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Sailor Mercury

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Sailor Mercury
Publication information
PublisherKodansha
First appearanceNakayoshi (February 1992)
Created byNaoko Takeuchi
In-story information
Alter egoAmi Mizuno
Team affiliationsSailor Senshi, None
Notable aliasesAmy Anderson (English DiC), Amy Mizuno(English Cloverway/Spanish), Sailor Mercury, Super Sailor Mercury, Princess Mercury
AbilitiesCan control and produce all phases of water (especially ice).

Ami Mizuno (水野 亜美, Mizuno Ami) is a fictional character, a Sailor Senshi, one of the central characters in the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. She is known as Amy Mizuno in the English Cloverway dub and the English manga, and as Amy Anderson in the DiC version (although this is in dispute). She is also known as "Amy Anderson" in Mixx (now TOKYOPOP)' novels.

Sailor Mercury

When transformed, she is known as Sailor Mercury. Several anime and manga polls have cited Ami as the most popular character in her series, and she is currently the most popular Senshi in Japan.

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As Sailor Mercury, her abilities are water-based, although for quite some time very few of them are strictly offensive in nature. However, her intelligence makes her the default tactical planner of the Sailors and of the series. She also has a "mini-computer" and visor, helpful for scanning her peripheral environment, among other things. Reflecting the nature of her power, her senshi uniform is coloured marine blue, white and cyan.

Profile

According to Usagi in the manga, Ami is rumored to have an IQ of 300, which is impossible. Despite the common association with her being a nerd, she nonetheless gains appreciation for artistic things, especially music (and was even a fan of a J-pop band before any of the other Senshi). She also enjoys swimming and playing chess. Ami is generally considered the sensible one of the five girls, and usually is a scapegoat for embarrassment when the group is having a dullard moment.

File:Bssm2.png
Ami Mizuno

Ami lives with her mother, a busy doctor who is not home very often, and whose face was never seen in the anime, but shown in the manga. She is revealed to be a rather lovely woman. Ami is originally obsessed with being a perfect student, although it is unknown if her mother contributed to this behavioural trait. Ami's father, a painter who effectively abandoned his family to do his work, is only referred to in the paintings (in place of postcards or letters) he sends. Ami seems to be vaguely appreciative towards him in the anime, but resentful in the original manga. She is one of the few girls in the series whose family situation was explicitly mentioned in the anime. In the manga, she is also revealed to be rich, since she can cut a diamond in half with a sword, and not worry about it.

Ami attends Azabu Juuban Junior High with Usagi Tsukino and Makoto Kino, in later episodes attending Azabu Juuban High (these schools both exist and are located in the suburb Azabu Juuban. They are known as Crossroads Junior High School/Crossroads High School in the English translation).

Ami was given her own 'special,' called "Ami-Chan no Hatsukoi" or "Ami's First Love", an animated version of a manga story featuring her as the star character. She was the only member of the team budgeted for such a story, and it is generally considered one of her best roles, humorously trying to deal with the concept of having a romantic admirer named Mercurius, in addition to a yoma attack.

Her personality is generally consistent through various adaptations of the series. Originally, Ami only wore glasses while reading, but perhaps due to fan love for meganekko, she wears them more consistently in the new live action series -- though it is mentioned that she does not need them for vision correction, but prefers them for the appearance.

Starting in Episode 21 of PGSM, Ami was ensnared by the Dark Kingdom and became Dark Sailor Mercury, an evil version of herself. This applies solely to the live action series, and not to the manga or anime versions.

She is sometimes compared to Michiru Kaioh because of their water-based powers, which are actually quite different otherwise. Ami is also more of a 'science' intellectual while Michiru is more into the aesthetics of music. Ami is also considered generally more friendly, although quite shy over most of the metaseries. Also, Sailor Mercury's attacks tend to serve a tactical purpose (by hiding her allies or by distracting/immobilizing/freezing her enemies) whereas Sailor Neptune's powers tend to be more offensive (drawing its power from the seas and oceans) and psychic-based.

(In an early DiC promotional tape that advertised Sailor Moon to television stations, Ami was also called Blue.)

Statistics

Ami in the Manga
  • Japanese Name: Mizuno Ami
  • North American Name: Amy Mizuno (Cloverway dub, English manga) / Amy Anderson (DiC dub, Mixx Novels)
  • Senshi Alias: Sailor Mercury
  • Royal Alias: Princess Mercury
  • Guardian Planet: Mercury
  • Home Castle (Manga): Mariner Castle
  • Element: Water/Ice
  • Birthday: September 10
  • Age (at the beginning of the series): 14
  • Age (at end of series): 16
  • Age (as a Guardian of Crystal Tokyo): Early to mid-20s
  • Astrological Sign: Virgo
  • Blood type: A
  • Favorite color: Light blue and aquamarine
  • Hobby: Reading, playing chess, swimming, computers
  • Favorite food: Sandwiches, anmitsu (but she has also been shown to eat junk food, like hamburgers)
  • Least favorite food: Yellowtail (hamachi, a kind of fish)
  • Favorite Animal: Cat
  • Favorite subject: Math
  • Least favorite subject: None
  • Has trouble with: Love letters, practical jokes
  • Strong point: Calculating, strategist, intelligence
  • Dreams: To be a doctor
  • Favorite gemstone: Sapphire

