Ahead of Part 2’s Japanese theatrical release next week, the Sailor Moon Cosmos opening has been uploaded officially, and fans noticed that it features various references to the classic 90s anime.
References may be putting it lightly though, as the movie’s opening is essentially an enhanced remake of the classic 90s Sailor Moon opening.
Fans even put the openings side-by-side, and they look very much alike.
This makes sense given that Cosmos serves as the finale to the Sailor Moon Crystal anime series.
Sailor Moon Cosmos Out in Japanese Cinemas This Month
When it comes to magical girl anime, Sailor Moon is undoubtedly one of the most popular franchises out there.
After all, the original Naoko Takeuchi manga is one of the best-selling shojo titles of all time.
Though the manga is incredibly popular, it’s fair to say that the anime by Toei Animation boosted the series’ popularity, especially outside Japan. After all, the series continues to be a phenomenon around the world.
While the 90s manga ended over two decades ago, the franchise continues to get new projects.
The latest one is Sailor Moon Crystal, an anime series that adapts the original manga more faithfully than the 90s anime.
Sailor Moon Crystal features three TV anime seasons, along with two 2-part films.
Sailor Moon Cosmos is the latest entry, and it is the finale of Crystal as it is based on the Stars arc of the original manga.
Part 1 of Cosmos was released in Japanese cinemas on June 9, 2023, while Part 2 is scheduled to release on June 30, 2023, thus ending the reboot project.
ALSO READ: A Guide to Watching Sailor Moon: Original Series Watch Order
Fans Spot Sailor Moon Cosmos Opening’s 90s References
To celebrate the film and to further promote Part 2’s release, the creditless opening of Sailor Moon Cosmos was released on the series’ official YouTube channel.
Given that the 2-part movie is also a celebration of the entire franchise, the opening theme used is a new version of Moonlight Densetsu, which serves as the opening of the original anime series.
Instead of just bringing back the classic song, fans noticed that the opening is itself a reference to the Sailor Moon S opening.
Though it’s not exactly a shot-for-shot remake, its entire structure and many shots are recreations of the classic opening, delighting Sailor Moon fans and getting them even more excited for Part 2.
Currently, there’s no word yet on international release plans for Sailor Moon Cosmos.
Though given that Sailor Moon Eternal was released on Netflix, it’s possible that Cosmos will also be streamed on the platform in the future.
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