Naoko Takeuchi visiting the Kennedy Space Center in the 1990s and meeting an astronaut! She was visiting the Center to do research for her Sailor Moon side story, "The Lover of Princess Kaguya," which was later turned into the Sailor Moon S Movie.
Decades later, when a plushie of Artemis was spotted in the mission control center during the Artemis II mission, Naoko expressed surprise and delight:
“In the manga, he’s the little cat who sends instructions to the Sailor Guardians from the command room,” she said. “That was just a fantasy that existed only in the story, so to think that 30 years later Artemis would appear in NASA’s mission control, a place I’ve always admired, is incredible. I’m so jealous. Thank you for watching over humanity’s great achievement for ten days. You did a wonderful job.”
“I’m overwhelmed that a classic from 35 years ago is still being talked about around the world,” she said. “I’m so happy. It may have been an immature work, but I’m amazed to realize that classics can become timeless across generations. Manga, anime, live action—it’s such a blessing that this work continues to be shared in so many forms.”
