The trailer for the upcoming 2-part Sailor Moon Eternal movie came out a few days ago, and DAMN, it is pretty:

Which is hardly surprising, given that one of the biggest announcements about the film was that Kazuko Tadano, the animation director and character designer for the original Sailor Moon anime from the 90s, is part of the team behind Sailor Moon Eternal.

In the exclusive Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Fanclub’s newsletter Tadano had this to say about the movie:

The first visual I worked on for this, and which was ultimately used for the movie’s announcement, as done in reference to a beautiful pose done by Ms. Takeuchi. It’s incredibly difficult work to bring the adorable features presented in both the 90s anime and the manga together into one work and I went through several mis-starts. I felt worried every time a new character was announced, but I’m always comforted to see all the lovely messages posted online [about the designs]. This is my second time working on the Sailor Moon series, but there are so many characters that are new to me that I feel like I’m starting fresh. I’ll do my best, and thanks for cheering me on!

Kazuko Tadano (statement translated by Tuxedo Unmasked)

Tadano’s efforts have resulted in gorgeous character designs that are reminiscent of the original 90s designs (the eyes, especially) while fitting the more modern/updated aesthetic we see in Sailor Moon Crystal. Check them out in these film posters and screencaps from the initial character reveal trailer for the film:

And it seems not even the quarantine is powerful enough to stop this moon magic from happening—the first film is still slated for release in on September 11, 2020. Can’t wait!

El

El Santos is a marketing & advertising professional by day and gamer/bookworm/tarot reader by night. She’s prone to sudden fits of fangirling over her varied interests: video games, fiction, art, folkore, anime, and tarot. She currently lives with her husband and 2 rescue cats.