Jared Watches Sailor Moon Crystal: Episode 2 - Ami, Sailor Mercury

Confession: Sailor Mercury is my FAVORITE. Sailor Jupiter's great too, but Mercury has always been my all-time best awesome favorite character in Sailor Moon. So, yes - I'm more than a little in love with this episode.

To his credit, Jared is anticipating it as well.

Me: Are you going to watch or read?

Jared (looking up from his Kindle app on his phone): Huh?

Well, sort of. Good thing he's cute.

The episode opens in a classroom and the students are gaping at a blue-haired girl at the chalkboard working out a complex math equation. She sets the chalk down as she finishes and her teacher hands her a graded assignment, which shows she received a 100% perfect score.

Jared: Wait, was she doing math on the board?

Me: Yes.

Jared: So why was there math on the board, but the homework was English?

We may have to consult Leigh-Ann again...

Cut to later, outside the school - random boys are gossiping about the girl - Ami Mizuno - and how much she studies and keeps to herself. I always wondered why boys who cared to gossip gave a crap about a quiet, studious girl who never bugged anybody else.

Boy 1: She never talks to anyone.

Boy 2 (sees Ami): That's her! They both run for it.

Jared: How nice of them to be properly ashamed that she overheard.

Across the way, Ami sees Usagi with Naru and her other friends talking and laughing about how Usagi failed yet another test.

Me: So you know she's thinking "If I'm a screw-up like that girl, I will probably have friends."

Jared: She's thinking it.

Opening Credits Roll with "Moon Pride"

Jared: You know, "Love Lightning" aside, at least the song makes sense. A lot of them [meaning anime theme songs] don't.

Me: Nope.

Jared (illustrating how much of a goofball he is): Love Lightning! Love Lightning!

He pokes me every time he says that. I'm tempted to make the audio of him saying it into a ringtone.

Me: The theme song of Season 3 makes no sense either. It's probably my least favorite of all the songs they've done for Crystal.

Jared: Darn...

We'll get to Season 3, I'm sure. I will have PLENTY to say then.

End opening credits, and the splash image of Usagi and Luna -

Jared: Luna's size is inconsistent! She changes sizes! I'm not wrong!

Me: You're not wrong. To be fair, anime artists have a really hard time drawing animals. When we watch Fushigi Yugi and they draw horses - it's terrible. They tried.

Jared: I prefer the Sanderson approach [meaning Brandon]. Just don't include horses. He has riding insects of some kind. I forget.

Int: Dark Kingdom. Jadeite is summoning his "Earth Golems."

Jared: That looked like a punk elf.

Back in Tokyo, Usagi gets home from school and Luna tells her to take her responsibilities as Sailor Moon more seriously. Usagi whines that she doesn't want to fight anything that scary again.

Jared: Cat fight!

Me: *glaring*

Jared: It was!

Luna continues persuading Usagi to be better at being a Sailor Guardian. In the process, she provides one of many info-dumps.

Luna: You need to find the other Guardians. You'll need their help to find our Princess and protect her!

Usag (dreamy eyed): More Guardians and a princess, huh?

Flashback to Tuxedo Mask.

Usagi: You mean like Tuxedo Mask?

Jared: Yes. He's TOTALLY a princess.

Usagi: And like Sailor V?

Jared: Closer.

Later, Luna is in their secret base typing away at a database. 

Jared: Luna at the keyboard is just the most hilarious thing ever. She has no thumbs! No thumbs!

The next morning, the students at school gather around the posted scores of a recent test. Everyone is exclaiming at the "genius girl" Ami Mizuno and her perfect scores. Usagi bemoans her awful academic performance.

Naru: No one expects you to get scores like that!

Usagi: I know, but did you really have to say it?

Jared: Yes.

Umino pops out to deliver his info-dump setup for this episode, which involves the Crystal Seminar cram school.

Everything you need to know about Umino in one screengrab.

Umino: I heard they recruited Mizuno pretty aggressively and even let her come extra hours to study more!

Jared: You'd think he'd be upset. His whole bag seems to be "obnoxious smart person."

Ami's mom - the rich and famous doctor - is mentioned.

Jared: Do we ever see her mom?

Me: Maybe in one of the later seasons? Season 4, perhaps?

Jared: We haven't seen her (Usagi's) dad yet, either..

Later, Usagi is walking home, bemoaning her grades.

Usagi: These are horrible! Mom's going to kill me for sure this time!

