by Naoko Takeuchi Sailor Moon has come a long way since it began serialization in 1991. The anime began in 1992, ended along with the manga in 1997, and was remade from 2014 to '23 as Sailor Moon Crystal. With a history as long as Takeuchi's shoujo classic, it's easy to forget something about the title heroine, Usagi Tsukino.
Fans may know that she's fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by day, but there's a lot they've forgotten about the moon princess. With two anime, a prequel manga, movies, a trading card game, musicals, soundtracks, and even video games, it's easy for some of the finer details to fall by the wayside. Superfans may be privy to darker details, but Sailor Moon Fans are always looking to deepen their knowledge of the series they know and love.
10 Sailor Moon was supposed to be “Chotto Debu”
Takeuchi's design notes are not in line with the final design
When Toei was developing the original Sailor Moon anime, Naoko Takeuchi Pprovided design notes to add some insight into his personal thought process. While his handwriting may be a little hard to read, an arrow pointing to Usagi's head reads “chotto debu,” which translates to “a little fat” or “a little chubby.” The word “debu” has a more neutral, even sappy, connotation than the English word “fat,” making the latter translation arguably more accurate.
Usagi is far from “chubby” in design, though fans have theorized that Takeuchi retained some of his original concept in the way he showed Usagi's lifestyle and athleticism, mirroring the stereotypes of people with obesity. Usagi loves junk food, hates athletics, and is a bit slow and clumsy. Despite fighting crime, Sailor Moon can't even run very far without running out of breath. These traits seem to point to her “chotto debu” roots, though Takeuchi never drew Usagi that way.
9 Usagi wasn't always meant to be blonde
Usagi's hair color changed a couple of times before it was finalized.
Sailor Moon's blonde bun is a signature part of her look, but the color hasn't always been what fans might be used to. In Takeuchi's original sketches, Usagi's hair was actually pink, though it was later changed to her signature blonde curls. In the manga, this original look still occasionally slipped through. Sometimes, Usagi's hair was pink. Other times, it was blonde or silver. Princess Serenity's hair was purposely silver.
When Toei made the original Sailor Moon anime that many fans grew up with, both Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity were blonde. This might lead one to wonder if this is where Chibiusa's pink hair might have come from, considering that neither of her parents have pink hair in the final anime. It would make more sense than simple “anime logic.”
8 Sailor Moon Almost Had a Western Adaptation
Cartoon creators have taken a stab at the iconic series
Sailor Moon was a hit in Japan, and has since become an anime near and dear to the hearts of many fans. It was only natural that Western cartoonists wanted a share of that popularity. So, Toon Makers and Renaissance Atlantic attempted to launch their own version of Sailor Moon. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the launch never came to fruition, and to this day very little content exists of this version of the Sailor Scouts.
From what little is known, Toon Makers' Sailor Moon was even less faithful to the original series than DiC's dub. The Sailor Guardians were instead Princess Fighters, designed to be both ethnically and physically diverse. For example, the pilot made Sailor Jupiter black, Sailor Venus Latina, and Sailor Mercury a wheelchair user. In any case, this version of Sailor Moon was never made. Perhaps it was for the best.
7 Usagi mostly had a single Japanese voice actor
Kotono Mitsuishi has almost always voiced Usagi
For a series as long-running as Sailor Moon, it's normal for voice actors to come and go. However, from 1992 to 2023, Usagi Tsukino was primarily voiced by one particular woman: Kotono Mitsuishi. Mitsuishi's other notable roles include Misato Katsuragi in Neon Genesis EvangelionKagura Sohma in the 2001 version of Fruit basketand Gracia Hughes in Full Metal Alchemist. Usagi was briefly voiced by Kae Araki from episodes 44 to 50, when the voice actress was hospitalized. Araki later voiced Sailor Chibi Moon.
Meanwhile, her English voice actors have varied, with four actresses in total. Tracey Moore and Terri Hawkes voiced her in various episodes of the DiC dub, with Hawkes also voicing her in the Pioneer dub. Linda Ballantyne voiced Usagi in the CWi dub, while Stephanie Sheh voiced Sailor Moon in the ViZ dub.
