My present to you this holiday? Catching up on a few posts on both blogs I have missed - starting with this one! The Yaesu Book Store, located on the 6th floor of the Kei Kyu Department store in Konan Ward, Yokohama, collected old children’s books from November 16th to the 30th, and donated them to 16 district child-care facilities. They collected 442 books, to help bring up the children’s minds to value books again. Books included those that were based on animated cartoons, comics, and fairy tales, including Pokemon and Sailor Moon. Some new picture books were also donated. Each child-care facility got 30 books, and the Konan Ward Welfare and Health Center also donated some books as well. In previous years, they had asked for toys, dolls, and puzzles as well, but they always got more toys than books. Organizers felt that these centers needed more books to encourage the children to learn reading skills, and the number of books that they collected this year was much more than they expected! The book presentation ceremony was held on December 11th. A class of 22 Kindergarteners participated in the ceremony, and for many of them, this was their first book! The school’s director, Takako Takasaki said that he was happy with this donation, and he hopes that the kids will start learning how to read hiragana little by little. He promises to make good use of these books, and showed gratitude. In these times when Sailor Moon can once again teach so many important lessons to children , it is wonderful to see that she is being passed on to the next generation in such a generous way during the holiday season!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Another (Late) Article About the Sailor Moon DVD Launch and Reunion Event!
Two nights ago, a new article was posted on Sankei MSN about the event, and it featured a few new details. Of all the articles we have read, this one takes the cake for snappiest intro: “The Sailor Senshi who had the eyes of the world nailed to them in the 1990’s came back!” There were some interesting comments from Rika Fukami (Sailor Venus) saying that “the boys have become herbivores and the girls are becoming stronger and stronger” since Sailor Moon’s reign. Since then, anime featuring girls transforming into superheroes and fighting has become standard. This especially connects with the popular “Fresh Pretty Cure” that is taking Japan by storm as we speak! She is interested in the origins of that series. Aya Hisakawa said that before this role, she had many small parts playing babies and young children. Working on the very last post, with all of the photos compiled together, along with translations of the entries featured on Kotono Mitsuishi’s blog. This will be up soon, I promise!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Breaking News: Naoko Takeuchi and Yoshihiro Togashi Had Second Child Last Year!
It seems that Chieco Kawabe Ochi’s pregnancy isn’t the only baby news to grace the Sailor Moon world this Christmas season! Fans of both Hunter X Hunter and Sailor Moon have more reason to rejoice with the 27th volume of Hunter X Hunter (which is being sold as of now in Japan). We found a scan of the announcement around 2Chan, and we have posted it here for you all to read! Naoko Takeuchi and Yoshihiro Togashi had their second child last year! In his announcement, he wrote that they had their second child, and "before they knew it, the child was one year old". Many are speculating now that this is the reason Togashi took his most recent hiatus, saying "it is assumed that Togashi contributed to taking care of his children". Most recently, the hero from Hunter X Hunter Gon Fresces, was featured on the spine of this winter's Comiket Programme. The Korean writer of this article wrote of this: Note that due to Hunter x Hunter's author Yoshihiro Togashi's frequent series breaks and quality degradation, the manga fans' rumor mill has been busy [turning out new ideas] (Special thanks to Babelglyph for that translation)! Accompanying the short announcement is a drawing of a cute baby bunny, that is babbling (more specifically, the characters read “adaba”). As of this writing, there is no other information (such as a birthday or if the child is a boy or a girl). But, since Yoshihiro is often represented as a dog, and Naoko is often represented as a bunny, perhaps they had a daughter?! We can’t put our finger on when the baby was born , and we’re also not entirely sure if Naoko was early in her pregnancy in those pictures from last October, or if her child had been born fairly recently before the time that these were taken. Naoko Takeuchi and Yoshihiro Togashi were married in 1999, and had their first son in 2001. They collaborated together on a picture book for kids, Ooboomee and Chiboomee, in 2005. We’d like to take this time to send out belated congratulations to both Naoko and Yoshihiro on the arrival of their little one!
