With Rei, Ami and Makoto in enemy hands, Usagi, Minako
and Chibiusa travel to a realm between time itself. In order to reach the future, they must first
face the Guardian of Space and Time, Sailor Pluto. But even if they make it to 30th
Century, they’ll be facing the Black Moon Clan on their own ground. They’ve already conquered the future and
Usagi is next on the list of treasures Prince Demande wishes to collect. What’s worse, Demande’s Wiseman has an even
greater prize in mind: Chibiusa herself.
I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say that Sailor
Moon Crystal is a pretty bad show right now.
Season Two has only doubled down the problems from Season One and
somehow made them worse.
Usagi cant do
anything without her “Mamo” and is jealous of his caring for Chibiusa.
The rest of the Senshi have either been
captured (Rei, Ami, Mako) or reduced to tag along states (Minako).
And the show seems more interested in
numerous and equally tedious history lessons about the future Crystal Tokyo
rather than trying to make the Black Moon Clan interesting villains.
It’s so bad that I actually want to just call
off looking at Season Three, Eternal or Cosmos and just focus on something
else.
Sadly, once I start a series, good
or bad, I don’t quit.
Thankfully,
however, this penultimate set of episodes for Season Two does offer actual
enjoyment and, big shock, actual bettering on characters from the original
series…you know like Crystal was kind of supposed to be doing all along.
And where is this supposed good stuff coming from?
That honor falls to my second favorite Senshi
(though after what this shows done to Rei’s screentime that might change).
Sailor Pluto made her grand debut and the
first thing she did was lay out Usagi, Minako and Mamoru for trespassing on
forbidden ground.
That alone is ground
for me to love her since I don’t really like Usagi in this series (that’s
sad).
But beyond that bit of personal
satisfaction, Pluto gets some much needed character development as we get to
explore more of her role as Guardian of the Door to Space and Time, the
loneliness that kind of job produces, and how she came to meet Chibiusa.
Pluto has always been presented as a solitary
young woman and now we know why that is and why she holds Chibiusa so close to
her heart.
The moment during their
reunion where Pluto berates Chibiusa for time traveling before hugging her was
perfect.
As for her little crush on King
Endymion, I still say Pluto could do better because he’s Mamoru and F Mamoru.
Still, they are closer in age so she
technically is a better fit for him than Usagi…no, no, I’m not making ships for
Mamoru, that’s just crazy talk.
As I said in last review, Chibiusa isnt nearly as
annoying in her role in Crystal as Usagi is.
Her origin story is still the same as the original Anime but with one
crucial caveat: Why she took the Silver Crystal in the first place.
Like I said, Chibiusa is still a little kid,
who’s learning and probably doesn’t have many friends since the Senshi are
eternal watchdogs and her Mom and Dad are…well theyre around. However, despite
being the daughter of royalty, Chibiusa isnt immune to bullying and peer pressure.
It’s not a smart move what she did but I
still feel bad that the constant belittling from the other children in Crystal
Tokyo caused her to try and do something stupid to show she’s truly Usagi’s
daughter.
What’s worse is her seeing
Pluto smiling around her Dad makes her think Pluto doesn’t need her anymore,
poor kid.
Unfortunately, we do cross
into her Black Lady phase without fully unveiling her.
And since this is Sailor Moon Crystal, I
think I’m really not gonna like whatever they’ve got planned for Chibiusa’s
grown up evil form.
Oh and Diana’s
here.
Yep no waiting til SuperS/Eternal
to bring in Luna and Artemis’ love child.
I do like this because Diana was probably around during Sailor Moon R
and it bugs me she wasn’t introduced til two seasons later.
She’s still so cuuuuuuute.
Alright that’s it for the unusual praise, mostly.
There is still one little inkling of hope but
we’ve gotta go through more of Usagi’s problematic story to get there.
Crystal Usagi hit an all time low when she
accused Mamoru of not seeing Chibiusa was in love with him and she wondered
aloud why he wouldn’t be into her.
PUMP
THE GODDAMN BREAKS!!!!
First off, Usagi
being jealous of a six or seven year old (who’s actually 900 years old),
absolute garbage.
Second, the mere
insistence that she thinks Mamoru’s in love with said six or seven year old is
sick and incredibly messed up and it made me almost rage quit watching this
show.
It’s not helped that its heavily
implied that Usagi and Mamoru did the deed after some intimate hugging.
Like…what the hell is Crystal’s problem with
these characters.
Why is Usagi thinking
the way she is?
I don’t like Mamoru but
even a blind man could tell he cares about Chibiusa like a daughter, not in
that sick and twisted kind of way she’s thinking.
RRRRRR it just pisses me off to no end.
So much so in fact that even though Usagi
does get her act together and successfully rescues Mars, Mercury and Jupiter
and starts talking like the Sailor Moon I know and love, it’s hard to overlook the
worst treatment she’s received.
(Also
everyone is still absolutely dumb not to put two and two together about
Chibiusa, Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion…everyone in this show is a
freaking moron).
If you felt like Crystal Tokyo’s history wasn’t explored
well enough in the original series, fear not.
Just like with the Moon Kingdom in Season One, Season Two has almost
four complete history lessons from multiple sources once Usagi and the others
end up in the future.
It’s funny how
this show loves to hear itself talk about its world rather than properly
develop the people living in it.
Case in
point, the Black Moon Clan.
No longer
are they the intimidating and memorable bunch from Sailor Moon R.
Now they’re just as wasted and character
deprived as Usagi and Mamoru.
Esmeraude’s
jealousy at Demande’s interest in both Usagi and Future Usagi doesn’t go
anywhere, nor does she get turned into a Dragon before being quickly disposed
of by Mamoru’s Smoke Bomb Attack (seriously I cant believe that’s a thing).
Rubeus had potential to be something special
but he too is quickly taken out by the Wiseman.
And Saphir, oh man.
Now he’s gone
from trying to save his brother from the Wiseman’s influence to trying to kill
Usagi because she’s the source of his madness.
Of all the things, Demande’s very, very all too real creepy stalker
treatment of Usagi is still intact and it is still hard to watch.
Long story short: Season Two hates the Black
Moon even more than Season One hated the Four Kings.
Well the Senshi are at last back to full strength and
only Demande, Saphir and the Wisemen remain to be fought in the future.
But there’s still Black Lady’s potentially
cringe arc waiting and there’s plenty of chance Usagi becoming her true Sailor
Moon self could just be a fluke.
Point
is, don’t care if there actually was some very good material for Chibiusa and
Pluto, Crystal still sucks and I’m guessing the Season Finale’s going to be on
par, if not worse than the end of Season One.
We’ll find out when we return to Sailor Moon Crystal for it’s Second
Season Finale on Friday right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.
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