Bishoujo Senshi (Pretty Soldier) Sailor Moon is a Japanese fantasy tale primarily about a below average 14 year junior high school student who despite of her shortcomings, prevailed evil forces which threatened the peace of Earth with the help of four other girls of similar age and status. Together, they represent a team called the Bishoujo Senshi, which roughly means beautiful young female warriors.
The basis of story is a comical cross between a fairy tale (the white knight Tuxedo Kamen and Princess Serenity) and fantasy adventure (the mythical powers of the Bishoujo Senshi and villains) originally written for young girls. However, the series drew a much larger than expected audience. Not only did the series catch like wildfire in Japan, but internationally as well. Its success has motivated the author, Naoko Takeuchi to continue writing sequels to the series. So far five series have been released: Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon Super S, and Sailor Moon Sailor Stars.
Sailor Moon
The first and original series. The five major Senshi (Sailors Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus) are introduced here. Since the intended audience are adolescent females, the storyline was relatively straight forward and appealed to young girls. Topics often related to cosmetics, fragrances, fitness and fortune tellers. Tsukino Usagi (Sailor Moon) first realizes that she is a princess and her final confrontation with Queen Beryl made her a stronger character.
Sailor Moon R
The plot of this series is still based on beauty and fashion related topics. As the R (romance) implies, the story was centered around romance, but it is not simply about relationships between men and women. The story explores different aspects of love. First, the two aliens was taught that love goes beyond that of the self. Love between siblings was illustrated through the catharsis in the Ayakashi sisters. The five senshi and Chibi Usa portrayed the love between friends. Parental love for Chibi Usa rescued her from the dark influence of her brain washed alter ego, black lady, demonstrating the power of love can overcome almost anything.
Sailor Moon S
The S means super. By the assistance of the Holy Grail, Sailor Moon turns into Super Sailor Moon. There is an obvious shift in the storyline to fit a more mature audience. The older Ten'ou Haruka and Kaiou Michiru or Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune respectively were introduced here to appeal to an older and more male oriented audience. The tom boyish Haruka’s interest in sports cars and motorcycles did just that. In addition Tsukino Usagi became a much stronger character than ever before as she was able to uphold her principles to the extreme. |