Bishôjo senshi Sêrâ Mûn

14 year old underachieving middle school student, Usagi Tsukino(Serena Tsukino in the Dic dub), is a good natured but unmotivated klutz who's prone to flights of fantasy that are often romantic in nature. After saving a black cat with a moon symbol on her forehead named Luna, Luna eventually reveals she can talk and bestows Usagi with magical powers that give her the powers and appearance as superhero Sailor Moon, which she uses to fight against monsters that prey upon humans and their energy. Usagi is often assisted by the enigmatic Tuxedo Mask and eventually recruits other Sailor Guardians (Sailor Scouts in the Dic dub) to fight against foes that are magical, extraterrestrial, or interdimensional in nature.

Beginning broadcast in Japan in 1992 and localized by Dic in 1995, Sailor Moon is without question alongside Dragon Ball Z one of the most widely known anime of all time. Adapted from the manga of the same name by Naoko Takeuchi the series became quite popular in its native Japan with its intended run of only 6 months stretching to five years due to the immense success it experienced. The show is credited with revitalizing the magical girl genre by incorporated tropes and motifs associated with henshin hero shows like Kamen Rider and Super Sentai and mixing them with more traditional shojo trappings like romance. While Sailor Moon did achieve quite a lot of popularity internationally by 1993 with footholds in other parts of Asia, western and eastern Europe, as well as South America, the series struggled to get a foothold in the United States due to being sold in syndication and aired in "dead spots" such as 9am and 2pm on weekdays where it wasn't reaching its target audience. While Dic was motivated to localize the series to capitalize on the success of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, ratings for the show were decent in Canada and scant in the United States with toy tie-in sales being underwhelming. The show despite being canceled partway through the broadcast of its second season, Sailor Moon R, the series did generate a strong enough base where a online petition calling for continuation of the dub (in one of the earliest fan driven campaigns to save a show by way of the internet) and the series was given a second life on USA Network complete with the remaining episodes of Sailor Moon R and eventually achieved further exposure by way of Cartoon Network's Toonami block which broadcast further dubbed sailor moon seasons Sailor Moon S and Super S. The series has continued to resonate with its base all these years late, and rightly so because it knows how to hit all the right beats.

The show at its core is 70% slice of life/sitcom with Usagi (Serena) having some type of dilemma (usually with poor grades, romantic meddling, or her social life) and working through these issues with her friends such as Naru (Molly in the Dic dub), Umino (Melvin in the Dic dub) or other Sailor Guardians in their civilian identities. These parts of the episodes are very comedically focused usually with Usagi being annoyed by her level headed foil Momoru (Darien) who often chides her for her clumsiness and absentmindedness. There's many allusions to works involving romance or love throughout the series from Grimm Faerie Tales to the likes of Jane Austen's works. Usagi could even be seen as being something of a superhero parallel to Austen's character Emma Woodhouse in her tendency of "playing cupid" for friends and acquaintances and even her interactions with Momoru/Darien are reminiscent of the interactions between Emma and Mr. Knightley with Momoru/Darien serving as Usagi/Serena's "critic" with him simultaneously admiring her dreams but also critiquing her on her lack of responsibility/drive. The remaining 30% of the series is where we get the action/hero elements with monsters of the day usually donning some sort of disguise where they'll assume some community role (usually in some sort of business/event) that will relate to Usagi's social/familial/academic situation. The villains are enjoyably over the top in terms of the "monster of the day", while the longer running villains are either enjoyably wicked or given engaging arcs where they reveal themselves having more humanity than originally thought. While many villains are destroyed, some villains are given redemption while some characters operate in moral gray zones such as the Sailor Moon S arc wherein they introduced the concept of competing Sailor Guardians whose views didn't align with the main ones.

The series is also noted for its LGBTQ elements with the likes of characters such as Zoisite, Kunzite, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Uranus, and Fish's Eye all falling under this umbrella in one fashion or another. While many of these elements were reduced or even eliminated in the Dic Dub with things such as gender swapping the dub actors (or making Uranus and Neptune cousins) elements were able to creep in with Zoisite despite being gender swapped to a woman not being a standard body type for a woman with her more masculine appearance. There's loads of discussion that can be had regarding these elements and their erasure from the initial dub, but Sailor Moon's inclusion of these elements (even as watered down as they were in the dub) could be credited with helping to open the door for inclusion of other such characters in other animated series that were inspired by Sailor Moon and its success.

The series isn't flawless as the series has become the subject of parody for its heavily formulaic episodes and recycling of animation (as typical for this type of series and seen in similar series like Saint Seiya and Dragon Ball Z) and many of the arcs of Sailor Moon despite shaking up the formula did find themselves often being very similar to previous arcs. The show also did feel like it struggled to keep dramatic tension alive between Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask particularly after Sailor Moon R and other Sailor Guardians seemed like relationships and plot threads were being established for future payoff only for these threads to never really be followed through on.

Sailor Moon works because it does a good job of mixing both passionate and melodramatic romance with exciting action/adventure elements. The series creates a wide array of characters both heroes, villains, and in between and for the most part uses the elements and characters it creates to maximum effect. While it often feels like some elements are underdeveloped and the formula is pretty predictable even in terms of the meta-narrative, the series is funny, engaging, sweet, and fun.

