The Odd English Dubs of Sailor Moon - The Strange Censorship and Edits

[@ripleyandweeds1288]

"How do we not have lesbians in our anime dub?" "Let's make them cousins, but not remove any of the romantic tension or moments between them!" "Genius!"

[@OnigiriStation]

I can’t imagine who was the first to voice the idea that incest is better than just having a lesbian couple

[@kumada84]

Did you ever think maybe it was an "inside joke", since clearly a lot of people who were going to watch it already knew that they were lesbians but understood that they couldn't actually make that clear on a children's show 🤔

[@mrkaji8913]

@@OnigiriStationit’s funny though

[@chewymew]

​@@kumada84The actors knew full well how outlandish the whole "cousins" thing was, so they intentionally tried to make it sound awkward just to stick it to the TV station

[@lum5015]

Just FYI, “DiC” was pronounced as an acronym, “Deek”. The old adaptation had an placeholder for the production company where a child pronounced the company name.

[@OnigiriStation]

The more you know! Thanks for the heads up :D

[@blockeontheleafeon]

*That* was a placeholder? That's fun to learn.

[@TheNewPrometheus]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3Wypnmkj9ODg9U i remember it in front and behind many childhood cartoons

[@Detective_L]

I would pay good money for the DIC dub to finish the series. Sadly that is impossible. It will always be my preferred dub and I can’t watch any others.

[@matildalitsey143]

​@@Detective_LIf I thought it was worth it, I would too. I am always interested in old, dubbed magicsl girl shows, such as Mew Mew Power, Magical DoReMi, and of course, Sailor Moon's old dub, even if I didn't grow up with it.

[@yazminyari]

I will always have a soft spot for the early Dic dub... The voices had so much charm and personality to them. I mean Serena's valley girl accent is something else Not a fan of how it was censored but the 90s anime itself wasn't the best adaption of the actual manga to begin with what with making it very monster of the week, so it's easier to ignore what was changed than if it were something more plot heavy

[@OnigiriStation]

I essentially feel the same. I felt they did a great job with the voice work and characterization but a terrible job with the editing and censorship. But it was a different era and anime wasn't always well adapted from manga to begin with. Combine that with American censorship and bam, we get what we got.

[@amare1367]

the anime was what made it good.

[@dcb99filmz]

this is why I miss when they dubbed shows in Canada, in this case, Toronto, whose VAs usually only do Canadian cartoons now. Back in the 90s and 00s they dubbed anime and even got to be in Capcom's games for a few years (roughly RE2 thru RE0, as well as all the Marvel games up to MvC2)

[@MusicIsMyLife-qm4rf]

Well I don’t think so The viz are even more better and is a real English dub Just saying

[@magicalcat-girl5272]

Yeah, i agree with that too. I also have a soft spot for the dic dub version of sailor moon. Everyone's voices really had lots of charm and personality to them too.

[@Spectra651]

10:44 This scene was even weirder in the CW DVD release. Because they featured the original uncut Japanese version of the show on the disks, that meant that a lot of the little edits and cuts CW worked into the TV broadcast version no longer made sense, or wound up making things even more awkward. With this scene in particular what you saw was the original cut, but what you *heard* was the CW dub, so if you were a kid who'd only ever seen the broadcast version and had no idea Fish Eye was originally male, you got quite the surprise when "she" suddenly whipped off her top and you got a lingering, full-frontal shot of her chest. And of course none of the characters remark on it or bring it up ever again. The fact that the DVDs tried to have their cake and eat it too often made for some really unintentionally hilarious moments.

[@OnigiriStation]

A fun new fact to add to the strangeness! What a wild time the old days were

[@larserniecollectorpoe7963]

But Her Nipples are Cartoony, Right?

[@Bshadowz]

I love the dic dub, and the original. People also forget it was the 90’s we were nowhere near the level of open conversation and sexual identity/orientation acceptance. End of the day you can’t deny the dic dub paved the way for what sailor moon has now become in NA, you don’t have to like it but you can’t deny it’s huge cultural importance

[@emblemblade9245]

Yeah, they probably would’ve gotten blasted by conservative parents if they hadn’t censored what they did, but if everyone was afraid to challenge the norms then they’d never be challenged, so some part of me is upset at the missed opportunity while the rest of me feels like they just didn’t have much if any choice.

[@kumada84]

​@@emblemblade9245 It was a children's show. 🤷‍♂️

[@Sigmaairav]

Man actually wore a sailor moon getup on camera, this is greatness and a display of courage

[@OnigiriStation]

One must be a man of focus, commitment, and sheer fucking will

[@ryanwitwickifaddegon4291]

I can't believe I didn't understand this until just now. Viz did a fantastic job reviving it and remaining to be faithful and respectful to Japanese culture. The cousins didn't want it to go the wrong way with Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune as lesbians saying it's okay. But cousins is incest and wrong, and gave the wrong idea to young kids who didn't understand the LGBTQ world.

[@Agtsmirnoff]

Cousin-Cousin relationships is actually pretty common throughout the world

[@VOMITQUEEN]

This is why I’m so glad that the superior Viz dub exists👍 it’s grown to be the one I prefer But with that being said, I still have a soft spot in my heart for the old dubs (mostly the CWI one) because I grew up with those dubs, despite the cheesy dialogue, poorly dated censorship, and awkward voice acting lmao

[@muslimmetalman]

they were VERY faithful for kids' dubs compared to DBZ, Yugioh or even Pokemon which started off mostly very faithful.

[@KremBotop]

14:17 Apparently one Italian dub did find a workaround with the Sailor Starlights censorship: by making their male and female versions separate characters. The Three Lights are male at all times and then they transform, they "call up their twin sisters" to fight instead. Anyway, hearing that Cloverway didn't do a very good job with their SM English dub sounds so strange, since here in Latin America they were the major anime distributors during the 90s and early 2000s. The whole Sailor Moon anime was brought to us by them and it became a big hit right away. And while there was this odd mixup of the DiC dub names being used alongside the original JP scripts, which fortunately didn't have too much censorship aside from the 2 gender changes mentioned here, it was otherwise a very well made and mostly faithful dub. So thanks to that and other classic shows that they also brought here (Dragon Ball, Digimon, Saint Seiya and many more), Cloverway is much more highly regarded in Latin America compared to the US for sure. And that Simpsons couch gag in 15:43 did amaze us specifically because Sailor Moon and Lisa Simpson share the same VA here.

