Jared Watches Sailor Moon Crystal: Episode 8 - Minako, Sailor V

Jared's still on some housekeeping from the last episode, namely Zoicite's weapon of choice against Sailor Moon right at the end.

Jared: You know, that crystal-weapon-thing he was throwing was really stupid. It's like - waaaaay too wide. If you want to throw a spear at someone, you want it like *that* (here, he mimes something skinny and stick-like). He was throwing something like *that* (here, he mimes something big and wide). You do not throw a garbage-can-size spear at someone! That's overkill!

Especially with the noodley-arms!

He may have a point.

Regardless, it's time for All To Be Revealed! Kind of...

Jared: *spits* I've got hair in my mouth!

Me: What?

Jared: Not me - her!

Sort of takes the punch out of the reveal...

Jared: Do they not have scrunchies in this universe?

Me: They have those little bead-hair-tie-thingies. Jupiter wears one in her ponytail. You've probably never seen one in real life.

Like I mentioned before, Jared didn't grow up with sisters. Whenever I realize he doesn't know about some basic female beauty implement, I have to remind myself of this fact so I'm not completely shocked by these revelations.

Sailor Mars: Is she really the same Sailor V from the news and video game? Her costume seems different.

Jared: Slightly. No, 'cause there's totally a sixth Sailor Guardian running around. And why is Luna surprised?

Sailor V: I assure you, it's me. I've just never taken off my red mask before.

Jared: So why do it now?

Artemis: How rude! Show some respect! While it is true she is Sailor V, there is more. My mistress is of the Moon Kingdom, Silver Millennium. She is heiress to the sacred Legendary Silver Crystal. She is Princess Serenity!

Jared: Should you be saying all of this in front 

of the bad guys?

Me: Oh right - he's still there. I thought that he took off.

Jared: Nope. He just got stopped momentarily. At least he's being nice and letting them finish talking. I guess that falls under - how did Napoleon put it? - "Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake." Free intelligence!

That's the extent of the snark through the opening theme. At least, until the eyecatch image between the theme and the beginning of the episode - which is the image at the top of this post.

Jared: Shoulder pads were not a good idea. Do they actually explain why the outfit is different?

Me: Not in-universe. (Note: I have shown him the original designs for the Sailor Guardians.) 

Naoko Takeuchi's original designs for the girls' Sailor fukus.
I remain partial to Mercury's, personally. It's classy!

Jared: I mean, I know there's an explanation out-of-universe, but... eh.

Sailor Moon gets a new tiara (oh boy) and a lot of sparkly-magical stuff happens.

Zoicite's still there, unfortunately.

Jared: Yep! There he is! Sitting there this whole time, doing squat.

Me: He could even have been doing squats.

Oh, and Tuxedo Mask is all kinds of confused. 'Cause he dream about a mysterious princess that he thought was Usagi (I think). But then this other blonde chick shows up, calling herself Princess Serenity - and it's just a mess, y'all.

Tuxedo Mask: Princess Serenity? That name, it sounds so familiar... 

Jared: And now he's just having a bad time...

Really, if they wanted to stretch this subplot out a bit, there is definitely something to explore here. My own personal headcanon has a LOT to say about Sailor V, Tuxedo Mask, and the princess. But I'm sure fanfic has done it somewhere. Recommendations are welcome, just FYI.

Tuxedo Mask: Usako... I couldn't protect her...

Me: GUILT!

Jared: Yeah...

Me: Just run away from your obligations there, dude.

I might just write that fanfic on my own. Adding it to the ever-growing list of things I've decided to do... Maybe for next year's NaNoWriMo...

Remember Sailor Moon's new tiara?

Jared: That is a really weird-looking tiara.

No kidding. It looks like a tiara for a longhorned cow. And I'm not the only one to make that joke.

Jared: This part's a little weird. I mean, we all know that she's not the princess. And I imagine she [Sailor V] knows that, so... why?

The Sailor Team also finds out that Sailor V and Artemis were watching them through the Sailor V game, and even talking to them through it.

