For many, Sailor Moon was their gateway to anime. Toei’s animated adaptation of the manga was first serialized on television between 1992 and 1997 and was a smash hit around the world, helping popularize Japanese animation in the West.
Since then the franchise has proven its staying power, with new TV shows, movies, stage productions, manga, and a practically infinite array of merchandise available for fans. After all that, you might think there’s nowhere left for Sailor Moon to go, but the Taipei Metro is here to prove you wrong.
Now those traveling through Taiwan’s capital can ditch their boring old IC cards and pick up something with a bit more razzle-dazzle. This is a replica of Usagi’s Moon Stick, Sailor Moon’s wand that allows her to focus her healing magic, and now also lets commuters get to work on time by tapping in on the subway.
The Moon Stick will set you back 1,799 Taiwan dollars ($65), though, in my opinion, it’s well worth the cost. After all, what better way to brighten up a dull and rainy commute to work than whipping it out, striking a pose, and dramatically tapping it on the reader? I guess at that point, cosplay is optional. Plus, in a cool touch, the stick’s crystal lights up whenever you use it.
It looks like a solid piece of merch and if you’re heading to a convention as the character it may be worth picking up even if you’re nowhere near Taipei simply because it looks so good. Here’s hoping that it ushers in a brand-new line of anime-inspired subway access merchandise – I’d love to use a NERV ID or maybe a wrist-mounted Naruto ‘headband’ to tap in.
The original series of Sailor Moon is available to stream in full on Hulu.