12/06/2024: Christmas shopping done?
Well, I hope yours is, because mine isn’t! But I did manage to get some major cel shopping done, so I guess there’s that!
- Ami and Minako from an Ikuko Itō episode from SuperS. I just love Ami in that yellow sweater!
- Pluto from the SuperS movie. Oh to have hair that blows that elegantly…
- Usagi crying in episode 198, right before she gets the rug pulled out from under her (again).
- Poor Mercury…
- Poor Siren…
- Seriously, everyone else is dying (both in Stars and this update), and Nyanko looks appropriately stressed.
11/13/2024: It’s a cold and rainy November day
Thankfully, I’m spending it inside and updating the gallery. 🙂 Two new cels, both from the tail end of Stars:
- Uranus from episode 198 (I always love finding cels from this episode!)
- Chaos about to throw hands in episode 200
I have another collector to thank for the Chaos cel, as she was liquidating part of her collection through Heritage. And I was super happy to find the Uranus on YJ, as she goes well with another cel I have of her from this scene. That’s it for now…happy Thanksgiving!
10/28/2024: Happy Halloween!
It’s a much smaller update this month:
- Ami from a S season sleepover, about to be drawn into a pillow fight. Key cel with original background!
- Look, I have a lemon tree and a favorite lemon bracelet, so of course I needed a lemon cel to go with them, right?
- A memento of Crow and Siren in happier times.
9/30/2024: Well, this month was wild.
I think I will be taking a break for a while (no really). I’m so excited to add these, but also acutely aware that I have been able to acquire more amazing pieces than any one collector really has a right to. Still…I can’t believe these actually came across my path.
- A bank cel–always an unusual addition to the gallery–of Venus’s Love Me Chain.
- A second (even more improbable!) bank cel of Uranus henshin
- Mercury facing down her foes in Classic episode 45…which I really think may be the best written episode, of any series, of all time. Still get chills on this one.
- The senshi show compassion to Nehelenia and align themselves with Usagi’s determination to save her. There are so many reasons to love this cel (a great moment for Jupiter! Sailor Saturn is there! Original background!) that I just couldn’t help leaping into the YJ fray here.
- Galaxia about to lay some serious smackdown on the Starlights in episode 199. The detail in this cel is incredible.
9/11/2024: Last September update?
All outers this time around!
- An Ikuko-drawn Neptune entrance (isn’t her work amazing?!)
- Uranus charging Galaxia from episode 197
- Michiru and Haruka contemplating their fate from Sailor Moon S
- Setsuna foretells the coming silence
9/9/2024: On the ninth day of September, Jadeduo gave to me…
9/8/2024: Would you say I have a “plethora” of updates?
It’s likely to be so for September. I had just been thinking that July and August were pretty slow on the cel market, and then a truckload came up all at once. Oh well, at least it’s an opportunity to quote The Three Amigos?
- Usagi and Michiru’s first meeting. Such a sweet episode, with original background.
- Rei and Haruka about to go for a ride, in the Yūichirō/drama episode.
- Haruka in the flashback episode from S. It’s quite nice to add another cel from this scene!
- Uranus bringing some Space Sword Smackdown.
- Mercury doing Mercury things by computing interdimensional rifts and saving the team’s collective you-know-whats for the thousandth time.
- Completely amazing setup of Chibiusa from the first SuperS episode and her initial meeting with Pegasus. It comes with original background and book cel foreground.
8/15/2024: Is it fall yet?
I don’t know about you, but I am ready for cooler weather. In the meantime, here is a nice little update. I have apparently developed a penchant for funny Luna cels! And although it’s incredibly rare for me to do, I added some douga to the gallery. They accompanied the Ikuko-drawn Luna getting a round of bitey-bites from pint-sized kitty, and Rhett Butler is so cute, that I couldn’t resist adding them.
