Sailor Moon (Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. It adapts most of the 52 chapters of the original manga of the same title written by Naoko Takeuchi that was published from 1991 to 1997 in Nakayoshi. Sailor Moon first aired in Japan on TV Asahi from March 7, 1992 to February 8, 1997 before being dubbed into various territories around the world. The series follows the adventures of the protagonist Usagi Tsukino, a middle school student who is given the power to become the Sailor Soldier Sailor Moon. Joined by other Sailor Soldiers, Usagi defends the planet against an assortment of evil villains. The anime also parallels the maturation of Usagi from an emotional middle school girl to a responsible young adult.