Merry Christmas Readers!
The entire staff of the Moon Chase Blogs Network wishes all of our readers the best of the Holiday Season! This was a huge year for us and we wouldn’t have persevered with our ventures without our readers! In May of this year, we began the first part of a campaign to bring Sailor Moon back to the North American market, which lasted around 6 months. We can now tell you that the reports are currently making their way around important people, and we want to thank every reader that participated in the campaign for their support. Your voices are being heard and both companies are very aware of how much we all want the show back! In July of this year, we expanded from Moon Chase and added We Got The Solution, a blog devoted to the TV show Flashpoint. Though we may not always have time to keep up with our blogs, we are forever grateful that our readers come back to read when we do get around to posting! We want to thank the stars and crew of both shows for their support, and to congratulate you on your milestones this year! We wish you all the best and continued success in the New Year! Thanks to all of the sites around the world who have linked to stories that we have posted, and we only hope that we can continue to keep up the good work! And last but not least, a special thanks to all of our staff’s family, friends, and colleagues who gave us that extra kick of support when we needed it most – it means a lot to each of us!
Warmest wishes for the Holiday Season,
The Staff of The Moon Chase Blogs Network.
Breaking news - Chieco Kawabe announcement!
Chieco Kawabe Ochi Announces Pregnancy
Chieco Kawabe Ochi, who has portrayed Sailor Mercury in the Sera Myu musical events as well as Naru Osaka in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, has announced on her blog that she is pregnant with her first child. You can view the entry at http://ameblo.jp/ochichieko/entry-10413490558.html. This child will also be the second for Masato Ochi, a renowned TV producer who Chieco married in 2008. Before posting the news on her blog, Chieco broke the news to her husband by making a child's lunch box for him consisting of Shirataki sliced beef, vegatables, tofu, rice and a soft boiled egg (which you can view on her cooking blog at http://oixi.jpochichieko/archive/141). During her blog entry, Chieco states that while she has been packing her husband's lunches for quite some time, the thought of packing her child's lunch "swells her imagination". Prior to the official announcement on her blog, some of Chieco's friends have noticed that she was pregnant - fashion designer Ayano Fukuoji (seen in this picture) recently commented to Chieco about her growing stomach.
The child is expected to be born sometime in the spring of 2010. Chieco has previously stated on her blog that her marriage to Masato Ochi has led to newfound happiness in her life, and that she is now looking forward to having a new person in her family.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
New Sailor Moon Boxset User Photos!
Hey Moonies,
One of our readers, Sean, has sent us photos of his 20th Anniversary Boxset DVDs! He also reports that unfortunately the packaging is the only new thing about this boxset that's new. The discs seem to be the same as the last printing, which means they have not been remastered, just repackaged. This is disappointing to hear, but at least the packaging is very attractive!
Ochiba Wolf was also kind enough to let us feature her images as well! Don't forget to visit her blog if you like them!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
PGSM Winter 2009 Update Extravaganza!
2009 has been a significant year in the world of Sailor Moon. Hard to believe, but it has been 5 years since PGSM has come to an end. Many fans of PGSM have continued to follow the careers of the cast members since the show has ended, and there is some recent news to report.
Masaya Kikawada (Motoki Furuhata) co-hosted a documentary about life in Vienna, Austria, along with Japanese actress Yoshino Kimura. Yoshino appeared in the movie Sukiyaki Western Django (which is not a movie that is everyone's cup of tea). In the documentary, Yoshino sought to discover what made life comfortable in Vienna, and also met with the conductor of the world famous Vienna Philharmonic (Rainer Kuchl). Masaya took another route and learned about how the people live in Vienna, and visited lots of markets and taverns. http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=">Producer Yutaro Mimuro was quoted that he aimed to look beyond the history and tradition, to discover why the people of Vienna had such a richness in life. While we were unable to find any pictures of Masaya in the documentary, we did find an entry on his official blog with a picture of him in the Vienna airport. He said that he was having a fun time and was sad that the final scenes were going to be shot that next week. It was an experience that he will never forget!
