The Author of Sailor Moon meets her characters

1992 📝📑 Puff Magazine: We asked mangaka Naoko Takeuchi who her favorite character was and it turns out to be none other than Sailor Moon's love interest, Tuxedo Mask! The creator of Sailor Moon admitted to Puff Magazine that Mamoru Chiba is her ideal type of man.

December 1998 📝📑A real-life miracle has occurred as the Princess of the Moon and the Prince of Occult have finally tied the knot!

On January 6th, 1999, two worlds of comic artistry will be joined together as Naoko Takeuchi (creator of Sailor Moon) and Yoshihiro Togashi (creator of Hunter x Hunter) have officially confirmed their wedding ceremony will be held in Tokyo's Four Seasons Hotel!

~ ~ ~ And now, in December 2011 ...

"Tuxedo Mask! Where is Tuxedo Mask?"

Usagi, or rather, awakened Princess Serenity, looks around Tokyo Tower desperately, worried he fell out of the magic bubble of protection her friends are using against the Dark Kingdom.

She then looks up and sees the love of her teenage girl life, gorgeous but unconscious, limp in the arms of Queen Beryl.

Mamoru is not a college student. He is not a feisty James Bond. He's just a lonely orphan highschooler who, despite having no powers or weapons, protected the girl he loves.

He finally realized why his soul recognizes hers, but it was too late.

He’s dead.

Once again fate is tearing them apart.

The Sailor Soldiers, elegant in their uniforms, want to save him but they only can defend themselves and hold back Usagi, whose crying and reaching out for Mamoru desperately.

“Don’t leave me again!” She shrieks, any trace of ”comedic immaturity" gone.

She is not a crybaby that gets distracted by any man who passes her way. She is not a rude-mouthed brat. She’s the fate of a tragic fairytale princess forced onto a child who’s only fourteen.

But just like that, the Dark Kingdom mercenaries disappear with Mamoru.

There are no filler episodes with his memories intact. No drawn out Killer-Mamo Arc.

There’s only heartbreak and the assault on an eternally “doomed” cosmic romance.

“MAMO-CHAN!” Her screams echo through Juban.

Sailor Moon doesn’t look at the ground and mumble ”Oh I see“. Usagi’s just awoken to her memories as the Moon Princess.

She’s 14. She’s scared and confused. She doesn’t care she’s in a royal dress. She doesn’t care that her memories are back, or the inheritance of a great destiny.

All she knows is the boy she loves was taken.

Her crying and screams are heart breaking.

There’s nothing funny about this scene. It’s running exactly as intended.

🌔🌓🌒🌑🌘🌗🌖🌕

“Naoko? Naoko!”

“Huh? Oh, sorry, what did you say?”

It’s a Thursday, the time is 20:47.

Naoko Takeuchi is on the phone with her editor, Fumio Osano, but Naoko can call him Osano-P.

There’s a pause of thoughtful silence. Then her editor’s tone relaxes. “You know, we don’t HAVE to do something huge for the 20th anniversary.”

“We... don’t?”

“I mean it would beniceto. It would keep the excitement in circulation and get people talking about Sailor Moon again... but if we simply leave off with a special thank you post online and maybe a few interviews & panel appearances then it’s not the end of the world.”

Of course, all of this is focused on the anime. The manga and anime technically share an anniversary year, but of course, the average viewer doesn’t know this.

Naoko’s smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes thinking of the anime adaptation. In her brain, the best adaptation was the 2003 Live Action Season.

“Okay. I’ll think on it.” she keeps her voice light.

“Remember, ultimately, it’s up to you right now.”

“Yeah.”That’s the hard part.

“How about... you just draw for now? Go back to basics. Maybe that’ll give you some ideas.”

Feeling comforted by the idea of simply drawing for the sake of drawing again, she smiles. “Good idea. Thank you. Good night.”

“Don’t stay up too late. Good night.” He hangs up.

Naoko sighs and walks into the creative studio attached to her house.