Senshi Powers

Anime and manga

Transformations

  • Mercury Power, Make-up! - Used to transform into Sailor Mercury. In the English anime, Amy does not say Make-up! but sometimes says Transform! in place of it.
  • Mercury Star Power, Make-up! - Used to transform into Sailor Mercury. In the English anime, Amy does not say Make-up! but sometimes says Transform! in place of it.
  • Mercury Planet Power, Make-up! - Used to transform into Sailor Mercury. (Manga only.)
  • Mercury Crystal Power, Make-up! - Used to transform into Super Sailor Mercury during the Dreams Saga, and into SailorStar Mercury in the final arc of the manga. In the English anime, Amy does not say Make-up! but sometimes says Transform! in place of it.

Attacks

File:Mercury-21.jpg
'Shine Aqua Illusion' Attack
  • Shabon Spray - Sailor Mercury conjures a blast of bubbles which conform to create a thick blanket of chilling fog. It is only used in the anime, although she uses a similar attack in the manga that has no vocal activation. In the English version, the attack is called Mercury Bubbles Blast (she says "Blast" in a ornery sort of tone). In the manga, this also prevents other Senshi from seeing, and helps hide the Senshi's identities, especially Usagi.
  • Shabon Spray Freezing - A powered-up version of Shabon Spray used in Sailor Moon R; the fog created will freeze the enemy. In the English version, the attack is called Mercury Ice Storm or Mercury Ice Bubbles Freeze.
  • Chou Jigen Kuukan Genshutsu - It translates to "Super-Dimensional Space Emergence". It is a defensive technique used with her VR goggles. This attack is only used in the manga, and basically produces the same fog as Shabon Spray. In the English translation of the manga, it's called "Hyperspace Area Formation."
  • Shine Aqua Illusion - Sailor Mercury summons a wave of water that can freeze or destroy enemies. Sailor Mercury also says this in the English anime, but also called it "Mercury Ice Storm Blast." It is reverted to the original name in the later R episodes and the dubbed movies, though at some points in SuperS it was referred to as Super Aqua Illusion.
  • Shine Snow Illusion - Sailor Mercury creates a snow storm to blast her enemy. This attack is only used in the manga.
  • Double Shabon Spray Freezing - A powered-up version of Shabon Spray Freezing used in Sailor Moon R. Instead of just chilling the enemy, it freezes them.
  • Mercury Aqua Rhapsody - An attack that can only be used by her Crystal Power form. Sailor Mercury plays a water harp which causes waves of water to blast her enemy.
  • Mercury Aqua Mirage - An evolved form of "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody". It is most popular as seen in the SuperS special Ami-chan no Hatsukoi. In the manga, this was her primary attack during the Infinity arc and resembles "Shine Aqua Illusion" moreso than Mercury Aqua Mirage.
  • Galactica Aqua Rhapsody - In the manga, Sailor Mercury uses this attack against Sailor Moon when Ami was controlled by Sailor Galaxia.

Live-action drama

  • Mercury Power, Make Up - Ami's words to transform into Sailor Mercury.
  • Mercury Aqua Mist - Ami shoots a misty beam of water and bubble energy, capable of destroying weaker enemies, at her intended target. In Act 14, this attack was blocked and absorbed into Kunzite's sword and he redirected the energy on her.
  • Shine Aqua Illusion - A stream of powerful water sent from the hands, used against more powerful enemies.
  • Mercury Aqua Storm - A powerful stream of water sent from the Sailor Star Tambourine, used against more powerful enemies.
  • Mercury Aqua Cyclone - A one-off special attack used late in the series, which involves a powerful beam of water energy sent from the hands.
  • Mercury Aqua Blizzard - Mercury's most powerful attack, used only once in the final battle with the possessed Endymion. Mercury sends forward a powerful blizzard, which has momentary freezing affects. The attack failed to damage Endymion upon impact.

Fandom

Ami is traditionally the most popular character in the Sailor Moon metaseries, especially among Western audiences. Her fan-favorite status have made her a frequent player in the copious amount of Sailor Moon yuri fanfiction. Most often, such stories pair her with Makoto Kino, though she has been known to appear with other characters.

Actresses

  • In the original anime production of Sailor Moon, Ami is played by veteran voice actress Aya Hisakawa.
  • In the English dubbed version of Sailor Moon, Amy is played by Karen Bernstein (episodes 5-82 and the dubbed movies) and Liza Balkan (episodes 90-166). Bernstein, when she left the role, suggested Balkan to be her replacement because the former felt Balkan's voice was similar to her own.

See also

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