6 Usagi's family was based on Takeuchi's family
Takeuchi's family shares their names
Usagi's family consists of her father, mother, and little brother, all of whom love her deeply. Her father, Kenji Tsukino, is a magazine editor who takes photos for a living. Her mother, Ikuko Tsukino, appears to be a housewife, who has her hands full trying to keep her daughter in line. Her younger brother, Shingo Tsukino, is a student who enjoys teasing his clumsy older sister.
Sailor Moon fans are probably aware of their existence. They have appeared in both the anime and manga adaptations, to put it mildly. What fans may not know is that Usagi's family shares their names with Naoko Takeuchi's family, who has mentioned it in interviews. She has also written this information in comic strips produced in lieu of author's notes.
5 Usagi's name is a reference to her identity as Sailor Moon
His name means “Moon Rabbit”
In Japan, names are given with the family name first and the given name second. Thus, Japan knows Sailor Moon as Tsukino Usagi, which translates to “moon rabbit.” This may explain the constant bunny motifs seen in Usagi's items and clothing, even though the heroine in question hates carrots.
Additionally, her name may be connected to the myth of the moon rabbit. Instead of the Western world seeing “the man in the moon” in the craters and pits of Earth's moon, the Eastern part of the world tends to see a rabbit and a mortar. Some say the rabbit is pounding the elixir of life, while others say it's pounding some kind of rice cake. Either way, this makes Usagi's name a fun little nod to her secret identity.
4 There's a reason Mamoru calls Usagi “Odango”
Usagi's nickname comes from her hairstyle
Usagi's distinctive hairstyle has earned her quite a few nicknames in the various dubs of the series. In Indonesia, she is “onde-onde head”. Onde-onde are Malaysian coconut balls. In the English dub, she was called “meatball head” or “bun head”. However, in the original Japanese version, Mamoru chose to refer to Usagi as “odango”. The suffix “-atama” (meaning “head”) was originally used, but was dropped over time.
Dango are a type of Japanese round dumplings made from regular rice flour and glutinous rice flour, and are circular in shape like Usagi's buns. They are skewered with three or five dango usually on a stick and are a common sweet in Japan. Her hairstyle has become a hallmark of classic anime, so much so that she is now often referred to by her nickname: “odango” and even appears in other games and anime from time to time.
3 Sailor Moon has a second daughter
Chibi Moon is not an only child
Most Sailor Moon fans are familiar with Chibusa, the daughter of Mamoru and Usagi, the Crown Princess of Earth, and the civilian identity of Sailor Chibi Moon. However, in the parallel story of the art book Material Collection, Usagi actually has a second daughter, named Kousagi Tsukino, in an alternate universe. This makes Chibiusa her older sister.
Kousagi is a third-grade girl with bright pink hair and four cone-shaped odango buns in her hair. Her Sailor form does not have a known name, but it is undeniable that she has a Sailor form in the side story, working alongside her sister Chibiusa to protect Japan. Her powers include summoning a horde of cats that can transform into a giant lynx. On the other hand, all this could be just a dreamWho can say for sure?
2 The age difference between Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon was originally smaller
Mamoru isn't really in college
Some Sailor Moon critics have pointed out that Usagi is only 14, while Tuxedo Mask—and, by extension, Maoru—is 18 in the anime. The four-year age difference might not have been so large if Usagi were just a little older, but it’s undeniable that Mamoru is technically an adult while Usagi is still a minor.
However, in the manga, the age difference between the two destined lovers wasn't originally that big. Instead of being 18, Mamoru is only 16, just two years older than Usagi. This might put some of those who were unsure about their relationship a little more at ease. Of course, Usagi didn't marry her longtime boyfriend until she turned 22, according to Sailor Moon Crystal. It was only after that that she gave birth to her only daughter, Chibiusa.
1 Sailor Moon has a prequel manga
Sailor V Set the stage for Sailor Moon
Before Sailor Moon It was released in 1992, Takeuchi published the manga Codename: Sailor V in 1991. The 3-volume manga focuses on Minako Aino, later Sailor Venus, a high school student who discovers she has magical powers that she must use to protect the people of Earth. This short manga helps provide some context and lore to the world of Sailor Moon that fans know and love.
With the help of her talking cat Artemis, Minako fights the agents of the evil Dark Agency as Soldier of Justice: Sailor V. At the end of the manga, Minako discovers her true identity as Sailor Scout Sailor Venus. She then begins her search for the other four Sailor Guardians and the Moon Princess, all of whom are later revealed in Sailor Moon like Usagi and her friends.