Sailor Mercury
Encyclopedia
, 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
.
Sailor Mercury is the first member of the Sailor Senshi
to be discovered by Sailor Moon, and serves as the "brains" of the group. Her powers are associated with phases of water, and she can use her supercomputer to quickly analyze a foe in battle.
Aside from the main body of the Sailor Moon series, Ami features in her own short story in the manga, Ami's First Love. Originally published in Volume 14 of the manga, this was the only one of three "Exam Battle" stories to be made into a "Special" for the anime series. A number of image song
s featuring Ami's character have been released as well, including the contents of three different 3-inch CD single
s.
this is stated as a fact. She is adept at English in both the musicals and the anime. Her peers view her with a mixture of awe and distaste, misinterpreting her inherent shyness
as snob
bery, and so she tends to have a difficult time making new friends. Ami is depicted as sweet, gentle, and loyal, as well as slightly insecure. Not to mention she hates it when Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars fight. Anne Allison
describes her as "a smart girl who needs to relax", calling her "conscientious" and "studious", "everything Usagi is not". Early on in the story, she relies heavily on the approval of her mother, teachers, and friends, but as the series progresses she becomes stronger and more confident in herself. She is generally the most sensible of the main characters, and is often the only one embarrassed when the group has a dull-witted moment. As the story begins, she attends Azabu Jūban Junior High along with Usagi Tsukino and, later, Makoto Kino
.
Throughout the series, much of Ami's free time
is spent studying. She loves to read, and dreams aloud of one day being a doctor
like her mother and becomes one in both Parallel Sailor Moon and the live action series. In the musicals, Ami's dream of being a doctor and leaving Japan to study abroad
is a recurring theme. The first part of the song shows Ami's conflict between studying abroad and growing up or being with everyone else and staying a young girl. She faces a similar dilemma in the anime, but very directly; given the opportunity to study in Germany
, she gets as far as the airport before deciding to stay in Japan and fight evil alongside her friends.
Ami has great appreciation for art as well as science, and, contrary to the usual depiction of a bookworm, even enjoys pop culture and romance novel
s (though she is usually embarrassed to admit it). In both the anime and the manga, Ami's diligence in her studies becomes a running gag
; she often comically scolds Usagi and the others for not doing their homework, and she can become obsessive about being the best student. Her character has been interpreted as a political commentary on the education system of Japan
. She sometimes displays attraction to boys her age, and other times aversion to the idea. Love letter
s are listed as the one thing she has most trouble with, and when she later receives one, it gives her a rash. In the anime, a classmate named Ryo Urawa learns her identity and expresses attraction to her, but this is never resolved, as he disappears after just two appearances in the first series.
Besides reading, Ami is shown playing chess
and swimming in order to relax. As the team scholar, computer
s are listed her strong point; she even belongs to the club
at school. She loves all her classes, especially mathematics
. Her favorite foods are given as sandwich
es and anmitsu
, with her least favorite being yellowtail
. Other loves include cat
s and the color aquamarine
.
Ami is one of the few girls in the series whose family situation is explicitly mentioned in the anime. Her parents are divorce
d, and she lives with her mother, a busy doctor who is not home very often, named Saeko in the live-action series. They look very similar, and Ami admires her mother and longs to live up to her example. Besides her workaholic
tendencies, Dr. Mizuno is portrayed as a good person who openly resents not having more time to spend with her daughter. Ami's father is never named, but is stated in the manga and anime to be a painter. The manga says that he never visits them, having decided one day not to come home from the forest where he was relaxing and painting, but he sends her postcards on her birthday. Thinking about this, Ami sometimes resents her parents' selfishness in separating, partly because divorce in Japan is taboo
. However, in the anime Ami seems to appreciate her father and seems to share some of his artistic traits, at one point even composing matching lyrics for a tune that had none. In the manga, Ami's mother is revealed to be fairly rich, as they live in a condominium
. Ami is shown testing the strength of a sword that the Sailor Senshi received on the moon by using it to chip a diamond
ring. (Classically, a diamond is the hardest mineral.) When the girls panic, she calms them by saying that her mother has many more.
In the live-action series, Ami is especially shy and usually wears glasses
while in public, even though she does not need them. At her middle school
, she has no friends before meeting Usagi and always eats lunch alone on the roof so she can study. Usagi seems to be the only one to realize that Ami is merely shy, not truly standoffish, and in befriending her gradually helps Ami to learn that she is more than just a bookworm. By Act 34, when Ami's mother attempts to transfer her to another school because she thinks Ami's friends are bad influences, Ami rebels, avoiding the admission interview and spending the night at the Senshi hideout with Rei Hino. Later she tells her mother that what she's doing in her life right now is more important than studying, and her mother understands.