BEST SERIES OF ANYTHING EVER!!! That sums it up. But it doesn't. There is so much more, so much more interest! I love it so much! This is the best series of Sailor Moon as you just read, but it really is. It finishes off the whole Nehelenia thing and introduce Galaxia - makes clear the WHOLE plot of sailor moon ie why all the soldiers were awakened in the first place. The ending episode is also a great way to end the show. However it leaves you feeling upset that there are no more :(.

Anyway, in this season, I cried and laughed so much and got completely filled up with tension. But in the final episodes, the battles against Galaxia were amazing. Every time someone tried to destroy Galaxia and it looked like it was working I was like 'NOOOO - it can't end like that, that's not good enough!' but the real ending is absolutely AMAZING and Unforgettable!!! I really recommend this to every Sailor Moon fan out there. Oh and I forgot to say about the whole Starlight thing - the big Seiya thing is sooooo cute. I wish I was like Usagi! Nice guys falling in love with me and everyone is her friend! Ahhh! SO WATCH SAILORSTARS and be ready for the GREATEST THING ON DVD!!!

You know.. in life there are many things we like but can never truly tell anyone why. This is one of them. I know I commented on the dub before (and it's entertaining because of how cheesy it is) and I'm not that big of a fan of anime... yet there is SOMETHING i can never put my finger on. I just like it. I really do. I don't see it as a guilty pleasure or anything It's just one of those things I cannot explain for the life of me why I like. I SHOULD think it's stupid. I SHOULD think it's not that good, yet I don't. Something about this oddly charming little piece of japanamation has stolen my heart (no not really) and I really really enjoy it. I guess i'd give you a recommendation to see it. I don't care if you actually do go watch it.

S is by far the best season in the whole Sailor Moon Saga. Nothing can compare to the drama that is displayed every time any episode is watched. The Dubs weren't that bad but no where near the Japanese versions. The whole story is great aside from the fact that they put chibi-usa in it, however, she is somewhat tolerable towards the end (then we get into SuperS which revolves around her and no outers whatsoever so SuperS is the worst). We are also introduced to Uranus and Neptune who are so cool words can't describe them. Their devotion to their misson and each other is something that makes the series so watchable. And the best part is that plutos in it again! We have to wait a little while for these 3, and Saturn, to return in sailor stars but they remain the coolest of all the scouts because they have so much depth that the inners never got, and they were in all 5 seasons. I suggest getting the Heart Collections On DVD because you get both the english dubs and the japanese originals so you can check them both out and see which you prefer, its very very worth it

Now I know just about everyone to ever watch an anime has seen Sailor Moon. In fact, it started the vast majority of Gen Y on their first true anime series. But how many are actually true fans of this show? I for one, am. And I'm far from alone. After giving it some serious thought and thinking about the absolute tons of anime I've seen over the years, I can honestly say Sailor Moon is my favorite anime. And it wasn't the first one I saw.

The characters are just simply so easy to adore and admire. There's a personality for everyone to relate to, and each character has their own nuances. The show is an excellent comedy, yet manages to maintain plenty of action. What really makes it unique is the romantic story though and that no matter how silly things get, the story never fails to really hit home.

From Usagi's daily life to the trials between the scouts, from the newest threat to the romance between various characters... it always stays completely believable no matter how many sci-fi elements are mixed in. It's never dull, and it's always very touching.

I truly believe Sailor Moon is a absolute gem of an anime series that no one should miss. The character designs are so detailed it's amazing. From the transformations to the outfits and even the attacks, it's really so very unique that it's never been truly duplicated and certainly never surpassed. Sailor Moon sets many standards in anime and should be held in high regard.

The music is forever etched into my skull, and rightfully so. It moves so effortlessly from romantic to all out action beats. You won't forget this shows music, and the stories and animation wouldn't be half as heart felt without it. It really completes the experience.

The character and story development is nearly unmatched, you literally get a birds eye view of nearly the entire lives of the characters. By the end of the series I had literally grown up with them. As the team grows in power, new members arrive, new threats appear the wow factor only gets stronger and stronger. Unlike so many long term animes that get the first season right then go downhill, Sailor Moon only gets better and better with each passing episode and the story only becomes stronger.

It's really ashame how many people pass this off as some second rate anime to be shunned. It's a true work of art and many, many people have fought to help bring it to the US shores. Who can forget the S.O.S. campaigns... Pop-tarts, anyone? And for the most part, we won. With all three movies and most of the series, it wasn't a bad break.

As for Sailor Stars, I've read the saga and I've seen some of the important events and can honestly say that it's a darn shame that it'll probably never see the light of day in the US.

I'm not going to even get into the Sub VS Dub debate, just about every early translated anime has the same argument over and over again. Suffice to say that the early Dubs have a lot of hacks done to them to make them perfect in every way for the parents to allow their kids to watch them. Yes, it sucks... but it was the times back then. If you don't like the dubs, don't buy them. But the story is still there and the VA's are actually quite good despite some funny quirks over the seasons like new VA's taking over. Some folks can deal, some can't. I personally enjoy both.

I'm also not really trying to convert anyone who dislikes or only barely acknowledges how good this series is. As usual, it's purely their loss. If you've heard about the show, or maybe have only seen a few episodes... give it a shot. You may just find an anime worthy of the highest praise sitting right under your nose the whole time.

If ever there was an anime for the whole family, this is it. And please don't buy in to that ridiculous nonsense about it being a girls only anime... believe me, I've seen that type and this isn't it. If you honestly can't enjoy the romance, stick around for the action, the story, and the cutest anime characters ever drawn.

• Rirath.com