Monday, May 19, 2014

More Details About the Viz Media Release of Sailor Moon

By now you have probably read our announcement post about VIZ acquiring Sailor Moon. And we also recommend reading the interview with Charlene Ingram and Josh Lopez on Anime News Network.


We now have more details from the official press release (which will be public on Monday) and the tweets from the official VIZ Media Twitter feed.


PressRelease_Vertical_SailorMoon_Season1(image from VIZ Media)


From VIZ Media PR:



  • VIZ has acquired licensing for all 200 episodes, the 3 movies, and additional specials

  • VIZ Media’s North American rights cover digital streaming, EST (Electronic Sell Through) and all home media products in the U.S. and Canada. Tokyo-based Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is the producer and global licensor for the SAILOR MOON anime property.

  • The series will be rated TV-PG

  • All new and accurate English subtitles

  • Subtitled Electronic Sell Through sets will be available starting in late June 2014 (beginning with season 1, part 1) and dubbed editions will be available in late 2014, day and date with the DVD/Blu-ray combo pack release

  • DVD and deluxe, limited edition Blu-ray/DVD combo packs are planned for fall 2014 in 1/2 season sets

  • Created from the Japanese remaster, and for the first time ever available on Blu-ray!

  • The release will be uncut, uncensored, and in the original 4:3 aspect ratio

  • All original Japanese names, story elements, and relationships will be intact

  • New English dub will feature a new voice cast

  • Monday, May 19th, VIZ Media will premier episodes 1-4 subtitled on NeonAlley.com for free as well as in high definition on the paid HuluPlus service

  • 2 new episodes will premiere every Monday, which VIZ is calling “Moon days”

  • Dub streaming coming soon

  • VIZ Media has also acquired Sailor Moon Crystal, with more details forthcoming

  • More details will be announced at AnimeExpo, July 3rd-6th at the Los angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. VIZ Media will host a variety of special activities and panels on “Sailor Moon Day” – Saturday, July 5th.


Quotes from the press release:


“We’re pleased to partner with VIZ Media to bring the beloved SAILOR MOON anime series back to North America,” says Masayuki Endo, General Manager, Toei Animation, Inc. “This fresh uncut and uncensored release of SAILOR MOON  featuring the most accurate adaptation available will be just as creator Naoko Takeuchi intended. We look forward to fans current and new discovering and falling in love with this classic series all over again!”


“SAILOR MOON is one of the extremely rare breed of anime series truly deserving of the title of ‘Legendary’,” says Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “Since its initial debut in the mid-1990’s, SAILOR MOON has been unavailable to English-speaking fans for nearly a decade. It has also never seen a complete and proper unedited release in North America…until now!”


“SAILOR MOON was groundbreaking in the way its storyline and main characters resonated with both a male and female audience, and these aspects continue to attract a new generation of fans eager to see this iconic series,” says Brian Ige, VIZ Media Vice President of Animation. “We’re thrilled to be able to release this empowering action title uncut and in its entirety. We invite fans to catch the official premieres on Neon Alley and to enjoy the series on DVD and Blu-ray later this year!”


From the interview on ANN, there is a hint that we might see some old cast members return. No names at this time as the cast announcement will be at AnimeExpo. We have no idea if it is only one former cast member at this time or multiple. However, we can speculate that former English language cast members who are eligible to work in the US are likely to have a greater chance of being considered.


They also included a preview image of the Blu-ray quality:


2014(image from Anime News Network)


As we mentioned previously, VIZ Media has confirmed that Naoko Takeuchi has final approval of the cast:




No television broadcasts have been announced yet, but VIZ Media is interested in talking to YTV about it:



 



We want to support Sailor Moon getting a television broadcast, particularly in Canada as NeonAlley and Hulu are currently blocked in Canada. We also have a soft sport for YTV as they were the first network to air Sailor Moon in Canada.




Of course, we would also like to see a US television broadcast of Sailor Moon too (hello, Cartoon Network?)


This is an exciting time to be a Sailor Moon fan! We will keep you posted with more details as they are released.




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