- Can you believe this Sailor V cel? I thought it was too good to be true and was a little worried it wasn’t authentic, especially since there were no registration holes and the paint went right to the edge at the top and bottom. At least the line fading is consistent with the vintage, so I took a shot. It was only on YJ for 24 hours, too. But after getting it in person and analyzing the sequence, which is a vertical pan, it’s legitimate–just cut at the top and bottom. The cuts aren’t perfectly straight, so it’s evident that a former owner manually cut it for size constraints. So gorgeous in person! Glad I was paying attention to YJ or I would have missed it.
- Uranus and Neptune react to Professor Tomoe kidnapping Chibiusa. I tried to talk myself out of this one, thinking that I don’t HAVE to own every cel of the pair, but how could I let this go? It comes with the original background, too. It’s a three-layer setup, with Neptune’s open-mouthed gasp on its own layer; the bottom layer was used earlier in the sequence before she reacts. So glad I caved. No buyer’s remorse here.
- I love Luna. Seriously never thought much about her as a character, but somehow as I’ve gotten older, I appreciate her even more (and her long-suffering role trying to keep Usagi in line.) This Ikuko-drawn episode is a classic and this is one of my favorite moments. That little monster kitty cracks me up. The accompanying set of douga is great to have, too!
- Luna stuffing her face is almost as good as Luna getting her tail chewed. It was inexpensive and not a “valuable” cel by any means, but gosh darn is it funny. It’s even better that she’s chowing down and totally ignoring Usagi while she is having one of her patented whiny meltdowns. She’s literally like, “Whatever, Usagi. These rice cakes are delicious!”
- All the awesome douga, of Rhett Butler being picked up (seriously how cute is he?), mugging for the camera, and letting his inner youma out.
7/26/2024: The beginning of the end, and also the end of a saga
I’m so relieved to add this one! This cel appears at the beginning of the final episodes of Stars, during Galaxia’s onslaught in episode 196. Given its pivotal role in the final showdown, I was desperately hoping to win it in the BWA, which I did (though at great cost–it’s probably one of the most expensive cels I own now). As I was watching the DHL tracking very closely, I was horrified to find that it had been shipped to the wrong customer on the other side of the country!
I contacted Mandarake and asked for further direction. They contacted the other customer, and he mailed it directly to me. Unfortunately, then UPS lost it when I asked them to hold it (apparently the location they offered as an option no longer holds packages!). After an hour of pleading with them at our local hub, they finally dug it up and I was able to recover it. Thank goodness this little adventure had a happy ending!
7/3/2024: Happy Independence Day!
…for those of us celebrating in the United States, anyway! I have a nice little update to kick off summer celebrations:
- Shrine maiden Rei, from the closing moments of the first season
- Two henshin cels of Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon from the SuperS “Moon Crisis Makeup” sequence. Never thought I would find a Moon henshin cel, but here we are! These came in a two-cel lot, and I’m toying with the idea of putting the Sailor Moon/Chibi Moon duo cel up for sale. I hate to separate the set, though!
6/23/2024: Siren and Crow and a new scanner, oh my!
Much thanks to a fellow collector for this cel of Siren and Crow! It’s incredible to me that I went two decades without good cels of Crow, and now two have come up within a month’s span. And I love that these two are together!
I have also been struggling with getting proper scans–until now. All the scanners I have used over the years (and there have been several) were all-in-one printer models that apparently leveraged CIS scanning with a RGB LED light source…which unfortunately don’t pick up bright pinks well (or, you know, at all). Consequently, I’ve had to rely on adjusting hues in photoshop, with varying success. Following a tip from another collector (thanks Larry!), I’ve picked up an Epson v600 with a CCD, which is going to make uploading Chibiusa cels much less of a nightmare. So over the coming weeks, I’ll likely be uploading improved scans. Sailor Moon is a tough series to archive using RGB LEDs!
6/18/2024: Akihabara Auctions
The 17th Akihabara auctions were held in early June, and there were several nice entries. I hadn’t intended on bidding because I figured the nicer pieces would skyrocket, but this lovely cel of Chibiusa (from her SuperS jumping box episode) was about to end at a very reasonable bid, so I jumped in. I love the extra detail of her hair tendrils as she is running towards Mamoru. This cel caught my eye early on, and I’m fortunate that no one else seemed to prioritize it!
