In the penultimate episode of Sailor Moon Crystal Season 3, “Act 37: Infinity 11 Infinite – Judge,” Usagi steels herself to make the ultimate sacrifice and Sailor Saturn finally awakens to destroy Pharaoh 90, even if it means watching the whole world burn.
The episode opens by essentially replaying the concluding moments of last week’s installment, as Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon power up into their Super forms. They launch a dual attack (Rainbow Double Moon Heart Ache) at Mistress 9, who then merges with Pharaoh 90 into a lake-sized puddle of evil indigo goop.
The Inners attack the newly strengthened big bad, paving the way for a lot of stock footage we’ve already seen, including a second round of Double Moon Heart Ache. Much of the first third of the episode consists of recycled footage (mainly recaps or stock attacks), which is disappointing at this climactic moment of the story. But hey, we get to see Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!
Turns out Pharaoh 90 was strengthened, not harmed, by the barrage of attacks sent his way, and he strikes the Inner Senshi down. Then the energy barrier generated by the Outer Senshi gives way, allowing the evil energy of Pharaoh 90 to flood into the streets of Tokyo. Overhead, the Tau Star System appears in the sky, to turn Earth into the interstellar villain’s new homeworld. Hovering above, Super Sailor Moon watches in horror as she realizes her comrades are totally spent. Just then, a break in the clouds reveals the light of the full moon, reminding Usagi of the love and loyalty of her friends. She realizes she’s the only one who can stop Pharaoh 90, and her determination to do so is reinvigorated.
Usagi calls upon the power of the Moon Chalice / Holy Grail and with a last glance at her loved ones, hurls herself into the heart of Pharaoh 90, intent on destroying him no matter the cost. It’s a moving scene, particularly when a heartbroken Chibiusa calls Usagi “mom” and Haruka reflects on the friendship they’ve developed.
Moments after Usagi disappears, the Outer Senshi’s talismans light up. A beam of violet light emerges from Pharaoh 90. But it’s not Sailor Moon emerging victorious: it’s the tenth guardian, Sailor Saturn. Finally, this fan-favorite character gets a fitting introduction. It’s not the full transformation sequence / henshin fans have wanted since the 90s anime, but her steely gaze and elegant spins through the air look simply incredible. It’s clear the animators put a lot of love, time and thought into how this would look.
Cue lots and lots of reaction shots from the other Sailor Senshi; everyone looks terrified to see the little doombringer. “Seems I’m always an uninvited guest,” Saturn intones, whispery and unemotional. As she plunges her weapon into Pharaoh 90, Saturn explains that Hotaru had been fated to die, and Professor Tomoe’s interventions to save his daughter disrupted the timeline and drew the evil entities from the Tau Star System to Earth. The music throughout this scene really stands out: funereal and eerie, it underscores Saturn’s mission to bring about the death of the world.
The newest Sailor Senshi launches into Death Ribbon Revolution as the others beg her to stop. With the end of everything seemingly seconds away, Chibi Moon desperately cries out to Sailor Moon…
And it’s over! Surely it can’t be “Tuxedo Mask meets Jamiroquai” ending credits time already?!
Although the heavy reliance on previously-seen footage in the first several minutes is annoying, this installment of Sailor Moon Crystal looked simply beautiful throughout. Saturn’s introduction was the clear standout scene of the episode, and ranks among the best moments of the season (perhaps even the entire Crystal reboot). For better or worse, it’s clear now this version of the ‘Infinity’ storyline focuses more intently on Saturn / Hotaru, where the 90s version dug deeply into Haruka and Michiru.
Do you think we’ll see any surprises in the finale? What did you think of this week’s episode and Sailor Saturn’s reveal? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Before the finale, check out more of iDigitalTimes’ Sailor Moon Crystal news and recaps!
Episodes of Sailor Moon Crystal premiere Mondays on Hulu, Crunchyroll and Viz.com.
