OK, we all know the age-old story of Mako-chan and all the boys who look like her Senpai, (or her "old boyfriend Freddy" if you're an NA watcher) but sometimes you have to wonder...what do we REALLY know about this guy? We haven't really seen him, and his existence comes to us in the form of a legend from Mako's past. So what can we say about Senpai? (in Q&A format for no good reason)

So what do we know about this guy anyway?
To be quite honest, not a whole ton! For cold hard facts, we know that Senpai went to Mako-chan's old school. (The one she went to before she started attending school at Juuban Junior High, that is) We also know that he is an older boy, and that Mako-chan had feelings for him, but he didn't love her in return. We also know that he probably looks something like Furuhata Motoki, (aka Andrew, dubbers) according to the manga. If we go by the anime, however, then we're pretty much stumped as to what Senpai looks like, since practically EVERY handsome boy in the Anime supposedly looks like Senpai!

What does "Senpai" mean?
Well, despite what you might think, the word "senpai" has nothing to do with love or boyfriends or anything like that. It is actually a term of respect used for a fellow student who is older than you, and is usually added on in the form of a suffix. In the manga, you often see the younger students using this term, such as the younger boys referring to Mamoru as "Mamoru-senpai." Mako-chan also is on the receiving end of this a few times, when the sisters from the Black Moon come to capture the senshi one by one. Asanuma, an acquaintance of theirs, often calls Mako-chan by "Makoto-senpai." Of course, "Senpai" has a more affectionate connotation from Mako's point of view in reference to that boy, but the normal use of the term is one of respect for one's elders.

So how do we know that this guy is a "senpai"?
Well, in Mako-chan's entrance in the manga, she and Usagi go to the Crown Game Center, where Mako-chan first meets Furuhata Motoki. Mako-chan makes a comment that Motoki looked a lot like a boy she once knew. She later explains that this boy she referred to was an older boy at her old school who broke her heart. (This would be her Senpai) That means that he is also an older student, which implies that she should address him as something-senpai, "something" being replaced by whatever Senpai's actual name is.

Who is Senpai?
We-ell...that's not exactly the easiest question to answer, since we don't know much about him. But I most certainly CAN tell you who Senpai ISN'T. Here is a short list of people mistaken for Senpai, and an explanation of why they couldn't actually be Senpai.

Senpai is NOT Shinozaki Ken!
I saw this written on somebody else's page once, and I about plotzed. Ken is most certainly NOT Makoto's Senpai! I will reference the Anime for this. Whem Makoto is in the hospital with Shinozaki after he gets injured, she explains to her friends about her relationship with him. She tells about a time when she was rejected by a boy, and she started crying, but Ken came through the rain with an umbrella to comfort her. She says that he has always been there for her when she needed it, ever since she was little. Usagi says "So he is your boyfriend." Mako-chan replies with "No. Maybe he's much more important than a boyfriend could be." From this, we can see that Makoto and Ken's relationship is just a very deep friendship, almost a brother-sister kind of thing. He watches over her, but she doesn't really see him as someone to have a relationship with.

Senpai is NOT Furuhata Motoki!
The fact that Motoki isn't Senpai should probably be even more obvious than Shinozaki Ken's not being Senpai. If you've been paying decent attention to this, then you should already know why Motoki can't be Senpai, but I'll reiterate anyway. During Mako-chan's entrance into the series, she says that Motoki looks like a boy she once knew. The "boy she once knew" is in reference to Senpai, meaning that Motoki looks like Senpai. And if Motoki only looks like Senpai, then obviously Motoki can't BE that same person!

Do we have ANY idea at all what Senpai looks like?
For all you manga fans, we might have some idea of Senpai's identity, or at least an idea of his appearance! Y'see, there happens to be one rather hazy shot of Senpai in volume #11 of the manga... Click here to view it! (55K approx)

How do we know that the picture is supposed to be Senpai?
It's explained in the manga. In "Lover of Princess Kaguya" (Volume 11), the spirit Princess Snow Kaguya seals the Inner Senshi in ice, after the Outers teleport away with Kakeru. Then, the snow dancers do their work, making the soldiers think of their loved ones. Sailorjupiter sees Senpai (in the pic above) and hears him say "Mako-chan, let's go to the Christmas party together." Mako, in return, murmurs "Senpai..." So we know that the guy shown in the picture is Senpai, because she calls him by that name.