Jared: Those are FAILING!

Usagi also notices Luna meeting up with Ami.

Usagi: Luna? What is she doing with the genius girl from Class 5?

Jared: CHEATING ON YOU!

Me: Popular fan theory is that Luna sometimes wishes she could be Ami's cat.

Usagi and Ami meet for the first time and it's damn adorable.

Usagi (to herself): If I become friends with her, she can teach me how to study so I do better on tests. Then I can be a genius too!

Jared: It's not the worst plan ever...

Me: No. I mean, Usagi becoming a genius might be a bit of a stretch. But doing better on tests, yes. That is doable.

Jared: Or her studying at all. What was the line last time? "I tried my best! I'm going to bed. No homework tonight!"

Usagi takes her new bestie, Ami, to the arcade. She introduces her to the Sailor V game and Motoki (the order of importance between those two is debatable).

Jared: So where did Luna go? I mean, Usagi knows she's fine, but you don't want to let cats wander around all over the city.

Ami tries her hand at the Sailor V game and finds out she's pretty good at it. She begins to draw a crowd, who marvels at her skill at the game.

Jared: So, it looks like the animation budget was a little tight here. Consider it was, what, five or ten seconds of her playing and just her mouth moving slightly?


Me: Yeah... they kind of cheapied-up on some of the budget.

Jared: You'd think they could afford... I mean, they know it's going to do well! It's Sailor Moon!

Note: I seriously don't want to get into the animation/budget/corporate decision woes at Toei that made fans bitch about these first two season relentlessly. I really, really, really don't. If you're thinking of making such comments here, go find some impotent Tumblr page to rage and vent. This isn't the place for it.

Back to the episode - a fancy blue pen falls out of the coin return on the game, which Ami claims. Motoki wonders where it came from, since the game isn't supposed to give prizes. Usagi wants one too, and she shakes the machine until she gets a pink one with a gem on top.

Jared: WHAAAAAAAT....

 I say nothing.

Jared: Where did THOSE come from??

I still say nothing.


Usagi: Oh, I just called you "Ami"! Since I used your first name, you can call me "Usagi!"

Jared: I assume there's a "-chan" after that in the Japanese?

Me: Yep. They dropped all the honorifics in the dub. Which, I can understand why. It's probably better to drop it entirely than get it horribly wrong. But they do kind of lose something without a few of them.

The girls take their prizes and their newfound friendship and leave the arcade. Luna watches them both from across the street as they go.

Jared: Wait, wait, wait - I assume Luna was behind that [the pens]. But she's across the street, up a story or two.

Me: She's not the only one running the thing...

Ami heads to her cram school, Crystal Seminar, where the teacher in charge guilt-trips her into using the freaky-deaky study disk.

Jared: That purple - no, not even purple. Lavender. That lavender suit is atrocious.

Jared: And why's it called "Crystal Disk"? These bad guys are very bad at naming things. Gratuitous English. Thank you, Japan.

The next day at school, at least one of the girls Usagi hangs out with is acting weird. She's been going to Crystal Seminar.

Jared: But did that place just open? Thank you exposition friends!

Ami is in the library studying. She decides to take notes with her new blue pen from the arcade.

Jared: So it actually works as a real pen, huh?

Me: Yep. Gotta sell ALL the toys!

Usagi finds Ami and exclaims over their new pens. She also invites Ami to come get ice cream with her and her friends. Ami clearly wants to, but she remembers that guilt-trip-scary-Crystal-lady needs her to study and do her best. There's also some weird glowy-green-eyes thing going on.

Ami: Sorry, I need to study.

Jared: Okay, her eyes just changed color. You'd think she'd notice.

Me: This is Usagi we're talking about.

Jared: Yeah, but they're frickin' HUGE! I mean, her eyeballs alone must take up a third of her head! Each! HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!

Me: You're thinking that anime actually follows physics or biology!

Jared: Some physics have to work!

Me: Not with those leg-lengths.

Jared: NOODLE-LEGS!!

Usagi ends up outside Crystal Seminar (so much for ice cream). Someone is handing out fliers to advertise for the Seminar. Ami is featured in the advert.

Jared: Aaaaaand... toss for the head...

Luna: Hey, Usagi! Don't litter!

Me: Three... two... one...

"Mysterious" Male Voice: Hey!

Me: There it is.

Usagi hits someone with the crumpled flier. It's the same guy from the first episode - tuxedo and all.

