Sailor Moon Manga Buying Guide: Eternal Edition, Naoko Takeuchi Collection or the 2011 Volumes
Kodansha's three English editions of Sailor Moon compared: the twelve 2011 volumes, the ten-volume Eternal Edition and the cheaper Naoko Takeuchi Collection with its two box sets, plus Codename: Sailor V, with checked ISBNs and list prices.
Kodansha Comics publishes Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon in English in three main-story editions: the original twelve-volume Kodansha release from 2011–2013, the ten-volume Eternal Edition (2018–2020), and the ten-volume Naoko Takeuchi Collection (2022–2024), which is also sold in two box sets. The prequel, Codename: Sailor V, exists in a matching version of each. The real choice is between the earlier translation in twelve smaller books and the revised translation, which comes in either a large premium format or a cheaper portable one.
The 2011 Kodansha edition: twelve volumes
When Kodansha announced the series’ return in 2011, its press release said the books would “follow the 2003 Japanese re-release format of the classic series. The original 18 volumes have been condensed into 12 volumes covering the main storyline, and two volumes dedicated to short stories,” with “detailed translation notes.” It also said the series had been out of print in the US for six years at that point. The series page promises “An entirely new, incredibly accurate translation” and “The original Japanese character names.” Kodansha lists every volume at $10.99:
| Book | ISBN-13 | Released | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | 9781935429746 | 2011-09-13 | 248 |
| Vol. 2 | 9781935429753 | 2011-11-15 | 244 |
| Vol. 3 | 9781935429760 | 2012-01-17 | 240 |
| Vol. 4 | 9781612620008 | 2012-03-13 | 240 |
| Vol. 5 | 9781612620015 | 2012-05-08 | 256 |
| Vol. 6 | 9781612620022 | 2012-07-10 | 240 |
| Vol. 7 | 9781612620039 | 2012-09-11 | 240 |
| Vol. 8 | 9781612620046 | 2012-10-30 | 232 |
| Vol. 9 | 9781612620053 | 2013-01-29 | 264 |
| Vol. 10 | 9781612620060 | 2013-03-26 | 248 |
| Vol. 11 | 9781612620077 | 2013-05-21 | 248 |
| Vol. 12 | 9781612620084 | 2013-07-16 | 280 |
The two Short Stories books mentioned in the announcement accompany this edition; our Short Stories entry records their ISBNs, without a confirmed release date or price.
The Eternal Edition: ten large volumes
Kodansha’s Eternal Edition page calls it the “definitive edition” and lists “all-new cover illustrations by creator Naoko Takeuchi, a glittering holographic coating, an extra-large size, premium paper, French flaps, and a newly-revised translation,” in “extra-long editions (about 300 pages each).” Each volume’s print edition is listed at $27.99, and the volume pages give these details:
| Book | ISBN-13 | Released | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eternal 1 | 9781632361523 | 2018-09-11 | 304 |
| Eternal 2 | 9781632361530 | 2018-11-13 | 345 |
| Eternal 3 | 9781632361547 | 2019-03-19 | 348 |
| Eternal 4 | 9781632361554 | 2019-05-14 | 321 |
| Eternal 5 | 9781632361561 | 2019-06-25 | 402 |
| Eternal 6 | 9781632365934 | 2019-11-12 | 300 |
| Eternal 7 | 9781632365941 | 2020-01-21 | 352 |
| Eternal 8 | 9781632365958 | 2020-03-23 | 352 |
| Eternal 9 | 9781632365965 | 2020-09-08 | 286 |
| Eternal 10 | 9781632365972 | 2020-10-20 | 304 |
The Naoko Takeuchi Collection: the Eternal text, smaller and cheaper
The Naoko Takeuchi Collection page describes “the updated translation and high page count of the Sailor Moon Eternal Edition in a more affordable, portable edition.” Its ten Sailor Moon volumes are listed at $12.99 each:
| Book | ISBN-13 | Released | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection 1 | 9781646512010 | 2022-05-03 | 304 |
| Collection 2 | 9781646512140 | 2022-06-07 | 352 |
| Collection 3 | 9781646512461 | 2022-08-02 | 352 |
| Collection 4 | 9781646512560 | 2023-09-19 | 320 |
| Collection 5 | 9781646512577 | 2023-11-28 | 400 |
| Collection 6 | 9781646513697 | 2024-01-30 | 416 |
| Collection 7 | 9781646513703 | 2024-03-19 | 352 |
| Collection 8 | 9781646513710 | 2024-05-21 | 352 |
| Collection 9 | 9781646513727 | 2024-07-23 | 288 |
| Collection 10 | 9781646513734 | 2024-09-17 | 304 |
Two box sets collect this edition, each listed at $77.94. Box Set 1 (ISBN 9798888773390, November 12, 2024) holds “Paperback editions of Sailor Moon manga Volumes 1-6” and 16 art cards. Box Set 2 (ISBN 9798888773406, November 11, 2025) holds volumes 7–10, “Paperback editions of the complete Codename Sailor V manga series (Vol. 1 and 2)” and another 16 art cards. Both boxes together make the complete Collection plus the prequel.
Codename: Sailor V
The prequel follows Minako Aino “A year before meeting Sailor Moon,” in Kodansha’s words, and runs two volumes in each edition, numbered separately from Sailor Moon:
- Kodansha 2011 edition: two volumes at $10.99, released September 13 and November 15, 2011.
- Eternal Edition: two volumes at $27.99, released September 28 and November 9, 2021, which Kodansha says include “for the first time, all the color pages from the original magazine run in the 1990s.”
- Naoko Takeuchi Collection: two volumes at $12.99, the first released June 17, 2025; both are also in Box Set 2.
Which edition to buy
- Cheapest complete run of the revised translation: the Naoko Takeuchi Collection, 1–10, or the two boxes if you also want Sailor V.
- The premium shelf: the Eternal Edition, 1–10, at more than twice the Collection’s list price per book.
- Finishing an older shelf: the 2011 edition’s twelve volumes. Its translation is the earlier one, and the Eternal Edition’s is described by Kodansha as newly revised, so switching mid-run means a change of wording.
- Sailor V: read it whenever you like; it is a prequel about Minako, separate from the main numbering. Kodansha does not say where in Sailor Moon it is best read.
The editions do not share volume numbers: twelve books against ten, and Kodansha’s listings do not say where each one begins and ends, so a reader switching editions partway through should go by chapter, not by spine number. The edition-switching guide explains how. All of the above is in the Sailor Moon manga catalog, with the Eternal Edition and Naoko Takeuchi Collection listed separately. For the anime, see the Sailor Moon watch order.