Fighting crime and looking cute while doing it? Sign me up!
Ever since it was released, Sailor Moon has always been well-liked. In fact, the hype over both the anime and the manga carries on, despite all the decades that have come and gone since. And, I don’t know if you have encountered Gen Z’s 90’s anime edits, but they are absolutely adorable. It was these encounters that led me to explore the universe of Sailor Moon.
We follow Usagi Tsukino, a schoolgirl that loves to eat and go to the arcade, but can’t wake up early for school nor do well in class. Her life is turned upside down when a talking cat named Luna magically appears in her life and Usagi starts to experience new powers as a sailor guardian. Throughout the series, Usagi progressively meets those who are destined to become her best friends and fellow guardians.
One of the themes I most enjoy about the show is that it shows our protagonist struggling. She’s not good at school, her love life is messy and she’s easily scared and starts to cry at the first sight of trouble. Yes, our crime-fighting hero throws herself to the floor and cries her problems away. However, this never worksーit’s always either Tuxedo Mask (a mysterious man that always comes to her rescue) or the sailor guardians that give her a pep talk or a slap in the face… literally.
This brings me to my next point: all the girls, Usagi (Sailor Moon), Ami (Sailor Mercury), Rei (Sailor Mars), Makoto (Sailor Jupiter), and Minako (Sailor Venus) change because of their friendship. Yeah, I know, the power of friendship and whatnot (barf). However, it is through this teamwork that the girls learn how to use their powers and eventually improve at their crime-fighting skills. Also, they bring out the best in each other, as any good friend does.
In Usagi’s place, it is not all la vie en rose like previously mentioned. Often, the girls feel frustrated with Usagi, who can’t take her responsibility seriously as their leader. However, as time progresses, we start to see little changes in Usagi saying others wise… emphasis in little.
*Spoilers ahead*
In the first season, the episode titled “Death of the Sailor Guardians: The Tragic Final Battle” —to our surprise the title spoils the episode— the guardians sacrificed their lives for Sailor Moon, so she could defeat the dark kingdom. Sailor Moon didn’t want to carry out the mission knowing that her friends would die in the process. Usagi, heartbroken, tries to carry on. Ultimately, she defeats her foe and wishes for a second chance at an ordinary life for her and the other guardians.
That innocent schoolgirl we had once seen was now forced to be brave in order to carry out the mission her best friends died for because they all believed in her. It was Usagi who didn’t believe in herself.
I haven’t finished watching it, but for now, I can say that Sailor Moon has become one of my all-time favorite shows. Behind the hyper-feminine image the show radiates at first sight, you’ll probably find yourself crying eventuallyーlike I didーbecause the show can get dark real quick.
At the end of every episode, it teaches a lesson like “don’t break a girl’s heart” or “don’t be rude and help those in need”. Everyone can sit and enjoy it, and who knows, maybe you may learn a lesson or two from the girls. Whether you are a 90s baby who is in desperate need of something nostalgic to watch or someone who found it years later, Sailor Moon is a timeless must-watch.