If I had to name the two things that shaped who I am as a child, they would be the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" and "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon."
Sailor Moon is a manga by Naoko Takeuchi, serialized in Nakayoshi magazine starting in 1991, with the anime beginning around the same time. The story, each of the Guardians, the theme songs, and the colors of the artwork — as a child, I was completely absorbed in all of it. I still love it so much that I can barely put it into words.
The Colors in the Original Art Are Just Too Beautiful
The covers of the tankobon volumes, the magazine extras, the color frontispieces — the coloring in those illustrations was a revelation to me as a child. Clear pale blue, deep pink, sparkling gold and silver. Each Guardian had her own color, and just looking at those colors was enough to lift my spirits.
Even now as an adult, whenever I see those original colors, I find myself lost in them. It comes from the same place as my longing for the colors of the mermaid sisters' scales and hair in The Little Mermaid. When I paint, color is what I spend the most time choosing — and I don't think that's changed since those days.
Anza Ohyama's Musical
I also loved the Sailor Moon stage musicals, known as "Sera Myu" — especially the era when Anza Ohyama played the first Sailor Moon. Songs like "War Supreme," "La Soldier," and "MOON Revenge" still stir something in me every time I listen. If you're someone with a fiery soul, I think these songs will hit you hard. I still play them whenever I need to fire myself up.
My Favorites Are the Outer Guardians
I love all the Sailor Guardians so much it's hard to choose, but the ones I'm especially drawn to are the Outer Guardians — Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Hotaru-chan (Sailor Saturn). And Seiya from the Sailor Starlights, too.
They're not at the center of the story, yet each of them fully takes on their role and steps forward exactly when needed. I've loved that sense of distance since I was a child.
"Understanding Each Other," "Forgiving Each Other"
It wasn't until I was an adult that I learned the themes running through Sailor Moon were "understanding each other" and "forgiving each other" — and that made me love it even more. Even with those who were once enemies, the story ultimately reaches for their hand. Realizing there was that kind of core beneath the cute art style moved me deeply.
A Pilgrimage to the Real-Life Locations
I've also visited the real places said to have inspired the story's settings. Azabu-Juban, believed to be the model for the neighborhood where Usagi and her friends lived. And Azabu Hikawa Shrine, which fans consider the model for Rei-chan's home, Hikawa Shrine. Just standing on the ground of Azabu-Juban made me a little excited. At Hikawa Shrine, I stood still for a while, quietly moved.
Taking the time to go and meet the colors and places of a work I love — that, in itself, is how I like to spend my time.
Even My Marriage Registration Was Sailor Moon
When I got married, I chose a special regional marriage registration form designed with Sailor Moon. Knowing this work was with me even at that turning point in my life makes it feel all the more special.
Reference: Travel.jp Travel Guide, "The Model for the Anime Sailor Moon's Hikawa Shrine! Tokyo's 'Azabu Hikawa Shrine'"
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