Sailor Moon - it's one of the few anime or manga series a fan can mention around those who might not like Japanese comics, and still have them be in the know. The "pretty guardian in a sailor suit" graced American television through the 90's along with the rest of her team of five magical girls, and gave many a future female manga fan her first taste of manga and anime.
But not as people know Sailor V. Codename: Sailor V is artist Naoko Takeuchi's precursor to the famous five-girl squad, published shortly before Sailor Moon was created. Though the now-defunct manga publisher Tokyopop published Sailor Moon in the late 90's, Sailor V never made it stateside. But when Kodansha USA decided to re-release Sailor Moon, the prequel came along for the ride.
Codename: Sailor V, the Prequel to Sailor Moon
Before she became the Sailor Venus we know from Sailor Moon, Minako Aino was Sailor V, the "champion for justice" under the power of Venus. One day she encounters a white cat named Artemis who tells her she is the chosen woman to fight the Dark Agency. A magical compact and pen allows Mina to transform and fight as her alter ego, Sailor V.
Codename: Sailor V gets straight to the point. Shortly into the first chapter Minako is found by Artemis and given her powers, and she becomes Sailor V to fight the "enemy", a demonic boy who is sucking the energy out of the women he seduces. After Mina defeats him with her new abilities the manga falls into a monster-of-the-week pattern. She battles an idol who is sucking energy, then a smaller idol who is sucking energy, then a group of idols sucking energy... so on and so forth. Though there's hints at a bigger overarching threat it hasn't been revealed, and reading eight chapters of basically the same chapter can start to feel like a chore.
Mina herself is a pretty great character. She's got a lot of the usual traits that come with just about every magical girl - she might be good at sports, but her grades are lousy and she can't ever seem to get to school on time. But she's strong. "I've never cried!" she shouts at the boys making fun of her, and even though she doesn't want to be a guardian of justice she still doesn't hesitate to help people. And even though she's plagued with the normal 13-year-old girl problems that serves to make Mina a little more relatable.
Other characters don't get so much development. Artemis is her exasperated mentor, her grumpy mother is constantly yelling, and her best friend just pops up to make comments about some new idol. The manga feels empty, and it's no wonder Takeuchi moved on to Sailor Moon with it's fuller cast.
There are some poignant moments in the story, like when Sailor V defeats her first enemy - a boy she had a crush on. There are tears in her eyes, and you think for a moment that this might actually be too much for her. Then Artemis gives her comfort, and she's able to move on. These pages felt very strong, and it's a pity there aren't more like it.
Naoko Takeuchi's Manga Art and Character Cameos
Though some of the chapter titles carry more detail - Minako's rumpled bed littered with candy and manga - regular panels are basic. Full backgrounds are rarely used, instead being filled with screen tone designs or simple drawings. This is a particular pity when the manga moves into different locations, like the sudden trip to Greece. Much of the character art is made of loose, airy lines that's nice to look at, but really shows the age of the manga.
Knowing that Sailor Moon was going to be created, Naoko Takeuchi has some fun giving those characters cameos. In a couple of scenes we see Usagi (Sailor Moon) staring longingly in the game center, and we even get a glimpse of the girl who will be Sailor Mars. It's a fun bonus for fans also planning on picking up the Sailor Moon manga - and honestly if you're picking up Sailor V, it's only because you want to read Sailor Moon.
Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi
Codename: Sailor V is a fun magical girl comic, and though the overall plot follows too strict of a formula Mina's a fun enough character to help make up for it. One of the biggest deterrents for younger fans may be the obvious age of the manga, which has a clear difference from the Arina Tanemura-esque comics they're used to. But fans of 90's shojo will enjoy themselves, and Sailor Moon fans especially won't want to miss out.
Codename: Sailor V gets 3.5/5.
- ISBN: 9781935429777
- MSRP: $10.99 US / $11.99 CAN
- Rated 'T' Ages 13+
- 272 pages
- Released September 13, 2011
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