Sailor Moon (and Anime) is Not a Freak Show...

On October 23rd, I came across an article that offended me. Not just as a fan of Sailor Moon, but as the editor of this blog where research is key. I tweeted about this article, but never linked to it. It took them over a week to make changes to the article, however they seemed to just want to make token edits. I wrote the editors of the site, and they did nothing. It only seemed like action was taken after I had written to the VP of the company. What is this article? A piece by Rohin Guha about Hollywood's Anime Ambitions for BlackBook Magazine.

In this article, he failed to mention the most important thing that Sailor Moon is: a cartoon where the girls are the heroes. Instead, he compared it to "Eastwick meets Star Trek" (of which the show has barely anything in common with) and marked it as a show full of annoying girls He implied that the hallmarks of the series were "lesbians, transsexuals, gays, and some of the most sophisticated pontifications on classical mythology on network TV". He made Sailor Moon sound like an absolute freak show. Moreover, when talking about an old effort by Disney to make a live action film with Geena Davis playing Queen Beryl, he also wrote that Alicia Silverstone was to be part of the effort. Alicia was never involved with the effort. I had asked BlackBook to correct both of these errors, however they did not. These kinds of strange judgments and shoddy research are appalling, especially considering that BlackBook Magazine has been established for 13 years. Where is your journalistic integrity? A lot of these statements tread on xenophobia - we are sure if he sat down and watched an episode, he would know better.

And then, he posted about the infamous Lindsay Lohan rumor of years ago. I was with Save Our Sailors at the time and I remember how hard we worked to verify or debunk that rumor. One of our members had to go through great lengths to get not one, but two issues of ANIMAGE, only to learn that there was in fact no mention. Other members worked hard in contacting relevant contacts to verify or debunk this rumor. I remember being relieved the day I posted our findings because I really didn't want to see Lindsay Lohan play Sailor Moon, and I had hoped that the rumor would die. But clearly, it didn't. At least I was able to succeed in getting this part of the article corrected, though not as strongly as I would have liked to have seen.

Rohin labeled "Japanophiles" (we think he probably meant to use the word "otaku") as creepy fetishists, and generalized that all anime by virtue of its "choppy, hacky editing and tendency to reuse cels"..."is supposed to be a cost-effective way of mass-producing entertainment." Has this guy not heard of such legends like Hayao Miyazaki, who won the first ever Oscar for an Animated Motion Picture? Or other major names in anime like Mamoru Oshii, Rintaro, Makoto Shinkai? or Isao Takahata? Not all anime is choppy or hacky edited, and we're pretty sure that low budget does not equal low appreciation. The Oscar-winning Spirited Away may have only cost under 20 million USD to make, but grossed nearly 365 million USD worldwide. This comes pretty darn close to the profits that major Hollywood hits make these days. We invite Rohin to actually watch some anime, not just shows meant for TV, but movies as well. We're not going to ask him to appreciate anime, but to think twice about what he writes about entertainment genres he seems to know little about. And maybe, consider doing more than a few minutes of research.

In Memoriam: Veronika Aryana Neugebauer

On October 11th, 2009, the voice of Sailor Jupiter in the German dub of Sailor Moon, passed away suddenly. She was only 40 years old. She had played many roles in German dubs of anime, including Ask Ketchum from Pokemon, Naga the Serpent from Slayers, Dr. Atsuki Chiba/Paprika from Paprika, and many others. She was also the daughter of legendary German voice actor Hartmut Neugebauer. Throughout her life, she had lived in New York, Munich, Paris, and London, and learned how to act. She began her acting career when she was only 5 years old, as a voice actor for many children's cartoons in Germany. Later, she was frequently used as the German dubbing voice of Neve Campbell. In 2003, she won the German Dubbing Prize for her outstanding work dubbing the voice of Eileen Walsh in The Magdalene Sisters. Her funeral was held on October 19th, and her invitation read "An angel has come home, how beautiful you were with us, thank you for your love". She is survived by her father Hartmut, her mother Ananda, and her sister Miryam who is also an actress. She is buried in Munich's North Cemetery. Our staff sends out our deepest condolences and sympathies to the Neugebauer family on this tragedy. Fans can watch her first episode as Sailor Jupiter on Youtube (Part 1, Part 2).

