What do you think?
コードネームはセーラーV 完全版 [Codename wa Sailor V Kanzenban] #2
Codename: Sailor V. Eternal edition, Vol. 2
Minako a fort à faire pour déjouer les complots de la Dark Agency, cette organisation maléfique qui veut conquérir la Terre et vider les humains de leur énergie. Comme si ça ne suffisait pas, Sailor V doit à présent supporter la concurrence d'un autre justicier qui enflamme le coeur de toutes les filles : Ace, le mystérieux gentleman ! Il s'agit en fait du héros d'un feuilleton télévisé à la mode. Mais cet homme est-il simplement un acteur ou bien un allié potentiel ? À moins qu'il ne s'agisse d'un ennemi…
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2004
About the author
Naoko Takeuchi
198 books2,158 followersNaoko Takeuchi (武内直子) born March 15, 1967, a manga artist (mangaka), lives in Tokyo, Japan. Takeuchi's works have a wide following among anime/manga fans. She has become a well-known mangaka worldwide. Her most popular work, Sailor Moon, rose to become one of the most recognized manga/anime figures to date.
Takeuchi is married to Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of the YuYu Hakusho series and Hunter × Hunter series.
Please note that anime related books are listed under Kōdansha.
Takeuchi is married to Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of the YuYu Hakusho series and Hunter × Hunter series.
Please note that anime related books are listed under Kōdansha.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
November 20, 2011
I have to say, I've really enjoyed the Sailor V manga. It's such a great look into the thought processes of Takeuchi. In the first volume she played around with character designs that would later appear in Sailor Moon. In this volume we can see where she had fun fleshing out the world from the first Sailor Moon arc. (This series ended about the same time as the Sailor Moon manga did, so all of this was drawn way after the Dark Kingdom arc ended.)
It's really neat to see manga like this, where you not only get to see the creator play around with character designs but to also develop their art and storytelling styles as well. It's a pretty fun experience, to be honest. (And of course the artwork is spectacular.)
As far as storyline goes, I found that volume 2 had a tighter plot. You can tell that Takeuchi had a better idea of how the story was going to end, so as a result the characters were better defined and the stories were faster paced. I was a bit sorry to see it end, but it wouldn't have fared well if there were more volumes to the series.
This is an absolute must have for all Sailor Moon and shoujo fans.
It's really neat to see manga like this, where you not only get to see the creator play around with character designs but to also develop their art and storytelling styles as well. It's a pretty fun experience, to be honest. (And of course the artwork is spectacular.)
As far as storyline goes, I found that volume 2 had a tighter plot. You can tell that Takeuchi had a better idea of how the story was going to end, so as a result the characters were better defined and the stories were faster paced. I was a bit sorry to see it end, but it wouldn't have fared well if there were more volumes to the series.
This is an absolute must have for all Sailor Moon and shoujo fans.
May 24, 2012
Codename Sailor V is unashamedly silly, and very fun. Her tranformations are vaugely on topic, but are really excuses to draw Minako in a wide variety of cute outfits. This actually works, because Minako is blatantly transforming just to get to wear a wide variety of cute outfits. Her dialogue is often very funny, and there's a completely out of nowhere shout-out to Victor Hugo, which made me wildly happy. I was surprised at what an emotional ending this volume (and this series) had, and it made for a good bridge to Minako's apperance as Sailor Venus over in Sailor Moon. The art is beautiful, of course, because this is Naoko Takeuchi.
February 4, 2024
This is the next book in the series about the adventures of Sailor Venus - Sailor V! . As usual, the illustrations are beautiful, soft, and lightly drawn. In the Sailor V! books , at times we can see characters from Sailor Moon in the background.
As usual, the adventure is in full swing here. Minako is a beautiful warrior who fights against evil. I am delighted with this manga
As usual, the adventure is in full swing here. Minako is a beautiful warrior who fights against evil. I am delighted with this manga
June 4, 2026
Sailor V volume 2 is a fun continuation of the first volume but is more of the same. The story lacks the depth of its predecessor and the story only gets interesting at the end. The rest feels like fun filler.
March 3, 2012
With so many deus ex machinas and nonsensical plot contrivances how is this manga not a total train wreck? Because it's so much fun, of course!
Mina's transformation pen is an obvious ploy to allow Takeuchi to draw ridiculous outfits (that last a page at most), but it's done so gleefully that it's a joy to read. The same applies to Mina's insane, meandering pre-battle speeches. They reference everything from the Communist Manifesto to the ASPCA, and they're so crazy that they work. But the real thing that keeps me loving Codename Sailor V is Sailor V herself. Mina is just so goddam endearing. And when we get a surprise bit of plot payoff, where she's finally discovered that she's a sailor senshi and she has to kill her own true love he delivers this crushing line that makes me love her all the more: "It's better this way. Now you'll never have to choose between love and duty." Goddamn, Takeuchi!
(I also think this is a really interesting parallel to Sailor Moon's story. I can't say that Usagi never abandons her duty, but she differently prioritizes her love for Mamoru up to a point.)
And the drawings, of course, are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I recommend both this and Volume 1 if you need a bit of the love power of Venus in your life.
Mina's transformation pen is an obvious ploy to allow Takeuchi to draw ridiculous outfits (that last a page at most), but it's done so gleefully that it's a joy to read. The same applies to Mina's insane, meandering pre-battle speeches. They reference everything from the Communist Manifesto to the ASPCA, and they're so crazy that they work. But the real thing that keeps me loving Codename Sailor V is Sailor V herself. Mina is just so goddam endearing. And when we get a surprise bit of plot payoff, where she's finally discovered that she's a sailor senshi and she has to kill her own true love he delivers this crushing line that makes me love her all the more: "It's better this way. Now you'll never have to choose between love and duty." Goddamn, Takeuchi!
(I also think this is a really interesting parallel to Sailor Moon's story. I can't say that Usagi never abandons her duty, but she differently prioritizes her love for Mamoru up to a point.)
And the drawings, of course, are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I recommend both this and Volume 1 if you need a bit of the love power of Venus in your life.
December 26, 2018
De los dos volumenes este me gustó más. Las historias son un poquito más interesantes. Me encanta las conexiones que se van haciendo con la historia troncal de Sailor Moon.
