Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi (1993)

I wanted to share with everyone one of the first manga that changed the role of a heroine and started with the genre of magical girls within the Japanese manga. Codename: Sailor V is about a Japanese girl named Minako Aino who reincarnates in planet Earth. Soon she meets a mysterious cat named Artemis who gives her the power to transform into Sailor V. As the story develops, Minako soon discovers that she is the reincarnation of Princess Venus who served the Princess of the Moon, Serenity. Hence, Sailor V served as a prequel to Naoko Takeuchi’s masterpiece Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon (1992) which was a worldwide blockbuster manga.

Here are some fan videos to honor the character and Naoko Takeuchi’s awesome art:

Original art by Naoko Takeuchi

Fan made opening featuring Sailor V

First appearance in the anime Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon

As a curious trivia, the protagonist name Minako Aino means “Beautiful Child of Love” in Japanese language. “Minako” for “beautiful” and “child” while “aino” means “love” and represents the planet Venus. Also, the sound is almost the same as the Thai month for March มีนาคม – miinaakom!