Growing up I watched the English dub of Sailor Moon until it was discontinued, and I didn't get to watch it again until I was older, and had internet access.
I find it rather sad that we lost three episodes within the first ten episodes, as well as losing out on Sailor Moon Stars just because the censors were so strong in the 90's.
I understand episode two where Umino is being a delinquent and flips Haruna's skirt but they could have simply cut that one clip out.
In episode five with the chanelas the only problem was when Shingo kicks Luna out of the frame completely which they also could have cut out.
In episode six it took me a while to figure out but when Usagi uses the pen to transform into a mature musician her outfit is a bit risque, but we had musicians that dressed like that at the time too.
The 90's censors were a bit crazy but it would be great if it could be re-dubbed in English with the episodes that were taken out as long as 4Kids doesn't get a hold of it.

Just so you know, the reason we didn't get Stars was actually not due to strict censorship. By the time it came around, there were some problems with licensing. There was a lot of problems between Naoko and Toei at some point and that was when we had a period of no Sailor Moon at all. If a company had been interested in it, they wouldn't have been able to get the rights to the show anyway. That's why we never saw Sailor Moon in any other country until recently.

As far as the other episodes go, I definitely agree that they shouldn't have been cut out, but keep in mind, they were aiming Sailor Moon for a very young audience. Like I'd say between 6-10. It just so happened that there were a bunch of use that were a bit older that watched it too (I was 11/12 when i first started watching it). I think there are lots of fans that would love a re-dubbing of the show. Funimation has show interest in it, but at this point, its if Naoko will decide if she will allow a North American company to have the rights to do so.

Most, if not all, decisions for licensing Sailor Moon now is up to Naoko Takeuchi. That is why we are seeing revival in some countries and not others.

Oh and the dub was done by Dic, but I believe a majority of the voice actors were Canadian and I believe it was aired on YTV before making its way down to the States. YTV is just a network (from what i understand, i'm not familiar with Canada tv stations) and they don't actually contribute into dubbing or making shows.

I can't fault Naoko at all for having issues with Toei. After all the changes they made to her work (Starlights most infamously) and pretty much forcing her to continue on when she wanted to do one arc, I can't blame her at all for pretty much pulling their rights away. A period of no Sailor Moon is better than letting Toei turn it into a generic cash cow franchise. Interestingly enough, the same stuff happened between Akira Toriyama and Toei over Dragonball Z too, only he didn't pull the rights. Anything after Namek was the companies fault for pushing him to continue on as well. It was supposed to end with Goku dying as the legendary Super Saiyan. Then there was GT, which we would all like to forget. Toei is actually quite a nourtorious company for the way it handles it's relations between the creative owners and their artists. Some stories surfaced about artists being locked into their workstatiions and worked overtime to complete shows and what not.

One of the episodes I remember they cut the Sailor V episode. That I can understand since we didn't have Sailor V here at the time. Most of the other stuff just seemed pretty silly to me to be cut. I can understand that the show was aimed for young kids, but really? We've seen much worse on TV and in music by that time. If there is a new dub (and crossing my fingers FUNimation doesn't get it), I hope that they have enough sense not to cut so much stuff about like they did originally by DiC.

As for the Day of Destiny episode, I vaguely remember watching it when it first aired and I remember it being in two parts like the original. I was eight at the time and I never saw it like that again. Does anyone else remember watching it's original American run and seeing it like that?

I had the chance to watch some episodes of the french version when I was younger also and the serie was completely different from the english version. There were some french episodes I had never seen in english version before but mostly, there were many episodes missing in french. It almost seemed like the two versions were two different series and I stopped watching it in french since I was frustrated they cut so much episodes I loved in english. I guess the cuts might be different in each country.

I know in the Black Moon Arc En, and Eil were created because of Toei Animation, though I did enjoy them Toei had to much control, and Naoko not enough, agreed there.

En and Eil were created to create filler so the manga could be caught up with the show. That's why many anime will have seasons of filler because the manga version of it is trying to catch up. Naruto is an infamous example of this. Or you could just do what they did with the original Full Metal Alchemist series and just make up whatever the heck you want to finish the series. XD

As far as the problems between Naoko and Toei, I'm sure most of it was because of the way they handled it, but I don't think anything ever came out into the open with exact details. One can only speculate.

[mention][/mention] wrote:

Oh and the dub was done by Dic, but I believe a majority of the voice actors were Canadian and I believe it was aired on YTV before making its way down to the States. YTV is just a network (from what i understand, i'm not familiar with Canada tv stations) and they don't actually contribute into dubbing or making shows.

Yep! YTV's just a kids' station, the Y standing for 'youth'

innocentvenus wrote:

As for the Day of Destiny episode, I vaguely remember watching it when it first aired and I remember it being in two parts like the original. I was eight at the time and I never saw it like that again. Does anyone else remember watching it's original American run and seeing it like that?