Sailor Moon: Oh wow! So it was you talking to me through that video game! I thought I was going crazy!

Jared: Embrace the power of "and"!

Usagi: That it was Sailor V talking and Usagi was going crazy?

Jared: Yes!

The group goes to the arcade and meet up with Luna at the Command Center. 

Jared: I swear that console seems to get bigger in each episode. It's like - that thing's supposed to be built for cats, but it's massive! It's a little silly.

Artemis jumps up on the console, but doesn't participate in the conversation.

Jared: He [Artemis] doesn't talk much, does he?

Yeah, he kind of doesn't. Not in this season, anyway.

The silent partner.

Minako relates the story of how she became Sailor V and hers and Artemis's adventures in solving the mysterious crimes plaguing Tokyo.

Jared: Except for the ones Tuxedo Mask did, because you never saw him. He admitted to them!

Me: I should show you the first little bit of the live-action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.

Jared: With the puppet?

Me: Yeah.

Jared: The puppet's kind of creepy.

Me: This part doesn't involve the puppet.

Because I can interrupt a blog, I'm going to put this here for you, Dear Readers. You only need to watch until the 1:04 mark. I couldn't find a video with just the one clip -

There. Sailor V confronting Tuxedo Mask for his crimes of jewel thievery. And now you have the first part of the first episode of the series, which is all on YouTube, if you'd like to enjoy all the cornball-and-cheese-nonsensical-sparkly goodness You're welcome.

(EDIT 11/30/2016 - Well, this is embarrassing. After YEARS of PGSM being a steadfast staple on YouTube, it's been taken down for over copyright claims. Never mind that live-action Sailor Moon has NEVER been available for sale or official distribution in North America. I'm kind of miffed, actually. Unless this means we're getting a DVD/BluRay release from Viz or something... still looking for reasons why this has happened. But that's just sad, really. Especially since all I wanted was a two-minute clip of the damn thing. Oh well...)

Back to the task at hand -

Minako continues on her schpiel about the Dark Kingdom, enemies, troubling days ahead, destruction of the Moon Kingdom, Silver Millennium, yadda, yadda...

Jared: So, she pretty much remembers everything, then? And, yet she's still going through the whole charade.

Minako: This time, we have to seal it away permanently. We can't let history repeat itself. We must stop this thing once and for all!

Jared: Then, don't seal it away. Destroy it.

Usagi: Whatever you say, Sailor V... I mean, Princess.

Me: Okay, that whole "Sailor V, I mean, Princess" thing gets really old, really fast. She TOLD you her civilian name, for crying out loud! USE IT!

I have Opinions about such things.

Jared: Okay, you'd think they'd make her school uniform slightly different.

Me: Whose? Minako's?

Jared: Yeah.

Me: Hm....

Usagi: Good night, Princess!

Me: They keep calling her "Princess" in public!

Jared: Well, the cats are talking in public.

Minako: Time is running out. Soon, they'll remember everything.

Jared: Then why don't you just tell them?

Artemis: Minako, stop. You've been fighting on your own for so long. Let the others help you.

Minako: Artemis, I can't.

Jared: Why?

Minako: I have a mission. A very important mission. One that only I can carry out.

Jared: Is it just me, or is the shirt under her sailor-thing kind of oddly shaped?

He's talking about that white inverted-triangle-thing in the middle of her collar.

Me: There's this little... I don't know if it's quite a shirt, but it's this little piece that pokes up over her collar and that's part of it.

Jared: It's like a little... cone-looking thing.

Me: I think it's just part of the uniform.

After the "commercial" break. We are treated to a dream-like scene of a fierce battle taking place in a kingdom somewhere.

Me: The rivers ran red with blood.

Jared: I guess they didn't learn Rule #1: Pillage, then burn.

Not-So-Mysterious Shadow 1: Endymion!

Not-So-Mysterious Shadow 2: Princess Serenity!

Not-So-Mysterious Shadow 1: Endymion!

