Makoto Kino Profile

Here is the eighth in a series of Sailor Moon profiles.

Of the five primary characters in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Makoto Kino is likely to be the most enigmatic for western audiences due to the limited information we get regarding her past. Thankfully, the wonderfully insightful website Tuxedo Unmasked explains the cultural and historical circumstances that piece together her past.

The article titled "Why Does Makoto Live Alone?" (www.tuxedounmasked.com/2015/11…) suggests that Naoko Takeuchi likely based Makoto's tragic past off of a real life airplane crash in 1985. It's further theorized that she lived in Tokyo with her parents and was visiting relatives in Osaka. After the crash, she would have been placed in the care of her closest living relatives (again, most likely in Osaka) and that would likely be where she receives the necessary funds to live alone in Tokyo.

But why does she live alone? And why Tokyo if her relatives live in Osaka? The article "Was Makoto a Member of a Gang?" (www.tuxedounmasked.com/2015/12…) may provide the answers. It explains the visual significance of Makoto's school uniform and Naoko's original intentions to portray the character as a delinquent. While this is never confirmed or denied in any canon, it's possible that Makoto was involved in some very shady activities in Osaka and that this is why her relatives sent her away to live in Tokyo. Although, we do know the fallout from her unrequited love for her senpai contributed to her departure from her old school as well.

Of course, this is all conjecture, but I think it adds a dimension to her character that helps to distinguish her from Rei (who similarly has a tragic familial loss in her background). Within my own mind, that's indeed what happened. Makoto lived with her grandparents (be it paternal or maternal) in Osaka and fell in with the wrong crowd, likely due to her frustrations over what was happening with her senpai and due to continued grief over the loss of her parents. When she became too unruly for her grandparents to handle, they sent her away, hoping that the distance would straighten her out. Again, that's just me though.

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Enjoy!