Considering they're 95% covered up, I'm fine with it. I mean I've seen way worse on manga covers! Ahaha! I think it's pretty!

Like someone mentioned partial nudity or anything eluding to nudity is perfectly fine in Japanese society. Personally I wouldn't have any problem if my younger sibling or niece saw this. It's not suggesting they just had sex or anything. I thought the cover was so beautiful when I bought it. I haven't read that short story yet so looking forward to it.

It's completely fine. There are a lot of other images with them in bed together, too.

Yeah, I feel like a prude saying this.. but I don't think it's appropriate for a cover. Like SailorStarWind said, I think it would work great as an insert.. I mean, there was the insert of Usagi and Minako getting touchy with each other in one of the volumes, but it's too much for a cover, IMO. I mean, they certainly don't show anything, and Naoko has certainly drawn more revealing work (Usagi topless, in lingerie, etc).. but I feel it kinda implies they slept together since they appear to have nothing on. Not that sleeping together is bad, just.. I don't know how i feel about it being a representation of Sailormoon in general (since it's a cover.)

Then again, I might be overreacting and just being kinda prudish. I just get touchy about the subject because back in high school I used to get teased because I loved a "perverted anime", and it made me so angry (cause it's not!!)

It is a very tender and sweet painting of them, though.

I'm a little late to this discussion but here are my thoughts.

Again, this is a Japanese thing. People don't often associate nudity with sex over there. That's why Sailor Chibi Moon's transformations were the way they were, even though she was a kid. Of course, unlike the other scouts they were never done in suggestive poses. Personally, I think we Americans could learn from that line of thought.

When I first saw it, I didn't even think of sex. I thought of those nude maternity photos mothers sometimes take, haha. I could forgive and understand Kodansha for swapping the image for something else, but I'm glad they didn't. If this was say, a main series volume, even I would have suggested swapping it. But this is a "Short Stories" volume, which only Sailor Moon fans or people who have read the story are going to pick up. By that time, they will have been more than prepared for this image.

I agree with all of your points! Especially that last part. Besides, Kodansha USA marketed this to teens 13+. So i think its appropriate within U.S. society. If it had been marketed at like western 5 year olds, then id have no objections if kodansha usa had changed it.

I agree with Sailor CJ! I personally love this picture and think it has a kind of beauty to it.

Perfectly fine to me. After all, they are lovers. And they are nicely covered, so no complaints.