Weird Sailor Moon Details That Fans Often Overlook

Sailor Moon is beloved by anime fans around the world as one of the iconic series of the 90s, and it popularized the magical girl genre. However, some aspects of Sailor Moon no longer hold up through a modern perspective.

The nostalgia factor often prevents fans of the 90s Sailor Moon anime from noticing some of the quirks of the first adaptation. Fortunately for fans who are loyal to Usagi's adventures as Sailor Moon, a modern adaptation that more closely follows the original manga, Sailor Moon Crystal, rebooted the series in 2014 and fixed many of the problems of the 90s anime.

Strange Details in Sailor Moon

• Sailor Moon's Villains Are Too Simple
• Pluto's sacrifice goes largely unrecognized
• Gender roles in Sailor Moon are outdated
• Character transformation scene revealing sensitive body parts
• Sailor Moon is afraid of being called fat
• The Princess Guard follows a typical anime motif.

Sailor Moon's Villains Are Too Simple

When it comes to complex villains, Sailor Moon's original story is truly amazing, but the 90s anime often overlooks Naoko Takeuchi's subtle writing when it comes to them. Fans easily overlook this detail because Sailor Moon focuses primarily on the heroes, so it's understandable that the anime's villains don't get much love.

However, by ignoring the many complex villain backstories in the original, fans missed out on how wonderfully written all of the Sailor Moon characters were. For example, the Four Kings (Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite) were victims of manipulation in the manga, but fans of the 90s anime were treated to different versions of the characters who were portrayed as evil just for the sake of it.

Pluto's sacrifice goes largely unrecognized

One of the Sailor Moon guardians whose backstory was significantly altered in the 90s anime was Sailor Pluto. She originally sacrificed herself, giving her life to stop time and save the world from Prince Demande by combining the two legendary Silver Crystals. In the anime, she disappeared after using her time-stopping powers to save Sailor Uranus and Neptune from a helicopter explosion.

While in both stories she makes difficult decisions to save her allies, Sailor Pluto's initial sacrifice is more emotional than her rushed storyline in the 90s anime. She also barely appears in the later Sailor Moon SuperS, making her death feel more like a side plot point than a monumental, world-saving decision. It's unfair to treat this sailor's actions as if they were completely unimportant.

Gender roles in Sailor Moon are outdated

It's easy to think of Sailor Moon as a groundbreaking anime about female empowerment, but the '90s animated version often reinforced outdated stereotypes when it came to women. Since the series paved the way for the magical girl genre, many fans overlook these problems with Sailor Moon, but they still exist.

For example, one of Usagi's main character arcs focuses on her intense desire to be the perfect wife, mother, or queen. Many other Sailor Moon characters also dream of romance rather than personal goals, which often makes the 90s anime seem to downplay the manga's more feminist vision.

Character transformation scene revealing sensitive body parts

The 90s Sailor Moon anime adaptations often featured transformation scenes of the main and secondary characters that were a bit too explicit, especially by today's standards, especially considering the ages of the characters in the series.

Sailor Moon is afraid of being called fat

Some of the episodes of the series and the way they portray fat-shaming and other harmful stereotypes are really disturbing. One early episode is literally titled “Learning to Be Thin from Usagi” and focuses on her obvious body dysmorphia. The episode is full of terrible ideas and messages, especially for impressionable teenagers.

When Usagi weighs herself after a bath and realizes she has gained half a pound, she is devastated. Her family comforts her and advises her to exercise more, even though she was already skinny to begin with. To make matters worse, her beloved cat companion and mentor, Luna, draws a picture of a fat Sailor Moon, further reinforcing the series' attitude towards anyone who does not fit a beauty standard that the average person feels is unattainable.

The Princess Guard follows a typical anime motif.

While not a huge problem in Sailor Moon's story, it still feels a little odd that the Sailors are often struggling against minor threats, especially early in the series. They have elemental abilities and magic from across the universe, but the series' most mundane villains can easily escape their attacks.

This is a common trope in anime, and fans certainly love to see action scenes that last, so it's easy to overlook that detail. However, even as the Moon Princess's defense team gets stronger and learns to control their powers better, they're often left out of the fight, forcing Usagi to step in and end things at the last minute. If they're Usagi's protectors, why do they always need her to save them?