Codename: Sailor V

File:Sailorv.jpg

Codename wa Sailor V (Book 2 cover)

Codename wa Sailor V (コードネームはセーラーブイ, Codename: Sailor V) is a manga created by Naoko Takeuchi in 1991, though finalised chapters ran from May, 1993 to March, 1994 in Kodansha's Run Run magazine, with its last chapter reappearing in 1997. It was later collected into 3 books, spanning the 15 chapters of Sailor V.

This is the prototype and prequel to Sailor Moon.

Story

Codename wa Sailor V tells the story of Minako Aino, a 13 year old junior high student, who is slightly distracted, out-spoken and dreams about some day finding true love. But soon, her calm and normal life changes when she encounters a talking white cat with a crescent moon on its forehead. This cat introduces himself as Artemis and claims that Minako is a girl with the power to transform into a woman stronger and more beautiful than anyone.

He calls her Venus and tells her she has a mission to protect Earth in the name of her guardian planet Venus. To help her with her new mission, Artemis gives her two items. A crescent moon shaped compact and a magical pen. The magical pen allows her to transform into Codename: Sailor V! The soldier of justice, the sailor-suited beautiful soldier Sailor Venus.

Sailor V begins fighting the evil agents known as the Dark Agency, who fight under Danburite's command. He's in charge of sending his many talented idols to enslave the public.

Sailor V has many adventures as a Soldier of Justice, some leaving her to spark the envy and admiration of the police force. She also later gained the aid of Kaitou Ace, who had for a moment taken her spotlight due to his TV show.

At the end Minako realizes that her duty is more important than romance and discovers her true mission as Sailor Venus.

Comparison with Sailor Moon series

Codename wa Sailor V was the prototype and prequel to Sailor Moon. When it was proposed that the manga would be adapted as an anime, creator Naoko Takeuchi adapted the ideas from the Sailor V manga to fit a team format. Both manga ran simultaneously: Sailor V was published in the magazine Run Run, while Sailor Moon ran in Nakayoshi. Sailor Venus was added to the Sailor Moon manga cast in the 'Dark Kingdom' story arc and in the first series of the Sailor Moon anime, in The Final Sailor Senshi, Venus Appears/Sailor V Makes The Scene.

Tsukino Usagi is partly based on Minako, and thus they share some characteristics; however, due to the anime's prevalence in other countries, Minako is sometimes mistakenly considered the 'knockoff.' Usagi is generally considered slightly less intelligent, somewhat lazier and much less athletic than Minako, while Minako is more graceful and driven but not necessarily possessing foresight. Where Usagi is clumsy and a crybaby, Minako is merely over-dramatic. The Sailor V manga actually fully concluded sometime after the conclusion of the 18-volume Sailor Moon manga, but as new 'chapters' of the Sailor V manga were published less often than the Sailor Moon manga, it is only three volumes long.

Characters

Allies

Names are in the Western order, with the given name before the family name.

• Artemis: Minako's cat partner in defending justice.
• Boss: He gives his instructions to Minako, but helps Artemis with suggestions on how to train the new sailor soldier. We never find out his identity.
• Kaitou Ace: He starts out as an Idol with a TV show to help girls lose weight but later becomes an actual hero who helps Sailor V on her missions.
• Hikaru Sorano: Hikaru and Minako have been best friends since elementary school.
• Minako's Mother: Is a housewife. Much of the time she is seen disciplining Minako for her bad deeds.
• Motoki Furuhata: Motoki is the cute guy at the Game Center Crown who seems to be one of Minako's crushes.
• Gurikazu Amano: Amano is a geeky guy from Minako's school.
• Minako's Father: is a Company Employee.
• Natsuna Sakurada : She is the superintendent-general of the Metropolitan Police Board and a huge fan of Sailor V.
• Toshio Wakagi: Wakagi is twenty-seven years old and a Special Officer of the Metropolitan Police Office. He doesn't like Sailor V because he feels that she makes a fool out of police officers.
• Wakagi's brother: Wakagi's older brother.
• Saitou-san: Once a student of Shiba Junior High School, Saitou-san is the leader of a high school gang and the biggest tough in Tokyo.
• Okamoto-sensei: A home economics teacher at Shiba Junior High School.
• Marie-sensei: The comic artist of Aurora Wedding which Minako reads.
• Shinrou Baishaku: He is the younger editor of Marie-sensei.
• Maiku Otonaru: He was one of Minako's many love interests.

