How Sailor Moon Reminded Me About The Importance Of Friendship
Ever since I was little I had this dream about having a group of friends who would turn the world upside down for me when I needed them. This idea was greatly influenced by a few anime shows I used to watch as a little girl, back when KTV was still a big thing here in South Africa.
Shows like Mew Mew Powers, better known as Tokyo Mew Mew, a story about five girls infused with the DNA of endangered animals which gave them special powers allowing them to transform into “Mew Mews’. In the dubbed version I watched growing up they were lead by Zoey, the show’s clumsy but lovable main character. After getting her newfound powers Zoey had to try and balance being a normal girl, falling in love for the first time and going to school… all while trying to save the world!
Another great show I constantly watched was called Winx Club. The first season revolved around a girl called Bloom who discovered she had magical abilities and rerolls in the fairy college called Alfea. Soon she meets her newfound friends and they go on adventures that will change their lives while juggling how to also be normal, princes, boys, and all the evils of the world.
The last one was called W.I.T.C.H, similar to the other two shows it revolves around five girls saving the world from evil. Each girl has a special ability where they control one of the five elements like fire, water, air, and so on. The show felt a lot more mature and definitely helped as I myself started growing into a teenager.
All three shows somehow inspired me and fueled my dreams of what friendships should be like, and I often felt like I was the only one who had a feeling like this. That changed when I was told about the story behind Sailor Moon. Growing up I completely missed it while it aired on TV and since then I actually never watched it. Truth be told, after seeing some screen grabs from it I probably was never going to watch it as it’s 28 years of age and it looked very old. I’ve seen it on candy wrappers, posters, and toys in the shops but somehow it never fazed me…
Eventually, somewhere along the line, the curiosity bug bit, and I wanted to watch it. I needed to know what the series was about and I started googling to see if I would be interested in watching it. Reading why Naoko Takeuchi created the story and the meaning behind the characters she created really resonated with me since I often felt like I was the only one who longed for friends who would go to great lengths to be with me, just like I would for them.
Growing up I had a few really good friends, and after I told them about all the shows I loved watching they entertained me by playing as the characters of the shows with me, spending our recess breaks saving the world from the evil boys who would steal the magic tree leaves. I still recall a memory of them when we were exploring the ‘dark forbidden tree forest’ (which was just a little spot next to our netball fields which had a lot of trees) and my character fell through a sinkhole, the others soon following and we all fell on each other. Our science teacher at the time was walking past us and laughing, taking his phone out, and taking a photo as we all laughed. Him probably questioning what on earth we were doing this time.
Moments like these are memories that bring tears to my eyes as I feel like I’m the only one that remembers and I would give anything to have that photo again.
Reading Naoko Takeuchi’s story made me incredibly sad that she felt so alone that she created her own characters/friends. Her imagination helped shape what the meaning of friendship means in today’s industry and she will be remembered for being an icon for many years to come. The creator of Sailor Moon took everything about her life and created a story the world would never forget about friendship, love, and the awkwardness of going through your teen years. It’s a story that has definitely helped inspire the genre of not only, manga and anime but for all storytelling about friendships. Even though Sailor Moon no longer is airing Naoko Takeuchi has created a legacy that will be shared for many years with future generations, even now 28 years later the story and characters still continue to inspire dreams and friendships around the world.
Naoko Takeuchi’s idea behind the friendship in the story was that it is used as a superpower and inspires girls who watch the show. It shows us that girls can be uplifted by each other and that they are never alone. Sailor Moon shows us just how empowering it can be if you have a strong group of friends standing right beside you to support and help you. By watching Sailor Moon it reminded me of my childhood and how I loved watching Mew Mew Powers, W.I.T.C.H., and Winx Club with my friends. I can only hope for a future where I get to dress up and save the world, once again with my friends at my side, and in return, I hope I can be the friend they’ve always wanted.
It took me so long to find such a wholesome anime and enjoy it, even if it’s just to end the day on a better note. I found so much happiness in each 20-minute episode. Although I still have a load more episodes to watch I think Sailor Moon is the kind of anime that aged really well. It’s a story about friendship and adventure with a lot of life lessons. I look forward to jumping into bed, switching on my laptop, and watching the next episode knowing I ended the day right.
Lots of Love
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