So as an adult, I look back and I'm like, 'Oh God, yeah, I'm really sorry.' Sailor Moon was right this whole time. You know, kids are pushed hard, and when you're in the middle of being pushed, you don't see what you're doing to other people. The other part is just, for me personally, the staying power is the message for me changed when I got older. Here's the actual queer content that wasn't in Sailor Moon, here it is now. Partially, I think we're making up for lost time because now, we're getting to - here's the actual episodes unedited. On what it is about Usagi and the rest of the Sailor Scouts that keeps drawing new fans and people to the show There's a cat that tells you that you have to save the world, the cat doesn't really give you that many details I actually am working on a book series about magical girls, and so I re-watched Sailor Moon while I was writing it, and I was like, 'Oh my God, I understand why she's crying! This is upsetting to go through!' Like, you're a 14 year old. She should be able to go to the arcade and crush on the boy and then take a bath and relax.

I was just like, ''Wait, why do I have to push myself to the breaking point to get things done? Why can't I take my time?' Sailor Moon was right this whole time. You're supposed to do this.' And then, I got older and I got tired. So I was like, 'Yeah, why are you complaining? You're supposed to save the world. I think when I was younger, it annoyed me because I was projecting what other people would say.

On the reasons why Usagi's crying used to annoy her as a child This interview has been edited for length and clarity. She recently wrote about the anime for The Mary Sue, in an essay titled 'Revisiting the First Episode of Sailor Moon 30 Years Later Makes Me Appreciate Usagi Crying About How Stressful It Is to Be a Magical Girl', and she sat down with NPR's Juana Summers to talk about why Sailor Moon still endures. Eventually, she'll meet other girls with similar magical powers and, together, the Sailor Scouts battle to keep evil at bay.īriana Lawrence is fandom editor at The Mary Sue, and a longtime Sailor Moon fan. Then one day, she meets a talking cat who helps her transform into Sailor Moon and tasks her with fighting supernatural forces.

Usagi Tsukino - or Serena, to American viewers - was an average 14-year-old living a normal schoolgirl life. Sailor Moon burst onto Japanese television screens 30 years ago and captured the hearts and minds of young people around the world.

Keeping the Cookies by Briana Lawrence