Sailor Jupiter
Encyclopedia
is one of the central characters
in the Sailor Moon
metaseries. Her real name is , a strong schoolgirl who can transform into one of the series' specialized heroines, the Sailor Senshi
.
Sailor Jupiter is the fourth member of the Sailor Scouts to be discovered by Sailor Moon, and serves as the "muscles" of the group. In addition to being physically strong, she is able to generate, control and manipulate pure thunder and lightning and uses some plant-based abilities. Her friends rarely use her full given name, normally shortening it to Mako-chan.
Aside from the main body of the Sailor Moon series, Makoto features in her own manga short story, Mako's Depression. A number of image song
s featuring her character have been released as well, including the contents of three different CD single
s.
are students, and where she stands out all the more because her school uniform
is different from everyone else's; unable to find anything in her size, her school's administration tells her to wear her old one. It has a long skirt, which when coupled with her curly hair, was a common visual cue for a tough or delinquent girl
at the time the series was created. However, unlike these delinquent girls, her curly hair is natural. Despite her tough appearance, she is very gentle. She always wears pink rose earrings and a sea-green hair tie that decorates her ponytail
, even when transformed.
One of the most consistent characters across the many versions of the series, Makoto is always depicted as simultaneously the most masculine and most feminine of the younger Senshi
. She is tall, strong, physical, and practices martial arts
and other sports, but at the same time is rather busty and an excellent cook and house-cleaner (when Makoto and Usagi first meet in the anime she beats up bullies—and then offers Usagi delicious homemade riceballs). Her most closely held dream is to get married and own a cake and flower shop, and she loves romance novel
s. Her favorite class is home economics
and her least favorite is physics
. After entering high school, she also joins the cooking and gardening
clubs. She likes all foods, but especially cherry pie, and meatloaf
, and her favorite colors are green
and pink
. She loves horses and hates cheaters.
Her domestic talents are explained as a deliberate effort to overcome her tomboy
ishness. In the live-action series
she enjoys shopping, but eschews "girly" things (she can be seen shopping for basketball shoes in one scene, for instance); she cooks, but also physically overpowers bullies; she reorganizes her home, but does so with a sledgehammer
. She insists that she is not the least bit feminine, and seems surprised and touched when someone tells her she is.
This dual nature comes from a need to be self-sufficient: in the manga continuity her parents died in a plane crash
when she was very young and she has since then looked after herself. She is self-sufficient almost to a fault, and becomes extremely nervous anytime an airplane passes overhead. In the anime, Makoto lives alone, but it is never explicitly stated that her parents are dead—in the English adaptation
, she says she cannot take care of a cat because her mother is allergic—and later in the series she is shown boarding an airplane without any mention of fear. In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
, Makoto's parents' death is told in a flashback in Act 6, but how they died is not mentioned.
Makoto has at least one former boyfriend
; the importance of this subplot, as well as her level of obsession with cute men, varies wildly between adaptations. Fans of the anime typically have a perception of Makoto as extremely boy-crazy; a recurring gag is her obsession with people who look like the older classmate (sempai) who once broke her heart (unnamed except in the English dub, where he is called Freddy). In the manga, her "sempai" is mentioned only once or twice, and in the live-action drama is an integral part of why Makoto feels she needs to be alone. In each version, there are mentions of other men who were very briefly a part of her life. Makoto is generally attracted to Motoki Furuhata, especially in the anime, but only in the live-action show do they become close. By the end of the direct-to-DVD Special Act, they are engaged to be married.
One quirk of Makoto's was made famous among English-speaking fans due to the translation of a particular anime scene. The girls are arguing over which of them should play the part of Snow White in a play. In Japanese, Makoto insists that she would be best for the role because she has the largest breasts. In the English adaptation
, she still points at her chest, but states instead that she has the most "talent." As a reference to this, anime fans occasionally use the term "talented" as a euphemism
for "busty."
era and the thirtieth century, Makoto gains multiple aspects and aliases as the series progresses.
and pink, with rose-shaped earrings and green, laced-up boots with height just above the ankles. In the manga and live-action series she has a belt carrying a small ball of potpourri
. She is given specific titles throughout the various series, including Soldier of Protection, Herculean Jupiter, Soldier of Thunder and Courage,, and Soldier of Caring. Her personality is no different from when she is a civilian, although certain powers are unavailable to her in that form.
