Customer Reviews

Warriors of Legend: Reflections of Japan in Sailor Moon

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Okay! My copy of WoL arrived in the post this morning. The packaging indicated that it had come directly from Booksurge's Australian branch, which explains why it wasn't very expensive to ship to me ($5.80 in US dollars). I was very pleased about that as I wanted to support the publication but was afraid it might put more of a dent in my fortune than I was prepared for. (The cost of getting things shipped to New Zealand has always curtailed my anime and manga collections, although now that I have a real job that isn't such a restriction as it was when I was a student.) It was securely packed in cardboard and plastic wrap, and reached me in fine shape. I'm a pretty fast reader in my leisure time, and finished it while getting my hair cut this afternoon.
Early Thoughts: As an 'unauthorised' publication (clearly marked as such on the front cover) WoL offers an independent and unvarnished view of the Sailor Moon legend and its connections with real life in Japan, which is wonderful, but for the same reason, and the necessity to publish relatively cheaply, it suffers from a lack of colourful pictures, which would help bring to life the real Japanese locations it describes, and of course it cannot reproduce any art from the original anime and manga. This reduces its accessibility to readers who are not already familiar with the appearance of the Sailor Moon characters (and may not understand their appeal), and makes it impossible to run side by side comparisons of locations and objects as shown in the series and their real-world counterparts.
This, and some typographical errors of the kind I would expect to find in a small-press publication, are the only real cavils I have about what is otherwise a well written guide, which does a very nice job of balancing the interests of established Sailor Moon fans and readers who know less about the series but are curious about Japan. A slim volume, it provides some fascinating information and leaves the reader wanting to know more, and hopefully the authors' plans to publish a series will pan out.
I was particularly interested in the background information about decision-making on the anime and manga series, and the explanation offered for Takeuchi's lack of productive focus post-Sailor Moon. I would not hesitate to recommend this title to fans of Naoko Takeuchi's work. Non-fans would be understandably less likely to pick it up in a bookshop, but with a little persuasion from a fan might find it very worthwhile.

I really enjoyed this book. It's in-depth, informative, and it never talks down to you. It's made for the hardcore Sailormoon fan. I think it's terrific that this book was made. It shows that fans can think outside of the tv screen.

I've been a Sailormoon fan for many years, yet there were things in this book that I never knew. It's like you're walking down the streets of Japan. Anyone who calls themselves a Sailormoon otaku needs this book!

This book has proven to be a well-informed and quick look at Japanese culture and society. The information found within could have been delivered with a textbook-like dryness, however, the fact that the authors used a well-known series like Sailor Moon helps to make the information very relatable, and easy to absorb.

At first glance, the show is merely fictional and full of fantasy. Beneath the surface, however, there is much commentary on Japanese society that one, as a foriegner, may not be able to easily decipher. This book, by examining the series from an anthropological stance, helps to peel away the layers, exposing the hidden messages underneath.

Warriors of Legend almost effortlessly draws parallels between scenery seen in the animated series to real-life locales in Tokyo. Family life and culture as depicted in the show are shown to be direct reflections of Japanese attitudes and beliefs. Of particular interest are the essays on religion and how lines between faiths in Japan are often blurred. All of these concepts have been present in the show, but often go unnoticed to average person.

The book itself is a little bit rough around the edges. That being said, it gets the job done as a nice introduction to the Japanese mindset and way of life.

Sailor Moon, while having its roots in fantasy, contained a realism to it that has made it a fascinating series to watch. That realism almost made it feel like the main characters in the show were living in the same world as you were. This is the first book about Sailor Moon to take a look at the more realistic elements of the show that have played an important role in making the series a big hit worldwide.

The first part of the book shows how the city of Tokyo, in particular the Minato Ward district, has had an influence on the Sailor Moon story. Several real life landmarks have made their way into the plotline of the story, and this book takes a look at how these landmarks has played a role in the shaping of the characters lives. The book also looks at has how these landmarks have had an influence on the creation of the various stories in Sailor Moon, both by Naoko Takeuchi and the animation staff. An avid Sailor Moon fan will find themselves going back to their DVD library in no time to check out these landmarks!