I do - I have them on old VHS tv-recorded tapes. I don't think I've actually seen them as a one episode deal before, but as I didn't watch them on TV after moving back in 1998, I don't have any credit in that area ^^'

As for the dubbing, first season/classic and R was dubbed by DiC and distrubted through Buena Vista and seasons S, Super S, and the movies were all dubbed by Cloverway and distrubted through Pioneer/Geneon.

I actually remember Day of Destiny and own that dvd. They do combine the last two episodes of the first season of Sailor Moon as well as cut out a lot of scenes that was deemed inappropriate at that time frame (i.e.: the spirits of the Inner Senshi after they had been defeated, etc...)

Toei is notorious for pressuring artists when they realize that they have a popular series that could gain them a lot of value in the end. When the director of Sailor Moon came to our local anime convention (he also directed Utena), he refused to sign anything Sailor Moon related because of his despise for Toei Animation.

Kyralih wrote:

innocentvenus wrote:

As for the Day of Destiny episode, I vaguely remember watching it when it first aired and I remember it being in two parts like the original. I was eight at the time and I never saw it like that again. Does anyone else remember watching it's original American run and seeing it like that?

I do - I have them on old VHS tv-recorded tapes. I don't think I've actually seen them as a one episode deal before, but as I didn't watch them on TV after moving back in 1998, I don't have any credit in that area ^^'

Oh good! I'm not crazy then.

Paprika wrote:

I actually remember Day of Destiny and own that dvd. They do combine the last two episodes of the first season of Sailor Moon as well as cut out a lot of scenes that was deemed inappropriate at that time frame (i.e.: the spirits of the Inner Senshi after they had been defeated, etc...)

Toei is notorious for pressuring artists when they realize that they have a popular series that could gain them a lot of value in the end. When the director of Sailor Moon came to our local anime convention (he also directed Utena), he refused to sign anything Sailor Moon related because of his despise for Toei Animation.

I own the VHS to that episode ( I think it came with the Moon Kingdom one) and yeah, it was put into one episode. I just remember watching it during the initial run that it was two episodes and I missed the second half of it. It could have been possible. Maybe people complained about it and they fixed it. It happened with the initial run of DBZ too (the first four episodes). Luckily there is a VHS to those (which are expensive).

I own the VHS that has the final episode of SM too. It is really condensed and honestly the only reason I'll watch it is for "Carry On". XD

And thanks Paprika for going more into detail about the dub companies. I blanked and forgot to mention that Cloverway did the rest of the english releases. >.>

I wished they aired those episodes in English! They are mighty cute and it's a shame they cut them out!

I believe the Day of Density was not aired as a two parter. It was aired as a singled episode. If you look at Sailor Moon Uncensored Website:

http://www.smuncensored.com/comparison.php?episodeid=45
It goes by the Japanese episodes so you'll have to click on the button on the bottom of the page for the next episode. When you look at both pages for the English episode number and air date, they share both the same episode number and aired date.

I didn't watch this episode on TV, but I have it on VHS. I cried when I watched it as a kid and I knew that the senshi died. Dic did not trick me! Now, when I watch it I don't cry because now I know all the emotional aspect from original episodes were rewritten.

The 3 episodes they cut before Mercury
showed up where probably done as a combination of so they can get to
her sooner, and they picked the Moon-centric episodes that would have
been the least amount of work for them. In the 2^nd
episode, I believe its more than Umino acting like a delinquent and
flipping Haruna's skirt, but the whole deal about fortune
tellers/tarot cards and such. In episode 5, you have those evil
rabbit things, and Shingo kicking Luna. I'd say DiC cut that due to
all of the “animal abuse”. Then 6, do I really have to explain that? The monster in that episode was creepy as HELL, and you have
Usagi going into a bar. Then the fanservice episode where they go to
that haunted house, it has nothing to do with the plot anyways, and
DiC probably felt the scenes with the father and his daughter might
have been too much for children. Then the Sailor V episode, I think
it was because DiC probably thought a bit too violent and/or mature
for their target audience, the same reasoning behind why they hacked
up the final two episodes.

Speaking of...DiC did a pretty lousy
job editing job with Day of Destiny. Its possible they could have
combined the two and make it work, but instead they make a
questionable script that makes little sense, and left in bits and
pieces that should have been completely removed. You know its bad
when even as a kid you know something is wrong with that episode.


I heard of Naoko and Toei having
disagreements,Toei wanting her to continue the series, Toei's habit
of turning series into marketing machines, and the dispute over the
rights is what caused Sailor Moon to disappear around the world, but
I never knew about Toei treating its own workforce poorly. Hearing
this just makes me want to see the new Sailor Moon in the hands of
another studio now more than ever.

Sailor Uranus wrote:

innocentvenus wrote:

As for the Day of Destiny episode, I vaguely remember watching it when it first aired and I remember it being in two parts like the original. I was eight at the time and I never saw it like that again. Does anyone else remember watching it's original American run and seeing it like that?