In Japanese, the name for the planet Jupiter is , the first kanji meaning 'tree' and the second indicating a celestial object. Although the Roman planet-name is used, Sailor Jupiter's dominant element is wood due to this aspect of Japanese mythology. Unusually, most of her attacks are based on her secondary power, lightning
, which is in reference to the Roman god Jupiter
. She is by far the physically strongest of the Guardian Senshi, able to lift a full-grown man above her head, even while ice skating or to stop a stone pillar from falling. In the early manga, she always has a short antenna coming from her tiara, which serves as a lightning rod
; eventually this takes on the same role as in the anime, and extends upward only when she summons lightning. It does not appear in the live-action series.
As she grows much stronger and more powerful, Sailor Jupiter gains additional special abilities and powers, and at key points her Sailor Senshi uniform changes to reflect this. The first change takes place in Act 37 of the manga, when she obtains the Jupiter Crystal and her outfit becomes similar to that of Super Sailor Moon. She is not given a new title. A similar event is divided between Episodes 143 and 154 of the anime, and she is given the name Super Sailor Jupiter. A third, manga-only form appears in Act 42, unnamed but analogous to Eternal Sailor Moon (sans wings).
In the Silver Millennium
, Sailor Jupiter was also the Princess of her home planet. She was among those given the duty of protecting Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. As Princess Jupiter, she dwelt in Io Castle and wore a green gown—she appears in this form in the original manga, as well as in supplementary art. Naoko Takeuchi
once drew her in the arms of Nephrite, but no further romantic link between them was established in the manga or anime, In the stage musicals, it is stated that the two of them were in love at the time of the Moon Kingdom, and this is also implied in the Another Story video game.
Makoto is portrayed as unusually strong for a teenage girl, but like the other Sailor Senshi
, she must transform in order to gain access to her celestial powers. She transform
s into a Sailor Senshi by raising a special device (pen, bracelet, wand, or crystal) into the air and shouting a special phrase, originally "Jupiter Power, Make-up!" As she becomes more powerful and obtains new transformation devices, this phrase changes to evoke Jupiter Star, Planet, or Crystal Power. In the anime, Sailor Jupiter's transformation sequence evolves slightly over time, whether to update the background images or to accommodate changes to her uniform or a new transformation device, but they all involve electric charges forming an atom path which encircles her body.
In the manga, Sailor Jupiter's first named attack is Flower Hurricane, which is immediately followed by calling down lightning. Emphasis is quickly placed upon her electric-based powers, and these are the norm in all versions of the series. Her primary attack for the first story arc and most of the second is Supreme Thunder, for which she calls down lightning from the sky with a tiny lightning rod
that extends from the stone on her tiara (or, in the live-action series, with her leg). Although she channels this power, she is not immune to its effects, and can use her body to focus the electricity in a suicide move. It is upgraded twice for one-off attacks in the anime series: once to Supreme Thunder Dragon, and much later to Super Supreme Thunder.
In the second story arc Sailor Jupiter gains Sparkling Wide Pressure, which, aside from a manga-only power called Jupiter Coconut Cyclone, remains her primary attack for the rest of the second story arc, all of the third, and much of the fourth. When she takes on her second Senshi form (Super Sailor Jupiter in the anime), she acquires a special item, a wreath of oak leaves, which is described in the manga as "the emblem of thunder and lightning." It appears in her hair and enables her to use Jupiter Oak Evolution.
