New "Sailor Moon" Tribute Album Released for 20th Anniversary

Season's Greetings, Friends!

     I hope everyone has had an excellent holiday season! I have a bit of exciting news for today. A Sailor Moon tribute CD was announced yesterday in celebration of the franchise's 20th Anniversary. "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The 20th Anniversary Memorial Tribute" will contain various songs from all seasons of the Sailor Moon anime, including favorites like "Moonlight Densetsu." Another exciting feature of the CD is that the front album artwork will be original artwork from Sailor Moon creator, Naoko Takeuchi. The CD will also feature many collaboration artists, including: Shoko Nakagawa, Momoiro Clover Z, Mitsuko Horie, Tommy heavenly6, Mariko Goto x Abu-chan, and Haruko Momoi. It should be noted that more artists are to come, and which song(s) each artist will record has not yet been released. The songs that will be recorded are:

• "Moonlight Densetsu" (Opening Theme for the 1st through 4th Seasons)
• "Heart Moving" (1st Season 1st Edition)
• "Princess Moon" (1st Season 2nd Edition)
• "Otome no Policy" (2nd Season Edition)
• "La Soldier" (88th Episode Insert Song)
• "Ai no Senshi" (68th, 89th, 102nd Episode Insert Song)
• "Tuxedo Mirage" (3rd Season Edition)
• "Rashiku Ikimasho" (4th Season 2nd Edition)
• "Sailor Star Song" (5th Season Opening)
• "Kaze mo Sora mo Kitto..." (5th Season Edition)

And, here is a shot of the gorgeous album artwork:

The "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The 20th Anniversary Memorial Tribute" CD will be available to purchase everywhere on January 29, 2014. This is definitely something Sailor fans will want to pick up, and something that won't break the bank like some of the recent collectible figurines. While all of the new merchandise is exciting and beautifully designed, I am really wanting some previews of the forthcoming anime, even if it is just a screenshot or short trailer. Oh, well. . . fingers crossed for something soon. If anything new surfaces, I will be sure to let you know. Stay safe, everyone!

- Rei Hino

"Sailor Moon" Most Popular in "Fighting Bishoujo Anime"

Good morning, everyone!

     A news article surfaced on CrunchyRoll this morning which gave the latest results of a web poll taken by Goo, a Japanese search engine, that included Sailor Moon. The poll asked participants to identify their favorite "Fighting Bishoujo Anime" that features both battles and beautiful female characters. Of all the different choices, Sailor Moon showed an overwhelming popularity. The survey was a bit of a landslide, with Sailor Moon earning 6.5x more votes than second place anime, PreCure. This could definitely be a reason why Japan has been diligent in keeping the markets fresh with new Sailor Moon accessories and merchandise. This poll was conducted between October 28th and November 4th, and received a total of 18,258 votes. Congratulations, Naoko Takeuchi and Sailor Moon!

1.) Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (11,843 votes)

2.) PreCure (1,805 votes)

3.) Cutey Honey (1,251 votes)

That's all for Sailor news today. Until next time, stay safe, friends!

- Rei Hino

New Sailor Venus Release!

Good morning, friends!

     In continuation of the S. H. Figuarts Sailor Moon figure line, Bandai has released product images of the Sailor Venus figure. With these images, you are able to see Venus's accessories, different facial expressions and poses, and the bonus Artemis figure included with Venus. Pre-orders will begin soon with an estimated release date being in April of 2014.

And, let's not forget Artemis:

As you can see above, Venus comes with a lot of pose possibilities, including her Crescent Beam Attack pose. Like the previous figures, Sailor Venus will cost $43.60 (4,536 yen). Additional information on this product can be found on the Sailor Moon Tamashii website. This figure looks great, and the addition of Artemis is a nice little bonus. Get yours before they sell out!

- Rei Hino

Naoko Takeuchi on "Sailor Moon: La Reconquista"

Good evening, Sailor fans!

     The world of Sailor Moon has been relatively quiet the last week; however, a rare, exclusive interview with Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi did surface on BroadwayWorld. This interview was done by Shounen Aya, and focused on the recent stage musical of Sailor Moon: La Reconquista and the continuing success of the Sailor Moon franchise. Aya began the interview by asking Mrs. Takeuchi, "When the serialization of Sailor Moon was running, the anime and musicals were also simultaneously happening, so Mrs. Takeuchi, do you have any thoughts you can share about what it was like doing a mixed media campaign?"

