Minako Aino (愛野 美奈子, Aino Minako) is the present-day incarnation of Sailor Venus (セーラーヴィーナス, Seeraa bu~iinasu) and the civilian identity of Sailor V (セーラーV, Seeraa Bui).
Nomenclature & Etymology
Etymology
Her family name begins with the character meaning "love" (愛), which still indirectly represented the planet of Venus, as Venus was the goddess of love in Roman mythology.
Her first name, Minako (美奈子), contains the kanji for "beautiful" (美, mi) and "child" (子, ko), along with 奈 (na), a phonetic character.
Minako's full name means. "Beautiful Child of Love" in Japanese.
Nomenclature
Naoko Takeuchi included many occultist arts to finely detail each character. For Minako, these things include:
- Birthstone(s)
- Opal - Romantic and charismatic, but can be fearful and indecisive.
- Topaz - Fair, charitable, and artistic.
- Zodiac Sign Libra - Cooperative, diplomatic, gracious, fair-minded, social; indecisive, avoids confrontations, will carry a grudge, self-pity
Appearance
Civilian
Minako Aino has blue eyes and blonde hair, preferring to wear her hair down with a simple red bow in it. When she was in junior high, she wore a sailor-style school uniform like the other Sailor Guardians did in their civilian forms, but with a few differences. Also, the uniform was the most classic or orthodox among those of the Sailor Team.
Sailor Guardian
This was the first Senshi form that Minako had ever had. This form first appeared in Codename: Sailor V. She would fight against the Dark Agency with Artemis at her aid. This form appeared in many continuations of the series.
This is Minako's third Sailor Senshi uniform in the anime and manga that she transforms into first during Act 39 of the manga by using her Venus Crystal, given to her by Artemis, but no new name is given. In episode 143 of the anime, she has a similar transformation and the title Super Sailor Venus is used.
This was a manga exclusive form of Minako after she was killed by Sailor Galaxia and revived in Act 49. She wears bracelets similar to Sailor Galaxia and fights for her to kill Sailor Moon.
This was a manga exclusive transformation of Minako's in Act 42, this form was unnamed but was similar to Eternal Sailor Moon albeit without wings.
During the Silver Millennium, she was the ruler of the planet Venus and was the leader of those who protected Princess Serenity. She wore a yellow gown with frills running down it. In her hair she wore a yellow bow and a rose, she also wore a choker that was tied in a ribbon at the back. During her time as a Princess she dwelt in Magellan Castle.
Information
Dark Kingdom arc
Black Moon arc
Infinity arc
Dream arc
Stars arc
Sailor Guardian Info
Minako Aino can transform info Sailor V by saying Moon Power, Transform. Later as Sailor Venus, she utters the words Venus Power, Make Up! Also, she can disguise herself as anyone she desires to be as well as Usagi with her compact, by saying Crescent Moon Power, Transform! Her attacks are centered around metal (gold) and light element attributes
Phrases
- Moon Power, Transform
- Venus Power, Make Up
- Venus Star Power, Make Up
- Venus Planet Power, Make Up
- Venus Crystal Power, Make Up
Attacks
- Crescent Beam
- Rolling Heart Vibration
- Venus Love-Me Chain
- Sailor V Kick
- Venus Wink Chain Sword
- Venus Love and Beauty Shock
- Venus Love and Galactica Shock
Items
Development
In the transition between the Sailor V and Sailor Moon series, Minako's basic character design did not change. Naoko Takeuchi had written that the concept of Minako has barely changed at all from the first moment she was created. Run-Run, the magazine that serialized Sailor V, had intended to produce an OVA based on the character, but it went bankrupt before it could happen, so Minako was relegated to the sidelines as one of Sailor Moon's co-stars, to Takeuchi's regret.
Gallery
Codename: Sailor V
Dark Kingdom Arc
Black Moon Arc
Infinity Arc
Dream Arc
Stars Arc
Miscellaneous
Materials' Collection
Miscellaneous
Trivia
- 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.
- Minako is the only Solar System Sailor Senshi whose civilian family name does not begin with the Japanese kanji character(s) directly denoting the corresponding celestial body.
- "Minako" can alternatively be read as Venus (Biinasu).
- Her surname is a pun on a phrase meaning "of love," making her name sound like "Venus of Love".
- She is the only character who awakened twice as two different Sailor Senshi identities: First as Sailor V, then as Sailor Venus.
- Minako is the fifth Sailor Guardian; creating an additional pun on her first Sailor Senshi identity, Sailor V. The letter V is the Roman numeral for 5.
