Sailor Moon S
We are finally getting a little bit of backstory about our newest lez tastic Sailor Guardians and its only been seventeen episodes. Not only that, but we are getting Chibi-Usa acting like an actual child. Let's get into it.
"The Bond of Destiny: Uranus's Distant Past"
Sailor Moon: "Stop right there! We won't let you bad people threaten a wholesome high school girl's life!"
Sailor Guardians: [together] "We are the Pretty Guardians who fight for love and for justice!"
Sailor Moon: "In the name of the Moon..."
Sailor Guardians: [together] "We'll punish you!"
The newest target of Professor Tomoe and Eudial is high school track and field star, Elsa Gray. Elsa has a past with Haruka Tenoh. Haruka has flashbacks of when she first started having visions of the Silence and her destiny. It also put her in the path of Michiru Kaiou. Will Haruka be able to save her former rival or sacrifice her if she does contain a talisman?
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| What woman wouldn't want to wear this? |
We don't talk very much about the monster design in "Sailor Moon," but maybe i is time. Take a look at Hurdle. That design is truly unhinged. She's wearing a giant sneaker as shirt. It looks like she just has a giant uni-boob. I spent most of the time that she was onscreen laughing. Wild. And one of the reasons that I really love this anime and why it still entertains to this day. There's a reason that its a classic and designs like Hurdle is one of those reasons.
Another reason is the quirky one off characters that the show introduces. It feels like there is no shortage of junior high or high school students in this version of Tokyo that are amazing at things that are typically highly specialized. That is the case with Elsa Gray. Elsa is an amazing track and field star. She encountered Haruka and Haruka was the only person who was able to beat her. This continues to be the gayest season of "Sailor Moon" ever. When she is talking to the girls, Elsa nonchalantly squeezes two of their backsides. But don't worry. It's not a gay thing. That's just how she determines if someone is good at track. It's totally straight.
Speaking of gay, we get the full backstory of how Michiru and Haruka met and I just feel the need to remind everyone that in the original DiC dub that aired in America, Haruka and Michiru were supposed to be cousins. I just think it's a great example of how by trying to erase queer characters from media that might be consumed by children, it just ends up confusing them more. Can you imagine being a little kid watching this episode and thinking these two women were cousins? I am close with my cousins, but none of us are this close.
Haruka and Michiru are one of my favorite queer couples in all media and this episode is a great example of why. They have so much chemistry and love for each other. I watch them interact and I think that is the kind of person that I would want to date. That is the kind of relationship that I would want to have. The playful snark that never moves into mean. The flirting. It's beautiful and natural and really sexy. When Michiru admits to Haruka that she was one of the people who dreamed about riding with Haruka, it's heartbreaking. She cares about this woman so much that she is trying to protect her from this destiny. You know it's not going to happen, but you wish it would. It's always a crap shoot when you introduce new characters to an established series, but it's episodes like this that show why Uranus and Neptune are such fan favorites.
It's cool to see a new side of Haruka. From the start, Haruka has been resolute in their mission to obtain the Holy Grail through the pure heart talismans even if it means that innocent people might have to die. It's worth it in service to the mission. We've seen Michiru question that, but never Haruka. In the beginning, Michriu was the one ready to make those hard choices and sacrifices. Haruka can't believe that she'll potentially let this boy die. But Michiru is ready to make those decisions so Haruka won't have to. But Haruka is ready to meet this mission with Michiru.
This is another great episode of "Sailor Moon S." Professor Tomoe continues to be more and more out there. He's running on the treadmill trying to come up with plans and daimons because why not? Sure, you're trying to destroy the world, but you can still keep up with your fitness.
Grade: A-
"Art is an Explosion of Love: Chibi-Usa's First Love"
Sailor Moon: "Your evil hands have tainted the Holy Spirt of art, which is unforgivable!"
Sailor Chibi Moon: "That's right, and on top of everything else, you put my precious Masanori in danger!"
Sailor Moon: "I am the Pretty Guardian that fights for Love and for Justice. I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you"
Sailor Chibi Moon: "And in the name of the future Moon, I will also punish you!"
Chibi-Usa has become very interested in a sculpture class at the Jubon Art Center and it's all because she has a crush on a boy there named Masanori. But Masanori only has eyes for Michiru. Chibi-Usa isn't going to give up without a fight though. Usagi shows up to try to help, but she might be more of a hindrance. All this and Tomoe and Eudial have made Masanori their next target.
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| Mother/daughter monster fighting. |
I mentioned at the end of the last review that ever since Eudial of the Witches 5 came on the scene to replace Kaolinite, things have gotten even more chaotic. Check out Professor Tomoe in this episode. He thinks he's calling Eudial to tell her of his new plan to target Masanori, but it's a ramen restaurant. He isn't sure it's not Eudial fucking with him, but he orders some ramen anyways. Evil geniuses have to eat too, ya know. When he calls the Witches 5 again and this time gets Eudial, you can tell by the tone of his voice that he still thinks she was fucking with him. It's crazy and I love it.
Speaking of crazy, Eudial's driving. I love seeing where that car she drives is going to pop out of next. In the last episode, it was a zoo. In this one, she just drives the car into the Jubon Art Center. This woman gives zero fucks and I am 100% here for it. Just when I think her driving can't get anymore reckless, Eudial proves me wrong and I have to give her the slow clap for that.
This episode's daimon, Chokokka, is like if your elementary art school teacher was psychotic. She's wearing a smock. She's got that spiky, short '90's hair that meant you were either an edgy or quirky woman or a lesbian or both. She creates sculptures out of sand that are a little too abstract for Sailor Neptune's taste to try to kill her and Uranus. I did laugh out loud when Neptune was taking time out of this battle to criticize the sculptures that Chokokka was making. Her response that they were avant garde was perfect.
Chibi-Usa actually gets to act like a child in this episode which is nice. If you read my "Sailor Moon R" recaps, you know that I wasn't a huge fan of the whole thing where Chibi-Usa was crushing on Mamoru, particularly because it was her dad. So, it was nice in this episode to see her having a crush that was much more age appropriate and to get a taste of what she was doing last season when she learns that Masanori had the hots for Michiru. Man, this kid is definitely barking up the wrong tree. Chibi-Usa would try to deny it but her jealousy and vow to win Masanori away from Michiru is definitely giving her mom vibes. In the end, it doesn't matter because after Chibi-Usa saves Masanori he is immediately smitten. The dude likes a strong woman. Respect.
Usagi is a menace and feeds the apple pie that Chibi-Usa made for Masanori to her friends without any regard for anyone else. The girls do throw her right under the bus. They had zero issues eating that pie, but they are not afraid to let Usagi take the fall. Usagi tries to help Chibi-Usa win Masanori's affections but that goes about as well as you'd expect. The best part about Usagi trying to help is the visual gag of her as a little naked Cupid.
This is a cute little nothing of an episode. Chibi-Usa is not my favorite character so I'm a little biased against episodes that feature her in the lead. But compared to some others this one was pretty inoffensive. I love pointing out extra ridiculous things in shows like this so I have to mention Masanori not batting an eye when Chibi-Usa casually mention her mom having the Holy Grail in a shelf in her bedroom. And oh yeah... foreshadowing. Also, two episodes in a row with no Tuxedo Mask. We stay winning.
Grade: B
Next up, Usagi and the girls hobnob with international university students and Minako is mad that a daimon hasn't came after her.
What did you all think? Are you happy these two episodes were Mamoru less? Are you a fan of a Chibi-Usa focused episode? Do you love Haruka and Michiru? If you originally watched that bad American dub, were you mad confused when they were supposedly cousins? Let me know in the comments.
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