Ikuko Tsukino

Character Information

Name:	Ikuko Tsukino
Name (kanji/kana):	月野育子
Alignment:	Civilian
Species:	Human
Gender:	Female
Lives:	The Tsukino Residence, Azabu-Juuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Occupation:	Housewife
Family:	Kenji Tsukino (husband), Usagi Tsukino (daughter), Shingo Tsukino (son), Chibiusa (future granddaughter), Kousagi Tsukino (future granddaughter; "Parallel Sailor Moon" only), Mamoru Chiba (future son-in-law)
Associates:	Her family, Chibi Chibi; Naru's mother, Umino's mother (anime); Sugao Saitou, Luna Tsukino (PGSM)
Aliases:	Ikuko-mama
First Anime Appearance:	Crybaby Usagi's Magnificent Transformation
First Manga Appearance:	Act 1 Usagi SAILORMOON
First PGSM Appearance:	Act 1 - I am Sailor Moon!
English Name:	Serena's Mom (DiC dub), Ikuko (Cloverway dub), Ikuko Mama (Mixx manga)
Actors:	Sanae Takagi (anime), Yuko Mizutani (Crystal), Kaori Moriwaka (PGSM), Barbara Radecki (dub), Tara Platt (Viz dub)

Ikuko Tsukino was Usagi's mother in present-day Tokyo. She was married to Kenji Tsukino, and cared deeply for her two children.

Anime and Manga

Ikuko's role was almost identical in the anime and manga. She was a kind woman with a motherly nature, though she could be strict concerning Usagi's and Shingo's academic performance. One of her first actions in both versions of the series was to scold Usagi for her poor performance on a test at school and literally throw her out of the house.

In the Black Moon arc of the manga, Chibiusa lived with the Tsukinos and referred to Ikuko as "Ikuko-mama." Ikuko cared for Chibiusa like a daughter, and treated her as she did Usagi and Shingo. Likewise, in the Stars season of the anime, Chibi Chibi lived with the Tsukinos and Ikuko again treated her like a daughter.

Her final appearance in the manga has her agreeing to let Artemis and Diana stay at the Tsukino residence and tend their injuries alongside Luna. As Usagi leaves to prepare to fight Galaxia in person, she comments to her husband that she "has a feeling Usagi will never come home again" After this, the cats are taken from her care by Shadow Galactica off screen and killed infront Eternal Sailor Moon, leaving her actual final fate ambiguous.

In the SuperS season, Hawk's Eye targeted Ikuko because of his love of older women and the belief that Pegasus could be hiding in her beautiful dream. This was proven to be wrong, and Ikuko was rescued by Super Sailor Moon and Super Sailor Chibi Moon.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

Ikuko in PGSM

In the live-action series, Ikuko was a much younger and trendier character who, however, still displayed the attitude of a kind and caring mother. As in all of the different incarnations of Sailor Moon, Ikuko and Usagi shared a close relationship. In the Special Act, Luna in human form shared a relationship with Ikuko, though it did not seem to be as close as her relationship with Chibiusa in the anime and manga.

Musicals

Although Ikuko never appeared in person in the musicals, Usagi mentioned her frequently, often speaking of her mother's kindness or love. In the Mugen Gakuen - Mistress Labyrinth kaiteiban, Usagi stole her mother's wedding dress and wore it to the park thinking that Mamoru was going to propose to her.

Trivia

• Ikuko is named after the real-life mother of Naoko Takeuchi.

• Ikuko's hair was predominantly blue in artbook illustrations, but has also been colored pink and brown in official manga art.

• Ikuko admitted in episode 16 that she lacked proficiency at sewing, just like her daughter.