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Published: 2012-10-25 03:08:36 +0000 UTC; Views: 7327; Favourites: 165; Downloads: 64
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Who's that, look, flying higher than a bird? Sailor! Sailor Moon!She's got a life in the sky and another here on Earth... Sailor! Sailor Moon!
Sure many of you are aware of the Toon Makers pitch to bring Sailor Moon to the US (sometimes incorrectly called 'Saban Moon' - Saban is the company Toon Makers was pitching to). If you're not, Toon Makers was competing with DiC to get the rights to adapt Sailor Moon. DiC was planning to just dub over the existing anime in English, and make a few edits. Toon Makers planned to completely rehaul it, combining Western superhero-style animation for the transformed fight scenes with live action footage of real people for the everyday moments. Aside from the name, some outfit design elements, and a very literal interpretation of the title "Sailor", there was little in common between the proposed new series and the Sailor Moon we know. Ultimately, DiC was chosen over Toon Makers because it was cheaper to dub it than remake it (I'm sure that was the only reason), and the only information any of us had about its potential was through a poorly-recorded video of the original pitch that was aired at a convention so many years ago.
Until now!
A few days ago, someone with a source who worked for Toon Makers has been putting old cels and production notes for sale on eBay. It gave us a better look at the designs for the Sailor Soldiers and the art style of the hypothetical series, which was interesting, though rather generic. While many aspects of the Westernized Sailor Moon concept were, frankly, awful, I thought others were really unique and interesting and wanted to draw them.
I changed their outfits because the ones they were going to use were hideous. It's like they wanted to change them to look less like Japanese school uniforms but gave up half way through, resulting in this odd, poorly-designed aesthetic that was just unappealing. So I gave it a facelift; since Toon Makers was taking the idea of "Sailor" Moon very literally, I incorporated more design elements of the traditional US sailor uniform, like the little shorts and shirts.
As for names, as some people have asked; I think it's only fitting that they get the names DiC gave in their own pitch video .
Sailor Moon (middle): Victoria
Sailor Mercury (bottom right): Blue
Sailor Mars (bottom left): Dana
Sailor Jupiter (top right): Sara(h)
Sailor Venus (top left): Carrie
If you haven't read enough already, you can see the cels that are for sale and read what I thought was interesting here .
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Comments: 38
Seiz16 [2022-10-15 10:10:49 +0000 UTC]
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SydneyStorms [2022-06-05 20:20:47 +0000 UTC]
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XNekoXMika In reply to SydneyStorms [2022-09-29 16:46:05 +0000 UTC]
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Marylemon42 [2021-06-18 03:17:39 +0000 UTC]
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BoboMagroto [2015-05-07 09:48:45 +0000 UTC]
There is one thing I will admit (Even when everything else was.... *tilt head to side* eh? or die from laughter). Different nationalities and a girl in a wheelchair fighting evil? I'd call it badass
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gaucelm [2015-04-22 16:06:38 +0000 UTC]
That's a very nice rendition of yours!
Personally, I am not disturbed by the changes they made in what I saw (or maybe I like early 90s cheese), and if it actually came out, we would still have the original SM!
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Tuxedo-Guy2 In reply to gaucelm [2015-06-28 06:08:47 +0000 UTC]
It probably could have sold just as well as Sailor Moon in Japan... or at least as well as Power Rangers over here and put Toon Makers on the map of animation.
Besides, it probably wouldn't have been all cheese... at least if the show kept going... and Power rangers was cheese and it was successful. By the way, it maybe a stereotype, but is it really offensive; does it really degrade girls?
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Tuxedo-Guy2 [2015-04-17 17:46:57 +0000 UTC]
I think the actual first line is "Who's that lady flying higher than a bird." The intro song sounded like two syllables were made, not one. Just a note.
Also, I don't really think Toon Makers would have intended the designs in the cartoon to be the same in the future; after all, it was a pilot episode, and things aren't the same when they get to the series version.
