Press Release
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, invites fans to celebrate the very special premiere of the re-mastered classic SAILOR MOON anime series Episodes 1-4 – featuring the brand new English cast – available to stream on Neon Alley and Hulu beginning Friday, September 5th at 8:00pm (PST). Exclusive dubbed episodes will be available for a limited time only!
Fans are invited to join company members as VIZ Media and Neon Alley present Moonlight Party: A Celebration of SAILOR MOON Reborn! The virtual “slumber party” will take place as an unique live stream event on VIZ Media’s YouTube channel at: http://bit.ly/MnLtPty95 beginning at 8:00pm (PST) on Friday, September 5th.
Viewers can simultaneously watch the live, uncut SAILOR MOON Episodes 1-4 during their premiere on Hulu and join the VIZ Media staff on its YouTube channel for a lively evening of witty commentary, inside facts and tons of fun from the company’s headquarters in San Francisco.
Throughout the Moonlight Party fans may submit their SAILOR MOON questions via YouTube in the comments sections of the livestream, on the official VIZ Media Facebook page, and Twitter by using the special hashtag, #MoonlightParty for a real-time Q&A with VIZ Media staff that will run throughout the event. Fans can interact with members of the VIZ Media SAILOR MOON team, which will be participating in the live stream to answer questions and offer lively commentary and little known information about the series and the premiere episodes. A SAILOR MOON trivia contest also will take place and fans are invited to participate and submit answers via Facebook and Twitter to win special prizes. Sailor Moon fans nationwide are also encouraged to share pictures from their own Moonlight Parties by using the hashtag #MoonlightParty on their favorite social media platforms.
VIZ Media’s first-ever Moonlight Party kicks off the premiere of a host of new SAILOR MOON content that will air exclusively on Neon Alley and Hulu beginning in September for a limited time. In addition to the premiere of Episodes 1-4 on Friday, September 5th, viewers can catch more of SEASON 1 of the classic, uncut SAILOR MOON featuring the new English dub as Episodes 5-23 become available to stream beginning at 12:00am (PST) on Sunday, September 7th. Brand new subtitled SAILOR MOON Episodes 35-36, which present the entire Sailor Guardian team together as one for the first time, along with the Princess they seek, also will premiere on Hulu and Neon Alley, for a limited time only beginning at 12:00am (PDT) Monday, September 8th to celebrate the weekly Moonday.
Fans can also catch the brand new SAILOR MOON reboot – SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL – with the premiere of Episode 5 (subtitled), which introduces the fan favorite character Makoto Kino, Sailor Jupiter, on Hulu and Neon Alley beginning at 3:00am (PST) on Saturday, September 6th.
“The first weekend in September will deliver plenty of excitement to anime fans with a chance to join us for our first-ever Moonlight Party, celebrating the premiere of the uncut re-mastered SAILOR MOON English dub,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “We also will be sharing fun facts about the production, giving out prizes for a special SAILOR MOON trivia contest and having fun with viewers nationwide as we celebrate the return of this legendary anime series. We hope this also might inspire some fans to share in the fun and join us with SAILOR MOON Moonlight Parties of their own!”
The smash hit SAILOR MOON anime series is inspired by the bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoko Takeuchi (published in North America by Kodansha). In the series, Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy but kindhearted teenage girl who transforms into the powerful guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Meeting allies along the way who share similar fates, Usagi and her team of planetary Sailor Guardians fight to protect the universe from forces of evil and total annihilation!
SAILOR MOON Set 1 limited edition DVD/BD combo pack and standard edition DVD will be released on November 11th, 2014. Preorders are now available.
For more information on SAILOR MOON, or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
