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Sailor Moon

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Sailor Moon is a globally influential Japanese manga series. It was created by the writer and illustrator Naoko Takeuchi. The story follows a middle school student named Usagi Tsukino. She lives in Tokyo's Azabu-Jūban district during the 1990s. Usagi discovers she is the reincarnation of a princess from the Moon Kingdom. A talking cat named Luna helps her realize this truth. Usagi can transform into the superheroine known as Sailor Moon. She leads a group of heroes called the Sailor Guardians. Together, they protect the Earth and the Moon from malevolent forces. They search for a powerful magical artifact called the Silver Crystal. This mission is vital to prevent the destruction of the Solar System.

Sailor Moon cosplayer at FanimeCon 2010-05-30 3
Sailor Moon cosplayer at FanimeCon 2010-05-30 3

The series functions by blending different storytelling genres. Takeuchi combined the magical girl genre with the Super Sentai style. Super Sentai is a popular Japanese genre featuring teams of heroes. The characters also use recurring motifs to build their world. These include astronomy, astrology, and Greco-Roman mythology. They also use Japanese elemental themes and gemology. The transformation process allows the girls to become warriors. The main team includes Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus. Later, more Guardians join the fight. These include Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Pluto, and Sailor Saturn. Even Usagi's future daughter, Chibiusa, becomes a hero known as Sailor Chibi Moon.

There are several distinct versions of the Sailor Moon story. The original medium is the manga, which is a Japanese comic book. It was serialized in the magazine Nakayoshi from 1991 to 1997. This manga was later compiled into 18 tankōbon volumes. The anime, or animated series, was produced by Toei Animation. It aired in Japan from 1992 to 1997. Toei also produced three animated feature films and several short films. A live-action television adaptation aired from 2003 to 2004. In 2014, a second anime series called Sailor Moon Crystal began. Each version offers a different way to experience the characters and their adventures.

Naoko Takeuchi developed the concept from an earlier work. That work was a manga one-shot called Codename: Sailor V. It was published on August 8, 1991. In that story, Sailor Venus was the main protagonist. Takeuchi wanted to create a story about girls in outer space. Her editor, Fumio Osano, suggested the characters wear sailor fuku. Sailor fuku are traditional Japanese school uniforms. When Toei Animation wanted to adapt the story, Takeuchi expanded the concept. She turned Sailor Venus into a member of a larger team. Originally, the creators thought the story would only have one arc. However, the series became so popular that they added four more story arcs.

The commercial success of Sailor Moon is massive. The manga has sold over 46 million copies worldwide. This makes it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It is also one of the best-selling shōjo manga series ever. Shōjo refers to manga specifically aimed at a young female audience. The franchise has also generated over $1 billion in worldwide merchandise sales. This money comes from many different products related to the characters. The popularity of the anime helped popularize Japanese animation in the West. It was especially influential in the United States during the 1990s.

When the anime reached North America in 1995, it underwent westernization. This means certain details were changed to fit American culture. For example, the name Usagi Tsukino was changed to Serena. The name Mamoru Chiba was changed to Darien Shields. Some scenes were also altered to change how cars drive on the road. The English dubs also changed some character relationships. For instance, the lesbian couple Haruka and Michiru were depicted as cousins. Some villains were also changed from male to female. These changes were made to make the show "culturally appropriate" for the American market. Despite these edits, the core story remained popular.

Sailor Moon connects to many different cultural and artistic fields. It links fashion trends with mythology and science. The series uses elements of physics through characters like Sailor Pluto. It also uses music, as seen with the character Michiru Kaioh, a violinist. The franchise has been re-released many times in different formats. These include digital editions and special collector sets like the Eternal Edition. It has been translated into many different languages. The series continues to be a major part of manga history. It remains a symbol of how stories can travel across the entire world.

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