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Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Old 05-16-14, 06:17 PM
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Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RWPyM9afQ-w?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Keep watching till the end to see preview of Usagi's new voice.


Official Website: http://www.viz.com/sailormoon | http://www.hulu.com/sailor-moon


ANN's Exclusive Interview: Viz Media's Charlene Ingram and Josh Lopez on Sailor Moon

Video Quality Compare
2003 North American DVD Release (http://cdn01.animenewsnetwork.com/th...w/74639/01.png)
2009 Japanese DVD Release (http://cdn01.animenewsnetwork.com/th...w/74639/02.png)
2014 VIZ Blu-ray Release (http://cdn01.animenewsnetwork.com/th...w/74639/03.png)


Press Release

VIZ MEDIA ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS FOR SAILOR MOON ANIME FRANCHISE

North America’s Leading Anime Distributor Gains Digital, Streaming And Home Media Rights For Legendary Anime

Free Streaming Episodes Debut Today Exclusively On Neon Alley And Hulu!


San Francisco, CA, May 19, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, is proud to announce the acquisition of the SAILOR MOON anime franchise. VIZ Media’s North American rights cover digital streaming, EST (Electronic Sell Through) and all home media products in the U.S. and Canada. Tokyo-based Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is the producer and global licensor for the SAILOR MOON anime property.

As part of the new agreement, VIZ Media has licensed all 200 episodes of the original SAILOR MOON anime series (rated ‘TV-PG’), including the never before licensed for North America fifth and final climatic season, “Sailor Stars.” The three feature films and additional specials for the long-running show are also part of the acquisition. SAILOR MOON will be presented digitally for the first time, with subtitled EST sets available starting Summer 2014 and dubbed editions late 2014, and DVD and deluxe limited edition Blu-ray/DVD combo packs are planned for Fall 2014. The uncut and uncensored VIZ Media release of SAILOR MOON, featuring its original uncropped 4:3 aspect ratio, will also feature all original Japanese names, story elements and relationships, as well as an all-new, uncut English dub with a new voice cast.

VIZ Media will premiere SAILOR MOON Episodes 1-4 (subbed) today on its free NeonAlley.com anime streaming destination and also via the subscription-based Hulu Plus in High Definition. Two new SAILOR MOON episodes will premiere every Monday. Visit www.NeonAlley.com and Hulu.com/sailormoon for more information; the trailer may also be viewed at http://www.hulu.com/watch/635233 and http://youtu.be/RWPyM9afQ-w.

VIZ Media has also acquired the new SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL, and more details are forthcoming.

“We’re pleased to partner with VIZ Media to bring the beloved SAILOR MOON anime series back to North America,” says Masayuki Endo, General Manager, Toei Animation, Inc. “This fresh uncut and uncensored release of SAILOR MOON featuring the most accurate adaptation available will be just as creator Naoko Takeuchi intended. We look forward to fans current and new discovering and falling in love with this classic series all over again!”

“SAILOR MOON is one of the extremely rare breed of anime series truly deserving of the title of ‘Legendary’,” says Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “Since its initial debut in the mid-1990’s, SAILOR MOON has been unavailable to English-speaking fans for nearly a decade. It has also never seen a complete and proper unedited release in North America...until now!”

“SAILOR MOON was groundbreaking in the way its storyline and main characters resonated with both a male and female audience, and these aspects continue to attract a new generation of fans eager to see this iconic series,” says Brian Ige, VIZ Media Vice President of Animation. “We’re thrilled to be able to release this empowering action title uncut and in its entirety. We invite fans to catch the official premieres on Neon Alley and to enjoy the series on DVD and Blu-ray later this year!”

VIZ Media will be celebrating SAILOR MOON at the 2014 Anime Expo, taking place July 3rd–6th at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. Now celebrating its 23nd consecutive year, Anime Expo is sponsored by the SPJA and is the nation’s largest anime convention. VIZ Media will host a variety of special activities and panels throughout “Sailor Moon Day,” on Saturday July 5th. More details forthcoming.

