Sailor MoonDIC Entertainment’s enduring popularity owes much to DIC Entertainment’s English dub, which aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block from 1998 to 2001. Dubbing is notorious for its censorship of death, queer content, Japanese names and cultural elements such as driving on the left. Many episodes were cut or edited with new animation to disguise questionable scenes, while some were simply left undubbed and cut entirely. Episode 20, “Summer, the beach, youth and ghosts”, is among the rare episodes banned from Toonami programmingbut it’s actually one of the most charming side adventures in the series.
Naoko Takeuchi Sailor Moon is intricately crafted, filled with references to Greco-Roman mythology, astrology, haute couture, Japanese folklore and even his own background in chemistry. In the series, Usagi Tsukino, the reincarnation of the Moon Princess, transforms into Sailor Moon alongside her friends, the Sailor Guardians, to protect Earth from evil. For young American audiences, Toonami’s airing of Sailor Moon it was a first taste of animeand unfamiliar cultural elements required adjustments at the time. But today, Sailor Moon is iconic around the world, and the once-banned episode is available on streaming platforms, making it a perfect Halloween treat.
Sailor Moon encounters a different kind of monster
Sailor Moon meets Hotel Transylvania
Usagi, Ami and Rei head off for a training weekend at the beach. They arrive at a picturesque beach only to discover that their accommodation is a scary mansion apparently occupied by a vampire, a werewolf and a Frankenstein’s monster. A young girl named Sakiko also lives there with her strict father, who uses hypnosis to explore her psychic abilities. As the Sailor Guardians attempt to dispel the mansion’s negative energy, they face an apparition immune to their powers. Sakiko finally breaks free from her father’s influence and destroys the ghost.
Many omitted episodes of Sailor MoonThe first season is filler, cut to introduce the other Guardians earlier. Given the summer setting but with Halloween-style monsters, it’s not surprising that this strange episode was ignored. However, In Japan, supernatural occurrences are often linked to the August Obon festivalhonoring the ancestral spirits and aligning well with the ghostly theme. Despite the presence of the Sailor Guardians, the episode focuses more on the trio of monsters and Sakiko’s fight with her father. The plot does not affect the continuity of the season and has no direct links to the main villain, Queen Beryl, making it an independent story easily cut.
The episode is finally available for streaming
Hulu is the home of Viz Media’s updated English dub
Fortunately, Viz Media’s 2014 redub restored all 200 episodes of Sailor Moonincluding “Summer, the beach, youth and ghosts”. This now-gone episode is more light-hearted than scary, presenting a comical yet moving story. Usagi, Ami, and Rei’s chemistry shines as Rei and Usagi’s sisterly bickering bubbles with tension, while Sakiko’s journey is tragic and heartbreaking. The monstrous trio provide the comic relief needed to balance Sakiko’s family drama, while Usagi misinterprets her good deeds as frightening attempts on her life. They are revealed to be normal people, supposedly in costume, and Usagi realizes that she has judged them hastily.
Toonami remains a staple 27 years after its debut, recently reviving their Retro Anime Block and introducing new programs such as Invincible fighter girlpremiering on November 2nd. Viz Media complete 2014 Sailor Moon dub, including all previously cut episodes, is now available for streaming on Hulu and physical media. For longtime fans who missed the show’s fifth and final season, Sailor MoonDue to licensing issues, the fifth season is also dubbed in English now, offering American audiences the entire series for the first time.