Fighting Evil By Moonlight! The Sailor Moon Dub Turns 20

On September 11, 1995, Sailor Moon made its official debut on US airwaves when the first episode, "A Moon Star is Born," entered syndication on UPN and affiliate stations. (The episode had already aired two weeks earlier on YTV in Canada.) The show became an instant phenomenon and "meatball head" entered the pop culture lexicon forever.

Twenty years have passed since North American audiences were first introduced to the "Sailor Scouts" and our love for them has not abated. Yet the original dub, produced by Optimum Productions and DiC Entertainment, which served as this introduction, has proven controversial. While some Sailor Moon fans have criticized the DiC dub for its censorship, slang, and localization, others appreciate it in its context, cherish its nostalgic value, and praise it for its music, voice work, and terminology, as well as for omitting much of the original's problematic content. But regardless of whether or not you enjoy DiC's take on the series, and despite the fact that the original dub is now out-of-print, replaced by a new, uncut dub from Viz Media, the legacy of the series' first North American foray and its impact on Sailor Moon, anime, and pop culture cannot be denied.

So Moonies: heat up some Sailor Moon Spaghetti-O's, put My Only Love on repeat, and let's celebrate twenty years of fighting evil and winning love in the name of the moon.