It’s been a while since she’s used this for anything other than color references and helping to design props and outfits for the live action adaptation.

She’s almost guilty the relation feels forced, but it will feel better once she’s got a pen in her hand.

The paper is infront of her. She can draw.

But draw what?

The weight of uncertainty tells heavy in her shoulders.

She hears the screams in her head again. “Mamo-Chan!!!”

The imagined sound echoes in her mind. It’s almost satisfying to her. ANYTHING other than ”oh, I see"

This is just a character in her brain. There’s hundreds more in there.

But it’s almost like she isn’t yelling because she wants Mamoru.

It’s like there’s something actually missing...

“Okay, okay.” Naoko mutters under her breath, as if comforting a child, and in a way, she is.

And she draws a face. Then the mask. It’s not a classic super hero shape. It’s more like an elegant masquerade.

The 90′s anime used a visual short hand so his mask’s eyes were hidden in white ... but here we can clearly see those eyes she loves so much.

Even though it’s just the face, the expressions on it just scream to her in the best way possible.

The 90′s Counterpart can’t compare.

Wait, what?

Did I really just say that?!

There’s nobody else around.

She looks back at the drawing, then pushes it away. “What am I doing? It’s just a character.”

The spell is broken... possibly...

Her shoulders slump and she slowly plops her head on the table.

She looks at the tormented beauty of Tuxedo Mask’s face.

HerTuxedo Mask. Not the byproduct of Toei doing whatever they wanted just from character notes.

And she deeply appreciates the anime. There was a lot of good that came out of it. She’s made that abundantly clear... probably.

But here in this room, she’ll admit:

Tōru Furuya is a good voice actor and he really knew how to ad-lib the swagger of the 90′s anime Mamoru, but that’s just it! Mamoru isn’t supposed to have swagger!

He’s awkward and insecure and just wants to pass his mock exams even though he’s got the fate of a king attached to his DNA.

She deeply madly deeply wants to see and hearherGuardian of Earth the way she imagined him:

Sophisticated. Tragically mysterious. A true princely gentleman deep down.

Kind. Protective. Literallynamedhim Mamoru.

Also a nerd. With glasses. Kinda dorky. A charming loser in a cape.

And really useless. Naoko giggles to herself, Cuz Sailor Moon is the hero ...

Naoko yawns, lowering her head to the desk.

... and Mamo-Chan... just looks really good in a tuxedo.

She dozed off a bit, thoughts full of her male damsel in distress.

As the woman falls asleep, her consciousness travels to a world of her own making.

The bunny is sleeping peacefully over drawings of Mamoru Chiba, delicate and gorgeous as ever.

FWIP!

A rose flies through the open window, hitting against the end of the table.

“Huh -?” Dazed and confused, the rabbit struggles to open her eyes.

Suddenly, there’s a woosh of fabric. “FAIR MAIDEN-”

Completely disturbed, Naoko shrieks. ”AHHHHHHH!!!”

In her shock she clumsily falls backwards, tumbling out of her chair.

She whines for a second. “Ouchieeeee” but then she looks up and now she’s shocked. “What? Whoareyou?!”

In her window is a caped & masked cartoon man in a very costume-level tuxedo-superhero gettup. “Be not afraid!” he says.

“The moonlight is a spotlight on the stage of justice! A rose may have thorns, but a heart without love is the sharpest sting of all. I am the shadow that guards the light! I am the guardian of the night!I am...”

The 6′3ft man pauses, then throws another rose that somehow sharply lands right by her foot, impaling one of her papers that fell off the desk.

“Hey!” She shouts, but he ignores her to dramatically introduce himself as Tuxedo Mask, talking as if he’s Japan’s James Bond.

Naoko rubs her eyes in bewilderment, though more of a disappointment and appalled disbelief. “... I see. Right, the college man. I remember you.”

“What? How did you know I’m a college student? It’s a secret!”

Naoko shakes her head and looks away, but in doing so she sees what’s happened to her manuscripts. “Ahh! Look at the mess you made!”

