It’s Usagi’s birthday and Mamoru is determined to get her
a gift she’ll remember. But the Death
Busters don’t stop on holidays. Kaolinite
takes Mamoru captive in order to lure Sailor Moon and the Senshi into a final
showdown. Even if the Senshi succeed in
taking her down, the Death Busters are only getting stronger and more vicious
with their search for the Three Talismans. Thankfully, the girls are getting some back
up. Chibiusa returns from the future,
now a newly minted Sailor Guardian: Sailor Chibi Moon, and she’s prepared to do
whatever it takes to show Usagi she’s ready to fight right by her side.
While we haven’t
exactly reached the halfway mark of Sailor Moon S (that’ll probably be next
time), we have reached the halfway mark of Sailor Moon overall. Our last set of episodes felt like a fun
celebration of everything that makes Sailor Moon work from the bonds of our
amazing quintet to the life lessons the series doles our regularly. I have to say though, given how things kick
off this time, I’m surprised three out of the five episodes weren’t also
candidates for the big 100th Episode. We got a major showdown with one of our main
villains and also saw the return of a familiar favorite from Season Two. Not gonna lie, there was also a lot from this
set that hand me laughing a lot, like a lot a lot. Honestly, the humor and return of Chibiusa
was enough to make me ignore the rising list of complaints about Uranus and
Neptune but we’ll have to talk about that at some point in this review.
Our post Episode
100 event was Usagi’s 15th Birthday.
We had the classic “everyone either ignores or shrugs off the big day
but in fact theyre planning a surprise party” trope and Usagi even got angry
with Mamoru because he didn’t know it was her birthday. While I’m happy Rei chided Mamoru for that I
hate to admit that Usagi was in the wrong cause she never told Mamoru in the
first place, so technically that was on her but I refuse to give Mamoru much
leeway in this series. The main event
was a final showdown with Kaolinite, who finally decided to go after Usagi
because, let’s face it if anyone in this show has a Talisman and the purest of
hearts, it’s Sailor Moon herself.
Surprisingly, this actually cause Haruka to hesitate a little bit in her
mission. This girl and her girlfriend
have been so dedicated to their mission that they’ve been ok with leaving the
Senshi to get wrecked if there’s not Talisman in the Heart Crystal. Seeing how cool and friendly she’s been with
Usagi, would Haruka really let that same fate befall her precious Bun Head, or
would she let this be a rare exception?
Wellllll…I guess the answer to that is “no” since Usagi did get her
Crystal removed and Haruka and Michiru did nothing to stop it until, surprising
even me, there was no Talisma hidden within it.
Ok, time for me
to rag on Haruka and Michiru. I’ve been
trying to be fair and I do like their interactions with the girls. But this set of episodes found me getting
more and more irritated with them than ever before. It’s hard to see them show up looking
perfect, elegant and acting like theyre the only two people in the whole world
when they have continuously left Usagi and the others to fend for themselves
because they are that damn dedicated to their mission. It reminds me of the Eternals from the Marvel
Cinematic Universe, a group of outer space warriors who wouldn’t even step in
to stop Thanos because he wasn’t a certain kind of Monster they were created to
fight against, therefore theyre forbidden from interfering even when half the
universe is snuffed out of existence.
Uranus and Neptune have been tight lipped and cold shouldered about this
quest of theirs and their continuously holier than thou attitude is getting
old. To be honest, I’m with Mako. When Usagi told the girls they had to help
Uranus and Neptune fight Kaolinite, you have to ask “Why?” It’s been very rare these two highly powered
Senshi have even stepped in to help the girls so why show them the same
courtesy? Of course the answer to this
is because it’s Usagi and dammit, when she has to dispense wisdom from actual
character growth, I’ve gotta give it to her, it’s hard to dismiss. “The people
doing the sacrificing might be fine because they aren’t harmed. But what about the people who are the
sacrifice? I cant just sit around and watch others suffer so I can be
saved.” In short, Haruka and Michiru can
look perfect all they like but they are NOT the best characters in this
season. I do commend the show for being
complex with their arc but they need to actually start growing a little bit and
quit it with not lending a helping hand even if we know Usagi and the others
will be ok. Alright, that’s it for that
rant for now.
The other major
event from this set was the long awaited return of Chibiusa. Maybe it’s because I grew to like her so much
in Sailor Moon R that her childish antics didn’t really bother me when she came
back in and wasted little time bickering with Usagi. Does it feel like a bit of regression
considering where we last left them?
