Mina Aino/Manga



The following is a brief overview of the character Mina Aino as depicted in the of Sailor Moon.

Pretty Solider Sailor Moon
In the original adaptation of Naoko Takeuchi's manga, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, the character Sailor Venus was named Minako Aino. Her first name in the English localization, "Mina", is a shortened version of Minako.

Minako Aino was created prior to the realization of Usgai Tsukino (who went through multiple character design revisions detailed in Takeuchi's Pretty Solider Sailor Moon Picture Collection and Materials Collection series). In both the original English and Japanese dub, Minako shares many character traits with Usagi Tsukino (including clumsiness and a love for eating) and is commonly compared to Usagi.

In the manga, Minako's physical similarities to Usagi was used to the advantage of the Sailor Senshi. Minako acted as decoy for Usagi and Sailor Moon during her fight with the Dark Kingdom and her search for Princess Serenity.

The origin story of Minako's first secret identity, "Sailor V", differs based on the canon. In the prequel manga, Codename: Sailor V, a thirteen year old Minako was the first of the Sailor Senshi regain her memories when she, similar to Usagi, comes across stray cat named Artemis.

She accepts the mission to protect the Earth as Sailor V and fights a sub-division Dark Kingdom called, the Dark Agency. She travels to such locales such as Greece, and China to thwart their plans. Luna, Artemis and Minako hatch a plan to use her Sailor V persona to train Usagi to become Sailor Moon through arcade games.

In Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon’s forty second episode, "Sailor Venus' Past! Minako's Tragic Love", Minako instead travels to England where she falls in love with a boy named Alan and fights the youma who've taken a young woman named Katarina hostage.

Though Minako struggled over her affections for Alan, or dedicating herself to the fight as Sailor V, she eventually chooses to remain faithful to her duty as a Sailor Senshi. Her past in London comes back to haunt her when Katarina is targeted again by the Dark Kingdom, and she later revealed her history to Usagi and the other Senshi. "Sailor Venus' Past! Minako's Tragic Love" was the fourth of six episodes of the first season Sailor Moon that was omitted from the episode order in North America. Minako was voiced by actress Rika Fkaumi.