More Sailor Moon Schedule Info in Japan, and New Kotono Mitsuishi interview!

Last night, a new article was posted in the news about the return of Sailor Moon in Japan. We learned a few more details about what else will be airing. The article made special mention of how Sailor Moon sparked a Sailor Senshi costume craze, and also a boom in female superheroes in the industry. ANIMAX finally posted their transcript of their interview with Kotono Mitsuishi, and we have it translated for you below!

First off, we'll start off with scheduling. Toei Channel will be airing not only the three movies (R, S, and SS), but will show Make-up Sailor Senshi and Ami's First Love afterwards, all in a marathon at 10:00 AM on September 5th! ANIMAX was also confirmed to be airing all 200 episodes beginning on September 1st. One will be aired each weekday at 4:00 PM. Perfect for Japanese schoolchildren who want a break after school!

And now for the interview - which Japanese readers can go here to read! Kotono gave a very heartwarming interview, and we have a much greater appreciation for the effort in her role than we ever did before. We hope that this brings you all a smile! Special thanks to Aaron for his help translating this - Moonies can go visit his site, Game Socks for a game or two!

Interviewer: Sailor Moon first began broadcasting in 1992, what are your current feelings about a re-broadcast after 17 years?

Kotono: I think that it is great for everyone to see all the episodes and see her star shine again!

Interviewer: Do you have any special memories looking back on that time?

Kotono: Because I had passed that audition just after making my debut, there was terrible pressure. It was dark in there and sometimes I couldn't read the script, and I had so many nightmares before we recorded the first episode! This was a new stage in my life, as I had passed my first audition after failing many.

Interviewer: Can you teach us a way that parent and child can enjoy Sailor Moon? The girls who were fans of Sailor Moon when it first aired, I think are mothers now!

Kotono: I promise one episode a day and I watch it with my daughter on DVD! she learns a lot from the show because of all the attractive characters with strong personalities like Mercury, Venus, et al. in the show, they are remembered easily. For each child, I think it is fun to see the different personalities become intertwined! My daughter points out "It's Hino Rei"!

Interviewer: How did you tackle the line "In the name of the moon, I will punish you" with feeling?

Kotono: I think that line was there from the first episode, but it probably came from a line from a period adventure drama, don't you think? "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" I tackled her yell like something out of Momotaro Samurai or Mito Koumon. (NOTE: these are Japanese Soaps)

Interviewer: Usagi had two sides to her, she was a normal girl who was very lovely on one side, but was it easy to play her other side?

Kotono: Usagi cries a lot in the series and escapes or lies and then escapes, although she is always supposed to be the hero and she should fight. However she would also say, "I do not want to fight anymore". When she said that, it was easier to play that role since she was doing her best efforts to save her friends. As for "I am actually Sailor Moon" , I sympathized with her thought because I gradually got into a stride with it. I would think secretly that I am actually playing Sailor Moon. I wondered if it was possible, for the character to grow without the meaning behind this line.

Interviewer: Out of all the characters in the show, do you have a favorite?

Kotono: It is Usagi Tsukino, no question! I like others too, especially Uranus and Neptune. I felt that they were more grown-up.

Interviewer: when I was younger, I enjoyed watching the transformations! Can you tell us how do you decide how you are going to play a character?

Kotono: When doing an audition, no matter what it is, you always think "I really want this role!" So I hold that thought in my hand and I strive to reach new heights. Foremost I report to my superiors , then the pressure of a tsunami pushes me forward, and day-to-day it's a fight to be my best!

Interviewer: It looked like you were having lots of fun playing Usagi, but what personally were your favorite scenes?

Kotono: To go from laughing like a fool with friends to performing a straight man routine was simply fun. That, and the "I'll punish you!" speeches were fun and cool, but as an actress I wanted to come up with originality behind my method of performing them.

Interviewer: Mitsuishi-san, you've been in various projects, but looking back on your Sailor Moon recording experience, is there anything else you'd like to say?

Kotono: "Try with all your heart" as they say, right? (laughs) But nowadays I tend to think, "Seek help from those around you."

Interviewer: Thank you!

Later this week, we will be posting an old Terri Hawkes interview - her site has disappeared off the face of the internet, but we have managed to find a cache which will be posted here!