Sailor Moon R
We are getting closer to wrapping up the Sailor Guardians fight with the Black Moon Clan and as we do Wiseman's true intentions are starting to get clearer and clearer. Let's get to it.
"Saphir Dies: Wiseman's Trap"
Sailor Moon: "Hold it right there!"
Saphir: "Sailor Moon?"
Black Lady: "Ugh. You're here too?"
Sailor Moon: "Stop, Chibi-Usa! Don't make another move to try and harm him! Please snap out of it, Chibi-Usa! Wiseman has brainwashed you!"
Black Lady: "I don't know what you're talking about. This is the real me. I'm not brainwashed."
Sailor Moon: "You are! Why can't you see it?"
As the Maleric Black Crystal continue to grow in the middle of Tokyo, the girls are in wait and see mode. Meanwhile, Saphir is hearing and seeing some things that make him believe that Wiseman doesn't have Demande's best interests at heart. Wiseman attacks Saphir who flees to Earth and is taken in by the now human Spectre Sisters. When Saphir leaves to find Demande, Koan calls the Sailor Guardians for help. Will they be successfully?
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| Pick a card. |
One of the things I love about "Sailor Moon" is that even as they are basically wrapping things up and it should be action, action, action, they aren't afraid to slow things down. Not only slow things down, but also focus on a character that we have rarely spent much time with and it absolutely works.
Saphir has been kind of a non entity since we met the remainder of the Black Moon Clan. He seems to really care for his brother, Demande. He has no time for Esmeraude or his brother's obsession with Sailor Moon. He is kind of one dimensional and when I first saw the title of this episode I sort of shrugged. Why would I care if Saphir dies? Imagine my surprise that by the end of the episode, when the inevitable occurred, I actually did.
Saphir overhears Wiseman's true plan. He's not interested in taking back the Earth for the Black Moon Clan in revenge for them being banished. He wants to sacrifice it totally for an entity called Death Phantom who will make the Earth completely unlivable. This seems like a dumb plan, but whatever. Honestly, the nitty gritty here really doesn't matter. The plots of the bad guys on "Sailor Moon" aren't why you are watching it. All that really matters is that Wiseman puts Saphir at death's door and he escapes toE Earth where he is taken in by the four, now human, Spectre Sisters.
It was nice to see the Spectre Sisters for the last time. Being human and friends with the Sailor Guardians has been really good for them and it's nice to see them being kind and tender and fully fleshed out human beings. We learn that Petz was in love with Saphir at one time and she seems to still be. The scene between them is really gentle and tender and it does a lot. It gives you empathy for Saphir which is helpful later on. Saphir is desperate to get to Demande and warn him about Wiseman. He uses her love for her sisters to convince her to let him to go to Demande, even though they both seem to know that he will not be returning. It's really melancholy and adult and one of the reasons I love "Sailor Moon."
Saphir finds Demande but so does Black Lady and Wiseman. But the Sailor Guardians come to help, called by Koan. This scene is another example of what makes "Sailor Moon" so great. And we actually get multiple scenes of Sailor Mars being kind to Sailor Moon. In the beginning, Rei comforts Usagi in regards to Chibi-Usa and here along with Sailor Jupiter, they explain to Saphir why they are helping him. It's because of Sailor Moon. She believes in people and once she is your friend, she will believe in people they believe in even if they have had conflict before. Sailor Moon is all in on protecting Saphir because the Spectre Sisters think he is worth saving.
Saphir is unable to get through to Demande before Wiseman kills him. Demande leaves with his brother's body and the look on his face makes it seem like he is doubting Wiseman. I really love the non-happy ending of this episode with Petz reflecting on Saphir at the end and things still looking up in the air for Chibi-Usa.
Grade: A-
"Believing in Love and the Future: Usagi's Decision"
Sailor Moon: "Chibi-Usa..."
Wiseman: "Wait... why aren't you under my spell?"