I always try to watch auctions, even if I have no plans to bid, just to keep an eye on the temperature of the competition. There was a beautiful hanken/commercial oversized cel that ended up at 1.6 million yen (!). It seems that the Sailor Moon market is in no danger of prices dropping soon. Ouch!
6/3/2024: Last May update (third of three)
The final package has arrived, and this could be the last for a while. Still, this marks two milestones for the gallery. In addition to rounding out 25 years of collecting, the last month’s update saw my Sailormoon collection pass 200 cels. While this may not be a lot for some collectors, I was always a niche collector and it’s a lot for me! (Especially taking into account cel preservation and storage…!)
I am so happy with the updates from this month though. Some of the great finds:
- Sailor Moon, blushing at (who else?) Tuxedo Kamen. This one is from the pivotal Ikuko-Itō episode of Sailor Moon R during the showdown with Rubeus and the four sisters. It’s a lovely foil to my cel of the inner senshi marching into battle from the same episode. You can see that classic Ikuko style with the large, expressive eyes on full display here.
- Minako, by Masahiro Andō. While I normally don’t love his designs (this is only my second cel of his), I absolutely love this one. Minako is waxing poetic about her adult dreams and it appears she wants to be Grace Kelly! That background also totally sold it for me. Gorgeous setup!
- Queen Serenity. She’s such a rare character and it’s a perfect shot of her from her last appearance, looking down and asking Luna to protect her daughter. So many feels!
- Sailors Neptune and Uranus have been through the wringer already in dealing with Pharaoh 90’s emergence, and just when all seems lost, Sailor Saturn appears to finish the climactic battle. They are battered and fearful and my gosh, it’s such an amazing shot. This one occurs right after Shinya Hasegawa took over animating from Ikuko Itō in this episode. The background appears on a separate cel of this three-layer setup.
- In the final episode, Seiya prepares to give his final goodbye and turns to tell Mamoru to take care of Usagi. I have the cel of Mamoru giving his answer, and I’m so lucky to have these two from the final moments of the series.
5/21/2024: May update, two of three
It’s been a wild month to be sure. I’ll have another crazy update before long (hopefully next week). In the meantime, I owe it to YJ for these beauties!
- Sailor Neptune Deep Submerge, bank cel. What can I say? She’s completely awesome!!
- Lead Crow. Do you know how long I have looked for a good solo cel of Crow? Years. YEARS. Twenty five, to be exact. I FINALLY FOUND HER!
- Neptune and Uranus giving up their souls to Galaxia. I love this arc, so no way could I let this one slip by!
- Haruka in the S season flashback episode, before she meets Michiru. She’s running away from her destiny. (Get it?)
- Resurrected Kaolinite from late in the S season. She cuts an imposing figure against an original background of Professor Tomoe’s lab.
- Chibiusa and Peruru from the SuperS movie. She and Diana are so cute! This is an elaborate setup with Peruru, Chibiusa/Diana, and the dancing cookies all on separate cels. The original background is a nice touch, too!
- Star Fighter looking on after Galaxia’s defeat and the restoration of all the guardians in the final episode. I wish I had the original background (the unmatching one is stuck), but it’s a great find!
5/15/2024: Huge updates forthcoming
After a dry few weeks, a host of cels came up from Mandarake BWA and various sources on YJ. This is the first of some sizeable updates coming, but let’s get BWA out of the way first.
- Ami Mizuno from SuperS episode 151. She is listening to a beautiful melody while admiring a golden ginkgo leaf that has gently floated to her table. This is one of my favorite images in all of Sailor Moon, and I never, never imagined I would come across the cel. When it went up on the BWA I resolved to get it no matter what…thankfully it wasn’t even the highest of bids that day and I was so fortunate to win! The cel is oversized and includes the key A1, and the original background is an unbelievable piece of art all on its own. I am so enamored with this piece, and it has been a holy grail wishlist cel for me for more than twenty years.
