🎨Naoko Takeuchi
✨️Sailor Moon + Manga Magic Girls 🌙
Naoko Takeuchi
Born in March 1967 in Japan, Naoko Takeuchi is the celebrated artist and creator of the well known Anime series, Sailor Moon.
Before researching this, I had no idea how long Manga has been an Art form. It was established in Japan in 1814.
Let that settle.
Manga means “Whimsical stories” And initially represented informal art and subjects. Hokusai Katsushika is said to have pioneered the casual style from which Japanese Comics evolved.
The Art of Manga would have been a steady element in the early life of Naoko Takeuchi.
Manga has long been very popular among youth in Japan and an aspiration to be an artist in the field is not unheard of.
There are branches of Manga specifically for Boys and Girls and Young Adults. Despite the genres long standing presence in modern culture, her family urged her science degree as a back up to her art ambition.
That side bar into science gave Naoko Takeuchi an edge I feel in the type of Magic Girl character she created.
Sailor Moon or as it's known in Japan, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon or Code Name Sailor V presented a female magic protagonist that fought and solved the story vs the standard of the Genre, Fun Girl or Magic Girl.
Manga in the 1990s was not yet in mainstream bookstores here in Canada like it is today, the impact Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon had on introducing Manga to a broader audience than its original collectors was palpable. I recently received some Sailor Moon fan art from an Elementary school student. Long live Sailor Moon!
The appeal of Sailor Moon for my younger self was it was Female Centric, and as I am Gen X, I was empowered seeing females excelling in male dominated story lines. Even if it was Imaginary females.
Over 35 million copies of the Sailor Moon Manga have been sold, its one of the top grossing series ever.
My daughter has read Manga since she learned to read. She has always been drawn to it, and even had fun trying out Cos Play. So many of her dolls growing up in the 2010s had the long legs, narrow bodies and large eyes that are part of Anime. As such we will be creating our Manga Magic Girl ‘sheros’.
I have created a copyright free printable for you to print and trace as your body base, all the extra flair will come from you. So get our your creative dream hats on a spend some time imagining what quality of life you might want to embody in your character. None of which need be Super Heroic. Even a Good Listener is a power you could illustrate in your costume.
As always, I keep these Artist bios brief and personal, they are meant to tickle your curiosity. Please go to the Resource links or get thee to Google and spend time researching the Featured Artists.
Meet Blaze, my Manga Magic Girl:
‘Blaze leaves trails of glittering flames in her footprints, when life heats up, Blaze isn't phased! She just leans in and let's it ignite her inner spark. Slay Blaze. SLAY ✨️🔥✨️’
Article Sources:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2019/10/19/books/naoko-takeuchi-sailor-moons-strong-willed-guardian-girls-manga
https://en.canson.com/expert-advice/how-manga-began/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_Moon#:~:text=By%201995%2C%20Sailor%20Moon%20toys,title%20in%20the%20United%20States.
Running with Rainbows Online🌈
●$8.00 / mth Canadian
● unlimited access to all classes
● new classes monthly
● See your creations on the @Running_with_Rainbows Instagram page.
Or share within the Membership only Chat thread in Substack. The link to it is attached to each lesson.
●appropriate for Teens to Seniors!
● easy to find materials
● Classes sent directly to your email inbox OR download the Substack app from your App store.
And receive your class direct to your phone or preferred Device.
■Sign up for Free and try the classes for 7 days FREE.
Follow for Free and receive the occasional class no charge
Let's make a Manga Magic Girl
Kit list:
● Printable included here
●pencil
●Black permanent fine point marker
● Watercolor paints Or other Coloring tools appropriate to the paper you are using. (Markers, Pencil crayons,
● Watercolor paper Or Heavy mixed media paper for wet media or printer paper for dry media
Watch the full video ⬇️
Trace out your body frame onto the (Watercolor) paper. You can do this by taping your Printable on a sunny window and placing your good paper on top. You will see the image beneath well enough to trace.
Day dream about the qualities you wish your character to embody how can those be worked into a costume?
Illustrate and design time! Most of all HAVE FUN. Do not get caught up in trying to create a perfect design!
Share your Art in our members only Chat thread or Tag Running with Rainbows on Instagram or Substack.
