Dear Reader,

Before I begin, I just want to let you know that it's okay. No really, I promise. I know you're probably wondering what on earth made me want to cover an anime from so long ago. Speaking, of course, with all these other glorious anime's (warning: sarcasm!) we see today versus in the mid-nineties. Clearly, I must be out of my mind! I might be, I just might be. However, this month is going to be my first actual editorial. So, what better way to start off with a bang than by covering something everyone quite possibly world-wide knows about? Sailor Moon! I'll say this much, since this is only my first paragraph: I'm of the belief that even while animation might not of been as great back then verses today, the world itself within the mid-nineties held tight on it's ability to keep me distracted. Being young and impressionable, I’m sure that cartoons and anime alike were just that little something extra all of us probably needed to stay out of trouble. For that much, I’m grateful.

I could write another article on my thoughts and view points of today's society. More so, the teenagers that inhabit it. Though I do enjoy my readers, sooooo, let's not delve into that topic...for now. Instead, let me bring you one of my favorite highlights of the dubbed show (because that was all most of us could afford seeing back then...on cable...at 6:30 in the morning before school...man, talk about devotion) before I begin conversing about it. Yes, I'm going to bring up none other than the "Sailor Says" snippets. Which, oddly enough, were dropped after season one. Was it because the morals were lacking in truth? Lacking in sense? Who knows? I just know they always managed to give me a laugh each morning before I'd run out the door late to begin my day. Sailor Moon's original air date in America was back in 1992. The manga began a year before that. All of which ended by 1996. To do some mental math, I was seven when I first got to see it. Hard to believe I had any idea what I was seeing that young. Yet, somehow, I think it really helped me stay true to myself. Yeah, yeah, I know it's corny. Can you blame me to think that? The series really had this level for female empowerment. Able to reach out a hand and keep you entertained for a half hour each day. Well, as entertained as one can be with most of it being a half hour with scantily-clad girls, twirling and spinning provided with a background of pretty colors. The, uh, same girls were rather...er...well endow--... THE MESSAGES. Yes, the messages at the end of each episode. That was my point! They would always be, normally, something pertaining to the episode. Or, they were at first. As the first season went on, they became awfully random. One that comes to mind, was something along the lines of: "Recycle! Sailor Moon Says! 8D" When the episode before dealt with love and romance. As the morals got worse, I found out quickly that it's just better sometimes not to ask.

Before I go any further with my loves and woes, I should probably give you a little history about the series/manga. That is, assuming you don't already vaguely know of it. To say even non-anime fans know of it would be true, and isn't that creepy enough in itself? Let me,instead of rambling, go to the most reliable source (wikipedia) I know (..see the joke I made there? Cause it's really not that..ahhhh you kids will figure it out) and copy/paste (because i'm feeling lazy and it's late) what it has to say:

The protagonist of Sailor Moon, Usagi Tsukino, (Serena Moon, in the dub) is an ordinary, ditsy, middle-school girl (prepare for hilarity to ensue), or so she thinks, at least. One day, while walking, she discovers a talking cat named Luna. The cat then reveals Usagi's identity as "Sailor Moon", a special warrior (henshin anyone?) with the destiny of saving the planet Earth, and later the entire galaxy.. etc etc.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Clearly, someone must of been on something to come up with this idea. I assure you, the overall of this series is actually quite good. You've got your solar systems, love interests, talking animals, good guys and bad guys. What more could you need? What's that? You need plot? Weeell, funny thing that. I'm not so sure if you could call any of it plot worthy. They certainly were able to make it seem like it had one. Though, I think that's more of an agree to disagree thing. In total, the series had 200 episodes. However, only 166 were shown in the states. I think I speak for everyone, being a fan or not, that seeing the same transformations and day to day rountines can get kind of boring after awhile. Granted, Sailor Moon is classified as a Shoujo/Henshin series. That meaning, if you're looking for routine antics, guess what? You've got it! At least for us in America, we got it. Japan views their Henshin shows in an entirely different light. (One that I approve of verses what I've seen here.)

