Favorite Manga #1: Sailor Moon

Synopsis: 
Usagi is a normal, ditzy high school girl, until she finds out she's the reincarnated Princess of the Moon, with the power to transform into the magical girl, Sailor Moon.  With the help of the other senshi (warriors) who are all named after the planets, and are the reincarnation of her soldiers on the moon, she fights to save Earth, and later the galaxy.  All while dealing with school and falling in love!

Review:

Characters:
Usagi (Sailor Moon): In the beginning, Usagi is a ditzy, crybaby.  She's not the brightest girl.  But she's kind and understanding.  While she might not enjoy fighting at first, she loves her new friends, and eventually embraces her role. 







Ami (Sailor Mercury): A classmate of Usagi, she's a shy, extremely smart bookworm.  She's also the most level headed of the group, and wants to take care of people.  She's also the technophile of the group.





 


Rei (Sailor Mars): She's serious, and often gets annoyed by the fact that Usagi is such an air head.    She works as a shinto priestess which gives her special powers to dispel evil spirits even before she became a senshi.







 
Makoto (Sailor Jupiter):  The athletic member of the group, she's very tall and strong.  She lives by herself since her parents died years before, and enjoys domestic duties as well.

Minako (Sailor Venus):  She was the leader of the four guardians and dreams of becoming a pop idol, and actively pursues this dream.








Plot:
***Sailor Moon has been out of print in the US for a few years, but starting in September of this year it's being re-released by a new company, which will hopefully mean better translations, and of course it won't be flipped.***
Sailor Moon was the first anime that I watched, the first manga I read, and even one of the first J-dramas I ever saw.  I'll admit the stories all meld a bit in my head, since its been a couple of years, and I sadly borrowed the manga instead of buying it, so I can't reread it, yet.  But one thing will always hold true.  I love this story and I love these characters.  Yes, the magical girl defending the Earth has been done before and since, but there's something about Sailor Moon that draws you in and makes you remember it.  There's a reason that you go to an anime convention today, 14 years after Sailor Moon ended in Japan, and still find Sailor Moon goods at most booths.  I am a serious fan, probably obsessive at one point, since half my walls were covered with Sailor Moon posters (I still have a few hanging up).  I highly recommend if you like manga, especially manga for girls, that you read this one. 

Art:

I started with the anime and I'll admit that the manga art was a bit jarring at first, since it is a slightly older series.  There are manga out now that are prettier than this one, but I still enjoy the art style here.  It really grows on you.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5.