Papers and papers of hand-drawn illustrations are all over the floor. “You’re lucky the ink didn’t spill!” she huffs.

“The ink of the creator is the blood of the soul!” With a grandiose 90′s Action Hero voice, Tuxedo Mask blabs on and on, possibly under the delusion his monologues add years on to people’s lives.

Having lost track already, she sighs, “I guessIhave to pick these all up.”

She tries, but then struggles with her chibi little paws.Wait, I have paws?

Naoko glances at the mirror, seeing herself as her own comic avatar, Bunny-Sensei.

She stares at her reflection in wonder and amazement, but her attention is reclaimed when she steps on another paper.

Gosh, even if the manga is done, that’s no reason to walk all over the manuscripts.

She tries to pick up the paper again but fails.

But then, a cool yet princely voice says, “Don’t worry. I got it.”

Now a highschool boy with thick soft bangs is here, wearing a sharp school uniform and thin-framed glasses. He’s got a calm and controlled expression on his pretty face.

The mangaka is now face to face with her epitome of romance. Her ideal man. The perfect love interest. Her personal fantasy.

“Mamo-Chan?” Then Naoko gasps. “CHIBA MAMORU?” She can’t believe this.

First the man from the 90′s anime is trying to act all suave in her window, and now the young Prince of Earth (and prince of her maiden heart) is efficiently picking up her work off the floor.

The 5′11ft teen sets the papers neatly back on Naoko’s desk.

“Why is there a rose impaling this page?” Mamoru examines the one paper he didn’t pick up. “It seems real but... it’s the wrong time of year. Where did you get this?”

Tuxedo Mask pokes his head into the house. “I am the mysterious guardian of the night! With streetlights as my guide, I..” - The man resumes his rambunctious rambling.

Realizing this isn’t going anywhere, Mamoru, standing close to Naoko, whispers in a low voice, “Uhh... Naoko-Sensei, who is this man? Why is he standing on furniture? Is he a debt collector?”

Despite her flustered and confused state, she actually laughs. “No, he is not a debt collector. He’s what happens when people try to make an anime and a manga simultaneously in the 90′s.”

Tuxedo Mask moves out of the window, now standing on the desk, and the manga sheets. “Little boy, you should know that the true hero would never-”

“Hey.” Mamoru interrupts. “Don’t stand on those manuscripts. They’ve got more value than that car you’ve parked crookedly outside. Also I think that’s the wrong side of the street. You should repark it.”

The college man looks offended. “Hey squirt, thatcaris a Red Alfa Romeo SZ!”

“Wait, Mamo-Cha ...” Naoko corrects herself, “Chiba-San. You think my drawings ...are worth more than a luxury sports car?”

The artist might start crying as she asks, “You noticed the ink quality? The delicate line-work on every piece of fabric?”

“Of course, Sensei.” Manga-Mamoru adjusts his glasses, completely serious. “Your world-building is structurally sound. Though it may take some time to get these papers back in order.”

The rabbit author stumbles back...OH NO HE’S TOO PERFECT! THE GLASSES! THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL! THE LOYALTY! THE COMPLETELY SERIOUS EXPRESSION!

The door bursts open.

A distinct unmistakable voice whines, “Mamo-Chan, get away from the rabbit! I’m the only rabbit for-”

She stops. And then sees the 90′s Tuxedo Mask. She steps back, wary.

She’s a fifteen year old girl. This college adult in a costume is towering over her, looking at her in a way that doesn’t sit right with her.

“Who are you?” She asks in a guarded tone.

He bends down in the most in-your-face-way possible. “Fear not my sweet Usako! For I am Tuxedo Mask!”

Her eyes widen, surprised by the proximity but mostly offended. “No you’re not. He talks nothing like that. What kind of imposter are you?”

The manga-accurate blonde is unimpressed. You’d think she’d looking at some con-man on the street.

Usagi then looks around and notices alotof drawings of her boyfriend as Tuxedo Mask.

