The first season of the Sailor Moon anime series, titled Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, was produced by Toei Animation and directed by Junichi Sato. It began broadcasting in Japan on TV Asahi on March 7, 1992 and ended on February 27, 1993, lasting 46 episodes. The first season was produced concurrently with the first story arc (Dark Kingdom) of the manga by Naoko Takeuchi. It follows the manga story closely, and although neither series was expected to continue after its initial story arc, both were very successful and their runs were extended.