Sailor Moon- Series Overview

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Jabroniville
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Episode #124: Professor Tomoe explains that "this world of light, full of falsehoods" will soon be destroyed, giving way to a world of darkness, as The Silence wipes out the Earth. And Mistress 9's role as the Messiah of Silence is to place the Holy Grail on a device that will lure Pharaoh 90 to our solar system. The girls transform (using the "Slow Dramatic Music", no less!), but are immediately besieged by literally HUNDREDS of Daimons, which have burst directly from their eggs, and so are amorphous blob-monsters that can take humanoid shape. This is actually what all the Daimons were in the manga. The girls use their attacks to blow some away, but then Sailor Moon uses the Moon Spiral Heart Attack... which covers HUNDREDS OF FEET (!!!), wiping out a vast swath of them.

The Sailor Teleport attempt is stopped by a renewed assault, and Mistress 9 reaching through a friggin' portal with her kaleidoscope demon hand and DRAGGING Sailor Moon through it, into her lair! Meanwhile, the Outer Sailors attempt to fly in via their Mystery Helicopter, and the Daimons electrify it, BLOWING IT UP!! They're, of course, completely screwed... except Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time, reveals her Secret Ultimate Power- She STOPS TIME. That's really freaking cool- they're basically sitting in a blowing-up helicopter, mid-explosion. That is really well-done conceptually.

Pluto reveals that this is the "Greatest taboo" she could commit, and teleports Uranus & Neptune out of there, saying "farewell" just as the 'copter blows up completely. Mistress 9 is all about to talk smack, despite being impressed, but then Hotaru speaks through her ("you will not use that pure heart for evil!"). But she turns into Hotaru Form and moves on, while leaving Prof. Tomoe (called "Daimon Germatoid") to fight Uranus & Neptune. He taunts them, announces that he's just a Daimon possessing Tomoe, and then imbues a horde of "Dolls" with his essence- damn, those things look straight-up like things out of Neon Genesis Evangelion. They even move like the baddies from Attack on Titan! Uranus & Neptune are screwed, as they're immune to most harm... but then Pluto's voice says "The Talismans!", the girls manifest the Mirror and Sword, and the Mirror flash-fries all the assmebled Dolls but one, and Uranus stabs it through the eye.

The Sailors, realizing they can't break in through the force field, simply opt to combine their efforts with an Energy Field that counters the growing field. I'd say that's an Ass Pull, but that's literally what they do in the Crystal Tokyo of the future, so I guess this is just a prelude to THAT.

The animation here is so far above the norm here it's crazy. Like, MOVIE good.
Jabroniville
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Episode #125: Mistress 9 has Sailor Moon, Uranus & Neptune with her, and the two elder Sailors attempt to wipe her out, especially after she confirms their message that "Hotaru Tomoe is dead". However, Sailor Moon gotta Sailor Moon, and so she JUMPS IN THE WAY, one of the few times I've seen a regular Sailor take damage from another Sailor's major attacks- she's hurt but, like, not even as much as most villains do to the girls normally. Mistress 9 just casually says "thank you" and then whups the two others, who are all "You fool!" and "Don't interfere!", but are immediately grabbed by Mistress 9's Prehensile Hair and tied to a giant, scythe-wielding angel statue. SUBTLE. Mistress 9 threatens their lives if Moon doesn't give her the Holy Grail, and naturally she's about to sacrifice everything when Professor Tomoe staggers in. 9 just taunts this "disgusting shell" and strikes him, but Hotaru's voice breaks through again, despite 9's insistence that "Hotaru died just now" earlier on!

Mistress 9 collapses ("this body's rejecting me..."), crying out "Daddy!... help me!...", but Uranus is all "Finish her off now, Sailor Moon!", because she's gotta be Uranus. Sailor Moon of course REFUSES, and brings forth the Holy Grail, insisting that "I refuse to accept a world that can only be saved if she dies", because Hotaru has done nothing wrong. But OH SHIT THAT JUST MAKES IT WORSE, as Mistress 9 cackles and blasts everyone, but you can still see her struggle. She finally describes what the Holy Grail is- the "crystallization" of the emotions, good and bad, elevated to their highest forms by Pure Hearts. Helpfully, however, she says "the only way" to defeat Pharaoh 90 once he assmilates the Holy Grail is to have a "Superior Pure Heart Crystal", which pretty much gives the whole ending away right there.