The second part of the book looks at how the daily culture of Japan has made its way into the characters lives. The reader begins to understand the pressures that the Sailor Soldiers would be experiencing if they were real life people living in Japan. We also look at how the show critiques the daily culture of Japan (including among other things, education and religion) through the Sailor Soldiers. We also learn how Japan inspired some of the trademarks and imagery of the Sailor Moon series, such as the Sailor Team's introductory speeches and the concept of the futuristic Crystal Tokyo.

Overall, this book offers a fresh look at one of the biggest and well-known anime series of all time. If you are a fan of Sailor Moon, or if you are a fan of Japanese culture, this book is an essential read. Buy this book, and let your tour of the Sailor Moon universe begin!

Japan has released many famous anime titles, and most have been translated and transferred to the U.S.; the Sailor Moon franchise is one of them. Due to the fact that it was made in Japan, the creator fused many different aspects of Japanese culture, both past and present, into the anime. This book, written by Jay Navok and Sushil K. Rudranath, masterfully explains how these influences made Sailor Moon the sensation it became - and tells what they are in a format that anyone can read. This book has become one of my favorites very quickly and I am sure it will have the same effect on you. Farewell, all you Sailor Scouts.

I just received my copy of WoL and am pleased to say that I am very happy with its content. In fact, my only real complaint is I thought they could've spent a little more time covering topics regarding all of the senshi and not just specifically on Ami, Minako, and Usagi, who received most of the attention (not to discredit that though because all the information was excellent!). Makoto, Haruka, and Rei each recieved a small (but decent) amount of coverage but I felt like Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru were a little left out. However, I read somewhere that the authors are working on a second WoL book so we have a chance to look forward to more info into the world of Japan through SM in the future.

The book is very approachable not only to fans of Sailor Moon but to people interested in Japanese culture. I consider myself to be a very large and informed SM fan but I found myself discovering things I never had a clue about! Who knew that in ancient mythology Venus (in the form of Ishtar) and the Moon were so closely connected? Or how about how each of the senshi embody a different way of life in Japan.

WoL really opened my eyes to the extreme amount of detail Naoko Takeuchi and the animators of Sailor Moon put into the manga and anime and eventually into the Live Action series. People don't realize how much Japanese culture is embedded into the series- it's literally mind blowing!

So with all that being said, I would definitely recommend purchasing this book if you would like further insight into the world of Sailor Moon.

Warriors of Legend is a very well reasearched look at and tribute to Sailor Moon. And appropriately, this book has shown up as the series would have been celebrating its tenth anniversary in the US, if the liscences for the show hadn't almost all expired, which is a shame. Perhaps this book will help show people that fans still remember and love Sailor Moon, and that there is more to it than a simple good versus evil story. I have to admit that it was the characters and their everyday lives that first attracted me to this series, even in the DiC dub, and this book shows how the settings and the characters reflected the Japan of their time, while telling an easily understood, yet not simple, story of good versus evil. Hopefully this book will sell enough to warrant the planned next books in the series. I for one would be interested to see what else the GenVid Team has to say about the Sailor Team.

I really enjoyed this book! Warriors of Legend provides a true-to-life look of the Japan that is seen in the manga and anime Sailormoon, which weaves the fantasy works of Ms. Takeuchi into the very world she grew up in. The amazing part was the comparison of the artwork the senshi frequented with the photos of the real places of interest (shrines, shops, ect.). Being a longtime fan of Sailormoon, I even learned things that I never noticed in the anime despite viewing the series endless times--such as why the streets are really empty at night where Usagi lives. A fresh perspective in the world of Sailormoon, I even recommend this for non-Sailormoon enthusiasts who are interested in the complex and fascinating world of Japan.

This book was a great read for any Sailor Moon fan or fan of Japanese anime. I learned so much about the culture of Japan and how it related to Sailor Moon. It was fascinating to learn about the education, society and religion. It really helped me to understand some "inside jokes" that are in the Japanese language that do not translate. My sister and I are huge Sailor Moon fans and found this book informative and interesting.

I first noticed the book through advertises on Sailor Moon Sites. It sounded very interesting to learn about the basics of japanese culture by comparing it with that well known Manga/Anime.
By reading it I was very impressed by the quantitiy of references that Sailor Moon made to culture, history and religion especially of Japan. It absolutely increased my respect for it.
So everyone who wants a basic review on japanese society should buy this one, even if you're not familiar with Sailor Moon. The authors established a generally look on the characters that allowes everyone to follow their conclusions and comparisons.