Newsgroups: alt.fan.sailor-moon,rec.arts.anime,rec.arts.anime.misc,rec.arts.anime.info
Subject: Sailor Moon FAQ (part 1/4)
From: arromdee@inetnow.net (Ken Arromdee)
Expires: 
References: 
Sender: 
Reply-To: arromdee@inetnow.net (Ken Arromdee)
Followup-To: alt.fan.sailor-moon,rec.arts.anime.misc
Distribution: 
Approved: anime-info@cybercomm.net
Keywords: 

[Not really updated, but I have to post it sometime.]

I only have four manga volumes, and I'm rather lacking in manga information.

I need any more non-American version information that I don't have yet.

Is "Sayonara at the End of the Dance" a Japanese or English song?  Preferably
with a source for the information.  Also, was the first Japanese ending song
also swiped from somewhere?

[Last modified 12/30/97, last posted 2/3/98.]

                              The Sailor Moon FAQ!
                              --------------------
1) Introduction
2) Air Times/Channels
3) Japanese television series
4) Names: characters (original and dub), attacks and transformations
5) Theme song
6) Japanese myths and cultural elements
7) Cuts, Censorship, and Changes
8) Questions about plot elements
9) Questions about the show itself
10) Movies, comics, video games, etc.
11) Episode availability
12) Character personal information
13) Episode list
14) Other internet resources
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Introduction
    Sailor Moon is a cartoon about teenage sailor-suited superheroines,
aimed at young girls, which began broadcast in North America on September 11,
1995 (August 28 on YTV in Canada).  In Japan it was produced by Bandai.  The
English language version was produced by DIC Entertainment and aired in syndi-
cation (not Fox, though one episode was shown on Fox as a special).  The
series is a dub of a Japanese cartoon (anime) whose name (Bishoujo Senshi
Sailor Moon) is usually translated as "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon"; this
cartoon is based on a manga (Japanese comic book) created by Takeuchi Naoko.
(Note: All Japanese names in this FAQ are listed Japanese style, with family
name first.)
    The last TV episode aired in Japan on February 8, 1997; the last manga
was the March 1997 Nakayoshi.  The replacement for the TV series is a
shojo-style Cutey Honey remake (named Cutey Honey Flash) worked on by many of
the same people working on the Sailor Moon series.  The manga was replaced
with "Mizuiro no Tamago", a completely unrelated manga.
    In North America, DIC made 65 episodes available in 1995-1996.  There was
apparently a big falling-out between Bandai and DIC, and a lot of rumors
abound.  The series was shown in Canada in 1996-1997, and it is now syndicated
through Program Exchange, appearing on USA Network (cable) in the US, with
further cuts (for more commercials), and on some TV stations.
    It is not a Fox show, although Fox did show the first Alan/Ann story as a
special.
    17 new episodes have been dubbed.  There are no current plans to show
these in the US, though they are appearing in Canada and might appear in
Australia.  The voice actors for Darien and Sailor Mars have left (or been
fired).
    The 65th North American episode corresponds to Japanese episode 72, which
is a minor breaking point (defeat of the four Black Moon sisters) but doesn't
finish the story.  The first time around, the episodes were shown out of order
(the Alan/Ann story was supposed to go _between_ the Beryl and the Black Moon
story), but the reruns mostly show them in the proper order.
    Adding the 17 newer episodes takes the series up to Japanese episode 89,
and the end of the R storyline.  It was reported that DIC planned to delete
the references to Sailor Uranus and Neptune and the S storyline, but they
didn't.

    Distributors and toy producers are as follows:
Country     Distributor                 Toys
USA         Program Exchange (was       Bandai USA
            Seagull Entertainment)
Canada      Kaleidoscope Entertainment  Irwin Toys
Australia   ?                           Croner-Tyco
New Zealand ?                           ?

    Note: There are lots of spoilers here.  Read at your own risk.  I've tried
to rot13 spoilers for episodes that did not appear in America, but I can't
rot13 everything.
    (rot13 is done by moving each letter 13 places in the alphabet, so that
applying it twice returns the sentence to normal.  It is normally translated
by machine, and many newsreaders have commands to do it automatically.
Translating it by hand is pointless.  In rn, the X command rot-13s the current
page, and the ctrl-X command starts the article from the beginning in rot13.
In tin, use the d command.)
    Thanks to everyone on the Internet (far too many names to list, even if
I had kept the list) for helping me produce this FAQ.