Pharaoh 90 begins to arrive- a giant black sphere with several waving tendrils- inhuman and never speaking. A blast from the Moon Rod does nothing- and a cool "reverberating" noise simply fires a beam through it, hammering Sailor Moon. His arrival sends out a series of blasts, one of which slams Mistress 9, who was JUST bragging about how she & he were going to rule the world together. The other one... is blocked by SAILOR MOON, who has guarded Professor Tomoe... and Hotaru?!? Yes, Hotaru & Mistress 9 continue fighting for dominance, with a tearful Professor remembering happier times, but confessing he's no way of returning his daughter to safefty. But then Hotaru finally thinks of those who need her protection, the "black star" forehead mark on 9's head shatters, and is replaced by the symbol of Saturn! Chibi-Usa's Pure Heart is returned as Mistress 9 disintegrates into nothing.

And yes, the Guardian of Destruction finally returns to the world. She calmly thanks Sailor Moon for guarding her physical body, then points out that she can destroy planets at the cost of her own life, and that only she may enter Pharaoh 90 at his core and destroy him. Sailor Moon LOSES IT, begging her not to sacrifice herself, and desperately attempts to use "Crisis Make-Up" for a switch to Super Sailor Moon. This is, of course, impossible without the Holy Grail... but then the other Sailors (who've had their Force Field wiped out by Pharaoh 90's arrival) have their tiaras glow... and then URANUS & NEPTUNE (clearly impressed/saddened by Moon's breakdown) join in, and soon we have Usagi powered up once more. With her shining "Super Pure Heart", she slowly walks through the ebony energy and joins the fight.

We never really see the INSIDE of Pharaoh 90- just the aftermath, as the black portal disappears, the sun shines, and the hole where Mugen Academy once stood now fills with a slow, rising pool of calm water. And Super Sailor Moon returns, carrying an infant wrapped in cloth.

(First Appearance: Sailor Saturn)
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Davies
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Davies »

Jabroniville wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:59 am We never really see the INSIDE of Pharaoh 90- just the aftermath, as the black portal disappears, the sun shines, and the hole where Mugen Academy once stood now fills with a slow, rising pool of calm water. And Super Sailor Moon returns, carrying an infant wrapped in cloth.
And with a rather horrifying thousand yard stare. I won't say that it's not Moon Ex Machina, but here, as in the R movie, it's clear that she has paid for this victory.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Episode #126: So Pharaoh 90 has been defeated, but now we have TWO EPISODES LEFT. And we still have Sailor Moon standing their, eyes completely blank, with this expression on her face that's just like "fffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...".

And then they just jump to the following day, where they're like "Hey, where are Pluto & Hotaru?" because Uranus & Neptune had just absconded with Baby Hotaru seconds after Sailor Moon walked out. They plop her back in her father's lap after bonding with her for a few days, making Neptune sad- it's a bit odd, because they're all like "He has amnesia and can't remember the past few years", but the hospital just lets him motor around with the kid in his wheelchair (never mind Haruka & Michiru speeding along in that convertible with no car seat for the baby- she's just in Michiru's lap!).

Chibi-Usa is feeling it over losing her two best friends, but Pluto appears from outside reality, giving her and the audience the necessary exposition- Sailor Saturn & Mistress 9 possessed the same body, and now Mistress 9 has been destroyed and Hotaru is reborn as an impossibly-cute infant. Chibi-Usa sadly/hopefully tells Hotaru they'll meet again someday.