Ami was a kind and gentle person who disliked quarrels and abhorred harming innocent people. This trait was even cited in the title of an anime episode, "Believe in Love! Ami, a Kind Hearted Senshi," where she persuaded Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune not to kill Hotaru. Like her comrades, her loyalty to Sailor Moon was unwavering, and she would sacrifice her life for her princess if necessary.
As a character with different incarnations, special abilities, powers, transformations and ageless extended longevity; an extremely long lifetime virtually spanned between the Silver Millennium
era and the 30th century, Ami gains multiple aspects and aliases as the series progresses.
In Japanese, the name for the planet Mercury is , the first kanji meaning 'water' and the second indicating a celestial object. Although the Roman planet-name is used, Sailor Mercury's abilities are water-based due to this aspect of Japanese mythology. Initially most of her powers are strategic rather than offensive, and she possesses various pieces of computerized equipment to help her study the enemy.
As she grows much stronger and more powerful, Sailor Mercury gains additional powers, and at key points her uniform changes to reflect this. The first change takes place in Act 35 of the manga, when she obtains the Mercury 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 151 of the anime, and she is given the name Super Sailor Mercury. A third, manga-only form appears in Act 42, unnamed but analogous to Eternal Sailor Moon (sans wings).
In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
, Ami is briefly taken over by the power of the Dark Kingdom
and becomes Dark Mercury. This form first appears in Act 21, as a servant of Kunzite. Her sailor fuku has black tulle
and lace
on the back bow and sleeves, and tribal designs appear on her tiara
and boots. She also gains a chain with a black charm on it around her waist. Her transformation phrase is Dark Power! Make-up! and is said in a much darker tone. She wields a sword fashioned from an icicle, which she creates herself the first time her transformation is displayed. In promotional photos prior to her premiere, she was shown with a different sword, which seemed to have strings on it like a harp or violin; the latter seems more likely, as she is also seen holding a bow. This bow was redecorated and given to Zoisite for use as a sword.
Dark Mercury is created when Kunzite manages to kidnap Ami in a moment of vulnerability while the other Senshi are busy. He exposes her directly to the power of Queen Metaria, causing drastic personality changes as well as the alterations to her uniform. She is self-confident to the point of egotism
, and continues to attend school in civilian form, mainly to antagonize Usagi by brainwashing all of her former friends. Dressing predominantly in black, evil-Ami tends to move about slowly and dramatically, and when confronting the Senshi gives a sense of sadistic glee.
Dark Mercury has no intention of being a follower to anyone, and is always trying to pursue her own agenda, which is to kill her friends and become as strong as possible. She shows blatant disrespect to Kunzite and the other Shitennou, even to Queen Beryl, perhaps because, unlike even the Shitennou, she had been directly exposed to Metaria's power during her conversion, as opposed to having Queen Beryl or another intermediary filtering it.
Despite these alterations, certain aspects of the real Ami still remain. She still wants to do well in school, and wants friends, hence the brainwashing of her classmates. She seems to retain a sense of sympathy
, which is evident when she repairs Nephrite's cape for him, stating that she does not like to see him alone.
Periodically, Sailor Moon attempts to heal her friend with the power of the Silver Crystal. Mercury is always snatched away before this can be completed, but it has some effect, ultimately resulting in her recovery. In Act 28, the catalyst for her finally returning to normal is when, having defeated Sailor Moon in battle, the sight of her injured friend causes her to realize she cares about Usagi, and to remember who she really is. After being healed, she has no memories of what happened while she was Dark Mercury. This haunts her, as she becomes terrified of what she may have done to her friends while not in control.
According to the manga
, during the Silver Millennium
, Sailor Mercury 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 Mercury, she dwelt in Mariner Castle and wore a light blue gown—she appears in this form in the original manga and in supplementary art. Naoko Takeuchi
once drew her in the arms of Zoisite, but no further romantic link between them was established in the manga or anime. In the first stage musical
, it is stated that the two of them were in love at the time of the Moon Kingdom; this is further established in the later Eien Densetsu, where Ami and a disguised Zoisite share a duet, .
In the manga, Ami can dowse
without any aids. Otherwise, she is not shown using any special powers in her civilian form, and may not be able to. She must first transform
into a Sailor Senshi by raising a special device (pen, bracelet, wand, or crystal) into the air and shouting a special phrase, originally "Mercury Power, Make-up!" As she becomes more powerful and obtains new transformation devices, this phrase changes to evoke Mercury Star, Planet, or Crystal Power.
