Sailor Moon Crystal Episode 14
Jan. 17th, 2015 07:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heavenly_pearlThe big news from this past week is that Sailor Moon Crystal is going to air on Japanese TV starting in April, which I hope means good things for the future. At the very least, it would be great if TV coverage led to an increase in the budget on the remaining episodes of this season so we don't get another episode like Ep. 13, which felt like a glorified slide show in parts. Being more greedy, I would love it to be successful enough on TV that we get more seasons, at least up to the Dream arc. (I don't care one way or the other about the last arc. Just give me Infinity and Dream, and I'll be a happy camper.)
But for now, let's focus on Episode 14, which saw the end of the Dark Kingdom arc and the beginning of the Black Moon arc. (Yay!) I really loved this episode!
- The final battle was pretty good. Of course, the one in the first anime was better, but it's hard to compete with something that iconic. I liked the part where the senshi's powers get sent to the tower on the moon. That was really pretty. (It would have been nice to have a song with vocals playing during the battle, though, like in the first anime. Momoiro Clover Z, who sing the OP "Moon Pride" also recorded a cover of "Moon Revenge" from the R movie, which is my favorite SM song, so I was kinda hoping they would use that, or maybe even the legendary "Moonlight Densetsu", which was the song actually used in the first anime during the final battle with Beryl/Metallia. Even a new original song might have been good, but oh, well.)
- Artemis briefly imagines Luna in her human form! Honestly, I think that's one of the most shocking things to happen in Crystal so far, since in the manga, her human form isn't even introduced until the Princess Kaguya sidestory, which takes place (kinda, it doesn't really fit in the proper storyline) during Infinity. Makes me wish they could have included Helios in the flashbacks of the Shitennou as Prince Endymion's guards... If we don't get Dream, I would have been satisfied with just seeing him in that way.
- I also loved seeing all the ruins being restored to how they looked in the past.
- Tuxedo Kamen kissing Usagi and bringing her back to life is pretty much a direct homage to the scene portrayed in my icon, which is from the R movie. They're even posed in the exact same position! So that was pretty cool, even if I still would have preferred her kissing him and curing his (manga-only) blindness like in the manga. (Edit: Actually, that kiss was in the manga, too. I just forgot about it.)
- A small mistake where the crystal is missing on the Moon Stick as Usagi and Tuxedo Kamen prepare to teleport to the Moon, but I assume that'll be fixed in the physical release.
- Got teary eyed when Usagi declines to become queen and decides to stay on Earth with Mamoru and all her friends.
- I'm a tad disappointed that her new transformation is pretty much exactly like the old one, just with the brooch changed. Her R transformation in the first anime was my favorite of the Sailor Moon transformations.
- And I actually cried when Sailor Moon used Moon Healing Escalation and is reunited with the other girls. I've been waiting for Crystal to make me cry, and it finally did! I also loved that Minako and Artemis got a moment to themselves.
- Funniest moment of the series so far: Usagi's family is shocked when she wakes up early and Ikuko praises her for finally acting like a responsible junior high student. Cue Usagi exclaiming that she forgot to do her homework! (Give her a break, though. She did just save the world!)
- Loved Rei's premonition.
- Aww, Usagi and Mamoru finally get to keep their promise to give back the watch/handkerchief.
- Good cliffhanger spot with "Usagi" holding a gun to Usagi's head.
Gah, another three week wait until the next episode...
But for now, let's focus on Episode 14, which saw the end of the Dark Kingdom arc and the beginning of the Black Moon arc. (Yay!) I really loved this episode!
- The final battle was pretty good. Of course, the one in the first anime was better, but it's hard to compete with something that iconic. I liked the part where the senshi's powers get sent to the tower on the moon. That was really pretty. (It would have been nice to have a song with vocals playing during the battle, though, like in the first anime. Momoiro Clover Z, who sing the OP "Moon Pride" also recorded a cover of "Moon Revenge" from the R movie, which is my favorite SM song, so I was kinda hoping they would use that, or maybe even the legendary "Moonlight Densetsu", which was the song actually used in the first anime during the final battle with Beryl/Metallia. Even a new original song might have been good, but oh, well.)
- Artemis briefly imagines Luna in her human form! Honestly, I think that's one of the most shocking things to happen in Crystal so far, since in the manga, her human form isn't even introduced until the Princess Kaguya sidestory, which takes place (kinda, it doesn't really fit in the proper storyline) during Infinity. Makes me wish they could have included Helios in the flashbacks of the Shitennou as Prince Endymion's guards... If we don't get Dream, I would have been satisfied with just seeing him in that way.
- I also loved seeing all the ruins being restored to how they looked in the past.
- Tuxedo Kamen kissing Usagi and bringing her back to life is pretty much a direct homage to the scene portrayed in my icon, which is from the R movie. They're even posed in the exact same position! So that was pretty cool, even if I still would have preferred her kissing him and curing his (manga-only) blindness like in the manga. (Edit: Actually, that kiss was in the manga, too. I just forgot about it.)
- A small mistake where the crystal is missing on the Moon Stick as Usagi and Tuxedo Kamen prepare to teleport to the Moon, but I assume that'll be fixed in the physical release.
- Got teary eyed when Usagi declines to become queen and decides to stay on Earth with Mamoru and all her friends.
- I'm a tad disappointed that her new transformation is pretty much exactly like the old one, just with the brooch changed. Her R transformation in the first anime was my favorite of the Sailor Moon transformations.
- And I actually cried when Sailor Moon used Moon Healing Escalation and is reunited with the other girls. I've been waiting for Crystal to make me cry, and it finally did! I also loved that Minako and Artemis got a moment to themselves.
- Funniest moment of the series so far: Usagi's family is shocked when she wakes up early and Ikuko praises her for finally acting like a responsible junior high student. Cue Usagi exclaiming that she forgot to do her homework! (Give her a break, though. She did just save the world!)
- Loved Rei's premonition.
- Aww, Usagi and Mamoru finally get to keep their promise to give back the watch/handkerchief.
- Good cliffhanger spot with "Usagi" holding a gun to Usagi's head.
Gah, another three week wait until the next episode...
