Do you have any idea how many views this will drop!?!?!?!?!? I love you forever (not being weird) 💕✌🏾💕✌🏾🎁🎈🎊👑🎉 congrats your my new idol! Oh to answer your question yes I would’ve have definitely watched it despite the cringe
Hey there! Steven Wilzbach’s son here! He unfortunately passed away in June from a long battle of cancer. I just want to say thank you for your dedication to this. It is so well done and is so cool to see my Dad in this light. He would’ve absolutely loved this. Cheers! Edit: thank you so much everyone for your kind words and condolences ❤️
I'm so sorry :( It was an honor to get to sit down and speak with him! I wish you and your family well, he was a very talented man! I hope I did his character justice in his segment❤❤
Steven seems like such a sweet and talented guy here, and certainly a legend to the Sailor Moon community now. Condolences to your family and all who knew him.
Love how the actress for Sailor Venus was the only one to not be found. It's very in line with the plot of the anime, where Venus was the last Sailor Scout to be discovered in the first season
hope you realize you are now immortalized in anime history, something incredibly special for countless people; to think, years down the road people will be reaching out to YOU! thank you for your dedication, raven.
I know a lot of folk are praising the fact that the pilot was actually found but honestly to me the most impressive part of these documentaries is how engaging, well edited, and amazingly scripted they were. There were so many moments where the feelings she was feeling at the time were so perfectly portrayed that I genuinely felt them too. That's really impressive coming from a documentary. It's honestly pretty inspiring. I will for sure check out anything else she makes from now on.
As a professional journalist of 24 years experience, I want to say: Well done on a stunning piece of journalism. Brilliantly compiled, compellingly told. Excellent, excellent stuff.
Libraries are great, fellow library worker here. Especially the fact that many countries collect so many more or less published materials. It’s the LoC in the USA, the British library in the UK, the DNB in Germany and many more.
Former library assistant and I've come to find that it's not just the last place you look but the a place that's both the most obvious while some how being the least obvious at the same time. How our funny little human minds work, but then again, how could we create this funny little world without it. (To be honest, I loved going down the rabbit hole in my school's old non-fic and finding books, with books not being checked out in 70 years. It felt magical. It was like Hogwarts before Rowling lost it)
In a time when streaming series are being unceremoniously cancelled and disappearing, this feels all the more poignant. It's so sad how a creative team can really put their heart into something and have it all disappear over night and never reach their audience.
You've now solved TWO of the biggest lost media cold cases nearly single-handedly. Your dedication and skill in not just detective work but also videography is unmatched!!
I know the draw is really the full pilot here, but i gotta say, the highlight for me is the interview with Rocky and Steven (may he rest in peace :( ). Their stories are amazing, i could've listened to just hours of them talking and reminiscing about their times in animation, both together and separate.
Can I be honest? I liked the hunt just as much if not more than finding the treasure. The part about Chuck Jones and his daughter giving one of the animators a genuine drawing, the actor with stage freight being comforted by Rocky and Steve, the actor for Sailor Jupitor being a fitness trainer, the eccentric producer, all the people who were involved with this project, the backlog of sizzle pitches by Toei, the fate of anime in America, The Library Of Congress giving you the contents from the archive, THIS IS, in my opinion, about as wholesome, feel good, and adventurous as the film The Goonies and Sherlock Holmes! Raven, you have my upmost respect! Great Job, Queen! :D You deserve this 👑
@@RayMona more like the Diamond play button cus you’re such a baddass I don’t know anyone else more deserving of one. Your content is so unique and beautiful and deserving of more praise. We love a documentary maker.
Are we at this point surprised that anything associated with Darian / Mamoru / Tuxedo Mask will inevitably end up getting whupped so hard it's more funny than sad?
My girl Venus is out here powdering her face with a loofah. But on a more serious note this is one of the best deep dives I've ever seen. I so appreciate your dedication and your humor through this. You've done such a great thing digging all of this up archiving it and making sure that people get credit where due. ❤️
i know these arent getting the insane views these SHOULD GET, but i can not stress how much you have changed the course of sailor moon fandom history. you're amazing
It wouldn't have been possible without all the people she interviewed and especially this guy's signature to get access to the Library. They should be remembered too!
At this point we really should call Ray the lost media finder ,cause it should be considered a pretty insane accomplishment to not only put intense research into the biggest lost media pieces out there but managing to find them after decades of being lost to history.
Raven, I am now thoroughly convinced that the only person capable of finding D.B. Cooper, Amelia Earhart, and the Holy Grail is you. You're the greatest of the great. Thank you for the incredible work!
I am still in honest shock that after twenty years, the pilot and music video are just OUT THERE now, after being lost for LITERALLY decades. And it's all thanks to you, Tami Adrian George, Rocky and Steve, and even Raymond - even if it was difficult to sift apart the nuggets of gold in his dirt mound of very unnecessary "information". XD Here's hoping Ms. Stephanie Dicker either finally answers your calls/emails and can provide some missing information, like the identity of our eerily familiar yet nearly totally forgotten Sailor Venus!
The full documentary was a hell of a ride and the payoff was well worth the 3.5-hour watch time. The level of passion, tenacity, and dedication is simply impressive. You've joined the ranks of Red Bard at releasing previously lost media that everyone was looking for. Kudos to the Library of Congress for holding onto seemingly random tapes with no real value, agreed the absolute last place to find them. Extracting 65 mm and 70 mm film from the National Archives to make a Direct Cinema documentary on Apollo 11, that's reasonable. But no one could have expected this, not even close
Did anyone else cry when they watched this? Watching the pilot now seems like a homage to Sailor Moon and that's great. I'm like mourning that this didn't get picked up as I know I would have loved it. I think, as you said, that maybe if it had been pick up that anime culture in the west might not have been like it is now. Thank you so much for all your hard work and I'm glad all the hard work these legends put into the pilot is now being appreciated. This was AWESOME.
Personally glad we got the anime version, but there are ideas in Saban Moon that I honestly wish were implemented in modern adaptations… ethnically diverse sailor scouts being one of them. Thank you so much for putting in all the work into finding this lost gem! And your documentation of the journey was a storytelling gem in and of itself.
@@RolandTemplar ha 💀! Honestly, though…Naoko needs to pick a successor who “gets it” and allow the franchise to change and evolve, much in the same way transformers, ninja turtles, mlp, etc have evolved with new concepts and ideas. If Naoko had to design Sailor Moon for the first time but in 2022, surely it would not be the same… that’s what I’d like to see in the future.
Girl, you are a rockstar for putting this together. On behalf of all American 90’s moonies we thank and applaud you for your service (and insane persistence and professionalism!)
So glad I could help in any way! Thanks for including me in this! You got Raymond's personality down to a T! Was hilarious! You made one of my dreams come true by finding this pilot! One of the reasons I wanted to recreate it was so I could SEE it with my own two eyes...Thank you Raven 🙏🏻 you are a legend
what i love is the fact you find the humanity behind these lost arts, there's something special knowing things from it being an animators beginning to hearing anecdotes about one of the actresses needing to be comforted before filming. they're special moments that would've also been lost even if the pilot was found, but you brought them back and it makes this whole documentary so much more compelling. amazing work !
@Ray Mona! I think I know who Sailor Venus is. She was perhaps Samantha Becker / Samantha Esteban who was Maria in Saved By the Bell The New Class. She went by Becker back in the early 90s but now goes by Samantha Esteban. :-) Also, I commend you so much for digging hard for this gold. I never thought we would get to see not only the music video without the rude laughter over it, but to actually see the pilot episode is so surreal!
