Was the Sailor Moon manga popular/influential enough to warrant Crystal?

[Talentless Fool]

The Sailor Moon sold really well in the 90s yes - BUT not so much since it’s revival from 2003.
In 2019, we could still find the 2003-edition manga in Animate at Akihabara (where thousands of customers come everyday) in a shy spot of the floor by the 80s/90s manga section.
While Banana Fish which had just finished its anime-run a few months back had a special corner (which btw was a best-seller for while now after selling really well for over 4 years according to Kinokuniya’s official Twitter).

So no - nowadays in Japan people are not interested in buying an nth edition of the manga and even searching JP manga sales record sites for the manga’s different editions, there’s none - meaning it wasn’t meaningful enough.

Unlike perhaps with the US fans, Japanese fans are already content with 1 edition (my friend for example went and bought the previous latest edition just because she liked the cover art of Mars and used her free points to buy it, meaning she didn’t even pay for it on top of not being a Sailor Moon fan nor in being interested in buying other volumes.)
And further proof that the new re-editions do not sell is the lack of communication - yet another example - the latest edition of Saint Seiya (after years) came out in Japan last year and after just 1 day, they had to get a second print because the sales were overly successful and this edition has literally corrections on ALL pages.

So, in summary - yes the manga after its orginal run’s succes went dormant and today before it’s endless re-editions, the JP public isn’t interested in it anymore so than an animated adaptation of it.

 

[Yamoon]

So, in summary - yes the manga after its orginal run’s succes went dormant and today before it’s endless re-editions, the JP public isn’t interested in it anymore so than an animated adaptation of it.

Yeah sure the manga is such a flop in Japon that it has been already re-edited 4th times there....

 

[Talentless Fool]

And…?
Like I said the Shinsouban edition from 2003 is still left unsold in stores in Japan - I saw it with my own eyes.
Considering Sailor Moon is under PNP, as long as Takeuchi has the money, she can make as much new editions she wants - she doesn’t need the approval of any upper head.
Nor there are any other Sailor Moon manga in the works for that she has to coordinate a marketing strategy before thinking of releasing a new manga unlike Kurumada has to with Saint Seiya despite him too owning rights to his work.

Have there even been any announcement that the re-editions of the manga broke records - or even sold well?
And I’m talking only about Japan’s sales here not international ones.

 

[Seira Hazuki]

Ah just another day at the Sailor Moon Forum!

In one week we went from Naoko Takeuchi is a racist to her not even creating Sailor Moon to the manga wasn’t even a hit actually…

I wonder what the next galaxy brain take here will be?

 

[Talentless Fool]

Ah just another day at the Sailor Moon Forum!

In one week we went from Naoko Takeuchi is a racist to her not even creating Sailor Moon to the manga wasn’t even a hit actually…

I wonder what the next galaxy brain take here will be?

Please, learn to read English properly - nobody is saying the manga wasn't a hit; it's 46 million worldwide copies sales are here to prove it but we're saying that in 2023, the Sailor Moon manga is not popular enough to have warranted X-number of re-editions nor that the mainstream Japanese public is interested in it.

 

[Lady Pen]

Please, learn to read English properly - nobody is saying the manga wasn't a hit; it's 46 million worldwide copies sales are here to prove it but we're saying that in 2023, the Sailor Moon manga is not popular enough to have warranted X-number of re-editions nor that the mainstream Japanese public is interested in it.

Don't bother. On this forum you can't say bad and realistic things about the precious SM manga. Be careful. You can be called racist and misogynistic by some members.

 

[Seira Hazuki]

Please, learn to read English properly - nobody is saying the manga wasn't a hit; it's 46 million worldwide copies sales are here to prove it but we're saying that in 2023, the Sailor Moon manga is not popular enough to have warranted X-number of re-editions nor that the mainstream Japanese public is interested in it.

I’ll learn to read when you learn how to use actual facts and not personal anecdotes like generalizing the fact that you saw unsold copies at a store into speaking for the entire Japanese public.

 

[JunoDX]

 

[Talentless Fool]

I’ll learn to read when you learn how to use actual facts and not personal anecdotes like generalizing the fact that you saw unsold copies at a store into speaking for the entire Japanese public.

Yes because the new editions of the manga have been known to sell extremely well, not to mention that such a major selling store-chain as Akihabara's Animate store that gets hundreds of customers per hour would put a best-selling series at the farthest corner of the hall or that the new Eternal movie which was in 2 parts hence twice the success potential ended being a national mega success like the latest One Piece (a global phenomena), Slam Dunk (a manga engrained into the 90s Japanese youth), Makoto Shinkai's Suzume ( a mainstream success) or Part 2 of Free! The Final Stroke (that despite being a niche series stayed in the Top for an insane amount of weeks) oh no wait...

