SG5 made their debut at Anime Central on May 20th 2022. SG5 (Sailor Guardians 5) consists of five members, KAEDE, SAYAKA or Saa-chan, RUI, RURI, and MIYUU. Each of the members represent a character from the hit anime series Sailor Moon, hence the name SG5.

This group made a fantastic debut by opening with the theme song to Sailor Moon, Moonlight Densetsu, and followed it up with three original tracks: Lettuce, Firetruck, and Too Much. Upon watching SG5 perform, you could tell they have had previous experience in the industry before dancing and singing - they knew how to connect with their audience by getting them involved with each track they performed. With Lettuce in particular, they asked the audience to do a specific hand motion during their performance with them. Lettuce not only engaged the audience, but also had a powerfully modern choreography. While watching them, their style was unique as I immediately recognized the LDH flare. For those who don’t know, LDH is a well known agency in Japan, who has the mega popular group EXILE, along with the EXILE Jr groups, E-girls, m-flo, MIYAVI, and many more. Unbeknownst to many, four members of SG5 are from the group Happiness (KAEDE, SAYAKA, RURI ,and MIYUU), while RUI is from the newly-formed group iScream, which debuted last year. When all the girls come together for SG5, they become a powerhouse by infusing the magic of Sailor Moon with their vocal and dance skills, captivating the audience and leaving them wanting more. As this was SG5’s debut performance, they currently do not have any digital or physical releases as of yet, but will be having music coming down the pipeline later this year. SG5 is a group to look out for with their modern take on dancing and vocals to capture a new essence of Sailor Moon.

SG5 not only debuted at Anime Central, but also hosted a Q&A panel where fans got to meet each member, ask questions, learn about each of them, and participate in a hand shaking event. This panel reminded me of how concerts and events in Japan are when a new musical artist/group is introduced. We were lucky enough to meet and get to know each member during this session. One of our favorite questions that each member answered was “What artist inspired you growing up?”. KAEDE’s inspiration was the popular idol group Morning Musume (Momusu), and she stated how she had wanted to try out for the group when she was young. Saa-chan and Miyuu both were inspired by the influential dance vocal unit, EXILE, who are a huge staple in the Japanese music industry and now have become their mentors and label mates. Ruri’s inspiration is the songstress Ayumi Hamasaki, as her mother played all her songs and took her to concerts growing up. RUI got all her inspiration from her fellow members, as she looks up to her “Senpai’s” for guidance and inspiration. Other great questions that the members were asked, “Did you do research on Chicago? Where did you want to go or what did you want to try, such as foods? “ All the members exclaimed “Deep Dish Pizza”; they were very excited they got to eat it as it’s one of the foods Chicago is famous for. They also got to go to Shedd’s Aquarium and pet a baby shark. Each member talked about some of their favorite American foods, such as Doritos and Steak; and favorite Japanese food: Sushi, Shrimp, Natto, Caviar, and Snapper. They also talked about their favorite hobbies and anime, and not just Sailor Moon. Each member mentioned several interests, such as Apex Legends (KAEDE), anime (KAEDE, SAYAKA), manga (KAEDE, SAYAKA), and noodles (RUI). Getting to know each member a little more personally was a treat as they were so personable and easy to talk to.