Meanwhile, Uranus & Neptune aren't DONE being bitchy, and so they call out the Sailors for the naivete that nearly destroyed the planet. All "sure you DID save the world, but you also RISKED it!". Sailor Moon acknowledges they're right, but the elder Sailors demand a FIGHT! Everyone's like "WTF?", but the big smirks on their faces imply something's up. And then Tuxedo Mask prevents the Inners from interfering ("let them fight"). Things seem to go sideways when Neptune hits "Deep Submerge" (one of the few times a Sailor's attack strikes another Sailor- Moon sells it like a regular punch, oddly), but Usagi's able to dodge World Shaking AND a ton of punches, then does a big Light Burst that knocks both of them into each other.

And then they just get up and BOW. Usagi's all "WTF?" again, but they both acknowledge her as the strong, true Messiah and Future Queen. This was all a TEST! They're like "you proved your power yet again", are all "you turned the Guardian of Destruction into a friend", and say their goodbyes, pointing out their mission is now done. And that's it for the Outer Sailors.
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Davies
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Davies »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:57 am Meanwhile, Uranus & Neptune aren't DONE being bitchy, and so they call out the Sailors for the naivete that nearly destroyed the planet. All "sure you DID save the world, but you also RISKED it!". Sailor Moon acknowledges they're right, but the elder Sailors demand a FIGHT!
And this is the other reason I find this season annoying. No, see, she doesn't gotta prove anything to the two of you, you should hafta prove something to her. Instead they just sort of saunter off whistling.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Davies wrote: Thu Apr 19, 2018 4:45 pm
Jabroniville wrote: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:57 am Meanwhile, Uranus & Neptune aren't DONE being bitchy, and so they call out the Sailors for the naivete that nearly destroyed the planet. All "sure you DID save the world, but you also RISKED it!". Sailor Moon acknowledges they're right, but the elder Sailors demand a FIGHT!
And this is the other reason I find this season annoying. No, see, she doesn't gotta prove anything to the two of you, you should hafta prove something to her. Instead they just sort of saunter off whistling.
Yeah, I find those two characters interesting- the needs of the plot made them "separate" from the Inner Senshi, but... it's a bit iffy at times. Feels artificial and needlessly-rude for them to just decide for the easiest option every time.

But I like that the show makes them a bit antagonistic and proves them wrong on a few things. If they were treated as being in the right, they'd be excruciating characters- obvious Mary Sues. Instead, they become a lot more interesting.
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

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Episode #127: AND NOW ONE MORE!! I guess with all the planets represented by Sailors, they needed two episodes to wrap everything up. Chibi-Usa gets another childishly-written letter from her mother, asking her to return home, and she makes preparations. In a very Jem and the Holograms move, she gets upset when they appear too happy with her leaving, but the audience knows they're clearly going to miss her, and want to make the send-off better. Finally, the two Usagis cry as Chibi-Usa gets pulled into the sky... but then A DAIMON shows up, having survived the purge and merging with the "Daimon Oven"! She makes short work of the Sailors with some strong attacks and defenses, but is stopped... by Sailor Chibi-Moon? Yup- time being what it is, she pops back an indeterminate amount of time later, distracts the villain, Tuxedo Mask nails it with a rose, and then Sailor Moon wipes it out. And I guess she's back in the past full-time, now.

A very low-key finale, but establishes the new "Chibi-Moon is always there" status quo.

(Monster Powers: Extendable Limbs, Good Dodging, Melee Attacks, Multiattack Electrical Cord Strike, Oven Blast- Line Damage)
Jabroniville
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

So all in all, I can definitely see why this is considered by many to be the finest season the series ever put out. I think the first season is still my favorite... but that one had a monstrously-long "crap period" in the early days, and took forever to get going. This one was consistent for the greatest stretch in the show's history, and introduced some great new characters. But a few things were kind of "off". I'll call it equal to the first season, though I might find myself re-watching this one much more, owing to the "newness" of the episodes.

