The Board Game That Destroyed My Faith in Capitalism

Monopoly in my family was emotional warfare conducted with paper money. My cousin—small, contrary, radiating pure chaos—would lose interest within thirty minutes and start throwing houses, hotels, and playing pieces at me. My father was more methodical: he’d steer me into property acquisitions I didn’t understand until I was three mortgages deep, watching what remained of my imaginary fortune evaporate. I’ve been quietly rooting for the collapse of international central banks ever since.

And yet I remember those sessions with something close to warmth. There’s something about sitting down with people you love, for hours, with no agenda other than to ruin each other financially—and occasionally emotionally. It almost always ended in chaos or multi-day cold wars, but when someone eventually floated the idea of another round, we all agreed. Because it was fun. Somehow.

There are Monopoly editions for every film or series with more than three fans, which means the options are absurd—but the one I’ve been waiting for just arrived: a Sailor Moon edition. Usagi Tsukino and her crew, rendered in the classic art style rather than the flat redesigns of recent years. The real ones. It’s available through retailers like Figuya, and I’m already dreading the argument over who gets to be Sailor Mars.