• Original Picture Collection cover.
• 519 X 721 mm.
• Media: Color ink, color spray, poster color.
• Paper: Rough BB Kent.

I drew this picture with my favorite colors and the easiest methods. It's very like me, and I like it very much. I'm very happy I was able to draw it packing in just the things I like. The main lines are a nouvelle cool gray, with a slightly blue ink. Since I was in high school, I've really liked this ink.

• 395 X 275 mm.
• Drawn for use in the Picture Collection.
• Media: Color ink, color spray.
• Paper: Thick tracing paper, lace paper, Muromachi snow-white.

At the international book fair event at the beginning of 1994, my original pictures were displayed next to those of the esteemed Yamato Waki-sensei. Yamato-sensei's color pictures then were drawn on thick tracing paper, so I wanted to try it as well, and I drew this on thick trace. I'm worried about the colors coming out nicely. The color pictures of Yamato-sensei's I saw then were so beautiful they made my head spin.

• 379 X 270 mm.
• Drawn for use in the Picture Collection.
• Media: Color ink.
• Paper: Rough BB Kent.

When I speak of Ami-chan, of course I get an image of her in the water. Even though this is the first time I've drawn a color picture of Ami-chan like this, it feels familiar. Maybe because the TV and magazines and fans have drawn many more pictures of Ami-chan like this than I have. A bathing suit really looks good on Ami-chan.

• 395 X 274 mm.
• Drawn for use in the Picture Collection.
• Media: Watercolor pencil, color ink, poster color.
• Paper: Feather waltz (faux).

This color picture of Rei-chan is very appealing to me. When I thought I'd draw Rei-chan not being a soldier, the image clearly gushed forth, and in the blink of an eye I was able to make this picture. Inside of me, this was the very first, and still unchanged, image of Rei-chan.

• 372 X 275 mm.
• Drawn for use in the Picture Collection.
• Media: Color ink, color spray.
• Paper: Canson.

Mako-chan loves cooking, so I wanted to make her with the appearance of a cook. I wonder who she made the cake for.

• 390 X 274 mm.
• Drawn for use in the Picture Collection.
• Media: Color ink, color tone.
• Paper: Paradise.

I wanted to draw the cheerful Minako-chan, and I put her on a bicycle. Drawing it was so fun, I finished it in the blink of an eye. Taking Artemis and Luna, on a Sunday afternoon with good weather, she's going to Omotesandou in Harajuku. I guess that's the feeling.

• 383 X 255 mm.
• Front cover of the February 1992 Nakayoshi.
• Media: Color ink, color tone.
• Paper: Canson.

This was a color picture for use as the cover of the first issue of Nakayoshi with the serial. At first, I planned to have Sailor Moon's hair be yellow before transforming, and silver after transforming. But I was told by the editor in charge of the front cover, Silver is plain for use on the cover. Yellow is definitely more flashy, and it will stand out. Since then I feel my way of thinking about my color pictures has completely changed.

• 384 X 270 mm.
• Unpublished work.
• Media: Color ink, color spray.
• Paper: Fine BB Kent.

Actually, I drew this color picture to be used in the first comic volume, and I'm very pleased with it. However, one of my male friends saw it when he came to visit, and simply said, Usagi-chan's face is different. It was a big shock. The cover of the first volume is a copy of this one.

• 360 X 511 mm.
• Title page of the February 1992 Nakayoshi.
• Media: Color ink, color tone.
• Paper: Fine BB Kent.
• Picture A edited by Terralune

This is a color picture from the title page of the first issue with the serial. I was still wavering on Sailor Moon's costume design, and drew this while worrying about it. I waver a lot. At first I was thinking about giving her a cloak and a boomerang. The picture and design are really completely different from now. But since this is the color picture from the title page of the first issue with the serial, which should be commemorated, it's a work very, very deep with memories.

• 363 X 258 mm.
• Title page of the March 1992 Nakayoshi.
• Media: Color ink.
• Paper: Canson.

This picture was to put into form my image of Sailor Moon at the beginning. I love looking at night views and I love drawing. I really wanted to put lots of night views in Sailor Moon. By the way, the night view in this color picture is New York for some reason. As usual, Sailor Moon-chan's hair is silver.

• 543 X 373 mm.
• Title page of the April 1992 Nakayoshi.
• Media: Color ink.
• Paper: Canson.

I actually planned to make this picture a poster, and went to the trouble of drawing it on large paper. But for various reasons, they weren't able to make it into a poster. Since I was looking forward to it, it was a shock. Maybe because of that, I have a real longing for a poster.

• 363 X 515 mm.
• Title page of the May 1992 Nakayoshi.
• Media: Color ink.
• Paper: Canson.
• Picture edited by Terralune [Youth Gone Wild]

When I look at it now, it's not very like Sailor Moon, but I'm pleased with this work. Especially the two on the right half of the picture. I remember, Ms. Tadano Kazuko, who I love, was drawing this picture for me, and I was very happy when I found that item. In my room in my parents' house, the Itoki study desk with that picture of Ms. Tadano's is carefully placed. [Tadano Kazuko is a character designer for the anime.]

[A fascinating bit of trivia is revealed by Sarah-neko: The illustration that Tadano Kazuko is mentioned drawing appears to have been inspired by a pose from an American movie poster for an obscure 1991 movie starring Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin. The title of the movie is The Marrying Man. What do you think? Sarah says: Substituting the crescent moon for the wedding ring, of course, and allowing for the fact that Usagi is so much more enthusiastic than Kim Basinger, and Mamoru is clearly having to work harder than Alec Baldwin to hold her up. (I like the implication that she would get married in that ass-baring dress.)]

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