Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon also known as "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon" is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. Sailor Moon is popular for its concept for having a team of cute teenage girls with magical powers that can transforms into heroines named for the Moon and planets. Due to its popularity an anime adaptation was created of it.
It's the story of an ordinary, clumsy, crybaby, 14 year old girl named Usagi Tsukino who happens to discover a talking cat named Luna, who reveals her identity as Sailor Moon. At first Usagi is hesistant about accepting the role as Sailor Moon, a special warrior with the destiny of saving the planet earth and later the entire galaxy. Luna gave her some special items that will help her on her journey in battling evil from the Negaverse. Luna trained Usagi to become a great warrior and later on the show, she finally learned to accept her destiny as Sailor Moon.
As the series progresses, she gains some friends that will help her in her challenges: Mamoru (Tuxedo Mask), her love interest and the four guardian Inner Senshi Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako (Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus). They are later joined by Chibi-Usa, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's daughter from the future, and the four Outer Senshi Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru (Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Saturn).
The anime itself ran for 200 episodes, running for over 5 years in Japan. The series began airing in Japan on March 7, 1992 and ended February 8, 1997. It is one of the most succesful and longest anime series Japan has ever had. Sailor Moon consists of five series. The titles of the series are Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon Super, Sailor Moon Super S and Sailor Moon Sailor Stars. There were also five special episodes and three released films: Sailor Moon R: The Movie, Sailor Moon Super: The Movie, Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie.
The anime series won the Animage Grand Prix Prize in 1993. And on that same year the Manga won the Kodansha Manga award for shoujo.
On July 6, 2012, Sailor Moon celebrated its 20th anniversary. During the event Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha announced that a new anime series of Sailor Moon is currently in the works and is set for released in summer of 2013.
Meet the Author
Naoko Takeuchi was born on March 15, 1967 in Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. She is a Japanese Manga writer and artist who created Sailor Moon and Code Name: Sailor V. Her other series are Prism Time, The Cherry Project, Chocolate Christmas, PQ Angels, Maria, Miss Rain, Toki Meka, Love Witch and Princess Naoko Takeuchi's Return to Society Punch!! Naoko currently lives in Tokyo Japan and is happily married to Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of YuYu Hakusho and Hunter X Hunter. They have two lovely children.