THE GOOD IN SAILOR MOON S:
* Sailors Uranus & Neptune are fascinating new characters, with interesting motivations, beautiful Special Techniques, a great relationship with each other, and have great purpose in the plot. Episodes focusing on them are nearly always terrific as a result.
* The moral question here is a terrific one- Uranus & Neptune are after the Talismans, and are prepared to sacrifice the lives of people to get them. Does this make them evil, or just practical, in the face of armageddon? And when we discover that they're out to murder a CHILD, you're forced to decide whether this cruel act is the more practical one. And they have this thing where Neptune will occasionally be HAPPY they didn't succeed in some episode or another, because ultimately, we're all a bit hypocritical about certain things, and she's no different.
* Each Sailor gets two episodes of focus, which are usually very good.
* Sailor Venus's wackiness gets an upgrade, which proves to be hilarious.
* The whole "Silence" thing is very forboding and frightening- there's a LOT of dark subject matter here, some authentically creepy scenes, and you really feel, from a few episodes in, that failure here means the end of the world. Neither Metalia nor Death Phantom felt THIS apocalyptic.

THE NOT SO GOOD IN SAILOR MOON S:
* Turning it into The Uranus & Neptune Show comes at the expense of the other characters, who similarly have to take a backseat when CHIBI-USA becomes the central cog around which the second half of the season turns. I think everyone who watches Sailor Moon has the same realization (which goes back to Takeuchi never writing them with much depth in the first place), that the Inner Sailors are just criminally underused, given how great they are as characters. This is a continual problem with the show- I feel like they squander what is arguably the strongest supporting cast in television in this series. I LOVE Avatar: The Last Airbender, and they get more mileage out of their cast that Sailor Moon does, and I authentically believe that Sailor Moon's cast is at least twice as good as Avatar's.
* The Daimons are often patently ridiculous. Almost none of them look cool, and many are idiotic things like "person made out of a shoe" or "elephant vacuum cleaner-themed". Given the seriousness of the subject matter in this season, it's incongruous.
* The whole battle against Pharaoh 90 taking place off-camera? I'm not ENTIRELY on board with that. I feel like they coulda showed SOMETHING. I can get it as an artistic thing, but a lot of it just comes off like "well, we didn't know what it'd look like, so here".
* A recurring issue with Sailor Moon is the whole "Mystery" aspect to each Season. In that there's usually some big mysterious THING going on... but it's either so mind-bleedingly obvious, or we've known about it from before it was even dubbed the first time, so it falls completely flat. Never mind that it's usually insanely simple- the entire early part of the series was based around "Finding the Moon Princess" and it turns out IT WAS OUR MAIN CHARACTER ALL ALONG! And now, we're searching for Talismans and the Messiah? Where are the Talismans? Oh, in the very two people introduced to search for them. Oh, and a third person who just shows up to give exposition. And the Messiah is TOTALLY NOT SAILOR MOON, YOU GUYS, because she can't use the Holy Grail properly... except of course she is. Like, who ELSE was it gonna be? These "mysteries" are always revealed to be someone we've already met.
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Jesus, I haven't updated this since May. Well, I didn't want to watch it until I had both sets of this season, so here we go!


SAILOR MOON SUPERS:

This whole season has a very palpable sense of "... well, I came up with their past, their future, then added the Sailors for the missing Planets... well SHIT. NOW what do I do?" So Takeuchi throws in a character named Pegasus as a new thing. Focuses on Chibi-Moon because she wins all the polls and little girls love her (this is an eternal thorn in the side of adult fans of the show).

And yes, it's pronounced "Supers".

Episode #127:
Hey, brand-new opening! Starting out in the girliest way ever, with a slender unicorn-pegasus flying out of a rainbow! Followed by... some very naked Sailors, complete with "no private parts; just bare skin" because I dunno. And we see our new bad guys- Zirconia and the Amazon Trio! And Chibi-Moon summoning Pegasus using a bell with a heart on it!

And it's the start of a whole new arc! Unfortunately, of course, this is infamously the worst Sailor Moon season of all time- it was pretty universal even back in the day. For starters, NONE of the popular new Sailors appear in this season, and it's all Chibi-Moon, all the time. And the villains are searching for Pegasus, who's hiding out in someone's dreams, and their job is to search the dreams of our Victims Of The Week. Except the first episode basically holds up a beacon that says "HAHA IT'S IN CHIBI-MOON, WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!" I mean, granted, Sailor Moon was our "Messiah" LAST season, so this shit ain't exactly new anymore, but come on.