I guess I can use my common sense better than you can use the English language.

 

[Talentless Fool]

Who cares if the new editions of the manga isn’t shifting as many copies? What do any of those *SHOUNEN* series have anything to do with the manga’s success? Because the manga didn’t sell well in ONE store???

And respectfully go [BLEEP] yourself.

Ok, first to educate you Animate is a MAJOR store in Japan that mainly caters to *drum roll* the female audience mainly selling Shoujo, Teen's Love and Boy's Love mangas, CD, Art-Books etc.

At the Animate store in Akihabara each floor is catered to yet a specific genre - Shounen will have it's own floor, Shoujo will have it's own, mainstream shoujo/BL/TL best-sellers will have their own, otaku-oriented mangas/animes will have their own etc.
So yes, sorry to burst your bubble but Sailor Moon wasn't struggling against *SHOUNEN* series at Animate.

And even on a MAJOR store as Amazon JP, you can still find the 2003 edition volumes with 'more on the way' as the availability status.

And lastly, learn some manners.

 

[Lady Pen]

Yes because the new editions of the manga have been known to sell extremely well, not to mention that such a major selling store-chain as Akihabara's Animate store that gets hundreds of customers per hour would put a best-selling series at the farthest corner of the hall or that the new Eternal movie which was in 2 parts hence twice the success potential ended being a national mega success like the latest One Piece (a global phenomena), Slam Dunk (a manga engrained into the 90s Japanese youth), Makoto Shinkai's Suzume ( a mainstream success) or Part 2 of Free! The Final Stroke (that despite being a niche series stayed in the Top for an insane amount of weeks) oh no wait...

I guess I can use my common sense better than you can use the English language.

I must say... thank you so much for the information! I appreciate it. I knew the Sailor Moon manga wasn't a best seller in Japan, but I didn't know it was covered with dust and cobwebs.

And respectfully go [BLEEP] yourself.

I think this new member doesn't deserve such rudeness. Well, nobody deserves it. Where are the manners of some members?

 

[Memento]

The Sailor Moon sold really well in the 90s yes - BUT not so much since it’s revival from 2003.
In 2019, we could still find the 2003-edition manga in Animate at Akihabara (where thousands of customers come everyday) in a shy spot of the floor by the 80s/90s manga section.

So you're telling me a 16 year old edition of the manga that had been superseded by two further editions wasn't given a place of prominence in this particular bookshop you visited? Well that nails it, clearly no one cares about Sailor Moon anymore!

 

[Talentless Fool]

I must say... thank you so much for the information! I appreciate it. I knew the Sailor Moon manga wasn't a best seller in Japan, but I didn't know it was covered with dust and cobwebs.
.

I wouldn't say it's in dust and cobwebs but yes it's defintely in the nichest of the niche series. The young audience isn't interested it in and girls mostly buy one or two (depending on which cover art they like) and put for decoration in their room.

Considering all of the major manga series have had either an official manga sequel by the original mangakas or have passed on the torch to younger, talented mangakas to cater to the younger audience and make either spin-offs, side-stories or reboots but Naoko Takeuchi wouldn't allow either... yeah.

I could share yet another personal experience tied to the current inspiring manga artists mindset but I fear it's gonna enrage some immature people over here

 

[Talentless Fool]

So you're telling me a 16 year old edition of the manga that had been superseded by two further editions wasn't given a place of prominence in this particular bookshop you visited? Well that nails it, clearly no one cares about Sailor Moon anymore!

Yes, because it's known that every manga series keeps getting new editions on and on despite quantities still available due to poor sales.
Then I guess One Piece, Naruto and Bleach have had 10+ editions considering they have sold + 100 millions copies

 

[Seira Hazuki]

Ok, first to educate you Animate is a MAJOR store in Japan that mainly caters to *drum roll* the female audience mainly selling Shoujo, Teen's Love and Boy's Love mangas, CD, Art-Books etc.

At the Animate store in Akihabara each floor is catered to yet a specific genre - Shounen will have it's own floor, Shoujo will have it's own, mainstream shoujo/BL/TL best-sellers will have their own, otaku-oriented mangas/animes will have their own etc.
So yes, sorry to burst your bubble but Sailor Moon wasn't struggling against *SHOUNEN* series at Animate.

And even on a MAJOR store as Amazon JP, you can still find the 2003 edition volumes with 'more on the way' as the availability status.

And lastly, learn some manners.

Again, these are your own personal anecdotes. You are not providing any actual information on sales, and I don’t live in Japan, so it’s not like I can go to the damn store to verify it myself. I said SHOUNEN because the manga and anime you were listing were shounen. Like, you're coming in her insulting my English and common sense, when literally NO ONE here is saying that the Sailor Moon manga is the most succesful series that's bigger than every shoujo title. So what exactly are you trying to argue?

