Previous installments of Genvid.com's exclusive behind the scenes look at this new, re-edited Sailor V manga have brought you many glimpses into the reworked plots and subplots Takeuchi-sensei has planned for this extravagant re-release, including shocking secrets regarding Artemis' private life and the secret origins of Tuxedo Mask. This week will be no different.
As one of the world's two greatest Aino Minako fans (as certified by ISO 9002), I, Dr. Xadium have taken it upon myself to scour the depths of every shadowy, nefarious and unsavoury resource in the underground pre-print manga circle, penetrating the various interlocked Keiretsu that dominate the Japanese "phonebook" entertainment scene in order to bring you the latest and greatest in spoilers, always one step ahead of the Moldavians and their exotic "0-day" pre-print scans. (Which happen to be nothing more than crude forgeries hand drawn by the admittedly talented fanartist "Vostok the Sheepherder" on the tanned hides of diseased yak and scanned at the Moldavian Capital city through and hand-scanner which are then uploaded to the intarweb at a blinding 300bps)
This week I bring another instance of Sailor V's position as prequel to Sailor Moon being used to tell interesting tales in the Sailor Moon universe that would usually go untold. A fan-favourite episode of the Sailor Moon S anime is episode 106, "Unmei no kizuna! Uranus no tooi hi", or "Bonds of destiny! Uranus' distant days. in which the story of Sailor Uranus' "awakening" by Sailor Neptune was related. Interestingly, the Sailor Moon manga never covered this period in Haruka / Uranus' life, but in an all-new Sailor V adventure, this time period will finally be touched upon.
Yes, you rabidly obsessive Haruka-fans, your favourite outer senshi will have an extended cameo in Sailor V. Astute fans will note that Haruka and Michiru DO show up in a Kaitou Ace Concert in a background shot in the unrevised manga, in their Mugen uniforms. This story is set before that one, establishing one of Haruka's earliest "missions" as a Senshi. Yes, shortly after Aino Minako began pursuing her role as Sailor V, Sailors Uranus and Neptune began to move, following the beginnings of Professor Souichi Tomoe's plans to use Mugen Academy as a base for his "Death Busters" organization. The picture that will be shown shortly details their first meeting.
Context: In a dramatic yet humorous subplot, the Dark Agency and the Death Busters both have their eye on a famous Japanese Arm-wrestler, Yoshihiro Tajiri, even though neither side knows of the other's activity. In order to scope out their enemies, Minako enters the arm-wrestling contest as Sailor V, ostensibly participating for charity, but hoping to win and meet Tajiri one-on-one in order to protect him from the Dark Agency. Ten'ou Haruka, on the other hand, enters as the famous Junior league champion, [the male] Kaz Hayashi (whom she unceremoniously knocks out before the tourney starts), her goal being the same as V's-- except she's out to save Tajiri from the Death Busters.
As both V and "Hayashi" advance through the brackets (with Artemis, humorously referred to as a talking plush toy in a probable nod to Pretty Guardian Sailormoon cheering V on), their confrontation becomes inevitable. When Haruka does meet up with V, she expects an easy win-- but when V proves to be almost just as tomboyish as her, Haruka gets a little "cheap", resorting to hurling insults in order to throw V off her game, taking us into the picture for this week. As usual, my thanks to Unnamed_Mangaholic_Z for the pre-print scan and NipponCha_Cha_Chai for the quick trans/scanslation of the new text; Please remember to buy the manga when it's commercially available once again. (Read from right to left)
Yet again we see the Sailor Moon universe tying together in new and exciting ways. What's next for Sailor V 2004? Tune in next week and see!