CUT TO:
A mock-documentary. We open with a piece of ANIME FOOTAGE depicting SAILOR V in heroic pose, posied to give her trademark "you're so fucked now" speech. A musical theme at once heroic and dated swells in the background.
ANIME SAILOR V
For Love and Beauty! . . . The Pretty Soldier in a Sailor Suit! . . . Sailor V! . . . Will Give You Divine Punishment!
We then cut to a montage of STOCK FOOTAGE from the (fictional) SAILOR V ANIME, The theme music to anime, which sounds like that of the real life "Sailor Stars" anime, plays in the background. Said stock footage includes shots of SAILOR V fighting crime, along with her famous tranformation, modelled off of this:
Above all of this, we hear the overly cute voice of an enthusiastic female ANNOUNCER.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
With that fierce cry, heard all 'round Japan, Sailor V entered the homes, and hearts, of an entire generation of young girls!
We then cut to STOCK FOOTAGE of Sailor V merchandise, Sailor V Cosplayers (children and adults), live "Sailor V" stage shows, Sailor V video games, Sailor V displays at anime conventions, etc.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
Sailor V, soldier of love and beauty, has become a phenomenon, with a hit anime. . . a line of toys. . . CD's. . . games. . . stage musicals. . .
We cut to a montage of footage from a live action Sailor V series. You've read this blog. You knew it was coming.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
. . . and even a heroic leap into the third dimension!
We see LIVE ACTION SAILOR V give her version of the "you're fucked" speech.
LIVE ACTION SAILOR V
Soldier of love and beauty, Sailor V! In the name of divine justice, I will punish you!
We cut to more stock footage of the anime.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
But Sailor V's accomplishments are not confined to our borders! Sailor V has become a hit worldwide, helping to spread Japanese animation all over the globe!
We see SAILOR V utter her various catch phrases, all dubbed into Korean, Italian, German, and English. Captions announce the language into which each piece of footage was dubbed. Once the dubbing montage is over, the screen cuts to black.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
But how did it all begin?
CUT TO:
INT, Marie Baishaku's Home Studio circa 1993.
We cut to video footage of MARIE BAISHAKU in her home studio as she draws a picture of Sailor V. Initially, a LARGE CAPTION is displayed, which vanishes after a few seconds.
CAPTION
The author Marie-sensei talks about the great hit anime "Codename wa Sailor V."
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
Sailor V got her start in manga back in 1992, as explained by her creator, Marie Baishaku, in this interview from 1993.
We cut to an image of MARIE sitting in front of the camera. The questions she is asked are written in large CAPTIONS on the side of the screen. Throughout the interview, MARIE is extremely shy, and fiddles with a toy tranformation pen throughout the interview. NOTE: I am basing this interview off of an interview given by Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi, shown here.
Incidentally, this is what MARIE looks like:
That's a picture of Misuishi Kotono, the voice actress for Sailor Moon in the anime. And the references just keep on coming!
CAPTION
How did Sailor V start?
MARIE
In the beginning, I drew Sailor V for RunSpotRun, an extra magazine of Kodayoshi. As the idea developed, I started drawing it and sending it to Kodayoshi.
We cut to later in the interview.
CAPTION
Your thoughts on it becoming an anime?
MARIE
I never thought it would become that deep! The charcter I scratched out gained her own voice and movements. She looked alive! I got really excited!
MARIE keeps speaking, muted.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
Excited? That's a strange thing to say! You mean to say you've never seen the ACTUAL Sailor V, alive, in person?
Cut to later in the interview.
CAPTION
Why did you choose high school uniforms?
MARIE
Well, one of my friends, who's also a manga-ka, told me that she thought it would be neat to dress up a soldier of justice in a high school uniform, but couldn't think of a charcter to go with it.
The inverview pauses abruptly, with a cartoonish record-scratching-to-stop sound effect.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
Honto desu ka!
(Oh really?)
The interview resumes.
MARIE
So, with my friends blessing, I decided to do it instead!
MARIE mutes again.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
Hmm. . . You seem a little nervous, Marie-sama. Are you just shy . . . or are you hiding something?
