Gen Z Search Word Ranking! Why is "Sailor Moon" trending? （May 2023）

Marron: For both generations, many keywords related to entertainment news, works in gaming/entertainment, and horse racing are ranked high.

Sera: "Sunburn" ranked No. 1 among Gen Z. Perhaps this is because there were more hot days in 2023 than in the month of May in previous years, and they were using the search engine to find out how to protect themselves from sunburn.

Marron: In terms of works in gaming/entertainment, "Tear Kin," short for the Nintendo Switch game "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," launched in May 2023, ranking well among both Gen Z and millennials. My coworkers were excited about it even before it launched.

Sera: "Sailor Moon" is ranked 24th among Gen Z. With the 30th anniversary project including exhibitions, a collaboration with Sanrio Characters and popular apparel brands, it seems that it ranked due to the anticipation for the release of the Sailor Moon movie in early summer of 2023.

Toritori: Now let's take a closer look at "Tear Kin," which is trending among both Gen Z and millennials, "Sailor Moon," which is loved across generations, and "sunburn," which Gen Z is demonstrating strong interest in!

Toritori: What is "Tear Kin"?

Marron: “Tear Kin” is referring to an action-adventure game called "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," which was released by Nintendo on May 12, 2023. It's been a big hit, selling more than 10 million units worldwide in the first three days after its release. I remember my coworkers were looking forward to it, and I was like "Wow, adults like it, too."

Toritori: When we do a Google search of "Tear Kin," "strategy" appears at the top for its autocomplete predictions (as of July 6, 2023), which may indicate that some people are searching "Tear Kin" in order to learn about the strategy.

Toritori: Do you guys play "Tear Kin"?

Sera: I don't play myself, but I often watch "Tear Kin" videos by “Kiyo,” my favorite Let's Play streamer (Let’s Play are videos documenting the playthrough of a video game). I like the actual game itself as well as Kiyo's personality.

Toritori: This video has been viewed 2.94 million times (as of July 11)! I see that there is a huge demand for Let's Play videos. I also took a look at it, and it's perfect for playing in the background at home. Are there many Gen Zers who watch live video games on a daily basis?

Marron: As previously mentioned in a Manamina post, it seems that live game-playing channels are popular in Gen Z's YouTube ranking of the most-viewed videos.

Sera: Let's Play videos have great "Taipa" (short for "time performance”), or time-effectiveness. You can use the timestamps that viewers post in the comments section to quickly skip to the interesting parts, or you can watch while doing housework to multitask, and enjoy it in many different ways. It is also recommended for those who just want to quickly enjoy the general story of the game.

Ban-chan: I agree! The videos with the live commentary and interesting stories are especially great to listen to like you're listen to the radio.

Marron: I have been watching Let's Play videos recently, and I like the fact that the mindless parts of the game are cut out so the viewers can enjoy the progression parts of the game. Another great thing about gaming videos is that you can follow the conversation of the person playing the game.

Ban-chan: Certainly. Perhaps due to the influence of Let's Play videos, there seems to be more people who are familiar with popular games even though they do not play the game themselves. Just like no one in this Gen-Z Research Team has actually played “Tear Kin,” but knew what the game was about, Gen Z may have a tendency to collect information on the latest trends ahead of others.

Toritori: Considering the common belief that we in our early 20s are the "Pretty Cure Generation," those in their late 20s are the "Ojamajo Doremi Generation," and those above that are the "Sailor Moon Generation," it was surprising to see “Sailor Moon” ranked in the Gen Z ranking. However, there is a girl who is a junior in my on-campus club who is an enthusiastic Sailor Moon fan, so I have, firsthand, felt that Sailor Moon is popular among Gen Z.

Sera: I have the impression that Sailor Moon became popular among Gen Z when "Sailor Moon Crystal” started to air from 2014 to 2016. In this series, they remade and updated the illustrations and storyline into a modern version.

