Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live made its UK debut this month in London, and with multiple shows planned throughout February and March of this year, I thought I would share my experience with this groundbreaking 2.5D musical in HERE at Outernet on 4th February 2025.
The Venue [HERE at Outernet]:
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live will be performed across two venues in London, and the performance I saw on the 4th February 2025 was in HERE at Outernet (which is a rather interesting name for a venue). HERE at Outernet is located on Tottenham Court Road, and is directly opposite the tube station, so accessibility from central London isn’t an issue. If you’ve never been to HERE at Outernet then it can be rather confusing to find due to all of the narrow pathways, but thankfully the venues website has clear video instructions on where to find the entrance.
Surprisingly, the entrance to the venue isn’t where you queue up. Instead I had to join another queue around the corner from the entrance. This seemed to be a mixed queue where both general and VIP admissions waited, and then after having tickets scanned you would be separated into two queues (VIP and General) that were outside the entrance of the venue. Doors to the venue opened 40 minutes before the start time of the performance, and VIP Ticket holders were let in first. General admission ticket holders (myself included) had to wait until all currently queuing VIP members had gone in. I’d advise joining the first queue about 20 minutes before doors open (especially if standing) to ensure you can get a good view and beat the other queues once inside.
Once past the entrance you’ll need to walk down several flights of stairs before you can reach the stage area. It’s worth noting that HERE at Outernet have strict policies in place for bags, and while bags (such as bagpacks & laptop bags) are allowed in to the venue they will be checked before being allowed in to the stage area and will need to be stored in the cloakroom. I did not use the cloakroom, so I’m unsure if a service fee is charged, but i’d advise not bringing in a bag. Small bags, such as a large purse or satchel, should be fine but I’d advise checking with the venue.
Upon entering the stage area I noticed that the venue was smaller than I had expected, especially compared to theatres within London, but I realized this is actually a positive as it means I’d be able to see the actors on stage more clearly. The stage area has a pretty simple layout, with 230 seats on ground level (so there is no incline), and another 35 seats on the Mezzanine above the bar. Behind the seats was an open area, and some small high-rise tables, where standing ticket holders (myself included) would stand. Behind the seats (and standing section) was the bar, which served drinks before (and possibly throughout) the performance. Another bar area is located to the left (if facing the stage) and this is where VIP ticket holders could collect there bonus items, and where merchandise could be purchased.
Now, this is where my magical experience in HERE at Outernet begins to fade away. Upon entering the stage area there was no clear indication on where to buy merchandise, how much it would cost, or where standing ticket holders should stand. It was just one big open area between the bar and seats. I went and stood behind the last row of seating, and then noticed a queue quickly forming to the side of me. This queue was for the merchandise being sold at the left-hand-side bar. I moved to look, but due to the two queues forming (one for VIP Collection and one for Merchandise) I was unable to see the merchandise or see how much it cost without queuing. The lighting of the venue in this area didn’t help either. I later learned that pricing was displayed on the worktop of the bar and that the official Sailor Moon website had posted about the merchandise on offer, but sadly I had missed this when looking around the venue.
At this point the open area was getting quite busy, so I decided to stand back behind the final row of seats on the right hand-side of the stage (when facing it). Queues were still forming for merchandise, and with just a minute left to go a member of staff told me to stand behind the barrier and for merchandise queues to take their seats. Unbeknownst to me (and many others around me) staff had placed barriers a short distance behind the last row of seats, and it turned out these barriers were the starting point for the standing section. In other words, not only did I lose out on the view I had been standing at for over 20 minutes, but the venue wasn’t technically ready before they opened the doors to attendees. Fortunately my new standing position, which was on the second row in the standing section, wasn’t obstructed and I was able to enjoy the show.
The Show [Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live]:
And so, the show begins, and what a show it was. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live loosely recreates the events of the Dark Kingdom Arc of the Sailor Moon story as a stage musical, with the performance itself lasting 95 minutes and performed in Japanese with English subtitles. The performance is also split into three segments, with 80 minutes for the story, 10 minutes for the concert, and 5 minutes for photo and video opportunities. Additionally, unlike traditional musical performances, there are no intervals.