To elaborate my previous statement, we only were able to receive 166 episodes for more than one reason. The biggest of them all was on-going as Sailor Moon continued to air. It was in a constant, on-going battle to keep someone able to dub it. That alone, in itself, could spell trouble for any fan. Though, I think the more obvious reason we never saw the final 33 episodes was more for what that season involved...Gender-bending sailor scouts. No, no, don't rub your eyes or tilt your head. You read it right. Scouts who were originally women, that had the ability to become men while on earth. Trust me, I'm just as lost as you are. Seems sound enough, they've come looking for their planet's princess and, when coming to earth, find out at the time the biggest craze are boy bands. So they disguise themselves as one...and work from there to find their princess. Which side note: Yes, all planets do have their own princess. I don't know why, I don't write the plot. Though, uh...yeah...totally...sound. I know, now, we probably wouldn't bat an eyelash at such an idea, but back then? Lets just say people were more serious about the do's and don'ts of what could be on our air-waves; that was not one of them. Meaning, for most of us, we had to find the final episodes through other means. Which, I gotta tell you, wasn't the easiest thing in the world. In total, Sailor Moon had five seasons and three movies. Not bad, for the time it was released. The movies really didn't tie in with the series, itself, but did hold the letter of the series it was meant to be viewed in, which made it easier to figure out which one to watch when. Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon Super S, Sailor Moon Stars. I heard that each letter stands for something. Though the only deduction i've come to is, "Romance", "Special", and "Super Special". Regretably, that last one just makes me giggle. Prior to the very last season, (and even it had a lot of similarity) each was the same. Different villains and love interests, maybe, but ultimately the same. Get up, school, fight a monster, beat monster, possibly save day, get a little plot history but its rather vague, lather, rinse, repeat. It's just what you'd expect to get for having the attention span of a fly at that age.

So, how about our love interests? The general population of viewers were female, after all. Well, I hope you're in the mood for a lot of men. That's right, all...one...of them. Wait, what? If you don't count the male villains and side kicks, Sailor Moon honestly only had one male throughout its series. Don't ask me why, I still don't get it. The manga stated that each sailor scout had their own respective partner, but the anime mentions nothing of it. Maybe it's because the manga actually sticks to the plot, and not the constant filler? Who knows? So, what do we get for those of us too poor for books? Mamoru and Usagi! (Darien and Serena) Yes, that's right. I hope you weren't coming into this show with the intention of seeing who Sailor Jupiter might get with; you won't be seeing it (unless you watch the specials; then you might get lucky.) The original show itself (no movies, no specials) solely focuses on all that is Mamoru and Usagi. Some of us could deal with that, some of us could not. Why else do you think we wound up getting specials made? The story between the main couple is cute, yet, kind of depressing. I don't know how I'd feel, at least, knowing that someone who I'm interested in has no knowledge of me, but little by little I know all about them. More than once, mind you. I mean, my god, Mamoru, in that series, became the Mokuba of it. Always being kidnapped, brainwashed, getting amnesia, or just generally fooled. Yet, on the side, managing to look good in a cape whenever he was able to recall who he was or had an open day to avoid a kidnapping. You'd think someone like that would catch on after awhile, but I digress. Yes, Sailor Moon R, as it turns out, did, indeed, stand for "Romance". The first season took its turn getting the viewers feet wet, letting you know what was what. That you'd be seeing some possible greek mythology and learning fun things about the solar system. Then, we get to season two, and the petals come flying at full force. I say that because off and on in season one, we get small douses of Tuxedo Mask. (Yes, Mamoru can transform just like the girls do, but it's more hilarious to watch than eye appealing.) Petals refering to the roses that he always somehow manages to throw at just the right angle and percision to distract the monster giving Sailor Moon enough time to defeat it. Man, talk about your continuous dumb luck, right? So, we get double the petals, double the fighting, double the romance. I'd would've been okay with that, if everyone got their fair chance, not just the main characters. Just because the show is named after her, doesn't mean all the focus needs to be directed upon her. At least, that's my point of view on the matter. Though I've been wrong before.

