In the name of the moon, Usagi Tsukino and the sailor senshi are making an official debut on YouTube! As of Friday, April 24, 2020, the first three seasons of Sailor Moon are available for streaming on YouTube.
Take note, moonies: Sailor Moon has finally come to YouTube! The official Sailor Moon channel is releasing the first three seasons of the show series. Sailor Moon is also available on Hulu, but this is the only platform that’s featuring the first few seasons of Sailor Moon for free, making the anime series more accessible to internet users than ever. The official channel will follow a planned streaming schedule until all of the 127 episodes are available on YouTube by the end of July.
Before you @ me, I know Crunchyroll only has some Sailor Moon, but it only has Sailor Moon Crystal and Sailor Moon R: The Movie that you can watch for free with ads, so that doesn’t cut it. Keep in mind that this channel is geared toward a Japanese audience, so they won’t be airing English dub versions of the episodes. Nonetheless, this free release of Sailor Moon means more people will get to experience the magic of the sailor guardians if not for the first time, then the first time in years. Nostalgia wins again!
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on so many industries, including the ones that provide us with entertainment. The anime industry is no exception. For this reason, a lot of people are turning to old school anime to cope with coronavirus and the production delays it’s causing for the new content we’re looking forward to. As The Verge points out, nobody with an official connection to the Sailor Moon brand has outright said that coronavirus is the reason for the free release, but many companies are releasing free content to help people cope with self-isolation. The emphasis on social distancing and staying at home means it’s a prime time to kick back and watch anime.
Plus, Sailor Moon’s YouTube release precedes an even bigger event in the moonie fandom: the release of a two-part Sailor Moon movie called Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie. The first part is due to show in Japan on September 11th, 2020. This film follows the original manga’s storyline and adapted into the fourth season later on. That means watching the streamed episodes will catch people up to snuff in time for the movie. In other words, this is the biggest thing to happen to the moonie fandom since Sailor Lizzo.
In the meantime, I hope you all stay safe by practicing social distancing and washing your hands often.