Jared: What did she call him??

Here, I burst out laughing. I don't know why. I suppose it wasn't the reaction I was expecting from Jared at this point. And I find myself ill-equipped to give an explanation between my hearty laughter.

Me: It's a *laugh* name from Greek *wheeze* mythology! *cough, cough, cough, laugh some more*

Jared: I've never heard... Indiman? Is that was it was??

To the Googles! I have to help him spell it.

We end up on Wikipedia. Same thing, really.

In Greek mythology, Endymion, was variously a handsome Aeolian shepherd, hunter, or king who was said to rule and live at Olympia in Elis,^[2] and he was also venerated and said to reside on Mount Latmus in Caria, on the west coast of Asia Minor.^[3]

There is confusion over the correct location of Endymion, as some sources suppose that one was, or was related to, the prince of Elis, and the other was a shepherd from Caria— or, a later suggestion, an astronomer: Pliny the Elder^[4] mentions Endymion as the first human to observe the movements of the moon, which (according to Pliny) accounts for Endymion's love. As such, there have been two attributed sites of Endymion's burial: the citizens of Heracleia ad Latmo claimed that Endymion's tomb was on Mount Latmus, while the Eleans declared that it was at Olympia.^[5]

However, the role of lover of Selene, the moon, is attributed primarily to Endymion who was either a shepherd or an astronomer, either profession providing justification for him to spend time beneath the moon

Jared is intensely interested in this portion of Greek mythology that he has - up until now - never heard of (bear in mind, he probably knows more about classical literature than I do. And that takes some doing). He's going to be a while.

Jared: But... the moon goddess was chaste! How does this even work?

Me: Wrong moon goddess, dear. You're thinking of Artemis/Diana. There was more than one.

Jared: He doesn't even look Greek. More like Middle Ages - with the armor and the sword...

Me: The author just borrowed the name. It really doesn't have any meaning beyond that.

He's less confused now. But I can tell he wants to look more into this. Who knew that magical girl anime could be educational, as well as fun?

Usagi wakes up suddenly from her nightmare. She's starting to realize that these are more like memories, than mere dreams. Maybe.

Usagi: I guess I dreamed that because I actually met the Princess the other day.

Me: But... why would you dream that you were the Princess? Think, kid.

Jared: Not really her strong suit. She kind of more, emotes.

Usagi: What does it all mean?

Jared: So, here's an interesting question: Could she Google "Endymion"?

Me: Possibly.

Jared: Do the Greek myths exist in this universe?

Me: They should. There's no indication that they wouldn't. She may just not put two-and-two together. She may not realize it's a Greek myth. I mean, it was pretty obscure for you.

Jared: Well, yes. But the question then becomes - if she's Serenity from before-times, and he's Endymion (Note: Yes, he's figured it out. It wasn't difficult.), what inspired the myth in Greece? I mean, Luna and Artemis and Endymion... not so much Serenity, I suppose...

He's caught a thread, y'all. He's theorizing! This is exciting!

While Jared's been caught up in theorizing, Usagi and Mamoru have met up in the park and Mamoru's kind of awkwardly apologizing for not being able to protect Usagi the night before. As with most anything with these two, it's damn adorable.

"My 'density' has bought me to you."
I'll let you decide which one's George here.

Mamoru: I'm sorry, Usako. I wasn't able to protect you. I'm ashamed to look you in the eye.

Jared: They really need to hear the quote - "God created men and Sam Colt made them equal."

Now we're imagining Tuxedo Mask with a giant Uzi showering bullets on Dark Kingdom minions.

Nearby, Luna is fretting that the fourteen-year-old girl that she's in charge of is actually interested in boys (OH NOES!), but Artemis comes to allay her fears about the future. Or the past. Or something.

Artemis: Before the Moon Kingdom fell, you had a place in the Royal Household. You used to look after the Princess.

Luna: What are you talking about?

Artemis: You still don't remember, do you?

Jared: Okay, so it's not Luna's fault!