It's weird that no one has started an IMDB page for this yet. Someone should get on that. In any case, this was a wild ride. The closest thing I can compare this to is an old series called Van-pires where live action kids turn into CGI vampire cars. In any case, great job Ray! I'll miss the Bobdunga branding, but I'm here for this!
You found it...you actually found and brought home the legendary treasure long thought to be lost. The "Silver Crystal" of the sailor moon community and anime fans the world over for the past 20 years. Well done.
This is absolutely outstanding. To think this was just sitting in the library of Congress all of these years. It really makes think what else is just waiting to be found. Thank you for all the research and time that went into this. It’s really incredible.
I wonder how much more lost media we don’t even know about is in the library of Congress! Must be crazy amounts. More people should try to search there. I don’t know much about the library but I’ve heard about the musicals there.
I think this is the same way the Wicked Witch Sesame Street episode got found, too... Even if it wasn't as uh, legally done. I'm not sure the full back story on that. I have to wonder how much lost media is just sitting in the LoC.
@@ravenpotter3 I'm not even American but I know that the library of Congress saves a copy of most (or maybe all?) media made in the US. I had a friend who worked at a museum in our country and they'd occasionally get requests from the library of Congress with respect to some media for preservation purposes (since the museum here has some well preserved copies). I don't think the Congress has much in terms of unfinished projects (like for example the recently uncovered Shrek test) but it probably, likely, has copied of other shows or movies from the 80s and 90s (wouldn't hold my breath for copies of decades prior though)
Lady, you've got the gift. You're willing to put yourself out there to pursue ANY lead, even across great lengths of time. It doesn't matter if this video doesn't do numbers, it's the most incredible resume a documentarian could ask for. My god. You really went and did it. If the world had another dozen of you, we could obliterate lost media as a concept.
Like others I don't usually comment, but throughout both parts there were moments when I had chills. Frames of this being animated on a Don Bluth productions animators desk?! Phineas and Ferb?! Confirmation of actresses in the leads?! That whole convo with Raymond?! The convo with Steven (rip) and Rocky was incredible?! The pilot itself??? As a fan of sailor moon since I was five years old, and as a 5-10 year old who scoured the exact websites you cite in part one for any information regarding this show, who watched bootleg eBay dvds of Stars over a decade before its release on Hulu... I am just in total shock and appreciation. This is absolutely history making. Additionally, I ALSO recognize Venus's actress but also can't put my finger on it. Now I've got an itch to scratch! I feel like maybe she was a power ranger? I wracked my brain all Night but came up with nothing. I can only picture her maybe with butterfly clips in her hair, a tank top and cargo pants in my memory, maybe dancing hip hop? I thought she might be a Disney Channel original movie regular too, but I looked over all the ones I'd seen and didn't feel confident she was in any of them. I hope these suggestions help though! She is incredibly familiar!
Someone needs to update the lost media wiki. This is absolutely huge! This needs to be shared around! People have been wondering about this thing for years and to have it just... BE here after all this time... it is amazing! If you people know anyone still wondering about the lost live action Sailor Moon pilot, show them this and give them closure! Raven, I have to commend you for doing so dang much during this project. Months of research, several interviews, a whole lot of cyber sleuthing, and it actually paid off. Thank you so much for your hard work! I’m definitely going to stick around to see what you work on next!
I rarely comment on RUclips, but this warrants an exception; you deserve a Pulitzer Prize for this immense uncovering. This should be a clear inspiration to all that perseverance, particularly during uncertain times, can pay off and lead to extremely rewarding results. For me, your journey and thought process are just as important to the end result and certainly inspires me. Any other RUclipsr probably would have just dropped the music video and pilot without documenting the journey but the lasting legacy would have been considerably less impactful. Thank you for all your work.
Oh my gosh every time Rocky & Steven talk about throwing/giving away the production assets I feel such anxiety for all that art/history lost. I’ve been trying to find what happened to the assets for a Disney made for TV animated feature for the last three years and this kinda cements the rumors that all the cells, sketches, scripts, etc have been lost/tossed. TT_TT Regardless @RayMona- what an absolutely amazing documentary you’ve made for this! It was an incredible, interesting & so informative, watch and I thank you so much for sharing it with all of us. Thank you for all your hard work! Can’t wait to see what you’ll have in store for us in the future!
I’m old enough to remember when the original leak happened and how baffled we were by it. I’m so thrilled it was found and seeing the whole thing, I probably would have watched it!
I'm not gonna lie, but much of the people who worked on Saban Moon were people I didn't expect to be attached to the project. I was expecting a bunch of no-names with no significance whatsoever, but instead I learn that it had people who worked at Disney, at Warner Bros, who worked on The Simpsons, on Power Rangers, and more. The two names I wasn't expecting at all were Phineas and Ferb creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. When I heard their names, I was like "Wait, THEY were attached to this project!?" You definitely made anime history here, that's for certain, I've wanted to see the Saban Moon pilot for a very long time, and now I have thanks to you! Congratulations on finding one of the Holy Grails of anime lost media!
The locket prototype looks like the official one Bandai released but the ring looks exactly like the one it came with the “Cosmic Crescent Jewel Box”, the ring would also work with the crescent moon wand.
I gasped and said the exact same thing. If you look at the copy on the back of the original toy it actually hints at another link to the lost pilot-- it mentions the jewel as an "empyrean crystal ring" that Sailor Moon must keep away from Queen Beryl. I think its something someone missed. Because they could have just referred to the crystal itself (and said it could be worn as a ring) instead of it being a ring naturally. Pretty sure the jewel box isn't toonmakers inspired, sadly. The design of the crescent jewel box does have a previous source though-- its design is almost identical to sailor v's compact/mirror from the manga. Not sure why they made it tbh...but the existence of rings of power kind of makes all that US toy ring theming make some kind of sense. I can't remember if there is a japanese toy version of it, (possible) but I always liked the jewel box because its another of those weird "not from the anime" toys.
My jaw dropped when I saw you got the music video…and then it fell through my floor when I saw you got the whole pilot! Thank you for putting in so much dedication into what probably felt like an impossible goal. ❤️
It's nice to finally see the "Saban Moon" intro without those jackasses laughing over it. Thank you so much!!!! EDIT: I wasn't expecting to see the full pilot! 😲😲😲😲
I agree, but I don’t think they would’ve laughed if they knew that that was all we were going to have as evidence for 20+ years! I would’ve been laughing too. Now it can dubbed an “audience reaction” I guess.
I feel like I can’t possibly give this series enough praise!!! The writing and the way you built suspense was absolutely masterful. I can’t believe how quickly I did a 180 in my opinion about the existence of Saban Moon, either. When I first saw this video thumbnail I thought that an American Sailor Moon was doomed to suck, but that the story around the project would be interesting enough to watch the videos for. Now I’m sitting here really wishing they had been able to produce at least a season of Saban Moon! I’m sad we don’t have a couple episodes to check out at least! (+ that theme song is a certified bop, too) Thank you for making me care so much about this little project and for bringing me along for the ride. I can’t wait to see the fun your future videos bring!!
Sis really gave us the whole opening and pilot, I feel spoiled 😭 The pilot is so cheesy but I love it. I can't imagine how much time and research you had to do to find all of this! You are a queen to finding lost media, I swear. I can't wait to see what your next documentary is gonna be!
