How do you describe Sailor Venus?

[PrimoPiccolo]

I'm aiming particularly to christphern, our resident Venus lover, for a response on this. I'm a writer, so while thinking about Sailor Moon, I was wondering how I'd denote her character if I ever did a story. I soon found I couldn't think of anything.

I even researched episodes in my head. There was the one where she found out Uranus' true identity, and the one where she agonized over the Heart Snatchers never coming for her crystal. All I came up with is that she's impulsive, would that be accurate?

After all, the other Scouts can be summed up in a sentence. Mercury's smart, Mars is smarmy, Jupiter's protecting, and Moon's goofy. Would impulsive be the word for Venus, or is there maybe something more accurate I haven't thought of?

[christphern]

I'm honoured to be thought of as the resident Sailor Venus expert. Thanks, Primo.

I guess it really depends on which Venus you're referring to.

I'm not terribly familiar with the manga, sadly, as I haven't had the opportunity to read it yet, aside from Codename wa Sailor V. (hint to anyone who may have it, or know where to get it, it'd be appreciated if it were posted in the new Download forum) However, going by the Sailor V manga, I'd describe her as ditzy, klutzy, erratic, impulsive, but loyal, determined, and a born leader.

Now, there's anime season 1, which presented a different Venus than the manga. Minako was serious, brooding, and focused. She kept some of her lightheartedness, but not near as much as the later seasons. She wasn't so impulsive, and instead thought through the situations before leaping into the fray. She was a good friend to the other senshi, though often a bit too focused. Though not near as much as PGSM Venus. She was also more leader material than the other Minakos (?) in the anime and manga, not to mention the most mature of the senshi to that point. This Venus also appeared in each of the movies, or, at least the R movie, where she took charge in the battles without hesitation, which she didn't do often, if at all, in R. She was also more mature than R's Minako.

Season R through, I believe, StarS, portrayed a Minako more akin to the manga version. The differences were few from what I've seen of the manga. She was ditzy, impulsive, erratic, impulsive, and most definitely immature. Not to mention one heck of a klutz (Venus Minako's Nurse Mayhem, anyone?) She was also determined and loyal, though she now lacked the leadership qualities that the previous iterations of Minako had. My personal opinion on the reason behind this was to emphasize Sailor Moon's leadership position in the anime, whereas she wasn't the leader in the manga or live action series.

The Live Action series Minako was more akin to the anime season 1 Minako, than any other. She contained the leadership qualities you would expect of any leader. She took command of situations, delegating orders, strategizing, and looking out for her fellow senshi. She wasn't what I would describe as impulsive, though blind to anything that didn't fit in her "deal with the past life" mentality she forced upon herself when finding out about her illness, and her being a senshi. She let the lightheartedness of the other Minakos show on occasion, particularly when dealing with Rei and Artemis.

If you're writing a fanfic, you can either pick one of these, or do what I'm doing, and attempt to logically merge all of them together. If it's a long fanfic, spanning several years, you can explain the reasons for each change, and eventually settle upon your personality of choice, or merge them all together into one Minako personality. Or merge them together and use the different aspects of Minako for specific situations. Ie, certain situations cause her to react more like one version of Minako over another.

However, if you weren't looking for something quite so long winded, impulsive does pretty much apply for most of the iterations of Minako.

Personally, I'm a fan of all the Minakos. I like each one for different reasons. Season 1 and the live action Minakos I like for their emotional depth, as well as depth of character. The other Minakos I like because she's adorable. She always tries to do the right thing, and help people, but often causes more harm than she does help them. Leads to a lot of comedy. :)

Chris

[Neo Moonlight Knight]

I got a Batch of the Manga, but what I opened so far Sailor V hasn't appaeared.

Primo: That episode you mentioned is called in the dub: "No turning back"

I say she at the beginning was confident, serious on her work, and caring. Later around Sailor S she became more concerned about her feelings and everything.. Like the Volleyball episode, or "No turning back" in the latter episode mentioned she badly desires to be the Heart's Snatcher target.

[Sugar Baby]

(hint to anyone who may have it, or know where to get it, it'd be appreciated if it were posted in the new Download forum)

I sent you a pm. :)

~Sugar Baby

[PrimoPiccolo]

If you're writing a fanfic, you can either pick one of these, or do what I'm doing, and attempt to logically merge all of them together.??If it's a long fanfic, spanning several years, you can explain the reasons for each change, and eventually settle upon your personality of choice, or merge them all together into one Minako personality.??Or merge them together and use the different aspects of Minako for specific situations.??Ie, certain situations cause her to react more like one version of Minako over another.

However, if you weren't looking for something quite so long winded, impulsive does pretty much apply for most of the iterations of Minako.
Thanks. I'm definitely not writing any Sailor Moon fanfics, the ideas for those seasons are a lot more whimsical than my style lends itself to.

But it does help that you noticed the same shift in her character from season to season that I did.

Reminds me of when Piccolo started acting dumber in the Buu saga of DBZ...

[christphern]

Hey, just because you're writing a fanfic inspired by the series doesn't mean it has to be whimsical. Mine's definitely not going to be, if I can ever get back on track writing it, that is. It'll have some whimsical aspects, but for the majority, it's going to be a bit darker than most of the Sailor Moon seasons were.

