How Sailor Moon Shaped My Romance Writing
From Childhood Anime to Fated Mates Romance
I was recently browsing anime (yes, I still watch it, and I have quite a couple of favorites), and I realized I have a "type." I prefer stories with happy romantic endings, and during my browsing, I rediscovered the origins of one of my favorite tropes in romance.
If you watched anime as a kid, you might know where I'm going with this, but my first introduction to fated mates was Sailor Moon.
I remember the routine I had as a child. I would come home with my homework done or nearly complete, sit down with my grandmother for a while, and then I would run off to watch Sailor Moon. I did this every day, like clockwork, at 4 PM on Toonami. Maybe this also explains my love of aliens, magic, the paranormal, and all those fight scenes.
The Romance That Transcended Time
Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask weren't just any couple—they were Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, lovers destined across lifetimes. Their love story transcended death, reincarnation, and the literal destruction of their world. No matter what obstacles the universe threw at them, they found each other again and again.
This concept of love that defies time, space, and circumstances became the foundation of how I approach romance writing today. The idea that two souls could be meant for each other with a connection that goes beyond the physical world appears throughout my Chronicles of The Otherworld series, especially in how Daniella and Gregori find each other in Night Shade and now with Johanna and Luke's story in Night Fury.
Fated Mates in Night Fury
The fated mates trope in Night Fury has become one of my favorite aspects to explore. There's just something so captivating about characters who are destined for each other but still have to work through very real obstacles. Like in Sailor Moon, the destiny doesn't make the relationship easy—it just makes it inevitable.
And you can see this very clearly in some of my favorite scenes from Night Fury:
"I know we didn't have the greatest beginning, Johanna. There are so many things I wish I could go back and do differently, but I don't believe this is our end. Please, give me a chance to show you what we could have together. Don't give up on me before we've even started."
The tension between fate and choice—between what's real and what's attributed to destiny—makes the story that much more engaging. It creates space for character development, just like when Johanna tells Luke:
"I want to be someone you can trust and confide in, someone that one day, you can love."
"I don't think you're going to have to wait very long."
"Hmm?" She said.
"For me to fall in love with you."
Want to see how these anime influences play out in my books? You can find Night Shade and pre-order Night Fury here.