* Requests for un-rot13ed copies of this FAQ will be deleted with no reply.
I don't keep an un-rot13ed version and have no easy way to make one. *
* Requests that I send you a new version of this FAQ "when it comes out" will
be deleted with no reply. *
* Requests for the current version will be deleted with no reply.  Especially
"I missed part 2; please send me another".  This is recursive; messages that
say "I asked you for part 2 and didn't get a reply" won't get replies. *
* Requests for Sailor Moon files or merchandise will be deleted with no reply. *
* So will requests asking where to get any. *
* Requests to put up HTML versions of this FAQ will be deleted with no reply.
If you want to put one up, go ahead, but _please_ update it often.  I don't
like to see errors perpetuated forever.  (I'm also not a fan of rewriting
files in html and making them impossible to print out, repost, or otherwise
handle outside the Web.) *

There are millions of people on the net.  I can't respond to everyone's
requests, especially not to a request that takes just a minute or two--per
person.

* If you want to print the FAQ in your newsletter, go ahead, but please send me
a copy of your newsletter if you can.  My address is on my web page. *

2) Air Times/Channels/Versions.  (This is not as accurate as the rest of this
FAQ, because I've collected these from the net.)

Cantonese version (TV):
Episodes released: Up to Sailor Moon SuperS, plus the R movie.
Censorship:
  Violence: None.
  Lechery: There may have been a small cut in episode 2.
  Nudity: None.
  Homosexuality: None.
  Misc: The 'elephant' routine in episode 104 was cut.
Cuts for time:
  Pink Sugar Heart Attack was cut from episode 107.
Music:
  First season: new opening and ending.
  R: Original opening and ending.
  S: First half, new opening and ending.  Second half, original opening and
ending with new music.  Changed at episode 100.  (?)
  Original music used during the show.  Most Japanese songs stay as the
originals too.
Names:
  The names are the original ones translated into Chinese.
Air times and channels:
  Hong Kong: TVB at 5:05PM on Fridays starting July 11, 1997 (for SuperS)

Cantonese version (video):
Episodes released: Up to Sailor Moon SS.  Most movies and specials not done.
Censorship:
  Violence: None.
  Lechery: None.
  Nudity: None.
  Homosexuality: None.
  In the Snow White episode, Mako-chan says "I am tall, big and elegant on
stage." instead of referring to her breast size.
Cuts for time:
Music:
  All the music is the original, including songs.  When characters sing, they
suddenly go to Japanese....
Names:
  The names are the original ones translated into Chinese.  Both Cantonese
versions use the same names except for the translation of "Michiru".
Air times and channels:
  This is a video release on LD (Japanese/Cantonese bilingual) by Aiko
Animation for Edko Video, not a broadcast version.  It is widely pirated.
  The SMS movie was done by Edko Video.

English version by DIC
Episodes released:
  65 (up to the middle of Sailor Moon R).  82 total in Canada and possibly
Australia.
Censorship:
  Violence: characters are not even allowed to slap each other, and episodes
45-46 are combined into one episode where nobody dies.
  Lechery: Episode 2 does not appear at all.  References to Rei's grandfather
being a dirty old man are rewritten.
  Nudity: lines are covered up or removed, scenes sometimes changed.
  Homosexuality: Zoisite has been changed to a woman.  The show never reached
Haruka, Michiru, or Fish Eye (not counting the cameos in #82).
Cuts for time:
  Often cut for time.  Further cut for time in Australia, and on USA network.
CGI scene transitions are added.
  Misc: The scenes where the Senshi were hung on crosses by Rubeus were cut.
Music:
  Does not use the original music for the most part.  The theme song uses new
words for a version of the Japanese theme song; the end theme just repeats
the start theme.  Episodes with songs usually use random songs (once Japanese,
usually not) with new words.
Names:
  Some names are similar to the original, some are not.
Air times and channels:
  Australia: airs on Seven Network, 7am-8:30am.  Will be returning, eventually
to have the new 17 episodes.
  Canada: (All times are Eastern.)
    YTV: 12 PM
    Canwest Global: 10:30 AM Sunday
    CHUM-owned stations: 5:30 AM or 7:30 AM weekdays, possibly 4:30 PM
  New Zealand: airs on TVNZ (TV2) repeating
  USA: Primarily shown on USA network with cuts.  A full listing of local
stations which show it can be found on various fan pages about the show.

