Despite its obvious cute aesthetic, Sailor Moon or Goku would win in a fight.
Those watching the early episodes of Sailor Moon for the first time would have no reason to think that she would ever be strong, since it gives no indication that this will ever happen, especially because of Tuxedo Max. A case could be made that these early episodes are just perfect examples of effective character-building, and although that's technically true, it takes far too long and the times when she's weak are quite embarrassing. In fact, this is a question of the overall pacing of the Sailor Moon anime, which is a major point of contention among many fans.
Sailor Moon Still Needs Help from Mamoru at the End of Season 1
Season 1's Final Stretch Sets the Stage for Usagi's Liberation, Only To Revert to The Same Stereotype
Sailor Moon's ineffectiveness as a hero for a good deal of the series comes across through how weak she is in comparison to other characters, including the rest of the Sailor Scouts, who always have to save her or defeat an enemy because she can't. In addition to Sailor Moon being her own worst enemy, a worse offender than herself is Tuxedo Mask who repeatedly saves her from her own weaknesses. Part of the problem lies in the "damsel in distress" stereotype, where the man always has to save the helpless girl.
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Although it's understandable that Usagi would need some help when first becoming Sailor Moon, that dynamic quickly becomes unwarranted, after it persists in a myriad of episodes. The first time when the series has no excuse for Sailor Moon relying on Tuxedo Mask takes place during the final battle of season 1. Leading to that point, the series had taken a positive turn. The Dark Kingdom had captured Tuxedo Mask, and the Sailor Scouts were tasked with saving him. At first, it seemed that season 1 would follow through, but then it reverted to the same stereotype.
Sailor Moon was still being protected up until Mamoru fell in battle, essentially forcing her to fight.
In episode #46, Sailor Moon confronts a brainwashed Tuxedo Mask, who goes by his former name Endymion, and almost immediately begins losing. Although she eventually succeeds in restoring Endymion to Mamoru, Tuxedo Mask's final act before losing consciousness is protecting Usagi from Queen Beryl. It’s important to realize that even though Usagi soon stood up to Queen Beryl on her own, it was only after Mamoru’s heroic act to once again protect her from harm coupled with Queen Metalia’s words of encouragement.
After receiving a power-up from the Queen, only then is Usagi able to continue. But it still doesn’t negate the fact that Sailor Moon was still being protected up until Mamoru fell in battle, essentially forcing her to fight by herself.
Sailor Moon R Resumes This Formula with the Moonlight Knight
Sailor Moon's Pacing Is Much Too Slow
Regardless of how much Usagi may have grown by the end of the series, it's unfortunate that she finds herself right where she started at the beginning of the subsequent season of the newly named Sailor Moon R series. For at least the first few episodes, Sailor Moon has to rely again on the Sailor Scouts and the mysterious Moonlight Knight.
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Episode #4 may provide a little spin on this formula, but the overall effect is still the same. The Moonlight Knight comes to save Usagi just like he had in earlier episodes of R, as Tuxedo Mask did in Sailor Moon season 1. The difference is that his attempt to defeat their opponent doesn't have the desired result. He is able to maim the creature Cardian Nacrid, but she isn't defeated, requiring the other Sailor Scouts to finish what the Moonlight Knight started. Regardless, Sailor Moon still requires saving, and Moonlight Knight's involvement prevents her from getting killed.
Irrespective of how powerful and dependent Usagi may get in later episodes, her lack of strength at the beginning of Sailor Moon arguably lasts for much too long and just unnecessarily elongates the perpetuation of an unfortunate stereotype where the damsel must be saved by the strong, more capable man, who, in this case, is Tuxedo Mask.
