Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon Act 2 Review

 

Ah this act, an act which can be not totally inaccurately described as "The Satanic backwards messages on the floppy disks corrupting our youths!!!"

Act 2 begins with Jadeite, the villain seen near the end of last act talking to a woman mostly obscured in shadow. This is Beryl and you can already tell she is a magical character of some description given the crystal ball in front of her and that her design is clearly made to seem like a witch and you can also tell she's Jadeite's superior with Jadeite apologizing for his failure to find the "Silver Crystal." Beryl tells Jadeite that their "great ruler" desires power and commands Jadeite to gather energy and search out the Silver Crystal. Jadeite notes in his response that he is leader of the "Dark King's Far-Eastern Branch." This entire section is devoting to giving the viewers a sense of threat and scale of the enemies; they are some form of evil kingdom with a dark magical queen at its head and with only a single branch on the far east suggesting global power. It also first references their "great ruler" showing an indescript murky darkness, promising of a threat beyond them.

This is contrasted immediatly as we cut to antics with Usagi and Luna. Usagi reintroduces herself to the audience. She mentions that her hobbies are "eating, sleeping, and relaxing" (relatable)  and that she's a normal cute girl whose a bit of a crybaby....or at least she should be glaring at Luna all mift. Luna tells Usagi that she wants to train Usagi but Usagi instead cries that she doesn't want to do anything scary like that ever again, and she hates scary things. Once again this is pretty clear set up that Usagi is not a more idealized type of heroine yet at the same time it's very realistic. Usagi is by her own words an average 14 year old girl and she's being expected to fight for her life against scary monsters. Luna expects her to be a Sailor Senshi, a cosmic guardian though neither understands this is actually the first lifetime of Usagi being a Senshi.

Luna makes a strange statement that their enemies are not human, that they don't belong in "this" world before reiterating their mission. While Beryl and the Heavenly Kings are humans, I think Luna is supposed to be talking about the youma here. That said her statement they don't belong in "this" world is an interesting one. There's an indication in some parts of the Sailor Moon manga that there are other worlds and some of the enemies like Nyan-Nyan, princess of the "cat world" or Luuga, strongest fighter of the "electronic world" natively reside there, both from Sailor V, so I do wonder if that's the idea Naoko was referring too. Another option is just to emphasize the cosmic nature of Sailor Moon's mission, that she is to defend the world. 

Usagi wonders if Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor V are two of the allies she's supposed to be searching for and Luna responds that she already has in mind someone who will be their next ally. This is immediatly followed by showing nighttime where Luna, the cat, is working on some kind of advanced computer.... and is looking up the information on one Ami Mizuno.

It's at the same time, a big plot development, and also kind of a hilarious image. Also, and I've never heard anyone mention this, there's this weird light circle around Luna...you'd think it was just a narrative thing to direct the viewer's eye....because you know there's so many other things in the panel for you to be looking at then the cat using a computer... but in the panel before it shows the corner of the light circle without trying to draw the eye so...is it just because it's dark at night and it's like a single lamp is shining down to emphasize the mysterious atmosphere? Given the preceding events I believe so.

We then go into a general introduction of the character of Ami Mizuno. She's a "genius girl" who scored highest in the nation, rumored to have an IQ of 300 and she's shown looking reserved and aloof. Umino says her high scores must be due to the elite "Crystal Seminar" prep school program she's on...which is actually kind of a dumb comment. This is a prep school program with lots of students in it so why would Ami only be that smart from it? The reason reason is Naoko, in her trademark efficient way, uses this scene to give exposition on both Ami and the Crystal Seminar as being hyper-intellectual elites. Ami is mentioned also to come from a rich family, as her mother is doctor causing everyone to start jealously envying her for being smart and rich. As sad as it is I do like the progression here because it's a really realistic way of showing the progression of rumors. "She's so smart!" "She's so smart AND rich" "She must live a happy life!" "I hear she's really cold, "I hear she has no friends and all she does is study." We will learn later that while Ami is indeed smart and comes from a rich family, she lives an extremely sad life because she comes from a broken home, and has no friends because everyone only seem to notice her intelligence. Yet people just make nasty assumptions based on these sole factors. 

