It’s becoming more and more common for anime movies to be shown in theaters. Even outside of the Ghibli movies, local theaters have shown new material (your name., A Silent Voice) and special rereleases (Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie, Cardcaptor Sakura: The Sealed Card). But CineLife Entertainment’s screening of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Musical – Le Mouvement Final is entering new territory. Could this be the start of a new era for anime and musical fans?
I’ve mentioned before that musicals are still mostly uncharted territory in the West. In Japan, everything from The Prince of Tennis to Death Note to Boys Over Flowers gets a musical or two, because obviously the one thing these series were missing were random bursts of song and dance. While musical adaptations of anime series have been going on for years (at least since the 90s), nowadays, directors and producers are scouring both new (The Royal Tutor) and old titles (Fushigi Yugi) to receive a Broadway-style production.
Outside of Japan, musicals haven’t found their way over here as much as other live action adaptations. Daisuki hosted a couple of Hakuoki musicals for streaming, and there have been mini-performances of Sailor Moon in places like Texas and France. Otherwise, though, fans have had to import recordings of performances (which can be pricey) or illegal fansubs. I’ve been hoping that someone will either release them on Blu-rays or DVDs or on streaming sites. But I know that I wasn’t the only one surprised when CineLife Entertainment announced they’re going to show a Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon musical in theaters. The official site says, “This is the first time for 2.5 Dimensional Musical to have screening in the movie theaters in the United States.”
The Sailor Moon musicals — often known as SeraMyu — have been going on since the days of the 90s anime, and a couple songs sung by the actresses can be heard in the original series. In 2013, a new succession of musicals started, with one adaptation per manga arc. CineLife Entertainment is screening the final musical, the one that covers the last three volumes of the manga (aka Stars). It is being shown at various theaters across the US and Canada starting March 10th.
So, right away, this seems a bit odd. While no doubt the musical will explain the basic story — not to mention most watchers will be familiar with Sailor Moon in one form or another — why start with the musical that covers the ending of the series? I’m sure it can stand alone, but I still think it’s weird.
Let’s say this is an experiment, to see if there is a market for anime-related musicals overseas. There’s no doubt this is a major milestone. Why not start with the first of the revived musicals, and if it’s a success, might it not be worthwhile to release the others? Yes, a lot of anime movies in theaters have been random, and, in many cases, it’s more about the experience or nostalgia than the actual show. But does CineLife only see this as a one-time-only idea? Because I don’t think they would go backwards in the Sailor Moon timeline and go to a previous musical. If they started with the first, I would think it would give people a little more incentive to go in hopes the others would also be released.
Don’t get me wrong: I hope it goes well. I would love to see Ciel, Italy, Utena, and a whole bunch of other characters at a nearby theater. I don’t know how popular such showings would be, but I’ve never been to an anime movie at a theater either. The official website says the rights belong to CineLife Entertainment, so this presentation is likely thanks to their new event cinema division. I am curious as to what other anime musicals they’d like to pursue. Sailor Moon‘s musicals have had several incarnations, but it’s also seinen and shounen series that dominate the manga and anime sales charts.
I’d love to see some home video releases, but I don’t know how the license works in this particular situation. Maybe they could release it themselves, or they could sublicense the musical. A DVD/Blu-ray would be a niche product for sure, but the Mikunopolis concert in Los Angeles got a home video release.
It retailed at $75, but that’s also Aniplex of America pricing with a CD. Even though rights for a Sailor Moon musical would cost more than any Vocaloid concert, it could be done.
Despite my confusion about choosing Le Mouvement Final over La Reconquista, the first of the SeraMyu revivals, this is hopefully a significant milestone and not a random event. Musicals aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but anime fans have no doubt seen stranger things than song-and-dance routines between rivals.