Sailor Moon, originally released in Japan as Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon , and later as Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, is an anime television series adapted from the manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. The series was directed by Junichi Sato, Kunihiko Ikuhara and Takuya Igarashi and produced by TV Asahi and Toei Animation. The first four seasons were originally dubbed in English and released in North America by DIC Entertainment and Cloverway. The series concentrates on the adventures of Usagi Tsukino, a schoolgirl who learns that she and several other girls can transform into superheroines, the Sailor Guardians, and fight against evil forces that threaten the world: the Dark Kingdom, the Makaiju, the Black Moon Clan, the Death Busters, the Dead Moon Circus, and Shadow Galactica.