Ayaka Komatsu, who recently portrayed Minako Aino (Sailor Venus) in the live action version of Sailor Moon, is turning towards voice acting for her latest role. PGSM fans might want to check out a movie called Goey-ETO, which is an adaption of a one-off manga chapter in the June 1998 edition of Weekly Shonen Jump. The story is centered on the relationship between male and female rabbit like aliens. In this movie, Komatsu will be voicing a male character named Shibushige.
Masu Takeshi, who portrayed Rei's father in PGSM is currently starring in a host club drama called "Rondo Of The Wind". This soap opera is part of Tokai Fuji's "TV's Night Indigo", and its start date is January 5, 2010. In this drama, a successful female editor loses her husband and her job due to an embezzlement accusation, leading her to decide to manage a host club. The female editor and her co-workers work together as a team of detectives in an attempt to restore her reputation.
Once again, the cleanest idol in Japan’s industry has been the subject of tabloid fodder once again. This time, she is rumored to be dating another star - actor Tomohisa Yamashita, who is a year older than her. The two starred together in the drama Buzzer Beat, and also went to the same college (he was a year ahead of her). They have been spotted out and about holding hands. On November 21st, he performed his first solo concert show ("Short But Swell") at Yokohama Arena. Fans can read a review of the concert in English here - he even performed a rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller! One of his songs is titled Daite Senorita and after the concert ended, our poor Sailor Mars was bombarded with reporters asking if she was Tomohisa's senorita. She snapped back at then and said they were just friends who sometimes go out to dinner together. Poor Keiko just can't catch a break, can she?
Kitagawa has continued to obtain acting roles in the wake of the success she has earned playing Sailor Mars in PGSM. Kitagawa will portray the role of Rie Saito (a number 1 hostess) in the TBS drama Hitsudan Hostess. The story is somewhat based off of Saito's personal life, as the title character becomes deaf at the age of one due to an illness, and she rebels against her strict parents. Kitagawa's new role will require very little dialogue, making this one of her most challenging acting roles to date. The two hour long episode is based off of a best selling book by Rie Saito, of which Keiko is a big fan of. Keiko is looking forward to utilizing her skills in calligraphy and writing - skills that she obtained in her childhood.Kaori Moriwaka Writes Hit Song!
In September of this year, popular J-Pop singer Maki Goto (pictured) released a new album with her new collaboration featuring her record label Avex, popular radio station J-Wave, and Japanese social networking site Mixi. She called the collaboration (and the album) "SWEET BLACK" because those two words describe perfectly the positives and the negatives in the life of today's women. The album has 8 tracks, featuring unique collaborations with people like Japanese reggae star BIGGA RAIJI, mangaka Erika Sakurazawa, and Japanese rapper Ken the 390. The song TEAR DROPS, featuring the singer KG is a sad and beautiful song, and has a connection to PGSM - Kaori Moriwaka (Ikuko Tsukino) wrote the song! This is a little different since we're normally used to hearing rockier tunes from her! Fans can watch the video here, and read a lyrics translation here.Two Rival Fashion Magazines Get Together For a Fashion Show That Thunders! and Jupiter Speaks Up.
Excuse the horrible Sailor Jupiter pun! Mew Azama was one of a handful of CanCam magazine models chosen to appear in a special fashion show with rival models from ViVi magazine that was sponsored by Sony Ericsson. Sony Ericsson was launching the S002 "THE SUPER FIT" which is a phone being marketed as the worlds smallest "WanseguKeitai" (or "oneseg" cell phone capable of mobile TV). The fashion show took place on December 1st at Tokyo's JCB Hall, and some of the fashions modeled had a "sexy santa" theme. Fans can check out more pictures here - and Mew is sporting a new, shorter, haircut! She's the one in the beige gown pictured here! It's a relief to see some pictures of Mew in classier clothing compared to the ridiculous things she sometimes wears as the weather girl on NTV's Zoom! Saturday.