Sailor Jupiter's earrings, large pink roses, are occasionally significant. She wears them in both her Senshi and civilian forms, and can use them as a projectile weapon if she needs to. When they first meet in the manga, Usagi thinks the roses have a nice fragrance, and late in the anime the sight of them brings her back from temporary memory loss because it reminds her of Tuxedo Mask. Much more important, in the manga, are the Jupiter Crystal and Leaves of Oak. The former is Makoto's Sailor Crystal and the source of all of her power, which becomes especially important in the fifth story arc
. In the live-action series, she frequently uses unnamed electric attacks, and is given a tambourine
-like weapon (the Sailor Star Tambo) by Artemis. In the final episode, the Tambo transforms into a lance
.
confirms that this character eventually became Makoto, and writes that the original concept was quite different—Makoto was not only tough, but in fact was meant to be the leader of a female gang
as well as a smoker
. A very similar name was later given to the series' male protagonist, Mamoru Chiba
.
Sailor Jupiter's original costume design, like the others', was fully unique. It featured buckles, very long gloves, blue and yellow highlights, a bare lower torso, and a profusion of thin, dark pink ribbons—along with a face-plate and communicator. Later, Takeuchi was surprised by these sketches and stated that she did not remember drawing them. Her instructions to the animators included a note that Makoto should appear muscular, "a little meatier than normal."
The kanji
of Makoto's surname translate as and . Her given name is in hiragana
and therefore difficult to translate. Possible meanings include "truth," "wisdom," and "sincerity." The given name "Makoto" is usually a male name, but is sometimes given to girls; its use here highlights Makoto's tomboyishness.
A five-book series was published, one book on each of the Guardian Senshi and Sailor Moon. Makoto's was released in 1996. This book was later translated into English by Mixx
.
Emi Shinohara
. For the English-language dub, the voice of Lita is provided by Susan Roman
. She is the only significant human character in the English dub to be played by the same voice actress through the entire series run. Patricia Tollett also provides English vocals for songs sung by Lita in the English dub.
In the musical version
, Makoto has been portrayed by 12 actresses: Noriko Kamiyama, Marie Sada, Takako Inayoshi, Emika Satoh, Akari Tonegawa, Chiho Oyama, Emi Kuriyama, Yuriko Hayashi, Ayano Sugimoto, Kaori Sakata, Karina Okada and Mai Watanabe.
In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
, Makoto is played by Myū Azama. Also, child actress Misho Narumi portrays Makoto in flashbacks, dream sequences, and childhood photos.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
metaseries. Her real name is , a strong schoolgirl who can transform into one of the series' specialized heroines, the Sailor Senshi
Sailor Senshi
A appears as a type of heroine in the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. The name comes from sailor fuku, a type of school uniform, and senshi, which can mean "soldier" or "warrior". Naoko Takeuchi, the manga artist who originated the series, coined the term by fusing English and Japanese elements,...
.
Sailor Jupiter is the fourth member of the Sailor Scouts to be discovered by Sailor Moon, and serves as the "muscles" of the group. In addition to being physically strong, she is able to generate, control and manipulate pure thunder and lightning and uses some plant-based abilities. Her friends rarely use her full given name, normally shortening it to Mako-chan.
Aside from the main body of the Sailor Moon series, Makoto features in her own manga short story, Mako's Depression. A number of image song
Image song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
s featuring her character have been released as well, including the contents of three different CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
s.
Profile
Makoto's strong, independent personality is hinted at in her most striking physical feature—her unusual height. She is stated at her first appearance in the series to be very tall, and considerable notice is taken in the Japanese versions, although this trait is downplayed in English translations (as her relative height is not all that uncommon in most Europeans). She is also physically very strong, and in fact was rumored to have been kicked out of her previous school for fighting. She is introduced to the series after transferring to Azabu Jūban Junior High, where Usagi and AmiSailor Mercury
, in Japan, is one of the central characters in the Sailor Moon metaseries. Her real name is , a genius schoolgirl who can transform into one of the series' specialized heroines, the Sailor Senshi....
