If you were a kid growing up in the '90s then there's no way you were able to escape Sailor Moon. Both boys and girls adored the original run of the anime, and Sailor Moon is still seen on TV today, thanks to recent incarnations of the franchise.
However, as much as we all loved Sailor Moon as a kid, rewatching it now leaves you scratching your head and wondering how you ever thought that it made sense. Some parts of the show are incredibly sexual, while others are straight-up nonsensical.
Also, thanks to some major differences between the English and Japanese version, aside from differences between the names of characters, there are even more odd inconsistencies and obvious errors.
Rather than sitting down to watch all 400 episodes of the original anime series, we're going to point out some of the most important (or strangest) things that Sailor Moon never thought to resolve or fix.
Here are the 15 Unanswered Questions That Sailor Moon Left Hanging.
Why Could No One Recognize The Sailor Scouts After They Transformed?
Aside from Sailor Venus' short-lived mask, none of the Sailor Scouts do much to hide their identities. No masks or hoods means that every Sailor Scouts' face is visible to the entire public. Throwing on a pair of boots, some makeup, and a flashy schoolgirl uniform isn't exactly a disguise.
Not that anyone can ever recognize Serena as Sailor Moon, and the same goes for all the other Sailor Scouts. Why is that?
No clue, because the show never addresses this particular concern. The manga actually has some instances where loved ones recognize the Sailor Scouts, but that never really happens in the anime. “Magic” is the only real explanation given in the anime, which is far from satisfying.
Is Sailor Jupiter Ever Going To Come Out Of The Closet?
Queer characters in Sailor Moon were played down in the English dub, at least for the most part. Sailor Uranus and Neptune were made into “best friends” instead of lovers, and Zoisite was gender-swapped to make his romantic relationship with Kunzite heterosexual in nature.
However, there's another often-seen-as-gay character in the anime: Sailor Jupiter.
Constantly blushing after seeing the underwear of her teammates, and harbouring what seems to be a major crush on Sailor Uranus, fans pretty much assumed that Sailor Jupiter would come out of the closet at some point. There are even more than a few moments where it seems like Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus are getting it on behind-the-scenes.
Unfortunately, even in the original Japanese version of the show, we're never given concrete proof that Sailor Jupiter is, in fact, queer. Fans will forever speculate, though, and there are enough fanfics out there to prove it.
Why Is Tuxedo Mask The Only Male Sailor Scout?
Even though he doesn't have a schoolgirl uniform, Tuxedo Mask is technically a Sailor Scout/Senshi. Tuxedo Mask is the guardian of the planet Earth, much like Sailor Moon is the protector of the moon.
Strangely, though, Tuxedo Mask is the only male Sailor Scout seen in the entire anime. Literally every other Sailor Scout, from Venus to Pluto to Galaxia is a woman. Obviously, there's nothing wrong with that, but it begs the question: why?
Some fans theorize that the power of the Sailor Scouts doesn't mesh well with the “Y” chromosome. Women are simply more suited to a planet's magical power. Tuxedo Mask, then, is something of an anomaly.
That would explain why Tuxedo Mask is weaker than the other Sailor Scouts, at least by the end of the anime. However, at no point does the anime ever really give a clear reason.
Why Do Sailor Scouts Wear Navy-style Schoolgirl Uniforms?
Immortal protectors of the Milky Way Galaxy, the Sailor Scouts have existed for thousands upon thousands of years. You'd think their battle-wear would reflect that. Instead, the entire Sailor Scout team wear schoolgirl uniforms reminiscent of European Navy outfits.
Japanese school uniforms were directly inspired by military naval-wear starting in the 1950s, so it's easy to why the anime used the same type of design for the Sailor Scouts. However, no explanation is given as to why this is the case in the anime. Wouldn’t galactic warriors wear something a bit more protective, like actual armour?
One could assume the Sailor Scout outfits were informed by the subconscious of Serena and her friends, but that theory doesn't really stick when you consider someone like Sailor Galaxia, who is far older.
What's The Deal With Sailor Moon's Red Hair Clips?
More than just a flashy piece of apparel, Sailor Moon's red hair bun accessories are actually somewhat useful in her fight against evil-- in the beginning of the anime, at least.
