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!

Mimet Wins!

Hey Moonies! Tonight was the broadcast gala of the 25th Annual Gemini Awards in Canada, and our lone hope Sailor Moon nominee won! Catherine Disher (Mimet) won the Gemini for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series for her work as Maggie Norton on CBC's drama, The Border. Catherine has been nominated for this role for the last 3 years, so we are so glad she has finally gotten the recognition she deserves! For those of you who are Mimet fans that want to celebrate this occasion and do something for your favorite of the Witches 5, we have a special thread set up for you (members only) in our forums. Congratulations to Catherine Disher again and best of luck for continued success on The Border!

Korean Actress Dons Sailor Moon Cosplay for Drama!

Note: This article had incorrect information in it's former incarnation (our source was wrong). Now it is fixed and the old article has been removed.

Popular Korean actress Goo Hye-Sun dressed up like Sailor Moon to shoot some scenes for the upcoming drama The Musical to be broadcast on KBS. Hye-Sun plays a medical student who dreams of being a musical actor (and has failed 80 different auditions). Fans may know of Hye-Sun from her work in two Korean live-action adaptations of Japanese franchises: the very popular Hana Yori Dango (Boys Before Flowers) as Geum Jan Di, and from the upcoming Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend) as Riiko Izawa. In a sailor suit and a long blonde wig, she waved her wand through a busy area of Seoul as they filmed. Her costume seemed ridiculous, but Hye Sun didn’t seem fazed by it and was cheerful and happy the whole time!

Netizens took photos and remarked that she looked like manhwa (Korean word for manga) had come to life, and that in a sailor suit they thought she looked pretty and cute. Some were really impressed by her transformation, while others mused “if only she really existed!” We think every Sailor Moon fan in their heart secretly wishes she did, too. Comedienne and Co-Star Park Hyung Lim also showed up and was full of envy when she said that Sailor Moon had been rediscovered!

Fans can check out some of the photos taken below, and a video on Pandora (when it wants to work, it wasn’t doing anything for us for over an hour).

Sailor Moon soon to be back in Hong Kong! (and Other Toei Licensing News)

A big thanks to Senshi for letting us know about this! The evidence is very good that Sailor Moon will be back on the air in Hong Kong on Friday August 13th at 6:00PM! It will be showing on TVB J2 which is targeted toward teens, and shows teen dramas, entertainment and music programs and many of the latest anime in order to compete with fansubs.

Normally we would not post anything of this nature without a press release, but the evidence in this case is pretty solid. (We're sorry to the companies involved in this case, but we are quite sure this is legitimate.) You can find the show on their schedule here. (Click on the 13th and scroll down to 6PM to find "美少女戰士" which is Sailor Moon! We searched both Google and Baidu (China's biggest search engine; even bigger than Google in China) and came up with no official press release, nor did TVB have anything posted about it other than the schedule itself.

There are also at least two commercials for J2 this month about or including Sailor Moon! You can see them here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQBhbNgXEQc
&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBdjPvSK0EU

As for news we can definitely confirm, I'll let Sailordees take over for a bit:

Hey Moonies! Sailordees here – taking some time out of my very busy schedule to congratulate the team at Sentai Filmworks, for getting the license for an older Toei Animation title, Ghost Sweeper Mikami. This marks the first title that this company has gotten a license from Toei Animation since ADV broke apart into this new venture.

Ghost Sweeper Mikami is just about as old as Sailor Moon’s anime and is about a team of specialists hired to sweep Japan of ghosts since overpopulation is forcing them to live with the living. This should be a good title to check out for all our readers who like watching older series. Sentai Filmworks currently has pay-TV, per-per-view and DVD rights to all 45 episodes in North America!

Sera Myu Sightings - Late March and April

More Connections to Sera Myu in Minky Momo Musical!

Two actors involved with Sera Myu have just been confirmed to be a part of the 30th anniversary Minky Momo musical! Yoshiya Yukimura (many characters from 2000-2004) and Takayo Ooyama (Sailor Neptune 2004-2005) will be starring as Mocha the Monkey (middle) and Pipil the Bird (right) in the musical. The two of them starred in only one musical together, and we wonder if they spent any time reminiscing about Sera Myu in rehearsals. Along with Sindbook the dog, the three of these animals serve as Minky Momo's companions. And to remind you, the show is produced by Toshiyuki Takezawa, who produced the Sera Myu musicals and also worked as a producer on PGSM. Yoshiya and Takayo were revealed at a special performance and talk show that took place at the Tokyo Anime Fair on March 28th. They were not there, but images were shown. The other big piece of news about this series at the TAF? There's a new anime series in the works! Perhaps this is something we can look forward to from Sailor Moon in another ten years?

A New Movie for Mikako Tabe!

Way back in January, it was announced that popular manga title Kimi ni Todoke was going to get a live action movie adaptation. KnT is a shojo romance about a girl named Sawako who unfortunately earns the nickname Sadako because of her resemblance to the character of the same name from the popular movie, The Ring. Everyone at school thinks that Sawako can also speak to the dead and see ghosts. Sawako feels so alone, until she meets the very popular Kazehaya, and the two of them fall in love. Mikako Tabe (Yaten Kou/Sailor Star Healer) will be playing the role of Sawako, alongside the very popular Haruma Miura as Kazehaya. The film is set to open on September 25th in Japan.

Fumina Hara Appears with Salaryman!