I literally want to cry this journey that you went through was astounding and amazing. I remember hearing about this like 6 - 7 years ago and my only thought was “I hope it can be found” I never really thought about it again until I watched part 1 of your documentary. I’m so happy all your hard work of searching was worth it! 😭❤️
I remember sitting in Advisory in middle school and watching a video about lost media and it mentioned it… I forgot about it until now. all those years ago and to think it’s not lost anymore. I’m glad it’s Finaly out
I sadly got rid of my 90's moon toys many years ago, but seeing that locket in the pilot almost brought me to tears. I always knew it looked a little different and now I know why- I had so many hours of playtime with that thing. I absolutely would have adored this version of Sailor Moon had it been greenlit. Thank you so much for asking questions and taking so much time and energy into this project. I'm off to watch your discovery of Mean Girls- another legend I didn't realize had been solved!!!!
Now I can die a happy woman knowing this has been found lol. I was a small child in 1994 and omg the campiness of it all is just so nostalgic 😍 Awesome job with all your hard work and efforts!
this and the lost winx club pilot have been my most hoped pieces of lost media to be found. (This actually gives me hope the winx club pilot can be found one day!) Thank you for your huge efforts
You've done what many thought was impossible by finding (intact, properly archived and technically accessible). Lost Media researchers and archivist dream of discoveries of this magnitude. As a new viewer, I really enjoyed the interviews with Tami, Raymond (as eccentric as he was) and especially Rocky & Steven (rest in peace); as enticing as the pilot is, having studied film production I am always intrigued by behind the scenes information, so thank you for having that also be a part of this investigation. You've easily earned a new subscriber~
I loved your Mean Girls DS documentary, and this one is even better! You don't only search for the lost media, but get behind the scene information that most people wouldn't even try to get, the interviews were amazing and had lots of info that nobody would know if they just watched the pilot. Also, your recreations are entertaining and really well done, I loved the Clueless and Mean Girls commercials, so it was great watching your recreation of the music video in the first part. Congratulations getting the pilot, and I hope you continue your dedication to lost media, it is really inspiring that just a single person with lots of patience, effort and teamwork can solve these mysteries with so little info to work with.
Congratulations on this, Ray. I guess Arthur wasn't wrong. Having fun isn't hard if you've got a library card [that can access the archives of the U.S. government.] As someone who watched Sailor Moon on YTV as a little boy, I feel like this wouldn't have been something I'd watch. I'm sure the janky animation would've been (marginally) better had it gone to series, but I think the live-action segments would've caused me to see what was on another channel.
Usually when animation studios do tests do win gigs, the quality is *better* than what they would actually produce. The tests are done by the best people at the studio and then once they have the contract, they put it in the hands of regular production- the best people are now busy again doing another test for the next contract. Soooo...
@@movielibrary3608 Maybe sometimes, but it pretty clearly shows that was not the case for this within these documentaries with commentary from people who were involved and went off to be very successful. It also wasn't just animation, there was live action components. I'm not really sure what you're even trying to say with your comment but it doesn't come off well.
I'm not even a sailor moon fan but I really enjoyed these videos, particularly your interviews with Steven Wilzbach, Rocky Solotoff, and especially Lynn Walsh. You did amazing work!
Kinda funny that Toon Makers kind of stumbled upon the idea of "Cosmic Jewels of Power" when Sailor Crystals wouldn't be revealed until the Dream arc, and their full significance wouldn't be elaborated upon until the Stars arc.
What more can be said? Effort, consistency, accuracy, journalism and detective-type work. All the interviews done and people involved that were found. Getting access in the Library of Congress and The Final Reveal. Wrapped up in one Doc. All truly, Masterfully done, and very special in Lost Media. Appreciated.
To think I’d die with the mystery of Saban Moon never being discovered! What an amazing work, thank you so much. It’s funny how I still think the idea is horrible, but I felt so happy watching it. And watching it over a few times 😂. Thank you so much!
I watched this without spoiling myself at all on whether or not you succeeded at finding the pilot, so when you started playing footage of it I cheered!!!!! Absolutely astounding work and a lot of amazing and interesting insights were found along the way!
43 reporting in, this was all the things I could want and then some, have loved Sailor Moon since back in the day, and seeing the (thing) in this doc ... BEST THING EVER OMG! :D
@@DeconvertedMan Me too! I wasn't exaggerating at all. I'm so ridiculously happy to finally see this. It gives me strong Princess Guinevere and the Jewel Riders vibe. I absolutely would've watched this right along with the Japanese one! To me, this is momentous! It's so great seeing it is for so many of us too! 🥰🥰
@@meekermoo752 Thank you! I'm serious, this is the greatest gift. Some things money just can't buy and this is one of those things. I'm so glad Frank Ward finally said, "Yes". People have been asking him for decades. I'd love to get Swampy Marsh's take on his time working on this too. It's not like Toon Makers is going to come back to life and start suing...
@@cassandralyris4918 I remember this badly shot music video from back in the DAY. Wanting to see it clearly - and here it is, in all its funny / silly glory. Then the full episode! :O and that line she says at the end had me roaring with laughter "No I'm here, on earth," smiles - LOL wow. I would have watched the bleep out of it/will do that if it comes to be (fans will make it maybe?) It seems like they gave Jupiter Mercury's personality though :/ also shes not blue. Also none of this makes any sense XD I "needed" Sailor Moon to say "make up" lol. But yeah it was a great thing to see and this doc is super well made. I fell in love with sailor moon way back in the day and it got me into anime and was my very first search online. It helped me - I wrote my own storys about it. That got me though things in my life. I'm still looking for my Mercury. :)
I love the character dynamics presented here of the interview with Steven Wilzbach and Rocky Solotoff. Two guys having fun reminiscing with each other about working together 30 years ago, and Ray who loves the stories, but who's gotta get herself back on track and ask them the next question because she's here to solve a mystery!
The production quality, the time and effort, you left no stones unturned! The moonie community will forever be greatful. This is a masterpiece. A modern day Carmen Sandiego episode!
I had to admit it, When I watch the full pilot, I screamed in silence and cried throughout the theme and throughout in full! this was my all-time dream to watch the full pilot of Saban Moon! as stupid as it sounds to those who hated the pilot, but I'm very happy! thank you so much for your time and effort to find this long-term lost media of my childhood!!
What an INCREDIBLE ride this was... You're so excellent at building tension with these videos - it really feels like experiencing the search firsthand, watching all the pieces slowly come together. It makes it all so satisfying, you should be proud of both your research, and the work you put into making this. PS: I feel like someone should reach out to Dan Povenmire and see if he has any memories of the project - he's REALLY active online, constantly telling behind-the-scenes stories of various shows he's worked on... it'd be fun to see if he remembers this one!
It is so charming listening to Rocky and Steve shooting the breeze about the production. You can really tell that these guys cared about the work and each other. The UPA style you had done for the reenactment is adorable too!
Girl, you are an intergalactic treasure, thank you for the insane amount of work you put into these videos. I'm 34 and I'm been a fan of Sailor Moon since at least 5th grade, so I very likely would have been watching the Saban Moon version if it had become a thing.
I find it interesting that the idea of each planet having its own crystal is something that Naoko Takeuchi does use in the manga but it first crops up in the "Dream" arc which corresponds with "SuperS" in the anime. So that would have been written and published I think between 1995 & 1996? The first Crystal other than Sailor Moon's to pop up is the Mercury Crystal in Act 40. So this 1994 pilot predicted the manga! Also the plot of someone collecting the Sailor Crystals is the direction Takeuchi went for Sailor Galaxia on a more "cross galaxy" scale for Sailor Stars!
I also noticed the possibility that moon crystal power took from this transformation a bit. When it zooms out from the skirt and her arm goes down as she spins, its the same in both just mirrored. Could just be one heck of a coincidence, but still
I've been checking on this channel on and off for MONTHs and just when I was getting worried this project was abandoned you have the AUDACITY to show up in my recommended with this masterpiece. I think it's good to say that I am so happy to see what your research over that time concluded.