During Sailor Moon's first encounter against the Dark Kingdom, she unknowingly utilizes her red hair clips to amplify her own cries. The result is pretty fantastic, as Sailor Moon is able to unleash a sonic cry to subdue her foes. Later on, when paired with Rini's cry, the sonic boom managed to level a building.
As a useful tool, Sailor Moon's red hair clips never really get used afterwards. Despite being a powerful attack, the anime just kind of forgets about the supersonic waves trick. The reason could simply be that Sailor Moon learned to harness her power, and not just instinctively cry, but the anime never points this out... ever.
Why Doesn't Queen Beryl Recognize Sailor Moon?
Unlike Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and the rest of the Sailor Scouts, Queen Beryl isn't a reincarnation. Beryl is the original evil queen who destroyed the Moon Kingdom thousands of years ago, at least in the anime. So, unlike the rest of the show's cast in the first season, Beryl remembers everything from Sailor Moon's previous life.
Yet, Queen Beryl doesn't even suspect for an instant that Sailor Moon is the reincarnation of Princess Serenity. The two look exactly alike, and you'd think that hating Princess Serenity for a thousand years would etch her face into Queen Beryl's mind. One could only assume that seeing Sailor Moon perform amazing magical feats would tip Beryl off, too, but nope.
Instead, the anime glosses over this particular plot-hole and (unrealistically) keeps Queen Beryl in the dark.
Are Sailor Scouts Supposed To Be Super Strong, Too?
Everyone knows that Sailor Moon commands intense magical power. Able to purify demons, and entire cities, not to mention battle the universe's most dangerous foes, no one can contest that Sailor Moon isn't incredibly strong.
However, while Sailor Moon is explicitly shown to be magically powerful, is she physically strong too?
Hints were given throughout the anime to show that, yes, Sailor Moon-- and possibly all Sailor Scouts-- commanded some level of super-strength. In season one, Sailor Moon easily punches out a few mind-controlled bodybuilders, quite the feat for a 14-year-old-girl. Sailor Moon can also move pretty freely on Planet Nemesis, which is said to have some pretty intense gravity.
Yet, despite this little clues to Sailor Moon's superhuman strength, viewers are never told it's one of her powers. Nor does Sailor Moon ever really exhibit super-strength outside of the aformentioned instances. So really, who knows?
Why Is Sailor Jupiter Part Of The "Inner Guardians"?
Once Sailor Uranus and Neptune are introduced, along with Sailor Saturn and Pluto, the core group of the Sailor Scouts are given a bit more information on the sacred duty as galactic guardians. The original four Sailor Scouts (Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter) are the “Inner Senshi” and are bodyguards to Sailor Moon. The “Outer Senshi,” on the other hand, are the solar system's first line of defence.
As astronomers will know, the designation between “inner” and “outer” has to do with the layout of our solar system. Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto are part of the outer solar system. However, technically, so is the planet Jupiter.
Yet, for reasons unanswered, Sailor Jupiter is still part of the inner guardians, despite the fact that her planet is part of the outer solar system. No one really knows why this is the case, not that it's the biggest deal.
How Did Chaos Affect The Entire Universe When It Was Sealed?
Long before the events of the anime, there were the Sailor Wars. On the side of evil was the malign entity known as Chaos, who sought to destroy the Milky Way Galaxy. Leading the side of light was one of the most powerful Sailor Scouts, Sailor Galaxia, who sealed Chaos inside of her own body to trap the dark, cosmic force.
By the time of the anime's fifth season, Chaos is fully in control of Galaxia's body, as the Sailor Scout had released her star seed to avoid its corruption. To make Chaos seem even more evil and uber-powerful, the anime says it was Chaos's dark influence that led to the creation of all the other big-bads in the show.
However, if Chaos was sealed inside of Galaxia, how is this even possible? Maybe Galaxia's body couldn't contain Chaos fully, but we can't be certain.
Why Does Sailor Moon Never Open With Her Ultimate Attack?
Almost every single monster-of-the-week battle in Sailor Moon goes the exact same: the Sailor Scouts battle the beast, they all try their attacks, Tuxedo Mask may arrive to help, and, finally, Sailor Moon will perform her strongest move to ultimately defeat the monster.
