Before Sailor Moon, there was Sailor V! Minako Aino is 13 years old when she meets a talking white cat named Artemis, who tells her something unbelievable: With a magic pen, she has the power to transform into the elegant, masked hero Sailor V. Experience Minako's adventures, before she became Sailor Venus, featuring a new, glittering cover, a fresh translation, and remastered interior art!
A year before meeting Sailor Moon--and her destiny as a member of the Sailor Guardians--Minako was the first hero to find her calling. At age 13, all this teen can talk about is finding a boyfriend, but her dreams change when a talking cat with a crescent moon on his forehead reveals her true identity as the Soldier of Justice, Sailor V! Magic has returned to modern Tokyo, and she must use her powers to stop the Dark Agency, which is trying to manipulate Japan's entertainment industry and enslave the population.
This definitive, two-volume "Eternal Edition" of the Codename: Sailor V manga follows the ten-volume Sailor Moon Eternal Edition. They feature new cover illustrations by Sailor V and Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi, a new translation, entirely redesigned lettering, and, for the first time, all the color pages from the original magazine run in the 1990s, at the largest size available anywhere in the world!
In the name of Sailor V, don't miss this chance to complete your collection!
Naoko Takeuchi (武内 直子, Takeuchi Naoko) 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.
Sailor V is a very silly series. It doesn't have the gravitas of Sailor Moon manga, nor does it have the slice-of-life appeal of the 90's anime. I can't really recommend it except for Sailor Moon completionists (which I am).
Sailor V is pretty much a prequel to Sailor Moon. Sailor V was Naoko Takeuchi's first take on the magical girl genre, prior to the idea being re-tooled into Sailor Moon. Vestiges of this exist in Sailor Moon, both anime and manga, in that Sailor Venus has a strange blue and red outfit in flash backs, her own cat, and that the Crown Arcade has a Sailor V Video game. Only the first three issues of Sailor V were actually written and drawn before Sailor Moon launched, the rest were haphazardly issued during Sailor Moon chapters. This allows the rest of the sailor senshi and the Moon Kingdom to be referenced in later Sailor V chapters. It also allows Naoko to tie in the Sailor V villains to the first boss of the first Sailor Moon season. It seems pretty clear she didn't have an idea of what the major plot one was going to be in Sailor V from the get go.
The lack of clear vision in Sailor V is its downfall. Minako is almost more likable that Usagi; she has a beat 'em up attitude and has literal physical attacks which are fun. However, she has no love specific love interest and is instead boy crazy, every other chapter has her falling for some other schmuck. The lack of mythology makes EVERY chapter feel filler. Because Minako doesn't really have any senshi to share her adventures with, the slice of life aspect isn't very fun either.
That said, this edition is beautiful. I love the colored images and the huge size. The translations notes are great, and it's wonderful to finally have a translator on Sailor Moon give a damn.
And I do enjoy the Artemis and Minako interactions. Those are fun.
I can see the inspiration for or from power rangers in this for sure. Baddie of the week and special attacks abound, but it's a fun ride, if only for the nostalgia.
as a sailor moon fan, i knew i needed to read this and im so glad i did! i really enjoyed some of the reoccurring characters of sailor moon making an appearance in this: furuhata, kunzite, naru, and of course, usagi!! it felt super rewarding to read those moments. also just realizing now some of the backstory elements of the sailor v within sailor moon’s story.
the fact that artemis made the sailor v game in order for minako to learn how to be a sailor guardian and that just ties so perfectly with the sailor moon manga especially at the beginning.
i will say sailor moon and sailor venus have always been two sides of the same coin however, sailor moon has always been a bit more nuanced than venus. this manga is such a treat to read but, i wish minako had a bit more distinction from usagi because it felt like reading usagi’s story as they share some of the same traits: bad at school, loves slacking off, giving their cat familiars a hard time, do i need to continue?? however, i loved this volume nonetheless i can’t wait to read volume 2!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Prima parte di questa storia che fa da prequel alla comparsa di Sailor Moon e alla sua battaglia contro il Dark Kingdom. In principio infatti c’era Sailor V o meglio conosciuta come Sailor Venus; scelta dal gatto Artemis per diventare la bella guerriera che veste alla marinara per combattere la Dark Agency, seguendo le istruzioni di una voce misteriosa (chiamata boss da Artemis). Piccolo tassello che si va a incastrare nella storia di quel bellissimo manga che poi sarà Sailor Moon, questa edizione Eternal, impreziosisce ancora di più la storia con pagine a colori e un formato da perfect edition. Per chi ama la saga di Sailor Moon è un acquisto obbligato.