Our first episode is actually interesting for not only introducing the bad guys of the Dead Moon Circus, but showcasing MOTOKI'S SISTER once again! Her job as "Once-Per-Season Victim" actually became somewhat notorious online. She's really well-animated here, with her super-endearing face when she's hollering at Motoki to not tease her about her romantic adventures. AMI getting in on teasing her is hilarious, too- I love that little side-thing that she's this closet romantic in the series.

In any case, the gang is watching a solar eclipse, and BOOM- an evil circus tent falls down from the sky, complete with weird-colored goofy-looking people inside. This nightmarish weirdo circus quiets down before Zirconia- a "Haggard Old Witch" of questionable gender (and a sharp-looking staff topped with a winged eye), who summons for the "Amazon Trio"- three men of very... anime-esque designs. I mean, the kind of stuff people joke about when they think of girly anime- Tiger's Eye has really long hair, Fish's Eye is wearing a blue version of Bib the Michelin Man's look and resembles a girl, and Hawk's Eye is all "Visual Kei" or whatever Japanese thing, with short hair and a manlier face... except he's wearing a woman's toga with ballerina leggings. The Trio usually commiserate in some kind of weird neon bar.

The plot? They must find Pegasus by searching for humans with "Beautiful Dreams" using mirrors that are held up to a person's chest, at which point one of the Trio physically sticks their head in and peers into the person's dreams while they shriek in agony- it's as violating as it sounds.

Of course, because they're Generals and we're a few seasons in, they're total goofs. They literally just focus on people they find are cute, like the popular Mimete did in the last season. Tiger's Eye lusts for teenage girls, so puts his focus there. Hawk's Eye, despite talking with a REALLY gay, sly voice, focuses on older women & MILFs (ATTABOY). Fish's Eye, who speaks with a very "young boy" kind of tone, is all about... handsome dudes. Oh guys, you just created another Zoisite, but a LUSTY one. They tease each other pretty relentlessly over Tiger's Eye being focused around cute girls.

So Unazuki (the sister) gets off the bus... and Tiger's Eye just hits on her for two seconds before attacking and transforming. Well, they only have twenty-two minutes. He attacks her with a Dream Mirror (doing the show's new "Villain Thing", trapping a person against a board and opening the mirror in front of their chest), but Sailors Moon & Chibi-Moon arrive and attack. And he summons forth an OH GOD IT'S A CREEPY PUPPET VILLAINS OH YOU ASSHOLES. A "Lemures" ("Lem-ooh-RESS") who takes itself apart, spits out a sword, and more. It fights the girls, but Tuxedo Mask saves the day... and Tiger's Eye COMPLETELY fashion-shames him with "Good GOD- where did you get that tacky playboy outfit?". Haha, I think I'm gonna like these weirdos. "Quiet! I don't need to hear that from you"- oh Mamo-chan.

Tiger's Eye & Tuxedo Mask fight, and TM wins... until TE reveals that his whip (which has wrapped around a tree) has trapped TM's SHADOW, which prevents him from moving! Then he checks out Unazuki's dreams, says Pegasus isn't there... and then decides to kill her, so that Pegasus can never seek refuge in it. The gang is screwed... but then PEGASUS does a run-in, transforms both girls into Super Sailor Moons (!!), and gives Usagi a weapon that wipes out the monster.

Well this is a bit to digest. We haven't seen the BOSS of the villains yet, but the dynamic is pretty clear.

(First Appearance: Pegasus, The Dead Moon Circus, Zirconia, Tiger's Eye, Fish's Eye, Hawk's Eye, Dream Mirror, Lemures, Super Sailor Chibi-Moon)

(Monster Powers: Separates Limbs- Multiattack, Indirect, Flight, "Sword-From-Mouth" Damage 4- Reach 2)


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Davies
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Davies »

