Sailor Moon R episode 77 review

“I’ll stand my ground, and I won’t back down.” Mamoru refuses to go back into a relationship with “Usako,” which is what he calls Usagi. He has a pet name for someone who he refuses to get together with. Meanwhile, Usagi tries to make friendship bracelets that will somehow connect the two of them back together. Again, as I say often in these reviews, I am not making this up.

Eventually, we get wash, rinse, repeat of a monster battle, brought on by Esmeraude. But after the Sailor Guardians win, Rei of all people is the one to prod Usagi into chasing after Mamoru and telling him her feelings. What happens? Well, the pic above should tip you off. Actually, I think I accidentally stopped the episode before I saw the whole reconciliation. But it’s not like I or everyone else in the world didn’t know that the two get together.

A jumbled episode, but still not that bad.

Sailor Guardian of the episode: Mars (11)

Episode rating: 7/10

Sailor Moon R episode 76 review

Esmeraude has quite the laugh, doesn’t she? If there’s one reason to watch this arc, it’s to hear her laugh. And laugh she does, quite a bit. There’s got to be a TV Trope for it. But even if there isn’t, she’s one of the best laughers in anime history.

As for this episode, it is no laughing matter (you saw that coming a mile away). All the girls get turned into pastries except for Sailor Mercury, who manages to save them, including Sailor Moon, which is why I don’t get to used my trademark phrase today. Tuxedo Mask also shows up and does… something. Now they’re all united in defeating Esmeraude.

If I didn’t know the relationship between Mamoru and Chibi-Usa from the future, then I’d be really grossed out over the fact that Mamoru dumped Usagi for Chibi-Usa. It really is disturbing. Fortunately, we know that there’s nothing creepy actually going on, but it isn’t a good look, that’s for sure.

Sailor Guardian of the episode: Mercury (4)

Episode rating: 7/10

Sailor Moon R episode 75 review

Before I go to Carolina in my mind, there’s a new Sailor Guardian in tow: Sailor Pluto. She isn’t there in the flesh, but she appears on a little crystal ball thing to tell everyone that they’ve got to go forward in time to save Chibi-Usa. And this is the part I just realized that Chibi-Usa is going to take over everything and anything, and the entire show revolves around her, even more so than the main character. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have realized this about 20 episodes ago. But yes, Chibi-Usa is now the focal point of just about everything.

Also, look at how useless the Sailor Failures™ have become. When they attack, it’s all of them attacking at the same time, meaning they’re basically just one person with four bodies. As much as the characters have been developed, there’s now nothing to them except being there to get beaten up on so that the battle can move over to Sailor Moon’s court. I know this series gets better in S, but right now R is really struggling.

Sailor Guardian of the episode: Pluto (1)

Episode rating: 4/10

Sailor Moon R episode 74 review

Thanks to Chibi-Usa’s stupidity, the four Sailor Guardians besides Moon have been captured by Rubeus. In a scene that was undoubtedly cut from the DiC version, they are all on crosses being crucified. They’re all unconscious, but I’m sure the censors wouldn’t let that get by. In any case, Artemis, Luna, Usagi, Mamoru, and Chibi-Usa have to find a way to free them.

So, Usagi just goes off and does her own thing, and then Chibi-Usa follows suit. Both of them get captured, predictably, and now it’s up to Mamoru and the cats to save them. Artemis and Luna hatch a half-baked idea that they’re going to pretend to be “the rabbit,” but when that idea is shelved, it’s Sailor Moon vs. Rubeus. Sailor Moon gets some attacks in, so soon Rubeus lights the place on fire. The Enterprise is burning in space, but at least the Sailor Guardians have been freed. And now, Sailor Mercury says it’s a “longshot” that they could teleport away. Yo, Mercury? That’s your only chance of survival at this point. A “longshot” would be if it actually had a small chance of working. You’re not so smart as you think, Mercury.

Anyway, everyone teleports away, Rubeus is left to burn, and everything’s happy again. Except me. This was a rather lousy pair of episodes that only made it by thanks to some unintentionally hilarious moments by Chibi-Usa. Can’t wait until she finds out her true identity.

Sailor Guardian of the episode: Moon (8)

Episode rating: 5/10