Isekai by Moonlight

Isekai by Moonlight is a Sailor Moon isekai fanfic, written by Robkelk initially for fun and as stress relief... but the story grew in the telling to the point where it received the full preread-and-publish treatment.

Our hero protagonist, who we'll call "Robu-san" because practically everyone else in the story calls him that or a variant thereof, wakes up in Japan in a teenage body and with an initially unknown set of metahuman powers, and is told to transfer to the local junior high school... the same day that Makoto Kino (not yet Sailor Jupiter) transfers to the same school. '90s-anime Sailor Moon isekai ensues. He quickly realizes that, since he knows how the canon anime's story ran, he can change things until his changes make his knowledge irrelevant - but instead of waiting for a major plot point to start making changes, he goes ahead and starts changing minor things, knowingly invoking the Butterfly Effect without being able to predict whether doing so helps or hurts. Then Robu-san discovers why doing that was a bad idea.

And why was he set up to meet Makoto first, instead of any of the other Senshi?

The story barely touches on canon events; it's primarily about Robu-san's relationships with the Sailor Senshi and their close friends and families. Not that there aren't fight scenes, but those tend to take a back seat to the characters.

Read it at the Drunkard's Walk forums (HTML) or on the author's website (PDF). As of mid-August 2023, four chapters have been published; the writer has prepared at least a skeleton of an outline for the entire story.

""Are you thinking what I'm thinking, ?" "I think so, Rob, but where are we going to find a at this time of night?""
 * Adaptation Expansion and Compressed Adaptation: Yes, both apply. For legal reasons, the writer cannot simply re-tell the core parts of the original anime, leading to anything that's based on an original episode being compressed. But there are places where the original anime left room to add details, which the writer has taken advantage of to add scenes, characters, and entire subplots to the story.
 * Affectionate Nickname: The "True Companions" version. Robu-san calls Usagi "Bunny-chan".
 * Alien Sky: The first clue where the characters were sent during the "Sent to Another Dimension" story arc was in the sky.
 * And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: Minako's souvenir after the "Sent to Another Dimension" story arc. She wears it when the Senshi visit the Chess Tower.
 * Arbitrarily-Large Bank Account: Played with during the first chapter in that Robu-san's bank account has an upper limit, but any withdrawal he makes is replenished within a week. It isn't until the second chapter that he learns who's paying his bills.
 * Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?: Downplayed during the "sent to another dimension" story arc, in a discussion about how to get home:

""Has anybody figured out where we are?" "Outside?" Makoto answered with a shrug. "In an open field," Ami added"
 * Ascended Extra / OC Stand-In: There's more to Urawa Ryou (who appeared in two episodes in canon) in this story than just "precog who likes Ami".
 * The Big Damn Kiss: Makoto and Robu-san, just before the Senshi take the battle to the Dark Kingdom. Bittersweet because she knows from him that she probably isn't coming back... and it's her First Kiss, too.
 * Asian Gal with White Guy: Makoto and Robu-san. Race isn't a factor in their mutual attraction, but the fact that Robu-san was a Sailor Moon fan before being transplanted into their world certainly helped.
 * Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: Conversed. "Zoicite. Sewers. Rats. Zoicite covered in sewer rats."
 * Bruce Wayne Held Hostage: Kooan threatens to kill Rei Hino unless Sailor Mars shows herself.
 * Cliff Hanger: The end of the second chapter.
 * Cloning Blues: The "robot doubles" subtype, played with. Two of the synthetic-intelligence characters introduced late in the third chapter remember being the biological people that they were based on.
 * Cool Sword: develops the metahuman ability to make swords in seconds when needed, but only if the raw materials are available. Since carbon is usually available, the swords often have diamond blades. Eventually the intimidation factor of making a sword out of "thin air" doesn't work against an opponent, and the character needs to actually learn how to fight with a sword.
 * Crash Into Hello: How Robu-san met Makoto.
 * Crystal Prison: 's only attack when she was a youma was to put Robu-san into one of these, with no way to breathe. Luckily for Robu-san, she's defeated quickly.
 * Darker and Edgier:
 * The events of the Sailor V manga are included in the backstory of Isekai by Moonlight... which means that, unlike in the canon anime, Minako has blood on her hands.
 * In the fourth chapter, where in anime canon the Ayakashi Sisters are purged of their Dark Energy, Isekai by Moonlight runs closer to manga canon and the Ayakashi Sisters do not survive. The reasons vary:, , , and.
 * Doorstopper: Isekai by Moonlight has 168,298 words as of the end of Chapter 4, which corresponds in anime terms to the end of the R season.
 * First-Name Basis: A handy barometer as to who Robu-san thinks is important, and vice versa, in the story.
 * Makoto goes to first-name-without-honorific basis before the end of the first chapter, while Rei remains "Hino-san" for the entirety of chapter 1.
 * Robu-san remains on a family-name-with-honorific basis with Hino-san until the middle of the second chapter, when she gives him permission to call her Rei. They never get close enough to drop the honorifics.
 * Robu-san, Makoto, and Ami are on a first-name-without-honorific basis by the end of the second chapter. Ryou joins that list partway through the third chapter, as do the friends they make while they're in Another Dimension.
 * Genre Savvy: Robu-san, his early blind spot about his relationship with Makoto notwithstanding. Early in the first chapter, he worries that "Stupid genre conventions" is becoming his Catch Phrase.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: "my ... nosebleed." Context shows that this isn't referring to a literal nosebleed.
 * How Do I Shot Web?: Played With. Robu-san had no idea what his powers were until he used some of them reflexively to protect other people. Once he realized what his powerset was, though, he could use the powers without effort.
 * I Know You Know I Know: The "absolute honesty" version is used by Robu-san when he wasn't sure whether Zoicite was spying on him.
 * I Need to Go Iron My Dog: Robu-san points out an eye-catching rosebush in order to give Sailors Moon and Jupiter some privacy to transform back to Usagi and Makoto... and then Makoto points out that it's a poinsettia plant.
 * It's the Principle of the Thing: In the first chapter, Ichigo (who was not yet friends with the other characters) made a comment about Robu-san that he shrugged off... but Makoto verbally lambasted her for making it.
 * Literal Metaphor:
 * Throw pillows. Especially after somebody's made a horrible pun.
 * At a picnic, Sailor Mercury eats like a bird.
 * Load-Bearing Boss: As a security measure, the tunnel from D-Point started to collapse as soon as Kunzite died.
 * Man on Fire: Zoicite, when most of the Senshi attack him at the Star Light Tower. It doesn't last long.
 * Mathematician's Answer: Two of them, at the start of the "sent to another dimension" story arc.
 * Mathematician's Answer: Two of them, at the start of the "sent to another dimension" story arc.
 * Mathematician's Answer: Two of them, at the start of the "sent to another dimension" story arc.