After finally watching your second part, I am just speechless. I was already blown away by your work with Mean Girls DS, but this definitely on a whole other level. Watching every step you presented felt like watching an archeologist uncovering a mythical treasure. You already discovered two absolute giants of lost media and your documentaries present that to the fullest. I am so proud of you and admire your dedication for your projects. It was an amazing trip to take with you and you deserve at least 10 times the recognition that you get for everything you have done. We all appreciate the pilot, but we should also appreciate the person behind screen, that made it all possible! You are just amazing!
You have no idea how long I've waited for this day. I've witnessed so many dead ends and red herrings over the years in the lost media community's quest to find this gem. I literally started crying with excitement at this. You have done a great deed this day and I will remember it for the rest of my life. Seriously. This is a momentous occasion for Moonies everywhere
Congratulations of finally uncovering one of the holy grails of lost media! Can't say I would've watched this version of Sailor Moon but it makes me appreciate what we actually got instead and sometimes that's comfort enough.
Congrats on all of your hard work!! Being a fan of Sailor Moon, She-Ra, and boarding school shows, I would've watched this series for sure. I like how much space technology was in it, like the ships and the sky flyers. And Luna's 'There goes one of my nine lives!' lol. Kudos to them for having a live cat in the episode, a la Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Very, very cool find! 😁 Will you be letting us know what you find regarding the rest of the materials that the Library of Congress sent you?
You really did put a lot of work into this! That interview with Raymond was making me lose my mind but the materials you found really finished the job! Can't wait for any future updates you might have regarding continued contact with the Library of Congress!! Extraordinary work!!
This was single handedly the greatest thing I ever seen on YT. The suspense, the discovery. The interviews and just… I seriously have so much respect for you and all the lovely people who helped you find the answers to solve the mystery. Congratulations 🎉!
I’m super duper proud of you Raven for staying dedicated, leaving no stone unturned, and keeping an optimistic attitude during your investigation… and finding this long lost piece of Sailor Moon history!!! We can finally rest peacefully 🌙💕✨ Once again thanks so much!!
This is phenomenal storytelling. The way everything felt so chaotic from the start to EVERYTHING becoming clear and felt so universally justified … it’s crazy, it’s amazing. Your documentaries are top tier. Didn’t even have to plea to subscribe. First video I watched from you, I was convinced you’re of the best.
Can't believe I only just discovered your channel, watched the Mean Girls videos and then these all like, today. You really know how to make these documentaries engaging! And I was born a bit too late to have seen this if it had ever been greenlit, or even the original DiC dub of Sailor Moon (1999 baby here), but I can say with confidence that so many kids would have loved this show, and I definitely would have too if it had somehow ever come out during my childhood. What an amazing discovery! It's honestly kind of funny that it's just been sitting there in the Library of Congress all this time, just waiting to be found. Simultaneously the most and least obvious place you'd think to look.
Gotta say this whole saga has been very impressive and the fact you aren't at 100k subs is criminal! It blows my mind that your content which is right up my alley never gets pushed to me via the algorithm, yet the amount of stupid, lazy tictock meme compilations that I'd never watch anyway keep getting shoved in my face! Anyways you got style, you got skills, and determination! I'd also love to say you have a great presenting voice and its honestly perfect for the type of videos you produce! I know its kinda out of the blue but if you ever need a random voice I'd love to supply lol. Either way keep up the good work! Looking forward to your next project!
I've never watched an episode of Sailor Moon yet I tagged along with you on this 3 and a half hour journey because it was so well done. Really well done.
Gonna be honest, I expected the pilot to suck. It didn't. The dialogue could use some work, but for 94' that was some pretty decent animation. The lips matched the talking and everything. However, I am very glad this was not made. Sailor Moon was what brought anime to the rest of the world, and if THIS had been what we got, many would have never gotten into real anime. A huge congratulations for you, madam, for persevering and succeeding in uncovering this. You are a real journalist.
Amazing stuff! Thank you for all your hard work! This pilot is so bizarre and yet brings me right back to 1993- it looks EXACTLY like all the other stuff produced back then! The teens doing dorky dances! The weird animation! Hearing She-Ra/Adora as the narrator (that's gotta be her, right?) was a kick.
Would you have watched Saban Moon if it got greenlit? I WOULD HAVE
I would but only for the Animated parts. Every time it'd cut to Live Action I would've just be like "C'mon, stop Barryl already!"
Do you have any idea how many views this will drop!?!?!?!?!? I love you forever (not being weird) 💕✌🏾💕✌🏾🎁🎈🎊👑🎉 congrats your my new idol! Oh to answer your question yes I would’ve have definitely watched it despite the cringe
Yes I would have watched it
oh ABSOLUTELY this goes hard
Feels like they fused 3 different shows together but I like that the rose does something in this when thrown
Hey there! Steven Wilzbach’s son here! He unfortunately passed away in June from a long battle of cancer. I just want to say thank you for your dedication to this. It is so well done and is so cool to see my Dad in this light. He would’ve absolutely loved this. Cheers!
Edit: thank you so much everyone for your kind words and condolences ❤️
I'm so sorry :( It was an honor to get to sit down and speak with him! I wish you and your family well, he was a very talented man! I hope I did his character justice in his segment❤❤
@@RayMona you did an amazing job :)
Condolences for your loss, your father seemed like a really kind and talented guy, best wishes for you and your family!
Condolences for your loss
Steven seems like such a sweet and talented guy here, and certainly a legend to the Sailor Moon community now. Condolences to your family and all who knew him.
Love how the actress for Sailor Venus was the only one to not be found. It's very in line with the plot of the anime, where Venus was the last Sailor Scout to be discovered in the first season
Exactly what I thought! It’s strangely satisfying lmao
now she has been found
@@sheismymom wait she has?? source?
@@rachelvelander5377 i posted an update video interviewing her! :)
hope you realize you are now immortalized in anime history, something incredibly special for countless people; to think, years down the road people will be reaching out to YOU! thank you for your dedication, raven.
Or will be remembered like Pandora! All jokes aside Great work!
Agreed thank you!
I know a lot of folk are praising the fact that the pilot was actually found but honestly to me the most impressive part of these documentaries is how engaging, well edited, and amazingly scripted they were. There were so many moments where the feelings she was feeling at the time were so perfectly portrayed that I genuinely felt them too. That's really impressive coming from a documentary. It's honestly pretty inspiring. I will for sure check out anything else she makes from now on.
Just a reminder to everyone: while searching for Sailor Venus, please show respect to all potential contacts and do not harass them.
As a professional journalist of 24 years experience, I want to say: Well done on a stunning piece of journalism. Brilliantly compiled, compellingly told. Excellent, excellent stuff.
The amount of effort and intellect required to pull this off is incredible. Eternally grateful.
As a library worker, all I can think is "of course it was at the library". Great work on this project, you really made my day!
Came here to say the same thing, fellow library worker!
L-space confirmed.
Libraries are great, fellow library worker here.
Especially the fact that many countries collect so many more or less published materials. It’s the LoC in the USA, the British library in the UK, the DNB in Germany and many more.
Former library assistant and I've come to find that it's not just the last place you look but the a place that's both the most obvious while some how being the least obvious at the same time.
How our funny little human minds work, but then again, how could we create this funny little world without it.
(To be honest, I loved going down the rabbit hole in my school's old non-fic and finding books, with books not being checked out in 70 years. It felt magical. It was like Hogwarts before Rowling lost it)
In a time when streaming series are being unceremoniously cancelled and disappearing, this feels all the more poignant. It's so sad how a creative team can really put their heart into something and have it all disappear over night and never reach their audience.
