Makoto's strong, independent personality is hinted at in her most striking physical feature—her unusual height (5'6" or 1.68 meters). She is stated at her first appearance in the series to be very tall, and considerable notice is taken in the original Japanese versions, although this trait is downplayed in English translations (as her relative height is not all that uncommon in most Europeans). She is physically very strong, and in fact was rumoured to have been kicked out of her previous school for fighting. She is introduced to the series after transferring to Azabu Jūban Junior High, where Usagi Tsukino and Ami Mizuno are students, and where she stands out all the more because her school uniform is different from everyone else's; unable to find anything in her size, her school's administration tells her to wear her old one. It has a long skirt, which when coupled with her curly hair, was a common visual cue for a tough or delinquent girl at the time the series was created.[2] However, unlike these delinquent girls, her wavy hair is natural.[3] Despite her tough appearance, she is very gentle. She always wears pink rose earrings and a green hair tie that decorates her ponytail.