Usagi watches the genius girl only to find Luna, in a bid to get closer to the Sailor Senshi candidate, jump down on her shoulder. Watching Ami cuddle Luna and say she thought for a moment Luna was an angel only to embarrasedly cover her mouth and blush gives Usagi the in to befriend this responsible genius girl so different from her. Usagi first thinks to herself "she's cute" and I know that sounds like Bi Usagi, but in Japan especially it's not uncommon for girls, especially at that age to call each other affectionate terms like "cute." But if you want Bi Usagi wait till next chapter ;) There's also a really funny gag where Usagi gets a devil tail and horns while mischeivously thinking to herself "if I befriend the genius girl...then she'll make ME a genius girl too!" I love this gag because it's perfectly suited for Usagi's character; childish thinking, a bit naughty but wholly un-meanspirited, selfish but not really exploitative. 

The two go to the arcade to play the Sailor V game which Usagi thinks is really hard but Ami just goes full anime supergenius looking at the game while Usagi is playing it with, analyzing it and then on her first time playing, probably any arcade game given her personality, getting a massively higher score than anyone 

Following we get a bit more cutesy Usagi and Ami characterization. From the high score Ami wins a prize, a pen and Usagi bangs on the machine and gets her own prize, a second pen. Usagi is shown to be informal and friendly, taking to quickly calling Ami by her first name and asking her to do the same. Ami is shown to be reserved but amused and charmed by Usagis antics, which is honestly just adorable. Ami tells her she wants to be a doctor like her mother before leaving for cram school. I think there's a really good reason Ami is the first of the guardian senshi to be found, because her personality probably most pleasently contrasts with Usagi's. Minako and Makoto are both in different ways closer to Usagi in temperment, and while Rei is very different from Usagi, it's a difference that can cause conflicts. Ami and Usagi have a real friendship between opposites dynamic.

After that we get more into the Crystal Seminar stuff. I know this act so well it's hard for me to know if it's suspicious, obviously suspicious, or well-hidden. We see the Crystal Seminar is a form of disc-based prep school program though the instructor tells Ami she's in a league of her own telling her everyone aspires to be like her. This begin a trend in Sailor Moon, all the other Sailor Senshi are admired yet outcasted in isolation for their amazing gifts and it's Usagi hidden amazing gift, her empathy and compassion that allows her to befriend them. Wee see the Crystal Seminars start to eat up more of Usagi's classmates times including Ami's. When Usagi tries to invite Ami to go out with them to get ice cream, Ami remembers the earlier praise she had gotten and declines because she must study. However Ami accidentally left behind the Crystal Seminar Disc, which Usagi curiously picks up.

After that we have, I admit, kind of a weirdly placed section where Usagi is going back home and she runs first into people advertisizing the Crystal Seminar and then into Mamoru where they get into mild tsundere antics towards each other and a gag where Mamoru hears Luna talk and Usagi has to deny it. It does kind of break up the flow of the plot admittingly, I think it would have made more sense to happen following the scene of Usagi and Ami at the arcade to show Crystal Seminar's expansion and flow more naturally rather then have it go between Usagi finding the disc and going to a computer lab to analyze it. Speaking of which, Usagi and Luna go into a computer lab to analyze the suspicious disc. Usagi once again demonstrates her masterful skill with all things technology again to analyze the disc

Usagi and Mamoru each independently discover from analyzing Crystal Seminar Discs that they are actually secret brainwashing discs with secret messages which is....honestly pretty goofy but definitely my kind of goofy where it's taking a dumb idea completely and dramatically seriously.

After that we come to possibly my favorite part of the chapter. Usagi worries Ami has been brainwashed and rushes after her and needs to sneak in. Luna tells her she can use the pen she won at the arcade game....for SOME reason (I'll talk about next act)... she can throw into the air to change into a disguise, whcih she does to change into a doctor 

For a viewer without outside information this might seem completely change. However I think it's a really sweet homage. Prior to Sailor Moon, a lot of magical girls had one or primarily one power, the magical ability to turn into an adult version of herself, usually different profession versions as a way of exploring narratively different career possibilities for young girls as well as letting them fantasize about being an adult with greater social capability and responsibility. Usagi doesn't use this power that much, certainly not as much Minako does in Sailor V where she uses it basically every chapter, but I think it's just a really sweet reference to the tradition of the magical girl genre. 