Me: No. But - once Sailor V and Artemis show up, it's like tell them everything! Poor communication kills!

Jared: Yep.

In the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl is freaking out because the Moon Princess has shown up. But that doesn't make any difference to Queen Metallia because, crazy.

Metallia: This time, I will be victorious! And will reign over this world once more!

Jared: With no one to reign over! It's... kind of a flaw in your plan. Just saying.

Me: Villains really don't think these things through.

Also - Kitty Boob.

Me: Now that you've pointed it out, I can't unsee it!

Jared: You're welcome!

Kunzite goes to take down the "Princess." He finds Minako walking around town, isolates her, and give a "Menacing Voice-Over" so she can hear his demands.

Jared: Do the regular people just have selective amnesia? They keep falling over and passing out and searching their sock drawers for Crystals...

Me: It's just a normal Tuesday for them.

The girls run up to Minako, as if on cue, and invite them to dinner with them.

Minako: I'm sorry. I can't. I've got some errands to run!

Jared: Okay, that's just silly. She should have told them!

Me: That's what they're there for! You're a team! And the stupic thing is that she keeps insisting that she's the Princess, so they have to protect her, when in reality...

Jared: Yep.

Kunzite is tired of waiting (all twenty seconds of it) and cuts the power to the whole city. Luna, however, is Ultimate Kitty Prepper and probably has a monster power generator still running the underground computer console at the Command Center.

Luna (over the communicator): Can you all hear me? The electricity just went out all over Tokyo! And it wasn't an accident!

Jared: Which means that not only does she have a kitty computer, she has a kitty power source.

The girls find people passed out on the sidewalks and in the road (normal Tuesday, y'all) and realize that whatever caused the blackout also drained the energy from these people. The girls are okay, though Usagi worries about Mamoru (since, you know, he admitted he didn't have powers like she did and might not be okay).

Cut to: A pretty princess with blonde buns and pigtails in her hair (that don't look ANYTHING like anyone in particular that we would recognize AT ALL) floats in midair, screaming in terror.

You're fooling NO ONE, lady.

Mysterious Princess That We Don't Have Any Clue As To Who She Is AT ALL: Endymion! 

I'm at a complete loss, aren't you?

Me: Speaking of not being a team player...

Mamoru bolts out of bed from a dream, wide awake and full of energy. But he realizes that it was more than a dream. And this blackout isn't a normal blackout, either.

Jared: More indication that he has powers! He's immune to the weird effects.

Jared: And that's a weird light switch.

Mamoru looks out the window at the pitch-black-except-for-Kunzite's-green-power-bubble-floating-in-the-sky city.

Jared: You can see the green sphere just hanging up there! The next day, there'll be headlines saying "UFO Sighted Next To The Tower! Grainy Footage To Prove It!"

Minako looks up at the tower and begins to transform.

Jared: Eh, Jupiter's is better.

Maybe. We all have out favorites.

Jared: Although... her not saying anything there [Minako not shouting out her transformation phrase] - even if you hadn't ever seen this or knew the story, you'd would have to know that something's up.

Me: Well, yes! Because you're seen the dreams!

Sailor Venus confronts Kunzite one-on-one.

Sailor V: You got what you wanted, Kunzite! I'm here!

Jared: That's the problem with having your hair longer than your skirt.

Me: You look naked?

Jared: From behind, yes.

He kind of has a point.

It's Kunzite vs. Sailor V in a battle to the... something!

Jared: Okay, so she's been fighting these idiots for a while now. You'd think she'd be able to at least hold her own a little better.

Sailor V: Listen to me, Kunzite. Please don't do this! Remember who you are!

Kunzite: *has the good grace to look genuinely confused at her words*

Queen Beryl (over the Dark Kingdom telepathic pager thingy): Why are you hesitating, Kunzite?

Jared: Because she's spouting nonsense! What doesn't that mean?

Me: It's like watching an armadillo swim through a canal. That was a bad analogy... but it's like, you see something stupid, you just HAVE to stop and look!