On April 8th, NHK began to rebroadcast season 5 of the popular Japanese sketch comedy show, Salaryman Neo. Fumina Hara (Sailor Moon from 1998-1999) appears on the show, and also appeared at a promotional event at the NHK Broadcast Center on March 30th. Here she is posing with the rest of the cast - don't you hear her saying "I am the business-suited pretty soldier of love and justice, formerly known as Sailor Moon!" At the event, NHK revealed that there is going to be an addition to this rebroadcast - each episode will have a new short story. It makes mention of a skit where Aki Nakada dresses up like a member of the Takarazuka Revue, and played her role very convincingly.

Tae Kimura Gets Fashionable and Controls Men in New Movie (and has a new book too)!

Tae Kimura (Fisheye) has a leading role in the upcoming movie Tokyo-Jima (Toyko Island). She plays Kiyoko, a 43-year-old housewife that suddenly finds herself in an icky situation when she is the only woman of 24 people stranded on an uninhabited island. Her character is tough, and she uses her charms as well as her body to control the men of the island. Even with all of the accolades that Tae has received in the last few years, this must be a challenging role for her to play! In the movie, she cooks for everyone and even caught a sea snake. She told everyone at a recent promotional event that she didn't worry, because she likes snakes! Tae thinks that the women in the audience will sympathize but isn't sure what the men in the audience will think. She hopes that everyone will wonder just what they are at the end of the movie. This movie also has a nice bit of a Haute Couture edge to it - French Luxury brand Hermes is the brand of choice for many of the cast members, and is featured prominently. Kiyoko wraps herself in a Hermes scarf during the movie. Japanese women who want the same scarf can purchase it in Hermes stores in Japan for the "affordable" price of ¥48300 (just shy of $520 USD). Fans can check out the R-rated Trailer at the official site (don't watch it if you are under 18).

Tae also just released a new book of essays about her life as an actress, a daughter, a wife, a mother, and other personas. Entitled Kakato (Translation: Heel), these essays highlight many of her ups and downs in life from her career to her family. She isn't much of a computer user, but really used it a lot to put this book together, staying up all night in hotel rooms just to get her thoughts written out. But, that isn't to say that she didn't write anything in longhand - in fact just to get the right meanings for the words, for some of her essays she wrote them out first. Despite her hardships, she knows that acting is her dream job and she is happy to be an actress, even though she is known as a very emotional and dramatic actress in Japan. As far as the title goes, there's a very interesting reason why she chose it. It is a symbol of a part of the body that is often neglected to people, so she thinks. We kind of understand it since she feels that she has to show a lot of herself to the public and is always on her feet, never really having the time to lie down and reflect on life. This book is available from Kodansha and costs ¥1350 (or $14 USD).


Yuu Shirota to Dub Voice of Popular Dorama!

IRIS aired from last October to December in South Korea (information in English here), and was a huge hit. So much so, that TBS decided to purchase the dorama for broadcast. IRIS is about best friends Hyun Joon Kim and Seung Hee Choi, who are brought in to work for the NSS, an intelligence organization. The two of them fall in love, but things take a wicked turn when Hyun is sent to Hungary for a solo mission, and he learns that Vick, an assassin from a top secret spy organization known as IRIS, is looking for him. As this mysterious and unpredictable series progresses, Hyun Joon learns what IRIS is. This show has shot episodes all over the world, including the United States, China, Japan, and Russia! Yuu Shirota (Tuxedo Kamen from 2003-2004), will be dubbing the voice of Hyun Joon Kim in Japanese. IRIS will start on TBS on April 21st, and run for approximately 6 months. This show has been renewed for a second season in South Korea, however the actor that plays Hyun Joon Kim (Lee Byung Hun) is unable to return to his role.


Yuu was also featured in another article about singer Jin Akanishi, who just announced that he will be playing two concerts in LA this June. Everyone knows that Jin and Yuu are best friends, but did you know that Yuu considers Jin to be like an older brother to him? The rest of the article goes into other friends of Jin and how they have been caught partying by the tabloids.

Kousei Amano Starts Nightclub Tour!

Hot on the heels of the success of Tough Times at Club Indigo, Kousei Amano (Tuxedo Mask in 1999) is joining some cast members in a special night club tour of 22 Japanese cities to promote the show. They are going to also serve as the club hosts! The first of these party dates happened on March 31st at the Shinjuku Kabukicho Host Club called Club Acqua. By the way, if you are trying to spot him in the photo, he is second from the right in the gray suit. The boys of the Indigo Club sure looked sharp that night, as they partied with clubgoers and poured champagne. Kousei was quoted, saying that he only hopes that he can work hard to please everyone at these 22 cities, and that he understands how hard these hosts have to work to please everyone at the club. Here's one last picture for all you fangirls to see these "dream hosts".


Maki Aizawa Represents the Typical Resident of Niigata Prefecture in Japanese Variety Show!

Himitsu no Kenmin Show (Translation: Secrets of the Character of Prefectural Residents
). This show aims to find out what makes the residents of each prefecture in Japan different from one another by looking at these local customs and attitudes in depth. On April 22nd, Maki Aizawa (Loof Merrow in 2004), appeared on the show representing Niigata prefecture. We couldn't find any more about Maki's involvement in the show, but did learn a little bit about the episode's features. There is a new way to enjoy Soba in Toshigi, every February 1st, the people of Aomori look forward to a day of bargain sales, and in Sapporo, the 1972 Olympics inspired a large part of their population to take up the Bobsled! To learn even more about the show and the products seen, visit the other official site of the show here.


And for our Anza Ooyama (Sailor Moon from 1993-1998) fans, she is currently touring in Brazil with her band Head Phones President. Head to SOSMP BR for more, including a video of her band performing a moving, acoustic version of their hit song "Chain"!

PGSM Update April 2010 – Part 3!

Dancing, Plays, Video Games, and Doramas make up this round of PGSM Actor Updates!

Aya Sugimoto Dances, and Teaches!

Aya Sugimoto (Queen Beryl) is not only known for her acting, modeling, "modeling", and "writing", but also for her great dancing ability. Last March marked the Japanese premiere of the popular movie musical Nine, starring Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Fergie, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, and Daniel Day Lewis (is it not sad that I know them all by heart). At the premiere, Aya did a re-creation of Fergie’s infamous "Be Italian" routine from the movie with another dancer, Steven Haynes. This drew rave reviews, not only for Aya’s immense talent, but for her "talent" as well. Fans can check out a video of her performance here! Aya also did her part to repair Toyota’s image with women. The disgraced car company launched a new car in Japan called the Passo + Hana. As part of a special marketing campaign targetting women, Aya hosted a class with newhalf idol Ai Haruna. Entitled the “Girl Power Improvement Course of the Passo+Hana Women’s University in Spring”, the two of them gave women dating advice. Aya noted that a woman on a date sitting in a car, needs to make her legs look beautiful. There was also something else discussed at this class, but this blog is rated PG-13, and we're not going to write about it.

Masaya Kikawada is a Detective!

Masaya Kikawada (Motoki) is starring as a detective in the new dorama Keishichou Shissounin Sousaka (The Metropolitan Police Missing Person Investigation Section) that just started on TV Asahi this past April 16th. This show is about a strange case that the aforementioned division of the police is called in to investigate. A physicist disappears into thin air during a supernatural show, and in their search to find him they uncover a lot more than they expected. And of course, there are always relational complications between team members. Masaya plays Junichi Morita (he's at the end on the left side) a mild, passive, and sincere detective with a strong sense of justice. He has one flaw, and that is that he has a constant tendency to say more than he needs to. He's also got a sharp mind and is very good with technology. Masaya also appeared at the Paul & Joe Fall/Winter 2010 fashion show in Tokyo just a few weeks ago. And to top things off, Masaya also appeared at the opening of Forever 21's Asian Flagship Store in Ginza on April 29th. Who knew our shy Motoki liked couture?

Akira Kubodera Voices Legendary Shogun Leader!

Capcom is going to release Sengoku Basara 3 this summer for the PS3 and Wii in Japan (it will be on its way here and will be called Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes). This is the latest in the popular game series set in feudal Japan where states are at war with each other. Akira Kubodera (Nephrite) will be playing Nobunaga Oda, but there's a twist. He has been one of the evil characters in the two previous games, but is killed sometime between the last one and this one, and will only appear in flashback sequences. Capcom may bring his character back in a future game, and this new one features all sorts of new characters from the North and South of Japan. The game was presented on April 9th at the Ikebukuro Sunshine Theater, and many of the game's seiyuu showed up in full cosplay. Akira dressed up as his character (first on the left). We almost couldn't recognize him until we read the caption! What do you all think of his cosplay?

Unfortunate Tale of a Betrayed Woman Features Mariko Tsutsui!

Youkame no Semi (The Cicada on the 8th Day) is a 6 part dorama airing on NHK as we speak. It is the sad tale of a woman named Kiwako, who has an affair with Takahiro, a married man. He gets both of the women pregnant, and forces Kiwako to get an abortion. Kiwako learns right after her abortion that Takahiro's wife was also pregnant and had a baby girl. She feels betrayed that she was not allowed to have a child of her own, even though Takahiro loves her more than his own wife. One night, she kidnaps the baby and spends the next 5 years on the run in Japan. The show picks up two decades later when the daughter (renamed Kaoru from her birth name of Erina) turns 20 and begins her own affair - Kiwako shares her story with her, finally. In the third episode entitled "Sad Women", Kaoru's first four years are shown. Kiwako has found a womens' commune (the House of Angels) to live in, and has started a new life there with Kaoru. Everything seems calm and peaceful, until she is forced to go on the run again after her face ends up on television and Takahiro spots her. Mariko Tsutsui appears in this episode as Dr. Sakakibara. From what's been seen of this dorama, it is pretty powerful and gripping.


Kaori Moriwaka in 80's Rock Band Battle!

Kaori Moriwaka (Ikuko Tsukino) will be one of the special guests at this year's Nexus Annexus festival at Japan's Studio Coast. On June 6th, there is going to be an "epic" rock battle of the bands with artists that were popular in Japan in the 80s. Kaori got her start in the entertainment industry as the lead singer and songwriter for the popular girls' rock band the Go Bang's back in the 80s and 90s, and she will be one of the competitors in this rock battle. This should be a fun show to go see, no matter who the winner is! If you're in Tokyo this summer and want to check it out, here's some more information!

Narushi Ikeda Tries His Hand at Directing!

Narushi Ikeda may have played Minako's agent Sugao Saito, and appeared to know everything that he was doing. But, this is not the case in his real life - he has always been an actor, never the director... until now! Playing at the Tokyo Globe Theatre right now is the play Hakurankai, presented by Parco Produce. It is about a team of artists getting prepared for a world's exhibition in the very tropical Taiwan during World War II when there is much tension all over. The comedy stars Narushi, and he also makes his directorial debut in the play. He said that it was tough initially, but it was something that he had aspired to do. He always got feedback from the other actors to make sure that his decisions were working with everyone! The play has been running since January and has been a resounding success! He is pictured here in the bottom left corner, and fans can check out an interview with him here.

