Sailor Moon Crystal: Episode 2 [Sailor Mercury]

This week the episode focuses on Sailor Mercury, Ami Mizuno. And can I say in this episode I went from bland indifference to the character to finding her cute and charming? This anime is doing an excellent job at representing the Sailor Senshi.

The episode introduces the desperation of the Four Kings, as Jaedite already seems to be wearing on Beryl’s patience. The show also brings up the Silver Crystal far sooner than the previous show, which fills in some gaps of continuity. And can I say, Usagi is just precious. I can see her as the girl the anime wanted me to because she is so cute and filled with positive energy. Of course she still sucks at school, but her heart is always in the best of places. In example, the episode begins with talk of the genius girl Ami Mizuno who is supposed to have a GPA of 300 and study even on her breaks. No one talks to her and people even avoid being heard around her, as she’s just someone to gawk at for most people.

Ami actually gazes over to Usagi and her friends, clearly desiring to have friends of her own. It’s clear she feels isolated even if she never complains or says anything. Usagi goes home after doing poorly on exams and Ami is the exact opposite- but Luna warns Usagi that she’ll have to fight more enemies soon and this upsets Usagi who is scared at the memory of the fight before.

 

The next day the exam scores reveal Ami Mizuno has a perfect score, and as Usagi is leaving with her terrible scores, she sees Ami playing with Luna. Rather than simply retrieve Luna, she invites Ami out to the arcade and secretly hopes she’ll be able to study with her and get better grades.

 Ami turns out to be great at video games and surprises both Motoki and Usagi with her skills…winning a mysterious prize pen that has a strange symbol on it. . .Usagi is jealous and shakes the machine, getting her own prize that is far different, yet it seems there is no way that it could be something strange. . . right? Ami has to leave and go to the Crystal Seminar, something all the students seem to be doing as of late to study. When she gets there we see there is something shady about the mysterious CDs they use to study at the seminar.

Usagi notices Ami is acting strangely the next day and gets a CD from the seminar of her own. At night she and luna look into it only to find out that it’s been programmed to brainwash people! Of course this can’t stand and Luna and Usagi go to investigate right away, with Luna revealing the pen Usagi got will disguise her. Usagi picks a doctor and becomes THE MOST MOE THING EVER!!! CAN I SAY HOW FUCKING EXCITED I AM FOR THE DISGUISE PEN? MY FUCKING LIFE. SQUEES WERE HAD.

Usagi rushes in to find Ami and the students all in a daze- and Ami in trouble. Even in her brainwashed state she can’t let the pen she got from being with her very first friend simply be thrown away, and once confronted by Usagi the monster reveals itself and attacks her. Surprises in the not good variety occur as her sonic screeches don’t work on this new enemy.

She gets restrained and is going to be attacked when Ami suddenly breaks free of the mind washing and shows she is truly a Sailor Scout, and with help from Luna she becomes Sailor Mercury!

But…I won’t sugar coat. I tried to have hope with these CG transformations but Mercury’s transformation scene is just gaudy. The water that was once sparkly and ribbon like in the traditional animation is now dime store CGI and looks. . .just awful. It looks incredibly terrible. I wish they’d just redo the transformations in 2-d because these are just…the one true flaw of this show. Awful, awful transformation scenes.

Mercury uses her new power to cloud the room, but Usagi is still held down and almost attacked when from nowhere Tuxedo Mask saves her. Earlier Usagi threw another paper ball at Mamoru and here she is saved by him, in both scenes you can see quite clearly how taken with him she is and how her affection differs from the original. MY GOD. THEY WANT TO DO EACH OTHER SO BAD. TRUE LOVE. OTP. FEELINGS. BUTT.

Together Ami and Usagi defeat the monster and return everyone to normal, with Tuxedo Kamen disappearing before anyone sees him. Ami and Usagi are happy to have met and decide to be friends from then on, even returning home that night for a ‘meeting’, but in a way, I have a feeling Ami is just happy to finally have a friend.

This episode was great, once again I really feel the difference in the original and this. Usagi whines but she is a genuinely good and cute person that I wish was my friend, and that’s the point. Ami was my least favorite Sailor Scout but she has definitely grown on me! My only complaint is that I am a transformation buff and the CGI ruins the scenes altogether. Ugh. In any case the episode ends with the shot of a temple and a very certain someone looking towards the screen. . . as you can imagine. . .

Our next episode will focus on recruiting Sailor Mars! Join me then for another fun and nostalgic journey through Sailor Moon Crystal!

Oki