Facebook Page is Temporarily Being Made Private (Updated again)

Dear Fans:

It has come to our attention that another site is taking screenshots of your comments and posting them on their site, and providing their own "commentary" on what you have posted. We apologize for this, we thought that Facebook was a place for our readers to interact with others and that people who were not fans would respect others' rights to post whatever they wanted on facebook. We do not know why this site will not leave you (as well as us) alone. In light of this, we are going to turn this facebook page private for administrators only. The facebook page will be restored once this has been resolved.

In the meantime, fans are more than welcome to join our forums at http://moonchase.freeforums.org/ . We have just tightened the settings so that fans may post freely without having to worry about others taking their postings off of the site. No new account can be formed without our approval, and we have been backchecking IP addresses to those we believe are involved before approving them.

Again, we are sorry it has had to come to this, but we are trying our best to fix this situation the best way we can.

EDIT: It's been 24 hours, so the email screenshots have been removed. Our Facebook page will return soon, don't worry. As for the ban message that some of you may have encountered, unlike what some people may imply or infer, this was completely unrelated to the current incident involving Facebook, but rather as part of an ongoing problem that we have had to deal with for quite some time.

Rest assured we are working on a more permanent solution that will allow us to once again provide completely unrestricted access directly to our blog.

North American VA Update - Spring 2011 (Part 2)

Emilie Barlow can be heard in the series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic as Cheerilee. Her character appears in the episode "Show Stoppers" which debuted on March 4th.

As for her singing career, we have quite a few things to report!

To start off, here is Emilie performing "Sunshine Superman" with her band on on Télé-Québec's Belle et Bum:

Emilie spoke to l'Étoile about her singing career, saying:

«Après avoir terminé chacun de mes albums, je me sens drainée de toute mon inspiration, ce qui est bien en un sens, car j'ai tout donné à mon projet ... Chaque fois, je me dis que je vais prendre une pause, prendre du temps pour moi. Mais finalement, je me remets peu à peu à avoir des idées et à vouloir commencer un nouveau projet.»

Translation:
After having finished each of my albums, I feel myself drained completely of inspiration, which is good in a sense, because I have given all to my project ... Each time, I tell myself that I will take a break, take time for me. But finally, I remember little by little having ideas and wanting to start a new project.

About her song choice for The Beat Goes On:

«J'ai adoré écouter ces chansons. J'ai choisi une longue liste et ensuite je me suis assise au piano avec une feuille de partition et un crayon - un peu une vieille méthode! - et je me suis mise à créer des arrangements pour les pièces qui me parlaient le plus. J'ai trouvé intéressant de constater que mon choix s'est porté sur des pièces de styles très différents. J'ai quand même voulu faire quelque chose qui avait une certaine cohésion et qui me ressemblait»

Translation:
I've loved hearing these songs. I chose a long list and then I sat at my piano with a score sheet and pencil - a bit of an old method! - and I put myself to creating arrangements for the pieces which spoke to me the most. I found it interesting seeing that my choice was focused on pieces of very different genres. I still wanted when making each choice to have a certain cohesion and that resembled me.

The article says that being a francophile and very popular in Québec, Emilie also wanted to include a couple French songs on this album. She chose songs that were popular with Québeckers because they are always enthusiastic about her and she has performed multiple times at the Montréal Jazz Festival. One of the songs she chose to include was "T'es pas un autre" which her mother adored and wanted to hear on an album. Emilie said that although she couldn't include it before, for this album it was perfect.

Emilie also said that she loved the "job" of making an album. She credits her husband with keeping her grounded and offering his perspective during the creative process.

For fans who are interested, here is Emilie performing "T'es pas un autre" on Télé-Québec's Belle et Bum:

Regarding the Junos, she indicated that she'd love to win an award but having recognition from her peers is great in itself. Still touring The Beat Goes On, Emilie hasn't indicated when she'll work on her next album, but she's sure the desire to make another will find her before long.

As reported in an article for Here New Brunswick, Emilie says her "voice work has helped her discover the different parts of her voice, which in turn has complemented her singing, [Becoming] intimately aware of what your voice is capable of doing is extremely helpful in both cases. I'm always using my voice." The article also mentions that for her new album, Emilie "stripped down '60s pop songs ... and rebuilt them using sparks from her imagination inspired by the originals."

From an article in Times & Transcript, Emilie described creating her latest album as being "about taking pop songs from the '60s, completely stripping them down and then trying to rebuild them in my own style with a jazz flair." This article also reported that she considers herself an interpreter of song rather than a song writer and Emilie is quoted as saying "I do not feel inspired to write songs at this point. My creative satisfaction comes from arranging and trying to reinvent songs and doing my part to keep those songs alive. In the absolute best case scenario, I have the opportunity to introduce these songs to a whole new set of ears." She also said that having a Juno nomination is a win in itself because "it gives the record another burst of life and another wave of publicity."