One of the key plot points in R that stands out more than the rest is this: Will they? Wont they? Who am I? Who are you?! They ring that towel dry for 29 episodes (That was how many episodes were in this series.) I love romance as much as the next girl, but that was the last thing on my mind at that age. I get that not knowing your past or yourself can be a challenge, but try and find more creative ways of putting it out there. Not just a continuity of love to hate, hate to love between the main male and female. Maybe that's just speaking for other fans, because I, at least, thought it was cute. I won't go into the other seasons too deeply; I wouldn't want to put you to sleep. Though, to sum it short, they go something like this: Sailor Moon's your introduction, Sailor Moon R (Romance), Sailor Moon S (you get...ugh...plot...awful, awful plot with pink hair), Sailor Moon Super S (focuses on that god-awful plot and a flying horse). Though, both S and Super S did have other plots going on within it, that seemed to be its main. Then, Sailor Stars...oh boy. I think i'll spare you anymore than what I've already said about that one. Really, it's all just for the money at that point, and the final episodes prove it. That's the only other time I thought I'd seen a male, only to be heavily mistaken once I found the truth. That was one circumstance when I'd wished the truth hadn't prevailed. Yeck. (Detective Conan reference, hooray!!)

Recently, I've come to find out that over in Italy, they're slowly but surely trying to find the means to re-dub the beleoved series. Of course, it could all just be heresay, seeing as I've also read that there are people who are fan-dubbing it. Which kind of defeats the purpose, unless it be the final series, fan-dubbing something that was already dubbed, but to each their own. If you're like me, and Sailor Moon just isn't enough to get your fix, rest assured, you're in good hands. The Shoujo genre never dies. Don't believe me? You should. As America has progressed, we've picked up on a few things; keeping what's been popular for about eighteen years was part of that. While it's never been as main stream as it once was, we've learned how to tweak, rewrite, and reanimate to keep the fans at home (and our dollars) happy. A show that comes to mind with reference to the similarity of Sailor Moon is Tokyo Mew Mew (Mew Mew Power). Tweaking it made it so we still had teenage girls with love interests and daily battles, but now they're genetically altered endangered animals. Pretty cool, huh? Or maybe you're wanting a series that was around the same time as Sailor Moon, but got less publicitiy. I'd recommend Card Captor Sakura. Within the last few years, one of the biggest hits for Shoujo lovers was Shugo Chara. This series really took a page and more from it's predecessor. We didn't have one guy, we had five or six. Though, staying true to it's original, all of them could also transform. We didn't have just our main heroine, we had others who had just as impressive transformations and attacks. Everyone had love for someone, and within its run, defintely showcased that. I think it's great to see how far we've come as a culture to know that even if something doesn't seem completely broken, you can still fix it up quite nicely with the right ideas.

So, there you have it. My insight on Sailor Moon. My likes, my dislikes, my hoping that the genre still has a promising future to come. If I seemed vague at any given point in my editorial, I apologize. I just love the series so much, that trying to condense it was tough. Granted, I didn't have to condense it. I could of kept going, in more depth, no less. In all, I think I did a good enough job of letting you know what you missed, what you might not of wanted to see, and what to watch for the future. One quick thing before I go, I haaaaaaaaaate that awful plot with pink hair. No really, I do. She served (to me) no purpose other than to be filler/plot. Filler/plot that was so obvious it was painful to watch. I'm speaking none other than Chibi-Usa (Rini). The obvious plot being, "Guess whose child she was! 8DDDD" Don't know? Don't feel like guessing? Yeah, well, given how much I rambled about the main lovers...obvious hate is obvious. I'm sorry, I know it's only my opinion. Though, to me? She was just obnoxious. Goes to show how much the series must of lacked a plot to include something that pointless into it for two seasons. Mentioning it is one thing, but don't do some...Back to the Future sort of mumbo-jumbo with it. That wasn't part of the deal in the contract I signed to watch it. Though, I, uh, I guess I'm just being biased? I promise I'll be okay. Maybe...

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your read today. I know it was a lot more to take in than my last couple of interviews. Expect bigger and better things to come from The Monthly Feature in the future. I know I will! <3