I have big news, fellow Moonies! It’s not myu-related, sadly, but it’s still big.

WE’RE GETTING THE MANGA RE-RELEASED IN THE U.S.!! AND…THEY’RE RELEASING CODENAME WA SAILOR V AS WELL!!

This is a huge announcement. Here we all were, waiting for a big announcement about an anime re-release, and Kodansha (the owners of the Sailor Moon manga rights) has to go and surprise us like this.

So basically, here’s the scoop: Kodansha USA (the U.S. wing of Kodansha) announced today that they’d start re-releasing the Sailor Moon and Codename wa Sailor V manga this September via their Kodansha Comics imprint. They’ll be released on a bimonthly schedule, which means we’ll have manga to look forward to for quite a while. All volumes will be the “renewal” manga versions released in Japan in 2003, which have different cover art and some changes that weren’t in the original manga (like Mercury’s first attack getting a name). However, the press release promises that the volumes will have plenty to offer: “gorgeous new cover art, retouched interior art and dialogue along with extensive bonus material from Takeuchi, and detailed translation notes.”

Now the cover art and retouched art and dialogue may just be the stuff Naoko-san added to the renewal manga anyway, but the promise of “extensive bonus material from Takeuchi” is intriguing. What sort of material could Naoko-san give us that we don’t already have from the artbooks or the Materials Collection?

As for the translation notes, if they’re anywhere near as good as Del Rey’s (read a Del Rey manga sometime – they have awesome translation notes; I even had the audacity to tell the guy at their booth at Comic-Con this), that will sell me on these volumes right away. Actually, since Kodansha is a Japanese-based company, they’ll probably be even better.

And one thing I didn’t catch on my first read of this press release is that Yoshio Irie will be involved. Apparently, Irie-san is not only the president/CEO of Kodansha USA, but was also the chief editor of Nakayoshi when Sailor Moon was being serialized in that magazine! What luck for us Moonies, eh?

Of course, the big surprise is the release of Codename wa Sailor V along with the Sailor Moon release. Unlike the Sailor Moon manga, Codename wa Sailor V has never been officially released in English, in any English-speaking country. In fact, the only Western language it has been officially available in is French (you can see info on it here at the Manga Glénat site), something I know full well as I paid good money to get the French volumes from Amazon Canada. So to finally see an official English release of this manga is a welcome sight.

“What will this mean for the fandom?” you ask. Well, here’s what I think:

• We’ll finally get a good manga. Without doubt, the Kodansha releases will be a re-translation. The Sailor V ones will have to be translated anyway as they’ve never had an English release. And since Kodansha released the original manga, they know what they’re doing. Their translators are probably WAY better than Tokyopop’s anyway. So the manga will be accurately translated, thank goodness. No more errors like how Tokyopop messed up a quote from Yeats’ “The Second Coming” by translating the Japanese translation of the quoted lines rather than using the original English text. (That irritates my lit geek sensitivities…I mean, if it was an obscure poem or poet, it would’ve been one thing. But YEATS? One of the greatest British poets of our time? And a poem as famous as “The Second Coming”? Seriously, Tokyopop?!). Plus, I’m sure they’ll be nice quality and the translation notes are supposed to be detailed. So I have high hopes!
• An Anime Announcement is More Likely. Why do a manga re-release and not an anime re-release, right? I have thought of two scenarios that could tie this announcement to an anime re-release: (1) Kodansha knows an anime re-release is for sure happening and is trying to stir up hype with the manga release, or (2) No anime re-release is finalized yet, and Toei wants to gauge fan interest by letting the manga get re-released first. Not sure which is more reasonable. As for the actual re-release, while a whole new dub would be awesome, I’d probably be just as happy with remastered season sets with dual audio (Japanese/English), like with the new 15th Anniversary remastered boxsets for Magic Knight Rayearth that came out last year. (See what I’m talking about here)
• Problems for Scanalation Groups. Sailor V has long been a manga people read in scanalations, and now that won’t be possible. In fact, any group that was doing Sailor Moon manga translations has to figure out what to do now in the wake of this news. I’m thinking in particular of my friends at Miss Dream, who launched a full Sailor Moon manga re-translation project not long ago. However, Miss Dream-tachi (via Elly) have acknowledged the news and what it means for them. Read Elly’s post about it here: http://missdream.reisei-sa.net/node/406
• Opening the Door to Other Releases? If the manga (and the anime re-release, which is bound to happen now) does well, will other Sailor Moon things get released? I wouldn’t mind a PGSM release, or even a decent myu release or two – preferably subtitled because I’m not sure I’d want a dubbed version, especially if it was just actors dubbing over the voices into English. I wouldn’t even be totally against some of the myus being put on professionally in the U.S. – no offense to the many fan groups, like Salad Time Soldiers and Yume, that have put on (in Yume’s case) or are hoping to put on their own myus - since there are some good stage actors out there. But if there was only a DVD release of the myus, I’d prefer subtitled. As for PGSM, I’m not sure they’d do a dub of it as it’s harder to dub over live-action. If they did an American version, as long as it wasn’t silly like Power Rangers, it could work. We’ve come a long way from the cheesy Saved by the Bell-esque “Saban Moon” live-action look. Plus, shows with people with powers have proven popular – Heroes and Smallville  are examples – so it could be done. And at least in America we could do something about the costumes (I never liked the PGSM senshi fukus), the CGI, and maybe even the fight choreography (since many Moonies dislike PGSM’s “ballet-fu” style of fighting).

