Megan Fox, on the set of the latest live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie directed by Michael Bay, said in an interview that she would like to see a live-action Sailor Moon movie.

When asked to list possible cartoons she would like to see turned into live action movies, she responded with:

“Gundam Wing,” … adding she’d love to see a Jurassic Park remake in the works. “Pacific Rim was sort of a Gundam Wing situation, but they should do it. What about Thundercats?”

Or maybe, she says, Sailor Moon.“That could feasibly be made into a live action movie,” mulls Fox. “I don’t know how many Americans were into that. I was into that, but I don’t know how huge it was here.”

When we shared this news on our Facebook page, fans immediately seemed upset and took this news to mean that Megan Fox wants to play the part of Sailor Moon if there is a live-action, English language film.

Although it is implied that Megan would like to be involved in such a project if it happens, I think we can all agree that she is not the right fit for any of the protagonists. The Sailor Senshi are a fair bit younger, and fans would generally prefer actresses more suitable for those roles (actresses who either are teens or who can convincingly play teens).

If Megan Fox does get involved, we think maybe a possible role as a villain might work … but we hope that regardless Michael Bay is not involved!

Also, as fans have pointed out – it seems that Megan Fox is unaware of the live action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon series that aired in Japan. Perhaps her mention of live action Sailor Moonwill encourage fans to seek it out and see if they like it for themselves.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

(thanks to Rina Love for the tip)

Here are a few quick hits for you all!

In Hong Kong, MTR began selling the last of their Classic Anime Series Souvenir Ticket sets on Sunday. The last set features Sailor Moon characters with the new branding! For $105 HKD ($13 USD), riders can get the entire set of all 3 souvenir passes, a specially designed ticket holder, as well as a keychain. Each pass is valid for a single ride on or before November 30th, and the pass will be returned to the owner as a souvenir.

In Japan, Naoko Takeuchi has drawn a new Chibi version of Tuxedo Kamen to be animated in 3D for an RPG! He will be making an appearance in Level 5’s “Girls RPG Cinderelife”, an RPG where a player will be able to experience aspects of a typical girl’s life from work, to fashion, to shopping, and even a little dating. The really interesting thing to note on this screengrab we have featured for you is that Naoko Takeuchi PNP is the only copyright listed – so this is being done independently of Toei Animation or Kodansha (which is probably why this is a new drawing). Reprising his role as the voice of Tuxedo Mask is none other than the original voice himself, Toru Furuya! Fans can check out a trailer here and the official site here. The game will be released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS sometime next year.

And who watched Saturday Night Live? Did anyone notice Anna Faris dressed up as Sailor Moon Cherry Cherry Rock and Roll? The skit this cosplay appeared in was “J Pop America Fun Time Now”, and Anna appeared at the end as Jennifer, a fan who had the largest anime video collection at Michigan State University. While this wasn’t the greatest skit, it reminded us of every otaku we have met that has pretended to know everything about Japan. Fans can watch this episode online at Hulu in the USA or later this week at Global TV’s site in Canada.

Author Roland Kelts

One of the most interesting panels I attended at Otakon this year was “Pop Culture From a Multipolar Japan,” hosted by Roland Kelts, author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S. I read Japanamericarecently, so some of Kelts’ points were familiar to me, but hearing him explain in detail how anime reflects the crucial bases of Japanese culture was still enlightening.

However, I was a little surprised when he mentioned Sailor Moon as an example of Japan’s multipolarity. Basically, Kelts said that when the Emperor was revealed to be powerless at the end of World War II, the idea of a trustworthy father figure was taken from Japanese culture in a way it has never really recovered from- hence the “the great leader is actually corrupt” subtext present in many anime.

“I’m trying to get you to think a little bit about this idea that Japan is a multifarious, blender of a culture…a multipolar state because it lost its binaries. It lost its sense of a leader and a people…and so when you have these artists like Tezuka and subsequent generations- Otomo, etc.- writing about the world they live in, it’s much more multipolar in depiction that what you expect from, for example, U.S. popular culture. The superhero stories…instead you get the girls of Sailor Moon.

“You get teams, right? Groups of people who have to work off each other and figure things out. You don’t get the great leader. And if you do get the great leader, the great leader’s corrupt,” said Kelts.

In general terms, I believe Kelts is right- I think the popularity of team-based stories in Japanese culture has to do with the way Japan had to radically realign itself (and in some cases, have itself forcefully realigned by the U.S.) after WWII, including, but by no means limited to, the reduction of the Emperor from the leader of the nation to a powerless symbolic figure. However, how well does Sailor Moon fit his example?