February 7, 2022
Heading into the second volume, the Sailor Moon prototype and prequel series Sailor V continues to be an weird read.
This volume contains 8 issues, published sporadically across three years. Issues 9 and 10 introduce potentially serious characters and plot arcs, all of which are dropped for issues 11-14, returning V-Chan to extremely lighthearted adventures. But in issues 15-16 all plot threads are bound up and Sailor V is given a grand send off.
The playful chapters are fun escapades. Sailor V battles animal based villains, from mosquitos to cats, and gets mixed up in volunteer activities and karaoke. The best part of these side stories are the interaction between lazy high school girl Minako and old man cat Artemis. They do make quite an odd couple.
Early on we are introduced to the mysterious Phantom Ace, a masked man who wishes to help young girls be beautiful. Instead of roses, Ace throws playing cards through the air; the Ace of Hearts in specific. Minako is immediately smitten. Ace never pulls up a straight up Sailor Save, a la Tuxedo Mask, but he's there to help out and be a TV show star and idol. Meanwhile a mysterious villain named Danburite is planning Sailor V's Doom...
The climactic chapters explicitly tie in Sailor V's journey into Sailor Venus and as the leader of the Sailor Senshi. It is in melancholy destiny and heartbreak where Naoko Takeuchi excels. What has always grabbed me about Sailor Moon is the contrast between the Senshi's slice of life normalcy and mythology that they are re-incarnated guardians of the Solar System, from some pre-history utopia that collapsed in tragedy. The Sailor Moon series purposely leaves this beautific past as mysterious and open as possible, but I'm not entirely sure how well Sailor V's final enemy slots into already established lore.
It turns out Phantom Ace is non-other than Danburite, leader of the Dark Agency and mastermind of most of Tokyo's mysterious energy stealing occurrences. Not only is he a member of the Dark Kingdom, serving under the Four Heavenly Kings, Ace is a reincated Venusian! As Adonis, Ace knew Minako in her past life as the princess of Venus and Sailor Senshi. A "lowly rankless soldier", he fell in love with Princess Venus on their home planet, and describes her as a "magnificent goddess of beauty and war." In this current twist of fate, he is finally able to meet Venus as an equal, but also as her enemy.
Remembering her past life, and casting off her sentai costume, Minako emerges in her classic sailor uniform as Sailor Venus, and kills Ace in her final battle. Before disintegrating, Adonis whispers her fortune: "Love or your mission... it's the hardest choice to make, and now it's been made for you. Your destiny demands that you keep fighting."
Takeuchi has made it clear that her Sailor Guardians have a mission bigger than finding love in school. However, it has always felt unfair that Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity, and Usagi has a love story for multiple lifetimes, but none of the other guardians will. For the Senshi, they may find love with each other (Uranus with Neptune, and potentially Venus with Mars), but their destiny has no room for anyone else.
The Sailor V Series rarely captures the grandeur of the Sailor Moon Manga and the joyful female friendships of the Sailor Moon 90's anime. However, I'm so happy to get a nice copy of this series in English, and I will always fervently wish for another Sailor Moon series, manga, anime, or live action, to get my claws on.
This volume contains 8 issues, published sporadically across three years. Issues 9 and 10 introduce potentially serious characters and plot arcs, all of which are dropped for issues 11-14, returning V-Chan to extremely lighthearted adventures. But in issues 15-16 all plot threads are bound up and Sailor V is given a grand send off.
The playful chapters are fun escapades. Sailor V battles animal based villains, from mosquitos to cats, and gets mixed up in volunteer activities and karaoke. The best part of these side stories are the interaction between lazy high school girl Minako and old man cat Artemis. They do make quite an odd couple.
Early on we are introduced to the mysterious Phantom Ace, a masked man who wishes to help young girls be beautiful. Instead of roses, Ace throws playing cards through the air; the Ace of Hearts in specific. Minako is immediately smitten. Ace never pulls up a straight up Sailor Save, a la Tuxedo Mask, but he's there to help out and be a TV show star and idol. Meanwhile a mysterious villain named Danburite is planning Sailor V's Doom...
The climactic chapters explicitly tie in Sailor V's journey into Sailor Venus and as the leader of the Sailor Senshi. It is in melancholy destiny and heartbreak where Naoko Takeuchi excels. What has always grabbed me about Sailor Moon is the contrast between the Senshi's slice of life normalcy and mythology that they are re-incarnated guardians of the Solar System, from some pre-history utopia that collapsed in tragedy. The Sailor Moon series purposely leaves this beautific past as mysterious and open as possible, but I'm not entirely sure how well Sailor V's final enemy slots into already established lore.
It turns out Phantom Ace is non-other than Danburite, leader of the Dark Agency and mastermind of most of Tokyo's mysterious energy stealing occurrences. Not only is he a member of the Dark Kingdom, serving under the Four Heavenly Kings, Ace is a reincated Venusian! As Adonis, Ace knew Minako in her past life as the princess of Venus and Sailor Senshi. A "lowly rankless soldier", he fell in love with Princess Venus on their home planet, and describes her as a "magnificent goddess of beauty and war." In this current twist of fate, he is finally able to meet Venus as an equal, but also as her enemy.
Remembering her past life, and casting off her sentai costume, Minako emerges in her classic sailor uniform as Sailor Venus, and kills Ace in her final battle. Before disintegrating, Adonis whispers her fortune: "Love or your mission... it's the hardest choice to make, and now it's been made for you. Your destiny demands that you keep fighting."
Takeuchi has made it clear that her Sailor Guardians have a mission bigger than finding love in school. However, it has always felt unfair that Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity, and Usagi has a love story for multiple lifetimes, but none of the other guardians will. For the Senshi, they may find love with each other (Uranus with Neptune, and potentially Venus with Mars), but their destiny has no room for anyone else.
The Sailor V Series rarely captures the grandeur of the Sailor Moon Manga and the joyful female friendships of the Sailor Moon 90's anime. However, I'm so happy to get a nice copy of this series in English, and I will always fervently wish for another Sailor Moon series, manga, anime, or live action, to get my claws on.
December 17, 2023
I totally forgot how Ace related to her past life and how frequently the other sailor scouts made appearances!!