I'm actually glad I wasn't the only one to notice Minako-chan's personality shift, as well. At least I know I'm not just seeing things. I thought maybe it was just something done in the dub when I first noticed it, but then the Japanese version was just as bad about it as the dub.

I still laugh when I watch the later seasons. Whenever I hear them complain about Minako's immaturity I always think back to, I believe it was Makoto's line, from the first season.

"She's the most mature of all of us." To which, everyone agreed.

Chris

[PrimoPiccolo]

Ironic Makoto would say it, when she was really the most mature and motherly of the group.

[Sugar Baby]

I'm actually glad I wasn't the only one to notice Minako-chan's personality shift, as well. At least I know I'm not just seeing things. I thought maybe it was just something done in the dub when I first noticed it, but then the Japanese version was just as bad about it as the dub.
Chris

I haven't watched the subbed version, yet, but in the dub Mina had such an awesome character in the classic season. Then in S she just...she got so stupid and boy-crazy. I wish she stayed like her original self throughout the series.
To me, she was the leader of the scouts for the first season because Serena was too green. One of my favorite 'leader' moments of Mina was when she took the attack from the Doom and Gloom Girls for Sailor Moon and when Venus attested that Tuxedo Mask couldn't be trusted. I just loved her like that.:D

~Sugar Baby

[christphern]

Yeah, that's about what happened in the sub, too. She was an awesome, strong character in season 1, all serious and brooding with a lot of emotional depth and many different facets to her personality. Then, in R, she became a ditz, and stereotypical blonde. In season 1 she expressed romantic interest in one person, and it was in a serious, grown up, and mature way. It wasn't some schoolgirl crush. She genuinely seemed to love the guy. In the later seasons, that relationship was often used mockingly, or as the source of jokes, to the point of making it seem as though she was just reflecting on the latest crush of the week. It also didn't help that the dub completely removed the whole bloody episode.

That episode was essential to understanding season 1 Minako, and they threw it out. The only reason I can remotely think of is that they were worried about showing a relationship between a young teenage girl and a college age guy. Oh...wait...never mind.

Don't get me wrong, I love the R on version of Minako, too. She was such an enjoyable character, often lending a lot to the comedy of the series. But her season 1 persona was definitely the better character.

Chris

[Sugar Baby]

Yeah, that's about what happened in the sub, too. She was an awesome, strong character in season 1, all serious and brooding with a lot of emotional depth and many different facets to her personality. Then, in R, she became a ditz, and stereotypical blonde. In season 1 she expressed romantic interest in one person, and it was in a serious, grown up, and mature way. It wasn't some schoolgirl crush. She genuinely seemed to love the guy. In the later seasons, that relationship was often used mockingly, or as the source of jokes, to the point of making it seem as though she was just reflecting on the latest crush of the week. It also didn't help that the dub completely removed the whole bloody episode.

I know! I had to learn about that episode from a book! I didn't even know it was an episode cut from the series until I found it subbed earlier this year. *shakes head in mass disapproval*
From my perception of the episode, Minako truly did love him.


That episode was essential to understanding season 1 Minako, and they threw it out. The only reason I can remotely think of is that they were worried about showing a relationship between a young teenage girl and a college age guy. Oh...wait...never mind.

*snicker*
Maybe it was too serious for having a love triangle or someone dying. Wait. What about Raye, Serena and Darien (albiet a small and abandoned love triangle, but one nontheless) and the death of everyone in the final fight between Queen Beryl? Ah, wait. The dub cut out those shots and made it out like they just lost their memories instead of being 'reborn' or whatever it was. I give! The dub officially massacered the original!


Don't get me wrong, I love the R on version of Minako, too. She was such an enjoyable character, often lending a lot to the comedy of the series. But her season 1 persona was definitely the better character.

Chris

*nods* *nods*

~Sugar Baby

[christphern]

I think that episode got dubbed eventually, though. I seem to recall seeing it dubbed when Sailor Moon appeared "uncut" on Cartoon Network's Toonami: Midnight Run, back when it began.

Yeah, she definitely cared for Allen, genuinely. It wasn't some schoolgirl crush. I'm not the guys biggest fan, just because I think that anyone who's in their 20's should not express interest in a romantic relationship with a 14 year old. And, yes, that goes for Mamoru as well. There's just something decidedly disturbing about that.

The whole death thing, I'm not sure came into play in their decision, because no one actually died. I think you're right, and it was the love triangle thing that they didn't want to show. It's the only thing that makes sense. The reason the Rei/Usagi/Mamoru triangle was left in was because Mamoru and Usagi weren't dating yet, so they weren't showing kids Mamoru cheating on Usagi. Had he been, you can bet that would have been cut, or edited to the point of you having Rei and Mamoru discussing Youma attacks, or something.

You know, I found out about season 1's ending from a "You know you've watched too much Sailor Moon when..." site. It said something like: "You know you've watched too much Sailor Moon when: You arrange M&Ms in colour, in the order the senshi died at the end of season 1." I never got to see it, though, until I bought ADVs boxsets.

I still remember when a friend of mine, a fellow moonie, argued with me until she was blue in the face that the senshi didn't die at the end of season 1. She knew a lot about the Japanese versions, but somehow that detail had escaped her notice. :)

Chris