Michiru Kaioh

Michiru Kaioh (海王 みちる Kaiō Michiru) is a character in the Japanese manga and anime metaseries known as Sailor Moon. In the English adaptation of the anime she is known as Michelle Kaioh.

Introduced in the show's third series along with her partner, Haruka Tenoh, Michiru is portrayed as a very polite, calm (sometimes coldly so) character in the series. She dislikes being patronized even if it would hurt her feelings, and subsequently will not indulge people. This is alluded to in her backstory, explaining that she was congenial but generally not social. Michiru attends Mugen Gakuen with Haruka and Hotaru Tomoe, "Infinity Academy" which was called Mugen School in the English adapted dub. The school was destroyed at the end of Sailor Moon S.

Very little is known about Michiru outside of her homosexual relationship with Haruka. (Michiru is sometimes arguably considered bisexual by fans, although her delight in flirting in general and monogamous relationship makes the argument moot.) Her creator, Naoko Takeuchi, has admitted that Michiru is difficult to write for, due to the fact that she is so dissimilar to herself. Her known skills include the violin, swimming, and painting; she is the senshi most associated with the arts. Her senshi alter-ego is Sailor Neptune, one of the "four soldiers of the outer solar system" (known in fanon as the Outer Senshi).

As Sailor Neptune, her element of influence is the sea; like many of the other Senshi this is closely associated with her planet, which is named for the Roman sea god, Neptune. (The connection is preserved in Japanese, in which the planet Neptune is known as 海王星 Kaiōsei, roughly "Star of the Sea King"). She also possesses the Talisman known as the Deep Aqua Mirror, which shows the true nature of things.

Michiru's wavy aqua hair and deep, sea-blue eyes are no doubt intended to evoke images of her element. Michiru is also graceful and delicate, with an aura of sophistication. She appears to be intelligent, but does not achieve academic renown comparable to that of Ami Mizuno. Usagi Tsukino once commented (ironically, given her own status) that Michiru was the ideal example of a princess.

The packaging of Irwin dolls released in Canada in 1998 called Michiru "Nerissa".