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Katieline [2014-01-12 03:01:38 +0000 UTC]
This: Awesome.
Toon Makers: Might have been mildly interesting without the live action and Sailor Moon branding.
DiC pitch video: OH MY GOSH I HAVE NOT LAUGHED THAT HARD IN A LONG LONG LONG TIME!!!!
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XNekoXMika In reply to Katieline [2022-09-29 16:47:16 +0000 UTC]
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tenko72 [2012-11-22 03:26:31 +0000 UTC]
I never thought I'd see fanart for that. I love your renditions of them and how you designed their uniforms.
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Jovian-Mako [2012-11-04 01:03:08 +0000 UTC]
This is great! well, your art is great. I really like your style!
I'm torn on the Toon Makers Sailor Moon. It's part morbid curiousity and part train wreck. If this had aired instead of the DiC version, I wouldn't be the hard core Sailor Moon otaku I am today. It's like they tried to morph Sailor Moon into She-Ra......it didn't work. (Mars is kind of cute with short hair even though I think her long hair fits better, Mercury is cuter with short blue hair (and WHY is the smart one handicapped??), Venus looks too serious as a brunette European, Jupiter is just a no (I don't know why. She just is) and Luna wouldn't be able to pull off the fluffly princess cat look.
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XNekoXMika In reply to Jovian-Mako [2020-12-23 03:40:21 +0000 UTC]
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Jovian-Mako In reply to XNekoXMika [2020-12-23 04:40:25 +0000 UTC]
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SydneyStorms In reply to Jovian-Mako [2022-06-05 20:38:19 +0000 UTC]
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firecat88 [2012-10-26 19:35:21 +0000 UTC]
Are you going to do pictures of Tuxedo Mask and Beryl too? Now that those cels have been found/released...
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voracioussketching In reply to firecat88 [2012-10-30 08:52:44 +0000 UTC]
I didn't know that they'd been released! Maybe, if I find time. "Darian" doesn't offer much to go on (yet) but their Beryl looks interesting. I'll definitely keep it in mind.
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Yuufee [2012-10-25 19:00:04 +0000 UTC]
This. I love you for this. Okay... so I loved you before this, but wow! You cast your magic on something that felt honestly a bit shameful and made it gorgeous.
The pitch video which I only found a couple of years back was both hilarious and devastating for a North American fan like myself. I'm constantly amazed by what they used to and even presently think kids want and need to see. The American audience, not necessarily the english-speaking audience, seems to be constantly catered to and the decisions made seem clunky and strange at best. Particularly with interpretations (given the recent wave of British comedy do-overs!) but I digress!
The girls are adorable, especially the one the onlyβ¦. Sailor, Sailor Moon! (oh she would be named Victoria) I really love what you've done with their different builds and facial structures. Iβve seen you do it with the senshi before but here it really pulls through that unique (yeah, we'll go for unique) feeling of the liveaction transition to animation. And yeah, shorts were definitely the way to go what with the whole really literal sailor in space situation. Sailor shorts are tres chic!
I feel quite fondly now, like you've given a skeleton in the closet some purpose
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voracioussketching In reply to Yuufee [2012-10-30 09:03:25 +0000 UTC]
I'm glad you like it!
I honestly agree... it's like they think American kids are just plain incapable of enjoying anything that deviates even slightly from what they're already exposed to on a daily basis. This comedy show has British people in it? No good, let's remake it with Americans. This animated series features a style more or less unique to Japan which hasn't seen a lot of publicity in America? No good, let's remake it with American superhero-style art. Throw in some American kids, too, for good measure. It was kind of a gross sentiment, the interesting points aside.
Thank you! The facial sculpts at least were there in the cel closeups I was working from, but I think I drew the bodies more or less the way I normally draw the Sailors. I'm glad it works!
It's definitely fun to think about what could have been! Though it likely would've been disappointing. Ultimately I'm glad they just dubbed it, even though that's not without its problems.
