Welcome back! It’s time for more of the worst season ever, as I try to find good things to say about it! Or at least critique why stuff is bad! Well, our first three bad guys are at least delightfully weird, right?
The bad guys (who are the Dead Moon Circus, but still have no name) are still hunting Pegasus, and working for someone named Zirconia. And they have to find humans with beautiful dreams, which Pegasus hides in! But we know it’s actually Chibi-Usa, so they’re basically ADMITTING all this stuff is filler!
… look, it was the days of VHS, okay?
EPISODE #140:
LOL, when my friend and I saw the ad for this one, we saw the infamous shot of Topless Fish Eye and were like “OH MY GOD SHE GETS NAKED IN THIS ONE- AWESOME!!!!”, but it’s obvious now that I look a second time that it’s just a bare-chested dude. The story here is that a Yusuke, a fashion designer is struggling with artist’s block, much to his frustration, and finds his “muse” in the beautiful Fish Eye. Recognizing that FE is a male (it’s rather clear to me that the assistant has feelings for Yusuke, too, and they may be returned), he nonetheless prepares a new line for this muse. However, FE’s shitty behavior soon sends all the staff away- FE orders Yusuke to either fire the assistant (who was chiding him for messing with Yusuke’s designs) or he’ll quit- the assistant chooses to quit rather than putting Yusuke on the spot.
Despite being Filler City, this one has some GREAT animation, with way more frames than we’d normally get. Usagi’s leg as she flails around in the bathtub, water pouring out of her shower cap and slowly deflating it, and more- this is one of the GOOD directors. A chance meeting with Usagi actually helps, too- a tortured Yusuke (unable to comprehend why no one else understands the need for his muse) acts out around her, and in a great bit, she does that little “Sly side glance” thing she does and goes “Are you in a slump?” which just makes him go “UGH!”. Then she shamelessly asks him to design a wedding gown for her- FOR FREE. Yet this obvious lack of tact and social grace actually makes him laugh (especially when she does it again LATER), and when he says “you actually make me want to design this for you…”, the phrasing “want to design” actually shocks him into realizing that he’s into fashion and design because he LOVES IT, not out of a sense of duty or work.
His energy renewed, he tells off Fish Eye… but of course gets attacked by him. Sailor Moon, Chibi-Moon & Tuxedo Mask handily defeat the bouncing-ball Lemures, and they all attend his next fashion gala… with tons of mini-skirts and girls with odango-hair. Not a bad episode when it deals with Yusuke and his business (the fact that he and his assistant are clearly gay is interesting and unique, too, as it’s not dwelled upon), actually, though again Usagi’s immaturity is an issue, as is the COMPLETE LACK of most of the supporting cast.
EPISODE #141:
Oh jesus- a Minako-focused episode. These are always just nuts these days. And sure enough, she’s now targeted by the baddies… but both Tiger’s Eye AND Hawk’s Eye are after her! And hilariously, Minako is TWO-TIMING them! Except both know about it, and are competing with each other. Artemis is disappointed in her lack of focus on the mission, and follows her around, while Minako goes FULL EGOTISTICAL SNOT over all the attention. And then she pulls an “Archie Andrews” and makes both dates for the same time, resulting in her trying to actually go on both dates at once. It’s about as exhausting as you would expect, with Artemis being disappointed in her, while the girls just chide her.
Humorusly, Minako learns NOTHING, and still tries to say she likes both men! And when they peer into her dreams… they’re left a bit horrified (“This girl is too much!” becomes “I need a SHOWER!” in the dub, which is a much better gag). Geez, what’s in there- pegging? The Eye Boys summon twin Lemureses to fight the remaining Sailors (only one is missing, but do these guys clue in? NOPE). The acrobatic monsters do some damage, but Venus wakes up and gets ENRAGED over her “pure feelings” being trampled, and so she breaks free from the board out of sheer willpower (“Scary!” Artemis shouts), transforms, and throws out a “Crescent Beam Barrage” (a multiattack version of her original attack), which not only scares off Hawk’s & Tiger’s Eye, but knocks down their monsters!
In the end, Minako dramatically apologizes to the gang (who just kind of laugh), then gets a bit morose, staring at the night sky. “I can’t believe I let them play me like that” and wonders if she’ll ever find true love. Artemis teases her with “I think you were playing them pretty well in return”, then suggests that love may be something she comes across after many experiences. A neat little ending that kind of makes me wish this season had more of that kind of stuff.
EPISODE #142:
Some more filler, but with a MUCH older person than is normal- a shrewish, mean old woman who harasses grocery store clerks over sales that long since expired (OH GOD I HATE THIS WOMAN- this hits way too close to home), but shows hidden depths when she takes care of Diana (who goes to investigate this woman who cruelly rebuffed Mamoru for attempting to help her). It turns out that she and this great chef (Makoto the cook marks out over him, which is cute) were once in love. But the guy is largely glossed over because there’s just too much plot to go around- Chibi-Usa visits the home and hears about how lonely the lady is, and Hawk’s Eye moves in on her… but she rebuffs him the same way she did Mamo. Pissed off (“She made a fool of me!”), he attacks.
The fight scene is over REALLY fast- just too much story, I guess. The Lemures drives in circles around Sailors Moon & Chibi-Moon, but Tuxedo Mask arrives and his one shot distracts her enough to get killed. It’s very, VERY odd going back to the old “Tuxedo Mask Distraction” well again.
And yeah, they wrap up the plot with the dude explaining- he left her 20 years ago to train in France, rejecting their mutual dream to turn this giant house (which was hunted by “land sharks” who want to buy it- we saw them for two seconds) into a great restaurant. But now, feeling guilty, he gets the romantic line “I’ve never found pot-au-feu that surpasses yours” (damn, even I swooned). And so he begs forgiveness, they look into each other’s eyes, and open a great restaurant in her mansion.
Not BAD, I guess, but a bit overloaded with characters and no time to focus on anyone. Also carries an asinine subplot that Usagi is jealous of Mamoru for offering the old lady an umbrella, despite EVERYONE telling her to knock it off.
Hey, that’s three more, and all filler! But at least it’s GOOD filler! I mean, I’d say every episode here had merit, in it’s own way. Minako being a lunatic whose insanity makes her immune to the villains’ powers is always good for a laugh, the last target was unique, and the first story was actually one of the more complex bits for a Weekly Target of the show!
So join me next time for… probably more filler, because I guess Naoko Takeuchi was being slow with the TV writers or something!
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