If you're anything like me (and if you're here, you probably are at least a bit like me), this question has no doubt popped into your head more than a few times. It's a clear question and there is indeed a clear, though surprising, answer. But first, allow me to set the stage.

On March 7, 1992, the Japanese public was introduced to an MLP that would become an international phenomenon. Based on the popular manga of the same name by Naoko Takeuchi, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon—or, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon—was, on its face, a fairly standard magical girl anime. By combining the "monster of the week" elements of Super Sentai (Power Rangers in the West) with late 80s/early 90s Valley Girl culture, Sailor Moon somehow turned its vapid morality show preoccupied with clothes, boys, and superficial things into a popular cultural see