April 18, 2019
La verdad es que he terminado muy decepcionada con la lectura de estos dos tomos. Naoko Takeuchi nos presenta una historia muy simple, muy previsible y bastante cansina de Sailor V (Sailor Venus). La historia es muy simple porque apenas pasa nada, los personajes son muy planos y la protagonista es bastante insoportable la mayoría del tiempo. Hay que tener en cuenta que tiene trece años, pero aún así, tiene momentos que sinceramente la hacen muy cansina. Muy previsible porque todos los capítulos (excepto el último del segundo tomo) terminan exactamente igual, sabes desde el primer momento lo que va a suceder y los personajes son muy planos porque no tienen misterio ninguno. Entiendo que son adolescentes y demás, pero no tienen inquietudes ni nada que se le parezca y les hace ser muy banales, porque he leído otros muchos mangas protagonizados por adolescentes, donde éstos muestran intereses y preocupaciones que hace que te los tomes en serio.
Otro aspecto que no me ha gustado nada, ha sido como tratan algunos temas. Para mi el más escandaloso se da en uno de los capítulos, donde la Dark Agency reparte unos dulces (dirigidos al público femenino) que hacen que aumentes de peso rápidamente. Por supuesto, en seguida comienzan los comentarios del tipo: «una súper heroína no puede estar rellenita» vertidos por Artemis, el gato hablador de Sailor V, y se aboga por los cuerpos normativos. Si bien es cierto que también se da el caso de que algunos hombres suben de peso, ese aspecto apenas se percibe, y tenemos que leer más comentarios del tipo: «uy, últimamente las chicas han aumentado de peso». NO, me da igual en la época en la que se haya escrito esta historia, no se pueden permitir ese tipo de comentarios. Me sentí muy mal e incómoda leyendo ese capítulo.
Tampoco me ha gustado mucho el estilo de dibujo. En muchas ocasiones se veía demasiado deformado y no se distinguían bien ciertos detalles de los rostros. El caso más flagrante es el de Artemis. Hay momentos en los que no se le distingue la boca, la mitad de las veces no tiene nariz y, en fin, se ve raro en muchas de sus poses.
En líneas generales esperaba más de esta historia. Sailor Moon es de mis mangas favoritos y éste me ha dejado muy decepcionada, tanto por el tratamiento en algunos temas, como por el estilo de dibujo. Es importante leer esta historia porque luego Sailor V formará parte de la saga principal protagonizada por Sailor Moon, y lo único que me ha gustado ha sido ver como aparecían de manera esporádica las que luego serán sus compañeras sin que ella lo sepa.
Otro aspecto que no me ha gustado nada, ha sido como tratan algunos temas. Para mi el más escandaloso se da en uno de los capítulos, donde la Dark Agency reparte unos dulces (dirigidos al público femenino) que hacen que aumentes de peso rápidamente. Por supuesto, en seguida comienzan los comentarios del tipo: «una súper heroína no puede estar rellenita» vertidos por Artemis, el gato hablador de Sailor V, y se aboga por los cuerpos normativos. Si bien es cierto que también se da el caso de que algunos hombres suben de peso, ese aspecto apenas se percibe, y tenemos que leer más comentarios del tipo: «uy, últimamente las chicas han aumentado de peso». NO, me da igual en la época en la que se haya escrito esta historia, no se pueden permitir ese tipo de comentarios. Me sentí muy mal e incómoda leyendo ese capítulo.
Tampoco me ha gustado mucho el estilo de dibujo. En muchas ocasiones se veía demasiado deformado y no se distinguían bien ciertos detalles de los rostros. El caso más flagrante es el de Artemis. Hay momentos en los que no se le distingue la boca, la mitad de las veces no tiene nariz y, en fin, se ve raro en muchas de sus poses.
En líneas generales esperaba más de esta historia. Sailor Moon es de mis mangas favoritos y éste me ha dejado muy decepcionada, tanto por el tratamiento en algunos temas, como por el estilo de dibujo. Es importante leer esta historia porque luego Sailor V formará parte de la saga principal protagonizada por Sailor Moon, y lo único que me ha gustado ha sido ver como aparecían de manera esporádica las que luego serán sus compañeras sin que ella lo sepa.
August 26, 2019
Este manga es un desastre total. A ver, entiendo que toda la primera parte es una sátira del genero, y es un manga que tiene unos 25 años, pero no sé hasta que punto la historia centrada en la "belleza", la gordofobia y la obsesión con la delgadez es algo gracioso o algo para tomarse tan a la ligera. Me pareció por lo menos poco sensible.
De ahi salta a una serie de historias super graciosas y absurdas con temática animal, en donde Sailor V y Artemis rompen la cuarta pared, todo es medio en joda y hay muchas más situaciones humorísticas.
La última parte del libro, el final de la historia con Ace, empieza también medio en joda pero en un momento da un giro completo para enganchar con Sailor Moon. Esto no es gradual, por lo que el final medio trágico se siente apurado y fuera de lugar, como si Takeuchi se hubiera hartado de hacer el manga y quisiera terminarlo.
En general podría decir que, al igual que el primer volumen, es un manga divertido, con varios cameos de los personajes de Sailor Moon, mucho humor absurdo, y un poco repetitivo que solo le recomendaría a alguien que ya estuviera familiarizado con la serie principal de Sailor Moon.
De ahi salta a una serie de historias super graciosas y absurdas con temática animal, en donde Sailor V y Artemis rompen la cuarta pared, todo es medio en joda y hay muchas más situaciones humorísticas.
La última parte del libro, el final de la historia con Ace, empieza también medio en joda pero en un momento da un giro completo para enganchar con Sailor Moon. Esto no es gradual, por lo que el final medio trágico se siente apurado y fuera de lugar, como si Takeuchi se hubiera hartado de hacer el manga y quisiera terminarlo.
En general podría decir que, al igual que el primer volumen, es un manga divertido, con varios cameos de los personajes de Sailor Moon, mucho humor absurdo, y un poco repetitivo que solo le recomendaría a alguien que ya estuviera familiarizado con la serie principal de Sailor Moon.
November 6, 2014
Great ending of this duology!
I enjoy being in that world; seeing Sailor V fight for justice, falling in love with boys all the time; it's simply hilarious!
I especially liked:
- the police headquarters
- Artemis
- Minako's process of growing up
- the great, but still a bit sad ending
- the revelations throughout the last two chapters that indicated the beginning of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
And now I'm off to read Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Short Stories 1.