Minako is just such a fun protagonist! She’s funny and relatable and she actually fights crime. Don’t get me wrong, Usagi eventually gets endearing, but Minako is just so effortlessly likeable. The lore behind Sailor V is a pared down version of the general structure of Sailor Moon, with Minako being a reincarnation of the goddess Venus instead of a guardian of the planet Venus. This is fine by me. Overall I highly recommend this precursor to Sailor Moon and look forward to volume 2!
Side note: I’ve been on a quest for the past year or so to find a copy of volume one of Codename Sailor V and couldn’t find it anywhere. Numerous trips to comic stores and Barnes and Noble and I could usually find volume two, but not one. eBay had some copies, but I didn’t really want to shill out $100 for a copy. Fortunately, during my year of sporadic searching (more as a hobby than anything) these beautiful eternal editions of Sailor V were released. I’m not a collector of Sailor Moon paraphernalia by any means (yet) but this is… wow. Blew me away. Highly recommend for collectors, fans, or anyone really who wants to get into this super fun series.
This is exactly what I expected it to be: charming, fun, and dorky? We get introduced to Minako as the recantation of the goddess Venus instead of the guardian princess of planet Venus which was a surprise! I suppose it makes sense considering this mini series is a prequel to Sailor moon or (it could be a translation thing). Minako is a 13 year old girl who is hesitant to take up the mantle of crime fighting heroine. Mina is a relatable and funny character that has a lot of growing up to do in a short amount of time. This first volume follows the traditional formula of sailor moon manga which can feel a little repetitive to an adult. We see her and Artemus struggle to get along which reminds me a lot of Usagi and Luna when they first meet. Mina is eventually convinced to become Sailor V and fight against the Dark Agency who is determine to brainwash the people of Japan by infiltrating the entertainment industry. The art is phenomenal and if you are interesting in reading this, the Eternal editions are 100% worth it. I highly recommend this is your looking for something nostalgic that will whimsical and magical!
This book definitely goes in the category of one of my weaknesses. Yes I’m a sucker for my Sailor Moon Magna. This means I might be a bit more bias because when I heard this book was coming out I had to add it to my collection.
The first story is short with decent artwork and a feeling of satisfaction. Knowing how Sailor V began and not Sailor Venus is a mystery that will remain unsolved because the question of whom Artemis is speaking to goes unanswered. We just know the person is speaking from the pen that sailor Venus is given. It’s a bit annoying, but there’s also several themes within this magna that you can also find in sailor moon.
The artwork is stunning, the book feels a bit harder than most magna and the joy Moonie fans will get is something you can’t put a price on. For non-fans I can’t say I would recommend this book, but that’s true of most graphic novels. I would say I however enjoyed it even if the direction was a bit lost at first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I am pretty familiar with Sailor Moon, having watched the show when I was younger and even reading a good chunk of the manga. Sailor V had been a gap for me, and it's one I wish I'd tried to fill earlier. This is, in my estimation, a much funnier and goofier book than Sailor Moon necessarily is (and take that as you will). Minako and her supporting cast are pitch perfect weird, and the new translation is excellent. To give an idea of what you're in for here, aside from doing battle with evil idols and celebrities, there's a whole chapter dedicated to Minako just wanting to play video games before ultimately squaring up with some misogynistic guy who doesn't believe girls should be in arcades.... leading her to realize he's not actually an alien monster (just a terrible person) and that she needs to book it after knocking him out. I picked up the second volume as well, but as I meandered my way through this one I'm planning on taking my time through it as well.
