Sailor Moon Cosmos Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot And More Details

Since its debut in the '90s, "Sailor Moon" has cemented its status as a worldwide powerhouse. Fans of the franchise that follow the manga, video games, films, or series are probably eager to know everything they can about the extraordinary efforts of the schoolgirl turned interstellar superheroine in the two-part anime film "Sailor Moon Cosmos."

Since 1991, Naoko Takeuchi's tale about a young girl who can transform into the "Guardian of Love and Justice" has captivated readers, selling over 46 million copies worldwide, earning over $13 billion in merchandise sales, and ushering in a slew of adaptations of the successful source material. While there is no shortage of unique options, like musicals, card games, and more, the feature films from the franchise, whether anime or live-action, are always bound to be a safe bet.

"Sailor Moon Cosmos" — the direct sequel to the 2021 feature "Sailor Moon Eternal" – is by all accounts another excellent entry in the beloved franchise. From the plot to the voice cast and creative team, here's everything you need to know about it.

Like its predecessor, "Sailor Moon Eternal," "Sailor Moon Cosmos" is a two-part affair. Together the feature is 160 minutes, with each part consisting of a runtime of 80 minutes. The first part was released in theaters in Japan on June 9, 2023, and the second part followed on June 30, 2023. And since then, we've been patiently waiting for news of when the movie would make its U.S. debut. Well, "Sailor Moon" fans, the wait is finally over. The two films will be making its American debut on Netflix, soaring onto the service on August 22, 2024.

The story for "Sailor Moon Cosmos" is based on what fans will recognize as the manga's "Stars" arc. In the story, Sailor Moon's alter ego Usagi Tsukino is living a regular schoolgirl life, but things take an interesting turn when her friends, the Sailor Guardians, and her boyfriend, Mamoru Chiba, aka Tuxedo Mask, are targeted by the villainous members of Shadow Galactica, under the orders of one of Sailor Moon's most notorious enemies Sailor Galaxia. The Sailor Starlights, a group of Sailor Guardians who all change into a pop star group called The Three Lights on Earth, are also in the mix, but Usagi isn't completely sure which side they are on when they enter the fold.

The narrative is set to be the pivotal concluding chapter of the Shadow Galactica-adapted arc from the manga depicted in the current run of anime titles, which includes the 2021 two-parter "Sailor Moon Eternal." The first part of "Sailor Moon Cosmos" follows Shadow Galactica's attempts to take out Sailor Moon's allies and steal the precious Sailor crystals in order for Sailor Galaxia to take over the universe. The second part of the story deals with the aftermath of Sailor Galaxia's nefarious efforts and how Sailor Moon plans to protect the universe and respond to the villain's unforgivable actions.

The cast for "Sailor Moon Cosmos" consists of several newcomers as well as some individuals who worked on the series "Sailor Moon Crystal," such as Kenji Nojima (Tuxedo Mask), Hisako Kanemoto (Super Sailor Mercury), Rina Satō (Super Sailor Mars), Ami Koshimizu (Super Sailor Jupiter), and Shizuka Itō (Super Sailor Venus). As far as the titular character is concerned, Usagi Tsukino will be voiced once again by Kotono Mitsuishi.

While the prolific voice actor has worked with many of her "Sailor Moon Cosmos" co-stars before, seeing the newcomers go through the preparation process gave her a fascinating perspective of the franchise's impact. "Some of the actors were huge fans of the show as kids," Mitsuishi said in a special celebrating the character called "Inheriting the Sailor Crystal." "Some even cried taking part in the audition process. I could really feel how special this series is to so many people."

In January 2023, Anime News Network announced who would be responsible for voicing the Sailor Starlights. Saori Hayami plays Sailor Star Maker, Marina Inoue voices Sailor Star Fighter, and Ayane Sakura brings Sailor Star Hero to life. Later, in a report from Otakumode, it was revealed that Megumi Hayashibara was added to the cast as Sailor Galaxia and Nana Mizuki was voicing Princess Kakyuu. It was revealed that Kotono would also voice Sailor Chibi Chibi.