Just in the nick of time, the other Sailor Guardians fly up in their team bubble and Sailor Moon does her thing. Her new tiara hasn't gotten any better.

Me: She looks like she has horns!

Jared: That tiara is really unfortunate.

Sailor V is determined to carry out her suicide mission, it seems.

Sailor V: Don't! Please! This is my fight!

Jared: WHY? Why?

See, if Sailor V is going to let the other Sailor Guardians believe the fiction that she's the Princess, and they've been told that their mission is to find and protect her, that's what they're going to do! 

Duh.

The girls all proclaim their friendship as a group and it's sweet and cute - Sailor V accepts that this is a team effort and it's time to kick ass!

Unfortunately, no one told the scriptwriters and production team. When the girls all send out their attacks now, they might as well be pissing into the wind for all the good that it does.

Me: I would love for one of their attacks to DO SOMETHING! They all worked the first time they did 'em! Make a dent, faze them - anything!

Might get it...

...nope. Not a scratch.

Jared: He could at least dodge.

Me: That's one thing that kind of annoys me about this. The first time they use their attacks in each of their intro episodes - no problem! They take out the bad guys - even kills them. Every time afterward? It's pointless.

Sailor Moon winds up her Moon Healing Escalation - and it does about as good as the others did.

The windup...

...he does flinch, so that's something...

...and nope.

Me: See? Prime example!

Kunzite hits Sailor Moon and she goes flying. He also attacks the other Guardians. Sailor Jupiter grabs Sailor V - I mean, Princess - but Sailor Moon is SOL. 

Me: Look at that! They let her [Sailor Moon] fall, but they rescued the "Princess" who isn't really the Princess!

Boy, are they gonna feel dumb later.

But it's almost forgivable, since it Tuxedo Mask jumps in out of nowhere and saves Sailor Moon from the fall.

Jared: Wow! He actually get to have some heroics!

Me: He's doing your job for you! You're welcome!

Jared: And Luna still doesn't trust him. It's sad.

Me: Yes...

Sailor Moon tells Tuxedo Mask to get out of there because it's too dangerous and that he should leave the rest to her. Because, powers. And stuff.

Oh, and there's the small matter of the Big Damn Kiss.

Jared: And his brain just turned off. You can see it in his eye! Just... off! No one's home! I'm surprised he can manage to turn around!

Me: It's probably not a good time to lose brain function, at the top of a tower like that.

Tuxedo Mask - still processing what just happened - contemplates his and Usagi's future romance.

Tuxedo Mask (inner monologue): Who are you really? I want to know to everything. Who are you, Sailor Moon?

Jared: A constant crybaby. It's been established.

Me: He wasn't there for that.

Sailor Moon does the whole Donkey Kong jump up the tower to where the Sailor Guardians are in trouble and - like a freaking GENIUS - puts herself right in Kunzite's line of fire. Because she didn't have ANYTHING ELSE that could have stopped or at least distracted him.

I guess her Longhorn Tiara doesn't do the boomerang thing anymore. Why does she have that damn thing, anyway?

You could have prevented this, cupcake.
I just want you to know that.

Sailor V: Sailor Moon! Don't do it!

Oh NOW she wants to talk?

Jared: They had a shield up. Her plan was terrible.

Tuxedo Mask - flush with heroics and kissing and totally in love with Sailor Moon - does the only rational thing at this point and follows his lady love's lead. Though... given the tight spot these dumb girls have gotten themselves into, he really doesn't have much of a choice at this point.

Tuxedo Mask (inner monologue): Usako, I will protect you! And this time - I won't fail!

Well... damn.

Jared: His plan, at least, he didn't have time for anything else.

Sailor Moon: Tuxedo Mask!

Jared: And now... the wangst...

How little does he know. Though given his understanding of storytelling and tropes, he probably has it all figured out by now.

Fear not, loyal readers! For the project shall continue!