Hollywood Sailor Sightings!

Penelope Cruz Bears Striking Resemblance to... Sailor Pluto?!


Pedro Almodovar's Los Abrazos Rotos (or better known in English as Broken Embraces) is making waves around the world, and just recently closed the New York Film Festival. An Italian fan named Federica Bernasconi was reading the November issue of Ciak, and noticed something familiar in a still from the film. More specifically, the dress that the film's star, Penelope Cruz is wearing. Sailor Pluto fans might recognize the dress too! The Guardian of Time was drawn wearing a dress that seems to have been re-created in this film almost perfectly! All Penelope is missing are those crystal earrings, and that champagne flute for an extra touch of class! One article had the nerve to say that "Cosplay Mania" is starting to infect the cinema! All fearful symmetry aside, there's another facet to this interesting choice of costume; it is rumored that costume designer Sonia Grande may be a fan of Sailor Moon. Was this a coincidence or could this have been planned?

Often Imitated, But Never Quite Duplicated!

These next two sightings are somehow assumed to look like Sailor Moon... but, we have to disagree. The first one comes from Project Runway. In this season's 10th episode, Michael Kors came to the remaining designers with his "inspiraton challenge". Designers had to pick a location and use it as inspiration for their outfit. Designer Logan Neitzel picked Hollywood, and didn't quite design anything great. What we can't understand is how this blogger with the Daily Loaf thinks that the outfit resembled Sailor Moon. Seriously? When was the last time Sailor Moon wore something that tacky? Asian Model + sailor-type ropey neckline + suspenders ≠ Sailor Moon.The second one comes from the hit FOX TV show, Glee. Never seen this show, but it seems that one character's cute outfit was reminiscent of Sailor Moon. In the 5th episode The Rhodes Not Taken, the germaphobic Rachel was spotted during the bowling scene by this blogger wearing a shirt that had a half-blue, half-red, collar and scarf painted directly on it, and a short blue skirt. She tries more to look something like Minako in her school uniform, but we're not diggin' the red and blue split sides too much. That skirt's a little too bright to be considered Sailor Moon fare too. But, if she was trying to pull off the Sailor Moon schoolgirl look, we think she deserves an E for effort. Next time, try wearing something with a real collar??

An interview with Linda Ballantyne

Hey Moonies!

Our intrepid leader, Sailordees, has once again worked her magic and we can present to you an exclusive interview between Linda Ballantyne (Sailor Moon #3) and the Moon Chase staff. Encompassing not only her work on Sailor Moon but also in several other series as well! Linda also just started her very own blog and fans can also tweet her on Twitter!

MC: Were you aware of how big a cultural phenomenon Sailor Moon was before you were cast in the S Movie and later the series? Were you shocked with the extent of the popularity of the show once you were involved?

LB: Well, I knew it was a popular show, but I had NO idea how big it was. I only fully understood that I'd gotten myself into an extremely popular show after the S season. It was pretty rushed and I knew that the character I was playing had a lot of fans, therefore I felt I needed to be a good actress for Serena, otherwise I could possibly bring down the greatness of the show.

MC: You have played both a villain and a hero in Sailor Moon. Which role was more enjoyable?

LB: They were both enjoyable, A lot. But I have to admit, whilst I do love to yell attack and transformation phrases. Serena's voice is quite close to my own, whereas Snow Kaguya wasn't. It was a great task to be able to transform my voice and I had a lot of fun with it.

MC: The actress that played the role before you was quoted in an interview saying she saw Serena "as a girl as well as an emerging young woman", still having a "girlish voice" but also going on a kind of emotional roller coaster. How did you come up with your take on the voice of Sailor Moon?

LB: Well, I wanted Serena to become a young woman. At this point, she was emerging into adulthood. I needed to capture this significance in her life. But on top of that, she also had to be a klutz and very, very naïve, It was a tough combination, but a successful one in the end.

