is a Japanese

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

based on the ''

Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's Shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 60 individual chapters (later reorganized into ...

'' manga created by Naoko Takeuchi &

Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

. It was produced by

Toei Company , simply known as Toei Company or Toei, is a Japanese entertainment company. Headquartered in Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo, it is involved in film and television production, distribution, video game development, publishing, and ownership of 34 movi ...

. ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' (commonly referred to as ''PGSM'') was first broadcast by Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting, airing on that station in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

and on the Japan News Network nationwide from October 4, 2003 to September 25, 2004. The series was a retelling of the first ''Sailor Moon'' story arc, albeit with considerable plot divergences. The opening theme, titled , was performed by

J-pop J-pop (often stylized in all caps; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in trad ...

singer Nanami Yumihara under the name . The series lasted 49 episodes (called "Acts") and also included two separate made-for-DVD specials.

Plot

In the Dark Kingdom, an organization of great evil, Queen Beryl, her generalsーthe Four Kings of Heavenー, and an amorphous evil power named Queen Metaria reside. They attempt to steal energy so that Beryl can take over the world. Standing in their way are the Sailor Guardians, five middle-school-aged girls - perky Usagi Tsukino, genius Ami Mizuno, paranormally gifted shrine maiden Rei Hino, tomboyish Makoto Kino, and J-pop idol Minako Aino - are sworn to protect the Princess of the Moon and defeat the Dark Kingdom. Two beings that appear to be sentient, stuffed toy cats, Luna and

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

, serve as the girls' mentors. The Guardians also encounter Tuxedo Mask, a jewel thief in search of an immensely powerful, mystical Silver Crystal belonging to the Princess of the Moon. While searching together for the Princess of the Moon and the Silver Crystal, the initially disparate girls develop a strong bond of friendship. Additionally, Usagi struggles with her feelings for the irksome and mysterious Mamoru Chiba. Later in the series, Metaria and Sailor Moon each get too powerful to be reined in, and the conflict shifts to one in which the Sailor Guardians attempt to postpone the inevitable destruction of the planet Earth.

Alterations to the original story

While the first few episodes of the television series are based directly on the manga and anime storylines, by the time the introduction of Sailor Jupiter was broadcast, the television show began to spin off in its own direction. Many divergences between the television series and the manga and

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

were introduced. Overall, the storylines for television were more character-based and character-driven. They focused more on the girls' civilian lives and their connection to the past than on action sequences. One of the most profound changes in the television version was made to the character of Minako Aino, who, rather than being an ordinary girl among the other Sailor Guardians, was portrayed as a famous pop idol. When introduced, she is fighting crime as "Sailor V", and makes subtle reference to this double life in her music. Her most popular song, , is a Japanese pun: and are pronounced nearly identically. Also, for the television series, Minako was given a debilitating head condition that causes her to have headaches, blurry vision, and fainting spells, which plague her through most of the series. She agrees to have an operation, but dies before the operation can be performed. This introduces a major change to the Sailor Guardian makeup as well, although Minako does later return for the final act. In addition to plot changes, some updating was made to minor elements of the series, bringing them more in line with modern culture. For example, in the original anime and manga, there were scenes involving Ami and a

cassette tape The Compact Cassette, also commonly called a cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog audio, analog magnetic tape recording format for Sound recording and reproduction, audio recording and playback. Invented by L ...

. In the new version, the tape is replaced by a MiniDisc. Instead of a transforming pen and communicators, each Guardian is given a bracelet and a magical camera phone. Also, their secret hideout is not hidden in a video arcade, but rather in a magic karaoke room. With the new adaptation of the series, certain characters were modified to give it freshness and originality. The new characters included Sailor Luna, Dark Sailor Mercury, and Princess Sailor Moon. A new antagonist, Mio Kuroki, was also introduced.

Development

The popularity of the ''Sailor Moon'' musicals contributed to the decision to produce another series of ''Sailor Moon'', and Takeuchi was more closely involved in the production than she was for the anime. The new series was first announced on September 27, 2003, after the final episode of '' Kirby: Right Back At Ya!''.

Episodes

Television

Direct-to-video

DVD specials

''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Special Act''

A sequel to the series, set four years after the defeat of the Dark Kingdom, portrays the wedding of Mamoru Chiba and Usagi Tsukino. Before their wedding they do battle with Mio Kuroki, who has been resurrected and claims to be the new queen of the Dark Kingdom. She kidnaps Mamoru and Usagi and intends to force Mamoru to marry her. The ''Shitennou'' are revived, however, and help their master to defeat Mio's monster, Sword and Shield. Meanwhile, the Sailor Guardians, excluding Sailor Mars who is hospitalized with injuries from battling Mio while in her civilian state, use the Moon Sword provided by Queen Serenity to restore their power, enabling them to transform and defeat Mio. The story ends with Usagi and Mamoru's wedding, as well as Motoki and Makoto's engagement.

''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Act Zero''

The last special made for the series is a prequel that leads directly to the first episode. Minako Aino meets

and at Christmas becomes Sailor V. She must use her newfound powers to foil a stage magician/jewel thief called Q.T. Kenko and his Killer Girl assistants. Meanwhile, Usagi and her friends decide to dress in their own homemade sailor fuku (Usagi as Sailor Rabbit, Naru as Sailor N, and their other friends, Kanami and Momoko as sailors K and M) in order to scare the thieves away from the jewellery store owned by Naru Osaka's mother, only for Usagi to get kidnapped by Kenko. The actors who portray the Four Kings of Heaven are featured as the inexperienced

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

's group self-dubbed the "Police Four Kings of Heaven" for

comic relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...

