Sailor Moon musicals
Encyclopedia
The , commonly referred to as , are a series of live theatre productions based on Naoko Takeuchi
's metaseries Sailor Moon
. The series consists of 29 musical
s which have had more than 800 performances since the show opened in Summer 1993. The producers
generally follow and expand upon plot concepts presented in the anime
and manga
, however there are also several original plot lines.
and generally ran three times a year to match with the holidays of Japanese schools. Recently, in the winter the only venue for the musical productions was the Sunshine Theatre in the Ikebukuro
area of Tokyo
; however in the summer it also toured to the larger cities in Japan
.
The latest incarnation of the series, "The New Legend of Kaguya Island" [Revised Edition] (新・かぐや島伝説 <改訂版> Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu (Kaiteiban)) was staged in January 2005. The series is now on a "short hiatus", according to the official fan club, BMO. The current actresses for Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter officially "graduated" (left) with the final performance.
The musicals have a few elements in common: a theme song, usually used in battle when the Sailor Senshi
defeat the antagonist; sight gags (characters in drag, puns, etc.); and songs generally tailored for the same characters or groupings of characters: romance songs between Usagi
and Mamoru, Outer Senshi attack songs, Guardian Senshi civilian songs, and villain songs.
Kaiteiban, or "Revised Versions", are another major aspect of Sailor Moon musicals. Generally new musicals are staged in the summer and then are revised for the winter. Major plot elements stay the same but tend to be more fleshed out in revised versions. Parts of the show are generally rearranged; villains who were only partially defeated in the original version of the show are fully defeated or healed, and actresses who are "graduating" (leaving the show) are often given more solo parts or speaking lines.
In the musicals, the producers generally follow and expand upon plot concepts presented in the anime and manga. For example, a collective romance between the four Guardian Senshi and the Shitennō from former lives was taken from a manga image picturing the two groups paired off in romantic couples. The series creator, Naoko Takeuchi
, explained that this image was used as an inspiration for the first musical of the series – "A Sailor Moon Anecdote – Story of the Dark Kingdom's Revival". In addition to borrowing from the anime and manga versions of Sailor Moon, the musical series also has two mostly original plot lines: "The Legend of Kaguya Island" (Kaguya Shima Densetsu) and the "Last Dracul" series.
The sets and backdrops range from simple (only some set pieces, no backdrop or backdrop with uncomplicated paintings) to mid elaborate (a greater number of small set pieces, and some bigger ones, for example, a painted wall over the whole width of the stage with a few attached stairs and a big door), more detailed set pieces, with heavy use of different stage levels, trapdoors and hidden doors. The Sailor Senshi's attacks are represented by colored lights hitting their targets, and sometimes minor explosions and other small pyrotechnics (for example "flame paper", special paper stripes which the actors ignite in their hands and then throw to create the illusion of a "fireball") are used. The Senshi mostly transform off-stage (or just appear already transformed), while their transformation phrases can be heard. Only Usagi transforms on stage. This is done with the help of a body double and the "black out" of part of the stage or set pieces moving in front of her while the actors switch places. The only real "transformation sequence" that ever occurs is a pre-filmed video sequence projected onto a scrim
showing the actors "morph" (with some pink ribbons) into their transformed versions.
Songs from the series have been compiled in some 20 music album
s, and many of the musicals have been released on DVD.
The producers of the show have broken the musical series down into three stages. The "first stage" consisted of those in which Sailor Moon was portrayed by Anza Ōyama
the first and longest running Sailor Moon actress. This stage ran parallel to the manga and anime, as reflected by the plot, and had a nearly full graduation with all of the main actresses being replaced. The second stage included three different Sailor Moon actresses, the only fully original musical ("The Legend of Kaguya Island") and the semi-original "Last Dracul" series, ending with a remake of the original "Final First Stage" musical "Eien Densetsu" (titled "Kakyuu Ouhi Kourin"). The third and final stage retained the last Sailor Moon actress and ran for only two musicals (Both remakes of "The Legend of Kaguya Island") and ended in January 2005.
Conversely, most Western fans break the stages down by the actresses who played Sailor Moon:
Anza Ōyama
, Fumina Hara
, Miyuki Kanbe
, and Marina Kuroki
. The list below is divided up according to the official stages used by Sera Myu producers.
as Sailor Moon:
Featuring Miyuki Kanbe
as Sailor Moon:
Featuring Marina Kuroki
as Sailor Moon:
An amateur Sailor Moon musical has been staged at Anime Expo
2003, and at the 2009 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival.