MC: When developing the voice for Serena/Sailor Moon did you try to make it similar to other interpretations of the role, or did you try to take the voice in a different direction?

LB: Originally, I was asked to portray Serena a lot like the previous actress did. I was aware that she had lots of fans which came from the role of Sailor Moon. I didn't want the Authenticity of Serena to decrease so for the majority of S I was using the techniques the previous actress used. But as the show went on, I phased out her methods and began using my own.

MC: What was the production schedule like? We know for the first two seasons that the actors worked into the wee hours of the morning to meet the 5 episodes per week deadline. Was it ever like this for you? How long did it take to get through both seasons?

LB: Oh god! Haha, it was very, very bad sometimes. The whole two seasons were rushed, which I thought was a bad mistake. A lot of the actor's voices suffered quite a bit during the recording sessions. It was a long time ago so I don't really remember exactly how many episodes we recorded in a week. But it must have been somewhere like 7 or 8 in a week!

MC: Do you have any memorable experiences from dubbing and/or favorite scenes? If you could have a role in a possible re-dub of Sailor Moon again would you like to reprise any of your roles?

LB: Definitely! The whole show was a great memorable experience. If I was asked to reprise my role as Sailor Moon I would, without a doubt accept the moment I was asked. Also, I'd love to portray an evil character. Possibly Nehellenia.

MC: What was it like to take on the role of a character previously played by two other actresses? Did it make you nervous or change your approach to the role?

LB: It was very nerve strange for me. I immediately fell in love with Serena; I was just so pleased that I got the chance to play her. I never heard the first actress, However I did hear Terri. She had a lovely voice, particularly for Serena, I hope fans can really see that I did try, hopefully successfully, try to sound as much as I possibly could as Terri.

MC: What was your favourite aspect of playing each role? Was there something you found particularly interesting about either or both character(s)?

LB: I love Serena. Seriously. If she was a real person, I would want her to be a friend of mine. She has a great personality. She'll always look out for her friends; she's truly just magnificent. As for 'Snow Kaguya.' I love how evil she is. It was a nice change from what I previously worked on. You can tell she'll go past the limit to reach her goal. But luckily, she got what she deserved.

MC: What was your favourite episode/movie to work on?

LB: I adore the episode in the final season where, Rini and Serena swap ages. That was a lot of fun to do, especially with my voice, It was a lot higher than what I usually do, also the story was just so sweet, I love the relationship between Rini and Pegasus.

Fans can watch this one on YouTube! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3!

MC: How long have you been acting for and what got you started in it?

LB: Well, for a very long time. It must have been for about 15 years or so. It all started when I got in an argument with a cashier at a grocery store. He was over pricing me. So I went all 'Smoke' from Ying Yang Yo on him. He told me I was such a Drama Queen and to "get a job in acting"! At first I was offended but it opened doors for me.

MC: Do you prefer acting for live-action productions or animation? Why?

LB: I prefer Animation. I would do some live action performances, it's just I've never been comfortable with my appearance until about 5 years ago. Plus, I think I suit cartoons more, you get so attached with a character. It's nice to have the surprise when you watch it and hear yourself.

MC: The Rhythmoband technique is not used very much in cartoon dubbing anymore, and now there is a "beep method" that is more commonly used. Which method did you prefer and why?

LB: I prefer the Rhythmoband technique. It was a lot easier to work with. It was tricky at first but once you got the hang of it, it was pretty simple. The beep method is good too, but once you get used to something that works. You don't really want to take another method.


MC: You voiced several humorous enemies in the Disney Cartoon, Yin Yang Yo! Many fans don't know that some Disney cartoons are actually dubbed in Toronto. What was it like when you found out you had gotten a role in cartoon from such a legend in animation? We also loved the voices you came up with for the enemies (especially Saranoia!) in Yin Yang Yo ! How did you come up with the right voice for them?

