Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon:

What Your Kids Don't See

As most parents of young children, you are probably aware of the hit Japanese animation series that, in 1995, took America by storm, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon or, as it is widely known in the United States, simply Sailor Moon. The series has been aired on the American TV in the dubbed form for many years and still continues to be shown to this day. What you might not know, however, is that this dubbed version is significantly different from the original series directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara on the basis of the manga (Japanese comic books) of Naoko Takeuchi. This article is meant to show that the American TV dubbed version of Sailor Moon consistently detracts from the aesthetic and cultural values of the show, exhibiting serious disregard for its authenticity.

The most obvious difference between the dub (the dubbed version) and the true Japanese version can be seen in every single translated episode—the name change. In the dub, the names of most main and supporting characters are replaced with English ones that oftentimes have absolutely no relation to the original names. Thus, the protagonist, Usagi, is turned into Serena or Bunny (in the earlier dub version); Ami into Amy; Rei into Raye; Makoto into Lita; Minako into Mina; Mamoru into Darien; Chibiusa into Reeny; Haruka into Amara; Michiru into Michelle; and Setsuna into Trista. And those are just the main characters. To be fair, at the end of the Sailor Moon S season (the third season of the series), a definite effort is made on the part of the company translating the show, DiC, to use the original names instead, and the characters that appear for the first time after a certain point in the series do retain their Japanese names, such as Sailor Saturn, who remains Hotaru. The names already changed by that point, however, stay changed, most likely for the sake of consistency. Although Anglicized names might have been introduced for the relatively innocent purpose of simplifying comprehension and pronunciation for the audience, they are not truthful to the original series, and hence seriously hamper the authenticity of the dub. While the American viewers are being told by the title of the show that they are watching Sailor Moon, they are actually watching, as the name changes show, a different and perhaps simplified variation, an alternative version of the same series not necessarily truthful to the original. Furthermore, the changed names also have deeper effects of eliminating the symbolism Naoko Takeuchi had instilled into her characters. As often seen in manga and anime, the names of Sailor Moon characters represent actual Japanese words symbolically related their owners’ personalities, powers, and/or special attributes. The name Chibiusa, for example, means “little rabbit”, which at the same time refers to her mother’s (Sailor Moon’s) name, Usagi (simply “rabbit”), thus suggesting how, despite whatever differences they might have, these characters are very similar, and giving a special meaning to Chibiusa’s hairstyle, two pig-tails resembling rabbit ears. It is impossible to derive either of these symbolic meanings if one considers the character’s Anglicized name, Reeny. The only character that, despite Anglicization, still retains the semantic significance of her name is Usagi, and even that only in the earlier dub, which translates her name as Bunny. Therefore, by changing the names, the American TV dub actually changes part of the very meaning of the show.

Another example of the simplification of Sailor Moon detracting from the value of the show occurs in episode 104 (S season) regarding an old gentleman whose party the Inner Senshi (or, in Anglicized version, Inner Sailor Scouts) and Mamoru (Darien) attend. That particular episode shows two purposeful errors in translation. First of all, the old gentlemen is from England and consequently speaks English, a language half of the Senshi do not understand. Admittedly, it would indeed be difficult to translate into English an English conversation that is not meant to be understood by the characters themselves. However, turning the party host into a Frenchman for the sake of simplifying translation, which is exactly how the American TV dub company solves this problem, detracts from both the authenticity and the cultural value the show could have otherwise entailed. The fact that it is simply not true to the original script is rather obvious to anyone who knows the true nationality of the gentleman, Mr. Edwards. However, the episode also has had the potential of teaching the young American viewers that not everyone in the world in general and Japan in particular actually speaks English, a cultural observation not only truthful, but also valuable since, living in United States, these children are very likely to sooner or later encounter someone from a different country. Another difference between the dub of this episode and the original Japanese version is the scene in the latter where Usagi accidentally consumes too much wine, which the dub translates as having “too much juice”. It can certainly be understood why DiC would be hesitant to show an anime character drinking alcohol. However, even putting considerations of authenticity aside, it is clear that no amount of juice would cause a person (or a character) to lose all psychological self-control the way Usagi does. Therefore, the translation simply does not make logical sense, making the series unbelievable in a way not meant by the original version.

