If you are true Sailor Moon fan like me, you’ve already known about the re-dub and re-sub of Sailor Moon by Viz, that has been released since 2014. Whether it’s because you watched this classic anime as a kid (like me) or more recently just began watching it now, Sailor Moon continues to touch the hearts of those around the world and show everyone the meaning of GIRL POWER!
All while looking pretty too! (Wish we were all that lucky.) As per previous Moonlight Parties, Sailor Moon announcements and episodes would usually be released online. Sailor Moon fans had been waiting for Season 3 episode of Sailor Moon for what seemed like FOREVER! Viz Media repeated consistently that the Moonlight Party last November was going to be “different.” No one really knew what that meant but since the third season of Sailor Moon episodes were being released on DVD in the next few days, few people thought they were going to release the episodes online this time. However, there was one big reveal that literally NOBODY was expecting. And that was the announcement of official re-sub and re-dub of Sailor Moon R: The Movie! I tell you I was SHOOK when they began showing the trailers. I could not believe my eyes. However, what really had me shook was the fact that Sailor Moon R: The Movie, was going to be available TO SEE IN THEATRES!!!! WHAT!!!
I was so surprised! Do you know why? BECAUSE SAILOR MOON HAS NEVER BEEN IN THEATRES BEFORE IN AMERICA!! THIS SHOW HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1992, AND WAS FIRST DUBBED BY DIC IN 1995. NEVER WOULD I HAVE IMAGINED IN ALL MY YEARS THAT SAILOR MOON WOULD BE ON THE BIG SCREEN AFTER LIKE 20 YEARS. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT??!! TWENTY YEARS!It’s insane it’s coming out now, because the movies have been dubbed before by Optimum. The previous Sailor Moon dub also made several changes to its original content in order to make the show more kid-oriented. The target audience in Japan for Sailor Moon were teens and grownups. In the 90’s cartoons were seen as more for kids. So, Sailor Moon was dubbed as a kids show. As a result there were many censorship changes made by the original dub. You can imagine what the creator Sailor Moon itself, Naoko Takeuchi, must have thought. Most people, including myself, never thought Sailor Moon was going to get a redub! Never mind be shown on the big screen!! So, enough about Sailor Moon the show itself and onto the movie. Basically, I was ecstatic to see it on the big screen. Naturally I bought the tickets a month in advance, mostly because there were limited show times and a limited number of theatres that were (and still are) showing Sailor Moon R: The Movie. The movie itself was so different compared to the first time it was dubbed. ALSO, it was so cool to see the movie with so many other people who have been fans of Sailor Moon for years! Tons of people showed up cosplayed! Of course I had to wear my Sailor Moon shirt!
Seeing it in the movies was definitely a different experience. One of the things I love about going to see movies that have such a strong fan base is that we all share similar feelings for the show. When you see the movie with other fans it’s like a different experience. What I mean is I think almost everyone in the theatre laughed and cried all around the same parts. Now if I forced my family to watch this with me, it’d be a whole difference experience. Only I would be the one laughing or with tears in my eyes. It’s just comforting to be in a room where no one judges you and understands where you’re coming from! As for the movie itself, oh gosh it was amazing. The lines were more accurately translated this time for starters, and the original Japanese soundtrack was kept in place. (That’s right the first dub made their own music and took the Japanese music out.) The voice acting this time was also arguably better (although I still like the VA’s from the first movie don’t get me wrong!). Because the lines were more accurately translated this time, some things were really funny. Much funnier than the original, including during serious parts! However, the emotion was definitely still there. Also, there is a character in the movie who’s sexuality is definitely questionable, however, the original dub definitely did it’s best to remove that. Anyway the plot of the movie begins with Mamoru, Tuxedo Mask, as a small child. His parents hadn’t survived a horrific car crash, but he did. A little alien named Fiore travels the galaxy looking for a home, and lands on Earth. He befreins Mamoru, however, he has to leave because Earth cannot sustain him. He leaves, but before he does he is given a rose by Mamoru as a sign of their never ending friendship. Fiore possibly takes it as a little more, but either way he propses to bring back Mamoru a flower worthy of him. Many years down the line, Mamoru is no longer alone and is in a relationship with Usagi, Sailor Moon. Fiore comes back to show he has finally found a flower worthy of Mamoru after traveling the galaxy for years. However, the flower is the Xenian Flower, and it’s not good news. She is a flower that steals energy from an entire planet and tricks a person with a weak mind in order to do so. Using Fiore, the Xenian Flower tries to destroy Earth and Fiore takes Tuxedo Mask hostage (not the first time he’s been kidnapped). Sailor Moon and the other guardians quickly travel across space to get him back from Fiore. A large part of Sailor Moon R: The Movie deals with the theme of loneliness and being alone. Fiore was being tricked by the Xenian Flower into wanting to destroy the Earth as punishment for leaving Mamoru alone. Fiore traps Sailor Moon’s friends in order to stop her from attacking him, or he’ll kill them. So Sailor Moon drops her weapon. Fiore doesn’t understand why, but then he traps her and attempts to steal her energy. In an iconic scene, Fiore gives his speech about loneliness and how Sailor Moon could never empathize with the pain he fealt. She’s been surrounded by friends and family her whole life and will never have to endure the pain of being alone. As he gives this speech, Sailor Moon’s closest friends, the Sailor Guardians, reminisce about how alone they were before they met Sailor Moon. If it weren’t for Sailor Moon, everyone, including Tuxedo Mask, would have been alone. So while she may never be alone or feel that kind of pain, she still gives and gives, while Fiore thought she had just been out for herself to not be alone. As Fiore attempts to attack Sailor Moon, he misses, because Tuxedo Mask had escaped and threw a rose (his weapon) at Fiore. Fiore was devastated because Mamoru had thrown a flower at him as a weapon. He tries to attack Sailor Moon again now that he is angry, however, Sailor Moon just tries to help him. Thorugh her power, she shows him memories of the same day that Fiore was leaving, it was the first time Usagi and Mamoru met. She had come to the hospital because her mom gave birth and she was going to be a big sister. However, she heard a boy crying, and she gave him one of the roses she brought for her mom to him. That rose Mamoru got from Usagi, he gave to Fiore. Upon realizing the rose had really been from Sailor Moon all along, he is rendered free from the evil powers of the Xenian Flower. As the meteor they are on hurdles toward Earth, Sailor Moon uses her powers to stop it from crashing into Earth, sacrificing her life in the process. Fiore gives Mamoru some of his life energy in order to revive Sailor Moon and then leaves in peace.
In the name of the Moon, the Earth was saved, and so was Sailor Moon herself. Time and time again Sailor Moon not only shows the power of girl power, but also the power of selflessness and forgiveness. She reminds us all the importance and the powerful effects that love can have on everyone around us. Although she can be selfish at times and be a scatterbrained school girl that gets bad grades and eats everything she possibly can, she still has the power to love, as we all do. Sailor Moon always reminds me of how important it is to keep that love going and that is one of the reasons it is so special to me. This movie has a powerful meaning to it and I think it’s a movie that all Sailor Moon lovers, new and old, would most positively enjoy. As for those who have never seen the show, I’m sure the message will still come across, however they may be a bit confused by everything! Either way, “The moonlight is the messenger of love!”