New Idol DVD and a Strange Dream for Rina Koike!
Gundam Character Astrology Book!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sailor Moon is back... In Indonesia?
Although we can't find many details about the performance, we find it rather interesting that someone would create such a grown up production based around a popular cartoon show.
If any of our readers attended this event, we'd love to know more about it!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Liza Balkan Directs Little Shop
For fans in BC, Liza Balkan (Sailor Mercury #2) is directing Little Shop of Horrors, which will be on stage at the performance hall of the Canadian College of Performing Arts from Friday, December 11 through Sunday, December 13 with 2 pm and 7:30 pm performances. The address of the theatre is 1701 Elgin Rd, Oak Bay (in Victoria, British Columbia).
Liza arrived in Victoria mere days before rehearsals began, after working at the Stratford Festival this fall.
Liza told Oak Bay News that there is more to Little Shop than one might think. “People think Little Shop is a small show, but there’s so much happening that it’s quite large. It’s a funny, dark Faustian tale.”
And to The Victoria Times Colonist, she said that she is "going for the sweetness and the truth of these characters. There's so much heart and simple sweetness in the play."
Last year, Liza directed the college's production of 7 Stories. She has co-directed productions at the Stratford Festival such as The Trojan Women and All's Well That Ends Well.
Tickets are $20 or $15 for students and seniors, available at the McPherson box office or by calling 250-386-6121.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
More Event Information From Press and Other Blogs
This is probably going to be one of the final updates from the newsmedia (unless other articles show up). CinemaToday had the same quotes from Kotono Mitsuishi in their article and didn't have anything new to say (except for a comment that HIMEKA felt like she was ready to die since she felt like she was in heaven seeing all the seiyuu!). But, that story did have a nice photo! In the next few days we're just going to have a post with all the photos from the event we have been able to find. That way, you fans can see them all in one place! TV Life didn't have anything new either, except for a quote which I think I forgot to translate in my previous article - Kotono joked that even when they are all fat and old, they would still be happy to have been known for a work that both adults and children can continue to enjoy forever and ever! AV Watch didn't have anything new either. I am going to save 2Chan for a whole other post, later. Now, onto another interesting blog entry I came across! This blogger also went to the event, and she featured a photo (which we have uploaded here for you today) of two flyers the staff handed out after the event was over, advertising the mobile site and the DVD collection release (featured above). This blogger waited outside the hall after the event, and all of the seiyuu and Naoko walked in front of her! She was so in awe that she didn't know what to say , and asked Kotono some dumb questions like "will this be broadcast on ANIMAX?" She said that she expected that it would be! We haven't seen or heard anything about any plans to air this on TV, but as soon as we find any footage, we promise we will post a copy! The blogger was so in awe of Naoko's presence, that all she wrote was that she looked beautiful in purple and that the Great Master had passed.
We've been noticing a few blogs have been slightly altering the pictures that we have posted and putting their own watermarks on them - it is a blog's choice to do so, however please remember that these photos came from news articles which we linked to and referenced in our posts. It isn't fair to claim them as your own! Also, it's okay to reference us when posting about this event, but please also give the Japanese sites and blogs credits - they are where this all originally came from!
BREAKING NEWS! Naoko Was At The 20th Anniversary Event!