"Robu-san: So, Ami-chan, you want a teenage boy who you know can turn invisible to join you in a trip to an onsen? Rei: Bad idea."
 * Neat Freak: Makoto, as in canon, but given a reason here that ties in with her parents' death.
 * The One Guy: Robu-san for part of the first chapter, when (as in canon) Tuxedo Kamen was kidnapped.
 * Original Characters:
 * In the first chapter, Aoyama Ichigo in Makoto's class and Sato Kichirou in Robu-san and Ami's class.
 * Introduced during the "sent to another dimension" story arc, Sakura, Ichiro, Meia, and Kasandara, and playing with the trope,.
 * New Transfer Student: Makoto (as per canon) and Robu-san (the same day) at the start of the story, Minako later, and in the second chapter.
 * Pop Cultural Osmosis Failure: Of the "Who's X?" variety, whenever Robu-san references or quotes from famous works that haven't been written yet.
 * Power Perversion Potential: Discussed and consequently averted:

"Robu-san: You see, and I are part of a secret team that defended the entire Earth from being conquered during the Missing Time, and the existence of the Missing Time is a side-effect of our success. Minako: Pull the other one, it has bells on."
 * Precision F-Strike and Atomic F-Bomb: Near the end of the first chapter, when (as in canon) Makoto dies. Word of God says this will be the only F-Strike in the entire main story. (But not necessarily in any sequel story, should one be written.)
 * Rags to Riches: During the "Sent to Another Dimension" story arc, they discover that the dimension has so much gold that it's an industrial metal, not a precious metal. They earn enough money to buy a literal metric ton of gold, and the metal (and Ryou's skills at day-trading) make the four of them multimillionaires once they get home. Since they continue to be part of the Sailor Team and they all have plans for careers once they graduate from school, this also makes them Non-Idle Rich.
 * Reset Button: Robu-san lampshades in the second chapter the canon occurrence of this trope at the end of the first anime season and first chapter. In order for the canon timeline to make sense, it's a near-literal reset, winding the clock back by one year.
 * Sarcastic Clapping: One of Robu-san's favourite ways to draw attention to himself and away from the Sailor Senshi. The trope being unknown in Japan in the early 1990s, the clapping serves less as a psychological attack and more as a distraction.
 * Sarcastic Confession: During the months-long break between the first season and R that's mentioned in canon, when (in this story, most of) the Senshi don't have memories of being Senshi:

"I closed the door behind me... and that is all that anybody will learn from me about the rest of that day, except that we were both very happy at the end of it."
 * Secret Keeper: Robu-san for the Sailor Senshi, and vice-versa. Also, Osaka Naru and Urawa Ryou by the end of the first chapter, and Aoyama Ichigo midway through the second chapter for all of them. By partway through the fourth chapter, the Tsukino, Mizuno, Aino, and Osaka families know about Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako, Ryou, and Robu-san, as does Rei's grandfather, and all of the Secret Keepers know about all of the other Secret Keepers.
 * Sexy Discretion Shot:

"Robu-san: By the way, there was a door. Makoto: With a droid blocking it, darling."
 * Something Completely Different: The Whole-Episode Flashback story arc that starts when Robu-san, Makoto, Ami, and Ryou get sent to Another Dimension by the Black Moon's Stick and . Most of the Senshi appear only in the chapter's first, short framing scene, and Mamoru, Naru, Ichigo, and Mizuno-sensei do not appear at all.
 * Standard Female Grab Area: No, Usagi, you don't get to leave and immediately come back as Sailor Moon, thus blowing your cover.
 * The Stations of the Canon:
 * The story starts with the anime-only "Seven Great Youma" arc, and in the first chapter canon events are shown in the same order that they appeared in canon.
 * And again in the "Doom Tree" arc, because - having ruined one canon relationship already - Robu-san doesn't want to take any chances that he'd end up derailing Usagi and Mamoru's relationship. Once Chibiusa shows up, The Stations of the Canon become less important.
 * Sued for Superheroics: Sailor Mercury and Oni don't wait for the bill; they just pay for the broken window at the juku as soon as they break it while destroying a droid.
 * Super Empowering: In the backstory for Robu-san, and.
 * Super Family Team: Mizuno Saeko appears to be doing her best to put one together. As of the end of the fourth chapter, the family includes her daughter Ami, Ami's future husband Ryou, Ami's adopted sister, and honourary members Robu-san and Makoto. All but the last two either are or have agreed to be listed in the Mizuno family register with the official paperwork filed at city hall.
 * The Team Normal/Ordinary High School Student: Aoyama Ichigo, who isn't even a formal member of the team... but she isn't a Magical Girl Warrior or a Designated Victim, either.
 * Their First Time:
 * As he promised, when she's finally old enough and they'd been dating for years beforehand. The act itself is kept off-screen.
 * And then the other couple, two-and-a-half weeks later. Again, the act itself is kept off-screen.
 * Theiss Titillation Theory: He thinks his girlfriend looks sexier in a négligée than she does when she's naked during her Transformation Sequence.
 * There Was a Door: Justified:

"Ichigo-san looked at Artemis. "Did you just say the word 'nyan' instead of purring?" "Don't be silly..." Naru-san said,"
 * Transformation Is a Free Action: Justified after Ami learns some magical theory and makes the Transformation Sequence instant.
 * Translation Convention: While the dialog is in Japanese unless otherwise noted, it is written in English, just like the rest of the story.
 * Unfamiliar Ceiling: The first two words of the story are "Unfamiliar ceiling." Robu-san quickly discovers that he's been rejuvenated, bringing the trope into play.
 * The "Unicorn In The Garden" Rule: Somebody is Trapped in Another World where abilities are gained and allies are found. (The third chapter repeats the same unicorn.)
 * Unusual Chapter Numbers: Chapter 1, Chapter R, and so on, referencing the source anime's season names after the first chapter.
 * Unsound Effect: Artemis is almost caught talking in the first chapter:


 * It became a Brick Joke three chapters later:

""Did you just say the word 'squee' instead of squeeing?" Artemis asked. "Don't be silly," Ichigo-san replied with a grin."


 * Unwanted Harem:
 * Discussed but never actually happens; it's pretty clear that First Girl Wins is in play instead.
 * This applies to Ryou, Robu-san, and Mamoru; nobody has or wants a harem. No matter how many girls try to throw themselves at.
 * An April Fools' Day omake showed where the story would have diverged if it had been an Unwanted Harem crackfic for Robu-san: Makoto, Usagi, and Ami all matter-of-factly volunteer to be part of Robu-san's harem at school on the day that Makoto and Usagi meet, ending with all three of them going home with him.
 * Vomit Discretion Shot: Immediately after and immediately before she swears to never do that again.
 * Wacky Marriage Proposal: Essentially a proposal in reverse – Makoto announces herself to someone she just met as Robu-san's fiancée, then asks him, "We are going to get married, right?" (He says yes.)
 * Watch Where You're Going: Done deliberately by Sailors Moon and Jupiter as part of their plan to convince Kunzite that they aren't getting along.
 * Waxing Lyrical: In order to give advance notice of his presence in one scene, Robu-san starts singing the opening theme to Princess Principal, gender-swapped where necessary.
 * What Year Is This?:
 * One of the first things Robu-san asks himself. He gets the answer by turning on the TV.
 * At the start of the "Sent to Another Dimension" story arc, discovered when the banished characters ask their hosts.
 * Writing Around Trademarks: The trope is mentioned by name the first time that Makoto and Robu-san stop at a (canon) 7-12 convenience store.
 * You Can't Fight Fate: Not during the first season, at least; everything Robu-san does other than forming relationships with various Senshi and their friends only accelerates the canon plotline. Canon starts going off the rails when Chibiusa shows up, and the second chapter ends with canon being broken completely.
 * : Minako's opinion during the first talk she had with Robu-san after.
 * "You?" Squared: Makoto and Petz during the Lucky Charms House incident, revealing that Petz had seen Makoto transform to Sailor Jupiter the previous time they met.