Well, it’s late. I’d better go to bed.

Read more about this news in this press release from Anime News Network: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2011-03-18/kodansha-usa-announces-the-return-of-sailor-moon

Long time no post! (Long story…I’ll post later about my plans for the site).

So those of you reading this are probably aware that yesterday, March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by an 8.9 earthquake (the most serious in Japan’s history) followed by an equally devestating tsunami whose impact was felt throughout the Pacific Rim (large waves have even been reported here in Southern California!). Many people are displaced or without basics like water, gas, or electricity. The quake also damaged two Japanese nuclear plants, causing people to worry about a potential nuclear meltdown on top of everything else. (The New York Times gives a good explanation of that sitch here: http://nyti.ms/hDahv8).

The quake, by the way, hit hardest in the port city of Sendai, north of Tokyo, though tremors (and many aftershocks) were felt in Tokyo. Many people were stranded at Tokyo Disneyland (located on Tokyo Bay). Fortunately, things seem to be better in Tokyo now, according to passionate Moonie and Tokyo resident Brad from moonkitty.net (who has confirmed that he is safe). He kept his followers up-to-date on the various aftershocks via his personal Twitter account and also posted videos, including a video of the first quake taken from his apartment.

Since several people are compiling lists of seiyuu, mangaka, and the like who have confirmed that they are safe, I thought I’d do the same for the myu actors. So here goes.

Confirmed Safe

(These confirmations were made by me personally)

• Kawabe Chieko (5th Mercury) reported that she was ok via her Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/ochichieko - since her marriage to producer Ochi Masato, “Ochi Chieko” is her legal name). In response to an English-speaking fan, she wrote:

I’m OK .I was thrown into a panic when an earthquake struck. RT @Buononyan: Chie, are you ok? And your family? I’m worried for you!

(Coincidentially, popular idol Utada Hikaru, whom Chieko-chan follows on Twitter, has also tweeted that she is safe.)

• Yu Shirota (7th Tuxedo Kamen) also confirmed his safety via his personal Twitter, in this English tweet:

dont worry about me, Im fine!I hope everyone who cant go home could take a break or get some sleep at warm place, n I say, u r not alone!

Safety Uncertain

• This tweet from fellow Moonie curiosayh states that Ooyama Anza (1st Moon), Kuroki Marina (4th Moon), Saitou Rei (2nd Pluto), Ono Hikari (1st Star Maker/Vampir/Dimande, etc), Tamaki Dia Shirai (3rd Chibimoon), and Kasahara Ryuuji (1st Tiger’s Eye, MC Fly, and many other villains) have all reported themselves as being safe. Not sure where curiosayh is getting this info, though. (I couldn’t find anything from Anza saying she was ok).
• A tweet from my affiliate Eternalruth (of Seramyushop.com) states that Watanabe Mai (12th Jupiter) has reported saying she is safe. I have yet to confirm this with an official source. (Official sources are hard to come by, especially since I can’t read Japanese).

Other than this, I’m not finding anything promising. Naoko Takeuchi’s own safety has not yet been confirmed. (There is a rumor going around that she has “disappeared,” but fans are saying this is untrue).

Other Sailor Moon actors – not from the myus – have been confirmed safe as well. Tokyo Hive’s ongoing list has confirmed the safety of Komatsu Ayaka (PGSM Minako/Venus) and Sugimoto Aya (PGSM Queen Beryl).  This list by Azurekitsune on LiveJournal (and its related spreadsheet) confirms the safety of: Tohru Furuya (anime Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen) and Hisakawa Aya (anime Ami/Mercury). (The spreadsheet related to this site also listed Sakamoto Chika, the anime seiyuu for Yaten/Star Healer and Perle from the SuperS movie, as having an “unconfirmed” status at this point). This list confirms that Rica Fukami (anime Minako/Venus) is safe.

