Sailor Moon: The Struggle to Enter the Western Market
Ah, Sailor Moon, the iconic anime franchise that has been captivating audiences worldwide since 1992. You would think finding partners in the Western world would be a piece of cake, right? Guess again!
Stuart Levy, the mastermind behind Tokyopop, spilled the tea in a recent interview about the struggles of bringing Sailor Moon to the U.S. market. Apparently, some big shots like Dark Horse Comics shot down the idea because they believed “girls don’t read comics.” And Penguin Random House? They reportedly turned their noses up at the idea of a Japanese comic making waves in the States. How rude!
But fear not, Sailor Moon fans! Despite the initial hurdles, Sailor Moon finally made its grand entrance in the U.S. in 1997 thanks to Tokyopop (better late than never, right?). Fast forward to 2011, and Kodansha swooped in to save the day, acquiring the rights to release the complete manga series for fans to enjoy. Talk about a happy ending, or should I say, a moon prism power make-up moment? 🌙✨
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