are students, and where she stands out all the more because her school uniform
School uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
is different from everyone else's; unable to find anything in her size, her school's administration tells her to wear her old one. It has a long skirt, which when coupled with her curly hair, was a common visual cue for a tough or delinquent girl
Sukeban
means delinquent girl or boss girl in Japanese, equivalent to the male banchō. A dictionary of says that sukeban only refers to the leader of a girl gang, not any member of the girl gang.-Characteristics:...
at the time the series was created. However, unlike these delinquent girls, her curly hair is natural. Despite her tough appearance, she is very gentle. She always wears pink rose earrings and a sea-green hair tie that decorates her ponytail
Ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...
, even when transformed.
One of the most consistent characters across the many versions of the series, Makoto is always depicted as simultaneously the most masculine and most feminine of the younger Senshi
Sailor Senshi
A appears as a type of heroine in the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. The name comes from sailor fuku, a type of school uniform, and senshi, which can mean "soldier" or "warrior". Naoko Takeuchi, the manga artist who originated the series, coined the term by fusing English and Japanese elements,...
. She is tall, strong, physical, and practices martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and other sports, but at the same time is rather busty and an excellent cook and house-cleaner (when Makoto and Usagi first meet in the anime she beats up bullies—and then offers Usagi delicious homemade riceballs). Her most closely held dream is to get married and own a cake and flower shop, and she loves romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s. Her favorite class is home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
and her least favorite is physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. After entering high school, she also joins the cooking and gardening
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
clubs. She likes all foods, but especially cherry pie, and meatloaf
Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on a flat baking pan...
, and her favorite colors are green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
and pink
Pink
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century....
. She loves horses and hates cheaters.
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
ishness. In the live-action series
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon metaseries originally created by Naoko Takeuchi. It is produced by Toei, the same company that produces the Super Sentai Series and the Kamen Rider Series and of which their animation firm Toei Animation, produced the...
she enjoys shopping, but eschews "girly" things (she can be seen shopping for basketball shoes in one scene, for instance); she cooks, but also physically overpowers bullies; she reorganizes her home, but does so with a sledgehammer
Sledgehammer
A sledgehammer is a tool consisting of a large, flat head attached to a lever . The head is typically made of metal. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse than other hammers, due to its large size. Along with the mallet, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area...
. She insists that she is not the least bit feminine, and seems surprised and touched when someone tells her she is.
This dual nature comes from a need to be self-sufficient: in the manga continuity her parents died in a plane crash
Aviation accidents and incidents
An aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
when she was very young and she has since then looked after herself. She is self-sufficient almost to a fault, and becomes extremely nervous anytime an airplane passes overhead. In the anime, Makoto lives alone, but it is never explicitly stated that her parents are dead—in the English adaptation
Sailor Moon (English versions)
Sailor Moon is a media franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi. The series began as a manga published in February 1992 and the anime adaptation began airing a month later. Since then, the series have been adapted into several different languages, including English...
, she says she cannot take care of a cat because her mother is allergic—and later in the series she is shown boarding an airplane without any mention of fear. In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon metaseries originally created by Naoko Takeuchi. It is produced by Toei, the same company that produces the Super Sentai Series and the Kamen Rider Series and of which their animation firm Toei Animation, produced the...
, Makoto's parents' death is told in a flashback in Act 6, but how they died is not mentioned.
Makoto has at least one former boyfriend
Ex (relationship)
In social relationships, an ex is someone with whom a person was once associated. As a prefix, ex- can refer to a variety of different relationships; for example, one might refer to a music group's ex-guitarist, or someone's ex-friend...