Sailor Mercury has the power to create and manipulate water. For the entire first story arc, she uses her water-manipulating capabilities only to create solid and dense clouds of mist
and fog, chilling and blinding the enemy while her allies prepare more direct attacks. In the manga she usually does this without speaking, while in the anime it is given the name Shabon Spray. In the updated renewal manga, this power is renamed Mercury Aqua Mist to match the live-action series, in which she has an offensive beam attack by that name, capable of destroying weaker enemies. She uses a total of five attacks in this series, most of which are variations on the first.
Sailor Mercury's first major offensive attack is Shine Aqua Illusion, introduced in the second story arc, which can be used as a projectile, to freeze the enemy in solid ice, or to create a defensive barrier out of solid ice. Aside from variations on her other powers (mostly improving their strength with the addition of "Freezing" or "Snow"), her next named attack is Mercury Aqua Mirage, used during the third arc of the manga and again in the special side-story "Ami's First Love" (manga and anime). Her final and greatest strength and power comes in the fourth story arc, when she takes on her second Senshi form (Super Sailor Mercury in the anime). At this stage she acquires a special weapon, the Mercury Harp, and with it Mercury Aqua Rhapsody, which is her primary attack for the duration of the story. In the anime Mercury gains the harp deep within her subconscious. The manga took a different approach with the Mercury Harp making it more of an item rather than a harp formed due to the attack. Furthermore Sailor Mercury gained the harp through her power guardian. In the manga the Mercury Harp, as well as the other inner senshi's weapons have their own "wills" and can even speak and give input.
In addition to her own powers, Sailor Mercury has more non-magical items than any other Senshi. Early on in the series she makes frequent use of an extremely powerful "Micro-miniature Super Computer
" that enables her to make special calculations, scan her surroundings, track the movements of allies as well as foes, and determine her enemies' weak points. The computer works in sync with her Mercury Goggles, which analyze the area around her and display information in front of her eyes and on the Computer. The visor may be a hologram of some sort; it materializes across her face when she touches her earring. The manga sometimes shows her wearing a small microphone
connected to her earring, which she uses to communicate with Luna at the Senshi hideout during the manga's first arc. All of these devices gradually fall out of use as the series progresses. In the live-action series, like most of the other Senshi, she receives a tambourine
-like weapon called the Sailor Star Tambo. She is one of two Senshi to use it for a named attack (Mercury Aqua Storm), and later can transform it into a sword. She also creates swords out of water, both as Sailor Mercury and as Dark Mercury.
In the manga, the Mercury Crystal and Mercury Harp are among her most significant magical possessions. The former is her Sailor Crystal and the source of all of her power, which becomes especially important in the fifth story arc
. The harp's form is actually that of a lyre
, a stringed instrument smaller than a harp
, which according to Roman myth was invented by the god Mercury
.
Ami was not included in the original proposal for a hypothetical Codename: Sailor V anime, which instead featured Minako's very similar-looking best friend from that series, Hikaru Sorano. She was present, however, by the time the concept was expanded to center on Sailor Moon.
Creator Naoko Takeuchi
designed Ami as the "team brain," giving her genius-level intelligence to create the impression that she was not quite human—in fact, the character was originally intended to be a cyborg
with an accelerator. One possible storyline involved her losing an arm or being injured in some other way and dying from it, but Takeuchi's editor objected, so Ami became a fully human character.
Sailor Mercury's original costume design, like the others', was fully unique. It featured full-length sleeves, pink ribbons, shoulder guards, green accents, buttons on the stomach, and high-tech goggles. Later, Takeuchi was surprised by these sketches and stated that she did not remember drawing them. She also describes Ami as looking like Noriko Sakai
, a J-pop idol of the early 1990s, and in Ami's original debut, Usagi thinks to herself that Ami resembles Miss Rain, a character from another Takeuchi series. This reference was removed in the 2003 renewal manga. In the English manga, a similar comment was made, but referencing Demi Moore
.
The kanji
in Ami's last name translate as and ; and her first name translates as and . It is structured as a pun
, as the syllable "no" indicates a possessive
, so that her name can also be understood as "Ami of Water." It is frequently mistranslated as "Friend of Water" because of the French word ami, which is included in some Japanese dictionaries.
In the English manga and other books, "Amy" retains her family name of Mizuno. One early episode of the anime shows her answering the phone in her house by saying "Anderson residence," where in the original she had answered with "This is Mizuno," but this surname never appears again, and she is reverted to Mizuno by Cloverway in the series' third season.
's May 1993 poll, and an episode featuring her, "Love for Ami?! A Boy Who Can Predict the Future", was the eleventh favorite episode. The following year she came second behind Belldandy
, and in 1995 she came fifth. In 1995, an episode featuring Ami, "The Labyrinth of Water! Ami the Targeted", was the ninth favorite episode. In 1996, after the debut of Neon Genesis Evangelion
, she came sixteenth, and in 1997 she came twentieth.
