juban-district:

@princessusako cosplayed Dimande’s Neo-Queen Serenity dress (alternative) from Kodansha TV Picture Book Series: Vol. 20

Here’s her blog (Japanese) if you want to check out her other SM cosplays (every single senshi and then some). Her dedication is seriously unmatched.

Usako’s cosplays are seriously mind-boggling. You can always count on her to let under-appreciated characters have their time in the spotlight.

Awww yeahhh, more excellent retro goodies from my friend! “Chix Comix” Sailor Moon volumes 11 and 9. Gorgeous chapters.

oswaldears-cosplay:

Costume: Super Sailor Moon (Sera Myu)

Cosplayer: Denise

Wig: GSTQ Fashions

Photographer: LB Productions

doujinsushi:

Saw this Sailor Moon knitting book for sale on etsy for 50 bucks and thats too expensive for me so I googled and found that someone was nice enough to scan the entire book! Take a look here!!

luna-whiskers:

View the Hikawa Shrine

I was trying to figure out if I can visit the Hikawa Shrine in the summer, and discovered I don’t have to!  Here is a 360 degree view of the Akasaka Hikawa Shrine that is used in the Sailor Moon anime.  You can really picture a pair of ravens hiding up in those trees.

Some interesting images from rurousha.blogspot comparing two of the real-life Hikawa Shrines in the Tokyo area.

As you may know, the manga Hikawa Shrine and the anime Hikawa Shrine draw inspiration from two different real-world shrines. There is also a third Hikawa Shrine where they shot some scenes for PGSM.

The top two images are of the Hikawa Shrine in Azabu, Tokyo, sitting atop Sendai Hill, a place where five roads meet. This is the inspiration for the manga’s Hikawa Shrine. As you can see, it’s actually incredibly small. It’s also overshadowed by the surrounding buildings and city scape.

The second two images are of the Hikawa Shrine in Akasaka. This is the inspiration for the anime’s Hikawa Shrine, and it is my favourite. The anime didn’t feature a secret base under the Crown Arcade, so the shrine became their home of operations; and you can see the difference when you compare the two. Akasaka’s Hikawa Shrine is huge, secluded and beautiful. It is enveloped in trees and greenery and takes up a huge area, making it very secluded. I could definitely imagine the girls being able to talk about secret Sailor business without being disturbed. If anyone goes to Japan with the intention of seeing a Hikawa Shrine, I vote for this one.

There are many more photos at the source if you want to get a really good feel for the shrines.

Extra trivia: These real-life Hikawa Shrines are spelled with different kanji than in Sailor Moon, but pronounced the same. In the real world, the kanji pronounced as “hi” actually means “ice”. In Sailor Moon, it is changed to a kanji which means “fire”. The more you know!