Oh, this season. It's not nearly as bad as people sometimes make it out to be, but it is not very good, either ...
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Davies wrote: Wed Jan 02, 2019 12:44 am Oh, this season. It's not nearly as bad as people sometimes make it out to be, but it is not very good, either ...
My only memory of it (I never kept watching with the old dub) was renting a couple of tapes while in Japan, and seeing the “Girl swordfighter” one, plus another. We were shocked to see Fish’s Eye TOPLESS in the ad for the next episode, given that we thought FE was a girl.
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Episode #128: The Dead Moon Circus discuss Tiger's Eye's failure, and the backgrounders repeat from last time- I guess that's new "Stock Animation To Waste Time", giving us new ways to get out exposition. The Sailors, meanwhile, investigate the site of the battle and HOLY SHITBALLS IT'S REIKA!!! OMG I had no idea she recurred in this show!!! Yes, it's Motoki's old girlfriend, back from Africa!! And... she's now involved in equestrian sports? This is weird.

So Reika quickly explains things to this group she barely knows (she only really knew Usagi & Makoto from before)- her archaeological research has garnered her "recognition", and now she's been invited to a university in Europe... which will keep her out of Japan for TEN YEARS. The girls are shocked, and she explains that Motoki was just all "I'm happy for you" but now won't see her. This is actually kind of neat, as it shows "Adult Problems" in a way that seems so confusing and strange for the teen girls that make up the show. It's... different. Usagi and (of course) Minako just go bonkers, declaring that they're getting to the bottom of Reika's "Love Probelms" right now, to the horror of their cats, and to Reika's astonished reaction (she can only mutter out "... Okay..." before they're off).

Holy Hell- Unazuki is back, too, chiding Motoki's stubborn, "I don't wanna talk about it" nature- he refuses to get involved, wanting Reika to make her own decision. Usagi is more or less projecting her own relationship foibles onto Motoki & Reika as well, declaring herself lonely. Hilariously, her "problems" are only existing because she's been tying up the phone lines complaining to her friends that Mamoru hasn't called her... thus PREVENTING MAMORU FROM CALLING HER and explaining that he's away on a college seminar. Oh, the days before e-mail.

Since Reika's obviously our Designated Victim, she's targetted by Tiger's Eye, who hits on her... but in a neat bit, she shrinks back when he gets too familiar. And so he rapidly chains her to a board and looks inside her dreams. The ENTIRE Sailor group shows up to fight this time, but the Lemures starts deflecting their stuff back and makes them tap-dance around her whip. Pegasus arrives, empowers Sailor Moon, and that's that- our new "Episode Template" is thus set.

In a cute bit, EVERYONE is now harrassing Motoki to explain himself, and he poutily explains that he didn't want Reika to give up her dreams just for him- "I'll wait ten years if that's what it takes". And of course this was a SET-UP, as she's hiding behind something. Oh, now that's just dirty pool- the poor guy just poured his heart out unwillingly.

A pretty neat episode (and Reika's final appearance!), though the Template is already pretty established in this show- Pegasus just replaces Tuxedo Mask as a Last-Minute Rescue/Power-Up thing. And Chibi-Usa is super-prominent twice in a row, now, AND gets to be the sole character in the ending sequence! Basically, they're telegraphing that this is "The Little Girl Season", complete with the love-interest-is-a-talking-unipegasus thing.

(Monster Powers: Whip that Reflects Things)

(First Appearance: New End Sequence)
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Episode #129: In a rather infamous one, the MILF-hunting Hawk's Eye chooses a target- USAGI'S MOM!!! "In the name of my dad, I'll punish you!", lol. Usagi blows up because Ikuko has been favoring Chibi-Usa, and drowns her sorrows with her friends. Man, every episode so far has featured the "Fruit Parlor Crown" as a new "hangout" of sorts. A new directoral choice, replacing Hikawa Shrine. We also get a sweet moment where Ikuko reminisces over a photo album and has a heart-to-heart with Chibi-Usa about her dreams, how happy she is to have her family growing up healthy and happy, and her ultimate wish- to see her children walking down the aisle at their weddings.