"Girls cartoons" almost never stood a chance to get greenlit.
And how passionate the girls seemed about this, i'm glad they did fine afterwards
Well, it would've been WAY expensive anyway.
You've now solved TWO of the biggest lost media cold cases nearly single-handedly. Your dedication and skill in not just detective work but also videography is unmatched!!
I know the draw is really the full pilot here, but i gotta say, the highlight for me is the interview with Rocky and Steven (may he rest in peace :( ). Their stories are amazing, i could've listened to just hours of them talking and reminiscing about their times in animation, both together and separate.
So many thanks for producing this two part documentary, it's amazing what you've found!
Can I be honest? I liked the hunt just as much if not more than finding the treasure. The part about Chuck Jones and his daughter giving one of the animators a genuine drawing, the actor with stage freight being comforted by Rocky and Steve, the actor for Sailor Jupitor being a fitness trainer, the eccentric producer, all the people who were involved with this project, the backlog of sizzle pitches by Toei, the fate of anime in America, The Library Of Congress giving you the contents from the archive, THIS IS, in my opinion, about as wholesome, feel good, and adventurous as the film The Goonies and Sherlock Holmes!
Raven, you have my upmost respect!
Great Job, Queen! :D
You deserve this 👑
Raven... you deserve a medal for showing us the whole pilot. Marvelous job.
@@v_zach i can taste the silver, or perhaps thats the iron deficiency
@@RayMona more like the Diamond play button cus you’re such a baddass I don’t know anyone else more deserving of one. Your content is so unique and beautiful and deserving of more praise. We love a documentary maker.
@@Pokemon32961
I was just about to say that, LOL! Give Mona that Damn Diamond!!
😝🤘💎
@@JT_Saenz EXACTLY SHE WORKS SO DAMN HARDDDDD HELLOO SHES LITERALLY REVIVING LOST PIECES OF HISTORY OVER HEREEE
Impressive how Sailor Venus took a direct hit from Queen Berryl's star destroyer and was otherwise unphased while Darian's ship blew up.
I cackled 😂
She just plummeted to her death very silently lol
Are we at this point surprised that anything associated with Darian / Mamoru / Tuxedo Mask will inevitably end up getting whupped so hard it's more funny than sad?
My girl Venus is out here powdering her face with a loofah. But on a more serious note this is one of the best deep dives I've ever seen. I so appreciate your dedication and your humor through this. You've done such a great thing digging all of this up archiving it and making sure that people get credit where due. ❤️
i know these arent getting the insane views these SHOULD GET, but i can not stress how much you have changed the course of sailor moon fandom history. you're amazing
The fact you’ve single-handedly found the whole pilot, that is DEDICATION! I commend you for that eternally 😭😭
It wouldn't have been possible without all the people she interviewed and especially this guy's signature to get access to the Library. They should be remembered too!
At this point we really should call Ray the lost media finder ,cause it should be considered a pretty insane accomplishment to not only put intense research into the biggest lost media pieces out there but managing to find them after decades of being lost to history.
Raven, I am now thoroughly convinced that the only person capable of finding D.B. Cooper, Amelia Earhart, and the Holy Grail is you. You're the greatest of the great. Thank you for the incredible work!
Looking forward to Raven’s tell all email interview with a coconut crab
I am still in honest shock that after twenty years, the pilot and music video are just OUT THERE now, after being lost for LITERALLY decades.
And it's all thanks to you, Tami Adrian George, Rocky and Steve, and even Raymond - even if it was difficult to sift apart the nuggets of gold in his dirt mound of very unnecessary "information". XD
Here's hoping Ms. Stephanie Dicker either finally answers your calls/emails and can provide some missing information, like the identity of our eerily familiar yet nearly totally forgotten Sailor Venus!
So was it explained where the pilot was all these years?
@@SwiftNimblefoot there were copies in the library of congress, that’s how she was able to get them
@@pickelsandnickels2487 it was never lost then lmao
@@lunarwolf233 Just stored away, waiting for someone to unearth it.
@@lunarwolf233 actually, that's where most lost media is, sitting on a dusty shelf in storage somewhere.
The full documentary was a hell of a ride and the payoff was well worth the 3.5-hour watch time. The level of passion, tenacity, and dedication is simply impressive. You've joined the ranks of Red Bard at releasing previously lost media that everyone was looking for. Kudos to the Library of Congress for holding onto seemingly random tapes with no real value, agreed the absolute last place to find them. Extracting 65 mm and 70 mm film from the National Archives to make a Direct Cinema documentary on Apollo 11, that's reasonable. But no one could have expected this, not even close
This is the most ‘90s, western interpretation of Sailor Moon ever. I am SO glad you were able to preserve this! Talk about a relic!
Did anyone else cry when they watched this? Watching the pilot now seems like a homage to Sailor Moon and that's great. I'm like mourning that this didn't get picked up as I know I would have loved it. I think, as you said, that maybe if it had been pick up that anime culture in the west might not have been like it is now. Thank you so much for all your hard work and I'm glad all the hard work these legends put into the pilot is now being appreciated. This was AWESOME.
Yeah, except live action part, i would make It full animated
i cried too, i was like "omg she did it ! she found saban moon !"
Personally glad we got the anime version, but there are ideas in Saban Moon that I honestly wish were implemented in modern adaptations… ethnically diverse sailor scouts being one of them. Thank you so much for putting in all the work into finding this lost gem! And your documentation of the journey was a storytelling gem in and of itself.
@@gaf407 yeah, and space ship boats
@@RolandTemplar ha 💀! Honestly, though…Naoko needs to pick a successor who “gets it” and allow the franchise to change and evolve, much in the same way transformers, ninja turtles, mlp, etc have evolved with new concepts and ideas. If Naoko had to design Sailor Moon for the first time but in 2022, surely it would not be the same… that’s what I’d like to see in the future.
Girl, you are a rockstar for putting this together. On behalf of all American 90’s moonies we thank and applaud you for your service (and insane persistence and professionalism!)
"The cat was a jerk, a drug user and peed everywhere."
The true Saban Moon story!
So glad I could help in any way! Thanks for including me in this! You got Raymond's personality down to a T! Was hilarious! You made one of my dreams come true by finding this pilot! One of the reasons I wanted to recreate it was so I could SEE it with my own two eyes...Thank you Raven 🙏🏻 you are a legend
So many of us had a long thought pipe dream made true. ;w; It's so amazing, and definitely thank you to all of you.
@@SeraidenAF I had dreamed of seeing this since I was a child, so it was great that I could help in any way!
_When the world needed Ray Mona most, she returned..._
Literally this
what i love is the fact you find the humanity behind these lost arts, there's something special knowing things from it being an animators beginning to hearing anecdotes about one of the actresses needing to be comforted before filming. they're special moments that would've also been lost even if the pilot was found, but you brought them back and it makes this whole documentary so much more compelling. amazing work !
OH MY GOD THIS IS INCREDIBLE YOU HAVE LITERALLY CHANGED THE MOONIE FANDOM FOREVER RAVEN.
@Ray Mona! I think I know who Sailor Venus is. She was perhaps Samantha Becker / Samantha Esteban who was Maria in Saved By the Bell The New Class. She went by Becker back in the early 90s but now goes by Samantha Esteban. :-) Also, I commend you so much for digging hard for this gold. I never thought we would get to see not only the music video without the rude laughter over it, but to actually see the pilot episode is so surreal!
It's weird that no one has started an IMDB page for this yet. Someone should get on that.
