With a short run from February 4th until March 19th, the UK finally experienced their first dose of Japan’s highly popular 2.5D musical. Titled Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live, the beloved show has been adapted to suit an overseas audience and ran between two venues: KOKO, and HERE at Outernet and had a run-time of 95 minutes, without breaks.
Despite thinking that I would never get to see this show in-person, I made a last-minute bid to recapture my childhood nostalgia and, on March 19th, I was making my way over to London to experience the final show. And that’s exactly what Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live is; it’s an experience, and nothing short of enchanting.
Upon leaving the fourth exit from Tottenham Court Road station, I was greeted by dazzling imagery on two sets of wrap-around LED screens that, soon enough, I would come to learn framed the pathway to the live music venue known as HERE at Outernet. A key feature for the music venue, the Outernet district has become known for its cutting-edge audio and video technology and was a drawing point for many who were visiting Tottenham Court Road that evening.
Momentarily struck by raining emoji’s and bursts of light that would transform into jellyfish, I eventually managed to pull myself away from the screens of colourful imagery to make my way towards the actual venue. Only a few steps away, I was greeted by the very poster I had been staring at on the official Super Live website for weeks, at that point.
It felt surreal, almost like a dream. I don’t think that I actually believed this was really happening until halfway through the show because, despite the UK investing more in the Japanese stage scene in the past few years (Spirited Away (2024), My Lie in April (2024), My Neighbour Totoro (2025)), it’s still a rarity here. Yet there I was, staring up at that incredible poster of the five Sailor Guardians I had watched on our family TV-screen back in the early 2000’s, all while jumping up onto the sofa while wishing I could be just like them.
Never had I once considered I would finally see these same characters come to life before my very eyes, at least not in this lifetime. In that moment, I could not fathom it being anything but a beautiful dream.
I made my way over to the line that had already formed, and noticed fans of all ages dressed in official merchandise or wearing outfits similar to or inspired by the characters they loved. An official penlight adorned a few peoples necks to signify that this was not their first time viewing the show, while others talked excitedly amongst themselves.
Surprisingly, not five minutes after waiting, the line moves quickly, with security allowing us entry around ten or so minutes earlier than the designated time for doors opening. This allowed the fans ample time to grab some merchandise or drinks in preparation for the performance, and I went to grab an official penlight for myself to wave towards the end. Does it matter that I already had a penlight on hand to wave, just in case the merchandise stall had sold out? Not at all; the more penlights, the merrier, I say, plus it’s a key part of the experience as a fan of Idol lives in general.
Besides, if your power goes out at night, having a few penlights on hand is a great backup plan if you have no candles or torches to light.
With my new penlight secured, I went to find a place in the standing area to watch the show. Luckily, I managed to secure myself a spot at the barrier for a decent view and looked up at the stage and, though it was not a sold-out show, I could see that there were plenty of people milling about, eagerly preparing for the start of the show that has defined many of us since an early age.
After my brief people-watching stint, I finally looked up at the stage. It was simple, the set-up almost bare with wire frames to depict Tokyo’s landscape and staircases leading to a higher platform. Behind the framework was the screen, ‘Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live‘ written before a vibrant galaxy backdrop. Every so often, the screen would remind us to purchase a penlight for the end of the show.
Then, the screen changes again: Five minutes until showtime. Soon, I would watch the Sailor Guardians appear before me, and for the next 95 minutes, my favourite cartoon from childhood would come to life.
What followed was nothing short of a dazzling display. Through the use of lighting and visual effects, the stage became a city filled with colour and light. The ever-changing screen displayed locations and scenes plucked right out of the manga, and the props—from the iconic Moon Stick to ribbons and more—were nothing short of striking when used during the more pivotal moments of the musical.
It was almost like I was sitting on my living room floor again, legs crossed while I watched as Usagi woke up late for school during ‘Good Morning! (Sorry, I’m late…)’. I cried when I watched her transform into Sailor Moon, laughed when ‘Best Friends’ played and cheered along with the crowd when Manomu appeared for the first time. I waved my penlight, still turned off at this point, along to the music and grinned like a lunatic, still disbelieving of the fact that I was actually there in the flesh, watching Sailor Moon and her friends perform iconic scenes from the Dark Kingdom arc that I so clearly remembered, despite not having seen the show for almost 25 years.
Given that the show only has a 95 minute runtime, there were moments where I thought that it felt more or less like a cliffs notes version of the original series. With that said, that does not make it any less entertaining. In fact, the overall pacing and storytelling of the show felt incredibly organic, and the musical numbers allowed the progression of the storyline to feel natural. The scenes that were included were important to the overall plot, delivering the perfect amount of emotion and tension as the story progressed.
The physical comedy displayed within the musical is nothing short of amazing, with both Usagi and Rei being standouts. The choreography was also mesmerising, with Manomu surprising me the most. Instead of throwing roses, he came on stage with a sweep of his cloak and started throwing down moves, an act that led to raucous applause. It made me laugh, though, and it was one of the first things I texted to my sister after the show had come to a close: ‘Tuxedo Mask doesn’t throw roses; he throws down moves!’