Filipino (Tagalog) version:
Episodes released:
  Continuing, probably doing the whole series.
Censorship:
  Violence: No censorship?
  Lechery: No censorship?
  Nudity: No censorship?
  Homosexuality: No censorship.
Cuts for time:
  A few.
Music:
  The opening theme song was kept in Japanese but in newer episodes is
translated; the ending is still in Japanese.
Names:
  Usagi is named Bunny.  Other names were kept.
Air times and channels:
  Philippines: ABC 5 (6 PM Saturday)

French version:
Episodes released:
  Up to the start of SuperS in France.  Canada is strange; they released 9
episodes and stopped, then started again in 1997 with the Earl/Ann episodes.
Some episodes have been completely removed (different ones than in English, so
it still may be worth it for Canadians to try to see the series).
Censorship:
  Violence: No or very little censorship.
  Lechery: Episode 2 has the scene with Umino looking up Ms. Haruna's skirt,
cut, but the episode itself was kept.
  Nudity: In episode 7, a scene with the monster attacking Mikan in the
shower was cut.
  Homosexuality: Zoisite and Kunzite are brothers.  Sailor Uranus started out
with a female voice actor, but got a male one for her civilian form after
a while.  It was explained that she was disguised as a man to protect her
identity and that Neptune was helping by pretending to be "his" girlfriend.
Cuts for time:
  Yes.  Also, some episodes have been completely removed (different ones than
in English)
Music:
  Attack and transformation use same music.  The theme song music and words
are both changed.  In episode 7, with a song, the Japanese music was used with
new words.  The song was removed from SMR episode 3 (49?)
Names:
  Most names are different.  Usagi is named "Bunny".
Air times and channels:
  Quebec: TVA, 11 AM Saturday.
  France: The series airs as part of a children's program named Le Club
Dorothee, which airs Wednesdays 8:30-11 AM and also Monday and Tuesday during
holidays.  Possibly also on Tele Monte Carlo.
Special note:
  The French manga is _much_ better.

German version:
Episodes released:
  up to #46 (10/13/95-9/7/96) on ZDF.  RTL2 showed up to #127 (the end of S).
Episode 89 was skipped.  There will be new episodes later.
Censorship:
  Violence: Cuts were made in episodes 45-46, apparently on the ZDF version
only, not on RTL2.  RTL2 takes pains to avoid using the word "kill", though.
  Lechery: No censorship.
  Nudity: No censorship.
  Homosexuality: Zoisite changed to a woman.  No changes so far for Haruka and
Michiru.
Cuts for time:
  None.
Music:
  Start and end themes and words not kept.  The original background music was
kept.  Songs were removed in the first series, kept in Sailor Moon R.
Names:
  Usagi named "Bunny Tsukino", most other names kept.
Air times and channels:
  Germany: RTL2 (3:35 PM daily).  Formerly shown (first 46 only) on
ZDF.

Greek version:
Episodes released: reached SMS as of 1996-1997, will do whole series.
Censorship:
  Violence: No censorship.
  Lechery: No censorship.
  Nudity: No censorship.
  Homosexuality: No censorship.
Cuts for time:
  None.
Music:
  There is a single start and end theme in Greek used for all the series.
Names:
  Usagi named "Bunny", most other names kept.
Air times and channels:
  Saturday and Sunday morning at 9:15 to 10:15.

Italian version:
Episodes released:
  The entire series.  The movies and specials were aired, though out of order.
Censorship:
  Violence: Some scenes with blood cut from Sailor Stars.
  Lechery: No censorship.
  Nudity: A few seconds were cut from episode 151.  (Ami nude.)  #200 was
heavily modified.
  Homosexuality:
  Any lines suggesting Haruka and Michiru were romantically interested were
removed or changed.
  Zoisite and Fisheye were changed to women.  (Fish Eye's bare chest scene was
cut, of course.)  The Starlights were explained by saying that they're replaced
by their identical twin sisters.  (Bleccch.)
Cuts for time:
  The beginning of several episodes near the end of the first series, plus
the beginning of 56-57, had cuts.
Music:
  Background music is the same as Japanese; opening/closing songs and songs
within the series are changed to Italian ones.
Names:
  Most names are changed.  The four generals have different names, and Alan
and Ann have different school names.  Cooan is "Kermesite" (!).  Usagi is
named Bunny, Ami is Amy, Rei is Rea, Makoto is Morea, Minako is Marta.
Air times and channels:
  Channel Rete4, Monday-Saturday, ~7:45 PM