Sera Myu Sightings Late March 2010 - Part 1

We're a little behind on our posts - so this week will be mostly Sera Myu and PGSM will carry on until next week. Thank you Moonies! As of this writing we have 505 surveys for Phase 4! Only 195 to go till we hit our goal of 700! Today's actor updates are all dealing with doramas and DVDs!


Yuu Shirota’s New Samurai Drama to Get Boxset Release!

Yuu Shirota (Tuxedo Kamen from 2003-2004) keeps popping up in lots of different places! Last fall, he played Tsuyoshi Nakamura in the Japanese dorama Samurai High School. Tsuyoshi befriends the main character named Kotaro Mochizuki, who is a very special person. He experiences flashbacks of his past life as a samurai, and even awakens his ancestors within him to save the day. The show’s premise seems a little silly but it was a lot more popular than you’d expect, and it ran for 9 episodes on NTV! The show is set to get a DVD Boxset release on March 26th. It will be packed with extras including cast interviews, event footage, making ofs, and special stickers. Last fall on his blog, Yuu said that this was the first time he had ever played a good-for-nothing student, and said that this is the funniest dorama he has ever been in! He also wanted to assure his fans that his character's pants were not rolled up because they were too tall for him, that it was just the way his character was supposed to dress.

Fumina Hara in Drama Special!

Fuji TV aired a 4-night special drama event in the beginning of March, and Fumina Hara (Sailor Moon from 1998-1999) was featured in the very last episode. Sotsu Uta was a slice-of-life/coming of age dorama featuring four women's stories of graduation, that are based on popular graduation songs in Japan. Her episode aired on March 4th, and was titled Sotsugyou Shashin and was based on the song by Yumi Matsutoya. J-pop Queen Ayumi Hamasaki sang a version of this song on her A Ballads album, and fans can hear a version of it here. The story was about a radio personality named Hitomi Tachibana (played by Masami Nagasawa) who moved back to her hometown after working in the brutal Tokyo working world for a long time. She makes a brand new start in her old hometown with the help and support of a classmate from high school days. Fumina played Manami Kiguchi in the episode, and appeared for only a few moments. She played another employee at the same office as Hitomi, who was "sleeping her way to the top".

Fumina also appeared on NHK's office sketch comedy series Salaryman Neo last year. That show is also on its way to DVD on April 10th.

Reiko Kataoka Comes a Long Way From Being an Ensemble Member

Reiko Kataoka is probably one of those Sera Myu stars who is barely remembered. She only appeared in one musical - Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen as an ensemble member. She has since gone on to appear in many doramas and films, and one of those doramas is Gaiji Keisatsu. This show is about a special police unit that deals with threats like international terrorism and espionage. She played the leading role of Sargent Ayane Igarashi, a gutsy Sargent who is ruthless and given many tough assignments. She tires of her job and wants to retire. The show was just released on DVD on February 23rd. It's surprising how far some actors from Sera Myu have come, even if they were only featured in a very minor role in the musicals!

3 Days of Sera Myu - Day 2: Sailor Mars, Tuxedo Kamens, and Sailor Star Fighter all in New Doramas!

Risa Honma Stars in New Calligraphy Club Dorama!

Risa Honma, best known for playing CereCere in 2001 and Sailor Mars from 2004-2005, has a supporting role in a new dorama called Tomehane! Suzuri Koko Shodobu. This show is about a girl from Canada who returns to Japan after many years, and finds that she likes Japanese calligraphy. She joins her new high school’s calligraphy club, but the tiny club is in danger of being abolished without enough students. This is a slice of life drama, and Risa plays Arisa Hatakeyama, a member of a prestigious calligraphy school's staff. The dorama is a live-action adaptation of a popular manga in Japan which ended last year by veteran mangaka Katsuoshi Kawai. Calligraphy is not just about learning the different characters and making them, but also "performance calligraphy" which involves dancing and drawing them. This series began January 7th on NHK. It was only meant to be a 6 episode special, and just ended on February 11th. Since Sera Myu ended, you may be surprised to know that Risa is a budding Sailor Pluto! She lists astrophysics as a hobby, and studied physics at Nihon University, Japan's largest university!

Kousei Amano Plays a Host and is in a Special Boy Band!

Kousei Amano (Tuxedo Kamen in 1999) is now starring in a dorama that is adapted from a popular novel by Miaki Kato. Indigo no Yoru (or Tough Times at Club Indigo) began on Fuji TV in January, and tells the story of Akira Takahara, a woman who once was a successful editor at a major Japanese publisher. One day, her fiance suddenly disappeared, and an unfortunate embezzlement incident later caused her to lose her job. She ends up as the manager of Club Indigo, a strange host club in Shibuya. With various shenanigans happening every night around the club, she and her hosts become amateur detectives to try to solve the cases. Kousei plays a host named "Inu Man" (or Dog Man in English). But what's even more interesting is that he is ten years older than the youngest host, and the two of them along with the famed Takagi twins have formed a pop unit! They are called INDIGO 4 and sing the theme song to the show "Kokoro -Dear my friends-". The single is set to be released today! This show also has a connection to PGSM, as Masu Takeshi (Rei's Dad) also appears in this show playing a supporting role as Mama Nagisa. And if the name of this author sounds familiar, it is! Miaki also wrote the Mop Girl novels, which were later turned into a dorama starring none other than PGSM Sailor Mars, Keiko Kitagawa! The story has also been adapted for the stage, and is set to debut on April 30th at the New National Theatre in Tokyo.