[@OnigiriStation]

It's so silly that everyone tried to find a way around it rather just accepting it! The real interesting part to me is the Cloverway reach in Latin America and the Simpsons parts! These are fun facts I've learned; I'll have to look more into this!

[@KremBotop]

@@OnigiriStation Yeah, it was always going to be a very touchy subject, especially many years ago, so I'm not surprised about all of those changes. I even bet that said Italian workaround could've also been used in an hypothetical original English dub of season 5, which I think was also not initially released in the US because of licensing and low ratings issues too. Not very sure though. And yeah, there's this entirely separate world when it comes to the Latin Spanish dub of Sailor Moon and classic anime en general. Cloverway indeed made a huge push for anime's growing popularity in this region, as well as presenting their releases as faithfully to the original JP versions as possible, OPs and EDs included (Stuff like pervy jokes did get toned down sometimes, but that one's kinda expected). Because of this, many fans here are very grateful for that and remember CVI very fondly, as they eventually went out of business in the mid to late 2000s, with Toei's own regional branch then taking most of their licenses / original dubs since CVI frequently brought Toei productions (And sadly, most modern releases of them having very mixed sound quality due to a generally unoptimal preservation of the original masters, even from their biggest shows. Fans have arguably done a better job preserving those classic dubs via HQ TV recordings, archiving earlier home media releases and stuff like that). Anyway, there's just so much stuff to mention just about Latin Spanish dub of Sailor Moon that I'd take quite a long time, but a good starting point should be this video highlighting all of the voices behind the main cast: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5yzqaRvh9SGrtk and a quick YT search of "Sailor Moon momentos divertidos" for samples of the character portrayals and dynamics that we got. Very glad that you became interested in all of this btw! All of the actresses, some being highly regarded industry veterans now, became heavily associated with their characters and are very fond of their roles. Enough that most of them did come back for the recent reboot after so many years, as pointed out in the linked video. Another place to look up is the webpage "Doblaje Wiki" for a whole deep dive into Latin American Spanish dubs in general; as well as fangroup "Sailor Moon Mexico", the latter of which is present on multiple pages like KZbin and Twitter. They can definitely give you a lot more information. Good luck and keep up the good work!

[@thatitalianlameguy2235]

It's ironically more canonically logical, because the starlights weren't like that in the Manga and males can't be sailor senshi.

[@kumada84]

​@@thatitalianlameguy2235True 🤣🤣

[@kumada84]

I think a big part of the reason people think Cloverway did a "bad job" is because they had to imitate what DIC did, and they weren't able to match the quality. (Poor Linda Ballantyne being forced to imitate Terri Hawkes, which is impossible to do...) If they had been able to do their own thing, it probably would have been much different.

[@enurtsold3296]

The "Sailor Says" segment was a business decision. Here's a not-too-long explanation: In the 1990s, syndication was still a thing - that is, local TV stations buy independent shows from the syndication market to fill out their program schedule. (Nowadays, syndication is dead since TV networks prefer to own their shows, so they can earn all revenue from it, especially merchandising and streaming.) There is also an US law that requires broadcast TV stations to air at least 3 hours per week of educational programming. Thus, if you're a syndicator selling your show to be more appealing to local TV stations, you can make it so that your entertainment show also qualifies as educational programming (known as "edutainment"). For the TV stations, that hits 2 birds with 1 stone - they can get an entertaining show (for TV ratings and ads) and satisfy the government's 3-hour requirement for educational programming. By simply adding the "Sailor Says" segment, DIC was trying to make Sailor Moon to be more appealing for TV stations to buy. (That broadcast law does not apply to cable TV channels. So when Sailor Moon moved to Cartoon Network, a cable channel, the "Sailor Says" segment is no longer needed.)

[@JMartini810]

Here's a not so long explanation. *proceeds to write 3 paragraphs* lolol

[@emblemblade9245]

@@JMartini810If you think that’s long, god help you Anyway OP, thanks for the helpful explanation! Funny, the weird laws networks had to deal with back then

[@JMartini810]

@@emblemblade9245 It's long lmfao 🤣 😂 💀

[@kumada84]

​@@JMartini810Wait until you try reading a book... 👀

[@heinrichagrippa5681]

@@JMartini810 Well, now you know. And knowing is half the battle (G.I JOOOooooooooe~).

[@errorsinsyntax3237]

With the audience in mind it makes sense to adjust the content. As an adult enjoying it in its truest form is ideal and appropriate

[@joaomilao4230]

I agree with censoring alcohol and nudity, but censoring LGBTQ+ characters and relationships is just wrong. I know it was the 90s and it was a different mentality, but it was still wrong! Thank God things are evolving!

[@GardevoirBoy]

@@joaomilao4230 I'm happy you found gay erasure unforgivable. I pity the censors for playing god with homosexual characters. I didn't care if Sailor Moon was a kids show, gay erasure was unforgivable. Sure not that many people in the 90s have thought that games and cartoons were for everyone, but there's no excuse to censor gays regardless if Sailor Moon was a kids show.

[@heinrichagrippa5681]

So... subbed?

[@dontcat1164]

It's tough to describe the connection those of us who adore this dub have with it, especially as part of that connection is having seen it on TV when it was first aired. It was my hook into anime. I can imagine what Robotech fans feel when they hear "why not just move on to Macross."

[@OnigiriStation]

l feel like a lot of older fans in that era felt shafted, cause they expected better. Kids who grew up with these censored anime accepted it as is and it became part of our core memories. I’m always happy there’s subs and new dubs tho, I’m a nostalgic person but I always prefer to get the real deal if possible haha

[@muslimmetalman]

it has to be appreciated that the Sailor Moon dub was leagues beyond any kids' anime dub of the time - it had largely intact plot points, accurate voices (even many recent or straight dubs dont do this), and the music was intact to the point where even the OP had a dub. Its incomparable to something like the YGO dub let alone the DBZ dub. It's objectively very good let alone for its time.