An article in Saint City News also reported on the success of Emilie's recent album. She is quoted as saying "Strictly from a business standpoint, sales-wise, it has surpassed my other albums, and it has been in the top 10 jazz albums in the country since it came out, so that part of it is very gratifying. But I've also been thrilled with the actual feedback I've gotten from listeners. I read all the emails I get, and the feedback has been pretty positive." She also said that arranging is "its own kind of writing, and I'm really inspired to write arrangements and try to reimagine existing songs."

She didn't rule out songwriting as a future possibility, but did note that she doesn't feel that it's her strength. Regarding voice acting, the article reports that being a voice actress started as something of an extension of her work as a session singer and being in the recording studio. Emilie also said there are some parallels between singing and voice acting: “I have a lot of vocal stamina because my voice is being constantly stretched; it keeps my voice warm, you could say. In order to really give a great performance, you have to be able to leap off the edge. You have to be able to put yourself out there, which is very similar to being on stage in front of an audience.”

An article in the Edmonton Journal reported on Emilie's recent album as well. It mentions that Emilie feels it was an advantage to have not experienced most of the songs she re-interpreted when the first hit radio airwaves. She said "I think there's something to be said for not having such strong attachments to the originals. I was able to look at them more as an observer with some distance. I don't want it to sound as if I don't respect the songs. In fact, there were some other '60s songs I tried to do but couldn't because I love them and I couldn't hear them any other way." The article also mentions that, in addition to the album maintaining a spot in the jazz Top 10, it has sold 11,000 units in Canada since it was released.

In an article from North Shore News, Emilie discussed what it was like to record songs by artists and composers who are still active today. She said that she hoped they would like her renditions and that she received an email from Neil Sedaka that said her version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" was "one of his favourite covers and that he considered himself a fan." In response, she said she "couldn't believe it. That's just the best thing that could possibly happen. The fact that he liked it, which I was just thrilled about, and the fact that he took the time to send me a note and let me know. To say it made my day is a huge understatement."

Awards:
Emilie did not win Vocal Jazz Album of the Year at the Juno Awards, but we wish her luck in winning a Juno in the future.

For some good news though, Emilie won in the category of favourite jazz artist/group of the year in the Indie Awards. We mentioned where fans could vote a while back on our Facebook page, since we received notice shortly before voting would end. Congrats, Emilie!

Emilie's upcoming Tour dates are:

• May 14th – Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, Ontario at 8 p.m.
• June 15th – Montage in Rochester, New York at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• June 18th – Brockville Arts Centre in Brockville, Ontario at 8 p.m.

North American VA Update - Spring 2011 (Part 1)

Hi there, readers! Here are some updates about the English language voice actors before I head off to Sakura Con later this week.

Liza Balkan will be directing "Dustings" (which she also created) at the Canadian Stage Festival of Ideas & Creation. The festival runs from May 9-21 with most events being free and open to the public. Fans can catch "Dustings" on Saturday, May 21st at 6:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto. It is described as "The dust we collect. The dust we let go of. The dust we hold on to. These are excerpts of a larger project in development by creator/director Liza Balkan and Composer Glenn James. The entry point for this particular excerpt is familial flotsam and jetsam and the rest is… history." (from CanadianStage.com)

Spyburbia is a new TV series about a team of spies posing as an ordinary family. The animated series is currently in pre-production. It features Susan Roman (Sailor Jupiter) as the voice of Mom and Vince Corazza (Alan/ Tuxedo Mask #3) as the voice of Jay-R.

Tony Daniels (Jedite/Wiseman) plays Fred in the animated series Stella and Sam, which premiered in January. The series is about "Stella, the irrepressible redhead, and her slightly apprehensive little brother [who] take on the wonders of the world and explore the endearing, intimate scenes of young childhood."(description from IMDb)

Stephanie Beard (Rini #2) has been busy! She appeared in an episode of Darla, a satirical web show, as a "Stacey" (the type of woman that Darla considers unusually cruel and self-centred). The series is about a nerd named Darla who is a serial killer that takes out annoying females in her neighbourhood (description from IMDb). Fans can catch the episode featuring Stephanie here.

