prologue

The Story

Codename wa: Sailor V tells the story of Aino Minako, a 13-year old girl, who one day meets a talking white cat named Artemis. He tells her that she has been chosen by fate and that inside of her rests "the power to transform into a woman stronger and more beautiful than anyone."¹ Under the guidance of Artemis and "Boss", Aino Minako fights against the Dark Agency (aka Abex Trax Productions), a mysterious organization bent on enslaving the Japanese public via pop culture, as the heroine Sailor V. Along the way Sailor V makes many enemies and friends and later gains the aid of the dashing Kaitou Ace. Simply put, Codename wa: Sailor V is a story about a girl maturing under unusual circumstances as Minako must learn to chose between her dream of finding true love and her duty as a Sailor Soldier.

About the Series Codename wa: Sailor V was first published in the summer of 1991 in Kodansha's RunRun and the comic became an instant hit. Takeuchi Naoko was then asked to further expand on the plot of the story and in 1992 Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon was created and published in Nakayoshi, RunRun's sister magazine.2 Both series ran at the same time but Codename wa: Sailor V only came to a conclusion after Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon ended. In 1995, an OVA was planned for Codename wa: Sailor V but was never realized due to lack of funding.3 The original manga series consisted of three volumes and was later re-reprinted in two volumes in 2003. The Codename wa: Sailor V manga has never been published in the US, but recently Kodansha USA has accounced that they will be releasing an English publication of the series in September 2011.