This theory implies:
A) Toei and, more importantly, PNP, actually care about what the fandom wants.
B) At some point in time Toei and, more importantly, PNP, actually interacted with the fandom, made polls, participated in discussions, to check what that fandom wants.
Neither of these two assumptions sound even remotely feasible to me.
I understand what you mean, and I did write as if I were taking it personally. I am. I admit that's the luxury of being a fan.
That being said, entertainment companies do "listen" to their fandoms when it comes to things like sales and gauging interest in potential new sources of revenue. It's likely not as direct as viewing forums, but there is research being done. For something like a new anime, they wouldn't just create it and hope people would come; they would determine if there is enough viability in such a project before committing any dollars, resources and, staff. That's how companies stay in business.
And there is evidence that fan feedback has an impact on an official product. Why else would there be yet another re-translation of the manga after the 2011 debacle? If PNP or Kodansha literally did not care, they would just slap "Spark Ring Wide Pressure" on all official English-speaking media and just use the old script for the revamped comic pages. Given that they are willing to put out more money for a new translation (for a niche product, no less ) shows that there is some effort into making sure things are right.
While Crystal's sales likely met expectations and did well enough to justify continuing, it's clear it was not a blockbuster hit. If it were, everything associated with Sailor Moon would be using the revamped Crystal designs.
People complaining about Crystal isn't limited to Western, English-speaking fans; from what I've heard secondhand, many of the same complaints are echoed in the Japanese fandom. If no one were listening, why did they get rid of the 3D transformations in Crystal instead of enhancing them? Why else would Toei go back to Kazuko Tadano for character design and intentionally try to make the visuals of Crystal's characters more in line those of with the old anime? Probably because they suspect that the old anime visuals would evoke nostalgia dollars...but how would they do that without feedback?
Again, Sailor Moon is a cash cow - a reliable moneymaker. With reliable moneymakers that don't show potential for growth but produces steady income you do what was done for Sailor Moon -- the bare minimum to keep the dollars flowing. That means you're not going to chase new dollars at risk of alienating your existing ones. If you're not getting that many new/returning fans but have an outsized portion of old fans who is reliably purchasing what you put out, then the answer is to "stay the course."
It also doesn't help that PNP has more control over the franchise than Toei does. That's why Toei puts more money into other franchises that will reap a greater profit.
Also, Seira Hazuki, much of what you wrote was basic fact and true, so I'm not going to quote it all. I'd also like to add there is another BIG difference between Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball, popularity aside.
For Dragon Ball, even though it went through a period where there was little animated content, it never went completely dormant the way Sailor Moon did. Even when it stopped airing on TV and movies stopped, there was tie-in material, things like the Budokai video game series which kept interest alive. There was also new animation like
Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! even before Kai was released.
Heck, even though Dragonball: Evolution was a bad,
bad movie, that an official, live-action Hollywood movie wasn't just planned, but
made indicated that there was an expectation of growth.
By contrast, after PGSM (which people complained about being cheap back then) and the last of the old musicals in 2005, Sailor Moon was DONE. Internationally, it was worse as PNP got control over the franchise again and all the licenses expired. As a result, there was no one keeping the franchise alive but the fandom.
The only point DBZ has against Sailor Moon is that Battle of the Gods was at least a completely brand new story. However, (someone correct me if I’m wrong) the movie was the first time I think in ages Toriyama was involved. Similarly, Eternal is the first time Naoko has become directly involved with the Crystal brand in an official capacity. While Eternal is not based on a new story, if it’s successful and if the experience is enjoyable for Naoko, who knows if it can open the door to more material in the future.
The difference is Toriyama was and is remains hands off with the property, allowing TOEI to come up with ideas, and then even re-importing some of the "non-canon" ideas into canon. Even though he's more involved now creatively (partly to avoid more foolishness like Dragonball Evolution), he isn't super-controlling. Toriyama has also allowed others to draw manga with characters he created which, and is semi-grooming Toyble as a possible successor.
The biggest evidence of this is the new material we got, Battle of the Gods. Initially, in the early stages the name "Beerus" was supposed to be a take on "Virus" but somehow the intended meaning got misinterpreted, so as a result. Toriyama rolled with it. There was also a fairly extensive development process in which Toriyama was open to ideas. One reason why Battle of the Gods was so successful was because it wasn't the same old Dragon Ball, and both it and Dragon Ball Super (which is largely Toei going its own way beyond Toriyama's outlines) led to a soft discard of Dragon Ball GT.
By contrast, Takeuchi has been reported by multiple sources to be very demanding when it comes to her business and the treatment of her property. Has she ever let anyone else create a manga side-story that would become part of the Sailor Moon mythos? Sure, she has been reported to be receptive of fan work, but there are no signs she would ever open up her creation beyond what she already has allowed. At most, she'll allow short-lived performances such as the musicals and like the Universal 4-D ride.
...I’m sorry that I wrote this much, but the fandom’s woe is me attitude can be a BIT too much even when it’s justified (none of what I wrote touches on the shoddy production values of Crystal, which to be fair DBZ’s revival suffered through as well). But I think y’all are doing too much by arguing that Toei is convinced Sailor Moon fans don’t want new content...
In all fairness, I am engaging in assumption from an outsider's POV and I am grossly simplifying. But I don't think PNP or Toei perceives an actual market for new material for Sailor Moon, plus Toei is disincentivized from pushing Sailor Moon too hard when it has Pretty Cure. If they believe Sailor Moon fans wanted new content did there would have been something completely new for Sailor Moon animation-wise. Instead they're reaching to the past, a manga that will soon be 30 years old.
PGSM is already a deconstruction - even a pretty huge one I'd say. It ostensibly started quite faithful to the manga in its early episodes, but then deviated more & more all the way to the last episode. Its rating was so-so, but still not a big failure & it managed to run for almost 50 episodes (i.e. a full year!) w/o being axed. Its merchandise also seemed to be doing quite well at the time.
The thing is...PGSM didn't have much staying power, and it was clearly made on the cheap.
That's not to say it was bad, but as a live-action TV program, it would never have the international profit potential or impact of an animated series or movie.
I vaguely remember someone on this board writing that PGSM is hardly acknowledged any more officially, despite being all the rage when it came out. If PGSM had that much impact on the franchise, then the metaseries would have adopted some of the conventions it introduced the same way as it has with the old anime. Even the name Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon seems to align with the re-release of the manga, suggesting that the series was named after the changed official title instead of the metaseries title coming from the show. By contrast, the old anime has its imprint on very single iteration of the franchise that succeeded it.
Put another way, is there any evidence that a PGSM-like product would be received well today? If so, why not make an animated PGSM instead of an animated version of the manga?
It also depends on whether Takeuchi wants new content.
Agreed. From the decisions made about this franchise, one can infer she does not.
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