We cut to a montage of newspaper reports on "Sailor V," many of which we saw hung up on the wall at the Cat Mansion earlier in the film.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
After all, in the months prior to "Codename wa Sailor V's" release, a bizarre crime wave struck Tokyo. These crimes, even more mysteriously, were always put to an end by a mysterious hero dressed in a sailor suit whom the press named the "Sailor Vigilante," and later, simply "Sailor V."
We cut to a news interview of a much younger WAKAGI, in police uniform.
WAKAGI
I would like to assure you that police are investigating this with all the resources available to us. I also want to state, unequivocally, that this charcter Sailor V is nothing more than a regreattable rumor created by an overimaginative press.
The interview pauses.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
Gosh! Looks like the police are hiding something too!
Cut back to the interview with MARIE, paused.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
Marie-sensei, how do you respond?
The interview resumes.
MARIE
I took this idea of a sailor suited hero to my editor, and it was he who suggested calling her "Sailor V," based on this rumor of a costumed hero that circled the press a few months prior.
We cut to another interview of WAKAGI. He's heading an official press release.
WAKAGI
We have called this meeting of the press to announce that an official investigation into the activities of Kodayoshi incorporated, along with certain newspapers and other press outlets, regarding the recent circulation of rumors concerning the character of Sailor V, is now underway. We have reason to believe that members of Kodayoshi Inc., along with other parties, perpetrated various counts of fraud in an attempt to generate publicity for their upcoming manga "Codename wa Sailor V."
We cut back to MARIE.
MARIE
I wasn't sure whether or not this was a good idea, but he assured me that it would be fine. Of course, the police weren't happy with us, but in the end, they only helped to promote the manga even further.
The interview pauses again.
ANNOUNCER(V.O.)
Well, it seems we can't get a straight answer out of anyone!
CUT TO:
EXT, Marie Baishaku's House, near present, DAY
We pan down onto a large, beautiful house.
ANNOUNCER(V.O)
It looks like we'll have to go straight to the source!
CUT TO:
INT, Marie Baishaku's House
The camera travels foreward down a hallway inside the house. Occasionally, while still moving foreward, the camera will pan left or right, revealing family photos, Sailor V posters, sketches and toys, etc.
ANNOUNCER(V.O)
Marie-sensei is notoriously reclusive, so unfortunately, we weren't able to book an interview--
The camera turns around a corner into a living room. We see MARIE, twenty years older than she was in the interview, gazing worriedly at the camera. Incidentally, it's at this point that the viewer may begin to realize that the ANNOUNCER sounds an awful lot like MIMET.
ANNOUNCER/MIMET(V.O.)
Ah! Marie-sama!
MARIE
What are you doing here?
MIMET(V.O.)
We just had few questions about--
MARIE
Get out!
MIMET(V.O.)
Just a few little questions--
MARIE
Police are already on their--
A hand appears, holding a clump of broken electronics, once part of a security system.
MIMET(V.O.)
'Fraid not.
The hand drops the electronics onto the floor. MARIE runs toward a phone, but the camera, at a speed impossible for a human to match, rushes up toward MARIE. The hand that once held the electronics quickly clasps MARIE'S throat.
MIMET(V.O.)
It's okay! No need to get upset! We'll replace your security system once we're done.
MARIE
(barely audible)
Please. . . !
MIMET lifts MARIE up off the ground. The camera pans upward, holding on MARIE'S face.
MIMET(V.O.)
Actually. . . you've already answered my first question. After all, if YOU were Sailor V you would have acted immediately. So that just leaves one other--
MARIE, in tears, mumbles inaudibly.
MIMET
What's that?
MIMET draws MARIE closer to the camera, still holding her in the air.
MARIE
(barely audible)
I. . . don't. . .
MIMET
Aw. . . that's too bad!
MIMET throws MARIE against a wall, knocking over a shelf containing small, "super-deformed" toy versions of "Sailor V" characters.
MIMET
Guess we'll have to do it the hard way!
MIMET then pulls out the same gun she used at Osa-P and fires an electric arc at MARIE. As the gun flashes, we CUT TO:
Part #2: There's One Place Where I Could Have Really Easily Made A "Cat Got Your Tongue?" Joke, but I Didn't, and I'm Proud of That.
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