Then she sees a bunny wearing a bowtie. A pen is sitting beside her on the ground. “... who are you and why do you have so many pictures of MY Mamo-chan?”

Her tone is stern. She’s got the intense bright eyes of a real princess.

It’s taken time to process but the mangaka still can’t believe what she’s seeing.

And yet she knows exactly what she’s seeing.

She knows that voice, those eyes, that student uniform.

She knows that hair style. That’s the hairstyle Naoko herself wore before entering long study sessions to pass finals- the style that made her feel more awake before heading to stressful college classes. Her own good luck charm.

Naoko can only say: “Usagi-Chan is that really you?”

SeeingherMamoru Chiba sent her heart into shock, but seeing her own perfect protagonist that she put her whole heart and soul into, here in the flesh ... now the waterworks are starting.

Usagi’s just confused now. What is happening?

“Usako, calm down.” Mamoru puts a hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder. “The guy in the mask is a...relicof the 90′s. And the bunny crying on the floor is, uhhh... well she’s the reason we exist.”

“And she’s obsessed with you, apparently.” Usagi doesn’t exactly like that.

Her tone is judgemental, possibly suspecting Naoko draws pictures of Mamo that are a little less... pure hearted shoujou.

“No! It’s not like that! I promise, I’m just trying to catch the way the moonlight looks on his silver lapel! The way a cape moves in the wind! The poetry of cross hatching over those shoulders”

The bunny just cries more because she’s actually talking to Usagi Tsukino.

"Thisis the cosmic force that decided our destiny?” Usagi watched as Naoko cries her eyes out. “What a crybaby.”

Mamoru just turns away, not commenting onthat.

But then Usagi actually looks around.

She sees herself, her friends, their adventures, and of course, Tuxedo Mask - everyone with detailed fashion in their glamour shots, the fabric moving beautifully with every movement, heroes flying through lacy flowery dreamy panels of starlit skies.

She looks at Naoko again. “You drew these? This is... everything”

“I... I know I made a lot of tough moments,” Her mind flickering back to the more traumatic moments of her story, Naoko sobs, “but it’s only because I knew you were the strongest person in the universe because you never stopped being kind. No matter what happened you always would find your way back to what matters most to you”

“Oh well now I feel bad. We all look so beautiful...” Usagi’s heart is deeply touched and full of empathy, and her eyes begin to water too. “But why is destiny so sad? 😭WAHHHHHH!!”

Within a matter of moments, Usagi and the rabbit are hugging and crying. Usagi is pretty-crying while Naoko ugly-sobs.

“I’m sorry Usagi-Chan I just love you both so much I can’t... I can’t ... 😭 WAHHHHHH!!”

Looking like he’s aged ten years in five seconds, Manga-Mamo puts his hands up. “Please, both of you, don’t cry. You’re going to dehydrate”

Tuxedo Mask strikes a pose, another rose in his hand like it’s a microphone for a comedy hour. “Moonlight is the messenger of peace! To disturb the peace of a maiden’s workspace is a sin that cannot be forgiven!”

Usagi wipes her eyes. “Please leave”

“I can’t leave behind a fair maiden under such a horrendous despicable—”

“Don’t worry about him.” Mamoru steps between them.

“Youre right.” Usagi sighs. We really should be getting back. If I don’t try to get at least a C on my English test, Luna will scold me for three hours!”

Mamoru, calm as ever, holds her hand sweetly. “It’s alright. We’ll find a way home. Together.”

Unfortunately, seeing her characters interacting this way right in front of her is too much!

She lets out a strangled scream, unable to stop herself from fangirling over her own characters.

Yet ANOTHER voice calls “Naoko? You good?”

Togashi the dog waddles into the room, adjusting his square glasses with a paw.

“Is everything okay?” Contrasting the appearance of the pug, he has a deep rugged voice. “I heard crying... like, more than usual.”

Grabbing a tissue, his rabbit wife just wails, “Look at them! It’s them! It’s ... it’s Mamoru and Usagi.”