Mandarin version:
Episodes released: ???
Censorship:
  Violence: No known cuts.
  Lechery: No known cuts.  Umino still stares up Haruna's skirt.
  Nudity: Transformation scenes have been cut.
  Homosexuality: Zoisite is still male.
Cuts for time:
Music:
  The song from episode 6 has been removed.
Names:
  Most but not all names are changed.  (I have no idea whether the original
names are just translated.)
Air times and channels:
  Singapore: Saturday 1 PM, channel 8 TCS
Note:
  I got this information from someone in Singapore.  I don't know if the cuts
were made in Taiwan or not.  (Probably.)

Portuguese version (Brazil):
Episodes released: First series (1-46)
Censorship:
  Violence: No censorship.
  Lechery: No censorship.
  Nudity: No censorship.
  Homosexuality: Zoisite is female.
Cuts for time:
Music:
  Theme song is in portuguese.  Other music/songs are original?
Names:
  Mostly DIC names are used.  Non-DIC names include Nicholas for Yuuichiro,
Lua for Luna, and Sanjouin Masato.
Air times and channels:
  Manchete, channel 9, 9:15 AM, 5:40 PM Monday-Friday.
  Last aired November 1996?
Note:
  The series uses Spanish episode titles and is probably a redub of the
Latin America Spanish version.

Portuguese version (Portugal):
Episodes released:
  Entire Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon R and S series.  Episode 89 was skipped.
Censorship:
  Violence: No censorship.
  Lechery: No censorship.
  Nudity: No censorship.
  Homosexuality: No censorship.
Cuts for time:
Music:
  Theme song and some other music is changed.
Names:
  A few names changed, Usagi is Bunny.
Air times and channels:
  SIC, 8:15 AM, Saturday and Sunday
Misc:
  They got the cats' sex wrong.

Russian version
Episodes released:  At least to Sailor Moon R.
Censorship:
  Violence: No censorship.
  Lechery: No censorship.
  Nudity: No censorship.
  Homosexuality: No censorship.
Cuts for time:
Music:
  Opening and closing uses original Japanese music, but no words.  Songs
during the shows are still in Japanese, though in one episode the song was
also explained in Russian.
  As of SMS the opening and closing are in original Japanese.
Names:
  Usagi is renamed Bunny, other names are unchanged.
Air times and channels:
  Moscow, 2X2, weekends 9:35 AM, 12:10 PM

Spanish version (Latin America):
Episodes released:
  Eventually to do the whole series.
Censorship:
  Violence: No censorship.
  Lechery: No censorship.
  Nudity: No censorship.
  Homosexuality: Zoisite is made a woman.  This was apparently because they
were working from the US version, not due to censorship per se, and Haruka
and Michiru are not changed.  Zoisite does have a male voice in his first
few episodes.
Cuts for time:
  Each station receives the episodes uncut, but sometimes cuts them locally.
Music:
  Keeps the original music and the start and end themes use the original tunes
and are directly translated from the Japanese version.  Songs are not
translated and stay in Japanese.  The S season uses the R opening.
Names:
  Mostly uses the same names as the DIC version, including Serena, Lita,
Malachite, and Negaverse.  "Metallia" is kept.  One episode goofed and used
the names "Bunny" and "Dark Kingdom".
Air times and channels:
  Argentina : ETC TV (?), Magic Kids (1:30 am, 8:30 am, 12:00 pm, 6:00 pm),
Cablin (1:00 am, 7:00 am, 1:00 pm, 7:00 pm), Big Channel (1:00 am, 7:00 am,
2:30 pm, 7:00 pm)
  Chile: Chilevision, Monday to Friday 4:30 PM.  ETC TV, Monday to Friday 8:45
AM, 1:30 PM, 7:30 PM (cable)
  Costa Rica: Repretel-Canal 6, Mon/Wed/Fri 3:30 PM.
  Mexico: Television Azteca: Monday to Friday 3:30 PM, Saturday 9 AM.  ???,
1:30 PM.  Sailor Moon R ended July 14, S started July 15.
  Peru: Monday-Friday 6:30 PM, Saturday 12:30 PM.
  Venezuela: previously released, not currently release