A five-book series was published, one book on each of the Guardian Senshi and Sailor Moon. Ami's was released in 1996. This book was later translated into English by Mixx
. The episode where Sailor Mercury gained her powers was novelised by Mixx.
She was popular with the male audience of Sailor Moon due to her computer use and skills.
Aya Hisakawa
. After the show's conclusion, Hisakawa wrote in an artbook
that she was "raised by" the character of Ami, and was "really, greatly happy" to have met her.
For the English-language dub, the voice of "Amy" is provided first by Karen Bernstein
, for the original and R series and the movies, and later by Liza Balkan
for the S and SuperS series. Shandi Sinnamon
also provides the English vocals for a song attributed to Amy's character in the second story arc.
Ami has been portrayed by 6 actresses in the stage musicals
: Ayako Morino, Yukiko Miyagawa, Hisano Akamine, Mariya Izawa, Chieko Kawabe
, and Manami Wakayama
.
In the live-action series
, she is played by Chisaki Hama
. Child actress Kanki Matsumoto
portrays Ami in flashback sequences and childhood photographs.
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 genius 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 Mercury is the first member of 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,...
to be discovered by Sailor Moon, and serves as the "brains" of the group. Her powers are associated with phases of water, and she can use her supercomputer to quickly analyze a foe in battle.
Aside from the main body of the Sailor Moon series, Ami features in her own short story in the manga, Ami's First Love. Originally published in Volume 14 of the manga, this was the only one of three "Exam Battle" stories to be made into a "Special" for the anime series. 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 Ami's character have been released as well, including the contents of three different 3-inch CD single
3-inch CD single
The mini CD single is a mini Compact Disc that measures in diameter, rather than the standard . They are manufactured using the same methods as standard full-size CDs, and can be played in most standard audio CD players and CD-ROM disc drives...
s.
Profile
Ami's most-emphasized character trait is that she is enormously intelligent—in the anime and manga she is rumored by other characters to have an IQ of three hundred, while in the stage musicalsSailor 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...
this is stated as a fact. She is adept at English in both the musicals and the anime. Her peers view her with a mixture of awe and distaste, misinterpreting her inherent shyness
Shyness
In humans, shyness is a social psychology term used to describe the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness experienced when a person is in proximity to, approaching, or being approached by other people, especially in new situations or with unfamiliar people...
as snob
Snob
A snob is someone who believes that some people are inherently inferior to him or her for any one of a variety of reasons, including real or supposed intellect, wealth, education, ancestry, taste, beauty, nationality, et cetera. Often, the form of snobbery reflects the snob's personal attributes...
bery, and so she tends to have a difficult time making new friends. Ami is depicted as sweet, gentle, and loyal, as well as slightly insecure. Not to mention she hates it when Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars fight. Anne Allison
Anne Allison
Anne Allison is a professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University in the United States, specializing in contemporary Japanese society. She wrote the book Nightwork on hostess clubs and Japanese corporate culture after having worked at a hostess club in Tokyo.She received her BA from the...
describes her as "a smart girl who needs to relax", calling her "conscientious" and "studious", "everything Usagi is not". Early on in the story, she relies heavily on the approval of her mother, teachers, and friends, but as the series progresses she becomes stronger and more confident in herself. She is generally the most sensible of the main characters, and is often the only one embarrassed when the group has a dull-witted moment. As the story begins, she attends Azabu Jūban Junior High along with Usagi Tsukino and, later, Makoto Kino
Sailor Jupiter
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....
.
Leisure
Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
is spent studying. She loves to read, and dreams aloud of one day being a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
like her mother and becomes one in both Parallel Sailor Moon and the live action series. In the musicals, Ami's dream of being a doctor and leaving Japan to study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
is a recurring theme. The first part of the song shows Ami's conflict between studying abroad and growing up or being with everyone else and staying a young girl. She faces a similar dilemma in the anime, but very directly; given the opportunity to study in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, she gets as far as the airport before deciding to stay in Japan and fight evil alongside her friends.
Ami has great appreciation for art as well as science, and, contrary to the usual depiction of a bookworm, even enjoys pop culture and 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 (though she is usually embarrassed to admit it). In both the anime and the manga, Ami's diligence in her studies becomes a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
; she often comically scolds Usagi and the others for not doing their homework, and she can become obsessive about being the best student. Her character has been interpreted as a political commentary on the education system of Japan
Education in Japan
In Japan, education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Approximately 98% of all students progress to the upper secondary level, which is voluntary . Most students attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the upper...
