Dreams of Laur

Sailor Moon is my hero. And she has been since I was a little girl. I didn’t know it at the time, but she greatly shaped who I was to become.

For those unfamiliar, Sailor Moon (美少女戦士セーラームーン/Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn) is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi in 1991. It was later made into an anime, which is were I got my first exposure to the series. Our heroine, Usagi Tsukino, is an immature schoolgirl who grows to become a young woman who fights for love and justice.

What made Sailor Moon so special for me? To put in it in the simplest terms, Sailor Moon was unapologetic in its depiction of women being able to chose who they wanted to be. Usagi fought for love, no matter what form it took. She taught me that being “girly” or feminine didn’t mean I was any less strong. All of the Sailor Guardians have different personalities and attitudes and refuse to fit into one mold of what a woman should be.

The friendship of the Sailor Guardians depicts women loving and supporting each other. Of course, they get into disagreements sometimes, but they are always there for each other. Too often in society women are pitted against each other in some invisible competition. All the Sailor Guardians have different skills and work together to achieve their common goals. They are shown supporting each other not only in battle, but in their personal lives. As a little girl growing up consuming this type of media, I can safely say that is has had a majorly positive influence on me and how I interact with my friends.

Usagi has also taught me that it is important to enjoy the little things in life. She is so pure in her emotions and genuinely loves life and all its experiences. She gets excited when she eats dumplings and cries when she is sad. And we don’t think less of her. Usagi wears her heart on her sleeve and refuses to let the world beat her down, even if she does need to take a step back and regroup sometimes.

Let’s talk about romance. Mamoru Chiba aka Tuxedo Mask aka the first anime husband. In all seriousness, Usagi and Mamoru’s love is an inspirational one. They truly support and look out for each other while exhibiting one of the purest depictions of love that I’ve seen. Mamoru mainly takes a backseat in Usagi’s adventures, but is always there to give her encouragement. By first witnessing their love as a child and then as an adult, I can see how it has shaped the way I view relationships. Some may laugh as say that it is fictitious, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the undeniable respect they have for one another. They keep each other honest and push each other toward being their best.

Sailor Moon is my hero. After many, many years, Usagi continues to teach me things about myself and what it means to be happy and bring happiness to others. She stands up for those who can’t fight for themselves and lets them know that it is okay to be who they are. They don’t need to change to fit into society’s standards. All Usagi wants is to protect people’s hearts and show them that they are perfect the way they are. As that little girl staring up at the television screen so long ago, I can say she succeeded.

Love,

Lauren

Want to start your Sailor Moon journey? Buy the first manga here or here.