Mamoru: Hey! Bun-head! I am not a garbage can.

Jared: Okay, that was a pretty funny line! And hey - sunglasses!

Mamoru: That cat was talking just now, wasn't it?

Jared: HA HA HA HA HA!

Usagi: Cats can't talk to people! Don't be ridiculous!

Luna: Meow!

Jared (still laughing): That's a really bad meow! And he's still wearing a tux in public. "I'm not a trash can..." that was pretty good.

Usagi and Luna go back home and try out the Crystal Disk that Ami left behind on Usagi's computer.

Jared: Is that a bunny on the laptop?

The computer starts acting weird and a strange voice starts speaking. The screen flickers and sputters. Luna and Usagi keep staring at it.

Jared: Maybe don't stare at the brainwashing device?

Luna: It's a brainwashing program!

Jared: So stop looking at it! Maybe? No? Maybe?

Usagi and Luna go back to Crystal Seminar, but no one is being allowed inside. Two guards are posted at the door. Luna explains that Usagi can use the pen she got at the arcade to disguise herself and get inside without anyone giving her a hard time.

Usagi: Moon Power! Change me into a doctor! 

Jared: Except, it's a cram school. Okay - yeah. Disguises. Great! Lovely. Useful power. It's a cram school. For students. Why change into a doctor?

Me: She begged "Emergency!" It worked!

Jared: No, the plan isn't the problem. The plan's actually fine. They didn't need a plan. She could have just walked right in. It's a cram school.... Well, it is after hours, so I guess it's fine. That was a ridiculous doctor outfit, though. The skirt was almost as short as the Sailor Moon one.

Sigh...

Inside, scary guilt-trip lady is towered over Ami, who is brainwashed and working feverishly to do her "master's" bidding. Guilt-trip lady berates Ami for having the new blue pen, which reminds Ami of Usagi and the brainwashing starts to break. 

At that moment, Usagi busts into the room.

Usagi: I'm here Ami!

Luna rushes at Guilt-trip lady and smacks her in the face, forcing her to let go of Ami.

Jared: *laughs* Okay was pretty cool from Luna. BAM! to the face!

It's obvious who Jared's favorite character is so far.

Guilt-trip lady demands to know who Usagi is.

Usagi: Well... you see... I'm... I'm a doctor!

Jared (still laughing): Yeah... (in a girly voice, which is funny hearing from him) "I'm a doctor!"

Usagi announces that she knows the secret of the brainwashing disk. Which Guilt-trip lady doesn't take kindly to, since she turns into a monster. Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon - yes, in front of Ami.

And here, Jared notices a key detail of the transformation sequence.

Jared: Does this mean she doesn't have any fingernail polish? 

Me: ...she wears gloves.

Jared: No, but it just put it on!

Me: It did! And then she gets gloves!

Jared: But, the point is she didn't have polish on before. You'd think a girl like this would have fingernail polish most of the time.

Me: Usagi probably bites her nails.

Jared: *thinks for a moment* I am willing to accept that explanation.

Transformation things happen here... it's hard to come up with new and exciting ways to describe it each time. Just think lots of ~*~glitter~*~...

Jared: Okay, I noticed something that time. Her eyebrows. Reminds me of a line from "Epic Rap Battles of History" - the Eastern Philosophers vs. Western Philosophers: "You need to make your eyebrows fit better on your face."

Of all the things he notices... Eyebrows.

Jared: 'Cause her eyebrows just kind of wandered off the edges a bit.

Sailor Moon does her pre-fight speech, while also throwing in awesome things about being Ami's friend. And the monster starts just kicking Sailor Moon's butt. She tries the supersonic crying thing again, but it doesn't work.

Me: Give the bad guys credit. Whatever moves work against them one time, they got back and make sure it doesn't happen again.

Jared: At this point, I kind of blame Luna. It should have been clear that they needed a tactical planner. At least, temporarily.

Sailor Moon is in big-time trouble. And that's what breaks Ami out of the brainwashing. Luna tells Ami to use her pen to transform.

Jared: TALKING CAT! AHHH!!

Me: Look at her little fist!

Yes, do look at Luna's little kitty-fist -

Favorite things :)

Jared: I don't think cat's fingers move that way. But it was pretty impressive, though.

Me: Luna types on a keyboard!

Jared: Fair enough.

Putting aside the fact that a cat is talking to her, Ami does as instructed.