***
Next Time: Episode 9 - Serenity, Princess

Previously: Episode 7 - Mamoru Chiba, Tuxedo Mask

Secrets and Sealed Memory

Review/Recap of Sailor Moon Crystal, Act 8 - "Minako, Sailor V" - Spoilers!

Oh boy. Sailor Moon Crystal. You do NOT skimp on the feels, do you?

It’s strange - I've known the basics of the Sailor Moon story for a long time. I first read the manga (which is what Crystal is very much based on) years ago. It’s the version of Sailor Moon that, if it comes right down to choosing one version, I prefer over all the others. But maybe it’s seeing the manga brought to life with animation and voices and music - it gets to me. Right in the squishy, emotional center.

Let me start with the last episode a little bit. Sailor V has appeared and distracted Zoicite enough that he decides to book it out of there. Also, V-chan drops the “bombshell” that she is the lost moon princess the other Sailor Guardians have been searching for. So, that’s potentially why Zoicite gets spooked and takes off. The Sailor Guardians are in awe of this new revelation - the princess that they've searched for is finally here! And she certainly knows how to do this whole “Saving the World from the Dark Kingdom” business. She’s been doing it quite a bit up to this point. In fact, she was the first Sailor Guardian to be awakened! (even got her own video game franchise - which, that’s how you know you've made it!)

I’m going to talk a little bit about the live-action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (more often referred to as PGSM) in talking about Sailor V - only for comparison purposes and what I think they did right with Crystal’s take on V-chan. There will be some spoilers for that, and a little bit in general. So, fair warning there.

First off - Sailor V is actually Sailor Venus (that... wasn't actually a spoiler for anyone, was it?) And one thing that I continually did not understand from the manga or even the original anime (and somewhat in PGSM) is that Venus was purported to be the Moon Princess. Like, what does Venus have to do with anything related to the Silver Millennium or the Moon Kingdom? I mean, that just screams “I’m really the decoy! I’m not who you’re looking for!” And we might possibly be able to buy it, if the opening and closing credit sequences didn't spoil the crap out of who the Moon Princess really is (and the fact that Usagi wears her hair in odangos - I’m just sayin’).  So yeah, the identity of Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom - worst kept secret EVER (not just to spoilerphobes - it’s actually a problem IN STORY).

Yeah... no.

That’s the easy thing to discuss. This next thing deals with Sailor V directly (Minako Aino, in her civilian form) and will bring in other Sailor Moon versions, particularly PGSM. And it delves into Unpopular Opinion Territory, so let me get my riot gear out...Okay - ready. When I saw PGSM Minako - I really did not like her. Episode after episode, she. Just. Would. Not. Join. The. Team. I kept waiting for her to have her huge epiphany that she may be the leader of the Sailor Guardians, but a leader needs to actually, you know, lead. And not do this half-assed show up at the last minute and berate the others for being crappy Sailor Senshi! And a little trust toward your compatriots wouldn't go amiss either! I get it if you wanted that her be her Big Issue and what isolates her from others, but it just went on too long and I never got the feeling that this group of Senshi were ever very cohesive and I never fully felt like it was a group of girls that I could cheer for. I certainly could cheer for certain individuals, but not the whole team and Minako’s attitude toward the other girls was a big part of that turn-off. So, yeah, PGSM Venus - no bueno for me.

In some respects, it seems like Crystal Venus has a lot of those same hang-ups as in PGSM, but they are toned down so much more. Part of that has to do with how she and Artemis have been guiding the other Guardians via the Arcade command center and through the Sailor V game. Establishing that relationship from the get-go helps when Minako and Artemis are there going “Hey, we’ve been doing this for so long, please learn from our experience, and trust us.” Also, the condescension that bugged me about PGSM Minako and Artemis isn’t here at all. It’s less about “We know better than you” and more “we want to help lead the team.” And that goes a long way toward fixing my current fan relationship with Minako.

