Sailor Moon Super Live Takes Tokyo Victory Lap; U.K., U.S. Tour Casts Bring Dazzling Subtitled Production Back to Japan

By Melanie Kress / The Japan News

10:30 JST, October 31, 2025

Hot off long stints in the United States and the United Kingdom, “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live” recently returned to Tokyo for a run at Ikebukuro’s Sunshine Theatre, a venue familiar to Sailor Moon stage show fans. Even at the press premiere on Oct. 10, the air in the room was palpably giddy as the invited audience entered the theater.

As in the performances abroad, English supertitles were projected onto the stage backdrop during the show. Typically, 2.5D musicals — so named after their 2D source material — performed overseas rely on song and dance to communicate with an international audience, keeping spoken dialogue to a minimum if it is used at all. The use of supertitles meant a step up in storytelling possibilities, which the Super Live took full advantage of in the 80-minute show.

The clever lighting design of the deceptively simple set ensured the action never felt sparse or cramped. Moreover, the image projections incorporated with the supertitles, such as displaying original manga art and anime effects, emphasized the feeling of bringing the 2D world to life.

While the show only covered the first arc of the series, there is still a lot to condense into less than two hours: junior high schooler Usagi Tsukino running into the magical cat Luna, gaining her Sailor Moon powers, meeting the other Sailor Guardians, the introduction of the mysterious Tuxedo Mask and more than one battle with antagonist Queen Beryl, to name a few. However, the musical numbers lend themselves well to this, quickly moving through time and space without compromising emotionality. But there were also references clearly included with superfans in mind, such as the first stage appearance of Sailor Venus in her Sailor V get-up, or allusions to future storylines.

From the “Team U.S.” cast, Riko Tanaka reprises the role of Usagi / Sailor Moon for the first time since 2021. Her experience is immediately obvious in her easy embodiment of the character, the animated mannerisms and expressions fitting her like a glove — or a knee-high red boot. Throughout her performance, Tanaka displayed impressive vocal and physical control — from comedic combat pratfalls to her expert manipulation of the “odango” wig, or modifying her pitch to showcase Usagi’s emotional growth.

A self-proclaimed crybaby who avoids responsibility and conflict, Usagi can be a tricky heroine to root for, but Tanaka led with an infectiously charming performance, supported by her fellow Sailor Guardians. The group delivered crystal clear harmonies and perfectly in-sync choreography — but even outside the musical numbers, the actresses showed natural and lived-in chemistry throughout, with casual, sometimes wordless interactions that spoke to a camaraderie on and off stage.

Speaking of the music, Go Sakabe and Kyohei’s songs are irresistibly catchy as well as musically varied. The final portion of the show is a mini concert with additional songs as well as an encore of the iconic 1990s theme song “Moonlight Densetsu,” during which the Sailor Guardians mingle with the audience. The loudest applause went to Riona Tatemichi’s striking solo as Tuxedo Mask, but Sayaka Okamura’s jazzy Queen Beryl number also brought the house down. The ensemble dancers deserve special recognition as well, performing with impressive stamina in dance breaks and proving vital in fleshing out the world.

To this non-fluent Japanese speaker living in Tokyo, retaining the supertitles felt especially inclusive. I hope more productions follow suit in this move toward accessibility, and make use of an otherwise largely untapped market of not only a growing number of tourists, but foreign residents looking to be more involved in Japan’s rich theater scene.

Having returned for this dazzling victory lap in Sailor Moon’s home city, which finished on Oct. 13, next for the Super Live is a China tour from Nov. 28 through Dec. 21, this time led by Team U.K. To the cast: Break a leg!