This past weekend’s Nico Nico Choukaigi saw director Munehisa Sakai and producer Yu Kamiki of the new Sailor Moon Crystal announce the voice cast for the upcoming anime. They were also joined by the editor of the original Sailor Moon manga, Fumio Osano.

As the announcement was streamed via Niconico, the official site was also updated with new character designs. During the readout of the voice cast, there were cheers when it was finally revealed that Kotono Mitsuishi would be reprising her role as Usagi/Sailor Moon.

Toei’s Sailor Moon Crystal is an all-new adaptation of Naoko Takeuchi’s original manga. When it came to the new title it was Takeuchi that decided on calling it Crystal, for that was her favourite out of the numerous possibilities.

The voice actors for the five Sailor Scouts is as follows:

Kotono Mitsuishi as Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon

Hisako Kanemoto as Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury

Rina Satou as Rei Hino/Sailor Mars

Ami Koshimizu as Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter

Shizuka Itou as Minako Aino/Sailor Venus

The new Sailor Moon Crystal anime will stream worldwide on Niconico, with the first episode set to air on 5 July at 7pm Japan standard time (that would be 11am for those of us in the UK). It will run on the first and third Saturday of each month.

The synopsis from the official site:

“Usagi Tsukino is a little clumsy and a crybaby, but she’s also one spirited eighth grader. One day she meets Luna, a black cat with a crescent moon mark on her forehead, and transforms into the pretty sailor-suited guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon! As a chosen guardian of justice, Usagi apparently has a mission to protect a princess, and to find her fellow Guardians and the Legendary Silver Crystal. Meanwhile, Queen Beryl of the Dark Kingdom sends her subordinates to the town where Usagi lives. They cause strange events to occur there, all in an effort to acquire the tremendously powerful Silver Crystal…

Can Sailor Moon and the other Guardians successfully find the Legendary Silver Crystal, and protect the princess…!?”

Are you looking forward to Sailor Moon Crystal?

Sources: Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Project Official Site | Natalie | Niconico

Originally published on MCM Buzz on 28 April 2014.