Sailor_Moon

Sailor Moon
by Ban-Dai and Irwin Toys

1990's

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"Sailor Moon"

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I'm the first to admit I don't know a whole lot about the "Sailor Moon" anime series.I know my son was very much into it when he was much younger. It was one of his first exposures to Japanese anime, which has become a life-long (okay, he's only 21 as of this writing!) interest for him.

The series revolves around a young schoolgirl, Serena, who discovers she is a Sailor Scout, destined to protect her world (and the galaxy) from evil-doers intent on conquest. Not only is she merely a Sailor Scout, she's Sailor Moon---the leader of all the Sailor Scouts. She's not alone in her fight, accompanied by Sailor Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter---you get the idea. Serena and the other girls call on their mystic powers when danger threatens, and it seems to do that a lot. Each episode, Serena has to balance being a simple, scatterbrained schoolgirl with being defender of the galaxy. And she has typical schoolgirl crushes on the cutest guys in school; mostly on a quiet boy named Darien. But there's also a mysterious stranger who comes and pulls her tushie out of the fire when she's Sailor Moon---the enigmatic Tuxedo Mask (gotta love a man who can save the galaxy in fancy dress!).
The series ran for several years, from the mid-1990's to just after 2000. There was also a live-action version of Sailor Moon in Japan.

Two companies made "Sailor Moon" dolls for distribution here in the U.S. The first was Ban-Dai, beginning in 1995. Irwin Toys of Canada took over, or bought the rights to manufacture the dolls in 2000. The body-style of the two brands are similar, but the facial features are remarkably different.

The Sailor Venus doll, on the left, was made by Ban-Dai; the Sailor Moon doll, on the right, was made by Irwin.
As you can see, both dolls have similar torsos, being a one-piece construction with no twist-n-turn waist. The dolls are jointed only at the neck, arms and hips. The legs do not bend. The neck post is a ball-and-socket joint, allowing the head to tilt and pivot in any direction. The arms are hinged at the shoulders, allowing them to be held away from the body. All facial features are painted on, and while the dolls have rooted hair, they do not have rooted eyelashes. Gloves, boots, necklaces and tiaras are molded and painted on.

The main difference to be noted is the way the face is made. On the Ban-Dai Venus doll, her head is narrower, and more heart-shaped. The shape of the nose, while still barely there, is also a bit longer, and the mouth is a bit wider, and set a little further down on the face. The eyes are more almond-shaped, but still ridiculously large, which is typical of anime characters.

The Irwin Sailor Moon doll has a wider head; her eyes are smaller and more oval in shape, and her mouth is very small and set practically under her nose, which again is almost non-existent. Sailor Moon's leg are set a bit closer together at the hip, and do not spread apart as Sailor Venus' legs do. She's not a girl of loose morals, just a different manufacture!

Below are the few Sailor Moon dolls I've been lucky enough to add to my collection. Both Ban-Dai and Irwin Toys made the Sailor Moon dolls in different sizes, ranging from the 6" Adventure dolls shown here, through 11" Barbie-sized and up to 17" Tonner-sized. As far as I've been able to determine, there were no separate outfits sold for the miniature dolls. It's also very hard to undress them (as I had to do for the body-style shot above), much less get them dressed again. I'd advise against it, if I were you. Despite the fact these dolls were sold to be played with, they don't lend themselves to it very easily.

Sailor Moon (Irwin)

Sailor Mercury (Irwin)

Sailor Venus (Ban-Dai)

Sailor Mars (Irwin)

Queen Beryl (Ban-Dai)
Sailor Moon's evil nemesis

Sailor Jupiter (Irwin)

Tuxedo Mask (Irwin)

The dolls shown below are photos I've saved from on-line auction sites. I've tried going after these, but they are very sought-after, and the prices generally go up very quickly. These dolls are additional characters from the show, as well as re-releases of existing dolls with new packaging or "something extra" inside. I won't attempt to identify the character dolls, as I'm not that familiar with the show. Suffice to say, they're out there, they're miniature fashion dolls, and someday I hope to add them to my collection.

Prince Diamond

Princess Serena

Rini (with wind-up base)

Professor Tomoe

Super Sailor Moon

Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune
(Sorry, Neptune's hair is in her face)

Wicked Lady

One of the best sites out there I've seen that showcase Sailor Moon dolls of all sizes and types is
www.qserenity.com
The webmistress knows her stuff, and has a marvellous assortment of Sailor Moon dolls to drool over. Please take a look!