LB: Ecstatic. Overly ecstatic. I couldn't believe I had gotten the roles I did. Saranoia was a fun character to play with. She was pretty straight forward. I love that she has a wand for every occasion that always seems to backfire for her. One of my favorite roles on Ying Yang Yo (sic) was Smoke. I love how crazy her voice is, It's exactly like mine, especially when shouting, which she does most of the time. Her character is actually a parody of Sailor Moon.

(Interested fans can watch an episode of Yin Yang Yo here.)

MC: How did you get involved with the Rubber Chicken Farmers? Some fans have seen Oh Baby! How did that project come to be?

LB: Well. Around that time, I wasn't really doing many projects. I wanted to tackle another project, so my agent managed to find me work on that show. It was really fun.

MC: When coming up with the voice of Percy in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, how much did the old series on PBS influence how you portrayed the voice? Or did you come up with something completely different?

LB: I listened to the previous voice. I liked it, but I thought Percy could do with a bit more soul. I'm not saying the previous actress didn't put enough soul into the character, I just thought more could be good. I don't know, something just seemed to be missing.

MC: You were also the voice of Janet van Dyne/The Wasp in the Avengers: United They Stand cartoon. Having played a female superhero in an American cartoon and in a Japanese anime cartoon, what do you think makes these two interpretations of female superheroes different?

LB: I don't think the nationality of the characters really changed how I portrayed them. It didn't have an influence on me at all, as far as how portraying them should go. It was similar really. I used similar methods in both Sailor Moon and on this, because the characters were pretty similar.

MC: Did you know about the Avengers comic before you got the role as the Wasp? Did this have any influence on how you came up with the right voice for the character? If not, how did you come up with the right voice?

LB: Not when I auditioned. But I had to do some research before I actually started recording for the episodes. I liked how she looked; I wish they would make just a 'Wasp' movie. It was lots of fun.

(Interested fans can watch an episode of The Avengers here.)

Special thanks to Linda Ballantyne for this opportunity and her support of the campaign! You have given us a lot of courage in these last few days to make it to the finish line!

Results Report Finally Done!

Hi Moonies! Here are your results reports binders, for those of you who are still skeptical of this campaign. One will go to Toei, and the other will go to FUNImation. I spoke with representatives of both companies on Monday and they are both looking forward to seeing these results. Each one has nearly 180 pages! I had wanted to send them out this morning, however it took me nearly 3 hours to get everything printed properly. As you can probably tell from the photo, every page in here is protected with a page protector.

There is a wealth of information in these reports, and it is our hope that they will help to bring the series back by notifying the companies of what the fans want to see. What makes up this report? 1331 survey responses, several pages worth of fan comments, and a comprehensive look at the history of Sailor Moon and how past management decisions have affected the fandom.

I want to first and foremost thank the fans who participated in our campaign. Your voices are strong, and you have shown that Sailor Moon is still loved. Your love for the series never stopped, despite having been without it for 5 years, or the few years gap in between the R and S seasons! Many of your comments for the show have told us how much it has meant to you and what the show needs to be a success again.

Secondly, I want to thank my entire Moon Chase staff for their grace, patience, and teamwork. When we all pull together, there is nothing that we can't do! This report marks one of the biggest achievements that this site has ever produced, and here's to many more! I promise, you can all take it easy now ;). To the auxiliary staff members who have helped us translate important things that we needed to put this together, thank you!

Thirdly, and not least, I want to thank our staff's family members, friends, and colleagues for their support. It has meant a lot to us especially when the going got tough. We could not have pushed on forward without you! And a special thank you to the stars of the show for still having faith in a production they did many years ago. We know how much these characters have meant to you all, and we really hope we will be able to enjoy your voices again in a re-release or re-dub!

To you two blue binders, I wish you a prosperous journey to the hands I will send you off to tomorrow morning! Tell our stories and words with as much heart as we all gave putting you together!

Things to Come...