It is so great to get more and more out of this. I know I'll be sad when I have read all of the manga. But until then I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! :)
I enjoy being in that world; seeing Sailor V fight for justice, falling in love with boys all the time; it's simply hilarious!
I especially liked:
- the police headquarters
- Artemis
- Minako's process of growing up
- the great, but still a bit sad ending
- the revelations throughout the last two chapters that indicated the beginning of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
And now I'm off to read Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Short Stories 1.
It is so great to get more and more out of this. I know I'll be sad when I have read all of the manga. But until then I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! :)
May 3, 2018
Just not as good as the main Sailor Moon series. Not sure if I’d recommend it to people who aren’t die hard fans because even I wasn’t that into it and I have a bloody shrine to the franchise.
August 10, 2024
Only have to knock down one star because of the odd first chapter that revolves around a fair bit of poorly aged body-shaming.
February 5, 2017
Mina and ace are like shipping goals but not in a good way. I want another sailor V book
February 2, 2023
Lacrimoni per il finale
April 20, 2014
2026 REREAD:
WELCOME TO SEPTEMBER MOON!
'When and where will we finally meet? The only people who could ever really know me. Those people who share the same feelings as me.'
We have now approached the end--no, the beginning of an era, in the case of 'Codename: Sailor V, Vol. 2', as it leads directly to its sequel/sister series, 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'. Or its last couple of chapters do, anyway.
And it's a good thing, too, as the silliness, obnoxiousness and repetitiveness of 'Codename: Sailor V' is becoming too much by the time we reach the second volume, again translated into English by Kodansha Comics. There are still some genuinely funny, and even satirical and meta, moments, but it becomes increasingly shallow and pointless, as well.
Speaking of shallow, Minako/Sailor V's character gets more and more selfish and insufferable with each chapter, if that's possible. She's confident, outspoken, OTT and parodic - sometimes funny and clever, other times spoiled, entitled and narcissistic - and the most un-self-aware person ever, and sometimes it can go too far. This is especially true in the appalling way she treats poor Artemis. Those two do not have a healthy relationship. Artemis is like a victim of a toxic and abusive marriage.
As a result, you end up not wanting to root for the heroine.
The manga is as sexist, and obsessed with feminine beauty standards and heteronormality and women getting married and "retiring", as ever. 'Vol. 2' adds fat shaming to make the whole thing extra uncomfortable and insulting. (It is scary how much of pop culture, spanning across all genres and demographics, really hates fat women and girls - once you notice it, you cannot unsee it. Fatphobia is another, powerful symptom of systematic misogyny.)
But whatever problems 'Codename: Sailor V' has, the final two chapters, titled 'Setting Out on a New Journey', make up for them.
The manga kicks into high gear, and suddenly things come together and make sense. There is tragedy, bittersweetness, yet hopefulness at the end. Seeds and plot points for 'Sailor Moon' are dropped in, the detail of Minako/Sailor V's past life is explained, and at last, she "awakens", and becomes Sailor Venus, the future leader of the Inner Solar System Sailor Guardians, and protector of Princess Serenity. Her next mission is to find these people, the ones most precious to her in the entire universe, and awaken, guide and protect them, as a mature, levelheaded and serious leader and warrior.
It is her destiny, performed with love and companionship with girls; no men or romance in sight. Men desiring her is not her life's purpose; this former valley girl-esque, spoiled heroine's existence does not revolve around men. She'll be okay with that, in the name of duty, responsibility, protection, the cosmos, the Moon, her girlies, and her own self-respect.
Her "true love" is, explicitly, Princess Serenity.
(And, hopefully, canonically, Rei/Sailor Mars.)
There are cameos of Usagi (and Naru), Ami, and Makoto. Even Sailor Chibi Moon and the Outer Sailor Guardians are shown... kind of. You see their silhouettes. Naoko Takeuchi had much planned from the start, before she properly began 'Sailor Moon'. 'Sailor V' was her throwing-concepts-at-the-wall warm-up.
It all comes full circle - like a full moon, or a crescent moon!
'Vol. 2' trivial notes:
We are introduced to Phantom Ace, aka proto-Tuxedo Mask, aka Ace Saijyo, aka Danburite, aka the reborn Adonis, a warrior from the planet Venus. During the ancient battle between the Moon/Silver Millennium and the Earth, Adonis fought under the command of the Four Kings of Heaven (of Earth), and was in love with Sailor Venus, the Princess of Venus, and leader of the Sailor Guardians and Protectors to Princess Serenity. But she was in love with Kunzite, one of the Four Kings. Yeah, Ace's whole motivation is he's a Nice Guy who was "friend-zoned", I don't mind spoiling that detail about him. Though Mina/Sailor V is "in love with him" in her present life, but then again she "falls in love" too quickly and easily with men, she's that shallow and desperate for someone to love her, neglecting what's really important - her princess and girlfriends. Ace's reveal and fate at the end is very well done, in my opinion.
The Dark Agency is a subsidiary of the Dark Kingdom.
The hilarious, confident and competent Inspector General, the Sailor V fangirl to Wakagi's Sailor V distrust and hate (Wakagi is her long-suffering police detective subordinate, and possible love interest, which will go nowhere). Her role is expanded delightfully, and her real name is Natsuna Sakurada. I remember reading once years and years ago, I don't remember where, that she is the sister of Haruna Sakurada, Usagi's schoolteacher. Either way, the family name is not a coincidence. Natsuna becomes friends with Mina - they bond over being Phantom Ace's groupies - and she finds out Mina is Sailor V, and begs the hero girl to work for her. On the very last page - how 'Codename: Sailor V' ends - Mina considers partnering with Natsuna, as a part-time Inspector General, despite her antagonism towards cops. It's a shame that this prospect and lead is a dead end, and we never see Natsuna, or Wakagi, again.
We see a lot of Mina's Ami-lookalike best friend Hikaru in this volume, but no more of Amano, whom Umino is an expy of. Neither Hikaru nor Amano are in 'Sailor Moon'.
Mina's parents don't appear again, either.
Motoki "Onii-san/Big Bro" Furuhata cameos, in the arcade/game center, of course.
All of Mina's light-haired male love interests* look so much alike. It seems like lazy character designs and templates, though perhaps it was done intentionally, to infer that Mina has a type, without stating it outright?