Hawk's Eye makes a play for her, playing up being a boy looking for his "long-lost mother", only to start hitting on Ikuko for her youth and beauty- of course this is when the girls arrive to see what's going on. Usagi's VA gets a REALLY good line delivery with "Mom's having an AFFAIR!?" with her voice cracking and fading out at the last word. But Hawk's Eye immediately sets up her for Dream Mirroring. In a great moment, Hawk aims for a slap on Chibi-Moon, but Usagi SLIDE-TACKLES him, knocking him on his ass. But then she fires out a Moon Spiral Heart Attack, and he BLOCKS IT WITH HIS HAND, then breathes out a column of flame! The girls & Tuxedo Mask are then knocked flat by the Lemures shooting herself out of a cannon at them.

At this point, Chibi-Moon summons Pegasus, who empowers their brooches and allowing them to shout "Moon Crisis Make Up", giving us the most iconic Transformation Sequence of the second half of the series, featuring mother & daughter transforming at once, full of ribbons and cheek-kisses and such. And then their weapons transform into the Kaleido Moon Scope and Crystal Carillon! So after an INSANE amount of new Stock Footage, we have our new "thing"- the Make Up into Super Sailors, the Carillon calls forth Pegasus with a "Twinkle Yell", and then an empowered S.S. Moon fires out her "Moon Gorgeous Meditation"- basically firing out her Moon Scope like a rifle of energy that turns the Lemures into a shattered picture. This stuff takes longer than any Power Rangers Mecha Transformation ever.

Cute episode. Though the sheer amount of stuff that happens in each fight tends to prevent fun stuff- like part of this is the thought of Ikuko having an affair, but we never see Usagi's dad?

(Monster Powers: Fires Herself out of a Cannon- 5 Second Charge; Easy to Dodge, but does Burst Damage. Goes right through Sparkling Wide Pressure)

(First Appearance: Moon Crisis Make Up Transformation, Kaleido Moon Scope, Crystal Carillon, Twinkle Yell, Moon Gorgeous Meditation)
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Davies »

I believe that Kenji's absence is half because they couldn't get his VA back (which is JUST a guess, but happens from time to time) and half because his absence is the major reason that the notion of Ikuko having an affair is even partially plausible.
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Re: Sailor Moon- Series Overview

Post by Jabroniville »

Episode #130: This is a somewhat sad one for me, as this is Naru & Umino's FINAL APPEARANCE in the anime- characters who were once massively prominent in the series, they had less and less to do the more Usagi had magical friends show up, and so, with seventy episodes to go, they say their goodbyes. It still feels a BIT unnecessary, though they'd long since lost any form of importance, and Usagi's group of friends was now fairly substantial.

So Hawk's Eye has built a cage charged with negative energy to create a "Subspace Prison" for Pegasus, and Tiger's Eye is planning on using the "plain" Naru as bait. However, he's MORTIFIED to discover that she's ignoring him frequently for UMINO- his vanity is shattered, and his frustration is epic and pretty funny. Bizarrely, we get to THE HALF-POINT of the episode before we see any of the regular cast! These sentimental dinks KNEW this was the last time we were seeing Naru! So Tiger's Eye is pretending he's got three months to live and wants to "experience love" first, and Naru is a bit too reserved and kind to simply say "no". The girls give some practical advice (Rei: "Love and pity aren't the same thing, Naru"), but UMINO is staggered by the story, and tells her to stay by the man's side! With tears streaming down his eyes like he just saw a Bret Hart match, too.

TE tries to take some liberties and get a little TOO close, which causes Naru to completely shoot down his idea, which is of course when he attacks (salving his pride by suggesting he'd NEVER go for a girl like her). The pervy announces go all-out with the Lemures, a juggler with spikes on her breasts that she "squishes" inwards with each toss of the juggling balls. On a repeating loop, no less. In a pretty non-inspiring twist, the cage... doesn't work in the slightest, and Pegasus simply jumps free- Sailor Moon then kills the Lemures.

Naru confesses that Umino being "such an idiot" by drowning his sorrows in 15 milkshakes (and getting sick off of them) is "what I like about you" is a cute bit, as is her offer of an EXTRA milkshake as a gift. Her smile and Umino's horror caps off their time in Sailor Moon as a whole.

(Monster Powers: Exploding Balls, Flaming Pins, Throwing Knives)
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