![]() The fact that Sailor Moon is still extremely popular, both in Japan and internationally, is a big deal. Instead, Naoko followed her gut and infused each heroine with femininity and grace for her revitalization of the magical girl genre. Instead they wanted the characters to fit into typical manga stereotypes (an obese character, a nerdy character, etc.), because that is how fighting squadron series are usually formulated. One of the biggest disputes arose when the male editors did not understand why Naoko wanted to make all the girls beautiful. (Really, what would they know about shoujo?) It was obvious, she added, that they did not respect female authors in the first place. ![]() In her own words, she exclaimed that she wouldn't let "old men" decide how a story for young girls should be written. She mentions in a 2013 interview with ROLa Magazine that many older male workers at Nakayoshi Magazine tried to dictate her characters' appearances and attributes. Sailor Moon was groundbreaking for its time, thanks to Naoko's unwillingness to back down and tailor the story to her editor's liking. By series' end, Usagi is a loving wife, caring mother, and supportive friend. Ultimately, we watch her grow from a clumsy 14-year-old girl into a capable young woman with a solid group of friends. Watching her mature is one of the strong points of the series. ![]() Usagi/Serena represents an everyday Japanese girl and isn't a perfect role model. Contrasting her normal student life and her alter ego, Naoko made a character that readers could relate to, while including the fantastic elements they craved. Rather than make an ideal hero, Usagi/Serena was created to be an average girl that was sometimes lazy and boy-crazy. In an interview from 1992, Naoko confides that she drew inspiration from this time in her life because she believes it is one of the most difficult times for girls. Academics become increasingly important, which leads to added stress and (surprise, surprise!) bullying. As you may already know, sailor uniforms are familiar in Japan as the typical girls' school uniform, and Naoko liked the concept of such a recognizable symbol for young girls.ĭespite the cute and innocent image of the sailor style uniforms, Japanese middle school girls have quite a rough time. She ultimately turned this idea into a powerful symbol for the girls reading her comics. When she first pitched the idea (then titled, Codename is Sailor V) to her editor, he said he wanted her to put the hero in a sailor outfit. Naoko herself said she was inspired to create Sailor Moon based on her experiences in junior high. She simply wanted to tell a story that readers, especially females, could relate to, all while tying in friendship, action, romance, and fantasy into one glorious package. Naoko's intention wasn't to make a "feminist" manga. Unlike her previous shoujo mangas, Naoko wanted to deviate from strictly romantic stories toward self-contained fights between good and evil, as seen in super sentai shows. Naoko Takeuchi, the beloved creator of Sailor Moon affectionately dubbed "goddess" by her fans, was already a popular up-and-coming shoujo writer when she began work on Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon is oozing with girl power! Naoko Takeuchi: The Woman Behind It All Cute, right?īut have you ever thought of Sailor Moon as a form of empowerment for girls? Even though it's a cartoon, Sailor Moon is all about kicking butt, friendship, and using your femininity as a source of power. Oh, and she fights evil with her friends using magical makeup and accessories. She likes boys and sweets, hates homework, is often clumsy, and occasionally extremely selfish. Sailor Moon, also known as Usagi or Serena (depending on what language you read/watch), is the main character of said shoujo manga and anime. Her unique dango hairstyle and ultra leggy sailor outfit are hard to forget. Chances are, you have heard of Sailor Moon.
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