. She sometimes displays attraction to boys her age, and other times aversion to the idea. Love letter
Love letter
A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Delivered by hand, by mail or romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings...
s are listed as the one thing she has most trouble with, and when she later receives one, it gives her a rash. In the anime, a classmate named Ryo Urawa learns her identity and expresses attraction to her, but this is never resolved, as he disappears after just two appearances in the first series.
Besides reading, Ami is shown playing chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
and swimming in order to relax. As the team scholar, computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s are listed her strong point; she even belongs to the club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
at school. She loves all her classes, especially mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. Her favorite foods are given as sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
es and anmitsu
Anmitsu
is a Japanese dessert that has been popular for many decades.It is made of small cubes of agar jelly, a white translucent jelly made from red algae or seaweed. The agar is dissolved with water to make the jelly...
, with her least favorite being yellowtail
Japanese amberjack
The Japanese amberjack or yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata, is a fish in the family Carangidae. It is native to the northwest Pacific, from Japan to Hawaii....
. Other loves include cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s and the color aquamarine
Aquamarine (color)
Aquamarine is a color that is a pale bright tint of spring green toned toward cyan. It is named after the mineral aquamarine, a gemstone mainly found in granite rocks...
.
Ami is one of the few girls in the series whose family situation is explicitly mentioned in the anime. Her parents are divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d, and she lives with her mother, a busy doctor who is not home very often, named Saeko in the live-action series. They look very similar, and Ami admires her mother and longs to live up to her example. Besides her workaholic
Workaholic
A workaholic is a person who is addicted to work.The term generally implies that the person enjoys their work; it can also imply that they simply feel compelled to do it...
tendencies, Dr. Mizuno is portrayed as a good person who openly resents not having more time to spend with her daughter. Ami's father is never named, but is stated in the manga and anime to be a painter. The manga says that he never visits them, having decided one day not to come home from the forest where he was relaxing and painting, but he sends her postcards on her birthday. Thinking about this, Ami sometimes resents her parents' selfishness in separating, partly because divorce in Japan is taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
. However, in the anime Ami seems to appreciate her father and seems to share some of his artistic traits, at one point even composing matching lyrics for a tune that had none. In the manga, Ami's mother is revealed to be fairly rich, as they live in a condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
. Ami is shown testing the strength of a sword that the Sailor Senshi received on the moon by using it to chip a diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
ring. (Classically, a diamond is the hardest mineral.) When the girls panic, she calms them by saying that her mother has many more.
In the live-action series, Ami is especially shy and usually wears glasses
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
while in public, even though she does not need them. At her middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, she has no friends before meeting Usagi and always eats lunch alone on the roof so she can study. Usagi seems to be the only one to realize that Ami is merely shy, not truly standoffish, and in befriending her gradually helps Ami to learn that she is more than just a bookworm. By Act 34, when Ami's mother attempts to transfer her to another school because she thinks Ami's friends are bad influences, Ami rebels, avoiding the admission interview and spending the night at the Senshi hideout with Rei Hino. Later she tells her mother that what she's doing in her life right now is more important than studying, and her mother understands.
Ami was a kind and gentle person who disliked quarrels and abhorred harming innocent people. This trait was even cited in the title of an anime episode, "Believe in Love! Ami, a Kind Hearted Senshi," where she persuaded Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune not to kill Hotaru. Like her comrades, her loyalty to Sailor Moon was unwavering, and she would sacrifice her life for her princess if necessary.
Aspects and forms
| First appearance | |||
| Form | Manga | Anime | Live-action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ami Mizuno | Act 2 | Ep. 5 | Act 1 |
| Sailor Mercury | Act 2 | Ep. 8 | Act 2 |
| Dark Mercury | -- | -- | Act 21 |
| Super Sailor Mercury | Act 35 | Ep. 143 | -- |
| Princess Mercury | Act 41 | -- | -- |
| Third Senshi Uniform | Act 42 | -- | -- |
As a character with different incarnations, special abilities, powers, transformations and ageless extended longevity; an extremely long lifetime virtually spanned between the Silver Millennium
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...
era and the 30th century, Ami gains multiple aspects and aliases as the series progresses.
Sailor Mercury
Ami's Senshi identity is Sailor Mercury. She wears a uniform colored in shades of blue, and is given specific titles throughout the various series. These include Soldier of Water and Intelligence, Soldier of Wisdom, Soldier of Justice and Wisdom, and Soldier of Love and Exams. Her personality is no different from when she is a civilian, although certain special abilities are unavailable to her in that form.In Japanese, the name for the planet Mercury is , the first kanji meaning 'water' and the second indicating a celestial object. Although the Roman planet-name is used, Sailor Mercury's abilities are water-based due to this aspect of Japanese mythology. Initially most of her powers are strategic rather than offensive, and she possesses various pieces of computerized equipment to help her study the enemy.