Sailor/Princess Venus's castle, Magellan, receives a mention, as part of her past self's backstory being explained to her by Ace/Adonis.
The entirety of the twelfth chapter, 'Wan-Wan's Schemes!', is Takeuchi-sensei's meta parallel, semi-autobiography on the life of a mangaka, and her own process in creating the premise, stories and characters for 'Sailor Moon' (this is where the silhouettes of all the solar system Sailor Guardians come from). Except 'Sailor Moon' is called 'Aurora Wedding' here. It's amusing and cute. However, the chapter ends with Takeuchi-sensei's "unattractive" self-insert suddenly being beautiful, because she's not wearing glasses anymore, and her love interest, whom she based her Tuxedo Mask-esque male lead on (called Coattail Mask, pfft), falls for her, now that she's "beautiful". He marries her on the spot, and she retires from making manga - at age twenty! Shallowness and '50s gender norms win! I hope this is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, and not to be taken seriously, like most of 'Codename: Sailor V'. The story also foreshadows Luna, and Artemis missing and loving his fellow talking, black space cat with the crescent moon-shaped spot on her forehead.
I'm guessing that "Boss" is Queen Serenity of the ruined Silver Millennium, as that mystery isn't solved or even brought up here.
What happened to Fluorite, Danburite's righthand woman? I don't think she's in 'Vol. 2' at all.
That's it. That's enough. That's all I'll write.
Next up, after 'Codename: Sailor V', is 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'. Except I already talked about that manga series, volume by volume, in great, no-doubt unnecessary, fangirling depth, throughout this month.
I've read a grand total of eighteen manga volumes for September Moon. I enjoyed myself immensely, and the excitement, and the uplifting, life-affirming and empowering mood I got from reading this classic magical girl franchise all over again, has me inspired and hyped to branch out and read more magical girl manga.
Stay tuned to see what other magical girl goodness I'll gush about in the future...
'Sailor Moon' manga verdict: What fun, joy and heart! And female power and enlightenment!
However, September Moon isn't quite over yet.
I have a couple more inclusions planned for the month of 'Sailor Moon'; more material to reread and rereview. What are they?
Wait until tomorrow to find out!
In the meantime, as always:
Happy September Moon!
Final Score (for 'Codename: Sailor V, Vol. 2'): 3.5/5
*Including Wakagi! She's thirteen, and he's in his late twenties, at least. It's never reciprocated, and she gets over him quickly, thank the Moon and all the heavenly bodies in the universe. At the end of the fat shaming first chapter, Mina/Sailor V purposely knocks Wakagi out, endangers his life, and kisses him while he's unconscious. There is so much no in the first chapter.
Original Review:
So fun. So wrong. Yet so right. Even without knowing anything about the sequel series.
Throughout reading the second and last volume of 'Codename: Sailor V', I was receiving messages that have to do with some problematic societal stereotypes concerning women and girls, even for Japan in the late 80s and early 90s, which sadly still exist to this day the world over.
These stereotypes include:
* No one likes girls who don't fit the skinny/slim model body type, so diets - even ones literally falling from the sky - are absolutely essential for all girls, because fat = sinful if you're a girl;
(There is an evil spa treatment centre in here too, so there is a message about exploitation and not trusting all get-thin-quick products. But it still goes back to the idea of how all women are and must be naturally beautiful and thin, as if fatness is ugly and unnatural in women, because it makes them undesirable to men. But what is beauty, and by who's standards? The literal planet Venus and the universal gods? Good grief!)
* Beautiful women = happy women;
* Inner and outer beauty are the same thing, with no discussion of what defines the word "beauty" when applied to women;
* All women and girls (specifically pretty ones) need heterosexual love and care in their lives;
* And no man likes a girl with glasses and they should be gotten rid of, eyesight be damned (there is an irony to this on the man's part).
But on the other hand, the manga builds up to an ending which is one of the most poignant love tragedies ever - for Sailor V herself. And yet it isn't really a tragedy. This manga may in fact, after all the stupid sexist crap, be promoting a message about how said stupid sexist crap is just that. That being beautiful and needing men are not essential for all women. That female relationships are more important. That there are different kinds of love, not just romantic.
This last adventure of Sailor V's is where she learns what it truly means to be a woman - to take responsibility, and discover what's really worth fighting for. Duty and love may at first not seem to mix, but assuming that same love can mean friendship and justice, maybe they can work cooperatively. Sailor V - Minako Aino - awakens as Sailor Venus upon discovering her true identity, what justice means and what her true mission is. For those who already know about 'Sailor Moon', you know that that mission is to work hard and battle alongside other girls, to selflessly protect a princess, and to fight in an ongoing galactic war using her physical strength, confidence and leadership skills. Her own love life has nothing to do with any of this, and it shouldn't do, because there are far more pressing things at stake, like the universe being in danger. Female friendship power FTW!
Sailor Venus, utterly boy-crazy and named for the Goddess of Love, learns that her destiny has nothing to do with love or romance. She isn't a princess living in modern day Japan, but a warrior among other female warriors, whose solemn duty is to protect another female friend, plus the universe.
Maybe I'm too willing to give this manga the benefit of the doubt and not analyse any mixed messages. But I'm a positive person at heart and that is how I interpret Sailor Venus's final solo outing.
'Codename: Sailor V, Vol. 2' is even sillier and more comedic than the previous volume. It is also very long for a traditional manga at nearly 300 pages. Minako is a selfish and thoughtless brat who complains a lot, and we see poor Artemis struggling to cope with her wild behaviour; not to mention her verbally declaring that she sees him as being lower than a pet. Talk about ungrateful, and hard to please when even a talking cat bores you. But Mina is only thirteen, after all. And she still loves sports, athletics and video games. For her time she is a hyper-confident and outspoken heroine, like a Japanese Wonder Woman. Her number of "first loves" in each chapter is played for laughs (brought up by the savvy Artemis), and in view of what happens to Mina at the very end, this can be considered a tragic irony.
