We're getting a (Japanese) novelization of the Sailor Moon story ?!?

It sounds like someone sat and described whatever they can see on each pannel. I hoped it was just a bit more creative.

That reminds me of those professional narrators describing works of visual art such as paintings & movies for the visually impaired. lol

Or the old Polish dub of Sailor Moon which is not dub but narration of what is going on.

Like the narration in documentaries? lol Documentary narration has more info than what's visually shown, tho.

That sounds horrrrrrrrrrrrrribleeee. I never thought I'd say this but I'd watch the 90s dub over something like that......

Nah it wasnt that bad at all. Im actually happy we've got a voice over because we got to hear the original voices, music and everything and after watching several dubs i can safely say the original is the best...by far. Plus the voice of the woman who did the reading blended really well with most seiyuu and the general tone of the show. It wasnt perfect, there were mistakes but so are in various dubs

I know they dubbed the R movie, did they do something more?

R, S and SuperS movies so far, not sure if there will be more

It is still something.

Here's the opening scene of Moon III. Rei - SAILOR MARS:


ー闇の世界の宮殿。
漆黒のドレスに身を包んだクイン・ベリルの怒りの声がとどろく。
「ジェダイト。二度にわたる失態。覚悟はできておろうな。」
ジェダイトはうつむいたまま、顔をあげることができない。
「はい 。」
くくく...
その傍らで忍び笑う黒い長髪の男がいた。
「ジェダイト、おまえの兵隊は、所詮、土人形。だからもろいのさ。」

---In the palace of the world of darkness...
Queen Beryl, arrayed in a jet black dress, roared out in anger.
"Jadeite! Twice now you have failed. Be prepared."
Jadeite hung his head in shame.
"Yes, my queen."
Heh-heh-heh.
There, beside him, a man with long, black hair laughed.
"Jadeite, your soldiers are, after all, merely clay dolls. It's no wonder they're so brittle."

男の名はネフライト。
ダーク・キングダム、北米支部担当。
「クイン・ベリル。わたしにお任せを。我らが大いなる支配者へささげるエナジーを効率
よく集め、必ずや 『幻の銀水晶』 を手に入れてみせます。」
「しかし、ネフライト。 おまえもセーラー服戦士を甘くみるなよ。 ヤツらの目的がなにかはわからぬが、ことごとく邪魔をしてくる。」
ジェダイトはくやしそうに顔をゆがめた。
「あいつらの目的はなんだ。 まさか、あいつらもまた 『幻の銀水晶』 をねらっているの か。」
「クイン・ベリル、お聞かせください。『幻の銀水晶』 とは、いったい……。」
ジェダイトとネフライトのふたりにも、『幻の銀水晶』 について、詳しいことは教えら れていなかった。
聞かれたクイン・ベリルにも、教えられることは限られていた。
なにしろ、その実態は謎に包まれているのだ。

The man's name is Nephrite.
He's responsible for the Dark Kingdom's North American branch.
"Queen Beryl. Leave it to me. I shall efficiently gather energy to offer our great ruler, and get the Imperium Silver Crystal as well."
"But Nephrite, don't underestimate those sailor-suited guardians. I don't know what they're after, but they always interfere with our plans."
Jadeite's bitterness registered on his face.
"What is their purpose? Could it be that they, too, are after the Silver Crystal?"
"Queen Beryl, please tell us... What is the Imperium Silver Crystal?"
Neither Jadeite nor Nephrite knew much of anything about the Silver Crystal.
What they did know was limited to the scant few details Queen Beryl had given them.
Anyway, its true nature was shrouded in mystery.

しかし、そのわずかな情報を、クイン・ ベリルは、ふたりに伝えた。
『幻の銀水晶』、それはすべてのエネルギーの源。はかりしれない無限のパワーをもつ 石、そう聞いておる。
その石を手にした者が、全世界、いや、全宇宙の支配者になれるのだと。
クイン・ベリルは宙をにらみ、訁った。
「わがダーク・キングダムの邪魔をする者はだれであろうと容赦はしない。極東支部長、 ジェダイト。おまえに最後のチャンスを与えよう。『幻の銀水晶』さがしより、先にする ことがあろう。」
ジェダイトは「はっ。」とひざまずいた。
「承知しております。目障りな邪魔者を始末することを。セーラー服戦士を必ずや消して みせます 。」

However, Queen Beryl told them a bit more.
"The Imperium Silver Crystal is the source of all energy. It's a stone with immeasurable, infinite power, or so I have heard. Whoever possesses that stone will become the ruler of the entire world, no, the entire universe."
Queen Beryl gave Jadeite a piercing look.
"Whoever interferes with my Dark Kingdom will be shown no mercy. Jadeite, chief of our Far East branch, I shall give you one last chance. Clear away all the hindrances to our search for the Imperium Silver Crystal."
Jadeite knelt before her.
"I understand. This time, I will dispose of those unsightly nuisances, the sailor-suited guardians, once and for all."

------------

I know the author said she wasn't familiar with Sailor Moon before being assigned the novelization, but.....has she really never seen any color artwork for the series? Queen Beryl wearing a jet black dress? Nephrite with black hair?

It's sort of interesting though that she didn't include Zoisite in the scene since he's there in the manga. I wonder how many other slightly off details are in this book...

So will Viz ever put this Sailor Moon novelization on eReaders? I know Seven Seas already put their manga and light novels on Kobo, Kindle, and Nook.

Technically, the only Sailor Moon related book on their apps is the fan novel about the reflections of the old Sailor Moon dub.

^ That's not a fan novel, but a memoir written by Roland Parliament, who voiced Melvin and did some directing work for the series, with some essays written by other members of the cast.

Anyway, Viz only has rights to the 90s anime and Crystal. Kodansha USA holds the publishing rights to Sailor Moon. I don't know if they've translated other novels, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I remember when few weeks ago, in another thread, we were joking what other bizarre manga versions they'll release and no one thought that they'll outsmart us all: they released yet another manga version - without art.

Thats basically what these novels are. Whats the point...?

In fairness, they do actually use panels from the manga as illustrations, and there have been some very minor differences, so I guess the novels are for people who like the story but want a slightly off version of it to read and who don't like manga, thus preferring to read the story in novel form.

So it's essentially still a manga version, just having fewer pics & more words & all.

Thing is: how many people will choose a book over the manga when they are pretty much the same and the manga is more approachable in the first place.

They really wasted a good oportunity to create a different, more detailed version of SM story with some new aspects and instead gave people what they already had in better form anyway

Can you point some differences I am curious about it.

Next I'd like to see a puppet show rendered faithfully to the manga.

How about Sailor Moon manga audiobooks?

In all seriousness, that's actually good for the visually impaired.