In my endless search to put together the best coverage I possibly can to keep everyone updated on what happened at the event, I returned to the blog I found of the first fan I found days ago who had mentioned that she had won a ticket. To my surprise, were a few lines in there about a photo being published on Kyan Chiaki's blog with none other than Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi. I didn't think I was reading this right - because in every news article that I had read, there was no mention of Naoko being there! The blogger thinks that Naoko must have been sitting in the back, and unfortunately she thought she had a terrible spot sitting in the back as well. This blogger is now kicking herself for not looking behind her - she really wanted to meet "Naoko-hime" (Princess Naoko). We are all relieved to see the happiness on Naoko's face, and this is also the first picture we've seen of her in over a year (her Bandai Hobby Center photos were taken in October of last year). Perhaps we may see an entry about this on Sailor Moon Channel? Kyan Chiaki's entry reads:
It is so great!
I met Ms. Naoko Takeuchi!
Now I feel very unfortunate having dressed the way I did! (NOTE: In a previous entry, she said that she was supposed to wear red boots but at the last minute they were the wrong size so she had to wear white ones.)
Nonetheless, she was very kind and wonderful!
Ms. Takeuchi is known for her beautiful and delicate manga drawings, but in person she is really lovely like a Goddess!
I forgot to wear gloves!!
Until next time!
We are once again relieved, happy, and elated to know that she attended this event!
North American VA Update for December 2009
Here's another update on the North American voice actors for everyone, this time we have a few actors returning to roles in shows, a concert date, and a movie trailer.
Sarah Lafleur (Sailor Uranus) made an appearance in the November 27th episode of Ugly Betty. The episode, "Level 7 with Me" was about Daniel Meade's attempt to reunite with his deceased wife, Molly (played by Lafleur) with the aid of the Community of the Phoenix. Betty and Daniel's mother, Claire had been suspicious of the motivations of the community, fearing that the community wanted Daniel to invest large amounts of money into it. With help from Matt and Amanda, Betty was able to find Daniel before it was too late. He and Natalie had been drinking some tea with a hallucinogenic drug in it that made them see their loved ones in front of them. Daniel was able to see Molly one last time as Betty tried to coax him out of the trance. In a touching scene, Molly told Daniel that he had to let her go. He kissed her goodbye and then returned to reality with Betty standing before him. Betty later told Daniel that he kissed her eyebrow, because Molly was taller than herself. The episode was a nice way to say goodbye to Sarah Lafleur's character, but I'm sure we will continue to hear about Molly in future episodes.
Julie Lemieux (Sammy) returned to her role as the voice of Pig Will in a recent episode of Busytown Mysteries (Hurray for Huckle!). The episode, "Sandcastle Squasher/Strange Ski Tracks Mystery" aired November 21st. The Canadian animated children's show is based on the works of author and illustrator Richard Scarry. It centres around six characters solving the mysteries of everyday life in an imaginary place called Busytown. (description from IMDb)
Harvey Atkin (Pox, Bumboo) returned to his role as Judge Alan Ridenour in the November 18th episode, "Perverted" of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Here's NBC's description of the episode: While in the park, a family stumbles upon the mutilated body of Clyde Vandyne, a member of a biker gang known for prostitution and contract killing. To everyone's surprise, incriminating DNA evidence points to Detective Benson as the prime suspect. Munch and Fin investigate the murder, while Stabler fights to prove his partner's innocence. The detectives must find the missing link to both Vandyne's murder and Benson's involvement.
Harvey Atkin will also be appearing in the upcoming Barney's Version, a film currently in post-production and scheduled for release in 2010. No details on the name of Harvey's character yet, but here is a description of the Canadian/Italian film from IMDb: The picaresque and touching story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky.
Emilie Claire Barlow (Sailor Venus #2) performed December 4th and 5th in Brasil with the Art of Time Ensemble at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. Toronto fans will also have an extra chance to see Emilie perform in April 2010. A second performance for Glenn Gould Studio has been added, for Thursday April 15, 2010 at 8pm. She was previously scheduled only for Friday, April 16 at 8pm. Tickets and additional details are available here.