. They consist of Captain Kuroi (Kunzite), Officer Akai (Nephrite), Officer Shiroi (Zoisite), and female Officer Hanako (Jadeite). The story ends with Luna burning through the atmosphere to come to Earth and give Usagi her powers.

Mini-episodes

''Act Zero'' also comes with two mini-episodes. Each one is approximately five minutes long and tells a brief

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

. "Hina Afterward" shows what happened to Hina after breaking off her engagement to Mamoru Chiba. "Tuxedo Mask's Secret Birth" shows the origin of the Tuxedo Mask persona. It includes a joke-transformation sequence in which, rather than transforming magically, he pulls on his clothes with dramatic flair.

''Super Dance Lesson''

This is a short video hosted by Luna, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Moon, which instructs the viewer how to perform the dances from different songs from ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon''. The dances included are for the songs ''Romance'' and . Demonstrations are also given for and although no formal instructions are provided for how to dance to them.

Kirari Super Live!

A Special Live Event occurred on May 2, 2004 at Yomiuri Hall. This Special Event was held for the 1,000 winners of the Sailormoon Campaign (a contest held earlier in the year, in which viewers had to send in UPC symbols to enter). The event combines musical performances, in which the cast members sing and dance to songs from the ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' series, and a dramatic storyline with spoken dialogue, in which the Sailor Guardians have to stop the Four Kings of Heaven from stealing the energy of the audience members. The concert was recorded and released on DVD. It also includes bonus behind-the-scenes footage of the performance and interviews with the cast members.

Cast

* Miyuu Sawai as Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon/Princess Serenity/ Princess Sailor Moon * Rika Izumi as Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury/ Dark Mercury * Keiko Kitagawa as Rei Hino/Sailor Mars * Mew Azama as Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter *

Ayaka Komatsu Ayaka Komatsu ( ''Komatsu Ayaka''; born 23 July 1986) is a Japanese model, gravure idol and actress. She was born in Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture. Biography Modeling career Her previous modeling agency A modeling agency is a company that ...

as Minako Aino/Sailor V/Sailor Venus * Rina Koike as Sailor Luna * Keiko Han as Luna (voice, cat form) *

Kappei Yamaguchi , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and '' rakugoka'' affiliated with Gokū and 21st Century Fox.Doi, Hitoshi"Yamaguchi Kappei" ''Seiyuu Database''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011. After making his ...

(voice) * Jouji Shibue as Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Kamen/Prince Endymion * Aya Sugimoto as Queen Beryl * Jun Masuo as Jadeite * Hiroyuki Matsumoto as Nephrite * Yoshito Endō as Zoisite * Akira Kubodera as

Kunzite Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium Silicate minerals#Inosilicates, inosilicate, lithium, Lialuminum, Al(silicon, Sioxygen, O3)2, and is a commercially important source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, ...

* Alisa Durbrow as Mio Kuroki * Chieko Ochi as Naru Osaka * Masaya Kikawada as Motoki Furuhata * Kaori Moriwaka as Ikuko Tsukino * Naoki Takeshi as Shingo Tsukino * Moeko Matsushita as Hina Kusaka * Narushi Ikeda as Sugao Saitou, Minako's manager * Katsumi Shiono as Youma

Music

In March and April 2004, singles for each of the five Sailor Guardians were released with image songs on them. ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Original Song Album ~ Dear My Friend'' was released in June 2004. A 3-CD box set, ''Moonlight Real Girl'' was published in September 2004.

''DJ MOON''

* ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon DJ MOON 1'' * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon DJ MOON 2'' * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon DJ MOON 3''

Koro-chan Packs

* ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Koro-chan Pack 1 * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Koro-chan Pack 2 * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Koro-chan Pack 3

''Moonlight Real Girl''

* ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Moonlight Real Girl Memorial CD Box'': Disc 1 Original Soundtrack "Rare Track Collection": Michiru Ōshima * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Moonlight Real Girl Memorial CD Box'': Disc 2 One night limit of the special radio program series ''DJ Moon'' * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Moonlight Real Girl Memorial CD Box'': Disc 3 Minako Aino's original album ''I'll Be Here''

Other albums

* ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Original Song Album "Dear My Friend"'' * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon ~ Complete Song Collection ~''

Singles

* ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Sparkling * Sailor Dream! * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Character Songs Sailor Moon Usagi Tsukino (Miyū Sawai) * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Character Songs Sailor Mercury Ami Mizuno (Rika Izumi) * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Character Songs Sailor Mars Rei Hino (Keiko Kitagawa) * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Character Songs Sailor Jupiter Makoto Kino (Myū Azama) * ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Character Songs Sailor Venus Minako Aino (Ayaka Komatsu)

Distribution and reception

There are several radio programs called ''"DJ Moon"'' based on the show that originated from Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting radio and which were broadcast on other radio networks in Japan. The shows were a combination of a

radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the liste ...

and promotional tool for the TV series, often foreshadowing upcoming events. These shows were later sold on CD. In addition to the series, there was also a stage musical

performance A performance is an act or process of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Performance has evolved glo ...

, Kirari Super Live!, by characters on the show. Some footage from the filming of the stage show was used in the television broadcast. A special limited-edition promotional video, Super Dance Lesson, was available for purchase only through order forms found in the magazines ''Youchien'', ''Mebae'', and ''Shougaku Ichinensei'' in July 2004.Act.38 バックナンバー - 美少女戦士セーラームーン（東映公式
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