And again even if the new edition of the manga isn’t selling out… Literally who cares.

Does the fact that there are Sailor Moon ‘90s anime blu-rays still on Amazon Japan (discounted) and that it only sold a thousand copies somehow change the fact that the ‘90s anime was and is a huge hit? No. And yet fans of the ‘90s anime constantly try to troll and gaslight manga and Crystal fans here.

I think this new member doesn't deserve such rudeness. Well, nobody deserves it. Where are the manners of some members?

So a new member can come in and directly insult my intelligence, and that's ok?

I'm sorry, this is why I can't think of you as anything but a member who is trying troll and bait people here, even though recently I've tried to be a lot more civil with you.

 

[Lady Pen]

I wouldn't say it's in dust and cobwebs but yes it's defintely in the nichest of the niche series. The young audience isn't interested it in and girls mostly buy one or two (depending on which cover art they like) and put for decoration in their room.

Considering all of the major manga series have had either an official manga sequel by the original mangakas or have passed on the torch to younger, talented mangakas to cater to the younger audience and make either spin-offs, side-stories or reboots but Naoko Takeuchi wouldn't allow either... yeah.

I could share yet another personal experience tied to the current inspiring manga artists mindset but I fear it's gonna enrage some immature people over here

Oh, please. Share it!

Don't worry. Very soon the new trailer of Cosmos will be out. Some members will love these messages being left behind.

So a new member can come in and directly insult my intelligence, and that's ok?

I'm sorry, this is why I can't think of you as anything but a member who is trying troll and bait people here, even though recently I've tried to be a lot more civil with you.

You can use other words to express your discomfort.

Look, almost everyone here can't stand me for being sincere. I've never insulted any member, but I've been insulted more than once and I've always kept the composure. Is that fair?

 

[Talentless Fool]

Again, these are your own personal anecdotes. You are not providing any actual information on sales, and I don’t live in Japan, so it’s not like I can go to the damn store to verify it myself. I said SHOUNEN because the manga and anime you were listing were shounen. Like, you're coming in her insulting my English and common sense, when literally NO ONE here is saying that the Sailor Moon manga is the most succesful series that's bigger than every shoujo title. So what exactly are you trying to argue?

And again even if the new edition of the manga isn’t selling out… Literally who cares.

This whole discussion came from a member arguing that the manga doesn't sell, which I further elaborated upon based on my personal experiences and talks with several young Japanese people and furthermore there are no records of the manga sales available on Japanese sites that register manga volumes sales - which generally means poor sales.
Under any other publisher, Sailor Moon wouldn't be getting more releases when there are unsold copies and no new material but since Takeuchi holds all the publishing rights to the manga, as long as she has the money, she can publish as much editions as she wants regardless of sales for the Sailor Moon manga to stay relevant.

I compared the (lack) of success of Eternal to other anime movies (with no only 2 are Shounen genre) - Eternal which adapts the manga as closely as possible and hence whose success is directly linked to whether people are interested in the manga or not.

 

[Seira Hazuki]

Look, almost everyone here can't stand me for being sincere. I've never insulted any member, but I've been insulted more than once and I've always kept the composure. Is that fair?

That is completley rich considering how unpleasant you and a few other members have made this forum. But whatever, time to fire back up the ole ignore list!

 

[Mosaic]

I compared the (lack) of success of Eternal to other anime movies (with no only 2 are Shounen genre) - Eternal which adapts the manga as closely as possible and hence whose success is directly linked to whether people are interested in the manga or not.

Has there ever been any official statement or report that Eternal did poorly? I mean if it did do poorly, why would Toei release two more films? It just doesn't make sense.

Look back at the original anime series. The SuperS film did horribly and the ratings for Stars weren't great so Toei didn't produce a Stars film and then ended the anime series. If Eternal didn't do well we would not be getting two more movies. That's a fact.

 

[kasumigenx]

Ok, first to educate you Animate is a MAJOR store in Japan that mainly caters to *drum roll* the female audience mainly selling Shoujo, Teen's Love and Boy's Love mangas, CD, Art-Books etc.

At the Animate store in Akihabara each floor is catered to yet a specific genre - Shounen will have it's own floor, Shoujo will have it's own, mainstream shoujo/BL/TL best-sellers will have their own, otaku-oriented mangas/animes will have their own etc.
So yes, sorry to burst your bubble but Sailor Moon wasn't struggling against *SHOUNEN* series at Animate.

And even on a MAJOR store as Amazon JP, you can still find the 2003 edition volumes with 'more on the way' as the availability status.

And lastly, learn some manners.

You can still purchase the 2nd edition manga in online stores as new despite Naoko pulling the plug on the manga and anime in 2005.