Stephanie Beard (Rini #2) appears in an online trailer for her upcoming film, Not Quite College. The trailer has strong language, mature themes, and Stephanie appears smoking in it. We are suggesting that only our older readers watch it. The film looks like it will appeal to fans of American Pie and similar. If you're ready, you can view the trailer here. Stephanie appears around 1:30 wearing a bikini and smoking a cigar.
Famitsu and MyCom Reports on the Sailor Moon Reunion Event!
The first news outlet to break any news of the reunion was AnimeAnime.jp, and the second and third were Famitsu and MyCom. We're going to fuse this with a blog entry of a fan that we found! This fan was so excited the night before that she didn't know what to wear and thought about going early to buy as much Sailor Moon merchandise as she could from other stores around UDX! We probably would have done the same thing too! The fan noted that the first few rows were reserved for the media, and that to enter you had to have proof of either an e-mail saying that you had won the lottery, or a special postcard. Chiaki Kyan began the event pretending to be Sailor Moon, and acted out her infamous "Moon Healing Escalation!" attack! She seemed very excited to be performing as Sailor Moon - though looking at the closeup pictures posted on Famitsu, we have to wonder why she didn't have a better wig or at the very least, red boots! Chiaki also revealed that during the commercials she would turn around just like Sailor Moon! The fan loved her cosplay, to say the least! Then HIMEKA came to perform two songs - Moonlight Densetsu, and announced her new single Hatenaki Michi from the anime Tegami Bachi. After HIMEKA finished performing, she told the audience that she learned Japanese after watching Sailor Moon, and it was a favorite among her and her friends back in Canada. She remembered learning her katakana cards with Sailor Moon!
Then, the Seiyuu came out one by one as each of them said their transformations - Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus Crystal Power - Make Up! The quotes being reported are much the same as before - but there's a few more that I can add! Michie Tomizawa said that 1800 people applied for this event's lottery and that she looked forward to seeing the fans after a very long time. Hold on a moment - 1800 applicants? This event should have been opened up to at least 500! Emi Shinohara was a little nervous she was going to walk into the wrong dressing room and also to meet everyone again, but as soon as she walked in it was like she went back in time and by the time she was on stage, she was too worn out already from laughing with the other stars! Rika Fukami added that while they were all excited to see each other, they were just as excited to see the fans. They began to speak about their favorite episodes. Kotono had two favorites - the episode where Neflite died (episode 24), and another episode where Sailor Moon wanted to save Hotaru but could not transform (episode 125 - thank you fans!). The former changed her perspective on her character, and the latter actually made her cry when she recorded the episode! Rika Fukami joked that she felt like she had graduated when she finally played Sailor Venus, since before that she played a youma! Emi Shinohara joined in saying that she played two villains before Rika did (Cyrene and Jumeau)! These sites are reporting that it was Rika Fukami who noted she felt like her castmates were classmates. Michie Tomizawa shared more about her confusion about what was starting, and that she was worried that this party might have been happening at someone's house, joking that Aya Hisakawa wouldn't have been able to clean it, and that no one should serve the caviar until she had arrived!
Rika remembered how their musical group Peach Hips had to sign 3000 posters and it was Aya who kept pointing out to her where she should sign because she kept signing her posters in different places! They also spoke of how Sailor Moon had aired all over the world, even in countries that have hosted the Olympic Games. Rika told a story of how Naoko Takeuchi used to joke of world domination, however she seemingly achieved it with this one cartoon. We still believe she should have been a part of this event. It was wonderful to read of what happened, but unfortunately we can't help but feel like there is a hole that could only have been filled by Naoko.
Tomorrow, we'll post the end of what happened at this event along with the top 5 episodes voted by fans that were screened at the show!
EDIT: Continued from last night, and two more articles have popped up, one from AV Life, and another from TV Life. It doesn't appear that fans were allowed to take photos inside this event. The first few rows were occupied by media (and judging by how much media was there, we're surprised that there's only a few articles). Back to what happened at the event...
