Sailor Moon

Story

After befriending a mystical black cat named Luna, schoolgirl Usagi Tsuniko acquires the power to transform into her alter ego, ‘Sailor Moon’. Sailor Moon is a relentless soldier who ventures to save the earth from all evil alongside her fellow Sailor Soldiers. Readers follow Usagi’s heroic missions as Sailor Moon, but also delve into her trials and tribulations of everyday school life.

Why we chose it

Sailor Moon showcases Usagi as an extremely feminine character who is also undeniably powerful and bold. This subverts the ingrained societal stereotype that girls are solely ‘feminine’ and boys are solely ‘masculine’. Sailor Moon expresses the importance of being true to yourself regardless of gender expectations.

Where it came from

Sailor Moon falls under the Shojo genre of manga aimed towards young girls. Sailor Moon was first serialised in manga magazine Nakayoshi from 1991-1997. Nakayoshi had serialised Takeuchi's previous works such as Maria in 1990.

Where it went next

After Sailor Moon debuted in Nakayoshi, it quickly became a huge success. This instant success resulted in the story of Sailor Moon being adapted into multiple anime series, feature films, television shows. The manga has also since been translated into English and has sold 35 million copies globally, making it one of the highest sold Shojo series. The Sailor Moon franchise has now generated over $13 billion in sales.

Associated stories

Naoko Takeuchi has stated that Usagi Tsuniko is actually inspired by Takeuchi herself. The author claimed that she heavily identifies with many of Usagi’s characteristics and even named Usagi’s parents and younger brother after her own family!