Queen Beryl is, of course, another standout from this performance. Understandably, she was one of the most revered aspects of the show, with many people applauding and screaming for her the second she stepped onto the stage. I think her scenes and musical numbers garnered the most noise, with Manomu’s coming a close second, and was told at the end of the show by another fan that since the show came to the UK, Queen Beryl’s popularity seemed to grow with each performance.
One of the things that surprised me most about the show was the inclusion of dialogue. Going into The Super Live, I had a preconceived idea that, for an overseas audience, we might only be given musical numbers and visual effects for the entirety of the performance. I quickly learned that that was not the case, however.
Though minimal, dialogue is used throughout the show. Spoken completely in Japanese, subtitles were helpfully displayed on the screen behind the cast, similar to the subtitles used for the songs so that fans can understand what is being said. Less helpfully, however, was the size of the subtitles for the dialogue; where the lyrics for each song were bold and bright, the dialogue was instead written at the very top of the screen in a much smaller script, thus making it hard for folks with sight issues to read. Thankfully, this is my only true complaint for the show, but I won’t lie and say it didn’t hinder some of my enjoyment of the show, because at times it did, and concentrating on trying to read the dialogue stopped me from admiring the performance. So, I chose to ignore it in the end, my lack of Japanese speaking skills be damned.
Thankfully, that’s the only time I found fault in the musical, because everything else was nothing short of perfect. The vocals were impeccable, with the harmonisation of the Sailor Guardians being one of my favourite aspects of the entire show. I adored how the cast made use of the stage and created a captivating scene through the use of choreography and lighting, with the latter being one of the most critical features of the show, outside of the iconic characters we know and love, of course.
It is the lighting that is, in my opinion, one of the most notable aspects of The Super Live, and should be considered its own character when viewing the show. It is not simply a beautiful display to light up the stage, but instead acts as a story-telling device that helps to propel some of the more important moments within the Dark Kingdom arc. Unassuming ribbons quickly become a barrier to Edymion, strings of light transform colours into crescent moons, bubbles, fireballs, thunder and hearts, and the Moon Stick transforms into a brilliant Moon Staff. Then, in a brilliant display, the venue lights up as Sailor Moon raises her staff, almost as if the world has been bathed in moonlight.
Everyone is stunned as they look up at the disco ball above. I’m leaning over the barrier, like a child leaning towards the TV, captivated by the glowing performance that is still unfolding before me and completely encompassed by beautiful nostalgia as I realise, quite suddenly, that we are now a part of this story, too.
I start crying, finally a part of the world I had longed to be in as a child.
As the story wraps and my emotions come down, a mini-live signifies the end of the show. Finally, we are asked to turn on our penlights and raise them high, and the music begins as the cast come out to perform a variety of songs.
For around 15-20 minutes we are entertained. The Sailor Guardians change into a variety of different costumes, from school uniforms to summer yukata. Queen Beryl returns to sing to her adoring fans, and the dancers entertain us all with a grand display of choreography and lighting effects. Then, for the grand finale, ‘La Soldier’ is performed by the five Sailor Guardians, before the entirety of the cast come out on stage to sing the iconic ‘Moonlight Densetsu’.
It’s here that the Sailor Guardians make their way through the seating area, waving to fans before finally returning to the stage where, suddenly, a cannon blasts and the room is showered in metallic streamers in pink, red, green, blue and gold as ‘Moonlight Densetsu’ comes to an end.
Everyone cheers. The cast thank the audience for coming and, for the last time, take a bow on the HERE at Outernet stage as the audience leads them out with brilliant applause.
The buzz of excitement amongst the fans that was left behind permeated the air for a good half hour after the cast had long left the stage. Everyone milled around, picking streamers up off the floor and taking photos of the stage one last time. It was a show filled with unparalleled energy compared to previous performances, another fan told me, while those viewing it for the first time expressed how brilliant it was, how it was everything that they had imagined and more.
And it is brilliant. It’s dazzling and captivating, with music and choreography that transports you into a world from your childhood you may have never expected to experience before now.
As I said before, this felt like a dream for me. Now, with the performance long finished and my memories propelling me to write, I still consider it a dream, of sorts, except it’s a dream that finally came true. I just hope that it returns to the UK one day, and when it does, I hope that it stays a little longer. No matter what, though, I will happily come back to watch it again and again.
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live is everything I hoped for and more. Breath-taking in its entirety, this show is a beautiful and brilliant production that showcases the talent of not only the cast, but also the crew that act behind the scenes to create such a magnificent display in lighting, sound and visuals. For fans of the show both old and new, lovers of Japanese culture, music and the theatre, and for those simply wishing to be a part of the experience, this is a show that should not be missed.
So, if you are in the area for any one of the shows that is currently being performed in North America, or perhaps if you are in Japan, be sure to take a chance to see Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live, and prepare to be dazzled.
Book tickets for Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live North American Tour HERE until April 26th 2025.
*Please note that performances of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live include flashing lights.
