Editing Sailor Venus (section)

===Manga and anime===
Minako is first introduced in the ''[[Codename: Sailor V]]'' manga, of which she is the lead character. She is awakened as a Sailor Guardian by the white cat [[List of Sailor Moon characters#Artemis|Artemis]] when she is thirteen years old and instructed that she has a duty to become the beautiful warrior, Sailor V. Artemis explains that [[Venus]] and [[Earth]] are "twin planets" of about the same size and weight, that Venus is her "mother star," and that she must protect Earth from its enemies. He shows her Magellan Castle orbiting around Venus and says that it is hers, although the existence of these castles is not revealed to the other Sailor Guardians until late in the ''Sailor Moon'' series. Artemis later reveals that Minako is an [[avatar]] of the goddess, [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]]. She first dons her red hair bow during the first chapter of the story, on the recommendation of a handsome villain character that she defeats, and is almost never seen without it again.<ref name="sailorv1">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Codename: Sailor V vol. 1 |chapter= Vol. 1 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= August 1991 |isbn= 4-06-322801-0}}</ref>

Though Sailor Moon technically leads the team during the various incarnations of the franchise, she is actually not the [[team leader]] of Sailor Guardians; instead, that honor goes to Sailor Venus. Minako is depicted as athletic, friendly, romantic, resilient, and intelligent. She is also seen as graceful, clever, and refined at times. Minako is supernaturally strong, being able to wield a heavy sword with just one hand, and jumping from the ground to the top of a building in the ‘90s anime. Minako is as strong as [[Makoto Kino|Makoto]], possibly even more than her, and like Sailor Mars, Minako also has large experience in hand-to-hand combat as she took on members of the “Dark Agency” in her own series ''Codename: Sailor V''. When ''Codename: Sailor V'' was enough of a hit to earn its own anime adaptation, Takeuchi was asked to expand the concept to include more girls, and when she did, she placed [[Sailor Moon (character)|Usagi Tsukino]] as the protagonist, with Minako as a part of the team.<ref name="AfterwordPunch">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon shinzōban vol. 3 |chapter= Afterword Punch |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= October 23, 2003 |isbn= 4-06-334783-4 }}</ref>

[[Image:MinakoManga.jpg|left|180px|thumbnail|Minako as depicted in manga, drawn by [[Naoko Takeuchi]].]]
In the anime only, Minako spends some of her time as Sailor V in [[London]], where she meets a young [[Interpol]] officer named Katarina who taught her English and acts as a big sister, and a young man called Alan, with whom she falls in love. One day Sailor V was the first to enter an abandoned warehouse but she was caught in an explosion after a criminal threw a grenade and assumed to be dead, Minako survives but she was injured she saw Alan and Katarina together and realizes that they had become a couple. She moves back to Japan shortly thereafter.<ref name="jnepisode42">{{cite episode |title=Sailor Venus' Past, Minako's Tragic Love |series= Sailor Moon |series-link=Sailor Moon (season 1) |network=Toei |station=Asahi |location=Tokyo |airdate=February 6, 1992 |series-no=1 |number=42}}</ref> She is also widely traveled in the manga, having visited [[Greece]] and [[China]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Codename: Sailor V vol. 2 |chapter=Vol. 7 Sailor V's vacation / The Hawaiian Plot! |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= September 22, 1994 |isbn= 4-06-322810-X}}</ref><ref name="A New Journey Begins">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Codename: Sailor V vol. 3 |chapter= Vol. 15 - A New Journey Begins |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= November 6, 1997 |isbn= 4-06-322834-7}}</ref>

As a result of her past battles, when Minako meets the other Sailor Guardians she has a relatively serious personality and is very focused on their mission as a Sailor Guardian.<ref name="Act8">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon volume |chapter= Act 8 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= September 6, 1992 |isbn= 4-06-178731-4}}</ref> In the manga, she even tells them she is the princess they have been searching for, although in fact she is merely serving as a decoy to protect the real princess, Usagi. Throughout the first story arc she has by far the strongest memories of their [[Reincarnation|past life]] during the time of Silver Millennium.<ref name="Act8"/>