Oy. I don’t know if I can do all this research. There are so many lists and so many actors to look up, most of whom I can get no info on! I hope some Sailor Moon site does a more focused list, because this is tiring.

I think I’ll stop here. If I hear any more news, I’ll be sure to update!

(On an unrelated note, I am happy to report that the four lovely ladies of CLAMP, one of my favorite manga-kas – along with Naoko-san, of course! – have been reported safe by several “Japanese celebrities that are safe” lists. Yay!)

Meanwhile, check out these many lists to find out if your favorite seiyuu, mangaka, etc. are ok:

Azurekitsune’s list: http://azurekitsune.livejournal.com/34345.html

TokyoHive’s list: http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/03/in-progress-compilation-of-celebrities-who-have-confirmed-safety/

List from Naruto-spoilers.blogspot.com: http://naruto-spoilers.blogspot.com/2011/03/is-masashi-kishimoto-alive.html

Japanese source: http://www45.atwiki.jp/seiyu-live/

Spreadsheet (linked to on AzureKitsune’s list): http://bit.ly/eYZ8zN

List from a blog called “Enjeru desu yo”: http://ten79ryuu.blogspot.com/2011/03/earthquake-seiyuus-known-safe.html

Shikari shite min’na-san! (Hang in there, everyone)

You may have noticed that I haven’t posted anything for the last two weeks. Granted, I claimed a birthday exemption on October 28th, but last week I had no excuse.

In short, school is at a point right now where I need to focus on it. November is when a lot of papers and such are due or need to be worked on if they are due later (say, on the final exam date). So I may need to take a break from posting stuff for the site. I’ll let you know once I think over what needs to be done on the school front.

As far as the site itself is concerned, priority number one is making sure it remains in existence, which will involve renewing the domain, since surprisingly enough, the site’s 1-year anniversary is fast approaching! December 1st is the date in question. I also will be trying to add more guides, even for the unreleased myus, with the help of the many musical pamphlets my friends at Miss Dream are translating, via scans from my inestimable affiliate Eternalruth. I just read their translation of the Gaiden: Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen (Kaiteiban) pamphlet today, which was pretty cool.

Speaking of guides, I was thinking today of an idea I had to watch the musicals in sets. For instance, I would like to watch all the Stars-based myus in one sitting (if I can stand it) so I can make plot comparisons between them (especially in terms of closeness to canon). This would mean watching Sailor Stars, Sailor Stars (Kaiteiban), Eien Densetsu, Eien Densetsu (Kaiteiban) FINAL FIRST STAGE!!, Shin Densetsu Kourin, Starlights*Ryuusei Densetsu, and Kakyuu Ouhi Kourin - THE SECOND STAGE FINAL. Whew. That’s seven myus. You think I could do it? (Why did they do so many myus based on Stars, do you think?). Then, if I survive that experiment, I intend to watch all four Kaguya myus together, once Miss Dream does their translation of Marinamoon Final (it’s next on their queue). Not only will I increase the amount of myus I have seen this way, but I think I will get some feel for story context. Plus, they say you should watch the myus in order, which this idea sort of promotes.

I will probably change up the layout of the site soon, maybe to a temp Christmasy one while I figure out the coding necessary to make it really up-to-date. I plan to add some interactivity to the site if possible, to make it more interesting for people. I think I may make some sort of grand list of myus by what part of the canon they are based on, while we’re on the subject. A list of the myus and where to view them I will not do, as Jen of Miss Dream did that already. All I will say is that you can view almost all the myus and omakes on my wonderful affiliate SeraMyu Antics. The only myus missing are Sailor Stars, Eien Densetsu, Kaguya Shima Densetsu (Kaiteiban), Ankoku no Princess Black Lady (Kaiteiban), both Mugen Gakuen myus, Starlights*Ryuusei Densetsu, and Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu (Kaiteiban) MARINAMOON FINAL, which makes sense because at the time when the subbed myus now available were subbed, these ones were the only ones left unfansubbed. However, Miss Dream has now translated Sailor Stars, Eien Densetsu, Mugen Gakuen and Starlights*Ryuusei Densetsu, and plans on doing Marinamoon Final next. Another fan translator, Innocent-Ami, has subbed Kaguya Shima Densetsu (Kaiteiban), Ankoku no Princess Black Lady (Kaiteiban), and Mugen Gakuen (Kaiteiban). As for omakes, pretty much all of them have been subbed, except for maybe the second and third Ongaku Shuu videos and this one video only available through a kids’ magazine. SeraMyu Antics has almost all the omakes as well, except for some of the First Stage ones (Gaiden and Yume omakes, as well as minor events; the exclusion of the Gaiden and Yume omakes may be because Cruel Angel, who subbed a lot of the myus, stuck them at the beginning of their respective myus).