Jared: And, of course, her transformation sequence is not as long.

Me: Nope. Her name isn't in the title, after all.

Jared: Wait a second - I thought she had sleeves.

Me: Mercury doesn't, no.

Jared: Oh.

Sailor Mercury: I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and intelligence! I am Sailor Mercury!

Jared: Seriously - how does she know to say that?

Me: Muscle memory?

Luna: You're the second Guardian we've been searching for! You're Sailor Mercury! Our team strategist!

Me: That's a MUCH better translation in the dub than what's in the Japanese. In the Japanese, she's the team's "brain."

Jared: Yeah, that's quite a bit better.

Monster: What the hell?

Jared: Heh - yeah. She's still here too.

Back to the topic of the post-transformation speech thing -

Jared: It must be instinctive or something.

I don't say anything.

Meanwhile, Sailor Moon is still pinned to the wall. Then, something slashes her out of her bonds and Tuxedo Mask is suddenly there.

Jared: Wait - how did he get her out?

Me: Some questions, we just don't know the answers to.

Jared: Something sharp was involved!

Sailor Moon beats the monster, everyone gathers to regroup.

Sailor Moon: Where did Tuxedo Mask go?

Me: I know my priorities...

Meanwhile, on a nearby roof, Jadeite grumbles about his most recent loss.

Jadeite: Now there are two Sailor Guardians to deal with.

Jared: THREE! Three, sir, three!

Me: Three?

Jared: Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor V.

Later, Ami marvels at her newfound powers and wonders where the pen that she used to transform came from.

Ami: I can't believe I transformed with that pen. Did I win it by chance?

Luna: I have no idea.

Jared: Luna is the ultimate schemer!

Me: I'm glad you like Luna.

Jared: I mean, sure she doesn't have thumbs. Imagine if she did! She could rule the world!

Ami: Let's go home and have a meeting! There's so much I want to ask you about.

Usagi: A meeting? Right now?

Ami: I have so much to learn! I can't wait another second! Hurry! Hurry!

Jared: Yes! This is where you learn to study!

Usagi: But I'm tiiiiiiiired...

Me: That plan didn't work out so well, did it?

Jared: Eh... eventually it might. Then again, I can't really imagine her going to high school. With those grades? Uh-uh...

Me: Should I tell you? It's not that big of a spoiler.

Jared: Sure...

Me: She does go to high school.

Jared: Oh, so it DOES pay off eventually!

Sure, we'll go with that.

***

I have no reason to put this here. I just like her face.

***

Next Time: Episode 3 - Rei, Sailor Mars

Previously: Episode 1 - Usagi, Sailor Moon

Blue Eyes Smiling In the Rain

SPOILERS for Sailor Moon Crystal, Act 2: Ami, Sailor Mercury

Oh. My. Sweet. Henshin. Yo. (or something). Sailor Mercury’s episode nearly left me in tears (but in a good way).

This episode does deviate a bit from the manga storyline. Not too much - the Crystal Seminar and the girls getting their transformation pens from the Sailor V game is still there. But somehow, Ami is specifically targeted to donate her energy to the Dark Kingdom because of her intelligence, where in the manga it was more focused on everybody in the Seminar being brainwashed (that still happened, but only peripherally). But there are a few changes in the details and they go a bit deeper into the characters, especially with Ami. I don’t remember them spending so much time on Lonely Ami in the manga, to be truthful. But I’m glad that’s the direction they went for reasons I’ll get to here in a bit.

The opening is very much focused on Ami. There are random, nameless, faceless students talking about how much of a genius she is - how all she does is study, even during her free time. They whisper in hushed voices around her, never reaching out to talk to her or even trying to get to know her. One poignant moment comes when a group of boys walk behind the bench where she’s sitting while they’re talking about her. They notice that she’s there and they hurry away so they don’t have to talk to her.

And then there’s the point that nearly killed me emotionally. Ami is walking back to the school building alone and sees Usagi and all her friends laughing and having fun together. And this moment, I think, encapsulates why Ami Mizuno is my favorite Sailor Guardian. I mean, it seems everybody loves Rei for being fiery and outgoing or Makoto for being girly while also being the tough tomboy. And, I’ll be honest, I love those two for those reasons as well (especially Mako-chan - try being the gawky, freakishly tall girl in your seventh grade class sometime). But Ami has just always been the one that I gravitated toward - the one I felt like I could look up to. She’s quiet, reserved, loves to learn new things, has a passion for what she does, and simply wants a few true and honest friends, but isn’t quite sure how to go about finding them on her own. And she’s often scared of speaking up for herself, especially when people are saying mean things about her. But then she finds her niche as Sailor Mercury and ends up with a group of friends that have stuck with her since before she can remember - and that means the world to her. It even helps her find the confidence to stand up for herself and her friends - she feels like she finally has a purpose outside of her own goals and ambitions (which, her ambitions are many. That’s probably the only place where she and I differ - I can’t do math to save my life and I never had any intention of going into a medical field. But those are superlative traits - the basics are there).

