Code Name wa Sailor V

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Codename Sailor V, Codename Is Sailor V, Codename wa Sailor V, Codename: Sailor V

Japanese: コードネームはセーラーV

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 3

Chapters: 15

Status: Finished

Published: 1991 to 1997

Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Theme: Mahou Shoujo

Demographic: Shoujo

Serialization: Run Run

Authors: Takeuchi, Naoko (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.57¹ (scored by 6,523 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #2518²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #1525

Members: 13,042

Favorites: 364

Resources

Wikipedia

7.57

Ranked #2518Popularity #1525Members 13,042

MangaRun RunTakeuchi, Naoko (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /3

Chapters: /15

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Synopsis

"The Pretty Guardian in a Sailor Suit! Sailor Venus has arrived!"

13-year-old Minako Aino is an active tomboy who loves idols and video games, and is a popular member of Shiba Koen Junior High School's volleyball team. One day during her PE class, Minako accidentally stumbles upon a white cat, who later sidetracks her from talking to her crush. At home, Minako wonders if she is beautiful, and hearing this, the cat introduces himself as Artemis and gives her a compact mirror that shows Minako more than just her beauty...

Before she can fully take in the cat's words, Minako receives a special pen that can transform her into masked champion of justice, Sailor V! As her carefree love-seeking days begin to include adventures against the energy-seeking Dark Agency, Minako will learn to embrace the full extent of her destiny in this prequel to Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Code Name wa Sailor V was serialized in the RunRun magazine as the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon manga ran in Nakayoshi, with a much slower release rate than the latter.

The series was published in English by Kodansha Comics USA from September 13, 2011 to November 15, 2011, along with the republishing of the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon manga.

Code Name wa Sailor V had an OVA adaptation planned, but it never happened; the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon anime was created instead.

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Related Manga

Sequel:

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

More characters
Characters

Aino, Minako

Main

Artemis

Main

Ace, Saijou

Main

Tsukino, Usagi

Supporting

Hino, Rei

Supporting

Kino, Makoto

Supporting

Mizuno, Ami

Supporting

Oosaka, Naru

Supporting

Furuhata, Motoki

Supporting

Okamoto

Supporting

Reviews

Aug 26, 2023

lena2005

Recommended

Personally it was really enjoyable, of course not everyone will since it basically was just a rough draft of Sailor Moon, but I do think it is an important part of Sailor Moon history and is often looked over when looking back on the series. I also like how it gives us a backstory on Minako Aino AKA Sailor Venus, or Sailor V in this manga. She has always been my favorite sailor senshi in the whole franchise. If you are debating on reading Sailor V, go for it and it least give it a chance, of course it is not for everyone though.

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Sep 3, 2022

StaleCupcakes524

Mixed Feelings

Reads very much like a rough draft of Sailor Moon, but still a good time for anyone who's a fan of the franchise or typical 90s shoujo.

The art is typical Natsuki Takaya, not particularly good proportions but still polished and pretty. Story is, as aforementioned, very much like early chapters of Sailor Moon - but less of the fantasy elements and more of the superhero/crime fighting. It gives a nice look into Mina's character, as well, though again, it is very evident that she was an early version of what would become Sailor Moon.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but I most likely won't be going back ...

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Feb 21, 2021

Pande91

Not Recommended

It is possible to acknowledge that a work was influential to a genre, while also recognizing its faults. This is the case with 'Codename: Sailor V', whose existence and success made it possible for 'Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon' to exist — whose role in making both anime and the mahou shoujo subgenre popular all over the world, you are already familiar with.

One day, 13-year-old middle schooler Minako Aino is approached by a talking cat, who introduces himself as Artemis and claims that she has magical powers and has been chosen to fight against mysterious creatures that want to drain the population's energy, which she does ... by transforming into Sailor V. The basic premise of most mahou shoujo works.

