10 Essential Superhero Anime That Reinvent The Genre

Though often cited as the show that epitomised and popularised the Magical Girl anime genre, Sailor Moon also stems from the classic superhero, giving its own unique twist to the concept of a world-saving super-team.

Resembling the super-sentai heroes of older shows, while putting a more magical and cosmic spin on the characters's abilities, Sailor Moon was a breakthrough in anime reaching Western audiences, giving both young girls and boys strong yet unapologetically feminine heroes to look up to.

With its catchy theme and transformation sequences, compelling plots, likeable characters and exciting action, the show transitioned easily into the lineup of action-packed Saturday morning cartoon superheroes enjoyed by young Western audiences. The appeal of Usagi's (or Serena's, for Western audiences) life as a teenage schoolgirl was also undeniable, allowing younger audiences to identify with the cosmic hero in a manner similar to Spider-Man's Peter Parker when he first debuted.

Nobody will ever forget the lineup of planetary Sailor Scouts and their vast power set, with the show inspiring multiple other magical girl shows, inspiring the creation of female super-teams in both Japan and in the USA, as well as in other countries, for years to come.