I do - I have them on old VHS tv-recorded tapes. I don't think I've actually seen them as a one episode deal before, but as I didn't watch them on TV after moving back in 1998, I don't have any credit in that area ^^'

If this is true, then let us hope
somebody out there somewhere managed to record that fateful day when it aired. It would be really interesting to see.

Small Lady wrote:

....Or you could just do what they did with the
original Full Metal Alchemist series and just make up whatever the heck
you want to finish the series. XD

The first anime was actually pretty
good in its own way, even the ending is decent. Soul Eater would be
the a FAR better example. Once it went its own way from the manga,
everything just fell apart...BAD. Then that ending *twich* dear god,
that ending...its not often I watch an ending with the incredible
urge to destroy something after watching it.

SailorCardKnight wrote:

The 3 episodes they cut before Mercury
showed up where probably done as a combination of so they can get to
her sooner, and they picked the Moon-centric episodes that would have
been the least amount of work for them. In the 2^nd
episode, I believe its more than Umino acting like a delinquent and
flipping Haruna's skirt, but the whole deal about fortune
tellers/tarot cards and such. In episode 5, you have those evil
rabbit things, and Shingo kicking Luna. I'd say DiC cut that due to
all of the “animal abuse”. Then 6, do I really have to explain that? The monster in that episode was creepy as HELL, and you have
Usagi going into a bar. Then the fanservice episode where they go to
that haunted house, it has nothing to do with the plot anyways, and
DiC probably felt the scenes with the father and his daughter might
have been too much for children. Then the Sailor V episode, I think
it was because DiC  probably thought a bit too violent and/or mature
for their target audience, the same reasoning behind why they hacked
up the final two episodes.

Speaking of...DiC did a pretty lousy
job editing job with Day of Destiny. Its possible they could have
combined the two and make it work, but instead they make a
questionable script that makes little sense, and left in bits and
pieces that should have been completely removed. You know its bad
when even as a  kid you know something is wrong with that episode.


I heard of Naoko and Toei having
disagreements,Toei wanting her to continue the series, Toei's habit
of turning series into marketing machines, and the dispute over the
rights is what caused Sailor Moon to disappear around the world, but
I never knew about Toei treating its own workforce poorly. Hearing
this just makes me want to see the new Sailor Moon in the hands of
another studio now more than ever.

Sailor Uranus wrote:

innocentvenus wrote:

As for the Day of Destiny episode, I vaguely remember watching it when it first aired and I remember it being in two parts like the original. I was eight at the time and I never saw it like that again. Does anyone else remember watching it's original American run and seeing it like that?

I do - I have them on old VHS tv-recorded tapes. I don't think I've actually seen them as a one episode deal before, but as I didn't watch them on TV after moving back in 1998, I don't have any credit in that area ^^'

If this is true, then let us hope
somebody out there somewhere managed to record that fateful day when it aired. It would be really interesting to see.

Small Lady wrote:

....Or you could just do what they did with the
original Full Metal Alchemist series and just make up whatever the heck
you want to finish the series. XD

The first anime was actually pretty
good in its own way, even the ending is decent. Soul Eater would be
the a FAR better example. Once it went its own way from the manga,
everything just fell apart...BAD. Then that ending *twich* dear god,
that ending...its not often I watch an ending with the incredible
urge to destroy something after watching it.

I think episode 2 was not dubbed because the guys were vandalizing the school and we don't want little kids to copy that now do we? Though that would be interesting to watch. 

As for the sailor v episode....SOMEONE THREW A GRENADE AT HER! Dic probably thought that was too violent and if they cut that part out then the whole episode would be majorly messed up!!

ooh all the uncut goodies we will get to see that wasn't in original dub like a lot of episodes this is exciting....i may be posting in wrong place but yep this new dub is gonna be great. its like 2 new animes

Also what may have contributed to the episodes cut was that when DiC did the first round of dubbed episodes, they had a hard limit of 65 episodes.  Since syndicated kids shows were and are sold as 65-episode packages (so you can run 5 episodes a week for 13 weeks and have it repeat 4 times a year).

Since they had that 65 episode cap, DiC probably wanted to end in a place that at least somewhat resolved some of the early R storylines with the Akayashi sisters.

Wait, so did "Day of Destiny" originally air as a two-parter or not? innocentvenus has vague memories of it, and Sailor Uranus (if I'm understanding her post right) has it on VHS?! I'd love to see that.

I have it on VHS as well and it is not a two parter on the vhs. Its just one episode. What MAY have happened is when it aired on TV they may have played up the episode before it (where they go to the Moon Kingdom and meet Queen Serenity) and Day of Destiny as like an "omg two part finale!"

But I never watched those originally on tv so yeah... However, I watched my VHS tapes hundreds of times (my SM vhs tapes were well used) and it is definitely one episode.

I think it makes sense, back then, to air as a two part episode on TV cause of the 20-minute guidelines and make it 1 episode on VHS, where they have more freedom.  I remember vaguely when I watched it on TV it was 2 episodes.