I’m really trying to keep an open mind with Sailor Moon
SuperS despite all of the negativity I’ve heard towards it.
However, it’s hard to ignore those criticisms
when watching everything unfold with my own eyes.
Characters are either acting like they
haven’t grown at all in three seasons or the writers are back to treating the
entire audience like children, which yeah this is a show aimed at a younger
demographic but its also smart enough to treat them like grown ups.
While this sophomore set of episodes had some
good qualities in the back half, most of this set does continue to emphasize
just how big of a dip in quality Sailor Moon has taken since the start of
SuperS.
The Dead Moon Circus continues to fail just as hard, if
not harder, than Ail and An from Sailor Moon R.
They might have a strong chance of dethroning them as worst villains of
the series for several reasons.
There
isn’t a lot of variety in their plans to peek into the dreams of those with
pure hearts, for starters.
Also, every
single target has been a girl, which means it’s either Tiger’s Eye or Hawk’s
Eye trying to one up each other with who can be the creepiest and most
perverted of the bunch.
I mean just look
at how Tiger’s Eye approaches most of his intended victims.
The way he peaks into their dreams is totally
a violation but on so many unspoked levels I hope they don’t try to redeem him
because he doesn’t deserve it, neither does Hawk’s Eye for what he almost did
to Usagi’s Mom last week.
Speaking of
their Girls Only approach, Fish’s Eye hasn’t done diddly squat since she’s been
introduced.
Why call them the Amazon
Trio when only 2/3 of them have actually done anything?
At this point, even the spooky interior shots
of the Dead Moon Circus’ HQ (STILL IN THE CENTER OF TOWN BTW!!!) can hardly be
called a highlight for this group that’s disappointed right out of the gate and
isn’t getting any better.
It's hard to argue if the Sailor Senshi are fairing worse
off because SuperS has seemingly tried to go out of its way to push everyone to
the background who isn’t Usagi or Chibiusa.
Hey, I love these two, theyre some of my favorite characters in the
franchise.
But did we forget that Ami,
Rei, Mako and Minako all deserve their own stories and can fend off foes on
their own without the need for a Pegasus infused Super Finishing Move?
(I cant believe I’m getting tired of that
already).
Everyone still isn’t trying to
investigate the Dead Moon Circus and the only time anyone says anything about
Pegasus is when he appears.
I don’t even
think we’ve seen the entire team in action save for once or twice in about
eight episodes.
Most of the time it’s
Usagi and Chibiusa with one other team member plus Tuxedo Mask.
Remember when this show used to be more
balanced with its characters?
I do and I
miss it a lot.
To be fair, this set does actually shine the spotlight on
characters other than Usagi and Chibiusa (though it usually falls to them to
finish the Monster of the Week off).
Mako’s episode was probably the best of SuperS so far.
Her coming to the aid of a former classmate
who had become a popular author stricken with Writers Block hit a particular
cord with me.
As a writer myself,
Writers Block sucks and its always scary thinking you have nothing more to say
or stories to tell.
But then you have
friends like Mako who remind you of the most important lesson about writing,
“Even if you only have a single reader you’d always finish your story for
them.
The dreams you write about don’t
just belong to you anymore.”
This was a
great message from one of the best characters in the show and it’s a good
reminder SuperS is capable of continuing the strong character writing seen in
the past.
Also, Mako drives off bullies
in a flashback just by showing up, incase you also forgot she’s a bad ass with
or without her powers.
Arguably the biggest development in this episode set was
the arrival of a character I didn’t think we’d see til Sailor Stars.
At last, Diana, future daughter of Artemis
and Luna appears and she is as adorable as you’d expect.
I am kind of confused as to why Chibiusa
hasn’t mentioned Diana before.
My guess
is Diana was born during the period where Chibiusa returned home to the future
at the end of Sailor Moon R and before her return to the present in Sailor Moon
S.
Still, her arrival provided great
comedy between Luna and Artemis, who continues to be the unluckiest cat in this
show.
Even Minako was ready to ring him
out when she assumed that Artemis was cheating on Luna.
To her credit, Minako did get the distinction
of being the first Senshi to take on Tiger’s Eye initially without the aid of
Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi Moon.
But
for me, seeing Artemis in a tiny Kangaroo outfit in a Monsters pouch was an
adorable win for me.
Anyway, yeah,
Diana.
She’s kind of just here and I
guess we’ll see where things go with her but still…she’s so fluffyyyyyyy.
As always, some odds and ends before we wrap up.
My two favorite supporting characters, Naru
and Umino, both made welcome returns but SuperS had the audacity to almost have
Naru make a stupid decision. Tiger’s Eye tried to play the role of a dying man
who wanted Naru to be his girlfriend, even though she’s with Umino…and Naru
actually contemplated it?
Cudos to Umino
who supported Naru even though knowing she was doing this drove him to inhale
15 milkshakes in despair.
But still,
Naru may have rejected Tiger’s Eye when he started getting inappropriately handsy
but come on Naru, it should not have gotten that far.
Still, Naru and Umino are doing alright
otherwise and I hope we see them again soon.
As for Mamoru, well it’s been a minute since I’ve bashed on him so I
guess I’ll use this time to point out the scene where he invites a couple of
his college friends to meet Usagi and he points out he’s in college and Usagi
is 15 years old now…just incase you forgot how creepy this relationship
is.
And yet when Chibiusa tries to warn
Usagi that a college girl could steal Mamoru away from her and prevent Chibiusa
from being born, Usagi shrugs it off.
She’s got faith in her love with the guy I love to hate and dammit, it’s
hard to hate Usagi and that great heart of hers.
Likewise, good on Chibiusa for resisting the
temptation to take control of Pegasus, not knowing that apparently anyone
possessing his power could rule the planet, maybe more than that.
She wants to be his friend and wont force a
friendship if that’s not what Pegasus wants.
Chibiusa may still be a kid but she’s a good kid and its nice to be
reminded she’s grown considerably since her first appearances in Sailor Moon R
and is a true successor to her mothers legacy.
There was stuff to enjoy about this set of Sailor Moon
SuperS episodes but it doesn’t help pull this season out of the negative.
The Dead Moon Circus’ increasingly violating
plans of the week are more cringe and disturbing than anything else (and one
key member refuses to get off the bench and do some legwork).
Some other Senshi got the spotlight beyond
the two main stars but we need more of the group in battle together and trying
to get to the bottom of the Pegasus and Dead Moon Circus mystery.
But we’re only 8 episodes in and I have a
feeling we’re far from done with the elements holding this Season down so
hard.
What await us next?
Well you’re gonna find out a day earlier than
planned because I’m going on a mini vacation over the weekend.
So check back Thursday, not Friday, for the
next chapter of Sailor Moon SuperS right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.
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