In any case, this was a wild ride. The closest thing I can compare this to is an old series called Van-pires where live action kids turn into CGI vampire cars. In any case, great job Ray! I'll miss the Bobdunga branding, but I'm here for this!
You found it...you actually found and brought home the legendary treasure long thought to be lost. The "Silver Crystal" of the sailor moon community and anime fans the world over for the past 20 years. Well done.
This is absolutely outstanding. To think this was just sitting in the library of Congress all of these years. It really makes think what else is just waiting to be found.
Thank you for all the research and time that went into this. It’s really incredible.
I wonder how much more lost media we don’t even know about is in the library of Congress! Must be crazy amounts. More people should try to search there. I don’t know much about the library but I’ve heard about the musicals there.
I think this is the same way the Wicked Witch Sesame Street episode got found, too... Even if it wasn't as uh, legally done. I'm not sure the full back story on that.
I have to wonder how much lost media is just sitting in the LoC.
@@ravenpotter3 I'm not even American but I know that the library of Congress saves a copy of most (or maybe all?) media made in the US. I had a friend who worked at a museum in our country and they'd occasionally get requests from the library of Congress with respect to some media for preservation purposes (since the museum here has some well preserved copies).
I don't think the Congress has much in terms of unfinished projects (like for example the recently uncovered Shrek test) but it probably, likely, has copied of other shows or movies from the 80s and 90s (wouldn't hold my breath for copies of decades prior though)
I'm crying! Raven is truly out here doing the absolute most for lost media. We need to pay this girl more! Give her a TV deal. Make her famous!
I would love to see a part 3 where you follow up with those involved regarding the release/ reactions to the pilot being released!
Lady, you've got the gift. You're willing to put yourself out there to pursue ANY lead, even across great lengths of time. It doesn't matter if this video doesn't do numbers, it's the most incredible resume a documentarian could ask for.
My god. You really went and did it. If the world had another dozen of you, we could obliterate lost media as a concept.
Man, Raymond seems like the most insufferable person ever, thanks for having to stand him on phone in order to reveal this mistery!
That entire phone call portion was SO hard to listen to 😆 I would not have that much patience. She did so good lmao.
When he started doing the Korean man's accent unprompted i-
That, plus the fact that in Part 6 he wanted his "baby pictures" from cells back when they were already selling and people had them already lol
Yeah, and when he started like "flirting" and being weird about how he is still young looking... wow, this dude was a whole package
Looks like he's one of those Americans staying in Pampanga.
Like others I don't usually comment, but throughout both parts there were moments when I had chills. Frames of this being animated on a Don Bluth productions animators desk?! Phineas and Ferb?! Confirmation of actresses in the leads?! That whole convo with Raymond?! The convo with Steven (rip) and Rocky was incredible?! The pilot itself??? As a fan of sailor moon since I was five years old, and as a 5-10 year old who scoured the exact websites you cite in part one for any information regarding this show, who watched bootleg eBay dvds of Stars over a decade before its release on Hulu... I am just in total shock and appreciation. This is absolutely history making.
Additionally, I ALSO recognize Venus's actress but also can't put my finger on it. Now I've got an itch to scratch! I feel like maybe she was a power ranger? I wracked my brain all Night but came up with nothing. I can only picture her maybe with butterfly clips in her hair, a tank top and cargo pants in my memory, maybe dancing hip hop? I thought she might be a Disney Channel original movie regular too, but I looked over all the ones I'd seen and didn't feel confident she was in any of them. I hope these suggestions help though! She is incredibly familiar!
You definitely deserve some kind of Emmy for tracking all this stuff down.
Someone needs to update the lost media wiki. This is absolutely huge! This needs to be shared around! People have been wondering about this thing for years and to have it just... BE here after all this time... it is amazing! If you people know anyone still wondering about the lost live action Sailor Moon pilot, show them this and give them closure!
Raven, I have to commend you for doing so dang much during this project. Months of research, several interviews, a whole lot of cyber sleuthing, and it actually paid off. Thank you so much for your hard work! I’m definitely going to stick around to see what you work on next!
I rarely comment on RUclips, but this warrants an exception; you deserve a Pulitzer Prize for this immense uncovering.
This should be a clear inspiration to all that perseverance, particularly during uncertain times, can pay off and lead to extremely rewarding results.
For me, your journey and thought process are just as important to the end result and certainly inspires me. Any other RUclipsr probably would have just dropped the music video and pilot without documenting the journey but the lasting legacy would have been considerably less impactful. Thank you for all your work.
This was great journalism - and why journalist and news people should be protected at all cost regardless what crazy right wingers say.
Oh my gosh every time Rocky & Steven talk about throwing/giving away the production assets I feel such anxiety for all that art/history lost. I’ve been trying to find what happened to the assets for a Disney made for TV animated feature for the last three years and this kinda cements the rumors that all the cells, sketches, scripts, etc have been lost/tossed. TT_TT
Regardless @RayMona- what an absolutely amazing documentary you’ve made for this! It was an incredible, interesting & so informative, watch and I thank you so much for sharing it with all of us. Thank you for all your hard work! Can’t wait to see what you’ll have in store for us in the future!
I’m old enough to remember when the original leak happened and how baffled we were by it. I’m so thrilled it was found and seeing the whole thing, I probably would have watched it!
I'm not gonna lie, but much of the people who worked on Saban Moon were people I didn't expect to be attached to the project. I was expecting a bunch of no-names with no significance whatsoever, but instead I learn that it had people who worked at Disney, at Warner Bros, who worked on The Simpsons, on Power Rangers, and more. The two names I wasn't expecting at all were Phineas and Ferb creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. When I heard their names, I was like "Wait, THEY were attached to this project!?"
You definitely made anime history here, that's for certain, I've wanted to see the Saban Moon pilot for a very long time, and now I have thanks to you! Congratulations on finding one of the Holy Grails of anime lost media!
The locket prototype looks like the official one Bandai released but the ring looks exactly like the one it came with the “Cosmic Crescent Jewel Box”, the ring would also work with the crescent moon wand.
I gasped and said the exact same thing. If you look at the copy on the back of the original toy it actually hints at another link to the lost pilot-- it mentions the jewel as an "empyrean crystal ring" that Sailor Moon must keep away from Queen Beryl. I think its something someone missed. Because they could have just referred to the crystal itself (and said it could be worn as a ring) instead of it being a ring naturally.
Pretty sure the jewel box isn't toonmakers inspired, sadly. The design of the crescent jewel box does have a previous source though-- its design is almost identical to sailor v's compact/mirror from the manga. Not sure why they made it tbh...but the existence of rings of power kind of makes all that US toy ring theming make some kind of sense. I can't remember if there is a japanese toy version of it, (possible) but I always liked the jewel box because its another of those weird "not from the anime" toys.
Yeah, for a second I thought I had that locket. Then remembered that moon shaped box.
I can’t believe this was uncovered! And on the 30th anniversary of Sailor Moon! Awesome work!
I am SCREAMING. This woman is amazing. This was so well produced. 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Can someone give this woman a medal? What an amazing documentary. Much love from Sweden ❤️
Or better yet tip her !
My jaw dropped when I saw you got the music video…and then it fell through my floor when I saw you got the whole pilot! Thank you for putting in so much dedication into what probably felt like an impossible goal. ❤️
It's nice to finally see the "Saban Moon" intro without those jackasses laughing over it. Thank you so much!!!!
EDIT: I wasn't expecting to see the full pilot! 😲😲😲😲
I agree, but I don’t think they would’ve laughed if they knew that that was all we were going to have as evidence for 20+ years! I would’ve been laughing too. Now it can dubbed an “audience reaction” I guess.
