Sailor Moon's Lost American Pilot Released Online: Watch
Sailor Moon is easily one of the most famous anime characters ever created, with plenty of anime fans remembering the name of the head of the Sailor Scouts. While there hasn't been word of a live-action adaptation in the works in North America, the Library of Congress has revealed a pilot episode for an attempt to merge animation and live-action segments to create a Western version of the long-running Shojo series.
This pilot episode for this drastically different version of Sailor Moon was produced by Haim Saban, who might be best recognized for Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, and was discovered from the Library of Congress by Youtuber Ray Mona. Not only does this new iteration of the Sailor Scouts use Western animation, but it also intercuts live-action sequences into the episode itself, which was quite common for several Western projects that adapted Sentai properties in the past. As it stands, there are no plans for any new North American takes on Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts though with the current trajectory of anime, this is a case of never say never.
If you haven't had the chance to witness this drastically new take on Sailor Moon, the opening of the series, along with the first full episode that blends animation and live-action footage, have been released on Youtube for you to witness what the Sailor Scouts might have looked like if placed under a Western microscope:
Sailor Moon might not be arriving with any new episodes to this lost pilot in the future, but the anime is expected to return next year via Sailor Moon Cosmos, which will adapt the final story of both Usagi and the Sailor Scouts from the manga. A specific release date has yet to be shared for this new project though fans can expect the return of these Shojo warriors in 2023.
What do you think of this long-lost pilot for the North American version of Sailor Moon? What has been your favorite western take on an anime story in the past? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Sailor Scouts.