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rodentfanatic [2012-10-25 14:54:59 +0000 UTC]
Oh wow, I'm so glad you did this! While I am glad they never went through with it because it looked so bad, I've also always been kinda curious about it and tried to find fanart and such on it myself, because, like you, I found some aspects really neat and interesting! For one thing, I like how they considered that while it makes sense for the senshi to all be Japanese in Japan, they'd likely be much less ethnically homogenous if they were reborn in "melting pot" America, something I've always thought myself whenever I diddled with the idea for fanfic.
Oh, so you changed their uniforms! I was about to say, oh my gosh, were they this CUTE in the pitch? The shorts are just precious and I love the little beads near the pockets--omigosh POCKETS! the secret to hammerspace for live-action purposes! I'm also a fan of the flat heels and the designs on the boots and oooh were their tiaras silver in the pitch? Also Mercury's chair thing looks so neat!
I am definitely going to have to find those old cels and such, do you have any links?
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voracioussketching In reply to rodentfanatic [2012-10-30 09:00:08 +0000 UTC]
I agree with the idea that a Sailor Moon set in the US (or Australia, for me) would have a lot more racial diversity. That's one of the (well, admittedly few) points I liked about the Toon Makers pitch.
Thank you! I'm glad their uniforms look nice! At least nicer than the original, haha. I rarely dismiss fashion but there was just absolutely no sense of... I don't know, design? Style? In the changes TM made. They looked terrible. So I'm glad mine are an improvement! And yes, their tiaras were silver in the pitch, for whatever reason. Mercury's chair is actually because she uses a wheelchair! Which was another point I found interesting. The original never really dealt with the idea of a Sailor Soldier having a disability or impediment of any kind. Seeing her deal with being a paraplegic and being a badass "Warrior Princess" would have been cool.
I think there's a link to the post up in the description - there are also lots of blog posts if you google for "Toon Makers Sailor Moon cels", since they keep coming out and I can't keep up.
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rodentfanatic In reply to rodentfanatic [2012-10-25 15:04:24 +0000 UTC]
oh nvm, no links needed, just had the bright idea to go check your tumblr!
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RinaChiba [2012-10-25 03:34:15 +0000 UTC]
I do admit, I thought the idea of a senshi being wheelchair bound was interesting. And the idea might've worked had they gone about it in a different way and not made it so....cheesey?
Quick question....wasn't Luna a rat in the American live action attempt?
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XNekoXMika In reply to RinaChiba [2022-03-20 01:27:48 +0000 UTC]
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rodentfanatic In reply to RinaChiba [2012-10-25 14:55:15 +0000 UTC]
I WOULD LOVE IT SO MUCH IF SHE WAS A RAT
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RinaChiba In reply to rodentfanatic [2012-10-25 15:30:18 +0000 UTC]
XDD Would be awesome if she was.
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voracioussketching In reply to RinaChiba [2012-10-25 04:29:31 +0000 UTC]
Do you mean the Toon Makers one? No, she was a cat, she was just white and fluffy.
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RinaChiba In reply to voracioussketching [2012-10-25 04:51:39 +0000 UTC]
Ah. It's been a few years since I actually watched the promo. ^ ^;; For some reason, I thought a rat or something. lol
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voracioussketching In reply to RinaChiba [2012-10-25 05:26:34 +0000 UTC]
It wasn't exactly 'clear', haha. I don't blame you. I just thought you might've been referring to another show.
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RinaChiba In reply to voracioussketching [2012-10-25 05:49:53 +0000 UTC]
Oh, no. I meant the Toon Maker one. XD I'm actually rather glad it never got made. I might've had to gouge my eyes out.
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AngelOfBeauty88 [2012-10-25 03:30:37 +0000 UTC]
No. Just... no. I'm sorry, but Sailor Moon would've died in the first week if Toon Makers had gotten their way. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad DiC dubbed it.
On another note, your picture is well done. ^-^
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XNekoXMika In reply to AngelOfBeauty88 [2020-12-24 04:08:43 +0000 UTC]
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