Sailor Moon
Spoiler alert. These two episodes are basically filler. You'll have that when you are producing 46 episodes of an anime television series. Not all filler is bad, though. So, let's dive right in.
"Total Chaos: The Messy Love Rectangle"
Sailor Moon: "I am the pretty guardian who fights for love and for justice. I am Sailor Moon.
Sailor Jupiter: "Today we're not --"
Sailor Moon: "-- the same as usual."
Sailor Moon & Sailor Jupiter: [together] "We're 10,000 volts of heartbreak power looking for a boyfriend!"
Luna: "Not you too, Mako."
Sailor Moon: "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you."
Mako and Usagi decide to engage in a friendly competition to win the heart of Motoki. There's a couple of problems with this. First, Motoki has a girlfriend named Reika, who he is serious about and he looks at them like little sisters. Reika is trying to decide if she should go to Africa to continue her research but it turns out she is the next great monster containing a rainbow crystal. It's up to Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter to save their "rival."
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| Goals. |
I really believe that one of "Sailor Moon's" greatest strengths is its portrayal of female friendships. It is one of the main selling points I push when I am trying to convince people to give this classic anime a shot. I would not recommend this episode as a shining example of that theme.
Oy. So, on the plus side, this episode is not about Usagi and Mako going after each other and damaging their friendship because they are both competing for Motoki. If anything, this is the very definition of friendly competition. Usagi is a boy crazed teenage girl who really pines for Tuxedo Mask, so it feels like her heart isn't really in it. And maybe, deep down, Mako realizes that? The biggest issue here isn't the girls competing for Motoki, even in a friendly way, the main issue is that Motoki has a girlfriend. A serious girlfriend. Who is intelligent and lovely and that he seems to genuinely enjoy.
The girls don't come off great in this episode. They are trying to force two people who care about each other apart. Mako gives Reika semi good advice when she tells her to go to Africa but its backhanded because she also tells her that she can't have a relationship and follow her passion. That's not a great message to send to young girls and it's not a huge surprise that this episode was written by a man. The boys don't come off great here either. Motoki is expressly not interested in Mako and Usagi romantically, but he isn't above using their feelings for him to get them to cook for him and clean his apartment. I did love the reading of Mamoru when Motoki brings up how he doesn't understand how anyone their age could go for a junior high girl while an image of Rei flashes across Mamoru's mind. The shade.
The rest of the episode is pretty standard. Zoisite transforms Reika into the youma, Rikoukeidar. The girls save her while Tuxedo Mask and Zoisite fight over the rainbow crystal with the latter getting away with it.
Grade: C
"Grandpa Loses Control: Rei in Danger"
Rei: "You really saved me. Thank you."
Sailor Moon: "My pleasure. By the way, have you had one of these daifuku? They're really delicious. You'll love it."
Luna: "Have you completely lost it? This is not the time to be eating daifuku!"
Zoisite shows up at Rei's shrine and attempts to transform Grandpa Hino into the next great monster. Grandpa fights him off and Rei arrives. A drunk young man, Yuichiro Kumada, who is passed out on the steps of the shrine, wakes up, sees Rei, falls in love and demands to be Grandpa Hino's apprentice. Usagi feels chemistry between Yuichiro and Rei and attempts to set them up which upsets Rei and she declares their friendship over. Usagi is desperate to get Rei's friendship back. Can the girls resolve their differences and save Grandpa Hino in the process?
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| This daifuku is the shit. |
Of all the relationships on "Sailor Moon," the relationship between Rei and Usagi is one of the most confusing. It is really antagonistic but there is clearly something that draws the girls to each other. It seems like deep down, Rei maybe finds Usagi's ditzy crybaby ways kind of endearing and Usagi finds Rei's fiery temper and perceived disdain kind of endearing, also? Clearly, they are friends based on how upset Usagi is when Rei declares their friendship kaput for good.
I'm not sure if anyone reading this watched the original "Charmed," but remember how they weren't allowed to use their powers for personal gain. Clearly, there are no such rules in the "Sailor Moon" universe. Usagi again uses the transformation pen to turn herself into a fortune teller to try to force Rei and Yuichiro together. I was delighted that Rei immediately saw through Usagi's half hearted disguise and just as Luna predicted was pissed off.
Usagi knows she's done wrong and I totally understand trying to make yourself feel better with food and then using that delicious food as an olive branch. This is exactly what Usagi does with the daifuku and Rei. Maybe offering her the daifuku when she should have been trying to help Grandpa Hino after his transformation into the youma, Jiji, wasn't the best idea, but it did work int he end. Take that Luna! Rei and Sailor Moon team up to save Grandpa and this is a nice reminder that the girls aren't powerless when they aren't transformed. Unfortunately, Tuxedo Mask cocks it up again and Zoisite gets away with another rainbow crystal.
Yuichiro is an interesting character. Kind of a himbo before there was really a term for being a himbo. It's clear that he and Rei have an attraction, even if Rei denies it and it definitely feels like they are trying to preemptively soften the blow for when Mamoru leaves Rei and begins dating Usagi.
Grade: B
Next up, Luna's a chubby chaser and we are reminded that the Naru/Umino relationship is a thing.
Were you confused by the mixed messages of Mako and Usagi pursuing Motoki? That daifuku looked good, right? What's your take on the Usagi/Rei friendship? Let me know in the comments.
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