The dancing is goofy but the song is extremely catchy so whoever did that was on the money
Girl, this is one of the best pieces of investigative journalism I've seen in a while. The dedication, the discipline...Kudos! I am amazed
The work you did to find this pilot was ASTOUNDING & I have been amazed by you every time
I feel like I can’t possibly give this series enough praise!!! The writing and the way you built suspense was absolutely masterful.
I can’t believe how quickly I did a 180 in my opinion about the existence of Saban Moon, either. When I first saw this video thumbnail I thought that an American Sailor Moon was doomed to suck, but that the story around the project would be interesting enough to watch the videos for.
Now I’m sitting here really wishing they had been able to produce at least a season of Saban Moon! I’m sad we don’t have a couple episodes to check out at least! (+ that theme song is a certified bop, too)
Thank you for making me care so much about this little project and for bringing me along for the ride. I can’t wait to see the fun your future videos bring!!
Sis really gave us the whole opening and pilot, I feel spoiled 😭 The pilot is so cheesy but I love it. I can't imagine how much time and research you had to do to find all of this! You are a queen to finding lost media, I swear. I can't wait to see what your next documentary is gonna be!
Once Ray has gotten the traction she rightly deserves on this video I hope she uploads the pilot and promo separately
I literally want to cry this journey that you went through was astounding and amazing. I remember hearing about this like 6 - 7 years ago and my only thought was “I hope it can be found” I never really thought about it again until I watched part 1 of your documentary. I’m so happy all your hard work of searching was worth it! 😭❤️
I remember sitting in Advisory in middle school and watching a video about lost media and it mentioned it… I forgot about it until now. all those years ago and to think it’s not lost anymore. I’m glad it’s Finaly out
I sadly got rid of my 90's moon toys many years ago, but seeing that locket in the pilot almost brought me to tears. I always knew it looked a little different and now I know why- I had so many hours of playtime with that thing. I absolutely would have adored this version of Sailor Moon had it been greenlit.
Thank you so much for asking questions and taking so much time and energy into this project. I'm off to watch your discovery of Mean Girls- another legend I didn't realize had been solved!!!!
I'm not finished this video yet but I am losing it at Raymond's section so far. What a character, oh my gosh.
The Raymond storyline was the weirdest fever dream.
ITS OUT ITS OUT ITS OUT! I absolutely love the dedication and effort that goes into these documentaries, this is going to be great!!
LITERALLY FREAKING OUT AT 1:43:49 HOLY CRAP THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR OH MY GOD
also this song is so good
The song is a jam!! We need a Single from it
Now I can die a happy woman knowing this has been found lol.
I was a small child in 1994 and omg the campiness of it all is just so nostalgic 😍 Awesome job with all your hard work and efforts!
this and the lost winx club pilot have been my most hoped pieces of lost media to be found. (This actually gives me hope the winx club pilot can be found one day!) Thank you for your huge efforts
You've done what many thought was impossible by finding (intact, properly archived and technically accessible). Lost Media researchers and archivist dream of discoveries of this magnitude.
As a new viewer, I really enjoyed the interviews with Tami, Raymond (as eccentric as he was) and especially Rocky & Steven (rest in peace); as enticing as the pilot is, having studied film production I am always intrigued by behind the scenes information, so thank you for having that also be a part of this investigation. You've easily earned a new subscriber~
I loved your Mean Girls DS documentary, and this one is even better! You don't only search for the lost media, but get behind the scene information that most people wouldn't even try to get, the interviews were amazing and had lots of info that nobody would know if they just watched the pilot. Also, your recreations are entertaining and really well done, I loved the Clueless and Mean Girls commercials, so it was great watching your recreation of the music video in the first part.
Congratulations getting the pilot, and I hope you continue your dedication to lost media, it is really inspiring that just a single person with lots of patience, effort and teamwork can solve these mysteries with so little info to work with.
I AM CRYING RIGHT NOW! YOU DID IT! YOU ACTUALLY DID IT! You did an absolutely amazing job on this!!!
I low-key want to cry too, OMG 😭
Congratulations on this, Ray. I guess Arthur wasn't wrong. Having fun isn't hard if you've got a library card [that can access the archives of the U.S. government.] As someone who watched Sailor Moon on YTV as a little boy, I feel like this wouldn't have been something I'd watch. I'm sure the janky animation would've been (marginally) better had it gone to series, but I think the live-action segments would've caused me to see what was on another channel.
I would have switched channels because of the live action, too. I also miss Bionix.
Usually when animation studios do tests do win gigs, the quality is *better* than what they would actually produce. The tests are done by the best people at the studio and then once they have the contract, they put it in the hands of regular production- the best people are now busy again doing another test for the next contract. Soooo...
@@movielibrary3608 Maybe sometimes, but it pretty clearly shows that was not the case for this within these documentaries with commentary from people who were involved and went off to be very successful. It also wasn't just animation, there was live action components. I'm not really sure what you're even trying to say with your comment but it doesn't come off well.
I'm not even a sailor moon fan but I really enjoyed these videos, particularly your interviews with Steven Wilzbach, Rocky Solotoff, and especially Lynn Walsh. You did amazing work!
Kinda funny that Toon Makers kind of stumbled upon the idea of "Cosmic Jewels of Power" when Sailor Crystals wouldn't be revealed until the Dream arc, and their full significance wouldn't be elaborated upon until the Stars arc.
What more can be said? Effort, consistency, accuracy, journalism and detective-type work. All the interviews done and people involved that were found. Getting access in the Library of Congress and The Final Reveal. Wrapped up in one Doc. All truly, Masterfully done, and very special in Lost Media. Appreciated.
To think I’d die with the mystery of Saban Moon never being discovered! What an amazing work, thank you so much. It’s funny how I still think the idea is horrible, but I felt so happy watching it. And watching it over a few times 😂. Thank you so much!
I watched this without spoiling myself at all on whether or not you succeeded at finding the pilot, so when you started playing footage of it I cheered!!!!! Absolutely astounding work and a lot of amazing and interesting insights were found along the way!
I turn 40 next week and this video is more gift than I ever could've hoped for. It's just so well done. 😍
Happy birthday!!!🎂🎁🎉
43 reporting in, this was all the things I could want and then some, have loved Sailor Moon since back in the day, and seeing the (thing) in this doc ... BEST THING EVER OMG! :D
@@DeconvertedMan Me too! I wasn't exaggerating at all. I'm so ridiculously happy to finally see this. It gives me strong Princess Guinevere and the Jewel Riders vibe. I absolutely would've watched this right along with the Japanese one! To me, this is momentous! It's so great seeing it is for so many of us too! 🥰🥰
@@meekermoo752 Thank you! I'm serious, this is the greatest gift. Some things money just can't buy and this is one of those things. I'm so glad Frank Ward finally said, "Yes". People have been asking him for decades. I'd love to get Swampy Marsh's take on his time working on this too. It's not like Toon Makers is going to come back to life and start suing...
@@cassandralyris4918 I remember this badly shot music video from back in the DAY. Wanting to see it clearly - and here it is, in all its funny / silly glory. Then the full episode! :O and that line she says at the end had me roaring with laughter "No I'm here, on earth," smiles - LOL wow. I would have watched the bleep out of it/will do that if it comes to be (fans will make it maybe?)
It seems like they gave Jupiter Mercury's personality though :/ also shes not blue. Also none of this makes any sense XD
I "needed" Sailor Moon to say "make up" lol. But yeah it was a great thing to see and this doc is super well made.
