SAILOR MOON is a Japanese sh?jo, magical girl manga series by Naoko Takeuchi serialized from 1991 to 1997. The schoolgirl Usagi Tsukino transforms into Sailor Moon and--with her colorful cast of cohorts--searches for the magical artifact, the Legendary Silver Crystal, in hopes of preventing the destruction of the Solar System. The critically-acclaimed series has received praise for its art, characterization and humor. The manga has been adapted into a successful anime series, feature and short animated films, a live-action series, and another anime series. The popularity of the franchise has allowed it to expand into novels, tabletop and video games, a stage musical and theme park attractions.