50/50 now has a release date of September 30th, 2011. Stephanie plays a character named Susan in this film that we previously reported was titled Live With It. 50/50 is "a comedic account of a 27-year-old guy's cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease." (description from IMDb)

Stag, a film is set to release on September 25th, 2011 is about a man named Ken Andrews who has been responsible for elaborate hazing pranks at all of his buddies' stags. Now the time has come for Ken's stag and he nervously awaits the payback. Stephanie Beard (Rini #2) will be appearing as Mary and Tracey Hoyt (Rini #1) will be appearing as Biker Chris.

Sabrina Grdevich (Anne/Lizzy/Sailor Pluto #1) appeared in an episode of The Listener as Sarah Mirtschin. The season premiere episode, titled "Lady in the Lake" aired on February 8th. She also appeared in two episodes of the new teen series Skins as Renée: "Tony," the premiere episode, and "Eura/Everyone," which was episode 10. The series is about a group of teenagers in Baltimore.

Julie Lemieux (Sammy) joins some of her former castmates in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That. She appeared in recent episodes as Ziggy, Clarabelle, Grayson's Mom, and other characters.

Dennis Akiyama (Malachite) appears in She's the Mayor as Mr. Lee, a Korean former spy who guards the mayor, Iris, with his life. The series is about Iris, a 64 year old former principal, who runs for office and surprisingly wins. More details about the show are on the official website.

You can also see a short clip of Dennis as Mr. Lee below:

We now have more details for a couple of David Huband's (Serena's Dad) upcoming films. We previously reported that he will be appearing in Running Mates, as Father McDonough and in Dream House, as officer Nelson. Running Mates is set to release this year (no confirmed date yet) and is about two best friends who run against each other for mayor of their home town. Dream House is about "a family who learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of their new, seemingly idyllic home" (description from IMDb) and is set to premiere on September 30th. David has also made some recent television appearances. He played The Ghost/Joshua Crane in episode 10 of InSecurity, a Canadian comedy about a group of spies. He also played a judge in an episode of Republic of Doyle, called "Don't Gamble with City Hall," which was episode 11 of season 2. The Canadian series is about Jake Doyle and his father, who run a P. I. agency in St. John's, Newfoundland.

David Fraser (Grandpa Hino) appears in the comedic series Papillion as Cal, who seems to be a primary character. No description or premiere date available for this series yet, but we will provide more details when possible.

Good News and Bad News: Sailor Moon DVDs and Socks in Mexico, New Toei Animation Series on Crunchyroll, and Farewell to Tokyopop

Mexican Sailor Moon fans are about to get a lot more Sailor Moon merchandise their way! Toei Animation Inc. announced some new Latin American deals for several of their properties. While there are no toys listed at this moment for Sailor Moon, there has been a licensing deal made with Doobalo S.a.de C.v. to make Sailor Moon socks. Does anyone else in North America feel like importing these and squeezing their feet into them to relive their childhoods? Also, thanks to facebook fan Jose Juan Hernandez for pointing us to this Sailor Moon teaser on Towers Entertainment’s website! The caption reads: "Coming Soon Special Edition on DVD Sailor Moon" Gotta love that brand new logo for the international revival. Speaking of new logos, Toei Animation Europe finally announced the return of Sailor Moon to Germany on their site, and posted one of our new favorite promotional images in the article which we have reposted above.

Toei Animation Inc. of Los Angeles launched three new series on Crunchyroll last week - Digimon Tamers, Interlude and Gaiking: Legend Of Daiku-Maryu. Free users will be able to watch 5 consecutive episodes of Digimon Tamers, and Gaiking: Legend of Daiku Maryu as they are posted each week, and one episode of Interlude per week until they are completed. All episodes are subtitled in English. It’s a little sad that the dub of Interlude is not up as it featured many stars of the English dub of Sailor Moon (and it was well done because Optimum Productions was not involved). Toei Animation has also launched the well-loved Toriko on Funimation.com and Hulu.

And on a sad note (but who didn’t see this one coming), Tokyopop announced last week that it was ending all publishing operations in North America. Though their translation and release of Sailor Moon was sub-par, we fans will always remember them for introducing us to the manga for the very first time. It is sad to see them go, but at the same time this day might not have come if they’d have improved their release quality.

Sailor Moon sighting on Korean Television - Part 2

The writers at Moon Chase have another light-hearted Sailor Moon sighting to report out of Korea. This most recent sighting involves an actress who has dressed up in Sailor Moon's famous outfit and hairstyle for an episode of a popular television series. We first reported the sighting of actress Goo Hye-Sun dressing up as Sailor Moon, and more recently we have actress Yoon Seung Ah dressing up as Sailor Moon in an episode of the k drama “All My Love”.

