The manga version of Sailor Moon was created in 1992. Series creator Naoko Takeuchi had always wanted to create a series with strong girls as the lead characters. The Manga was a phenomenal hit right from the start, as was the anime that was based upon it, created shortly after the manga began in 1992. Both series ran for 5 years, the anime version running only slightly longer than the manga.
Unlike other anime series, the Sailor Moon anime is very different from the Sailor Moon manga. The manga is more intense in almost every way, more romantic, more dramatic, even more violent. The anime version however is more comedic than the manga. The manga has characters that were never shown in the anime, and the first part of Sailor Moon R, involving Ann, Alan, and the Doom Tree, was never serialized in the manga.
Naoko Takeuchi was not always happy with some of the differences between the manga and the anime versions. The worst insult was when they turned the Sailor Starlights, who are girls that disguise themselves as guys, into actual guys. However one thing she really did like about the show was the Japanese voices, especially those of Sailor Moon, Jedite, and Diana, saying that they were all "exactly as I pictured them to be."
Sailor Moon began it's trip around the world in 1995, first coming to France, then North America, and then to the rest of the world. It's a mega hit in every country that it's released in, and continues to delight fans the world over to this day. The entire series has already been released in both anime and manga form throughout most of the world, though English speaking fans are still waiting for the release of more of the anime and the manga in their parts of the world. In Japan, seven live action musicals have been staged, the newest of which is still being shown. New toys are also being released, and there is talk of the release of a new Sailor Moon television or OAV series, which is so far still only a rumor.
Throughout its history, Sailor Moon has delighted millions of fans by teaching them about strength, friendship, and true love. It is obvious that it will continue to do so for a very long time to come.