Earlier this week Viz Media announced the new English dub cast for their dub of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars which will be coming to home video on June 18th. Though I’m used to calling this Viz’s “new” English dub this is the first time the final season is being dubbed in English and so these characters have not had English voices before! The voice cast includes Stephanie Sheh as Chibi Chibi, Sailor Chibi Chibi, Melissa Hutchison as Seiya Kou, Sailor Star Fighter, Erika Harlacher as Taiki Kou, Sailor Star Maker, Sarah Williams as Yaten You, Sailor Star Hearler, and Carrie Keranen as Sailor Galaxia.
Fans will probably notice that Stephanie Sheh is also the voice of Usagi Tsukino, Sailor Moon, in Viz’s dub. Her being cast as Chibi Chibi follows with the Japanese casting where Kotono Mitsuishi, the Japanese voice of Sailor Moon, also played Chibi Chibi. Why is this casting important? In the manga it certainly makes sense for Chibi Chibi to have the same voice as Sailor Moon! Her true identity turns out to be a future version of Sailor Moon so they should share a voice. In the anime however that identity is not kept and aside from the visual resemblance, due to the characters resembling each other in the manga, they are not the same person or even related in any way. The end of the anime was written before the manga was completed and the casting was likely done before the identity of the character was known or decided. So much to say it isn’t really necessary to have Chibi Chibi voiced by Sailor Moon’s voice actor.
The rest of the voice actors have experience in other anime. The three Sailor Starlights are voiced by women, as was the case in the Japanese version. These characters are men while they are in the civilian disguises as The Three Lights and transform into women when they are Sailor Guardians, their genuine selves. In the manga it’s insinuated these are simply disguises but in the anime they actually transform their bodies. Melissa Hutchison who plays Seiya, the more prominent of the Sailor Starlights, is best known for playing Clementine in the Walking Dead video games. Erika Harlacher who plays Taiki has voiced many anime characters including Kurapika in Hunter x Hunter. Sarah Williams who plays Yaten has voiced many video game and anime characters including Sayaka Miki in Madoka Magica and Jinx in League of Legends. Carrie Keranen who plays Sailor Galaxia has previously voiced a number of single episode character in Sailor Moon including Kazuko Tadashita, one of the animator from episode 21, Saeko Yamamoto and Blizzar, the skier and monster from episode 38, Utonberino, a cardian
from Sailor Moon R episode 55, Amanju, a cardian who was chosen by Ail in Sailor Moon R episode 57, Avogadora, the Droid in Dark Fruit in Sailor Moon R episode 66, as well as the Xenian Flower from the Sailor Moon R movie.
Source: @VIZMedia on Twitter
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What about Princess Fireball and the Sailor Animamates
Let’s hope they announce them at Anime Central since it comes out in a month.
If you check VIZ media on facebook they announced them this morning
Awesome! By the way, after checking, I’ve been having a difficult time trying to find Andi Rich, who will be the voice of Sailor Lead Crow. Any idea if she’s a well-known actress under a different name or if she’s brand new?
Clearly: https://twitter.com/AndyRichter
while I’m glad they released the list of main characters minus the anima mates and princess kaguia I wonder if there just going to make the star lights females plain and simple??? while that would seem plausible to an extent the whole boy band set up will be lost at that point or are the 3 voice actresses just going to have deeper masculine voices kinda like bart simpson if you will, I cant wait til next month to get this and I guess we find out how it will happen, really cant wait to have this final season in my set like so many other fans out there and lets hope we get some actual info from crystal soon
They better not try to just make them female the whole time, that changes the whole plot entirely! I am going to be very critical of how they change the dialogue in this season, as I’ve watched the sub version of this season more than any of the others, so much to the point where I’ve just kind of memorized what’s being said so I don’t really have to read it.
I would hope not. It would certainly have been more complicated to hire two of each voice actor and this is consistent with what they did in Japan. It’s far more common for women to do men’s or boy’s voices than the other way around so I think this was the best way to go. Anxious to hear how it turns out either way.
“Melissa Hutchison who plays Seiya, the more prominent of the Sailor Starlights, is best known for playing Clementine in the Walking Dead video games.”
*Joseph will remember that.
Sailor Stars will be released a week after my novel “Rose,” then. Lots to be excited about in June this year.
Um the right stuff website says its coming out june 18th just letting you know
My mistake! Not sure if it was a typo or if I forgot in the few seconds between when I checked and wrote it. I’ve corrected the date. Thank you.
Thats okay love no worries but i will say this you do an excellent job on this sailor moon news site.
Chibi Chibi could sound like Usagi.
I also wonder if Sheh will also be Chibi Chibi’s counterpart, the Light of Hope, as she becomes the Sword of Sealing.
Very interesting cast! I can’t wait to see how they play their roles, especially Melissa! I didn’t see that casting coming!
Yeah! I’m quite curious.
Don’t you mean: Curiouser and Curiouser…
The Fast & The Curious: 2 Faster, 2 Curiouser.
I won’t know if I’m happy with these choices until I hear them sing….
I couldn’t agree more
OMG! Carrie would sound awesome as Galaxia if she used her Xenian Flower voice for her.
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