WHAT COMES NEXT FOR SAILOR MOON AFTER SAILOR MOON COSMOS?
- 'Sailor Moon Cosmos' concludes 'Sailor Moon Crystal' series with epic final arc adaptation.
- Fans waited over a year for American release, now set for August 22, 2024 on Netflix.
- Future possibilities for the Sailor Moon franchise include live-action releases and new anime series.
Sailor Moon has been one of the most important characters in the field of animation since her inception. Premiering in 1992 in Japan (and then 1995 in America), the warrior who fights for truth and justice has left an everlasting impression on the history of animation. With the Sailor Moon Crystal project coming to a close with the release of the upcoming two-part movie event on Netflix. With Sailor Moon Cosmos planning to bring the current iteration of Sailor Moon to an end, this begs the question: what is in the future for our favorite pig-tailed superhero?
Why Did Toei Animation Pull Licensing Rights to Sailor Moon Worldwide?
For more than ten years Toei Animation pulled the Sailor Moon license worldwide. What went behind the decision?
What is Sailor Moon Cosmos?
Sailor Moon Cosmos is a two-part animated film adaptation of the Sailor Moon manga series that specifically focuses on the final Sailor Stars story arc. The movies are part of the larger Sailor Moon Crystal series, which aimed to provide a more faithful adaptation of Naoko Takeuchi's original manga compared to the original 1990s anime. The story of Sailor Moon Cosmos follows Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon) and her fellow Sailor Guardians as they face their most challenging adversary yet, Sailor Galaxia, and her minions. The movies delve into themes of sacrifice, love, and the battle between good and evil on a cosmic scale.
The Lengthy Road to America
Released in Japan in 2023, Sailor Moon Cosmos has been well-received by fans of the series for its high-quality animation and adherence to the source material, with most believing it provided a fitting conclusion to the Sailor Moon saga. For more than a year, a release date in America had been unknown, with no details of such a release for many months. It was finally announced that the two movies would be premiering on Netflix on August 22, 2024, in America, in both dubbed and subtitled formats, giving American fans the ability to finally see them (legally) in the states!
Why the Sailor Moon R: The Movie DVD is TOO Uncut
Sailor Moon has had a history of being cut in America, but what about that time a project made it to America here it was TOO uncut?!
The End of an Era
The Sailor Moon Crystal project aimed to be a modern anime adaptation of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon manga, and was created to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original series and to provide a more faithful retelling of the manga's story. It was announced in 2012 during the 20th anniversary celebrations of Sailor Moon, with the first episode premiering on July 5, 2014. After ten years, the project finally came to a close with the release of Sailor Moon Cosmos.
The Manga Re-Releases Also Ends
Kodansha also used the opportunity to re-release the Sailor Moon manga in America with the 'Eternal Editions,' which provided the opportunity for fans to buy Sailor Moon in English for the first time in many years. These editions were unflipped, had better translations, and even saw the release of the Sailor V and Short Stories manga that had long eluded English reading fans. This release is also coming to an end, with the final copies of the pocket editions set to be released before the end of the year.
Every Sailor Moon Anime Season, Ranked
Which of Sail Moon's five seasons is the best of them all? Here's every season, ranked from worst to best.
What Comes Next for the Franchise?
As of this writing, it is unclear what comes next. However, there are a few options should Toei choose to pursue them. For Americans (and most of the rest of the world), the most logical next step would be to finally release the live action series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon on streaming and home media for the first time. The license for the property will likely have to be fairly cheap. However, Japanese and Korean dramas have gained much more popularity in recent years thanks to Crunchyroll and Asian Crush, so a live action series that has ties to a hit anime series likely has more appeal today than it did back in 2003 (and no dubbing would be required to sell it). Granted, the license will have to be relatively inexpensive, but it would be an easy way to keep Sailor Moon in the public eye.
On the manga side, a final re-release of the manga in hardcover format would be another easy way to make a little extra money from the franchise. In Japan, Toei has a few options to keep the franchise going. The first would be to edit the movies into additional seasons of the TV show. A few new animated scenes could be animated if necessary, like what was done with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train when it was turning into the "second season" of the show. Another possibility is that (after a year-long break to give fans a chance to breathe) Toei could finally get around to adapting the Sailor V prequel manga. Though not long in material, there is enough material there to ensure a 13 to 26 episode single season gets made.
Finally, Toei could maybe use the Sailor Moon character as an unofficial mascot for adaptions of other Naoko Takeuchi manga like The Cherry Project, Miss Rain, and Maria. Going beyond that, chances are there will likely be another Sailor Moon series. Whether it is another reboot or a 'manga cut' of the original series (much in the same way Dragon Ball Z Kai was), it's just a matter of time. Hopefully, some of these other options become a reality first so that Sailor Moon fans have some truly new stuff to look forward to (and hey, maybe some Broadway producer will finally get the idea of bringing her to stage in New York like she does on Japanese stages).
Sailor Moon (1992)
