Sailor Moon vs. vampires sounds like a concept you would only find on a fan-fiction website. However, the Dracul arc is an official Sailor Moon story, and it's by far the weirdest adventure the Sailor Scouts have ever embarked on, thanks to its vampire-laden plot. Sailor Moon is no stranger to stage musicals, having had 31 different musicals since its debut, with a brand new one coming later this year. While most of these musicals retell the plot of the manga or anime, two arcs are exclusive to the stage musicals. One is The Legend of Kaguya Island, a summer holiday-themed show based around the myth of Princess Kaguya, and the other is the Dracul arc.
The Dracul arc is made up of three core shows, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon New/Transformation - The Path to Become the Super Warrior - Overture of Last Dracul was performed in 2000. This was followed by Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Decisive Battle / Transylvania's Forest ~ New Appearance! The Warriors Who Protect Chibi Moon ~ later in the year. In 2001, a revised version of the second musical was performed called Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Final Fight / The Forest of Transylvania (Revision) - The Secret of the Most Powerful Enemy, Dark Cain. Before the final musical in the arc, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Last Dracul Final Chapter - The Seal of the Super Planet Death Vulcan was performed in March of that year.
The arc follows the Sailor Scouts as they get wrapped up in an ancient feud between vampires. When a creature called Undead Berserk takes control of Professor Tomoe's body, he and his assistant Death Lamia attempt to create the Homunculus. The Homunculus is a perfect being that can replace humanity. However, Undead Berserk realizes they need Chibi Moon's Star Seed to make it, so they seek a truce with the vampire Count Dracul. Dracul agrees to help, hoping that the Homunculus' blood can be used to feed his daughter.
However, things quickly turn sour, and betrayals and double-crosses stack up as the mastermind behind Undead Berserk's plan, Death Vulcan, pushes for the Homunculus to be created. In a shocking twist, Sailor Neptune is turned into a vampire, and Tuxedo Mask is killed. However, both recover from these setbacks, and Dracul, realizing he has been tricked, sacrifices himself to protect Sailor Moon, allowing the Scouts to destroy Undead Berserk.
Dracul's daughter, Bloody Dracul Vampir, hears of her father's demise and starts a quest for vengeance. At the same time, Lilith of Darkness puts her plan into motion. This plan involves a new Sailor Scout called Sailor Astarte, a version of the goddess Astarte that Lilith had brainwashed to think she was the true princess of the Moon so that she could use her as a vessel for her master Dark Cain.
This leads to the scouts uncovering that Dracul is actually the reincarnation of the biblical Abel. Cain killed Abel when God chose Abel's sword over Cain's, making him the world's first murderer. Cain transformed into Dark Cain and was cursed with eternal life as punishment. Now Cain is working with the phantom planet Vulcan to trigger a war between the Undead and humans that will destroy the universe, allowing him to finally die. We also learn that Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal is the thing keeping the Underworld shut, holding back a horde of angry Undead who are upset that humans dominate the planet. Eventually, Usagi travels to Vulcan to defeat both Cain and Death Vulcan once and for all.
And that's just scratching the surface of what happens across the three shows. While it is still recognizably Sailor Moon, this arc feels different due to its heavy biblical themes and the fact that it steps a little closer to outright horror than the rest of the franchise. Thankfully, the music is just as good as the other Sailor Moon musicals, featuring epic ballads and fast and catchy pop hits, including the stand-out tracks "Zigzag Slash" and "FIRE." This is topped off with excellent, complex choreography that often involves melees with many combatants.
Sailor Moon's Dracul arc is a unique experience that really must be seen to be believed. The shows' writers deserve much credit as, while they could have gotten away with doing another retelling of the manga, they pushed the boat out and tried something new. Fitting a story as epic and as complex as this onto the stage couldn't have been an easy task, and despite its obviously limited budget, the show tells a weirdly gripping tale. Let's hope that one day, the modern Sailor Moon musicals exhume the Dracul arc from its grave and perform it once more so more fans can enjoy this charming oddity.
