This article contains spoilers for Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos.
In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos, a sprawling, epic quest for survival, our titular hero Sailor Moon faces down the nature of her own existence to save the lives of the people she loves most. If that sounds more like a heady cosmic exploration than the typical Sailor Moon baddie trying to trick Usagi and her friends into a sinister trap, well, it both is and isn't.
The final two part original video animation (OVA) in the saga that began with the Sailor Moon Crystal anime series has arrived on Netflix, and it manages to encompass an impressive array of themes as it takes us on a colorful romp into deep space. Adapting the final arc of Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi, the story shatters the good/bad dichotomy at the core of most modern superhero stories, instead focusing on metaphysical conflict resolution and the power of benevolent devotion, compassion, and forgiveness rather than the usual might makes right problem solving of the genre.
Even if you didn't watch Sailor Moon Eternal — the OVA that bridges the gap between Crystal and Cosmos — you needn't worry, because the status quo is simple as Cosmos opens. We get a back-to-school refresher on which fantastical Sailor Guardians are involved, and it's the full core cast of the fan-fave Sailors who represent the celestial bodies in our Solar System. And they're of course joined by the franchise's beloved Scrappy-Doo, Chibiusa.
The traditional hero-villain paradigm seems to be largely intact in the beginning, with Sailor Moon and the crew facing down a new threat in the form of Sailor Galaxia. In this struggle, new heroes are added to the mix, including the charming Sailor Starlights — who are a teen idol band by day and cosmic heroes by night — along with the somehow even more Scrappy-Doo future hero, Chibi-Chibi. Still, these new allies can't stop Galaxia from snatching away the lives of Mamoru followed by Sailors Jupiter and Mercury and eventually Sailors Venus and Mars. It's a beautifully rendered crisis that offers the bubblegum fashion forward aesthetic that has been so influential since Sailor Moon debuted decades ago, with a surprising emotional core that pushes Sailor Moon to an intriguing personal revelation.
With those great losses fueling her determination, the second half of the OVA sees Usagi cast out into the stars to save her loved ones. It's here that the standard conflict of good guy versus bad guy is smashed to pieces akin to a psychedelic '70s Marvel comic book (see Jim Starlin's Warlock for a prime example). As we learn about the true nature of Sailor Crystals and Star Seeds, it becomes clear that the conflict between Sailor Moon and Sailor Galaxia can't be settled with a brawl. Instead, it's revealed that all of the iconic villains that Usagi and her friends have fought over the years were also Star Seeds like the Sailor Guardians, showcasing in a bleak twist that Usagi has essentially been defeating her own family throughout the series.
That moment shocks her to her core and makes her realize that as long as she keeps fighting villains, villains will keep coming to fight her. It's the ultimate question at the heart of any good superhero story: Does the Joker exist without Batman? Would Norman Osborn have become the Green Goblin without Spider-Man? In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos, the answer is definitive: as long as Sailor Moon keeps fighting, more villains will come, causing war and chaos on not only her planet but many, many others.
Ultimately, Sailor Moon's enemy isn't Sailor Galaxia or any of her past villains. Rather, it's the living embodiment of Chaos, a dark spirit who's been influencing Galaxia and causing turmoil in everyone's lives. And now, in this final confrontation, Chaos has merged with the metaphysical Galaxy Cauldron, the source of all universal life. So Usagi makes the ultimate sacrifice, giving her own existence to save the universe and destroy the Cauldron of life out of which all Celestial Bodies are born. It's a huge moment and one that showcases her as the brave and selfless protagonist we've all idolized since discovering her as kids.
Though that might sound like a bleak ending for the gorgeously animated remake saga, fear not! That sacrifice and her show of compassion for the villains who were once hunting her down is powerful enough to resurrect herself and her friends and family thanks to the magic of the Sailor Crystals which represent each of the Sailor Guardians. By calling on those that she loves and those that she's fought in the past, she manages to power up enough to come back to life and reset the universe to a place of peace and comfort. It's a happily ever after that leans into the love at the heart of the show. It's a message of pacifism, of love conquering violence, of redemption for those cast as villains, and rebirth for the girls who have given so much of themselves fighting for the future of their world and those that they love.
Women loving women being what saves the day is a fitting ending for the trailblazing queer anime and whether you're new to Sailor Moon or an avid watcher, it'll likely make you smile.
And if you've always wanted to see Usagi settle down with Tuxedo Mask… stay after the credits.
Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more.