As she grows much stronger and more powerful, Sailor Mercury gains additional powers, and at key points her uniform changes to reflect this. The first change takes place in Act 35 of the manga, when she obtains the Mercury 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 151 of the anime, and she is given the name Super Sailor Mercury. A third, manga-only form appears in Act 42, unnamed but analogous to Eternal Sailor Moon (sans wings).
Dark Mercury
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...
, Ami is briefly taken over by the power of the Dark Kingdom
Dark Kingdom
The ' is an organization of antagonists in the Sailor Moon metaseries. They are the primary villains of the first story arc in every version of the series, and are responsible for the destruction of the ancient Moon Kingdom....
and becomes Dark Mercury. This form first appears in Act 21, as a servant of Kunzite. Her sailor fuku has black tulle
Tulle netting
Tulle is a lightweight, very fine netting, which is often starched. It can be made of various fibres, including silk, nylon, and rayon. Tulle is most commonly used for veils, gowns , and ballet tutus. Tulle comes in a wide array of colors and it can also easily be dyed to suit the needs of the...
and lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
on the back bow and sleeves, and tribal designs appear on her tiara
Tiara
A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of...
and boots. She also gains a chain with a black charm on it around her waist. Her transformation phrase is Dark Power! Make-up! and is said in a much darker tone. She wields a sword fashioned from an icicle, which she creates herself the first time her transformation is displayed. In promotional photos prior to her premiere, she was shown with a different sword, which seemed to have strings on it like a harp or violin; the latter seems more likely, as she is also seen holding a bow. This bow was redecorated and given to Zoisite for use as a sword.
Dark Mercury is created when Kunzite manages to kidnap Ami in a moment of vulnerability while the other Senshi are busy. He exposes her directly to the power of Queen Metaria, causing drastic personality changes as well as the alterations to her uniform. She is self-confident to the point of egotism
Egotism
Egotism is "characterized by an exaggerated estimate of one's intellect, ability, importance, appearance, wit, or other valued personal characteristics" – the drive to maintain and enhance favorable views of oneself....
, and continues to attend school in civilian form, mainly to antagonize Usagi by brainwashing all of her former friends. Dressing predominantly in black, evil-Ami tends to move about slowly and dramatically, and when confronting the Senshi gives a sense of sadistic glee.
Dark Mercury has no intention of being a follower to anyone, and is always trying to pursue her own agenda, which is to kill her friends and become as strong as possible. She shows blatant disrespect to Kunzite and the other Shitennou, even to Queen Beryl, perhaps because, unlike even the Shitennou, she had been directly exposed to Metaria's power during her conversion, as opposed to having Queen Beryl or another intermediary filtering it.
Despite these alterations, certain aspects of the real Ami still remain. She still wants to do well in school, and wants friends, hence the brainwashing of her classmates. She seems to retain a sense of sympathy
Sympathy
Sympathy is a social affinity in which one person stands with another person, closely understanding his or her feelings. Also known as empathic concern, it is the feeling of compassion or concern for another, the wish to see them better off or happier. Although empathy and sympathy are often used...
, which is evident when she repairs Nephrite's cape for him, stating that she does not like to see him alone.
Periodically, Sailor Moon attempts to heal her friend with the power of the Silver Crystal. Mercury is always snatched away before this can be completed, but it has some effect, ultimately resulting in her recovery. In Act 28, the catalyst for her finally returning to normal is when, having defeated Sailor Moon in battle, the sight of her injured friend causes her to realize she cares about Usagi, and to remember who she really is. After being healed, she has no memories of what happened while she was Dark Mercury. This haunts her, as she becomes terrified of what she may have done to her friends while not in control.
Princess Mercury
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, during the Silver Millennium
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 Mercury was also the Princess of her home planet
Core worlds
Core worlds or core planets often exist in works of science fiction, especially space operas. They are usually at the center of the galaxy or of colonized space, occasionally both. Core worlds are densely populated with long histories, advanced technology, and/or highly-developed culture. The...
. She was among those given the duty of protecting Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. As Princess Mercury, she dwelt in Mariner Castle and wore a light blue gown—she appears in this form in the original manga and 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 Zoisite, but no further romantic link between them was established in the manga or anime. In the first stage musical
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...
, it is stated that the two of them were in love at the time of the Moon Kingdom; this is further established in the later Eien Densetsu, where Ami and a disguised Zoisite share a duet, .
Special powers and items
Dowsing
Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
without any aids. Otherwise, she is not shown using any special powers in her civilian form, and may not be able to. She must first 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...
into a Sailor Senshi by raising a special device (pen, bracelet, wand, or crystal) into the air and shouting a special phrase, originally "Mercury Power, Make-up!" As she becomes more powerful and obtains new transformation devices, this phrase changes to evoke Mercury Star, Planet, or Crystal Power.
