Ever notice the similarities between the events and characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sailor Moon?
To what popular, trailblazing heroine of the 90s does this description apply?
Most Americans first answer would beBuffy the Vampire Slayer, and they wouldnt be wrong.
Its to note the synchronicity of their production timelines for illustrate the timeliness of both franchises.
So, with that little disclaimer out of the way, we begin with our heroines.
Buffy Summers was conceived by Joss Whedon as a subversion of the horror trope of the doomed blonde victim.
Like Buffy, Usagi refuses to let her calling define her and clings to whatever shreds of normalcy possible.
Both girls are the last person their exposition-spouting mentors would have chosen for the role of Earths savior.
But the parallels dont end there.
Oh, Im just getting warmed up.
You know what this story needs?
A dark, mysterious, well dressed older man whos as charming as he is morally ambiguous.
Yes, Mamorus quest is about identity while Angels is about atonement.
First up is Xander, who existed primarily to invert the trope of the damsel in distress.
Xanders role was pretty much to be the victim, the dupe, the butt monkey.
Ah, Willow… sweet, shy, bookish Willow.
Then theres Cordelia, Buffys bitchy rival and civilian nemesis.
Her brief courtship with Mamoru was not unlike Cordelias pursuit of Angel, which lasted well intoBuffyssecond season.
Of course, no show is complete without its villains.
The Master, a vampire patriarch who leads the Order of Aurelius has several parallels in theSailor Moonuniverse.
Kendra: The Vampire Slayer = Sailor Venus
The by-the-book reflection of the less than ideal heroine.
Thus, in the end, her technical perfection turns out to be a liability.
Anya = The Ayakashi Sisters
One character represents four.
For Anya its magic, and for the sisters its cosmetics, but an entrepreneur is an entrepreneur.
Granted, Mako-chan remained more in the chaste-but-boy-crazy, romantic A.D.D.
Professor Tomoe sold his soul to dark powers to save his daughters life.
Mayor Wilkins intentions were hardly that pure, but sell his soul he did.
The Primitive (The First Slayer) = Queen Serenity
I know.
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Both girls are initially ignorant of their connection to the heroine.
Both develop an antagonistic but loving, sisterly relationship with the heroine.
Chibiusa has a magical dimensional key that can bring up the gates of time and space.
Dawnisa magical dimensional key that can initiate the gates of time and space.
Chibiusa means Small Usagi.
Spike eventually takes to calling Dawn Bitty Buffy.
I have to admit, this one is really the motherlode (no pun intended).
Its all downhill from here.
A hot, new guy shows up in the heroines life in the wake of her boyfriends mysterious disappearance.
Hes easy on the eyes and has his own kind of charm.
They serve evil, but not very effectively, all while creeping on women.
Except for the one who is obviously into men.
While Chaos wasnt mentioned until nearly the very end ofSailor Moon, both serve the exact same function.
Despite this difference, however, a season of either show is basically an ascent through villains hierarchy.
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Look at Queen Beryl.
Shes the one weve seen all season.
Shes the demon bitch queen weve grown to love to hate.
And yes, she does get her moment in the sun.
She and Sailor Moon do meet, but they never really throw down.
Its Metalia whos been the real threat this whole time, manipulating Beryl like a freakin puppet.
We dont want to see Sailor Moon do battle with a huge, blobby cloud of evil.
We want to see her kick Beryls ass!
So… Metalia possesses the dying Beryl to form a kind of titanic super-Beryl.
Its Beryls form but the coloring is different.
And whats the only thing that can close said hell portal?
More can be said on this topicI suspect a lot morebut this is the heart and soul of it.
Did one copy the other?
Which show is better?
For a definitive answer, all I can say is…
In the name of the moon, she is the Slayer.
Thus, while Usagi is not canonically blonde, for the purpose of aesthetic comparison, she is.
This article originally ran on February 18th, 2014.