Sailor Moon: "Chibi-Usa and Mamo are very dear people to me. I know that they would never betray me."
Wiseman: "Well, in that case.... die!"
Tuxedo Mask: "Using evil lies to toy with the heart of a pure, young, innocent girl is the work of a true coward. I, Tuxedo Mask, will never forgive you!"
The Sailor Guardians decide to take the fight directly to Wiseman and Demande. They join forces to enter the heart of the Malefic Black Crystal. While inside, Demande takes Sailor Moon and again tries to make him bow to her and fall in love with her. She resists but Wiseman shows up and Demande realizes that he is the true enemy. Will Demande sacrifice everything to stop Wiseman and save Sailor Moon?
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| This is maybe too much father/daughter closeness. |
This is a really interesting episode because there are parts of it that I really like and there are parts of it that always leave me scratching my head.
Let's start with the things that I really enjoyed. First off, I really dug the girls talking about how they were going take care of the Malefic Black Crystal and get cake. It is giving very like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" during a season finale when they are going off to fight the Big Bad. They know that they may not survive but they aren't going to acknowledge it. Instead, they are going to focus on the mundane stuff that they are going to do once they have finished kicking ass.
I love that this episode is one of Sailor Moon's shining moments so far. I have talked before about how I think that that sometimes Sailor Moon gets a bad rep because she's clumsy and a crybaby, but this episode is one of the many that shows that she is so much more than that. She proves her mettle when she is confronted by Demande. He attempts to hypnotize her with his creepy, third eye. He tells her that love is about power, but no matter how much he tries to subjugate her, Sailor Moon will not be brought under his spell. Her belief in true love and the people she cares about will not allow her to. The same thing happens when Wiseman tries to convince her that Tuxedo Mask has joined with Black Lady and betrayed her. Sailor Moon refuses to believe that Mamo or Chibi-Usa would do that to her so she rejects him.
Sailor Moon is extremely empathetic and will see the good in anyone and that is clear in her final moments with Demande. Demande has done or attempted to do pretty terrible things to her in their encounters. But, Sailor Moon is still willing to believe that Demande can live with humans and acclimate to their culture like the Spectre Sisters did. It's impressive for someone to be that empathetic and it is one of Sailor Moon's greatest qualities and I always love seeing it employed.
That brings me to the one thing that I didn't love and this could definitely be just me. I don't necessarily love that Sailor Moon is so quickly crying over the death of this guy. Yes, its a great example of her supreme empathy, but its difficult to forget that not that long ago he was being very aggressive and rape-y with her. He was literally putting her on her knees to try to get him to worship him and love her against her will. So, it is really difficult to swallow that she's now getting so emotional over his death. Its definitely a double edged sword and now that I think about it, maybe its actually a positive overall.
I definitely didn't need to see Black Lady and Tuxedo Mask making out. I get that it is an illusion and its taking advantage of Sailor Moon's ridiculous fears about Chibi-Usa stealing Mamoru away from the beginning of the season. But still. This is an actual father/daughter. It feels completely unnecessary and gross and I legit hate it.
Let's not end on this but on a couple of other things I enjoyed. I liked the effect of the lightning flashes revealing the skull face in Wiseman's cloak. And I enjoyed the sort of tacit admission that Naru knows something is special about Usagi. She might know for sure that Usagi is Sailor Moon, but she knows that Usagi is involved in the strange things that have been happening recently. Its a nice moment between the two friends, especially since we haven't seen Naru a lot in "Sailor Moon R."
Grade: B+
Next up, we wrap up "Sailor Moon R." The Sailor Guardians have their final confrontation with Wiseman, Black Lady and Death Phantom and then a clip show.
What did you think of these episodes? Were you feeling for Saphir at the end? Do you love Sailor Moon being strong and taking care of business? Do you never need to see Black Lady and Tuxedo Mask make out ever again? Let me know in the comments.
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