'Codename: Sailor V' (CSV) is, for better or worse, a product of its time. It's not a complex story, the characters aren't deep, the plot progression is clunky, and the jokes aren't that funny. At this point I haven't read BSSM, so these missteps might've been smoothed out later due to Takeuchi gaining more writing experience. But in CSV, most chapters follow a formula: Minako is called out for being lazy, gets interested in something pop-culture related (idol, video game) that turns out to be a monster-of-the-week, deals with it, and all is well until the next chapter. There is almost no suspense because you know what's going to happen, and you could safely skip chapters 4-8 and 11-13 without missing anything of importance to plot or character development; that's roughly half the manga, to give you an idea. The ending itself is also very rushed and poorly done, with the antagonist serving only as a means to unlock Minako's memories as Sailor Venus, instead of being a proper character in his own right.

Some background details are sprinkled in, like a hidden base of operations under the arcade Minako goes to, a "boss" Minako only interacts with through her transformation pen, and Minako's power upgrades and attacks popping up out of nowhere, but they aren't elaborated on and we're left to just...take them in stride and never question why they're there.

There are some moments that legitimately had me questioning what the hell Takeuchi was thinking — not because of some "politically correct" outrage, but because...they just aren't funny. One such moment has Minako calling Artemis a "trans-sexual cat" or a "fag cat" (depending on the translation — probably a translation of "okama neko"?) because he's a male bearing the name of a female goddess. Another is an instance of Boomer Humor: Wife Edition, with Minako's mom calling her husband a "failure" because he's having trouble setting up a TV. Later on, there is a joke about Chinese people eating cats...which is repeated twice because it was so funny the first time.

Minako is a decent lead, in that she's believable as a young teen who just wants to spend her free time gaming and talking about boys; her appearance would have you think she's much older, as the outfits she wears when she transforms show a questionable amount of leg and cleavage for a 13-year-old. Artemis, on the other hand, was relegated to the role of Mom 2.0, more of a nagging nuisance than a mentor and companion; in several eyebrow-raising moments, he's astounded that a 13-year-old girl isn't eager to risk her life for...what exactly? Minako only gets an explanation about the end goal and the bigger picture in the last 5-6 pages of the entire story, yet Artemis expects her to dedicate her life to fighting and have zero other interests. The other characters and the villains don't really distinguish themselves from background decor.

As for the art, well, re-reading this only reminded me why I dislike Naoko Takeuchi's drawings. You can have noses or mouths, but apparently not both at the same time. The feet and ankles are horror material. Artemis's character design flip-flops from manga-ish to cubist. And, sadly, the screentones often get in the way of actually seeing what's happening. That being said, I wouldn't call the character designs bad; they're cute but unfortunately plagued by anatomy issues.

All in all, would I recommend this? Honestly no, unless you're a Takeuchi fan and/or curious about where BSSM got its roots. I found myself struggling through most chapters because anytime something interesting is introduced, it's glossed over in favor of monster-of-the-week plots, rendering the entire story superficial. At the same time, it's meant to be a Girl Power story and succeeds at that, so if that's what you're looking for, it might be an enjoyable read for you.

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Poll: Code Name wa Sailor V Chapter 15 + 16 Discussion Mana - Jan 21, 2016	6 replies	by Fabrizio00 »» Mar 11, 11:56 AM
Poll: Codename wa Sailor V Chapter 14 Discussion witchwings - Jul 8, 2013	3 replies	by Fabrizio00 »» Mar 11, 11:11 AM
Poll: Code Name wa Sailor V Chapter 13 Discussion Mana - Jan 21, 2016	4 replies	by Fabrizio00 »» Mar 11, 9:51 AM
Poll: Codename wa Sailor V Chapter 12 Discussion Ston3_FreeN7 - Jul 19, 2014	4 replies	by Fabrizio00 »» Mar 11, 9:30 AM
Poll: Code Name wa Sailor V Chapter 11 Discussion Mana - Jan 21, 2016	3 replies	by Fabrizio00 »» Mar 11, 9:01 AM

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