#toonmakers

Toonmakers Sailor Moon Pilot Intro - 1993/1994

I have been an avid Sailor Moon fan for about 15 years but have honestly been watching the show for 25. So imagine the undeniable joy at watching the ToonMakers pilot!

I have been wrapping my head around the possible lore that could have come from this show and similarities and differences that would have made it a cult classic compared to the original. While I'm glad it never got made because we wouldn't have gotten the beloved Dic dub, I still wonder the "what-ifs" (and shudder to think about a gritty Netflix/CW reboot if Toei didn't clutch the rights like a newborn child.)

The Obvious:

Representation. Yes, the main was still a waify white girl, but there were black, asian, and paraplegic characters. These could have been more relatable to children than our lighter-skinned original characters.

Queer awakenings. Sailor Moon has always been a queer mothership, with Saban Moon re imagining Sailor Mars as the "tomboy" character with short hair. Sailor Jupiter, and later Sailor Uranus, was my own awakening.

Crossing sentai over to North America. While the Power Rangers have reign over this genre in NA, I think that this show could have also created an impact for all-girl superhero teams. It would have ridden on the coattails of She-Ra and have been placed a couple of years before the Power Puff Girls.

Combined Live Action and Animation. This was something I had never seen before and loved the idea that their superhero personas were animated and their civilian identities were live action. I think could have pulled the Sweet Valley High/Babysitters Club/Clarissa Explains It All group, but also the Batman/Captain Planet group.

The Lore Potential

Interplanetary (and Inter-dimensional) Travel. These Sailor Scouts could travel from Earth to different planets to fight monsters, rather than have monsters invade the Earth (as far as the Pilot showed). They use "Sky Flyers" which I assume is where the idea for the Irwin "Moon Cycle" toy came from. With the Vortex as a portal between dimensions, what would happen if it were to close, or if Beryl were to go through?

Identities. All the girls were aware of their identities upon physical arrival to Earth, rather than being reborn and discovering their past lives. They already know they are Guardians/royalty and could have struggles fitting in to Earth customs.

Tuxedo Mask. He still throws the rose to act as a foil and deus ex machina to the Monster of the Week, but his role and appearance is questionable. Is he the prince in disguise (or reborn) or is he pulling a Moonlight Knight (alive but no memory except the sense of duty to protect)? Either way, would this have opened up a live action appearance for Mamoru/Darien to have a similar dynamic with Victoria/Serena/Usagi?

Superpowers. Unlike the original, Saban Moon featured generic power beams in place of the named attacks. However, the elemental aspects of the attacks remained for Mars and Jupiter.

The Youma. These Monsters of the Week varied from the originals in the sense that they were not possessing humans/Earthlings (can't forget Rhett Butler) but rather were monstrous beings themselves. There appeared to be different types and species, likely vulnerable to certain attacks.

Beryl. What is her deal? Did she also have an unrequited thing for Mamoru/Darien/Endymion or did her villain arc go further back?

Cosmic Jewels of Power. I think this obviously opens up the possibility of having the Outers appear. They would need to be rescued/have their own jewels returned to them, possibly giving them an opportunity to be the new transfer students on Earth?

Live Action and Animation storylines. It appeared to me that the live action portion was for the "slice of life" stuff, meaning that anything magical was not to be discussed while in civilian form. The animation, however, is where Luna would reveal cat-appropriate research on how to protect the jewels. Live action Luna still talks, but to either chide about schoolwork or call to action.

Female friendships. While they had their royal camaraderie in the animation, I think the live action would have explored the girls fully developing their friendship outside of duty and in the realm of teenagers, much like the anime.

Toxic Brain Dump

Exactly how did five girls who look nothing alike register for what is presumably a private school without any parents/guardians or identification? Maybe Luna has hypnosis powers like Luna-P. Magic is always the answer.

There were allegedly going to be boys at this dance but I didn't see any in the class room. Co-ed school but separate classes? A mixed dance with boys from a brother school?

The implication is that once Beryl is defeated, the girls can return to their home dimension. Is-is that it? I mean, the Sailor Moon series was still young by the time ToonMakers caught wind, so maybe they just wanted a one to two season series without developing a grandiose franchise.

A possible Mamoru/Darien appearance in live action could mean a separate school and "townie" episodes. Hopefully, the age difference would have been miniscule (like the manga) if at all.

How many big name stars would have gotten their start on this show or possibly didn't pass the auditions? There must have been more characters, townies, mean girls/rivals, potential love interests, and even extras.

Why did the character designs remove the giant bows but keep the rest of the uniform?

Were the character designs based on the actors or vice versa? I'm assuming the designs came first since the girls had to wear wigs to match the animation.

If Toei didn't have the rights in their claws (which Viz only got after a looonnnggg whiiiiilleee) and a gritty reboot was off the table, would a She-Ra - like reboot be palatable? I honestly think so. With even more character diversity and different body types, plus costume designs that show less boobage and less skin, I think this is something that people would enjoy and have fun with. A recreation with queer creators of color would also bring an extra kick to what I think was a very progressive show for its time.

Have I watched the music video promo more times today then I have ever have in the last 10 years since it was recorded at a convention? Also yes.