Having reached the tenth episode of this 13-episode arc, the newest installment of Sailor Moon Crystal brings the intensity, suspense and action lacking in the past few episodes. The episode boasts an outstanding fight scene and offers more detail about the Death Busters and their enslavement by the Universe’s Most Dangerous Blob Monster, Pharaoh 90.
Buoyed by the power they’ve stolen from Chibiusa, Pharaoh 90 and Mistress 9 declare now’s the time to make Earth their new host planet. Yet what remains of Hotaru, trapped within the body of Mistress 9, prevents Pharaoh 90 from absorbing the power of Chibiusa’s Silver Crystal. As he keeps vigil at her bedside, Mamoru posits that someone is protecting Chibiusa’s soul as the warmth returns to her unconscious body. The handling of the spiritual connection between the two young friends here is particularly moving – Crystal has consistently managed to forcefully articulate the darker sides of Hotaru’s character (which were left to the side in the 90s anime) while still keeping her character engaging and sympathetic.
Meanwhile, Super Sailor Moon and her newly expanded crew continue their investigation of Mugen Academy. Venus puts on her Vice Captain pants and decides the Inners will investigate the upper floors of the building, while the outers will accompany our meatball-headed heroine down to the basement. This makes zero sense, since Ami discovered Professor Tomoe’s evil monster lab downstairs way back in episode 5, but it shows the Inners now trust the Outers to the point they are willing to leave Sailor Moon’s safety entirely in their hands, despite all the chat about killing them in the preceding nine episodes.
Downstairs with Professor Tomoe, we learn that Pharaoh 90 is an extraterrestrial invader who possessed Tomoe and Kaorinite, and that the Witches 5 were innocent human victims of Tomoe’s experiments in creating human-alien hybrids.
As she descends in the elevator with Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna, Usagi remarks she’s overwhelmed and scared, feeling incapable of doing anything by herself. The Outers remind her they know all too well what it is to feel lonely, having spent innumerable years as the solitary protectors of uninhabited planets, though they point out that the knowledge they were defending the Moon Kingdom gave them strength.
Finally, they reach the basement laboratory and the Outers make short work of the minion meatbags Tomoe immediately sends their way. Then Tomoe himself transforms into a huge, cackling monster, which leads to a great, dynamic battle sequence in which Super Sailor Moon nimbly and rapidly dodges attack after attack. This isn’t your typical stock footage, “monster of the week” stuff. After Tomoe almost takes Sailor Uranus out for the count, Super Sailor Moon reluctantly destroys him. Elsewhere, Hotaru senses it immediately. (It’s a bit of a shame that Crystal cuts an affecting moment from the manga here, in which Hotaru mourns her father but reminds herself he hasn’t really been “her father” for some time.)
After the battle, the building begins to collapse, and Sailor Pluto uses her Garnet Ball to create an energy orb to transport the four of them to safety. It becomes clear Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter have been killed or seriously harmed in the collapse when Super Sailor Moon suddenly devolves back into plain ol’ Sailor Moon. But there’s no time for tears; Mistress 9 meets Sailor Moon’s gaze as the episode comes to a close.
This was a strong episode, mercifully without the moments of sub-par animation quality that crept back into Sailor Moon Crystal in the last few weeks. The action sequences were remarkably strong and even the slower moments (between Chibiusa and Hotaru, exploring Professor Tomoe’s past, Sailor Moon’s confession in the elevator) had a powerful dramatic impact, strengthening the relationships between the characters and raising the stakes of the overall story.
With Chibi Moon, Tuxedo Mask, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Mars totally out of commission, how can a weakened Sailor Moon and the Outers stand a chance against the combined power of Pharaoh 90, Mistress 9 and the dreaded arrival of Sailor Saturn? While you wait for next week’s episode, check out iDigitalTimes’ Sailor Moon Crystal news and recaps!
Episodes of Sailor Moon Crystal premiere Mondays on Hulu, Crunchyroll and Viz.com.
