Sailor Moon R
We finally get to see Mako and Minako's new transformations. Mini rant here. "Sailor Moon" does this a lot. It feels like Rei and Ami get their own episodes, but they always put Mako and Minako together. They deserve their own episodes too!! Rant over. Let's get into it.
"In Search of the Silver Crystal: Chibi-Usa's Secret"
Sailor Moon: "So you're the one that's responsible for this sudden rain, thunder and lightning?! Well, I'm putting an end to all this stuff. You have terrorized the innocent little children in this peaceful town and that is unforgivable! So now, in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
The Black Moon Clan has a plan to draw out the Rabbit. Petz has a droid that can control thunder and lightning which the Rabbit hates. Usagi hates thunder and lightning and is hesitant to go pick up Chibi-Usa from school once the droid, Furaiki's, storm starts. She eventually makes it there but Chibi-Usa is gone. Chibi-Usa is ready to go home and uses a key that distorts gravity in her vicinity. With the other Sailor Guardians not able to keep their feet on the ground, it's up to Sailor Moon to save the day.
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| Aladdin Sane. |
First off, the Black Moon Clan's monsters are called droids? I am sure that I knew this at some point in my life, but it had completely left my brain. Well, you learn, or in this case re-learn, something new everyday. So, droids it is.
For the first time, we get to see the four Spectre Sisters really interacting with each other and it is pretty much what you would expect. It is the opposite of how the five Sailor Guardians interact with each other. They are catty and hateful. Bickering about who is the most attractive. Who is the most lucky in love. It's an interesting dichotomy to see.
It's not all happiness and rainbows with the Guardians. Rei and Usagi act like Spectre Sisters. Rei is even shading Usagi when she's not there. When the girls happen to meet up at a cafe to get out of the rain, Rei mentions they don't need Usagi to have a good time when the other girls mention that she's all they are missing. Come on, Rei. Don't do Usagi like that. I honestly don't mind their back and forth most of the time, but this seemed a little too harsh. Since we are talking about things I wasn't a huge fan of, it seems like every episode we have to have a scene where Usagi and Mamoru see each other and he reminds her they are broken up. Do we have to continuously rub salt in the wound? It's like that season of "The Flash" where Iris is going to die and they have to show it over and over again.
It's nice to see Chibi-Usa get some layers. I like that this episode really hammers home that she is a child. It's easy to forget that when she is brandishing a fake gun at people and drugging them. She hates thunderstorms which a lot of little kids do. I was one of them. She just wants to get home to her parents. This is all relatable. And it seems like she has a way to get home, but it's that way home that ends up with everyone floating. Everyone knows I kind of hate Tuxedo Mask, but it is pretty funny to see him floating after trying to be so suave.
Oh, and we sort of get our first look at Sailor Pluto.
Grade: B
"Dispute Over Love: Minako and Makoto's Conflict
Makoto Kino: "Jupiter Star Power, Make Up!"
Minako Aino: "Venus Star Power, Make Up!"
While chatting with Chibi-Usa after they catch two boys bullying her, Minako and Mako get into a fight in regards to their philosophies about love. Meanwhile, Spectre Sisters, Petz and Calaveras, attack the next Crystal Point. They disguise themselves as proprietresses of a charm and fortune telling store, trying to turn their clients against love. Things go awry when Usagi and the feuding Mako and Minako find themselves in the store.
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| Jupiter power is right. |
I know I complained about the show pairing up Mako and Minako but this episode is maybe one of the best of those pairings. One of the things I like about this episode the most is that it talks about love in a kind of realistic way, believe it or not? I think the show lots of times shows love in a really optimistic (I would say unrealistic) way, but we get two completely different viewpoints for Mako and Minako. When Chibi-Usa is getting bullied by her classmates, Minako tells her that tired line about how boys only bully the girls that they really like. Mako immediately is like, yeah, no, they are just being assholes. And listen, everyone knows that I am obsessed with Minako Aino aka Sailor Venus, but it pains me to agree with Mako. Mako is dead on here. Boys are just dicks when they are pulling that shit. And she's completely right. I feel like I'm really betraying Minako here and I don't love it.
Luckily, it doesn't take me long to be right back on Team Minako where I belong. She counters by telling Mako that she is way too hung up on the guy that broke her heart. And she doubles down by saying that she compares every guy that she meets to the guy that broke her heart. Mako does not enjoy this and basically declares that they are in a fight. Usagi shows up and uncomfortably gets them to go to the charm store.
The charm store scenes are really great. The fight between Minako and Mako feels very real when it comes to fights between teenage girls or fights between good friends in general. It's very generic and ridiculous. And it could be over as soon as it begins. Right before they get to the shop, the girls even forget briefly that they are fighting and it is just really, really great. There is some great comedy, like Usagi sucking down the potion to get your lost love back. I was legit cackling. There's a great meta scene at the end where Sailor Moon complains about not having enough time to get her catchphrase out.
We get Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus' new transformation sequences and new attacks. Sailor Jupiter has Sparkling Wide Pressure and Sailor Venus has Venus Love Me Chain, which is my favorite Sailor Venus attack. All in all a great episode.
Grade: A
Next up, Usagi and Chibi-Usa make curry together and the girls take a beach vacation.
What did you all think? Am I off base that they are always pairing up Mako and Minako? Let me know in the comments.
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