Toritori: The reason it ranked in the search keyword ranking in May 2023 may be due to the release of the first and second parts of the movie "Sailor Moon Cosmos" in June as part of the 30th anniversary project that started in 2022.

Sera: In Sailor Moon, there is a sexually-ambiguous and gender-nonconforming character who says, "In the real world, I am a man, but when he becomes a warrior, I become a woman. In the real world, I like the main character as a man, but when the main character is a warrior, he is a companion," and there is a homosexual character called "the leader of the Yuri world," and it is characterized by a character setting that is not bound to the conventional idea of gender that "love is only between a man and a woman."

Ban-chan: The story focuses on romance, but it depicts various forms of love and sexuality that are not limited to heterosexual love. This is a characteristic that was inherited from the original story in the 1990s, and I have the impression that the gender perspective in the world of Sailor Moon has become something that can be accepted in the real-world Japanese society as well.

Toritori: In my gender studies classes at university, Sailor Moon was noted as the first work to portray girls as "subjects who fight according to their own will," rather than as "those who must be protected and obey others." It is surprising that in the 1990s, when the concept of gender was just beginning to be recognized, Sailor Moon exhibited an impartial perspective and was already portraying romance as something that didn’t have to always be between men and women.

Sera: I also think that the honest personalities of the characters in the works are popular among Gen Z. They are attracted by the clear-cut "I don't like what I don't like, I like what I like" personalities and attitudes.

Ban-chan: Speaking of Sailor Moon, there is a feeling that awaken the little girl within me. "Miracle Romance," the Sailor Moon cosmetics brand, has a cosmetics line called the "Shining Moon Powder" series.

Sera: The design is not based on the character, but it rather looks like an item that appears in the series, and it makes me want to buy it because it's cute.

Ban-chan: Yes. Even though it's completely different from what I like now, the design and concept speaks to the little girl within me, making grown women want to have it.

Toritori: I think the movie release is the main reason it ranked this time, but it seems that the collaborations with brands offering cosmetics and daily necessities familiar to Gen Z, such as “CANMAKE” and “3COINS,” also plays a factor in the trend. When I was shopping the other day, I was drawn to the cuteness of the Sailor Moon collaboration products displayed at the entrance of the store.

Marron: What do you guys keep in mind when you buy sunscreen?

Sera: I reconsider the sunscreen I use every season, but after watching a "test and review video," I often end up buying the ALLIE sunscreen.

Toritori: I've been seeing lots of "test and review videos" on TikTok and YouTube Shorts over the last few years. I recently saw a video in which a male content creator compared the effects of each product based on the sunburn on his back. If you're going to choose from the many available types, you want to make sure to buy something that works.

Marron: When it comes to sunscreen, I only know ANESSA.
Why do you buy the ALLIE sunscreen?

Sera: All kinds of influencers and media outlets are recommending ALLIE's sunscreen. I also focus on the feel of the product, and I love that ALLIE sunscreen doesn't dry out my skin.

Ban-chan: Actually, I'm also using ALLIE right now. As Sera said, I like that it's not drying while also being very effective as a sunscreen.

Toritori: I also use ALLIE! What a coincidence!

Marron: I was surprised that all three of you used the same brand of sunscreen. It sure is a popular product.

Ban-chan: I have recently started using sunscreen as a makeup primer.

Toritori: I have the impression that there are more and more sunscreens now that have color-correcting effects. Some examples include ALLIE's "Chrono Beauty Color Tuning UV" and Skin Aqua's "Tone Up UV Essence," and there must be many people who use sunscreens that also have a color-correcting effect.

Sera: In addition to simply preventing sunburn, consumers want sunscreens to also work as a makeup which also helps reduce the time it takes to apply makeup every day.

Ban-chan: The spread of the concept of “personal color” (the color that best fits a person based on the analysis of our skin, eye, and hair colors) may also be influencing the development of color-correcting products.