Missed out on the official Moon Panel at Otakon 2016? Check out the amazing Q&A with the voices of Sailor Moon(Stephanie Sheh), Tuxedo Mask (Robbie Daymond), and Sailor Neptune (Lauren Landa) right here!
*Please note that this is taken verbatim, moderate edits have been made.
Let the Q&A begin!
Charlene: Could you tell our friends in the audience a little bit about the characters you play in Sailor Moon?
Lauren: Uh well, Sailor Neptune, Michiru is part of the outer guardians and to me she is the perfect woman. She is beautiful, she’s intelligent, incredibly graceful, she’s an artist, she’s also a violinist and she has a gentle heart, I think. She wants to do right by the world and she’s on a mission, a difficult one, and hopefully for those of you who haven’t seen Sailor Moon yet; you’ll go down the right path as opposed to the wrong.
Robbie: I play a totally useless pretty boy (laughter)… I really enjoy playing Tuxedo Mask. It’s really fun because he gets to be this silly, playful sort of teenage guy who flirts with girls by teasing them and then he gets to be this over the top, bombastic, theatrical guy who comes in and spouts out poetry…. Throws a rose and is like alright, you guys take care of everything and then he gets kidnapped every twenty episodes. This is my very first anime series role ever and this is the first time I ever auditioned. The first movie I ever did was with Stephanie about two weeks before I got cast for Sailor Moon. Since then I’ve gotten to play lots of other characters but I’m still working on him, he’s still my fav, close to my heart. Tuxedo Mask is awesome, man.
Stephanie: I voice Usagi Tsukino AKA Sailor Moon and she is not the perfect woman. She is the perfect woman for someone… she has a healthy appetite. She likes to eat food. She does not like to study. I even think she’s not very good at it when she tries to study. She’s very clutzy bhe has a good heart and she doesn’t take no for an answer… so if they’re like no that’s not how it works everyone’s gonna die she’s gonna be like: I’m still gonna try, really hard…
Charlene: What do you like about the characters your other friends who are on stage play?
Lauren: Well, what I love about Usagi is… well you look at her on the surface you see she’s this klutzy crybaby girl but I love how wonderful a person she is and how she has a beautiful heart and she really is the perfect person to save the universe and protect it. She always comes through in the end even though you don’t expect it. She always ends up being awesome. I also love Princess Serenity and Neo Queen Serenity. I love how she’s a more sophisticated version of Usagi.
Stephanie: I’m quite a fan of Mamoru in Crystal. I’m actually digging his character development in Crystal and it’s really funny how you were saying before, random poetry! Okay girls you got this. In some cases he’s also a good boyfriend.
Robbie: I love that Sailor Neptune is a lead fictional character in Sailor Moon… I’m literally Wikipedia-ing this. Our characters don’t interact that much so I don’t get a lot of time to interact in the show. What we did get a chance to do at AX was see this episode that was basically the backstory/love story between you and Sailor Uranus. I wasn’t expecting to watch it and I sat there for 22 minutes and 100% honest, I was riveted. What a great love story, what a progressive story coming out during the 90s… It’s almost like you don’t need the backstory episode because of the way they behave in the series but seeing it really made me like your character a lot.
Usagi is just kind of an ideal girl for me. I like ‘em strong willed, kind of spazzy, smart but kind of ditzy, sexy but kind of nerdy, that’s my kind of girl. Yea, Usagi’s it. She’s my prototype for sure.
Stephanie: What I like most about Neptune is her coolness. She’s very calm and collected and she’s also very strong.I think the inner guardians spend a lot of time freaking out and the outer guardians don’t freak out. They have it handled. I admire that they’re so cool and calm and collected.
And who doesn’t love a man of mystery? You are a man of mystery down the mask, the cape. We don’t know where you come from. You show up…. We don’t know if he has a license.. If he’s of age to have a license to drive a vehicle of that size. I don’t know how your garden blooms all year round…
Lauren: I can’t wait for you to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Charlene: For Stephanie and Robbie… so you guys recorded Sailor Moon Crystal after you had started working on Sailor Moon the 90s series. So what was it like for you guys to record Sailor Moon Crystal especially after you established your characters for Usagi and Mamaru?
Stephanie: It was a little challenging, for sure, because I think because it’s the same but different. The art style is a little different. So the voice I established didn’t seem like it would always come out of that face. So we toned it down a little bit. She’s still a spazz, we didn’t make her as much of a spazz and pulled back on the energy and tweaked it a little. And actually when we were recording we were bouncing back and forth sometimes in the same session… and I’d have to be like wait a minute, let me do that again.