; the importance of this subplot, as well as her level of obsession with cute men, varies wildly between adaptations. Fans of the anime typically have a perception of Makoto as extremely boy-crazy; a recurring gag is her obsession with people who look like the older classmate (sempai) who once broke her heart (unnamed except in the English dub, where he is called Freddy). In the manga, her "sempai" is mentioned only once or twice, and in the live-action drama is an integral part of why Makoto feels she needs to be alone. In each version, there are mentions of other men who were very briefly a part of her life. Makoto is generally attracted to Motoki Furuhata, especially in the anime, but only in the live-action show do they become close. By the end of the direct-to-DVD Special Act, they are engaged to be married.
One quirk of Makoto's was made famous among English-speaking fans due to the translation of a particular anime scene. The girls are arguing over which of them should play the part of Snow White in a play. In Japanese, Makoto insists that she would be best for the role because she has the largest breasts. In the English adaptation
Sailor Moon (English versions)
Sailor Moon is a media franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi. The series began as a manga published in February 1992 and the anime adaptation began airing a month later. Since then, the series have been adapted into several different languages, including English...
, she still points at her chest, but states instead that she has the most "talent." As a reference to this, anime fans occasionally use the term "talented" as a euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
for "busty."
Aspects and aliases
As a character with different incarnations, special powers, transformations and extended longevity; a really long ageless lifetime virtually spanned between the Silver MillenniumSilver Millennium
The Silver Millennium, a fictional kingdom in the Sailor Moon metaseries, lies on the moon. It provides a setting for the past lives and future selves of most of the series' major characters, and functions as a major driving force behind both plot and characterization.The series first shows the...
era and the thirtieth century, Makoto gains multiple aspects and aliases as the series progresses.
Sailor Jupiter
Makoto's Senshi identity is Sailor Jupiter. She wears a uniform colored in greenGreen
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
and pink, with rose-shaped earrings and green, laced-up boots with height just above the ankles. In the manga and live-action series she has a belt carrying a small ball of potpourri
Potpourri
Potpourri is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant material, used to provide a gentle natural scent in houses. It is usually placed in a decorative wooden bowl, or tied in small sachet made from sheer fabric....
. She is given specific titles throughout the various series, including Soldier of Protection, Herculean Jupiter, Soldier of Thunder and Courage,, and Soldier of Caring. Her personality is no different from when she is a civilian, although certain powers are unavailable to her in that form.
In Japanese, the name for the planet Jupiter is , the first kanji meaning 'tree' and the second indicating a celestial object. Although the Roman planet-name is used, Sailor Jupiter's dominant element is wood due to this aspect of Japanese mythology. Unusually, most of her attacks are based on her secondary power, lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, which is in reference to the Roman god Jupiter
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
. She is by far the physically strongest of the Guardian Senshi, able to lift a full-grown man above her head, even while ice skating or to stop a stone pillar from falling. In the early manga, she always has a short antenna coming from her tiara, which serves as a lightning rod
Lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
; eventually this takes on the same role as in the anime, and extends upward only when she summons lightning. It does not appear in the live-action series.
As she grows much stronger and more powerful, Sailor Jupiter gains additional special abilities and powers, and at key points her Sailor Senshi uniform changes to reflect this. The first change takes place in Act 37 of the manga, when she obtains the Jupiter Crystal and her outfit becomes similar to that of Super Sailor Moon. She is not given a new title. A similar event is divided between Episodes 143 and 154 of the anime, and she is given the name Super Sailor Jupiter. A third, manga-only form appears in Act 42, unnamed but analogous to Eternal Sailor Moon (sans wings).
Princess Jupiter
Silver Millennium
The Silver Millennium, a fictional kingdom in the Sailor Moon metaseries, lies on the moon. It provides a setting for the past lives and future selves of most of the series' major characters, and functions as a major driving force behind both plot and characterization.The series first shows the...
, Sailor Jupiter was also the Princess of her home planet. She was among those given the duty of protecting Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. As Princess Jupiter, she dwelt in Io Castle and wore a green gown—she appears in this form in the original manga, as well as in supplementary art. Naoko Takeuchi
Naoko Takeuchi
is a Japanese manga artist who lives in Tokyo, Japan. Takeuchi's works have a wide following among anime and manga fans worldwide. Her most popular work, Sailor Moon, rose to become one of the most recognized manga and anime products to date.-Early life:...
once drew her in the arms of Nephrite, but no further romantic link between them was established in the manga or anime, In the stage musicals, it is stated that the two of them were in love at the time of the Moon Kingdom, and this is also implied in the Another Story video game.
