Sailor Moon Cosmos Part 2 Live Stream

Last June 6th, 2023, the Official Sailor Moon website announced a Sailor Moon Cosmos Part 2 Live event was to be streamed online on June 14th through the official Sailor Moon YouTube Channel and on the official TikTok account! Some notable voice actresses were scheduled to appear and updates about the elusive Sailor Cosmos were teased, so fans were extra excited to tune into this live show and learn everything there was to know about these characters.

✦ Event Details ✦

Confirmed Cast appearances:

✦ Kotono Mitsuishi – Eternal Sailor Moon / Sailor Chibi Chibi Moon
✦ Megumi Hayashibara – Sailor Galaxia
✦ Nana Mizuki – Princess Kaykuu
✦ Marina Inoue – Sailor Star Fighter

The event took place at the Marunouchi TOEI theater in central Tokyo which was completely packed with fans, news outlets and press. Only about 100 fans were able to attend (tickets were given out through various lotteries) so it was a very limited and special occasion. The introductions made by the host were short, and he immediately proceeded to introduce the main guests. One by one, all four actresses for the main characters were called in. They appeared from the back of the theater and walked in slowly through the aisles waving at fans. Kotono Mitsuishi (Eternal Sailor Moon) walked out first with a wide smile and energetic waving. Then, Marina Inoue (Sailor Star Fighter) appeared with a more serene face but still graciously gesturing back at the audience. Next, Nana Mizuki (Princess Kakyuu) walked in the theater and seemed super excited to be there. Finally, Megumi Hayashibara (Sailor Galaxia) strut in with a stern face and serious stance, wearing a wonderfully sparkly sequin dress and striking thick golden cuffs, very reminiscent of the character she plays.

Once all 4 gals were on stage, they did some quick re-introductions and gave brief descriptions of their characters. During the first portion of the event they talked about being approached to interpret their respective roles and their initial reactions to being cast. They also mentioned some of the positive feedback they’ve gotten from the Sailor Moon Cosmos part 1 movie which – as of the date of this event – has only been out in theaters for 6 days!

They talk about Part 1 being pretty emotional, but moving into part 2 things really turn dark for poor Usagi. *LIGHT SPOILERS WARNING* All Senshi turn against Usagi controlled by Sailor Galaxia and the voice actresses found themselves cheering Sailor Moon on as they saw her going through these difficult trials and recognized how heartbreaking it must be for her. Even as adults they can appreciate how Usagi’s strength shines through as she emerges victoriously. Kotono mentions she was very excited to finally see Sailor Cosmos on screen and on that note, they made a special announcement for their surprise guest.

✦ Sailor Cosmos Official Introduction ✦

In a bold move most of us never expected they showed us a short Sailor Cosmos clip from the movie and introduced her voice actress: acclaimed Japanese actress and Sailor Moon Live action alum, Keiko Kitagawa!

As we know, Keiko interpreted Sailor Mars in PGSM, but many years have passed since then and she’s become a famous and very well known star. She entered the theater with a shy smile and a composed façade although we later learn she was actually quite a bit nervous about returning to the Sailor Moon fandom. After her brief introduction she was asked how it was for her when she was approached to voice Cosmos (Cosmos’ first appearance in an anime, no less). She says she wasn’t sure at first if it was okay for her to do it, but she was feeling a bit better since she had been cheerfully received with a loud applause and some tears as she entered the room. At last! All main actresses for Part 2 were together on stage!

They delve further into how Keiko reacted to being cast, and she remarked that this is a future version of Usagi, and when it comes to her relationship with the franchise and her time in PGSM, Miyu Sawai (Moon in PGSM) had always been Usagi in her mind, but she talked about the voice acting offer with the rest of the Live Action actresses – all 5 continue to be close friends to this day- and they strongly supported her and agreed she should do it.