I fell in love with sailor moon way back in the day and it got me into anime and was my very first search online. It helped me - I wrote my own storys about it. That got me though things in my life.
I'm still looking for my Mercury. :)
I love the character dynamics presented here of the interview with Steven Wilzbach and Rocky Solotoff. Two guys having fun reminiscing with each other about working together 30 years ago, and Ray who loves the stories, but who's gotta get herself back on track and ask them the next question because she's here to solve a mystery!
The production quality, the time and effort, you left no stones unturned! The moonie community will forever be greatful. This is a masterpiece. A modern day Carmen Sandiego episode!
I had to admit it, When I watch the full pilot, I screamed in silence and cried throughout the theme and throughout in full! this was my all-time dream to watch the full pilot of Saban Moon! as stupid as it sounds to those who hated the pilot, but I'm very happy! thank you so much for your time and effort to find this long-term lost media of my childhood!!
That theme song SLAPS. It's the kinda song to make you nostalgic for something you've never seen. 🥲
I laughed so hard during the part of the interview where Ray said "I'm a really humble guy!" lmao
What an INCREDIBLE ride this was... You're so excellent at building tension with these videos - it really feels like experiencing the search firsthand, watching all the pieces slowly come together. It makes it all so satisfying, you should be proud of both your research, and the work you put into making this.
PS: I feel like someone should reach out to Dan Povenmire and see if he has any memories of the project - he's REALLY active online, constantly telling behind-the-scenes stories of various shows he's worked on... it'd be fun to see if he remembers this one!
It is so charming listening to Rocky and Steve shooting the breeze about the production. You can really tell that these guys cared about the work and each other. The UPA style you had done for the reenactment is adorable too!
Girl, you are an intergalactic treasure, thank you for the insane amount of work you put into these videos. I'm 34 and I'm been a fan of Sailor Moon since at least 5th grade, so I very likely would have been watching the Saban Moon version if it had become a thing.
You are a part of History girl!!!!!
the Sailor Moon fandom is forever indebted to you thank you so much for this amazing follow-up documentary
I find it interesting that the idea of each planet having its own crystal is something that Naoko Takeuchi does use in the manga but it first crops up in the "Dream" arc which corresponds with "SuperS" in the anime. So that would have been written and published I think between 1995 & 1996? The first Crystal other than Sailor Moon's to pop up is the Mercury Crystal in Act 40. So this 1994 pilot predicted the manga! Also the plot of someone collecting the Sailor Crystals is the direction Takeuchi went for Sailor Galaxia on a more "cross galaxy" scale for Sailor Stars!
I also noticed the possibility that moon crystal power took from this transformation a bit. When it zooms out from the skirt and her arm goes down as she spins, its the same in both just mirrored. Could just be one heck of a coincidence, but still
Too bad sailor Moon Never uses well the sci fi elements
I've been checking on this channel on and off for MONTHs and just when I was getting worried this project was abandoned you have the AUDACITY to show up in my recommended with this masterpiece. I think it's good to say that I am so happy to see what your research over that time concluded.
How does this channel not have more subscribers!? This was an absolutely amazing journey and i enjoyed every second of it. Amazing job!
Thank you so much! :)
After finally watching your second part, I am just speechless. I was already blown away by your work with Mean Girls DS, but this definitely on a whole other level. Watching every step you presented felt like watching an archeologist uncovering a mythical treasure. You already discovered two absolute giants of lost media and your documentaries present that to the fullest.
I am so proud of you and admire your dedication for your projects. It was an amazing trip to take with you and you deserve at least 10 times the recognition that you get for everything you have done.
We all appreciate the pilot, but we should also appreciate the person behind screen, that made it all possible! You are just amazing!
You have no idea how long I've waited for this day. I've witnessed so many dead ends and red herrings over the years in the lost media community's quest to find this gem. I literally started crying with excitement at this. You have done a great deed this day and I will remember it for the rest of my life. Seriously. This is a momentous occasion for Moonies everywhere
Congratulations of finally uncovering one of the holy grails of lost media! Can't say I would've watched this version of Sailor Moon but it makes me appreciate what we actually got instead and sometimes that's comfort enough.
It's real, and it's more beautiful than I could've ever dreamed, I wish there was some way the anime dub and this show could've existed simultaneously
This deserves to be trending!
Congrats on all of your hard work!!
Being a fan of Sailor Moon, She-Ra, and boarding school shows, I would've watched this series for sure. I like how much space technology was in it, like the ships and the sky flyers. And Luna's 'There goes one of my nine lives!' lol. Kudos to them for having a live cat in the episode, a la Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Very, very cool find! 😁
Will you be letting us know what you find regarding the rest of the materials that the Library of Congress sent you?
You really did put a lot of work into this! That interview with Raymond was making me lose my mind but the materials you found really finished the job! Can't wait for any future updates you might have regarding continued contact with the Library of Congress!! Extraordinary work!!
This was single handedly the greatest thing I ever seen on YT. The suspense, the discovery. The interviews and just… I seriously have so much respect for you and all the lovely people who helped you find the answers to solve the mystery. Congratulations 🎉!
I’m super duper proud of you Raven for staying dedicated, leaving no stone unturned, and keeping an optimistic attitude during your investigation… and finding this long lost piece of Sailor Moon history!!! We can finally rest peacefully 🌙💕✨
Once again thanks so much!!
This is phenomenal storytelling. The way everything felt so chaotic from the start to EVERYTHING becoming clear and felt so universally justified … it’s crazy, it’s amazing. Your documentaries are top tier. Didn’t even have to plea to subscribe. First video I watched from you, I was convinced you’re of the best.
Can't believe I only just discovered your channel, watched the Mean Girls videos and then these all like, today. You really know how to make these documentaries engaging!
And I was born a bit too late to have seen this if it had ever been greenlit, or even the original DiC dub of Sailor Moon (1999 baby here), but I can say with confidence that so many kids would have loved this show, and I definitely would have too if it had somehow ever come out during my childhood.
What an amazing discovery! It's honestly kind of funny that it's just been sitting there in the Library of Congress all this time, just waiting to be found. Simultaneously the most and least obvious place you'd think to look.
Gotta say this whole saga has been very impressive and the fact you aren't at 100k subs is criminal! It blows my mind that your content which is right up my alley never gets pushed to me via the algorithm, yet the amount of stupid, lazy tictock meme compilations that I'd never watch anyway keep getting shoved in my face! Anyways you got style, you got skills, and determination! I'd also love to say you have a great presenting voice and its honestly perfect for the type of videos you produce! I know its kinda out of the blue but if you ever need a random voice I'd love to supply lol. Either way keep up the good work! Looking forward to your next project!
I've never watched an episode of Sailor Moon yet I tagged along with you on this 3 and a half hour journey because it was so well done. Really well done.
Gonna be honest, I expected the pilot to suck. It didn't. The dialogue could use some work, but for 94' that was some pretty decent animation. The lips matched the talking and everything.
However, I am very glad this was not made. Sailor Moon was what brought anime to the rest of the world, and if THIS had been what we got, many would have never gotten into real anime.
A huge congratulations for you, madam, for persevering and succeeding in uncovering this. You are a real journalist.
Amazing stuff! Thank you for all your hard work! This pilot is so bizarre and yet brings me right back to 1993- it looks EXACTLY like all the other stuff produced back then! The teens doing dorky dances! The weird animation! Hearing She-Ra/Adora as the narrator (that's gotta be her, right?) was a kick.
It must be Melendy Britt narrating! It sounds just like her.
As a lifelong Sailor Moon fan I'm crying and so grateful to your hard work! You're doing such amazing things!