Special abilities and powers
Sailor Senshi
A appears as a type of heroine in the metaseries known as Sailor Moon. The name comes from sailor fuku, a type of school uniform, and senshi, which can mean "soldier" or "warrior". Naoko Takeuchi, the manga artist who originated the series, coined the term by fusing English and Japanese elements,...
, she must transform in order to gain access to her celestial powers. She transform
Henshin
is the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...
s into a Sailor Senshi by raising a special device (pen, bracelet, wand, or crystal) into the air and shouting a special phrase, originally "Jupiter Power, Make-up!" As she becomes more powerful and obtains new transformation devices, this phrase changes to evoke Jupiter Star, Planet, or Crystal Power. In the anime, Sailor Jupiter's transformation sequence evolves slightly over time, whether to update the background images or to accommodate changes to her uniform or a new transformation device, but they all involve electric charges forming an atom path which encircles her body.
In the manga, Sailor Jupiter's first named attack is Flower Hurricane, which is immediately followed by calling down lightning. Emphasis is quickly placed upon her electric-based powers, and these are the norm in all versions of the series. Her primary attack for the first story arc and most of the second is Supreme Thunder, for which she calls down lightning from the sky with a tiny lightning rod
Lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
that extends from the stone on her tiara (or, in the live-action series, with her leg). Although she channels this power, she is not immune to its effects, and can use her body to focus the electricity in a suicide move. It is upgraded twice for one-off attacks in the anime series: once to Supreme Thunder Dragon, and much later to Super Supreme Thunder.
In the second story arc Sailor Jupiter gains Sparkling Wide Pressure, which, aside from a manga-only power called Jupiter Coconut Cyclone, remains her primary attack for the rest of the second story arc, all of the third, and much of the fourth. When she takes on her second Senshi form (Super Sailor Jupiter in the anime), she acquires a special item, a wreath of oak leaves, which is described in the manga as "the emblem of thunder and lightning." It appears in her hair and enables her to use Jupiter Oak Evolution.
Sailor Jupiter's earrings, large pink roses, are occasionally significant. She wears them in both her Senshi and civilian forms, and can use them as a projectile weapon if she needs to. When they first meet in the manga, Usagi thinks the roses have a nice fragrance, and late in the anime the sight of them brings her back from temporary memory loss because it reminds her of Tuxedo Mask. Much more important, in the manga, are the Jupiter Crystal and Leaves of Oak. The former is Makoto's Sailor Crystal and the source of all of her power, which becomes especially important in the fifth story arc
Sailor Stars
The following list of episodes of the Sailor Moon anime series covers , the fifth season of the series. Children's TV Asahi, Toei Agency and Toei Animation co-produced the episodes; Takuya Igarashi directed. The series originally aired on Children's TV Asahi between March 9, 1996 and February 8, 1997...
. In the live-action series, she frequently uses unnamed electric attacks, and is given a tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
-like weapon (the Sailor Star Tambo) by Artemis. In the final episode, the Tambo transforms into a lance
Lance
A Lance is a pole weapon or spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior. The lance is longer, stout and heavier than an infantry spear, and unsuited for throwing, or for rapid thrusting. Lances did not have tips designed to intentionally break off or bend, unlike many throwing weapons of the...
.
