Sailor Moon the ultimate 90’s heroes

If you grew up in the ’90s there’s probably a chance that you were obsessed with Sailor Moon. For a long time Sailor Moon was everywhere, and 30 years later it’s really no different. So why is the show so popular? Well, firstly Sailor Moon was very different from your typical heroines like Wonder Woman. Usagi Tsukino is far from your perfect superhero: she’s clumsy, a self proclaimed crybaby, a little lazy and doesn’t always do great in school. But, it’s exactly these flaws that make her oh so much more relatable and lovable, especially if you were a teen facing the same struggles! 

The Sailor Moon manga was released in 1991 by illustrator Naoko Takeuchi who credits Super Sentai - or as many know it - The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as a huge inspiration. If you think about it, it has its similarities… five girls transform into warriors with magical powers to fight bad guys and save the entire solar system and human race. But, with way more lovable and wholesome characters. Originally the manga was supposed to cover one story arc, but because of the sheer popularity of it, it turned into 5 connected arcs over 15 books. A short year later on March 7th 1992 the first anime episode of Sailor Moon came out in Japan. Currently there are 200 episodes of Sailor Moon over five seasons, three full-length movies and five short movies. And even a new movie rumored to come in 2023, BUT before we get ahead of ourselves let’s do a quick refresher of Sailor Moon.

 Image: Naoki Takeuchi/PNP/Toei Animation Co.,Ltd. via Viz Media

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon were the original names for the anime, but thankfully the anime was renamed to what we have come to know and love: Sailor Moon. Our story starts with an ordinary, kind-hearted high-school girl Usagi Tsukino who meets a talkative cat named Luna. Sailor Luna reveals that Usagi-chan has another secret identity, Sailor Moon. During the first season, Usagi is tasked to find a magical artifact, the “Legendary Silver Crystal” before the Dark Kingdom can get to it. But like in all the best universe saving anime she is joined by other legendary heroes. In her fight, Usagi has nine other Sailor Guardians: Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto, as well as Sailor Chibi Moon and Tuxedo Mask. As one, they go on to save the universe from all kinds of enemies and villains. 

Image: Sailor Moon News

The anime is action packed and has a fun blend of friendship and romance, especially between the love story of Usagi and Mamoru (Tuxedo Mask). However, love does not equal weakness. 

Many characters in Sailor Moon wield godlike powers. The most powerful of them all - Sailor Moon of course! Sailor Moon is an incredibly strong character who runs on love, and she is even revered as one of the strongest female anime heroes. But, how strong exactly is Sailor Moon? One of the hottest debates is who would win in a battle between Goku from Dragon Ball or Sailor Moon… Sailor Moon vs Goku! Both characters are powerful, tactical and have great comedic tendencies so it’s easy to see why the imaginary battle between these two can rip apart friend groups. Taking into account Usagi’s magical abilities and energy attacks, Sailor Moon is truly a force to be reckoned with. She has literally saved the universe on multiple occasions and her power surpasses none. Buuut, for all her talents in a fight between her and Goku, the odds favor him winning by nine to one. So Sailor Moon is strong, but just not as strong as Goku. 

GIF: Giphy

Sailor Moon the fearless leader of the Sailor Guardians also has a secret identity as Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. The bubbly Guardian started her villain fighting career off at the age of 14, but by the conclusion of the series, she turned 16. During the series Sailor Moon conquers evil through her warm-hearted empathy. She always succeeds by placing her faith in love and friendship. Usagi is able to transform the Earth into a utopia, conquer evil and crush any armageddon-in-progress. Sailor Moon’s world was so loved there were 35 official Sailor Moon games created, most of which were released in the 1990s. Sadly, almost all of them were never released outside of Japan.  

Image: Japanese Anime Wiki 

If you’ve forgotten how much you love Sailor Moon and want to feel the tingles of nostalgia again there are a few streaming services where you can watch Sailor Moon. Right now you can watch Sailor Moon Super S on Hulu Plus, Crunchy Roll and on Netflix U.S, Canada and Japan. 

Since Sailor Moon has had a plethora of series, arcs, movies and short films it’s really difficult to know exactly where to start! Here is you ultimate guide to Sailor Moon watching order:

• Sailor Moon
• Sailor Moon R
• Sailor Moon S
• Sailor Moon SuperS
• Sailor Moon Sailor Stars

Here’s the recommended viewing order for the reboot:

• Sailor Moon Crystal Season 1
• Sailor Moon Crystal Season 2
• Sailor Moon Crystal Season 3
• Sailor Moon Eternal Part 1
• Sailor Moon Eternal Part 2

Now that you know where to watch Sailor Moon and what order to watch it in, there are only a couple of steps left to resurrect yourself as the ultimate fan. First step, start anime coloring pages and learn how to draw Sailor Moon to show your true character love! With this video you’ll be able to draw the finest space buns, and Sailor uniform anyone has seen! 

The second and final step is to figure out what Sailor Moon character you are! Are you a little bit shy and enjoy a good book, you could be Sailor Mercury, or if you’re a bit more of a tomboy, determined and a little bit serious, maybe your Sailor Jupiter. Or if you’re a bit careless, but have an enormous capacity for love and compassion, maybe you're Sailor Moon. To find out your true Sailor Moon characters try out this Buzzfeed quiz - Which Sailor Moon Character Are You?

Image: Sugoi Mart 

Through Sailor Moon’s 3 decade rule the best thing to come out is fantastical merch! Think Sailor Moon figures, plushies, makeup brushes, eyeliner, lipstick, bento boxes, puzzles, even the worlds cutest Sailor Moon water bottle holder and so much more! You could quite literally create your own Sailor Moon universe in your house. Sailor Moon aesthetic influenced a new wave of beauty trends as every character is so lovable and relatable. The Guardians created a sense of friendship and empowerment that strongly resonated with many of us, with collabs like Maybelline x Sailor Moon makeup we were able to use beauty products that made us feel as strong and brave as the superheroes. 

Now in 2022 we have been highly favored with the news that there will be a new Sailor Moon anime film in 2023! From what we know the movie will be called “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos" and it will be split into two parts which has been adapted from the Shadow Galactica arc of the manga. The Sailor Moon Cosmos trailer calls this movie “the final chapter”, so this may mean that the movie and series is ending with the story of the manga. If you want to deep dive more into what the movie story line may be about, head to reddit manga threads for the latest predictions. 

If you're a Sailor Moon fan and can't get enough of the Shōjo queen, but live outside of Japan, it's hard to find merch from your favorite series. Lucky for you, we've made it super easy for fans to buy official Japanese merchandise. You'll be able to get exclusive Sailor Moon Japan items that aren't available anywhere else! Check out Sugoi Mart today and browse through exclusive Sailor Moon products!