[@wiiztec]

The music was very much not intact in the DiC dub, they replaced everything, cloverway's left the music alone though

[@kumada84]

​@@muslimmetalman Most people don't understand or appreciate what the people who made the DIC dub did, how much work it took, how well they did it, how good it actually was, and how amazing it was that they got away with some of the things they got away with. It's nice to see somebody who "gets it" in a sea of mindless DIC-bashers who very likely haven't even watched the series.

[@kikibibi369]

A complicated answer to your ending question. I love the voice actor for Serena in the dic dub but I hate the voice actor they replaced her with later on. I loved dics soundtrack. It's the perfect 90's soundtrack. I like the new Viz dub. I appreciate the loyalty to the source material, but as someone who grew up with Serena, Darien, Rini, etc, it's jarring to hear their Japanese names now twenty five years later.

[@OnigiriStation]

I felt the same in some ways. I grew up with one version and it was a bit off putting to hear different voices and names. But I grew more accustomed to the manga and the VIZ dub with time. I suppose rewatching it all in various versions to make a video helped! haha

[@retroroyalplays9457]

"Why did this come with the costume?" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jeremywinters2020]

The DiC one had the best music IMHO.

[@heinrichagrippa5681]

It had very earnest, simple, straight-forward Saturday-morning-action-cartoon music that would get you hyped up as a small child. It's the soundtrack that, having experienced it as a 6-year-old, will forever be burned into my mind. However, the '70s-esque prog - sometimes even kind of abstract jazz-fusion and atmospheric ambiance - of the original soundtrack is significantly more sophisticated in terms of composition. On that note, while I still like it and am glad it exists, I still have no idea _why_ it exists. It's not like there was something inherently "Japanese-sounding" about the OST that had to be swept under the rug with the onigiri and such. Considering the whole idea behind studios importing and localizing anime was that it was substantially cheaper than producing original animation, it just seems an odd choice to scrap a perfectly serviceable soundtrack and then go through the trouble of having an entire new one composed from scratch.

[@amandapr1me]

It's hilarious to me that people say the voice actors in the Viz dub sound the same when DiC literally used the same girl as Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus at one point. I don't think they sound the same at all, I think they're just no longer absolute caricatures the way the 90s voices were, and they're all great. I do still miss some of the 90s voice actors, in particular Michiru, Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye, and especially Professor Tomoe.

[@dcb99filmz]

the gal who had Mars and Venus under her belt was jazz singer Emilie-Claire Barlow, who is probably better known for being Courtney in Total Drama and Alice in Bakugan. Speaking of Bakugan, Masquerade was played by Saphir's VA from this dub, Lyon Smith...whose performance I prefer over his Viz counterpart.

[@Serendipity-Infinite]

While I do appreciate Viz Media's re-dub, I will always prefer Dic's interpretation. The 90s dub script added much needed pizazz and goofiness to keep the bland episodic nature of the show interesting. And ironically, the female version of Zoisite made me realize I was bi. Whoops. 🤷‍♀️

[@OnigiriStation]

the pizazz and goofiness went a long way for me too. Bonus points for Zoisite helping you find yourself!

[@zibbyzib]

The viz dub with the DiC intro would be amazing

[@WDI2008]

The so called Saban Moon pilot was actually finally found!

[@OnigiriStation]

I know what I’ll be watching tonight then!

[@fromationart5371]

I enjoy both the Viz and 90s dubs I appreciate Viz's attempt at being more accurate to the original. And growing up with the 90s dubs, they'll always have a special place in my heart. I'll never get tired of Usagi/Serena's posh nanny voice from Cloverway

[@OnigiriStation]

I also always hear the original cast's attitude and voices in my head. It's a shame the original is so censored and warped, because I enjoyed that cast!

[@dwainsimmons3447]

@@OnigiriStation this is why 4kids was hated and dic was loved.

[@aussieman3021]

​@@dwainsimmons3447 Also, the fact that most of DiC's cartoons were not anime imported and censored to make them more kid-friendly when compared to 4Kids. And that DiC actually had some great cartoon shows like Inspector Gadget, Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, The Real Ghostbusters and Madeline.

[@aussieman3021]

When it comes to the posh nanny voice, I think you're talking about Luna, not Usagi/Serena.

[@Firewolt]

Usagi's nanny voice from CWI was a huge disappointment. The Viz Dub is the only Dub that did Sailor Moon right in every way.

[@bababobo5067]

Viz dub for me. I watched Sailor Moon for the first time last year, via the Viz dub. It’s one of my favorite things now.

[@oshkeet]

7:15 Ironically, the alcohol edit is a good example of several tiers of censorship depending on the current year for the same IP. In the comic version of that story that predates all of this, Usagi drinks too much champagne at a party (long story dont worry about it) and gets tipsy. Simple scene. Because of a BS&P push during the 1990s, Japanese broadcast anime for kids were already getting nervous showing children underage smoking or drinking*, so in the show Usagi gets comically drunk after ONE glass and its explicitly played as her *accidentally* doing it, Jokes about accidental drunkeness were apparently ok. In the live action version in the 2000s, even the joke version would be weird because they're, yknow, live actors playing children, so the whole setting is changed to a Halloween party where she just gets faint after wearing a heavy costume. *(e.g., on PURPOSE, which is why doesnt Yusuke or Jotaro actually get to smoke on-screen in their respective shows) The Cloverway dub still being shoddy is especially a kick in the pants, as they were the official North American branch of TOEI, the original production company. TOEI's infamy of being cheapskates for foreign releases wasn't so well known then.

[@KremBotop]

After all the discussion about the pink tint of the show's modern releases renewed my interest in Sailor Moon, I checked this video again after a long while and I must say, it's very well done and researched. Good job with it, though I wish it had more views. And I liked how the "longing for those youthful times" quote at 15:57 perfectly matched with the clips, nice detail. And fittingly, Venus and Jupiter are my favorites.

[@OnigiriStation]

Thanks, I really appreciate the kind words! I try hard to make the videos as best I can! Jupiter is also one of my favorites. I always liked her and Mars as a kid, but I like Mercury a bit more than Mars now as an adult. Funny how things change and the way you view the world adapts as you grow.

[@KremBotop]

@@OnigiriStation You're welcome! And I understand what you mean at the end about changing tastes after growing up. Back then I only really liked Venus and not really cared much about the rest. But over time I've grown to also like Jupiter a lot. Venus is still my favorite but Jupiter is hanging really close now on 2nd. And I've also begun to appreciate Mercury quite a bit, though my 3rd favorite nowadays is actually Neptune. Anyway, keep up the good work.

