We live in a time whenstreaming has almost eliminated the spontaneous discovery of new showsby flipping through TV channels, so it shouldn’t have surprised me that my niece and nephew had never seenSailor Moon. When I was their age, TV was my escape from the harsh reality of being an outcast gay kid in the ’90s. Toonami raised me after school while my parents were at work, my older sister’s obsession with MTV exposed me to adult animation likeÆon Flux, and unsupervised Saturday mornings introduced me toAkiraandNinja Scrollduring Syfy’s “Anime Saturday” timeslot.
Sailor Moonwas, and still is, one of the most impactful and inspirational anime in my life. The 1992 series, based on Naoko Takeuchi’s manga, helped bring anime to the West and contributed to its global popularity as much asDragon Ball Z—another show I was obsessed with. I assumed that since classicSailor Moonepisodes still air on modern iterations of Toonamiand are available for streaming, new generations of kids would still be watching it today. But over the holidays, I discovered that couldn’t be further from the truth.
A New Generation of Sailor Moon Fans is Born
Sailor Moon S is the Perfect Anime Movie for the Holidays
My partner and I visited family to celebrate Christmas and spend quality time with our niece (9) and nephew (12). During our last visit, my nephew was eager for us to give his parents “kid-friendly” manga and anime suggestions so he could dive into the genre, and we gleefully startedNarutofrom the beginning. Two years later, he’s a full-fledged Hidden Leaf ninja, but his knowledge of foundational anime was still lacking. So, after burning through holiday staples likeA Christmas StoryandElf, I took control of the remote and put on my favorite Christmas-adjacent movie:Sailor Moon S.
At first, they were skeptical, bombarding me with endless questions about everything on screen. They wondered why the cats could speak, who the little girl with pink hair was, why Ice Queen Kaguya wasn’t wearing a shirt, and whether this wasreallya Christmas movie (Tuxedo Mask as Santa?!). Those nitpicky questions soon gave way to quiet reverence. My niece was on her feet, spinning in circles and mimicking the glamorous transformation sequences just as I did as a child. My nephew asked which Sailor Guardian was my favorite and why.
Sailor Moon S: The Movie Celebrates its 30th Anniversary
The Themes of Love and Justice Are More Important than Ever
When I put onSailor Moon S, I hadn’t realized the film was celebrating its 30th anniversary—having existed for two decades before these kids were even born. What surprised me even more washow wellSailor Moon Sholds upand how effortlessly it captured their attention. The animation remains crisp, the action sequences are well-choreographed, and the variety of characters—with their distinctive hair and outfits—felt fresh and exciting to them. I also noticed that the mild violence between the Guardians and Kaguya’s Ice Dancers seemed more visceral than what they were used to.
Sailor Moon Fans, Listen Up! The Magical Girl Team of Your Dreams Just Landed
For fans of anime like Sailor Moon, you do not want to miss out on Boom Studios' magical girl comic book: Flavor Girls, which is back on stands now.
Streaming has turned every opportunity to consume media into an intentional choice, and if I hadn’t taken control of the remote, they might never have been properly introduced toSailor Moon. While some of the content I was exposed to at their age was admittedly inappropriate, (I’ll wait a few years to show them toCowboy BebopandNeon Genesis Evangelion), I hoped Usagi’s mission statement of standing for love and justice would resonate with them. By the end ofSailor Moon S, my hunch was proven correct.
The Sailor Moon Trilogy Still Holds Up
A Testament to Takeuchi’s Masterful Writing and World-building
As soon as the movie ended, they wanted more, so we backtracked to the first movie in the trilogy,Sailor Moon R,without the excuse of it being seasonally appropriate. TheSailor Moonfilms, available for free on YouTube, feature the newer English dub, complete with Japanese names andless of the censorship that defined the versions ofSailor MoonI watched growing up. However, the kids didn’t need the AmericanizedSailor Moonof the late ’90s. They didn’t bat an eye at names like “Usagi” or “Mamoru,” nor did they question the queer love triangle central to the plot.
Beneath a GIF of Sailor Mercury’s “Shine Aqua Illusion” attack, she had written: “My uncle showed usSailor Moon, andit’sactuallycool.”
By the end of our visit, the kids asked if there was moreSailor Moonwe could watch together. We moved on toSailor Moon SuperS, and I was impressed by how much they had retained from the first two films. They were quoting iconic phrases, claiming their favorite Guardians, and giggling at the absurdity of the Bonbon Babies henchmen. They were sad when the movie ended, but I assured them they’d love the series just as much. I explained that the movies were only a crash course introduction to the expansive franchise.
Sailor Moon is Actually Cool
The Highest Compliment a Gen Alpha Kid Could Give
I suggested they start at the beginning of theSailor Moonanime. The series does a better job of slowly introducing each character and explaining more abstract concepts, like Chibiusa traveling from the future and Usagi’s reincarnation. Still, I doubted modern kids would want to invest their limited TV time in a slower-paced serialized show once I left, especially one with 150 episodes. However, on our last night together, as we watched TV as a family, I peeked over my niece’s shoulder and saw her sending GIFs ofSailor Moonto her friends.
Beneath a GIF of Sailor Mercury’s “Shine Aqua Illusion” attack, she had written: “My uncle showed usSailor Moon, andit’sactuallycool.” My heart fluttered—not just because we now shared a common interest in such a foundational part of my development, but because her initial assumptions about the series had been proven wrong. Perhaps she and her friends will not only exploreSailor Moonfurther but also break out of the limitations of on-demand viewing. I’m looking forward to our next visit to see ifSailor Moonhas impacted their lives as it did mine.
