Sailor Moon! (1 Viewer)

[Nebiroth]

Well..wow. Viz Media have just announced that they have licensed the entire series of the seminal "magic girl" anime series for release in the USA.

All 200 episodes (including the one ADV couldn't license plus the never before releases Sailor Stars), the movies and the new Sailor Moon Crystal! All totally uncut and with a brand new, also uncut, English dub.

The previous releases were pretty poor and have been out of print for a long time - and they sell for huge prices (but not from now on lol).

Sailor Stars was never released in the US.

Viz will begin by releasing the series with Japanese+subs only via streaming (starting Monday with 4 episodes). English dub versions to follow.

In autumn they will start half-season releases; these will include a limited edition "very special" DVD/BluRay version and a mass-market DVD only one.

In anime circles this is every much a "holy grail" release as the Batman announcement is generally. Totally unexpected announce from Viz. Wonderful!

 

[DisneySwan1990]

I have been a HUGE Sailor Moon fan since I was a baby, now I wanna buy this, thank you Viz!!!!!

 

[Regulus]

If the rumor of Death Valley Days turns out to be Bull - O - Neee this will be my backup show on my "Santa List".

 

[classicmovieguy]

I grew up with the original English dub - Terri Hawkes IS Sailor Moon/Serena, and I'd be very sad to see the original dub not included.

 

[Nebiroth]

According to Viz the DiC dub is "simply not available".

But the Anglicised version took huge liberties with the plot and characters. This release will be the original. Yeah, it was kinda fun (I remember it when it was shown here in the UK)..but the proper version will be better.

 

[Ejanss]

Also, some episodes in the first season weren't even dubbed--
You may be assured that US TV kid audiences did not see the episode where Serena dresses older to sneak into a "grownup" nightclub, for one.

 

[Lord Dalek]

The old DiC dub was heavily butchered and whitewashed. A redub has been long time coming.

 

[Tory]

This is great and they can't do anything with the old dub bexause it is from another company. I hope it will reach more audiences this way, uncut, uncensored. I was fond of the US dub too though, even though it was a butchered job, it was a lot of people's first exposure and the loss of that version may turn off some more casual fans who only recall it and want it that way. It was released on DVD in this manner before though, just long out of print. I wonder how that theme will change? It was so iconic and lyrically, will the US translation change in wording?

 

[Lord Dalek]

Moonlight Densetsu has completely different lyrics in Japanese. Same melody though.

 

[DisneySwan1990]

According to Viz the DiC dub is "simply not available". But the Anglicised version took huge liberties with the plot and characters. This release will be the original. Yeah, it was kinda fun (I remember it when it was shown here in the UK)..but the proper version will be better.

Did the DiC version air in Great Britain on ITV?

 

[Tory]

Moonlight Densetsu has completely different lyrics in Japanese. Same melody though.

I know, but part of the nostalgia for the series in the US were those us lyrics. I am wondering what the wording will be like. Looking forward to it.

 

[Ejanss]

I know, but part of the nostalgia for the series in the US were those us lyrics. I am wondering what the wording will be like. Looking forward to it.

It was trying to suggest her "romantic dreams" of her mysterious masked hero--
Frankly, the US "She fights and has friends" lyrics just symbolized the dumbed-down quality of the dub show:


(Oh, and if you've ever seen the original uncut two-part episode where Serena finally faces off against Queen Beryl, it's...a bit different from the US. )

 

[Nebiroth]

Did the DiC version air in Great Britain on ITV?

Yup. Around 2002. Fox Kids showed it around 1996. But they never got to Sailor Moon S even though they announced they would.

ITV picked it up and broadcast it as part of a children's segment which was itself part of a breakfast TV segment GMTV (Good Morning Television).

Both showed the DiC version. But GMTV even cut that to make it fit in for time. And they only had the first 13 episodes because Fox Kids had the rights and wouldn;t let anyone else show it (despite also not showing it themselves)

So if you think it was bad in the USA - it was much worse here.

Several European countries, notably Italy, have had the entire series broadcast with dubs - inlcuding Sailor Stars. The full series released in Italy a couple of years ago on the Dynit label, and it currently being released in both Germany and France by Kaze. The Italian releases are half-season sets, the French and German ones, full seasons. None of these feature English in either subs or dubs.

Kaze distributed under the Manga UK label here in the UK. They are probably the only hope for a UK release, and might pick the series up using the Viz English dub (no way they'd do one themselves)

MVM previously released the series here on DVD, but only the DiC dub as they couldn;t get the rights to the original version. The releases sold very badly and never got beyond a second boxset. MVM have no interest in the series (I asked!). I also asked Manga but they didn't bother to reply.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Probably my favorite DiC edit is how they deal away with Chibi-usa's first appearance by simply playing footage in reverse.

Spoiler

They were trying to get around how she literally pulls a gun (albeit a toy one that shoots flower petals) on her mom. The solution was downright hilarious.

 

[classicmovieguy]

In Australia, the DiC version aired as part of the Channel 7 kids morning show "Agro's Cartoon Connection", and was in fact their highest-rated programme of the show's entire run. I remember having to tape the show every morning because I had to leave for school just as it was due to start.

 

[Vic Pardo]

If the rumor of Death Valley Days turns out to be Bull - O - Neee this will be my backup show on my "Santa List".

Ahhh, another one who's both a fan of Death Valley Days and Sailor Moon!

Yeah, this is good news, esp. the Sailor Stars part. I've only seen a few fan-subbed episodes and they were great.

As for the original dub, well, that's the one my daughter and her friends grew up with so they'll lament the loss of that, but we did watch a huge number of episodes in Japanese with subtitles (Seasons S and Super-S) because I got box sets of those to review.

 

[JMFabianoRPL]

Yes, the DiC/Cloverway version was not perfect, but if it weren't for that, I bet a lot of you would have NO IDEA what Sailor Moon was. If it was available, I would have liked to see at least some bonus discs with those episodes. That said, a true-to-original dub is welcomed!

 

[Lord Dalek]

Well the DiC dub is the one that is supposed to be gone. The Cloverway episodes (which are actually uncut BTW) are owned by Toei themselves and might resurface when Viz gets to S.

 

[Nebiroth]

Viz have stated that the DiC dub is "unavailable" - so it was obvously considered.

The series creators and Toei's strict control over Sailor Moon is legendary. The new dub has to go to them for approval. I suspect that the DiC version could not only not be licensed but that Toei would not give their approval either.

Hardly suprising; the DiC version makes massive changes to the series. In many ways it is a completely different series.

 

[Vic Pardo]

Viz have stated that the DiC dub is "unavailable" - so it was obvously considered.

The series creators and Toei's strict control over Sailor Moon is legendary. The new dub has to go to them for approval. I suspect that the DiC version could not only not be licensed but that Toei would not give their approval either.

Hardly suprising; the DiC version makes massive changes to the series. In many ways it is a completely different series.

I taped most of them off the air when they first aired, so at least I have the dubs in that form. I'm more interesting in watching the first two seasons in Japanese with subs. for the first time anyway. (I have the 3rd and 4th seasons in Japanese with subs. already.)