The Sailor Moon franchise celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and much like its 20th-anniversary fans have been spoiled with collaborations of all sorts from jewelry and clothes to stationary and furniture. J-List has been having quite the celebration as well, with all of its own Sailor Moon merch. But the last few days have been an absolute deluge of Sailor Moon news, so we’re here to sum it all up for you.
Starting with the biggest news of all: Sailor Moon Eternal. No, it’s not another stage show or 4D attraction for Universal Studio’s Japan. It’s a movie. More specifically, it’s the first Sailor Moon movie to be produced since Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie in 1995. As reported by Toei during their “Usagi Special Birthday Party 2019” event, the movie is a continuation of the Sailor Moon Crystal franchise, doubling as both a movie and the show’s fourth season.
It will cover the “Dead Moon Circus” arc in two parts and is slated for release in Japan in 2020. For those worried about having to sit through SMC’S less than stellar art style, never fear. The franchise is headed back to its roots with original 90’s anime character designer Kazuko Tadano spearheading character design for the film, as well as creator Naoko Takeuchi supervising the film’s production. For more on character design, check out the teaser trailer below for a look at the Inner Senshi’s new designs. Also on staff is Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure) as scriptwriter and Chiaki Kon as director. There’s no word yet on whether or not the final arc of the series will be made into a movie as well, but if Sailor Moon Eternal manages to be as successful as it is ambitious, we’ll see the “Stars” arc in no time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZe5rDHiwe4
Next up, is the Sailor Moon manga’s digital release. In another report released by Toei, the classic magical girl manga has been distributed for a worldwide digital release in ten languages. Kodansha and ComiXology have teamed up for the English release, and the first four volumes of Kodansha’s Sailor Moon Eternal Edition manga are available now.
Last but not least, Uniqlo has teamed up with the Sailor Moon franchise for a t-shirt collaboration celebrating the manga’s digital release. Uniqlo is releasing eight designs to 26 countries in late August of this year. The shirts will also be made available through Uniqlo’s UTMe! app in Japan. Check out the styles below and decide on your favorite, because if these are as popular as Uniqlo’s Pokemon collaboration, then they’ll be sold out soon enough.
Sources: Anime News Network, Comicbook.com, Sailor Moon Official Website
