Category: Sailor Moonshine

All posts relating to the Sailor Moon franchise – whether it’d be manga, anime, live-action, or anything else that falls within said purview. Also featuring memes.

Thoughts On The Lost Sailor Moon Pitch

Someone had told me about the lost pilot for the aborted attempt at an Americanized version of Sailor Moon that used a combination of live-action and animated sequences. I had known about that thing for years and even saw the pilot in question that was uploaded by Youtuber by the moniker of Ray Mona.

So when Sailor Moon was originally going to be brought over, they weren’t going to use the anime, but rather create their own version that used some of the names and concepts, but only in the loosest sense of the term. The idea was that the civilian forms of the Sailors would be depicted in live action, while the hero sequences would play out in traditional western animation that was typical of the 1980s. They put together a pilot, it was rejected, and we eventually ended up with the original English dub of Sailor Moon that most people know and love… I guess.

I’ve seen the pilot and it’s easy to see why this was passed over… but not necessarily for its deviation from the source material. Going any further will dive into spoiler territory for a three-decade old pitch video that very few people outside of the internet know exists, so details after the break.

Continue reading “Thoughts On The Lost Sailor Moon Pitch”

It’s Okay To Like A Franchise And Not Like Everything In It

You’re a big fan of a franchise. You like the movies they put out. Some of the TV shows were pretty good. You’ve even dabbled in some of the official novels and comic books.

But then something comes along and it isn’t quite as good… and much to your dismay, you discover that you not only don’t like this new thing, but you might actually hate it. You consider this an affront to the franchise you’ve grown to love over the years.

It doesn’t end there. Something else comes along and it’s even worse than the other thing. You come to realize that these new things are lesser products devised to set aside all the things you loved about that franchise in favor of trying to appeal that wider, casual audience… otherwise known as the “lowest common denominator.”

All of a sudden, the thing you loved ever since you were a young kid is slowly but surely becoming a thing that you don’t like. You get to that point where you’re becoming the old timer who shouts at the clouds about how everything was better back in the day when the franchise was in its infancy and now everything is just crap or worse.

Does that make you less of a fan?

Of course it fucking doesn’t.

Kids… it’s okay to be a fan of something and not like everything that comes out of it. I have enjoyed many franchises over the years – some of which have been a substantial part of my life in some form or fashion – and I can freely admit that some of the stuff coming from those franchises lately have been… let’s just say “less than stellar.” Does that make me less of a fan of this thing or worse, a “fake fan?”

Of course it fucking doesn’t.

First of all, someone not enjoying the thing you enjoy should not prevent you from enjoying the thing you enjoy. Some things I enjoy are not enjoyed by other people. That does not hamper my enjoyment of these things that some people don’t enjoy as much as I do, if at all. Your enjoyment of something should not be gauged by how many other people are or are not enjoying that something. If you like something that everybody else hates, then more power to you. On the other hand, if you don’t like something that is beloved by many others, that doesn’t make you less of a fan and if anyone else tries to convince you otherwise in a non-joking manner, that’s their problem, not yours.

Like what you like and be done with it. If you like the old stuff, just watch the old stuff. If you like the new stuff, watch the new stuff. If you like everything, then have at it. And if you’d rather spent your time doing something else, then that’s cool too.

I’d tell you not to be a dick, but it seems like every time I hear someone tell people not to be a dick, they eventually become one themselves.

I don’t know what compelled me to type out this piece of business, but hey, it’s something, I suppose.

Since We’re On The (Sailor) Moonshine…

Since we’re riding on the Sailor Moonshine this week, I guess it would be a good time to mention that Crave (the Canadian streaming service from Bell) has the original Sailor Moon anime… only it’s the newer English dub rather than the one from the 90s when everyone sounded older and for some reason, Luna had a British accent. That is actually the one big thing that I have to adjust to when watching this newer dub because Luna doesn’t have that and it’s hard to visualize her English take without it.

So I’ve been watching bits and pieces of this thing… jumping back and forth, here and there… there’s about two-hundred episodes of this thing and most of it is filler. I guess that’s why I prefer the newer Crystal version in that regard; when it comes to the major story bits, it’s a lot more condensed and little character moments mean something. Meanwhile, there are so many filler episodes between major plotpoints that it feels like we’re repeating the same gags over and over.

That said, I’m actually enjoying jumping into this old show. There’s an element of humor that Crystal was lacking, though I’ll admit that it’s easy to think of Rei in this anime as a totally different character from the Rei featured in other shows. And yes, Usagi cries quite a bit and yes, they find many ways of making the most out of a cheap one-note gag… but if I’m going to be bare, two hundred episodes of vintage Sailor Moon anime doesn’t feature as much as crying as a single season of Star Trek: Discovery. At the very least, I’m being somewhat entertained here.

That is all for now, kids.

Later.