She blows her nose, then glares a bit. “Oh, and Chiba-San from the 90′s is here too.”

While Tuxedo Mask poses dramatically to show off, the Manga Mamoru noticed a fallen stapler so he’s picking it up right now.

“So this is the prince of Earth? Wow... He kinda looks like me.” The pug looks up at the boy. “But taller... and all his hair intact... and a working spine.” Togashi represses a snicker/scoff as he teases, “I see how it is.”

The 90′s Man looks down at the creature. “Humble Pug, I am Tuxedo Mask, and I am here to-”

Togashi totally ignores him. “What is happening Naoko? You’re crying. Sailor Moon is crying... and yourideal manis fixing your stapler”

Naoko just blows her nose. “I knowwww”

Togashi rolls his eyes, but by doing so, he notices out the window: “Ohh, and a car’s parked on the wrong side of the street.That’s nice.”

“Excuse me!” Tuxedo Mask steps in front. “I am speaking to you! Don’t you know who I am? I am the commercial peak of the 90′s and gave little girls and little boys something to aspire to!”

Usagi is still crying but quietly since she’s eating her feeling in crepes.

Deciding his wife is totally fine, Togashi is already walking back to the door. “If you don’t need me, I’m going back to my room to lie on the ground and playDragonQuest.”

“Wait, Mister Doggy?” Usgai asks, “Do you want a strawberry crepe? My mom made them!”

Manga-Mamoru puts a hand on her shoulder. “Usako, dogs can’t eat crepes.”

The blonde kneels down, excitedly handing Togashi the crepe in her other hand. “He’s a talking dog. It’s totally different. Isn’t that right?”

“Free food?” Togashi grins, “Yes, that’stotallyright. Thanks kid. You are now my favorite.”

“Wow! First I met a talking dog, and now a talking cat?” Usagi pauses. “Wait- other way around...”

“Wait, so ifhe’shere, andhe’shere, andshe’shere,” Togashi frowns. “Am I only one here without a transformation sequence? That’s narratively unfair.”

Naoko stands up. “You want to transform? I... I’m not sure that’s a great idea for you right now. The doctor said-”

“Forget the doctor. IfKaito Kidhere gets a saxophone solo, I should get a twelve page spread where I turn into a legendary hunter.”

90′s Tuxedo Mask looks down at the dog. “A transformation? That’s like three minutes, if you’reme. But I have ribbons and a top hat. You can’t just-”

In the deepest most serious voice Togashi can muster, he yells: “Crepe Power Make Up!”

Togashi shoves the whole pastry in his mouth, and as if he’s been suddenly powered by the sugar, he begins spinning around, though for this dog, it’s more of a slow rhythmic waddle.

After about the sixth spin, he stops and plops down. “Actually... Nevermind. The spinning made me dizzy.”

Noticing aDragon Questmagazine he left in here by mistake, he pulls it over his face. “I’m just gonna lie here and declare myself the winner by default.”

“He tried!” Naoko the bunny is swooning. “He tried to transform for me! It was so... so...kawaisou!!” (T/N: pathetic in the most endearing way possible)

Usagi wastes no time laying down as well. “Good idea Doggie-Sensei. Fighting is hard. I’m kinda sleepy after that crepe.”

“They’re... they’re BOTH sleeping now!” Naoko represses a scream, but she squeaks, “It’s so adorably devastating!”

“It was inevitable.” Manga-Mamo sighs, but he puts a blanket over Usagi and then another blanket over Togashi.

This whole time, 90′s Tuxedo Mask hasn’t stopped talking. His manga counterpart stares at him. “Sir, can you lower your voice? They’re trying to nap.”

“EVIL NEVER RESTS, NOR DO I!”

“Get out! You’re a disturbance! A mouthpiece!” Naoko actually pushes him as she hisses, “You’re a waste of a perfectly good tuxedo!”