Yuu Shirota in New Movie Based on Popular Dorama!

Yuu Shirota (Tuxedo Kamen from 2003-2004) reprises his role as the condemned criminal Mariya Kyousuke in the just released Koshonin: Time Limit at 10 000 m Above the Ground. This movie is a spinoff from the popular Koshonin: The Negotiator dorama in Japan which lasted for two seasons. The show's premise seems very familiar to that of Flashpoint, but with detectives involved with the Special Investigations Team (SIT). An airplane is hijacked in this movie, but the team's lead negotiator Usagi Reiko is on the flight, and races against time to save the day.

We also came across this very special interview that was conducted by Cinema Today to celebrate his 24th birthday. Yuu Shirota is half-Japanese, half-Spanish, and was largely raised by his Spanish mother. He was asked about cultural differences with Spanish people, and he noted that he lived in Spain when he was a child. He said something interesting that Japanese people are shier than Spanish people. For example if you bump into someone and they drop their handkerchief, in Japan they very hurriedly say “Sorry!” and keep going. In Spain though, people are a lot friendlier and the conversation would go something like “Hey, I dropped my handkerchief!” “Oh, I’m sorry! Can I help you?” He thinks people feel closer in Spain to each other. He has immense respect for his mother since she raised him and his 4 siblings alone in Spain, and had a hard time raising them in Japan where she didn’t understand a word of Japanese. She had been through so many hard times, but she raised them all “splendidly”. He has immense respect for her, and how she helped them all to grow. On his birthday each year, he says that he thanks his mother for giving birth to him. He thinks that the day when children get presents should be a day when they thank their mothers for giving birth to them, since they are the reasons that they are alive and living happily! And, he especially notes that mother hurt her belly giving birth to him, and that the father’s genes are important too.


Mikako Tabe is Everywhere!

Mikako Tabe (Yaten Kou/Sailor Star Healer from 2003-2004) is starring in a new adaptation of a critically acclaimed Japanese novel by Toyoko Yamasaki. Fumo Chitai (The Waste Land) began last October on Fuji TV and continues to run. This series follows Iki Tadashi, a former military leader who was captured by the Soviets during World War II. Treated as a war criminal, he was sentenced to many years of labor in a harsh Siberian detention camp. After 11 years of imprisonment, he is released. He returns to Japan and begins readjusting to life as a civilian, rejecting an offer from his former colleague to work on a defense project. Tadashi has decided to never involve himself in war again, much to the joy of his family. Instead, he attempts to set off on a new path working at a major trading company. Mikako plays his daughter, Naoko in teh series. The series was not only shot in Japan, but also in New Zealand to re-create the Siberian detention camp, and is loosely based on the life of Ryuzo Sejima. This drama is doing very well in the ratings and is one of the more popular shows in Japan.

A brand new recording was released of famed Japanese poet Noriko Ibaragi's greatest works. When I was Most Beautiful ~ Words to Live By ~ was released on January 30th, and Mikako can be heard reading her most famous poem "When I was Most Beautiful" about the unfairness of war among the poems included. Fans can read an English translation of the powerful poem here (and wander around and read her other poems too - they are great!). The poem, since its publication in 1957, has been translated into many different languages, and was even put to music by Pete Seeger in the late 60s.

And, last December 4th, Japan's prestigious Elandor Awards were handed out. These awards recognize excellence in Japanese cinema and TV dramas. Mikako won a "Rookie Award" for her acting in the Japanese fantasy film, Fish Story. Fans can learn more about the time-traveling adventure in a review from Variety (yes, this is in English). She played the schoolgirl Asami in this punk-rock themed movie about fate through the ages. There may be an international release of this film, but as of this writing no one has picked it up internationally (hey FUNImation, here's a Japanese film actually worth licensing). Congratulations!

Only one more day to go - guess who's modeling, and guess who won an award for his performance in a Japanese production of a Shakespearean play?

New Sailor Moon Interviews on ANIMAX!

Dear Moonies: We know you are all anxious! Yes, we read this story tonight about new DVDs in Mexico and Latin America, but we are waiting for official confirmation. There is an image of Sailor Moon on Capital 8's site (which is a very good sign) but there is no press release listed anywhere, and we just want to be sure. We're a little surprised that we don't see the correct copyright credentials on that image, since they are all over the images (or in proximity of them) in Italy. We have contacted relevant official sources for confirmation and we will comment on this as soon as possible!


Now, back to what this post is really about:


Hours ago, reader Jim! sent us these links to some new interviews on YouTube which came from a series of specials on ANIMAX. Creators, is a talk show on ANIMAX that is hosted by Kyan Chiaki (the cosplayer at the Sailor Moon DVD Launch & Reunion Event) and actor Kendo Kobayashi. On the shows which aired on the Saturdays, February 6th and 13th, three very special guests were featured! Directors Junichi Sato and Kunihiko Ikuhara, as well as Sailor Moon herself, Kotono Mitsuishi were interviewed on the talk show. The three of them shared the untold story of how the show was born, and how it changed the industry. Kotono also shared some special memories of her time on the show, and even moves a giant Sailor Moon plush around while performing her infamous monologue right after her transformation! Unfortunately, we are really busy behind the scenes of Moon Chase with our big endeavour coming this Friday, and trying to get this rumor confirmed. We don't have a lot of time to watch this interview - but know that we are working on getting something related to this interview to you fans through other, more exciting avenues. In the meantime, please watch it here:


First Half, Part 1
First Half, Part 2
First Half, Part 3

Second Half, Part 1
Second Half, Part 2
Second Half, Part 3

Junichi continued (and still is) on the show yesterday and next week, for his work on Keroro Gunso (better known in English as Sgt. Frog).