Takeuchi: "I think looking back on it, I think it's good to do something different like that. But because I was so young when I was in the thick of it, it felt awful, and there was definitely a part of me that felt it was way too difficult to handle."

On the subject of a possible Hollywood film adaptation of Sailor Moon, Takeuchi revealed that "there was an offer made from Hollywood to make a movie." Fumio Osana, Takeuchi's partner, spoke up on the topic saying, "The truth is its really hard to make a movie adaptation with Hollywood. It would be almost impossible to do without messing up the original work," with Takeuchi agreeing in full accord.

In closing, Takeuchi bragged on the loyalty and support of her fans. She began, "I never imagined that 20 years later, this work of mine would still be so popular, and I can't believe that there are still so many people who love it (laughs). But you know, even now when I hear someone say that they love Sailor Moon, that they think its beautiful, it makes me really happy to hear that."

You can read the full interview with Naoko Takeuchi here. And more information on Sailor Moon: La Reconquista can be found here. Until next time, peace and good fortune, friends!

- Rei Hino

Reissue of Sailor Moon's Accessory Cases from the 1990's

Good afternoon, friends

     Japan is continuing to roll out Sailor Moon merchandise, which may be a marketing plan to get more attention and hype for the franchise in the time leading up to the big anime release. Today, Premium Bandai started accepting pre-orders on two remade products that were huge successes in the 1990's, that being Sailor Moon's own accessory cases. The product comes in two versions: the Crystal Star Mirror Case and the Cosmic Star Mirror Case. The Crystal Star Mirror Case was originally released in Japan in 1993, and sold almost 500,000 units. The Cosmic Star Mirror Case was later introduced in 1994, and it sold nearly 300,000 units. These remakes are nearly identical to the original products, but have been slightly re-modified for more practical use by adult woman (the targeted audience of these two products). The price for both items is $45.74 and they have an expected shipping date of March 2014. Here are a few shots of the two new products!

Cosmic Heart Mirror Case

Crystal Star Mirror Case

Premium Bandai is really doing a great job on these new Sailor Moon products, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else they will release for us! That's all for news today, though. Until next time, stay safe!

- Rei Hino

"Sailor Moon" Pajamas and Lingerie

More Sailor Moon apparel!

Premium Bandai announced yesterday that they would be releasing Sailor Moon lingerie/pajama items in celebration of the Sailor Moon 20th anniversary. Earlier this fall, a line of Sailor Moon outerwear such as hoodies and pajama pants were revealed, so I'm guessing this is a continuation of that line. Bandai's official online store, Premium Bandai, collaborated with popular Japanese brand Peach John to create and produce these items. Yesterday, these items went live for pre-order. The four major line-up groups are: Sailor Moon panties, Sailor Moon bra set, Sailor Moon pajamas, and Sailor Moon Narikiri (costume) bra set. The costume bra set contains 5 different color options inspired by Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus. All items are expected to ship February 2014. Here are a few shots of the products:

Everything looks so cute! You can find the link above to pre-order any of these items. That's all for Sailor news today though. Until next time, peace and good fortune!

- Rei Hino

Review of "Nagi no Asukara"

Good afternoon, everyone!

     I read a great review of Nagi no Asukara this morning. I know I wrote a very brief blog post about this show a couple of weeks ago, but this review does a MUCH better job of describing the plot, themes, and characters of the show. Episode 11 of the series was released yesterday/today (depending on region) on CrunchyRoll, and the show itself is steadily gaining more attention and popularity. The review I was referring to can also be found on CrunchyRoll, and was written by Eclipsed_Oblivion.

Nagi no Asukara is a Project-118 production directed by Toshiya Shinohara. The first episode aired on October 3, 2013 through CrunchyRoll. This is really a great series, has a great combination of drama and humor, and is a great show to unwind to. Also a good way to bide your time until the new Sailor Moon anime release!

- Rei Hino

Figuarts ZERO Sailor Mercury

Good afternoon, Moonies!