Fans know the formula, but everyone would save a lot of time if Sailor Moon simply opened with her most powerful attack-- almost every monster would have been beaten in a matter of seconds.
One could argue that the monsters needed to be weakened enough to let Sailor Moon do her thing, but it's far more likely the anime needed to fill up 22-minutes. Having Sailor Moon beat the monster right at the beginning of the battle would be too quick, which is probably why the show never really addressed this question.
What destroyed the entire world?
Once Serena and the Sailor-squad head into the future during the anime's second season, they're given some backstory on the events leading to the creation of Crystal Tokyo. However, the show glossed over some pretty important details.
Apparently, at some point after the dawn of the 20th century, after the events of the series, the entire Earth goes into a deep-freeze. It's going to take around one thousand years for the world to be thawed out, and not be natural means. The world is only brought out of a new ice age thanks to Neo-Queen Serenity and the ever-handy Silver Crystal.
What, exactly, plunged the entire Earth into sub-arctic conditions? Was it some unnamed evil force, or something a little more mundane, like climate change? Viewers were never really given a straight answer, probably because it didn't matter all that much to the plot.
Why Don't The Villains Ever Attack When The Sailor Scouts Are Transforming?
As a beloved aspect of the anime, Sailor Scout transformations can take a some time to get through. The whole sequence can take up to a minute, even more if there are multiple transformations going on.
You'd think that any smart villain, seeing their foe magically change clothes, would use this opportunity to strike. Yes, a lot of the time the Sailor Scouts transformed away from battle, but not always. Plenty of enemies could have taken out the entire team if they were smart about it.
One could reconcile this oddity by saying the transformation sequence may take a while to viewers, but in anime-reality, it happens in an instant. The show never really says this outright, though, which really makes you wonder how smart the villains were.
Why Does Rini Have Pink Hair?
Serena has blonde hair and Darien has black hair. Since the two are the future-parents of Rini, you’d think their kid would be either blonde or brunette. Instead Rini’s hair is…pink?
In an anime-world where people have blue hair, the fact that Rini’s hair is pink isn’t too out-of-the-norm. However, it is when you factor in genetics. Not even Serena’s biological parents are shown to have bright pink hair link Rini’s.
The anime never really points out this inconsistency, but there is a real-world explanation. Serena’s original character design had her sporting pink hair, so her daughter, Rini, was designed the same way. When the design for Serena was changed, however, the same change wasn’t applied to Rini, leaving a forever-unanswered question in the anime.
Why Do The Sailor Scouts Get Nail Polish?
Here's another transformation-related unanswered question that has been noticed by many fans of the show: what's with the nail polish for all the Sailor Scouts?
Sure, it's cool to see the nail polish appear on each Sailor Scouts hand with a flash of light and magic, but what's the point? All the Sailor Scouts wear elbow-length gloves, covering up the nail polish entirely, which means that the nail polish doesn't even add aesthetic value since it's completely unseen.
Not even a sensical fan theory exists to explain why the Sailor Scouts are given nail polish, aside from making sure they all look fabulous, gloves or no gloves. So many fans are left to wonder: is the nail polish inherently powerful? Do they need the nail polish to provide them with magical abilities? One can only guess.
Why Doesn't Serena Have Nipples In The Finale?
The final episode of the original Sailor Moon anime was nothing short of epic. Serena's battle with Galaxia/Chaos is one of the best in the series, and the end will leave even the most stone-hearted of all viewers with a tear in their eye.
However, while the finale does its best to wrap up all the loose ends, there's one question that will forever remain unanswered: why the heck does Serena not have nipples?
For whatever reason, when Serena makes her final transformation during the battle, she strips down-- like, fully strips down. Except there's something strange about Serena's physique. Serena lacks nipples... and genitalia.
Obviously, showing all of that to kids would be a bit inappropriate, which is probably why the anime didn't include nipples or anything else. Still, it would have been nice for older viewers to get some reason as to why this was the case. Could Sailor Scouts just be different from humans?
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Do you have any answers to these questions? Or, for that matter, can you think of any other unanswered Sailor Moon questions? Let us know in the comment section!