Mina's mother and her friend Gurikazu Amano sadly don't appear in her final manga chronicle, but her friend Hikaru Sorano plays quite a big and important part as the selfless, caring role model whom Mina comes to aspire to. I love Natsuna Sakurada, the superintendent-general of the Metropolitan Police Board (and the sister of Haruna Sakurada, Usagi Tsukino's schoolteacher in 'Sailor Moon'). She is very funny, and her relationship with Mina/Sailor V is great once they come to know one another and find out how much they have in common. Natsuna wants Sailor V to join the police force, and Mina might just consider it...
All in all, this manga might not be all that special, nor even stands the test of time. It overdoes the classic "villain-of-the-week" formula, the villain origins are vague and slightly confusing, and compared to Naoko Takeuchi's more famous work it is very light and unfocused. But any 'Sailor Moon' fan should still check out the two volumes centering around the origin of Sailor Venus, to see how she became the headstrong leader we know her best as; how much she sacrificed to get to that position as a Sailor Soldier and Guardian.
She remembers her past life and learns to become a less selfish person, and this character development made going through the silly first three-quarters of the manga worth it.
Final Score: 3.5/5
WELCOME TO SEPTEMBER MOON!
'When and where will we finally meet? The only people who could ever really know me. Those people who share the same feelings as me.'
We have now approached the end--no, the beginning of an era, in the case of 'Codename: Sailor V, Vol. 2', as it leads directly to its sequel/sister series, 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'. Or its last couple of chapters do, anyway.
And it's a good thing, too, as the silliness, obnoxiousness and repetitiveness of 'Codename: Sailor V' is becoming too much by the time we reach the second volume, again translated into English by Kodansha Comics. There are still some genuinely funny, and even satirical and meta, moments, but it becomes increasingly shallow and pointless, as well.
Speaking of shallow, Minako/Sailor V's character gets more and more selfish and insufferable with each chapter, if that's possible. She's confident, outspoken, OTT and parodic - sometimes funny and clever, other times spoiled, entitled and narcissistic - and the most un-self-aware person ever, and sometimes it can go too far. This is especially true in the appalling way she treats poor Artemis. Those two do not have a healthy relationship. Artemis is like a victim of a toxic and abusive marriage.
As a result, you end up not wanting to root for the heroine.
The manga is as sexist, and obsessed with feminine beauty standards and heteronormality and women getting married and "retiring", as ever. 'Vol. 2' adds fat shaming to make the whole thing extra uncomfortable and insulting. (It is scary how much of pop culture, spanning across all genres and demographics, really hates fat women and girls - once you notice it, you cannot unsee it. Fatphobia is another, powerful symptom of systematic misogyny.)
But whatever problems 'Codename: Sailor V' has, the final two chapters, titled 'Setting Out on a New Journey', make up for them.
The manga kicks into high gear, and suddenly things come together and make sense. There is tragedy, bittersweetness, yet hopefulness at the end. Seeds and plot points for 'Sailor Moon' are dropped in, the detail of Minako/Sailor V's past life is explained, and at last, she "awakens", and becomes Sailor Venus, the future leader of the Inner Solar System Sailor Guardians, and protector of Princess Serenity. Her next mission is to find these people, the ones most precious to her in the entire universe, and awaken, guide and protect them, as a mature, levelheaded and serious leader and warrior.
It is her destiny, performed with love and companionship with girls; no men or romance in sight. Men desiring her is not her life's purpose; this former valley girl-esque, spoiled heroine's existence does not revolve around men. She'll be okay with that, in the name of duty, responsibility, protection, the cosmos, the Moon, her girlies, and her own self-respect.
Her "true love" is, explicitly, Princess Serenity.
(And, hopefully, canonically, Rei/Sailor Mars.)
There are cameos of Usagi (and Naru), Ami, and Makoto. Even Sailor Chibi Moon and the Outer Sailor Guardians are shown... kind of. You see their silhouettes. Naoko Takeuchi had much planned from the start, before she properly began 'Sailor Moon'. 'Sailor V' was her throwing-concepts-at-the-wall warm-up.
It all comes full circle - like a full moon, or a crescent moon!
'Vol. 2' trivial notes:
We are introduced to Phantom Ace, aka proto-Tuxedo Mask, aka Ace Saijyo, aka Danburite, aka the reborn Adonis, a warrior from the planet Venus. During the ancient battle between the Moon/Silver Millennium and the Earth, Adonis fought under the command of the Four Kings of Heaven (of Earth), and was in love with Sailor Venus, the Princess of Venus, and leader of the Sailor Guardians and Protectors to Princess Serenity. But she was in love with Kunzite, one of the Four Kings. Yeah, Ace's whole motivation is he's a Nice Guy who was "friend-zoned", I don't mind spoiling that detail about him. Though Mina/Sailor V is "in love with him" in her present life, but then again she "falls in love" too quickly and easily with men, she's that shallow and desperate for someone to love her, neglecting what's really important - her princess and girlfriends. Ace's reveal and fate at the end is very well done, in my opinion.
The Dark Agency is a subsidiary of the Dark Kingdom.
The hilarious, confident and competent Inspector General, the Sailor V fangirl to Wakagi's Sailor V distrust and hate (Wakagi is her long-suffering police detective subordinate, and possible love interest, which will go nowhere). Her role is expanded delightfully, and her real name is Natsuna Sakurada. I remember reading once years and years ago, I don't remember where, that she is the sister of Haruna Sakurada, Usagi's schoolteacher. Either way, the family name is not a coincidence. Natsuna becomes friends with Mina - they bond over being Phantom Ace's groupies - and she finds out Mina is Sailor V, and begs the hero girl to work for her. On the very last page - how 'Codename: Sailor V' ends - Mina considers partnering with Natsuna, as a part-time Inspector General, despite her antagonism towards cops. It's a shame that this prospect and lead is a dead end, and we never see Natsuna, or Wakagi, again.
We see a lot of Mina's Ami-lookalike best friend Hikaru in this volume, but no more of Amano, whom Umino is an expy of. Neither Hikaru nor Amano are in 'Sailor Moon'.
Mina's parents don't appear again, either.
Motoki "Onii-san/Big Bro" Furuhata cameos, in the arcade/game center, of course.
All of Mina's light-haired male love interests* look so much alike. It seems like lazy character designs and templates, though perhaps it was done intentionally, to infer that Mina has a type, without stating it outright?
Sailor/Princess Venus's castle, Magellan, receives a mention, as part of her past self's backstory being explained to her by Ace/Adonis.