     I have just a small piece of news for today. As we continue to count down the days until the new anime release of Sailor Moon, Tokyo is keeping us somewhat pre-occupied with new product releases every couple of weeks. This weekend, the Figuarts 19cm scale ZERO Sailor Mercury was made available for pre-order. In addition, some shots of the figure were released, without the final paint job though. Here are a few shots of the new Sailor Mercury figure:

The pose Mercury has been modeled in is just gorgeous, and really blends well with the flowing water around her feet. Figuarts really did a fantastic job on this. Looking forward to seeing the final, fully-painted product.

Besides that, things are relatively quiet in the Sailor world. Stay safe, everyone!

- Rei Hino

Special "Sailor Moon" Deal! Today Only!

Good day, everyone!

     I wanted to let you know about a "Sailor Moon" special that is good today only. On the CrunchyRoll store website, CrunchyRoll is offering the Sailor Moon Proplica Moon Stick for a little under 25% off. This is part of CrunchyRoll's "Shinji's Deal of the Day." The description of this product reads:

"Sailor Moon fans - get ready for the Proplica Moon Stick! This 1:1 scale replica measures slightly over 10", and features an accurate portrayal with colorful details and light-up gimmicks. Pre-Order today to save big, and be one of the first to get your hands on it!"

The collectible is priced at $69.99, down 24% from its original price of $94.99. Also, if you currently hold a Premium Membership with CrunchyRoll, you will receive an additional $4.00 off. Below is a few pictures of the collectible item, as well as a link to the website to purchase!

http://www.crunchyroll.com/store/p/81722/Sailor-Moon-Proplica-Moon-Stick

Hope you're able to take advantage of this deal! Until next time, peace and good fortune!

- Rei Hino

Brand New "Sailor Moon" Merchandise Coming Soon!

Good afternoon (:

     So, as far as we know, the Sailor Moon anime is still scheduled to air early next year. No new information though. . . . In the mean time, there is some great new Sailor merchandise on its way into stores.

First up is a set of Sailor Moon casual wear for girls:

Included in this lot of new apparel is a Luna pullover and Sailor Moon sweatpants. They really all look fantastic!

On a smaller scale, the next new products are sets of die-cast capsule toys. These items are being produced by Gashapon and feature colorful replicas of the Sailor Scout's wands. In addition to this first series, there will be a second series featuring die-casts of all the sailor scouts, including the outer scouts!

There is also a second set of mini plushes coming that include Sailor Saturn, Sailor Pluto, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, as well as Chibi Moon!

The first set of these plushes will also be re-released so fans can collect both sets. This re-release will include Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus.

So, quite a good bit of collectibles and apparel to keep us occupied until the new anime release in January. And while on the topic of anime, I hope you will check out "Nagi No Asukara" if you have not already. It's about 10 episodes into its first season, and has been great so far. You can stream all episodes on demand through CrunchyRoll. 

Until next time, stay safe!

- Rei Hino

"Nagi no Asukara" Something Worth Checking Out!

Greetings, Moonies!

     The world of Sailor Moon has been relatively quiet in the area of news recently, and there really has not been anything new to report. With the winter launch of the new Sailor Moon anime just around the corner, we still know nothing new then what we did 3+ months ago. Kinda depressing actually. . . . Anyways, I have a suggestion for those who enjoy newer anime. Last month, a new studio P. A. Works project was debuted called "Nagi no Asukara". The series centers around a group of five junior-high school friends (Hikari Sakishima, Chisaki Hiradaira, Kaname Isaki, Tsumugu Kihara, and indecisive crybaby Manaka Mukaido). Hikari, Chisaki, and Kaname have watched over Manaka since they were small children, and Tsumugu Kihari is their new friend from the surface. Here is a brief plot summary from Wikipedia:

"Long ago, human civilization lived on the ocean floor. However, there were many humans who wanted to live above the surface and they moved to land creating a fundamental separation between the two. After their school closes down, four middle school students from the sea have to go to school on the surface. This is about their lives as they adjust to a new environment and the relationships with each other."

The series is based off of a manga series written by Project-118 and illustrated by Riso Maeda. This manga was released back in June of this year and is continuing to be published and sold. There is only one volume as of right now.