- Neptune is fighting Tuxedo Kamen for control of a pure heart, early in Sailor Moon S. This was used as a single frame so it is A1/End. The cel has been cut, but it comes with the original background and is still beautiful. Also, it was drawn by none other than Ikuko Itō!
- This was an impulse purchase from BWA but gosh I love cels of Luna where the animators use more detail. Here she is clinging to Sailor Moon to avoid getting sucked into a dimensional rift.
4/2/2024: April showers bring…new cels!
What else can you do when there are perpetual tornado watches and spring storms? Stay in and watch auctions, of course! I was fortunate to pick up three to start the month:
- Queen Serenity from the Sailor Moon Classic flashback. This cel is absolutely gorgeous in person. I was quite nervous about it, because the seller on YJ has habitually posted cels already succumbing to advanced stages vinegar syndrome (though not readily disclosed); the descriptions all say the cels were bought 26 years ago and kept in a closed file for a long time, which I suppose is code for “buyer beware.” Upon close inspection, nearly every one of their auction images have shown telltale wrinkling along the sides of the acetate, or worse. This was the first cel listed that didn’t display the obvious signs, but goshdarnit, those old cels from season one seem to be most at risk–at least, judging from the cels I have found in the past few years. I took a huge chance on this one, even though I swore off cels from that particular seller long ago, and wow did I get lucky. This cel is in pristine condition without a hint of vinegar scent. Thank goodness!
- This Eudial cel was an impulse purchase because I haven’t made a point to collect the Witches 5, but I dearly love seeing cels with their original backgrounds. It’s also in fantastic condition. And imagine my surprise when I located it in the episode featuring the deaths of Neptune & Uranus! She’s just correctly ID’d the talisman holders and is ready to pounce. What a cool find!
- Once again, I broke my promise to steer clear of Heritage Auctions due to the wide price swings (and crazy high fees). Weirdly, this cel didn’t go for nearly as much as I would have thought. I’ve paid more for basic cels of Hotaru, and to find such a key scene was a dream come true.
3/18/2024: Lots of new additions
I may have overdone it this month! Still, I was able to find some gorgeous cels to add to the gallery.
- Sailor Moon from the SuperS movie. It’s a nice full-body shot!
- Teenage Chibiusa and Pegasus from SuperS. I am so sad that vinegar syndrome has taken hold of this one, but I’m going to do my best to care for it as long as possible.
- Chibiusa running in her elementary school race, from the end of SuperS. I am such a sucker for athlete Chibiusa!
- A Chibiusa reproduction, based on Ikuko Itō’s work from the 2nd SuperS ending (featuring “Rashiku Ikimasho”). Although it’s a fancel, it is extremely well-done.
- Jupiter about to kick some @$$ in SuperS
- Minako and Rei saying goodbye to Chibiusa at the beginning of Stars (and a very sad Artemis who can’t bear to see Diana go!)
- Neptune’s intro in Stars, after her super senshi upgrade
- Yaten from Stars. This one came with the full set of speaking animations, as well as the timing sheet and original background.
2/20/2024: February update
A little update for February:
- Chibiusa from the end of Sailor Moon R (episode 88). This is such a great image of Chibiusa, running to reunite with her mom Neo Queen Serenity.
- Sailor Moon & Chibi Moon are switched in SuperS episode 158. Applesymphony posted this one and it was a little pricey, but it’s such a cute shot of baby Usagi and comes with the original background!
1/16/2024: Happy New Year!
I hope everyone has had a great start to 2024! Here is a small update, including two cels from the beginning of Stars: a stressed Neptune from episode 167, and a Sailor Uranus intro that I had an eye on for months and finally added to the collection (episode 168).
Here’s to a new year of health and happiness!
12/20/2023: OK, so twice upon a December
Much thanks to Casey and Marisa over at Anime-Online; they are closing down their collection, and I was fortunate to inherit custody of these two Iron Mouse (Iron Mice?) cels. I’ve always admired their collection, and they still have many beautiful pieces!