In a recent episode of the show, Yoon Seung Ah’s character (who lives in a poor but kind family) gets a part time job working as Sailor Moon in order to pay off a favour to her uncle. While she was in costume acting, she was greeted enthusiastically be a group of elementary school children. Yoon Seung Ah soon managed to channel her inner Usagi, as she shouted over and over to her eager audience, “I am Sailor Moon! In the name of justice, I will not forgive you!” Yoon Seung Ah received comments about how her costume was an exact match for the real Sailor Moon’s and that she did a great job bringing the character to life.

This episode of “All My Love” aired on April 13, 2011 in Korea, so if you are a fan of the show, a fan of Yoon Seung Ah’s, or follow the Korean pop culture scene, be sure to check out this Sailor Moon sighting!

Sailor Moon: La Luna Splende Official Trailer!

Gamestart.it has uploaded an official trailer for Sailor Moon: La Luna Splende. Fans can watch it here on Youtube if the embedded video doesn't work below.



Still haven't gotten around to starting my player's guide for the game, but if you are stuck in the game and need help, please send us an email and I'll try to help!

This game will play on all systems around the world, and we encourage fans that want to play this game, support Sailor Moon legally and purchase it online. Downloading ROMs does not support Sailor Moon legally. We will not allow fans to post a link via a comment here, on our facebook page, or to our forums to any of the ROMs that have been released of this game.

And on another note - I know you all have been saddened by the recent news from reps of companies and their dealings with Naoko Takeuchi. I promise, I am going to be on the hunt for happier Sailor Moon stories for the next little while. Keep strong for Sailor Moon!

Glénat Answers Fans’ Questions About Sailor Moon Manga

A new interview from a representative of France’s Glénat Manga was posted to manga-news.com this morning. The first question the representative answered is a question from the site wondering about when the Sailor Moon manga is going to be released.

Q: We know we have asked you about this many times, but is there a new blockage of the rights for the manga for international publishing (and most notably France)? Because there are many rumors circulating here and there concerning an improvement in the situation, but it is difficult to understand, I am asking you. Moreover, if the perception is that it is (or will be) released, can we hope for the renewal editions? Because the only thing we can sink our teeth into is Sailor V**. How is it that the mother series has been blocked and not those of Sailor V?

A: To resume the explanation concerning the case of Sailor Moon. The author has recovered all of the rights. She has renegotiated for two years county by country at her own rhythm. She has decided to begin with the USA, Spain, and Italy, and we must wait until those negotiations finish before entering into discussions with the author, if she decides that France will be her next country to work on, which has in no way been confirmed. We are in the same situation as the fans of Sailor Moon, and we have no other choice but to respect the method chosen by the author. When the discussions are possible, the editions published will obviously be the renewed versions, the subject of our request for the last 3 years. Sailor Moon and Sailor V are two different series, and they do not have the same contractual bases. From information that we have been given, the author has not recovered the rights for Sailor V.

We had always assumed that Naoko Takeuchi and Princess Naoko Planning had the rights to Sailor V, but it appears this is not the case. Now we believe that it is Kodansha that somehow has the rights to Sailor V, but may be optimizing a marketing strategy by releasing it in conjunction with Sailor Moon. We hope that the fans of Sailor Moon in France will be able to enjoy the manga soon. We are sad, but by no means surprised by this lag given what we have learned about Naoko Takeuchi since 2009.

**This is in reference to the old version of Sailor V.

Sakura Con Schedule Now Available!

For our readers interested in attending Sakura Con 2011, the programming schedule is now available for download in PDF format.

The schedule also lists the Sailor Moon panel that I (Emily) will be hosting on behalf of Moon Chase! The panel is called Sailor Moon: 15 Years and Counting. If you're interested in attending, the panel will be held in Panels 5 (rooms 611-612) on Friday evening (the 22nd) from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

We're very excited about this, since we've heard that the room is larger than last year's Sailor Moon panel in addition to having a longer time slot than most panels. We're very appreciative of the staff at Sakura Con who have made this panel possible. Thank you very much!

Moon Chase staff is currently working on our discussion topics for the panel and I'm assembling reference notes for fan questions. If you can make it to the panel, we'd love to see you there!

I hinted before that I'll be wearing a costume for part of the convention. The costume is an uncommon one for Jupiter/Makoto: the white dress seen in the ending credits of the S season (with "Tuxedo Mirage" as the ending theme). I don't tend to get recognized as Jupiter when I wear it, I guess because it's a bit more of an obscure costume. I will definitely be looking out for other Sailor Moon cosplayers to photograph, I hope to see lots!

(image belongs to ANCEA/Sakura-Con)

BREAKING NEWS: Brazil Puts Up A Good Fight, But A New Dub Wasn’t Meant to Be.

