After a Decade of Streaming Chaos, Sailor Moon Is Finally Coming Back to Netflix
The halls of anime history are chock-full of iconic series, but one of the most iconic has to be Sailor Moon. Fans old and new will have the chance to check out one of the most faithful adaptations, as Sailor Moon Crystal recently returned to Netflix in the U.S. and Canada. What makes this such a big deal is that the Sailor Moon franchise has been ping-ponging between streaming services for roughly a decade. Sailor Moon Crystal even briefly left Netflix at the beginning of July. There’s more to the return of Sailor Moon Crystal, especially when the history of the Sailor Moon franchise comes into play.
‘Sailor Moon’ Helped Kickstart The Anime Phenomenon in America
Anime’s become a mainstream source of entertainment, yet there was a time when it was little more than a niche in American pop culture. Sailor Moon helped change the game by being one of the biggest anime series to be dubbed in English, alongside Dragon Ball Z and Cowboy Bebop. A large part of Sailor Moon‘s appeal lies in Naoko Takeuchi‘s ability to blend genres, melding the action usually found in shonen and tokusatsu shows with fashion and romance. This mix helped Sailor Moon overcome censorship issues and win a place in pop culture, while also helping define the “magical girl” subgenre in anime.
Sailor Moon Crystal also made waves when it released, for two different reasons. First, Crystal is more faithful to Takeuchi’soriginal manga; it doesn’t hurt that VIZ was in charge of the Sailor Moon franchise and was more willing to explore the themes that had been sanded down in the original dub. Second, Crystal was created to celebrate Sailor Moon‘s 20th anniversary, giving longtime fans the faithful adaptation they’d always wished for and serving as a way for new fans to discover the story of Usagi Tsukino.
In addition to Sailor Moon Crystal, Sailor Moon Eternal, and Sailor Moon Cosmos are all available to stream on Netflix. Both movies effectively serve as the finale to Crystal, with Eternal adapting the “Dream” arc of the Sailor Moon manga while Cosmos adapts the “Stars” arc. This means that Sailor Moon fans, old and new, can check out a complete version of the series that’s true to the creator’s vision.
For A Decade, ‘Sailor Moon’ Has Bounced Around Streaming Platforms
If anyone wants a perfect example of how the “streaming wars” affect your ability to watch your favorite shows, Sailor Moon would be at the top of the list. Most versions of the series are near-impossible to find: while you can buy the VIZ dub of the series on Blu-ray and DVD, the DIC dub — which arguably served as most fans’ introduction to Sailor Moon — is all but wiped from the internet. Sailor Moon Crystal‘s return to Netflix is more than welcome news for fans, especially if they have a Netflix subscription.
‘Sailor Moon’s Return To Netflix Comes at the Right Time
The timing of Sailor Moon Crystal‘s return to Netflix comes at a time when anime, and animation in general, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man both had movies that topped the box office in their opening weekend. Netflix is leaning more into anime, with series like Sakamoto Days climbing the streamer’s charts; its live-action adaptation of One Piece also received plenty of love, despite most live-action adaptations of anime often being met with little more than disgust.
Netflix has also seen a Sailor Moon-sized success of its own with KPop Demon Hunters. Like Sailor Moon, it blends two seemingly disparate story elements, namely the world of KPop music and a story about battling demons, into a unique experience. The romance between Rumi (Arden Cho/Ejae) and Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop/Andrew Choi) even mirrors the one between Usagi and Tuxedo Mask, down to their fighting that masks their feelings for each other. Sailor Moon Crystal and its movies make for the perfect post-KPop Demon Hunters watch.
Sailor Moon Crystal is now available to stream on Netflix.
- Release Date
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2014 – 2021-00-00
- Network
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Tokyo MX, Niconico
- Directors
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Chiaki Kon
- Writers
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Naoko Takeuchi, Yuji Kobayashi
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Kotono Mitsuishi
Usagi Tsukino / Sailor Moon (voice)
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Hisako Kanemoto
Ami Mizuno / Sailor Mercury (voice)
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Rina Sato
Rei Hino / Sailor Mars (voice)
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Ami Koshimizu
Makoto Kino / Sailor Jupiter (voice)