Dark Agency

• Narkissos
• Takurou Ootaku
• Pandora
• Petite Pandora
• Dark Guys
• Twin Dark
• Dark Shizuka-hime
• Fluorite
• Cyberwarrior Girl Luga
• Hibiscusy
• Vivian
• DeBrine
• Liquid Founda
• Powder Founda
• Water Founda
• Solid Founda
• Nyan-Nyan
• Wan-Wan
• Chuu-Chuu
• Karaoke Soldier Mike Makkii
• Princess Lin Lin
• Danburite

Items

• Transformation Pen (Volume 01, Book 01) This item is used to transform Minako into Sailor V. It is also used to communicate with "Boss".
• Compact (Volume 02, Book 01) This item has many uses. It is used to disguise her as any type person she chooses, to help her see the enemy's true form, and it also helps her perform many of her attacks. It needs to be put in the full moon's light to charge.
• Katana (Volume 12, Book 03)She used this once to slice her enemy.
• Venus Mike (Volume 14, Book 03) This item created sonic waves to destroy the karaoke enemy, Karaoke-senshi Mike Makkii.

Sailor V Powers

Transformations

• Moon Power Transform!This phrase transforms her into Sailor V.

• Crescent Moon Power Transform! This phrase is usually followed by whatever disguise she wants to take and she appears in that form.

Attacks

• Crescent Beam Allows her to see the enemy's true form and destroy them. Need to put the compact in the full moon's light to charge it.

• Sailor V Kick! She jumps in the air and kicks her enemy in the face.

• Venus Power! Crescent Shower of Love!This attack brings down a rain that melts her enemy. It is not written above but "Shower Down Rain!" is also added to the end of the attack.

• Sailor V Chop! She makes a chopping motion with her arm.

• Rolling Screw Sailor V Punch! She basically uppercuts her opponent.

• Crescent Super Beam! An upgraded version of her Cresent Beam attack.

• V-chan Rub Out Sailor V Chop! She makes a chopping motion with her arm.

• Cresent Slender Beam! Destroys her enemy.

• Venus Sulfur Smoke It creates an awful smell of the atmosphere of the planet Venus and overpowers the enemy.

• Venus Iron Muscle Punch! She punches her enemy.

• V-chan Striking Katana! She slices the enemy with a katana.

• Diphenhydramine Combo! Used to destroy the villainess Chuu-Chuu.

• Venus-Brand Anti-Mosquito Incense Typhoon!! Used to destroy the villainess Chuu-Chuu.

• Venus Ten Billion Volt Rock 'N' Rouge!! The sonic waves destroy the karaoke enemy.

• Venus Megaton Shower of Love! A powerful shining light that destroys Lin Lin.

Books and Volumes

• Book 1:

• • Vol. 1 - Sailor V is born!
  • Vol. 2 - Minako in "Crown Game Center"
  • Vol. 3 - Sailor V appears! Channel 44 / Pandora's plot
  • Vol. 4 - Petite Pandora's plot
  • Vol. 5 - The Dark Agency's Plot
  • Vol. 6 - Showdown! Sailor V vs. Electronic Fighter Girl Luga

• Book 2:

• • Vol. 7 - Sailor V's vacation / The Hawaiian Plot!
  • Vol. 8 - Love on the tree-lined road / Tearing at turbo full-throttle!
  • Vol. 9 - Sailor V vs. Debrine
  • Vol. 10 - Sailor V in a pinch!? Kaitou Ace appears!

• Book 3:

• • Vol. 11 - The Pet Stories / Number 1: Nyan-Nyan's Plot
  • Vol. 12 - The Pet Stories / Number 2: Wan-Wan's Plot
  • Vol. 13 - The Pet Stories / Number 3: Chuu-Chuu's Plot
  • Vol. 14 - Youth Bet on the Hachimaki Stone!!
  • Vol. 15 - A New Journey Begins

References

• Sailor V ~ Before Awakening - a fansite
• Beauty Shock - another fansite
• Sailor-V Headquarters
• Code Name: Sailor V - a novelisation of the manga at The Manga of Takeuchi Naoko
• Code Name wa Sailor V Notes at Henshin: The Mahou Shoujo Genre.