“It’s no use. He’s programmed for dramatic persistence. The more we push, the more romantic he thinks the struggle is. I’ll handle this.” Cool as ever, Mamoru stoically sprays the man with a bottle of water, as if he’s a misbehaving cat.

“My tailoring! How dare you treat a legend of the 90′s like this! I shall retreat, but I shall return when the moon is at its zenith for a reprise of my theme song! ADIEU!”

Tuxedo Mask jumps out of the window, landing on a street light, then somehow parkouring into his car, leaving like he thinks he’s some action movie hunk.

The bunny artist doesn’t even care. She’s on cloud nine.

Seeing Mamoru in all his manga-like glory, calmly handling his counterpart as if he was just a misbehaving little kitten was something she didn’t know she needed to see.

Mamoru looks around. “Oh, your copic markers are still on the floor.” He begins picking them up, organizing them efficiently like the nerd he is.

His creator is about to help him but then the dream ends, because OF COURSE IT DOES.

Naoko Takeuchi shoots up, a paper stuck to her face.

After a moment of confusion, she realizes she fell asleep in her home’s workroom.

She looks down, her pink paws now just normal hands.

However, the jump back to reality doesn’t get her down. In fact, it just motivates her more.

“I know what I have to do!”

She clumsily pulls out her phone (almost dropping it) frantically trying to call Fumio Osano.

He picks up, and it’s clear he just woke up. “Takeuchi-San, it’s 5:35, what-”

“Osabu-P, I just saw them! Not the ones from the TV show... the real ones. We have to bring them back exactly as they are.”

“Huh?”

“Remember when I said I had no clue what to do for the 20th anniversary? This is what we should do! A reboot. A whole reboot, covering my manga the way I wrote it from start to finish.”

“... all fifty two acts? As an anime?”

“Yes!”

“That’s... a lot”

“I know but it’ll also be different enough people would want to see it, right? More true to life?”

There’s a long pause. Naoko might vibrate out of her chair waiting.

Sounding genuinely astounded, Osano mutters, “I’m gonna have to call you back.”

“You better!” She hangs up, beyond giddy.

The fourty-four year old woman runs with an energy she hasn’t felt since the conclusion of the manga.

She rushes to her bedroom. “You won’t believe what... uhhh...”

Where’s my husband?

She walks around and finds him in the living room. Togashi (human) is lying on his back on the ground.

Standing right over him, she looks down as she playfully hiss/whispers, “Hey, are you awake?”

He doesn’t even open his eyes, but his rough morning voice mumbles: “Not anymore”

“Were you laying in the ground all night?”

“Were you in your workroom all night?”

“...Fair.” Then she runs off to make toast. She needs it. Maybe four pieces. Five to be safe. Or nine.

“Don’t run... you’re making the floor vibrate” He dramatically groans as he rubs his eyes, “My vertebrae are being held together by prayer and expressive tape.”

“Sorry, sorry. But I just had the best idea: What if Toei rebootedSailor Moon, except this time, the manga is done, animation can do a lot more now, and I can actually have a say in how it all goes! Oh! Maybe the Sailor Starlights will finally be on the big screen! And mySailor Starlights, not whatever the 90′s made”

“Ugh, I’m trying to... get these kids off a boat” He almost sounds disgusted (in the best way) as he attempts to stretch. “and you’re talking about a reboot?”

Naoko sighs, “Oh but what about the voice cast? I definitely have to call Mitsuishi-San. Nobody else can tap into the heart of Sailor Moon. Besides, she always said she wanted to do a performance more accurate to the manga and now this is her chance! And my chance. Really, it’s for everyone. Maybe even Toei will be happy!”

The toast pops out. She butters them all quickly and puts four on a plate.

“Here. Open.” She puts a slice of toast into his mouth, setting the first plate beside him.

Then she takes the other five- four in her hands and one tucked in her mouth.

While she heads to her studio to draw, Togashi chuckles, “Poor Osano is gonna need alotof coffee”

“You know it!”

And that is how Sailor Moon Crystal was made (lol)