Naoko Takeuchi
is a Japanese manga artist who lives in Tokyo, Japan. Takeuchi's works have a wide following among anime and manga fans worldwide. Her most popular work, Sailor Moon, rose to become one of the most recognized manga and anime products to date.-Early life:...
's metaseries Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
. The series consists of 29 musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s which have had more than 800 performances since the show opened in Summer 1993. The producers
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
generally follow and expand upon plot concepts presented in the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, however there are also several original plot lines.
Overview
The series was staged by a division of the Japanese entertainment company BandaiBandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
and generally ran three times a year to match with the holidays of Japanese schools. Recently, in the winter the only venue for the musical productions was the Sunshine Theatre in the Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
area of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
; however in the summer it also toured to the larger cities in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The latest incarnation of the series, "The New Legend of Kaguya Island" [Revised Edition] (新・かぐや島伝説 <改訂版> Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu (Kaiteiban)) was staged in January 2005. The series is now on a "short hiatus", according to the official fan club, BMO. The current actresses for Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter officially "graduated" (left) with the final performance.
The musicals have a few elements in common: a theme song, usually used in battle when the Sailor Senshi
Sailor Senshi
A appears as a type of heroine in the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. The name comes from sailor fuku, a type of school uniform, and senshi, which can mean "soldier" or "warrior". Naoko Takeuchi, the manga artist who originated the series, coined the term by fusing English and Japanese elements,...
defeat the antagonist; sight gags (characters in drag, puns, etc.); and songs generally tailored for the same characters or groupings of characters: romance songs between Usagi
Usagi Tsukino
is a fictional character in the Sailor Moon metaseries and the main protagonist of the franchise, as well as its title character. Her civilian name, , becomes Serena Tsukino in the English-language versions...
and Mamoru, Outer Senshi attack songs, Guardian Senshi civilian songs, and villain songs.
Kaiteiban, or "Revised Versions", are another major aspect of Sailor Moon musicals. Generally new musicals are staged in the summer and then are revised for the winter. Major plot elements stay the same but tend to be more fleshed out in revised versions. Parts of the show are generally rearranged; villains who were only partially defeated in the original version of the show are fully defeated or healed, and actresses who are "graduating" (leaving the show) are often given more solo parts or speaking lines.
Naoko Takeuchi
is a Japanese manga artist who lives in Tokyo, Japan. Takeuchi's works have a wide following among anime and manga fans worldwide. Her most popular work, Sailor Moon, rose to become one of the most recognized manga and anime products to date.-Early life:...
, explained that this image was used as an inspiration for the first musical of the series – "A Sailor Moon Anecdote – Story of the Dark Kingdom's Revival". In addition to borrowing from the anime and manga versions of Sailor Moon, the musical series also has two mostly original plot lines: "The Legend of Kaguya Island" (Kaguya Shima Densetsu) and the "Last Dracul" series.
The sets and backdrops range from simple (only some set pieces, no backdrop or backdrop with uncomplicated paintings) to mid elaborate (a greater number of small set pieces, and some bigger ones, for example, a painted wall over the whole width of the stage with a few attached stairs and a big door), more detailed set pieces, with heavy use of different stage levels, trapdoors and hidden doors. The Sailor Senshi's attacks are represented by colored lights hitting their targets, and sometimes minor explosions and other small pyrotechnics (for example "flame paper", special paper stripes which the actors ignite in their hands and then throw to create the illusion of a "fireball") are used. The Senshi mostly transform off-stage (or just appear already transformed), while their transformation phrases can be heard. Only Usagi transforms on stage. This is done with the help of a body double and the "black out" of part of the stage or set pieces moving in front of her while the actors switch places. The only real "transformation sequence" that ever occurs is a pre-filmed video sequence projected onto a scrim
Scrim
The term scrim has two separate meanings in terms of fabric. In each case, it refers to woven material, one a finely woven lightweight fabric widely used in theatre, the other a heavy, coarse woven material used for reinforcement in both building and canvasmaking.-Light gauzy material:A scrim or...
showing the actors "morph" (with some pink ribbons) into their transformed versions.
Songs from the series have been compiled in some 20 music album
Music Album
Music album is the name of:* Music Album , a 1970s Canadian television series* Album, a collection of music tracks...
s, and many of the musicals have been released on DVD.