The smash hit SAILOR MOON anime series is inspired by the bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoko Takeuchi (published in North America by Kodansha). In the series, Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy but kindhearted teenage girl who transforms into the powerful guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Meeting allies along the way who share similar fates, Usagi and her team of planetary Sailor Guardians fight to protect the universe from forces of evil and total annihilation!

Naoko Takeuchi was born on March 14. She is a Pisces and A blood type. In 1986 Takeuchi made her debut with the manga LOVE CALL. Her hits include Sailor Moon, Codename: Sailor V, and The Cherry Project.

For more information on SAILOR MOON, or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.


About Toei Animation Co., Ltd.

With headquarters in Tokyo and sales offices in Paris, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Toei Animation (Jasdaq: 4816) ranks amongst the world’s most prolific animation production studios. Toei Animation’s operations include animation development and production, and worldwide marketing and program licensing. Since its founding in 1956, Toei Animation has produced more than 10,000 episodes of TV series (more than 200 titles) and more than 200 long feature films as of January, 2014.

About Toei Animation Inc.

Toei Animation Inc. (TAI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toei Animation Co., Ltd. established in Los Angeles in 2004, looks forward to spreading the world-renowned Japanese animation studio’s extensive library and pursuing co-production projects in North and Latin America and other English-speaking territories worldwide. The main business operations of TAI include film licensing in all media and digital platforms, merchandise licensing and co-productions with local establishments.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Via VIZ Twitter

This Sailor Moon release will have a new English dub cast blessed by the creator herself.

Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune will NO LONGER BE COUSINS!

no more Serena and Darien, meet Usagi and Mamoru

Last edited by chrisc31; 05-19-14 at 04:25 PM.
Old 05-17-14, 07:12 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

"half-season sets"

A little annoying their not doing full season sets, but I'll buy.
Old 05-17-14, 11:41 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Just saw this on Hulu.. Starts May 19th with a new episode streaming each Monday.

I think the biggest announcement about this is that we'll finally get Stars subbed/dubbed in the US... The video stated all 200 episodes.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/635233
http://www.viz.com/sailormoon
Old 05-17-14, 12:06 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Originally Posted by Canis Firebrand
I think the biggest announcement about this is that we'll finally get Stars subbed/dubbed in the US... The video stated all 200 episodes.
Just Sailor Moon getting a New dub is huge news.

Last edited by chrisc31; 05-18-14 at 04:13 PM.
Old 05-17-14, 01:46 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Originally Posted by chrisc31
Just Sailor Moon getting a New dub is huge news.
True.. but a lot of people had been requesting Stars for the longest time and it looked like it wouldn't happen.

In any case.. this is great news all around.. plus the reboot/remake coming out soon as well.
Old 05-17-14, 06:26 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

I'd like to know how Viz Media--who is owned by the same company that owns Shueisha and Shogakukan--managed to pull this off.

Remember, when the anime series ran in Japan in 1992-1997, the copyright was jointly held by Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation and Kodansha, a rival company to Shogakukan and Shueisha. That is unless Takeuchi-san managed to negotiate a deal to change the copyright, so the current anime copyright is Naoko Takeuchi/PNP and Toei Animation, which allowed for the Viz Media deal.
Old 05-18-14, 08:35 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Via http://www.rightstuf.com/n/FT0000006792

Sailor Moon is finally coming back to America! And on uncut Blu-Ray!

Remember when we told you we didn't have a release date yet? Well, we're getting closer!

Sailor Moon fans that attended the Viz Media panel at Anime Central tonight got the surprise of a lifetime! Viz Media revealed it has obtained the licensing rights to the original Sailor Moon anime series, including the never before licensed final season, “Sailor Stars”, as well as all three Sailor Moon movies.

Sailor Moon will begin streaming in subtitled form on NeonAlley and Hulu Plus on May 19, 2014. Viz Media has commissioned an all new uncut and complete dub, featuring the program's original uncropped 4:3 aspect ratio, as well as including the original Japanese names, story elements, and relationships. The video has been remastered in high definition with quality exceeding anything available before -- here or even in Japan. The first limited edition Bluray/DVD combo packs and standard edition DVD sets will begin release this fall.

