Though Kodansha will remain the publisher of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon manga, Viz Media announced last Friday that they've licensed effectively all of its anime adaptation, including the never-before-released-in-America Sailor Moon Sailor Stars series and the franchise's upcoming anime reboot, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal. Episodes will be available to watch on Viz's Neon Alley streaming service and Hulu beginning today, with additional content added every Monday. It's true; scouts honor.

Viz plans to make all 200 episodes of the franchise's five anime series, three feature films and all of their tie-ins originally produced by Toei available for streaming and purchase in digital and home video formats.

Unlike previous releases from DiC, Optimum Productions and Cloverway, Viz's releases will be uncut and retain all the footage, Japanese names and original subjectmatter (Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune will be presented as lovers rather than cousins, for example). Fans will have the option of watching both subtitled versions of the episodes and newly dubbed versions starring a new voice cast.

Though the subtitled content will be solo for some months, the dubbed content will join it online and on DVD and Blu-ray/DVD combo packs by late 2014.

Sailor Moon Crystal will have a slightly different schedule since its 26-episodes won't kickoff their biweekly release until July 5 in Japan. Specific release details from Viz are still forthcoming. If you can speak Japanese, you can simply tune into Niconico's global streaming service for a simulcast. If not? Viz will probably have a solution soon.

 

 

[Via ANN]

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