After all, the Senshi may be a team, but Sailor Moon, a.k.a. the Princess, definitely emerges as the ultimate authority figure by the end, doesn’t she? And we all know the other Senshi were kind of useless anyway after Sailor Moon S (oh yeah, I went there! *rimshot*.)

The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that there were other parallels to the situation Kelts described in the story. In the first season, the Senshi are looking for the Princess, this sort of divine figure that will hopefully make sense of everything for them. And it turns out to be…Usagi, seemingly at that time the weakest and most immature out of the whole group. She may not have been corrupt (at least not until PGSM at any rate), but it’s still easy to see that plot point as an expression of the idea that the “great leader” will always ultimately be a disappointment.

And yet, in the end Usagi isn’t a disappointment, is she? Did the Japanese really give up on the idea of a leader figure, or did they just give up on the Confucian, patriarchal version? I think it’s the latter; I apologize if this all seems a bit out of character for this blog, but these are the kinds of questions considering Sailor Moon in a Japanese context, not just an entertainment context, leads you to ask.

Whether you agree with Kelt’s assertion that Sailor Moon is one example of Japan’s trend towards multipolarity post-WWII or not, I highly recommend Japanameria, even though Sailor Moon is only mentioned in passing in the book. It was written before the 2008 financial crisis, which means some aspects of the interplay between the U.S. and Japan have changed in the few short years since Kelts wrote it, but it’s still a great resource if you’re looking to understand why our favorite anime are the way they are.

Clare Grant and the Girls of Team Unicorn Cosplaying as the Senshi

Last night’s episode of Conan featured Seth Green as a guest. During his interview, Seth talked about the San Diego Comic-Con and cosplay. Seth told Conan that there are lots of people in costume at Comic-Con and that he noticed a change a few years ago in the type of people who like the kind of content you find at Comic-Con. He said that in recent years, hot girls started liking cosplay and dressing up (or at least became able to admit it out loud). So, instead of the previously hired models in costume at exhibitor booths who would look at the crowds of nerds in disdain, there are now girls who are dressed up and excited to have their picture taken “because they are dressed up as Sailor Moon or whatever.”

Also, when Conan asked what the sexiest costume was that Seth saw at Comic-Con, Seth replied that last year his wife (Clare Grant) and the girls from Team Unicorn dressed up as the Sailor Scouts and he thought that was pretty awesome. Conan didn’t know what the Sailor Scouts were, so Seth had to explain that they are Sailor Moon and her associates. Seth also joked that Conan would have a rough time at Comic-Con if he doesn’t know who the Sailor Scouts are!

Fans can see the clip of the show with Seth Green on CTV’s website, on Team Coco, or on Scene NFO.

Also, fans may be interested in this popular music video by Team Unicorn, which includes another reference to Sailor Moon:

Photo from Curse the Cosmos. Originally printed in the book Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope.

Moon Chase is glad to report another Sailor Moon sighting, this one coming from a brand new light-hearted lawyer/comedy primetime show on TNT called “Franklin and Bash”. In the show’s second episode, titled “She Came Upstairs To Kill Me”, there was a reference to Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto, courtesy of Pindar Singh (played by Kumail Nanjiani). The reference occurs about 5 minutes into the episode, with the conversation in the scene quickly turning to the topic of hottest female animated characters:

Jared Franklin: If you met Isabella, you would feel differently. Isabelle is just like Jessica Rabbit – she’s not bad, she’s just drawn that way.

Peter Bash: Jessica Rabbit – hottest cartoon character ever?

Jared Franklin: I prefer Betty Rubble.

Peter Bash: Really?

Jared Franklin: Yeah.

Pindar Singh: Neither of those hold a candle to Setsuna Meioh.

*awkward silence by Jared Franklin and Peter Bash *

Pindar Singh: The guardian of the space and the time door in the Sailor Moon manga?

While Jessica Rabbit and Betty Rubble are household names in the world of comics and animation, special applause must be handed out to the writing staff at “Franklin and Bash” for referencing a character that is likely only known by diehard fans of Sailor Moon. When you consider the level of inactivity associated with Sailor Moon in North America, it is sightings like this one that encourages and reminds Sailor Moon fans just how much of an imprint that the show has had on pop culture in North America (a special thank you to K-Chan for e-mailing this to us).