Sailor Moon fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the first Sailor Moon: Eternal movie, which was set to launch in September 2020. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the launch of the films has been pushed back.

Sailor Moon: Eternal are a pair of movies following-up the Sailor Moon Crystal anime reboot, which covered the first three arcs of the manga. Sailor Moon: Eternal will tell the story of the fourth arc, Dream. The arc was previously converted into Sailor Moon SuperS in the '90s, but the original anime deviated significantly from the manga, whereas Eternal intends to be more faithful to the original plot.

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In a recent announcement, Toei Animation revealed that Sailor Moon: Eternal would be pushed back to 2021, with the first film arriving in theaters on January 8 and the second on February 11. The release date for the second movie hadn't been previously revealed, so it's unclear if it was originally slated to launch in February.

While fans are no doubt disappointed, the delay is understandable. Many areas are starting to see a surge in coronavirus cases again, so September could potentially be a very dangerous time to try and screen a film, if theaters in Japan are even open then. At the moment, theaters are detailing their plans to reopen, with AMC theaters requiring audiences to wear masks.

In the meantime, Sailor Moon fans can at least get their nostalgia fix by revisiting the original anime and manga series. Crunchyroll is streaming the first three seasons of Sailor Moon on YouTube for free, and Kodansha Comics is in the process of releasing the Sailor Moon Eternal Edition manga compilations, so would-be movie watchers can at least binge on the anime and manga that started it all.

The Sailor Moon: Eternal movies will launch in 2021, starting on January 8.

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Source: Crunchyroll