BREAKING NEWS! Naoko Was At The 20th Anniversary Event!

In my endless search to put together the best coverage I possibly can to keep everyone updated on what happened at the event, I returned to the blog I found of the first fan I found days ago who had mentioned that she had won a ticket. To my surprise, were a few lines in there about a photo being published on Kyan Chiaki's blog with none other than Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi. I didn't think I was reading this right - because in every news article that I had read, there was no mention of Naoko being there! The blogger thinks that Naoko must have been sitting in the back, and unfortunately she thought she had a terrible spot sitting in the back as well. This blogger is now kicking herself for not looking behind her - she really wanted to meet "Naoko-hime" (Princess Naoko). We are all relieved to see the happiness on Naoko's face, and this is also the first picture we've seen of her in over a year (her Bandai Hobby Center photos were taken in October of last year). Perhaps we may see an entry about this on Sailor Moon Channel? Kyan Chiaki's entry reads:

It is so great!

I met Ms. Naoko Takeuchi!

Now I feel very unfortunate having dressed the way I did! (NOTE: In a previous entry, she said that she was supposed to wear red boots but at the last minute they were the wrong size so she had to wear white ones.)

Nonetheless, she was very kind and wonderful!

Ms. Takeuchi is known for her beautiful and delicate manga drawings, but in person she is really lovely like a Goddess!

I forgot to wear gloves!!

Until next time!

We are once again relieved, happy, and elated to know that she attended this event!

North American VA Update for December 2009

Here's another update on the North American voice actors for everyone, this time we have a few actors returning to roles in shows, a concert date, and a movie trailer.

Sarah Lafleur (Sailor Uranus) made an appearance in the November 27th episode of Ugly Betty. The episode, "Level 7 with Me" was about Daniel Meade's attempt to reunite with his deceased wife, Molly (played by Lafleur) with the aid of the Community of the Phoenix. Betty and Daniel's mother, Claire had been suspicious of the motivations of the community, fearing that the community wanted Daniel to invest large amounts of money into it. With help from Matt and Amanda, Betty was able to find Daniel before it was too late. He and Natalie had been drinking some tea with a hallucinogenic drug in it that made them see their loved ones in front of them. Daniel was able to see Molly one last time as Betty tried to coax him out of the trance. In a touching scene, Molly told Daniel that he had to let her go. He kissed her goodbye and then returned to reality with Betty standing before him. Betty later told Daniel that he kissed her eyebrow, because Molly was taller than herself. The episode was a nice way to say goodbye to Sarah Lafleur's character, but I'm sure we will continue to hear about Molly in future episodes.

Julie Lemieux (Sammy) returned to her role as the voice of Pig Will in a recent episode of Busytown Mysteries (Hurray for Huckle!). The episode, "Sandcastle Squasher/Strange Ski Tracks Mystery" aired November 21st. The Canadian animated children's show is based on the works of author and illustrator Richard Scarry. It centres around six characters solving the mysteries of everyday life in an imaginary place called Busytown. (description from IMDb)


Harvey Atkin (Pox, Bumboo) returned to his role as Judge Alan Ridenour in the November 18th episode, "Perverted" of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Here's NBC's description of the episode: While in the park, a family stumbles upon the mutilated body of Clyde Vandyne, a member of a biker gang known for prostitution and contract killing. To everyone's surprise, incriminating DNA evidence points to Detective Benson as the prime suspect. Munch and Fin investigate the murder, while Stabler fights to prove his partner's innocence. The detectives must find the missing link to both Vandyne's murder and Benson's involvement.

Harvey Atkin will also be appearing in the upcoming Barney's Version, a film currently in post-production and scheduled for release in 2010. No details on the name of Harvey's character yet, but here is a description of the Canadian/Italian film from IMDb: The picaresque and touching story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky.