I also think it's interesting that Usagi changes into a doctor the same chapter Ami is introduced and says her goal is to be a doctor like a mother. Personally I think it's primarily just to encourage girls that they can be doctors if they want too. 

It's revealed that the Crystal Seminar instructor is a youma, called Garoben in the anime which I'll use since she's unnamed in the manga, who was using the Crystal Discs to drain the energy of civilians. She also claims they're gonna use the genius girl's smarts to take over all of Japan. Luna tells Usagi to transform into Sailor Moon and despite her reluctance, Usagi does so. The fight proceeds

Garoben fires razor sharp papers at Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon manages to admirably stop some with hairpins, before getting quickly overwhelmed. I like that we're seeing Sailor Moon begin to develop in her combat skill (it will be revealed later how she was developing in skill.) For the moment however, Usagi becomes overwhelmed and cries, creating supersonic waves shattering the glass.

Either to get a hostage or to try and escape with the most valuable assest Garoben grabs Ami, but noticing she's still aware angrily declares Ami hasn't been using the Crystal Discs. Ami, pained, declares she has been studying but studying is something you do of your own ability. Luna seems....weirdly shocked by this and takes this as the point to tell Ami to use her pen.

This part isn't treated like a joke or anything, like Ami is so responsible that the insinuation that she hasn't been studying is more important then physical danger. It's a weird theme that, I mean I do agree with hypothetically, but hasn't been what the act has been about up until now, and it's treated like a weirdly climatic moment. I think it would have made more sense with the flow of the chapter to have it be something like her saying she wants to help her first friend Usagi, or that Garoben is hurting so many people, and that as one whose dream is to heal people, she wants to save them. This could cause the Mercury Insignia to appear on her head prompting Luna's response.

Ami uses the pen and her planetaryinsignia appears on her forehead, releasing a freezing mist. In the mist, Sailor Moon calls out for Mercury and Garoben grows claws to attack her saying she'll shread her to ribbons but as she makes her move a voice from behind Sailor Moon tells her to kick now allowing Sailor Moon to kick Garoben in the face. This is revealed to be Tuxedo Kamen. The two have a shippy moment, looking into each others before Tuxedo Kamen tells her to go save her friends with a smile and exits. Sailor Moon finishes off Garoben, this time completely bisecting her horizontally. Not only is it cute seeing Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen start to fall for each other, but this fight scene is a noticable improvement than the first fight scene, and honestly probably one of the better episodic fights in the manga, containing movement and changes in who's winning and surprises.

The fog clears to reveal that Ami has tranformed into a Sailor Senshi, Sailor Mercury, the soldier of water and intelligence

This does bring up a question however. If Luna thought Ami was Sailor Mercury...why didn't she just tell Usagi that? Maybe Luna just didn't trust Usagi that much at this point, though I feel like it would still have been better if Luna had said something.

As a side note something I've wondered since I was a child and it might sound strange but can the other Senshi do the tiara throw attack? All the Sailor Senshi have a princess tiara like Sailor Moon's first, and in a few chapters Usagi will say she doesn't have special "powers" like the others do...could Mercury take the tiara off her head and throw it while saying "Mercury Tiara Boomerang"?

Act 2's pretty strong overall. it has 2 really strong scenes in my opinion with the rumor scene and the magical girl homage scene of Usagi getting the disguise pen. It introduces Mercury and Beryl, has a better fight scene then most, and has some funny gags. It's premise is pretty goofy but not in a way that really takes away from its story imo.

In terms of its failings, Luna's actions are a touch questionable, one of the scenes I felt kinda interrupted the flow of the plot, and probably mostly importantly I think what was seemingly a climactic moment of chapter seemed to have a bad focus. 

With especially the last point, I don't think this act reached quite the potential it could have, but to look at something for what it is rather than for what it could have been, I think Act 2 is great. It's still somewhat mid for Sailor Moon, but for me that's an extremely high compliment.