Reasons Behind Toei Animation’s Global Licensing Withdrawal of Sailor Moon

Reasons Behind Toei Animation’s Global Licensing Withdrawal of Sailor Moon

For over a decade, Toei Animation made the decision to withdraw the worldwide licensing rights for Sailor Moon. Despite the franchise’s enduring popularity and recent success, the series became unavailable for purchase or streaming, leaving fans puzzled about the reasons behind this move.

The Situation: Beginning in 2003, Sailor Moon DVDs started going out of print, with Toei Animation showing no interest in extending the licensing agreements. Both ADV Films and Pioneer Entertainment, the distributors of the anime series, confirmed that their attempts to renew the licenses were met with refusal from Toei Animation. Consequently, the show and movies gradually disappeared from the US market, leaving fans wondering why.

An Attempt to Sell the Live Action Series: To revitalize Sailor Moon, Toei Animation created a live-action adaptation called Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. They believed that this series would be a hit not only in Japan but also in other countries. However, reports circulated that Toei Animation refused to renew the anime license unless the live-action series was also purchased. This posed challenges for international distribution, as dubbing the live-action series would be difficult and costly, while subtitled-only releases were deemed unfeasible. American companies ultimately passed on the series, dashing Toei’s hopes of revitalizing the franchise worldwide.

The Author Wanted More Control: During this period, Naoko Takeuchi, the creator of Sailor Moon, decided to take greater control of her creation. She established her own company and began re-releasing the manga with retouched artwork, which received a positive response from fans in Japan. Takeuchi actively participated in discussions regarding the worldwide re-release of the anime, but she and Toei reached an agreement that the show would only be relicensed if a studio acquired the entire franchise (excluding the live-action series). This condition was presented to make the offer more enticing, especially considering the upcoming anniversary of Sailor Moon.

The 25th Anniversary Revives Interest: To commemorate the franchise’s 25th anniversary, Toei Animation announced a new Sailor Moon anime called Sailor Moon Crystal. This announcement signaled that Sailor Moon was back on the market, leading to negotiations with Viz Media for the acquisition of rights to Sailor Moon Crystal and the entire 90s anime series, including movies and specials. Kodansha also agreed to re-release the manga in America.

Following this agreement, Sailor Moon made a comeback in America after more than a decade of absence. The series has regained immense popularity and continues to attract new fans. However, there have been some challenges along the way, such as Netflix acquiring the rights to the recent movies, delaying their theater release for American fans. Additionally, the initial translations by Kodansha received criticism. The live-action series has yet to be announced for release in America. Nonetheless, fans can now enjoy beautifully restored classics, a consistent English dub, and the best versions of the manga to date. After a long hiatus, the return of the Moon Princess is a welcome presence in our lives.

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