Sailor Moon musicals

The Sailor Moon musicals (セーラームーン・ミュージカル), commonly referred to as SeraMyu (セラミュー), are a series of live theatre productions based on Naoko Takeuchi's metaseries Sailor Moon. The series consists of 29 musicals which have had more than 800 performances since the show opened in Summer 1993. The producers generally follow and expand upon plot concepts presented in the anime and manga, however there are also several original plot lines.

Overview
The series was staged by a division of the Japanese entertainment company Bandai and generally ran three times a year to match with the holidays of Japanese schools. Recently, in the winter the only venue for the musical productions was the Sunshine Theatre in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo; however in the summer it also toured to the larger cities in Japan.

The latest incarnation of the series, "The New Legend of Kaguya Island" [Revised Edition] (新・かぐや島伝説 <改訂版> Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu (Kaiteiban)) was staged in January 2005. The series is now on a "short hiatus", according to the official fan club, BMO. The current actresses for Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter officially "graduated" (left) with the final performance.

The musicals have a few elements in common: a theme song, usually used in battle when the Sailor Senshi defeat the antagonist; sight gags (characters in drag, puns, etc.); and songs generally tailored for the same characters or groupings of characters: romance songs between Usagi and Mamoru, Outer Senshi attack songs, Guardian Senshi civilian songs, and villain songs.

Kaiteiban, or "Revised Versions", are another major aspect of Sailor Moon musicals. Generally new musicals are staged in the summer and then are revised for the winter. Major plot elements stay the same but tend to be more fleshed out in revised versions. Parts of the show are generally rearranged; villains who were only partially defeated in the original version of the show are fully defeated or healed, and actresses who are "graduating" (leaving the show) are often given more solo parts or speaking lines.

In the musicals, the producers generally follow and expand upon plot concepts presented in the anime and manga. For example, a collective romance between the four Guardian Senshi and the Shitennō from former lives was taken from a manga image picturing the two groups paired off in romantic couples. The series creator, Naoko Takeuchi, explained that this image was used as an inspiration for the first musical of the series – "A Sailor Moon Anecdote – Story of the Dark Kingdom's Revival". In addition to borrowing from the anime and manga versions of Sailor Moon, the musical series also has two mostly original plot lines: "The Legend of Kaguya Island" (Kaguya Shima Densetsu) and the "Last Dracul" series.

The sets and backdrops range from simple (only some set pieces, no backdrop or backdrop with uncomplicated paintings) to mid elaborate (a greater number of small set pieces, and some bigger ones, for example, a painted wall over the whole width of the stage with a few attached stairs and a big door), more detailed set pieces, with heavy use of different stage levels, trapdoors and hidden doors. The Sailor Senshi's attacks are represented by colored lights hitting their targets, and sometimes minor explosions and other small pyrotechnics (for example "flame paper", special paper stripes which the actors ignite in their hands and then throw to create the illusion of a "fireball") are used. The Senshi mostly transform off-stage (or just appear already transformed), while their transformation phrases can be heard. Only Usagi transforms on stage. This is done with the help of a body double and the "black out" of part of the stage or set pieces moving in front of her while the actors switch places. The only real "transformation sequence" that ever occours is a pre-filmed video sequence projected onto a scrim showing the actors "morph" (with some pink ribbons) into their transformed versions.

Songs from the series have been compiled in some 20 music albums, and many of the musicals have been released on DVD.

Musicals
"Stage" is a term used widely to refer to groupings of the musicals.

The producers of the show have broken the musical series down into three stages. The "first stage" consisted of those in which Sailor Moon was portrayed by Anza Ōyama the first and longest running Sailor Moon actress. This stage ran parallel to the manga and anime, as reflected by the plot, and had a nearly full graduation with all of the main actresses being replaced. The second stage included three different Sailor Moon actresses, the only fully original musical ("The Legend of Kaguya Island") and the semi-original "Last Dracul" series, ending with a remake of the original "Final First Stage" musical "Eien Densetsu" (titled "Kakyuu Ouhi Kourin"). The third and final stage retained the last Sailor Moon actress and ran for only two musicals (Both remakes of "The Legend of Kaguya Island") and ended in January 2005.

Conversely, most Western fans break the stages down by the actresses who played Sailor Moon: Anza Ōyama, Fumina Hara, Miyuki Kanbe, and Marina Kuroki. The list below is divided up according to the official stages used by Sera Myu producers.

First stage
Featuring Anza Ōoyama as Sailor Moon:
 * 1993 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen (外伝 ダーク・キングダム復活篇)
 * 1994 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen (Kaiteiban) (外伝　ダーク・キングダム復活篇（改訂版）)
 * Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Super Spring Festival
 * Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Super Spring Festival (スーパースプリングフェスティバル 美少女戦士セーラームーン)
 * 1994 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S
 * Usagi - Ai no Senshi e no Michi (うさぎ・愛の戦士への道)
 * 1995 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S
 * Henshin - Super Senshi e no Michi (変身・スーパー戦士への道)
 * 1995 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S
 * Henshin - Super Senshi e no Michi (Kaiteiban) (変身・スーパー戦士への道（改訂版）)
 * 1995 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS
 * Yume Senshi - Ai - Eien ni... (夢戦士・愛・永遠に...)
 * 1996 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS (Kaiteiban)
 * Yume Senshi - Ai - Eien ni... Saturn Fukkatsu Hen! (夢戦士・愛・永遠に...サターン復活篇!)
 * Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS Special Musical Show
 * 1996 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars
 * 1997 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (Kaiteiban)
 * 1997 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Eien Densetsu (永遠伝説)
 * 1998 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Eien Densetsu (Kaiteiban) (永遠伝説［改訂版］) The Final First Stage!!