February PGSM News Update

Rika Izumi Gives Exercise Lessons

Rika Izumi (PGSM Sailor Mercury) recently made an appearance on the TV Asahi program Easy Sports. The purpose of Easy Sports is to make athletics and a healthy lifestyle accessible to women of all body types and ages. Viewers who were watching the program during the week of January 18 to January 22 would have been treated to some footage of Izumi performing various yoga lessons. Izumi, who lists Pilates as one of her favourite sports on her profile, showed viewers five different poses for the week long stretch that she was featured. We're also linking you to videos that we have been able to find! Monday's lesson was for a triangle pose, which enhances thigh flexibility and strength of physique. Tuesday's lesson was an Extended Side Angle pose, which helps the back and improves blood circulation. Wednesday's exercise was the Bound Angle Pose which strengthens the back and abdomen. Thursday's exercise was the Upward Dog Pose, which strengthens the back of the legs and improves posture. Finally, Friday's lesson was the Bridge Pose, which strengthens the abdominal and back legs. For pictures and descriptions of Izumi's lesson, visit here.

In other Rika Izumi news, the former PGSM actress will be appearing in a supporting role on "BeeTV", a station geared towards mobile devices and the internet. She will be making some cameo appearances on the omnibus love dorama, "Onna-tachi wa Nido Asobu". Aibu Saki, Koyuki, Hazegawa Kyoko, Yuuka and Misukawa Asami will be the full time cast members that Izumi will be acting with. A typical episode of this show will feature five different mini-episodes within its 24 minute run time.

Also Buzzing Around on BeeTV is A Turtleman!

Poor Masaya Kikawada (PGSM Motoki Furuhata), your infamous turtle antics from PGSM will live with us fans forever...He is also appearing on a dorama on BeeTV that is also a collaboration with FujiTV called Hidamari no Basho ~Hatsukoi~, which translates to "Place of Sunshine ~First Love~". He plays a supporting role in this show about a delinquent who falls in love with the most perfect girl at school. Fans can click here to learn more about the show and watch a trailer!

Masaya also posted something pretty quirky on his blog. Last December, he admitted to really liking the scent of Downy (y'know, the fabric softner?). He was the happiest person in the world when he discovered that popular Japanese laundry detergent Bold has a limited edition detergent out that has the scent of Downy in it (similar to the "Tide with a Touch of Downy" we have here). He thinks that now he is washing his clothes with this, that he will be more attractive. We couldn't help but laugh reading this entry!


Mew Azama Endorses Suntory Products

Suntory, a company which specializes in various drinks, has put together a special campaign for Jug-Nana, a popular line of beer. Suntory has gathered six young idols for its latest promotion, one representing each day of the week. Sharing Thursday for this promotion is none other than Mew Azama (PGSM Sailor Jupiter) . Some of the idols representing the other days of the week are Yuriko Yoshitaka (Monday), Sayo Aizawa (Tuesday), Airi Taira (Wednesday), and Inamori Izumi (Friday). All six idols will represent Saturday and Sunday.

PGSM Stars Reunite (Well, Almost...)

Special thanks to reader RB for sending in this sighting! Mew Azama and Ayaka Komatsu (Sailor Venus) hosted a combined birthday party for Mew and a New Years' Party a little over 2 weeks ago. The only one who couldn't make it this time was Keiko Kitagawa (Sailor Mars). Miyuu Sawaii (Sailor Moon), Rika, and Ayaka all posted images and a few thoughts on their blogs! Rika remarked that it was fun to get together with everyone again after a long time, and that they are so close that they can talk for hours. Ayaka also said that she was happy to see everyone, and that they were so restless when they caught up with each other! Miyuu just wrote that they had a great time and they talked a lot. Here come the photos:

From Rika's Blog:


From Ayaka's Blog:


From Miyuu's blog:


Keiko Kitagawa is Valentine's Queen, Journalist Offender, and a Hair-Raiser!

Keiko is too busy doing promotions for her new productions and filming others, but she still continues to make some quirky appearances in Japanese news. On February 3rd, she was voted a Valentine's Day Queen in the categories of Drama Heroine and Most Fascinating Female Celebrity. This was a survey done by 300 Japanese High Schoolers sponsored by both Oricon and Pocky. Valentine's Day is a little different in Japan - women give men chocolate, and then men return the favor giving women chocolate exactly a month later. So, Keiko was voted the woman that these High Schoolers would most like to receive chocolate from! Standing alongside her is Japanese idol Masuwaka Tsubasa (who is best known for her Gyaru modeling). Keiko was quoted during the event: "I attended a girls’ school for junior high and high school. Making homemade chocolates was not one of my strong points. Instead, I often received really cute chocolates made by other girls." Mishapen or lumpy Keiko, it's the thought that counts! Fans can watch some highlights from the event here. Keiko also wrote something that offended journalists a few days later on her blog (English translation here), ranting about how she finds it difficult to keep her answers consistent during interviews ahead of the March 10th premiere of her upcoming movie After the Flowers, and that she thought she put all the intense stress on her brain away after she graduated. We hope that this doesn't hurt the press because the movie looks really good (and could hopefully be picked up for international distribution). On the bright side, some critics have already lauded her performance in this movie "Hair-Raising","Trembling" and "impressive" at a preview screening held on January 26th.

