How much do you think Naoko was influenced by Shakespeare when she wrote Sailor Moon?  When you think about it, there's a lot of similarities between the story of Sailor Moon and the plot of Romeo and Juliet.  You have two houses in conflict with each other, a forbidden relationship between two people of those houses that ends in tragedy.  Sailor Moon even has a bit of an age gap with Tuxedo Mask the same way Romeo and Juliet have an age gap.   Has Naoko ever said if she was influenced by Shakespeare or are these just common tropes in tragic romances?

Hmmm, I remember the episode Mirror, Mirror on the Wall is about Mamoru running a Shakespearean play that somehow turns into Snow White instead. Maybe that's a nod to her influence!

I would say so. Plus you can say their deaths are similar to Romeo's and Juliet's deaths. At least Endymion and Serenity actually fell in love with each other and didn't get hitch right after they met. XD

I think there was a lot of influence.

You think so? I didn't see much Shakespeare influence in Sailor Moon at all. Then again, I haven't read much of the manga.

I think it's more of a common tropes in romances kinda thing, but I could be wrong. Did she ever mention anything in an interview?

I would say Naoko Takeuchi was influenced by the trope of the star-crossed lovers, which is widely found in tales from many cultures, and not specifically to Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". There's no single character from Sailor Moon who nicely fits into the archetype for Mercutio, Tybolt, Friar Laurence, or Benvolio, so I would say Naoko was more inspired by the core concept of "Romeo and Juliet", and less by the actual play itself.