Template:InfoboxCharacterAino Minako (愛野 美奈子, Aino Minako; Mina Aino in the English adaptations) better known as Sailor V or Sailor Venus Her name means 'Beautiful Little Child of Love', and her attacks are based around love, with the exception of Crescent Beam and Crescent Beam Shower.
Minako, AKA Eternal Sailor Venus, as shown in the manga.
Minako starred in her own series before Sailor Moon. This manga series was called Codename: Sailor V and detailed her adventures as Sailor V.
Minako is introduced as lazy and unwilling to study--but also athletic and an avid gamer. She spent a lot of time at the Game Corner.
She tends to misquote things on a regular basis, but still seems to have an ability to recall obscure facts when denouncing the enemy.
She would become regularly distracted from her duties by romance, and fell in love with a different boy every chapter. Ultimatly, she would fall for a man named "Phantom Ace" a costumed TV hero.
While in China, filming the Phantom Ace movie as his costar, it was revealed that he was "Danburite" servant of the Dark Kingdom and her enemy all along--and also the reincarnation of a soldier who admired her in her previous life. This encounter unlocks her past life memories.
In the end, she seems to resign herself to choosing duty over love, and decides to search for the other Senshi, whoever and wherever they are. She joins the Police Force in order to pay for her quest.
Sailor V is featured throughout the beginning of the Sailor Moon manga, live action and anime as a hero to Usagi. Later on it is discovered that Minako, Artemis and Luna used the Sailor V games to train Usagi for the battles to come.
When Sailor Venus appeared to the soldiers, she announced herself as their Princess. It is revealed later that she is not the moon princess, but disguised herself as so to protect the Inner Senshi. As Sailor Venus, she is the leader of the Inner Senshi.
Anime
Minako first appears in episode 29 of the original Japanese anime. Sailor Venus was originally known Sailor V in England where she fought the Dark Agency. She had two assistants, Alan and Katarina. Minako fell in love with Alan. Minako discovered that Alan had fallen in love with Katrina so she decided to let them believe she was dead and return home to Japan. There she meets up with the other sailor senshi saving them from one of Kunzite's traps.
Later on in the anime, Katrina returns as she is being used by Kunzite as a youma to get to Sailor V. Kunzite believes Sailor V knows who the sailor senshi are. After she is restored by Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus, Katrina and Minako reunite and become friends again.
In the anime Minako is very ditzy, almost as much as Usagi and is very idealistic. She often makes references to old proverbs or sayings but quotes them wrong. She hates studying and wants to become an idol. Her hobbies include chasing idols, singing and volleyball.
Live Action
Compared to the other versions, Minako in the live-action series was an idol singer.
In this form she wears an outfit similar to the sailor suit, with a blue collar, red cap sleeves with blue cuffs, shoulder guards, gloves with orange elbow pads, a red bow, armor, an exposed midriff, a blue skirt with a red line along the bottom and blue high heels. She also wears a red and white mask which looks like a pair of red glasses. She has a crescent moon on her forehead (similar to Princess Serenity's) and a white choker with a crescent moon.
Sailor Venus
In this form, Sailor Venus can perform many attacks including "Cresent Beam", "Crescent Beam Shower" which she gets in episode 52 (46 in the dub) in the R series and "Venus Love-Me Chain" which she gets in episode 65. Her sailor suit has a orange collar, orange skirt, blue front bow, yellow back bow, orange ballet flats and an orange-stoned tiara. In the manga and the live action, there is a chain around her waist which she uses to perform her attacks.
Super Sailor Venus
In this form, Sailor Venus can use the attack "Venus Love and Beauty Shock". There are no very apparent changes to her uniform, but her yellow back bow grows longer, there's a star on her chocker & her brooch turns into a heart-shape.
Eternal Sailor Venus (manga-only)
After the last upgrade in the Stars arc, her choker was V-shaped and the center of her front bow was an orange five-pointed star. Her shoulder pads were large yellow puffs with two patches of orange fabric attached to the bottom. Her gloves became longer, reaching to her upper arms. In artbook illustrations, she had orange V-shaped wristbands with golden five-pointed stars on them, but they were not present in the manga. Her belt consisted of two ribbons - one orange and one yellow, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. Her back bow was yellow. Her skirt became two-layered, the top layer being orange and the bottom layer yellow. Her boots were knee-length and white, and each had an orange V-shaped border with a five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem was an orange five-pointed star and her earrings were orange, dangling five-pointed stars.
In her past life during the Silver Millennium, she was Princess Venus, ruler of the planet Venus. As Sailor Venus, she is the leader of the Sailor Senshi, guardians of Princess Serenity, and soldier of love and beauty. She dwelt in Magellan castle and wore a yellow-gown.
Transformations
Venus Power, Make Up - Used her Transformation Pen to transform into Sailor Venus.
Rolling Heart Vibration - Sailor Venus sent forth a rolling heart to damage the enemy.
Venus Wink Chain Sword - Sailor Venus used her chain as a sword to damage the enemy.
Sailor Kick - Sailor Venus used this attack when she was disguised as Sailor Moon.
Hissatsu Love-Me Moon Chain - Sailor Venus used this attack when she was disguised as Sailor Moon.
Furious Random Crescent Beam Shots - An attack only sued once, similar in form to Crescent Beam Shower.
Venus Love and Beauty Shock - This attack first appeared in the SuperS season. Sailor Venus hurled heart-shaped golden enegy at her opponent.
Weapons
Compact - In the Codename: Sailor V manga, Minako had a moon shaped compact which she used to fire her Crescent Beam. It also had the ability to change her shape and disguise her as anything she asked it to.
Stone Sword - A sword the senshi discovered while visiting the moon in the Manga. Sailor Venus claims it as her own. It is described as being able to chip even diamonds (the hardest substance in the world). Sailor Venus uses the sword to kill Queen Beryl.
Trivia
Minako was the only Senshi of this Solar System whose civilian family name did not begin with the Japanese kanji character(s) directly denoting the corresponding celestial object.
However, her family name began with the character meaning "love" (愛), which still indirectly represented the planet of Venus, as Venus was the goddess of love in Western mythology.
Her first name, Minako (美奈子), can alternatively be read as Venus (Biinasu).
Her last name is a pun on a phrase meaning "of love," making her name sound like "Venus of Love."
Her sailor-style school uniform during her junior high period was the most classic or orthodox among those of the Sailor Team. Such style reflected the Japanese militarized schooling system of the past, which could be traced back to the Meiji (明治) Period. However, it actually originated in Europe, where it was also worn by school boys and was not exclusively for girls as in Japan.
Minako's membership number in the Three Lights Fan Club was 278.
In the manga and live-action series, Sailor Venus wore her chain around her waist. The mythological Aphrodite, the Greek equivalent of the Roman goddess Venus, wore a golden gridle which had the power to make anyone fall desperately in love with its wearer.File:Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (Live Action) gallery Sailor Venus WP.jpg
Sailor Venus in PGSM
Takeuchi originally planned for the story to center around Sailor V. The story got scrapped and ended up a series-within-a-series for Sailor Moon.
She was named 'Arianne' in the Swedish dub.
Minako was born October 22nd, her birthstone is Opal and she is a Libra, stated by 'Sailor Moon: Sensho Guide'
She has blood type B stated by 'Sailor Moon: Senshi Guide'
Sailor Venus is the only Inner Senshi to have a weapon (Manga and games only). Her sword is also not from her planet; but from the Moon.
Takeuchi has said that the reason Venus looks so much like Sailor Moon was in fact because it was her duty to take Serenity's place to keep her from danger.
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