Artemis lives in Minako's home and is one of her closest friends. Minako lives with both her parents, although references to her family life are few in the ''Sailor Moon'' series. Her family, like Usagi's, is based on Takeuchi's own family.<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 4 |chapter= Act 15 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= July 6, 1993 |isbn= 4-06-178753-5 }}</ref> For the first several story arcs, Minako attends a different [[Middle school|junior high school]] from the others in [[Shiba Park|Shiba Kōen]].<ref name="materials">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko |author-link=Naoko Takeuchi | title= Materials Collection |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= September 1999 |isbn= 4-06-324521-7 |page=12 }}</ref> When the characters enter [[Secondary education in Japan|high school]], she joins Usagi, [[Sailor Mercury|Ami]], and [[Sailor Jupiter|Makoto]] at [[Azabu-Jūban]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 12 |chapter= Act 34 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= September 6, 1995 |isbn= 4-06-178814-0 }}</ref> One of her greatest talent is [[volleyball]], as shown from the beginning of the first ''Sailor V'' chapter{{Citation needed|date=September 2012}} and throughout the rest of the series — she even considers quitting the Sailor Guardians to become a professional,<ref name="jnepisode100">{{cite episode |title=Retire from the Sailor Soldier!? Minako's Concerns |series= Sailor Moon |series-link=Sailor Moon S |network=Toei |station=Asahi |location=Tokyo |airdate=June 25, 1994 |series-no=3 |number=100}}</ref> and in high school joins the Volleyball club.<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 16 |chapter= Act 43 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date=September 6, 1996 |isbn= 4-06-178841-8 }}</ref> Her favorite class is [[Physical Education]],{{Citation needed|date=October 2012}} while in the manga her least favorites are [[mathematics]] and the [[English language]].<ref name="vol 10">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | author-link = Naoko Takeuchi | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 10 |chapter= Back of volume |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= June 6, 1995 |isbn= 4-06-178806-X}}</ref> In the anime, having lived in England for some time,<ref name="jnepisode42"/> she is fluent in the language (in one episode it is shown her skills are more refined than Ami Mizuno's), and Usagi begs Minako to teach her.<ref name="jnepisode108">{{cite episode |title=Usagi's Dance, In Time to a Waltz |series= Sailor Moon |series-link=Sailor Moon S |network=Toei |station=Asahi |location=Tokyo |airdate=September 17, 1994 |series-no=3 |number=108}}</ref>

Minako's other greatest love is [[popular culture|pop culture]]. She desperately wants to be an [[teen idol|idol]], and so makes a hobby of chasing them and attending [[audition]]s in acting, dancing, and singing whenever possible.<ref name="idols">Manga: {{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 13 |chapter= Act 43 |year= 1994 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |isbn= 4-06-178820-5 }} Anime: {{cite episode |title=Crazy for Celebrities! Mimet, in Doubt |series= Sailor Moon |series-link=Sailor Moon S |network=Toei |station=Asahi |location=Tokyo |airdate=November 19, 1994 |series-no=3 |number=114}}</ref> She takes her role as the "Guardian of Love" literally, and enjoys regaling friends and acquaintances with advice about [[romantic love|romance]].<ref>"Sailor Venus: Ai no Megami no How to Love." CD single. CODC-1086/1996.12.21</ref> Despite her declared expertise, Minako herself has little personal experience in relationships (aside from a brief and ill-fated love in the ''Sailor V'' manga),<ref name="A New Journey Begins"/> but is enthusiastic about romantic opportunities — even to the point of two-timing a pair of the series' villains.<ref name="jnepisode141">{{cite episode |title=Storm of Love! Minako's Grand Two-Timing Plan |series= Sailor Moon |series-link=Sailor Moon SuperS |network=Toei |station=Asahi |location=Tokyo |airdate=July 8, 1995 |series-no=4 |number=141}}</ref> She has a crush on [[Sailor Starlights#Sailor Star Healer|Yaten Kou]] throughout the ''[[Sailor Moon Sailor Stars|Sailor Stars]]'' anime storyline, and in one episode, the sinister idea of herself as a cat bathing with Yaten gives her a nosebleed<ref name="jnepisode178">{{cite episode |title=Luna Saw It!? Idol Yaten's True Face |series= Sailor Moon |series-link=Sailor Moon Sailor Stars |network=Toei |station=Asahi |location=Tokyo |airdate=June 22, 1996 |series-no=5 |number=178}}</ref> — a common symbol of [[sexual arousal]] in [[anime]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Brenner|first=Robin E.|title=Understanding Manga and Anime|publisher=Libraries Unlimited|year=2007|page=52|isbn=978-1-59158-332-5}}</ref> In the manga, by contrast, Minako suspects Yaten of being an enemy; while confronting the Starlights, she and Rei reaffirm that they do not need men because they have dedicated their lives to their duty of protecting Usagi.<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 16 |chapter= Act 45 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= September 6, 1996 |isbn= 4-06-178841-8 }}</ref>

Although she may appear to flawless at first, their seems to be the fewest faults from her team. Like in many episodes, she keeps getting her quotes constantly wrong, forcing Artemis to correct it. The other in another episode in which the pandemic that the villains created, her skills in looking after her friends is messy, accident prone and bad at cooking. Lastly, she's worried that she is not in the loop when it comes to mission and love. Despite that, her friends returned the favor in helping her defeat the villain, resolving any hardships she usually needs to overcome in order to restore her happiness.

Last thing in her characteristics, she's almost similar to Usagi in terms of clumsiness, her love of boys and things that makes them look like twins. Like Usagi, she has a rivalry with Makoto.