We want to start this article by first of all congratulating SOS Brazil for all their hard work. We understand your struggles completely because we have been there (and still are). But please don’t view this as a fight you lost! You should be proud of everything you were able to do with your surveys – besides, the other parts of your survey will probably be a help when it comes to other aspects of the revival. We are proud of what you were able to accomplish, and we are sending you big Moonie hugs and lots of love from North America.

Save our Sailors Brazil reported the sad news yesterday that after a long and lengthy crusade to get a redub of Sailor Moon, it was not meant to be. A statement posted to their site from Márcio S. Reginnette, a representative of Brazil’s CD & DVD Factory, states that a redub of Sailor Moon S is not authorized because Naoko Takeuchi has not approved of any redubbing in any language. The same request was made in Italy as well, and was also denied. The statement also makes mention that Toei Animation does not have any exclusivity over the franchise, and prior approval has to be obtained by Naoko Takeuchi. There is also an excellent response to these developments posted over at Papo de Budega.

From what we know, the anime and manga are a sort of “co-agreement” between Naoko Takeuchi and the companies involved. Fans probably also notice that Naoko Takeuchi’s name is on every piece of Sailor Moon merchandise coming out their way these days. With the manga, Kodansha has the rights to publish it, but only after obtaining Naoko Takeuchi’s permission. But at the same time, she cannot hold it back. The same deal goes with the anime and Toei Animation as well. We do not know how many years that this current co-agreement is going to last, but that if matters regarding Sailor Moon do not go smoothly, they could be pulled away at any time.

While we understand fans’ anger, sadness, and frustration over this turn of events, please don’t be mad at Naoko Takeuchi. For all we know, the time frame for Sailor Moon’s return could be really short, and she may not like the idea of a redub keeping the series away from fans in an already shortened timeframe. Or, perhaps she likes everything the way it is and doesn’t want to change things too much. We are disgruntled too, as this leaves the fate of an English release of Sailor Stars up in the air, but at the same time we are thankful to have the Sailor Moon manga back (and hopefully soon, the anime).

Once again, huge hugs from Moon Chase to Save Our Sailors Brazil and everything they have worked so hard for. Keep up the strength, although your release has had it’s turmoils (starting with Season 3), you have done a lot for the fandom and we are sure every one of your readers thanks you for that!

For fans who want a little more detail on the ins and outs of the Brazilian revival, check out this interview in January with CD + DVD Factory’s Márcio S. Reginnette.

April 2011 Sailor Moon Channel Updates (Part 2)

Hey Moonies! Sorry this took a little longer than expected - it has been a very busy week! Here are the translations from the new entries of Naoko Takeuchi's new photo journal on Sailor Moon Channel. She features photos of an Easter egg and a coloring book from Italy (6 & 7), what may be an old photo of her watching a shuttle launch (8), and some new drawings of characters from Sailor Moon (9, 10, & 11)! 9 is a new drawing of Minako/Sailor Venus (to some she looks a little older), 10 looks to be one of Chibi-Chibi all grown up, and 11 is a new image of Usagi/Sailor Moon (again, to some she looks a little older). These all look like line sketches/works in progress, but it is so good to see new drawings of Sailor Moon again! P.S. These translations came from me, but Emily saved me a ton of time by getting them on the images (teamwork FTW)!

Convention News: Kumiko Watanabe and Miki Narahashi to Appear at Anime North!

Special thanks to forums reader Amanda for passing this on to us! On April 4th, Anime North announced a new round of guests appearing at their convention in May. Included are two seiyuu from Sailor Moon! One is Kumiko Watanabe, who is famous now for her role as Shippo in InuYasha and Sgt. Keroro in Keroro Gunso. But, she had a very famous role in Sailor Moon! She played JunJun in the SuperS series, as well as Youma-of-the-day Kugurumiko. The second Seiyuu to appear is Miki Narahashi, who is better known as playing Crayon Shin-Chan's mom, Misae Nohara. She played quite a few Youma-of-the-days in Sailor Moon, including reprising her role as Misae in an episode of Sailor Moon S, Gigaros in R, Kotarou in SuperS, and Sailor Leaguer in Sailor Stars. Anime North takes place from May 27-29 in Toronto, Canada. We will not be having any of our staff attending this convention this year, however we would love to hear what happens from any fans attending!

Editorial: Sailor Moon as a Brave Dame

This essay was written for a college level course called "Women in Film." Fans on our Facebook page indicated they would be interested in reading this type of post since news is kind of slow right now. We hope you enjoy it!

Terms used that you may be unfamiliar with are "brave dame" and "wimpette." An explanation of these terms is included here for reference.