Robbie: Yeah, all the things Stephanie said. And the nice thing is we have a really good director Susie, she does a great job at least for me. Stephanie has more of a through-line because she’s the top character so I kind of feel like she might know what’s going on more. Sometimes I drop into an episode and I’m like what’s going on? Who’s getting transformed? Who’s in a crystal? What’s happening? Yeah, the character stuff is dead on. The newer series is a little more pulled back, a little more grounded. The characters are who they are but the style is different. When you drop the same characters into a different style you have to change the performance or it just doesn’t work. So if we go with the Tuxedo Mask silliness, it’s not quite as silly in Crystal. There’s a lot less poetry stuff. It’s still there but it’s toned back a little bit. Still an enjoyable character, just different.
Charlene: For Stephanie and Robbie again, what were some of your favorite scenes recorded so far in Crystal? Because your characters are obviously a little bit different from the classic series..
Stephanie: I’m trying to remember, hopefully my brain is correct because sometimes it will overlap things… I like when I meet Luna because it’s slightly different. When we were recording, I liked when we discovered our underground headquarters. I was like WOW THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE WHY THEY’RE ALWAYS IN THAT SAME ARCADE.
Robbie: I really liked my backstory, I think episode 3 or 4… that whole thing where he sits up sweat in bed with no shirt on moment. WHo is this kid who seems to have a lot of money lives by himself in an apartment and is still in high school/prep school. Where does he get all of his dry-cleaning money for his tuxedo? Who is this guy? I actually got a backstory in Crystal which is nice and it’s kind of a Batman-eque backstory. He has that episode in the original series but it’s short, kind of glossed over and like 50 or 60 episodes in. This happened right out of the gate in Crystal and I was like oh good.. We’re working on making it more grounded, more character-centric. I know who this guy is, he’s been on his own for a while, his parents are dead, all of that. A little bit of a sad backstory which might explain why he’s such a jerk to Usagi sometimes. That was one of my favorite scenes to do.
Charlene: You get an attack in Crystal!
Robbie: I do.. It’s super lame and I love it.
Charlene: Now we have a question for Lauren, because you have not recorded Crystal yet, you are our newest cast member. How does it feel to be a part of the cast of Sailor Moon? We announced you about a year ago and you just finished up Sailor Moon S… What’s it like being a part of Sailor Moon?
Lauren: Well, it’s actually an interesting question because I was a big fan of Sailor Moon since I was younger. I fell in love with the show. It’s actually the first anime show I watched and Sailor Neptune became my favorite character when the outer guardians were first introduced… and now that I’m actually playing her it’s really a dream role for me… not to mention that I love everyone in the cast. Everyone is amazing and talented and it’s great to be part of a cast where you’re friends with the people that are involved with it and you get to go to conventions with them and do panels. And as I said it’s a dream role for me and it hasn’t quite hit me yet.
Charlene: Stephanie, you gave a similar answer too about a year in…
Stephanie: Well like, now it’s finally hit me… but the first year I remember I was walking my dog and I was like doodoooo I am the voice of Sailor Moon… and I looked at my dog and he looked at me and I thought Ippudo doesn’t give a crap. This is very strange… I’m not very used too, I’m not comfortable playing lead roles, I play quirky supporting characters. Then it occurred to me, what if I’m in an alternate universe and I wasn’t supposed to be cast as Usagi but a different guardian and I’m in the wrong dimension…
Charlene: Neptune is a very important, deep character. You love the show so much. What has been some of your favorite scenes to work on so far?
Lauren: Well, for those of you who have seen the whole thing of Sailor Moon I’m sure you can think of a few scenes that I was looking forward to recording. Their background episode was one I was very much looking forward too and when we did get to see it at Anime Expo, I cried. It was beautifully done and I was so happy with how it came out. That episode happens to be a beautiful episode. And any scene where she and Uranus are just being badasses almost. They’re always kinda cool but I just love any scene between her and Haruka because they have this wonderful bond and they’re just so cool. When I was younger I was like, ‘I wanna be them when I grow up.’ They’re so cool and collected. There are so many emotional scenes that I was really looking forward to one in particular which I won’t say because I don’t want to spoil it but one in particular I was very much looking forward too simply because of the relationship between the two of them. I just happen to love them.
Charlene: Maybe… maybe, if you guys are good, you’ll get to hear a little bit of what she’s talking about if you’re good. You guys have been on pretty good behavior so far. Now I’m going to turn the tables a bit on you Lauren real quick. Who is your favorite character in Sailor Moon that’s not Neptune.
Lauren: You know I hate this question Char. No pressure or anything. Tuxedo Moon. Let’s go with that. That can be a character, right?