Hey everyone: We're going to take this time to catch you up with what is going on behind the scenes of Moon Chase. We are finally finished the entire report and are getting prepared to send it off to the companies involved later this week. Then, our staff is going to break for a few days (we really need it!) before getting back to a normal pace for the site. These reports are nearly 100 pages long, complete with charts, letters, fans' comments, and we have also added a unique perspective of how past management of the series have affected the fans. We've pretty much written a 15 year history of Sailor Moon. After we have received word that they have been received, we will be posting a much shorter version of the results online on another site which has graciously agreed to host them for us. We can't say which site that is quite yet.

I got in touch with both of the companies today and they are both interested in the results :).

We also have an exclusive interview with Linda Ballantyne, so please keep an eye out for that at the end of the week! Linda was the third actress to play Sailor Moon in the 3rd and 4th seasons, but did you also know she played Snow Princess Kaguya in the Sailor Moon S Movie? We were a little shocked that Optimum Productions didn't list anyone in the credits that was not playing a hero. So, whatever you may read on other sites, Catherine Disher did NOT play Snow Princess Kaguya. If you hear her voice in the movie and compare it to Linda's other work in cartoons, we're sure you'll hear that it is her! We're also working on some other surprises. Just think of this as our little reward to you fans for being such good sports during the most grueling parts of the campaigns!

We've decided to also break the Japanese writing campaign into two parts, since we are coming upon the holiday season. We have some very creative ideas being thrown about the staff behind the scenes and we hope to have the first part of Phase 4 up within the next 2-3 weeks.

As always, we will keep you guys posted with anything that happens with the campaign and what's going on with the rights to Sailor Moon around the world! Thanks to every fan who participated in this campaign. The fight to bring Sailor Moon back is just beginning!

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask Become Zombies in Toronto

Happy Hallowe'en, Moonchasers!

Saturday, October 24th, 2009 was the date of the seventh annual Toronto Zombie Walk. The walk began at Trinity Bellwoods park and progressed along various streets of Toronto until the end point on Bloor street near Bathurst station.

Before the walk began, zombies gathered in the pit bordered by Dundas street and Gore Vale avenue, where organizers made some announcements and one organizer (Adam Pearson) even proposed to another organizer (Thea Munster)!

The walk began with zombies being directed to Dundas street to exit the park, and it wasn't long before it was clear that even Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask had become zombies!

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask lurched along with the crowd, barely noticing curious onlookers taking photographs. Groups of zombies were soon throwing themselves at bus shelters to scare the odd victim, while other groups took greater interest in stopped traffic, moaning and grasping at streetcars, buses, and cars, trying to claw their way through the windows to scare people traveling in Toronto that afternoon. A local news vehicle was even stopped by zombies who smeared blood on the outside and piled on the hood of the vehicle. The driver, like many spectators in Toronto that afternoon, seemed to find the event enjoyable to watch.

Other costumes included a group cosplaying as characters from the Legend of Zelda, pirates, medical staff in scrubs, Mr. T, Billy Mays, conjoined twins, a 1950's housewife with anger issues, brides, and zombie movie extras (they had signs explaining their lack of costume!). Unfortunately for the odd zombie hunter, they were vastly outnumbered by the zombies.

The organizers wore Umbrella Corporation uniforms, a very fitting tie-in to Resident Evil, one of this year's sponsors. It also reminded me of the 2004 movie, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, which was filmed in Toronto and the surrounding area.

Many of the zombies were very well behaved, groaning for brains and randomly moaning, but obedient when organizers controlled pedestrian traffic around busier intersections.

Following the walk, there was a showing of zombie films at the Bloor Cinema, which seemed to attract a massive lineup.

The zombies were everywhere in Toronto last Saturday. The zombie slayers were hopelessly outnumbered, and it was interesting to see even Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask become zombies. They weren't the first Sailor Moon zombie cosplayers, but it's definitely an unusual way to cosplay characters from the series.

Have you ever dressed as a zombie version of a Sailor Moon character? We'd love to see your costume and share it on the site!

Thanks to Derek Haecker for providing photos.

