Editing Sailor Starlights (section)

===Censorship===
The ''Sailor Stars'' season of the first anime adaptation was not dubbed into English by [[DIC Entertainment]] and [[Cloverway Inc.]] Rodriguez-Garcia from the ''[[The Michigan Daily]]'' explained that licensing issues were the main reason behind this event.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rodriguez-Garcia|first=K|url=https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/the-dangers-of-censorship-and-sailor-moon/|title=‘Sailor Moon’ and the dangers of censorship|publisher=[[The Michigan Daily]]|date=January 25, 2022|access-date=May 13, 2025}}</ref> However, other authors cite more reasons, the Starlights and their transformations being amongst them. Jamilya Ramos-Chapman from ''Syndicated Magazine'' stated that, in previous seasons, efforts were made to censor the sexuality of Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and [[Dead Moon Circus#Fish Eye|Fish Eye]], to make these characters fit into heteronormative narratives. Yet, this was not possible with the storyline of ''Sailor Stars'', so DiC and Cloverway decided not to air the season, because of "the introduction of the Sailor Starlights, three male pop idols who could magically transform into otherworldly female warriors."<ref name="Dubbed Subbed">{{cite web|last=Ramos-Chapman|first=Jamilya|url=https://syndicatedmagazine.com/2017/11/14/dubbed-subbed-lifting-american-veil-japanese-anime/|title=Dubbed to Subbed: Lifting the American Veil From Japanese Anime|publisher=Syndicated Magazine|date=November 14, 2017|access-date=April 30, 2025}}</ref> Caroline Madden from ''[[/Film]]'' explained that, while DiC and Cloverway were able to censor the true identities of characters such as [[Dark Kingdom#Zoisite|Zoisite]] and Fish Eye by "casting cis women to voice these long-haired characters" and thus "let them pass as [[cisgender]] and heterosexual", it would have been impossible to avoid with the Starlights' non-conforming identity.<ref name="Cartoon Network">{{cite web|last=Madden|first=Caroline|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1607361/cartoon-network-sailor-moon-censorship/|title=Why Cartoon Network's Sailor Moon Censorship Totally Failed (For The Better)|publisher=[[/Film]]|date=June 29, 2024|access-date=April 30, 2025}}</ref> According to an article in ''[[Bookmans]]'', there was "no way to edit out the strong transgender/transexual themes that involve the three new characters, the Sailor Star Lights". The article also mentioned the complications derived from the relationship between Seiya and Usagi, and how "even after she discovers the truth later on, she is not phased by the fact that “Fighter” is female."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bookmans.com/too-many-girlfriends-sailor-moons-censored-life-us-2/|title=Too Many Girlfriends: Sailor Moon's Censored Life in the U.S.|publisher=[[Bookmans]]|date=May 11, 2006|access-date=May 13, 2025}}</ref> Vargas and Younkin from ''CBR'' stated that one of the reasons behind the decision not to air the final season was because "it would have been almost impossible to censor the Sailor Starlights in the way that they had with previous queer characters in the series."<ref name="Biggest Changes">{{cite web|last1=Vargas|first1=Vera|last2=Younkin|first2=Lauren|url=https://www.cbr.com/sailor-moon-biggest-changes-english-dub/|title=Biggest Changes in the Original Sailor Moon English Dub|publisher=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]]|date=March 3, 2025|access-date=April 30, 2025}}</ref> 

In the Italian dub, instead of changing sex, the team has six members, as the Three Lights summon their twin sisters instead of transforming, as the original depiction was very controversial in Italy.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pellitteri|first1=Marco|last2=Yui|first2=Kiyomitsu|last3=Bouissou|first3=Jean-Marie|last4=Di Fratta|first4=Gianluca|last5=Martorella|first5=Cristiano|last6=Suvilay|first6=Bounthavy|title=The Dragon and the Dazzle: Models, Strategies, and Identities of Japanese Imagination: a European Perspective|date=2010|publisher=Tunué|location=Latina, Italy|isbn=9788889613894|page=424}}</ref> Jones considered this decision "completely ridiculous and only draws attention to the inherent queerness hiding in the series."<ref name="Complicated History" />