VIZ Media has also acquired the new SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL, and more details are forthcoming.

Sign up below today to get notified the instant this item is available for preorder!
Click on link above to be notified by RightStuf when Sailor Moon goes up for Pre-Order!

Last edited by chrisc31; 05-18-14 at 04:13 PM.
Old 05-19-14, 07:24 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Watching the first episode subtitled on Hulu Plus feels weird since I watched the dubbed DIC version growing up but I'm excited about this release.
Old 05-19-14, 10:01 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Originally Posted by RockBallsford
"half-season sets"

A little annoying their not doing full season sets, but I'll buy.
I'd never looked before but it looks like each "season" is 34-40 episodes long, so 18-20 half hour episodes per set isn't that crazy. Not sure if this is a series I want to invest in anyways, or just watch on Hulu Plus.
Old 05-19-14, 05:51 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

On Hulu this is the first time I seen on an anime were you can control what the captions look like or even turn them off.
Old 05-19-14, 05:59 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

I'll miss the original dub but the new voice sounds okay. I'm looking forward to an uncensored, uncut series to see how it plays out. I didn't know that the seasons that originally aired in the US were shortened by 5 or so episodes.
Old 05-20-14, 10:53 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Sailor Stars is one of the most awaited anime seasons...ever! I can't wait for it myself. I have some VHS fan-sub episodes and they were good enough to make me want to see the whole season. It's never been released in the U.S.--legally--before.

The loss of the original English dub on the earliest seasons is going to be a deal-breaker for some fans, like my daughter and her generation, which grew up on it.

Last edited by Ash Ketchum; 05-20-14 at 02:45 PM.
Old 05-20-14, 01:18 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
Sailor Stars is one of the most awaited anime seasons...ever! I can't wait for it myself. I have some VHS fan-sub episodes and they were good enough to make me want to see the whole season. It's never been released in the U.S.--legally--before.

The loss of the original English dub is going to be a deal-breaker for some fans, like my daughter and her generation, which grew up on it.
Yep.. I had VHS fan-subs of the Sailor Stars series, but they were pretty crappy quality. Some looked like someone just video recorded them off Japanese TV and added subs to it.

It will be nice to have an actual release. I'm not sure if I want to replace the whole series, or just pick up Stars. I have the original series and the R boxsets that are nice. They are subbed only I believe and uncut? I may opt to get S and SS as well as I have the individual releases of those and a nice boxset of each would be better. Not sure on that though. But def in for Stars, regardless.
Old 05-20-14, 07:43 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Originally Posted by Canis Firebrand
Yep.. I had VHS fan-subs of the Sailor Stars series, but they were pretty crappy quality. Some looked like someone just video recorded them off Japanese TV and added subs to it.

It will be nice to have an actual release. I'm not sure if I want to replace the whole series, or just pick up Stars. I have the original series and the R boxsets that are nice. They are subbed only I believe and uncut? I may opt to get S and SS as well as I have the individual releases of those and a nice boxset of each would be better. Not sure on that though. But def in for Stars, regardless.
ADV sub-only collections never had Episode 67 on it "The Ocean! The Island! A Vacation! A Break for the Sailor Warriors", also they didn't have all the "next episode previews" and some of the opening/ending sequences I believe. People also say the masters used for them was poor quality.

Last edited by chrisc31; 05-21-14 at 06:06 PM.
Old 05-21-14, 07:05 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Ahh.. I didn't realize that.. that changes this a bit.

Also, I thought I read that the new release would also contain some of the one-off short episodes? One dealt with Ami.. I can't recall the others at the moment as I saw them many years ago.
Old 05-21-14, 04:11 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Here is a comparison between the ADV release in 2003 and the Hulu stream. of the ending sequence http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/75716
I checked on some fansubs and that 2003 image is what it really looked like.

Originally Posted by Canis Firebrand
Ahh.. I didn't realize that.. that changes this a bit.

