I love this show so much! I watched it a lot when I was little. I saw it on
animefreak and decided I was gonna watch it to cheer me up from the lousy Iron Bowl turn out. (stupid Alabama letting very stupid Auburn win!) Anyway I went back and forth between the English and the Japanese versions of Sailor Moon. I usually always like the Japan version better. Its less kidish, more of the time seems to make more since and hearing the language is just awesome. But English sometimes is more understandable and is usually easier to laugh at!
I'm going to compare the English and Japanese of every episode (In the fist season) because I love it and this is what I have to say about it. :)
The English episode's name is 'A Moon Star is Born' and Japanese is 'Crybaby Usagi's Magnificent Transformation'. Note how I use names. I could say the American version or dubbed versus English. I could also say subbed for Japanese. I don't like the name Usagi so I'll just call her by her english name- Serena. But sometimes I like their Japanese name better so then I'll use that one it just depends.
Right off there is the difference in the theme song. The tune is the same but even with the English subtitles the words are completely different. That surprised me a lot. In the English version it starts off with an explanation about the moon civilization -ruled by queen Serenity- was taken over by queen Beryl. The Japan version gos strait to Serena waking up late then gave an explanation of who she was (that the English didn't give).
The English's beginning made me laugh
Mom: you said you were getting up right away
Serene: and you believed me?!
When she saves the cat Luna she calls after the kids 'rotten brats!' in the English but in Japanese she's just 'I can't believe it'. Its strange like that. Usually -from what I've seen- the japanese is harsher with their words, like it is a couple times later in the episode. Then in English Luna talks in her head but doesn't in Japanese. That's not that important though because of course Luna talks later.
The next part were she gos to school is almost completely different even though its the same picture. In the English version she says she saw a new sailor V video game on TV and the teacher comes in saying that she shouldn't be watching TV if she's failing her test! Then she's outside with her friends and all sad that she won't be able to play her new game so the girls decide to go shopping to cheer her up. Their guy friend talked a little without moving his mouth.
The Japanese version though didn't even mention that their was a video game. She was just eating her lunch for breakfast when her teacher came in. Naru (Molly) and Serena had a completely different conversation. They talked about the Sailor V who saved the jewelry store from a robber. Then they go into who Sailor V is and even show a picture of her. After they only talk about jewelry and going to jewelry store that's on sale.
The next scene is the evil queen Beryl's layer and she sends Jadeite to get energy from humans. Its pretty much the same except in the Japanese version it mentions that the legendary silver crystal hadn't been found.
I love how the Japanese version has cool music to go behind what the evil guys say and in the English Molly has a like a northern accent.
Anyway when Serena walks out she meets who I know to be the Tuxedo Mask. In Japanese he calls her a dumpling head and in English a meatball head. ha! When she looks back at him she says 'he sure is cute' in English and in Japanese its 'what a weirdo'.
When her mom got really mad when she saw the test grade in the English she made her go to the library to study but in Japanese she kicked her out of the house. lol Then their was this whole part about her brother coming home and kicking her that only happened in the Japanese version.
In the Japanese version Serena calls Luna 'the cat with the crescent bald spot'! also in Japanese she has to say 'moon prism power makeup' to activate Sailor Moon. In English its just 'moon prism power' which I like better.
A demon evil witch thing Morga poses as Naru's mom and it tells Naru (as its choking her) that her mom is trapped in a basement, in the Japanese version. That seems harsher than in the English version, just saying like I will destroy you and the rest of the world. Later when Morga is destroyed Jadeite is harsher in the Japanese version saying 'you screwed up. you idiot!' (screwed being a cuss word! lol) in English he said 'someone will pay dearly for this'
When Sailor Moon is crying about how she can't fight, Tuxedo Mask steps in to help. I think what he says in both is super cute. Japanese: 'crying isn't going to solve anything' then she cries louder and it hurts the evil things ears.
English: 'look into your heart and find the warrior within you. It is your destiny' sweet!
At the end in the English version there was this annoying motto thing 'this is what we learned' but in Japanese it just went into the ending song (different from the theme song).