The series is currently 8 episodes into its first season, all of which are available to watch, with English subtitles, on Crunchyroll. It's a smooth, beautifully illustrated anime with a flowing, engrossing storyline. The landscapes are really quite amazing, and the underwater village is something new and exciting to see, especially the colorful fish and sea vegetation. But rather than tell you more about it, I encourage you to check it out for yourselves!

Until next time! Stay safe, Moonies!

- Rei Hino

Sailor Moon "Perfect " Edition

I know this is fairly old news, but Naoko Takeuchi recently released two cover illustrations for the new manga edition of Sailor Moon entitled, "Perfect" and I'd really like to talk about them. The October issue of Nakayoshi, the monthly manga anthology of Kodansha Comics, held the honor of revealing the two new illustrations.

The first of the two is, not surprisingly, an illustration of protagonist, Usagi Tsukino. Usagi is illustrated holding her Moon Wand in her right hand, and some sort of celestial, or perhaps galactic matter, gracefully ascending from her left hand. Her sailor uniform boldly pops with the red, blue, and white contrasting the deep space background. Takeuchi elegantly draws the figure of Sailor Moon with deep, compassionate eyes, her flowing golden hair, slender arms and torso, and seemingly perfect legs complimented by her short navy skirt. Usagi defines the feminine heroine, but also exudes a presence worthy of respect, as well as power. Truly, the one worthy of reigning over the Moon Kingdom.

The second illustration is of Sailor Scout, Ami Mizuno, or Sailor Mercury. Besides having an IQ of 300, Ami is known for her ability to generate and manipulate water in any state of matter, which Takeuchi beautifully illustrates in this drawing. Ami is drawn with a bubbly, aquatic background, where she is seen holding a bubble within a bubble in mid-air with captivating arms, as well as showing off her appealing and enchanting legs. The blues of her uniform are boldly accentuated, while her hair appears to be swaying slowly from side-to-side, perhaps meant to mimic that of some kind of sea vegetation. Ami's eyes are mostly concealed, but her femininity is clearly emphasized in this illustration as well, making her as beautiful and elegant as any mermaid.

The new editions of the manga are expected to be released in Japan later this fall, sporting a slightly larger size than the previous edition of Sailor Moon manga (2003-2004). There will also be 12 volumes in this set, as was the case with the previous editions. Perhaps, more artwork by Takeuchi will be released in the coming weeks, though I am thankful we have actually received something (the new anime being a completely different story). But, I think congratulatory dues should be paid to Ms. Naoko for a beautiful job done on these illustrations!

Feel free to comment and tell me what you think about the artwork, or suggestions maybe of something you would like to see on this blog. I am willing to consider anything. (: Until next time, peace and good fortune, Moonies!

-Rei Hino

And So, We Wait. . . .

     Despite the let down of Sailor Moon anime not returning this summer, the female idol group "Momoiro Clover Z" confirmed with the expansive fan-base, during the Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Event #2  that the show would be airing this winter of 2013. Fans have been eagerly awaiting any new hints or sneak-peaks of the upcoming new installment, but have yet to see even a single screenshot of an episode or artwork. One very talented fan and artist, Makacon, however, has chosen to spend this period of waiting very creatively, and rather positively, by drawing professional artwork of the Sailor Scouts, Mamoru Chiba, as well as the children of Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makato, and Minako (illustrated in the photo above). The artist presents an interesting concept by placing the children (girls) of the original Sailor Scouts as the new guardians of Earth, led by none other than Luna. Personally, the idea is creative and practical, and would make perfect sense with the allotted time that has passed since the last season of Sailor Moon aired. Each of the original Sailor Scouts are married, with the exception of Minako being divorced, and are living fairly normal, predictable lives based off of what the manga let readers know about each of them. What the real storyline will be, no one knows, but hats off to Makacon for the good ideas and gorgeous artwork.

Check out this link for all new artwork by Makacon, as well as character descriptions. Who says it's not okay to dream? 

Thanks for reading. It is my sincerest hope you have enjoyed the photos and information and will continue to read. Follow me on Instagram for daily pictures of Sailor Moon - Username: sailormoonpictures and until next time, peace and good fortune.

- Rei

Additional source:

Crunchy Roll News