Kotono then says that when conversations about who they should hire for these new roles came up, both Keiko and Megumi’s names were mentioned and she was so excited at the prospect. She thought it would be a “Miracle Romance” if they could make that dream cast work. And they did! Kotono and Keiko actually met during their time filming the Japanese Drama “Rikokatsu” where they play a mother-daughter duo, but it was strange that now Kotono plays the younger version of Usagi, and Keiko was playing an older form. Both seem ladies seem to admire and respect each other very much and are very happy to continue working together. Marina and Nana join in expressing how perfect the image of Cosmos voiced by Keiko is for them.

It is mentioned that Keiko would sometimes ask Kotono for advice when it came to interpreting the role because Kotono had initially voiced over Cosmos so Keiko could get a feel for the character and use the recording as a guide, but she eventually told Keiko to voice her as she saw fit.

They continue the interview by expressing how powerful some of the scenes are, and that it made them cry because of the hardships that go on in the final battle. Megumi has some interesting points of view about how the battle isn’t light vs. dark, but rather a introspective view within one’s own heart.

There are a few more questions answered but time was running out. Kotono was asked if she had to chance to talk to Usagi, what she would say to her and the answer was a simple “Thank you”. They quickly moved onto the final remarks. Most of them expressed their gratitude for being a part of the project and Kotono said she was sad this chapter has ended, she was thankful to the writers, animators, VAs and staff, and hopes audiences will enjoy the movie with some delicious popcorn.

She ends the talk show with Usagi’s signature voice and says: “Thank you for supporting Sailor Moon Cosmos! If you don’t support it to the very end, I’ll punish you in the name of the Moon!”

Press Photos

Watch the entire event here:

SMFN collaborator Cyn (me!) was able to attend this event in person, so I will broadly describe what happened after the event finished the live stream.

After the talk show, all of the guests as well as the hosts left the stage. Naoko Takeuchi and Fumio Osano (Osabu) were at the theater sitting at the very back, but they made no official appearance or remarks at all. They quietly exited the theater before anyone could notice them (I caught them though!). All members of the press immediately packed their equipment and headed out just as the theater staff wheeled the large wooden panels with character prints off the stage. Only about 5 minutes were given before they began to show the fans an early screening of the Sailor Moon Cosmos Part 2 movie. Only about 100 people were able to see this for the first time, but the movie will be out in theaters in about two weeks time (as of the writing of this post on June 15th, 2023).

I will not go into details about Cosmos pt. 1 or pt. 2 on this post as this is only intended to review the talk show, but I can share very general thoughts: Both movies are very good. We finally get the Stars arc we have been waiting for for 25 years! It’s 100% accurate to the manga, maybe to a fault because both movies have some pacing issues that should have been smoothed out. The animation is wonky at times, but most of it is good. The music is extraordinary! I think they finally found the right sound for the type of emotional load these films have to carry.

Part 1 and part 2 feel like very different movies. In the first one there’s some sense of familiarity with the girls attending high school, going through the motions, being excited about the Three Lights and discovering all about the new enemy and as well as the mysterious Sailor Starlights. We see them fighting, we see them losing, and one by one we see them vanishing. If you’ve read the manga, there is really nothing new or surprising about any of this as the movie follows the manga panel by panel to a T.

Part 2 is a far cry from anything we’ve seen so far. Most of the characters have disappeared at this point and most of the story takes place deep in space, so there are no familiar surroundings and we again have to see the few characters left disappear in brutal ways. There is a good mix of action scenes and long talking scenes, but they accomplish their goal of setting up the final battle against Chaos.

Both movies have post-credit scenes, so stay put so you don’t miss them! At the end of Part 2 there is a handwritten thank you note from Naoko Takeuchi as well as a new gorgeous Eternal Sailor Moon illustration kneeling in a prayer pose. And with that, comes the end of the entire Crystal / Eternal / Cosmos era of Sailor Moon.

Hope this is helpful!
Review by Cyn

✦ TikTok: The official TikTok of “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos”
✦ YouTube: “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon” official YouTube channel