Note:  This page is meant for fans who have seen the English TV version of Sailor Moon.

How many episodes of Sailor Moon are there?

• There are 200 episodes in the entire series, however only 159 were shown on TV in the USA.

How many Sailor Moon movies are there?

• There are 3 Sailor Moon movies and all of them are available on home video in English.  See the Where to Get Sailor Moon Stuff section.

What are Sailor Moon R, S, SuperS, and Sailor Stars?

• These are the original Japanese names for the different seasons of Sailor Moon.  See the Episode Title List.

Who created Sailor Moon?

• Sailor Moon was originally a Japanese manga (comic book) written by Naoko Takeuchi.  It was then adapted for TV by various companies including Toei (in Japan) and DiC and Cloverway (in the USA).

Why do they wear sailor suits?

• The idea of the sailor suit as a fashion for children started in Europe in the late 1800's/early 1900's and was popularized due to its use by children of the European royal families. The style even reached Japan where it became very common as a school uniform. Variations of the sailor style have remained popular as a Japanese school uniform ever since, especially for middle-school/junior high school girls.

How old are the girls?

• At the beginning of the first series, they are all 14 and in the second year of middle school (roughly equivalent to grade eight or nine in North American schools).

What are Raye's extra powers all about?

• Raye works at her grandfather's Shinto temple as an apprentice.  At the temple, she wears the traditional temple costume.  A Shinto shrine maiden is called a miko.  A miko is sometimes described as an intermediary between the supernatural and human worlds (e.g. "Suzako no Miko" in Fushigi Yuugi).  That's why Raye sometimes has visions or can sense things.  The paper seals that Raye uses are called ofuda and in Japanese tradition they are able to trap or negate spiritual power. The writing on the seal says "akuryotaisan" which literally means "evil spirits run away".

Why do the girls have different school uniforms? 

• Raye wears a gray school uniform and goes to T.A. Private Girls School, whereas Serena, Amy and Lita go to Juuban Jr. High.  Lita wears a brown uniform because Juuban Jr. High didn't have any girl's uniforms that would fit her (she is very tall), so she still wears her former school's uniform.  These details are only explained in the comic books.

Why do they all have huge eyes?

• This drawing style was originated by Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) who created the first Japanese TV animation Tetsuwan Atom (Astroboy) and many other famous comics and cartoons.  Tezuka's works set the standard look for comics in Japan.

What is that red building that looks like the Eiffel Tower?

• It's the Tokyo Tower, a prominent landmark of the Tokyo skyline.  It carries broadcasting antennae for the Tokyo area.

Why does Darien call Serena "meatball head"?

• This is a pretty accurate English equivalent to the Japanese joke.  He calls her odango atama.  Odango are dumplings which look like little rolled-up balls - just like Serena's hairstyle - and atama means "head".

What is the Negaforce?

• Queen Beryl repeatedly refers to the need for energy in order to release the destructive power of the Negaforce. We sometimes see her consulting this force for guidance.  In the original Japanese story, the villains were trying to gather energy to reincarnate their former empress Queen Metalia who was destroyed by Queen Serenity, and it is her spirit that Beryl speaks with. In the English version the Negaforce is a disembodied evil force that needs to feed on human energy in order to grow.

What is the relation between Sailor Venus and Sailor V?

• They are the same person.  Artemis found Mina before Luna found Serena, and Mina acted as Sailor V until Artemis and Luna got all five girls together, at which point she became Sailor Venus (orange skirt instead of blue and without the pink mask).
• In real life, the "Sailor V" comic book series was the first sailor-suited superheroine comic created by Ms. Naoko Takeuchi and when she created "Sailor Moon" - a longer, more complex story based on the Sailor V idea - she decided to incorporate her old character into the new series.  Click here for more information about Sailor V.

Why is there no Sailor Earth?

• Tuxedo Mask is the hero that represents Earth.  Darien's Japanese name is Chiba Mamoru.  Mamoru means "protector" and chi means "Earth".

Is there a Sailor Sun?

• The 5th season (Sailor Stars) deals with the question of whether there are Sailor Soldiers from other parts of the galaxy.  However, no Sailor Sun is ever specifically mentioned.

Other web pages use the Japanese character names and I'm getting confused!

• Here are the main characters names in Japanese and English.  In Japanese, the family name is written first.

• For more information, see the Character Names page.

When/What channel is Sailor Moon on TV?

• In the past Sailor Moon was mostly shown on Cartoon Network in the USA and YTV in Canada.  For current information, check your local TV listings in the newspaper on a site such as TV Guide, Yahoo or Canada.com.

Will Cartoon Network show Sailor Stars series?

• The general word is that Sailor Stars will never be broadcast in English. If you have a question for Cartoon Network about Sailor Moon or any other show in their Toonami block, you can write to them at toonami@cartoonnetwork.com