Maybe a little but it still feels like Usagi is a bit more complete
having her future daughter back in the mix.
As we learn, Chibiusa has been sent back by her Mother, Neo Queen
Serenity, aka Future Usagi, to train with the girls to become a Sailor Senshi
herself. It’s pretty evident that
despite her bickering with her, Chibiusa is using Usagi as her main source of
inspiration as Sailor Chibi Moon. From
the speeches, to the posing, to a smaller Moon wand, this girl knows her mother
is her favorite heroine and wants to be just like her…which is easier said than
done. Something tells me the Chibi Moon
Wand attack not working then doing moderate annoying damage is going to become
a recurring joke this season. You know
what though, both times they did this bit, they were both funny, especially
when Chibiusa learned the attack doesn’t work long range so she had to inch
forward while the Tea Monster sipped a drink.
That did make me laugh.
Speaking of
laughing, I don’t know why but the humor was on fire in this set. From Minako dressing up like Sailor Moon to
fool Kaolinite, Uranus and Neptune when it appeared Usagi had been outed, to
the hilarious new MO of Eudial of the Witches 5, I don’t think I’ve laughed so
hard at the jokes in Sailor Moon yet.
The bar was set pretty high during the scene where Usagi, Ami, Mako and
MInako all hid behind a Waitress while spying on Rei and Rei kept rotating to
spot them and failed. Everyones
expressions, especially Rei’s were priceless.
Plus there was all the aforementioned Sailor Chibi Moon hiccups that
provided some much needed levity at times, especially after Uranus and Neptune
left the kid to fend for herself against a Daimon (seriously, that’s low). And then there’s Eudial, a member of the
newly introduced Witches 5. Not only is
she doing active research on targets, but her method of operations is to drive
in her Initial D esque car right to the target, shoot their Heart Crystals out
with an experimental cannon, and then get the heck out of dodge to go pamper
herself when there’s no Talisman involved.
It’s pretty crazy and over the top but it is so entertaining to see a
General type character being this active and extra. Even the Daimons were caught off guard when
their Boss left them to deal with the Senshi while she went to get a massage. (didn’t
Mako say Uranus and Neptune weren’t so different from the bad guys?). Runner up for funniest scene after the café
bit goes to Usagi reading the letter from her future self about Chibiusa’s
training. Seeing everyone rag on future
Usagi for still having Past/Present Usagi’s terrible handwriting and sentence
structure was great. But the real
zinger, Neo Queen Serenity telling her past self she wished she’d studied more
in school…ROTFLMFAO!!!!
Speaking of Mako,
I’ll close out on her latest character plot.
Honestly, there wasn’t any reason for the episode to include a flashback
to a fight we hadn’t seen yet. There
have been plenty of moments where her strength has been outclassed by both
Daimons and Sailor Uranus. Much like
Minako’s frustrations with being a Senshi from last time, this could have been
something building in Mako for some time before she finally decided she needed
to get away for a while and train to get stronger. Naturally, Mako forgets that while she is the
strongest physically, she is hardly alone in any battle. Granted, Usagi and the girls did show up but
this was also an underhanded ploy by Usagi to spend time with Mamoru at a hotel
resort…where Haruka and Michiru also happened to be (btw: I know I shouldn’t
like her right now but damn, Michuru won the swimsuit competition easily). In the end, Mako did prove she had improved
her mental and physical strength by taking down a Daimon herself when Usagi
couldn’t deliver the finishing blow and AGAIN I wish this is something the show
did more often. It’s very rare a Monster
of the Week isn’t finished off by Sailor Moons finishing move, the other Senshi
are plenty capable you know.
Lately, when I’ve
wrapped an episode and start to write one of these reviews, I cant help but
think that every set is becoming my favorite set of episodes. Frustrations with Uranus and Neptune not
withstanding, I am absolutely loving Sailor Moon S. And with the emergence of a fun new
villainess and Chibiusa back in the mix, I think the show is in a better
position than ever. Now if only Haruka
and Michiru can do some growing, share some information or stop just being
general Ice Queens when theyre Uranus and Neptune, this could be a perfect
season and I don’t say that about a stand alone season of an Anime often (last
time I gave a perfect 10 to a single season was what…Black Lagoon: The Second
Barrage?). Anyway, we’re back at it
Friday with more Sailor Moon S right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.
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