Rejoice, This is the Trailer for the New Sailor Moon Series

By Kat Callahan  |  June 7, 2014 | 9:52pm
In Depth

We finally get a look at the new Sailor Moon series set to debut worldwide (not just Japan) next month in this new trailer from the official Sailor Moon YouTube account, and it’s pretty awesome looking.

The new series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal, will reboot the original series, and according to the creator Takeuchi Naoko, will stay a lot truer to the original manga (that’s comic for you non-Japanese speakers) than the original 1992 series did. I suspect this means it will be a lot less slapstick (which was pretty common in the original anime series, but not so common in the manga), and a more serious portrayal of complex topics.

This likely includes more serious treatment of Sailor Moon’s LGBT characters. Including gay male characters Zoisite and Kunzite (two of the first season villains, formerly Tuxedo Mask’s friends and protectors, who along with Nephrite and Jadeite, are known as the Four Kings or the Four Generals), lesbian characters Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, and drag king, potentially genderqueer characters the Sailor Starlights (while they physically transform in the original anime series, they do not do so in the manga, but remain physically female even while pretending to be a boy band).

Character designs have received an update, as well, which reflects the current design scheme of the 2010s. It’s a bit jarring at first, I feel, as a fan of the original animation, however, when compared to the manga, the Crystal designs actually do a better job reflecting Takeuchi’s very long, slender art style. I predict it won’t take classic fans very long to adjust to the new art style.

The new series airs on July 5 worldwide, on Japanese television and online, at 7:00PM Japanese Standard Time (JST).

And just because everything I write has to be controversial, my favorite character is Chibiusa, my favorite Sailor Senshi is Venus/Minako. THROW DOWN, MOONIES. I’m ready for all comers.

MOON CRYSTAL POWER…. MAKE UP!

Images and video via Toei/Sailor Moon Official/YouTube.

 
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