'90s anime reboot boasts girl power, but iffy body images.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
People transform into monsters with sharp teeth and scary features. A shrouded villain plots against the heroines and humankind. There are kidnappings, falls, and many confrontations in which all parties use powers such as the ability to turn an enemy to stone and smash it. Some characters die.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
The Guardians and Luna fight for justice and peace, putting themselves in harm's way in the process. They're independent and committed to the cause, and they do their own rescuing. Villains are the opposite; they use trickery to get what they want, no matter the cost.
Positive Messages
some
Empowering messages include embracing destiny and fighting the good fight, plus choosing good over evil even when it's difficult to do so.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Sailor Moon Crystal is a Japanese anime series (available in a subtitled version online) that centers on an ongoing battle over a powerful mythical crystal. The story's heroes are teen girls who've discovered that they have powers to use against an evil presence, so overt themes of girl power and embracing one's destiny stand out. The Sailor Guardians are decent role models, given their willingness to put themselves in danger's path to keep mankind safe from evil, but their physical appearance and attire (very short skirts, rail-thin bodies, and clingy tops) raise issues about what some TV characters teach girls about body image. Expect many confrontations that feature traditional fighting as well as the use of magical powers; and expect the occasional kiss.
Sailor Moon Crystal does carry some great role models especially considering we get to see the main character mature and grow stronger over the seasons. This version, however, is more heavily based on the manga which is much more adult than the original anime but it tends to vary episode by episode.
Just some things worth mentioning--
All the main characters die at least once
The title character when having a flashback to her past life recalls that she committed suicide after her love died
There are very subtle references to sex on later episodes
If the series continues to cover the S arc, things become much darker. You may want to revisit it and see if it's still appropriate for younger kids
All in all, it is a great story and there's some really great messages in here. Just make sure your children can handle some of the darker elements
Look, people say that it promotes girl power, but really, the main character, Sailor Moon, is this high school girly-girl who cries over everything and acts as if she is a little primary school girl! The show is dreadfully boring and Sailor Moon stays immature throughout the whole show! She leans upon her friends and boyfriend way too much and is the worst role model in existence! If you want to watch things about female superheroes and girl power, I recommend watching Supergirl or any other anime!
What's the Story?
SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL is a Japanese series whose central figure is 14-year-old Usagi Tsukino (voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi). One day Usagi encounters a talking cat who introduces herself as Luna (Jill Frappier) and reveals that Usagi is a Sailor Guardian, the leader of a group of guardians tasked with protecting the powerful Legendary Silver Crystal from the evil Queen Beryl (Misa Watanabe). Luna presents her with a jewel that transforms her into her powerful alter ego and tasks her with finding allies who will help her in the fight.
A reboot of the original Sailor Moon series from the '90s, this is an engaging show with strong themes about girl power and fighting for what's right. The core group of heroines not only prove they're capable of waging their own battles, they even sing about it in the theme song: "We are not helpless girls who need men's protection ... We will fight on our own." Men (or teen boys, rather) do have roles in the story, including one who seems allegiant to the girls' cause, but it's the ladies who steal the show and, in the process, realize strengths they never had.
That's why it's a pity they couldn't do their thing in something other than cheerleading-length skirts and form-fitting tops that draw attention to their impossibly slim, leggy physiques. Sure, guardians of the universe can be pretty, too, but is it really necessary that they fight evil in what amounts to a swimsuit with sleeves and high heels? Body-image concerns aside, though, Sailor Moon Crystal is a decent action series that will appeal to both girls and boys.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what drives the Guardians' efforts in Sailor Moon Crystal. Do they gain anything personally by shouldering the fight against Queen Beryl? Is it always necessary to get credit for doing the right thing? Why is it important to do the right thing even when no one notices?
Tweens: What does this show intend to say about girls' capabilities? Do they face any challenges they can't manage without the help of a boy? Is this a positive message?
Why do you think the Guardians are drawn the way they are, with minimal clothing and very thin bodies? Are they realistic body types? Does seeing pictures like this make you feel differently about how you look? Why, or why not?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