Sailor Mercury has the power to create and manipulate water. For the entire first story arc, she uses her water-manipulating capabilities only to create solid and dense clouds of mist
Mist
Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...
and fog, chilling and blinding the enemy while her allies prepare more direct attacks. In the manga she usually does this without speaking, while in the anime it is given the name Shabon Spray. In the updated renewal manga, this power is renamed Mercury Aqua Mist to match the live-action series, in which she has an offensive beam attack by that name, capable of destroying weaker enemies. She uses a total of five attacks in this series, most of which are variations on the first.
Sailor Mercury's first major offensive attack is Shine Aqua Illusion, introduced in the second story arc, which can be used as a projectile, to freeze the enemy in solid ice, or to create a defensive barrier out of solid ice. Aside from variations on her other powers (mostly improving their strength with the addition of "Freezing" or "Snow"), her next named attack is Mercury Aqua Mirage, used during the third arc of the manga and again in the special side-story "Ami's First Love" (manga and anime). Her final and greatest strength and power comes in the fourth story arc, when she takes on her second Senshi form (Super Sailor Mercury in the anime). At this stage she acquires a special weapon, the Mercury Harp, and with it Mercury Aqua Rhapsody, which is her primary attack for the duration of the story. In the anime Mercury gains the harp deep within her subconscious. The manga took a different approach with the Mercury Harp making it more of an item rather than a harp formed due to the attack. Furthermore Sailor Mercury gained the harp through her power guardian. In the manga the Mercury Harp, as well as the other inner senshi's weapons have their own "wills" and can even speak and give input.
In addition to her own powers, Sailor Mercury has more non-magical items than any other Senshi. Early on in the series she makes frequent use of an extremely powerful "Micro-miniature Super Computer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
" that enables her to make special calculations, scan her surroundings, track the movements of allies as well as foes, and determine her enemies' weak points. The computer works in sync with her Mercury Goggles, which analyze the area around her and display information in front of her eyes and on the Computer. The visor may be a hologram of some sort; it materializes across her face when she touches her earring. The manga sometimes shows her wearing a small microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
connected to her earring, which she uses to communicate with Luna at the Senshi hideout during the manga's first arc. All of these devices gradually fall out of use as the series progresses. In the live-action series, like most of the other Senshi, she receives 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 called the Sailor Star Tambo. She is one of two Senshi to use it for a named attack (Mercury Aqua Storm), and later can transform it into a sword. She also creates swords out of water, both as Sailor Mercury and as Dark Mercury.
In the manga, the Mercury Crystal and Mercury Harp are among her most significant magical possessions. The former is her 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...
. The harp's form is actually that of a lyre
Lyre
The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script...
, a stringed instrument smaller than a harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, which according to Roman myth was invented by the god Mercury
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
.
Development
Creator 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:...
designed Ami as the "team brain," giving her genius-level intelligence to create the impression that she was not quite human—in fact, the character was originally intended to be a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
with an accelerator. One possible storyline involved her losing an arm or being injured in some other way and dying from it, but Takeuchi's editor objected, so Ami became a fully human character.
Sailor Mercury's original costume design, like the others', was fully unique. It featured full-length sleeves, pink ribbons, shoulder guards, green accents, buttons on the stomach, and high-tech goggles. Later, Takeuchi was surprised by these sketches and stated that she did not remember drawing them. She also describes Ami as looking like Noriko Sakai
Noriko Sakai
is a Japanese pop singer and actress. She was born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. She married in 1998, and divorced on July 31, 2010. She and Yūichi have one son, born in 1999. She is particularly popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan...
, a J-pop idol of the early 1990s, and in Ami's original debut, Usagi thinks to herself that Ami resembles Miss Rain, a character from another Takeuchi series. This reference was removed in the 2003 renewal manga. In the English manga, a similar comment was made, but referencing Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
.
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...
in Ami's last name translate as and ; and her first name translates as and . It is structured as a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
, as the syllable "no" indicates a possessive
Possessive
Possessive may be:* Possessive case* Possessive adjective* Possessive pronoun* Possessive suffix* Possessive construction, pattern among words indicating possession * For possessive behavior in a relationship, see Attachment in adults...
, so that her name can also be understood as "Ami of Water." It is frequently mistranslated as "Friend of Water" because of the French word ami, which is included in some Japanese dictionaries.
In the English manga and other books, "Amy" retains her family name of Mizuno. One early episode of the anime shows her answering the phone in her house by saying "Anderson residence," where in the original she had answered with "This is Mizuno," but this surname never appears again, and she is reverted to Mizuno by Cloverway in the series' third season.