At any rate, the Anima-Mates are icons and cels of them are so difficult to find. I really love these two of Iron Mouse, with her preparing to bow before Galaxia, and a put-out expression as her workday is interrupted.
12/15/2023: Once upon a December
The holidays are turning out to be very busy, but happily I still managed a small update this month.
- Another Michiru from S, Episode 102. It’s featured in the same car ride as the cel I added in October! I love finding scene-mates.
- Setsuna looks sad as Chibiusa pleads with her not to kill Hotaru; S Episode 120. This one made it on YJ for all of one day. I’m lucky to have found it in time.
- Applesymphony posted this hilarious Minako from S Episode 109. It’s my only cel under the direction of Kazuya Kuroda, whose work was featured in just two episodes.
- I was very excited to find this last one from the final episodes of the Stars arc, Episode 196. It appears in sequence with another cel I have from this scene, which features nearly every senshi in the series (sans Michiru & Haruka). The girls are looking on Galaxia’s destruction, and preparing to march into battle for the final time. This one came from the good people who run Akihabara’s auctions.
11/2/2023: One small update in Sailormoon
This is a tiny addendum to the last update. Both cels are from SuperS. They were sourced from Heritage, which is my first time going through this auction house. I typically steer clear, as the market is muddied by investors and other secondhand curators, and prices can get absurdly high as a result. Thankfully, neither of these two ended up in the stratosphere, so I was able to pick them up–even though I hadn’t held out much hope. I love the dramatic moment of Artemis rushing to Luna’s side (Episode 133). The cel of Usagi (plus Chibiusa and Diana, how cute are they?!) is a special find from Episode 141. It’s so rare to get original backgrounds such as this one, and it’s in wonderfully preserved shape.
10/30/2023: Sailormoon update
After spending the entire month with three weeks of bronchitis, followed by COVID, I suppose there’s not much to do except update. Silver linings! (And yes, this has been a busy month for acquisitions. I don’t have much of an excuse, except that I really have been so sick that I’ve just had extra time to go hunting.)
- The girls in a crowded alley, from an Ikuko Itō-directed episode of Sailor Moon Classic, Episode 31. I never thought I would get my hands on a cel from this scene! It was a firefight on YJ but completely worth it.
- Chibiusa and Tuxedo Kamen from the final battle of Sailor Moon R, Episode 88. If I overpaid for the earlier entry, this makes up for it. Super cheap, especially for SM!
- Two cels of Michiru from Sailor Moon S, Episode 106 (the flashback episode). This makes five entries from this episode! I waffled on getting the injured Neptune, but couldn’t resist pairing it up with the base layer that I already had on hand.
- Civilian Iron Mouse from Stars, Episode 176. I’m always looking for cels of the Animamates, but they are just so hard to find…especially Mouse and Crow.
10/11/2023: Sailormoon gallery update
This is a big (for me) update. Usually I try not to get so many cels at once, but…well… Cels from the end of the Stars arc are my most sought-after scenes, especially if they feature emotional moments. They’re pretty rare to see, and wouldn’t you know, last month there were two–both ending within an hour of each other on YJ! What’s a girl to do?!
- Inner Senshi from an Ikuko Itō-directed episode of Sailor Moon R, Episode 68
- Michiru Kaiou from Sailor Moon S, Episode 102–you know, the one where Usagi gets her heart crystal taken and Kaolinite dies
- Sailor Moon agonizing over the deaths of the Inner Senshi, Sailor Stars Episode 196 (!!)
- Sailor Uranus’s death scene, Sailor Stars Episode 198 (like I was going to pass that up!)
9/27/2023: Cels up for offers
9/7/2023: Update in Sailormoon
A small update for September, with three cels:
- Sailor Moon from an Ikuko Itō-directed episode of Sailor Moon Classic, Episode 37
- Minako Aino being captured by the Dead Moon Circus from SuperS, Episode 141
- Ami Mizuno battling in a video game tournament, Sailor Stars Episode 191
