Category Archives: In-Universe Lore

What Do the Sailor Moon Transformations Look Like to Other People?

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Filed under Ami Mizuno, Articles, In-Universe Lore, Mamoru Chiba, Usagi Tsukino
Do they really henshin in front of people?

Do they really henshin in front of people?

Though I’m not a betting man, I’d feel relatively comfortable saying that nearly every Sailor Moon fan out there that has watched the anime with a friend or family member who isn’t a fan of the genre has had to deal with the question: “why doesn’t the bad guy just attack her when she’s transforming?”

And can you blame them? It’s a really good question.

Though fans have come up with a multitude of reasons to explain this away over the years — with answers ranging from the Youma wanting a fair fight to the Sailor Soldiers teleporting away during the henshin sequence — we’re actually here to address a much more fundamental question today.

Do these transformations actually take place, or are they like the eye catches between commercial breaks, and only for the viewer’s benefit?

Stick around, it’s about to get interesting!

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Who Knows the True Identities of Sailor Moon and the Sailor Team?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Inner Senshi, Supporting Cast
Usagi makes the decision to transform in front of Mamoru

Usagi makes the decision to transform in front of Mamoru

To be completely honest, I love casually posing the question of who knows the Sailor Soldiers’ identities to other fans. Responses span the entire gamut of a vehement “no one!” to pretty much every member of the supporting cast, who were apparently just too nice to tell Usagi that they knew the truth.

Like all things in life, however, the truth lies somewhere between the two extremes.

Join along as we take a magnifying glass to the Sailor Moon anime and manga in an attempt to suss out just who actually has figured out the secret identities of our favorite sailor-suited soldiers of love and justice!

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Does Naru Know That Usagi Is Sailor Moon?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Naru Osaka
Naru worries about her friend, but how much does she know?

Naru worries about her friend, but how much does she know?

The question of whether or not Naru knows about Usagi’s secret identity has been a constant point of contention among fans since… well, since the show first came on air. What seems like a question that should be a simple “yes” or “no” answer gets muddy quickly due to the complicated interactions between each of the different tellings of the Sailor Moon story.

Today, I’m going to try my hand at answering this highly charged question and see if maybe I can at least shed some light on both sides of the argument.

You better stick around — there’s a Youma holding Naru captive at the bottom of this article, and she needs your help!

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Why Does Sailor Moon Use a Kaleidoscope in the Dream Arc?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Real World, Usagi Tsukino
Kaleidomoon Scope? Moon Kaleidoscope? Who knows!

Kaleidomoon Scope? Moon Kaleidoscope? Who knows!

… and why does it look nothing like a kaleidoscope??

After watching season after season and following Sailor Moon’s adventures from one story arc to the next, we cheered along as our sailor-suited hero fought the forces of evil with various sticks, rods, and… well, more rods. It’s a simple idea with an even simpler naming scheme, so I never really thought much of it.

Well, except for the naming travesty that is the Moon Stick, but let’s put that aside for a second.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at Sailor Moon’s fourth wand — and the first one belonging uniquely to Super Sailor Moon — the Kaleidomoon Scope. While it may seem to make little sense on the surface, once you peel back a few layers, the puzzle starts to come together.

Stick around, things are about to get colorful!

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Why Can Makoto Wear Her Old Uniform at Azabu-Juban Junior High?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Makoto Kino, Real World
Makoto will NOT change for anyone

Makoto will NOT change for anyone

If I had to go on record and choose only one thing that made Makoto such a great character, it’d probably be the fact that she manages to so perfectly balance on that line between being a rough-and-tumble tough girl, all the while maintaining a delicate side to her.

And Makoto’s school uniform, worn defiantly in the face of her teachers and fellow classmates without even a hint of shame, is a perfect example of Makoto’s self-assuredness and determination. She doesn’t have time for stupid little rules, but when it comes to helping her friends, she’ll be the first one there at your side.

So in honor of Makoto’s school uniform, today we’re going to talk about just exactly how she got away with this act of defiance, and whether it’s just an anime myth, or if there’s some real world truth behind it.

Grab your lunch boxes, we’re going on a field trip!

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Are Each of the Sailor Moon Villains More Powerful Than the Last?

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Filed under Articles, In-Universe Lore, Villains
Power Level: > 9,000

Power Level: > 9,000

When you consider the fact that Sailor Moon is a story of growth and progression as these young girls fight against the forces of evil, all the while navigating life’s challenges, it’s easy to see their story as Sailor Soldiers similarly — as one of one-way, linear progression.

After all, they fight and struggle against each series of enemies, only to be granted new powers and transformations each time around in order to cope with these new threats, so it makes sense that each enemy must be more powerful than the last… right?

Today we’re going to take a look at how each of the enemies stack up against each other, and whether or not the Sailor Team’s progression is really as simple as it seems. I hope you stick around!

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What Information Did Naoko Share With American Sailor Moon Fans?

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Filed under Articles, Fandom, In-Universe Lore, Interview, Manga
Naoko Takeuchi at San Diego Comic-Con 1998

Naoko Takeuchi at San Diego Comic-Con 1998

I am what you could reasonably call a longtime Sailor Moon fan — a “lifer” if you will. I was there when the series was taken off the air, came back on the air, and was taken off again. Yours truly remembers when “new” episodes of Sailor Moon meant the last part of the Sailor Moon R anime that DiC never bothered to get around to dubbing.

And then there were the misguided Sailor Moon / Pop-Tarts campaigns.

Today we’re going to talk about something a little different: we’re going nearly 20 years into the past to talk about the time that Ms. Takeuchi addressed American Sailor Moon fans and answered some of our burning questions. It’s gonna get interesting, so stick around!

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