So, okay I have to set the scene for you. The year is 1996. You are 14. No one has cell phones, and if you have to stay after school for some reason you have to call your mom on a payphone (collect because heck if you are gonna spend a whole quarter) and she doesn't accept charges from "'MOM-TAPE-SAILORMOON!" but you got your point across.

That was how obsessed I was with the silly DiC dub! It was on at 3:30pm every day. My friends and I used to watch it and talk about it and paint our nails like the Sailor Scouts and drive to a Wal Mart three towns over just to get the moon wand. I mean, we were hardcore.

Do you what they did to us? Do you know?! THEY CANCELLED IT IN THE MIDDLE OF R. We didn't know who Rini was (I mean, we had an idea, we weren't stupid. but still). We never found out if Darien and Serena got back together. I mean, we just. What. Happened. OMFG.

So I did what any self-respecting obsessed fan would do.

I. WENT. ON. LINE. I traded for fansubs (some of you probably remember - you mailed blank VHS tapes and got back fansubs?), took the train to New York City and bought manga at Kinokunya and read the translations online, and read Doi's summaries when I couldn't find the episodes.

I found out later that the dub was eventually bought by cloverway? and finished but by then I was watching subs.

Sailor Moon got me into a lots of other manga and anime - Fushigi Yuugi, various CLAMP, Hana Yori Dango, Hana Kimi (I'm big on shoujo).

This was years and years ago, I went to high school, college, Japan, California, Connecticut, I got married and had a kid. You know. Whatever. Sailor Moon was always kinda there, ya know? In my life. My first love.

I'm just now getting back into Sailor Moon but I'm falling back in love with it. So hard. SO HARD YOU GUYS.

I'm currently rewatching it so I'm going to be all OMFG YOU GUYS BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Hopefully you don't mind. All my old Sailor Moon friends have moved on, so I'm hoping to make new ones?

My favorite character is Tsukino Usagi - in all her forms, really. Princess Serenity is ten kinds of awesome, Sailor Moon could kick your ass six ways to Tuesday even while she's like "I'd rather be sleeping, waaah", and Neo-Queen Serenity in a coma looks better than me on my best day but really little Tsukino Usagi is just such a BAMF wrapped up in a hilarious, darling I-don't-even-care-what-you-think-but-you-love-me-right package I can't even.

I used to write fanfiction and I might start again:

http://www.fanfiction.net/~antigone2

In conclusion, here's Minako giving Usagi a little bit too much credit:



:-D

*grins* I Like you!

Welcome dear! You are going to fit in amazingly well here! Never fear ^^

Definitely jump right it and have fun!

If you have any questions don't hesitate to pm me!

Hallo! Welcome aboard! I think that you will find many Moonies here who are shipping this fandom HARD once again and cannot control their excitement. I am certainly one of those! Once I start chatting about a subject, I cannot stop.

You sound so very interesting too. You've traveled to many places. When did you go to Japan? I went this past summer and it was the best experience of my life. Where in Japan did you go? I was in Tokyo and Kyoto but Kyoto was my favorite. Ah, I fell in love with Kyoto. ^^

YAY for a fellow CLAMP fan! Really, anyone who has not grown up with CLAMP in their life in some manner is truly not complete. I remember Fushigi Yugi too! I thought that manga had the most beautiful art at the time. It's still quite beautiful to me.

I'm excited for future fanfiction as well! ^^

Sailor Jupiter wrote:

I am certainly one of those! Once I start chatting about a subject, I cannot stop.

Oh, good, just like me! ha ha.

I lived in Tokyo in '02-'03. I went to school at Waseda University which is in Nishi-Shinjuku and lived in Nerima-ku which is still in Tokyo but it's a little more suburban. It's off the Seibu-Ikebukuro line. Oh, wow, talking about it makes me miss it so much. I used to take the trains everywhere. It was this, like, ginormous city with zkillions of people just everywhere and I loved it.

My BFF lived in Kyoto (she lived near the park that had the old imperial palace? I'm not as familiar with Kyoto) and I used to visit her whenever I could afford shinkansen tickets. Kyoto was beautiful, and I did love it there. Tokyo was more like home, though. Oh talking about it makes me miss it so much! <3

I was able to visit about 6 more times after that, but I haven't been there since 2006. ;_;

Fushigi Yuugi rocked my world, I was blown away by the themes in that anime/manga. Yui was my favorite character because she was so deep and interesting. I know Yuu Watase has been criticized for problematic themes in her manga, but I love her stuff. My BFF and I cosplayed Imadoki! at Otakon back in '01. O.o;

Oh gosh, I know all about the Ikebukuro/Seibu line. Every time I say the word Ikebukuro, I hear it in my head. You remember how each line had a different voice announcing the stop? XD I-ke-BU-kuro ... I-ke-BU-kuro ... Aw, I miss it so much as well. I actually went to Japan because I had a friend studying at Waseda Uni as well! What were you there for? She took japanese classes.

