F [>] r i e n d s // c l o s e s t
Ami is not one to make friends so easily. Because of what she endured in her past, she is constantly outcast and considered too "stuck- up" to be a friend. But these five women have seen through that facade and love the true Ami for who she is. Yes, they have their spouts and occassional fights; but these girls stick together and give Ami the love and care she's been looking for since her childhood. These are companions, comrades, and sisters: Usagi, Rei, Makoto, Minako, and Luna.
T [>] s u k i n o U s a g i // 月野うさぎ
Usagi is the main character of BSSM and the main focus of the whole storyline. She
first appeared in episode 1 and met Ami in episode 8. At first, Usagi seems to be a
very clumsy and "stupid" girl. Her scores in school are unheard of and she's a
clutz at almost everything. She's a free-spirited girl who follows her own path and
doesn't really pay attention to the others. But, Usagi is a ridiculously kind-
hearted girl who tries to give everyone a chance. She doesn't like to fight and who
rather try to change somebody before 
engaging in physical combat. Her strength is her heart, and
it has helped her through many tough decisions and problems. She wields the
powerful ginzuishou, which is the center of all her hope, dreams, and love.
Usagi and Ami have enjoyed a few adventures together and have spent their time shopping, studying, and just having some good old-fashioned girl fun. At first, I didn't think they would hit it off so well (judging from their confliction personalities). But now, I see how good they go together. They both have what each other lack: Ami with her intelligence and Usagi with her openness and compassion. Although, Ami looks frequently like she's embarrassed around Usagi, it's good for her to get someone who'll get her to come out and express herself. Even in Seramyu,, their bond is very strong and even featured a number of times. However, in the manga Ami is much colder towards Usagi and doesn't quite put up with her childlike ways. But she will defend Usagi at all costs. She comforts Usagi when she's in need and protects her when she's in trouble. She will also bring Usagi back to reality by all means possible - as shown in episode 45 when she slapped her for talking about giving the ginzuishou to Queenberyl. Although it is her duty as a senshi to protect the Moon Princess, Ami would probably protect her anyways because Usagi gave her something she wasn't quite looking for: friendship.
H [>] i n o R e i // 火野レイ
Rei is considered to be the most alluring and beautiful Inner. Her sleek black hair
and violet eyes enchant audiences and make her a fan-favorite. She works part-time
as a Shinto priestess at the Hikawa Shrine where her Grandpa lives. Rei's psychic
powers and "sixth sense" enable her to feel the presence of spirits or predict the
future. Although she is gifted with foresight, she is very lonely and is shunned by
her peers as a "freak." It has made her distant and pessimistic, cold to new people
she meets. In the anime, Rei has an 
amazing singing voice and dreams to be a "singer, songwriter, or
musician." Rei is the only soldier to have powers in both her civilian and senshi
forms. She can stop oncoming spirits with an anti-evil scroll and the chant
Akuryo Taisan (Dispell, spirit).
Ami and Rei are very close friends especially in the anime. They are together with Usagi for the longest and have grown to understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. They are usually seen standing next to each other and posing even when the other senshi hit the scene. Ami seems to admire Rei's daring and strong spirit; she is always ready for action and can almost handle any situation independently. On the other side, Rei admires Ami for the way she fights with so much knowledge and maturity. She is always the one thinking up the plans and saving her from instant death and things like that. Both women have deep feelings for each other and are very close. I believe Takeuchi made these two very close because their elements were in opposition to each other. This backs up the saying "opposites attract."
K [>] i n o M a k o t o // 木野まこと
Thought once to be a "karate maniac", Makoto is a transfer student to Juuban Junior
High. Makoto had always been lonely even
when she was young. Her parents died in an airplane accident which caused her to
fear flying. From then on, she took care of herself and learned to be strong and
independent in her work. At first, Makoto may seem a little rough and very
intimidating, but she is one of the most sweetest people in the world. This
"tomboy" is an excellent 
housekeeper: very skilled in cooking, cleaning, and flower
arranging. Makoto will do anything to protect the people she loves; probably
because they're the only people she's got. But don't take her lightly! Because she
can turn right around and slam you up against a wall without even thinking about
it.
Makoto could truly be called Ami's best friend because of the close bond they share. In the manga, they have a relationship similar to Minako and Rei's, but I think it's stronger. I mean, water does conduct electricity ^_^. Makoto and Ami are probably the most mature of the initial four senshi. Makoto really encourages Ami's love life. In the episode where Urawa Ryo returns to warn Ami of the coming danger, Makoto was stressing Ami to go and save him from Tuxedo Kamen. PGSM creates an even tighter bond between the two especially during the time of DarkSailormercury. I think Makoto really understands Ami's situation and is more than willing to help her out. They have a very powerful connection which is sometimes mistaken as more than friendship, but we all know that it's not like that.
A [>] i n o M i n a k o // 愛野美奈子
At first, Minako is very mysterious and exotic with her background as a "mysterious
crime fighter"; but, you soon learn how silly and light-hearted she can be. Many
equate her with Usagi: ditzy, clumsy, and just a silly girl; but that's not
necessary true. While she does act a bit strange and aloof at times (constantly
misinterpreting famous quotes and butchering them in speech in the anime), she does
have a grace and agility similar to the Outer Senshi's. Minako is quite dramatic;
she seems to have a lot of mood swings and goes from "happy-go-lucky" to suicidal
in a flash. But that's most because she get so 
involved in anything she does. Minako frequently makes
herself a target for enemies - most usually because she aims for the spotlights. In
the anime, her dreams are to become a popular star in singing, dancing, or anything
musical. As Sailorvenus, she is the leader of the Inner Senshi.
I have never really seen a very close bond between these two. They seem to be the most distanced in the group. Minako is the "popular blonde" who is (secretly) admired by everyone and Ami is the quiet, introvertive "nerd" who isn't prone to being the center of the attention at all times. I feel that their personalities are just to different for them to ever get close enough. Although Ami does try and keep Minako straight when she's going a little bit crazy, they really have no other bond that's just between them. I'm sure Minako admires Ami for her intelligence and diligence and Ami cherishes the fun time with Minako but ... is that it? Both have a strong sense of determination and focus which aides them in their respective roles as senshi. Still, blue and yellow? Who would wear that together?
L [>] u n a // t r a i n e r
Luna is an unusual creature: a pure black talking cat from the moon. She is the
first "sidekick" and mentor to Tsukino Usagi, appearing in all episodes and
unlocking her dormant powers. But Luna stands her own as a powerful motivator. Her
methods involve insulting, hurting, and seeming incompassionate to build her
soldiers into strong, prideful warriors. She is frequently fed up with her biggest
work, Usagi, and is always there to correct her and show Usagi the truth. Still,
Luna has a dear love for Usagi and will protect her with her life - whether or not
she is the Moon Princess. Luna is very dedicated to her mission 
as a mentor and possess the power to sense
the presence of a senshi. Her abilities reflect those of her soldiers: the
intelligence of Ami, the "sixth sense" of Rei, the strength of Makoto, the
determination of Minako, and the friendliness and compassion of Usagi (though she
doesn't show it enough).
The bond between Ami and Luna is very sweet and quite evident - especially in the first season (Dark Kingdom Arc). When they first meet, Ami falls in love with the "angelic" kitty and even Luna is surprised with how she feels so comfortable with a potential "enemy." But the biggest bond between the two is science and intelligence. Both Ami and Luna are "big on the knowledge" and have similar concepts of reality; they do not live so faithfully in the "illusionary" world. It's touching that Luna gives Ami the Miniature Super-Computer; it's a showing of her trust in Ami's abilities and her recognition of a great talent. In the manga, Ami is the first person Luna takes to the underground research facility and shows her how to use the equipment. As you can see, there's a definite connection between their mentor-student pair. And also, in the English version (first two seasons), both of their voice actresses have British/English accents ^_^.
