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Sailor Moonmay be a classic anime these days, but that doesn’t make it any less popular. Theiconic magical girls animestill has fans across generations, empowering people to fight for what is right and follow their dreams. Between the originalSailor Moonanime andSailor Moon Crystal, there are no shortage of people who have fallen in love with the anime. And the good news about that is that there are still new things coming out forSailor Mooneven years after the last episodes have aired.
Just before Christmas, a newSailor Mooncollaboration was dropped on X (formerlyTwitter), which showed the magical girl in a whole new look. The collaboration is betweenSailor Moonand apopular J-pop starnamed Ayumi Hamasaki. The collaboration includes some exclusive goods, and also a new piece of artwork that imagines Ayumi alongside Sailor Moon, both drawn in anime style. The post already gained over 7,000 likes in just a few days, and plenty of comments and reposts by fans that are excited about the project.
Why is Ayumi Hamasaki Collaborating with Sailor Moon?
Japan’s Number One Pop Artist
Ayumi Hamasaki is currently the best-selling artist in all of Japan, andhas been performing since1993. She is considered to be an icon of the Heisei era, and is recognizable by many people in Japan. In her music career, she typically goes by simply Ayu, which is enough for people to recognize. Not only is she a successful J-pop star, she is also a philanthropist famous for donating a lot of her money, and a gay icon due to her outspoken positive views onLGBT+rights.
Considering Sailor Moon is also one of Japan’s most successful, famous, and recognizable women of Heisei era, it makes sense that the two have a collaboration together. It is also being done as part ofSailor Moon’s 30th Anniversary celebration. Ayu likely enjoyedSailor Moonin her teenage years like many people who grew up in the 90s, and the two are both powerful women. For fans who grew up with bothSailor Moonand the music of Ayumi Hamasaki, this collaboration is especially meaningful.
Sailor Moon Meets J-Pop
A New Look for the Sailor Guardian
The special artwork depicting Ayumi Hamasaki with Sailor Moon herself is one of the most exciting parts of the collaboration. This special new art was created by Naoko Takeuchi, theoriginal mangaka behindSailor Moon. That means that the artwork is done in the distinct style of classicSailor Moon, definitely bringing a 90s nostalgic vibe to the piece. That is what fans love, though, and that feeling of nostalgia for the original anime is part of what has people so excited about the collaboration.
The art by Takeuchi has Ayu and Sailor Moon both wearing the same outfit, which is reminiscent of a90s Japanese school uniform. Ayu’s fans will recognize it as the same outfit that she wore for her famous song, “BYE-BYE.” Behind the two of them is the moon cut into Ayu’s “A” logo, and a pyramid of chairs. This artwork is printed on most of the goods being released for this special collection, including on t-shirts, acrylic standees, posters, and more. There are also cute keychains of Sailor Moon in a chibi style.
The goods became available for pre-order on December 20th, the same day that the announcement dropped on X. They can be ordered via Ayumi Hamasaki’sofficial website. Considering the popularity of both Sailor Moon and Ayu, it is better to pre-order early if you want to have something from this special collaboration celebrating two of Japan’s most famous women. The artwork by Takeuchi was made for these goods only, so this is the only way to get your hands on a piece of history.