Also, I thought I read that the new release would also contain some of the one-off short episodes? One dealt with Ami.. I can't recall the others at the moment as I saw them many years ago.
Until it is said official I am not counting on those specials, even though the Press Release says
"VIZ Media has licensed all 200 episodes of the original SAILOR MOON anime series (rated ‘TV-PG’), including the never before licensed for North America fifth and final climatic season, “Sailor Stars.” The three feature films and additional specials"


Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
The loss of the original English dub on the earliest seasons is going to be a deal-breaker for some fans, like my daughter and her generation, which grew up on it.
Just tell your daughter that it took Sailor Moon 20+ years battling Queen Beryl and The Dark Kingdom (Negaverse) to come out with a proper release in North America.

Last edited by chrisc31; 05-21-14 at 06:10 PM.
Old 05-21-14, 10:34 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

A word of warning though: people who've seen the DiC dub of the first season may be in for a shock with the new uncut Viz Media dub, which (I believe) is based on the remastered 2009 Japanese-market DVD release.

The story is much darker in the uncut original version, and I'm not sure how viewers will handle the much darker tone of Episodes 45 and 46 in the original version, which actually got complaints from parents in Japan, of all things!
Old 05-22-14, 09:40 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Originally Posted by RayChuang
A word of warning though: people who've seen the DiC dub of the first season may be in for a shock with the new uncut Viz Media dub, which (I believe) is based on the remastered 2009 Japanese-market DVD release.

The story is much darker in the uncut original version, and I'm not sure how viewers will handle the much darker tone of Episodes 45 and 46 in the original version, which actually got complaints from parents in Japan, of all things!
Ummm, it may be presumptuous of me to speak for everyone here, but...I think we can handle it.
Old 05-22-14, 03:35 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Oh yeah, my reaction to the last Game of Thrones season finale, the one with the

Spoiler:
Red Wedding


was: I haven't seen this many

Spoiler:
main characters die in a season finale


since Sailor Moon!

And for those streaming the series, make sure you watch the second episode. That was one of the ones considered too boundary-pushing to show here.

Last edited by dugan; 05-22-14 at 03:56 PM.
Old 05-22-14, 05:16 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Hate to be "that guy" but it wasn't the season finale...

This will be my daughter's intro to Sailor Moon, but by the time it comes out and we get through the backlog, I think she'll be able to handle it.
Old 05-23-14, 09:52 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Originally Posted by dugan
Oh yeah, my reaction to the last Game of Thrones season finale, the one with the

Spoiler:
Red Wedding


was: I haven't seen this many

Spoiler:
main characters die in a season finale


since Sailor Moon!

And for those streaming the series, make sure you watch the second episode. That was one of the ones considered too boundary-pushing to show here.
There were definitely some emotional death scenes in the later series as well.

Spoiler:

Haruka and Michiru death scene in the S episode.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RFUZg-4caCw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Then you have the deaths of the inner scouts in a Stars episode

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SCcwKKfGHdU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Then Haruka and Michiru die again in a Stars episode

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UibakaBp45Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 05-24-14, 08:42 AM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
Ummm, it may be presumptuous of me to speak for everyone here, but...I think we can handle it.
From the 2014 perspective that's true, but at the time it was originally shown in Japan in early 1993, the ending of the first season caused a bit of an unpleasant surprise to many viewers in Japan for an anime show intended for 6-12 year old girls.
Old 05-24-14, 12:20 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

To be honest, other then the first 4 episodes on Hulu I only watched a dozen or so episodes over 15 years ago on tv so I don't remember anything. The only things I posted in the other posts was after I looked it up.
The show so far is good so I will buy the series when it gets released on Blu-ray.
Old 06-05-14, 02:33 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

New trailer for Sailor Moon Crystal

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/v9Ft3viBgtQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-new...-anime-trailer
Old 06-05-14, 04:44 PM
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Re: Sailor Moon Licensed in North America

Sailor Moon sounds like Chibi in that trailer. And the singing sounds like younger girls than the original. Unless I'm remembering the voices from the original differently.

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