Reception and influence
The official Sailor Moon character popularity polls listed Ami Mizuno and Sailor Mercury as separate entities. In 1992, readers ranked them at seventh and fourth respectively, out of thirty eight choices. One year later, now with fifty choices, Ami was the eighth most popular while Mercury was ninth. In 1994, with fifty one choices, Ami was the fifteenth most popular character, and Mercury was sixteenth. In early 1996, with fifty one choices, Ami was again the fifteenth most popular character, and Mercury was the nineteenth. Ami was the most popular female character in AnimageAnimage
is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, was serialized in Animage from 1982 through 1994...
's May 1993 poll, and an episode featuring her, "Love for Ami?! A Boy Who Can Predict the Future", was the eleventh favorite episode. The following year she came second behind Belldandy
Belldandy
is a character in the popular anime and manga series Oh My Goddess!. She was created by Kōsuke Fujishima as one of three Goddesses who come to Earth to reside with Keiichi Morisato, and she serves as his love interest. She is depicted as a beautiful and powerful young woman, with strong nurturing...
, and in 1995 she came fifth. In 1995, an episode featuring Ami, "The Labyrinth of Water! Ami the Targeted", was the ninth favorite episode. In 1996, after the debut of Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, commonly referred to as Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful Japanese anime series that began airing in October 1995. The series was highly influential, and launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It garnered several major animation awards...
, she came sixteenth, and in 1997 she came twentieth.
A five-book series was published, one book on each of the Guardian Senshi and Sailor Moon. Ami'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...
. The episode where Sailor Mercury gained her powers was novelised by Mixx.
She was popular with the male audience of Sailor Moon due to her computer use and skills.
Actresses
In the original anime production of Sailor Moon, Ami is voiced by veteran voice actressSeiyu
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...
Aya Hisakawa
Aya Hisakawa
is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer born in Kaizuka, Osaka. In addition to releasing various solo CDs, she is well known for her anime voice roles, and has also done some work in video games. She is best known for her role of Sailor Mercury of the Sailor Moon fame and also Cerberus from...
. After the show's conclusion, Hisakawa wrote in an artbook
Artbook
An art book may mean a conventional book on art or art history, or an artist's book, which is a work of art in the form of a book, usually produced in a small limited edition, often not just using normal printing techniques. The term might also cover graphic novels, books of anime and other types...
that she was "raised by" the character of Ami, and was "really, greatly happy" to have met her.
For the English-language dub, the voice of "Amy" is provided first by Karen Bernstein
Karen Bernstein
Karen Bernstein is a Canadian voice actress who is best known to many in North America as the voice of Sailor Mercury in the American dubbing of the first two seasons of Sailor Moon..Also known for Tara/Jett in Beverly Hills Teens.-Filmography:...
, for the original and R series and the movies, and later by Liza Balkan
Liza Balkan
Liza Balkan is a Dora Award winning Canadian actress, director, writer, teacher and dancer.She received Toronto's Dora Mavor Moore Award for her performance in Still the Night...
for the S and SuperS series. Shandi Sinnamon
Shandi Sinnamon
-Career:Shandi was born to a Huguenot family as Shandra Sinnamon in Miami, Florida. After dropping out of high school, she left home for Big Sur, California. Her ambition was to become a singer and songwriter....
also provides the English vocals for a song attributed to Amy's character in the second story arc.
Ami has been portrayed by 6 actresses in the stage musicals
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...
: Ayako Morino, Yukiko Miyagawa, Hisano Akamine, Mariya Izawa, Chieko Kawabe
Chieko Kawabe
is a female Japanese pop singer, model, radio host and actress. She was born on February 24, 1987 in Tokyo. She is a graduate of Toshima, Tokyo. As of her marriage to producer Masato Ochi on August 8, 2008, her legal name is .- Career :...
, and Manami Wakayama
Manami Wakayama
is a Japanese idol. She has had the role of Sailor Mercury and Berthier in the Sailor Moon Musicals or Seramyu. She held the role of Mercury from 2002 to 2005, graduating from the role with the musical Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu - Kaiteiban...
.
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 is played by Chisaki Hama
Chisaki Hama
is a Japanese model, actress, and singer. She formerly used the stage name when she was with Snow Rabbits Productions. After Izumi returned to the modeling world in 2008, she used both 泉里果 and 泉里香 as stage names; both are pronounced "Izumi Rika"....
. Child actress Kanki Matsumoto
Tamaki Matsumoto
is a Japanese seiyū and child actress.-Anime:*Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 as Tianzi*Les Misérables - Shoujo Cosette as Cosette -Live action:*Kamen Rider Den-O as Kohana *Kamen Rider Decade as Kohana...
portrays Ami in flashback sequences and childhood photographs.