Ok it’s late I better go. Bye!

Another combo post this week, since school stress caught up with me. But today I finished my Wuthering Heights essay (yay!) so I can relax a little.

The Song of the Week this week is “Orleans no Sei Senshi,” in honor of my Miss Dream friends who are chugging along on a release of Eien Densetsu (the never-subbed original, not the Kaiteiban). You can read the feature here: www.myucorner.net/sotw_orleans.html.

No site news to mention this week, I hope to have some for you soon.

Hello everyone. Time for site updates again, and once again there’s nothing to report. Just Song of the Week. I hoped to get more done, and it didn’t happen. Maybe if I get my Wuthering Heights paper done early in the week, I can squeeze in some time? Oh wait, I have two group projects I have to work on. Gah, this is a bad time.

Oh, I did mess some with the coding of this blog to edit the header back to how it was before I rebooted the theme, and managed to fix the issue I was having where the month names in those little boxes on the top left of the posts were overflowing the boxes. I’m a little worried though that the same display problem I was having before is still happening if you view the posts beyond the first page, even though the posts on the first page are fine. Hmm.

On a personal note, inspired by this LiveJournal post where a gal named Sarah shows off her humongous Sailor Moon collection, I decided to write about mine, which you can see here, on my personal blog. I then went a step further and, in the following post, wrote about my other anime things and my manga “collection.” Check those out if you like.

Lastly, tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of my good friend and affiliate Miss Dream! Omedetou, Elly-tachi!

That’s all for this update. Good night!

P.S. Just spotted this story (below) via the ever-helpful Zemanta. Sounds interesting!

Related articles

• Namco Bandai working on Sailor Moon game for DS (gonintendo.com)

Hi there visitors to Myu Corner! This week for Song of the Week I’m featuring perhaps one of the most touching songs in all SeraMyu — Ami and Usagi’s duet “Tabidachi” (“Setting Out on a Journey”). Check it out here: www.myucorner.net/sotw_tabidachi.html

Enjoy!

–Posted via WordPress iPod touch app

Yeah you read that date right. It’s October 10, 2010, or 10/10/10. Freaky, huh? I believe that is what is called a binary date. People are particularly interested in 10/10/10 though because in “decimal” (whatever that is) 101010 equals 42, a.k.a. the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything” in Douglas Adams’s book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

So anyway, back on topic…the site! Sadly, there haven’t really been any updates this week except the Song of the Week. My reading load for school was a little heavy lately, which may be to blame, plus I didn’t get a lot of sleep either. I hope to get more done this coming week. For now, good night!

Belated again, as I mentioned already on the Facebook page. I should write this on my calendar, I swear. Or in my school planner. So I don’t forget.

Anyway, the featured song this week is “Galaxia Gorgeous,” Sailor Galaxia’s main theme song. Hope you enjoy the humor I attempted to use in this feature. Read it here: www.myucorner.net/sotw_galaxiagorgeous.html.

That’s all for this week. Oh one last thought. When watching clips of Galaxia’s songs to research this feature, I realized something: whenever Galaxia’s minions salute her (with the usual “Highness Galaxia”), they’re actually doing the Heil Hitler hand gesture. That’s creepy!

Here’s a screenshot I took of the 2004 “Galaxia Gorgeous” which shows this:

Sorry for the late updates post again. I’ve been spending all my time this weekend cleaning and organizing my room in small increments, breaking only to eat, sleep, and go to work. So nothing really has happened with the site. Hopefully I will have the last of my loose magazine articles scanned tonight (a trick to avoid having tons of papers everywhere that I learned from this show called Hoarding: Buried Alive on TLC that my mom likes to watch) so I’ll be able to get back to my life of school, work, translating for Miss Dream, working on websites, arranging a time for this interview I have to do for Family of Moonlight, planning for Animé Los Angeles, writing, and so on. Gah so much stuff!

So anyway, never fear, I shall keep going with Myu Corner!

–Written Monday 10/4 via WordPress iPod touch app

I managed to get this one posted just after midnight on Friday, but it was written on Thursday so I still consider it to be on time. Here we have a fun song from the SuperS myus, “Mori de Tanoshiku.” Read the feature here: www.myucorner.net/sotw_moridetanoshiku.html.

Enjoy!