The entirety of the twelfth chapter, 'Wan-Wan's Schemes!', is Takeuchi-sensei's meta parallel, semi-autobiography on the life of a mangaka, and her own process in creating the premise, stories and characters for 'Sailor Moon' (this is where the silhouettes of all the solar system Sailor Guardians come from). Except 'Sailor Moon' is called 'Aurora Wedding' here. It's amusing and cute. However, the chapter ends with Takeuchi-sensei's "unattractive" self-insert suddenly being beautiful, because she's not wearing glasses anymore, and her love interest, whom she based her Tuxedo Mask-esque male lead on (called Coattail Mask, pfft), falls for her, now that she's "beautiful". He marries her on the spot, and she retires from making manga - at age twenty! Shallowness and '50s gender norms win! I hope this is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, and not to be taken seriously, like most of 'Codename: Sailor V'. The story also foreshadows Luna, and Artemis missing and loving his fellow talking, black space cat with the crescent moon-shaped spot on her forehead.
I'm guessing that "Boss" is Queen Serenity of the ruined Silver Millennium, as that mystery isn't solved or even brought up here.
What happened to Fluorite, Danburite's righthand woman? I don't think she's in 'Vol. 2' at all.
That's it. That's enough. That's all I'll write.
Next up, after 'Codename: Sailor V', is 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'. Except I already talked about that manga series, volume by volume, in great, no-doubt unnecessary, fangirling depth, throughout this month.
I've read a grand total of eighteen manga volumes for September Moon. I enjoyed myself immensely, and the excitement, and the uplifting, life-affirming and empowering mood I got from reading this classic magical girl franchise all over again, has me inspired and hyped to branch out and read more magical girl manga.
Stay tuned to see what other magical girl goodness I'll gush about in the future...
'Sailor Moon' manga verdict: What fun, joy and heart! And female power and enlightenment!
However, September Moon isn't quite over yet.
I have a couple more inclusions planned for the month of 'Sailor Moon'; more material to reread and rereview. What are they?
Wait until tomorrow to find out!
In the meantime, as always:
Happy September Moon!
Final Score (for 'Codename: Sailor V, Vol. 2'): 3.5/5
*Including Wakagi! She's thirteen, and he's in his late twenties, at least. It's never reciprocated, and she gets over him quickly, thank the Moon and all the heavenly bodies in the universe. At the end of the fat shaming first chapter, Mina/Sailor V purposely knocks Wakagi out, endangers his life, and kisses him while he's unconscious. There is so much no in the first chapter.
Original Review:
So fun. So wrong. Yet so right. Even without knowing anything about the sequel series.
Throughout reading the second and last volume of 'Codename: Sailor V', I was receiving messages that have to do with some problematic societal stereotypes concerning women and girls, even for Japan in the late 80s and early 90s, which sadly still exist to this day the world over.
These stereotypes include:
* No one likes girls who don't fit the skinny/slim model body type, so diets - even ones literally falling from the sky - are absolutely essential for all girls, because fat = sinful if you're a girl;
(There is an evil spa treatment centre in here too, so there is a message about exploitation and not trusting all get-thin-quick products. But it still goes back to the idea of how all women are and must be naturally beautiful and thin, as if fatness is ugly and unnatural in women, because it makes them undesirable to men. But what is beauty, and by who's standards? The literal planet Venus and the universal gods? Good grief!)
* Beautiful women = happy women;
* Inner and outer beauty are the same thing, with no discussion of what defines the word "beauty" when applied to women;
* All women and girls (specifically pretty ones) need heterosexual love and care in their lives;
* And no man likes a girl with glasses and they should be gotten rid of, eyesight be damned (there is an irony to this on the man's part).
But on the other hand, the manga builds up to an ending which is one of the most poignant love tragedies ever - for Sailor V herself. And yet it isn't really a tragedy. This manga may in fact, after all the stupid sexist crap, be promoting a message about how said stupid sexist crap is just that. That being beautiful and needing men are not essential for all women. That female relationships are more important. That there are different kinds of love, not just romantic.
This last adventure of Sailor V's is where she learns what it truly means to be a woman - to take responsibility, and discover what's really worth fighting for. Duty and love may at first not seem to mix, but assuming that same love can mean friendship and justice, maybe they can work cooperatively. Sailor V - Minako Aino - awakens as Sailor Venus upon discovering her true identity, what justice means and what her true mission is. For those who already know about 'Sailor Moon', you know that that mission is to work hard and battle alongside other girls, to selflessly protect a princess, and to fight in an ongoing galactic war using her physical strength, confidence and leadership skills. Her own love life has nothing to do with any of this, and it shouldn't do, because there are far more pressing things at stake, like the universe being in danger. Female friendship power FTW!
Sailor Venus, utterly boy-crazy and named for the Goddess of Love, learns that her destiny has nothing to do with love or romance. She isn't a princess living in modern day Japan, but a warrior among other female warriors, whose solemn duty is to protect another female friend, plus the universe.
Maybe I'm too willing to give this manga the benefit of the doubt and not analyse any mixed messages. But I'm a positive person at heart and that is how I interpret Sailor Venus's final solo outing.
'Codename: Sailor V, Vol. 2' is even sillier and more comedic than the previous volume. It is also very long for a traditional manga at nearly 300 pages. Minako is a selfish and thoughtless brat who complains a lot, and we see poor Artemis struggling to cope with her wild behaviour; not to mention her verbally declaring that she sees him as being lower than a pet. Talk about ungrateful, and hard to please when even a talking cat bores you. But Mina is only thirteen, after all. And she still loves sports, athletics and video games. For her time she is a hyper-confident and outspoken heroine, like a Japanese Wonder Woman. Her number of "first loves" in each chapter is played for laughs (brought up by the savvy Artemis), and in view of what happens to Mina at the very end, this can be considered a tragic irony.
Mina's mother and her friend Gurikazu Amano sadly don't appear in her final manga chronicle, but her friend Hikaru Sorano plays quite a big and important part as the selfless, caring role model whom Mina comes to aspire to. I love Natsuna Sakurada, the superintendent-general of the Metropolitan Police Board (and the sister of Haruna Sakurada, Usagi Tsukino's schoolteacher in 'Sailor Moon'). She is very funny, and her relationship with Mina/Sailor V is great once they come to know one another and find out how much they have in common. Natsuna wants Sailor V to join the police force, and Mina might just consider it...