Oh my gosh, the shinkansen line is freaking AWESOME. I can not believe how fast it goes! Such a smooth ride as well. MUCH better than a plane. -_- My gosh. I must confess that that plane ride was just brutal for me. I never hated flying until I had to sit on a plane for 13 hours. -cries- I'd go back in a heartbeat though. XD

When you lived in Japan, did you stay in an apartment? HOW TINY WAS YOUR BATHROOM? Cause I stayed at my friend's place and it was TINY. My knees were presses against the wall. XD

I am not a fan of 'falling-into-other-worlds' so I never actually read that much of Fushigi Yugi. XD I just collected all the artwork. Hehe. My only problem with Yuu Watase is that all her characters look alike, regardless of how lovely I think her drawing is. That kinda bothered me.

I guess I like the "falling into other worlds" thing- Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, Fushigi Yuugi, all those... wow, I never realized it until you said! Ha ha, wow! And you know, I'm not really into magical girl - except for Sailor Moon. I wonder why?

As for Japan, I stayed with a host family, they actually had a sizeable house for a Tokyo family! I was lucky! It was like the Tsukino's house in Sailor Moon. I even had a Mama to make me food and everything.

oh god the trains. I still hear, "abunai desu kara kiroi sen ni o'sagashite kudasai..." but that is going to make me cry. I'm so nostalgic, now. I need to go visit my beautiful, wonderful Tokyo!

Your friend studied at Waseda? I can't believe it! She probably did the same program I did. It was a study program, I did Japanese language but also college courses.

Oh, I adore Alice in Wonderland. ^^ I love my paperback book with the drawings inside and all that fanciful nonsensical text! I remember that I wrote a paper on Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) when I was a freshman in college. Hee.

You are so lucky to have stayed with a host family. I think that sounds like such a lovely idea and I wish I could go as well. Meh. The unfairness of not having a reason to go. I was thinking of doing a teaching program but at the moment I can only find one-year commitments. I do not think I can do that. :\

It's likely that she may have done your program! Can you speak japanese fairly well now?

Ohhh man I used to buy VHS fansubs online too! It was so exciting, waiting for weeks for the big heavy package to come in the mail, usually from Hong Kong, with the spectacular Engrish all over the place haha. <333 Good times!

I AM SO GLAD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HOPPED BUSSES JUST TO BUY THE SAILOR MOON MERCHANDISE LOL. all of my friends thought I was crazy! but it was sooo worth it!

AUHHHG I RAGED. THAT HAPPENED TO ME TOO! THEY JUST UP AND CANCELLED SAILOR MOON. WHY GOD, WHYYY.

but thank god for the internets, and fansubs, and everything else! I'm also reliving my sailor moon days, and I absolutely love it! ^-^

OMG. did you go to Tokyo tower? xD YOU COULD HAVE FOUGHT ZOICITE AND MALACHITE? WERE YOU BAMF AND REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY TO YOUR PAST LOVE?
ok, I should stop. too many references. xD

DO YOU HAVE ANY PICS OF WHEN YOU TRAVELED THERE? <333 I wanted to study abroad over there, but I couldn't. D:

@ Ai-No-Hana I did go to Tokyo Tower! A bunch of times!! Mostly because every time someone visited Tokyo they wanted to go see Tokyo Tower because anime made it famous! lol.

In fact my then-boyfriend (now husband) watch New Year's fireworks at
Tokyo Tower in 2003. OMFG. He did not turn evil or anything, though.
(leeet down).

This was pre-digital camera, but I can scan in some photos if enough people are interested, lol.

@Elly

OMG fansubs! I was so excited! I couldn't collect them ALL though and each VHS only held, what? 3-4 episodes? So I realize now as I'm rewatching Sailor Moon in the digital age of Youtube, that I've seen some random 4 episodes here and there and then that's it. Lol. Usually the first 3 of the season, the last 3 of the season and some random ones in the middle that I OMG had to see because other fans said they were funny/touching/whatever.

