The Top 10 Reasons We Love ‘Sailor Moon’
Thanks to the 2011 re-release of the English translation of the 'Sailor Moon' manga by Kodansha USA and Naoko Takeuchi's announcement of a new 'Sailor Moon' anime that will be released worldwide in Summer 2013, this hit series is once again on everyone's minds! If you can't wait for the new anime to premiere or are struggling to get your hands on the new English manga, perhaps our top 10 reasons why we love 'Sailor Moon' will hold you over until you can get your fix!
1. Talking Cats
Much like 'Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,' both Usagi/Sailor Moon and Minako/Sailor Venus have talking cats: Luna and Artemis. Named for the Roman and Greek Goddesses of the Moon, their feline companions dish out great advice and keep the Sailor Scouts from getting into trouble. Plus, they're adorable! Where do we sign up for talking cats that help us become Sailor Scouts?
2. Usagi Is A Normal Girl
Unlike Bella Swan of 'Twilight' fame, Usagi Tsukino is a normal 14-year-old girl. She makes mistakes, she cries, she fails tests, and she is addicted to sweets. But even though Usagi sometimes doubts her ability to be a good Sailor Scout, when push comes to shove she defies her own expectations and is able to defeat her enemies. She's a far more relatable character than Bella, that's for sure!
3. Tuxedo Mask
Tuxedo Mask is every woman's dream man: he fights evil clad in a dashing tuxedo, he wears a mask, and he leaves a rose for Sailor Moon before mysteriously disappearing. He's the quintessential masked hero -- what woman wouldn't swoon over that? While in his normal guise as Mamoru, he often teases Usagi but it's clear to one and all that he has a good heart.
4. An Awesome Theme Song
While many fans have issues with the English version of the series, there's one thing that they all agree on: the theme song was awesome! How many of us constantly sang "fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight" over and over again? At least the music in the English dub was spot-on!
5. 'Sailor Moon' Promotes Girl Power
Unlike other '90s shows such as 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers', 'Sailor Moon' has mainly all female heroines. While Tuxedo Mask does help out, it's mainly the Sailor Scouts who fight off the villians. Both the anime and the manga also focus on the strong bonds of friendship between the girls; and at the end of the first season it's the power of friendship that allows Princess Serenity and the other four Scouts to defeat Queen Beryl.
6. 'Sailor Moon' Is LGBT-Friendly
In both the original Japanese anime and manga, Haruka Ten'ou (aka Sailor Uranus) is dating Michiru Kaio. While this aspect of the story was changed for both the U.S. and Canadian versions, it is great to see LGBT characters portrayed in a positive light and who have a happy relationship.
7. Sailor Pluto
Who doesn't love Sailor Pluto? She's the most mysterious of the Sailor Scouts, it's true, but she can control time! That might corrupt most heroes, but not Sailor Pluto. She only breaks her oath to never use the 'Time Stop' power in the anime to help her fellow Sailor Scouts escape from a helicopter. Despite her lonely post guarding the Space-Time Door, she's loyal to Neo-Queen Serenity and loves Chibi-Usa like she was her own daughter. Sailor Pluto's such a complex character! We wouldn't have her any other way.
8. The Epic Romance Between Usagi and Mamoru
The love between Usagi and Mamoru spans ages. As Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, they were star-crossed lovers (literally). Although after the destruction of the Moon Kingdom, they were given another chance to have a happier life and will eventually become the rulers of Crystal Tokyo. Their love is a love for all time, and unlike the cheesy YA novels of today, while Usagi and Mamoru do wind up living happily ever after, their relationship is portrayed as far more realistic.
9. The Transformation Sequences
C'mon, admit it: as a kid, you wanted to be a Sailor Scout due to the cool transformation scenes and constantly bugged your parents to buy the Sailor Moon brooch. No matter if you're watching the English version or the original Japanese, that was always the most awesome part of the show. There's lights, ribbons, and some great music that lets you know the Sailor Scouts are here and they mean business.
10. Compelling Characters and Storylines
Despite being a manga and then later getting turned into an anime, 'Sailor Moon' has some fantastic characters and compelling storylines. Usagi and her friends are not cardboard cut-outs who can do no wrong, they're incredibly human and often make mistakes. Plus, as the series progressed, the plotlines got much darker. In the final season of the Japanese anime, most of the Scouts die and it is up to Usagi as Eternal Sailor Moon to face the enemy alone. While the series does end on a happy note, Naoko Takeuchi makes sure to point out that sometimes happiness comes with a price: you have to work hard to see change in the world.