Emilie Claire Barlow (Sailor Venus #2) performed December 4th and 5th in Brasil with the Art of Time Ensemble at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. Toronto fans will also have an extra chance to see Emilie perform in April 2010. A second performance for Glenn Gould Studio has been added, for Thursday April 15, 2010 at 8pm. She was previously scheduled only for Friday, April 16 at 8pm. Tickets and additional details are available here.

Stephanie Beard (Rini #2) appears in an online trailer for her upcoming film, Not Quite College. The trailer has strong language, mature themes, and Stephanie appears smoking in it. We are suggesting that only our older readers watch it. The film looks like it will appeal to fans of American Pie and similar. If you're ready, you can view the trailer here. Stephanie appears around 1:30 wearing a bikini and smoking a cigar.

Famitsu and MyCom Reports on the Sailor Moon Reunion Event!

The first news outlet to break any news of the reunion was AnimeAnime.jp, and the second and third were Famitsu and MyCom. We're going to fuse this with a blog entry of a fan that we found! This fan was so excited the night before that she didn't know what to wear and thought about going early to buy as much Sailor Moon merchandise as she could from other stores around UDX! We probably would have done the same thing too! The fan noted that the first few rows were reserved for the media, and that to enter you had to have proof of either an e-mail saying that you had won the lottery, or a special postcard. Chiaki Kyan began the event pretending to be Sailor Moon, and acted out her infamous "Moon Healing Escalation!" attack! She seemed very excited to be performing as Sailor Moon - though looking at the closeup pictures posted on Famitsu, we have to wonder why she didn't have a better wig or at the very least, red boots! Chiaki also revealed that during the commercials she would turn around just like Sailor Moon! The fan loved her cosplay, to say the least! Then HIMEKA came to perform two songs - Moonlight Densetsu, and announced her new single Hatenaki Michi from the anime Tegami Bachi. After HIMEKA finished performing, she told the audience that she learned Japanese after watching Sailor Moon, and it was a favorite among her and her friends back in Canada. She remembered learning her katakana cards with Sailor Moon!

Then, the Seiyuu came out one by one as each of them said their transformations - Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus Crystal Power - Make Up! The quotes being reported are much the same as before - but there's a few more that I can add! Michie Tomizawa said that 1800 people applied for this event's lottery and that she looked forward to seeing the fans after a very long time. Hold on a moment - 1800 applicants? This event should have been opened up to at least 500! Emi Shinohara was a little nervous she was going to walk into the wrong dressing room and also to meet everyone again, but as soon as she walked in it was like she went back in time and by the time she was on stage, she was too worn out already from laughing with the other stars! Rika Fukami added that while they were all excited to see each other, they were just as excited to see the fans. They began to speak about their favorite episodes. Kotono had two favorites - the episode where Neflite died (episode 24), and another episode where Sailor Moon wanted to save Hotaru but could not transform (episode 125 - thank you fans!). The former changed her perspective on her character, and the latter actually made her cry when she recorded the episode! Rika Fukami joked that she felt like she had graduated when she finally played Sailor Venus, since before that she played a youma! Emi Shinohara joined in saying that she played two villains before Rika did (Cyrene and Jumeau)! These sites are reporting that it was Rika Fukami who noted she felt like her castmates were classmates. Michie Tomizawa shared more about her confusion about what was starting, and that she was worried that this party might have been happening at someone's house, joking that Aya Hisakawa wouldn't have been able to clean it, and that no one should serve the caviar until she had arrived!

Rika remembered how their musical group Peach Hips had to sign 3000 posters and it was Aya who kept pointing out to her where she should sign because she kept signing her posters in different places! They also spoke of how Sailor Moon had aired all over the world, even in countries that have hosted the Olympic Games. Rika told a story of how Naoko Takeuchi used to joke of world domination, however she seemingly achieved it with this one cartoon. We still believe she should have been a part of this event. It was wonderful to read of what happened, but unfortunately we can't help but feel like there is a hole that could only have been filled by Naoko.

Tomorrow, we'll post the end of what happened at this event along with the top 5 episodes voted by fans that were screened at the show!

