Name:	Aino Minako	Jade Bear
Age:	13	23
Sun Sign:	Libra	Saggitarrius (although I've been told I have the personality of a Libran)
Favorite Food:	?	Sushi
Least Favorite Food:	Shiitake Mushrooms	Mushrooms
Favorite Colour:	Yellow, Red and Gold	Yellow
Least Favorite Colour:	?	Red
Favorite Subjects:	Physical Education	Japanese, English, and Genetics
Least Favorite Subject:	?	Quantum Physics
Favorite Gemstone:	Yellow Topaz	Yellow Topaz and Amethyst
Hobbies:	Singing, acting, chasing after idols	Reading, Writing, Painting, webmistressing, music
Fear:	Mama and the police	Small closed in and crowed spaces
Dream:	Become and Idol	Become as famous and successful an author as JK Rowling

So what do you think? Does it prove the theory about favorite characters?

Anyways, here's a little bit more about myself. I'm Canadian, married and hold a Bachelor of Science degree. Below is a picture of where I got the idea for the name I use on the net (Jade Bear). I have one that is green. I don't think it really needs any more explanation. :)

I first became a fan of Sailor Moon back in '95, when it aired for the first time in North America on YTV. I saw it from the very first episode. I'm not quite sure when I realised that I was obsessed with the show. Maybe it was when I was walking around with my moon locket on, carrying my cresent moon wand in one hand, and my inner senshi action figures in the other (I was 10 at the time, not 19 :P )... or maybe it was when I first got the chance to use the internet back in '97, I spent all day on the part of the YTV website dedicated to the show and didn't complain at all about the severe crick in my neck because I learned so much about the characters, and saw so many pictures of them that I hadn't before. Sadly, the YTV webpages dedicated to the show have been quite minimalized since then. *sniff* I feel so old.

Sailor Venus has always been my favorite senshi. Ever since I saw the opening credits for the first time (which was when I saw the first episode), I wanted to see Sailor Venus. I sat staring at the screen in awe when I watched the episode where Nephlite posesses one of the cartoonists working on the new Sailor V movie. You really got the sense that Sailor V had been around longer than Sailor Moon, and I wanted desperately to learn everything I could about her. Needless to say, I was extremely happy when I saw the episode where Sailor Venus appears.

Upon learning several years later about the butchering of the original series, I decided to put aside a part of my site dedicated to the episode from the first season that really lets Minako shine. It was Episode # 42, "Minako's Blighted Love". It lets us see how mature she is.

After reading all the Sailor Moon manga that I could get my hands on, I realised that I prefered it. It took me a while to get used to Naoko's work, because I was so used to the anime. After I got over that, I began to prefer the softer, whispier, more feminine drawings of the manga. That is why I try to use manga pictures instead of the harsher anime ones for layouts/graphics of any series now.

The anime was created and animated by mostly men, and you can tell. The characterizations and plots, etc. are all much better in the manga (fewer stereotypes, like ditzy!Minako or the girls fighting over guys, or clutzy!Minako&Usagi... don't even get me started.)

So if you haven't by now, GO READ TAKEUCHI NAOKO'S MANGA!!!!!!

*Ahem*

I'll calm down now, I swear. :)

There's really no excuse to not read it. You can find the Tokyo Pop translated versions kicking around in used book stores, or scanlations on the net. As Sailor Moon isn't actually liscenced here in North America yet (as of 2008... Tokyo Pop distributed it illegally), I say go and download it!

This is my own little creation, it's supposed to look like a snoring smiley face. It doesn't work on message boards though, because I've tried.