Also - that scene where Minako is determined to finish out her mission solo, but Artemis tries to dissuade her was a key thing as well. It helps that it was immediately followed up with the other girls intercepting Minako to invite her to go to dinner with them. Even if Minako blows them off and takes off on her own anyway - that was more effort in trying to help Minako feel like part of the group than ever happened in PGSM.

(I know, I know - I’m making a lot of comparisons with PGSM, but I watched that one over the summer and I kept thinking “I hope this isn't what you guys do with Crystal.” So, in this one episode, at least, I’m glad that my fears were unfounded).

Also - I find it a little bit funny (knowing that Sailor V really isn't the Princess - crescent mark on the forehead be damned) that Sailor Jupiter saved V-chan after Kunzite started blasting the rooftop and Sailor Moon fell. V-chan was concerned about Sailor Moon, but nobody seemed to notice because the Princess was in danger.

Another funny thing - the girls would call her “Sailor V” when she was in her civilian form, then correct themselves and call her “Princess.” As if that concealed her identity any better. I mean - she did give you guys a name to call her by. Why couldn't you call her “Minako”? These weren't enough to bother me too much - I’m just picking up on these things.

There wasn't a whole lot dealing with Minako personally, but that’s because the episode was still surrounding her in so much mystery. The thing about her secret mission, the hints of lost memories for the other girls and Luna, even Usagi’s dreams of a battle where she is Princess Serenity and calling out for someone named Endymion (nope, noooooo whacking huge anvil-sized clues there!) - Minako’s full-on character study is going to come later, because right now, she is deflecting attention from who the real princess is. That’s her mission in-story, it’s her mission to the audience as well. Which is kind of clever, if you think about it.

The other story - which will likely dovetail into the whole Big Reveal of who the Princess really is and where the Silver Crystal is hiding - is Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship. Where last episode they were just starting to fall in love with each other (with a lot more grace and believability than in the original anime, it must be said), the aftermath of this first battle where their identities are known to both of them - it kind of rocks them in different ways. Usagi’s confused as to why Tuxedo Mask would take off right after the battle, especially since the “Princess” appeared. Mamoru is feeling guilty that he couldn't protect Usagi. Not in the way that he thinks he has to in order to be with her. He definitely loves and admires her, but his problem is that he doesn't think he deserves her because of all the things he admires about her. Plus, he’s also been having dreams about Princess Serenity and this new person that comes in and claims to be the Princess... that throws a wrench into everything.
(Huh. That would be a storyline in and of itself with Mamoru trying to get close to Minako, thinking that she’s the Princess that he’s supposed to be finding the Silver Crystal for. None of the incarnations of Sailor Moon have ever dealt with that aspect of the story - that Mamoru loves Usagi, but they both think that Minako’s the Princess and they both think there’s supposed to be something there, but Minako is all “Oh HELL NO” about it. So in that way, it’s not a straight-up love triangle (which I abhor). Might be something for fanfic to explore).

There is a really sweet scene when Usagi randomly meets Mamoru in the park (and he’s studying up on crystals - apparently the whole thing about his priority being Usagi and not the Silver Crystal went out the window when he couldn't do anything to save her. Rats). Usagi tells Mamoru that she has his pocketwatch and he tells her that he has something of hers as well and they’ll trade next time (and it’s damn adorable when she’s all “I never gave you anything!” but the episode flashes back to the Masquerade when she lost her handkerchief). It’s like - they don’t really have to talk about their inequalities regarding their powers and abilities. And that’s totally on Usagi’s part. She has this way (with everyone) of disarming people from their anxieties. Especially as it pertains to the people she cares about - and that is no more apparent than in her feelings for Mamoru. Is she very good at communicating it? Well... not in so many words. But it’s more of her overall attitude toward him that puts him at ease around her. Even though he’s quite possibly the worst person ever when it comes to expressing what’s in his mind and heart (even though he obviously loves her quite deeply and honestly).