EDIT: Continued from last night, and two more articles have popped up, one from AV Life, and another from TV Life. It doesn't appear that fans were allowed to take photos inside this event. The first few rows were occupied by media (and judging by how much media was there, we're surprised that there's only a few articles). Back to what happened at the event...

Michie Tomizawa revealed that the actors would often get together at her house for private Christmas parties not to discuss work at all and to chill out! Sometimes they did speak about Sailor Moon though, despite their best efforts. It was after this, that the results of a poll from ANIMAX were revealed to the audience. The 5 favorite episodes, chosen by the fans were:

5. Episode 25 ("Jupiter, the Brawny Girl in Love")
4. Episode 1 ("Crybaby Usagi's Magnificent Transformation")
3. Episodes 34 & 35 ("The Sparkling Silver Crystal! The Moon Princess Appears" and "Memories Return! Usagi and Mamoru's Past")
2. Episode 24 ("Naru's Cry! Nephrite Dies for Love")
1. Episodes 45 & 46 (The very end of the first season, "The Sailor Warriors Die! The Tragic Final Battle" and "Usagi's Everlasting Wish! A New Reincarnation")

Then the five actresses shared their sentiments on the series and answered some questions from the fans. Kotono Mitsuishi said that the show was a treasure in her life. Aya Hisakawa said that this was the first children's anime that she had ever done and she was so happy that these characters were so well-loved. Michie Tomizawa said that she was proud of this show and listed it first on her resume because it had such a leading presence! Emi Shinohara also agreed with Kotono's sentiments that this was a treasure, and noted that everyone behind the scenes worked very hard to make this work the best that it could be. She was happy to have worked on such a show, and she loved being able to fight and destroy enemies in so many different places! Rika Fukami said that it was this show that helped her to learn the true meaning of friendship. Kotono ended the talk saying that she does not feel old watching the show, and it is a show that both adults and children can enjoy. Sailor Moon, she said, will be loved forever and ever. And with that, the event ended. We could not agree with you more Kotono. Tomorrow, I will look at the other two articles and see if they say anything different.

And, as predicted, Naoko Takeuchi was absent. We have seen so many images of the actresses together, looking very happy to be speaking of their time on Sailor Moon, and this is more or less the same sentiment felt by the North American VAs as well. We wonder, if one day, Naoko will ever be happy about Sailor Moon again, just like the seiyuu.

BREAKING NEWS! FIRST IMAGES AND NEWS OF REUNION!

Hi guys! Busy morning ahead of me so there will be a full post later (and hopefully over the next few days when more news outlets pick this up). Animeanime.jp has posted a press release covering the reunion! And, the 5 actresses and HIMEKA were not the only guests there - the master of ceremonies was gravure idol Chiaki Kyan who cosplayed as Sailor Moon for the event (really? Shoko Nakagawa wasn't available?). HIMEKA sang the theme song, Moonlight Densetsu (Moonlight Legend) and opened the show. Then the 5 actresses appeared! HIMEKA was the only person not dressed in colors that were matched to the characters! Kotono looked at the other actresses as her classmates from that time so long ago, and when they got together, it was like nothing had changed. You could not even tell that they were once some of the world's most beloved superheroes! HIMEKA was in awe of their presence and admired them. Fans may recall that she first fell in love with Sailor Moon at the age of 15, growing up in Canada! Kotono said that she was happy to be Sailor Moon again after a long time, and Emi and Rika both felt they had gone back in time for a moment. Aya couldn't believe that they were all on the stage together after more than 10 years! The actresses spoke about how this reunion was a complete surprise to them, that they didn't know anything about it until very close to this event. Michie Tomizawa had nothing booked, and she suddenly had a "Christmas Party" to go to and she didn't know what to expect months ago! They each introduced favorite and memorable episodes, and spoke about their roles. At the end, Kotono finished with a beautiful quote that I really hope someone uploads some video of soon - "Usagi-chan is a girl who wants to run away from everything even if she is a klutz and becomes a crybaby during her fights. However, she fights for the people she loves and for the friend until the very end." Well said, Kotono.