BREAKING NEWS: Guess Who Fails To Acknowledge 20th Anniversary Celebration; Italy Manga and Anime News

Sailor Moon Channel Fails, Yet Again

This morning marked the first of Sailor Moon Channel's two monthly updates. And, this update seems to be incredibly bare bones. Only the Luna Report this time! And the letters aren't even worth talking about in too much detail. Here's what they are about: one reader looks forward to reading the Luna Report when it is updated, and oversleeps like Sailor Moon, one fan says they rented Sailor Moon from the stores up until last year, and wants to know how Minako got her pen (answer: Artemis gave it to her a year before she met Sailor Moon), a fan wants to be like Sailor Moon because she is gentle, pure, and strong, a 14-year old boy wrote in asking how long it would take him to grow his hair as long as his favorite superhero (answer: long hair requires lots of maintenance, but please keep supporting the show), and a very short letter from an 8-year-old fan wishing Usagi good luck on her tests. Last month's questions were a lot less shallow. Seriously? These were the best ones? But, considering it is a weekend, maybe sometime next week we will see a new "Flashimated" manga chapter. This is very disappointing since it is only a matter of days that fans still have left to order their DVDs from Toei, and there is just no mention on the official site. Earlier this week, Naoko Takeuchi was not listed to attend the 20th anniversary celebration either. Maybe we'll hear about this event in late December or January with a small token picture and short entry... what an appalling show from the creator. What gives, Naoko?

Italy's DVD Release Sparks Bidding War, and Still No Word on Manga

Italian Correspondent Lights sent us this link yesterday to a forums post from a fan who managed to get some more information. The lockdown may have happened because of many companies in the world selling the rights to the DVDs without Naoko knowing (but, we cannot confirm this since she is so secretive). 3 companies are currently engaged in a bidding war over the DVD release in Italy - DYNIT, Yamato Video Publishing, and Giochi Preziosi Publishing. The other interesting thing is these 3 companies are also fighting for an uncensored re-dub. We also read earlier this morning that Claudia Bovini, a staff member for Star Comics in Italy, still has no new news on any negotiations for the manga. It is likely that in the Fall of 2010, the show will air in the afternoons on a new channel, Italy 2. Fans, this is great news to know that there is competition going on for the release rights, and now it is all up to Toei and Naoko to let loose their grip on the series.

Sailor Moon Cosplay - Just in Time for Halloween!

This video we're about to show you made the news in Japan! Michelle Phan is a Vietnamese-American student studying at the University of Florida, and her makeup and costuming videos ranging from Snow White to Lady Gaga have made her an internet sensation! She just posted one a few days ago of her Sailor Moon cosplay and the Japanese article noted that it was absolutely perfect. They also made mention of her call to Naoko Takeuchi. "Naoko Takeuchi If you are watching or reading this, thank you so much for creating a hero for all of us girls to look up to. I dream of meeting you one day. I would probably cry because you are one of my biggest inspiration. Arigato!" We're not going to say much more, but for all you die-hard cosplayers, this video speaks for itself! If any of our readers are dressing up like characters Sailor Moon, please send us pictures - we'd love to feature them!

Kotono Mitsuishi Appears at Showcase Event for Kokekko-San!

Kotono Mitsuishi (Sailor Moon) was all smiles when she appeared on October 26th for a showcase event for the new CG cartoon, Kokkeko-San! Before we get to that though, we were so pleased to see the last article we posted on this series get mentioned on an Italian TV Blog!

At the showcase, a few clips were shown, and some 3-d clay models used in the animation were also on display with the original books the show is based on. And after we saw those pictures, we have to say they did a great job in bringing the characters from the book to life! Kotono said that she liked to voice the role of the mother "egg", but sometimes it was hard to portray a voice that had the essence of parenting with this bright motherly character who had lots of energy! She was reminded of elementary school when she began work on this series, and also noted that "chicken" was her nickname in middle school! She feels that it was fate that she is playing this role now. She also draws from her own experience of being a mother when playing the role as well. At the conference, she also bought another "person" with her, and performed a few lines in another familiar character's voice: Misato Kutsanagi from Evangelion! This series will be playing in both South Korea and Japan within days of each other, and is looking to be a hit for families!