A concept that is developed by Naoko Takeuchi and popularized by him as well, Sailor Moon is a series of animated cartoons that deals with the power of magic and its utility in saving the world.
The fantasy elements in the cartoons are adaptations of mythological stories and are enacted by a group of teenage girls, who transform themselves and use their magical powers to fight the evils that are surrounding the world. They are said to be the reincarnated saviors of a world that once spanned the entire solar system.
The lead in the animated cartoon series, Usagi Tsukino, lives the monotonous life of a teenager until she is found by a cat- Luna- that talks. Luna then takes her through a journey of awakening where Usagi learns that the earth will be attacked by a Dark Kingdom. Her powers are now realized and she gets ready to face the oncoming attacks. In the process, she meets a set of friends who assist her in the noble deed.
Usagi leads her group of friends as Sailor Moon and prepares to meet her enemies in the best way she can. During this process, she learns of her past life, her true love and the future possibilities for planet earth and the entire solar system.
Usagi, the protagonist of the animated series is shown as a school girl who wants nothing to do with magic or fighting evil. But once she realizes the gravity of the situation, she rises to the occasion and defends her throne well. She is accompanied by Mamoru Chiba, who is a little older than Usagi. Losing his parents in an accident, makes Mamoru more sensitized and he gains some psychic abilities. He also plays Usagi’s love interest.
Ami Mizuno, who is a rather shy student, transforms into Sailor Mercury who has the power over all phases of water. She has varied interests like pop culture and reading romantic novels but is embarrassed by them. The one with a practical approach, she wants to become a doctor but her plans to save the world stop her in her tracks. Sailor Mars has the uncanny ability to sense and ward off evil in civilians too. Being extremely focused and serious about her job, she also gains the ability to use fire according to her wishes.
Other characters that form a part of the group are Sailor Jupiter, Sailor venus, Sailor Chibi Moon, Sailor Pluto, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Saturn. They ward off the evil eye and work towards saving not only earth but also the entire solar system.
This cartoon series has been adapted in many different forms. There have been a couple of stage musicals, SerMyu. These were a set of 800 performances in 29 musicals between 1993 and 2005. Then came a set of live-action series. After that these were also adapted into video games for which a company called Angel made most of the games. This series was also adapted into English series.