There's a whole other blog entry I have to translate, but I will hit that later today! For now though, here are your much awaited pictures, courtesy of AnimeAnime.jp!




EDIT: This release was first posted at ANIMAX!

BREAKING NEWS: Yoshihiro Togashi to be Interviewed by Masashi Kishimoto!

Set to be released in Japan today is a special book that every fan of Naruto is craving! Kai no Sho or rather Naruto: Book of All Secrets - Official Premium Fan Book is a special 10th anniversary fan book filled with facts, profiles, and other information about the series. Included, will be a collaboration between Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama and Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, where Naruto looks like Goku and Goku looks like Naruto. There will also be 55 messages of congratulations from Japanese celebrities and mangaka, a 6 page preview of a new manga called Karakuri, and a special interview conducted by Kishimoto with Yoshihiro Togashi. We're actually interested to read this since it has been a very long time since anyone has actually heard from Togashi! As of this writing there is no word if Viz is going to pick this up (but since Naruto is so huge in North America, we have no doubt that they will). And also for you Naruto fans in Canada, YTV will be airing the very last episode (Departure tonight! Keep an eye out for it!

Operation Moonrise Results Posted!

Hey everyone - we have finally finished formatting the results and excerpts of the report for you all to see and read. They are being hosted by Save Our Sailors (since Blogger doesn't give us much page space), and we will link to the page at the bottom of this post. At this time, we want to thank Save Our Sailors for hosting these results - it means a lot to everyone on staff and we cannot thank you enough! There is one question missing - and that is the only question we could ask about the manga. This is deliberate because in January, a much shorter version of the report will be sent to Kodansha's USA Office. They just opened up shop and it would be unfair to send it while they are still settling into the North American marketplace.

A BIG NOTE:

If you feature these results on your site, don't pass them off as your site's own. We put a lot of work into this, and we will go after your host if you did not give us proper credit (which includes, a link to this blogspot post, a reference that this was put together by Moon Chase and not simply just a link to the results). In the past, we have noticed some sites copying the text of our posts and pasting them on their own site, passing off our work as their own. We have a copyright policy in place through Creative Commons, and we are going to be strictly watching out for this. You are more than welcome to discuss these results on your own blogs, sites, and/or forums, but please reference us and give us the credit.



Ready to read them? Click Here!

Another Idol Names Sailor Moon as her Favorite!

Once again, an idol that was a part of Morning Musume has stated in an interview that her favorite anime is Sailor Moon! Eri Kamei, who was part of the group in 2003, is currently starring in a Sanrio anime, Jewelpet. She plays Rinko Kogyoku, a red-headed student who happens to come upon a special jewel egg, and awakens Ruby, a white rabbit with red eyes. Together, they must find and save all the jewelpets and bring them back to Jewel Land! Of course, being a Sanrio property, it's too full of cute! Jewelpet also has a Sailor Moon connection - Mitsuko Horie (Sailor Galaxia) sings the show's ending theme, "Egao no Loop" (literally: Smiling Loop). She sat down for an interview with Sankei MSN to talk about her six months so far on the show. She admits that she was very nervous when she started, and had a hard time getting her voice just right, but has since settled into her role and has a lot of support from her other castmates. It was a challenging transition for her as well, since she was so used to working on a performance in a group, and now she was working on a performance all by herself! She then gave a few episode spoilers and talked about what she wants in her ideal "Prince Charming" (he has to be smart). She was then asked about what her favorite anime was and which star she respected the most. She said that her favorite anime is Sailor Moon, because all girls grew up with that show when she was young! She said that she really wanted to be a magical girl with powers, and that she was happy to be playing a magical girl in Jewelpet. She said that she has the most respect for all of her costars in Jewelpet, because they are so remarkable in their voice and performance. She is very impressed and holds them in her highest respect! She hopes that children everywhere who dream of being magical will enjoy this show just as much as she does, and thanked her fans. Such a heartwarming interview, and we hope to read of fond stories from idols again!