"In the Name of the Moon" Re-Watch: "The Targeted Kindergarteners: Venus to the Rescue" & "Mamoru and Usagi's Babysitting Mayhem"

 Sailor Moon R

It's always interesting to me when the episodes that I choose to include in a blog post have a theme. I don't think the writers necessarily plan these episodes to be similarly themed, but it's always fun for me. It happens this time so let's get into it.

"The Targeted Kindergarteners: Venus to the Rescue"

Sailor Moon: "Stop right there, you monster! Those children represent our dreams for the future! Plus, we depend on them to take care of us after our retirement. Attacking them is unforgivable! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

On her way to school, Minako helps a young Sailor Moon fan named Mie fend off some classmates that are bullying her. As she gets more and more caught up in this girls life, Ail and An decide to target preschoolers and kindergarteners for their energy. When Mie's class is targeted, it's up to Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon to protect them.

Friends.

I think I've made it pretty clear that Minako is my favorite of the Inner Senshi, so an episode that focuses on her is automatically going to get high marks from me. I will get my biggest gripe of the episode out of the way right up front. There was no transformation sequence for Minako! Seriously. This episode is all about her but they can't show her transforming into Sailor Venus?! They showed Usagi transform, but not Minako. It doesn't matter how many times I watch this episode, I will always be upset about it. It's so dumb. They could have made time for it. Ugh!

Minako was the last Sailor Guardian to be introduced and it was right as things were amping up against the Dark Kingdom. Aside from the episode focusing on her time in Paris, which was more about Sailor V, we know the least about Minako Aino, so it's nice to have an episode that focuses a lot on her civilian identity. And as it turns out, Minako is a lot like Usagi? I am a fan of Artemis' narration during these sequences is great. Though, I'm not sure why Minako needs to be kind of a mess when she has not been portrayed that way before. Minako is at least late for school for a good reason, helping Mie and then being blackmailed into staying with her until the bus comes. Usagi is just late because she overslept again. 

There is a lot of great comedy in this episode. Usagi standing in the hall with the sign around her neck that says "I am always late for school." Ail showing up in his Seijuro disguise to, I guess, aggressively flirt with Usagi. Minako's interactions with the little boy kindergarteners. I love how they keep calling her an old maid and how angry that makes her. Usagi leading Mie's class in a sing a long of the "Sailor Moon" theme when she has transformed into a kindergarten teacher. 

The kids are kind of annoying but in the end their belief in Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus is what helps them defeat Ail and An's newest cardian, Gigaros. Sailor Venus also gets a power up with her Crescent Beam Shower. And Mie becomes a Sailor Venus fan because everyone should be.

Grade: B+

"Mamoru and Usagi's Babysitting Mayhem"

Sailor Mercury: "You monster. Using those babies as human shields to protect yourself is unforgivable. Now I'm mad! Bubble spray freezing!"

Sailor Moon: "Wha, Sailor Mercury. When did you acquire such a powerful new technique?"

Sailor Mercury: "A new power awoke in me when I saw those helpless babies being threatened."

Ail and An decide to go younger and target actual babies. Ami and Usagi witness the fiends newest cardian, Amaderasu, attack a nursery. One of the babies doesn't have their energy drained because they were protected by their mother. Mamoru and Usagi volunteer to take care of baby Manami until his mother awakens. Can they keep him and the other babies of the city safe and stop Amaderasu?

We're done being fake parents!

Since the kindergartener plan didn't work out, Ail and An decide they should zap the energy of babies, making them the absolute worst, if you doubted it before. I do kind of like how the episode hit the ground running. Ail and An start the episode with their awful plan and Amaderasu attacks immediately. The episode makes it pretty clear right from the start that the babies are going to be fine in a few days. "Sailor Moon R" is not the anime that is going to even imply that babies might die. 

Baby Manami who's mother is in a temporary coma due to her energy being zapped needs someone to watch over them. Their dad is out of the country on business so the hospital decides that the best course of action is to allow two teenagers to watch him completely unsupervised. What the what? I thought Japan was supposed to be better than us and I'm pretty sure this wouldn't even fly in America. Listen, I get it. This is flimsy af because they want Mamoru and Usagi to have cute moments with this tiny baby. I really understand but come one. These two don't even know what gender the baby is at first and they are left with it?!

Now, there are some really funny things that happen with Mamo, Usagi and little baby Manami. The funny faces. Usagi trying to make a bottle and emerging like she just stormed the beaches of Normandy. We get some classic baby humor. Like when An in her Natsumi guise shows up to try to horn in on the fake mommy action and she gets pissed on twice by Manami. This is hilarious and completely deserved since ya know she's the reason his mom is in a coma. And who knew Sailor Mercury was so maternal? She's so pissed off about the babies being targeted she ups her power game and debuts bubble spray freezing.

Not everything works though. It's a minor thing, but I hate the "Look Who's Talking" thing with Manami's inner thoughts being heard by the audience. The forced drama between Mamo and Usagi from the weird amnesia plot falls super flat. And, like, these teenagers witnessing these major happenings in this babies life but not his parents is bananas. They see his first steps and his first words are Mamoru and Usagi. If I were this kids parents I'd be fucking hot. 

Grade: B

Next up, Rei is showing off her singing abilities and people think that Seijuro is the Moonlight Knight.

What do you think of these episodes? Would you trust your baby with Usagi and Mamoru? And isn't it bullshit that in her episode we don't get to see Minako transform? Sound off in the comments.