I love that they came out with this edition! It's kind of funny looking back how many parallels you can find between Sailor V and Sailor Moon and how much Takeuchi wanted to write Sailor Moon, which is definitely apparent while reading. It is hard to criticize since this is my favorite series, but I will say it makes sense that Sailor Moon becomes our main character and story. Overall, Mina's character is not as compelling or interesting as Usagi, the challenges Mina faces are more villain-of-the-week which she never has trouble facing, and there's also the Toshio Wakagi who I'm not sure yet why he was introduced since he doesn't add anything to the plot whatsoever. In conclusion, it's alright by itself, but when it serves it's purpose as a prelude to Sailor Moon, it's fun to read, especially with a couple cameo from our beloved characters which we meet later on.
Being a prelude to Sailor Moon (and originally created prior to it), it is a very simplified version of the classic series. It isn’t as refined in story or direction and is even a bit of a slog at times, leaning super hard into “girl boss super hero” tropes without filling out much else. The beginning is quite directionless and, to a modern audience, rather a dangerous lesson to young girls who daydream about a very black-and-white ideal of “Good vs Evil” that can be easily recognized and eradicated. In short, make sure your daughters know not to take directions from faceless people who call themselves “the good guys” without explanation. 😅
The art is beautiful however in this new publication, and for any Sailor a moon enthusiast or completist, still a must-read to appreciate exactly how young these poor characters were when thrust into their roles as guardians of the cosmos.
I’ve been a HUGE sailor moon fan since my childhood. Finished the new movie for Cosmos and was inspired to read the manga after people claimed it differs even from the Crystal version show.
I had no idea there was a Sailor V prequel but it makes sense. I always wondered why Sailor V was first and what she did for a year before everyone else awakened. I always wondered why Artemis was partnered with her and only had to find one guardian but Luna had to find the rest. So hopefully I will get some answers.
I love seeing her come into her own. This series is fun. So far differs a bit from the show we were told Sailor V was fighting evil around the world not just Japan. But in this first version she takes one small trip to Greece. So we will see how true that ends up being.
I love seeing some crossover with her running into Usagi and later Rey at the arcade.
Reading the first half of Sailor V's backstory for the first time was super fun! Takeuchi wrote one of these chapters first and then was approached to develop it into what became Sailor Moon, and for the first series, the two were published simultaneously!
It's an odd volume because it sometimes feels more like a first draft for Sailor Moon than its own thing—there are a few elements that don't really work with the Sailor Moon canon, like Sailor Venus uses a crescent moon compact and says Moon Prism Transform.
Sailor Venus also has most of the same personality traits that Sailor Moon has, but I think the author kept that in later. The two have a special connection even among the other sailor scouts.
tbh, I only bought and read this to be a Sailor Moon manga completionist. I loved Sailor Moon, and I thought I would enjoy this as well.
Unfortunately, this lacked the same charm as the main series. Every chapter was so repetitive as there's no overarching plot (I mean, I guess there technically is, but it's not expanded upon in any way, and it's just a new villain in each chapter).
I also want to say that Mina is pretty much the same character as Usagi except for a few minor differences, which also wasn't enjoyable for me.
Overall, this was rough to get through because I didn't have much interest in what was happening. I might end up buying volume 2 just to complete my collection, but I'm not sure I'll want to read it.
Okay let me start but saying I have not been reading this for the two years like it says. I tried to read it back in 2022 but I didn’t like it at all. I have since started the 90’s sailor moon cartoon and after quite a few eps, I began to like it. Now that I’m used to the vibe of that, which this is very similar to, I can enjoy this. I started it again today and read it in one sitting. It is enjoyable but I would recommend watching some of sailor moon 90’s anime to set the time first. I’m giving it 3 stars as whilst it is fun, it isn’t life changing and I’m only reading it for completion purposes before I begin the sailor moon manga.
I adore these Eternal editions. They’re beautiful. The pages are big and on high quality paper. Also, lots of full color art pages!!!!