Musicals
"Stage" is a term used widely to refer to groupings of the musicals.The producers of the show have broken the musical series down into three stages. The "first stage" consisted of those in which Sailor Moon was portrayed by Anza Ōyama
Anza Oyama
is a Japanese musician and actress. She is best known as vocalist of the metal group Head Phones President and for playing Sailor Moon in 13 thirteen separate musical productions...
the first and longest running Sailor Moon actress. This stage ran parallel to the manga and anime, as reflected by the plot, and had a nearly full graduation with all of the main actresses being replaced. The second stage included three different Sailor Moon actresses, the only fully original musical ("The Legend of Kaguya Island") and the semi-original "Last Dracul" series, ending with a remake of the original "Final First Stage" musical "Eien Densetsu" (titled "Kakyuu Ouhi Kourin"). The third and final stage retained the last Sailor Moon actress and ran for only two musicals (Both remakes of "The Legend of Kaguya Island") and ended in January 2005.
Conversely, most Western fans break the stages down by the actresses who played Sailor Moon:
Anza Ōyama
Anza Oyama
is a Japanese musician and actress. She is best known as vocalist of the metal group Head Phones President and for playing Sailor Moon in 13 thirteen separate musical productions...
, Fumina Hara
Fumina Hara
is a Japanese actress and idol. She has played the role of Usagi Tsukino in the Sailor Moon musicals, and has gone on to a varied career. She has played the love interest in Aishiteruze Baby.-Filmography:*"Gun Crazy 4" *Maiko Haaaan!!!...
, Miyuki Kanbe
Miyuki Kanbe
was a Japanese model and actress from Kanagawa Prefecture employed by the talent agency Rouge.She is best remembered for her portrayal of Sailor Moon in the Sailor Moon musicals ; other credits include Battle Royale II , Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch , Kamen Rider Hibiki...
, and Marina Kuroki
Marina Kuroki
Marina Kuroki is an actress best known for her appearances in the Sailor Moon musicals series. She starred in the Sailor Moon musicals as the lead role of Usagi Tsukino at the age of 12 and finished her Sailor Moon career at 16 in 2005. She also figured in other musicals, such as Rock 'n Jam...
. The list below is divided up according to the official stages used by Sera Myu producers.
First stage
Featuring Anza Ōyama as Sailor Moon:- 1993 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 1994 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Super Spring Festival
- 1994 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S
- 1995 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S
- 1995 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S
- 1995 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS
- 1996 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS (Kaiteiban)
- Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS Special Musical Show
- 1996 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars
- 1997 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (Kaiteiban)
- 1997 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 1998 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- The Final First Stage!!
Second stage
Featuring Fumina HaraFumina Hara
is a Japanese actress and idol. She has played the role of Usagi Tsukino in the Sailor Moon musicals, and has gone on to a varied career. She has played the love interest in Aishiteruze Baby.-Filmography:*"Gun Crazy 4" *Maiko Haaaan!!!...
as Sailor Moon:
- 1998 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 1999 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 1999 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
Featuring Miyuki Kanbe
Miyuki Kanbe
was a Japanese model and actress from Kanagawa Prefecture employed by the talent agency Rouge.She is best remembered for her portrayal of Sailor Moon in the Sailor Moon musicals ; other credits include Battle Royale II , Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch , Kamen Rider Hibiki...
as Sailor Moon:
- 2000 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 2000 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 2001 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 2001 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
Featuring Marina Kuroki
Marina Kuroki
Marina Kuroki is an actress best known for her appearances in the Sailor Moon musicals series. She starred in the Sailor Moon musicals as the lead role of Usagi Tsukino at the age of 12 and finished her Sailor Moon career at 16 in 2005. She also figured in other musicals, such as Rock 'n Jam...
as Sailor Moon:
- 2001 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 2002 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- Tanjou! Ankoku no Princess Black Lady [Kaiteiban] -Wakusei Nemesis no Nazo-|誕生！暗黒のプリンセス ブラック・レディ［改訂版］～惑星ネメシスの謎～
- 2002 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon "10th ANNIVERSARY Festival"
- 2002 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 2003 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 2003 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- 2004 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- THE SECOND STAGE FINAL
Third stage
Continuing to feature Marina Kuroki as Sailor Moon:- 2004 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- NEW LEGEND OF KAGUYA ISLAND
- 2005 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
- MARINAMOON FINAL
Reception
In total, 32,055 people attended , which had 29 separate performances. 25,208 people attended its revised edition, which had 35 separate performances.An amateur Sailor Moon musical has been staged at Anime Expo
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...
2003, and at the 2009 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival.