When did Sailorjupiter appear in the manga?
Kino Makoto made her first public appearance in the last volume of the Codename wa SailorV manga, where she is seen in passing (though she is not named). In Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon volume 1, act 4, she is glimpsed quickly noticing an approaching storm. In act 5, Makoto discovers that she is a sailor-suited fighter.

In the anime?
She became a sailor senshi in Sailormoon episode 25 titled Koisuru kairiki shoujo, Jupiter-chan.

Are Shinozaki and Asanuma the same person?
It all depends on your views of the characters. Some people identify Shinozaki as the anime version of Asanuma; however, the two characters have little in common. Asanuma is more of a people-person and Shinozaki is quiet and mysterious. Asanuma did not comfort Makoto when her senpai left her; Shinozaki did. Asanuma knows the identities of the inner senshi, and Shinozaki doesn't. In my opinion, they are two beautifully created, yet completely different characters. To read more about these characters, please visit Deep in the Heart.

Who is Makoto's best friend?
In the manga, Asanuma is closest to her. Shinozaki and Minako are her best friends in the anime.

How many boyfriends has Makoto had?
It isn't known for certain. We know that she has had at least one love interest (her senpai), though the two never actually dated. As for how many after that, no one is certain. On the In Another Dream CD, Makoto sings that she has "had as many loves as there are stars in the sky." She has hinted throughout the anime and manga of many guys she has come across, but it is unknown if any of these were intimate relationships.

Does she ever let her hair down?
Yes, in fact. For one nanosecond of the anime we see her without that green hair tie. It is in the R episode Nurse Minako. As for the manga, there is one artbook picture where Mako-chan lets her chestnut locks loose. Check it out.

If Makoto's parents are dead, how does she support herself when she doesn't even have a job?
Ah, good question. It isn't known for certain just how she manages to pay rent and buy things. It has been suggested by fans that perhaps she lives off of her parents' insurance money. Or perhaps a distant relative supports her. The relative makes more sense to me. This would explain how she acquired her own apartment despite being only fourteen.

Is she really the strongest sailor senshi?
Sigh... This topic tries my sanity at times. My opinions on the best senshi arguement can be read at the Battle Ground.

If Jupiter is technically outside the asteroid belt, why isn't Sailorjupiter an outer senshi?
These classifications, dear reader, are myth. Takeuchi notes that Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto guard the outer rim of the solar system, but the terms Inner and Outer senshi are never mentioned in either the anime or the manga. These are completely fan-created terms. Their exact origin is debatable. Takeuchi did not divide the soldiers into groups based on the asteroid belt, but rather on the relative distances of the planets to the moon. The four closest planets include Jupiter.

Jupiter Musing : Datacentral : Query me?