Sailor Moon

Usagi, the manga’s protagonist, is a 14-year-old girl living in Tokyo. She begins the narrative as an archetypal shōjo heroine—clumsy, emotional, and more invested in friends, food, and games than responsibility. Her physical characterization reinforces traits: The flowers surrounding her portraits emphasize her purity and naïveté, while her 30/100 test scores show that she’s more interested in having fun than studying. Her frequent tears show that she is somewhat immature; at first, she has few internal resources when faced with a challenge. Her coming-of-age narrative is characterized by the need to control and harness her strong emotions and quickly translate feelings into decisive action.

However, her emotional openness—especially her tears—are not portrayed negatively. As Usagi discovers her powers, her tears become a signature strength: an ultrasonic wail that can stun and defeat enemies in battle. Her instinctive willingness to protect friends like Naru or strangers like Rei gives her the courage to become a leader. These traits reveal a throughline in her character arc: Usagi’s maturity both as a Guardian and as a young adult emerges in proportion to her emotional investment, which is the starting point for her