Sailor Moon
More Sailor Scouts!! If I have one complaint about the first season, there is way too much time spent gathering the girls together. The charm of "Sailor Moon" is watching the girls friendship and seeing how they form these bonds. So, I'm excited that after these episodes we are just down one.
"Jupiter, the Powerful Girl In Love"
Makoto Kino: "Jupiter Power Make Up!"
The Dark Kingdom has started to awaken their Great Ruler, Queen Metalia, but they still need the Legendary Silver Crystal. Queen Beryl devises a plan to awaken the Seven Great Youma who have been reincarnated as humans. Each of the Seven Great Youma contain a shard of the Rainbow Crystal. The Rainbow Crystals will lead the Dark Kingdom to the Legendary Silver Crystal. It feels like the Sailor Guardians will need some help so maybe it's good that Usagi has met new student, Makoto Kino. Luna has a feeling about that girl. Could she be the fourth Sailor Guardian?
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| Don't Fuck with Mako |
I love Makoto Kino, the girl who will become Sailor Jupiter. She's a badass and I love how the first time we meet her she lays the smack down on some juvenile delinquents that are trying to run a con on Usagi. Usagi is immediately smitten.
This episode is a great one for Usagi. Usagi's sense of loyalty is second to none. When Usagi decides to be friends with someone, she is their ride or die, even Rei. She immediately takes to Makoto and gives her the nickname Mako, which is a pretty big deal in Japanese culture. Umino tries to slander Mako, talking about how she got kicked out of her old school for fighting, but Usagi isn't having it. She's already sneaking up to her to share lunch. Usagi has a crush on Mako, too. The Mako/Usagi relationship is giving me big bisexual energy and I will fight you on this.
We meet Joe the Crane Game Troll who is a tool and is the host for the first of the Seven Great Youma. Just when you think that Mako is perfect, she mentions for the first, but not last time, the boy who broke her heart, who every boy reminds her of. Even Usagi is like, maybe you need to cool it with this? I enjoyed how Usagi rushed after Mako and Joe even thought there could be danger. That's growth. Eventually Zoisite changes Joe into the great youma, Gamecen and escapes with the red rainbow crystal. Mako embraces her destiny as Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon gets the Moon Stick so she can save the people and not destroy them.
Grade: B+
"Restore Naru's Smile: Usagi's Friendship"
Sailor Moon: "Hold it right there!"
Zoisite: "Who's there?"
Naru: "Sailor Moon!"
Sailor Moon: "Trying to commit evil on sacred ground? You won't get away with it! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
Now that all the Sailor Guardians have been found, Luna makes Sailor Moon the leader of the team, much to everyone's chagrin, especially Rei. Naru is still struggling with the death of Nephrite, so Usagi and *groan* Umino try to cheer her up. They end up in a graveyard with Zoisite who locates a priest is housing the next monster and rainbow crystal. Can Sailor Moon prove her mettle and stop the monster and Zoisite?
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| Ok, Ok. I see it. |
This episode is not my favorite. It re-hashes the whole Naru/Nephrite thing which you all know I hate. I appreciate Usagi trying to help her friend. I love that. It again reiterates that Usagi is an amazing friend even threatening Umino multiple times with physical violence as he repeatedly puts his foot in his mouth. But it at the same time brings to the forefront some of the worse things with that little arc. When Zoisite shows up and transforms the priest, Naru thinks that all she needs to do is spout some pretty words and he'll see the error of his ways, just like Nephrite did. Well, guess what? It doesn't work here, because that's not realistic and shouldn't have worked the last time. It's like the are immediately trying to reverse their weird logic from the last couple of episodes. Ugh. I really hope that this is the last time I have to deal with the whole Naru/Nephrite debacle.
Mamoru finally realizes he is Tuxedo Mask which feels like it took a lot longer than it should. Also, doesn't it seem obvious to anyone the Moon Princess is Sailor Moon since they look exactly the same. Tuxedo Mask makes off with the next rainbow crystal so they can further this storyline that he might possibly be a bad guy.
The thing with Luna picking Usagi as the leader is a nice little bit of comic relief as Usagi does the exact opposite of what Luna is trying to show. Mako is steadfast, but Ami folds under the strength of Rei's pinches. It doesn't make sense Rei, but the show is called "Sailor Moon" not "Sailor Mars" so deal with it.
Grade: C
Next up, A boy has a crush on Ami and Usagi and Mamoru realize there may be something there that wasn't there before.
Where my Sailor Jupiter fans at?! Extol her virtues in the comments.
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