6 Reasons Why It’s Hard to Watch Sailor Moon in 2026

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The following article contains a few spoilers for Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon is widely considered the most influential magical girl series ever created. Before it, the concept of a team of girls transforming into costumed heroes to protect the world was unheard of. Sailor Moon essentially defined the genre and continues to be a key part of both magical girl series and shoujo manga as a whole. Its enduring popularity also solidifies its place as one of the most important anime franchises of all time.

Older anime from the 1990s can be difficult for today’s viewers, often because of unnecessary filler episodes or clichés that don’t resonate as well now. While the animation isn’t always top-notch by 2010s standards, the remake Sailor Moon Crystal – which cuts out those fillers – might be a more enjoyable choice for many. Here’s a look at why the original Sailor Moon anime can be a tough watch for some fans today.

There’s Filler Content Everywhere

You know, when Sailor Moon first came out, things were so different in the anime world! Nowadays, we’re used to shorter seasons, but back then, big studios like Toei would really stretch a story out. They’d keep the anime running on TV for years, basically making it last and last!

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For original anime series, creating new stories is standard practice. However, when adapting manga, it often involves adding completely new episodes, characters, and even story arcs – like the Makaiju Arc – that weren’t in the original manga, and sometimes even clash with it. As a result, the anime frequently deviates from the manga’s plot, and some episodes seem designed just to extend the series’ length.

Animation Is Too Repetitive and Formulaic

Anime production in the 1990s looked quite different than it does now. Because computer-generated imagery (CGI) was still new, most shows were animated entirely by hand. To save money and time, animators would often create and reuse individual drawings, or ‘cels,’ in multiple scenes. This practice, combined with the popular ‘monster-of-the-week’ format for children’s shows which relied on repeating footage, sometimes resulted in animation and episodes that felt repetitive and predictable.

It’s Slow, Perhaps Too Slow

The show often felt stretched out due to an excess of filler and repeated animation. To make the story last longer, scenes were unnecessarily prolonged and action unfolded very slowly. This meant problems that could have been resolved quickly would drag on for multiple episodes.

The storyline where Mamoru and Rei are a couple feels unnecessary and doesn’t really advance the main plot. While it creates some drama, it mostly slows things down, making the story feel drawn out and delaying important developments.

Some Tropes Don’t Land Well Anymore

A lot has changed since Sailor Moon first aired in the 1990s. Today, many viewers might not connect with a main character like Usagi, who often needs rescuing despite having powerful abilities. She frequently starts the story as someone who needs help, which can make it hard for some to see her as strong, even though Sailor Moon is actually incredibly powerful—she even rebuilt the universe!

The relationship between Usagi and Mamoru starts with a lot of arguing and dislike, which was a typical plot device back then. However, modern viewers might find this problematic, as it can normalize unhealthy relationship dynamics. Their age difference would also likely be criticized. Additionally, the series repeatedly makes jokes about Usagi’s weight and eating habits, something that would almost certainly cause controversy on social media today.

Sailor Moon SuperSFeatures Highly Questionable Dynamics

Most older anime have clichés that just feel outdated, but Sailor Moon SuperS has something truly strange. The connection between Chibiusa and Pegasus/Helios is unsettling and awkward. He appears as a grown man, while she looks like a little girl, despite being centuries old.

The romantic feelings between these characters seem forced and don’t fit the story’s overall tone. The suggestion of a daughter having a crush on her father is particularly awkward. However, the father consistently sees her as a child, meaning there’s no real romantic connection – it’s simply a one-sided, childish infatuation, though a rather complex one.

The Old Dubs Are Not Available to Stream

Some people might welcome the new dub of the series, but many longtime fans who are used to the older versions are disappointed they can’t find them on streaming services. Even though the older dubs weren’t perfect, they hold a special place for those fans, making it hard to switch to the newer, more accurate version from VIZ. However, new viewers likely won’t have this problem and might instead find the show’s older content a bit dated.

You can watch Sailor Moon on Hulu. Sailor Moon Crystal is available on Hulu, Netflix, and Crunchyroll.

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2026-05-08 16:36