A Brief History: Live Action Adaptions of Sailor Moon
In 2003, a new Sailor Moon episode was aired. It was the first new episode to be released since the end of the anime is 1997, and it could very well be argued that this series was the Y2K attempt at what later became the Sailor Moon Crystal reboot. But unlike either anime, this series was entirely unique - it was barely related to the manga, Luna is a stuffed toy instead of a moving cat, and of course, it was live action.
This series was called Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, or PGSM for short.
This wasn’t the first attempt at adapting Sailor Moon into a live-action format.
Various Sailor Moon Musicals - known as SeraMyu from the Japanese Sērāmūn Myūjikaru - first began in 1993, just a year after the first anime episode aired. The first set of musicals continued to be performed right through to 2005. Other musicals have been made since, each with a different way of adapting the manga or anime, or focusing on a different arc. Some feature entirely new characters, romances, and plotlines.
The musicals were successful; so much so that they’re still being made and performed more than 25 years later.
Second Time (Un) Successful
Some time in the early 90s - the exact date is debated, but it was at least after ‘93 - American company ToonMakers attempted to make a tv show that was a weird blend of animated and live-action magical girl. This was intended to be America’s take on Sailor Moon, long before the atrociously appropriative and infamously censored dubs were released. The series proposed many changes, including adding disabilities and a greater range of skin tones and races to the cast.
Unfortunately, it never made it to screens anywhere, and all that remains are random snippets, bad screenshots, and a handful of scenes. It has, however, remained in pop culture, with many articles, reviews, and much speculation about where it went and why it never aired. Over the years, many fans have made cosplays and tributes to it.
Third Time (Not-So) Charmed
Then, in the late 90s, another attempt was made. This time, it was entirely live-action, filled with 90s style glamor shots, and made it as far as a pilot promotional episode. It was titled Teen Angel, and much like its predecessor, it went absolutely nowhere.
Teen Angel was seen as a laughing stock, a ridiculous Americanization that never needed to happen. Unlike the earlier version, it wasn’t remembered fondly, by the few who remembered it at all.
Tokusatsu - Japanese drama shows that rely on heavy CGI graphics and action scenes - have always been popular in Japan. But besides Super Sentai becoming Power Rangers, extremely few have ever made it over to the West, let alone successfully. So given the extreme success of the musicals, it makes sense that the Japanese production companies wouldn’t have paid the American flops any mind.
In some ways, the 2000s PGSM series was as much a failure as its American counterparts. Unlike them, it made it to air, but it didn’t make much of a splash when it did. If anything, it faced more backlash than ever.
While the American shows live on in the form of pop-culture references, cosplays, blog posts, and community discussion, the Japanese series goes largely unnoticed and unheard of.
PGSM aired during an era where Tokusatsu and magical girls were both a dime a dozen, with plenty of epics to choose from. It came nearly 10 years after Sailor Moon first aired, and 6 years after the final episode was broadcast in Japan. It wasn’t current. It wasn’t trendy. So it didn’t appeal to new viewers. And it was written for a tween audience, in a time when the original Sailor Moon viewers had grown into young adults, who were not entertained by seeing more of the same high school hijinks all over again.
Given it varied so greatly from any of the material that fans were familiar with, many who would otherwise have enjoyed it, rejected it on principle. Many refused to even attempt to watch it.
As a result, it was unpopular, and unpopular series don’t get subbed, or dubbed. This meant its reach was even smaller, and many Western fans are entirely unaware it exists at all.
That’s not to say it was a waste of time; nor do we want to discourage you from watching it!
Although it wasn’t very popular during its release, and continues to be one of the least-known adaptions, many do thoroughly enjoy it, and it continues to have a strong fanbase today.
Those who do enjoy PGSM tend to do so with the understanding that it is peak y2k low-budget Tokusatsu culture That is to say, it’s very much a product of its time.
It’s best watched if treated like an alternative reality, or better yet, as something entirely separate to Sailor Moon.. But if you’re not into awkward teen acting, alternative reimagining’s, or don’t like low-quality 2000s visuals, then you may want to skip it.
Many adore the completely unique take on a series that has re-imagined multiple times before. It’s been praised for having faster pacing, down-to-earth drama, new villains, and more mature-acting main characters. The shorter length and closed story also appeal to those who dislike the epic length of the original.
Fans of Tokusatsu series and Sailor Moon alike will no doubt notice the many interesting Easter Egg moments - from references to the manga, to shared locations, and fandom-exclusive in-jokes.
PGSM also introduced fun twists such as the clear Moon Stick, the cat plushies, and gigantic bow proportions, all of which have become and integral part of the Sailor Moon merchandise line up, and have captured the hearts of cosplayers everywhere.
This was also the first time that Senshi was officially translated to Guardians instead of soldiers on English media releases.
So the show may be over; but it’s certainly not forgotten!
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