Back to the scene - Ami sees this group of bubbly, happy girls, one of whom doesn’t do so well on tests at school - Usagi is even kind of bragging about it. And she’s going this look on her face (and maybe I’m reading too much into it, but you bring your own interpretation to the reading, as they say) that says “I wish I could be carefree and happy like that. But that’s impossible.”

And then “Moon Pride” blasts across the screen with its pitch-perfect tone for what all these girls are about.

Honestly, I could not have asked for a more perfect introduction for Sailor Mercury. Visually, I feel like the animators got Ami’s persona down to a science (pun not intended). She’s smart and confident in her intelligence - in fact, that’s her greatest asset. But she also has a sense of whimsy about her that often gets overlooked in this bubble of scientific logic she’s created for herself. The scene where Luna jumps out of the tree in front of Ami and Ami starts cooing and petting this strange cat - Usagi sees this interaction and runs up to introduce herself to Ami. And Ami says that she thought Luna was an angel, but immediately blushes at the ridiculousness of the statement (and I admit here - something might have been lost a bit in the translation from Japanese to English and there might be some deeper cultural meaning here that I’m not familiar with). But Ami is a little surprised at her own audacity to suggest something so fanciful - this is a side of her she probably hasn’t shared with other people and she’s not sure how they’ll react to the Genius Girl from Class 5 spouting off fairy tale nonsense. But Usagi smiles and laughs appreciatively at Ami’s comment, which gives Ami permission to smile at herself too. Usagi invites Ami to go to the arcade with her and, dear ones, we have just witnessed the first renewed friendship between the Sailor Guardians in Sailor Moon Crystal.

(It’s a beautiful moment - I’d say I’m gonna cry, but I think I’m way past that at this point).

To the arcade! I totally love everything about this scene (this was also in the manga as well to some degree). The Mercury Pen that Ami gets from the Sailor V game at Crown Arcade. Now, that scene where Ami kicks all manner of ass in the Sailor V arcade game on her first try did happen in the manga, as well as the game giving her the Mercury Pen (keep an eye on that game, by the way). It also give Usagi her Moon Disguise Pen (when she nearly beats the poor machine in... oh, Usagi-chan...) But I adore the scene the next day at school where Ami has her new blue pen in the front shirt pocket and Usagi also has her new pen in her front shirt pocket. Usagi points out that they both have their new pens and Ami grins about it - also recognizing that Usagi’s been calling her “Ami-chan,” which I wonder if anyone’s ever done that outside of Ami’s family (okay - I’m starting to see the draw with the glut of merchandise because now I want a Mercury Pen - which is actually a functioning pen!)

I love how this pen is already one of her prized possessions.

And Ami keeps using her pen while she studies! I’m sure that Ami probably has a bunch of simple-yet-functional writing implements to help her practice math problems and what-have-you, but she just keeps going back to that pen she got at the arcade. Even saying “I should use my new pen for this.” It’s more than it’s just a pretty new accessory - it’s a symbol that Ami has a new friend. Someone invited her to go do something fun. Something she enjoyed and excelled at that people were impressed with without being snooty about it. I mean, beating a video game isn't exactly getting into Johns Hopkins Medical School (or whatever the Japanese equivalent is) - but damn if Ami doesn't feel a sense of pride at winning the game. Or even that she doesn't love Usagi’s praise and adoration at the end.

Ami has a friend! (if you didn't feel anything at all in the scene, you're wrong).

So, yeah, the Mercury Pen is more than just a pretty accessory for Ami. Even before she learns its true power - it’s already a powerful symbol of hope and friendship for her.