The TV dub also includes only one original Japanese song without translating its lyrics (episode 98). Although the English songs it replaces the Japanese ones with are oftentimes very good, having a nice rhythm, melody, and lyrics, so are the original ones. The dub hence denies the viewers the opportunity to listen to Japanese pop, so prevalent throughout the series, replacing it with American pop music, which the American viewers can hear just about anywhere anyway. This interferes with the integrity of the artistic/musical and perhaps even cultural qualities of the show.

The American TV dub version also attempts to change Sailor Moon to fit certain social criteria the translators set for a children’s show. This is best illustrated by the fact that the dub version bears the rating G, which tvguidelines.org explains as acceptable for “General Audience. Most parents would find this program suitable for all ages. Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.” At the same time, the uncut subtitled version released in United States is rated 13 Up. What accounts for the same show being acceptable only for teens and adults in the version true to the original in every way except for the subtitles and for all people, including young children, in the TV dub version? The difference in translation and representation seems to be the answer. An example can be found in episode 76 (the second, R, season) when, in the original Japanese version, upon finding out that Chibiusa is actually Usagi’s and Mamoru’s daughter from the future, the other Senshi inquire jokingly about when was it that Usagi and Mamoru have done anything that would lead to them having a child. The dub version skips this line altogether, actually cutting out the subsequent frames where both Usagi and Mamoru turn beat red. This approach is not only untruthful to the original show, but, by cutting out several frames, detracts from its aesthetic value, since those frames, as all the others, are works of art produced by the animators through arduous labor. They are not merely tools used to further the plot of the series, but also have an artistic value denied to the American viewers by the edited version. The dub has taken even more dramatic steps to lower the rating by its treatment of homosexuality. Although you are probably unaware of this due to the dub translation, but Sailor Moon, in its original version, contains quite a number of gay characters, ranging from the evil Zoicite, Kunzite and Fish-Eye to two of the Sailor Senshi themselves, Sailor Uranus (Haruka) and Sailor Neptune (Michiru). DiC translates the cross-dressers Zoicite and Fish-Eye as being female, consistently referring to them as “she”, thereby also explaining the relationship between Zoicite and Kunzite. This again makes the dub not genuine, significantly changing the original meaning of the show. What is more, in episode 140 (fourth, Super S, season), Fish-Eye actually briefly appears without his shirt on. Since he does not have breasts, a viewer, despite the erroneous pronoun usage of this translated version, can still conclude that this character is indeed male. Therefore, the dub version simply does not make logical sense whereas the original one does. As for Haruka and Michiru, since the former, despite being rather butch, does nonetheless wear the usual mini-skirted outfit of the Sailor Senshi in her soldier form, thus making it impossible to pass her for a man, DiC represents this couple as cousins, which is meant to explain their close relationship. Putting my usual reservations about authenticity aside, allow me instead to note that, with Haruka and Michiru constantly joking about jealousy, participating in a love contest in episode 95 (S season), dancing waltz together in episode 108, and Haruka flirting with numerous girls throughout the series, including Usagi, Minako, and Makoto, it is nonetheless fairly evident that they are lesbians. Therefore, the dub quite possibly makes the material it deems inappropriate for young children even more so by suggesting incest. Moreover, in episode 93 (S season), DiC goes even further by translating Haruka as commenting on Mamoru’s attractiveness, something she does not do in the original Japanese version. This goes beyond a wrongful translation; here, the dubbing company actually inserts a line of its own invention for the purpose of promoting the erroneous interpretation of Sailor Moon it wishes the viewers to believe in. Regardless of whether you believe homosexuality to be right or wrong, the fact remains that it does exist in the original version of BSSM and that, by excluding it, DiC changes the series in the dub, making in untrue and, at times, even nonsensical. Furthermore, Japan is slightly more accepting of homosexuality than United States, a cultural difference that could have been observed from watching the show, if there were any gay characters left in it after the translation—another cultural lesson the dub denies its viewers.

Upon reading this article, some of you, perhaps, have decided that the original version of Sailor Moon is unsuitable for your children. It is not my place to comment on such a decision; however, I do believe that it is better to be aware of the errors and downfalls of the dub version before making it instead of unknowingly watching the show misrepresented by the dub companies, thinking of it as the true series Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon instead of merely an American version thereof. I can only hope that, whatever your decision, it is now going to be an informed one.