Sailor Moon and Power Rangers have a very interesting connection that most might not have known about: Why do characters from both shows always pose in such dramatic ways?
Sailor Moon is probably one of the most well-known anime in the world, having hit mainstream success early on. It's one of the most popular shows and had a revival in the late 2010s with Sailor Moon Crystal. Power Rangers is on equal level of popularity with multiple shows and versions as well as movies.
While the two shows are completely different in nature, they do share a curious connection. Both shows take inspiration from one specific piece of media.
Sailor Moon And Power Rangers Inspired By Same Series
The original Sailor Moon manga, written by Naoko Takeuchi, was first released in 1991. Two years later, in 1993 the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers hit television screens in the United States. Both shows were filled with bright and wild colors, fighting teenagers, as well as mysterious superpowers.
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were the North American adaptation of the Japanese Zyurangers. These Zyurangers were the sixteenth installment of the Super Sentai series and aired from 1992 to 1993.
So, what does all this have to do with Sailor Moon? Easy, Naoko Takeuchi, creator of Sailor Moon, was a huge fan of the Super Sentai series, which has been running since 1975. She took inspiration from the superhero series when creating Sailor Moon, wanting to make an action packed and colorful series, but for the girls, since Super Sentai was always marketed towards young boys.
In a clip from the 20th anniversary of Super Sentai, Naoko Takeuchi is seen talking about her inspiration for Sailor Moon and how the series helped shape Sailor Moon into the story we've all come to love.
I wanted to do something in the fantasy genre for girls. In Japan there have always been series like Super Sentai and I loved them, I've been watching them for as long as I can remember, I watched each one twenty times and I love them. It occurred to me to do something like Super Sentai, but for girls.
So, while the premise of Power Rangers and Sailor Moon might be completely different, both take direct inspiration from Super Sentai, which is where some of the similarities come from. Both shows follow teenagers with superpowers. The dramatic transformation scenes can also be directly taken from Super Sentai. Oh, and let's not forget the poses... those are key!