And then - there’s poor Luna. Who gets all kinds of flack from fandom for being so single-minded, especially when it comes to Usagi. Luna clearly has expectations of what the leader of the Sailor Guardians should be and Usagi is not it at all. But beyond that, Luna feels guilty for failing to notice that Usagi is in love with Mamoru, who just happens to also be Tuxedo Mask, who Luna isn’t sure they can trust (Luna wasn’t there when the fight with Zoicite went down - dammit. That would have explained so much...) To be fair, Luna’s got a huge job as it is - finding the Sailor Guardians and preparing them to fight the Dark Kingdom, even without expressly knowing why. Which is why I’m glad that Artemis came to talk to Luna - tell her that she’s done a good job, considering she hasn’t had all the information she needed. Turns out her (and the other girls’) memories have been suppressed so as not to put any further undue burden on any of them. But the time is coming (or maybe it’s here - the scene cuts to something else right as is sounds like Artemis is ready to give Luna her memories back) and Stuff’s About To Get Real.

Which brings me to the climax of the episode. Kunzite (who, I presume is the leader of the Shitennou - that’s what I've always been led to believe, anyway) challenges Sailor V (I mean, the Princess) in an attempt to get the Silver Crystal. Minako goes out on her own (and where this is her first episode with the Sailor Guardians, it makes sense for this to happen. But if it happens in further episodes and she keeps thinking she has to be this lone wolf character, I’m going to throw things) and faces down Kunzite. But the other four Guardians come flying in to help. Literally - they use (I think) Sailor Teleport to get to the top of Tokyo Tower where this showdown is happening. And the girls - yeah, everyone’s flying everywhere (to which I say - That’s The Best Thing Ever!) There is one little moment where Sailor V is about to tell Kunzite about his true self - which, again, lends to the idea that Crystal is going to include the Senshi/Shitennou relationships.

I’m going to cut in here with a note about the possibility of Crystal including this storyline:

Personally, I don’t care one way or the other about these four ships - Mercury/Zoicite, Mars/Jadeite, Jupiter/Nephrite, Venus/Kunzite. They are solely based on one piece of artwork from the manga that was just a chapter title page and those often have little bearing on the story beyond looking pretty. Fanfic writers have played around with these characters forever and that’s fine. However, since a lot of the people who've been unduly hating on Crystal also seem to despise the idea that Senshi/Shitennou could happen here (I don't know why there seems to be a correlation between the two and I'm really not interested in finding out why) - and I truly do not care one way or the other - I say Let’s Do This Thing! Because I am so damn tired of all the hate that Crystal has gotten for not simply being the ‘90s anime updated, for not being absolutely 100% perfect animation, for not being All Things to All People, for not coming with a cotton candy dispenser, or whatever else people want to bitch about (where 3-4 years ago the same people were anguished over having no officially licensed Sailor Moon anywhere at all) - you know what? If the haters are going to hate on something anyway, might as well do something to get them out of the clubhouse entirely. That sounds harsh and may be unreasonable to some, but if you don’t like something, don’t come in here and try to ruin the fun of the people who do like it (the number of Sailor Moon Tumblr blogs that I had to unfollow because they just couldn't say anything nice about Crystal...)

Anyway - I’m not here to carp about the Perpetually Malcontented and Those Who Ruin All Our Nice Things. The other Sailor Guardians aren't about to let their Princess take on Kunzite by herself and now we have a full Sailor team and Sailor V doesn't have to do the Lone Wolf thing anymore. Which is awesome and a huge strength to the overall Sailor Moon story - always has been. You have to love the hell out of it (well, I do).

But this episode isn't done yet! Because Tuxedo Mask shows up to catch Sailor Moon when she falls off the top of the tower. In an emotionally-charged moment where she is surprised and elated that he came to save her, she takes the initiative and kisses him. She admonishes him to get away to safety before jumping back into the fray. Well, Tux isn't about to let his girl take all the risks by herself - and he jumps in front of an attack meant for her -

Which leads us directly into the next episode. And all those "Spoilers" I've been not-avoiding because they're 20 years old and I'm too excited to talk about them? Yeah - that's what we're getting. *excited*

All your questions are about to be answered!