Robbie: I gaurantee that’s out on Deviantart somewhere. It’s probably disturbing.
Lauren: I know when I was younger it was Jupiter. I’m probably going to have to go with Jupiter. I love you… I love very much.
Stephanie: Are you kidding? Jupiter is awesome.
Charlene: Now I one more for everybody. So what are you looking forward to recording in Sailor Moon coming up – like in future stuff that you know about. Robbie you alluded to a certain Santa suit.
Robbie: You already stole my answer. It’s already been mentioned. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Ahh man, I don’t know man. Do I get to be Endymion or the king again? If I get to then that’s the answer because I don’t know the story arc that well.
Stephanie: I want to see the Stars. That’s the one I am really waiting for.
Robbie: Are they the dudes that transform into dude ladies?
Stephanie: Yes.. I’m very excited about that.
Robbie: ME too! Sounds awesome! And weird. Can I be one of them? Is it too late?
Lauren: I am looking forward to.. Kind of what Stephie was saying, I am looking forward to Seiya and Michiru flirting and Haruka getting very jealous.
Audience questions:
Who is your favorite villain?
Stephanie: I like Beryl. She’s strong.
Lauren: I like the Four Generals but I also like the Black Moon. And also from the original, they’re not technically villains but the Doom Tree…
Robbie: I like the monster that looks like a big tennis shoe. Tennis shoe monster. No, I like Wiseman because he’s a scary villain. It’s a giant nemesis planet that wants to kill us all but it’s really just some terrible old man.. That’s a scary scary villain. I like my villains to be legit like Tennis Shoe Lady.
Stephanie: I also like the Professor. He’s funny. That laugh.
Charlene: That was a really good question. As for me, Nehellenia.
How do you prepare for voice acting when you’re sick?
Robbie: I can answer this one. I cancelled sessions for the first time in seven years I was so sick. So I’ve definitely come in sick and it’s tough. If your nose is stuffed up you’re pretty much done for. There is nothing you can hide about having your nose stuffed up because it takes up all of your resonance space. If your throat is stuffed there’s stuff you can do. There’s this stuff called Nim Jiom Pei Pa Koa and it’s a ginseng honey sugar mixture that’s for your throat that you add to a tea and it’s really good for you. But it’s just good ol’ fashion what your mom said – lots of rest and lots of fluids. Some voice actors who get it really bad who have huge parts, they’ll get steroid injections.
Stephanie: But that only fixes your throat problems…
Robbie: Right, if you’re sick you’ve just gotta go in sick.
Stephanie: It’s a funny thing, usually when you feel the crappiest you typically sound ok. It’s only when, you know when you get sick and it’s the tail end of the cold where you have congestion but you feel fine and that can last like two weeks or even three months… That’s when you don’t sound the same and that’s more of a problem. The main thing is don’t get sick. Whenever I travel, I’m always taking a bunch of vitamins and herbal supplements because I’m meeting people. If you’re sick, it’s nice if you don’t go in for the hug, just respectful.. Because it’s very easy to go back sick and it SUCKS. Usually what I’ll tell people, I’ll call in and I’ll tell them that I’m sick but I’m still coming and they get the head’s up and they decide if they’re going to let me go for that day or not. For congestion I’ll take a decongestant but it can only do so much and I’ll do steam and a hot bath. The problem with that is the congestion is your body making mucus to fight germs. So if you get it out of your system and you’re clear, it only lasts a few minutes before it builds up again. Anyone who does a neti-pot make sure you boil the water first or use bottled water because there are microorganisms in tap-water. Straight up, a woman died because there was an amoeba… it was in the tap water and because your nose is all connected, it traveled up and started eating her brain.
Robbie: BECAUSE IT’S A BRAIN EATING AMOEBA. I change my mind, my new favorite villain is Brain Eating Amoeba.
If you could be any character in Sailor Moon in real life, who would you be and why?
Stephanie: I would be Usagi. She eats everything and she’s still really skinny. I would love that superpower. And then also mostly because of her transformation power. Getting to transform so you look like anything you want to look like is awesome.
Lauren: It’s a simple answer. I would really want to be Neptune. She’s so cool and I would love to play the violin. I don’t have any musical talent in that regard in anyway. I tried to play piano once. It didn’t work. I love the violin and I love that she’s this beautiful artist. She’s a painter, a sculptor. She does it all. I wanna be her when I grow up.
Robbie: I wanna be Motoki because he just kind of hangs out at the arcade and doesn’t have to worry about being killed by a monster. Done.
Don’t forget to keep reading The Outerhaven as we’ll be reviewing the Sailor Moon Crystal dvd set very soon!