Both parts of "Sailor Moon Cosmos" are directed by Tomoya Takahashi, a filmmaker with ample credibility in the realm of anime. Takahashi has a number of solid credits in the art and animation departments of shows, as well as several directing credits. He is arguably best known for having directed episodes of "Kill la Kill," "Marvel Anime," "Iron Man," "Thundercats," and "Lupin III."

Takahashi took an interesting approach to the villains of "Sailor Moon Cosmos." "The enemies in this story are haunted by tragic pasts," the director said in the "Inheriting the Sailor Crystal" special. "I see them as girls who wouldn't become Usagi Tsukino. Having those girls vocalize their hardships should make it very relatable for a lot of people. This time I wanted to put the focus on the enemy characters." 

While this may be his first gig in the franchise, the director was motivated to offer a refreshing experience. Later in the special, Takahashi also remarked on what really went into the project, saying, "It is easy to see now, but I truly feel this work is a product of love. I believe Usagi Tsukino exists in all our hearts. We made a lot of effort to bring back those original emotions." It's clear that the creative team wanted viewers to feel good about watching "Sailor Moon Cosmos."

Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, who has an abundant amount of experience in the anime industry, wrote the screenplay for both parts of "Sailor Moon Cosmos." The prolific writer has been steadily adding more than 50 credits to his body of work since starting out in 2001 and, since then, has attained some very remarkable credits from some very well-known titles. Some notable works include "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime," "Black Clover," "Claymore," "Do It Yourself," "Welcome to Demon-School, Iruma-kun," and "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure."

While he has amassed an impressive resume, fans should know that "Sailor Moon Cosmos" is not Kazuyuki Fudeyasu's first encounter with the series. The writer previously penned the screenplay for both parts of "Sailor Moon Eternal," and his first endeavor earned an excellent critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an assortment of acclaim from established outlets. Decider offered immense praise for the entry's first part, while IGN praised both parts, saying that "Sailor Moon Eternal" was a "feel good adventure that boasts stunning animation, vibrant storytelling, and the return of our favorite magical girl Sailor Scouts in a dynamic double bill that will inspire and entertain."

His efforts on "Sailor Moon Eternal" were very well received, and early online chatter has indicated the "Sailor Moon Cosmos" is even better. "I just saw it here in Japan yesterday," Reddit user u/stattikitt said. "Overall, I liked it better than the Eternal movies. Part 1 felt a bit short, but actually a lot happened and it pretty much exactly followed Acts 50-54 from the manga. It was exciting to get to finally see Space Turbulence and Submarine Violin Tide animated!"

The trailer for both parts of "Sailor Moon Cosmos" arrived on March 26, 2023. Since its release, it has managed to garner over a million views on YouTube.

The preview is a little over a minute long, and while it does reveal certain elements of the story, it mostly serves as a fast-paced highlight reel with a distinct focus on the roster. The "Sailor Moon Cosmos" teaser is packed to the brim, with several noteworthy and powerful "Sailor Moon" characters set to appear. Along with Sailor Moon seen in various forms, a slew of Sailor Guardians and Sailor Starlights are put on display, along with the many other fan-favorite personas set to appear in each iteration, as well as the sinister mastermind, Sailor Galaxia.

The promo also features the signature animation style along with an assortment of vibrant visuals fans are used to seeing from the franchise, and while it isn't very long, there is no shortage of the usual sci-fi heavy, over-the-top action sequences teased throughout the quick video promoting the fun fans will have when they see "Sailor Moon Cosmos."

While waiting for an international release date to mark on the calendar, fans can check out the previous entries in the continuity so they can be all caught up for "Sailor Moon Cosmos." The titles viewers should look out for are "Sailor Moon Eternal," the two-part feature that precedes the 2023 films, and the anime series "Sailor Moon Crystal." Luckily each one isn't too hard to find.

Both parts of "Sailor Moon Eternal" are available for subscribers to enjoy on Netflix where they can watch it with its original Japanese audio or the English dubbed version. The "Sailor Moon Crystal" anime series is also available on Netflix, but that's not all, as it is also an option on Crunchyroll and Hulu. It's also important to point out to unaware fans that "Sailor Moon" also has its own dedicated channel on Pluto TV, and "Sailor Moon Crystal" is one of the many on-demand options available from the franchise to stream absolutely free.