even a t-shirt referencing Sailor Moon musical actress Anza Ohyama. Cosplayers dressed as all kinds of characters like Chun-Li and Felicia. I have no idea what Rei, Makoto and Minako are supposed to be dressed as but they seem to be somewhat generic video game characters. Maybe from fighting games. Minako’s costume somewhat resembles that of a game character she dressed as in Volume 2 of the Sailor V comic, Minako in Game Center Crown. Similarly Ami’s rival in the final round, Yukihide Ohbayashi, looks just like Taku from that same issue. It should have been Minako to fight him if this parallel was to continue but for whatever reason Ami episodes are as common as Taiki episodes this season. The target this week is idol Reiko Kanagawa who turns into Sailor Gamer. How many of our readers would turn into Sailor Gamer? Probably a few!

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episode 191 - Yukihide Ohbayashi who looks like Taku Codename: Sailor V Volume 2 - Taku
Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episode 191 - Ami dressed as Palutena Palutena from Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS

Support this site by buying the first two seasons of Sailor Moon on DVD and Blu-Ray using the links below.

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars episode 190 - Princess Kakyuu

Continue reading

24 years ago today, the first episode of the Sailor Moon anime aired in Japan

Sailor Moon episode 1 - Luna freaking out with a bandage on her head

Episode 1 of the original Sailor Moon anime, The Crybaby: Usagi’s Beautiful Transformation, aired on Japanese TV on March 7th 1992, 24 years ago today. It’s been a long time and love for the series is still going strong! More than that we are 4 years into the 20th anniversary and we are showing no signs of letting up that celebration!

Sailor Moon episode 1 - Usagi runs into Mamoru

The Sailor Moon official web site’s title remains the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Project Official Site. The official Twitter account is @sailormoon_20th. This branding isn’t going anywhere any time soon! It’ll look really silly next year as we celebrate the 25th anniversary. The manga will be 25 years old on December 28th of this year!

Sailor Moon episode 1 - Crybaby Usagi's Magnificent Transformation

If you’re feeling nostalgic you can watch episode 1, The Crybaby: Usagi’s Beautiful Transformation, on Hulu either in Japanese with English subtitles or dubbed in English.

Watch the trailer for Sailor Moon Crystal’s Infinity Arc which starts Monday April 4th with a new opening and ending theme

Sailor Moon Crystal Infinity Arc trailer - Sailor Chibi Moon and Hotaru

This morning was the premiere event for the first episode of the Sailor Moon Crystal Infinity Arc in Japan. Some lucky fans were able to watch Act 27, Infinity 1 – Premonition, ahead of the rest of us. Only those in attendance were able to see it but a new trailer has been released so that we can see Sailor Uranus, Neptune and some of the Death Busters in action. On top of this we got a lot of news about the series, which is set to premiere on Tokyo MX on Monday April 4th at 11pm Japan Standard Time, 10am Eastern Daylight Time, and every Monday after this. It will replay on other channels throughout the week. There has been no mention of streaming options for international viewers. For now we are hoping for more information while relying on our friends in Japan to record the broadcasts so that they will be fan translated early in the week. Watch the trailer below.

The series has a new opening and ending theme for the Infinity arc. The new opening is “In Love With the New Moon” by Etsuko Yakushimaru who sang the cover of Otome No Policy on the 20th Anniversary album. The new ending theme is “Eternal Eternity” and will be sung by the voices of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, Junko Minagawa and Sayaka Ohara. A CD release with these new songs will be released on April 27th and is already available for pre-order from Amazon Japan and CD Japan.

Sailor Moon Crystal Infinity Arc trailer - Michiru and Haruka

The animation looks a bit different from what we’ve seen, though it’s hard to tell specifically from just these clips. My concerns about the lack of shading in the preview image aren’t worrying me with what we’ve seen from this footage. I think what we’re seeing in this trailer looks quite good, though they are likely just sharing the best looking stuff they have. What do you think?

Sailor Moon Crystal Infinity Arc trailer - Minako and Makoto

Source: Sailor Moon Official Site

Update: [2016-03-09] I previously mentioned that 11pm Japan Standard Time was 9am Eastern Time. This has been corrected to 10am Eastern Daylight Time. I was not keeping in mind the upcoming time change occurring this weekend which puts this release under Eastern Daylight Time, as Daylight Savings Time will be observed for many in the Eastern Time Zone. I’ll be sure to include the correct time zones when April 4th approaches. Apologies to those in the Eastern Time Zone who do not observer DST who are probably just really confused by all this nonsense.

Keep reading for more screenshots from the trailer.

Continue reading

The English version of Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17, Secret – Sailor Jupiter, is now available on Hulu

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17 - Makoto kissing Asanuma

The latest English dubbed episode of Sailor Moon Crystal is now available on Hulu and Neon Alley. Act 17, Secret – Sailor Jupiter, is all about Makoto and her secrets. It focuses on her relationship with Ittou Asanuma, a boy who is himself infatuated with Mamoru. The villain this week is Petz of the Specter Sisters.

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17 - Petz

We get a bit of backstory about Makoto’s parents who died in a plane crash. They are seen in a photo and Makoto’s mother looks just like Brock from Pokémon. The timeline doesn’t really make sense if this were a real thing, plus there are no Pokémon in the world of Sailor Moon, but it’s fun to think about these things!

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17 - Makoto's father was Brock from Pokémon

Brock from Pokémon

Next week is Act 18 – Invasion – Sailor Venus. In this episode we will see the Shitennou once more!

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17, Secret - Sailor Jupiter

Watch English dubbed version of Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17, Secret – Sailor Jupiter, Friday March 4th at 9pm EST

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17 - Makoto kissing Asanuma

The next English dubbed episode of Sailor Moon Crystal will be available on Hulu and Neon Alley this Friday night at 9pm Eastern Time, 8pm Central Time and 6pm Pacific Time! If you’re from Newfoundland you’ll just have to do the math as usual. Act 17, Secret – Sailor Jupiter, is all about Makoto. She befriends Ittou Asanuma, who would much rather get a kiss from Mamoru!

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17 - Makoto's father was Brock from Pokémon

This episode features some back story on Makoto’s past in which we learn that her father is Brock from Pokémon! Funny her mother look nothing like either Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy. Johnny Yong Bosch, who voices Artemis in this English version of Sailor Moon Crystal, also provides the voice of Brock in Pokémon Origins! This means that if for whatever reason future episodes of Sailor Moon Crystal deviate widely from the manga and include a spoken scene from Makoto’s father, he can not only look like but also sound like Brock in the English version! Here’s a picture of Brock I drew decades ago when I was trying to make a Pokémon site. Apologies for all of the broken links. It was 1999.

Brock from Pokémon

Sailor Moon Crystal Act 17, Secret - Sailor Jupiter