Sailor Moon
Oh my gosh, you all. Can you believe that after this we only have two episodes left before we wrap up the classic first season of "Sailor Moon." It all comes down to these last four episodes as the girls gear up for their final confrontation with the Dark Kingdom, but first they learn about their past lives.
"Usagi Abandoned: The Falling-Out of the Sailor Guardians"
Sailor Moon: "I am Sailor Moon, in the name of the moon, I'll..."
[Sailor Mars kicks her from behind]
Sailor Mars: "Move it!"
Sailor Moon: "Hey! Why'd you do that?!"
Sailor Mars: "Stop acting like you're the only cool one here."
Sailor Moon: "Well your kick kind of flattened my pretty face!"
Sailor Mars: "It was a big improvement to me."
Sailor Moon: "What did you say?!"
The hot gossip is that Sailor Moon and the Sailor Guardians are at odds. The rumor has even reached the Dark Kingdom and it is seemingly corroborated when instead of stopping youma, Oniwabandana, robbing Naru's families jewelry store, they bicker until the youma transforms back to it's human identity of tabloid reporter, Nana Asahina. It turns out this is all just a ploy to get the Dark Kingdom to believe Sailor Moon wants to defect so she can go there and save Mamoru. Can the girls pull this off? Or will it all be for naught?
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| Sticking her nose in. |
I really love the cold open of this episode. The girls are shadowed, so everything is different shades of blue and it has a really cool effect. It looks gorgeous and I really wanted it to longer than it did. It is a nice tease for what's to come and the first time I watched it I was excited to see how this all went down.
Oniwabandana is one of my all-time favorite "Sailor Moon" monsters. I love how she just randomly says "bon bon." I love that the human they've transformed is a tabloid journalist who is basically stuck in the 1970's. Her whole look from the fringe vest to the bellbottoms is just... chef's kiss. I don't understand the thought process behind it, but I don't really care.
It's great to see Usagi taking some initiative and actually putting a plan into action, particularly a plan that has a chance to work. Even Luna is impressed and if Luna is impressed than clearly Usagi is doing something right. Though, Rei may be too into it. I love how she keeps blindsiding Usagi and it's clearly something she is taking a little bit of pleasure in. Also, I'm not sure that Usagi understands how butt cracks work. Does she really think that Rei kicking her gave her one?
Even though Rei and Usagi are their usual bickering selves, kind of turned up to eleven, it is nice to get confirmation that Rei and Usagi really are friends who love each other. It's a nice reveal that Usagi has entrusted Rei with the Moon Stick along with the Legendary Silver Crystal. She holds back the other girls while Sailor Moon is being beaten up not wanting to reveal their ruse but it ends up being Sailor Mars who can't bear it anymore. The fighting may have been fake but it really helps sell the emotion of that moment.
I have to give it up for the Dark Kingdom. They aren't stupid. They know something is fishy from the jump and don't fall for this plan. So, good on them. I hate when villains aren't portrayed as savvy at all and that isn't the case here.
I do wish they would have waited a little longer to reveal this was all just a plan, but in the end the impact probably would have been the same.
Grade: A-
"Usagi's Awakening: A Message From the Distant Past"
Sailor Moon: "Stop it! Even if you went out right now and bought us the finest haute couture trend setting designs as replacements, I can't forgive you for trying to shred our Sailor Guardian outfits! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
It's finally happened. Venus and Artemis have located the entrance to the Dark Kingdom. The girls head there but are immediately confronted by Kunzite. He attempts to send them to the chaos worlds, but instead the Silver Crystal, transports them to Silver Millennium, so they can get a look at their past lives. And witness the events that ended with them being reincarnated on Earth.
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| Queen Sailor Moon |
This episode we get a lot of backstory. It's basically all backstory. Have you been chomping at the bit to find out what it was like when Usagi was Princess Serenity living on the moon? Well, this is the episode for you.
Pretty early on in the episode, the girls are transported back in time. Kunzite believes he is sending them to chaos worlds where they might encounter dinosaurs or other dangerous things. The Legendary Silver Crystal has other plans. I'm not sure if the Moon Stick hitting the ground prompted this or if the Crystal was going to do this no matter what, but the next thing the girls know they are back on Silver Millennium at the height of it's power. A hologram of Queen Serenity greets Sailor Moon and shows her what happened when Endymion of Earth came to the moon to warn them of an evil sorceress named Beryl who had been overtaken by the evil Queen Metalia. Beryl had entranced most of the Earth and was heading to the Moon to do the same to them.
This episode is perfectly fine. But I think it has an odd placement. This is three episodes before the finale and I feel like it kind of slows things down when things should be amping up. Also, this is all information we kind of knew already. Did we really need to be shown it? And wouldn't it have made more sense for this episode to have been after the reveal that Sailor Moon was actually the princess. And again, I realize they had to follow the manga and that definitely plays a part but where it might have worked in print, it's a real momentum killer here.
There are definitely some affecting moments like when Princess Serenity dies or when Queen Serenity unleashes the full power of the Legendary Silver Crystal, knowing that it will kill her. Methinks there might be some foreshadowing happening here. I will never understand the allure that Mamoru/Endymion/Tuxedo Mask has on these women. First, Rei, then Usagi, then Beryl. Like, the dude is a walking rice caked. Y'all can do better. This is the end of Kunzite and even though he's a real sonofabitch, I do love that he called out for Zoisite in the end.
Like I said, this episode is serviceable, not horrible, but there really isn't a lot to say about it.
Grade: B
Next up, the final battle against the Dark Kingdom.
What do you all think? Are you ready for the finale? Let me know in the comments.
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