So this is a prequel series to Sailor Moon about how Sailor Venus found her powers before everyone else (since she’s the leader technically). It’s mostly comedy. Especially this first Eternal volume. I honestly did not enjoy this series as much as the main series. It wasn’t horrible but I was getting bored easily. You don’t have to read this prequel series to understand the main series. Honestly, I would recommend reading this AFTER the main series.
I have been wanting to read "Codename: Sailor V" for the longest time, and I'm so happy that the time has finally come! Before starting, it's important to remember that the individual chapters were published monthly in a manga magazine back in the day, so that's why some character introductions are repeated every chapter. If you love Sailor Venus/Minako as a character, you will have a great time with this manga! And the art is amazing! It is especially beautiful in this Eternal Edition, which has a very high printing quality and thus makes everything shine so much more ♥️
Sailor Venus was always my favourite of the Sailor Scours so it was great to read her origin story before Sailor Moon came along.
The collection packs the first eight editions of the manga in to one volume, with the same spirit of the Sailor Moon cartoons - a different boss fight each edition and a magical girl transformation sequence.
I know it’s not in the spirit of manga but I do wish it was colourised. The several pages that have colour in between chapters really pop and looks so lovely.
A pleasant and easy (if sort of forgettable) read and recommended for all Sailor Moon fans.
Beautiful color illustrations included. Mina is just your average middle school girl.. until a talking cat tells her she’s supposed to help protect earth against evils as a sailor scout. Her antics remind me so much of Usagi and I love the little Easter eggs of what’s to come thrown in. As someone who has loved the original sailor moon series ever since she was young this was very nostalgic while introducing new things about a character that I’m already familiar with.
No bc I realized Mina is basically Spider-Man??? A crime fighting hero with a secret identity that is at odds with the police - but is pop obsessed, loves arcades, and has a cute talking cat! 🌙🧡
WE NEED MORE HEROINES OBSESSED WITH POP STARS!! I saw a bit of my teenage self in Mina and I really enjoyed learning about her inception as a sailor guardian. There are so many good lines in this volume too - the one about men who go to arcades and will never have lasting relationships killed me 💀
C'était vraiment cool car cette histoire fait partie de l'univers de Sailor Moon que j'affectionne particulièrement. Après, c'est, pour moi, un peu en dessous. J'ai même trouvé que le schéma d'attaque des méchants via la musique, comme si on relisait la même histoire plusieurs fois, était longue...
Mais les interactions entre Minako et Artémis sont drôles et on s'attache à Mina comme on peut s'attacher à Usagi 💖 Hâte de lire le prochain tome pour compléter ma collection 🥰
Reading the entire eternal series due to my love for the Sailormoon anime; although the anime was fun with the repetition because we got to get to know the characters a bit more and see the relationships between everyone grow it wasn’t as fun to read so far. Reading a story that only repeats itself with no true character growth or memorable character relationship growth is boring. Hoping as I finish Sailor Vs story and enter Sailormoon it becomes more enjoyable to read.
I absolutely loved reading this new translation in this lovely, lovely new edition! Her artwork is always stunning and wonderful. I'm glad Takeuchi-sensei was able to make this series more silly and fun.
I've never actually read the Codename: Sailor V series so I was just ready to have a good time and that's exactly what I got. Sailor Moon nostalgia with some new adventures following an early Sailor Venus, what's not to like.
Cute and lighthearted, with some small glimpses toward the SM main series. I really love Mina and Artemis’ relationship; Artemis’ frustration in dealing with a teenager is among the funniest parts of the book.
You can definitely see the same pattern in both Codename: Sailor V and Sailor Moon when it comes to enemies and friend groups however I really like how Venus uses her own body to fight enemies. The kicks are really funny and overall it is a really good and entertaining read.
I can definitely see why Takeuchi (or her editor) decided to go forward with Usagi as the main character. No matter how hard Minako tries, she never had the adorable clumsiness of the future protagonist. She just seems totally clueless, and a tad hedonistic.