So - Crystal Seminar. Yeah, pretty much a front for the Dark Kingdom to go after the Silver Crystal (just assume anything brand new with “Crystal” or “Dark” in its name is going to be bad news from here on out). From what gets established early on, this “cram school” has actually been around for a while, but up to this point it was difficult for students to get into. Until they basically throw open the doors and say “Everybody come in and study!” (real subtle there, Dark Kingdom) (you learn quickly that villains in Sailor Moon have zero concept of subtlety. What’s surprising is how often the good people of Tokyo keep falling for this crap).

I have no reason for this cap, except for the fact that Usagi has an iBunny laptop.

One huge deviation from the manga here is that Ami, while she does attend Crystal Seminar and does receive a Crystal Disk in the manga (upgraded here from a 3” floppy to a CD-ROM - which is still used in some educational institutions, so it works), she never uses. Or, she uses it once, but it gives her a headache so she stops, citing that she can study better on her own and she prefers it that way. In Crystal, Ami does use the Crystal Disk and she does wind up getting brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom - though her brainwashing comes more at the hands of the monster in charge of the Seminar (I didn’t catch her name and I’m a bit too lazy to look it up right now - maybe later), but it was started by the Disk. Honestly, I’m fine with either version. Manga!Ami is totally in character, but so is Crystal!Ami as well. Perhaps the Crystal Disk is much more powerful in Crystal. I’ll buy that for a dollar. But what makes this change work in Crystal is that Ami’s newfound friendship with Usagi helps her break out of her trance.

The ending battle at Crystal Seminar is about the same as the manga (more or less). Usagi sneaks in with her Disguise Pen disguising her as a doctor (honestly, that’s one of the tamer ideas she has for that thing). She finds where Ami’s being held by the Dark Kingdom’s monster. She transforms into Sailor Moon and starts fighting the monster, but gets pinned down.

Okay - I lied about this sequence being the same as the manga. Because of the deviation with Ami actually getting brainwashed, there is a moment of tension where Ami’s memories of being friends with Usagi have to fight against the Dark Kingdom’s programming. Even to the point where (before Sailor Moon shows up) that Ami just has to use her pen during her studies, even though everything’s on the computer. She runs after it after the monster knocks it out of her hands - keep in mind that this Crystal Disk programming is supposed to force you to keep your focus on the computer. After she scoops it up, that’s when Usagi shows up and transforms into Sailor Moon - and that’s when Ami’s Mercury Power/Avatar Spirit/Inner Soul Thingy (fandom’s a little fuzzy on what to call this, but that’s all right) kicks Ami out of the brainwashing. The Mercury symbol appears on her forehead, Luna tells her what to say, and Ami transforms into Sailor Mercury.

(Hooray!)

And, yes, again the transformation sequence is very much a CGI-and-traditional-animated blended update of the transformation sequence from the original 90s anime. I imagine this will continue to be A Thing with Crystal. And I imagine I will continue to have zero complaints about this.

While the transformation sequences seem to be standardized (as is tradition in magical girl anime), the attack sequences are not. Which, I am most intrigued by this. It seems like the girls’ attacks are going to be integrated into the action within the episode, but it’ll still look awesome and pretty and cool. Like, last episode the Moon Tiara Boomerang went one way, but this time it went another. And Mercury Aqua Mist was Sailor Mercury in the Seminar classroom, but she was sending water and ice and mist at the monster. AND IT WAS GLORIOUS!

Anyway, the girls win, the monster gets blasted back to the depths from whence it came, and Sailor Moon has A Moment with Tuxedo Mask (doki doki, indeed). Afterwards, Ami calls an impromptu meeting of the Sailor Guardians (HA!!) and we’ve got ourselves a TEAM.

And then... the moment the rest of fandom is going to scream about...

MARS.

(oh boy oh boy oh boy!)

And because Hulu doesn't have it (I have no idea why) - here's the preview trailer for Episode 3 that aired on NicoNico -



(Question - How come Mars gets her full-on henshin in the preview for her episode? Doesn’t that seem a bit spoilery? Dear Marketing Departments Around the World - Please get your stories straight).

Anyway - Ami’s here, she’s happy, Usagi’s happy, I’m happy. The world is a beautiful place.

BONUS - I'm guessing this came out soon after Act 2 was released, but Momoiro Clover Z also released their music video for "Moon Pride" (the opening theme for Sailor Moon Crystal). It's an extended version of the song featured in the show with brand new animation (I figure there are some spoilers for future episodes of Crystal, so warning on that. But it is SO worth it!) Like I said on The Five(ish) Fangirls Podcast - it's an adrenaline rush laced with glitter.