How 'Sailor Moon' Created the Modern "Magical Girl" Template

The "Magical Girl" (Mahou Shoujo) genre is one of the oldest and most recognizable in anime. When most people think of it today, they imagine a group of teenage girls in colorful outfits, elaborate transformation sequences ("henshin"), and special attacks to defeat a monster.

That image, however, was not always the standard.

For decades, the genre was very different. It was the arrival of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon in 1991 (and its 1992 anime adaptation) that permanently redefined what it meant to be a "magical girl." Sailor Moon did not invent the genre, but it created the modern "Magical Girl Warrior" template.

The "Mahou Shoujo" Genre Before 'Sailor Moon'

Before Sailor Moon, the magical girl genre (started by series like Himitsu no Akko-chan in the 60s) followed a different formula.

• Solo Protagonist: The story almost always focused on one girl (not a team).

• Magic for Everyday Problems: Magic was not used for combat. It was used to solve personal or social problems.

• Classic Examples:

  • Creamy Mami (1983): A young girl uses magic to transform into a teen pop idol.

  • Minky Momo (1982): A magical princess uses her powers to help people regain their hopes and dreams.

These protagonists didn't fight monsters; they used their abilities for self-improvement, helping others, or living a double life.

The Revolution: Fusing with 'Super Sentai'

Naoko Takeuchi's key innovation was fusing the "magical girl" aesthetic with a completely different genre that was popular with boys: "Super Sentai" (the Japanese franchise that Power Rangers adapted).

The Super Sentai format is based on:

1. A team of (usually) five heroes.

2. Color-coded costumes.

3. A transformation sequence ("henshin").

4. Fighting a "monster of the week" sent by an evil organization.

5. A combined attack or final weapon to defeat the monster.

Sailor Moon took this Super Sentai action template and applied it to a female cast, creating the "Magical Girl Warrior" subgenre.

The 4 Elements 'Sailor Moon' Standardized

Sailor Moon established a set of tropes that became the standard template for nearly every magical girl series that came after.

1. The Team of Girls ("Sentai")

Usagi (Sailor Moon) was not alone. She was quickly joined by Ami (Mercury), Rei (Mars), Makoto (Jupiter), and Minako (Venus). This five-member team format, with distinct personalities and elemental powers, was a direct import from Sentai.

2. Magic for Combat

For the first time, magic was explicitly for fighting. The girls' powers weren't for becoming idols or helping with homework; they were weapons. "Moon Tiara Action" and "Fire Soul" were combat attacks designed to destroy enemies.

3. The Transformation Sequence (Henshin)

While transformations existed before, Sailor Moon turned them into a genre staple. The elaborate (and long) "Henshin" sequences became a requirement. They were necessary to change from "civilian mode" to "warrior mode."

4. The Mascot Guide and the Male Ally

Sailor Moon also standardized two key support characters:

• The Mascot: Luna, the talking cat, who serves as a mentor, guide, and the one who delivers the transformation items (a trope later seen in Cardcaptor Sakura with Keroberos and in Madoka Magica with Kyubey).

• The Male Ally: Tuxedo Mask, the mysterious male ally who appears to offer help or advice (an archetype repeated in many later series).

The Legacy: 'Precure', 'Madoka Magica', and the New Standard

The success of Sailor Moon was so massive that its "magical girl warrior" template became the gold standard.

• Pretty Cure (Precure): This massive franchise is the most direct spiritual descendant of Sailor Moon, focusing on teams of girls who use transformations to physically fight evil.

• Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011): This series is famous for "deconstructing" the genre. However, the deconstruction is only effective because the audience already perfectly understands the template Sailor Moon created (the cute mascot, the transformations, the promise of power). Madoka Magica subverts the expectations that Sailor Moon established.

Conclusion

Sailor Moon did not invent the magical girl, but she gave her the modern form. She took a genre based on social fantasy and turned it into an action-superhero genre.

Every "magical girl warrior" series that came after, from Cardcaptor Sakura to Madoka Magica, operates using the template that Sailor Moon established over thirty years ago.