Natsumi Kiyoura Releasing First Album!

Natsumi Kiyoura (Sailor M) is releasing her debut album, and boy has she come a long way since her days on PGSM. She is a singer, and has even sung the theme song for Spice and Wolf "Tabi no Tochu". The song is featured on her upcoming album "19 Colors", which is produced by many big names in the industry. It even has a song ("Anone Demone") produced by Yoko Kanno, who is legendary among anime fans for her work on anime movie and TV show soundtracks. This long awaited release will come out on February 24th, and fans should order it now from overseas retailers as it is predicted to be a hit!

BREAKING NEWS: Sailor Moon Already Back On The Air In A European Country!

Luftetarja e Henes Returns to Albania!

This is a complete surprise to all of us here at Moon Chase - we never even knew there was an Albanian dub! Just a few hours ago, reader Toni sent us an email telling us that Luftetarja e Henes (Rough Translation: Fighters of the Moon) began last week in Albania! Albanians only ever got the first, second, and fourth seasons of Sailor Moon, and only the first two were censored. It is a little strange that there's no third season in between, and if there were certain plot elements that were a huge issue (such as the relationship between Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune) then there are ALWAYS ways around that creatively (even though some fans may not agree with plot changes). It certainly is no reason to scrap an entire season! Nonetheless, congratulations to the fans in Albania - you can enjoy Odango-Atama again (and hopefully, one day everyone in the world will be able to again).

It is not on a regular cable channel but on a premium one (as will be the case very soon with Italy and Mediaset Permium's Hiro Channel). Albanians that want to watch Sailor Moon will need to subscribe to Digit-Alb and will have to get a package that includes the children's channel Bang Bang. Albanians can tune in at 6:35 PM on weekdays! Hey Toei, why is there no mention of this anywhere on your website? We wonder if there are other smaller markets that the show is being broadcast in throughout Europe. If any of our other fans see the show, please send us an email and we will help get the word out!

A special thank you to Toni for sending us this very special sighting that we may have otherwise never known about!

Backstage Launches New Property Site For Sailor Moon!

It seems that news surrounding Sailor Moon's revival continues to pop up from Italy! Loyal Moonie Bambino Light left us a nice breakfast surprise this morning - Backstage Licensing launched a property site for Sailor Moon today!

Before we talk about what is on the site, here's a short lesson in the inner workings of the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, we'd have loved to have shown you another example of a property site in English for Flashpoint, but it appears Alchemy TV's site has disappeared. Entertainment companies put these pages up, along with a sales flyer, to promote the property to different markets. With Flashpoint, the site was there to promote it to different markets in other, non-North American countries. However, since it appears that Italy only has the rights to the Italian version, we're not entirely sure what other markets the show is being pitched to. Italian is also an official language in the countries of Switzerland, San Marino, and The Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The biggest market of these is obviously Switzerland, but out of all of the country's four official languages, German is the one that is the most used (and Sailor Moon likely aired in that language during its heyday).

What's on this site? A sales flyer, in both HTML and PDF form, in both Italian and English! This is a part of a sales package which goes to potential buyers of the show with a few details about the series. Every company pitches their properties differently, so we can't guess what might be included in Sailor Moon's. Emblazoned across the site's header is another new image of the Senshi - these new pictures keep getting better and better! We have featured it below. It is also interesting that the show's genre is listed as "Adventure/Sentimental". We couldn't have listed it better!

This is an exciting time to be a Sailor Moon fan, and soon there will be a timeline post on this site listing all of the major events in the revival stretching back to last summer. We've noticed that many sites are now starting to take note of something that we've been following from early whispers, and we think a lot of fans are coming out from hiding - don't worry, this will clear everything up for you!

CTV Builds The Bridge Without CBS... For Now!

Some of our readers may remember some of the woes Stephanie Morgenstern (Sailor Venus #1) and her husband Mark Ellis' Flashpoint had last Fall - new episodes were not scheduled to air on CBS, but CTV went ahead and put the show on its Fall schedule anyway. And it was a success, being one of the highest rated (if not the highest rated) show on Friday nights in Canada! Flashpoint is also special because it helped to open the door for several Canada-U.S. co-productions, another one of them being the upcoming cop drama The Bridge, which features Toby Proctor (Tuxedo Mask #2). CBS has delayed the premiere of this show for the timebeing, but CTV is not going to let these 11 episodes wait until then! The show will premiere with a bang on March 5th at 9PM Eastern Time with a two hour episode (just after the network completes their Vancouver Olympic Broadcast)! Fans who are looking to see Tuxedo Mask in his new law-enforcement role can check out a trailer here - he appears at 1:20 (with a gun, sorry no roses!). For more information on the show's development and inspiration, check out this post from one of our WGTS friends, TV, Eh?

BREAKING NEWS: No Room For Flashpoint or the Bridge on CBS?

CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler spoke at a CBS session at the Television Critics Association on Saturday. She took a few jabs at NBC and their current dilemma with Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. She acknowledged that CBS has plenty of new series to program, including Flashpoint and another Canada-United States co-production, The Bridge (which currently has 13 episodes waiting to air). The Bridge also has a connection to Sailor Moon, in star Toby Proctor (Tuxedo Mask #2). She simply said "We had a terrific fall launch... A lot of our shows are working so we had more content than we had real estate." This does not bode well for fans of Flashpoint (which was co-created by Stephanie Morgenstern (Sailor Venus #1) and her husband Mark Ellis) or potential fans of The Bridge. Many critics are speculating that these shows are now going to be pushed even further to the Summer. We really hope that there is at least some space to show at least a few episodes of these shows during Spring Sweeps. Sorry fans, we wish we had better news but we don't at this point. Keep writing to CBS! It is too early to tell when any new episodes of Flashpoint (set to resume production pretty soon) will air on CTV, or if they will be held back until CBS catches up. We also don't know as of this writing whether CTV will jump the gun and air The Bridge ahead of time just like they did Flashpoint last fall.

A Few Sailor Moon Stars Reunite for Crayon Shin-Chan, Bento Lessons, and Fan Spots Many More Changes in HxH #27!

Happy New Year Moonies! Here's to a successful return of Sailor Moon for the rest of the world in 2010! News is a little slow, so instead of splitting these stories, I'm going to put them all together. Yes, we know that there is a lot going on in Italy right now but we are getting back into the swing of things after a much needed Holiday vacation. We promise a full post later this week!

Sailors Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Jadeite Appear in Last Crayon Shin-Chan of the 2009!

Crayon Shin-Chan continues to play on in the wake of creator Yoshito Usui’s death. New episodes will continue to be produced and broadcast for this season at the very least. On December 4th, the last episode of the year aired, and featured Kotono Mitsuishi (Sailor Moon), Aya Hisakawa (Sailor Mercury), Michie Tomizawa (Sailor Mars) and Masaya Onosaka (Jadeite). In the first episode, Shin-Chan and Nanako through a series of unfortunate events are stuck together on the train, trying to follow Matsumi Ageo (played by Kotono), who is going out with a different man (played by Masaya)! They end up following them to a farm, where the man tries to teach Matsumi about farming, and how to plow a field. Nanako, being protective and angry with Matsumi, steps in, and shows them both how to plow. The man is so taken by her, he falls for her instead of Matsumi, and this is the last thing Nanako wants! But, it turns out that they are not on a date after all and he just admires her plowing skills – he is married and has a child! Michie also appeared in this episode playing Ume Matsuzaka.In the second episode, Shin-Chan’s school was having a carnival, and his mother Misae, had to knit something to sell. Unfortunately, she could not knit very well and her scarf had many snags and loose loops in it. We think Aya Hisakawa played a parent in this episode, but it was difficult to discern which one she played! No one bought Misae’s scarf, but towards the end of the episode she left the stall for a moment. A dark figure came up to buy the scarf, and Misae was the happiest person knowing that her scarf sold! The next morning, Shin-Chan’s father Hiroshi left for work, and outside the house took out Misae’s scarf from his briefcase, and wore it. Aww, what a sweet ending!

Kotono also blogged sentiments about Shin-Chan last November. During a meeting of cast and crew of the show, they shared the first few laughs they have had for a very long time. She finds her role as Matsumi Ageo to be a challenge, but it is also a secret weapon for her because it inspires her to set a new high for her performances! She regrets never actually meeting Usui, but hopes to continue to play the role as best she can for as long as she possibly can.

More Sailor Moon Themed Cooking on the Way in Japan!

ANIMAX along with IMAGICA TV's Food and Travel Network Foodies TV to bring fans a little something special. Starting in February, the two channels are going to present specials to show viewers the art of making Bento (Japanese Lunch Boxes) for two months. If any of our readers aren't familiar with what Bento is, here's the short of it: they are home cooked lunches that are sometimes comparmentalized with a few small Japanese dishes. Some people get especially creative with their Bento boxes, fashioning them around an anime theme. YTV also attempted something similar years ago on their website. Sailor Moon will be featured as part of this special series, but we don't agree with how the press release has labeled the show's popularity. They state that it is popular with mothers and daughters in their 20s and 30s. Most recently, we've noticed a surge in blogs of newer teenage fans (and boys as well) talking about Sailor Moon. We are pretty sure that the show is a lot more popular with other demographics than this release suggests. The press release notes that it is not a common occurrence for two completely different companies to collaborate together, and handle all of their PR jointly (ANIMAX is owned by ANIMAX Broadcast Japan and Foodies TV is owned by IMAGICA TV). It is thought that the two companies working together on something like this will do a lot to boost their image in the public eye. If we find any clips of these specials, we will try our hardest to post them for you all!

Togashi Adds More Detail to Hunter X Hunter Volume 27 and Returns to Jump Magazine!


The Togashi World Blog has posted some images of manga frames from the latest volume published of Yoshihiro Togashi's Hunter X Hunter and has compared them to frames published in Jump Magazines. When fans see these, they will see that there is a lot more detail added to the frame than there was in the magazine before. Not only have fans noticed that the quality of the comics in Jump Magazine aren't what they used to be seeing from Togashi, but the press as well. We could understand why some minor details might be added to a frame, but somehow this makes us wonder if Shueisha is pressuring him to churn out stories, and then after the issues are published he takes his own time to put more effort into the manga. We may never know what exactly goes on between Shueisha and Togashim but nonetheless, it is nice to see some new work from him on this popular series - who knows when it will go on the back burner again? Fans can check out the images here. In other Togashi News, in this week's issue of Jump, Hunter X Hunter made its return, and Togashi's message to the fans in this issue was "Happy New Year. Sorry to keep you fans waiting. My goal for this year is to draw as much as possible". Fans can only hope to see Togashi's work for more than ten weeks this year! We expect to see volume #27 published by Viz sometime later this year as #26 has just been released this week!