Narrated by Natalie Gadeikis, Staff Writer
Written by Zoe Anderson, Staff Writer
“Moon Prism Power, make up!”
This magical quote is known by many anime lovers all around. Sailor Moon, created by Naoko Takeuchi, is one of the most well known anime series of all time. It first debuted in Japan in 1992, capturing the hearts of many. Since then, there have been different variations of Sailor Moon, the newest being Sailor Moon Crystal. It was produced in commemoration of the original series 20th anniversary and has been a hit for anime lovers, including myself!
Sailor Moon Crystal is about Usagi Tsukino, a regular student whose life is turned around pretty quickly. The magical teen is told by her cat, Luna, that she is Sailor Moon, guardian of the Moon. Usagi is known as a very friendly person and finds the other Sailor Guardians with ease. The group of magical girls goes on to fight rivals like the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon, hoping to gain the Legendary Silver Crystal. The Legendary Silver Crystal contains power so strong that only the Sailor Guardians are trusted to protect it, no matter the cost.
Although Sailor Moon Crystal mainly focuses on defeating the evil, there are deeper meanings behind the whole series. Maho shojo is a genre of anime that typically features girls that can transform into an alter ego and fight evil. Through this process, the magical girl grows and matures. Now, this doesn’t mean that she goes from the age of 14 to 21 after one fight. Mentally, the magical girl grows and matures. Eventually, Sailor Moon advances to be a fearless leader that will do whatever it takes to lead the Sailor Guardians to victory.
More than ever, Sailor Moon Crystal is all about the power of friendship. Usagi and her friends form a strong bond doing normal day-to-day activities such as going to their favorite arcade, Game Center Crown. Whether it’s picking each other up, or laughing until their stomachs hurt, the Sailor Guardians make it work. The anime strongly gets the message across of how beneficial a good friendship can be in times of trouble.