Yesterday, I was at Barnes & Nobles Booksellers in Georgetown, Washington D.C., with fellow anime friends who held a party. But it wasn't just a mere party. We did this to celebrate the return of the Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon manga.
Now, to bring you up to speed, I've covered the anime series already, in post LX (60) to be exact, but I don't believe I spoke anything of the manga. Now, and note I learned some of this during the party itself, but Sailor Moon was developed from the manga Sailor V, a manga that focused on one of the 5 sailor scouts as the main heroine. This same character would later appear in Sailor Moon as the 5th scout member, Sailor Venus (ironic, eh?) However, much like how I pointed this out in other anime, the manga has different plot directions, such as one of the scouts turning evil, and even a somewhat different fate for some of the enemies. In Japan, the manga was published by Kodansha, while Tokyopop (which is no longer active) released it here for the USA.
The purpose of this party was to celebrate its return to the states, featuring a whole new translation. Both Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon and the Sailor V manga debuted yesterday, but to our dismay, thanks to weathering, much issues weren't sent initially. Even so, I did manage to take a peak at them, both licensed by (oddly fitting) Kodansha Comics USA. Now with this said, even back when it was announced, there was talk going around about a re-licensing of the anime. Now, this I can't really vouch for. I said before in the franchise review that the franchise was license by two different companies for the US, each holding 2 titles of it a piece, save for Sailor Stars (which was never dubbed). The most recognized dubbing thus far was the one done by Disney subsidiary DiC Entertainment. And by that, I speak of it being famous for not only an overhaul of censorship, but also changes in dialogue and format. Anyway, it was rumored that popular anime licensor Funimation Entertainment was thinking about re-licensing the franchise, but as of now, that's all it is: a rumor. Currently, the licensing is under Toei Animation (the same people who licensed Dragon Ball before Funimation did so for USA), with no solid clue as to when it will be licensed for US re-release, if at all.
Anywho, the party was grand, and oddly enough, that party was the first time I ever truly cosplayed, as I was dressed as Malachite/Kunzite, one of the antagonists from the first arc. I thought more would appear, but aside from daily lives, there were other reasons why some couldn't make it. As with any event done by DC Anime Club, it was advertised in the papers, though I feel a slight criticism towards one of those press release groups. I had a grand time, save that there was no food and drinks (outside food aren't allowed in the bookstore, for what I understand), but we did have games and activities, and we made our presence known. Something tells me that, thanks to this, I'll be hearing the word bishounen for a long while.
In any case, the night was great (and fitting with the full moon out, which is truly ironic) and I hope that the rumor of the anime re-licensing upgrades to a confirmed possibility somewhere down the road. Even so, I can honestly say this proudly:
"Welcome back to the USA, Sailor Moon!"
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