Japanese schools emphasize community, and grouping; Mako-chan was left out of the group even before she began. She was a bit of a loner, and being a transfer student that obviously didn't fit in didn't help her any. However, she saved Usagi one day as she was about to get hit by a car; Usagi's exuberance and general kindness cracked the tall girl's shell, and they became friends.

It also helped that Mako-chan had a strong talent for cooking. (This hobby nicely complements Usagi's strong talent for eating.) The Dark Kingdom tried to seduce her by tantalizing her with her dream of being a bride, but Sailormoon saved her. Makoto joined the fight for justice as Sailorjupiter, senshi of storms.

Makoto reacts first with her fists, and then with her feelings; probably why she was kicked out of her old school. She has a fierce attitude - and yet she is deeply caring. She is very loyal to Usagi-chan, and (like any of the other senshi) would give up her life willingly for her sake. She has a weakness for good-looking boys (she says that many tend to remind her of her old senpai, or boyfriend). We never actually see Makoto's senpai. (Takeuchi-sensei actually provided Makoto with a boy, Asanuma-san of Moto Azabu High. However, their relationship was not mentioned after the girls defeated the Black Moon. Oh well; personally, I hope for the best for them.) Mako-chan's ambition is to one day open a restaurant, where she can cook.

Along with being extremely tall, Makoto is very physically strong - definitely the strongest of the inner senshi. As a result, she is very protective of the other senshi, seeing herself as the one who must make sure that they're all right; a bodyguard of sorts.

The senshi are all the family she's got. Makoto had to grow up very fast; when she was small, her parents died in a plane crash. (As a result, she's also very scared of planes.) She now lives alone, and cares for herself. She is also a member of the gardening club, and enthusiastically cares for plants. Her eyes are green and she wears rose earrings; her hair is brown, with a natural perm. She tends to wear it in a ponytail.

Makoto's past identity, Sailorjupiter, holds the star seed of planet Jupiter. (The Japanese characters for Jupiter are mokusei, "wood star.") In Japanese, I'm told that the name "Makoto" means "sincerity," which fits Mako-chan quite well; "Makoto" is also usually a boy's name, which enhances Mako-chan's "tough girl" image. Her last name "Kino" means "of the wood." Although SailorJupiter's original attacks involve thunder and electricity (a reference to her sensitivity to storms), she later uses such attacks as "Oak Evolution," "Flower Hurricane," "Coconut Cyclone," and other such.

SailorJupiter is an essential member of the group. She imbues much of the fighting spirit needed to carry on, and her fierce protectiveness will lift anyone's heart. Serious, devoted, and quite practical, she helps to keep the group together.

For a closer look at Jupiter...

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