Michie Tomizawa revealed that the actors would often get together at her house for private Christmas parties not to discuss work at all and to chill out! Sometimes they did speak about Sailor Moon though, despite their best efforts. It was after this, that the results of a poll from ANIMAX were revealed to the audience. The 5 favorite episodes, chosen by the fans were:
5. Episode 25 ("Jupiter, the Brawny Girl in Love")
4. Episode 1 ("Crybaby Usagi's Magnificent Transformation")
3. Episodes 34 & 35 ("The Sparkling Silver Crystal! The Moon Princess Appears" and "Memories Return! Usagi and Mamoru's Past")
2. Episode 24 ("Naru's Cry! Nephrite Dies for Love")
1. Episodes 45 & 46 (The very end of the first season, "The Sailor Warriors Die! The Tragic Final Battle" and "Usagi's Everlasting Wish! A New Reincarnation")
Then the five actresses shared their sentiments on the series and answered some questions from the fans. Kotono Mitsuishi said that the show was a treasure in her life. Aya Hisakawa said that this was the first children's anime that she had ever done and she was so happy that these characters were so well-loved. Michie Tomizawa said that she was proud of this show and listed it first on her resume because it had such a leading presence! Emi Shinohara also agreed with Kotono's sentiments that this was a treasure, and noted that everyone behind the scenes worked very hard to make this work the best that it could be. She was happy to have worked on such a show, and she loved being able to fight and destroy enemies in so many different places! Rika Fukami said that it was this show that helped her to learn the true meaning of friendship. Kotono ended the talk saying that she does not feel old watching the show, and it is a show that both adults and children can enjoy. Sailor Moon, she said, will be loved forever and ever. And with that, the event ended. We could not agree with you more Kotono. Tomorrow, I will look at the other two articles and see if they say anything different.
And, as predicted, Naoko Takeuchi was absent. We have seen so many images of the actresses together, looking very happy to be speaking of their time on Sailor Moon, and this is more or less the same sentiment felt by the North American VAs as well. We wonder, if one day, Naoko will ever be happy about Sailor Moon again, just like the seiyuu.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
BREAKING NEWS! FIRST IMAGES AND NEWS OF REUNION!
Hi guys! Busy morning ahead of me so there will be a full post later (and hopefully over the next few days when more news outlets pick this up). Animeanime.jp has posted a press release covering the reunion! And, the 5 actresses and HIMEKA were not the only guests there - the master of ceremonies was gravure idol Chiaki Kyan who cosplayed as Sailor Moon for the event (really? Shoko Nakagawa wasn't available?). HIMEKA sang the theme song, Moonlight Densetsu (Moonlight Legend) and opened the show. Then the 5 actresses appeared! HIMEKA was the only person not dressed in colors that were matched to the characters! Kotono looked at the other actresses as her classmates from that time so long ago, and when they got together, it was like nothing had changed. You could not even tell that they were once some of the world's most beloved superheroes! HIMEKA was in awe of their presence and admired them. Fans may recall that she first fell in love with Sailor Moon at the age of 15, growing up in Canada! Kotono said that she was happy to be Sailor Moon again after a long time, and Emi and Rika both felt they had gone back in time for a moment. Aya couldn't believe that they were all on the stage together after more than 10 years! The actresses spoke about how this reunion was a complete surprise to them, that they didn't know anything about it until very close to this event. Michie Tomizawa had nothing booked, and she suddenly had a "Christmas Party" to go to and she didn't know what to expect months ago! They each introduced favorite and memorable episodes, and spoke about their roles. At the end, Kotono finished with a beautiful quote that I really hope someone uploads some video of soon - "Usagi-chan is a girl who wants to run away from everything even if she is a klutz and becomes a crybaby during her fights. However, she fights for the people she loves and for the friend until the very end." Well said, Kotono.
There's a whole other blog entry I have to translate, but I will hit that later today! For now though, here are your much awaited pictures, courtesy of AnimeAnime.jp!
