コードネームはセーラーV

CODENAME WA SAILOR V

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
3
RELEASE
July 3, 1997
CHAPTERS
15

DESCRIPTION

Like Sailor Moon, Minako Aino is a normal 13-year-old schoolgirl until a fateful day when a white cat introduces himself to her and tells her she has the power to transform into the hero, Sailor V. Using a magic pen to transform, Sailor V fights the evil agents of the Dark Agency as she strives to protect the earth.

(Source: Kodansha USA)

Note: In 2004, the series was re-released in two shinsouban editions. The last chapter of the original print was split in two, hence it having 16 chapters. The chapter count follows the tankoubon release.

CAST

Minako Aino
Artemis
Saijou Ace
Usagi Tsukino
Rei Hino
Makoto Kino
Ami Mizuno
Naru Oosaka
Motoki Furuhata
Hikaru

CHAPTERS

RELATED TO CODENAME WA SAILOR V

Cover Art for Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

MANGA DramaBishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

REVIEWS

infinitely
72/100
Code Name Sailor V is a short, cute, introduction to the leader of the Sailor Senshi
Code Name: Sailor V

Series experience: I watched the original Sailor Moon anime

Short review: Code Name Sailor V is a fun prequel to the Sailor Moon series, where we get to know Minako (Sailor V) better as her fun self before meeting the other Senshi. The manga is quite similar to Sailor Moon - it's almost a prototype, but it's still an enjoyable read.

Full review:

Warning: review contains spoilers

Sailor V is a short Sailor Moon prequel series, and from the get-go we are introduced to Minako Aino as a ditzy, loud, boy-crazy, and funny heroine. The beginning almost mirrors Usagi's first becoming Sailor Moon as well. Personality-wise they are almost the same, and there are even parallels to Naru-chan and Umino characters. Minako has a crush on Motoki-san too!

Putting all that aside though, Code Name: Sailor V has a separate cast that I would have liked to see in the anime as well. We get some cute origin stories like how Minako decides to always wear a red ribbon in her hair, and how she met Artemis. The monster of the week concept is still alive in this series, but some of the side stories are pretty interesting - one of them is the doomed love story of Sailor Venus and Kunzite in the form of a high school short romance with "Saitou-kun."

One of the important characters is Phantom Ace - he plays something similar to the Tuxedo Mask we know and love, a vigilante hero of sorts, except he is actually Sailor V's enemy. This leads to Sailor V remembering her past as the leader of the Sailor Senshi and why she has the powers and the transformation wand, among other things. All of this is crammed into a short 15 chapters, which makes it a bit bittersweet as we are still getting to know her when the story moves on to the Sailor Moon we know and it becomes mostly an Usagi-Mamoru show.

There's not much that can be done, but I was quite sad to see that Sailor Venus was eternally doomed in terms of romance. It's quite ironic that way, but it also makes her a better fit as the leader of the Senshi.

(Just a quick note, anything of the Sailor Moon series has "old-style" art so it could be a turn off to some readers.)

Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read, and it's a nice backstory for Minako that touches on both a lot of comedy and a lot of tragedy. Still, I wish we saw more of Minako as a main character instead of just a path to Usagi, and that her story wasn't so crammed this way.

Plot 7/10
Art 7/10
Characters 7.5/10

Overall personal enjoyment 7.5/10

Top 3 fave characters

Minako-this is really centered on her so if you dislike her maybe skip this. Minako here is light-hearted, really quite funny, and adorably klutzy
Saitou-kun- yes it's just one chapter but I really am digging for Senshi x Shitennou crumbs ? the whole doomed love thing is just so sad too
Phantom Ace- I wish we saw more of him (even though he turns out to be a nobody) he was a pretty clever villain

Other: Toshio Wakagi and Natsuna Sakurada

Thank you for reading!
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RoseFaerie
89/100
Before Sailor Moon, it was Sailor Venus who defended Earth, in the silly origin story that eases you into the world.
Sailor Moon was a hugely influential part of my anime and manga journey. It was one of the first series I watched, and my sister got annoyed with how that was my show of choice for a while. This was the first shoujo I watched, and it was my favorite anime until I discovered Fruits Basket. After reading the manga, the first I ever completed, Minako Aino, Sailor Venus, became my favorite Sailor Guardian. And I'm happy to be able to read and review her origin story.

Before Sailor Moon there was Sailor V, and before Sailor V, there was Minako Aino, an ordinary 8th grade girl. She's approached by Artemis, a talking white cat, who gifts her with a magical item, and reveals that she can transform into the superhero Sailor V. With her magical pen that allows her to transform, Mina must defend Earth from the nefarious Dark Agency, but she'd rather be doing other things.

Sailor V's plot isn't one that I would call a masterpiece, but it’s fun to read and enjoyable in its own right. It follows a set-up like the 90s Sailor Moon anime with a monster of the week formula. These antagonists are a bit sillier than the ones in Sailor Moon, and Sailor V has a much more lighthearted tone until the final chapters. The villains go after people's energy in increasingly creative ways from simple brainwashing to using cats to drain energy. It's absolutely off the walls and I love it. I appreciate the intentional insanity this series has, and how the final chapter eases you into the darker, more mature story of Sailor Moon, as Minako realizes what her true role as a Sailor Guardian is.

As I've said before, Minako is my favorite Sailor Guardian. The Minako we meet in Sailor V is a younger and less mature version of her character in Sailor Moon, and she doesn't yet have any of her leadership qualities. She's actually remarkably similar to Usagi, but there are clear differences. Minako is no crybaby, instead she's short-tempered and chaotic. She excels in gaming and athletics (but lacks any academic skills), falls in love at the drop of a hat, and she has a strong passion for showbiz and idols. Mina feels very natural and realistic. She feels like a very real selfish middle schooler. What 7th grader wouldn't want to play games or go to concerts instead of fulfilling their intense obligations that they don't even fully understand? Unlike Usagi, who's a bit scared to go headfirst into danger, Minako's problem is that she lacks the attention span and motivation. She's too easily distracted to focus on heroing for long.

And I love looking into her life. I personally think the later chapters in the Sailor Moon manga which focus on characters other than Usagi were some of the most compelling. Usagi's a fine character, but I wished the screentime for the girls was more balanced. That's why I'm glad this manga exists, and why I loved the Exam Wars side stories in the original manga so much. In magical girl series with teams, it's easy for many of the girls to be overshadowed. This allows us to see more of what kind of person Mina is outside of fighting for Usagi and what Mina's life was like before the Guardians were assembled.

There are also tons of cameos and nods to other guardians. All of the Inner Guardians appear at some point in Sailor V for a brief appearance with a few lines.

The art is super gorgeous. Naoko Takeuchi has a very sparkly, flowy, and elegant style. It's very whimsical and reminds me of fairy tale illustrations. The color pages are stunning. While the black and white illustrations are nice, the color ones are beautiful and make nice use of the primary colors. I will comment that in the earlier chapters, Artemis looks very strange. I literally laughed so hard I started crying because he was just that weird looking.

If you like the lighthearted feel of the 90's adaptation of Sailor Moon, are fond of Minako as a character, or want to get to know her a bit better I wholeheartedly recommend reading this. This is the origin of a hugely influential series, and we wouldn't have Sailor Moon if we didn't have Sailor V first.
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