Isekai by Moonlight

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

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-November 2023, five chapters have been published; the writer has prepared at least a skeleton of an outline for the entire story.

Tropes used in Isekai by Moonlight include:

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Shario?"
"I think so, Rob, but where are we going to find a dimensional transit meister at this time of night?"

  • 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".
  • 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.
  • Beach Episode: During the third chapter, when Robu-san, Ryou, Makoto, and Ami were Sent to Another Dimension. They went to the beach for Robu-san's birthday. Ami and Makoto wore bikinis; nobody noticed what Robu-san wore.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Chick Magnet: In one scene in the fifth chapter, most of the group convinces Ryou that he is one.
  • Chosen Family: By the end of the fourth chapter, many of the Sailor Senshi considered themselves to be closer than siblings — to the point that the characters who had no living parents were either informally or officially adopted into Sailor Mercury's family.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Defied for Osaka Naru, but played straight for Umino Gurio.
  • Class Trip: Made up out of whole cloth, since the senior-year trip was never shown in the canon anime.

"Why are school trips always to Kyoto?" I asked.

  • Cliff Hanger: The end of the second and fifth chapters.
  • 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... complete with remembering volunteering to have their memories copied.
  • Continuity Snarl: While the story primarily follows the '90s anime timeline, elements from the manga, Codename: Sailor V, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Crystal, the live-action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and even Naoko Takeuchi's earlier manga The Cherry Project have ended up in the story — some lampshaded, some not.
  • Cool Sword: Naru Osaka 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.
  • Crane Game Gag: In order to take his mind off of being Trapped in Another World, Robu-san plays the crane game at the arcade, using a ridiculously-small amount of money to win a full set (at the time) of Sailor Moon dolls. It's only after the fact that he realizes that he must have been using some sort of power to win.
  • Crash Into Hello: How Robu-san met Makoto.
  • Crystal Prison: Naru'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: Sailor Mars is unable to save Kooan, Sailor Mercury lets Berthier decide whether to live or die by her own hand, Sailor Jupiter ends up killing Petz during a duel, and Sailor Venus accidentally kills Calaveras in combat.
  • Doorstopper: Isekai by Moonlight has 196,464 words as of the end of Chapter 5, which corresponds in anime terms to the very start of the S season.
  • Duel to the Death: Sailor Jupiter did her best to avoid one with the Ayakashi Sister Petz, but her opponent insisted. Unfortunately for said opponent, this was Jupiter's first one-on-one battle after being sent to another dimension, receiving training, and returning, so what the challenger expected to be a fair fight was actually a Curb Stomp Battle.
  • Everything's Better with Sparkles: Becomes a Discussed Trope when the Sailor Senshi watch an episode of their own anime.

"Wow, that's a sparkly transformation sequence," Bunny-chan said.
Rei-san asked, "Would you rather people saw pictures of you naked?"
"Sparkly is good."

  • 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.
    • Minako goes to first-name-without-honorific basis when Robu-san finally realizes she's a friend and as close as a sister.
  • 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. By the end of the second chapter, it has.
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar: "my ... nosebleed." Context shows that this isn't referring to a literal nosebleed.
  • Ghost Memory: One of Robu-san's powers, which requires the cooperation of the person donating the memories, is to copy the other person's memories... and give them back later.
  • 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.
  • How We Got Here: The third chapter starts with a short scene of the characters who had been sent to another dimension at the end of the previous chapter announcing their return. The remainder of the chapter shows how they managed to return home.
  • 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.
  • Instant Costume Change: After Ami learns some magical theory, she makes the Transformation Sequence instant.
  • 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 after she learns how to fly, swooping down from the sky and grabbing a sandwich.
  • Load-Bearing Boss: As a security measure, the tunnel from D-Point started to collapse as soon as Kunzite died.
  • Love Thy Neighbour: Next-door neighbours, to be exact. It's because they lived next to each other that First Girl Wins applies to Makoto and Robu-san.
  • The Maiden Name Debate: In the fourth chapter, and as part of Saeko-san giving her daughter Ami permission to marry Ryou, she insists that he become a mukoyōshi, taking the Mizuno name instead of Ami taking the Urawa family name (which would have caused the Mizuno family to end with Saeko).
  • Male Pack Mule: A downplayed example appears in chapter three:

One nice thing about a magitech society like Midchilda's was that I didn't need to hide my powers. The flipside of that, of course, was that I ended up carrying everybody's purchases in a forcefield wheeled basket...