Brave Dame

“Women who are self-sufficient, active, dynamic, three-dimensional heroes who see past the picket fence.”

1. She is passionate about something besides passion.
2. Even in the worst of times, she does not give up; she is resilient.
3. She is competent.
4. She is willing to face moral and physical challenges.
5. She has high ethical standards.
6. She stands up to injustice.
7. She is a true friend.

Wimpette

“A woman who is weak or ineffectual because she gives in, without a real fight, to the limits imposed on her by virtue of her gender.”

1. All men are really little boys at heart.
2. Your worth rises in direct proportion to your masochism.
3. She always opts for indirection and subterfuge.
4. Men are strong and women are weak.
5. She has low ethical standards. She is a moral lightweight except, occasionally, in sexual matters (and even then her abstinence has to do with her perceived value to a man rather than her deeply held belief.)
6. She betrays other women, including her friends.
7. She does not take responsibility for her own actions and blames her lack of actions on others.
8. She looks to a man to give her an identity.

From: Isaacs, Susan. Brave Dames and Wimpettes: What Women are Really Doing on Page and Screen. New York: Random House, ©1999.

The following essay contains spoilers for Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon R: The Movie. Please read at your own discretion.

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon is a popular "magical girls" animated Japanese television show that began airing in 1992 after the success of the comic book seriesPretty Soldier Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi. Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon R: The Movie was the first Sailor Moon movie to be released, based heavily on the story lines of the second season of the Sailor Moon television show. In late 1995, the Sailor Moon television show was first introduced to North American audiences. English subtitled versions of the movies, created by fans, were available by 1997. The series is about Usagi Tsukino, who, on the surface, is often construed as an average fourteen-year-old girl and a wimpette. She complains about school, loves to play video games, is a bit of a crybaby, and often quite clumsy. Not your typical super heroine, Usagi even goes so far as to complain about her duties as Sailor Moon, the sailor-suited pretty soldier of justice. In Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon R: The Movie it is proven time and again that Usagi is, in fact, a brave dame; as characterized by her resilience, her self-sufficiency, her willingness to face challenges, her ability to stand up to injustice, and by always being a true friend.

In the direst of situations, Usagi refuses to give up; never sacrificing what she believes in and what she values most. Usagi's boyfriend, Mamoru, is mortally wounded trying to protect her and then taken away by Fiole, appearing to have died. Usagi cries and blames herself for Mamoru's injuries, but she never quits the team. Although she may want to, she refuses to give up because she knows that they need her, as she is the most powerful. Also, she wants to end Fiole's plan to turn the world into a "beautiful garden," saving and protecting the people of earth. Later, when her friends, the Sailor Senshi (Sailor Soldiers), are captured and tortured by Fiole, Sailor Moon drops her "cutie moon rod" at his request. Despite appearances, she does not truly surrender as what she wants most is for her friends to be safe, regardless of whatever negative repercussions she, herself, may be forced to endure. She offers herself to Fiole as a victim, in exchange for the safety of her friends, never asking for mercy. Later, with all of the flower youma (monsters) destroyed, the Senshi realize that they don't have enough power to Sailor Teleport in order to return to earth. With the asteroid set on a collision course with the earth, Usagi refuses to give up and let her friends die. She chooses to use the power of the Silver Crystal to save her friends; despite their incessant protests to the contrary and the knowledge that the use of the crystal will probably result in her own death. And when Fiole returns again, trying to defeat her; Usagi remains determined to heal him – despite his advances on her boyfriend and his many attempts to physically harm or even kill her.

Usagi is extremely self-sufficient, and highly capable of defeating evil on her own. It is she alone who defeats the Kisenian and manages to heal Fiole. On the surface, as a regular girl, Usagi seems like a flighty wimp. Yet, in Jupiter's flashback, Usagi is shown as being unafraid of approaching the tough Mako alone – despite Makoto's reputation for fighting and bullying fellow students; leaving Makoto genuinely touched by Usagi's actions. Usagi is more concerned with helping others than asking for others to help her. Even as a very young child, Usagi comforts Mamoru and cheers him up when he cries about Fiole's leaving. On the asteroid, she uses the Silver Crystal to save the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen (Tuxedo Mask), determined to save them on her own. As strong as she is, Usagi is fully capable of defeating evil on her own. But when the people she cares about are in trouble, she becomes very emotional; and can be driven to take extreme risks in order to protect them.