Second stage
Featuring Fumina Hara as Sailor Moon:
 * 1998 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Shin - Densetsu Kourin (新・伝説光臨)
 * 1999 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Kaguya Shima Densetsu (かぐや島伝説)
 * 1999 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Kaguya Shima Densetsu [Kaiteiban] Natsuyasumi! Houseki Tankentai (かぐや島伝説＜改訂版＞夏休み!宝石探検隊)

Featuring Miyuki Kanbe as Sailor Moon:
 * 2000 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Shin / Henshin - Super Senshi e no Michi (新／変身・スーパー戦士への道)
 * Last Dracul Jokyoku (ラストドラクル序曲)
 * 2000 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Kessen / Transylvania no Mori (決戦/トランシルバニアの森)
 * - Shin Toujou! ChibiMoon wo Goru Senshi Tatsu - (～新登場！ちびムーンを護る戦士達～)
 * 2001 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Kessen / Transylvania no Mori [Kaiteiban] (決戦／トランシルバニアの森＜改訂版＞)
 * -Saikyou no Kataki Dark Cain no Nazo- (－最強の敵　ダーク・カインの謎－)
 * 2001 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Last Dracul Saishuu Shou (ラスト・ドラクル最終章)
 * Chou Wakusei Death Vulcan no Fuuin / Super Revue Musical Show (超惑星デス・バルカンの封印 / スパーレビューミュージカルショー)

Featuring Marina Kuroki as Sailor Moon:
 * 2001 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Tanjou! Ankoku no Princess Black Lady (～誕生！暗黒のプリンセス　ブラック・レディ～)
 * 2002 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Tanjou! Ankoku no Princess Black Lady [Kaiteiban] -Wakusei Nemesis no Nazo-|誕生！暗黒のプリンセス　ブラック・レディ［改訂版］～惑星ネメシスの謎～
 * 2002 Spring Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon "10th ANNIVERSARY Festival"
 * Musical Show "Ai no Sanctuary" (ミュージカルショー「愛のサンクチュアリー」)
 * Memorial Talk & Live Show (メモリアルトーク＆ライブショー)
 * 2002 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Mugen Gakuen -Mistress Labyrinth- (無限学園～ミストレス・ラビリンス～)
 * 2003 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Mugen Gakuen -Mistress Labyrinth- Kaiteiban (無限学園～ミストレス・ラビリンス～改訂版)
 * 2003 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Starlights - Ryuusei Densetsu (スターライツ・流星伝説)
 * 2004 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Kakyuu-Ouhi Kourin (火球王妃降臨) THE SECOND STAGE FINAL

Third stage
Continuing to feature Marina Kuroki as Sailor Moon:
 * 2004 Summer Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * ~Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu~ (～新かぐや島伝説～) NEW LEGEND OF KAGUYA ISLAND
 * 2005 Winter Special Musical Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
 * Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu Kaiteiban (新かぐや島伝説（改訂版) MARINAMOON FINAL

Reception
In total, 32,055 people attended Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen (外伝 ダーク・キングダム復活篇), which had 29 separate performances. 25,208 people attended its revised edition, which had 35 separate performances.

An amateur Sailor Moon musical has been staged at Anime Expo 2003, and at the 2009 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival.

Trivia

 * Many of the actors and actress have moved on to do various tokusatsu shows like Kamen Rider Series and Super Sentai.
 * Emi Kuriyama (Sailor Jupiter between 1999 and 2000) came in fifth place in the Miss Universe Japan 2006 beauty pageant.
 * Chieko Kawabe, who played Sailor Mercury in a musical, went on to play Naru Osaka in the live-action series.
 * A major influence for SeraMyu seems to be the Takarazuka Revue, an all-female Japanese theatre troupe whose actors and characters inspired Naoko Takeuchi in the creation of Haruka and Michiru. While not an entirely female cast, some male characters are played by female actors. Three actresses from the musicals are former members of the Revue (Yuri Nishina in the first stage, Yuki Kamiya in the second stage and Shun Tasai in the third stage).
 * One male actor, Shūsuke Yoda (依田秀亮), reversed this practise, playing a female characters: Petz of the Ayakashi Sisters and the cross dressing character Barako Hoshino. Yoda also played a male character, Nephrite.
 * Although romance is usually kept low key, three couples do kiss onstage. Yuuta Mochizuki and Anza Ōyama as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon in the Eien Densetsu musicals; Nao Takagi and Yuuka Asami as Sailor Uranus and Neptune in the Kaguya Shima Densetsu Kaiteiban last performance curtain call; and Akiko Nakayama and Takayo Oyama as Sailor Uranus and Neptune in the last day performance of Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu.
 * Yuu Shirota would go on to play Kunimitsu Tezuka in Tenimyu and the Prince of Tennis film.
 * When Miyuki Kanbe auditioned for the part of Sailor Moon, there were 500 other people auditioning for the role of Sailor Moon.