All in all, this manga might not be all that special, nor even stands the test of time. It overdoes the classic "villain-of-the-week" formula, the villain origins are vague and slightly confusing, and compared to Naoko Takeuchi's more famous work it is very light and unfocused. But any 'Sailor Moon' fan should still check out the two volumes centering around the origin of Sailor Venus, to see how she became the headstrong leader we know her best as; how much she sacrificed to get to that position as a Sailor Soldier and Guardian.
She remembers her past life and learns to become a less selfish person, and this character development made going through the silly first three-quarters of the manga worth it.
Final Score: 3.5/5
January 8, 2019
And with that, I have finished reading all of the Sailor Moon manga. What a journey it has been! It has been fun to look at the wacky adventures of our Sailor Guardians drawn prettily by Takeuchi, but I have to admit I much prefer seeing these adventures animated. Their repetition feels very flat in panels to me rather than exciting (partly because I’m reading the chapters back-to-back and not digesting them monthly), but it is what it is.
Personally, I prefer Minako’s maturity than her bratty middle school behavior (she also treats Artemis pretty terribly), but then again, it allows for some interesting Usagi parallels. But there were a lot of pacing and dropped plot element issues that I found myself a little irritated with (also, the chapters involving weight and China were very offensive). Still, this was definitely a nice dose of nostalgic fun and I’ll appreciate that I finished this chapter of my life.
Personally, I prefer Minako’s maturity than her bratty middle school behavior (she also treats Artemis pretty terribly), but then again, it allows for some interesting Usagi parallels. But there were a lot of pacing and dropped plot element issues that I found myself a little irritated with (also, the chapters involving weight and China were very offensive). Still, this was definitely a nice dose of nostalgic fun and I’ll appreciate that I finished this chapter of my life.
December 19, 2022
These stories were... something else. First that weird fatphobic arc that lasted a couple of chapters, with a line that read "I'd rather die than see a fat Sailor V" yikes... and the last chapter, she kept making a joke about Chinese people eating cats?? Which in the US at least is very racist. Really weird, really awkward.
Also, why is Naoko Takeuchi obsessed with a character kissing another while unconscious!!! It happens in Sailor Moon as well, and it happen in Sailor V. Plus, Minako is supposed to be 13 years old!! And she keeps running around falling in love with near 30 year old men.cIt's so creepy. She's a literal child T_T
Also, why is Naoko Takeuchi obsessed with a character kissing another while unconscious!!! It happens in Sailor Moon as well, and it happen in Sailor V. Plus, Minako is supposed to be 13 years old!! And she keeps running around falling in love with near 30 year old men.cIt's so creepy. She's a literal child T_T
May 17, 2026
Al termine di questo volume posso dichiarare di aver concluso ufficialmente la lettura dell'opera di Sailor Moon (nonostante si tratti di un prequel, ma va bene lo stesso).
Questo secondo capitolo dedicato a Sailor Venus raccoglie una serie di "episodi" incentrati sulla prima delle guerriere Sailor, e sebbene presenti elementi potenzialmente problematici per il lettore o la lettrice contemporanei (prima di tutto la grassofobia costante e reiterata, yikes) rimane comunque una parentesi piacevole e divertente sull'universo di Takeuchi.
Molto bello il collegamento sul finale che rimanda al primo volume della serie principale — e che, in qualche modo, mi ha fatto anche un po' emozionare.
Questo secondo capitolo dedicato a Sailor Venus raccoglie una serie di "episodi" incentrati sulla prima delle guerriere Sailor, e sebbene presenti elementi potenzialmente problematici per il lettore o la lettrice contemporanei (prima di tutto la grassofobia costante e reiterata, yikes) rimane comunque una parentesi piacevole e divertente sull'universo di Takeuchi.
Molto bello il collegamento sul finale che rimanda al primo volume della serie principale — e che, in qualche modo, mi ha fatto anche un po' emozionare.
September 11, 2026
I liked this second volume a lot more than the first one, because Mina got more serious about her responsibilities as a Sailor Scout and had some good character development. However, I did not like that she was always getting a crush on older men. She's only 13! It was just very weird. I really love Artemis's character, because he is so funny and sarcastic.
This book has been screened on the Screen It First website for some explicit and sensitive content. https://screenitfirst.com/book/codena...
This book has been screened on the Screen It First website for some explicit and sensitive content. https://screenitfirst.com/book/codena...
May 5, 2024
They only had the 2nd volume at Half Price Books so here we are. There are some funny (and at times absurd) pop culture references, but also some fatphobia and sinophobia that made me enjoy this significantly less. Definitely could see the ways this influenced the course and style of Sailor Moon though, so that was neat
August 21, 2022
This one packed a punch.
Very strong stories in here,I especially liked the pet chapters.
But my favourite was at the end,the sadly tragic resolution with the Ace of Hearts.
But other than than,I spent my time nicely.
Very strong stories in here,I especially liked the pet chapters.
But my favourite was at the end,the sadly tragic resolution with the Ace of Hearts.
But other than than,I spent my time nicely.
September 30, 2025
Volume two of Sailor V was much better than volume one. Volume one was very repetitive, and volume two wasn't. I enjoyed all the characters; it has been great to get a bigger story into Mina's life before she meets the other sailor guardians.
December 29, 2017
This is one of, if not the most, beautiful manga's that I've ever read. Allow me to review the first volume, before I can properly convey my thoughts here. I just needed to have that said.
November 27, 2019
[REVIEW TO COME UPON RE-READING.]
April 30, 2020
I forgot how hilarious Artemis can be. This was so enjoyable and a perfect set up to Sailor Moon.
May 25, 2020
Ein schöner Band! 👌🏼 Nur das Ende hab ich mir ein bisschen anders vorgestellt. 🤗
January 5, 2022
I love Mina and Artemis so much, they were always my favourites from sailor moon, this Manga definitely made me laugh out loud at parts and it’s nice to see it tying into sailor moon
February 26, 2026
As I remember the original Sailor Moon Run; this final volume of Codename Sailor V is also rushed when it comes to lore and explaining plot/villains. But a satisfying wrap up to lead to the main Sailor Moon series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews