Name: Minako Aino
Birthday: October 22nd
Sign: Libra
Blood type: B
Fave colour: Yellow & Red
Hobby: Chasing Idols
Fave food: Curry
Least fave food: Shiitake
Fave subject: Gym
Least fave subject: Maths & English
Weaknesses: Mama & Policemen
Special Talent: Playing
Dream: To be an Idol
Minako Aino is, on the outside, just like Usagi; a representation of an average teenage girl. However, this is only a front for her deeper self. It is all too easy to forget the sacrifices the Minako has already made before even meeting Usagi. She gave up a promising relationship, playing her favourite sport in which she may have had a career and many other things that normal teenage girls simply take for granted, like the time to hang out with friends. To look at the way in which her character behaves on a day to day basis (bubbly, excitable and an avid Idol hunter) is simply not enough as Naoko Takeuchi reminds us that it is not only silent waters which run deep.
Throughout the versions of Sailor Moon, Minako is permanently connected to fame and glitz, rather like the area in Tokyo from which she comes; Shiba Koen. In the manga, she is obsessed with Idols, being the Senshi’s link to popular culture which is not provided by any of the other girls. In the anime, her role is the same, only she is increasingly also interested in boys in general. In the live action, she actually is a pop star, idolised by Usagi.
Minako was the original Sailor Warrior. Starting the Sailor Moon franchise off with “Codename: Sailor V”, the underrated manga prequel, it was not originally Takeuchi’s plan to have a team of Senshi at all. However, with the success of this manga she decided to write more, changing the main character from Sailor V to Sailor Moon. It is unclear as to why she did this, perhaps she felt the need to utilise a different character to build up the new story but Sailor V managed to transcend the gap between manga with her personality largely intact, showing that it was not through a dislike of the character that she was relegated from stardom.
Minako is also the owner of the second survivor of the Silver Millenium, Artemis. This is a vital story driver as Artemis has more of his memories than Luna and so Sailor Venus is able to instruct the other Senshi, meaning that the story moves forward instead of stagnating due to a lack of information. I feel that the root of Minako’s popularity however is her hard working nature. She never gives up, even when perhaps she should have done long ago (for example, the anime episode where she insists upon nursing the other senshi back to health after a flu epidemic). This is an appealing trait and one to which most people can relate (who hasn’t sat for hours trying to get through a game level?). She is that rare thing, a character with the capacity for serious thought and action who at times is light, airy and fun as well, this makes her character rounded and interesting for the audience who are never quite sure what she’ll do next!
"You're thinking i'm just a pretty blonde. In my case, what you see is definitely not what you get" - Minako Aino
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