As is characteristic of a brave dame, Usagi is more than willing to face both moral as well as physical challenges. She goes above and beyond the call of duty as Sailor Moon, willing to endure any punishment in order to protect the people she loves. Sailor Moon offers herself as a victim to Fiole, in exchange for her friends, as she cannot bear to see them being hurt; she endures tremendous pain, as is evident by her tortured screams, as Fiole drains her energy; but she never once asks for mercy, not even when he tries to kill her. After Fiole sets the asteroid on a collision course with the earth, the exhausted Sailor Moon rises to use the Silver Crystal in order to save the lives of her friends, despite the knowledge that it will most likely kill her to do so. During her transformation from Sailor Moon to Princess Serenity, Fiole grabs her brooch, digging his fingers into her breasts, trying to hurt her. Although she winces initially, Usagi is determined to help him; long past when the other Senshi gave up trying to defeat him as well as the Kisenian.

Above all, Usagi is a true friend. She offered herself as a victim to Fiole in exchange for the safety of her friends, the Sailor Senshi. She also uses the Silver Crystal to save her friends, risking her own life in the process. When Fiole taunts her before trying to kill her, the true nature of Usagi's relationships with her friends is revealed. For instance, Sailor Moon has great respect for Mercury and her intellect. Through Mercury's flashback, Usagi is shown persuading Ami that she doesn't have to work all the time, she deserves to enjoy herself just like everyone else. Although it doesn't always seem like it, Sailors Moon and Mars are very close friends. They bicker a lot, but they also trust each other completely. Usagi admires Rei, and seems to idolize her for being hard-working. As Sailor Mars, Rei is always the one to save Usagi at the last minute; such as when she throws Sailor Moon out of the path of the wave of flowers. Usagi is never afraid of or intimidated by Makoto and appears to view Makoto like a big sister. She admires Mako's physical strength, and absolutely loves her cooking. When it comes to Venus, there's no question that Sailor Moon idolizes her for being the great Sailor V, but she also likes Minako for who she is when she isn't Sailor V. Despite what other people's opinions may be about the girls – that Ami tries to show off her intelligence, that Rei is weird for her spiritual talents, that Makoto is a scary bully, or that Minako is a snob because modeling for the Sailor V animators has "gone to her head" – Usagi doesn't believe any of it. She forms her own opinions about the girls and loves each of them for whom they really are. Most importantly, Usagi brings the entire group together. She brought new meaning to their lives, as they did to hers, and Usagi never forgets how much they mean to her.

Obviously, Usagi Tsukino, or Sailor Moon, is a brave dame. On the surface, she is often construed as an average teenaged girl and wimpette. She is also an atypical super heroine, who complains about her duties as Sailor Moon. However, when it really counts – she is resilient, self-sufficient, willing to face challenges, stands up to injustice, and is – above all – a true friend. It is no small wonder then, that the Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon series created by Naoko Takeuchi is still fairly popular. The subtitled version of Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon R: The Movie really allows one to get the full effect of the first released Sailor Moon movie. Unfortunately, the English language version of the movie, like the television show, is not completely true to the story or the characters. Sailor Moon's great strength of character and qualities as a brave dame are presented with a greater poignancy in the original (subtitled) movie, and this film can truly dispel the myth that Sailor Moon is a wimpette. Because she really is much braver than some people think she is.

20th Anniversary Sailor Moon Channel Update Translations

Naoko Takeuchi revamped Sailor Moon Channel on April 1st, with a brand new interface. What remains is the new picture from last month, but the chibi-drawn characters and all that pink is a thing of the past! I am able to bring you a full translation of her message to those affected by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (東日本大震災) on her homepage. Her husband Yoshihiro Togashi had published a message and a new drawing earlier this week. We now believe, that this drawing was completed just recently in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Sailor Moon (we were unsure where this drawing had come from when it was first posted). She has also posted 6 new photos to her new photo blog. We also have the translations from the new entries of Naoko Takeuchi's new photo journal on Sailor Moon Channel. She features photos of an Easter egg and a coloring book from Italy (6 & 7), what may be an old photo of her watching a shuttle launch (8), and some new drawings of characters from Sailor Moon (9, 10, & 11)! 9 is a new drawing of Minako/Sailor Venus (to some she looks a little older), 10 looks to be one of Chibi-Chibi all grown up, and 11 is a new image of Usagi/Sailor Moon (again, to some she looks a little older). These all look like line sketches/works in progress, but it is so good to see new drawings of Sailor Moon again! Special thanks to our Japanese translator (and one of my good friends) Naoko-chan (her name is completely coincidental) for helping us out so quickly, as well as Emily for helping put together these images!

A Bird? A Plane? Sailor Moon!

Here's a bit of a different kind of Sailor Moon appearance - this time in the air! We're going to give you some background first, from the press release we found on Skyscanner's website. Please keep in mind that this was an April Fool's day joke by Skyscanner, the airline in question doesn't really exist. (you can skip to the end to read about Sailor Moon's appearance, if you like)

Skyscanner, an Italian comparison website for flights recently reported that 59% of travelers would prefer a family only in-flight section and some airlines had seriously considered this option, as well as the ability to offer flights with no children.

Urchin Airways, a fictitious new airline based in the United Kingdom, has decided to capitalize on the demand for separate flights with a different perspective. With over 1 million children flying unaccompanied every year, they decided to provide a specialized service geared to the needs of children traveling without adults. The first available is a flight to New York that took off from London the morning of April first. Soon there will also be flights to Italy, probably to Rome or Milan.

Aside from staff, the "no adults" flights will not allow any passengers over 16 years of age. In addition to a full crew on board, there will also be qualified nannies, ensuring safety and comfort for the duration of the flight.

While the majority of unaccompanied minors fly alone because their parents can not travel with them, a spokesman for Urchin Airways has indicated that there is growing demand from parents to have the opportunity to travel separately, even on occasions where the whole family is traveling to the same destination. Urchin Airways will launch a service for adults only flying parallel to meet the demands of these parents, as well as other adults who want to fly without children on board. The two services will take off and land within minutes of each other, ensuring that parents and children are reunited without issue.

Urchin Airways cabin crew will be dressed as clowns and will oversee a library of video games with a gaming zone. Activities such as racing eggs on spoons will take place in the aisle and the upholstery will be stronger, to accommodate more children kicking the seats. Whereas on regular flights children are accused of making too much noise, here they will be encouraged by the challenge "Who can shout louder?"

The menu will be tailored to the palates of children and include items such as chewing gum, gingerbread men, and string cheese. Food will be served by Oompa-Loompas, who will sing to the children while they work. Rather than offering hot towels, Teletubbies will be used for cleaning and drying the faces of children after eating. And, on flights during the night, Sailor Moon will tuck in their blankets.

Note: Urchin translates in English to '"little mischievous baby."

Although we learned that this was a joke initiated by Skyscanner, we found this was a fun and unusual place for a mention of Sailor Moon and thought you might enjoy reading about it. Too bad we won't really be seeing Sailor Moon on an airline!

April 2011 Sailor Moon Channel Updates (Part 1)

Naoko Takeuchi revamped Sailor Moon Channel on April 1st, with a brand new interface. What remains is the new picture from last month, but the chibi-drawn characters and all that pink is a thing of the past! We now believe, that this drawing was completed just recently in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Sailor Moon (we were unsure where this drawing had come from when it was first posted). She has also posted 6 new photos to her new photo blog - I am very busy until Wednesday of this week so Moonies will have to wait for our translations (sorry!). I am able to bring you a full translation of her message to those affected by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (東日本大震災) on her homepage. Her husband Yoshihiro Togashi had published a message and a new drawing earlier this week. Special thanks to our Japanese translator (and one of my good friends) Naoko-chan (her name is completely coincidental) for helping us out so quickly, as well as Emily for helping put together these images!

There is NEVER a Good Day For a Tasteless Prank

Some of you may have read this press release on OpenPR.com. No day, is ever a good day for faking a press release like this. Especially, when you put a company's name and address on it, and plagiarize portions from another press release.

This Press Release is 100% False.

Fans, we understand that it is April Fool's Day, but pranks like this must be made in jest without going too far. If you name a company and make it "look official", many fans may take it to be real. If you send your fake release to an actual PR site that posts legitimate press releases, then you're just asking for trouble. In the wake of having to deal with rumors and impostors, I had to make some phone calls (and because today is Friday, it was hard to get a hold of anyone easily). No one is ever happy having their name dragged through the mud in places it shouldn't be, and we honestly hope the fans responsible for this never do it again. Or, at least keep the rumor to their own site.

EDIT: To clarify: A fan has notified me that according to the party in question, I spoke to a Jackie Smith in Funimation.

This is completely false. I don't even KNOW a Jackie Smith at Funimation, nor did I speak to one yesterday. I don't want her name, or my name ruined over some false information. I was transferred to a woman named Perry yesterday. She was surprised that this was posted on a PR site (I never even knew it was on a fansite at all, I don't visit every fansite out there). She even asked me to read a couple paragraphs of the press release over the phone, and promised that she would go find someone to take care of this. She gave me a few people to email as well, and thanked me for letting them know. Again it was Friday, and late in the workday by the time I had gotten a hold of anyone over the phone, and most people were not in their offices. Our concern again was that this was posted on a PR site, and not a fansite. This is not a "Moon Chase versus this other site Battle". People can play whatever pranks they want to, but use moderation and exercise caution.