Spanish version (Spain):
Episodes released:
  At least reached Sailor Moon S.
Censorship:
  Violence: ???
  Lechery: ???
  Nudity: ???
  Homosexuality: ???
Cuts for time:
  ???
Music:
Names:
Air times and channels:

Swedish version:
Episodes released:
  Two episodes were not shown; apparently, they were damaged.
Censorship:
  Violence: No censorship.
  Lechery: No censorship.  Rei's grandfather is still a dirty old man.
  Nudity: No censorship.
  Homosexuality: Zoisite changed to a woman.  Allegedly because the station
can't show gays who are evil, rather than because they can't show them at all.
(Wonder what they'll do with Haruka and Michiru then?)
Cuts for time:
  None.
Music:
  Original music kept.  Start and end tunes kept but lyrics not kept.  No info
about songs.
Names:
  Most, but not all, original names kept.  Beryl is renamed Morga, Usagi is
renamed Annie.
Air times and channels:
  Sweden: TV4, Sundays, 8:30 AM.  (Ended?)

Miscellaneous:
Air times and channels:
  The European satellite channel JSTV was showing (as of the end of 1996)
episodes in the original Japanese at 7:30 PM (English time).

3) Japanese television series
    Japan does not have television seasons like the US does.  However, Sailor
Moon has been divided into several different series, each aired weekly and
lasting a year:

    Sailor Moon: 3/7/92-2/27/93 (episodes 1-46): The appearance of the five
Sailor Scouts and their fight against the Dark Kingdom.
    Sailor Moon R: 3/6/93-3/5/94 (episodes 47-88): Episodes 47-59 have as
villains two space aliens Earl (Alan) and Ann.  60-88 are a fight against the
Black Moon family, also introducing Chibi-Usa (Rini), a young girl from the
future.  Sailor Pluto first appears (but only briefly) here.  Episode 89,
3/12/94, was a special (and a clips episode).
    For anyone who wonders, the R was supposed to stand for Romance.  Probably.
(I got a message saying that the notes in the manga said "Returns", but I
don't yet have a reference for it.)
    Sailor Moon Super: 3/19/94-2/25/95 (episodes 90-127): Villains are
Professor Tomoe and the Witches 5 (the Death Busters).  Chibi-Usa first be-
comes Sailor Chibi-Moon, and Sailors Uranus and Neptune first show up (and
later Saturn).
    Sailor Moon SuperS: 3/4/95-3/2/96 (episodes 128-166): Villains are the
Dead Moon Circus and Nephrenia.  Heavily based around Chibi-Usa.  The Outer
Senshi don't appear at all except in an (unnumbered) special.
    Sailor Moon Sailor Stars: 3/16/96-2/8/97 (episodes 167-200): The first 6
episodes (167-172) finish off Nephrenia and are often considered the real
ending of SuperS.  After that, a new storyline begins with the villain Galaxia
from Shadow Galactica, whose henchmen are Iron Mouse, Aluminum Siren, Lead
Crow, and Tin Nyanko (the Sailor Anima-mates).  Heavy Metal Papillon was
another, appearing only in the manga.  Introduction of the Sailor Stars, who
are male in normal IDs and change to female as Sailor Senshi.  Introduction
of Chibi-Chibi, an even younger kid character.  Chibi-Usa doesn't appear at all
except for cameos, and Tuxedo Mask shows up in 173 leaving for Harvard, and
then not until the end.  The Outer Senshi appear sporadically.
--
Ken Arromdee                    |They said it was *daft* to build a space
arromdee@inetnow.net            |station in a swamp, but I showed them!  It
karromde@nyx.nyx.net            |sank unto the swamp.  So I built a second
http://www.inetnow.net/~arromdee|space station.  That sank into the swamp too.
--------------------------------+My third space station sank into the swamp.
So I built a fourth one.  That fell into a time warp and _then_ sank into the
swamp.  But the fifth one...  stayed up! --Monty Python/Babylon 5

    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/garden/4712/sm

               ( geocities.com/tokyo/garden/4712)                   ( geocities.com/tokyo/garden)                   ( geocities.com/tokyo)