[@Marializ____2024]

I prefer the original japanese and the viz dub cuz they were perfectly good and they didnt censored anything but the DiC and CWI dub censored it to Zoisite a female Michiru and Haruka being cousins, etc. Fr I hate when they were cousins I see them much as a couple

[@OnigiriStation]

Some of the most fucked up forms of censorship I've seen in anime are in Sailor Moon, it's crazy

[@Marializ____2024]

​​​@@OnigiriStationYeah, but not only the og and the viz dub however, the latino version was slightly better and it didnt censored anything. like, when I see the spanish version, the mexican version, was good. Even tho the names are slightly the same like in the DiC dub, but thank goodness it didnt censored anything. So yet again, I prefer the people who watched the Viz, spanish and og dub bcuz the DiC and CWi are way fxcked up

[@FrenkTheJoy]

Okay the original DIC dub has one specific episode that is absolutely insanely overboard with 90s slang. All the other episodes have almost none, but this ONE episode they just keep saying "buggin'" and "trippin'" like every other word and it's so weird. I still prefer the two 90s dubs. Except the "cousins" part. As a kid I had no idea about lgbtetc stuff. Mommies and daddies loved each other, I could not conceive of another option. So having "Michelle" and "Amara" be cousins in the dub I was always like "I don't act that way with MY cousins. This is weird and confusing." Then learning about homosexuality and also that the shows I watched were from Japan and dubbed and edited for English-speaking audiences it was like "OH. Okay." So I just thought Michelle and Amara were huge weirdos for several years.

[@Gummy_Pop.]

Had no idea it was redubbed grew up with DIC/CWI but that literally made me look for the actual subbed version and where i found the hidden season sailor stars

[@OnigiriStation]

The ViZ dub is somewhat recent! but I’m sure many will still turn towards the original Japanese with subs given the option, it’s hard to beat!

[@SketchingPandaRen]

I like some of the dumb voices, the campy humor, and the music of the DiC dub. But I do like the non censorship of Viz. Honestly tho, I like Crystal the best.

[@Kurichestnut320]

Small correction: the Viz dub of the 90s anime ran from 2014 to 2019, not 2016

[@sheanartisthunty]

The DIC dub will always be my favorite. The acting might’ve been silly at times, it might’ve been cheesey, and yes the censorship is awful, BUT it has SO much charm!!! Not to mention,Neflite’s death and the breakup scene in particular has the better acting than the newest dub does. I get chills every time I hear “Serena” crying in that scene, and “Molly’s” Boston accent might’ve again been really silly but her crying was so impactful too. And that was one thing about the DIC dub I loved- you CANT mistake anyone’s voice for someone else. The Viz dub felt too samey with all the girls. Luna- who I felt was the most mature and motherly- had a voice the same age of the girls and yes, I think they’re meant to be the same range, but her maturity doesn’t come through as much. If I could do it again, I’d still pick the Dic Dub.

[@BullseyeRey]

Luna is supposed to be the same age as the Sailor Scouts. Her being motherly was mainly a DIC dub thing, that was not in the original Japanese or in the Manga.

[@soarixchannel5265]

If I really had to choose over the Japanese, Dic and Viz dubs, I'd just choose the Japanese dub. Uncut and the voice acting is unproblematic. The Dic dub (while being SO nostalgic) doesn't line up with today's dubbing standards. I wouldn't want the Dic dub to return but I'd definitely like for Toei to remaster it and re-release it on DVD, so that it doesn't become lost media. And I definitely agree with the people that don't like the Viz dub, Mako and Rei's VAs are excellent but everyone else just doesn't stand out in that dub. Plus Stephanie Sheh's Usagi is really annoying. I really wish Naoko chose another person to be the voice of her.

[@OnigiriStation]

Same! I don’t usually hate dubs, and often prefer them these days. But this is one where I’ll stick to the original Japanese cast. Nostalgia can only go so far!

[@Firewolt]

I don't understand your criticism over Stephanie Sheh being annoying as Usagi. Because in my opinion, Usagi is supposed to be annoying in nature and I think Stephanie Sheh did an excellent job at making her sound annoying when she's crying or laughing. That's part of Usagi's nature. If you want something truly annoying, CWI will show you how annoying Usagi is by the way she sounds. Yuck!

[@soarixchannel5265]

@@Firewoltit's all a matter of opinion

[@jvever4904]

VIZ dub is my favorite way to watch Sailor Moon, tho i have a soft spot for the DiC dub

[@victoria856]

I gotta say I loved Zoecite as a woman when I was younger. A non traditionally feminine woman who is a general and in a relationship with one of the other generals? It was so unique. Uranus didn't come until much later, so Zoecite was a favorite for me.

[@alcyonae]

The cherry on top was the cosplay at the end! Never would I have expected it

[@OnigiriStation]

You’d be surprised how hard it is to fit a 6ft tall man into a cheap Sailor Mars uniform haha

[@elijahguest1885]

I grew up with the clover way and did dub quite recently in fact cause my older cousin had dvds, they have a charm to them however their example of dubs done better star blazers the English dub of space battleship Yamato did a great job of keeping the orignal intent while certain violent scene weren’t shown characters where shown in ship being blown up occasionally so while most was cut out you knew people where dying when ships where fighting each other. The voice acting for the most part is decent character like Derek wildstar (Kodai susumu) and captain avatar (Captain okita) sound very close to the original Japanese and yes characters like okita did die in both versions! Second season did do a lot of more beating around the bush with censoring like entire character deaths being cut out and reworded to make sure they weren’t killed off it still kept true to the themes of the original. Hell, in stuff like speed racer besides name changes practically nothing was cut out! And in both these dubs they keep the original openings. I can’t say the same for other anime I like. captain Harlock has been butchered time and time again in the English market. Sorry for the lengthy comment but while I have a personal connection and like aspects of the sailor moons early dubs I think earlier examples show it could’ve been done better!

[@OnigiriStation]

It's fun to hear about all the ways anime was censored in the old days! And Harlock really got the short straw most of the time, it's like Macross always getting shafted. I don't mind the lengthy comments, they're always a fun read when people care about what they have to say!

[@CodenameSailorEarth]

The subtitled version spoiled me. The vocal range and the emotion hooked me more strongly than the dub versions. I need Sailor Moon 100% uncensored. Also, Chibiusa became Rini, but both names mean Little Bunny. Hotaru got to keep her name in CWI.

[@OnigiriStation]

It’s hard to top the original Japanese cast and writing! The old dub censorship is also a real killer that even nostalgia can’t beat.

[@AnimaMandala]

I'm so used to reading subtitles now that I don't feel like I'm missing the action. Otherwise I'll just simply rewind and rewatch, it's not like people don't still do that anyway. No matter the language sometimes the scene goes by so quickly that you can't fully process it the first time.

[@waffletoast215]

I prefer the Viz dub because I prefer the uncut experience, but I find the Dic dub to still be charming in its own unintentionally funny way. Like the use of outdated slang and sometimes very weird acting. But here's a fun fact for you. In the Italian dub of Stars, they made it so the Starlights are just "summoning their twin sisters".

[@OnigiriStation]

Well now I gotta look into the Italian dub! haha It is very charming in its own weird 90s way isn't it?

[@waffletoast215]

@@OnigiriStation it’s not just Italy, I think various countries around the world had their own weird ways of censoring the lgbt themes of the series at the time. I think some countries also changed Sailor Uranus to be a man when being a civilian. I haven’t actually watched these dubs since I don’t speak those languages so I’m going off of trivia I’ve heard so you can take it with a grain of salt if you want though.

[@kidkytes6233]

I will forever headcanon that censoring Haruka and Michiru as 'cousins' but not taking out any of the flirting and romantic context in their conversations made every single localising team just say: "It's better to just have lesbians instead of incest lesbians."

[@coreylineberry8557]

I would have just said they're really close friends. It's a bit of a lame way to censor, but still better than incest.

[@kidkytes6233]

@@coreylineberry8557 yeah just have them be really close friends. The biggest issue is not taking out any of the flirting between them. Every part of it was kept iin, even when 'Michelle' was talking about 'Brad'.

[@lyandraangel]

I was lucky to be introduced to Sailor Moon in the late ninties, just before the second half of season 2 started airing. One set of my friends would give me VHS recordings of the DiC/Cloverway dub to watch, and another friend had fansubs of the other three seasons which he also lent me on VHS (though they were clearly recorded from laser disc). Due to this, I was rather fond of both the sub and the dub. With the new dubs and new series, I love them as well, but so far Crystal is actually my favorite. I'm really looking forward to Sailor Moon Cosmos in June.

[@silverwolflee6978]

DIC dub was great. Cloverway'a dub with changing Sailor Moon's voice actor and re arranging some of the other casts to switch rolls was just odd. Even the movies decided lets being back Terri Hawks for the roll again even though we have Linda Ballantyne as Sailor Moon. Both great actors but just felt odd to not have that consistency.

[@firemiracle]

Even if the dic version had a lot of censorships and changes, i just can't help but love the dic version. I tried to watch the viz redub and while i do admit that it's pretty good, it just doesn't seem the same for me from what i grew up with. The dic version will always be my favorite version, the different voices of the characters, the silly cheesy yet funny writing, and of course the freaking badass music, especially when sailor moon has to destroy or heal a monster. Now about the season 1 finale, i honestly don't blame why dic had to heavily censor the finale, because when the episodes came out in japan for the first time, oh boy it was kinda bad. Not only people recall classmates not showing up for school and being unable to eat for days after the episode aired. One of the most intriguing stories is that of Arata Owada, a Japanese radio DJ. Owada watched Sailor Moon every week with his daughter. After the deaths of the Guardians, Owada’s daughter became sick with a fever that lasted a week and climbed to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. When Owada took his daughter to the doctor, the diagnosis was autointoxication. The doctor asked if Owada’s daughter had a recent trauma, and well... those two episodes were the reason. So when Dic learned about this, they didn't wanted children in America to go thru something like that poor girl went thru, so i don't blame them in why they made a lot of changes. But yea, besides all these changes, i still love and prefer the dic version way more than the original version. Like i have nothing against the viz dub, i do agree that it's great that there is finally a redub uncensored english version of all 5 seasons, but yet for me the dic version is just way more fun to me... however i will agree that making uranus and neptune as "cousins" was freaking stupid 😂

[@dianak5519]

I feel the same way about the games, even though they were changed or censored, I still prefer their localized versions.

[@aussieman3021]

0:46: Not until KZbinr Ray Mona got a hold of it from the Library of Congress. Also, the company that first dubbed Sailor Moon is pronounced "deek", like it rhymes with "peek/peak" or "seek", not "Dee Eye See" like there are dots in between the letters.

[@d011p4rtz]

even as a child I saw right through all these censors, especially the "cousins"..................

[@dcb99filmz]

a lot of the VAs in this show did move on to other iconic shows and even video games as well: Usagi's third VA Linda Ballantyne was in Yin Yang Yo playing several of the show's villains as well as playing Wicked in Cyberchase Shingo's VA Julie Lemieux was Hunter in Spider Riders and Runo in Bakugan Makoto's VA Susan Roman was an established name on the Toronto scene for a while before this but she's since slowed down....she did get to be MegaMan Volnutt in Legends 2 Minako's first VA Stephanie Morgenstern was Regina in Dino Crisis and Yin in Yin Yang Yo her second VA and temporary voice of Rei, Emilie Barlow, was Courtney in Total Drama and Alice in Bakugan Rei's VA Katie Griffin was Alex in Totally Spies and Julie in Bakugan Haruka's VA Sarah LeFleur was Trish in the first Devil May Cry Artemis's VA Ron Rubin was Morph in X-Men before this show among other roles Mamoru's first VA Rino Romano moved to LA after recording 11 episodes of this show and then became Spider-Man in the PS1 games among other roles Rubeus's VA Rob Tinkler was Max in the Sam & Max cartoon before this but he'd go onto be an iconic VA appearing in too many shows to count. Sapphire's VA Lyon Smith was Masquerade in Bakugan and Corey Riffin in Grojband...and Tony Jones in Magi-Nation. Shit, I could be here all day...and I'm one of those posers who's never seen the show...I'll watch it sub first and then go back and watch this version later for shits and gigs...and for my bois Lyon Smith and Rob Tinkler.

[@ZenithintheMaking]

Yeeesh I know a lot of these properties. Feel good about knowing that people or a person have read this.

[@dcb99filmz]

@@ZenithintheMaking thanks for reading my comment, it's not often someone bothers to hear all the interesting trivia I have up my sleeve.

[@ZenithintheMaking]

@@dcb99filmz There's a lot of people ya know! There will be others to do the same. Just keep giving your all👊

[@dcb99filmz]

@@ZenithintheMaking I will...my knowledge might come in handy eventually. Toronto has my favorite voice actors and it's a shame they're not as well-known as the folks in Los Angeles, Vancouver (Ocean), New York (4Kids) or even the folks down in Texas (Funimation and Sentai/ADV) I'd love to hear them in another ambitious project (a game, a show or an animated movie) someday, something as good as the older cartoons, anime and games they used to work on....with as much profanity as their short-lived dub of Slam Dunk (and some of the live-action projects guys like Martin Roach and Dan Petronijevic appear in) and as deep a plot as the old X-Men cartoon they worked on.

[@Maimuna23458]

@@dcb99filmzwhat , About Tracey Moore , and Terri Hawks.?

[@xemmyQ]

i have nostalgia for all three dubs. so i like all three, for different reasons.

[@iron1349]

I like both. Gun to my head, choosing VIZ since it's available in its entirety and I love Haruka and Michiru being gay

[@RavenFirewind]

I grew up on the DiC dub (I was 7 or 8 at the time of its release), but after picking it up in Japanese with subs in my early 20's, I can never truly go back--and like those you mentioned, I just don't like the Viz dub. There are anime I can watch dubbed, and there are those I can't. Sailor Moon is one of the latter. It holds a wealth of sentimentality for me, and seeing it as it was originally meant to be has proven to deepen my love for it. But that said, the DiC dub will always hold a special place in my heart, because without it, I'd never have fallen in love with this series and its characters. ❤

[@OnigiriStation]

I feel the same as you. The DiC dub will always be nostalgic and full of memories, but the Japanese with subs just feels the best overall

[@KikitheArtCat]

This is exactly why im watching the subed version

[@RC30019]

I love the Viz dub alot it really show more of the anime true work without the terrible edits and the voices sound better the originals sorry 90s dub fans it's my opinion.

[@OnigiriStation]

It’s hard to argue for a version of the show edited into the ground! While I think nostalgia goes a long way, the Viz dub goes longer for me. But, I think the original Japanese will be my go to on this one!

[@ZeoViolet]

I hate censorship; I do have a soft spot for the early DiC dubs because childhood nostalgia (especially the song _My Only Love_ when Serena transforms into the Princess for the first time); however, I'll also have a general preference for Japanese with English subtitles or the redub of the series. I'm flexible here, but overall in any newer anime production, the English dub had better be working HARD to be fairly accurate but also of good quality (Such as the anime _Haibane Renmei),_ OR I will stick strictly with the Japanese with English dubs.

[@shay_shei]

I’m noticing a trend in the thumbnail designs. It’s really unique and really cool. Keep doing these dude!!

[@Imaginestudio2004]

Now we have Viz dub so now he don't have to worry about it.

[@kolkagaming1234]

I’m so glad the Viz Media dub has less Censorship.

[@_mango_]

Woo!! The sequel I didn’t know I wanted until I received it!!

[@OnigiriStation]

Hopefully it lives up to the first one! I have a few more censorship videos in the works on top of some other videos. I’d like to keep sharpening my editing and animating! It’s been a lot of fun making videos again

[@_mango_]

@@OnigiriStation you’re excellent and extremely underrated in my book, don’t forget me when you’re at the top 💪💪😂

[@snappy4368]

amazing video, i can tell there was alot of effort put into this! Nice job. Also loved that ending, LOL.

[@OnigiriStation]

Thank you! They take a lot of time to make and it can stress me out in the process some days, but it’s really fun to make these videos and it makes me happy to hear when people enjoy them!

[@huzi990]

That ending tho.

[@dariuskendricks3226]

The dude that was changed to a girl popped out like the fairy in the legend of Zelda Majora's mask😂

[@OnigiriStation]

Zelda's Fairy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWGZXpWVmdGWgLs Zoisite: kzbin.info/www/bejne/naPKhZyrpqeHd68 Yeah, I see it hahaha

[@curesaul5749]

I appreciate the new dub but the voice acting in the old one was so good. I wish they offered options to allow those to watch Sailor Moon in either the Dic/CWI dub or the Viz one. Same things for the movies. I can't find a way to watch the old dubs for the films.

[@OnigiriStation]

A middle ground of the old cast with their old attitude mixed into the new script would be perfect to me. But that's the funny thing, everyone will always have something they love from certain versions, and it could be wildly different from another's view! I get why they don't want the old dubs viewable, but it's always weird to hide history. At least there's always archives out there holding onto them at least!

[@mrkaji8913]

12:58 I like to think he’s lying to her

[@StockeTepes]

Your content is inspiring man, super underrated & is making me take notes lol. Your last 2 videos were amazing so even though I’m not as familiar with the Sailor Moon series I still appreciate the detail & analysis you put into these. It’s very interesting to see the history of these dubs the way you present them

[@OnigiriStation]

Thank you! Making videos is a fun hobby! I always like watching video essays and I thought it would be fun to make similar videos of topics I would want to watch. Hopefully I can keep learning and keep improving with time!

[@potpotan7568]

OMG! The last part got me chuckled while I was drinking water. Got me off guard. Love it!

[@SenkoVT]

I'm so glad we didnt get alot of censoring over here in germany ... sure sometimes blood is altered or dialogue changed but overall it was rather untouched and just translated with a mix of the japanese and american version

[@BrianD0313]

I grew up on the DiC version and just got back into Sailor Moon. I tried the Viz version, and I applaud them for trying to keep it as authentic to the original Japanese version, but I prefer the DiC version (maybe because I can just relate more to it by being American). First off, I think the one major reason I prefer the DiC version is because of the music. Music is very important when setting the right moods, especially during emotional scenes. Now I'm guess Viz is the original music but sometimes not every original choice is the best choice. I like the DiC remixed open intro, the transformation and Moon Tiara Magic (I like "Magic" over "Action") music scenes, the ominous Dark Kingdom music, the music that plays when the Moon Princess is revealed, and the music that plays during the final battle scene on Season 1. Watching some DiC episodes side by side with Viz, there were some dialogue scenes in the DiC version which seemed more natural than the Viz version. I prefer the majority of the DiC voice actors. It would have been nice if Viz could have brought a majority of them back. Going back to the final battle of season one, Princess Serenity talks in a more proper dialect in the DiC version compared to Viz which you should expect her to do as she is finally embracing her role as a Princess. I also prefer Luna's old voice actress. She had this proper British accent which made it feel like you needed to take her seriously where as the Viz version is more school girl like. I do prefer the original Season 1 finale. It sucks that it was highly censored. As stated above, I really wish the original DiC final battle music stayed in as it was a unique song for the situation instead of the generic opening theme. I like a lot of the DiC character names (once again, American). When I hear people talk about the Japanese names, I get lost sometimes because some names sound familiar or I'm unsure if they are mentioning a name. Since this was marketed to children in the 90s, it makes sense that certain things needed to be censored. I prefer female Zoisite over male Zoisite. I just feel it makes more sense that Zoisite is a female with how their character is drawn. Also is nice having female representation in the Dark Kingdom general core. As for Neptune and Uranus, they should have kept their relationship authentic. To me it sucks that the DiC version is gone. It's unfair to the voice actors and musicians that worked on it.

[@TheAmberCakes]

Ahahahahaha best ending ever. 😂 do continue adding these little blips of your humor and personality. It’s great. I’m so glad KZbin randomly decided to feed me your yugioh video this morning, loving these revisits of nostalgia and dub nightmares. I’m with you, if I’m going to enjoy media, I’m going to try and consume it in the most original and pure form as the artist intended. :)

[@OnigiriStation]

Thank you! It’s always nice to hear when people enjoy the videos! I always worry my sense of humor will be bland or weird, feels good to know it lands sometimes hahaha I like art to be as the artist intended, but I get dollar signs, differing cultures, and multiple corporations will mix things up. Sometimes it’s for the worse, but it can give fun things like abridged series and nostalgia!

[@SAILORMOON4LIFE]

I LIKE DIC AND CLOVERWAY AND VIZ ENGLISH OFFSHOOT OF SAILOR MOON

[@sharinichols6333]

I love all 3 with sailor moon and DIC had good music in all the episodes when sailor moon was fighting

[@naranara1690]

This tells me I need to be watching more Sailor Moon

[@OnigiriStation]

Doesn't hurt to give it a watch!

[@starscreamsniper926]

The infamous "cousins" censorship. They together together so the face that they were cousins, NOPE! Try again

[@paulajones3856]

In the popular English dubbed version of Episode 153 made by CWI, it was titled “Dental Dilemma”, which is not to be confused with a Kirby Right Back At Ya episode called “A Dental Dilemma”, another anime English dubbed show that was censored

[@mizinoinovermyhead.7523]

For me no one version gets everything right. DIC did a lot with how the Queen Beryl fight went and the music for that scene (Carry On) hits perfect. It could do with the real lead up that we got from the original show which would only make it better. The VIc is most manga accurate, but its missing some of the flare that I always loved about the DIC version. Honestly if we could get the voice cast from the DIC doing mostly the VIZ dub, but with a little flare from the DIC dub, while definitely getting the DIC sound track main songs and the original or viz underscore, that to me would be a perfect version.

[@Jesse12489]

When I see DIC logo I have so much Nostalgia from my childhood in no it's not pronounce DICK. It's "Deek". Makes me want to go back in time and watch old cartoons.

[@TheDBPhantom]

Your videos are incredibly well made! I'd been checking you out via my recommended/watch later list, and upon hearing you only have 1k subs, I was stunned! I thought for sure you had way more. Here's hoping you get even more, you deserve 'em. Cheers, and thanks for the awesome content :)

[@OnigiriStation]

Thank you! Whenever I run out of energy or feel down about what I make, awesomely kind comments like yours really power me up! Hopefully, all my future videos will be worthy of the praise :D

[@Hedgie3]

Lately I've been having times of watching the VIZ Media re-dub on Blu-ray. I think the recasting was done well because the VAs in this version fit the characters better (especially the VA for Luna, her VA from the DIC dub sounded like one from some harsh old lady) and I do think that Sailor Gardians is a better thing to call those characters than Sailor Scouts espcially when considering what they actually do when they're transformed. I don't mind that the names weren't westernised in it and that the Japanese theme song is used instead of a re-use of the DIC version of it. My mother told me that when I watched episodes of the DIC dub in my childhood I got bored while doing that, very likely because of the censorship. The VIZ re-dub is a lot better because that version having in it what the DIC version doesn't, makes it a more interesting show. Especially adults who are fine with seeing any of the mature stuff that the sub versions would have and have to watch a dubbed version of an anime if they never learned Japanese language. What's the point in watching any of them if you can't understand what the characters are saying.

[@thepanda1044]

I grew up with the DIC version so i don't mind it so much but i do like the Viz one more because the DIC version had a lot of missing episodes so i felt like American kids kind of got jipped on that. But hey the dic version did introduce me to more anime so... All in all, not a bad thing.

[@antfbi]

I grew up on the dic version. Found the Japanese version 15 years ago and now I’ve watched the viz version! I love the viz version it’s the Version I wish I grew up with

[@OnigiriStation]

Now you can grow old with the VIZ dub! It is quite nice to have a dub that isn’t chopped up and censored, but it’s a shame so many kids got stuck with a overly edited version in the 90s/00s

[@akiraevangelionultimateali5199]

15:08 warms my heart

[@jeremyhall2727]

Japanese dub with eng Sub 100%. I grow up on the highly edited America version 😅 I'm fine with the name changes. I srill call them by those names. But heck with all the censorship.

[@sun_man35]

My sister likes sailor moon, You did my fab anime too DBZ

[@LAQueja]

I bought the sailor moon music album. The DiC version music is what made it nostalgic for me, especially Tuxedo Mask song. DiC was cheesy, but it was the 90's.

[@abdielgarcia389]

It happened the same thing with saint seiya unfortunately it didn't have that much success as sailor moon In the u.s but in Latin America France and China was very successful

[@thisissparta789789]

The funniest part is that plenty of other Western dubs of Sailor Moon in the 90s who had to remove or downplay LGBTQ themes due to censorship standards of the time often just made Haruka and Michiru close friends while still keeping the implications of more than that (like in Spanish and French). It boggles me why Cloverway just didn’t do that since it would have been so much easier compared to making them cousins. Obviously, openly gay characters were not gonna fly with the TV networks on a children’s show in the 90s, but the cousins approach was confusing.

[@kumada84]

I just read that CBR article about Sailor Moon, and...that's an interesting interpretation of reality. 👁️👁️

[@adninhaikal]

Commenting so my man will get his youtube break. You deserve 1 mil subs my guy!🎉

[@OnigiriStation]

Thank you so much! Idk about a million but I'm quite happy to hear people are enjoying the videos!

[@GardevoirBoy]

@@OnigiriStation Back when Sailor Moon was first localized in English, I felt sorry for the show being censored just because it was too weird for kids. The ones in charge of the television policies were the dense ones. They berated the show for being too violent and adult for kids just because it was from Japan, threatened production companies if they didn't censor the show, pressured local governments at keeping everything true to social norms if aimed at children, and ruined many 90s kids childhoods. Whoever made that field day just wanted kids to be safe watching television and video games. It's unforgivable that the censors wanted everything true to social norms when aimed at children. Queer censorship was just unfair. Everything the censors were led to believe was a lie. I feel bad for the people who wanted Sailor Moon censored when it was first aired on television. Bad localization is a sin to us video game players and anime watchers. Optimum Productions deserved to be out of business because what the company did to Sailor Moon was unforgivable. I feel bad for the people involved having the show censored only because parents found gays to be a threat to kids shows which doesn't make any sense. I'm glad we have the Viz Media dub because I can't stand it when gays get censored. It wasn't fair that Japan didn't get deceived but we did only because parents were scared of kids being deceived by something they didn't understand.

[@maxmiyake1224]

I prefer the dic dub it was really comica and made the anime so relatable 😅

[@flowertrue]

I could swear I remember watching it as a teenager in the 80s. After Star Blazers

[@CallMeStaryStill]

Said Stars was never dub due to licensing issues not because of it's content although that probaly did not help

[@rodrigonascimento1800]

Just so you know Protugal also changed drastically the sailor warrior names, Usagi is Bunny, Mars is Rita, Júpiter is Maria IIRC, Ami is still Ami but with a portuguese pronounciation

[@OnigiriStation]

At least Bunny still fits! More than Serena haha have they since updated the names in Portuguese or do they still roll with old dub names?

[@rodrigonascimento1800]

@@OnigiriStation when we dubbed the Crystal remake we changed the names back to their original names, oh just remembered another change, Mamoru was Gonçalo over here.

[@InvisibleProductions-ps8fu]

​@@rodrigonascimento1800and Minako become Joana Lima

[@gman3000]

The only thing I remember about the original dub of Sailor Moon was seeing logos for DiC and The Program Exchange on Toonami.

[@helenlena4513]

1:41 a little correction Sailor Moon had moderate success in Canada because it aired at prime time but in America it was in dead time slots

[@baronagony4767]

I like them all for their own reasons

[@af3893]

Viz dub fan here. Dialogue and voice actors were the best. Came across this video while I was searching for them 😅

[@heavenofnirvana6270]

DIC is a comedy anime show!

[@OnigiriStation]

Oh? tell me more!

[@heavenofnirvana6270]

@@OnigiriStation Well, when I first watch it, I found out funny when they made funny comedies about Serena and Darien making out (just like a scene when Usagi and Mamoru shared their kiss together) before meeting Rini from the future, at first this was a weird DIC dub, but found out funny. Sailor Moon VIZ is way better than Sailor Moon CID.

[@1001johny]

Take it easy man, I just learned of you yesterday thanks to DBZ. Glad to hear how successful it has been for you.

[@OnigiriStation]

Hopefully I can keep up the good work and keep making stuff you enjoy! and thank you!

[@paulforder591]

As an anime purist, I prefer Sailor Moon in the original Japanese with English subtitles. The dubbed and edited version makes a mockery of the episodes. 😁✌️🇯🇵🇬🇧

[@the9thinning1]

u deserve more subs

[@OnigiriStation]

Thank you! I'm happy to have any subs at all! But I intend to keep working harder and improving with each passing video regardless of the views and subs :D

[@Windwalker88]

This is why i always watch subbed. I think the dubs are shitting all over the author's vision of the story

[@OnigiriStation]

Before the 2010s anime was the Wild West, you never knew what you were going to get! A lot of anime really was lost or ruined in translation for the dub. So many butchered stories and characters, it’s a real shame.

[@Windwalker88]

@@OnigiriStation i agree with you that some weird sexual harrasement and names can easily be changed or let out. But just cutting out the whole ending where everyone sacrifices themselves is just ridiculous 😂

[@zs4580]

I was a huge fan in the early 2000s watching on toonami. I loved the first four seasons on there. But then i discovered rhe anime section in the local comic book store had fansub tapes of sailor moon. I warched random Japanese episodes of SuperS and Stars and have never been able to go back to the original Dic or cwi dub after that. Ill always love them tho. I watch the Viz dub now.

[@frogmin2439]

I liked the Mars cosplay lol

[@OnigiriStation]

Haha thanks! I wanted to spice up the video at the end and add some of that Mars heat 🔥🔥

[@millabasset1710]

I was smart as a kid, I didn't buy the cousin censorship, Neptune was looking to get up in Uranus, it was obvious.

[@korenwell7724]

I can't believe how good your videos are for someone with only three published videos (not counting your ones from 6+ years ago). Honestly, your videos are better than those churned out by half the 100k+ subscribed crowd.

[@OnigiriStation]

Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words and I'm happy to hear the videos are being enjoyed! I feel like I've gotten a lot better recently and I'm working on improving as much as possible with each video. I still make mistakes or fail to animate or edit something as well as I'd like, but I think I'm much better than I used to be. It's really nice to hear others think the same! I don't need the big numbers like the youtube stars as long as the people that do watch are having a good time!

[@demetriusburley3686]

The 90s dub was the best