@ Sailor Jupiter

I read Alice in Wonderland for the first time like a year ago, isn't that sad? I was like, "where have you been all my life??" What did you think of Tim Burton's take on it?

I used to speak Japanese, now I don't. I forgot it ALL. I was trying to relearn it recently but I had to stop for a bit.

I was almost at that point where you stop thinking in English- translating to Japanese - and speaking in Japanese, but when you just think of a concept and speak it in Japanese. And I was having dreams in Japanese, too.

It. was. awesome.

OMG you are so funny. My favorite line: "MOM TAPE SAILOR MOON" LOL It's sad that some moonies grow out of Sailor Moon. I don't ever think I'll grow out of Sailor Moon.

So from the conversations that you've been having with Jupiter and Ai-No-Hana I've seen that you've studied in Japan. I, myself, haven't studied there just visited but I do plan on going there and studying there for a semester or two here in the next two years. I'd love to get any advice from someone who's studied there before going and studying myself. Oh and it's nice that you joined us at this forum; you'll find that everyone here is nice and friendly.

Thanks for the welcome! <3 I'm happy to be here!

I hope you do study abroad it really was the best thing I could have done! It was amazing! The best advice I have is really general. (Since it's been so long since I've been there so specific really have changed, probably).

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. At first I was petrified of making a faux pas or doing something dumb like saying the wrong thing or getting on the wrong bus and being like, "oh no! stop! I need to get off!" or riding my bike into a ditch right in front of a gaggle of giggling school girls. Or accidentally cutting in line at the post office because I misread the "line starts here" sign. I did all those things. It was mortifying. But those things happen when you are somewhere new. No matter where you go. It's part of the learning experience.
I feel like I grew up a lot and had let go of a lot of my embarrassment hang-ups while I was there.

OH and try to get the gaku-wari (student discount) whenever you can, on whatever you can!! Seriously, flash your student ID like that thing is GOLD.

And Tokyo Disneyland isn't in Tokyo. O.o;

Oh trust me, I won't be afraid to make mistakes. Growing up around others who had to learn English (my parents and some of my peers) I've seen that making mistakes is the biggest part in learning. I agree with you and I'm sure that I'll grow and mature even more once I'm there. Student ID + Falsh = Discounts. Check! I wonder if I were to go to a book store in Japan and buy some Sailor Moon manga and say it was for a school assignment and flash them my student ID if I'd get a discount. I'll try once I'm there. LOL. Oh I just looked it up. Tokyo Disneyland isn't in Tokyo!

Oh, for manga, it's all about Book Off.

http://www.bookoff.co.jp/en/index.html

I'll keep that mind.

Welcome! This is the place for Sailor Moon lovers of all kinds! You'll fit in beautifully.

enogitna wrote:

I. WENT. ON. LINE. I traded for fansubs (some of you probably remember - you mailed blank VHS tapes and got back fansubs?), took the train to New York City and bought manga at Kinokunya and read the translations online, and read Doi's summaries when I couldn't find the episodes.

OMG THIS THIS THIS THIS. Granted it was about 2000/2001 when i started doing things like that,. Minus the train to NYC cause i'm from Louisiana and all..but OMG I got the DBZ movies subbed on a vhs tape from someone I met online. And I STILL go to Doi's website for quick look up of dialogue for episodes. OMG. <3 you.

/claps for the story xD Nice dedication! Sometimes I wish I could've been a fan back in those days, they sound so fun.

enogitna wrote:

@ Ai-No-Hana I did go to Tokyo Tower! A bunch of times!! Mostly because every time someone visited Tokyo they wanted to go see Tokyo Tower because anime made it famous! lol.

In fact my then-boyfriend (now husband) watch New Year's fireworks at
Tokyo Tower in 2003. OMFG. He did not turn evil or anything, though.
(leeet down).

This was pre-digital camera, but I can scan in some photos if enough people are interested, lol.

OMG, how was it?! Lol yeah, I only remember it because of sailor moon. XD
LMAO, I hope he's not secretly one of the great seven youma. >-> xDD

Damn your High School years sound like mine! You didn't go to school in NH did you? XD

Welcome to the forums!

CT!

Woohoo! New Englanders!

WOOO Usa fan!! I LOVE her so much! I fell even more in love with her in the StarS anime series, she had a mature personality than all the other seasons, yet she still has her old crybaby, WAHHH, cute self from the previous seasons.

Welcome and enjoy your stay hurrr at the Galaxy Cauldron ^_^