EDIT: This release was first posted at ANIMAX!
Friday, December 04, 2009
BREAKING NEWS: Yoshihiro Togashi to be Interviewed by Masashi Kishimoto!
Set to be released in Japan today is a special book that every fan of Naruto is craving! Kai no Sho or rather Naruto: Book of All Secrets - Official Premium Fan Book is a special 10th anniversary fan book filled with facts, profiles, and other information about the series. Included, will be a collaboration between Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama and Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, where Naruto looks like Goku and Goku looks like Naruto. There will also be 55 messages of congratulations from Japanese celebrities and mangaka, a 6 page preview of a new manga called Karakuri, and a special interview conducted by Kishimoto with Yoshihiro Togashi. We're actually interested to read this since it has been a very long time since anyone has actually heard from Togashi! As of this writing there is no word if Viz is going to pick this up (but since Naruto is so huge in North America, we have no doubt that they will). And also for you Naruto fans in Canada, YTV will be airing the very last episode (Departure tonight! Keep an eye out for it!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Operation Moonrise Results Posted!
Hey everyone - we have finally finished formatting the results and excerpts of the report for you all to see and read. They are being hosted by Save Our Sailors (since Blogger doesn't give us much page space), and we will link to the page at the bottom of this post. At this time, we want to thank Save Our Sailors for hosting these results - it means a lot to everyone on staff and we cannot thank you enough! There is one question missing - and that is the only question we could ask about the manga. This is deliberate because in January, a much shorter version of the report will be sent to Kodansha's USA Office. They just opened up shop and it would be unfair to send it while they are still settling into the North American marketplace.
If you feature these results on your site, don't pass them off as your site's own. We put a lot of work into this, and we will go after your host if you did not give us proper credit (which includes, a link to this blogspot post, a reference that this was put together by Moon Chase and not simply just a link to the results). In the past, we have noticed some sites copying the text of our posts and pasting them on their own site, passing off our work as their own. We have a copyright policy in place through Creative Commons, and we are going to be strictly watching out for this. You are more than welcome to discuss these results on your own blogs, sites, and/or forums, but please reference us and give us the credit.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Another Idol Names Sailor Moon as her Favorite!
Once again, an idol that was a part of Morning Musume has stated in an interview that her favorite anime is Sailor Moon! Eri Kamei, who was part of the group in 2003, is currently starring in a Sanrio anime, Jewelpet. She plays Rinko Kogyoku, a red-headed student who happens to come upon a special jewel egg, and awakens Ruby, a white rabbit with red eyes. Together, they must find and save all the jewelpets and bring them back to Jewel Land! Of course, being a Sanrio property, it's too full of cute! Jewelpet also has a Sailor Moon connection - Mitsuko Horie (Sailor Galaxia) sings the show's ending theme, "Egao no Loop" (literally: Smiling Loop). She sat down for an interview with Sankei MSN to talk about her six months so far on the show. She admits that she was very nervous when she started, and had a hard time getting her voice just right, but has since settled into her role and has a lot of support from her other castmates. It was a challenging transition for her as well, since she was so used to working on a performance in a group, and now she was working on a performance all by herself! She then gave a few episode spoilers and talked about what she wants in her ideal "Prince Charming" (he has to be smart). She was then asked about what her favorite anime was and which star she respected the most. She said that her favorite anime is Sailor Moon, because all girls grew up with that show when she was young! She said that she really wanted to be a magical girl with powers, and that she was happy to be playing a magical girl in Jewelpet. She said that she has the most respect for all of her costars in Jewelpet, because they are so remarkable in their voice and performance. She is very impressed and holds them in her highest respect! She hopes that children everywhere who dream of being magical will enjoy this show just as much as she does, and thanked her fans. Such a heartwarming interview, and we hope to read of fond stories from idols again!
Toei's Official 20th Anniversary DVD Site