During the story and concert segments no photos (or videos) are allowed to be taken, although this rule didn’t seem to be enforced, and glow sticks (which were sold at the venue) could only be used from the concert segment onward. You needed worry about these rules though, as the screen above the stage will notify attendees on when glow sticks and cameras can be used.
So, with house rules out of the way how is the story conveyed? The story is a mixture of musical set pieces, and standard dialogue moments, which all help to move the story along at a brisk pace. Interestingly musical set pieces will feature lyrical styled subtitles that bounce around the screen (and can sometimes be difficult to read due to the vibrant colours and font styles) while dialogue subtitles are presented in traditional white text. The screen where these subtitles are displayed will also change depending on the scenario, thus setting the scene and offering a more immersive experience.
Personally I only read the subtitles for dialogue moments, as I wanted to watch the actors perform on stage instead of reading the lyrics to the song they way singing. I’m glad I decided to do this, as it meant that I could fully enjoy the performances being given from the actors and they really did shine through. Each actor fully embodies the character they are meant to be portraying, and combined with the detailed outfits (and accessories) it felt like they had jumped straight out of the anime and onto the stage. Most notably for me were how Yui Yokoyama (as Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino), Yuu Nakanishi (as Sailor Venus/Minako Aino), and Yui Oikawa (as Sailor Mercury/Ami Mizuno) brought these characters to life on stage and how they interacted with the audience later on, but all of the actors did an exceptional job.
I thoroughly enjoyed the cast and the performance they were giving, but the story they were portraying felt somewhat lacking and rushed. This isn’t surprising, and is to be expected, considering the story only lasts 80 minutes, but it felt like the pacing could have been a little better and more flushed out during the middle of the story. To me it felt like there was too much focus on the ending portions of the story, and not enough focus on the build-up to its ending.
The performance begins with the stage bursting into life with Sailor V and bank robbers running around the stage, with the scene swiftly changing to focus on Usagi’s mother reading about the robbery in the paper. It’s here where viewers are introduced to Usagi Tsukino and she provides us of a recap of how she became Sailor Moon. The story then moves into the Jewelry shop in which Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask first meet and work together to overcome humans being possessed by Queen Beryl in search of the Silver Crystal. Afterwards we learn more about Tuxedo Mask, Queen Beryl, Sailor Moon and in turn and how Sailor Moon met the rest of the Sailor Guardians, all through a mixture of musical set pieces and dialogue.
From here the story suddenly shifts focus to the developing relationship between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, as well as the Sailor Guardians (and Tuxedo Mask) restoring their lost memories. Naturally, this developing story brings us closer to the climatic scenes that see the Sailor Guardians do battle with Tuxedo Mask and Queen Beryl, before moving on the the final battle with Queen Metalia.
With Queen Metalia defeated the story portion comes to an end, and then the performances moves on to the concert segment which sees the cast in different outfits (Sailor Suits, Casual, and Kimono) performing different songs. The concert section is interesting, and entertaining, in it’s own right, as it allows some of the cast (including the dancers) to shine even brighter on stage. For instance Mayu Tsuyuzume (Queen Beryl) does an absolutely amazing solo piece that is vastly different to anything else on offer. After this, the performance moves on to its finale, which now allows photos and videos to be taken, that sees the entire cast perform to moonlight densetsu as well as interact with the crowd.
Final Thoughts:
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live is an exceptional musical experience that combines the elements of musical theatre with the themes of an idol concert to deliver a dazzling performance that caters towards Sailor Moon fans, but is still worth experiencing even if you a newcomer to the franchise. So long as you’ve seen/read the Dark Kingdom Arc of Sailor Moon, you’ll have yourself a magical time.
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Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live will be performed at Outernet and KOKO in London on selected dates between February 2025 and March 2025. Further details and ticket availability can be found on the official website.
