27 years after its premiere, the Sailor Moon anime series is still entertaining a new generation of fans. What makes Sailor Moon so endearing? Is it the large cast of inspirational, yet, relatable characters? Is it the gorgeous art style set to a whimsical world? Well, yes, all those points are valid. However, what really keeps Sailor Moon present in the anime zeitgeist are all its hilarious memes.
The show may be over 20 years old, but these Sailor Moon anime memes are always good for a laugh. Here are 10 hilarious Sailor Moon memes that only true Sailor Scouts will understand.
10 But You Didn't Do Anything
First things first. It's impossible to talk about Sailor Moon memes without acknowledging one of the show's most famous inside jokes. The "My Job Here Is Done" meme featuring Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask is the perfect image macro for any situation where someone takes complete credit for doing absolutely nothing.
Anyone who watched the anime's early run of episodes will instantly recognize this comical lampooning of Tuxedo Mask's constant last-minute interjections that amount to offering sage advice to Sailor Moon, instead of actually fighting by her side. There are so many great alternate versions of this meme, but the original is always best.
9 Pluto Isn't A Planet
Poor Sailor Pluto. Not only is she tasked with the thankless and isolated job of guarding the Time Gate, but she's not even a real sailor scout anymore. Thanks to the controversial scientific findings of astronomers like Mike Brown and Neil deGrasse Tyson, Pluto was officially downgraded from a planet to a "dwarf planet" in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union.
With Pluto no longer meeting the requirements to be classified as a planet, that makes Sailor Pluto even more of an odd man (or woman, in this case) out. Poor, poor Sailor Pluto.
8 Hipster Moon
The original Sailor Moon anime was a treasure trove for reaction images. No matter the situation, you could count on Usagi to make an over-the-top expression. The best Usagi reactions, however, were always the smug expressions she would make whenever she had a slight upper hand on someone.
One particular smug picture of Usagi has been photoshopped to turn her into self-satisfied hipster ready to "well, actually" anyone in a heartbeat. A perfect meme for Sailor Moon fans who want to silence any fans of Sabrina the Teenage Witch for having a talking cat.
7 Do You Have A Boyfriend?
Try as the might, the former English dub of Sailor Moon couldn't erase the gay from Sailor "Haruka Tenoh" Uranus. A great example of why the Sailor Moon anime continues to be relevant today is that if offered daring characters like Haruka - an androgynous woman in a lesbian relationship with Sailor Neptune - for LGBTQ viewers to latch onto. Even though future shows would explore LGBTQ elements more openly, characters like Sailor Uranus helped pave the way.
That why it's funny to look back at innocent scenes like Sailor Venus asking Uranus if she had a boyfriend, as Sailor Moon fans are well aware of the character's strong lesbian background. Especially when it ends with a hearty reference to one of the best Gorillaz songs ever released.
6 Then & Now
If Sailor Moon Crystal's digital animation did not clearly highlight the differences from the original Sailor Moon anime, the opening scene of Usagi running straight to school really spells it out.
The anime clichés of yesteryear, like an anime schoolgirl running with a large piece of toast in her mouth, are no longer present in Sailor Moon Crystal. Poor digitally-animated Usagi. If she only had a piece of toast in her mouth, she wouldn't be late for school. Nonetheless, one can't help but watch with glee, as Usagi embarks on a new anime adventure in the 21st century.
5 Sleepy Moon
One of the most hilarious things about Sailor Moon was the sharp differences between Usagi as Queen Serenity in her past life versus her modern incarnation.
While Queen Serenity was often shown to be a brave, bold, and beautiful woman, Usagi was often depicted as being lazy, piggish, and a crybaby. The "How People Think I Sleep" meme perfectly highlights this contrast, which shows Queen Serenity sleeping in the most elegant way possible, while Usagi is passed out like a slob. Sleep tight, Sailor Moon.
4 Eat A Snickers
Outside of being a delicious candy bar, Snickers has given meme creators a wonderful template to work with through their amusing "Eat a Snickers" ad campaign. The idea of hunger causing someone to act like a monster, which can be reversed by eating a snickers bar is something most people can relate to.
It's especially relatable for the Sailor Moon series, as the adorable Sailor Chibi Moon finds herself transformed into the evil, grown-up Black Lady after experiencing a slight famish. If only Sailor Moon had a Snickers during the Black Moon Arc, then maybe things wouldn't have gotten so messy.
3 Me And My Girls
If there was ever an anime that perfectly captured the meme energy of me and my squad, it's Sailor Moon. As an all-girls team of five (later nine), the Sailor Scouts are always there to back each other up.
A memorable example of this is the two-part Season 1 finale, where the Sailor Scouts travel to D Point to defeat the evil Queen Beryl once and for all. An intense and heart-wrenching episode throughout, but one that also provides a priceless out-of-context group shot for the nightlife.
2 You Just Missed Her
As bad as the initial English dub for Sailor Moon was, it had its moments of comical brilliance. Especially whenever it had to deal with the absurdity of the original Japanese version. A great out-of-context moment is the scene of Chibi Moon leaping out of Mamoru Chiba's - or in this case, Darien Shields' - apartment.
The nonchalant exchange Darien has with Usagi, known as Serena in the initial dub, after seemingly watching his future daughter leap to her death is priceless. The scene ending with Chibi Moon paragliding away is the cherry on top.
1 Usagi Is Still Bad With Computers
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sailor Moon Crystal's Usagi may have a new mature look, but she's still the same computer illiterate from the 90s.
While the Usagi in the original anime had no idea what to with a simple floppy disk, Sailor Moon Crystal's version will just press all the keys on a computer in the most amateurish way possible. It's a hilarious way to modernize an old joke for a new generation.