  • Man on Fire: Zoicite, when most of the Senshi attack him at the Star Light Tower. It doesn't last long.
  • Mauve Shirt: With the number of deadly enemies the Senshi go up against, you weren't really expecting all of the Original Characters and OC Stand-Ins to survive, were you?
  • Married Mai Waifu For Real: The only reason Robu and Makoto aren't married is because her guardian has told them to wait. They're otherwise an example of this trope, wearing each other's rings, scheduling fun times around work, shopping for groceries together, sharing the household chores, and eventually supporting each other in combat.
  • Mathematician's Answer: Two of them, at the start of the "sent to another dimension" story arc.

"Has anybody figured out where we are?"
"Outside?" Makoto answered with a shrug.
"In an open field," Ami added

"So, Ami-chan, you want a teenage boy who you know can turn invisible to join you in a trip to an onsen?"
Before anybody else could react, Hino-san said "Bad idea" flatly.

  • 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:

Robu-san: You see, Ami-san, Makoto 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.

  • 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:

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.

  • Shout-Out:
  • 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 crossover with Lyrical Nanoha. 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 to show the inevitability of the canon season ending.
    • 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 in-story for Osaka Naru.
  • 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 Minako, 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.
  • Super Weight: If you aren't familiar with Sailor Moon, then this list contains spoilers for "Chapter S". If you're a Sailor Moon fan, the spoilers should be obvious.
    • Fragile Weight (-1): nobody
    • Mundane Weight (0): Ichigo, Saeko, Shario-chan
    • Iron Weight (1): Artemis, Luna
    • Abnormal Weight (2): Ka'o, Naru, Ryou, Princess Lady / Sailor Chibimoon
    • Super Weight (3): Haruka / Sailor Uranus, Hotaru / Sailor Saturn, Mamoru / Tuxedo Kamen, Michiru / Sailor Neptune, Minako / Sailor Venus, Setsuna / Sailor Pluto, Hayate-chan, Ichiro, Meia, Sakura
    • Hyper Weight (4): Ami / Sailor Mercury, Makoto / Sailor Jupiter, Robu-san
    • World Weight (5): Usagi / Sailor Moon
    • Cosmic Weight (6): nobody
    • Author Weight (7): nobody
  • The Talk: Implied to take place offscreen, with Naru in the adult's role and Usagi in the child's.

"Naru-chan," Bunny-chan asked, "what are they talking about?"
"Oh, Usagi... I'll tell you later, but not in front of Chibiusa."

Robu-san: By the way, there was a door.
Makoto: With a droid blocking it, darling.

"Ho-ho! I am Touhi-chan! After ten thousand years of being suppressed by the guardians of the Silver Millennium, I have finally gathered enough energy to re-form myself! And now I will drain your energy and use it to establish a toehold in this barbarian land! Today, this lodging; tomorrow, the settlement!"[1]

  • 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:

Ichigo-san looked at Artemis. "Did you just say the word 'nyan' instead of purring?"
"Don't be silly..." Naru-san said,

"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 Urawa Ryou.
    • 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 Sailor Venus' first Unison 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.
  • You Did Everything You Could: Minako's opinion during the first talk she had with Robu-san after he was forced to kill a classmate.
  • You Can't Fight Fate:
    • Played Straight during the first story arc. No matter how hard Robu-san tries to change things during the first chapter, including suggesting a power-up to Makoto, the Sailor Senshi still end up outclassed at D-Point.
    • Played With during the Black Moon arc. Some characters survive who died in canon, others who survived in canon die, and Naru ends up without a boyfriend but knowing who the Senshi are... but Chibiusa still becomes Dark Lady.
  • "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.


  1. ↑ Said "settlement" being Tokyo, of course.
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