Sailor Moon
If you are only familiar with the shoddy DiC dub of "Sailor Moon," you were probably a little surprised by the second episode in this post. A little sidebar here, I am a member of a "Sailor Moon" fan group on Facebook and members are routinely referring to Usagi and Mamoru by their English dub names of Serena and Darien and it's really hard for me not to be snooty and be like, "Those aren't their names."
"Usagi's Joy: A Love Letter From Tuxedo Mask"
Sailor Moon: "Get your hands off of Naru!"
Nephrite: [dressed as Tuxedo Mask] "Who's there?"
Sailor Moon: "How dare you dress up in a tuxedo to toy with an innocent girl's feelings?"
Nephrite: "So you are here."
Sailor Moon: "I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and for justice. I am Sailor Moon. And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
Usagi is ecstatic when she receives a letter from Tuxedo Mask asking her to meet him at the MS Mall in Shinjuku the next night. Luna is skeptical but Usagi will not be woken from her reverie. That all changes when she goes to school the next day and finds out that every girl has gotten a letter claiming to be from Tuxedo Mask. It turns out that this is a ploy by Nephrite to uncover the identities of the Sailor Guardians. Can Usagi stop Nephrite before her bestie Naru is drawn too deep into this ploy?
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| Suck it, Tuxedo Mask |
I really like this episode because it feels like it is moving the plot forward. The first season of "Sailor Moon" has 46 episodes total, so there can be a lot of filler and some tangents. There is nothing wrong with that. A lot of the times, those are a ton of fun (see the following episode), but we closing in on the midway point for this season and it's nice to start getting a few answers as to what the hell is going on.
As I've stated in previous recaps, I really. hate Nephrite but I think that is a good sign that he is a pretty great villain. Though, this episode does start my least favorite arc in "Sailor Moon" and it involves Nephrite, Naru and her crush on Nephrite's alter ego, Masato Sanjouin. If you've watched the show, you know what I'm talking about, and even if you haven't watched the show, based on what happens in this episode, I'm sure you can see where this is heading from a mile away.
This episode sheds a little more light on Mamoru Chiba and his relationship with Tuxedo Mask. It turns out that Mamoru doesn't have a ton of control on when he transforms and seems to be linked with Sailor Moon somehow, sensing when she is in danger. It is still unclear how much of this Mamoru retains, if anything at all.
There are some great action scenes in this episode, too. Always nice to see Sailor Moon taking an active part in the action, like when she launched a flying kick at Nephrite's head. The elevator sequence helped to establish some actual tension in a show where there rarely seems to be any danger for the girls. The scene where Sailor Moon is clinging to Tuxedo Mask and keeps asking him awkward questions about his feelings for her could have been annoying, but turned out insanely charming which I think has a lot do with Usagi.
And in the times that we are currently living in, can we give a slow clap to Sailor Mars fighting crime in her face mask because she has a cold? We stan.
Grade: A
"The Summer, the Beach, Youth and Ghosts"
Sailor Moon: "Meanie ghost! How dare you ruin a helpless young girl's vacation?! I'm Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, [Mars and Mercury join in] we'll punish you. [Sailor Moon on her own] "But I'm still really scared."
Luna takes the Sailor Guardians to the beach for a summer training session that Usagi believes is going to be more about beach time with Motoki and Tuxedo Mask. The supposedly nice resort cheapskate Rei booked turns out to be a creepy mansion filled with servants who look like monsters. The girls meet a young girl who may be connected with strange happenings in the mansion. Ghosts?! Ruh roh.
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| Scaredy Luna |
If you've only ever watched the DiC dub of "Sailor Moon," then this is a totally new episode for you. DiC didn't dub it in English because it doesn't really advance the plot at all and the Dark Kingdom doesn't appear in it. It's too bad, because this episode is a lot of fun. It's one of those episodes, that while it doesn't advance the overall Dark Kingdom storyline, it's a blast to watch and had a few LOL moments.
The episode pays homage to a few classic television shows. First off, it reminds me of an episode of Scooby-Doo, which is never a bad thing. The name on the front of the mansion when the girls arrive is "Adams" and the house itself looks very much like the house from "The Addams Family." The workers at the inn with their monster get ups are also clear homages to "The Munsters."
This episode is just a lot of fun. It's the type of episode where you grin from the moment it begins until it wraps up and you're kind of sad it's over. I enjoy that Luna is scared, too when confronted with the apparent vampire, Frankenstein's monster and Wolf Man. Luna always seems so above it all, so it's nice to see her acting like Usagi, even if she tries to deny it later on. It's great how Rei and Ami are non plussed by this and aghast at Usagi's reactions to these people as if it is all perfectly normal. Usagi even gets a nice moment where she gives Ami a speech about putting down her schoolbooks sometimes and embracing the frivolity of youth. I was just as shocked as Rei and Luna that Usagi was actually making sense.
The episode loses a bit when it really hones in on the girl and her psychic powers and controlling dad. It doesn't make a ton of sense and it sort of usurps the fun that the first third of the episode is having.
Grade: B+
Next up, Usagi gets really into anime and experiences a rite of passage.
How do you all feel about Nephrite? Had you seen "The Summer, the Beach, Youth and Ghosts?" I love hearing your thoughts so hit up the comments and let me know.
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