Development
Makoto is present in the original proposal for a hypothetical Codename: Sailor V anime, but her name is given as Mamoru Chino. Creator Naoko TakeuchiNaoko Takeuchi
is a Japanese manga artist who lives in Tokyo, Japan. Takeuchi's works have a wide following among anime and manga fans worldwide. Her most popular work, Sailor Moon, rose to become one of the most recognized manga and anime products to date.-Early life:...
confirms that this character eventually became Makoto, and writes that the original concept was quite different—Makoto was not only tough, but in fact was meant to be the leader of a female gang
Sukeban
means delinquent girl or boss girl in Japanese, equivalent to the male banchō. A dictionary of says that sukeban only refers to the leader of a girl gang, not any member of the girl gang.-Characteristics:...
as well as a smoker
Smoking in Japan
Smoking in Japan is much less restricted than in many other nations, and Japan accounts for much of the tobacco consumption in Asia. Nearly 30 million people smoke in Japan, making the country one of the world's largest tobacco markets...
. A very similar name was later given to the series' male protagonist, Mamoru Chiba
Mamoru Chiba
is a fictional character and one of the primary protagonists of the children's Sailor Moon metaseries. Named , he disguises himself in order to support the series' central heroines, the Sailor Senshi...
.
Sailor Jupiter's original costume design, like the others', was fully unique. It featured buckles, very long gloves, blue and yellow highlights, a bare lower torso, and a profusion of thin, dark pink ribbons—along with a face-plate and communicator. Later, Takeuchi was surprised by these sketches and stated that she did not remember drawing them. Her instructions to the animators included a note that Makoto should appear muscular, "a little meatier than normal."
The kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
of Makoto's surname translate as and . Her given name is in hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
and therefore difficult to translate. Possible meanings include "truth," "wisdom," and "sincerity." The given name "Makoto" is usually a male name, but is sometimes given to girls; its use here highlights Makoto's tomboyishness.
Reception and influence
The official Sailor Moon character popularity polls listed Makoto Kino and Sailor Jupiter as separate entities. In 1992, readers ranked them at eleventh and fifth respectively, out of thirty eight choices. One year later, now with fifty choices, Jupiter dropped to the eleventh most popular while Makoto was twelfth most popular. In 1994, with fifty one choices, Sailor Jupiter was the seventeenth most popular character and Makoto was eighteenth. In early 1996, with fifty one choices, Makoto was the twenty third most popular character and Jupiter was the twenty seventh.A five-book series was published, one book on each of the Guardian Senshi and Sailor Moon. Makoto's was released in 1996. This book was later translated into English by Mixx
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
.
Actresses
In the original anime production of Sailor Moon, Makoto is voiced bySeiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
Emi Shinohara
Emi Shinohara
is a Japanese voice actress employed by 81 Produce. She was born in Fukushima Prefecture and raised in Nagano. She is married to tokusatsu actor Hiroshi Watari...
. For the English-language dub, the voice of Lita is provided by Susan Roman
Susan Roman
Susan Roman is a Canadian voice actress best known for voice acting the role of Lita/Sailor Jupiter in the North American DiC dub of the anime, Sailor Moon. She is one of the few voice actors to remain throughout the entire run of the series...
. She is the only significant human character in the English dub to be played by the same voice actress through the entire series run. Patricia Tollett also provides English vocals for songs sung by Lita in the English dub.
In the musical version
Sailor Moon musicals
The , commonly referred to as , are a series of live theatre productions based on Naoko Takeuchi's metaseries Sailor Moon. The series consists of 29 musicals which have had more than 800 performances since the show opened in Summer 1993...
, Makoto has been portrayed by 12 actresses: Noriko Kamiyama, Marie Sada, Takako Inayoshi, Emika Satoh, Akari Tonegawa, Chiho Oyama, Emi Kuriyama, Yuriko Hayashi, Ayano Sugimoto, Kaori Sakata, Karina Okada and Mai Watanabe.
In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon metaseries originally created by Naoko Takeuchi. It is produced by Toei, the same company that produces the Super Sentai Series and the Kamen Rider Series and of which their animation firm Toei Animation, produced the...
, Makoto is played by Myū Azama. Also, child actress Misho Narumi portrays Makoto in flashbacks, dream sequences, and childhood photos.