Sailor Moon Cosmos

Sailor Moon Cosmos is a 2023 Japanese two-part animated action fantasy film directed by Tomoya Takahashi and written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu based on the Stars arc of the Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi, who also serves as a chief supervisor. Co-produced by Toei Animation and Studio Deen and distributed by Toei Company, Cosmos is a direct sequel to Sailor Moon Eternal (2021) and serves as the "fifth and final season" in the Sailor Moon Crystal anime series. The two-part film stars Kotono Mitsuishi as the voice of Sailor Moon and Chibi-Chibi alongside Kenji Nojima, Misato Fukuen, Hisako Kanemoto, Rina Satō, Ami Koshimizu, Shizuka Itō, Junko Minagawa, Sayaka Ohara, Ai Maeda, Yukiyo Fujii, Nana Mizuki, Marina Inoue, Saori Hayami, Ayane Sakura, and Megumi Hayashibara. Cosmos was released in Japan in June 2023, with the first film on the 9th, and the second film on the 30th.

Plot 

Months after defeating the Dead Moon Circus, Usagi Tsukino and her friends continue to live peaceful lives as ordinary high school students in the Azabu-Jūban district of Minato, Tokyo. Mamoru Chiba, Usagi's boyfriend, plans to study abroad in the United States. However, at the local airport, Mamoru disappears shortly after he proposes to Usagi. Unable to accept Mamoru's disappearance, Usagi hides her memory of that event.

Meanwhile, Shadow Galactica, an organization devoting itself to stealing star seeds throughout the galaxy under Sailor Galaxia's leadership, and the Sailor Starlights, a trio of Sailor Guardians from another star system, arrive on Earth. To gain control of the Galaxy Cauldron for the villainous Chaos, Sailor Galaxia robs the eight Eternal Sailor Guardians of their Sailor Crystals and kills them. Desperate to save her friends, Usagi, as Eternal Sailor Moon, joins forces with the Sailor Starlights to challenge Sailor Galaxia in what may be her greatest - and perhaps final - battle.

Voice cast 

Additional voice cast includes:

Production

Development 
The sequel was first teased at the end of the second film of Sailor Moon Eternal. In April 2022, it was announced that the sequel covering the Stars arc of the manga was to be produced as a two-part anime film project, titled . Majority of key staff members from Eternal two-part film returned, with Kazuyuki Fudeyasu writing the screenplay, Kazuko Tadano designing the characters, and original creator and mangaka Naoko Takeuchi chief supervising the films' production, while Tomoya Takahashi had taken over Chiaki Kons position as a director. Studio Deen will also continue to co-animate and produce the films with Toei Animation.

Casting 
The main voice cast from Sailor Moon Crystal and Eternal reprised their respective roles, and had already recorded their lines for the first film prior to the announcement. In January 2023, it was announced that Marina Inoue, Saori Hayami, and Ayane Sakura have been cast as Kō Seiya/Sailor Star Fighter, Kō Taiki/Sailor Star Maker, and Kō Yaten/Sailor Star Healer respectively. That same month, it was announced that Megumi Hayashibara and Nana Mizuki were cast as Sailor Galaxia and Princess Kakyuu respectively, while Kotono Mitsuishi would reprise her role as Chibi-Chibi. In May 2023, the rest of the Shadow Galactica cast was announced, with Yuka Komatsu and Fumie Mizusawa as Sailor Chi and Sailor Phi, Shiori Mikami and Kanae Itō as Sailor Lethe and Sailor Mnemosyne, and Sena Koizumi, Ayumu Murase, Yōko Hikasa, Mariya Ise, and Haruka Kudō as the Sailor Animamates: Sailor Iron Mouse, Sailor Aluminum Siren, Sailor Lead Crow, Sailor Tin Nyanko, and Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon respectively. In June 2023, it was revealed that Japanese actress Keiko Kitagawa was cast as Sailor Cosmos.

Music 

Yasuharu Takanashi returned to compose the music for the two-part film. The theme song for the two-part film is titled , sung by Daoko. The five-track theme song collection album, titled Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie Theme Song Collection, was released on June 30, 2023, which included the opening songs, , sung by Eternal Sailor5Guardians (first film) and , sung by Nana Mizuki (as Sailor Kakyuu), Marina Inoue (as Sailor Star Fighter), Saori Hayami (as Sailor Star Maker) and Ayane Sakura (as Sailor Star Healer) (second film), an In-Universe song, , sung by voice actresses of Three Lights and the finale song, "Happy Marriage Song", sung by main voice cast of 10 Sailor Guardians and Mamoru Chiba (Kenji Nojima).

Release 
The two-part film was released in theaters in Japan in June 2023, with the first film on the 9th, and the second film on 30th. The Japanese Blu-ray and DVD will be released on December 20, 2023.

Reception 
The first film failed to make it into top 10 in the Japanese box office in its opening weekend, but it ranked second on Filmmarks' first-day satisfaction ranking with an average rating of 3.85/5.0 based on 139 reviews. The second film debuted at number 9 in the top 10 in its opening weekend.

Notes

References

External links 
  
 
 

2020s animated superhero films
2023 anime films
2023 films
Animated films set in outer space
Japanese sequel films
Cosmos
Studio Deen
Films scored by Yasuharu Takanashi
Animated films based on animated series

ja:美少女戦士セーラームーンCrystal#劇場版 美少女戦士セーラームーンCosmos